Pots and Pins

Miss Valentine Has Arrived....

She's finally done....but before I "unveil" her...let me remind you of how she came into being....

A little paper maiche and a dowel...a few weeks of drying time....then painting and glitter...

Finally....drum roll please....or, as I am want to say....Waaa-Laaa... (before I continue I must tell you that a dear friend of mine emailed me and told me that instead of writing '"Waaa-Laaa" I should write "Voila," which is French for Waaa-Laaa....well, she assumed that I meant for you to pronounce my Waaa-Laaa as a petite French woman would....in a high, perhaps slightly squeaky voice - my apologies to any small French women out there with high squeaky voices....but au contraire!  I sincerely meant to write Waaa-Laaa and have you pronounce it - in your head - as any big-'ol Southern Gal might as she is presenting her pig at the fair....WAAAAA-LAAAAA!  See the difference?  And no offense taken, Gail, afterall it allowed me to 'splain myself!) 

There now....with that little bit of "house-cleaning" out of the way....may I present.....Miss Valentine!

She's all that I hoped she would be....still slightly alien-looking in appearance but then she hails from planet Valentine........With her ribbon gown and her off-set crown, she's the finest looking Valentine in town!........(A small rhyme for you at no extra cost)....She will be on display in my front entry  from now until Valentine's Day....tours begin each day at noon, admission is free but a lovely hostess gift is always appreciated.   

     "I can neither Eat nor Sleep for thinking of You my dearest love, I never touch even pudding."

                                                                                     Admiral Nelson

(Can you imagine not touching pudding?!?  Blasphemous!)

Valentine Finds....

It was a dark and gloomy night....one of the best "openers" ever, don't you think?  Well, it wasn't night but it was dark and gloomy and cold yesterday and I was in the mood for a little hunting - antique hunting...Luck was on my side, too, because I managed to talk the mister into coming with me to one of my favorite antique shops.  I was looking for some small glass, porcelain, or ceramic cherubs for a little Valentine project and I thought I saw some in this shop a while back - we found none....but we did find these wonderful things!

A plastic heart topiary (which I had seen earlier in the day at Target) that was missing a heart - an easy fix....this sweet gold, plaster of Paris Cherub which will now be afixed to my Valentine wreath on my front door - it needed a boost!  The little tin basket has Valentine's all over it - and I think I'll fill it with Valentine napkins (they will be needed to wipe away crumbs from the treats I have planned!)  And how about the hanky!?  It's embroidered with red hearts and flowers - I think it will make a wonderful sachet...and while it's not an antique or even that special I just loved the metal heart-candle holder...something new for my collection.  So all in all - it was a great hunting expedition! 

Chicken Paprikash

The other day my friend Megan said she was going to take dinner to another friend with a bad back - she was going to take her Chicken Paprika - said it was her favorite comfort food.  Megan has yet to make a meal that didn't have everyone, including me, wanting more.  She asked me if I had ever had Chicken Paprika and when I said no she offered to bring me a taste...and let me just say that I waited with baited breath until my doorbell rang and my sample arrived!  It was every bit as good as I knew it would be - creamy and smooth - almost velvety. After a few bites I realized that I had nothing prepared for dinner - and the mister would be coming home any second - so, with great will-power - I covered up the remaining Chicken Paprika and saved it for him.  There wasn't a lot left - so I put some other left-overs on his plate - reheated everything in the microwave and served it up.....he took one bite of the Chicken Paprika and said, "Did you make this?"  I was instantly annoyed....he always knows when someone else has cooked something....and I bit my tongue as he said, "This is fantastic!  Really, who made it - you need to get the recipe, this is great!"  The fact that he knew I didn't make it and that he liked it better than anything I did make really bugged me....but he was right - it IS fantastic...so I called Megan and asked for the recipe.

Coincidently, before I started cooking, I picked up some magazines to throw out, I happened to open Cook's Illustrated - just to make sure I wanted to trash it - and there was a recipe for Chicken Paprikash....so I compared the two recipes - Megan's was much simpler but made in a pressure cooker.  Since I don't own a pressure cooker - for fear of blowing myself up - I decided to follow Cook's Illustrated recipe for preparing this dish on the stovetop - I deleted a few items as I didn't want to stray too far from Megan's original dish because it was so good - but I liked the addition of white wine and that Cook's had....basically I combined the two and it worked!

The mister ate it and pronounced it as good as Megan's....but not until I asked him did he say this, which makes it a moot point in my book...had he said it voluntarily, without being prompted, he might have won a favor or two....

Chicken Paprikash - Adapted from Megan Gee and Cook's Illustrated

Serves 4

2 lb. chicken (Megan only uses chicken thighs, I used both thighs and breasts)

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons paprika (Cook's called for Sweet Paprika, I used Smoked Paprika)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups sour cream

Eggs noodles, cooked, drained and buttered

Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels.  Place a half the chicken in a Zip-loc bag and add 1 tablespoon flour - shake well.  Remove and repeat with remaining chicken and flour.  In a heavy skillet on medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onions and cook until almost soft and golden brown, stirring frequently.  Add the chicken to the onions and brown on all sides.  Stir in chicken broth and wine, simmer, uncovered, until most the liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes, and the chicken is completely cooked through.  Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in sour cream.  Heat thoroughly but do not boil.  Serve over warm buttered noodles. 

"How long does getting thin take?  Pooh asked anxiously."  A.A. Milne

Fontina, Proscuitto and Fig Jam Sandwiches

A while back a friend had a little gathering and served as an appetizer some fig jam with cheese - it was wonderful....ever since I've been on a fig jam kick - looking for ways to use it besides putting it on Brie or even better, Bleu cheese. 

I needed a quick sandwich and I pulled out of my refrigerator what I thought might work....Fontina cheese, proscuitto and of course, the fig jam.  I also used some French butter....which I just discovered.  I was at my favorite grocery store this week, DiLaurentis' in the Pike Place Market, and they had this hunk of butter on their counter - while I was waiting for my turn I heard the clerks telling other shoppers about this butter - it was very creamy and rich and had chunks of sea salt throughout.  The clerk said that when it's spread on a piece of bread and you bite into that crisp piece of salt that your tongue would do a little happy dance....well, I'm all about that! 

And she was so right!  Sea salt in butter will have you doing a happy dance for sure!  I wanted to grill these sandwiches but don't have a panini press/maker so I pulled out my George Foreman Grill....Waaa-laaa - they were cooked to perfection in a matter of minutes!

 

Fontina, Proscuitto and Fig Jam Sandwiches

This makes 6 small sandwiches

I package Proscuitto or buy it fresh from the deli - I used two slices per sandwich, trimmed

4 oz. Fontina cheese, sliced thin

1 small jar fig jam (you will not use the entire jar so you'll have plenty leftover!)

French butter to spread - (butter with sea salt added)

Slices of bread from a good baguette

Spread butter on baguette slices, one side only.  Place sliced cheese and 2 slices of proscuitto on top.  Spread fig jam on another piece of baguette and  put on top of proscuitto.  Add a little butter to the outside of the bread and grill until cheese is melted and the bread is lightly toasted.

"I have the simplest of tastes.  I am always satisfied with the best."  Oscar Wilde

Tea Pillow....

Since I've been on the topic of pillows - I had to show you my most favorite....this was a gift from my dear friend Wendy...(who's never met a stranger)...she gave this to me for my birthday - it's a "therapy" pillow.  She purchased it in Thailand while on vacation - she said a little old lady made it.

It's covered in satin with a satin cord....and it's stuffed with black tea!  It's an aromatherapy pillow...it's supposed to stop headaches and pains in the neck (aka the mister) and promote calmness and serenity, blah, blah, blah....and it works!  I've not had a headache since I started using it....I usually lay my head on it for an hour or so each night before falling asleep....I love the smell of the tea - it took me a while to get used to but now it's so relaxing - I look forward to it!

Stuffed completely with black tea...and tightly too!  I think having a pillow stuffed with lavender would be great too!  Because it's stuffed so tightly it's not a soft, cushy pillow - it's hard - but it's the aroma that makes it so wonderful!  Thanks again Wendy....I LOVE my pillow!

Valentine Pillow...

I made this little pillow out of felted wool....It's for a Valentine swap - I sure hope the stranger I'm sending this to likes it....I made one for myself as well because I like to walk into a room and catch a glimpse of something that has a little message on it...just a little reminder of good things.  This measures 7" x 18" and is hand-stitched with the blanket stitch and hand embroidered with the back stitch.  I like little pillows in chairs - they're not big enough to interfere with sitting and they're small enough to provide a little extra cushion for my back. 

Valentine's Day is truly a Hallmark holiday but....what else do we have to celebrate in February?  The deep freeze?!?  I look forward to Valentine's Day....to my annual plastic rose with the fake water droplets that the mister purchases for me....these are only sold at the finest of gas stations!  One day soon I'll have enough to open my very own plastic rose museum!   He tries...bless his heart...I suppose it's better to get plastic roses with the fake water droplets than to have a husband who drives into cemetaries looking for fresh flowers to take home to his wife....the mister would NEVER do that...that takes too much time!

Things to do with tile.....

I saw this car parked outside of the tile shop....it is completely covered in tile...now, this was this tile company's way of advertising but seriously...who would tile a car?!?  If our bathroom tile doesn't workout then maybe I will!

Baked Artichoke and Yellow Squash...

This is a great recipe to serve as a side dish instead of potatoes or rice or pasta - and it also makes a great appetizer when cut into small squares.  Come to think of it, it would also be a great brunch dish paired with fruit and a biscuit...so many ways to eat this!

You could substitute the yellow squash for zucchini if that's what you have on hand.  I usually make this with zucchini but I didn't have any so I used the yellow - it has a milder taste.

This is a pretty dish because of the layers of squash and artichoke - and it reheats in the microwave perfectly.

Baked Artichokes and Yellow Squash

Makes 6 main-dish servings or 18 appetizers

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups thinly sliced yellow squash (about 1 1/2 pound)

2 cans (14 oz.) artichokes, in water, drained well, cut into small pieces

salt

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

10 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 7 x 11" baking dish, at least 2 inches deep.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the onions and garlic, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.  Set aside.  To the baking dish add the sliced squash in layers, alternating in between with a layer of the onion and garlic, artichokes and cheese.  Pour the eggs over the squash.  Sprinkle cheese on top and top with parsley.  Bake for 50 minutes or until lightly browned on top.  Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into squares.

                          "Garlic is the catsup of intellectuals."  Unknown

Sausage and Pasta e fagioli.....

This is comfort food at it's best....after eating a big bowl of this all I want to do is curl up with a warm quilt and watch The Godfather....you gotta problem wid dat?  My mom calls this Pasta Fazool - and if you have an Italian mom she probably calls it that too.  I just call it good....dang good.  And if you use canned beans it comes together pretty fast.

The mister and I went to lunch today at Stellar, a seedy little bar and grill (heavy on the bar) in the Georgetown area of Seattle.  We were in that area to pick some new tile for our bathroom - and it was agony - way too many choices.  After being married for an eternity the mister decided that he wanted some "say" in what we put in the bathroom....well excuse me - but we don't change the rules in the middle of the game!  I was NOT going to give him a "say"....I mean, we have an agreement....he has control of the outside of the house and I have control of the inside....and since it's not an OUTHOUSE, he has NO SAY!  But, to humor him and to keep the peace I decided to let him think he had some "say." So we get to the tile place and there were thousands and thousands to choose from...after 15 minutes I heard myself say, "I don't care, just get what you want."  True.  It's a sad, sad day I tell you....I totally caved!!  I was just overwhelmed and we came home with HIS choice of tile....I can't even bring myself to describe it to you - suffice to say it's going to be an "interesting" bathroom.  Back to Stellar....they are known for their pizza....but I ordered the meatball sandwich with a cup of their Pasta e Fagioli...it was so good!!  I wished I had ordered a bowl of the soup and forgotten about the grinder!  After lunch - at the tile place - I kept thinking about the soup - which is the only excuse I have for shamlessly giving in to the mister - I had soup on the brain and was not on top of my game!!

When I was thinking about what to make for dinner - that soup was still on the brain! I had spent last night reading through my new cookbook finds and there were several recipes for Pasta Fagioli that I remembered seeing...but which one to make?  Again, too many choices - so I did what my mom would have done - I combined them and I took copious notes so you can make this too!

Sausage and Pasta e Fagioli - Pasta and Bean Soup

Makes a lot - at least 8 main-dish servings

1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage

1/2 lb. Italian sausage

3 cans (15 oz.) white beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup olive oil

3 cups chopped yellow onion

1/4 cup minced garlic

6 cups chicken stock or broth

3 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, with juice

1/4 lb. rigatoni or other pasta

1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Romano cheese

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sausage and cook until the sausage is done, breaking into small pieces, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, reducing heat to medium-low.  Add the chicken stock or broth and the tomatoes.  Raise the heat to high to bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add the pasta, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat and cook until pasta is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add in the beans and cook until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.  The soup will become thicker as the pasta cooks.  (If you want the soup to be thinner you can add more stock.)

Serve with a generous amount of Romano cheese.  (When reheating the soup, add about 1/4 cup chicken stock for each serving, because the pasta soaks up a lot of liquid.)

                        "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful."  Mae West

Baked Salmon with Brown Sugar and Soy Sauce...

When my doctor told me to start taking fish oil tablets I went right out and bought some....and then I took them and then I burped them...sorry, that was gross, but you can't possibly know gross unless you've burped fish oil....it was then that I decided that I would put more fish on the menu.  We have lived in Seattle for more than 16 years - and I think I've had salmon just about every way it can be prepared in that time. 

Before moving to Seattle my favorite seafood was Chicken of the Sea - I grew up land-locked so fresh fish was something new for me.  I like salmon - with dill, with ginger, and even plain but I LOVE salmon prepared this way.  At a dinner a while back, our friend Don served us his version - I had heard tales of his wonderful salmon for a long time so we were thrilled to finally be able to taste it.  Naturally, I grilled him about what and how he made it because it was the best tasting salmon I think I've had in 16 years of eating it!

Of course he grilled his salmon and  I've already told you how I feel about grilling in the rain....even though it didn't rain today I realized that I have a temperature limit as well as a precipitation limit...if it's 40 degrees or colder I don't grill.  So, without his grilling techniques and without exact amounts of ingredients, I had to improvise a bit but I loved the outcome.

Baked Salmon with Brown Sugar and Soy Sauce - adapted from Don Ryther, Salmon Expert

Serves two.

1 lb. salmon fillet, rinsed and patted dry

1/4 cup butter, melted

6 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 green onions, chopped

Pam spray or olive oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Rinse and pat dry salmon.  Spray a rimmed baking sheet with Pam or lightly coat with olive oil.  Place salmon skin side up.  Bake in 325 degree oven for 12 minutes.  Meanwhile, in small microwaveable bowl, melt butter.  Stir in brown sugar and soy sauce, mixing until well blended.  After 12 minutes, remove salmon from oven.  Remove the skin (it will come off easily) and turn the fillet over.  With a large spoon, spread brown sugar sauce completely over salmon.  Return salmon to oven and bake for an additional 8 minutes.  Spoon some of the brown sugar sauce back up on the salmon and place under the broiler for 2 minutes to carmelize.  Top with chopped green onions.