Pots and Pins

Missing Bowl!!!

Okay...I've been very patient...I have.  I've waited and waited, hoping SOMEONE would realize that they have my bowl...and not just any bowl...but my BABY NESTING BOWL!!!  My set is not complete...my medium bowl and my large bowl are missing the baby bowl every bit as much as I am!!!  So...here's the deal...no questions asked...IF YOU HAVE MY BOWL...please just bring it and put in on my front porch...you can ring the door bell and run or not...but I'd really like to have it back!! 

It's a white hobnail bowl...and I'm sure I took some food in it to someone and my name wasn't on it and they have forgotten who it belongs to...but I haven't forgotten...really, truly, I'd like to have it back...please???  I'll forgive you...I'll never mention it again...you'll still be on my Christmas list...I promise!  Today would be a good time to return it.  Yes please.  Today.

Fabulous Lunch With the Girls...

Time out for a little bit of bragging...I was lucky enough to be invited to lunch by 4 very special girls...Carmen, extraordinary mom to Christina, Bianca and Grace, asked me to be their guest for a picnic...but Mother Nature was not in a good mood, she inflicted some terrible weather so the picnic outdoors was scraped for one indoors.  The girls are all great cooks, all readers of this whatever-thought-in-my-head-dish-in-my-fridge-blog and I've known them for a very long time, since the girls were little...my girl used to babysit for them and I'm sure she wouldn't recognize them now - they are all grown up and so, so beautiful...just like their mom. 

As a thank you to the girls, I whipped up those aprons and they happily put them on - but even 3 aprons just didn't seem like thanks enough for the great food they served!  Take a look...  

The table was so colorful  and they served the most delicious salads...an amazing Quinoa salad and a Spinach and Strawberry salad...then Chicken Satays with two fabulous sauces...Peanut and Cilantro...they were out of this world good!  For dessert they wowed me with a Pavlova that had pears, nuts and chocolate on one half and strawberries and black berries on the other...simply delectible!  Now, it would be rude of me to post just pictures and not the recipes...so rest assured that those recipes are coming soon...I wouldn't want you to miss out just because I was their only guest!!  Thanks Carmen, Christina, Biana and Grace - it was truly a great day for me!

Ratatouille...

I'm not talking about the movie rat, but the delicious French vegetable stew...eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, onions, zucchini...zee best vay to eat yur veggieez.  This is the last of the Julia Child recipes that I made for our feast before going to see the Julie and Julia movie...and while it may have been the least glamorous looking thing on our plates, it is every bit a star worthy of it's own plate!  

We had a bit of a drama yesterday morning...Caesar Beezer The Wonder Dog bit the mister...on the nose...hard...drew blood and everything!  Here's how it all played out:

Act 1:  I sit, in my beautiful throne of a desk chair, looking like a goddess while holding Caesar on my lap, (Note:  Caesar has come to worship his master.)  The mister enters the nerve center, walks over to kiss me goodbye, and with each step closer Caesar growls louder.  (Note:  This is standard procedure for Caesar Beezer the Wonder Dog, he is very protective of his human and is very intuitive, smart and discerning.)  The mister is coming to kiss me good-bye...but Caesar, suspecting something, is on full alert.  (Note:  Caesar has never bitten the mister before...he bites the boy on a regular basis, as the boy teases him, and he has never bitten me...nipped but not bitten.)  The mister bends down, I casually toss my hair as a little laugh escapes my lips; Caesar sees his opportunity!  The mister puts his nose right between his teeth!  (Note: How could Caesar be blamed?) 

Act 2:  The mister drops his briefcase, starts flapping around the room - then dashes out the door and down the hall to the bathroom.  He grabs a WHITE TOWEL and puts it to his face...I enter the room, looking ravishing, thinking the mister is over-reacting (Note:  He's a bit of a reactor.)  He moves the WHITE TOWEL away and there is it...a big, bloody throbbing mass! (It should be noted that there are several dark green towels in the room, all within reach of the mister.)

Act 3:  In Florence Nightingale style, I attend to the mister's wounds.  He is soothed by my gentle touch.  Caesar Beezer the Wonder Dog is banished to the laundry room where he will spend the entire day.  The mister limps out the door - for effect - and goes to work. 

Act 4:  The mister's Korean friends tell him they have a way of making sure Caesar will never bite him again.  The End.

   

 

 

 

Ratatouille - From Mastering The Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

1/2 lb. eggplant

1/2 lb. zucchini, trimmed

1 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 8-oz. onion, thinly sliced into strips

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 lb. firm but ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut into 3/8-inch to 1/4-inch-thick strips

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Peel eggplant; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices, then cut into 3-inch long by 1-inch wide strips.  Cut zucchini into same size strips.  Place vegetables in large bowl; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.  Let stand 30 minutes.  Drain; dry with paper towels.  Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, add eggplant and zucchini to skillet; saute until light golden, about 1 minute per side, transfer to plate; reserve.  Add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet; heat over medium heat.  Add onion and peppers; saute until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.  Stir in garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place tomato strips atop onion-pepper mixture in skillet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover skillet; cook over low heat until tomatoes begin to juice, about 5 minutes.  Uncover; baste vegetables in skillet with juices.  Boil until juices are almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer 1/3 of the onion-pepper-tomato mixture to 2 1/2-quart pot; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley.  Top with half of eggplant and half of zucchini, then remaining onion-pepper-tomato mixture; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley.  Layer remaining eggplant and zucchini over; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley.  Cover; simmer over low heat 10 minutes.  Uncover; tilt pot and baste with accumulated juices.  Increase heat to medium; simmer uncovered, basting several times with pan juices until only 2 to 3 tablespoons of juice remain in pot, watching closely to avoid scorching, 10 to 15 minutes longer.  Season with salt and pepper.  This can be made 8 hours ahead and cooled slightly, then covered and chilled.  Just before serving time rewarm over medium-low heat.  Serves 6.

"Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he's buying."  ~ Fran Lebowitz

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One year ago today:  Lemon Crostata

Summer Brisket...

I come from a long line of brisket-eating-people...my family likes to wrap it tightly in foil, with nothing on it except a few onions, then cook it slow and low in the oven and only after about 8 hours of roasting do they slather on the BBQ sauce.  And for the most part that's how I have always cooked my brisket...until I came across This recipe a while back...it's darn good and has been my new favorite - but both of these briskets involve using the oven for hours and hours...which means the kitchen gets hot...and when it's hot outside, even with air-conditioning, it's hard to keep the place cool.  So my friends, I give you this recipe for Summer Brisket, grilled until juices are seared inside and then put in a crock-pot and cooked to perfection - all without raising the mercury inside the house!

And, this  has a "secret" ingredient added to the crock which gives the brisket a rich, almost smokey flavor...are you sitting down?  Okay, I'll tell you but you must promise not to scream...it's bacon grease.  I know, I know, but forget everything you've ever heard about bacon grease and just go with it - your brisket will be mouth-watering good and no one will ever guess the secret ingredient so there will never be any reason for you to tell - unless you're like me and you just can't help yourself!

Now there are two schools of thought on how to "slice" and eat a brisket...one says you should let it sit for 15 minutes or so and then slice it against the grain into nice little strips of meat ...the other says you should just "fork" it...er, shred it with forks and mix it all together with the onions and peppers it's been cooked with...then pile it high on a big toasted bun with lots of onions, peppers and your favorite BBQ sauce on top...which one will you do?

Summer Brisket - Pots and Pins

3 lb. brisket, most of fat removed

2 white onions, sliced

1/2 of a medium red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 of a medium yellow bell pepper, sliced

1/2 of a medium orange bell pepper, sliced

6 cloves garlic

1/2 cup bacon grease

grill/crock pot

Place brisket on a hot grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side to sear in the juices.  Once brisket is grilled to your liking, season with salt and pepper on both sides.  In a large crock pot, place half of the onions, peppers and garlic in the bottom.  Set grilled brisket on top and add in the remaining onions, peppers and garlic.  Pour bacon grease over top and put on lid.  Cook on high for 5 hours.  When brisket is done, drain juices from crock.  You can either remove brisket from crock and slice, against the grain, like a priss, or shred the brisket in the crock using two forks and mixing in the onions and peppers.  Pile brisket high on toasted buns and pass your favorite BBQ sauce.  Makes 6 large sandwiches. 

"Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space."  ~ Evan Esar

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One year ago today:  Popcorn Cake

Daily Feed...

Hey folks - I know some of you have been having trouble receiving my blog through a daily feed...this problem is now fixed - hopefully - my bad...I only knew what I knew but now I know just a tad bit more.  So if you want this delivered to your in-box then click on subscribe down below on the left - and thanks for hanging in there with me! 

Lemon Ricotta Cake...

The truth will set you free.  That's what they say.  Not true.  The truth can land you behind bars, or get you committed, or in my case, get me a front row seat in divorce court.  The mister, with his usual surliness, walked into the nerve center (my office) while I was writing a post so I took the liberty to read him what I had written - because he never reads my dribble on his own - and I thought what I had written was particularly brilliant and funny... he took umbrage.  UMBRAGE!  He informed me that I could not say what I had said.  I told him it was the truth and that I can say whatever I want.  He said if I said what I said it would, in no uncertain terms, cost me...so, not being stupider than the average blogger, I hit delete. 

The mister:  one. Me (bound and gagged, certainly not free):  zero..for now...there is more than one way to stuff a duck.  

Country Woman Christmas 2009, a wonderful collection of recipes from cooks around the country, arrived in my mail a while back along with a note that said, "Thanks for your submission, here is your free copy...blah, blah, blah...your recipe is on page 52."  Turning to page 52, there it was...and I have NO MEMORY of ever submitting this recipe!  Everything moves at a snails pace in the publishing world so I'm thinking I would have had to submit the recipe 3 years ago...which is disturbing because up until now I thought I just had short term memory issues!

While I don't remember submitting this recipe, the cake is unforgettable...a four-layer, rich, dense and super moist cake filled with fresh lemon curd and topped with a lemon butter-cream frosting and sugared-lemon peel...now, this will set you free!

Lemon Ricotta Cake - Adapted from Myself and Country Woman Christmas 2009

Lemon Curd:

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup butter, cubed

Cake Batter:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Sugared Lemon Peel:

6 medium lemons

1/4 cup sugar

Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened

5 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

To make the Lemon Curd:  In a small bowl, combine the eggs and egg yolks.  In a heavy saucepan, cook and stir the sugar, lemon juice and butter over medium heat until smooth.  Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the eggs, to temper them, then return all to the saucepan, stirring constantly.  Bring to a gentle boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Cool slightly.  Cover and chill for 1 1/2 hours, curd will thicken as it cools.

To make the Cake:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Combine the ricotta cheese, buttermilk, lemon peel, vanilla and lemon juice.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture, beating well after each addition.  Pour into two greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

To make the Sugared Lemon Peel:  Using a citrus zester, remove the peel from the lemons in long narrow strips; toss the peel with the sugar.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  (Save the lemons for another use.)

To make the Frosting:  In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar, milk, lemon peel, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth, about 8 minutes.  

To assemble cake:  Cut each cake in half horizontally.  Place one cake layer on serving plate.  Pipe a bead of frosting around the edge of cake.  Spread a third of the lemon curd inside the bead of frosting.  Repeat layers twice.  Top with remianing cake layer.  Frost top and side of cake.  Garnish with sugared lemon peel.  Store in refrigerator.  Yield:  12 to 16 servings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was no way the mister and I could eat this cake by ourselves - it's huge...so I shared the cake with friends and all of them reported back that they LOVED it...make it and taste for yourself...it's a 5 danger, and that's the truth.  If you want to get yourself a copy of Country Woman Christmas 2009, you can order it by clicking here. 

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"The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off." ~ Gloria Steinem

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One year ago today:  Pasta With Pomodoro Sauce

Sauce Vinaigrette...ala Julia...

I'm celebrating a bit this morning...the first tomato of the season was just picked!!  It's a beaut, too...   I'm going to eat it for lunch - can hardly wait...ONE tomato and it's mid-August...this means that I just might get a 2nd or even a 3rd before the end of the month - dare I hope?!  Need I remind you that growing tomatoes in the forest is no easy feat?? 

Okay, let's play true confessions...I'll start...I'm a Julia freak.  There.  I said it.  I'll admit it, deal with the carnage, and move on because that's the kind of gal I am.  I can't get her out of my head...and I saw the movie AGAIN, for the THIRD time.  Loved it even more, if that's possible.  Julie Powell and I HAD two things in common...we both write blogs...and then she went and ate an egg and that just left me with one thing in common with her.  I don't eat eggs - never have, never will.  When the Julie in the movie put a bite of poached egg in her mouth and said it tasted like cheese I reached for my drink so I could wash my stomach contents back to where they belonged.  If you still have not seen the movie, you must...and in the spirit of true confessions, I'll offer this up as an incentive for you to come clean...FOUR times might be the charm...that's all I'm going to say.  Now it's your turn to play...what have you got to confess today?  Do tell! 

This is such a lovely salad dressing...it's so light...plus, when the oil is whisked into the vinegar it becomes a bit velvety...making this the perfect quick and easy dressing for every day use...This isn't the kind of dressing that everyone will rave about...it's not bold or strong...it's very subtle...which is why it's so perfect - whatever you put it on will still be the star - only better.  I'll never buy bottled dressing again.

Sauce Vinaigrette ~ From Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Berthole and Simone Beck

2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

6 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (basil, chives, tarragon and/or parsley)

1 5-to-6-oz. package baby greens

Combine vinegar and mustard in medium bowl.  Gradually whisk in oil.  Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.  Whisk in herbs.  Place greens in large bowl.  Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat and serve.  Serves 6.

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"It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others." ~ Anonymous

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One year ago today:  Chocolate Sandwich Cookies With Marshmallow Cream Filling

Potato Souffle...

Oh my.  Truly.  This one is gonna get you.  You're like, "What?  Potato?  Been there, done that!"  But trust me...transporting, that's what this is...as in one bite and you'll be transported to paradise...one bite and you'll forget your troubles, you'll forget those jeans you've been trying to squeeze yourself back into, you'll forget you're not alone and you'll be moaning and oohhing and aahhing out loud...transporting, I tell you!

 

You can make this into one big casserole but I like to scoop out the "souffle" into small ramekins, which keeps us from eating the entire dish in one setting...everyone gets one nice little dish with their meal...but at the end of the meal there are always 3 or so empty ramekins on each plate...rationing this dish just does not work! 

Potato Souffle - Adapted from Utah Dining Car Junior League of Ogden, Utah Cookbook 

4 lbs. potatoes, (about 5 to 6 large) peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

6 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped

1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded, divided

2 Tablespoons instant onion soup mix

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or more if you like more of a kick)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook potatoes in a large pot until tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain and mash well, trying to remove all lumps, although a few are okay.  Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and the remaining ingredients, and mix well.  Spoon into large oven-proof casserole dish or 12 one-cup ramekins.  Top with remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, if using ramekins, and for 30 minutes if using a casserole dish.  Potatoes are done when they are heated through and the cheese on top has melted and begun to brown. 

"Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone."  ~ Jim Fiebig

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One year ago today:  Pacific Northwest Quilt Show

Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich...

I'm so looking forward to going back to school...I attend "Oprah University" every afternoon, when I can, and this coming semester I'm going to take a class from Dr. Oz, but have no intention of dropping my class with Dr. Phil.  I learn so much from TV...I mean, where else would I have discovered the way to happiness is to think happy thoughts?!?!  Or the way to riches is to have a "vision board?"  And that there really is something called a "penis fish" that is found in the waters of the Amazon?!?  If you doubt that then I suggest you tune into Grey's Anatomy, they did an episode about this little fish that apparently can swim up one's...well, I don't want to ruin the surprise for you...but I'm sure you'll agree that Grey's Anatomy is another fact-filled show that should be taken seriously. 

Every once in a while - sometimes a great while - my good friend Ops has something on that I can really sink my teeth into...like this sandwich.  This is a recipe that was featured on her Grilled Cheese show...now folks, really, picture Oprah's team of crack(ed) experts sitting around a conference table trying to come up with a new topic for a show...prison teens, pet dreams, tots who drive while sleep walking underwater...and then someone suggests grilled cheese!  That someone should be promoted, given a car and heralded as a genius!  A show about grilled cheese...now THAT'S what I'm talking about!  And that's why, despite my poor academic abilities, I continue to attend Oprah "U".   

The Dang Meter is ringing loud and clear on this one...definitely 5 dangs...'cause it's dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good...make this today...you'll never go back to plain ol' cheddar cheese again!

Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Adapted from Greg Reyner of Cafe Muse, via Oprah

3 tablespoons butter, divided

4 to 5 teaspoons honey

fresh basil, about 8 large leaves

1/4 lb. Havarti cheese, sliced thinly

4 slices of tomato, optional

4 English muffins

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet.  Split English muffins in half and toast, inside down, in skillet until lightly browned and crisp. Remove to plate.  Layer bottom half of English muffins with cheese slices, 2 basil leaves, slice of tomato, if using, and then drizzle about a teaspoon or so of honey on top - more if you like honey.  Place top of muffins on.  In skillet, over medium heat, melt a tablespoon of butter, set muffins in pan and toast until lightly browned, adding remaining tablespoon of butter when the muffins are turned, if needed.  Cover with lid and reduce heat to low, grilling/toasting until remaining side of muffin is toasted to your likeness and cheese is melted.  Serves 4.  

Before I let you leave...I feel the need to post a picture of something other than food...I do DO other things although there hasn't been a lot of quilting/sewing going on lately.  This is what I did in between kitchen duty...I made myself some new dish towels...yes, I know, I can BUY them, but where's the fun in that?  

"A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way." ~ Mark Twain

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One year ago today:  Raspberry Chicken

Pissaladiere Nicoise...

A very long name for a most delicious and savory tart...onions, sauteed until they are caramelized, paired with black, oil-cured olives on a crust that is buttery, light, flaky and above all, dang good.  This is another of Julia Child's recipes...another masterpiece...and I hope you'll forgive me because I made one little change...I left out the anchovies.  Julia says that if anchovies are fresh and prepared correctly they don't taste fishy...but I just couldn't risk it...my gag-factor would not permit me...so I made the tart, sans the fish and beg you and Julia for forgiveness.   

The pate brisee (pronounced pat-tay briz-zay...my keyboard/computer does not allow me to type the little French accent marks) tart crust is the simplest thing in the world to make - truly - I would not lead you astray!  Well, I might if the price was right but not today and certainly not over pastry!   

Caramelized onions and garlic make up the base of the tart - then comes the olives - with a final drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil...I'm telling you straight up...this is dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good...yup, 5 dangs...take my advice and make two of these, because one just isn't enough and you'll be left wanting more.

Pissaladiere Nicoise - Adapted (Just a teensy bit) from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

One last note...this looks like an incredibly long and involved recipe...it's not...just read through it and you'll see how easy it really is...it's just that Julia is very, very detailed, which is good, because then we won't make mistakes!

Pate Brisee Tart Crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of sugar

6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 tablespoons (or more) cold water

*Suggested special equipment:  8-inch-diameter spring form pan (I used an 8x10-inch rectangular pan with a removable bottom, which is necessary to remove the tart from the pan.  Also recommended, dried beans or pie weights.

Whisk flour, salt, and sugar in medium bowl.  Add butter and shortening; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add 4 tablespoons of cold water.  Work mixture with fingertips until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry.  Gather dough into ball; flatten into a dish.  Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400 degrees.  Roll out dough on floured work surface to 10-inch round.  Carefully transfer dough to 8-inch spring form pan.  Press dough onto bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up sides of pan, pressing to adhere to sides.  Fold down to edge of dough, making the sides a bit thicker.  Chill 20 minutes.

Line crust with foil, fill with dried beans or pie weights.  Bake crust until sides of crust are set, about 18 minutes.  Remove foil and beans.  Pierce bottom of crust all over with fork.  Continue to bake until bottom is set and pale golden, about 14 minutes longer.  Remove from oven and cool in pan on rack.

(If you want to skip making the crust, you could use puff pastry sheets... as Julia herself said, "When you're alone in the kitchen, who's to know?"  But then, you would be missing out on the sweet, flaky, buttery pastry...mmmmmm...it's worth making, really it is!)

Tart Filling:

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 pounds onions, very finely chopped (about 5 3/4 cups)

1 medium herb bouquet (4 fresh parsley sprigs, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1/2 bay leaf, tied in cheesecloth (I was fresh out of cheesecloth so I just threw everything, ala "devil may care," into the pan...and it was splendid!)

2 unpeeled garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

pinch of ground cloves

1 partially cooked pate brisee tart crust, cooled

8 anchovy fillets (as I said above, I omitted these, but you go right on ahead and put them in...everyone LOVES fish breath!)

16 oil-cured black olives, pitted, chopped

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, herb bouquet, garlic cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Saute 30 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until onions are very tender and golden brown, stirring often, about 30 minutes longer.  Remove from heat.  Discard herb bouquet and garlic (I picked out the parsley, bay leaf and garlic but the thyme stayed in.)  Stir  in 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cloves.  Adjust seasoning.  Cool slightly.

Position rack in top third of oven; preheat to 400 degrees.  Spread onions in cooled crust.  Arrange anchovies over top.  Scatter olives over.  Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.  Bake until pissaladiere is heated through, about 15 minutes.  Carefully loosen pastry edges and remove pan sides.  Transfer pissaladiere to platter.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Serves 6.

"Moderation.  Small helpings.  Sample a little bit of everything.  These are the secrets of happiness and good health."  ~ Julia Child

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One year ago today:  Cupcake Holders