Pots and Pins

Japanese Style Pancakes...

Life with the mister is never boring...though sometimes maddening...for example, recently the mister was chauffeuring me to Michael's Craft Store and we were sitting at a very busy intersection when the mister said he was dizzy and he was going to vomit.  I gave him perfect advice,  DON'T!  He chose not to listen.  Instead he told me he and the car were spinning and he was really going to vomit...then he started to heave...so I quickly emptied out a plastic bag and handed it to him...no use getting the car dirty, right?  But the vomiting was secondary...he was still driving - up and over curbs and I was screaming, in my nicest-ever scream voice, STOP THE CAR!!!  He finally did.  He then opened the car door, jumped out and ran, plastic bag waving in the wind, to the dirt island to vomit and collapsed onto the ground!  I was still sitting in the car watching this drama unfold when I heard myself yell to the mister, "Don't puke in public!"  I know, I know...but I was in somewhat of a state of confusion!!  I came to my senses, got out of the car, and ran over to the mister but by the time I got there he had two women on either side of him asking him questions and they had already called 9-1-1.  The mister was extremely pale, sweating profusely and seemed confused...it was all a bit surreal and as one shopper after another passed by they all stopped and soon the mister was surrounded by women and someone said, "Sir, are you here alone?"  I politely raised my hand and said, "He's with me!"  The ambulance arrived, the paramedics took control and shooed away all of the women...and they asked him if he was alone... Hello!!!  I'm still standing here, 12-inches away!!   Why no one could see me is still a mystery!  They asked the mister all kinds of questions, helped him into the ambulance where they kept him for 30 minutes - taking his blood pressure, asking him to recite his entire medical history and the cute paramedic said, "Some guys will do anything to keep from going to Michaels with their wife!"  Everyone's a comedian!  The mister laughed and seemed to be doing a bit better until they said they needed to transport him.  He then found his voice and in true mister fashion he said, "You're not taking me anywhere!  I'm not going to a damn hospital!"  I was then told I could drive him he had to go to the ER - his symptoms were definitely weird enough to require a closer look and his blood pressure was 166 over 110!  Here's the upshot...I did drive the mister to the ER, with him complaining the entire way.  Once there he was hooked up to all the machines for 4 hours when finally the ER doc said the mister had an undiagnosed sinus infection that caused pressure in his ears, which caused vertigo, vomiting and sweating...we left the ER with a prescription for an antibiotic ...for which we could have purchased for $20 but will probably be charged $3,500.  See?  Not boring. 

 When we got home I took pity on the mister...which makes him pitiful, no?  I decided to make Japanese Style Pancakes, only the fluffiest, most tender pancakes we have ever had.  They are a bit of work, but dang worth it!

 


You will need round metal cookie cutters or molds, and you can use any size you like.  I used three different sizes, 5-inch, 4 1/2-inch and 4-inch cutters.  Egg whites that have been whipped until they are stiff are what make these pancakes so light and fluffy. 

 Once the pancakes have browned on one side, they are flipped to the other.  They are easily released from the cutters (because you grease them first and every time!)  I chose to use a large frying pan but you could also use a griddle. 

 Just take a moment and let your eyes feast upon them...they are thick, tender and light - you are going to love them!  Serve them to your most pitiful child/husband or just make them for yourself when you need something comforting to lift your spirits - these will definitely do the trick - scrambled eggs are optional!  (There are many recipes for Japanese Style Pancakes online - most of them called for Japanese Mayonnaise as an ingredient, of which I was fresh out!  A lot of the recipes had pancakes that turned out with an almost tofu texture, very spongy and maybe that's how real Japanese pancakes are supposed to be but I wanted a thick and fluffy pancake - where the insides looked and tasted like the pancakes we all know and love.  This recipe provided that - it's dang good, as in 5 dangs worth!)

Japanese Style Pancakes - Adapted From Food Network Kitchens

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, plus more for serving

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk plus 3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

nonstick cooking spray

maple syrup, for serving

You will need metal cookie cutters or ring molds to make these and they need to be at least 1/2-inch high

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, confectioners' sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, melted butter, vanilla and egg yolk until combined.  In the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a large bowl that can accommodate a hand mixer), beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.  Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined (it's OK if there are a few lumps). Stir one-third of the beaten egg whites into the flour-milk mixture. Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined (take care not to overmix). 

Lightly spray the inside of the cookie cutters/molds you are going to use.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Coat with nonstick cooking spray. Put the prepared ring molds in the middle of the skillet and fill each with 1/2 cup of batter (it should fill each ring mold about halfway). Cover the skillet with the lid and cook until the batter rises to the tops of the ring molds and is golden on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Release the bottom of the pancakes with a spatula. Grasp the sides of the ring molds with tongs to stabilize them and then carefully flip. Cover and cook until golden on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and remove the mold. Serve with butter and maple syrup. Lightly spray the ring molds and coat the skillet with nonstick cooking spray and repeat the cooking method with the remaining batter. 

These pancakes are definitely worthy of a special occasion breakfast or bunch - make them on Easter morning or Mother's Day - you won't be disappointed!

  

 

Easter Quilt...

If it's not sunny and bright where you are, you can feast your eyes upon the little Easter quilt I made for Max and Elsa  - it's nothing if not bright!   When I told Max and Elsa that sitting under their Easter quilt, opening goody-filled plastic eggs, would be the best way to start their Easter morning, they believed me and ran and sat down and covered themselves up, testing it out so to speak. 

 

Max just turned 9.  NINE!  I am having such a hard time wrapping my head around that!  He was just a toddler, like yesterday!  Elsa is 5 and she's almost as big as Max and definitely as smart!  Max and Elsa are the sweetest kids - they truly are, no gramma hype here! 

Easter week was very busy - Max and Elsa moved into a new house and Max celebrated his 9th birthday - it was all very fun and exhausting!!   So I might have pictured ME snuggling with their new Easter quilt just to get a break!

Cottontails, bows and bunnies, three of Elsa's favorite things!  The back of the quilt is flannel, so it's warm and cozy.  It's not very big, only 46" x 54" but it's big enough for the two of them. 

 

  

 

Happy Easter Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are!

Crocheted Bunny...

Go ahead and laugh...everyone who has seen my little crocheted creation already has!  This was my first attempt at crocheting where I actually followed a pattern.  Sort of.  I tried.  I did my best but watching TV while eating popcorn and trying to count stitches didn't produce the best results - maybe I need turn off the TV?  Sure as heck can't give up popcorn!

Squint your eyes and my bunny will look so much better!  Thanks to Emily Sparks who taught me to read the pattern - and then turned me loose!  I can't blame her for how it turned out though! 

This is what I was going for...these adorable little critters are made by BlaBla Kids, check them out, amazing things for kids!  BlaBla knit animals are all hand made in Peru and super soft and squishy.  All of them were given to me by my dear friend Joyce, 9 years ago when our grandson Max was born and Max and Elsa love playing with them when they come to Gramma's house. I was hoping to make a soft and squishy bunny for Max and Elsa for Easter, alas, I'm not Peruvian...I'm sure that's the reason why my bunny doesn't look the same, no?

When I finished all the parts, I stuffed them...and they grew and grew and grew!  My bunny was crocheted with very soft yarn and it stretched and stretched and stretched!  So it's a bit out of proportion!

This is what I learned...I realized I'm a "one and done" kind of gal...so no more bunnies for me!  I don't like making multiples of anything...b o r i n g.  And I also realized that crocheting, while fun, is not mind-less...and if I'm going to be sitting watching TV, which is mind-less, I need something equally as mind-less to do...so I guess I'll just stick with eating popcorn.

 

Thanks anyway Emily and Happy Easter!

Smith Island Cake...

Some recipes just aren't worth the time, too many steps, too many ingredients.  Some just aren't worth the calories either!  They might look good enough to cause one to salivate but they don't taste as good as they look - a waste of calories for sure!  But this recipe...this is worth making.  It's worth taking the time to bake 8 very thin cake layers and definitely worth the calories.  Plus, this cake is not just dessert, it's a conversation piece...you will talk about this cake as you eat - it has a history and thousands if not millions of fans - not all cakes can say that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Smith Island cake originated on the island it was named for, Smith Island, Maryland, a 400 year old fishing village about 10 miles off the coast of the Chesapeake Bay.  There are 250 residents on the island and it is only accessible by ferry.  The  island community was known as a "waterman's" home, so I suppose that would mean fishing and such.  It was back in the 1800's that this recipe first appeared, and bakers took pride in making these cakes with the thinnest possible layers.  The watermen would leave their homes to go do whatever it is watermen do and their wives would send along a piece of cake with them as a special treat.  They began using fudge as the frosting between the layers instead of another type of frosting because it would last longer and the Smith Island Cake was born!  It's been a favorite on the Eastern Seaboard for years and years and I finally decided it was time we found out  why this cake is so loved and why it holds the distinction of being named the State Dessert of Maryland! 

Of course you will discuss all of this when you serve the cake, but mainly you will discuss the fudge frosting.  Oh my stars, it's decidedly different and delicious!   As you can see, the cake layers are very, very thin and there are EIGHT of them...so unless you have eight 9-inch cake pans stacked up in your kitchen and a humongous oven or two, you will need to bake and repeat until all the layers are done...which is why this takes a while. 

This is my sous chef Katie's arm in action...I let her assemble the first Smith Island Cake I made, it was fun for her and fun for me to watch, as she kept asking, "Should I put on more fudge?"  More is always better but when it comes to this cake, more is a mess!  So we tried to follow the recipe and just use what it said even though we both wanted more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't decorate the top of the cake, we were in too much of a hurry to get to the tasting...and once the first sliced was removed, we were treated to the most beautiful buttery-yellow layers that had us oohing and aahing...this is one dang pretty cake! We were hoping it would taste as good as it looked...and it did!

Just a week later I needed a birthday cake for some special birthday girls - the Smith Island Cake was the perfect choice - they all loved it!  I tried to find 3 candles, that's all I needed but I could only find those two huge things...nothing ever seems to go according to plan but no one seemed to mind.  You'll notice I didn't frost the sides of the cake - I used more frosting on the layers and didn't have enough for the sides...again, no one seemed to mind!  Also, it is important that the fudge frosting is chilled and set before decorating the top of the cake...I didn't do that, I put the strawberries on the cake and then put it in the fridge to set but when I opened the door to get the cake out, the strawberries had slid off of the top of the cake!  I carefully put them back into place, some were covered in frosting and once again, no one seemed to mind!

There isn't a short-cut when it comes to baking the layers - you'll just have to spend the time.  If you baked one or two larger layers and then tried to cut them into smaller ones, you would end up with a crumbly mess and the layers wouldn't have the right texture, being just a teensy-bit crisp on the outside while spongy-soft on the inside.  So don't waste your time trying that - it won't work and it won't taste the same.  'Nuff said!

Smith Island Cake - Adapted From Saveur Magazine

For the Cake:

24 tablespoons butter (3 sticks), melted, plus more for pans

3 1/2 cups flour, plus more for pans

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 cups sugar

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

6 eggs

For the Fudge Icing:

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

6 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla

Optional:  strawberries, raspberries, chocolate shavings to decorate top of cake

Make the cake:  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour four 9-inch cake pans and set aside.  (If you don't have four pans, use what you have and repeat as necessary to make 8 layers.  Also, I lined my pans with parchment circles which made the layers really easy to remove and I highly recommend you do the same!)

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, set dry ingredients aside.  In another bowl whisk together butter, sugar, milk, vanilla, and eggs.  Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients, and using a whisk, stir together until just combined; let batter sit for 15 minutes.  Stir batter again until smooth, and then add 1 cup of batter to each prepared cake pan, smoothing with a knife until evenly spread.  Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until barely lightly browned, about 15 minutes.  Let cakes cool for about 5 minutes, if you lined with parchment, if not, then let cakes cool for 10 minutes before removing and then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.  Clean and dry pans, grease and flour again and repeat with remaining batter and baking process.

Make the fudge icing:  Bring both chocolates, sugar, milk, and butter to a boil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat; cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves, chocolate melts, and mixture is smooth and shiny, about 8 minutes.  Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla; let icing sit until almost cool and thick enough to spread, about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. (Frosting will thicken as it cools, if it gets too thick you can rewarm slightly until it is a spreadable consistency.)

To assemble cake:  Place one cake layer on a cake stand and using an offset spatula, or a knife, spread the layer with 1/4 cup of icing or just a bit more; repeat with remaining layers, spreading icing over each layer before adding another.  Before frosting the top and sides, refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes, until icing is set, this is important to do (especially if the icing was on the warm side when you put it on the layers), to keep the layers from shifting.  After the cake has set, if the icing is too thick to spread, rewarm slightly and then spread over top and sides of cake.  Return cake to refrigerator for 30 minutes to let it set.  Remove and decorate if desired and serve. Serves 10 to 12.  This is a very rich cake so smaller slices are advised!

While totally NOT necessary, I decided the birthday girls needed to have their cake slices decorated just a bit more so I added a few tablespoons of smashed and sweetened strawberries...dang delicious my friends!  This is truly a special cake - one that should grace your Easter table or your Christmas table and should definitely be made as a birthday cake for those  people in your life that you love the most - it's that special!

Happy Easter!

I was picturing how impressed our Easter dinner guests would be when I presented them with my dessert ...a chocolate bunny cake!   For 11 glorious seconds the bunny stood tall while I carefully applied the rich double chocolate frosting...first the tail fell off, then the body cracked and then, like the Titanic, down she went!

At least my table looks pretty - Mom, this one's for you, don't your plates look so nice with everything? Wish you and dad were here to dine with us!

We'll feast on ham and scalloped potatoes and all the Easter fixin's you can think of, sans the chocolate bunny cake.  But not to fear, I have a back-up...The Black Sheep Cake!  It was going to be a sweet little lamb cake with white frosting covered in coconut, but I went to the coconut cupboard and the cupboard was bare!   So we're going with Black Sheep...she does have one creepy eye! I think it's safe to say animal cakes should be left to the animals...

Happy Easter Everyone!

Lemon Almond Cookies...

Let's pretend you're invited to an Easter Brunch at the home of a fabulous cook.  You've been asked to bring something - "anything that's yummy" - but you have no idea what that means!  Well, allow me to solve your Easter brunch dilemma.  Take these cookies.  Yes.  Seriously.  Everyone at the brunch will be impressed at the first bite - even your host!  And she will definitely ask you for the recipe because these lightly lemon flavored shortbread cookies are dense, chewy and the edges are rolled in almonds that get nice and toasty in the oven...it's a party in the mouth!  Plus, I have it on good authority that the Easter Bunny loves these cookies!

Ummm...the Easter Bunny might have eaten a few too many of these cookies as evidenced by her enormous girth!  Actually...that is a pillow...I'm not THAT fat!  Between the pillow and the head piece, I was one schweaty bunny by the time it was all said and done!  The inside of the head piece was rubber!!!  Seriously, my head is two times smaller now!!  It was so stinkin' hot in that thing! 

The little kids loved the bunny...the bigger kids, around 7 and 8 years of age...they were not as enthusiastic!  One little girl walked up to me and said, "You're creepy!"  Of course, I had no choice but to reply, "So are you!"  And with that she ran off.  Another little girl walked up to me with her dad, happily took a cookie from my basket and then said, rather snidely, "I thought bunnies hopped."  Well they do, and I did, once or twice, but as I explained to that sweet, adorable little brat cherub, "This bunny only hops in the Hutch, do you know what a Hutch is?"  With that she rolled her eyes, the dad laughed and they walked off.  There were 63 very sweet, happy, adorable kids at our annual neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt and only two not so adorable...which is way better than a Trump rally!

 

 

 

My good friend Joni, aka You Tube Mom, recently schooled me on how to keep lemons and limes from going bad.  You put them in the freezer!  Duh!  Why didn't I think of that?!?!  Then, when you need the zest of one lemon, like for these cookies, you take your lemon from the freezer and zest away, the zest comes off much easier when frozen.  If you need the juice as well, just let the lemon sit on the counter for a bit and it will be ready to go.  Good idea, no?  So...on with the show...these cookies are made with butter and lemon and that's why you need to make them for Easter and then for every week after that...you're going to want to keep this recipe handy, it's dang good my friends!  As in 5 dangs!  And they are dang easy to make, too!  After the dough is made, it is rolled into a log, then rolled in chopped almonds (you could actually use any nuts you like, pistachios or pecans or walnuts) and then you pop it into the fridge to firm up a bit.

 

 

 

We will be having our usual Easter Feast with the boy and his bride and a few other extended family members...and the boy informed me he is still not too old for an Easter basket ...so of course I ran right out and started buying all his favorite things...enabling/spoiling is my specialty!  

 

Lemon Almond Cookies - Pots and Pins

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup, plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 large egg

1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup finely chopped almonds (or you can use pistachios, pecans or walnuts)

Plastic wrap

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg, mixing until just combined.  Add lemon zest and lemon juice.  Blend in dry ingredients, mix thoroughly until all combined. 

Spread a piece of plastic wrap onto counter, scoop dough out onto plastic wrap and shape into a long log, about 1 1/2-inches thick and 16-inches long.  Wrap log in plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and carefully remove plastic wrap.  Place chopped almonds in remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and stir to coat.  Spread chopped almonds on plastic wrap and roll dough in almonds, coating all around.  Slice dough into just under  1/2-inch slices.  You should be able to get about 36 cookie slices.  Place on un-greased baking sheets and bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.  Transfer to racks to cool.  Makes about 36 two-inch cookies.

 

Chive Popovers...For St. Paddy's Day...

We had a bit of drama here this weekend.  This mister, aka Reddy-Kil-O-Watt, dashing about flipping off lights at the speed of, well, light, discovered our outdoor "party" lights had been sabotaged!!! The mister went to turn on the lights and noticed half weren't working - and then, to his utter horror, he saw the cord had been C*U*T !!!   According to the mister, it was a clean cut, and not just one cut was made, but TWO, on one each side of the light bulb!  The entire bulb was gone - definitely deliberate sabotage!  The mister spent umpteen frantic minutes dragging his knuckles around the deck trying to figure out how someone got past his security system...which consists of some chicken wire and a hinged gate that even the 3 year old next door can open!   His investigation led him in and out of the house, up and down the stairs on the deck and around the yard - no stone was left un-turned, every leaf and blade of grass was inspected, interrogated and evidence was collected.  But still, the mister didn't have a solid lead.  Just when we thought the case had gone cold...da-da-da...he found it!!!  The smoking gun (!) as it were...the missing light bulb, carelessly dropped at the base of a tree.  The very same tree where Mr. Nutter and his family live.  Mr. Nutter is my pet yard squirrel.  The mister failed to see any humor in Mr. Nutter biting off one of his party lights and threatened to feed Mr. Nutter and Sons poison peanuts if they ever even so much as looked at his party lights again!  Oh, and he also informed me I can no longer entertain Mr. Nutter on the deck.  Life is so unfair, where's the love?  (All pictures of the mister performing his detective work and light bulb repairs were confiscated by the mister...he deleted them from my iPad during huge fits of laughter from me - only later did I find these two pics on my phone...it's the little things!)  Case closed.

 

 

 

Chive Popovers - so easy to make!  You need a blender, a muffin tin and in 30 minutes you'll be slathering butter on a hot popover, wondering how the other half lives!  If you don't have fresh chives growing in your garden, like I do (and only because they are super hardy and refuse to die) you can substitute fresh parsley.  These are perfect for one of your St. Paddy's Day feasts - enjoy them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

 

These popovers would great served with any meal, not just on St. Patrick's Day...I will probably make them for Easter brunch because they are so light and airy, not filling at all.  And that pale shade of green on the inside is just so Springy and pretty - they kind of say Easter, no?  Trust me when I say they will disappear quickly, so plan on making a double batch!

 

Chive Popovers - From Simply Classic, Junior League of Seattle

1 tablespoon oil

1 cup milk

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat over to 450 degrees.  Oil 10 muffin cups and place in preheating oven while preparing batter.  In blender or processor, combine milk, eggs and chives.  Blend well.  Add flour and salt and blend for 3 minutes. 

Carefully remove muffin tin from oven and immediately pour in batter.  Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Do not open oven door or popovers may fall.  Remove from oven and pierce gently with a small, sharp knife to prevent collapsing.  Serve warm with butter.  Makes 10 popovers.

Carrot Tart with Ricotta and Herbs...

Yesterday was one of those days where I had SO many things to do that I just couldn't do any of them - which is called Overload Paralysis (O.P), a condition I suffer from periodically, especially when it's nice outside.   I'm getting ready for a trip, have work to finish, projects to finish, phone calls to return, a pile of laundry that only has my name on it and Easter baskets to make for my GROWN children.  Don't ask.  So much to do I didn't know where to begin and so I didn't.  I thought about every way I could escape my to-do list...shopping, always the preferential course of treatment for O.P., however if nothing fun, exciting or slimming can be found O.P. roars out of remission.  Reading is always a great escape but the sun was out and I only read when it rains.  It's a Northwest thing.  Going outside to work in the yard seemed like a good idea, too, but then I just had my nails done.  Everyone knows you can't do any kind of yard work for two weeks after a manicure - then there is a three day window for dirt digging before the next manicure.    Sitting in front of the TV and watching hours of House on Netflix occurred to me, but then what would I do at night?  That left me with only one viable option...I headed into the kitchen to make this Carrot Tart.  It was just what I needed - and curiously, just what you need, too!

 

 

 

Puff Pastry.  My BFF.  It does the work for you.  Open the package, let it thaw, put on baking sheet...ta-da!  Really, this is easy - but the presentation and the taste are enough to impress everyone at your Easter table, including the Easter Bunny himself!

 

 

This really should be part of your Easter feast - it's perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner...and if you don't make it for Easter, then make it for your next PTA meeting or your quilt group or book group or for your husband when you need to explain why he has to wear his old tighty-whities in the back of his dresser because his laundry didn't get done - it will soften the blow. 

Once the Puff Pastry is baked, it's topped with a ricotta and cream mixture - let me assure you, your teeth won't mind sinking into this one bit!  The ricotta mixture is topped with onions and sweet carrots that have been sauted for just a few minutes, then it all goes back into the oven so the carrots and onions can caramelize and the Puff Pastry does a bit more magic.  When it comes out of the oven it's topped with fresh chives, dill and parsley...this one's a keeper - ring the Dang Meter five times because this Carrot Tart is dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good!

Carrot Tart with Ricotta and Herbs - Adapted From Bon Appetit, April 2015

2 cups ricotta

1/4 cup heavy cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small onion, thinly sliced

4 large carrots (about 8 oz.) scrubbed, thinly sliced into coins

1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed (you will use both sheets)

1 large egg, beaten to blend

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons small dill sprigs, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Whisk ricotta and cream in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add carrots and cook, tossing occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper and set aside. 

Lightly roll out each piece of pastry on parchment paper just to smooth out creases.  Transfer on paper to a baking sheet.  Lightly score a 1" border around each pastry.  Brush both pastry pieces with egg; bake until golden and slightly puffed, 10 to 15 minutes.    Remove from oven and spread half the ricotta mixture over each pastry, staying within border.  Scatter half of the reserved onion and carrots evenly over each top.  Bake until carrots are tender, onion is starting to caramelize, and pastry is golden brown and baked through, 30 to 35 minutes.  Let cool.

Just before serving, toss herbs and remaining 1 tablespoons oil in a bowl; season with salt and pepper.  Scatter over tart.  Store any left-overs tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, refrigerate.  Allow to come to room temperature for best flavor, or eat cold, it's good either way.  Serves 8. 

 Where do Easter eggs come from?  Duh...eggplants!

Loaded Egg Salad...

The mister got a speeding ticket in January - he was stopped for going 36 mph in a 30 zone.  Luckily I was in the car with him and was able to keep him from saying anything antagonistic to the cop. He smiled and was pleasant and took his ticket without so much as one foul word.  Miracle right there!  I tell you this because it was, in my opinion, out of character for the mister to be so agreeable over a piddly 6 mph especially since he was going downhill!  So the mister modeled ticket behavior for me - which should have come in handy last week when I was pulled over for going 39 mph in a 25 zone. I was driving downhill on a very steep slope and I would like to state, for the record, right here, because the copper who pulled me over wasn't the least bit interested in my defense...it was all GRAVITY!!!  I do not have a lead foot - I've never had a speeding ticket in my life and when I told that to the copper he said, "Not until today!" and then he laughed. Irritating.  I wish I could say when I was pulled over that I acted with perfect deportment, like the mister did, but looking back I might have uttered the word entrapment (he claimed he was parked on the side of the road and I just blew right by him...) and I might have inquired about him having better things to do like catching actual criminals (to which he said, "I just did, you broke the law Ma'am."  Yes, he Ma'amed me.  Irritating.)  I also pointed out that it was not my fault that car manufacturers put the heaviest part of the car in the front, thereby making it practically impossible for any car not to be basically PULLED down a hill.  He said, "Good one," and laughed again.  Irritating.  I bit my tongue and held back on the donut comment as he handed me my ticket, told me to slow it down, turned and walked away.  Then I saw the amount...$154 and I couldn't help myself, "Are you kidding me?!?!?  Juan Valdez gets a raise, coffee prices soar and that justifies you giving me a ticket for $154?!?!?!"  The cop walked slowly back to my window and said, "Did you say something?"  I just smiled, and like the guilty speeding coward that I am, I told him to have a nice day.  Irritating.

If you are sharp as a tack then you will remember that I do not eat eggs -  not scrambled, fried, over-easy, hard-boiled or soft and I do not eat egg salad - yuck.  The mister loves egg salad and since egg season/Easter is almost here, I thought I would share my egg salad recipe with you - it's a great way to use up all of those left-over Easter eggs.  

This egg salad is loaded with so many wonderful flavors that the eggy taste is almost lost - which is the only reason I would eat this egg salad (if it were the last bit of edible food on Earth.)  I can tell you the mister and the boy and my egg-salad-loving neighbors down the street LOVE this...so while I can't personally attest to it's wonderfulness - others can.  My egg-phobia should not keep you from making and eating this - it's got everything you'll love - bacon, cheese, tomatoes, celery and the surprise of green olives stuffed with pimiento!  It's crunchy and creamy and that's why this is reportedly so good!

Loaded Egg Salad - Pots and Pins

12 bacon slices

8 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives

1 medium tomato, finely chopped

¼ cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise (depending on how creamy you like your egg salad)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

12 slices white sandwich bread, toasted and buttered (butter is optional)

12 red leaf lettuce leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, remove to paper toweling to drain/cool.  Combine chopped eggs, celery, olives and tomato in bowl.  Mix in mayonnaise (start with 1/4 cup and add more if desired) and mustard.  Season with salt and pepper.  Crumble bacon and add to egg mixture.  Gently fold in cheese.  Place buttered toast slices on work surface.  Divide egg salad among 6 toast slices.  Place lettuce leaves atop egg salad on each.  Cover with remaining toast slices.  Cut sandwiches diagonally in half.  Makes 6 sandwiches.

Lemon-Carrot Marmalade...

Happy May Day!  We have SUN and beautiful blue skies and the weatherliarman said the mercury is going to hit at least 85 today!  It was 89 here yesterday!!!  I don't think anyone will be working today, because next week we'll be back in the 60's with rain, clouds and the famous Seattle gray skies.  The mister is threatening to come home early - again - seriously, he's freaking me out!  He showed up yesterday at 3:00, walked into the kitchen and scared the hell out of me - well almost - I seem to have a never ending supply of hell!  And now today he's talking about leaving early again!  He's even started to mention the "R" word - the most dreaded word in the world to me...retire.  That word makes my blood run cold...the mister has no hobbies so that means IF he retires I would be his hobby...shudder!  But let's not think about that today, no, why borrow trouble?!?  It's beautiful outside and before I dive into my shoe pile in search of my flip-flops and head to the beach, I want to give you this wonderful marmalade recipe, so when Spring leaves you cold and wet, like it will for all of us in the Northwest next week, you can make this bright, fresh, tasty treat for your morning toast - it will remind you of happy times and let you think of those yet to come!

 

 

 

This marmalade is full of zesty flavor - not only does it have lemon in it but ginger and honey, too!  Your taste buds will be on high alert with the first spoonful!  This is an easy recipe, but it does take time to cook, a little over an hour start to finish and by the time you're done your kitchen will smell heavenly and you'll have a wonderful treat to eat and share with friends.  Plus, this is excellent on chicken, fish or pork and it tastes amazing on a turkey and Swiss sandwich!

 

 

 

This recipe makes about five (8 oz.) jars of marmalade, and if you process them they will keep for up to six months.  Without processing they will keep in the refrigerator for 3 weeks.  I didn't bother to process my batch, I kept two jars for us, which we devoured almost immediately, and gave a jar to my sisters and my mom...next time I don't know that I'll be so generous because it's almost too good to give away!  Pictured above on the right you can see a little cheesecloth bag.  This bag holds the seeds from the lemons; seeds help the marmalade set, they have natural pectin in them.  I purchased these little bags from Sur La Table, they come in a package of 4 for $3.95.  They are so easy to use - when I make soup and don't want to fish out the bay leaves or rosemary stalks, I stuff them all into the bag and it makes removing them a cinch.  They can be washed and reused but for the price I just toss them after one use.  These bags are also available on-line, they're called "Bouquet Garni Bags" - but you don't need bags, just a piece of cheesecloth tied with string will do the trick!

The freezer plate method is my favorite way to test to see if jams, jellies and marmalades are done.  You put a small plate in the freezer for about 20 minutes, when the marmalade is done, test to make sure by putting a small amount on the cold plate.  Let it sit for about 20 seconds and then run your finger through the center; if it holds and doesn't run back into the center, it's done!

Lemon-Carrot Marmalade - Adapted From Epicurious, August 1962

3 large lemons, quartered and seeded, reserve seeds

2 lbs. carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1" pieces (I used baby carrots for convenience, they come washed, trimmed, peeled and ready to go)

3 cups sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon minced crystallized (candied) ginger

1 quart water

Put lemons in food processor and process until almost smooth.  Remove and set aside.  Process carrots until almost smooth, with only very small pieces showing.

Put processed carrots and lemons into a large pot.  Add sugar, honey, ginger and water, stir to combine.  Put reserved lemon seeds into a cheesecloth bag (or wrap in cheesecloth and tie with a string) and secure ends and put bag into pot.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Then reduce heat to medium-low and continue a slow boil for about an hour or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has thickened.  Pour into sterilized jars.  Keep in fridge for 3 weeks.  (Jars from World Market.)