A Sip of Strawberry

Okay, people. Remember how I said I was going to try to make a martini out of the foam I skimmed off the strawberry jam? Well I did. And it is fabulous. And strong. And not too sweet, which is good, because as everyone knows, sweet drinks are for sissies (kidding...I just don't care for them). Let's just say that if you go through the hard work of making the jam (it really isn't that hard, but it does require a bit of effort...), you deserve a cook's treat, like the extra piece of bacon you nibble on when making a spinach salad (or the skin off the turkey). We need to reward ourselves for a job well done. Happy Friday everyone! Have a fantastic weekend.




Strawberry Martini

After making jam, reserve the syrupy foam and set aside. Refrigerate until 5 o'clock exactly. At the appointed time, remove from fridge and place 2 T of the strawberry syrup and 2 ounces of your favorite quality vodka in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Squeeze in a bit of lemon juice. Using the same lemon, rub the edge of your martini glass. Dip the wet edge of the glass into some sugar to make a nice sweet rim. Place lid on shaker and shake the vodka and strawberry mixture vigorously. Pour into glass. Drink immediately...Skoal!

At Market...Strawberries

There is nothing more heavenly than fresh strawberry jam spooned over a cream biscuit. When I was a little girl, strawberry jam was my favorite...and I suppose it still is. Chunky with ruby-red fruit and glistening in the jam pot, it looks almost as beautiful as it tastes. I have made strawberry jam several different ways, including outside on a thin sheet pan covered by a screen. But perhaps the easiest and quickest way is to make it thus; smash some strawberries together with a bit of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, simmer for a bit, then put it in a jar to refrigerate. It's so simple even a child could manage it. And if you make a smallish batch, you won't need to process the jam because it will be eaten up before it goes bad, especially if you serve it with these heavenly biscuits. It would also taste fantastic swirled into oatmeal or yogurt, over toast, or in a trifle. Yum.



Strawberry Jam
makes 1 pint

2 pints of ripe strawberries
1/2 C sugar
1 T lemon juice

Hull strawberries and put in a heavy bottomed pot. Pour over about 1/2 C sugar and using your hands (or a potato masher), break them apart, making the pieces as small as you like (I like to leave some large chunks). Add lemon juice and turn on heat to medium high. Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to low and skim foam about every 5 minutes or so. (By the way, if you save the syrupy foam, it tastes amazing poured over some vanilla ice cream...but I think I might mix it with vodka and make a strawberry martini later...). It should take about 20-30 minutes for your jam to be soft set and will congeal more as it cools. You will know when it is ready because it will spit and sputter, and when you stir, you should begin to see the bottom of the pot. Pour into a sterile pint sized jar (you can boil it for 3 minutes or take it out of a hot dishwasher). Top with lid and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate. Jam should last about 3 weeks in the fridge, but I'd be willing to bet you'll use it up long before then.


James Beard's Cream Biscuits
makes 1 dozen

2 C flour
1 t salt
1 T baking powder
2 t sugar
1-1 1/2 C heavy cream
6 T butter, melted
sugar for sprinkling (if desired)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl. Slowly add one cup of the cream, stirring with a fork. Gather the dough together. It should feel soft and tender, but if it is still a bit shaggy, add more cream until it holds together but is not sticky. Place dough on a lightly floured board and knead for one minute. Pat dough into a square that is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut 12 equal sized squares and dip each in the melted butter to coat. Place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with additional sugar if desired and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve hot or cool to room temperature if using for a berry shortcake.

NOT At Market...Bananas!

Growing up, we had the nicest neighbors, one of whom was called Sunny. Her name was perfectly suited to her cheery disposition and she was quite the homemaker extraordinaire. I remember being fascinated by how she vacuumed her home every day, and required her three (super handsome) teenage boys to remove their shoes before they entered, which apparently became a habit back when they lived in Hawaii, as a way of keeping the beach outside where it belonged. (Unfortunately the same rules apply at my home and I have a heck of a time keeping playground sand out...but I digress). Sunny was famous for her baking, especially her fantastic banana bread that was rich, moist and chock-full of goodies like nuts, coconut and chocolate chips. My mom tried many, many times to get her recipe, but she usually just waived her hand and insisted that she didn't have it written down, that she just made it with whatever she had on hand. When my mom finally succeeded, we were all thrilled and made it as often as we had soft, over-ripe bananas, which wasn't nearly often enough.

There used to be a local banana grower up the coast, but unfortunately he is no longer in business, so we sometimes splurge on some organic ones from the super market...they are so good, and good for you too. I love to make banana bread almost as much as my kids love to eat it. Loaded with butter and sour cream it certainly isn't like the dense, whole wheat version that you can find elsewhere. It is more like a pound cake with a moist, tender crumb, but luckily, it takes just a few minutes to throw together. Sometimes I put chocolate chips in the batter, and sometimes I leave it plain, like I did today. Either way, it won't last long...

Banana Bread

1/2 C butter, softened

1 C sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 C unbleached flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1/2 C sour cream (lite is fine)

2 large mashed ripe (free-trade organic) bananas (about 1 C)

1 t vanilla extract

1 C chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Sift in flour, baking soda and salt and mix just until combined. Stir in sour cream, bananas and extract, taking care not to over mix. Fold in chocolate chips (if using). Pour into greased standard loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Something Soothing to Sip

Some days are more difficult than others, like the days I wake up feeling like I have been run over by a truck. The days when I cannot breathe through my nose and there is a tickle, not the silly, giggly kind, but the harsh, unrelenting kind, in the back of my throat. And the days where my neck is so stiff it hurts to turn my head and my skull is so full and throbbing I decide to take a shower with the lights off...just to try to calm it. Unfortunately that day is today.

But I will begin to feel better just as soon as I drink a cup of hot, gingery lemonade (and my motrin and sudafed kicks in). It is simple to make, which is good because my addled brain cannot handle anything too complicated today. Sweetened with a bit of honey, infused with ginger juice and brightened with lemon, this drink will be help me on my way. Just because mothers don't get a sick day, doesn't mean we shouldn't pause, even for a moment, to do something nice for ourselves (and that applies whether we are ill or not).

Hot Ginger Lemonade

Squeeze the juice from one half of a lemon into a large mug. Grate about 1 T of ginger onto a cheesecloth square (or some paper toweling or a thin dishcloth). Wrap it up and squeeze the juice out of it, right into the mug. Pour in a healthy amount of honey (to taste)...at least a tablespoonful. Fill mug to the top with boiling water. Sip slowly, inhaling the fragrant steam to help loosen congested lungs. Repeat as necessary.

Indecent Exposure

Here it is, my secret shame, my pantry, exposed for all to see. There...I've done it! I feel a bit relieved now that it is off my chest. I had been meaning to come out of the closet, so to speak, for some time, but just couldn't quite bring myself to do it. But then Mark Bittman shared his pantry today and I couldn't wait any longer. I doubt anyone would suspect how bad it has gotten because I am a pretty good housekeeper. Even though our place is crowded with three kids, a cat and a dog, my white slip covered furniture is still white (with frequent washings) and the house is generally neat and tidy. But I have really let my pantry, dare I say ALL my closets, slide into a place so deep and dark it might take weeks to excavate them.

I've long suffered from a pantry paralysis of sorts, brought on by deep seated envy of people who have "real" pantries...the walk in kind with shallow shelves and room for everything a home cook might need or want. Big enough to feed a family of five indefinitely, and more importantly, big enough to FIND all the food stashed away. Hiding away on the crowded shelves in my tiny pantry I have at least seven types of flours, multiple sugars, six types of rices, spices, snacks, cereals, nuts, dozens of different types of oils and vinegars, and we won't even discuss my baking supplies (sprinkles, cookie cutters, food coloring and flavor extracts). Each time I take something out, something else tumbles down, threatening to dent my floor or my foot (I'm not really sure what is worse). And trying to remove something from the bottom shelf requires an extra measure of patience, as there is heavy stuff (like a cast iron griddle) precariously balanced on other heavy stuff (like a large crock pot). I break out into a sweat (or a barrage of cursing) every time I need to get my ice cream maker or pasta machine. Sigh...

So there you have it. I'd love suggestions on how to fix this problem, if you have any. And in the next few weeks I will try to pull it together and post another picture...the eye-pleasing "after" kind.

That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles

She sat in her recliner, the yellow blanket crocheted by my other grandmother wrapped snugly around her bony legs because she is always cold. I think the thermostat is set at a brisk 78 or so. Her hair looked as if it has recently been in hot rollers, and her hands were folded primly on her lap as she stared off into space. When I entered, carrying my usual box of home baked goodies, her eyes brightened up in recognition and a smile played around the corners of her mouth.

I brought you some goodies today.

What did you bring, dear?

Almond thumbprint cookies, filled with cherry jam.

Hmmm....I don't know if I like almond cookies.

Suspicious as my Nana was, her long fingers, knobby now with painful arthritis but sporting freshly manicured coral colored nails, snatched one off the top and popped it in her mouth. A crumb or two fell on her striped blouse, which had been neatly pressed by my mother on her "day off" the weekend before. She peeked in the box to see how many were left, and seemed to be considering whether she would share any with the other residents in her elder care home. Satisfied that there was enough in the box, she smiled and nodded, indicating that I could take the package to the kitchen. I held up her water glass to her lips and she sipped daintily, then requested a tissue so she could dab her mouth.

And so it goes, our little weekly ritual...I bring cookies, we chat for a bit and usually watch some type of television show. Even though her memory is fading (along with her hearing and eyesight), she often surprises me with an interesting story from her childhood or from mine. She was such a loving and gentle grandmother when I was a girl and I absolutely loved to go for a visit at her house, especially when she would take me for a whole weekend. We would eat her delicious pancakes for breakfast with real maple syrup and blueberries and then we would bring a whole bag of bread to feed the ducks at the pond. She would let me dress up in all her fabulous silk scarves, elbow length opera gloves and costume jewelry, heavily laden with rhinestone jewels, and tip toe through the house wearing her Ferragamos. I felt like a princess, a very loved and special one.

I hope that she feels a little like a very loved and special princess when I come bearing goodies each week--even when she forgets that I stopped by.

Almond Thumbprint Cookies

1/2 C butter, softened

1/3 C lightly packed brown sugar

1/2 t almond extract

1 C unbleached flour

1/2 C toasted almond meal (toasted ground almonds)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add extract, flour and almond meal and mix until combined. Roll dough into small balls. Place on silicone lined baking sheets (or grease the sheets) and press thumb into each ball to make an indentation. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and press thumb gently into indentation again to reshape. When cool fill with the jam of your choice. Raspberry, apricot or cherry jams would be lovely.

Hello Sunshine!

Look who came out to play today! My first daffodil of the season opened up her frilly petticoat this afternoon. The rain, followed by the warm spring weather, has caused an eruption of sorts in the garden, and things are sprouting all over the place. It was very hard to resist the warm sunshine, I know, because I had a fantasy of spreading a blanket on the grass and reading a book...but I'll bet you can guess where I was instead...that's right, the baseball field! But that's okay, because it was a lovely day, not too hot, and my son got two hits and his first RBI of the season. And I got to nosh on some seeds and sip an icy cold coke...not half bad, really. And afterwards we wheeled out the barbecue, to grill our supper...but I'm not ready to talk about food yet.

Getting back to my garden...my apple trees are also leafing out. I planted their spindly bare roots just last month, and already they are springing into action. I have resisted planting fruit trees of any sort, because the house we live in was supposed to be our little starter house...and it takes so long for fruit trees to reach maturation and bear good fruit, so it seemed like a waste. But here we are, now eight years later. I keep telling myself that we are going to get the heck out of dodge, but with the housing market plunging into the toilet, it seems like we might be here for awhile. So I planted 2 lovely apple trees, and one nectarine tree...all of them "super mini dwarfs" which means that they should top out at five feet. I was also supposed to top out at five feet, according to some orthodontic x-rays, but I reached five foot five, so I am optimistic that these little beauties might also achieve a decent height. I am also optimistic that the future owners of this house will be here to enjoy them and not me. It's like the Murphy's Law of fruit trees, once you make a long term plan (like committing to fruit trees), you have to (get to) move! We'll see.

Tonight, as we were finishing up with the grill outside, I looked up to notice that the moon had a glowing ring around it, which according to folklore, means that it will rain soon and according to the weather report, seems to be true. This is such good news because California is in another year of drought, despite all our recent downpours. I hope it is a good drenching rain, and that my garden will continue to thrive for as long as possible without turning on my sprinklers, that we start to see even more bright petticoats dancing in the yard, and that our apple and nectarine trees will grow and thrive and produce many delicious fruits for us to enjoy...some years from now...

Like the daffodils in my garden, I saw many other signs of spring at the farmers market this morning, most notably asparagus. I bought a bunch, and grilled it tonight alongside some chicken. You really must try asparagus this way. We grill it for just a few minutes so it is still crisp, but tender too, with the tiniest hint of smokiness. Of course, if you live somewhere where you aren't quite ready to uncover the grill, you can roast it in a hot oven (475 degrees for about 10 minutes) with much the same effect. Before you cook it, toss it in a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.

Grilled Coconut Chicken

The best part of this chicken is the sticky glaze that gets poured over the top when it comes off the grill. It is salty, spicy, sweet and sour...and delicious! This recipe, originally from Sunset Magazine, makes a lot of marinade, so it will feed a crowd, and is quite economical because I like to make it using thigh meat.

Marinade:

3/4 C coconut milk

1/4 C chopped ginger

1 t red pepper flakes

1 t black pepper

1 t salt

boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

Marinate enough boneless, skinless chicken thighs to feed your crowd, for at least one hour and up to one day. Remove chicken from marinade and grill over high heat for about 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Serve with rice (you can use the left over coconut milk as a substitute for some of the cooking water) and topped with glaze and chopped green onions.

Glaze:

3/4 C rice vinegar

1/2 C sugar

3 T soy sauce

1 t chili flakes

Heat ingredients together in a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmering until thickened and reduced to 1/2 C, about 10-15 minutes. Pour over chicken.