30 August 2010
FAMILY
Genealogy has always been very important in my family. My maternal grandfather, Jesse Jacob Zollinger, spent much of his free time working to put together the story of his ancestors (who hailed mostly from Switzerland). He researched and compiled many stories and old records and even self-published a book on his beloved family. I have wanted to make a nice copy of my own tree for a long time and found a beautiful template from Martha Stewart. You can download it here. This project was so much fun; I really loved the process and now feel even more connected to my past. I want to make one for Erik too. Another bonus was that I was able to practice my Spencerian penmanship. (I have a goal to "master" actual handwriting). The instructional books I have are very helpful and quite inexpensive.
25 August 2010
STEAK AU POIVRE
.
Erik and I have been lucky enough to visit Paris twice. On both trips we had some great food (and some not so great food...I don't recommend ordering an American hamburger in France). Besides the obvious pastries, bread, and cheese, we both had several very memorable food experiences. I think it is safe to say that Erik's favorite French dish was duck confit, while I think my favorite was steak au poivre. Both are very traditional and were found in most of the restaurants we went to. While making my own duck confit has yet to happen, I made the steak a few weeks ago. The recipe comes from a 1953 issue of Gourmet Magazine (RIP..sniff). It is a great recipe; I have to say that I liked it just as much as anything I had in France! The recipe is pretty straight-forward, however, I used peach juice instead of Cognac and I think you could add more peppercorns than it calls for if you, like me, love that very peppery taste.
ingredients
4 (3/4- to 1-inch-thick) boneless beef top-loin (strip) steaks (8 to 10 oz each)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup Cognac or other brandy
3/4 cup heavy cream
preparation
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Pat steaks dry and season both sides with kosher salt.
Coarsely crush peppercorns in a sealed plastic bag with a meat pounder or bottom of a heavy skillet, then press pepper evenly onto both sides of steaks.
Heat a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately high heat until hot, about 3 minutes, then add oil, swirling skillet, and sauté steaks in 2 batches, turning over once, about 6 minutes per batch for medium-rare.
Transfer steaks as cooked to a heatproof platter and keep warm in oven while making sauce.
Pour off fat from skillet, then add shallots and half of butter (2 tablespoons) to skillet and cook over moderately low heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until shallots are well-browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add Cognac (use caution; it may ignite) and boil, stirring, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream and any meat juices accumulated on platter and boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook over low heat, swirling skillet, until butter is incorporated. Serve sauce with steaks.
Erik and I have been lucky enough to visit Paris twice. On both trips we had some great food (and some not so great food...I don't recommend ordering an American hamburger in France). Besides the obvious pastries, bread, and cheese, we both had several very memorable food experiences. I think it is safe to say that Erik's favorite French dish was duck confit, while I think my favorite was steak au poivre. Both are very traditional and were found in most of the restaurants we went to. While making my own duck confit has yet to happen, I made the steak a few weeks ago. The recipe comes from a 1953 issue of Gourmet Magazine (RIP..sniff). It is a great recipe; I have to say that I liked it just as much as anything I had in France! The recipe is pretty straight-forward, however, I used peach juice instead of Cognac and I think you could add more peppercorns than it calls for if you, like me, love that very peppery taste.
ingredients
4 (3/4- to 1-inch-thick) boneless beef top-loin (strip) steaks (8 to 10 oz each)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup Cognac or other brandy
3/4 cup heavy cream
preparation
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Pat steaks dry and season both sides with kosher salt.
Coarsely crush peppercorns in a sealed plastic bag with a meat pounder or bottom of a heavy skillet, then press pepper evenly onto both sides of steaks.
Heat a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately high heat until hot, about 3 minutes, then add oil, swirling skillet, and sauté steaks in 2 batches, turning over once, about 6 minutes per batch for medium-rare.
Transfer steaks as cooked to a heatproof platter and keep warm in oven while making sauce.
Pour off fat from skillet, then add shallots and half of butter (2 tablespoons) to skillet and cook over moderately low heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until shallots are well-browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add Cognac (use caution; it may ignite) and boil, stirring, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream and any meat juices accumulated on platter and boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook over low heat, swirling skillet, until butter is incorporated. Serve sauce with steaks.
18 August 2010
WASHER NECKLACES
.
I've been making these Anni Albers-designed washer necklaces for a few years now. Anni was such an amazing woman. Married to the painter Josef Albers, she studied and taught at the Bauhaus, made an international reputation for herself as a textile designer (that's one of her textile patterns below), and figured out how to construct ingenious jewelry out of everyday objects like washers, bobby pins, and paper clips. You can buy kits to make her hardware-store washer and grosgrain ribbon necklaces here, or mix up materials (like my version above, made with cotton rope and enormous powder-coated washers).
I've been making these Anni Albers-designed washer necklaces for a few years now. Anni was such an amazing woman. Married to the painter Josef Albers, she studied and taught at the Bauhaus, made an international reputation for herself as a textile designer (that's one of her textile patterns below), and figured out how to construct ingenious jewelry out of everyday objects like washers, bobby pins, and paper clips. You can buy kits to make her hardware-store washer and grosgrain ribbon necklaces here, or mix up materials (like my version above, made with cotton rope and enormous powder-coated washers).
14 August 2010
SHAKER LEMON PIE
.
Before even moving to the Bay area, my husband bought me a baking book from the awesome SF bakery, Tartine. I've tried a few things, but really love their recipe for Shaker Lemon Pie. It can be tricky...be SURE to cut the lemons paper thin, or else use Meyer lemons. Making mistakes in this area can lead to inedible results (trust me). You can find a recipe for this pie here.
Before even moving to the Bay area, my husband bought me a baking book from the awesome SF bakery, Tartine. I've tried a few things, but really love their recipe for Shaker Lemon Pie. It can be tricky...be SURE to cut the lemons paper thin, or else use Meyer lemons. Making mistakes in this area can lead to inedible results (trust me). You can find a recipe for this pie here.
09 August 2010
GREY HIPPO
.
Knitting a hippo was even more fun than knitting a pig! (Who would have thought :>) I like to joke about our fat little kitty cat, saying that now there are TWO grey hippos in the house.
Knitting a hippo was even more fun than knitting a pig! (Who would have thought :>) I like to joke about our fat little kitty cat, saying that now there are TWO grey hippos in the house.
BEST SO FARS
04 August 2010
KNITTED FRIEND
I am loving my new hobby of knitting and really enjoyed making this adorable pink piggy! You can find the pattern for him and a lot of other cute animals in Itty-Bitty Toys. It is a great book; I am just a beginner and had no problems making it. I also learned to use double pointed needles with this project (which is easier to do than you might think).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
