Christmas 2018

Christmas was lovely and sad simultaneously. I tried to keep it together as I had no idea what we would deal with this year and just tried my best to manage through the holiday moment by moment. It remains to be seen what will happen this coming year and I have to be patient and strong.

Bovina Postcard

Bovina looks like a Norman Rockwell postcard this time of year.

Holiday Walk NYC

 The city at Christmas is always so beautiful.

Honey Garlic Vinaigrette

Honey Garlic Vinaigrette

        Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 
  
• Directions

• In a container, combine oil, vinegar, honey, and garlic. Cover, and shake until blended. Set aside for 45 minutes, to allow flavors to combine. Shake again before serving.

We needed a new salad dressing for our dinner party and we tried this and it was very good. 

Apple Cider Donut Cake

We decided to throw a dinner party between Xmas and New Years and Tim made this great cake for desert.  The trick to the recipe is to use a light extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients:

        2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for 

        pan 

       

        2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pan 

1 cup whole-wheat flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 3/4 cups natural cane sugar
  
• 1 cup apple cider
  
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
  

Directions:

• 
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar, cider, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; whisk until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
  
• 
  2. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
  
• 
  3. Invert warm cake onto rack. Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar. Let cool completely before serving. Cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature up to 2 days.
  

Bundt pans need to be generously buttered and floured so cakes don't stick; use a pastry brush to be sure to get into all the crevices.

Elton John Farewell Tour

We went to see one of my all time music heroes the other night - Elton John.  I truly wish that I had been old enough to have seen him in the 70s in his heyday but he was still so remarkable the other night. You don't get a sense of how incredible his piano playing is until you see him in person. An amazing concert and he is truly a gift as this amazing talent but great human being.

Gluten-Free Maple-Sesame Cauliflower Bites

6 cups cauliflower florets

3/4 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon lower-sodium tamari
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion

pepper in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add cauliflower; toss to coat.


Step 1 Preheat oven to 450°F.
Step 2 Combine !our, milk, garlic powder, salt, and black
Step 3 Arrange cauliflower on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450°F for 20 minutes, gently tossing once halfway through.
Step 4 Combine maple syrup, tamari, oil, vinegar, and ginger in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour maple- sesame mixture over cauliflower; toss to coat. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds and green onion overtop.

Tim made this amazing meal last night.  Awesome. Amazing smell in the house.

CHICKEN TRAYBAKE WITH BITTER ORANGE AND FENNEL

2 large bulbs fennel (approx. 4lbs total, though less wouldn't matter)
1/4 cup cold-pressed rapeseed oil (or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on the chicken when cooking)
2 seville oranges (zested and juiced, or zest and juice of 1 eating orange and juice of 1 lemon, about 100ml /scant half cup of juice)
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
4 teaspoons fennel seeds
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
12 chicken thighs with skin and bone still on (preferably organic)

1. Remove the fronds from the fennel and put them in a resealable bag in the fridge for serving. I discard (that’s to say, eat) the tubey bits of the fennel, but if you have a roasting tin big enough, use everything. Cut the bulbs of fennel into quarters and then cut each quarter, lengthways, into 3. Leave on the chopping board while you get on with the marinade.
2. Placing a large freezer bag in position inside a wide-necked measuring jug or similar, pour in the oil, add the orange zest and juice (and lemon juice, if using), and spoon in the salt, fennel seeds and mustard. Stir briefly to mix.
3. Remove the bag from the jug and, holding it up, add a quarter of the chicken pieces, followed by a quarter of the fennel pieces, and so on until everything’s been used up.
4. Seal the bag tightly at the top, lay the bag in something like a lasagne dish and squelch it about so that you make the small amount of marinade cover as much of the chicken as possible. It will look as if it isn’t enough, but it is, I promise. Leave in the fridge overnight or up to 1 day.
5. When you want to cook, remove the marinating chicken and fennel from the fridge and tip the contents of the bag – marinade and all – into a large shallow roasting tin pan. Using tongs, or whatever implement(s) you prefer, arrange the chicken pieces so that they are sitting, skin-side up, on top of the fennel. Leave it for 30 minutes or so, to come up to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 400F.
6. Drizzle some more golden oil onto the chicken, and cook in the oven for 1 hour, by which time the fennel will be soft and the chicken cooked through and bronzed on top.
7. Put the chicken and fennel onto a warmed serving plate and put the pan over a medium heat (use a saucepan if your tin isn’t hob-friendly) and boil the juices, stirring as you watch it turn syrupy; this should take about an hour in the tin, and about 5 minutes in a saucepan.
8. Pour the reduced sauce over the chicken and fennel, and then tear over the reserved fennel fronds.

A great update to a classic bruschetta.

Cauliflower Toasts

1 small head cauliflower (2 pounds)
4 tablespoons good olive oil
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese, at room temperature 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 large slices country-style bread
Paprika
Freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Turn the cauliflower upside down on a cutting board. Cut off and discard most but not all of the stems, then cut the florets into small, 1⁄2-inch clusters. Place the florets on a sheet pan, toss them with the olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper, and spread them out in a single layer. Roast for 25 to
30 minutes, tossing two or three times, until the florets are tender and randomly browned. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Set the oven to broil and arrange a rack 6 inches below the heat.
Transfer the florets to a large mixing bowl and add the mascarpone, stirring to coat the florets evenly. Stir in the Gruyère, prosciutto, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper.

Toast the bread in a toaster until lightly browned, and place in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with foil. Mound the cauliflower mixture evenly on each toast and dust with paprika. Broil the toasts for 2 to 4 minutes, until browned and bubbling. (Watch them carefully!) Transfer to plates and sprinkle with Parmesan, the chives, and sea salt. Serve hot.

Apricot Skewers

APRICOT SKEWERS

Attempting to live the "Vitaly" Life this summer. Sans Vespas - we make do with a pool and some new Italian cookbook recipes.  Found this appetizer in a magazine recently and it looked good. We tried it and it was good - the trick is to make the bite combos of apricot, cheese and ham  a manageable portion.  The rosemary is pretty and decorative but doesn't really do anything for the flavor.  It was good however and definitely worth posting and saving.

Ingredients:
1 6 oz bag dried apricots
1 cup white wine
   rosemary sprigs
1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto, cut
1 pt. bocconcini (1 oz balls)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In a small saucepan, simmer dried apricots in white wine over medium-low heat until plump. Drain and reserve liquid.  Use a rosemary sprig to skewer apricots, then add a strip of prosciutto and a bocconcini ball. Return the wine to the saucepan and reduce slightly to a syrup.  Drizzle skewers with wine syrup. Sprinkle with pepper.

Bovina Days Weekend

As I sat there in the dark watching outdoor movies on the side of Russell's General Store with neighbors.  I felt so grateful that we have the privilege of living in this small but beautiful community.  Bovina Days Weekend Begins!

Peonies

Our garden is really beautiful this year and I need to make more of an effort to document some of the more beautiful things we have growing and some of our keepsakes.  These were a couple peonies in a  blue transfer ware bowl I bought in Shanghai.  Small things make a difference.

New Addition

We have had a really rough three years.  It was time to start making life more enjoyable. Little things make a difference. A pool is not a little thing but it has made a difference. We slow down, float around and watch the beautiful afternoons pass by.

Fried Cauliflower in Garlic and Hoisin Ginger Sauce

We were in Montreal and had this as an appetizer. It was so good, we went back to the restaurant for the same dish twice. We love vegetable entrees and this was outstanding. Tim recreated the recipe when we got back.  Awesome.  It is fried and we are going to try it baked and see if we like it as well.

FRIED CAULIFLOWER IN GARLIC AND GINGER SAUCE 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoon sesame seeds,plus more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces, plus sliced onions for garnish
• vegetable or canola oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, the baking soda, salt, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, black pepper, 1 1/4 cup of water, and 3/4 cup of flour. Mix together well.
   
2. Add the cauliflower florets and toss to coat.
   
3. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and the sesame seeds over the coated cauliflower. Lightly toss to coat. Set aside.
   
4. In a small sauce pan, bring to a slight bubble, the following ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, grated ginger, minced garlic, dried chili flakes, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and one cup of water. Stir well.
   
5. When the mixture comes to a slight boil, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of water and mix well, add that mixture to the sauce pan. Next, toss in the green onions and stir to combine. Reduce to a simmer and allow to thicken.
   
6. In the meantime, heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot to 375 degrees. (You can also use a deep fryer if you have one.)
   
7. Carefully place the coated cauliflower florets into the hot oil. Fry each piece until golden brown - about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oil and allow to drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet.
   
8. Once all of the pieces are fried, increase the temperature of the oil to 385 degrees and re-fry the nuggets of cauliflower for another 30-60 seconds. This will provide a deeper colour and a better crunch. This step is completely optional!
   
9. Lastly, plate the cauliflower and spoon the thick, hot sauce over top. Garnish with the sliced green onions and a few sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Montreal

Nice long weekend in Montreal to celebrate my birthday.  Used to go to this city for years for work but haven't been there in awhile. Wanted to practice my French and eat a lot - it was the perfect place to go. Gorgeous weather, no crowds, great hotel and a beautiful drive.  Thanks Tim for a great weekend.