Cepurina

One of my favorite places to grocery shop in the Bay Area is Hankook Market, a brilliant Korean market. It has an amazing self-serve kimchi and prepared food bar and a dynamic business model. If you shop on the weekend, product sampling and visiting vendors are set up throughout the store. Also, along the front and back of the store are a few independent stalls where you can purchase baked goods and coffee, electronics, traditional clothing, and gifts. If you spend above a certain amount you will likely be offered a complimentary sack of rice or a box of roasted nori. What’s not to love?

A few months back I went to Hankook on an amazingly busy Saturday. Not only were fresh-roasted sweet potatoes being sold, but there was a vendor selling an impressive variety of seaweed, all stacked neatly in huge piles. Plus, the staff was sampling “tea.” Never one to be shy around samples, I was right there with the mob of shoppers, properly not cued up. To my surprise, the tea being served was a dollop of marmalade or jam in a cup of hot water. I tried the honey ginger, citron, and quince. They were delicious, and I placed all three in my cart—their marketing ploy worked. And though I thought I had explored every inch of the store somehow, blindly, I missed the preserved fruit aisle. I was very happy to see all the variety of  ”teas” but decided to stick with the three I had sampled.  My husband was slightly annoyed with my $45 purchase. These jars are not cheap, and after all, I do have a pantry full of jam and marmalade. “But, but, but, I don’t have honey ginger or citron!” And since I love quince, I always like to taste how other people preserve it.

Tea and preserves is not a new idea to me. The Russians have a tradition of sweetening black tea with a spoonful of berry jam. But I had never thought of preparing a cup of “tea” with just preserves and hot water. The idea was exciting. I could envision ice tea sweetened with my plum lemongrass jelly or lemonade with a spoonful of strawberry jam on a hot day. The possibilities are endless… And, I’m always looking for ways to promote my “Eat More Jam” campaign.

For various reasons, I have not spent much time in the kitchen these past few months, and the jars have remained unopened. This past weekend, I began to feel a bit of a cold and cough coming on. My Mother reminded me to make a jar of honey with lemon juice to keep by my bedside in case my cough got worse. Lemon-infused honey was her home remedy for coughs when I was growing up, and I was always happy to take my spoonful whenever she deemed it necessary.  I remembered the Korean-marmalade tea and decided to take that instead. As I searched my cupboard, I came across a jar of Meyer lemon and piment d’Espelette marmalade I made last year. Hmmm, maybe the spice would be good for my sinuses?

Marmalade tea is a wonderfully soothing drink, especially when you add a wee nip of Scotch to it! A cup of “special” Meyer lemon and piment d’Espelette tea and a couple of cold tablets really hit the spot. I felt miraculously better in the morning. The tea was so delicious, as was nibbling on the warm bits at the bottom of the cup, that I have now moved a few jars of marmalade onto my tea shelf. The next time my daughter has a tea party, or is feeling unwell, I think I’ll surprise her with a pot of Meyer lemon and Olallaiberry marmalade, her favorite, tea.

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Vase of Flowers and Two Bunches of Asparagus. Jan Fyt, ca. 1650. Museo Thyseen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Nothing better represents Spring than a bouquet of droopy tulips and a bunch of asparagus. There was plenty of asparagus to be bought at this week’s farmers market but all the tulips were closed and standing tall, not a slouchy one in sight. I wasn’t in the mood for those tall tulips but the asparagus were beautifully slender and green. With a full basket and $5 left in my pocket, I opted for the asparagus.

Every week I make a quinoa salad. I love quinoa, not because it is a miracle grain but because it is versitile and  gluten-free. Though quinoa is not a true cereal it certainly acts like one and, I think, goes well with many different vegetables as well as being a great substitute for couscous, farro, barley, etc… I happen to be reading Pliny this week for some gardening advice so this week’s salad is inspired by Pliny the Elder. I am not currently suffering from any kind of ailment (relief),  but I am curious about asparagus with cumin.

Asparagus is said to be extremely wholesome as an aliment to the stomach. With the addition of cummin, it dispels flatulency of the stomach and colon ; it sharpens the eyesight also,acts as a mild aperient upon the stomach, and, boiled with ‘wine, is good for pains in the chest and spine, and diseases of the intestines. For pains in the loins and kidneys asparagusseed  is administered in doses of three oboli, taken with an equal proportion of cummin-seed. It acts as an aphrodisiac, and is an extremely useful diuretic, except that it has a tendency to ulcerate the bladder.

Natural History. Vol.4, chapter 42

Asparagus and Quinoa Salad:

~one cup cooked quinoa (I cook mine in the rice cooker so I can walk away and not worry)

~one bunch of asparagus (trimmed and cut on the diagonal)

~two shallots (thinly sliced)

~1/4 cup of toasted pinenuts (and be mindful as they burn easily!)

~olive oil

~salt and ground cumin for seasoning

~zest and juice of one lemon

1. in a sauté pan, warm a 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then add the shallots and sliced asparagus. Gently toss for about 5 minutes, being careful not to overcook the asparagus.

2. When done, push to one side. Splash a bit of olive oil to the cleared section of your pan, and add  a teaspoon of the cumin and a pinch of salt. Heat through and then toss the asparagus mixture in it.

3. Remove from heat and add the cooked quinoa to your pan and mix well.

4. Add the lemon zest, and season with the lemon juice and more salt and cumin to your taste.

5. Toss the salad with the pinenuts.

This can be eaten warm or cold on its own or as a side. And it makes a quick and easy lunch when topped with a fried egg… and a bit of harissa. And the cumin? It added a nice earthiness  to the bright green flavor of the asparagus. A combination I’m willing to try again…

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Woman Peeling Carrot, by Gerrit Dou ca 1650s

I’m back! Where have I been, you wonder? Here but not here.  The past year has been one of tremendous change for the Fairy and I. I remarried, we moved, pregnancy, health issues, and then the arrival of our wonderfully gorgeous little boy. And during all this emotional and physical upheaval, the strangest thing happened … I lost my appetite and, with it, my desire to write. I never thought such a thing could happen but it did. It is easy to place the blame on a kitchen too cluttered, morning sickness, and mandatory bed rest but, at the end of the day, cooking became an unpleasant activity (morning sickness)  and a painful one (uncooperative knees). And as a result, no writing. My inspiration for writing always came from doing. Doing the buying, growing, foraging, and cooking of food. During the 5 + months of morning sickness, I avoided food shopping like the plague and then I was stuck in my bedroom. And, yes, I drove everyone crazy including myself.

The last two weeks have been busier, in a good way. I’m driving again.  I can drop off and pick up my girl from school, do the grocery shopping, and run many neglected errands. I even went to the farmers market this past Saturday, the first time since November! And with this giant leap into participating in my life again, my appetite has returned. Ah, the absolute joy of making my own cup of tea when I want it and how I like it. Of taking care of my growing girl and the baby. Of walking around our neighborhood and catching up with friends at a café. Of giving my Sweetie a break from having to do all the cooking and cleaning after a 10 plus hour work day. And, as it is Spring, getting back to gardening. So much to do!

One of the first things I did after giving the kitchen, and fridge, a good cleaning was to re-stock. I love filling our fridge with good things. Once again it is filled with jars of green and red harissa, pickled lemons, pickled root vegetables, a couple of salads for the week, beans, chickpeas, salsa roja, hummus, and even chocolate pudding. And the freezer has been restocked with frijoles peruanos, chick peas, thai curry, pozole verde,  our favorite ragu, and Sweetie’s home made bacon. I’ve even been baking.

This past weekend was glorious and Santa Cruz weather was perfectly aligned with my mood. It was a gorgeous warm sunny Saturday with no sign of approaching fog. The kind of day that sets off a to-do list making frenzy. We spent the day pulling out our Winter garden,  tidying our patio and getting it ready for active use, grilling hot dogs, and playing. It was the kind of day we all needed and used to have regularly, and my girl was so very happy to see her mama up and about. The baby napped in the shade and we laughed and ran and munched on what we harvested.

What did we harvest? Herbs, some kale and radicchio, tender onions, and lots of carrots. The first thing I did with the carrots was make carrot sticks for our snack. One thing that drives me absolutely crazy is the prevalence of commercial carrot sticks. To quote my Sweetie, “Carrot sticks are the chicken nugget of the vegetable world.” He’s right! When did peeling and slicing carrots become so time consuming and difficult?  We ate all our purple and golden carrots, per the Fairy’s request, so this week we will have to suffer through snacking on plain old orange carrots sticks instead of our usual rainbow medley. But, hey, getting back to doing means the beautiful and delicious hand cut carrot stick will once again be seen at Stellaville and it may even take me less than a week to write the next post…

Carrot Sticks:

Grow (or buy if you must), peel, and slice into desired length and width. Highly recommended with hummus.

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Candied Lemon

So, I go a little crazy when I come across delicious and beautiful produce. I just can’t help myself. Maybe it’s because I come from a big family that I always feel like I’m feeding an army (yes, one example in which I blame my family.) I have a friend, Peter, with similar interests to mine. We often work on similar recipes but a big difference between us is sheer quantity, with yours truly always going overboard. Peter will purchase 3 blood oranges and dry them. I purchase 8 pounds. I.JUST.CAN’T.STOP.MYSELF! So on a recent trip to Los Angeles I found myself surrounded by the citrus vendors at the Pasadena Farmer’s Market. I.JUST.COULDN’T.STOP.MYSELF. I really, REALLY, went overboard. And the embarrassing part was that my father-in-law was with me. We met for the very first time the previous evening and here I was, on our first outing, losing all semblance of self control.  Innocently, curiously… worriedly he asked, “what are you going to do with all that citrus?” Clearly, Cameron had  not describe me very well…

Our drive to Santa Cruz was amazing. We drove 7 hours in a terrible rain storm with 12#s of grapefruit, 30#s of Cara Cara oranges, 40#s of gorgeous lemons and a few other non citrusy items: chorizo, heirloom carrots and potatoes, and pan dulce (to protect the privacy of my family members, I won’t reveal the quantity of those items…)  Welcome to my life, Papa Sig!

After a few days of working frantically in the kitchen, as well as entertaining Papa Sig, Cameron began to worry about potentially losing some of the citrus. His concern lead to the purchase of the Rotato!  Yes, it is a ridiculously sounding device but it really aided in Project Citrus. (Though, if I really come to think about it, it didn’t really aid time wise as I am now candying lots of nests…) The Rotato makes brilliant ribbons of citrus zest… in a snap! I soon had a mountain of citrus ribbon on my counter so, naturally:

Candied Lemon Zest:

It seemed a shame to cut the ribbon into pieces. I decided to try and make nests out of the zest and thus produce a larger, more intricate candy than the strip of peel. Line a tray with parchment paper for your finished nests. It was easy enough to do. I wrapped the ribbon around my two spaced fingers four times, then cut after a 3 inch tail. I wove and bound the tail around the ribbon circle creating… nests! This is really easy and quick to do. Of course, you can vary this as you please.

Fresh zest nests

Once you have worked through all the zest ribbon, make a syrup in a heavy bottomed pot. My syrup was 1.5 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. I used 3 cups sugar to 2 cups water to make enough syrup for a tray of nests. The goal is to have enough syrup to poach all the nests at once. They won’t stick together but the sugar temperature will increase and make it difficult to candy a second batch. Heat your syrup slowly so that the sugar dissolves completely. When the syrup is clear and boiling, lower the temperature to a simmer and gently lower the nests one by one. They will not stick or become tangled. Simmer gently for about 20-25 minutes. You want the candy to still have some bite to it and not be complete mush.  When you are satisfied with the texture, carefully remove one by one onto your parchment lined tray. Let cool.

Once cool enough to handle, you can toss the candied nests in granulated sugar. Store them in an airtight container.

How long will they keep? I have no idea as my Sweeties have been nibbling on them…

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“On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout-like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally’s cellar.”

~ Thomas Jefferson

I make a monthly pilgrimage to San Jose for the exclusive purpose of buying pickles. I really like the pickled vegetables in those plastic bags from the Japanese market. I also really like love the Korean style pickles I can buy in bulk! This month, for various reasons (one of which being that Cameron od’d on kimchi last month), I have not made my pilgrimage and have been experiencing some serious sodium withdrawals. This serious affliction also happened to coincide with my renewed love for turnips and watermelon radishes. I’ve just been eating the turnips and radishes raw but I decided to give pickles a go.

This is the world’s easiest recipe. 2 parts vinegar, 1 part sugar, 1 part water. Boil. Sterilize the jars to be used, add the prepared vegetable, and cover with the boiling pickling liquid. Store in the refrigerator. This is a quick pickle so it will be ready in about two days and shouldn’t be kept longer than a month. Of course, this is never a problem as you will polish off the jar during your next movie night… I couldn’t resist the addition of spices.

Left to right:

Carrots with garlic and dried chiles de arbol

Turnips with cinnamon, a la Dumas

Watermelon radishes with cloves and black pepper

Quick pickles are very satisfying since they are so easy and always delicious. They are gorgeous on their own or with …. you name it! Next time you go to produce shopping, I encourage you to look around for tender vegetables and experiment….

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I grew up in a large household with limited means. My mother was absolutely brilliant at putting hearty satisfying meals for 10 on the table after a full day of work. As I look back I can recognize a few time saving tricks. One dish often morphed into several. As kids we grew to recognize and anticipate the menu for the week. I don’t remember eating much meat. Our diet was heavily dependent on beans, nopales, potatoes, tortillas, chiles, and fruit with carne asada on the weekend.  Every so often my mother would boil a chicken. A boiled chicken could only mean 2 things: crispy chicken tacos and sopita de gato, or cat’s soup. Cat’s soup gets it name from the tradition throughout the cat loving world of tearing bits of bread & flatbreads into little scraps and moistening it for… a cat’s meal!

La Familia Banuelos, 1977?

My mother’s sopita de gato is one of poverty. A chicken, an onion, a carrot (maybe), and some bay leaves get boiled. A lean broth. But her soup was always so delicious. I can taste and smell it now. She would pull the chicken apart into small pieces for the tacos, and reserve the broth. To make the soup she would sauté a finely chopped white onion and 2 chiles guerritos (Hungarian wax pepper) in corn oil in a soup pot. If she had a tomato, she would add it.  When soft and clear, she would add torn pieces of corn tortillas and make sure they were evenly coated with the oil and heated through. She would then add the broth and often add water to extend it. She would bring it to a quick boil, and finish with cilantro leaves. The tortillas turned to mush as they soaked up the broth. It kind of reminds me of congee in it’s porridge like consistency. And the flavor? Whoa! Always a favorite.

My recipe is different but also born from frugality and an effort to save time. A busy week around here means that Cameron will roast 2 chickens. 2 roasted chickens provides a week of good eats. Roast chicken dinner, a few lunches of chicken salad, a perfect after school/pre-dinner nibble of chicken leg for the Fairy, chicken tacos for taco night and, you guessed, Sopita de Gato! After roast chicken dinner, Cameron de-bones what remains and the other chicken. My job is to make the broth. The bones get places in a stock pot with the wings, an onion, 3 carrots, 4 celery stalks, parsley stalks (from the garden), bay leaves and some thyme in a tea ball. It all gets covered with water and simmers gently until it turns into a dark delicious elixir. When done, strain out the broth and salt to taste. Place the broth in the fridge until the fat has risen to the top and is congealed. Remove that yellow layer of fat before heating.

Ok, your broth is done and now to the tortillas. I don’t eat tortillas daily anymore, sadly, so I don’t have a pile of stale ones in my plastic tortilla warmer. So, cut your tortillas into spoon sized pieces. Some prefer strips, I prefer triangles. Heat a skillet, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and bit by bit heat and crisp the tortillas. I don’t deep fry them but lightly toss them in the oil and brown them slightly. Work through your batch, placing finished tortillas chips onto some napkins.

Wash and dry some cilantro leaves and wash and quarter a lemon. I really like a bit of lemon juice in chicken broth. Though my mother’s soup was not spicy but rather nicely flavored with the sautéed pepper, I like mine spicy so I add a spoonful of jalapeño harissa. Assemble my adding broth to a bowl, adding tortilla chips as desired, some cilantro, a squeeze of lemon and your favorite hot sauce.

So there you have it. 2 recipes for Sopita de Gato, my mother’s and my own. The biggest difference in the two is the quantity of tortillas. Remember my mother was filling lots of bellies so hers is almost a thick gruel. Mine is more a vehicle for crispy tortilla chips and harissa!

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Last week there was lots of buzz in the news about an Arctic front hitting the Northern California coast and the chance of snow on the coast. Snow on the coast? Well, naturally, the Fairy and I got very very excited. I’ve only been to the snow once and that was for about 5 minutes. I was truffle collecting in the Base Alps and my friend, Louis, did not believe I had never experienced snow. With dogs, we zipped up the mountain, found some, romped around with the dogs for a few minutes, and then zipped down the mountain. This is typical Louis. He lives in Gap and loves driving. A trip up the mountain or to Provence for a quick lunch… pas de  probleme. As for my dear Fairy, she  has only felt snow, ice really, when the city closes a couple streets down and brings in snow machines and declares it snow day. Pathetic, really. So you can imagine our overwhelming excitement by the prospect of snow.

I like creating events. Some might think it is obnoxious but it is how I live. Building a social community and positive memories is important to me. It probably stems from being the youngest in a family of eight. By definition every occasion was an event with so many people present! During  my daughter’s early years, it was just the two of us and that was always a huge motivation to build community. I wanted, and still do, my daughter to feel herself to be part of a greater world and community than our cozy little cottage. The first few years of her life were filled with lots of “aunties” around. All of them strong, independent, creative women. Now that I re-married, the dynamics in our house have changed but the sense of community has only grown. Cameron is a wonderfully loving and kind addition to the family (yes, I know, but remember I am newly wed) who is greatly loved by the “aunties” as well!

The snow never hit the coast but, in true fashion, we had friends over for hot cider and a pear tart… a gluten free tart!  Yes, after many failed attempts at gluten free baking, I am finally getting into the swing of it. And making a gluten free tart crust was number one on my list. I love making tarts for their simplicity and ease, all the year round.

A Pear Tart

for the crust:

1. 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free flour
2. 1/3 cup sugar
3. 1/4 cup ground almonds
4. 2/3 cup unsalted butter, firm but not cold
5. 1 egg
6. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7. zest from one orange
8. water, a teaspoon at a time, as needed

• Stir together the flour, sugar, and almonds in a bowl
• Pour the mixture onto a work surface. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter in until the dough resembles a mass of small peas. Gather the mixture into a mound, make a well in the center.
• Add the egg and vanilla into the well and cut the liquids into the dough.
• When evenly distributed, complete the mixing by spreading the dough with the palm of your hand. Add a small amount of water if needed to create a uniform mass.
• Knead light to form a ball. Do not overwork. Cover, set aside and allow to rest  in a cool place for at least 20 minutes.

for the filling:

1. 6 pears (the most aromatic pears you can find). Peel, core and quarter. I cut each quarter into 4 pieces.
2. 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar, depending on the sweetness of the pears
3. 2 tablespoons butter
4. 1/3 cup golden raisins
5. 1/4 cup candied ginger, thinly sliced
6. 1/2 inch of a cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, and a cardamon pod. Grind in your spice mill.
7. If you like, a splash of orange water.

• Heat a skillet and add the butter.
• Add the sliced pears, turning gently so you don’t break them.
• When soft and slightly brown add the ginger, raisins, and spices.
• Cook for a few minutes, or until the ginger softens and the raisins get plump.

pears cooked in butter

to assemble the tart:

While the tart is in a cool place resting, I prep the pears, slice the ginger, and grind the spices. After the crust, or pate sucree, has rested, on a lightly floured surface roll it out and place in your tart pan. I used an 8 inch tart pan. (This makes a good amount of crust, whatever is left over can easily be made into cookies.) Blind bake in a 375º oven for about 15 minutes. While the crust is baking, I cook the pears. After 15 minutes, pull the crust out and add the filling. Cook for another 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is lightly caramelized.

This is one of my favorite tarts. It is inspired by all the medieval cookery books at my bedside. The pears, ginger, and spices are so lovely cooked in butter. Wonderful warm flavors for a cold day.

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A few months ago my friend Vanessa’s contribution to dinner was a kale salad from our local grocery store. This “Coastal Kale Salad” was super tasty. The kale was lightly dressed and still crunchy but not raw. Delicious. I am a big fan of kale and often add it to bean soups or simple sauté it with olive oil, garlic, a bit of crushed pepper and lemon. This preparation is quick and lends itself to many meals. However, I am open to new ideas…. Anyway, lately all I’ve been hearing about is this salad! The only ingredients I knew for certain were sunflower seeds and sprouts and Braggs amino acids. This is what I came up with. Today is the third time I’ve made this salad this week! It is a perfect for lunch with a poached egg or a bit of smoked salmon. Or with rice.

Kale Salad:

• one bunch of kale, washed and roughly chopped
• some shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons of minced ginger
• 2 oz of sunflower sprouts
• 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Braggs amino acids
• zest of one lemon
• juice of one lemon
• a pinch of salt

1. Heat a wok and add the olive oil, Braggs, shallots, and ginger.
2. When they start to sizzle add the kale, and toss.
3. Once evenly coated, add the sunflower sprouts and sunflower seeds.
4. Make sure everything is evenly coasted and heated.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Place in a bowl, zest a lemon, and add the lemon juice.
7. Salt to taste.

Enjoy!

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Tea with Strawberry Jam

Jam. I make jam, a lot of it. Friends always wonder what I do with so much jam, especially since I don’t usually have bread in the house. Yes, jam for toast, scones, and yogurt is great. But there are a few other ways to eat jam…

For a few years I traveled to Lithuania regularly. Don’t ask me why but I did. I learned a lot there. There is nothing like a 4 week stay in the Lithuanian countryside of subsistence farmers to make one realize how much is taken for granted on a daily basis. Warm running water, diverse diet that includes lots of fruits and veggies, coffee (sigh), baths, heat, access to medicine, road safety, an ethnically and culturally diverse population…

My first trip to Lithuania was a long voyage. I was traveling with my Mexican passport and was given the wrong information by my travel agent. Yes, travel agent. Remember those? Well, this caused a week long delay as I had to stop in New York to get a visa from Polish embassy, and another few days in Warsaw for a Lithuanian visa. Finally, Vilnius!

Visiting Lithuania in the 90s was a revelation. Culturally, politically, socially, foodwise, etc… I always felt fortunate that I was able to experience remnants of what was once the Soviet Union. A month in the Lithuanian countryside was like a month in a Bruegel painting. Seriously. A countryside of subsistence farming, low tech equipment (fields of grain scythed and bundled by hand), little social and economic mobility, and a harsh environment. A Europe we rarely see, and is probably gone now in Lithuania. As a Californian, where there is a year round abundance of fruit and vegetables, I was struck by the limited diet of those around me. Most farmers had one pig, a cow (lots of sour cream and kefir), a few chickens, bees, apple and pear trees, and a garden with a currant bush or two. But you must remember that the growing season in Lithuania is very short. Perhaps two months to grow your vegetables for the year! Most of the farm land was used for potatoes and cabbages foremost, then carrots, radishes, and herbs. And if a summer storm hit with lots of rain, the potato crop could easily be lost! Those farmers with more money had greenhouses for tomatoes. But, basically, this was the local diet. Oh, and smoked fish from the numerous lakes.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder. "The Harvesters," 1525–1569. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Well, except for foraging. The forest produces lots of mushrooms and wild berries, the small fraise du bois and blueberries. Collecting mushrooms was easy! Imagine collecting 10 pounds of boletus edulis from your backyard? Yes, wonderful. Or a field of trompettes de la mort? Berries on the other hand, were more difficult. I tried collecting blueberries and after about 20 minutes, I gave up. A cup of berries and a face swollen with mosquito bites hardly seemed worth the effort. And, I soon discovered that the local women, with their swollen faces,  would gather at the local cafe to chat and sell their berries. I quart sized mason jar of blueberries for the equivalent of 50 cents? I bought up all the berries, paying double the price and shared my mosquito ointment. And what did they make with the berries? Jam, of course!

Boletus edulis, Lithuania

This is where I first learned of the spoonful of jam in tea tradition. And I realized what a treat it really is. Collecting all those berries and buying or trading for sugar meant a real investment in time and limited resources. A spoonful of summer during the coldest and darkest of  winter days would certainly sweeten any moment.

The Baltic states have been scooped up by the Russian, and Soviet, empire throughout history. The Russian tea tradition, of using a samovar to make a concentrate and heat water, is something I read about often in Tolstoy, Pushkin, and even Nabokov, but I first witnessed it here. Tea is one of the few things that is bought and, I soon learned, a perfect gift. A bracing cup of hot tea sweetened with strawberry jam is enjoyed throughout the day, for as the Lithuanians like to say, they have a sweet tooth.

Now, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Whenever I make preserves, the last bit from scraping the pot always goes into a bowl. My Russian/Lithuanian style treat is to splash a bit of vodka, add some ice, and perhaps a pinch of salt. This also works to ‘clean’ out empty jam jars. No, I don’t have a drinking problem, I just like jam! So, next time you make yourself a cup of tea, try adding a spoonful of jam. And next time you finish a jar of jam, make yourself a quick cocktail. Just two more ways to eat your jam…

Grapefruit marmalade + Vodka + ice.

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Gluten Free Walnut Tea Cookies

3 day weekends are rare around here. The Fairy spends Sunday and Monday with her father so 3 days together are always a treat. This President’s Day weekend I had a pretty busy, yet fun, list of activities planned. A trip to the goat farm, a wintery picnic on the beach, foraging for mussels and chanterelles, a nice hike at my favorite state park, an overnight at a coastal hotel with a hottub, warm tub, reading in front of a nice fireplace with my sweeties with big mugs of hot chocolate in our hands… Wintery bliss. Well, all started well Saturday morning with ballet class and then something happened. First a tummy ache, then a headache, sniffles, a cough, tired… Hmmm, I decided to just stay home for a little while instead of dashing off. I’m glad I did…

Even a low energy Fairy is still energetic. At times like this we usually pop in a ballet dvd and she can dance along. This kind of tv watching I don’t mind, and I actually like.  La Fille Mal Gardee just didn’t cut it as she slipped further and further into ickyness. It is a terrible thing to witness a sick fairy. There she was, sprawled out and whimpering on the couch. Cameron, my other sweetie, discovered She-Ra episodes on Netflix under the “girl empowering category.” Seriously.  Do you remember She-Ra ? He-Mans twin sister? Cameron and I both grew up watching these kind of super hero cartoons. A warrior princess with a calm witty non-plussed air, and stylish boots… She loved it!

Melissa & Doug's Paint by Number

3 hours later… hmm…. what to do what to do? Consult my emergency project box. I keep a box of new things hidden in an unreachable kitchen cabinet. This box contains craft things the Fairy is given for birthdays, holidays, or things I pick up on sale. Craft kits,  fun sticker books, tracing books, rock collecting, flower pressing, etc… Things to keep little hands busy. This time I fished out a paint by number shadow box kit by Melissa & Doug. And, I found more tissue and pipe cleaners for flowers/crowns.

A Fairy without Sparkle

So we spent our long holiday weekend watching She-Ra, baking cookies, painting, reading, coloring, making dozens of paper flowers, crafting, getting a mini pedi, listening to music, and lots of snuggling. For the Fairy it was kind of a nice staycation. And I got to enjoy some of it too between washing sick bedding, making tea, and cooking nourishing bland treats, and being Director of Projects. Whatever stomach bug she had, it lasted 4 days. I thought she was feeling better and sent her off to school since it was field trip day, to the Pacific Cookie Company, but we only lasted about 15 minutes. I  know the kid really isn’t feeling well when she begs to leave a cookie company. By the time we got home, the complete She-Ra  dvd set had arrived (thank you, Cameron!). More She-Ra, some Babar, more flowers, some soup and tea. By the end of the day, she seemed ok. Just in time for bed time….

GF Walnut Tea Cookie:

• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour
• 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, finely ground
• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons bourban vanilla
• a pinch of salt
• zest from one orange

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, nuts, and salt. Mix well.
3. Add the butter, vanilla, and orange zest.
4. Using the tips of your fingers, combine the wet and dry ingredients
5. Gently work together until you have a smooth cookie batter.
6. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or silpats.
7. Roll the batter into bite sized rounds.
8. This makes about 4 dozen cookies that easily fit into 2 cookie sheets.
9. Bake for 15 minutes.
10. While baking, place about a cup of powdered sugar in a deep bowl. And have another wide plate on standby.
11. Remove cookies from the oven and while still hot, roll in powdered sugar. The heat will make a paste of the sugar, which will adhere more sugar in the second rolling!
12. Quickly work through the two cookie sheets. After the first rolling, let cool for about 20 minutes.
13. Roll again in the powdered sugar.

These cookies are wonderfully light and crumbly and fragrant. These have been my most successful gluten free cookie experiment and I’m sure I’ll be making them frequently, if only for my daughter’s love of rolling cookies in powdered sugar!

A Nearly Well Fairy

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