Monthly Archives: December 2011

Comfort

10 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by in Think

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It’s been a rough week around here. With a bad case of viral ick making the rounds, we’re all in cocooning mode, cuddled on the couch with fuzzy blankets, our highly sympathetic pups, and our favorite Miyazaki films. When I’m achy in body or spirit, I seek the comfort of routine and closeness; spending time with the things I know and the people I love soothes me like nothing else.

This time of year also brings its own brand of comfort for me: kids in footie pajamas; steamy mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallow froth; the smell and crackle of a wood fire; a room lit only by tiny twinkling lights. Other comforts are less seasonal and a little more personal. I love to curl up on the couch with a big stack of my favorite cookbooks and browse until “my brain is storming,” as my daughter would say. Some people have comfort food; I have comfort cooking. (When life hands you lemons, zest them and make lemon herb butter for a roast chicken… :)

It strikes me that the ways we find solace and rest are often more individualized than the pain and grief we experience; what helps us heal depends so much on our memories, gifts, and values. The ultimate stress relief for one person may be cringe-inducing for the next. For instance: open-air camping, or read in the recliner? A long, hot bath or a long, early-morning run? Order restaurant take-out, or cook it all from scratch? Period romance drama, or campy 1950s sci-fi? (I know which I would pick.) I love that we share so much of the human experience in our need for comfort, yet we are still so singular in the ways we are consoled.

So in this season of scratchy throats, grumbly tummies, and traffic jams, here are three top-ten lists of my family’s favorite comforts. These are the things that speak to me of contentment, reassurance, and calm, and I wish you all three this winter. If you feel like commenting, I would love to hear about what comforts you too.

These are a few of my favorite (comforting) things…
Books:
+ Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carrol
+ Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
+ the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett
+ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
+ The BFG by Roald Dahl
+ How To Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson
+ The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
+ the Lord Peter Wimsey novels by Dorothy Sayers
+ the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels by Alexander McCall Smith
+ A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg

Films:
+ Ponyo (2007, director Hayao Miyazaki)
+ Wild China (2008, BBC documentary series)
+ Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961, director Blake Edwards)
+ My Fair Lady (1964, director George Cukor)
+ Dr. Doolittle (1967, director Richard Fleischer)
+ Jeeves and Wooster (BBC TV series based on P. G. Wodehouse books)
+ Agatha Christie’s Poirot TV series
+ any episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K)
+ Dr. Who (especially episodes with the fourth doctor)
+ Star Wars (the original trilogy, episodes IV-VI)

Food and Drink:
+ Mighty Leaf tea, Vanilla Dulce or Chamomile Citrus
+ Almond and Cherry Jam Cookie Bars (recipe coming soon)
+ Sharp English cheddar, smoked turkey, crackers, and spicy honey mustard
+ Steel-cut oatmeal with maple syrup and pears
+ Udon noodles with ginger and soy
+ Creamy chicken and dumplings
+ Mashed potatoes with mascarpone
+ Spiced apple cider
+ Banana bread with cream cheese
+ Orange-banana-vanilla smoothies

Inspired

08 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Make

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What a sweet source of inspiration my children are! Every day they inspire me to do more, create more, trust more, and love more. They remind me to take chances, both as an artist and a human being. This art journal is my attempt to capture my daughter’s passion, humor, and creativity and what an encouragement those things are to me.

Since this is meant to be more journal than scrapbook, I started by writing a series of letters to Kenzie about the ways she delights and inspires me. Then I added in photos I took while she was in full-on create mode, with sketchbooks, markers, and pencils spread out all around her.

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The journal itself started life as a blank 6″x6″ chipboard window album from Maya Road. Each page has a cut-out that allows you to view the next, so it was a fun challenge to place all the pictures and papers so that images showed from one page to the other. I chose papers and embellishments in my daughter’s favorite bright palette, with a vintage feel that she also loves.

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My daughter’s artwork is much like her: cute, quirky, and fun. I asked for donations of drawings and then cut them out and placed them so they are highlighted among the letters and photos. Her imagination is full of the cutest little characters.

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One of the things I admire most about Kenzie is how fearlessly she loves. Whether it’s the people around her or her newest hobby, she is completely prepared for joy. My challenge as a parent is to help her guard her heart, and yet somehow she teaches me more every day about opening mine up.

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One of the most valuable lessons I learned from my recent health issues is not to wait. I want my loved ones to know they are treasured because I have clearly said and shown it is so. I think this journal is a step in the right direction. :)

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Clementine-Scented Vanilla Caramels

05 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by in Cook

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Things I learned the hard way:
1. Never put on eye make-up while you have the hiccups.
2. If you promise to have six dozen sugar cookies ready in a few weeks, write that down somewhere.
3. You shouldn’t leave a two-year-old alone with a palette of watercolors, even if you think she can’t possibly reach them.
4. Turns out there is such a thing as too much Worcestershire sauce.
5. There are a LOT of ways to mess up homemade caramel.

I learned that last one this weekend after much sugary carnage. I realize now that the key to exquisite caramel is equal parts butter and patience. As you read through the recipe, you might notice I say “stir constantly while simmering for 45 minutes.” That’s not a typo — I really mean three quarters of an hour. My family graciously took stirring shifts, but a half hour in, my husband declared we were never making homemade caramels again. Fast-forward another half hour to his first taste, and that was quickly revised to, “I’m available to stir anytime.” :) These really are just ridiculously, achingly buttery and tender; sweet without being cloying, with a delicate citrus scent from clementine zest steeped in the cream. I foresee many happy hours of stirring ahead.

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Clementine-Scented Vanilla Caramels
makes 196 dreamy little bites

2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. turbinado or demerara sugar (can substitute packed light brown sugar)
1 c. golden syrup (read more about golden syrup in my Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe Notes, can substitute light corn syrup)
1 c. evaporated milk
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks) plus more for baking sheet
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract (see Recipe Notes)
zest of six clementines (or 2 oranges if clementines unavailable)
1 tsp. coarse kosher or sea salt
10″ x 15″ baking sheet, at least 1″ deep
heavy-duty aluminum foil (regular-strength foil will stick to caramels)
wax paper
candy thermometer

Thoroughly butter a baking sheet lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. In a large pot, mix evaporated milk, cream, and clementine zest. Cook on low until barely simmering, then remove from heat. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes more, then strain out zest.

Now add both types of sugar, golden syrup, butter, and salt to the cream in the pot. If you’re using vanilla bean paste, add it now; if using vanilla extract, wait to add it until caramel is finished cooking. (See Recipe Notes to find out why.) Attach your candy thermometer to the side of the pot, being sure the probe does not touch the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer the ingredients over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for approximately 45 minutes, until thermometer reads 248F.

When thermometer reaches 248F, immediately remove pot from heat. (If using vanilla extract, now is the time to add it.) Very carefully pour the hot caramel on to the buttered, foil-lined baking sheet. (The care is to protect you, not the caramel.) Let the caramel sit until cooled, about two hours. Now would be a good time to cut out the 190-ish pieces of wax paper you’ll need to wrap your caramels. For this recipe, cut your paper wrappers about 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″. Your stirring helpers might also be persuaded to assist here.

Flip the cooled caramel slab out on to a piece of parchment or wax paper and gently remove foil. With a sharp, buttered knife, cut into 14 rows and 14 columns, for a total of 196 little rectangles. Wrap each piece in wax paper and twist the ends to seal. This is another lesson in patience brought to you by homemade caramels, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. I got into a good rhythm and wrapped mine in about an hour. (I also wound up with a half dozen less caramels to wrap, thanks to an innovative self-motivation scheme… ;)

These will keep at room temperature for two weeks easily, but they’ll never last that long.

Recipe Notes + Tips:
This is not the first time I’ve mentioned vanilla bean paste, and I am in love with the stuff. It is another ingredient I discovered by necessity after developing food allergies; since traditional flavor extracts are alcohol-based, they are off limits for those with sulfite allergies. Vanilla bean paste is alcohol-free, which means its flavors do not change with cooking and it’s more palatable in uncooked applications like icing. It has the consistency and sweetness of a thick syrup, and it contains real vanilla beans. It can be used teaspoon for teaspoon in place of vanilla extract, but the paste is much more warm and flavorful and gives your food that beautiful vanilla bean-flecked look. (Feast your eyes on the caramel frosting on these cupcakes.) I use Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste, and you can check out their web site for where to buy.

Final caramel words of experience: the caramel will triple in size before boiling back down, so trust me when I say to use a large pot. I know 45 minutes seems like a long time, but the rise in temperature needs to be slow to avoid scorching the sugar, so don’t try to cook it over higher heat to speed up the process. You will notice a steady rise in temperature until about 223F; from then on, the water is boiling out, so the process of achieving the next 25 degrees takes longer than the initial 223 did. (That’s science for you.)

Paper monster invasion

04 Sunday Dec 2011

Posted by in Make, Read

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Thanks to my artsy kiddos and their new favorite book, there are miniature paper monsters cropping up all over the house. Their cumulative paper-crafting zeal and Papertoy Monsters: 50 Cool Papertoys You Can Make Yourself! by Brian Castleforte have populated our dining room table with a 5″-tall community of charming little creeps. (Clearly the cut-and-paste gene has been passed on. :)

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There are 50 original papertoy templates in the book, from Confetti Yeti to Octopup. Author Castleforte and the 24 other contributing artists are talented, imaginative designers, evidenced by their fun paper menagerie. The monsters all feature a mini biography and easy-to-follow instructions, and they are printed in full color on cardstock that’s been both perforated and pre-scored for easier assembly. I am usually leary of “just tear here” paper crafts, but these actually work; unlike my daughter’s paper doll years, the last few weeks have heard very few cries of frustration over inadvertent paper amputees.

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I would recommend Papertoy Monsters for those over age 10, including the grown-up paper artist with a sense of humor. Some monsters require more of a patient, careful hand than others, and I wouldn’t give this book to an amped-up fifth grader who needs to run off a sugar high. But it is just right for quiet time, and in my years of teaching art, I have found kids of all ages have a surprising capacity for focus and detail if the project is engaging and the end result worth the effort. These papertoys certainly meet those requirements.

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(Workman Publishing: New York 2010, ISBN 978-0761158820)

Two-by-Two Beef Stew

01 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Cook

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This time of year makes me want to cook hearty, filling food that nourishes and warms. For me, beef stew is the perfect dinner when the skies have been gray and cold for days. This is comfort food at its best — comforting to cook and to eat. About the title: the recipe is one I invented over time, without thought of measurements or ratios. When I finally decided to measure out ingredients and write it down, I discovered that everything was in multiples of two. The fact that a creative process aimed entirely at making something good to eat should result in an inherently ordered pattern seems a kind gesture on creation’s part. :)

The name is also a good reminder that this is the perfect recipe for sharing. It makes a generous twelve servings, so bless someone with a home-cooked meal. It seems obvious to make dinner for a family with a new baby or a neighbor just home from the hospital; but I’d wager we can all think of someone who could use a little love right now. Moms of teenagers need just as much care as those with newborns, and a hot meal at the end of a long work day is just as welcome as one at the end of a sick day.

Two-by-Two Beef Stew
makes 12 generous servings

2 c. roughly chopped carrots (about 6)
2 c. roughly chopped celery (peeled, about 5 stalks)
2 c. roughly chopped yellow onion (2 small or 1 large)
2 c. roughly chopped mushrooms (I prefer shitake caps)
2 c. roughly chopped rutabaga (peeled, 1 small or 1/2 large, see Recipe Notes)
4 c. roughly chopped red potatoes (unpeeled, about 6 medium)
2 lbs. trimmed beef stew meat (leaner is not better in this case)
2 c. beef stock
2 c. mushroom or vegetable broth
2 c. + 2 Tbsp. water
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. dried thyme (or 2 Tbsp. fresh)
2 tsp. dried basil (or 2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped)
2 tsp. ground brown mustard seed (read more about it in Recipe Notes for Ham + Chard Tart)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. While it’s warming, toss beef in flour, two teaspoons of the coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. (The flour helps the beef brown and starts the stew’s thickening process.) Cook beef until brown, about five minutes. Add all vegetables, garlic, remaining salt and pepper, thyme, basil, mustard seed, tomato paste, stock, broth, and two cups water. Stir well until thoroughly combined. Allow to come to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 1 1/2-2 hours, until vegetables and meat are tender.

In last five minutes of cooking time, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining two tablespoons water in a small mixing bowl — this is to finish thickening the stew. Add to hot stew while stirring constantly. Continue to stir and simmer until stew is thickened, then turn off heat. Now is the time to taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Allow stew to sit ten minutes or so, until it’s no longer molten, and serve with slices of fresh bread or hot, buttered biscuits.

I don’t actually own a Crockpot (I am the slow cooker around here ;), but this seems like the kind of recipe that would be well-suited to it. If you try it out that way, please post in the comments and let me know how it goes.

Recipe Notes + Tips:
Besides being a really fun word to say, rutabagas are pretty yummy in soup, stew, and stock. They are a hybrid cross between cabbage and turnips, though I am convinced a little horseradish joined the party at some point. They share the crispness of green cabbage, but with less of that sulfurous twang. They have a little bite when raw, but that’s largely mellowed on cooking. If you haven’t ever tried one, this is your chance, as they are in season and at their best right now. (And no, this message was not paid for by the National Rutabaga Farmers Association. :) If you prefer, you can substitute the same amount of roughly chopped parsnips or just add more potatoes. I would still say the word “rutabaga” out loud a few times though.