Mother nature was just kidding about springtime weather. It has been snowing two days in a row and we decided that some culinary cheering up was needed in order to make it through the week without a serious case of cabin fever or winter blues. There is no better way to cheer up than with Evan’s famous beef stew followed by my spring-time blueberry muffins.
The muffins are topped with lemon scented sugar which produces a delightfully crispy top. They’re based on an old Cooks Illustrated recipe, a version of which I found here. In other news, we also recently purchased this game for Sophia and she has been learning how to take turns and follow basic board game rules.
I must admit that I am giddy with excitement. I have been since last Thursday when I recorded the first figure skating competition of this winter’s Olympic games. I am a pretty big fan of figure skating and there is nothing like the esprit de corps you feel with the athletes and the country for which you’re rooting during the Olympic Games.
These games in particular, are special because they are taking place in Sochi, Russia and have aroused all sorts of feelings in me that have long been dormant. On the one hand, since I was born in the former USSR, I consider myself to be Russian. On the other hand, I have been living in the United States longer than I ever did in the former USSR and I spent zero years in Russia itself. My paternal grandfather’s family was ethnically Russian and came from around Moscow and so I feel justified in feeling a bit of pride.
We have all been party to the issues that the Russian Federation has been working through in getting the venues and the city ready for the games. Some have been embarrassing and others, just funny. I was very curious about the opening ceremonies secretly hoping that they would be on par with those that preceded them and that they would go off without a hitch.
The opening ceremonies, as you have yourselves seen, were beautiful and went off with just one minor issue. What’s more, in watching the very first act and seeing the invertible feast of accomplishments that the Russian peoples managed throughout the years in art, music, the sciences was truly awe-inspiring. Even though I am rooting for the American team, I am proud to have been born there, to know that I speak the language, and that in a way, I am part of that.
In other news, and since we were consumed by the coverage of the games as well as some knitting and book reading, we made just a few delicious dishes to tide us over until next weekend. There was of course a luxurious, and season-appropriate, lunch of grilled cheese where we sautéed shiitake mushrooms with onions heaping the mixture on a french boule and covering with luscious Swiss gruyere. A few minutes in a pan and here’s what you have:
Because lunches were decidedly luxurious, we went simple and ethnic with a Pork Vindaloo which is a Portuguese-inspired Indian dish from the Goa region. It is fairly easy to make in large quantities which makes it perfect for weeknight leftovers. That and the mustard seeds pop in your mouth adding a little unexpected textural surprise.
And how pray-tell do you occupy a rambunctious 2 year old while searing meat and cutting gallons of onions? Well, with stickers and markers and music to dance to!
Our weekends, at least the last one and this one, have been pretty busy despite being in the throws of winter’s freeze. We enjoyed my parents’ visit this weekend and especially my mom’s surprise home-made varenyky and beef stroganoff. As you know, we hold true to the “Will Feed for Free Babysitting” motto. Here are some of the shenanigans that went on while we were cooking.
that … and …
With our hands free and the desire not to be outdone by my mom’s Russian culinary delights, we made chicken tikka masala which happens to be one of her favorites.
My dad, much like his little granddaughter, is a sweet tooth. So to appeal to his weaknesses/preferences, I whipped up a batch of old-school oatmeal sandwich cookies with cream cheese and mascarpone filling. I found the recipe on the New York times. Instead of raisins, these have dates and toasted coconut. They were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G if not a little too luxurious.
And look, look who helped!?
I also baked brownies for a dinner date we were heading to in Virginia with Sophia in tow. I don’t have pictures of them as they were destined for our company anyway… but lets just say that they did not disappoint. I can also maybe, maybe admit to eating a few too many ends and crumbs from the baking sheet as I was packing them up in individual petit four cups. I learned the petit four cup packaging idea from Evan’s Bubbie who always sends us passover goodies packaged that way.
The highlight of our weekend was receiving this beautiful cross stitched piece for Sophia’s nursery. It was lovingly hand cross-stitched a few years ago by my sister for my nephew’s room.
His nursery used to have a Winnie the Pooh theme and he has since outgrown it. She is going to keep and pass it on for my nephew’s kids but is lending it to Sophia since she has recently gotten into the tales of Winnie and his friends. There is something magical about hand-made, one of a kind pieces that are done by someone you love. It instantly brightened up Sophia’s nursery. We hung it up over a chair where we read books and Sophia looks at it while we read our Winnie the Pooh’s Perfect Spring Day – also a hand-me-down from my nephew. Who says that loaning art is just for grown ups and large scale installations?!
Sort of like the song itself, I’ve dreamed of this weekend for so long. We were home, it was cold and wet outside, but warm and pleasant inside the house. First things first… we’re all stocked up on groceries and the tall list of things I had to cook have all materialized and are waiting to be eaten over the course of the coming week.
Besides cooking and crafting, I managed to take Sophia out to the mall. I wouldn’t usually brag about a mall excursion but Saturday was rainy but warm, and she’s been cooped up all week long. I did it more for a change of scenery than anything. I suppose that I could have taken her to a children’s activity but nothing is scarier than a group of kids with runny noses and sore throats. The mall is just a short ten minute ride away and as you know, Sophia is a terrible carseat rider. At first we thought it was motion sickness, but I am starting to think it may be a mean case of anxiety over being restrained. Anyway, the mall excursion started with tears and a tantrum signaling Sophia’s unwillingness to get into the carseat. After much cajoling and, I am not too proud to admit it–bribery, I finally got a stoic and resigned Sophia on her way to the mall where there were cookies and balloons. Our mission was to just window shop and get out of the house; That much was accomplished. In the end, she didn’t want to leave the mall… but lunch and these chocolate covered marshmallows (home made, of course) waited for us at home.
Aside from these indulgences which were requested by Sophia after watching George devour them on Curious George, we also made
a lamb roast, grown up tater tots with chimichurri sauce, stuffed peppers concluding our culinary activities with made-from-scratch breakfast this morning:
My sister got us a waffle maker and we finally whipped up a batch. You’re going to think this is crazy, but I’ve only had fresh home-made waffles maybe three or four times in my life. These were definitely the best! Sophia agreed … devouring a full quarter waffle :-). All those carbs must have been exactly what she needed to rouse up her inner artist.
Winter made its presence known this weekend with a cold and wet snow storm. We are not getting as much snow as our families up north, but it is still beautiful to wake up on a weekend to the sight of white flakes blanketing our trees in the back yard. Expecting snow, we hunkered down and cooked, crafted and spent lots of time together. Here is how the weekend started.
After a lazy start on Saturday, we hunkered down and cooked, cooked and … well, cooked. Chicken parmesan, southwestern pulled brisket, lentil and kale soup/stew, mushroom and potato soup, slaw and picked onions. All that Saturday cooking left Sunday wide open for more leisurely pursuits.
This is my lunch for Monday 😉 leftover lentil and kale soup and some red pepper hummus… healthy and satisfying.
Sunday mornings must start with coffee, unless it snows, then they must start with hot chocolate.
Not store bought, powdered and grey stuff. Homemade on the stove top with milk, dutch processed cocoa and … wait for it, bittersweet C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E. Thick, rich and bitter … grown up.
This was also the first time Sophia tried it and she liked it… as much as any child can enjoy bittersweet chocolate.
A quick excursion despite the inclement yet gorgeous weather, a lunch from leftovers and the Pièce de résistance…
Southwest pulled brisket served with homemade cabbage and scallion slaw and pickled onions served on tortillas. Satisfying.
First hot chocolate for Sophia, first time making pulled brisket, first snow of the season … a weekend of firsts.
That kind of a weekend where we once again crafted, caught up on chores and stayed in because it was frigid — well, by November standards anyway. I did manage to sneak out to the stores for just a short while and brought back a princess-themed stamp set for Sophia. Here she is stamping to her heart’s content.
Good thing that she was occupied because we managed to make linguine with bolognese sauce.
But our Italian weekend that just sort of happened didn’t end with bolognese sauce. It was followed by an orange infused, apricot jam crostata which I formed while Sophia watched her very first movie/cartoon. She picked “The Adventures of Pooh”.
The crostata looked much prettier in my cookbook, but looks don’t always foreshadow taste.
The crostata followed pizza margherita — another of Evan’s signature dishes. There are leftovers and I feel quite accomplished in the culinary and crafts department. As I write this, Evan is listening to Beethoven with Sophia though I hear that Stravinsky is up next. There is something magical about staying at home, staying in and filling the house with amazing aromas.
Lastly, a very brief attempt at a “recommended reading/watching” list; I managed to get started on this documentary of the plight of Russian Jewry in Russia in the 1970-ies and would like to recommend it to anyone who is curious about what life was like for Jews and in fact for most others, too.
This weekend was focused on everything that is in season: crafts and cranberries. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we are looking forward to my mother-in-law’s fabulous dinner spread and some serious family time. I kid you not, folks — my mother in-law makes an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G thanksgiving dinner and it trumps most others I have been to. Until then, I am cooking a few fall favorites with cranberries in anticipation of the grand finale that is the turkey holiday itself.
I made these cranberry rolls on Saturday morning just in time for my parents’ visit. I am always happy to cook in exchange for help with Sophia!
The issue was that these only required a cup of cranberries and I had plenty of tangy berries left over still. After much deliberation and consultation of my recipe books, I decided on cranberry orange muffins for Sunday afternoon.
They turned out oh so well! There is something about cranberries and orange zest perfuming your kitchen in the fall that makes you happier…
We didn’t just feast on baked desserts all weekend, of course. Evan roasted a lamb shoulder and together we made an Azeri pilaf.
It was a relatively low-key cooking weekend because I was absolutely consumed with crafting. My sister and I are working on a secret project that may or may not have something to do with Hanukkah and we were both sewing as if our life and livelihood depended on it. I can’t tell you what it is because the recipients (or at least their parents) may or may not read this blog and then it would ruin their surprise.
Without giving much away, this is a shot of my secret project … very home-made.
This is a snippet of my sister’s project. Obviously, and don’t think my mother didn’t point this out, my sister’s is much more polished. I am okay with that.
We couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous weekend. Our neighborhood is very wooded and is lit up in a glorious colorscape this time of year. Green, yellow, orange, pink, red and maroon… simply breathtaking. We made the most of the weekend by spending some time outside in the afternoons. The mornings were all about having a lazy weekend with pancakes, coffee (for Evan and me, of course) and cartoons for the little Miss. When not cooking, enjoying the weather or puttering about the house, we did a lot of … this:
We took Sophia to the supermarket on Friday evening which is a big deal for us. You see, with her motion sickness worse than ever and our store being 20 minutes away, she’s only been there three times including Friday. She was a champ and really enjoyed the store and people watching there. After stocking up on so many yummy things, we had no other option but to cook with all the delicious produce we stocked up on. Warning: Food Pictures Below.
Sea Trout in Bercy Sauce . It sounds fancier and more difficult than it really was. This, together with the veggies below, was a 20 minute dinner.
Evan’s famous sesame zucchini
Nikujaga — mmm so good and we have leftovers, too.
Sometimes, a simple rice dish is just what is in order. Fried rice made the cut for a Sunday night dinner. Evan used five-spice, garlic, ginger, mirin (japanese rice wine), sesame oil and peas to make this salty, sweet, and aromatic dish.
Before Sunday, but after Saturday’s pancakes, we needed something for breakfast that didn’t require cooking on the morning of. After looking at our two super-ripe bananas, we all agreed on banana muffins.
Oh, and I have brownies in the oven as I write this, but I’ll spare you the picture and maybe you won’t run out for a morning snack after reading this.
We had the whole weekend to ourselves. Just the three of us save for a few hours earlier today when Evan and I were once again Sophia’s beards, so to speak. The young lady had a social engagement — a birthday fete to attend and we were simply the chauffeurs. We spent most of the days catching up on rest, relaxation and some good eats. Oh, I also knitted a verdant green hat for Sophia, but it is not yet finished. Stay tuned for pictures.
Every Thursday evening, the three of us sit down over books and magazines. Sophia usually selects some Dr. Seuss books though her favorite this week is Yum Yum Dim Sum. This book is such fun to read and Sophia always reminds us that her Aunt and Uncle (my sister and brother-in-law) brought it for her. While she is busy reading, we are busy looking at various cookbooks to figure out what to cook this weekend. One of us rushes to the grocery store on Friday evening with a compiled list of everything we will need. This weekend, we decided to make a Saba (mackerel) dish, Roasted Tomato Soup, Chinese dumplings, Chinese chicken soup, brownies and home-made granola.
Evan makes a mouthwatering Saba dish which he pairs with perfectly cooked rice and a cucumber salad. That was Friday evening’s dinner. I made the dumplings for Saturday’s dinner and made enough to freeze for another night (likely a week-night). Dumplings are a special food. If you’ve had someone’s homemade dumplings, it likely means that you are loved. If I’ve made dumplings for you, it means just that — that you’re someone very special to me. They are such a labor of love. Every single dumpling perfectly filled, folded and propped on a board waiting to be cooked and dressed in a special sauce. They take so much time to make and so little time to disappear into happy bellies. I have the most special memories of my mom making dumplings for us — it truly made my dad, sister and I feel loved and I would like nothing more than to hear the same sentiment from Sophia a few years from now.
Chicken soup is very special in our house. It isn’t difficult to make, but takes some time. Usually, my mom makes a few batches for us in case we get a cold. In my book, there are few more comforting dishes than chicken soup. But chicken soup is chicken soup and sometimes you want it with a twist. Enter Chinese chicken soup made with scallion whites and ginger. My house smells so good right now.
While psyching myself for chicken soup, I psyched myself for brownies. I must confess, it wasn’t terribly hard to psych myself for brownies. And once they were in the oven, the granola just sort of happened. Besides, I can’t just have plain greek yogurt for breakfast, can I?
The brownie may not be a looker, but trust me, it is everything a brownie should be. I thought it so nice, I just had it twice!
It isn’t a birthday without a small celebration — right? Sophia turned two on Friday and our family and friends came together to celebrate on Saturday. Nothing fancy, just adults catching up, kids playing with one another, decorating pumpkins and a little bit of mac-n-cheese and chocolate cake… That’s the summary of the weekend because quite frankly, there was nothing done yesterday except some major putting up of feet to rest from all the festivities… and the recent plague Sophia and I were besieged with.
Of course I know you’d like the details about the birthday party, so here goes: the theme was butterflies and bugs and the invitation was blue, yellow and most importantly orange(Sophia’s absolute favorite color)! We invited our friends and family and a few of Sophia’s neighborhood friends. After all, this is her party and she should ring it in with her friends. All in all, ten children between ages 1 and 9. The menu had to be simple since there was quite a crowd (~40 people) and included Philadelphia style hoagies, mac-n-cheese, Tuscan stewed chickpeas, herbed quinoa, fritata, veggies and dip, hummus, roasted pepper hummus, asian green salad with napa cabbage, sweet and sour meatballs and to really make sure everyone was fortified — a cheese plate with a petit salumi platter. You don’t believe? Here… look!
We opted to purchase the hoagies so that we can focus on making everything else. They came from Taylor Gourmet Deli — and since the President thinks they are good, I figured so would our guests. We did have help with the food: my mother-in-law made her signature sweet and sour meatballs and my mother made her signature asian salad. We’ll talk about desserts and who contributed there in a bit.
Food is great and so are the german beers Evan picked up in honor of Oktoberfest, but you have to have entertainment at a kids’ party. So… thankfully, my mother-in-law who is an early education specialist, suggested pumpkin decorating. I admit, I was rather skeptical — picturing glitter everywhere and glue all over my furniture, but it went over swimmingly. The kids were thrilled to do it and enjoyed taking home the fruits of their labor.
All the decorating and chaperoning of the decorators led to quite an appetite for some cake! If there was one thing that I insisted on doing, it would be to make my daughter a home-made [multi-layer] birthday cake. I wouldn’t mind having the affair catered, but the cake, the cake was going to be mine. This, ladies and gentlemen was no ordinary cake — it was a three-layer, moist chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream on the inside and vanilla buttercream on the outside. When fully assembled it measured 8 inches. That’s EIGHT inches! I like BIG! I decorated it with edible butterflies, too!
There was another cake, the picture missing because it was too good and went flying off the platter before I could snap a picture. It was a poppy-seed cake so moist it would blow your socks off made by non-other than my sister.
Here are Evan and I with the birthday girl right before and during the blowing out of the candles. My sister-in-law and soon-to-be-brother-in-law took the pictures and I guess things got too busy and there are none of us together … but you can just imagine that. Beggars can’t be choosers! The party was great, the birthday girl happy about her cake and presents and balloons, of course. Evan and I feel very loved and are profoundly grateful to all our family and friends who made a 2+ hour journey from Pennsylvania and Delaware with young children in tow.
Oh, oh, oh! Before I forget … besides the pumpkins as party favors for the children, each kiddo got a home-made dirt cake Evan and I put together in mason jars with bugs and creatures (all edible) hidden inside. Besides… what parent wouldn’t want a kid on yet another sugar high after the one from the chocolate cake wears of?!
