Chickpea Pan Bagnat

 As my days of working entirely from home start to dwindle, I want to take advantage of the situation as much as possible. Unfortunately for me, this doesn't mean moving to Montana for the next two months to spend my work days surrounded by mountains. Instead it means that I can do things like a weight workout for my arms while listening in on a meeting, or hard-boiling some eggs in between calls. Not very glamorous, I know, but it is practical. I also intend to visit a farmers market once a week to buy all my produce, eggs and some other items. Today was the first time since they opened that I've been able to go. And since I recently purchased a bunch of vegetables at my usual produce haunt, I had to control myself to mostly look and ask questions. It was quiet and the vendors were friendly. I walked away with purchasing only a baguette, but this one item was put to very good use.

When I got myself into picnic mindset (see last post), I had come across this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I've been waiting for the right time to make it and since I was the proud owner of a large fresh baguette, today was the day. 

WOW! In order to describe how I felt about this sandwich, I want to post a picture of it surrounded with heart-eye emojis. But, instead, I'll try to use my words. As Deb mentions in her post, finding a veggie sandwich you can get excited about is rare. Usually it is heavily dependent on cheese, and I've never understood restaurants' fascination with roasted red peppers and eggplant as part of a Mediterranean style veggie rollup. (I've probably mentioned my extreme dislike of rollups. This was a very unpleasant food trend to emerge from the 90s.) Anyways, this sandwich has it all. It satisfies my nostalgia for an Italian grinder of my youth, my favorite aspect of that being the seasoned oil and vinegar that it was dressed with. It packs a lot of flavor into each bite, and has a solid and gratifying texture with the crusty outer layer of the bread and the crunchy vegetables within. (Not a mouthful of mush like aforementioned rollups.) It was such an enjoyable sandwich eating experience that I can hardly wait for lunchtime tomorrow to put more of my baguette to good use. 

I hope you make this and appreciate it as much as I do. Or, if you are my friend, please come over and I shall make one for you. 

Chickpea mash

1 15 oz can chickpeas or the equivalent cooked from dried

2 tbspns olive oil

juice and zest from half a lemon

few shakes chili flakes

handful of fresh parsley, chopped fine

fresh ground salt and pepper

Assembly of layers

Baguette or ciabatta sliced open in respectable sandwich size

Thinly sliced cucumber - about 5 per sandwich

Thinly sliced roma tomato - about 4 per sandwich (I only had grape tomatoes so used more)

Thinly sliced red onion - small handful per sandwich

capers - 1 tblspn per sandwich

hard-boiled egg, sliced thin, 4 slices per sandwich

olive oil 

red wine vinegar

basil leaves (optional)

salt and pepper

1. In a mixing bowl, roughly mash the chickpeas with a fork. You don't need to work too hard at this, just somewhat mashed up is fine. Add all other ingredients and mix.

2. On both halves of the bread, drizzle olive oil. On one half, spoon a layer of chickpea mash. Place a layer of onions on top of that. Drizzle vinegar and add some salt and pepper. 

3. Next layer is the eggs. Add a row of egg slices then some salt and pepper.

4. Add capers and tomatoes (you could also add olives here), another drizzle of olive oil and vinegar. These are supposed to be wet and flavorful, so don't skimp on this layer of oil and vinegar. 

5. On the other half, layer the cucumbers salt and pepper, and flip this on top. If you are bringing them on a picnic, wrap in foil. If not, put on a plate and cut in half. 

Crunchy Asparagus and Pea Salad

At the risk of being a tedious New Englander, I'm going to talk about the weather. It really is noteworthy this week. Six days ago, as I was contemplating which side dish to bring to my book club meeting, my priority was using as little heat as possible since it was 87 degrees and I don't have any air conditioning yet. Yesterday, the temps dropped by 40 degrees, it was pouring rain, and just like that it was bourbon weather again. On those days in between, I got in picnic mindset with variations of crunchy veggie salads and refreshing gin cocktails. So, here we are on probably the worst Memorial Day weekend weather that I can remember, but at least I now have some time to log these recipes.

This is the dish I brought to book club to accompany the delicious doughy pizzas Lisa got at Tendercrop Farm. This platter practically screamed "SPRING"! This was an exciting gathering for us because, while we have been meeting during the pandemic, we've done it either virtually or spaced out in someone's yard, sans food. It is so so so nice to be sharing food with others again. I cannot put enough of an emphasis on how happy I am to be doing this. I think we'll need to make up for lost time, so I want to be picnic ready. Stay tuned for more dishes to put in your picnic basket. 

To know me is to know that I adore shelling peas. I've mentioned this before, but there is something about seeing them all nestled together inside their pod that I find comforting. I also adored the characters in the book we read for this meeting for similar reasons. Perestroika in Paris was my choice and I was pleased to find that most of the book club gals had a similar experience to mine when reading it. It was laugh out loud funny at times and the interaction between the characters was so endearing. I should point out that it is told from the perspective of a race horse. While some members of my book group were skeptical at the start, they were soon won over by: the curiosity of Paras; the clever problem solving by Frida the shorthaired pointer; the strong opinions of Raoul, the raven; the quibbling of Sid and Nancy, a husband and wife team of mallards; and the antics of a father and son pair of rats. If you need an escape, this group of eclectic characters where there is just enough drama to keep it interesting is just the thing. 

In addition to the ladies enjoying the book, they also liked this salad and I will definitely make it, or a variation of it again. The avocado dressing is versatile and easy to make. Here's the link to the original recipe from Love and Lemons

Crunchy Asparagus and Pea Salad

2 bunches of asparagus, ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup of shelled fresh peas or frozen peas

4 radishes, sliced thin

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)

chopped mint for garnishing

1 tblspn olive oil 

1 tblspn lemon juice

salt 

pepper 

Avocado dressing

1 ripe avocado, peeled and pit removed

juice from 1 lemon

tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

3/4 cup water

1/2 tspn salt 

pepper - a few shakes

Salad

1. Boil a pot of salted water. Add the asparagus and peas and cook for a minute or two, until the asparagus is tender but still bright green. Drain and rinse with cold water to arrest the cooking. 

2. In the bottom of a mixing bowl, add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and peas and mix. Transfer mixture to a serving platter. 

3. Garnish with pine nuts, radishes, mint and feta if using. Drizzle with the avocado dressing. Mix just prior to serving.  

Avocado dressing

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency. 

 

Aviation Cocktail

Finally, it is warm. Short-sleeve shirt and skirt warm. No need for another layer warm. No brisk breeze to chill you to the bone warm. The April air that was over-staying its welcome has finally bid adieu. To celebrate this, I finished up work a bit early on Friday and headed out for two forms of GT - goat therapy and gin therapy. I think my PT would agree that these are both important elements of my recovery. 

First, a grooming session with the girls. They were also quite content to be sitting in the sunshine receiving some brushing attention. While I was there, I picked some violets to be used for a garnish in the cocktails we would enjoy on Sandra's deck. An Aviation seemed like the perfect way to enhance this kind of spring day, both because gin is something I mostly associate with temps above 70F, with some exceptions, and the color reflects the massive blooming spurt happening. (I feel for those with seasonal allergies, but it is quite pretty.)

Aviation

2 oz of a London dry gin

3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 oz maraschino liqueur

1/4 oz creme de violette

1. Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for at least 15 seconds.

2. Pour into a coupe or small martini glass and garnish with some pretty flowers, lemon rind, or a maraschino cherry. 

Pasta and broccoli with "cheesy" sauce

 One thing I'm grateful for now that I've been unable to ride a bike for seven weeks, is that I had an incredibly fun winter season of riding. The conditions were great for fat biking. I got out nearly every weekend, and when the snow was too deep for riding, we had some nice snowshoe treks. In addition, I had joined Henry and Rick's indoor trainer series again this year and twice a week, they guided the group through some hard efforts. I was feeling good and ready to take this fitness onto the road this spring. We were just going into our last week with that when I had my accident. I'm hoping all that time in the saddle has served my recovery well. 

There are many days from this winter that will be especially memorable for me well beyond my current reveries. Riding across the frozen reservoir at the Fells, cutting fresh tracks under a bluebird sky with Rachel was extraordinary. Floating over ice in a wide open space is liberating. Maybe this is what ice skaters feel like. Riding the Western Greenway snow highway and the local Pond in Rock Meadow with April and Carlos was a blast. Riding through endless tree tunnels with Jenny early in the season was beautiful. Hitting the groomed trails at Yudicky with Zabeth and Sandra for swoopy twist and turns while big fluffy flakes fell upon us was reminiscent of childhood joy. Morning cappucino meetups with Rachel were frigid, but a nice way to start the day during pandemic work from home times. 

One of my most memorable winter days on a bike didn't even include much pedaling. It was a dreary Sunday in late February and I was feeling very little motivation to get outside. April needed to get out and work off some energy, so I reluctantly agreed to meet her. The conditions were tough. The snow was melting with patches of ice in various stages of life mixed with sections of mud. Lots of bike walking. We started out with a visit to the goats at pasture and by the time we finished there I was cold and even less interested in riding. I had no route in mind and trails were out of the question, so I suggested we just start riding the bike path and see what happened. About a mile into this endeavor, April said, "I have an idea, let's go check out Revolution Hall."

Those were magic words. That was EXACTLY what I wanted to do. Revolution Hall is a new local brewery that only recently opened and is accessible from the bike path. I had watched it being built all summer on one of my common road routes, but hadn't yet had a chance to check it out. It has an outdoor patio with propane fire pits, french fries and beer, and I was ecstatic. 

Looking back on this I recently realized that part of the joy in this excursion was the spontaneity of it. That was one of the casualties of the pandemic. Both in work and leisure, mostly everything needed to be planned and deliberate. No more running into a co-worker in the hallway and catching up. Hungry and want some food? Sign up for another website to place your order and have it waiting for you at the door in an hour because you couldn't go into the restaurant. Feel like meeting a friend for a drink? Sorry - that will have to wait until the next night that it's warm enough to sit in someone's backyard for a fire pit gathering.

I am looking forward to more of this brand of last minute fun as the weather warms up and things start to re-open. Today I was resting my leg after a walk outside and scrolling through Instagram found this recipe by Cookie and Kate. Original recipe I was hungry for lunch and the leftovers I had in the fridge were not going to do. I had to have this mac n "cheese". I had all the ingredients in the pantry so went for it. Another spontaneous endeavor that made me very happy. 

Pasta and Broccoli with "cheesy" sauce

1/2 pound pasta of your choice (I may try a whole grain pasta next time)

1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets 

2 tblspn olive oil 

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 medium russet potato, peeled and grated

2/3 cup raw cashews (you may want to soak them, depending on how good your blender is)

1 cup water (or more depending on your consistency preference 

few shakes of chili pepper flakes 

1/2 tspn mustard powder

1/2 tspn onion powder

1/2 tspn garlic powder 

salt 

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tspns cider vinegar

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. When there is 2 minutes left of cooking time, put the broccoli in with the pasta and cover the pot. When done, drain, put back in the pan and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking heat the olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add the onions and a big pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the chili flakes and stir.

3. Add the potatoes, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder and some salt, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes. The potatoes may stick easily to the pan. Add a bit of water if necessary.

4. Add the water and cashews, stir and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for about 8 minutes until the potatoes have cooked through.

5. Carefully put the potato mixture into the blender. Add the nutritional yeast, vinegar and blend for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust as necessary with salt vinegar or more water if you'd like a thinner consistency. Add to pasta and broccoli and blend together. 

Dehydrated Citrus Wheels

 This has been a tough week in Recovery Land. My six week x-ray is quickly approaching. I'm feeling both anxious and hopeful about that. I've also been feeling cooped up, frustrated and in low spirits. I had mastered being stuck in the house during pandemic times. At least I had regular rides with friends to look forward to. This is a whole new level of being stuck in the house that I haven't figured out, nor do I really want to if I'm honest. I have no idea what to expect in the coming weeks in terms of what I will and won't be able to do.

It seems that at least several times so far during this process, someone has come along and said just the thing I needed to hear at that time. Recently, in a text exchange, Rachel said to me "you have so many firsts to look forward to!" What a helpful way to re-frame things. As a person who has had several injuries herself, she gets that the ups and downs are inevitable. So, I have in moments of taking pity on myself, tried to halt that line of thinking and either reflect on a recent first I've had, or ponder the next one I will be experiencing. I'm finding this conducive to the emotional aspect of healing. It's essential to have things to look forward to. More importantly, it helps to feel like I'm accomplishing something rather than fixate on all the things I am currently unable to do. 

Recently I went for my first walk outside alone with one crutch. It was slow and short, but exhilarating. I have done others since. The next first I am aware of will occur on May 8. I think I've mentioned that I've abstained from drinking any cocktails during my recovery process. This is for many reasons. For one, I'd like to focus on proper nutrition to keep my bone healing on track. Secondly, given my lack of activity, I don't need the extra calories. But, most importantly, I'd like to remain stable and not risk any other kind of fall! May 8th will be the day I become "fully baked" from my second vaccination and I think this is cause to celebrate. I will raise a glass to honor this moment in my personal pandemic experience. 

Now, the all important question. Which cocktail do I have on this momentous occasion? It may be the only one I have for another chunk of time, so I need to make it good. Do I go with an old standby? A Paper Plane? A Last Word? A martini? Or do I choose from one of the drinks I've been bookmarking to try in the future? I have time to think about this, but one of the deciding factors will be whether it lends itself well to one of the dehydrated citrus wheels I made yesterday. (I just realized this was also a first. The first time I've played in the kitchen since this happened.) I'm so excited to use these. Some of them are so pretty and I think the aesthetics will elevate the drinking experience!

Dried Citrus Wheels

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Slice the fruit thin. Somewhere between 1/8 to 1/4". I used lemon, lime, orange, blood orange, cara cara navel.

3. Lay in single layers on lined baking sheets. Put in oven. Flip each slice over after 2 hours. 

4. Lemons and limes take about 3-4 hours. Oranges about 6 hours. You want them to be brittle, with no moisture left in them.

5. Store in an airtight container in your fridge. They should last quite a while. (I read up to a year.)

Green Beans with Lemon and Pine Nuts

 I've been pondering some good slogans for PR posters on the recovery process. These would be both from 1) my own experiences thus far, and 2) the advice I've been given repeatedly. You might be able to guess which ones come from each of these categories. I imagine these posters hanging in a Physical Therapy office or being flashed in front of me on my phone as a notification from a recovery app. Maybe the app is called Get Over It! The pictures behind the slogans are peaceful landscapes or vibrant and bold backdrops, depending on the message and whether it's supposed to be calming or inspirational. 

Recovery - Some days are better than others!

Recovery - How much patience do you have? Let's find out!

Recovery - Take it day by day.

Recovery - Don't overdo it!

Recovery - You need to go slow to go fast!

Recovery - It's not linear. I hope you like roller coaster rides! 

Recovery - Be sure to stick with your physical therapy even if you're feeling good!

Recovery - Enjoy the process. What's the rush?

Recovery - Don't overdo it! (Yes, I know I already mentioned this one.)

There are so many more. Maybe I'll do a Part 2. Please feel free to submit yours. I'm not knocking the advice, by the way. I know many people are providing me with cautionary tales of how they messed up their own recovery and basically saying - "don't be me" or "here is what I learned the hard way". I'm sure I'll be offering up the same advice. I'm still early in the process, so like I said, I'm anticipating a Part 2. Maybe even a trilogy, given full recovery is supposed to take up to a year. Only 11 more months to go!

I'm hoping to be able to start doing actual cooking in the next couple of weeks, more than just heating up food that was made for me, frying an egg or making toast. I think this dish could be something I start with. It's pretty simple to put together. It will be a nice side dish for the summer months. 

Lemony green beans with pine nuts

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 lb green beans, trimmed

2 tblsp garlic infused olive oil (or 2 tblspsn of olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic - I was using this as a low FODMAP recipe and fresh garlic is not allowed.)

1 tblsp lemon zest and juice from one lemon

1. Toast pine nuts either in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring and shaking fairly constantly or in a toaster oven on 350 for 5 minutes or so. DO NOT walk away. You want these lightly toasted, but not lightly burned or they will be bitter. Set aside in a different container to cool. 

2. If you're using fresh garlic sautee that in the olive oil.

3. Boil water in a saucepan big enough to fit all the green beans and have them all submerge. Drop the green beans in the boiling water to blanch them. I like mine crispy, so only keep them in there for about 2-3 minutes. Drain the beans and run cold water over them to stop the cooking. Shake out excess water. Dry a bit with dish cloth if necessary.

4. Transfer green beans to bowl. Add grated lemon zest, olive oil and pine nuts. Toss together.

Tin Lizzy (Irish Manhattan) Cocktail

As I mentioned in my last post, I am not able right now to do many of the activities I find pleasurable. If all goes well, I will have a full recovery and be able to return to my normal recreation in time, but for now I'm looking for alternate ways of adding joy to my days. During the pandemic I was gifted the novelty book "Do One Thing Every Day That Makes You Happy." The idea is that for a year you pick one of the exercises to do each day and periodically check in on your happiness scale. Each exercise is based on a quote by a famous author, entertainer, politician, philosopher, etc. Previously I've only thumbed through the pages and read some of the quotes. I thought this would be a good time to try doing the activities. 

My first approach was to open the book to a random page to pick an exercise I could begin with. That didn't go well. I happened to choose the page with a quote from J.F.K., "Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." Then I'm supposed to describe today's ride. Seriously? On the opposite page I'm asked to list the Top 5 outdoor activities that make me happy. At least I can do that, but not without feeling a bit melancholy. Riding on trails - dirt or snow; snowshoeing; hiking to scenic summits; riding under the night sky; sitting in a shady spot on a hot summer day reading a book while drinking a cold brew coffee. There.

My next approach was to choose deliberately, based on a high ease of execution to good feelings ratio. I found one by Iris Murdoch. I don't know who she is, but will find out. She says, "One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats." I totally buy into this doctrine. I often say I work well on the treat system. The exercise is to list today's small treat. That's easy. In one of the get well baskets I received, there was a box of small Italian cranberry sesame flavored biscuits. They were delicious and paired well with my afternoon tea. 

Another good cocktail I never got around to posting was the one I had for Saint Patrick's Day on a Zoom call with Tricia. I liked it and it was made even better because I drank it from the pretty glassware Tricia had sent me as a surprise gift for no reason. I enjoy pretty glassware and am hoping to build up my own collection. In addition, I used, for the first time, one of the Luxardo cherries I had splurged on and treated myself to. (Bonus points for listing a second and third small treat without even trying.)

An ingredient in this drink is Benedictine, which is a liqueur I had never heard of prior to January and now seem to be putting it in most of my cocktails. It's like farro was to me for cooking during winter 2020. Something I had never used and then ended up wondering how I ever lived without it. (I'm really knocking it out of the park here mentioning many small treats in my life, past and present. Mission accomplished. My happy meter has been taken up a notch.) 

p.s. Iris Murdoch is an Irish and British novelist and philosopher best known for her novels about good and evil, sexual relationships, morality and the power of the unconscious. Hmmm. Seems fitting to have chosen an Irish philosopher for my St. Patrick's day cocktail post. 

Tin Lizzy/ Irish Manhattan (inspiration from @denverbarkeep on IG)

2 oz Irish whiskey

3/4 oz Benedictine

1/4 oz Lillet Blanc

Dash of angostura bitters

1. Stir with ice, strain into glass of your choice and garnish with a Luxardo cherry or lemon peel.

Southern Baptist Cocktail

Due to an injury, I won't be doing many of the things I enjoy for a while as I recover, including shaking up an occasional cocktail. So, I'm pleased to report that the last one I tried was a keeper. I had been focusing more on fun garnishes and this one included one of the dehydrated lime wheels I made. Baking citrus slices slowly on low heat gives them a richer color that I think adds a sophisticated accent and also a deeper flavor. I had planned to try this out with a blood orange and think that will be a very nice touch on an Old Fashioned or a Mystery Man. Stay tuned!

Southern Baptist

2 oz Rye (I used Rittenhouse)

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

3/4 oz ginger simple syrup 

 

1. Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. 

2. Pour into a coup glass and garnish with a lime wheel. 

Ginger Simple Syrup 

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup water

1 cup sliced ginger root

1. Put the sugar and water in a sauce pan and heat on medium, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.

2. Add ginger, bring to a light boil. Turn down heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

3. Turn off heat , cover, and let the mixture steep for about an hour.

4. Strain out solids and store liquid in a tightly covered jar in the fridge, labeled with name and date.

Ginger Cilantro Rice

 I've been eating a restricted diet in an attempt to sort out some on-going stomach issues, and part of eating this low FODMAP diet means no garlic or onions of any kind. I rely heavily on both of these to flavor food, so it's been a challenge. This rice recipe calls for garlic, but it seemed like it had enough going on that it could work without it, and that was a correct assumption. This is a bright and tasty side dish, flavorful, yet not overpowering. Certainly a nice compliment to veggie tacos or a black bean dish. But it doesn't have to be paired with a Mexican inspired dish. I think it's pretty versatile. You could garnish with some toasted pumpkin seeds or squeeze a little lime juice over the top. I've made this twice in four days and assume it will become a regular. 

Ginger cilantro rice

1 and a 1/2 cups jasmine or basmati rice, dry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, like canola

1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated (you could add even more if you are quite fond of ginger)

2 large cloves of garlic, minced (optional)

2 and a 1/4 cups veggie broth (I used one no chicken bouillon cube)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 small bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped

1. In a sieve, rinse rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain by shaking side to side to get water out. Set aside.

2. Heat oil over medium high heat in heavy bottomed sauce pan that will be large enough to fit the rice once it expands. Add ginger and garlic if using, stir until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.

3. Add the rice and stir for 3 minutes, being careful to not let it stick. 

4. Add broth and salt. Then sprinkle cilantro over the top and bring to a boil.

5. Lower heat to low, cover and let simmer for 18 minutes.

6. Remove from heat and let sit, covered for 10 minutes. Transfer to a pretty serving bowl and enjoy. You may want to serve with lime wedges.

Mystery Man Cocktail

I bought Benedictine to try the Mystery Man and then later made the Benedictine Sour that's listed in an earlier post. Benedictine has a strong herbal profile, similar to Chartreuse and this cocktail includes both! Benedictine leans more towards a licorice flavor in my opinion. Chartreuse is harder to describe. Both are equally warming to sip on a cold night. I've now heard two similarly very bad experiences about Chartreuse, so based on these cautionary tales will offer you some advice. Do not under any circumstances do many consecutive shots of this potent liqueur. Even if it is your birthday celebration and you're in France and it seems like the perfect way to be festive. You will undoubtedly regret it.

Doing shots of Chartreuse is also not a frugal endeavor. I'm running low and went to buy a bottle last night. It's up to $65. It is special though, given its backstory and it's easier to justify the expenditure once you know that there are only two Carthusian monks in the entire world that know the recipe. After  reading this article, it will allow you to feel as if you're doing something important while sipping a glass of  Chartreuse or adding it as an ingredient to your cocktail:

"The Cross is Steady While the World Turns"

This recipe was an original creation from @theweekendmixologist

Mystery Man

1 1/2 oz whiskey (I used Rittenhouse rye, the original used Benjamin Chapman Irish Whiskey and this may be important)

1/2 oz orange Liqueur (I used Cointreau)

1/2 oz Benedictine

1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse

1 dash Aromatic bitters (I used Angostura)

Twist of orange

1. Pour all contents in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir. 

2. Strain into a heavy bottomed whiskey tumbler. Garnish with an orange peel. 

Amaro Daiquiri

Taking quality pictures of food and cocktails is very difficult. I think I am getting better at snapping a food photo that is decent, but my cocktail pictures are still not worthy of posting anywhere. I still do it, though, just to keep a record of things. Much of the challenge comes with the lighting. I can get many of my food shots in natural lighting, but most of my cocktail making happens after the sun has set, especially this time of year. The other challenge is the setting. I have no place within my house that's a good backdrop for a photo. I'll keep taking note of good photos I find on Instagram and see if I can't improve on this somewhat. 

This is an especially bad photo. It's particularly frustrating because it's in glassware that was recently gifted to me as an out-of-the blue surprised by one of my closest friends. It lifted my spirits to get them in the mail and I looked forward to my first cocktail using them. I cannot for the life of me get a picture that captures the pretty etchings on these glasses. I will keep trying. I'm thinking an Aviation in outdoor lighting might do the trick.

Despite the very bad photo, I wanted to log this anyway. I think of this as a sophisticated take on a daiquiri and I think it will come in handy when I have my previously mentioned tiki bar. I got this from @goatandrabbitkc on Instagram. It caught my eye because it included Falernum which I bought to try something many months ago and needed another use for it.

Also, I'm taking requests for what to name my backyard libation respite. 

Amaro Daiquiri

1 oz rum

1 oz Amaro (the original used Montenegro; I used Nonino)

1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 oz Falernum (you could use simple syrup if you don't have this)

1. Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until very cold.

2. Pour into a coupe or other glass of your choice. Garnish with a thinly slice lime wheel. 

Saint Benedictine Sour

 I've been trying lots of cocktails over the last many months and not doing a great job of keeping track of them to remember what I've made, what I've liked, what I haven't and if I do like a cocktail, what might be a good occasion for it. Given that we are likely in for another summer of not being able to sit at a bar to order a cocktail from a very skilled bartender, it looks like I'm going to need to both fend for myself and offer others an outdoor cocktail experience. I have to replace my fence this spring and along with that will come some landscaping and a backyard re-design. If everything goes as planned and budget allows, I will also be getting my own backyard tiki bar. I've been talking about this for a while, even in the Beforetimes and I'm hopeful it will happen. I'm already talking with my trusted woodworker and friend, and he has some ideas. Here's one possible take on it.

So, before then I need to get my bartending skills in order. If I have more than a few people over, I'd need to come up with a signature drink for the evening and pre-make a batch so I don't spend my whole evening shaking up cocktails. I want to be able to sit back around the fire and relax with my guests. But with 1-3 people, I'd like to be able to cater to their needs and come up with just the right cocktail based on their mood and tastes. Right now I only know a handful of cocktails off the top of my head. I'm not sure what the right approach is here. Target a dozen cocktails that I know well which include a mix of base liquors? 

Personally I like sours. It's not all I want to drink, but if I want something a little on the sweeter side, playful and not as liquor forward, it tends to be the right thing. I am also in favor of using fresh herbs and I like strong herbal liqueurs like Chartreuse and I've now added Benedictine to the mix. This was a drink I enjoyed and will want to make again.

Saint Benedictine Sour

2 ounces Bourbon

1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 ounce Benedictine

1/4 ounce simple syrup

1. Put all contents into a shaker with ice and shake until very cold.

2. Pour into a coupe or sour glass and garnish with a thinly slice lemon wheel.

Spinach and Feta Frittata

Yesterday was a dreary, rainy winter morning and breakfast needed something more than a bowl of oatmeal to liven up the mood. I had come across a frittata recipe on Instagram earlier in the week and it reminded me of having dinner at a friend's house in the Beforetimes when she made frittatas in cast iron pans. I thought it was delicious and lends itself well to breakfast, lunch or dinner. For breakfast, pair it with a piece of sourdough toast, lunch with some greens and a lemon vinaigrette, and dinner with some roasted potatoes and sautéed Brussel sprouts or kale. It comes together quickly and is a nice comfort food.

I followed this particular recipe from Flavor the Moments, and as I was cooking decided it's begging for some mushrooms. I will try that next time and then add it to the recipe if it turns out well. The recipe called for dill, but I used thyme since it's what I had on hand. Parsley would be good too. Having some fresh herbs is not necessary, but does bring it up a notch in flavor. The original recipe also used half and half. I used whole milk since that's what I had. It suggests a leek, but I think shallots would be great, and you could use a regular yellow onion if that's all you had. I'd also like to experiment with different cheeses. I'm guessing this is a good base recipe that you can mess around with. It was meant to have a Mediterranean flare, but if you wanted to go with more of a French style, maybe some Brie and tarragon with mushrooms and spinach. Update 2/2024 - The original recipe called for a leek, I prefer shallot, so changed the recipe to reflect that and also to add mushrooms, which isn't necessary, but a nice addition if you have some on hand. 

Also, I love my new enamel cast iron skillet - 3.6 quart. I use it so much that I'm not sure what I was doing without it. I had planned on buying the Le Creuset version of this piece, but then discovered Lodge. It is seemingly the same quality, but much less expensive and made in the US. So far it seems to work just as well as my Le Creuset cookware. 

Spinach and Feta Frittata

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, minced

4-5 oz fresh baby spinach, chopped

4-6 mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

8 eggs

1/2 cup milk or half and half

1/2 cup crumbled feta

2 tablespoons fresh herbs (dill, thyme or parsley)

paprika for sprinkling

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl whisk eggs with dairy, then add feta, herbs, salt and pepper.

2. Heat the skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. 

3. Add shallots and let cook, stirring frequently for a few minutes until soft. Then add garlic and let that cook for another minute.

4. Add mushrooms, if using, and sauté until lightly browned.

5. Add spinach and let that cook down for a few minutes. Then blend with onion mixture. 

6. Brush some of the oil from the bottom up onto the side of the pan to make sure it is greased. Pour the egg mixture over the spinach mixture. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, until the sides start to set.

7. Sprinkle paprika over the top (this is just for some color, and not necessary.) Grind some pepper on top and a little more salt if you choose. Put skillet into the oven and cook 8-10 minutes until it's puffed up and the top starts to look a little golden.