A Day To Myself

Every so often a day comes along that I have nothing on my calendar. Nothing. It’s rare, I’ll admit, but it does happen. One would think that being retired I would have all the time in the world to fritter away every day. With two writing classes a week, a women’s group once a week,  a granddaughter to cook for, a memoir I’m writing, as well as a novel set in Kauai, a friend that needs a ride to the doctor or grocery shopping, and working part-time as a reference librarian, well, as I said, it’s rare. But here it is; a day to myself. What shall I do?
    For starters, I had a leisurely read of the paper this morning. Congratulations Giants and my new hero, Mad Bumgarner!! Then I did the crossword puzzle, as I do every day. When I had caught up on my email and Facebook I played a quick game of Candy Crush. I’m on level 125; have been for a while now. I can usually figure out the trick to crushing all the candy and jellies but not this time. Oh well, on to other things. A load of towels went into the washing machine and it was almost lunch time.
    The tail end of a lovely loaf of Pain Rustique I bought to go with my soup last week was still sitting there on my counter, daring me to use it up. I’ll keep it simple, I thought. I managed to cut four small slices from what was left, buttered them lightly on both sides and filled them with slices of a good cheddar and a dash of mustard. Into a medium hot pan they went, buttered side down. I wanted to make sure the cheese really got melty so I covered the two sandwiches with aluminum foil and placed a jar of Irish tea bags on top to weigh them down. I told you the sandwiches were small. When they were golden and crispy I flipped them over until the other sides were as nutty brown as a chestnut and the cheese was liquid gold.
    The two little grilled cheese sandwiches, a sliced Asian Persimmon from a friend’s tree, a mug of hot Irish Breakfast tea, and a cracking good mystery set in Ireland, and I had myself a lovely lunch.

My lovely lunch.

After lunch I sat down on the couch and phoned my friend Pat. We never seem to run out of things to talk about. As usual, it was a long, satisfying conversation.  Since it was a gloomy day the first thing that came to mind for dinner was...soup. I put a pound of navy beans to soak for an hour for Navy Bean soup. I make mine much like my mother did with a couple of exceptions. Navy bean soup can look a little pale so I like to add the color (and flavor) of  carrots and tomatoes. Mom won’t care. She’s making her own version up in Heaven.

Ready to add the water

    While I was waiting for the beans to soak I thawed out the other half of turkey Kielbasa I had used for the vegetable soup last week. Since I didn’t have any ham, that would have to do. I sliced it and then chopped half a large onion, one carrot, and two cloves of garlic.  An hour later I drained the beans, added them to the pot with the vegetables and sausage, a bouquet garni of fresh thyme and bay leaves, and the water. Diced tomatoes would be added later. If you add them before the beans are tender the acid in the tomatoes keeps the beans from cooking completely.  It was time to sit down and read my book.

Finally, it's soup

                                                     Mom’s Navy Bean Soup (Almost)

1 pound navy beans, picked over, rinsed and drained
Water to cover

2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
1 bay leaf
2 large smoked ham hocks, about 1-1/2 pounds or 6-oz. Polish Kielbasa
Half large onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
7 cups of cold water
1  15-oz can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with water, about two inches. Bring to a rolling boil then lower heat and simmer for 2-5 minutes. Drain and return beans to pot. Add the ham or sausage, the onion, garlic, carrot, bouquet garni, and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook until beans are tender, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours, then add tomatoes and simmer a few minutes more. Remove bouquet garni. If using ham hock, remove ham hock, cool slightly and remove skin, bone and fat. Cut meat into small cubes and return to beans. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. For thicker soup, remove about 2 cups beans, puree them in blender or with immersion blender and return to pot. Serve with a green salad and hot cornbread.

Halloween Preview

It’s Monday night and Halloween is just a few days away. Lexi is upstairs whipping up a fairy/butterfly costume for the two parties she will attend next weekend. She’s also still working on her latest song, “With the Wind.” Since she has a night class on Mondays I try to have dinner ready by 5:30. Tonight I’m taking part of the dinner to my friend who is now finished with chemotherapy. His appetite is back so he might enjoy a meat loaf, roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts meal for a change after existing on cereal, soup and ice cream for the last month.

                

Saturday my friend Angie and I went to our friend Myrna’s yearly costume party. Myrna and her husband, Bruce, have been throwing this soiree every Halloween for twenty-five years! The first thing you see on entering their house is a huge board covered with hundreds of pictures of party goers from 1989 to the present and a slide show on their computer of all the costumes through the years. Each year they have a theme. One year it was “Your favorite comic book or cartoon character.” Angie and I went as Betty and Veronica from the Archie comics. One time it was “Anything to do with art or artists,” so Angie went as Picasso and I was Mary Cassatt, the only woman impressionist of the 1800’s Paris scene. This year the theme is “Hats.” I found a tiny witch’s hat on sale, 50% off. I bought a headband and a few dibs and dabs at a local variety store, Affordable Treasures, and went a little crazy. The result is a “Fascinator” witch’s hat. Eat your heart out, Kate Middleton!

I have to tell you about Affordable Treasures. It started about 35 years ago in a tiny hole-in-the-wall storefront in a strip mall. I started calling it “Hidden Treasures” because it has everything but the kitchen sink. They carry sewing items, candles, balloons, toys, art and craft materials, cooking and baking bits, coloring books, silk flowers, pinatas, greeting cards, gift wrapping and an assortment of party goodies that will knock your socks off.  Giving a Hawaiian themed party? They’ve got what you need from leis to hula girl plates. An Anniversary party? You got it. Almost any child themed birthday party items you can think of.

It’s a magnificent jumble of every doodad or geegaw you could ever want or need; kind of like the old fashioned Five and Dime stores from my childhood. Gradually, as it grew in its selection of costumes and seasonal items, it grew in popularity until they had to relocate to a much larger space. They now have one of the largest inventories of costumes in the area. It has become “the place to go,” to rent or buy costumes any time of the year so naturally, close to Halloween you can hardly get in the door. I did manage to get in and out with my small purchase without getting trampled.


Speaking of Halloween, here's a preview of Lexi's fairy/butterfly wings. She thought I should wait until she has the whole costume assembled before I take a picture but I couldn’t resist a little preview. Put this girl in a studio filled with art, crafts and sewing materials and let her create. She's a wonder!

Butterfly wing detail

 Recipes

Monday Night Meat Loaf

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup chicken or beef broth
1-1/2 lb. ground beef chuck
1 lb. lean ground pork
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup ketchup
3 strips bacon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add onions, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes until soft. Off the heat add Worcestershire sauce, broth, and tomato paste. Cool.

In large bowl, combine ground chuck, ground pork, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly. Shape mixture into a oaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Spread ketchup evenly over top and sides. (Optional: lay 3 strips of bacon, lengthwise, over the top of loaf.) Bake for 1-1/4 hours, until internal temperature is 160 degrees.


Oven Roasted Herb Potatoes

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 large baking russets
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse and dry potatoes. Cut into 1-1/2” chunks. Put into medium bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs and mix thoroughly. Spread onto a sheet pan that is lined with non-stick aluminum foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and nicely browned.


Jerry’s Brussels Sprouts

About 1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1/4 cup chicken or beef broth.

Rinse and drain sprouts. Slice off ends and cut in half.
In a medium saute pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and toss in sprouts. Cook until you can see slight browning around the edges. Add garlic and oregano. Cook  one more minute. Pour in broth, cover pan and lower heat to low. Simmer for about 8 minutes or until they can be pierced with the tip of a knife.

A Bowl of Goodness

John is one of my dearest and oldest friends. We met about 30 years ago at an International Folk Dancing class that his wife was teaching at the time. We all hit it off right away and years later, when the couple parted ways, John and I became movie buddies, soccer buddies and just plain good friends. For the past five years we have had season tickets to the San Jose Earthquakes soccer matches and are looking forward to next year’s season in the new stadium. Today he is struggling with chemotherapy treatment and one of the few things that seem to taste good and satisfy him is my homemade vegetable soup. Since John is mostly a vegetarian, when I make it for him, I use vegetable broth for the liquid. As John and I were enjoying a “bowl of goodness,” as he puts it,  I said, “Say, this is really good! I should make a pot for Lexi and myself sometime!” He sputtered and gave a loud laugh. "You mean you've never made it for yourselves?" It was good to hear him laugh out loud. 

Tonight is Lexi’s night class so even though it is 78 degrees outside, I’m going for it. Lexi and I are not a vegetarians so I do use meat but if you are a veggie person just leave the meat out. I don’t really have a recipe, per say, so what follows is a loose translation of how I make it.

The beginning of a Bowl of Goodness

                           My “Bowl of Goodness”
                                 Vegetable soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium to large carrot, chopped
6-oz. (half) turkey Polish kielbasa sausage
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Several grinds fresh black pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 32-oz. container any unsalted broth you wish (chicken, beef, vegetable, etc.)
    If you want a soupier soup add an additional 14.5-oz. can of broth.
1/4- lb. fresh green beans, cut into 1-1/2’ lengths
2 small new potatoes, cut into 1” chunks
1 carrot, sliced
1 zucchini, cut into 1” pieces
1 yellow crooked neck squash, cut into 1” pieces
About 1-1/2 cups shredded or finely sliced cabbage
1 can any kind of beans that suit your fancy (black, great northern, pinto, red kidney, canellini, etc.) rinsed and drained.

In a large pot, over medium heat, saute the first 8 ingredients until soft, and the sausage is browned. Add the broth, can of diced tomatoes, potatoes, carrot, zucchini, and yellow squash, stirring to release the browned bits on the bottom. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until vegetables are almost done.

That handy little sieve again!

Then add the cabbage and can of rinsed and drained beans. Simmer until cabbage is tender, about another 5-7 minutes. Taste for seasoning; add salt if needed.

Chock full of veggies!

As I said earlier, this is a very flexible recipe so you can use any meat of your choice and add any vegetables you really love. This soup is chock full of veggies and even better the next day so it’s a good thing it makes plenty. 
Top with whatever you like: croutons, parmesan cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds, etc, but be sure to serve it with a loaf of hearty, crusty bread to sop us every delicious drop.

Rainy Day Dishes

It rained today! Not a real storm, but enough to water the plants and confuse Hobbes, my cat. He’s never seen rain before! What a blessing those droplets were. Don’t you love the smell of the earth after a rainfall, even a puny one? My plants and I thank you, sky. Hobbes? Not so much.

I have been wanting to make a dish that my best friend, Angie gave me a long time ago, Chicketti. Angie is all Italian all the way and this is a recipe her mother made for her family. This is a favorite of Angie's daughters, Julie and Gigi as well. They serve it whenever they have a large dinner party because it's so tasty and because one pound of spaghetti and 4 chicken breasts can feed an army!  Clara, Angie’s mother,  lived to be 100. Maybe this is one of her secrets of longevity.  Today seemed like a good time to try it. Here is the recipe:


                                                               Clara’s Chicketti

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup water or chicken broth
4 stalks celery, sliced.
1 onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter.
1 lb. angel hair spaghetti
1 can beef consume
1 small can sliced black olives
8-oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Season chicken breasts with oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over med. high heat and brown the chicken on each side. Add the 1/4 cup water or chicken broth, cover, and simmer until chicken is done and tender, about 20 minutes. When chicken is done, remove to cutting board to cool briefly then cut or tear into bite-size pieces. Set aside. Save the cooking broth!

In another pan, saute onion and celery in 2 Tablespoons margarine or butter until soft. Set aside.

In large pot pour can of consume, cooking broth from chicken, and 3-4 cans water. Bring to boil and add angel hair spaghetti. Bring back to boil and cook about 4-5  minutes. When spaghetti is done add chicken, celery and onions, black olives, and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Optional: Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serves 6-8.

 When I am cutting vegetables I keep a GB (garbage bowl) next to my cutting board. It keeps the counter clean and when I'm finished chopping I can just dump the contents of the GB into the garbage can or, if you have one, a compost container.  Just a little tip I picked up from Rachael Ray.

I love squash, any kind of squash: acorn, butternut, Delicata, you name it. The other day I found a new one, Kabocha squash. It looks like a small green pumpkin. A sticker on the squash had a recipe for sauteeing it. I thought it might go well with the Chicketti. The recipe called for rendering 4 pieces of bacon. Everything’s better with bacon, right? Except that I didn’t have any bacon! I moved on and followed the rest of the recipe. I sauteed half an onion, chopped, in 2 Tablespoons butter until soft and then added half the squash that I had seeded and cut into 1” cubes,  leaving the skin on. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and sauteed it about 10 minutes. Then I added 1/4 cup chicken broth, clapped a lid on and steamed it until tender, yet firm, about 5-7 minutes. When it was done I added 2 leaves of sliced fresh sage and a sprinkling of grated nutmeg. I did not miss the bacon! Another squash to love!

So I served the Chicketti with the squash and an Autumn salad of greens, sliced Granny Smith apples, pecans, and orange-flavored dried cranberries. I dressed it with my favorite bottled vinegrette,  Girard's Champagne Dressing. It all seemed to work.

A Weekend in the Northwest...

I made a quick trip to see my daughter Robin who lives in Issaquah, Washington, a cute little village, not unlike Los Gatos, nestled in the foothills of the Cascades, about 15 miles east of Seattle. That far north, the deciduous trees, gold, scarlet and bright yellow, blaze against the dark evergreens; so pretty! And we were even blessed with a short, soft rainfall, complete with thunder and lightning!  It felt like a balm after our dry, drought-stricken California.

 Today I’m inspired to make something warm and comfy. I know, I know, it’s 90 degrees outside here in Los Gatos, nevertheless I’m making my version of White Chicken Chili today. Lexi has to have something to eat before she goes back to school for her evening class and I have to work the evening shift at the library so, a quick pot of chili it is. Here is the recipe:

My White Chicken Chili

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1” pieces (two chicken breast halves)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon. olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
(For spicier chili, add 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped)
2 cans (14 oz. each) low sodium chicken broth
3 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) great northern or canellini beans, drained
1 small (4-oz.) can diced green chilis
1 (14-oz.) can green enchilada sauce
Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese for topping.

In dutch oven over medium/high heat cook chicken in oil until golden brown. Remove to plate.
Add chopped onions to pot, stirring to release any browned chicken bits. (For spicier chili add jalapeno here) Sprinkle with cumin and oregano and cook until onions are soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add drained beans, chopped green chilies, enchilada sauce, and chicken broth. Now add browned chicken back in. Stir. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Serve with toppings of your choice: crushed corn chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, etc. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Yield: About 6-8 servings

Here's how I did it:

I browned the chicken and then removed it to a plate. Then I added the chopped onions and spices, stirring to release the chicken bits. When the onions were soft I added the garlic and cooked another minute.

 Then I added the chicken broth, beans, green chilies, green enchilada sauce,  and browned chicken pieces, brought it to a boil and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. Easy-peasy!

YUM!

A Crockpot dinner

A Simple Meal

    October 5, 2014

When Lexi and I are both cooking we have to dance a mini ballet just to accomplish a meal, but we almost have it down pat now. She goes left, I go right, I go down, she goes up. She chops, I saute. I’m only 5’1” and Lexi’s a willowy 5’8” so anything that’s high in the cupboards is Lexi’s to grab. 
Me, I burrow in the lower cabinets for hidden baking dishes. Somehow it all works.

    Last week was a busy one for Lexi and me with her working, going to school and trying to write a new song. I worked a couple of shifts at the library and attended two writing classes. By Wednesday we were both tired so I decided to make a simple meal myself, while Lexi worked on her new song. A plump piece of salmon grilled on my tiny camp grill, some rice pilaf and steamed broccoli. What could be simpler?

I started the pilaf by heating about a tablespoon of olive oil in a deep pot and sauteing finely chopped onions, carrots and celery, the simple but essential base for almost anything savory. When the vegetables were soft I threw in some dried thyme, basil and parsley, then poured in one cup of uncooked basmati rice, stirring it to make sure every grain was coated with the oil and herbs. 1-3/4 cups chicken broth went in next, and because it was low sodium, I added about a teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, brought it all to a boil, clapped on the lid, and set the timer for 20 minutes. Next, I grabbed down another pot, poured in about 1-1/2 inches of water and fitted a small strainer I got at the dollar store for, you guessed it, one dollar, into the top of the pot.It makes a great little steamer. Into this went the broccoli and cauliflower flowerets, and a dash of salt and pepper. 
On went the lid and I set it to steam for about four minutes. Just enough time to grill the salmon, which I had simply coated with virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

If I Were a Season

October 4, 2014

I went to Trader Joe's a couple of days ago and I saw that I didn't even have to look at the calendar to tell that it's October. There it was...pumpkin-bar mix, pumpkin corn meal, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin tea...all pumpkin all the time. It started me thinking about how much I do love the season; it's my favorite time of year and that inspired me to write a poem for my writing class. So here it is:

If I Were a Season

If I were a season it would have to be Fall
When leaves become scarlet and brown,
There’s a snap in the air, a lonely crow call,
And the sound of rain pattering down.

Kids back to school, vacations all done.
Pumpkin lattes, cookies, and pies.
And no more cheesy summer reruns.
Overhead, silvery, cloud-filled skies.

Squirrels madly dash in the old oak tree
Chasing acorns that plunk to the ground.
Firelight glows; honking geese form a vee.
Everything seems to slow down.

Yes, make me Autumn, not Summer or Spring
Nor Winter with its  shadowy pall.
No, I like the Fall with the cozy it brings.
It gathers me up in its gingerbread shawl.

Our kitchen adventures begin....

    October 4, 2014

Tucked away in the green foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountain range, the village of Los Gatos is packed with charm. Its restaurants, cafes, bars and art galleries are known throughout the San Francisco Bay area as well as its vintage homes, parks, and walking/biking trails. I have been lucky enough to call it home for the past thirty-nine years.
    When my granddaughter Alexis, better known as Lexi, came to live with me June, 2013 to attend a nearby community college, I had no idea I was not only gaining a live-in grandchild but a cooking partner as well. I should have known Lexi would be an asset in the kitchen. Her mother is a great cook, gardener, craftswoman and all-round creative person.Follow her at http://cytels.blogspot.com/
    The first hint I had that Lexi and I would make a good cooking team was the first time I started to make a meal.
    “Can I help with that?” she asked.
    “Sure,” I answered. “What would you like to do?” She took over the chopping of the vegetables and our cooking duet began.
    Lexi is a singer songwriter too and it makes me smile to hear her sweet voice and guitar filling the townhouse. I had lived alone for so long I had almost forgotten what life sounded like.
    My granddaughter and I share a passion for art. We both paint, draw, sketch, and take tons of photos. Since Lexi moved in, we have another love, Hobbes, a ginger Tabby I brought home from the Humane Society about a year ago. Hobbes often sneaks his little pink nose into whatever we are doing in my small, but efficient kitchen. Don’t be surprised if he photo-bombs some of the pictures I take of our work.
    I intend to include recipes, shortcuts, tips, maybe even a few mini art lessons in My Kitchen on Mill Road. I might even include a poem or essay occasionally.