But I Digress… | a blog by mari gold, on food, travel & life

My Mother the Car

Posted on August 3, 2013 by marigold

Does anyone remember a TV program of this name? All I recall is that the mother was a VW beetle and there was a catchy theme song. The concept fit all to well the other day as first I hit a pothole with jagged edges and heard my (brand new) front left tire explode. Driving to the first place I could get off the roaring, NJ highway, I summoned AAA who turned up in under twenty minutes, put on the “doughnut” spare and sent me on my way. Well, not exactly: it took two and a half hours to get into and through the Lincoln Tunnel.

Much better

Uh uh

Subsequently, a new tire of the exact size and brand was located (not so easy in Manhattan) and put on. In the course of the event, I managed to switch garages (I can hear those of you who live elsewhere sighing—a NYC garage is crazy expensive but it’s the only alternative) so the car has a much nicer new home.

I’ve logged a lot of windshield time lately, between trips to Vermont, New Jersey and more. Too bad you can’t drive and cook simultaneously although there was a report on NPR a while back about putting a piece of meat wrapped in foil in some part of the engine and voila! Upon arrival it was cooked. I think not.

Instead, try this easy- to- make and delicious tabbouleh that a friend put together. It enhances any meal and makes a nice accompaniment to a sandwich lunch. Oh, and it’s vegetarian for the non-meat faction.

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur

1 2/3 cups boiling water

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 cup chopped green onions

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (I omitted)

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 cucumber – peeled, seeded and chopped (or simply peeled and chopped)

1 teaspoon salt

ground black pepper to taste

In large bowl, combine bulgur and hot water. Set aside and let it sit for one hour.

Then, add all the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for an hour. Let it come to room temperature before serving to maximize the taste.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged car, doughnut, olive oil, Vermont | 4 Comments

Flowers in Disneyworld

Posted on July 22, 2013 by marigold

Weeding can be relaxing because it’s so mindless but there are times when it’s just another chore to be done (or ignored.) People whose gardens are impressive enough to be included on large-scale, organized tours probably don’t weed themselves because their grounds are too extensive.

On such a tour, the first garden we visited was very traditional with masses of beautiful perennials, vegetables, and a terrific chicken coop housing six busy hens and a little door where the eggs are collected.

Ah but the second garden! This one had masses of ironwork including the frame of a grape arbor and eight “water features” with spouting children, turtles, frogs and more.

Look Ma–No Hose!

There is a putting green and a lawn bowls area next to an “Alice” garden with huge chess pieces and statues of Alice and the White Rabbit. One area is a checkerboard alternating plants. A dry river bed crafted of stones leads to a pagoda; elsewhere, there are cacti, olive, banana and lemon trees—just what you think of in Vermont! The “program” (no kidding) lists not only the staff but also the many suppliers of metal, irrigation tools, tractors and other equipment. The whole experience is truly one of a kind.

Later, we returned home where we ate this simple appetizer to stave off hunger pangs before a late dinner.

Tomato and Ricotta Toasts

Crusty bread

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Olive oil

Red pepper flakes, thyme, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar

Ricotta cheese (fresh would be nice but I used a supermarket brand)

Preheat oven to 325. Put tomatoes in a pan and drizzle with olive oil (about 2 Tbls.) Sprinkle with the red pepper, thyme, vinegar and brown sugar—roughly 1 Tsp of each

Bake tomatoes for about 25 minutes, turn and bake another 20 minutes or so—the idea is to have them melt down and start to caramelize. (Do this way ahead of time. Either take out of fridge to bring to room temperature or nuke briefly when ready to serve.)

Cut the bread into smallish slices and toast. When done, slather with the ricotta and top with the tomatoes, about 3 halves per slices. (You will have tomatoes left over; save and repeat the process another time.) You could, I suppose, garnish the plate with weeds but parsley also works as does nothing.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged garden, hen, tomato, Vermont | 3 Comments

Liberté, Egalité, Macaroons

Posted on July 14, 2013 by marigold

60^th Street in Manhattan closes from Lexington over to Fifth Avenue every year on Bastille Day. In all honesty, it’s a typical hot, crowded street fair but with some French twists including many stalls selling macaroons and crepes; a stall with French books, previously-ordered picnic lunches; information on the Alliance Français housed on 60^th, and French magazines. I overheard a young woman on her phone who either missed history class or Les Mis (book, Broadway, movie) telling someone “It’s some kind of French day here.” So much for “to the barricades.”

The Alliance is a great place that shows French films, displays art; offers excellent French language classes and has children’s programs including a preschool that combines French and American teaching methods. There is also a wonderful library, said to be the leading French library in the U.S.

Much as I love Paris, it wouldn’t be wonderful in today’s heat which is in the nineties. Lately it’s been raining suddenly and violently all over the Northeast as it does in the tropics; now apparently we’re in for a major heat wave. The idea of cooking becomes less appealing as the temperature soars so cold soup made quickly in a blender is in order.

This recipe serves eight generously but you can easily do the math and cut down the amount. It’s deliciously tangy and a beautiful color. The last time I served it, I used mugs; if you have glass cups or bowls, they would show off your efforts well.

Cold Avocado Soup

1 seedless cucumber, chopped

2 medium avocados, peeled and pitted

2 shallots, chopped

4 tablespoon(s) plain yogurt

4 tablespoon(s) fresh mint (or less)

More fresh mint to garnish

8 teaspoon(s) fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon salt (probably not enough— start with one and add after tasting)

1/2 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin

2 radishes, chopped

Place the cucumber, avocado, shallot, yogurt, 2 tablespoons mint, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, and 1 cup cold water in a blender, and process until smooth.

Chill for at least 1 hour. Serve garnished with the chopped radishes and remaining mint leaves. (Note: the amounts of some ingredients are left vague so you can adjust to your taste. I upped the yogurt in the soup and added a dollop under the chopped radishes on top, skipping the additional mint.)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged avocado, French, Paris | 4 Comments

Look Pheasant, Please

Posted on July 2, 2013 by marigold

Manchester, VT has a spiffy new store featuring beautiful, pricey clothes that would look right at home at Downton Abbey. The shop also sells guns, the kind that sportsmen carry, as well as jewelry, a smattering of Englishy home goods and boots that would be useful for walking the moors. (Walking anywhere here has been moot lately as, like many parts of the northeast, we’ve had a really long patch of rainy weather—the ground is saturated and both the hay and corn crops are in serious trouble.)

As a marketing gig, last weekend, the shop held an event complete with hunting dog demos (a pointer demonstrated his repertoire),

Pointer doing nothing but looking good

a bagpiper piped and a very nice spread was laid out on tables in front of the store. (Mercifully, this was one of the rare days that had a long dry spell.) The shop has a “shooting grounds” fairly near Manchester where it’s possible to shoot clay pigeons or pheasant so one of the dishes offered was grilled pheasant on skewers along with cheeses and crackers, wine, sparkling water and various sweets.

Pheasants originally came from Asia and are now found all over. The idea of shooting these beautiful birds repulses me but, in fairness, I did sample the grilled offering.

One of the guests was this dog, a very Great Dane named Achilles. He’s as gentle as he is large and fit in with the surroundings perfectly—aristocratic to the max.

Rather than deal with cooking pheasant, I’ll stick with an easy July 4^th dessert. My own rendition will probably be less fancy but strawberries, biscuits or shortcake and whipped cream tend to be pretty well accepted. (FYI, if you’re planning on strawberries, get going. The rain is also taking a toll on this crop.)

July 4^th Cake

1 regular package yellow cake mix

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained

2 pints strawberries, rinsed and sliced.

	Prepare cake according to package directions and bake in a 9×13 inch pan. Cool completely.
	Frost cake with whipped cream. Place blueberries in a square in the corner, and arrange sliced strawberries as stripes to make an American flag. Chill until serving. Garnish with sunshine and a smattering of fireworks.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Downton Abbey, July 4th, pheasant, strawberries | 3 Comments

Very Gneiss

Posted on June 23, 2013 by marigold

Green Mountains

I learned more geology in a few hours on a beautiful summer afternoon than in an entire course at college. Paul Meyers, a professional geologist now retired, led seven people on a tour of the greater Manchester area with stops at Hildene (to see the valley resulting from a thrust fault in (probably) the Triassic period); East Dorset (Cambrian Dolomite and Basalt Pike) and a stop on Rts. 11/30 to scramble across the mountain road to get up close and personal with some Precambrian Gneiss.

Gneiss

We made a stop at the East Dorset General Store for much-appreciated “conite”, i.e., soft ice cream (Dr. Meyers is a big ice cream fan having managed eighteen Dairy Queen stops in a geology trip out west that lasted something like two weeks.)

Geology was thrust on me at college to fulfill some arcane science requirement. I remember “completing “a map of an on-campus lake that was a joke and almost falling down a very steep hill into a creek below, only to be halted by the foot of one of my friends. Paul Meyers would make the phone book an informative read and I bet all his former students thought so as well.

The day before was the first annual Grafton Food Festival. Vendors gathered under a tent promoting their pickles, jams, cheeses and so on and we ate wonderful sandwiches at Mac’s Place, opposite the Grafton Inn. Food demonstrations were part of the festival –one featuring cheese gourgieres, those delightful puff pastry morsels that would wow cocktail visitors. (Or dessert lovers—if you omit the cheese and other savory ingredients, you have simple pate a choux (classic French puff pastry) which can be turned into profiterole by slicing off the top, filling the center with ice cream, putting the top back on and drenching the whole with the best chocolate sauce you can find or make.

Gougieres

Gougieres

1 cup water

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

4 large eggs, chilled

1 cup (packed) coarsely grated Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces) (Since we were in Grafton, the chef used 5 year old Grafton cheddar but any good Cheddar will do.)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

(Note: the chef at the Grafton event added Parmesan and summer savory but I have no idea how much of each. Am thinking about ¼ cup Parmesan and 2 T. savory would work fine. You could also use any other herb you like or skip the whole thing.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two cookie sheets or do yourself a big favor and invest in one Silpat, a special baking sheet that makes removing baked items a cinch. If you buy one Silpat, bake this in two batches.

Bring 1 cup water, butter, and salt to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking until butter melts. Add flour; stir rapidly with wooden spoon until flour absorbs liquid and forms ball, pulling away from sides of pan. Stir vigorously until film forms on bottom of pan and dough is no longer sticky, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat and beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in cheese(s), pepper and herbs, if using.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Bake gougères until golden brown somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes depending on how hot your oven is. Serve hot or warm.

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Out for a Stroll

Posted on June 8, 2013 by marigold

But I wasn’t doing the walking. The annual Stroll of the Heifers is a major early summer event in Brattleboro, VT and it’s a lot of fun. The stars of the show are—surprise—the heifers, (young female cows who have not had a calf), their necks wreathed with garlands with each on a lead.

The sides of Main Street were thronged with kids, many waving black-and-white-spotted balloons and/or wearing cow ear headbands. After the heifers pass by there are bands, goats, llamas, donkeys and civic groups. Little girls dressed as pink fairies pranced; there was a New Orleans style marching band and many salutes to the environment.

After the parade, most people headed up Main Street to the Expo area. En route, I stopped at the quilting exhibition in a church lavished with stained glass windows. The quilts were fabulous, especially this marvel where a woman wearing gloves turned it back to show the flower embroidery that goes all the way through.

At the Expo there were “exhibits” where kids could enter a pen and pick up incredibly calm hens

This hen will lay eggs laced with Zoloft

or pat very young kids penned with the mamma goats or learn about birds. Guys patted tractors. I couldn’t find the Goat Olympics. Local dairies handed out samples of their organic milk; nurseries sold plants in pots made from compost; Birkenstocks were much in evidence—very Vermont. Amazingly, it was warm and sunny after a day of rain that has caused our brook, usually dry by now, to roar.

No trip to Brattleboro would be complete without a visit to the Coop, long renowned for its organic food and cheese sections. What used to be a slightly seedy space has been renovated into a gorgeous temple to food. I bought black bean and corn salsa to accompany tonight’s lamb chops as we christen our new grill (if the next round of rain holds off.)

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Corn and Black Bean Salsa – adapted from Rachel Ray

1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot sauce, or so (if you are anti-spice, omit—if you can’t get it hot enough add this amount, taste and add more)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley chopped stirred in and as garnish

Let corn defrost. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let it stand at least 15 minutes—an

hour is better–for flavors to combine, then toss and serve. Toss on parsley.

Note: most recipes for this salsa include cilantro, an herb I don’t like. If you do, by all means add it, chopped. You can also add chopped avocado.

Serve with practically anything. Moo.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cow, goat, llama, salsa, Vermont | Comments Off

Memorial Day 2013

Posted on May 27, 2013 by marigold

We spent the weekend in Cornwall, CT where a friend has a great old house. All of Saturday was a mess of pouring rain and freezing cold. Some years, Memorial Day calls for shorts; this year’s would have been better served with a down vest or a parka which is what some of the guests wore to the lovely dinner our host mounted Saturday night. (So much for those who diss global warming.)

The Cornwall Memorial Day ceremony is very similar to that of the one in Dorset, VT, i.e., a medley of dogs,

kids in wagons and on bikes, a school band sitting on bales of hay in a wagon and group singing of America the Beautiful and the National Anthem. The Cornwall speaker was a former Lt. Commander who now teaches school in Florida. She gave an especially moving and simultaneously delightful talk followed by a gun barrage (scaring many dogs) and then taps was played with the requisite echo. It’s lovely to think that similar ceremonies were taking place all over the U.S., especially in small towns.

As I am still in a cast, (although the earlier large one has been replaced with a smaller one in bright pink), this post is a quickie.

The recipe comes courtesy of my cousin, Peter. I have titled it Sour’s Lemon (his last name is Sour as was mine before I married, back in the days when changing one’s name when one married was standard issue.)

Sour’s Lemon

Put a washed lemon in the freezer section of your refrigerator. Once the lemon is frozen, get a grater and shred the whole lemon (no need to peel). Sprinkle the end result on practically any food– vegetable salad, ice cream, soup, cereals, noodles,
spaghetti sauce, rice, sushi, fish dishes, and even instant cup noodles.

It gives everything a great taste and has the bonus of super health. It’s said to even destroy many types of cancer cells but is worth using for the taste sensation. Onward with summer!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged dogs, lemoon, summer | 2 Comments

It’s All in the Wrist

Posted on May 15, 2013 by marigold

Actually, yes. While in Vermont enjoying glorious, warm, weather, I ventured out on the deck. Looking at the sky, I managed to not see a large, metal umbrella base and tripped over it landing on my right side. Although I realized I’d done something to my right wrist, I assumed a sprain as, happily, there was very little pain albeit a lot of swelling. I drove home a few days later with no trouble but then, as the swelling refused to abate, decided to have the wrist seen by an orthopedist. Cutting to the chase, spent many hours in New York-Presby waiting room and, once it was clear the radius, (one of eight wrist bones), was broken, a young doc straight from Central Casting in terms of eye-candy, um, cast it.

My doc makes him look like Quasimodo

No more ortho details other than my hope that cast is made smaller next week. That should allow for easier typing (and dressing).

In keeping with the bones theme, here’s a recipe for braised lamb shanks. (A shank is not a wrist but I’m taking literary license.) It’s more suited to cooler months but you can file for the future.

Braised Lamb Shanks

4 lamb shanks, roughly 2lb. each
Salt and pepper
2 Tbls olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
½ cup sliced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup ketchup
½ cup water
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Lovely Lamb shank

Preparation:

Season shanks with salt and pepper. Using heavy skillet over medium heat, brown shanks in olive oil on all sides. Put them into a dish with a lid. Add onion, celery, garlic, ketchup, water and Worcestershire sauce.

Cover and simmer in oven at 350 for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until meat is tender. Skim off excess fat before serving.

And to drink– Got milk?

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Originals

Posted on May 3, 2013 by marigold

Dianna Vreeland

A flamboyant, ugly duckling who managed to steal the thunder from many a swan and is credited with inventing the profession of fashion, Dianna Vreeland was entirely her own creation. She began her career as a columnist for Harper’s Bazaar where her ‘Why Don’t You’ column was much talked about (largely because it outrageous, i.e., suggesting women wash their hair in dead Champagne or dress their children like Marie Antoinette.) Later, she joined Vogue. Vreeland’s final career move was transforming the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute from stodgy into fabulous, organizing blockbuster shows including tributes to Balenciaga and Yves St. Laurent.

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel, is a fascinating documentary that opens in her famously very red New York apartment.

The Vreeland digs

If you use Netflix or can get it from your library, give it a shot.

Elaine Stritch, the celebrated entertainer noted for her gravelly voice, voluminous white shirts and great legs, recently decamped from her apartment in New York’s Carlyle Hotel to return home to Bloomfield, MI. (Bets are being taken as to whether or not she’ll return to the Big Apple.)

Elain Stritch

I saw Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, at the Tribeca Film Festival and have seen the genuine article on stage several times. Another real original, she’s now eighty-seven and still a force. This film is especially moving as Stritch permitted, (according to the director, encouraged), filming in highly vulnerable situations including several hospitalizations for diabetes. Hats off, ladies.

For an original recipe, here is something my mother sometimes whipped up to serve with drinks. (Remember, this was a woman who almost never entered a kitchen but managed to orchestrate terrific food.)

Hors d’oeuvre a là Natalie

Equal parts smooth peanut butter and catsup (Yes, it sounds revolting but where is your sense of adventure?)

Crackers—your choice although my mother served it on original Ritz. (Don’t select a cracker with an assertive taste.)

Optional: cooked, crisp crumbled bacon

How to: In a small bowl, mix peanut butter and catsup together. Mound a generous dollop attractively on each cracker. If you like, top with the bacon. Honestly, it’s delicious and the perfect complement to your cocktail.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bacon, catsup, cracker, Tribeca | 2 Comments

Chinese Old School Tie

Posted on April 23, 2013 by marigold

The current exhibition at the Asia Society is The Artful Recluse, which I visited with some Vassar classmates. It was way beyond an ordinary viewing as one classmate owns several items in the exhibit and provided a very informative commentary on all the material. The items on view include hanging and hand scrolls, a few breathtaking pots, and poems written in exquisite calligraphy

Being a recluse in seventeenth century China wasn’t simple.

A recluse in the wilds

Many factors, including weird weather, uprisings, highly corrupt eunuchs at court and threats to the national border led to the collapse of the Ming dynasty. (Is it only me who finds echoes of our society minus the eunuchs?) Then came the nasty Manchus who established the Qing dynasty. As a result of the upheaval, many of China’s highly educated elite, known as the literati, highly accomplished poets, calligraphers and painters, felt threatened. As a result, some took –literally—to the hills. One painter/recluse went to such extremes that during the twenty years when his family was dying of starvation he refused to leave his house.

I would have made a terrible recluse as the very idea of living alone in the mountains gives me a panic attack. True, the recluses described in the exhibition were often surrounded by family and/or servants so their every need was met. I am simply not that good a loner.

Afterwards, we had lunch in the Asia Society’s lovely Garden Court Café where the food is as mannered as the works of art and each plate is beautifully composed. Even the tea, be it hot or iced, is a far cry from English Breakfast (or, my house blend, Lipton.) If you need a dash of retail therapy, the Asia Store has gorgeous jackets and scarves, terrific jewelry and an impressive array of books.

This recipe is a million miles from anything at the Garden Court Café, as it’s closer

to what’s served in an average Chinese restaurant. However, it’s easy and very

forgiving, allowing you to use any veggies you like. Even if you stick to broccoli

and carrots the end game will be delicious. And you don’t have to eat it alone,

recluse-style.

Vegetable Stir Fry

Serves 6

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 cloves garlic, crushed (or use a garlic press for a more subtle taste)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root,

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 small head broccoli, cut into florets

1/2 cup snow peas cut in halves

3/4 cups julienned carrots

1/2 cup halved green beans

2 T soy sauce (use light soy if you prefer)

2 1/2 T water

1/4 finely chopped onion

1/4 T salt (taste before serving and add more if needed)

In a large bowl, blend cornstarch, garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until cornstarch is dissolved. Mix in broccoli, snow peas, carrots, and green beans, tossing to lightly coat.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Cook vegetables in oil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Stir in soy sauce and water. Mix in onion, salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon ginger. Cook until vegetables are tender but still crisp.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Asia, Chinse, tea | 2 Comments

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