Easter for 15 in 20 Hours.....!

So the yearly stalemate over which branch of our family tree will host the next holiday ended last Sunday night. Dad decided that he could host Easter at his house.....which means that yours truly gets to play hostess with the mostest. Again. Now that my calluses have healed on my feet from Christmas (oh, the sheer agony of standing on hardwood floors for hours on end!), they have been called back in for active duty.

Tomorrow morning will be a flurry of last-minute ironing, a trip to church to celebrate, and organizing the parade of pans that will march in and out of my oven over 4 hours. Details on floral arrangements, desserts, and Easter "baskets" for the nieces and nephews to come shortly, but here is my menu for tomorrow. Simple and delicious. 

Menu:

Ham with brown sugar and molasses glaze

Au gratin potatoes

Steamed carrots and broccoli

Popovers

Salad 

Cheesecake with caramel sauce and toasted pecans

Bourbon, Bread, Eggs, and Cream: Who Needs More?

Hot bread pudding, resplendent with the scent of bourbon!

I recently ran into the most delicious bread pudding recipe from Martha Stewart: Louisiana Bread Pudding.

In a New Orleans-inspired dinner, I took my first stab at a jambalaya complete with chunks of spicy andouille sausage. Since that dish was a complete meal in a pot, all I needed was something sweet to top it off. 

I had never made bread pudding before, and wasn't sure if I'd like the consistency. I do not understand what I was so afraid of! The result was hot, custard-y, sweet, and made more interesting by a heaping handful of glazed pecans. I suppose the dash of Kentucky bourbon plus the drizzle of a boozy cream sauce didn't hurt either....

This particular recipe called for raisins, but since I don't like raisins, I thought of a few other mix-ins that would serve quite well, including slivered almonds, craisins, and my glazed pecans. 

The finished product, complete with bourbon cream sauce

Spring Re-Set

I wish I could tell you amazing reasons why I haven't posted anything new in the last month and a half, but the fact of the matter is, I've been a lazy bum. I moved to a new position in my company, and have been working long hours, but that isn't quite enough. I've been doing all kinds of spring-y tasks, including cleaning, re-decorating, and enjoying the yo-yo weather, but despite getting all kinds of great inspiration, I've yet to put out anything in cyberspace. 

At last, here it is. My Spring "re-set". I get the itch in early-to-mid March, to shed heavy draperies and rugs, to change my linens, and to prepare myself for the onslaught of sunshine and heat. 

The tumble of throw pillows from my linen closet

My houndstooth club chair gets a sweet little embroidered pillow from IKEA

Down come the red velveteen winter curtains, and up go the lightweight silk dupioni curtains

 It's always so fun to bring the next season's linens out of the closets; they seem new again after their months of storage. I also find myself buying little thises and thats at the end of the season when everything is on clearance; I've often forgotten that I've bought them by the time I bring them out again! That was the case with the little birdcage napkin rings I put away last Fall.

The heavy Fall/Winter rug comes up...

...And is replaced with the durable sisal rug

Every corner of my apartment gets a little spruce-up. I change the artwork, bathmat, and shower curtain in my bathroom; I change out the curtains and pillows in my bedroom. The kitchen got a new rag rug and a little color by way of springy towels. Add in a day or two of Spring sunshine and open windows, and my place has a new lease on life. 

Spring tablescape: ironstone, new napkins, and a French toile runner (repurposed after my sister's graduation party last year)

Darling little napkin rings from Pottery Barn that I got last Fall on clearance

One of my little Spring projects: installing under-shelf lighting to brighten the dim interior of my hutch 

A sunny window in my apartment

Re-set complete!

Adventures in Ebelskiver

Not perfect, but definitely not bad for a first time! And powdered sugar always covers a multitude of sins.

Last weekend I tried my hand at Ebelskiver for the first time. Pancakes nor French toast appealed to us, and a run to Starbucks next door (in 0-degree weather) was out of the question, so I broke out the Ebelskiver pan I got for Christmas What is Ebelskiver, you ask? It's a delicious little filled-pancake-on-the-verge-of-a-doughnut, created by those very clever Danes. It has its very own pan with round troughs, and the basic batter can be used to create almost any flavor or filling your heart desires.

I happened to use bittersweet chocolate chips for a filling, but you can use almost anything your imagination conjures. Nutella, berries, jam, cinnamon, vanilla, chopped nuts, and crumbled bacon are just some of the things that come to my mind. Then you can add toppings post-cooking; powdered sugar is the traditional topper, but I envision hot maple syrup, confectioner's icing, melted chocolate, and chopped nuts all as viable candidates.

Admittedly, my first batch was a disaster. But I quickly picked up the knack and successfully completed enough Ebelskiver for breakfast. Here are a few things I learned:

Cooking the Ebelskiver

Flipped and almost ready

• Only work with a hot pan. Like a griddle, make sure the Ebelskiver pan is nice and hot before you add the batter. This allows the outside of the Ebelskiver to fry quickly and create a golden, almost crispy, shell. 
• Don't forget the oil. Use about 1 tsp of oil in each well for each batch.
• It takes only about a tablespoon of batter to fill the well. The batter will be just shy of the top of the well, and if you add anything as a filling, it will be level with the top. That was the mistake I made with my first batch. I filled the well to the top, not realizing it would puff up and further overflow once I added the chocolate chips (my selected filling) to the well. Overflow on the pan=disastrous flipping!
• After about a minute of cooking, the pancake is ready to flip. Look for signs that the batter is cooking through, similar to that of a griddle pancake: the edges will appear dry and bubbles will form on the surface. Use a fork to push down one edge of the Ebelskiver, then slide the fork under the exposed side to flip the pancake. 
• It will only take about another minute to finish the pancake. Simply slide them out onto a paper towel-covered plate and dust with powdered sugar, drizzle with icing, or anything else that sounds tasty! Make sure to serve them hot, so that they maintain their fresh crispiness.

Resources for Recipes--here are some recipes to give your imagination a jump-start:

Basic Danish Ebelskiver from Cooks.com

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes from Williams Sonoma

Apple Ebelskiver from Rachael Ray

Have Your Cake and Eat it too....and Don't Forget the Frosting!

So Marie Antoinette may have never insensitively said "let them eat cake", but even the misguided mistress of Versailles understood the decadent importance of a good cake. And what good is cake without its crowning glory, a sometimes thick, sometimes glossy, sometimes rich layer of frosting?

Every year I make about a dozen desserts for a non-profit organization that is near and dear to my heart. In early January this organization has a formal dinner and dance, complete with a live swing orchestra and a dessert auction (clever really, dinner is included in your ticket but you have to pay for your dessert!). I provide a range of desserts, trying to appeal to any taste, and always try to bring back the best-sellers of the dessert auction. Many of these best of the best are cakes, and in mastering a sell-able dessert (and doing it several times over again) I have learned many dos and don't-dos.

Do: trim the top of your cake. If you're working on a layer cake, a cake trimmer is magic. Seriously, I don't know how I lived without this tool for so many years of auctions. A serrated knife is fine if the blade of the knife is longer than the diameter of your cake and you have a really good eye for cutting levelly, but I am not that talented. The $4 Wilton cake trimmer was worth its weight in gold after the first use.

Do: flip over your top cake layer. Even after leveling my top layer, I find that is much easier to frost the bottom of the cake than the top. By flipping over the top layer (so that the trimmed side is down), you are going to prevent a lot of crumbs and cake bits from messing up your frosting.
 Don't: forget to do a crumb layer. The secret to the smoothest surface is doing a crumb layer first. Sometimes I'll make my frosting a little thinner than usual, do the crumb layer, and then thicken the frosting with some more confectioner's sugar for the top layer. Spread a really thin layer of frosting over the entire layer cake (it doesn't matter if it's smooth or perfect...it's meant to catch crumbs) and put in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Once the frosting has set, proceed with your top layer of frosting.

Frosting a cake with my offset spatula (don't forget to scrape it off once in a while!)

Do: buy an offset spatula. A long offset spatula (you can buy them almost any store that sells kitchen supplies) is the key to great frosting. It allows you to smooth the sides easily and gives you control when spreading frosting across the top.
Don't: forget to clean off your spatula while you work. If you happen to pick up any crumbs while spreading the frosting, scrape the spatula onto the bowl or a small plate right away. Otherwise you'll end up pushing crumbs around in your frosting...not attractive.

The finished product, ready for transport

 Don't: worry about making the surface absolutely perfect. I've found it's really hard to mimic the perfectly smooth surface of a professionally-baked cake, so I don't even try. Plus, there's something really pretty about a cake that looks homemade...thick frosting molded into pretty swirls.

A few other tried-and-true tips:

• Work on an elevated surface. It's a lot easier to work on a cake when it's not at the counter level. I use baking racks to get closer to my cake, but a pedestal or even an overturned mixing bowl will work too.
• Start with the center and work your way out. Work your frosting from the top and center, spreading outward and to the sides. The same goes for cupcakes: put a dollop in the center, spread out to the edges, then smooth the frosting from the outside inward.
• When serving the cake, use a sharp knife and hot water. Dipping the knife in a glass of hot water will help keep the blade clean and your slices picture-perfect.

The Lost Art of Dining

A glimpse in a drawer of my hutch, which contains almost anything I'd need for the table: serving utensils, corkscrews, taper candles, and plenty of votives and tealights.

As I was folding linens warm out of the dryer this morning, I started thinking about how I love to layer colors, fabrics, and serving pieces on my table, reflecting the shifting seasons outside my window. My mind wandered to making everyday meals special, taking just an extra minute or two to make an ordinary occasion extraordinary. I know that statement is cliche, thrown about by hordes of Food Network stars, but it really seems like so many people rush through their meals, eating right out of the carton, right on the couch. What's wrong with using real dishes and napkins and lighting a candle or two? What's wrong with turning off the television for 20 minutes and looking into the eyes of your family and friends? I wholeheartedly believe many of us have lost the art of dining. 

It all starts with setting the table. It's the tablecloth, the place mats, the runners, and the centerpieces that set the stage for your meal. Each season I use different color schemes: the pastels of Spring give way to the punchy colors of Summer; the burgundies and golds and plums of Fall transform into the reds and golds of Winter. My favorite places to find inexpensive linens are Home Goods, IKEA, and Pottery Barn (on clearance). No paper napkin or vinyl tablecloth can come close to the snap of a cloth napkin and the pretty draping of a tablecloth! I know many people are worried about the inevitable spills, drips of candle wax, and lipstick stains, but with today's easy-care fabrics, linens are nearly indestructible!

Once the foundation is made, it's time for the accessories and serving pieces. Balance and height are important on a well-dressed table, and I'm a big fan of the silver candlesticks (above) that I found on clearance at Pottery Barn. They add height, visual interest, and what I believe to be a critical element of the dining table: candlelight. Vases of flowers, votives, baskets of fruit, cake pedestals, and even small pots of herbs can make the most of a table. 

Some of the cloth napkins I use over the course of the year.

My mother loved to say that things weren't worth having if they were not used. I keep that in mind when it comes to using my serving pieces and dishes, many of them antique, in everyday life. Why save the prettiest dishes for the holidays or a special occasion? All meals, down to the $1 box of macaroni and cheese, are elevated to a new level on good dishes. Pull out what you have and use them; don't let them collect dust in the cabinet!

It takes only seconds to light a couple of candles, turn off the TV, grab cloth napkins, and pull dishes out of the cabinet, but I swear it will make a huge difference. Conversations commence, we pay attention to one another, and we connect. It's a special and calming respite, even if only for a few minutes, from the rest of our hectic day.

Winter Belly Fillers

There's something so satisfying about a hearty soup on a cold winter's day. Since the winters are really, really long in the upper midwest, most households seem to have a treasure trove of cold-weather recipes to share. The two I'm sharing are easy classics: sweet chili, with an unorthodox ingredient; and turkey dumpling soup, a soup with endless flavor combinations.

This sweet chili recipe came from friends of our family. I remember coming home from school on the late activity bus, the church bells tolling 6 PM and the skies already dark. I'd trudge up the steps to the back door, and upon entering the kitchen the intoxicating smell of chili powder and onion would overwhelm me. My Mom made this recipe at least once a month, and would always serve it with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. When I make it for the family now, I always serve it with the best cornbread we've ever had: Golden Sweet Cornbread from allrecipes.com.

Sweet Chili (6 large servings)

• 1# lean ground beef
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-46 oz bottle or can of tomato juice
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 2 cans of beans (any combination of chili or dark red or light red kidney beans)
• 1 tbsp of chili powder
• 5 tbsp sugar
• 1 large can of stewed tomatoes, broken up with a fork into chunks (optional) 
• Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

 1. Brown the hamburger in a good size pot, and salt and pepper to taste. While the hamburger is browning, chop the onion and add to the pot. 

2. Once the hamburger is browned and the onion sauteed, add the two cans of beans (if using kidney beans drain first), the tablespoon of chili powder, and the 5 tablespoons of sugar. If adding tomatoes, add them here as well. Stir gently to incorporate the sugar and chili powder.

3. Slowly pour the tomato juice into the pot and reduce the heat to low-medium. Simmer the chili for at least half an hour, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on each portion and serve. 

This chili also makes a phenomenal leftover, and it can be argued that it is even better the next day! This recipe is really adaptable, so feel free to try different mix-ins. A can of tomato paste as a thickener, a few splashes of Tabasco, some diced green chiles, or serving with dollops of sour cream all change the texture and flavor of the recipe.

The below recipe for turkey dumpling soup is something of my invention, but is similar to so many of the soups I grew up with. Many of the best meals that came from my Mom's, Grandma's, and Aunt's kitchens never had a real recipe for them. You used what you had on-hand, you never paid too much attention to the measuring cup and measuring spoon, and experimenting with flavor was part of the fun of cooking. My Aunt Karen, who has since passed away, used to send home big Tupperware bowls of dumpling soup with my Dad. This recipe is very much an homage to the delicious dinners she sent home to us over the years.

 Turkey Dumpling Soup (6 large servings)

• 2 cups of shredded or chopped cooked turkey (a great way to use holiday leftovers! Chicken is also a great alternative to the turkey)
• 1-48 oz carton of chicken broth
• Spices: salt and pepper, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic powder, sage, etc. 
• Vegetables (the more the better!): 2 cups of sliced carrots; 1 cup of celery; 1 cup of chopped onion; 1 cup of diced parsnips, rutabaga; 1 can of corn 

For the dumplings:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp shortening
• 3/4 cup milk
• Spices: thyme, rosemary, pepper (optional)

1. In a good size pot bring the turkey, broth, and spices to a simmer. Feel free to experiment with the spices; I'm a big fan of cracked black pepper, garlic powder, a sprinkle of kosher salt, and about a teaspoon of tarragon. However, the possibilities are endless. A healthy sprinkle of thyme or rosemary, different kinds of ground pepper, and parsley can all add color and flavor. One thing I will say is to stick with only one of the "stronger" spices, e.g. tarragon, thyme, sage, or rosemary, so that the spices don't compete with each other. 
2. With the turkey simmering in the broth, add whatever combination of vegetables you'd like. I tend to use a lot of carrots, onion, and celery, but the vegetables I listed above are all tasty. The measurements are also flexible, depending on how chunky you want your soup to be! If using corn, add to the soup right before the dumplings are made, as the corn does not need to be cooked as long as the other vegetables.
3. While the soup is simmering, make the dumplings: blend the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl, and then cut in shortening. If adding herbs (1/2 tsp of thyme, some cracked pepper, etc.), add them at this step.  Mix together using a fork or your fingers until well combined and mealy. Add the milk and mix only enough to fully incorporate the flour and to get the dough pulled together. 
4. Drop the dough by large spoonfuls into the top of the soup. You should be able to cover the surface of the soup with about 12 dumplings. Cook the dumplings for 10 minutes, then cover the pot and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.