It may take a village to raise a child but it only takes two professional cooks and an adaptive amateur to pull together a celebratory Baked Ziti (Ziti al Formo). Call it a casserole or pure comfort food but please do not call it lasagna. Like most food I serve, Baked Ziti is neither fussy nor fancy but honestly, neither am I. “So delicious.” “I LOVE this.” “A great meal.” That’s really what I like to hear.
For the past 3 years the Pandemic followed by some must-do knee surgery has sidelined what I like to do best, invite friends over and feed them. This summer, with the kitchen settled and pantry re-stocked after my 4-month absence, happy days are back at D-203. Welcome, Normal. During the winter I fiddled with new recipes that sounded as good as I hoped they would taste. This Baked Ziti is one of those.
By mashing together pasta creations from bloggers Jennifer Segal, Once Upon a Chef and Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman and adding a few tweaks of my own, make-ahead Baked Ziti is a pasta perfect meal. Disclaimer: Although Italian cooking is not my forté, I’m betting if you mix up a leafy green salad and add a baguette, you’ll agree. Despite the season, we’re dealing with some wacky weather these days, it always works. Baked Ziti is an all-weather provider.
My friend, Deb, joined me for my first patrol of the year on the Conundrum Creek Trail. We’re just about to enter the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. (Yes, we realize we’re no fashion plates, just rugged women in men’s clothing!)
Calypso Orchids, also called Fairy Slippers. This dainty orchid is in decline in North America. We always are thrilled to spot a few of these tiny beauties on Conundrum.
I’ve also returned to neglected favorites. If a ‘recipe is a story that ends with a good meal,’* those neglected, greasy-smudged recipes are a precious stroll down memory lane. Here’s hoping these examples will encourage you to come up with your own.
Conundrum Creek was roaring on Tuesday. Colorado’s spring runoff season with it’s swollen rivers running high is here.
Another river running high, Castle Creek located near Ashcroft in the White River National Forest.
Here’s what I still make often and when I first started: Sour Cream Coffee Cake (Ramada Inn, Scottsburg, Indiana, Bon Appetite 1978); Traditional French Garbure (Cuisine Cooking School, Marysue Salmon, late ’70’s); Old-Fashioned Meat Loaf (Gourmet Magazine, April 1994); Marie-Hélène’s Apple Cake and Gougeres, Dorie Greenspan, “Around My French Table” 2010).
French Braised Lentils with Herbs de Provence & Pork Tenderloin (The Cafe Sucre Farine, Chris&Scott 2014); Mrs. Bing’s Irish Soda Bread (Sweet Paul Vitale, 2013); Easy Kahlua Bundt Cake ( Liz Berg, That Skinny Chick Can Bake 2014); Guacamole (Josefina Howard, Rose Mexicana, NYC, 2015); Cauliflower Parmesan, Melissa Clark (NYT Cooking, 2015).
Happy Birthday, Bernie
BAKED ZITI, adapted from Jennifer Segal, Once Upon a Chef and Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman
“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.”Italian movie director, Federico Fellini.
Serves: 12
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 whole large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. sweet or spicy Italian sausage
1 lb. ground beef
28 oz. can whole tomatoes, with juice
1 24-oz. jar marinara sauce (I suggest RAO’s Homemade)
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (or not, your choice)
16 oz. ziti or mostaccioli, cooked until not quite al dente (I suggest Penne Ziti Rigate)
15 oz. tub whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 lb. whole milk mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
1 c. pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated and divided
1 whole egg
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for several minutes, or until starting to soften. Add the Italian sausage and ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture.
2. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes (I don’t think red pepper was necessary.). Stir and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. After that time, remove 3 to 4 cups of the sauce to a different bowl to cool down.
3. Preheat oven to 375˚.
4. Mix together the ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).
5. Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour it into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps.) Add the cooled meat sauce and toss to combine.
6. Add half of the coated pasta to a large casserole dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half of the remaining mozzarella cheese. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta, the sauce, and the mozzarella. (This is where you can freeze or stick in the fridge for up to two days.) Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
TIP: Depending on where you live, sometimes Ziti is difficult to find. I mail-ordered mine from Amazon.
Last week cookbook author Joy the Baker posted a simple one-layer Lemon Crumb Cake recipe she claimed would add a ‘sparkle of sweetness to your week.’ After spending 4 months in warmer climes I’m just back home in Aspen so Simple + sparkle + sweetness struck a culinary chord with me. Baking is difficult in rental kitchens so I didn’t. But my depleted Aspen pantry and fridge yielded almost everything needed for this recipe. I ran to the store for a jar of lemon curd and was in business. Both my and Joy’s recipe are below.
THE GANT GOES GOLD
I walked over to the office last Friday morning and this shiny new creature was sitting in the driveway. Whoaaa. What you must understand is The Gant, where I live most of the year, is quietly well-managed, provides first-class service and always, always delivers. It doesn’t do gold, glitzy or razzle-dazzle. While I wouldn’t call its “Brand” cutting edge, it is comfortable, safe and private. During Covid, the staff were all-stars. They meet the moment whatever it may be. That’s why, to commemorate 50 years, these flashy gold chariots are a real surprise. I’m definitely here for it.
THANK YOU, SAN DIEGO
It was a splendid San Diego winter for me. I met old friends I didn’t remember lived there and others who made time for me. My townhouse in Solana Beach exceeded expectations. The neighbors were welcoming and helpful. The terrific Pacific, just 100 stair steps down to the beach, was gloriously noisy. One of my last discoveries was a dessert restaurant, Somi Somi, serving a unique Korean dessert called Ah-Boong. It’s a sumptuous waffle cone in a shape of a fish, filled with unique, rich fillings. I got a Taiyaki which is a fish shaped waffle filled with Nutella on top of a ube and Thai soft serve swirl with coconut on top.
My being in San Diego was Emma’s idea. My granddaughter thought I’d like to be nearby during her last semester in college. Even better, Clara, who attends college in Indiana, flew home to California for the holidays. Emma and I orchestrated a birthday weekend for Melissa in February. Realizing those two young women are taking flight, I relished every minute with my family, Emma and her friends. She actually graduated Summa Cum Laude from Point Loma Nazarene University today.
HOME AGAIN
It’s every grandparent’s wish that their grandchildren thrive. I do want that, I do, but couldn’t they thrive closer to home? This summer Clara has an internship in Washington DC. Then, back to Indiana. She’ll be a junior. In July Emma will begin an intensive three-year doctoral program at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
We all know that sinking feeling, don’t we? When I left San Diego to drive to Colorado, it was Stomach-Pit-Knot. One thousand miles later, crossing the state line into Colorado and headed to the mountains, I was winter-grateful but excited to be home again. Driving into Aspen, I spotted a fox standing near the highway on a small hill and a herd of deer grazing in the grassy space at our entrance roundabout. Later in the day, a heron gracefully flew overhead. Despite our recent snowy weather, these Pasque flowers are survivors. Life is going to be fine. May we all live in areas we love where friendships thrive and nature survives.
LEMON CURD CRUMB CAKE The thing about Joy, her recipes are written clearly, easy to follow and always work. She’s like Dorie Greenspan in that respect. That’s a comfortable and confident mindset to begin with when you’re baking. Honestly, this Lemon Curd Crumb Cake may be plain vanilla but those swirls of lemon curd provide an ever so scant touch of sweetness. The streusel, of course, is streusel, always such a show-off and making you wish for more. Although the recipe is below it’s also worth clicking on Joy’s link to learn more about this recipe. https://joythebaker.com/2023/04/lemon-curd-crumb-cake/
Lemon Curd Crumb Cake by Joy the Baker
1 9-inch cake Serves 8-10
INGREDIENTS
For the Cake: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature About 1 cup store-bought lemon curd (8–10 ounces jar would be perfect!)
For the Crumble: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup granulated sugar large pinch of salt 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks Powdered sugar for topping
Instructions: 1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan (or springform pan), line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and grease the parchment paper as well. Lightly flour the pan and knock any extra flour from the pan. 2. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, coriander if using, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. 3. In a large bowl with electric hand beaters or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute per egg. Beat in the vanilla extract. 4. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is mixed in well. Beat in the sour cream on medium speed. 5. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stop the mixer and finish incorporating the batter until well combined. The batter will be thick. 6. To make the oat crumble, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter chunks and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture. Quickly break the butter down into the mixture until well incorporated. Some butter bits will be the size of small peas and oat flakes.
7. Spread half of the cake batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. An offset spatula is a great tool to spread the batter. Dollop with half of the lemon curd and sprinkle with just under half of the oat crumble. Lightly swirl the batter. Top with the remaining cake batter, spreading to the edges. Dollop with the remaining lemon curd and sprinkle with remaining crumble. Lightly swirl, leaving generous dollops of curd exposed on the top of the cake. They’ll bake to irresistibly jammy.
8. Bake until deeply golden and the sides of the cake are pulling away from the pan. A toothpick inserted in the cake will come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. This is a long bake cake at 45-55 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Remove cake from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before trying to invert the cake. 9. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan. Place a flat plate over the pan and invert the cake. Peel the parchment round off the cake and gently invert the cake top side up. 10. Serve warm or at room temperature lightly dusted with powdered sugar.
Croissant: “However you choose to pronounce it at home, it is perhaps worth noting that outside of the United States, the closer you can come to saying “kwass-ohn,” the sooner you can expect to be presented with one.” Bill Bryson
Very seldom do I do something ‘on a whim.’ Going out on a limb for any reason is uncomfortable. That’s why I’m still not clear when I decided to go all in to learn a second language. Realizing I already knew many termes de cuisine française, why not pursue French, I decided. If I could cook it, I could speak it. While logic never was in play here, my enthusiasm was the only encouragement I needed. After checking out schools and heeding by advice from friends, I enrolled in a month-long immersion program on the French Riviera at the Institut de Français in Villefranche-sur-Mer. I attended each spring for four years.
Worth the 40-minute drive to downtown San Diego for warm croissants, knots and sourdough bread. (Top Two Photos by Permission, Jen Chen, Izola Bakery)
Besides my months of study in France, at home I took classes, on-line courses and sometimes had tutors. Many Wednesday nights, determined to bingewatch my way to fluency, it was soirée cinéma chez moi. The thing is, dear Reader, I never mastered conversational French. Vocabulary and grammar, tense, mood and voices, I’m very good. Understanding others, always improving. Mixing it up with french speakers around a dinner table. Dommage.
Seedy Multi-grain Sourdough Bread
Classic Croissants from IZOLA packed and ready to drop off to Emma and her Point Loma roommates .
I’ve always been an eager learner, studied and done well. My failing didn’t feel good. I was embarrassed. Still I returned year after year. Realizing that even while struggling, I was absorbing something, I persevered. After four years, combining immersion with other studies, I confidently believed I knew enough to survive safely in France by myself. That was the payoff. It’s when I began spending several months in Paris each winter. More importantly, that’s when I became a self-declared authority on croissants
In my kitchen. Sharing this Seedy Multi-Grain Sourdough with Barney and Jami who shared their Christmas dinner with me
Avocado Toast, breakfast at another good San Diego bakery, Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe, located in Liberty Station
IZOLA’S STORY and MORE. SURPRISING SAN DIEGO
While you and I may never bake a batch, I came to San Diego and discovered a croissant that stands tall with the many I tasted in Paris and Europe. Already winning awards and named the 2022 best bakery in US/Canada by Yelp, IZOLA is just 21 months old. Specializing in six different kinds of croissants, five flavors of sourdough breads, amazing Tahitian Vanilla Knots and more, it opened its ‘window’ for business soon after the Covid shutdown.
The I-Bar at the Naval Base in Coronado. This is the bar used for the scene in Top Gun: Maverick when Tom Cruise bought everyone a beer.
Susan Phillips and I are hanging at the I-Bar. Not open. No Tom Cruise.
To help with our disappointment, Steve, Susan’s husband, picked us up and took us to lunch.
Here’s IZOLA’S story. Business and life partners Jenny Chen, a retail merchandiser, and Jeffrey Brown, a well-considered photographer, were caught in Paris just as I was when the borders began closing in March 2020. After returning safely to a lockdown in San Diego, Jeff says he decided to ‘start that bakery that had always lingered in my mind.’
The USS Midway is an historic naval aircraft carrier floating museum located at San Diego’s Navy Pier. She is HUGE, 1,001 feet long, the length of 3 football fields. The Midway is as high as a 20-story building. She was the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century and named in honor of the important Battle of Midway in June 1942,
I spent most of the day at Navy Pier on this naval aircraft carrier. One of the many planes and heliocopters on the flight deck was a F-14 Tomcat which was the US Navy’s mainstay air superiority fighter from 1974 until 2006.
Nearby on the plaza there’s a statue of Bob Hope with 15 life-sized bronze statues, Each figure represents a serviceman/woman from a different conflict watching Hope’s show. There was also audio. His jokes are as funny now as they were then.
Never mind that Jeff had never baked bread nor realized the complexity of making croissants. Re-purposing his third-floor photography studio located in East Village into a bakery, he and Jen went to work experimenting with croissants and breads that could meet their expectations. On June 10, 2020, piling 12 croissants carefully in a basket, she opened their third-floor window. Using ropes from their personal rock climbing cache she lowered the basket down to eager customers. For the next 8 months, in what became a community event, they sold baked goods out of their window. . “It takes 4 days to create handcrafted croissants,” he explains. “Our team layers butter from Normandy with our croissant dough to finish with 96 individual layers of butter that when proofed, then baked, expand to create a honeycomb texture that is an architectural marvel in and of itself.”
Whether Fish Taco Friday or Taco Tuesday, in San Diego seafood and tacos play in the same sandbox. This is a Classic at Brigantine Seafood & Oyster Bar, a popular hangout just a block from my condo.
I attended “EXPERIENCE HAWK WATCH,” sponsored by the Widlife Research Institute and located at the 5,000-acre Ramona Grasslands Nature Preserve about an hour outside of San Diego. We spotted primarily ferruginous and red tails highlighted by a nesting pair of Bald Eagles nearby. Andrea Burgan of Critter Encounters also brought injured animals who can’t be returned to the wild.
This big guy, a Whimbel, is wintering in Solana Beach. He’s a presence on the beach most days, a solo traveler and seemingly quite content with our food supply here.
Melissa came for a long weekend to celebrate her birthday. I planned to take some three-generational photos. As you can see. didn’t happen! We spent a day at Balboa Park, San Diego’s 1,200-acre historic urban cultural park. Of the 18 museums located in the park, we explored both the Timken and San Diego Museums of Art.
Two photos equal three generations.
It’s been a wonderful winter. Heading home in one month. Missing my Gant family and friends. Mary
On most days I consider aging a privilege, not a predicament. Remember Andrew Rooney who spoke his mind on CBS Sixty Minutes? “It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone,” he said.
Since it’s gotten warmer, early every morning I walk to this landing, just 100 steps from my condo, to feast on the view.
I deal with my aging-a-privilege chromosome month by month. Being especially joyful during the peak moments. Determined to work through the predicaments. Fixing pesky problems if they are fixable and being accepting if they aren’t. Seems to work.
Nixon’s Presidential Library in Yorba Linda
Last week I spent an amazing day, one-on-one, with a friend of 70 years. Growing up together in Manchester, Iowa, Judy and I had seen each other only 3-4 times since high school graduation. She was our class math whiz and stuck with that until her last year in college when she switched to Special Education. A graduate degree and countless years in the classroom later, she became a Resource Specialist for Special Education in the San Diego school system. At times during our day together, we were finishing each other’s sentences. Scary, right? During the Pandemic I joined a monthly Face Time conversation with her and four other school chums. Now, more than 2 years later we’re still going strong.
Judy and I planned to walk on Moonlight State Beach , a beautiful sandy spot in Encinitas, but angry, windy and rainy weather had other ideas. Where’s the beach? Even with hiking boots, the small rocks were wobbly, slippery and wet, reminding us with each careful step we were dealing with a hip (Judy) and a knee (me) that were man-made and not original!
Tuesday I drove to Yorba Linda to revisit the Nixon Presidential Library. I was first there in 2013 but it’s been totally renovated since then. Besides wanting to see this updated version and acknowledging the 50th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords (January ’73), I needed to deliver my Passport which verified my visiting all 13 libraries managed by the Archives.
I met Juan Ugarte who helped me fill out the necessary paperwork. (That’s him in a suit and me wearing jeans with frayed cuffs. Totally mortified. Sorry, Mom.) The staff seemed happy I celebrated this occasion at their library, looking on as Juan give me my medal. Several guides gave me tours proudly showing off their new “digs” with upgraded more realistic and factual exhibits.
Many presidential libraries have replicas of the Oval Office. I’ve seen them all but never sat behind the desk which Ginny, my guide, suggested I do. Well, okay. This is a replica of the Wilson desk which Nixon used during his presidency.
This art work which sits near the Nixon’s grave site celebrates the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Note the bear, the fox and the blue butterfly sitting on the bear’s back paw.
New tour guide. Suggested a photo with the helicopter four presidents had traveled on was a must do. I appreciated their enthusiasm.
Because it’s tucked in a corner of the library, few visitors walk on the moon with astronaut Buzz Aldrin. I didn’t want to miss my moon walk so found my way to it. Since Aldrin, 93, got married last week, I walked on the moon in his footsteps to honor him and his bride. Way to go, Buzz.
What began in the summer of 1963 at the Hoover Library in West Branch, Iowa, ended in March 2023 in Yorba Linda. I’m very pleased.
WINTER READING
WINTER READING: Birds is the updated edition of Rebecca Weiss and Mark Fuller’s outstanding book about Roaring Fork Valley birds. “”Presidential Temples,” which I just finished, is excellent if you’re into presidential libraries!!! Help me here, Readers. I like Geraldine Brooks and have read all her books but I just can’t get into “Horse.” It’s my book club’s choice for March so is a must read. Any thoughts? These are the two cookbooks I’m using this winter. If you’re single, borrow “Cooking for One” from your library. Then buy it.. Slagle is genius at making cooking simple. Check her out.
SHORTCUT CHILI CHICKEN adapted from I Dream of Dinner (so you don’t have to) by Ali Slagle
While I can’t feed the world’s hungry children, I can be more responsible about the food I buy and more efficient in handling it. I recently purchased I Dream of Dinner (so you don’t have to) by the multi-talented Ali Slagle.
Slagle’s book in not a conventional cookbook but may be the book you need to reignite your cooking chops following the drudgery of cooking 3 meals a day during the Pandemic. She can help you put a delicious dish on the table using fewer than eight ingredients in less than 45 minutes. Her recipes are spicier than I usually like but I either adjust the spices or, if I’m feeling daring, adjust my palate.
This widely popular chicken chili, the first recipe I made from this book, is from her Mom. Ali and everyone who knows Ali’s mom love it.
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 Medium Yellow Onion, coarsely chopped 2 pounds of Ground Chicken 1/4-1/2 cup Ketchup 1 24 or 28 ounce can of Tomato Puree 1 12 to 16 ounce jar of medium-hot jarred salsa 2 15-ounce cans of pinto, black or any beans of your choice for chili 2 teaspoons any Hot Sauce (Optional) 2 Tablespoons of ground Cumin (start with 1 TBS) 2 Tablespoons of EVOO Salt and Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high before adding the coarsely chopped onion, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes until they are softened but not yet browned. Push to one side of pot.
Put in the ground chicken. Season generously with S&P. (Yes, in addition to the S&P you’ve already used.) Cook, without stirring, for 5-8 minutes. Break the chicken into big pieces, stirring in the onions and cook until opaque, 2-5 minutes.
Stir in 1/4-1/2 cup of ketchup. If you are adding hot sauce, do it now. Stir into the mixture until it is mostly absorbed. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened and flavorful. If it gets too thick, add water.
Drain and rinse 2 15-ounce cans of the beans of your choice. Stir in the beans and cook until heated.
Coarsely chop 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems and stir in just before serving.
Cornbread makes any meal better.
If someone makes it better, let them! I added 1 cup of crumbled crispy bacon, 1 cup of a grated Mexican cheese assortment, an ample tad of diced green chiles and roasted corn kernels (from a can) that I had left over. Cornbread makes any meal more special. Fleischmann’s get a WOW.
Cathy O’Connell and I have broken bread in London, Paris, Aspen and El Jebel, sharing wonderful meals and experiences together. But nothing tops the hilarity and merriment of Christmas dinner at her brother Barney’s condo in Encinitas (Cali) last Sunday night.
When I walked into Barney’s condo Christmas night, these four characters were just sitting on the couch staring at me. It was perfect. And so was the evening. Thank you, O’Connell’s. (Tommy,L. Cathy, Fred, Cathy’s husband & My Boyfriend, and Barney, R)
2023, MAKE MEMORIES
Before leaving Aspen, I attended the Anderson Ranch Art Center’s Holiday Buffet and Open House with Wendy Weaver and Connie Morrell. It was a beautiful (and, chilly) night.
For the past 10 years I’ve turned my keys over to The Gant and taken a solo winter adventure to parts unknown. I plead guilty to grumbling about the pivot from home to rental each year but have settled into being more streamlined, doing with less. This winter, hoping to begin a writing project, all I needed was a quiet landing in an English-speaking country.
Cocoanut Green Curry – One last holiday meal at Free Range Kitchen in Basalt
As with everything I do, my family jumped in to make it happen. For Emma, a senior at Point Loma Nazarene U. in San Diego, it was a no-brainer.“Why not move to one of the small beach towns near me,” she suggested.
Raise your hand if you ever considered inviting your grandmother to live nearby during your college years! Following Emma’s suggestion and after Grandma signed on, her mom (that’s my daughter), Melissa, jotted down a few communities they thought I’d like. Recalling that I once almost rented a flat with no kitchen, Missy also pulled up VRBO and began searching herself.
Shortly after I arrived, Emma’s Christmas Break began.
And that’s how, following a 1,000-mile drive from Aspen, I just settled into a lovely townhouse, with a fully-stocked kitchen, 80 stair steps from the Pacific Ocean in Solana Beach. What makes it especially fortuitous is Emma was just accepted into the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program in Duke University’s School of Medicine so, like her sister Clara, who is in Terre Haute, both are enrolled in year-round programs. I am lucky to be here with her this winter.
A few days later, Clara flew in from Terre Haute where she attends Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. I had not seen her for three years.
A Grandmother’s joy
2022, CELEBRATE MEMORIES
Last fall I stopped my world and got off. Many of you will relate to my on-going dilemma. When I moved back to Aspen in 2013 and moved into my furnished condo, I brought with me the contents of two houses. In time I’ve gotten rid of the furniture but I’ve always kept my 10’x15’ storage unit which is loaded with wall to ceiling boxes.
Before leaving Aspen, I made a trip up Ajax in the gondola .
Every year my very able CPA gets more exasperated that I don’t deal with this. Early on he was sympathetic, a difficult job, raw emotions. Running out of excuses, four years ago I explained I couldn’t bear to get rid of my Christmas decorations. That excuse, which I also used the following year, did not fly. Yes, I could understand his not understanding why I didn’t understand the wasteful co$t involved.
Last October, weighed down with too much baggage, I went cold turkey with my storage addiction. For one month I shut down my life. Literally. Four days a week I made the 30-mile commute to forage through boxes packed in 2004 and 2013. Whatever was in them, labeled or not, I obviously hadn’t needed. Although my family and friends grew tired and downright rude about my pestering them to take items, most things were too nice to ditch.
The question is, Will these trees be standing when I return home?
On the days I wasn’t in Carbondale at the warehouse, I was dispersing what I’d unpacked to charities, libraries and the like. My favorite stop was the Aspen Thrift Shop managed since 1949 by local volunteers, primarily women who are my friends. This reminded me what I was doing for one month, they do every day.
It was hot and dusty work. Even wearing gloves, brutal on my nails and abusive to my manicure! Paper cuts do hurt. I bruise easily so my arms were a eerie shading of black-and-blue. A time or two there was blood involved. Albeit longer hours/days and fewer breaks or snacks, I wondered, was this a glimpse into life as an Amazon warehouse employee?
The Resnick Art Gallery featuring work by Herbert Bayer was a well-done and fabulous addition to the Aspen Meadows campus in 2022.
Each box I broke down for recycling was a victory. I thought this would be tough emotionally, it wasn’t. I shed a tear every so often but laughed more as I was reminded of silly memories, appreciating a Life well lived and still plowing forward. When I was finished, had swept out my unit and pulled down the folding door, I don’t know who was happiest, Me, Melissa or My Friends. Probably, all of the above.
Hugs, Love and Happy New Year, Loyal Readers
These coastal rascals, Marbled Godwits, are scooting around the beach every day.
DORIE, ALWAYS AT HER BEST
Perhaps, like me, you’ve had enough sweets, drink and holiday fare…..until Super Bowl weekend or, perhaps, Valentines Day. While I don’t often include meat in my menu, when I do I want it juicy, ultra-flavorful and tender to the max. And, leftovers. A must. This is my go-to recipe for winter. A flank steak is more affordable than most cuts. The marinade is the kicker. It’s magic. And, it works with many cuts of beef and chicken cutlets.
MARINATED, PAN-SEARED FLANK STEAK adapted from Dorie Greenspan, Everyday Dorie cookbook. (Note the pink.)
This marinade, with its 1-2 punch both flavors and tenderizes the steak and then is used to sauce it. (TIP: To have more sauce, I doubled this recipe which keeps nicely in the refrigerator for 4 days.)
This can also be turned into fabulous-tasting sandwiches or a delicious salad
2-4 servings
INGREDIENTS MARINADE:
Two inches of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp sugar 1/4 cup soy sauce, low-sodium preferred 2 tablespoons olive oil or neutral oil Finely grated zest and juice of 2 large or 4 small limes 1/4-1/2 cup cilantro (including tender stems), finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
1 flank steak, 18 ounces total (or, 2 skirt steaks or 1 hangar steak or chicken cutlets, if desired)
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Put the curry paste in a medium bowl and mash it together with the ginger, garlic and sugar. Add the soy sauce, oil, lime zest and juice and the cilantro, stirring to blend. Taste, and add more curry paste or garlic, as needed.
Place the meat in a dish that will hold it snugly. Pour over the marinade, then rub it into both sides of the meat. Cover the dish and either let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. (If you’re refrigerating the meat, it might be easier to just pack everything into a zip-top bag.) Remove it from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.
When you’re ready to cook, remove the meat from the marinade, scrape whatever solids may be stuck to the meat back into the bowl and pat the meat dry.
Use cooking oil spray to grease a grill pan or cast-iron skillet and place over high heat. Add the meat. if you’re cooking 2 steaks, don’t crowd them. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the meat’s thickness. (A flank steak will cook faster than a skirt or hanger – it may need just 2 to 3 minutes on a side.) Turn the meat over and cook until done just as you like.
To check on the meat, make a slight cut to the meat and take a peek, remembering that the meat will continue to cook a bit after it comes off the heat.
Transfer to a cutting board to rest. Season with salt and pepper and let the steak sit for a few minutes while you reheat the marinade. Bring the marinade to a boil in a microwave (HIGH) or in a pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Cook for a few minutes, then remove from the heat.
Slice the rested steak as thick or thin as you like, against the grain. Spoon the sauce over the meat and serve warm.
TIP: I suggest serving this with Ina Garten’s Sautéed Broccoli
Years ago I flew to the Food Blogger Conference in Seattle to join twenty other French Friday with Dorie members to support Dorie Greenspan, the keynote speaker. We were part of a virtual group cooking through her latest award-winning book, “Around My French Table.”
Rosh Hashanah Dinner 2022 – French Apple Cake, Plum Cake, Mixed Fruit
At that time, it had been 30-some years since my being in a plane crash. After trying everything from pills to hypnosis to single malt scotch, I was still terrified to fly. Usually flying alone, I never chatted with seat-mates, watched no movies, didn’t catch a wink and if I’d spot a plane nearby, I’d alert the stewardess.
On the Seattle flight, shortly after taking off, my seat mate who I later discovered was a psychiatrist, psychologist or something, said, “You look like you’re a worrier.”
At that time, dealing with several issues including grief and wanting to close down the conversation, I responded, “Ya think?”
Without losing a beat, he began, “I can help you with that.”
Elaine Grossman baked this gorgeous loaf of Challah bread. It was as delicious to eat as it was to see. Baking any bread at high-altitude successfully is quite an accomplishment.
In short he correctly reminded me that worrying is not productive. “Do this,” he suggested. “Every time you begin to worry about something, write it down, park it someplace and do not think about it. Then pick a day. I would say for you it’s every Wednesday at 3pm. When you check out your Worry List every week at 3pm, I predict most of those worries would have already solved themselves and some now just seem silly.”
Readers, you just heard the short version but you get it. He finished his remarks just as we were landing in Seattle. Ironically, I sorta liked that idea although my family thought it was bonkers and my friends scoffed. Still, I tried it for a time, it seemed to work but like every How-To idea or diet, I forgot about it.
The last of our Colorado peaches. This O’Henry peach is a very large, yellow, freestone peach with red skin, firm flesh and superb flavor. My favorite.
YEAR 2022
In September I decided to dust off and tweak that old idea which had worked so well. In the past three years, since the Pandemic began, I felt I’d lost my Joy and despite what I considered ‘Herculean’ efforts, I couldn’t find it. Like each of you, I’ve been knocked down a time….or four or five, but I’ve always bounced back quickly. For the Life I’m now privileged to live, this lack of feeling Joy, if you will, is disappointing to me, embarrassing to write about and even disgusting. But what I’ve found from ten years of writing this blog, when I voice a concern or sadness or muddle and ask myself, “Should I write this?” there are always a few readers who have similar feelings but not a vehicle to share it or a confidante to tell it.
SweeTango (L) apples were introduced in 2009 when horticulturists from the UofMinnesota bred a Honey Crisp with a Zestar. In 1999 the UofMinnesota horticulturists had introduced the early season, hardy apple, the Zestar (L Back) that’s juicy with a light and crisp texture. The two Honeycrisps (R) were also developed in Minnesota and have become among the most popular apple in the world. Note: I may have my apples labeled incorrectly!!!
Sam, pictured here at the Senior Center and who works for Pitkin County, delivers fresh vegetables to us every week and helps us set up the displays for our veggie market. He’s a great guy and has made this year’s program even better. Sam’s from Minnesota where his family still lives and works. Returning from vacation, he brought back sacks of Minnesota apples fresh from the farm to share. I used them in my apples cakes this fall.
In the past month while thinking about this post, I’ve wondered what Joy really looks like in Year 2022. Each day I’m trying to come up with and jot down what I call “Joy Juice.” (Well, it’s better than drinking it.). Even finding $50 in my jean’s back pocket recently counts!
OUR BEARS AT PLAY
“Mama, It’s going to be a long winter. I’m hungry,” says the little black bear.
Our bears are e-v-e-r-y–w-h-e-r-e on the hunt for food. During the fall they eat and drink nearly nonstop, needing to put on weight to prepare for winter and hibernation. This process is called hyperphagia.
DORIE’S FRENCH APPLE CAKE, A GENIUS RECIPE
I first baked Marie-Hélène’s Apple Cake on December 8, 2012 when I was a member of French Fridays with Dorie. Every week we would make a group recipe choice, bake it and write up a post about it on our blogs. Every since then I’ve baked at least 10 of these cakes each year. This apple cake was my favorite recipe in the book and the favorite of many “Dorista’s.”
Later it was celebrated in the first of the Food52 genius cookbooks, Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook. At the time, one of its editors wrote, ‘know that apples cobbled together with gently boozed up, custardy cake are going to be well received.’
MARIE-HELENE’S (Dorie’s good friend) FRENCH APPLE CAKE
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (If you can, choose 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs. dark rum
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
8 Tbs. (1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the springform on it. If you use a larger pan, it will lose some of its height.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.
3. Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks. If possible, use 4 different apples of any kind.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish. Bang the pan on the counter 2-3 times to remove air bubbles.
5. Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 to 70 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. The cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
6. Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it’s fully opened, make sure there aren’t any apples stuck to it.) Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.
SERVING: The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, with or without a little softly whipped, barely sweetened heavy cream or a spoonful of ice cream. Marie-Hélène’s served her cake with cinnamon ice cream and it was a terrific combination.
Another.
STORING: The cake will keep for about 2 days at room temperature. It’s best not to cover it tightly because it’s too moist. Leave the cake on its plate and just press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper against the cut surfaces.
OUR BEARS AT WORK
Although our bears are tenacious and clever, more often it’s the homeowner/business owner who is careless. A fed bear is a dead bear.
