APRIL 2010 READING - Book Review

I re-read (or actually listened to) a great Lord Peter Wimsey book. Seriously, I love this man. Dorothy Sayers did a superb job creating this brilliant and elegant (and wealthy) whodunit expert. Listening to it on tape is a real treat since the reader, Nadia May (aka Donada Peters and Wanda McCaddon), is English-born and has that perfect diction of to-the-manor born.

Have you any idea how difficult it would be to write a murder mystery? There is a lot of psychology involved, one would need to be very clever (and devious), a wordsmith, and of course a flat-out great story teller. Sayers has all this in spades. I can appreciate the skills it would take to write not just one great murder mystery but a whole series.

Sayers' writing is never dull and in, Whose Body, having the killer write pages and pages of why and how he/she did it was riveting. Written in 1923, this is Sayer's first Lord Peter Wimsey novel. So it is a good one to read if you haven't had the pleasure of reading any Wimsey novels before. My favorites are the Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane books--Vane is his true love. But really, any Wimsey book will do.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a French novel translated into English. Written by Muriel Barbery, a professor of philosophy, the story takes place in current times, in an upscale Paris apartment house. It is told from the perspective of two narrators: Renee, the 54-year old widowed concierge who works for the residences of the apartment, and Paloma, the intelligent 12 year old daughter of one of the wealthy families.

Renee works hard to hide the fact (hence the title) that she is an intellectual and Paloma is brilliantly working toward her goal of setting fire to the building and then committing suicide. I promise you it is not as bleak as it sounds. Things change when a new resident arrives. Basically, it is a lovely (and a bit of a tearjerker) story of three people who briefly tap into each others lives and make a difference. I very much enjoyed this book.

I quickly read Game Change about the 2008 Presidential elections--a bit of a downer given the behind the scene stories which unfortunately rang true.

I did enjoy Tough Choices by Carly Fiorina, former head of Hewlett-Packard and now a candidate for US Senator against Barbara Boxer in California. After reading her story, she's definitely tough enough to run against Boxer.

What are you reading?

CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE - Pioneer Woman Cooks

I love a thin layer of chocolate cake with chocolate icing. So a cake baked in a jelly roll pan is perfect for that thin layer of sheet cake. My friend, Jill, gave me the book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, for my birthday. I noticed this recipe right away and made it for a bridal shower I was hosting--it was a hit. And the icing is to die for (well, that's a bit dramatic but it is really, really good).

This recipe makes one 18 x 13 x 1 inch cake.

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cup Buttermilk
2 whole Eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
_____
FOR FROSTING:

½ cup Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into an 18 x 13 jelly roll pan (baking sheet with sides) and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

APRIL GARDENING

I wish you could smell these Freesias. The strong fragrance of these little darlings is found in a lot of perfumes and lotions. They make great cut flowers for your home as they last a good week.

The flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing, and the humming birds are stopping by for a little sip of nectar. April in Arizona is the best.

As you can see in the pic above, Tammy's Sweet Peas are climbing and blooming.

And the 100 bulbs Tammy, Ellie, and the twins planted are breaking free.

This striped tulip was a surprise. Isn't it odd that tulips don't have any scent?

Ranunculus' intertwined with the Sweet Peas.

As my niece, Ellie, says, "Kipling is always very involved". No kidding.

Heaps of homemade compost filled-up the garden boxes. Don't know what I'm planting, yet.

The Mid-Pride Peach tree we planted last year didn't make it. So we bought another one and we're keeping our fingers crossed that peaches will appear in a few years. At least it is leafing out nicely.

And our little Anna apple trees have leafed-out. We held our breath since we had pulled off all of its leaves in February. Of course, Jill was right.

What are you planting this Summer?

BAREFOOT CONTESSA GARLIC MASHED POTATOES and BELINDA'S HOMEMADE ROLLS

Aren't real, genuine mashed potatoes the best! It's been so long since I had the real thing that I almost forgot what they tasted like. Of course, the Barefoot Contessa had a twist on the classic mashed--substituting olive oil for butter. I will tell you that I couldn't bring myself to add the full cup the recipe calls for but we couldn't tell the difference (I used 2/3rds cup of olive oil). And instead of 3 pounds of the naturally creamy Yukon Gold I added 4 pounds. So more potatoes and less olive oil--but, boy were these babies delish. And they were a nice fit with the Cascabel Chile Honey Glazed Pork on Easter Sunday.


Directions:

1/2 cup garlic cloves, peeled (about 1 head)

Ingredients
•1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I used 2/3rds cup)
•3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered (I added 4 pounds)
•Kosher salt
•1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•1/4 cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or creme fraiche
In a small saucepan, bring the garlic and oil to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook uncovered for 5 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly browned. Turn off the heat and set aside. The garlic will continue to cook in the oil.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. With a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes from the water, reserving the cooking water, and remove the garlic from the oil, reserving the oil.

Process the potatoes and garlic through a food mill fitted with the medium disk. (I do not have a food mill, so I just used an old-fashioned masher--we also like our potatoes with a bit of texture to them). Add the reserved olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt, the pepper, cream, and 3/4 cup of the cooking water to the potatoes and mix with a wooden spoon. Add more cooking water, if necessary, until the potatoes are creamy but still firm. Season, to taste,and serve hot.


Also sharing the stage with the pork and potatoes were Belinda's homemade Rosemary dinner rolls. If you live in Mesa, do yourself a favor and order these little darlings from Belinda Smith of Belinda's Kitchen (4301 E. McKellips, Mesa, AZ, 480-203-4626).

VINCENT'S CASCABEL CHILE HONEY GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe before. It is one of my family's favorite dishes and I make it almost every Easter (except for last Easter which no one in my family can remember what I made). This glaze is sweet and rich and comes from Vincen'ts cookbook. Vincent Guerithalt is a local French chef with a great little restaurant in Phoenix. I especially like his tiny Market Bistro which serves terrific lunches in a setting that feels as if you are in Paris. And the prices are great (I promise).

Back to the glaze: you don't need much because there is so much flavor. I buy the dried Cascabel chiles at Penzey's but you can pick them up at a Mexican market super cheap.

I prepare the pork tenderloin one of two ways: either on the grill or roast in the oven. Either way I rub the tenderloin's (usually 3 pounds) with olive oil, salt, and pepper. If roasting, I set the oven at 350 degrees and roast for 50 minutes.
Brush the tenderloin with the glaze the last 5 minutes and then warm up the remaining glaze and serve with the tenderloin. You will love it!

Cascabel Chile And Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

4 Cascabel Chiles (found in Mexican markets or at Penzeys Spice in Scottsdale)
One cup Honey
1/2 cup Chicken stock
3 T Tomato puree
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Ground cumin

Instructions:
Rehydrate the cascabel chiles by soaking them in warm water for about 2 hours before using them.

Drain the chiles and place them with the honey, chicken stock, tomato puree, paprika, and cumin in a saucepan and simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and pure the mixture in a blender.

Brush on grilled pork tenderloin or grilled chicken.

Note: if jalapenos are used, roast them and peel, seed, and dice them before simmering them with the rest of the ingredients.

ORANGE MINI CHEESECAKES - Pinch My Salt

HAPPY EASTER!

A while ago I made Lemon Mini Cheesecakes and they were a hit. And although I love lemon-flavored anything, the orange blossoms that are filling the Valley of the Sun with its fragrance lured me into hunting down a recipe for orange-flavored mini cheesecakes. I found one on Pinch My Salt blog. No hint of tartness but a lovely sweet orange undertone. Just right for a recent bridal shower I hosted for my friend, Sharon.

You will need a mini-cheesecake pan (which I've used more times than I thought I would). These are super easy to make.

Instead of a graham cracker crust I used ginger snaps. The ginger snaps have far more flavor than the graham crackers and the combination of the light ginger taste with the orange zest fits just right.

The recipe for the whipped cream calls for Grand Marnier but I substituted orange juice instead.

Crust:
1 C. graham cracker crumbs (I substituted ginger snaps for graham crackers)
2 T. brown sugar
1/3 stick melted butter

Filling:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 C. sour cream
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/3 C. sugar
finely grated zest of one orange

Topping:
1 C. heavy cream
1 T. Grand Marnier (I used orange juice)
2 T. powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter with a fork until well combined.
3. Divide crumb mixture evenly between the 12 cups of your mini-cheesecake pan. Using your fingers or the back of a tablespoon, press crumbs firmly onto the bottom and partially up the sides of each cup; set aside.
4. Combine sugar and orange zest in a mini food processor and process until orange zest has been incorporated and sugar is fine (I mixed together with a fork and it turned out fine).
5. Using an electric mixer, blend softened cream cheese, sour cream, egg, and orange sugar together in a medium bowl. (if you skipped step 4, add both the sugar and orange zest in step 5)
6. Spoon cream cheese mixture into the twelve cups, trying to divide the mixture as evenly as possible.
7. Bake for 14 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven.
8. Remove from oven and place on rack to cool for 20 minutes then carefully remove cheesecakes from pan and let cool completely on rack.
9. Put cheesecakes in refrigerator and chill until ready to use.
10. Just before serving, combine cream (make sure it’s very cold), grand marnier and sugar in a mixing bowl and whip, using a hand whisk or electric mixer with whisk attachment, until soft peaks form.
11. Top mini cheesecakes with dollops of grand marnier cream and serve.

ARTWORK - Maps

Last Fall while shopping at Juxtaposition, a stylish little shop in Newport Beach, I came across some beautiful wrapping paper. I am a sucker for lovely, thick paper (and ribbon to boot) so seeing large sheets of paper draped over wooden dowels got my attention. To actually feel the paper is a great selling point to me. Don't you hate it when you are wrapping a gift and it tears at the slightest tug?

But this time, instead of a repeating pattern each sheet had a complete scene of drawings such as the natural history of birds, mammals, the Statue of Liberty, fruits, vegetables, and lo and behold of maps. One sheet was $4. A tad too expensive for one-time use wrapping paper but what deal for a piece of art! And since Juxtaposition is a pricey little shop, I was thrilled to find something clearly in my price range.

So, I bought two sheets of wrapping paper of the familiar maps of Paris and London and patiently waited for Michael's 60 percent framing coupon. Normally I take my artwork to Framer's Workshop in Scottsdale where Chris and Rolf work their magic but since wrapping paper isn't exactly an investment I decided to take a less expensive route.

Michael's did a good job, don't you think? You pretty much can't go wrong when choosing neutral matting and a plain, black frame. So now I have two lovely pieces of art in my family room.

APRIL PHOENIX HOME AND GARDEN MAGAZINE

My darling friends, Jill and Hal Green, are highlighted in the April issue of Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine. Pick up your copy today (and I promise to have it autographed by these two stars!)

For a behind the scenes look at the photo shoot, visit Jill's website, Sweet Life Garden (www.sweetlifegarden.com).

ARCHITECTURAL PRINTS

When I travel I love to pickup artwork whether it be small watercolors by local artists camped out in tourist areas or finding some interesting print in a secondhand bookstore.

The above is what kicked off my love of architectural prints. My sister, Tammy, and I were in a tiny little village, Puddletown (I'm not making this up) in Dorset County, England. We walked in (carefully since the entrance was directly on the main road, no sidewalk, no buffer between the door and the road!) to a miniscule used bookstore and I found this print of an obelisk that sits high upon one of the Cambridge colleges. It was 10 pounds which at the time was around $14. That was 1995.

Since then I have a collected a few more. I found the trio above in London at a junk shop on Portobello Road on my 40th birthday, December 31st. These three beautiful prints were in a french architectural book dated in the late 1700's and cost 20 pounds each--around $30 at the time.

I found this old print last summer in New York for $15. Isn't it pretty? I was touring the Kips Bay Designer Show House and this was in the gift shop, ripped out of a book from the 1800's.

Digging around in a shop in Rome I came across this water-stained print and loved the lines despite the brown, crinkly paper. It was also super cheap, just can't remember anymore. But I do remember the shop owner arguing with her husband in rapid-fire Italian.

And these three were found on separate trips. The top is of a fountain on a bridge over the Tiber River in Rome. The second, I found for $5 in York, it is an intricate drawing of a gate. And the last I found in Oxford--a drawing of a ceiling. Wouldn't you love to be looking up at that ceiling?

Some of these prints are fragile and don't travel well so I now carry a mailing tube with me which protects the art.

All of these pieces are some of the reasons I love traveling. To walk in to some tiny little dusty store, dig around in boxes and come up with a little gem while chatting with the shop owner enriches my experience. And to bring it home to display visually reminds me of a great trip.

THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE - Book Review

This is a fun read told from the perspective of a smart-as-a-whip 11 year old girl living in England during the 1950's. Of course, pretty much anything written from the point of view of someone living in England attracts me. And don't you just love the book cover?

Flavia de Luce is the star of the show. She is the youngest of three girls living at Buckshaw (grand old English country home) with her melancholy Father, Mrs. Mullet (cook), and Dogger the all-around helper. Seeking revenge on her two sisters while practicing her art as a chemist (focusing on poisons) and playing detective, she is very busy.

Although exceedingly mature for an 11-year old she does occasionally show her age, especially in dealing with her older sisters. Her lists of chemical pay-backs are laugh-out-loud funny. But it's her detective work and courage that gets a big hooray from me.

The author, Alan Bradley, is in his 70's and won the Debut Dagger Award of the (British) Crimewriter’s Association. Interesting that he chose an 11-year old girl as his protagonist in what is to be the first book in a series. I'm hooked.

Thanks to A Garden Carried in the Pocket for a review that prompted me to order this book at once!

APPLE CRANBERRY CRISP - Bon Appetit

Pretty much all fruit cobblers, crisps, crumbles, buckles, crunches, are at the top of my favorite desserts (yes, more than one) list. Warm fruit and a crunchy topping, heart warming.

The cranberries make it tart and again it is that sweet and tart combination that makes my taste buds sing.

Super easy is another great thing about fruit cobblers. Preparing the fruit takes longer than putting the whole thing togehter.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds tart green apples
-- peeled, 3/4" pieces
3 cups cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter -- chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Toss apples, cranberries, 2/3 C sugar, 2T flour, cinnamon and nutmeg to blend in large bowl. Transfer to 8x8" glass baking dish. Let stand 15 mins.

Combine oats, brown sugar and remaining 2T flour in medium bowl. Add butter and stir til moist clumps form. Sprinkle over filling. Bake til topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

MARCH GARDENING UPDATE

Gorgeous grapefruit! Our first year of delicious, sweet, edible Oro Blanco grapefruit. No sugar needed. A bowl of hot oatmeal finished with an Oro Blanco is my favorite winter-spring breakfast. That sweet-tart taste sharpens the taste buds. If you can, pick them as you eat them. Ripening ceases as soon as you pull it from its branch. However, once ripe, grapefruits store well and I've had them in my refrigerator bin for as long as four weeks without any spoiling.

Have you ever eaten a Sun Gold tomato? Sweet, juicy, little golden globes the size of small marbles. If your kids usually won't eat tomatoes they will eat a Sun Gold. However, if you buy them at the market they are pricey--$5 for a small basket. So, growing them is a much better idea. I just transplanted the little jewels on Saturday, just in time for the glorious rain.

In the background of the pic above, you can see that Tammy's Sweet Peas and various bulbs are out of the ground and reaching upwards. Should be blooming and bountiful in a few more weeks.

Last fall I bought a pretty little herb called Pennyroyal. Not knowing anything about it other than it had tiny leaves with a strong, minty fragrance, I planted one small bunch. Well, forget it. It spreads its little tentacles and before you know it it is everywhere (see photo above, at the base of the cilantro). Oh, and it's toxic. So I pulled it and hopefully got it all. But, if you are looking for a pretty, fragrant, slightly toxic ground cover, this is the plant for you.