Culinary
Hillhouse Naturals
I always find wonderful little treasures at the New York Botanical Garden’s book/gift store. This time I picked up a Hillhouse Naturals Bloom sachet for my closet. It’s an enduring floral fragrance. Love it! It’s the best sachet I’ve ever purchased. Please visit their website. They carry a wide selection of home fragrance products such as potpourri, candles, oils, fragrance mist, sachets, pillar candles, and even have a body care line.
*Photocredit: Hillhouse Naturals
Nifty Cutting Boards
I saw these Core Bamboo cutting boards yesterday and wanted to blog about them. Really great for a serious cook who wants a well-equipped kitchen beyond basics or has lots of extra storage space in his/her pantry or basement. I have to pick and choose what’s the most important me. Space is of the essence. I can picture my husband’s folks or aunt owning one of these; they’re fairly serious epicures.
*Photocredit: Ideeli
Comfort Food: A Selection of Traditional Recipes Like Your Grandma Used to Make
Thanks to my mother-in-law’s gift of a new recipe book, I am once again armed with an arsenal of great stuff to try =). So far I’ve made the Sausage & Tomato Stew and the Cheese & Spinach Lasagna. Both pretty tasty; and even better, simple to make! This is an absolutely wonderful book for any beginning chef and mother. Can’t go wrong with comfort recipes. Below is a picture of the book in question; however, I believe it depicts an earlier edition by Parragon Publishing than the one I own. I am planning for next week’s dinner menu… Pick up a copy!
*Photocredit: Amazon
First Attempt at Quiche Lorraine
This is my first attempt at making quiche. The recipe was pretty simple with easy to find ingredients. I really didn’t have to buy much this time. Recipe source: http://www.easy-french-food.com/print-quichelorraine.html. I’m normally not a bacon lover but this quiche was very tasty.
Glad to know based on what I’ve read from Alice Water’s The Art of Simple Food, that my pantry is basically well stocked minus risotto or polenta (though white rice probably counts). I’ve always wondered what a well stocked pantry should contain for starters. Of course, your family’s and cultural influences may play a big part in what’s important for you to include on this list. I’m fascinated to know what special treats people may keep in their pantry and why (especially those items not considered as basic pantry stock). Write me! I’m a little nosy 
… My decadent treat is condensed milk and I love love love tea of every kind- but especially green tea & brown rice, white chrysanthemum with honey, jasmine, and India Estate teas.
For now, I’m probably armed with the best cookbooks. You don’t necessarily need a library’s worth of cookbooks to make regular family meals. After seeing the movie Julie & Julia last night I’d like to make Child’s Beef Bourguignon along with Raspberry Bavarian Cream dessert. Before this little venture, I’m planning to make Braised Chicken Legs on egg noodles and sauteed fennel. I’ve made the Orange and Olive Salad last night from the aforementioned book and it was sooooo good! I lit up knowing that I had the ingredients at hand to make this on a whim.
Why this growing interest in culinary delights in this stage of my life?.. Contribute to all-around self-improvement… that if I’m to cook for an hour or two most days, I should make the most of my time… Oh, read some great books, try some new recipes with diligence and accuracy, learn along the way from my fizzles and small victories, and progress to the point where I can vary some recipes with confidence and customize it to my or my taster’s liking… The bigger picture… get the most out of life, what it has to offer, and never take things for granted (no more shoveling down food).
With this, I will close this post with a pic of Water’s book, my Quiche Lorraine, and a promise to share more photos of my gastronomic pursuits…
*Photocredit: Amazon
French-Style Braised Cabbage
I’ve made this recipe twice, once with red cabbage and last night using green cabbage. Both are so good! You have to try it! It’s also so simple to do.
Braised Red Cabbage (Chou Rouge Braisé)
Source: http://www.easy-french-food.com/red-cabbage-recipe.html
* 1 head of red cabbage
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 large onion, peeled
* 2 cloves
* 1/2 cup red wine
* 1 cup chicken bouillon
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* bay leaf
* salt and pepper
* 2 apples, diced
Cut the cabbage in four and then cut out the stem. Chop the cabbage finely or use a food processor to shred it.
In a large solid pot (the original French recipe says this is best done in a cast iron pot), melt the butter. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Poke the onion with the two cloves and add it to the pot along with the red wine and bouillon. Stir in the sugar and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Cook covered for 1 h 15 min on low heat, stirring occasionally. Add more water as needed.
Add the apple to the cabbage and cook 15 minutes more. Season to taste. Aim for a good equilibrium between the sweet, salty and acidic flavors of this dish.
Makes 8 servings or more depending on the size of the cabbage.
Variations:
* For a more acidic flavor you can substitute red wine vinegar for part or all of the wine, and don’t hesitate to use that opened bottle of wine that’s gone a bit off. It would be perfect for this dish.
* For a more substantial dish, fry six ounces of bacon in the butter before you add the cabbage or try adding canned cooked chestnuts to the cabbage and apples at the end of the cooking.
* Try adding other spices and flavors: a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, orange zest, or 1/3 cup raisins would all work well.
* Feel free to try this recipe with green cabbage and white wine. It will work just as well.
* Many people enjoy a sprinkle of cassonade, or raw sugar, on top of their braised cabbage for a slightly sweeter dish. You could serve the cabbage with a small bowl of sugar at the table.
Leftovers:
Store in refrigerator and microwave to rewarm the next day. Since one cabbage tends to make a lot you’re bound to have leftovers. This is a good deal, because you won’t have to think about what vegetable to serve with your next meal!
*Photocredit: OnApples
On Cooking & Baking
I’ve never really considered cooking as a hobby so I will name it as an interest of mine. I’ve been cooking for seven years, thought of it solely as a necessity, and basically cooked recipes I had learned from my mom (no formal recipe books). A few months ago I began thinking of it as something more. The same goes for baking. My recent fave recipes have been French countryside, cast iron, and casseroles. I also enjoy making and decorating cupcakes with my Wilton set and creating rustic desserts e.g. apple galettes and fresh versus canned cherry clafoutis. It’s never a crime to substitute an ingredient if you think you have a better idea e.g. sometimes I will use cilantro instead of flat-leaf parsley, etc. I also prefer ingredients that are relatively easy to obtain from a local supermarket. I’ve done some light research regarding cookbooks and the best ones I’ve seen so far are featured below… I have also perused through the internet and accumulated some great recipes. If you have any other suggestions, please post a comment. I would love to hear from you.
*Photocredit: Amazon
Sugar Art
Belle de Sucre, Paris takes sugar to a whole other level. How beautiful these bon bons would look presented on a pretty Victorian plate at high tea or in a handmade and lusciously decorated gift box to someone special! Too bad that these lovelies are not offered in the US yet 
. I did find online, a recipe by “Trish” if you are interested in customizing your own and up to the sweet tooth challenge…
Trish’s “Renaissance Sweets” Recipe
Expertise Level: So easy to make yourself!
Add 2 teaspoons of water to 1 cup of sugar
Mix until the consistency of wet sand
While moistened, pack sugar into plastic mold trays
Even off the sugar with a spatula
Take the sugar beauties out of the molds and lay onto parchment paper right away
Let harden overnight
Molds can be found at craft stores and kitchen supply stores.
Smaller molds are recommended for this project.
Suggestion: Flower molded sugars make great cupcake toppers.
You may brush sugars with culinary glitter dust or lightly brush them with touches of food coloring.
For supplies, I personally recommend e.g. kitchenkrafts.com only because I’ve bought from them and was pleased with their products. There are also so many others, so have fun searching
*Photocredit: Various Sources; I will post my own pics once I have made mine 
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Dietary Detox
While at the beauty salon, I caught up on some celebrity gossip and found an article regarding Gwyneth Paltrow’s professionally prescribed dietary detox regimen. Sounded interesting although the quantity of food is for the birds. The recipes look tame enough so I’m probably going to give a few of them a try. I really do believe the saying, “you are what you eat” (which doesn’t mean that I’m perfect and never indulge in junk). Maybe a good consequence of dietary detox is energy pick-me-ups? We could all use a little of that; I know I definitely do. There’s also the issue of getting enough fluid intake per day and good regular sleep patterns (I definitely need improvement). Brave or not, these are some of the recipes I’m willing to give a go. BTW, I am not a big soy lover (even if it’s a good thing). Wish me luck for a new and improved me =) –>
*Update 02/24/2009: I was a little disappointed that the Blueberry Almond Shake wasn’t as yummy as I’d hoped. It tasted a little like soy milk to me =P. I guess that the blueberries were not as sweet because they are not really in season/at their best peak right now. Still, I’m fairly certain that there might be someone out there who would like this recipe. No blueberries will go to waste; I bought a big container of plain yogurt and they will be blended together soon (me, of little faith, sort of anticipated that I may not like the drink). Maybe I can pick up some bananas too for this new concoction?
*Photocredit: OK! Magazine?
