Am I Blue?

Often as an artist, a material will tell you what it wants to be. For me, food can be the same way. So when I bought a jar of blue poppy seeds in Paris and then a set of miniature loaf pans at home, I knew what I had to make. Small loaves of Lemon Poppy Seed Cake soon emerged from those Lilliputian loaf pans. Blue food is just plain fun. You really can't tell that the seeds are blue or gray in the pale yellow cake, but they looked so appealing in the jar on the store shelf. They give the subtlest crunch to this fresh, buttery cake. The little loaves are perfect to give away at holiday time, alongside a plate of homemade cookies. A lemony sugar syrup is drizzled over them as they cool from the oven to give them a more robust lemon flavor and longer shelf life. These are so tempting with their delicate texture and come hither taste, that shelf life will not be something you'll need to worry about.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

3 tablespoons milk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
13 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

for the lemon syrup:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl lightly combine the milk, eggs and vanilla. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and half of the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until moistened and then on medium speed for 1 minute. Gradually add the rest of the egg mixture, while scraping down the sides, and beat for 1 more minute. Scape the batter into 6 greased and floured pans miniature 2x4 inch loaf pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and they are golden brown on top. You may also use a 4x8 loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes.

Make the lemon sugar syrup just before the cake comes out of the oven. Put the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and heat just until the sugar dissolves. After taking the cake out of the oven, poke it all over with a metal tester or thin skewer. Brush with half of the syrup. After slightly cooled, take out of pan and poke with skewer on the bottom and sides, and then brush with the rest of the syrup.Cool and wrap with plastic wrap and let sit overnight to fully absorb the syrup. Store for up to 4 days room temperature, 1 week refrigerated.

Written and photographed by Diane

Welsh Farmhouse Chicken

I picked up a "Country Living" magazine on cool raw day in London recently and couldn't wait to try one of the recipes when I returned home. It was Welsh farmhouse inspired and called for partridges or other game from the local shoot. My Boston seaside town doesn't stock game, so I substituted chicken. Doesn't it all taste like chicken anyway?! The dish was accompanied by beet root and greens, and I added a cauliflower gratin to mine. The resulting meal was of the season and very satisfying. I envisioned a Welsh farmhouse with a chilly stone floor and simmering iron pot as the aroma of it cooking filled the fall air. The mixture of the red wine, onions, cinnamon and chicken will warm you to the bottom of your Wellies. Following is my adaptation.

Welsh Farmhouse Chicken

1 large chicken breast, split
2 tablespoons butter
24 baby onions, skinned
1 1/2 cups Shiraz red wine
1 short stick of cinnamon
2 cloves
1 teaspoon brown sugar
salt and pepper

Saute onions in the butter in a heavy large pot until golden. Add
the chicken and continue sauteing until it is lightly browned. Add the cloves, by inserting them into a couple of the onions, for easy removal. Then add the wine, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Check after 30-40 minutes for doneness of the chicken. The sauce should reduce to a shiny, slightly thickened richness. Remove the cloves and serve with baked beetroot and beet leaves. Serves 4



Baked Beetroot and Beet Leaves with Yogurt and Lemon

3 beets with leaves
salt
juice from 1/2 lemon
6 ounces Greek style yogurt or sour cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Trim leaves from beetroot, leaving a small tuft on the root. Reserve the leaves. Put the beets in a small casserole with a tight lid and bake 40-60 minutes until tender. Leave them in the casserole until cool and them slip them out of their skins. Grate thickly and mix with the yogurt or sour cream. Be mindful that beet juice stains fingers and clothes. Meanwhile, chop the beet greens and stalks into short lengths. Cook in a little salted water in a covered pan, for 5 minutes, until the leaves and stalks are tender. Drain in a colander and squeeze out any excess water. Toss the greens with lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve the greens and beetroot separately. Serves 4

Cauliflower Gratin

1/2 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup light cream or milk
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Steam cauliflower in the chicken broth in a medium pot until tender, about 10 minutes. With an immersion blender, puree the cauliflower. Add the cheddar cheese, cream, pinch of grated nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Put the mixture into a gratin dish. Top with the finely grated Parmesan cheese and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown on top, about 20 minutes. Serves 4


Written and photographed by Diane

Twist and Shout Pretzels

Everyone has their food traditions that evolve into comfort food. When my son was in elementary school, his class made soft yeast pretzels. They have all of the elements of food fun.....creative and expressive shapes.......warm and comforting, yeasty aroma and taste.......and exercising something else besides the mouth (except when you shout in joy!). We never deviate from the tried and true recipe, except maybe with the addition of a little salt in the dough. Make the dough one day and let it rest. Then shape, let it rise, bake and enjoy the second day.

Twist and Shout Pretzels

3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
coarse salt, for sprinkling on top
1/2 teaspoon salt

Day 1:
Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle in yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Gradually mix in flour until the dough forms a ball and sticks to the spoon as you stir. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight. Day 2: Take dough out of plastic bag and put on lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a long thin rope and form into pretzel shape or any shape you desire. This is the fun part! Place on a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until about double in size.










Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven
for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and place on wire rack to cool slightly before eating. You can dip into a favorite sauce or eat them right away, just the way they are.
Don't forget to shout with joy!


written and photographed by Diane

All's Well That Ends Well

It was a day like we've all had. Murphy's Law was the rule of our day in Paris. I won't bore you with all of the details, but my friend, Michelle and I were having the same kind of luck on the same day.......so it was times two. Trying to turn it around we went for coffee on rue Dagurre to shake loose of the goblins. It was an exorcise we thought had worked as we paid for the coffee and went on our merry way to buy chocolate. Loaded down with beautifully wrapped bags of chocolate dressed in turquoise tissue paper, it started to drizzle.....but, of course!! Well, now we had to take the metro to the Marais, so down the stairs we went feeling lucky to escape the gray Paris rain. Wow, a train pulled right up, (maybe our luck was changing) and it was empty (never had that happen). Jumping in and sitting down I noticed my throat felt raw and my nose started to burn, and oh yeah, the eyes teared. We looked around and the other "lucky" people that got on had their faces covered and were coughing. Jumping off at the next stop, we learned from the gendarme that pepper spray had been sprayed on some mauvais garcons, the local bad boys. But, of course........again!

As the evening wore on, the curse wore off and we had the most delicious dinner with friends. For a starter I had a goat cheese and pistachio terrine, surrounded by a light walnut, raisin vinaigrette. It was topped by, you guessed it, ground hot pepper. Trust me, it is much better to eat it than to breathe it. Two other fulfilling courses followed. After dinner we all concluded, as we wiped the last crumbs from our mouths, all's well that ends well.

Here's my version of the terrine.

Goat Cheese Pistachio Terrine

12 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
4 ounces butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
pink peppercorns

Line a 4 cup mini loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang of about 2 inches all around. Put room temperature goat cheese, butter and cream cheese in food processor, fitted with steel blade. Process until smooth and creamy and then put into a medium
sized bowl. Fold in the shelled pistachios evenly and pour into the lined mini loaf pan. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap towards the center to fully cover the terrine. Chill for an hour or until firm. To take out of the mold, grab the overhanging plastic wrap and pull up. Put it on a serving dish and sprinkle with pink peppercorns. The terrine may also be served in slices with mesclun salad greens topped with a walnut cranberry vinaigrette and a crusty baguette as a starter or light lunch.

As an alternative, the recipe may be reduced and put into any size and shape mold. Serve with bread or crackers as an appetizer.

Walnut Cranberry Vinaigrette

1/3 cup walnut oil (not super refined, it should be a light amber)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried cranberries (may substitute with any dried fruit)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped walnuts

Whisk oil and vinegar in a small bowl and then add cranberries and nuts. Let sit for at least an hour before serving so the dried fruit becomes plump.
Serves 2

Written and photographed by Diane

Melting Pot Slow Cooked Chili

We landed at London's Heathrow Airport the evening of the U.S. presidential election. I had cast my vote the day before by absentee ballot, in my town clerk's small, wood paneled office. Beside me were others who were leaving town or just trying to avoid the predicted long lines. After doing my civic duty I went home and packed for London. Getting the election news in another country brought a new spin on the historic decision. The whole world was watching. The BBC reported that the country of fast food and short attention spans, patiently waited in lines to make their vote count. The election brought to surface the large melting pot of cultures and tastes in our diverse country. Before I sat down to read the international newspapers take on the election, I made a big pot of slow cooked chili. For culinary and political punch, I added a Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat beer to the pot. This chili has its own cultural tastes that is truly American.


Melting Pot Slow Cooked Chili

1 lb chuck roast
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup yellow and red peppers
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon "Diane's Fire Breathing" chili powder
pinch of cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
32 oz beef broth
28 oz can of ground crushed tomatoes
16 oz kidney beans
16 oz black beans
1 bay leaf
12 oz Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat beer

In a large heavy stockpot, brown the chuck roast, over medium heat, in 1 tablespoon of oil. Take out and put aside while sauteing the onions, peppers and garlic. Return the roast to the pot and add the salt, chili powder, pinch of cinnamon, ground cumin and smoked paprika. Stir and then add the beef broth, ground crushed tomatoes, beans and bay leaf. Turn the heat down to low and slow cook for 2 hours or until the beef is tender and comes apart easily. Take the beef out of the pot and pull apart into small pieces. Adjust the seasonings for heat and saltiness. Return the beef to the pot and continue cooking over low heat for 1/2 hour to 45 more minutes.
Makes 8 servings.
*Homemade chili powder is easy to make and really makes a huge difference.

Diane's Fire Breathing Chili Powder

Increase the "fire" by slowly adding more of the ground peppers

1 tablespoon ground ancho chilies
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground chipolte pepper
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together, being careful not to breathe in the pepper. Store in an airtight container. Makes approximately 3/4 cup.




Top chili with chopped cilantro, scallions and freshly grated cheddar cheese. Serve with southern cornbread or corn tortillas and guacomole. Yum!

Written and photographed by Diane

The French Butter Keeper

Walking around Paris as the season changes can catch you off guard. Even with dappled sun, as the leaves fall, the temperature drops. My friends, Michelle and ML (ML is the world's best shopper!) and I tried to keep the cool weather at bay by window shopping. As we walked by a boulangerie, Michelle made a quick stop and brought out two steamy, crusty baguettes. Brilliant! Warm bread in chilly hands is the perfect hand warmer. The added bonus is that it tastes oh so good, but the disadvantage is that it disappears too quickly. We tore off handfuls as we meandered toward a second hand clothing store, lamenting that we should have gotten more. Oh well....dinner would be soon. If we were sitting down respectfully at a table, a good smearing of butter would have been ideal. The problem with buttering yummy, crusty bread is that the butter is too often cold and hard. Last week that issue was solved when I bought a French butter keeper. It is the answer to the dilemma of keeping butter at room temperature while preserving it.

The premise behind French butter keepers is simple. Butter at room temperature quickly turns rancid when exposed to oxygen, so chilling preserves it. Mainly what's needed is to keep air away from the butter. The butter keeper does the same thing, but in a slightly different way. It uses water to form a seal between the butter and the air, a similar process was used by the Ancient Romans while making wine. The keeper comes in two parts. The first is a small basin to hold the water and the second piece holds the butter suspended in the water. You fill the top up with butter, put water in the larger bottom container, and invert the top into the water. Butter is an oil and it won't mix with the water, and as long as it's not too hot, it will stay in

the top, surrounded by water. Voila! Now you can safely keep butter preserved at room temperature and ready to cover that warm, crusty baguette.

Written and photographed by Diane