tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34029499923093830252024-02-19T03:19:28.546-06:00Smith Family Recipes & StoriesFamily food traditions, recipes, and stories.Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-26594716792526012712021-05-29T11:50:00.010-05:002021-05-30T11:15:04.533-05:00Introduction: "My Cookies, and More" by Wanda Lucille Smith<p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9925AfgJPSISHjL_CLznHXtLXXY8V5T922VO2Fzr56SWCPGsVUE1BiOhC-d1cDtojnSf_000q6Y1MCm0alYY8xo98dBuAKU_ObzSdhlkeUmbvRIp3J5QOy0m_1JMcl1_N4nhsKCVgBw/s320/MamawsCookieCover.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">My Cookies, and More<br />Wanda Lucille Smith<br />Wife<br />Mother<br />Grandmother<br />Great-Grandmother<br />September 1993<br />Illustrated by Bill Smith<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">My maternal grandmother, my Mamaw, Wanda Lucile (Troutt) Smith, gave us all (her children and grandchildren) a copy of this treasure in 1993. I can't imagine a more thoughtful gift. It is her, it is our family celebrations and traditions, it is an ancestral memory that I can not only touch my my living hands, but create from its words what she created, enjoy as she did, and her ancestors did, surely, of some recipes, and pass on to my own descendants in the form of the book itself and the fruits of it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Food traditions, of course, are deeply communal, ceremonial, and earth-connected. They are a way we connect with ancestral lines, cultures ours and those we're lucky enough to be welcomed to share. They nourish our bodies and souls, connect us with our bodies and our ability to enjoy and take pleasure in life and one another. </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNK-_wmoMYYM7QPbnSRWlj4kJvBVYMTTDEpr-eeZBzh2Fq_8rCJDnoxbRkUTsG1QytDaZLaFCZE50stFxdEgEdsXepPSBKFLcydYtM3JJHH5_uADRRmoay4hpURrUQh8oSqRngn2eKKw/s1280/mamwwithcookies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mamaw with her cookies" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNK-_wmoMYYM7QPbnSRWlj4kJvBVYMTTDEpr-eeZBzh2Fq_8rCJDnoxbRkUTsG1QytDaZLaFCZE50stFxdEgEdsXepPSBKFLcydYtM3JJHH5_uADRRmoay4hpURrUQh8oSqRngn2eKKw/w320-h320/mamwwithcookies.JPG" title="Mamaw with her Christmas cookies, so many she had to set up a table in the basement for them." width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Mamaw with her Christmas Cookies, so many she had to set up a table in the basement to hold them all.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Mamaw was a marvelous cookie maker. Especially at Christmas she would make dozens upon dozens of cookies, and package them up for gifts, as well as having plenty to graze on all during the winter holidays. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">One very fond memory: I was in the Army, stationed in Aschaffenberg, Germany. It was Christmastime, and I was somewhere between 19 and 21 years old, a mere babe, far from home. Imagine my delight when I got off work to find a box of my Mamaw's cookies waiting for me, mailed all the way from the US. Many of them had crumbled in transit, but I don't think I ever told her that. I ate every crumb, and recognized every piece of cookie and all the love it contained.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Her skill as a baker was quite strong, and her tips for cookie baking in this book will carry anyone a long way toward perfect, delicate, traditional cookie making. </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRr2iMKHik_UasfZEShIT0adxUQMg_7xy3xonbvzO142fNUKWehFAVrCso6CCqdoabXMlyE_0QTkJWHSlJ2W17TbvXhnT9k_C9wCe-wi93Y-f91fZWylerh4zqKvn4oVT5bb6Rde4vHA/s1400/twomamaws.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Two Mamaws" border="0" data-original-height="1397" data-original-width="1400" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRr2iMKHik_UasfZEShIT0adxUQMg_7xy3xonbvzO142fNUKWehFAVrCso6CCqdoabXMlyE_0QTkJWHSlJ2W17TbvXhnT9k_C9wCe-wi93Y-f91fZWylerh4zqKvn4oVT5bb6Rde4vHA/w320-h319/twomamaws.JPG" title="Mamaw and my mother, in Mamaw's kitchen in Salem, Illinois" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Mamaw, with my own mother, Nancy Howard, in Mamaw's wonderful kitchen in Salem, Illinois.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I began this blog in 2007 with the aim of documenting my mother's family's recipes and the stories around them. Both sides of my family, maternal and paternal, were food people, gardeners, foragers (for that, especially the paternal), excellent cooks and carriers-on of the deep family traditions of food that carry our ancestry and ways down through the generations in our very souls and cells. However, my maternal side wrote the recipes down, and for that I am ever grateful.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">By 2008 I'd become rather distracted by the fancy ways of the big city and my brief foray into private cheffing, and discouraged that I couldn't get many family members to contribute stories to go with our recipes.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Christmas 2020 changed that. I had moved at the end of 2019, the very week of Christmas, and so that year I didn't even look for my grandmother Wanda Smith's (Mamaw's) cookie book, which contained our traditional Christmas cookie recipes. But in 2020 I was ready --- but I couldn't find it! Lo, I couldn't find <i>any</i> of the family cookbooks. I looked and looked and looked, and they were nowhere to be found.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Then, a couple of days ago, looking for something else in the few remaining, unpacked boxes in the garage, lo and behold there they were! In an unopened box marked "kitchen" which had completely escaped my notice somehow!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">So now, here I am, back to the original project after all these years, and this time anchored in the aim of digitizing these treasures before they are lost, again.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I begin with my grandmother's book, <span style="text-align: center;"> "My Cookies, and More:; by Wanda Lucille Smith; "Mother, Wife, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother"; </span>September 1993. Illustrated by Bill Smith. For it is the most important of the treasures.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-18993726229707746752021-05-29T11:34:00.010-05:002021-05-30T11:16:11.624-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book, Cover: "My Cookies, and More" by Wanda Lucille Smith<p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurqu07-0kbTxRSih7o097LfCyW_VYFBle46HZ6sLfgxKElkd9-d7lrEVbx6u7lse4pTK1vfaJal1z9I8Zh7TVWokNLY3yHe38mZq9qCL0tHh1IYDn87PmCikBvLvWHDxPabRFpDjjwSM/s1650/MamawsCookieCover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurqu07-0kbTxRSih7o097LfCyW_VYFBle46HZ6sLfgxKElkd9-d7lrEVbx6u7lse4pTK1vfaJal1z9I8Zh7TVWokNLY3yHe38mZq9qCL0tHh1IYDn87PmCikBvLvWHDxPabRFpDjjwSM/w494-h640/MamawsCookieCover.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: courier;">This is the cover of her little book. The hand-written bits you see are in her own hand writing. Inside are the recipes and tips, and charming illustrations by her son, Lt. Col. William (Bill) Smith, my uncle, who, as everyone liked to say, was a West Point man. My they both rest in peace. </span></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-55629712013590461912021-05-29T11:31:00.005-05:002021-05-30T11:18:00.080-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book: Index<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqSeH8dz5RIzAoYWNvDf37FC_r-5oQwEUH1Ns7hOLYKH3SR__70K446rD6q4M_p3fykT0KiaCtsPpOxXZc66nINJTICVcS5azCZY_NJwJuECeJtlBZCoN08DPuUSKAuyea2cm4yNasNQ/s1650/Index.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqSeH8dz5RIzAoYWNvDf37FC_r-5oQwEUH1Ns7hOLYKH3SR__70K446rD6q4M_p3fykT0KiaCtsPpOxXZc66nINJTICVcS5azCZY_NJwJuECeJtlBZCoN08DPuUSKAuyea2cm4yNasNQ/w494-h640/Index.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /> The index of recipes.<p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-20557015691483409852021-05-29T11:30:00.005-05:002021-05-29T11:30:47.318-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p.1: Nutjammer Cookies & Date Pinwheels<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2iOknl9Zi2_iQBoWjIyMo_orewnOVweZG35LEAkeMCc6QuPPLZeuN-mhCrZZJsghyphenhyphenZ3YpRKOjVONb83MPt23vm4eGd-vTufJVdaaEDjhkWQAtPES6p7OCDdMf5yTBFQsXS973fCooYE/s1650/Page1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2iOknl9Zi2_iQBoWjIyMo_orewnOVweZG35LEAkeMCc6QuPPLZeuN-mhCrZZJsghyphenhyphenZ3YpRKOjVONb83MPt23vm4eGd-vTufJVdaaEDjhkWQAtPES6p7OCDdMf5yTBFQsXS973fCooYE/w494-h640/Page1.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-85138368919646262802021-05-29T11:29:00.003-05:002021-05-29T11:29:33.168-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 2: Sugar Cookies & Christmas Cookies (Candied Fruit Slices)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLN-wl8hWo3yXPYM07EmYjoMgTkk7CR0tfT8FuP26OEyx2erPOT5l76evB5HqgVKC0Tq5_xHAZqETUeX9_sts9J0Vugc78QX1dWbinFeel1LYHcEYFxocLhCDflCdJZxCRPz8myxZ4FG0/s1650/Page2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLN-wl8hWo3yXPYM07EmYjoMgTkk7CR0tfT8FuP26OEyx2erPOT5l76evB5HqgVKC0Tq5_xHAZqETUeX9_sts9J0Vugc78QX1dWbinFeel1LYHcEYFxocLhCDflCdJZxCRPz8myxZ4FG0/w494-h640/Page2.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-87959494010314388212021-05-29T11:24:00.002-05:002021-05-29T11:24:23.747-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 3: Lemon Cookies & Chocolate Chip Cookies<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfnNpWDcd6fUU0JhlHN-RWBNxwdHGNDxNUtJMQvrpSfAMmD4Jkiy_AxwOg1FLGiobB_yW68pRcz1FsmNARRgMfS1u5zGEm0Up_aqzv41ReK32mIeRbXtE0LYhq4o5xL7qcIEIgPIAuqc/s1650/Page3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfnNpWDcd6fUU0JhlHN-RWBNxwdHGNDxNUtJMQvrpSfAMmD4Jkiy_AxwOg1FLGiobB_yW68pRcz1FsmNARRgMfS1u5zGEm0Up_aqzv41ReK32mIeRbXtE0LYhq4o5xL7qcIEIgPIAuqc/w494-h640/Page3.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-54126202611172129182021-05-29T11:22:00.003-05:002021-05-29T11:22:39.432-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 4: Best Gingersnap (Molasses) Cookies & Little Snowballs<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxDSN7UOKk5TvcIapl432j-maTZ_qhmVFJEx-YoIYvfypsSH8IPulwQNS1TfyHUKwkuzcmNnfrGjpHJwKsJrZ4z8jN0fyxiWpjHA364jygKdhOeVBFZYOmgli1nT2TTOURYM0ZXSmKDM/s1650/Page4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxDSN7UOKk5TvcIapl432j-maTZ_qhmVFJEx-YoIYvfypsSH8IPulwQNS1TfyHUKwkuzcmNnfrGjpHJwKsJrZ4z8jN0fyxiWpjHA364jygKdhOeVBFZYOmgli1nT2TTOURYM0ZXSmKDM/w494-h640/Page4.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-84399843205364528752021-05-29T11:20:00.004-05:002021-05-29T11:20:42.674-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 5: Swedish Oatmeal Cookies & Oatmeal Raisin Cookies<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuD1ipBwjUSP9CI3wpQJ977iVT1y6lHAS_kQl6C7rin_zeXi3K0VzGBws5SZFAmJ66Q4AFHqA0APV76WkISw6MGiTUxggiWztuENi9KQGuDd1J2Am1LipNDJqrasHORcMWlc3XhN2gDs/s1650/Page5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuD1ipBwjUSP9CI3wpQJ977iVT1y6lHAS_kQl6C7rin_zeXi3K0VzGBws5SZFAmJ66Q4AFHqA0APV76WkISw6MGiTUxggiWztuENi9KQGuDd1J2Am1LipNDJqrasHORcMWlc3XhN2gDs/w494-h640/Page5.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-19899012144110850462021-05-29T11:19:00.002-05:002021-05-29T11:19:18.387-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 6: Peanut Butter Crisscrosses & Thumbprint Cookies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk38_tBzzpSmu6b5g4hLWdahfuq0k8MCBv66slPUaf9oWIMVtuJwGAdKZKJth0zu2j7zHz3Ahtxo4fwaE1bckE3xVV23ZRHGq_DmmHUBcpnPW81d2X4zeX7Nwa2oE-Lew0cyUWOqV1-bM/s1650/Page6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk38_tBzzpSmu6b5g4hLWdahfuq0k8MCBv66slPUaf9oWIMVtuJwGAdKZKJth0zu2j7zHz3Ahtxo4fwaE1bckE3xVV23ZRHGq_DmmHUBcpnPW81d2X4zeX7Nwa2oE-Lew0cyUWOqV1-bM/w494-h640/Page6.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-32056115748364532142021-05-29T11:16:00.004-05:002021-05-29T11:16:44.654-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 7: Shortbread & Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJE6pNKGXxa5qoi-jIvYm2M7nPEgq4AUpbc4vDKf1RA6GDnId9oUSI4HbmvQ3dMc2FY9r9mF-LEuLzVCx_OceiOppEYo25mNmd2FuORnhKdIDYKFLI4KOjmKyXZPhTY5gc3TqG21nTH9U/s1650/Page7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJE6pNKGXxa5qoi-jIvYm2M7nPEgq4AUpbc4vDKf1RA6GDnId9oUSI4HbmvQ3dMc2FY9r9mF-LEuLzVCx_OceiOppEYo25mNmd2FuORnhKdIDYKFLI4KOjmKyXZPhTY5gc3TqG21nTH9U/w494-h640/Page7.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-32210727484864563892021-05-29T11:15:00.002-05:002021-05-29T11:15:18.650-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 8: Apricot Jewels & Aunt Nancy's Pecan Tassies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTg8zGLbofV-V4TmRaH1emFhEIb1b4jQ4PqaPZnc4CdZPhU4D5R1lQOROVvXEh07VHIUHMZX_tZHXc9eC2e5aKJdbQ289qSwjEAv6uPBVJvU8j5yLibCn7KkMGKzI97_oxZnU1hx0r2c/s1650/Page8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTg8zGLbofV-V4TmRaH1emFhEIb1b4jQ4PqaPZnc4CdZPhU4D5R1lQOROVvXEh07VHIUHMZX_tZHXc9eC2e5aKJdbQ289qSwjEAv6uPBVJvU8j5yLibCn7KkMGKzI97_oxZnU1hx0r2c/w494-h640/Page8.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-25289261688051936392021-05-29T11:11:00.004-05:002021-05-29T11:13:16.641-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 9: Rum Balls & Aunt Janey's Kahlua Balls<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiyBNaFtaPCCE6cqn1uI9SgV_5G3AviL5cgTyDf6DpucyLFxiCBfxhgbVjqhwOaj5byEKXpmcY84CNj6zvZ6qoH3sF1rFsfw29FczA59cvLiyLN7M9ed9Zn6p1mgiV20LOHHg2zC82G4/s1650/Page9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiyBNaFtaPCCE6cqn1uI9SgV_5G3AviL5cgTyDf6DpucyLFxiCBfxhgbVjqhwOaj5byEKXpmcY84CNj6zvZ6qoH3sF1rFsfw29FczA59cvLiyLN7M9ed9Zn6p1mgiV20LOHHg2zC82G4/w494-h640/Page9.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-4545062934745441892021-05-29T11:10:00.002-05:002021-05-29T11:13:03.242-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 10: Aunt Sarah's Good Cookies & Cindy's Lemon Bars<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ3jTCXOSU3MdIM8o7fnWWKg-N-X7KAFh0JLGmWXNvZw9n0JsX-743Qs3WCajfQSflnPpw1gkzzsieVKogoZDa1-0binToFmuRdaiLZ14xBNd6-vfsiwpYt7e9VeD7FbX6LHNOEaeFag/s1650/Page10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ3jTCXOSU3MdIM8o7fnWWKg-N-X7KAFh0JLGmWXNvZw9n0JsX-743Qs3WCajfQSflnPpw1gkzzsieVKogoZDa1-0binToFmuRdaiLZ14xBNd6-vfsiwpYt7e9VeD7FbX6LHNOEaeFag/w494-h640/Page10.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-65362213505550523712021-05-29T11:08:00.002-05:002021-05-29T11:08:16.118-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 11: Helpful Hints<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigd-ABeZU9BrC8o3_Md2DHCyY1nsgoxHz8NiRTrRy5ZgU5_ndbTv9U0x3n712A4vXDOoKI8v8KJ2s11DWc-54j47ILD4WFlMtFzRyLEetW6CStlmH7J75g9I9hBB149FI3p-6S3ck1EV0/s1650/Page11.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigd-ABeZU9BrC8o3_Md2DHCyY1nsgoxHz8NiRTrRy5ZgU5_ndbTv9U0x3n712A4vXDOoKI8v8KJ2s11DWc-54j47ILD4WFlMtFzRyLEetW6CStlmH7J75g9I9hBB149FI3p-6S3ck1EV0/w494-h640/Page11.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-78029514466327323282021-05-29T11:05:00.005-05:002021-05-29T11:12:46.997-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 12: Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake & Milnot Cheese Cake<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNq-dspfVEJjtzWc3Gqp2cDK80TRFmVMiHlLUZEJ7b36fz1It-QgP8SU6xVPP06LVPBWVKaiCwMedBRiQw_MRWhSTHyQOtFqll0olCycO2rXB4ep3YiCCB16jPubWOulBToZNi-_ffHl8/s1650/Page12.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNq-dspfVEJjtzWc3Gqp2cDK80TRFmVMiHlLUZEJ7b36fz1It-QgP8SU6xVPP06LVPBWVKaiCwMedBRiQw_MRWhSTHyQOtFqll0olCycO2rXB4ep3YiCCB16jPubWOulBToZNi-_ffHl8/w494-h640/Page12.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-46548865282219272372021-05-29T11:04:00.002-05:002021-05-29T11:12:05.813-05:00Mamaw's Cookie Book p. 13: Lemon Sheet Cake & Pumpkin Pie<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_VxmGrZW4tkUDGQ_icv_RB5T4FpwDCxuyKcUDO35KjgmqrNZiSqayMdfTP_LhPN506tDSO96Oyif_O7HgY9GlPCn5MRGb6QteAHobu-74lqlYD0iuxB0MpSuS2KQ987vpV_7aY0ojdc/s1650/Page13.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_VxmGrZW4tkUDGQ_icv_RB5T4FpwDCxuyKcUDO35KjgmqrNZiSqayMdfTP_LhPN506tDSO96Oyif_O7HgY9GlPCn5MRGb6QteAHobu-74lqlYD0iuxB0MpSuS2KQ987vpV_7aY0ojdc/w494-h640/Page13.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-59381872983358721412012-04-29T01:14:00.010-05:002012-04-29T17:16:06.248-05:00Strawberry and Fig Tart with Lavender Cream<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Beautiful and very easy to make, this simple tart is perfect for the peak of strawberry season. I needed something pretty and sweet to take to a party, but only had about an hour and a half to get it ready. I picked up these gorgeous local berries, some organic heavy cream, and a lavender plant at <a href="http://www.localharvestgrocery.com/" target="_blank">Local Harvest</a> -- everything else was in the pantry already. The idea for a jam and strawberry tart came to me while swimming laps earlier in the day. And don't let the long-looking list of steps deter you. It's really just a matter of mixing some alcohol in jam and spreading that on an uncooked pastry, then setting some strawberries of top of that, folding it over and baking it off. Let's go!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Ingredients</b></div><br />
<b>1 pastry crust*</b>, refrigerated after preparing<br />
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<b>1 cup white sugar</b> (you won't use it all, but you'll want to keep it for later because you'll be infusing it with lavender)<br />
<b>12 or so perfect strawberries</b>, delicately rinsed, dried on a paper towel, ends cut off, and sliced in half lengthwise; save a particularly perfect one whole for the center<br />
<b>1/3 cup fig preserves</b><br />
<b>2 Tablespoons good bourbon</b><br />
<b>1 teaspoon Port</b><br />
<b>1 teaspoon Penzey's pure lemon extract</b><br />
<b>1/2 teaspoon rose water</b><br />
<b>Lavender,</b> fresh or dried, leave and/or flowers (I used fresh, and both leaves and flowers) -- keep aside one nice flower for topping the cooled tart<br />
<b>Flour</b> Unbleached white, a couple of teaspoons<br />
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<b>1 egg wash </b>(in a small bowl, mix egg with a teaspoon of water and set aside)<br />
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Parchment paper<br />
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Flat baking sheet<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Preparation and Assembly</b></div><br />
1. Preheat over to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.<br />
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2. Have your pastry prepared and chilling.*<br />
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3. Chop about 1/4 cup lavender (or half that amount if using dried) and toss into the sugar. Cover and let sit to infuse. If you can do this in advance all the better, since of course the longer it sits the more lavender flavor you'll get.**<br />
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4. Measure the bourbon and port into a very small sauce pan and bring to a boil, then immediately transfer to a temperature-proof container and transfer to the freezer, uncovered, to cool down (unless you have more time than I had, then you can let is cool however you want).<br />
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5. Spread the prepared strawberries (see above) in a shallow dish and sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of the sugar. Let sit to macerate while you prepare the rest of the filling.<br />
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6. Place the pastry on the parchment paper and roll out to approximately 13" circumference. This is not a critical measurement so don't sweat it. You just want it big enough to hold the filling in the center with a good 3 or 4 inches of pastry left around the outside, so that you may fold the edges over in the manner of a French country tart, as shown in my photo. It's supposed to be rustic.<br />
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7. Transfer the parchment paper laden with pastry onto the baking sheet and slide it into the fridge for a sec while you do Steps 8 and 9.<br />
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8. Get the alcohols out of the freezer and mix in the lemon extract and the rose water.<br />
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9. Now you're going to mix the above liquids into the fig preserves. How much liquid you'll use is a seat of your pants kind of thing, because fig preserves are going to vary in consistency and sweetness. You're going to be spreading the mixture over the center of the pastry, then arranging the strawberries on top of that. So go for a mixture about the consistency of, say, yogurt. Taste will also be a factor. I found I really needed to cut the sweetness of the preserves, and they took a fair amount of the liquid. If you can imagine that. So go ahead and mix, then taste, and repeat until you like it.<br />
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10. Take the pastry out of the fridge.<br />
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11. Give the pastry a very light sprinkling of the lavender sugar, using the colander method below.**<br />
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12. Spread the preserve mixture in the center of the pastry round, leaving at least 3" all the way around for folding over.<br />
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13. Sprinkle a teaspoon of flour over the preserve mixture.<br />
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14. Now arrange the berries on the preserves. First put the most gorgeous whole one in the center, then arrange the halves concentrically from there.<br />
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15. There will be some lovely, sugary strawberry juice in your macerating bowl. Drizzle a little of that over the berries. Save the rest to make a strawberry simple syrup for cocktails, later. :)<br />
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15. Fold the outside edge of the pastry over, <i>but not meeting,</i> toward the center (see photo).<br />
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16. Brush the egg wash all visible surfaces of the pastry.<br />
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17. Sprinkle with a little more lavender sugar.<br />
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18. Bake in the 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until light brown.<br />
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19. Remove from over, and transfer parchment paper and all to a cooling rack (just slide the paper off the sheet and onto the rack).<br />
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I dashed mine into the freezer for 10 minutes to cool faster, but I was in a hurry! If you are not dashing around like a mad person simply let it cool naturally to room temperature.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Lavender Cream</b></div><b><br />
</b><br />
So simple. Have your metal or ceramic bowl, and whisk, chilling in the freezer as usual. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl and whip for a couple of minutes. Then sprinkle some over the lavender sugar in (no more than 1/8 cup) and whip for another minute.<br />
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<b>Notes:</b><br />
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*Pastry: I used the simplest of regular, midwestern pie crust recipes, with just butter, flour, salt, and ice water. You may also use a nice French country tart recipe, which has a little sugar in it. I wholeheartedly recommend <a href="http://www.pbs.org/juliachild/tricks/pastry.html" target="_blank">Julia Child for instruction</a>, though she'll have you using shortening and butter. (I find it awesome that my Ozarkian grandmother made pie crust exactly as Julia does, so I don't feel even slightly pretentious recommending her method.)<br />
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**Method for "straining" the herb from the sugar: I simply used my regular stainless steel colander. Put a plate under the colander, put some sugar in, and shake the colander a bit so that sugar falls out, but most of the herb stays in. Some little bits will fall through the holes, but that's pretty.<br />
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</div>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-84116892321976122532009-10-14T14:52:00.002-05:002009-10-14T14:55:14.217-05:00I know!<span style="font-family: arial;">It's been forever. Yes, we did go to L20. Yes, it was more fabulous than we imagined. And yes, I am </span><span style="font-family: arial;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">soooo</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> swamped with grad school and everything else that I have not been prioritizing this blog. Some day, I will write </span><span style="font-family: arial;" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">recreational</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ly again. For now, I must make a living and earn this degree. But much thanks to my beloved Tim for taking me L20 for my birthday, and to all you lovely friends and readers who keep asking me when I'm going to post again. Big kisses!</span>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-86969541660221589392009-07-28T00:24:00.003-05:002009-07-28T00:34:55.533-05:00Northern Exposure<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bourdain</span>, you got me. We're going to <a href="http://www.l2orestaurant.com/">L2O</a> for our one night in Chicago. More later on that, of course. And to take it the Smith Family direction, there's a plan to make Bill's Best Damn Coffee Cake when we get to Michigan. It really is unbelievable. So, perhaps I'll have time while lolling around over the semester break to report, and post that recipe.<br /><br />And yes, I'm rather glad to be going away on my 50th birthday.<br /><br />Big year, this.Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-66941847336730029862009-07-13T21:04:00.003-05:002009-07-13T21:27:07.539-05:00Grilled Corn on the Cob with Coconut Butter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWb2Gxe0-sXDNHnyTooasjFn5vutf7LhIf2WJpbJ1L4jrkIjtGRBJaWlHVaBEZYRJARnP3pFvU4hafDKQYEv8yGE75FleOo9P0wt2wWod0Fga1inA-F0J8gCocWhhFr11_uRMZKnzgs4/s1600-h/coconutbutter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358134959136788658" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWb2Gxe0-sXDNHnyTooasjFn5vutf7LhIf2WJpbJ1L4jrkIjtGRBJaWlHVaBEZYRJARnP3pFvU4hafDKQYEv8yGE75FleOo9P0wt2wWod0Fga1inA-F0J8gCocWhhFr11_uRMZKnzgs4/s400/coconutbutter.jpg" border="0" /></a>Yum, yum, yum! Corn on the cob with coconut butter, cilantro, Thai spice, and lime. Just the right heat/sweet/tang/salt chord.<br /><br /><div><div></div><div>Not cocoa butter. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">CocoNUT</span> butter. Oh. My. God. <em>This</em> is the new magic ingredient. I ran across it at Whole Foods today. I swear the makers aren't paying me to say this. This stuff is tastes like dinner on the beach.</div><br /><div>It's not coconut oil*, either (which I do love). It is made from whole coconut flesh. It's raw, organic, and does <em>not</em> stand up to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">a lot</span> of direct heat. You won't be frying in it. </div><br /><div>You will, however, be slathering it on the ears of corn your going to wrap in foil and put next to the coals in your grill. </div><br /><div>Here's how:<br /></div><ol><li>Slather each shucked ear of corn with a tablespoon of coconut butter.</li><li>Dust moderately with the Thai spice*.</li><li>Lay the ear on a foil rectangle.</li><li>Lay a handful (about 5 tablespoons) of chopped cilantro on one side of the corn.</li><li>Seal up the foil.</li><li>Put the packages right down next to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pre</span>-readied coals on the grill.</li><li>Cook them about half an hour, then open up the foil to let the steam out.</li><li>Squeeze a 1/4 of fresh lime over each ear just before serving.</li></ol><div> </div><div>* If you're worried about the fattiness of coconut oil, remember that olive oil is a fat, too. And them google "coconut oil"+nutrition. You'll be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">surprised</span>. It's a very healthy oil.</div><div>** I used a mixture I found at Whole Foods, called "Thai Garden Sweet Heat Asian Blend." It's a combination of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">coriander</span>, red pepper flakes, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, black pepper, basil, cardamom, and cloves.</div><div> </div><div> </div></div>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-36469001588711620322009-06-25T17:30:00.024-05:002009-07-02T15:33:33.356-05:00Stella Artois Dinner Kicks It Good<div align="center"><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXxVZBUQxrMCbPje-CTCpOepcgpAnIERDnCccGdbginO1A_CgQHGevMV4tCVlIbsO0Dw0sRXEmqWcKUmPtOB2YW0s70zWOybMMkpf4S37NwpkjhBh_XXuvghdDIIYrGfZh2n05ZfXuBE/s1600-h/052.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352100790975496306" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXxVZBUQxrMCbPje-CTCpOepcgpAnIERDnCccGdbginO1A_CgQHGevMV4tCVlIbsO0Dw0sRXEmqWcKUmPtOB2YW0s70zWOybMMkpf4S37NwpkjhBh_XXuvghdDIIYrGfZh2n05ZfXuBE/s400/052.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center">June 22, Stella <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Artois</span> Dinner, Luciano's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Trattoria</span>, St. Louis<br />Hosted By Belgian Beer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sommolier</span> Marc <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Stroobandt</span></div><br /><div align="center">Sponsored by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Anheuser</span>-Busch and Sauce Magazine<br /></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><div align="center"><em>Marc <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Stroobandt</span> gives me a private pour before the dinner, including hot sauce.</em></div><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Vk3ZXDcXdD74p397lpKaTfluCod5fhvX38tMPNocyfylaaNOaumwiHkEIthYzKsyC2ID9yyAlil9rqNrwCEKDlPO3ds8N-Vs8WoZ0oyrsVe-smy2hDosHg4ItJvN4hrEyHGsTcvy9w4/s1600-h/049.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352088898303590338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Vk3ZXDcXdD74p397lpKaTfluCod5fhvX38tMPNocyfylaaNOaumwiHkEIthYzKsyC2ID9yyAlil9rqNrwCEKDlPO3ds8N-Vs8WoZ0oyrsVe-smy2hDosHg4ItJvN4hrEyHGsTcvy9w4/s400/049.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div align="left">St. Louis, my home town. Beer headquarters of the U.S.A. I ask you, Town, am I a traitor for jumping on my chance to cover the Stella <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Artois</span> Dinner at Luciano's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Trattoria</span> for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Foodbuzz</span>? Am I a bad citizen for embracing their Belgian beers, so soon after the still-mourned hostile takeover of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Anheuser</span>-Busch by Stella's Belgian beer <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">conglomerate</span> parent, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">InBev</span>? Maybe I am. But if I'm mad at anyone it's our flimsy legal mechanism that allows what should be taken care of by anti-trust laws to go through so easily. I'm not a fan of hostile takeovers generally. They just seem mean to me. And I don't like it when people lose jobs so fat cats can make more money they don't need. But I have to tell you, I have never been fond of A-B beers. Sorry. Bud gives me a headache. Same for Busch. As for flavor, I just don't see the charm. Sorry, A-B loyalists.</div><div align="left"><br />However, I was a Stella lover <em>already</em> when the Belgians came to town, though. And after a decent hiatus period I started ordering it again. So, truthfully, I didn't <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">hesitate</span> at the opportunity to cover the dinner. As a matter of fact I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">leaped</span> it like a starved hound dog. And am ever glad I did!<br /><br />The three course dinner of coriander spiced scallop salad, chamomile encrusted veal loin with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">chanterelle</span> mushrooms, and a hop infused <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">cotte</span> to finish included tastings of the Stella, and two other small Belgian brands (yes, owned now by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">ABInBev</span>), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Hoegaarden</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Leffe</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Blonde</span>. </div><br /><div align="left">Beer sommolier Marc <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Stroobandt</span> was visibly pumped about chef Mark Del Pietro's menu when I chatted with him before dinner. "I could tell immediately when I talked to Mark that he'd really tasted the beers," <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Stroobandt said in his fancy Belgian accent</span>. "Sometimes we send out beer and the chefs don't really taste them. From conversations with Mark, I could tell he was very tuned into the flavors."<br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaC6woL-5YNlaPZX4yodbdsLj6od_Td9W_eilIMKKhQ-a2iWg_m4qIi-AXQyZp_g2TBvjT80gOY1GI_nUaZgnjXBNYi7WAsFKGCukyfheIh9j-nPW4uUyASWbA8P05Ed7CI2AsaHHBtAw/s1600-h/051.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352088897717794418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaC6woL-5YNlaPZX4yodbdsLj6od_Td9W_eilIMKKhQ-a2iWg_m4qIi-AXQyZp_g2TBvjT80gOY1GI_nUaZgnjXBNYi7WAsFKGCukyfheIh9j-nPW4uUyASWbA8P05Ed7CI2AsaHHBtAw/s400/051.JPG" border="0" /></a><em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Pre</span>-dinner cheese plate.</em><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Stroobandt</span> sat me down before the meal with a plate of cheeses, some chocolate, a little spicy tomato broth (to which he added Tabasco) and three different bottles of beer. We tasted: beer; food; beer. Tune in, he instructed. How does the beer change the taste of the food? And does the food change the taste of the beer? It was magical. Every bit as fun as playing with wine.<br /><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">"Drink more beer, save the planet," he said.<br /><br />"OK," I smiled back.<br /><br />I began to favor beer over wine two winters ago when, at a friend's house, my tummy was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">rumbly</span> and I just couldn't manage my glass of wine. I asked for a beer and, <em>voila!</em> Tummy all better. No wonder. According to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Stroobandt</span>, beer is the food of the earth. It begins with barley. Barley can be grown quite <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">environmentally</span> soundly, he says. Then it's off to the brewery, through the process it goes, and then back again to cows in the form of feed. Interesting.</div><br /><div align="left">As I nibble on a beautifully <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">crystallized</span> piece of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Parmesan</span> and sip the lovely coriander and citrus infused <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Hoegaaden</span>, I think I'd like to be a beer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">sommolier</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Stroobandt</span> has just finished dining and educating the privileged masses at the Aspen Food and Wine Festival, and now has landed here to try getting through to me and my sister St. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Louisans</span> with yummy beers and food. Tough work.<br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4efA6eDzkxnwId_yoZa1CCZUPVvnpzzwocOX_goBVDFj-VZjmVyiweun5rZGk6L1fWW3ae0XUwPSUqgHJskc9pchuwDF-O8Gz7uRNxQcu0As8_E3MmbKWR-506HDq5AQN5FZTSUOdWG8/s1600-h/059.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352088889965900930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4efA6eDzkxnwId_yoZa1CCZUPVvnpzzwocOX_goBVDFj-VZjmVyiweun5rZGk6L1fWW3ae0XUwPSUqgHJskc9pchuwDF-O8Gz7uRNxQcu0As8_E3MmbKWR-506HDq5AQN5FZTSUOdWG8/s400/059.JPG" border="0" /></a><em>Table setting includes a variety of glassware shapes. Each beer has its needs.</em> </div><br /><div align="center"><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">pre</span>-dinner tasting over, it's time to sit down for dinner. The table is set with at least six shapes of glassware. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Stroobandt</span> starts by having us nose some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Hoegaaden</span> in a tumbler, and also a wine glass. The scent of the beer is <em>very</em> different in each glass -- the wine glass releases a lot more aroma. Lesson: Put your beer in its proper glass. If you don't know what that glass is, find out. Go to a good room like 33 Wine Bar in Lafayette Square, or The Stable, which has the venerable Jerad Gardner (sometimes called "The Hop Prophet") buying beer, and he and people like him can tell you exactly how to get the most out of a pour. And pour, you should. Release those essences. Let them play. This is only part of what I learned.<br /></div></div><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg8An5p_s-U-jTXgCL7nYiBYsFcfRxsu4bm0maeJL6YlAKKVObkhZ6K9Y6UDCf7Y5mwzUj6f3W5GzlgnpXPJwxeqB2-HcwV7yALNkNQOkx7YtfzmMcY-NfmfaLZ-0H5kzkAWCyUbIHVQ/s1600-h/065.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352088887937934946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg8An5p_s-U-jTXgCL7nYiBYsFcfRxsu4bm0maeJL6YlAKKVObkhZ6K9Y6UDCf7Y5mwzUj6f3W5GzlgnpXPJwxeqB2-HcwV7yALNkNQOkx7YtfzmMcY-NfmfaLZ-0H5kzkAWCyUbIHVQ/s400/065.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> Chef Mark Del Pietro talks about the courses before they're served.</em> </div><br /><div align="left"><br />Foam is another part. One should sample the foam before drinking the beer, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Stroobandt</span> says. I don't remember why, exactly. But I'm certain it had something to do with enjoying the beer, so why argue? </div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">After the foam, Del Pietro sent out his wonderful, perfectly done coriander spiced scallops. Sitting on a bed of baby arugula, sprinkled with toasted almonds and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">pecorino</span> cheese and lightly swept through a drizzle of orange vinaigrette, it really did pair perfectly with the coriander and orange scented <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Hoegaaden</span>. The scallops were as tender as any I've had, and the coriander crust had just the right crisp <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">toothiness</span>.</div><br /><div align="left"></div>Del Pietro came out again before the main course and spoke a bit about how well the chamomile worked as a crust on the veal loin, with its sweetness and texture. I was disappointed that the crust was missing on my cut, and on all the others I could see. Kitchen snafu? I would have liked to have known the story. Nonetheless, it was delicious, and I was happy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">chanterelle</span> mushrooms on the plate, as I had bought some at market Saturday. Perfectly in season, they were so earthy and sweet with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">the rich</span> vegetable broth <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">reduction</span>. I thought the Stella was a nice choice with this course. It lightened the earthiness, lifted it. A less imaginative chef might have done a fish, or something more obviously suited to the dry, light Stella flavor.<br /><div align="left"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN01-NyneMioKXMICp64KmlEwjNVzx7zfCyIdco0jY11on0rzsNTxXorfdNddQ_kD1YxSxmZhZiuRADh_62tyjmboQM_vQfYYSZgQ3TO-BQmwM2rQf5EOEfykAemP3geGTQ-HPNPPKyA/s1600-h/071.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352087967612335746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN01-NyneMioKXMICp64KmlEwjNVzx7zfCyIdco0jY11on0rzsNTxXorfdNddQ_kD1YxSxmZhZiuRADh_62tyjmboQM_vQfYYSZgQ3TO-BQmwM2rQf5EOEfykAemP3geGTQ-HPNPPKyA/s400/071.JPG" border="0" /><br /></a><p align="center"><em>My Stella foam, upon a black spoon. I was instructed by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Stroobandt</span> to always carry this spoon with me, and to never fail to taste my foam before sipping.<br /></em></p><em></em><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left"></div>I also learned that one of my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">tablemates</span> thinks Del Pietro is a genius <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">hottie</span> (her husband told me this), and that the true way to pour a Belgian beer is through The Pouring Ritual, a nine-step process that I was sad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">Stroobandt</span> didn't demonstrate. Here did go through other basics of good pouring technique, however, including how to get the perfect two fingers of head.<br /><div align="left"><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTNRoIwZBHH9TIVxMBRXd7OAxEqFwOT72cuqyymKMHN5irMvpaCU3V7B4lwrf9rD2hQJz1hA1hSCYQZgJncB6I1BTSqKmRiVRQpg1ZSm0-oDwA5kjXTb-Uv_G3HWzDBPxCmLg4nXhhc8/s1600-h/074.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352087963367602066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTNRoIwZBHH9TIVxMBRXd7OAxEqFwOT72cuqyymKMHN5irMvpaCU3V7B4lwrf9rD2hQJz1hA1hSCYQZgJncB6I1BTSqKmRiVRQpg1ZSm0-oDwA5kjXTb-Uv_G3HWzDBPxCmLg4nXhhc8/s400/074.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">Stroobandt</span> introducing the dessert course.</em><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun9r1Mgok3FJ_E6fGnp0Q9yvVBV1dH0w8iO0FA685QXR7KSruKLWonV9eOaCBntknAb4uG4Fo0f-_fXRi6Rv4Eer1gk5MNEouXhgMMPUhMaY6QJSMyae9gJNB0m-Z5YgVJHkZtHakORk/s1600-h/078.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352087192370810770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun9r1Mgok3FJ_E6fGnp0Q9yvVBV1dH0w8iO0FA685QXR7KSruKLWonV9eOaCBntknAb4uG4Fo0f-_fXRi6Rv4Eer1gk5MNEouXhgMMPUhMaY6QJSMyae9gJNB0m-Z5YgVJHkZtHakORk/s400/078.JPG" border="0" /></a><em>Part one of the dessert course.<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45Lip1aIoSP4OTdLAAaSsFOMTKyRLDd5CUYQjg1vJHcARYFJAIfcF-gWpPGCoiVszHAVJdVR-_U6S9MgpZjrurCmci5RMuIi01OXfaR6aHIKE2MRxwx0E4mYsHjuUIlxWb7dZm3vXQe4/s1600-h/079.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352087187852481410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45Lip1aIoSP4OTdLAAaSsFOMTKyRLDd5CUYQjg1vJHcARYFJAIfcF-gWpPGCoiVszHAVJdVR-_U6S9MgpZjrurCmci5RMuIi01OXfaR6aHIKE2MRxwx0E4mYsHjuUIlxWb7dZm3vXQe4/s400/079.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Chef Mark Del Pietro's hop infused panna cotte, paired with Leffe Blonde</span><br /></div><br />And then dessert. Another thing I learned: I'm not the only one who thinks beer and dessert go together like evening grass and fire flies. This was fun. A nice swirl and sip of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">Leffe</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">Blonde</span> -- a full bodied, filtered beer with some malt, some sweetness, and a nice <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">hoppiness</span>. Imagine, sweetness and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">hoppiness</span> together. If you were a chef asked to pair this with a dessert, what would you do? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">Stroobandt</span> talked a lot about chocolate and beer, something he sees as pretty unexpected. And perhaps it is. (Unless you me, who decided one day in her 20s that beer and warm chocolate chip cookies might be the perfect combo.) Anyway, Del Pietro said he tried several chocolate approaches and didn't like any of them. Then he tried <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_54">panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_55">cotte</span>. I adore <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_56">panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_57">cotte</span>. 1111 Mississippi does a nice one, especially if you get to it the same day it's made. This one was better. Infused with hops, it was bitter, and sweet, and creamy, just like the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_58">Leffe</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_59">Blonde</span>. After me taste of beer, the dessert changed flavor on my tongue about thirty times in the first 10 seconds. Then another sip of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_60">Leffe</span>. Ya. Now the beer is running through flavor dimensions like Einstein through sub-atoms. This was working. The rhubarb and strawberry bed was a nice, tart contrast, and woke my mouth up from its super-dimensional dreaminess, but it was the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_61">Leffe</span> infused whipped cream on top that bowled me over. How could something be so delicate and so abrasive at the same time? Nice. But do I really have to wake up now?<br /></div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left"><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(102,0,0); FONT-STYLE: italic">Want to see the Nine Step Pouring Ritual? Take a look </span><a style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(102,0,0); FONT-STYLE: italic" href="http://tiw-pro.web.internet.telia.com/~2027725/go.php">here</a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(102,0,0); FONT-STYLE: italic">.</span><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-11531037030658796692009-06-19T22:23:00.015-05:002009-06-21T10:54:37.369-05:00The Best Dessert in Town -- at Agave!I'm really not kidding.<br /><br />I've been looking for this since Oaxaca, 1991. A <em>real</em> flan. W<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ith</span></span> <em>real</em> <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cajeta</span></span>,</em> the <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">dolce</span></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">de</span></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">leche</span></span> </em>caramel heaven made from goat's milk (usually condensed). Agave's flan is rich and dreamy and way beyond the offensive flan-in-a-sombrero <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">caricature</span> we're subjected to around here. And because Agave is Agave there's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">tequila</span> in there, too. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Anejo</span></span>, to be specific, which I'm told is aged for a year in small oak casks. Wait until you get a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">whiff</span> of the swirly sauce of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><em>cajeta</em></span> and tequila the lovely little custard allows itself to sit upon. Just wait.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbL_u0k-AZ4UQ0TyKRg0wbpWYseDTSOPBGKdpv_JsbvZXmLKFdDNglyNIJhMZEroFuSHcHAHH3bjwmv6pNBm_27EIOh7g8jn_Ok2Ew6TsUkr9M3ZrVyp6B1-2Z3ZbQd5nGhlfGsN_FjqM/s1600-h/agavaflan6-19-09.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349247623993663282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbL_u0k-AZ4UQ0TyKRg0wbpWYseDTSOPBGKdpv_JsbvZXmLKFdDNglyNIJhMZEroFuSHcHAHH3bjwmv6pNBm_27EIOh7g8jn_Ok2Ew6TsUkr9M3ZrVyp6B1-2Z3ZbQd5nGhlfGsN_FjqM/s400/agavaflan6-19-09.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Agave is on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Manchester</span> in The Grove<br /></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L_zREI7erg7Y2wEsNqt9yu3dMYkOGUgLlKQfRU0Qo0rrBi2D0VYLGexrxvSQvXISgpHCOoC5iH0wxeHKxYtuJz0DU_N4q3lz9wDoY8FLG8t8BGyy-c9kK3IkpJ6_FhzIKcxd5u6HoDQ/s1600-h/agavaflan6-19-09.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div align="left">I remember lingering at an outside table, in a restaurant on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><em>zocolo</em></span> in Oaxaca town, writing a poem, trying to capture the essence of what my time there felt like: the blues and the greens, the iron-caged doors, the gardenias, little children, all of it. And I ordered a flan to go with my <em>cafe con <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">leche</span></em> and it came out on a plate, as a slice, with caramel sauce, and from the first bite I knew I would never capture the sublimity of that moment in any poem. I just couldn't; I wasn't talented enough. So I ate it really, really slowly, and forgot everything else. This flan at Agave will take you close to there if you let it. But with a small, sweet tequila kick, and its own little mystery. Honestly, it's pretty hard to get my attention like this. The last time was Natalia's Bienmasabe cake and that was, I don't know, two years ago or something. </div><div align="left"></div></div>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-16730366010068337112009-06-18T14:58:00.005-05:002009-06-18T16:16:52.198-05:00OK, Maybe the Stella Artois People are OK After All (or am I just an easy sell-out?)<span style="color:black;"> <span class="il">K. So I'm really thrilled that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">FoodBuzz</span> is sending me to the</span> beer tasting dinner with Belgian beer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">sommelier</span> Marc <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Stroobandt</span>. I've been a lazy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">lazerton</span> with the food blogging since I began this darnbeloved MSW program at Wash U, and am tired of feeling guilty about it all the effing time. Since nothing motivates me as thoroughly as free food and publicity, I know this dinner will get me at least posting regular photos of my latter-day college girl eats once a week or something. I still can't believe I didn't put up any food photos from the NOLA Jazz Fest! Bad me!<br /><br />The dinner is Monday June 22<sup><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">nd</span></sup> at Luciano’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Trattoria</span> in St. Louis. According to my dear friends the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">foodbuzzers</span>, "<a href="http://marcstroobandt.blogspot.com/">Marc</a> will be pouring <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Anhueser</span>-Busch Belgian beers and discussing how to properly pour, taste, and pair these delicious beers!</span>"<br /><br />My job is then to report my findings to you, photos and all. Be thrilled. :-)Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-22445174521523456902009-06-17T17:23:00.004-05:002009-06-17T17:29:23.536-05:00A little piece of the MosaicThe other day, walking along Washington Avenue after interviewing Matthias at the Pulitzer, and really, really wanting a bite to eat, I stopped at Mosaic. To which I had never been, it should be noted. (My sadness at the late afternoon closure of so many restaurants on Wash Ave should also be noted.) I had a pretty decent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Mojito</span>, and some competent fried dumplings with a fruity sauce. Nice enough for the moment.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpueaPk-aZkp1W8uKlBkO9SnNWyUQ3P4j1IK9p7i9QK-BR-Pf8sVsjaMPmzD2pHqmKfuRS1VmjU4RESUhk3rLhNIbDmHYOA353nTImkGI6Q6XlauMPQzYLeBr2WNgX7rP6drr5SFxDEg/s1600-h/photo.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpueaPk-aZkp1W8uKlBkO9SnNWyUQ3P4j1IK9p7i9QK-BR-Pf8sVsjaMPmzD2pHqmKfuRS1VmjU4RESUhk3rLhNIbDmHYOA353nTImkGI6Q6XlauMPQzYLeBr2WNgX7rP6drr5SFxDEg/s400/photo.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348426608188118258" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Just a little afternoon in the city.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3402949992309383025.post-82221621961818307982009-04-18T18:50:00.004-05:002009-04-18T19:01:47.834-05:001111 Miss Fava and Corn Cannelloni<span style="font-family:arial;">Stopped by 1111 Mississippi for an appetizer and a glass of wine. I found the Fava and Corn Cannelloni to be quite delightful. Fresh, whole fava been were all cuddled up in some creamy ricotta (maybe homemade?), inside a nice folded, ridged pasta shell, itself swimming in a very fresh and acidic, and runny, tomato sauce. I really liked the strange fava/ricotta play. It was a texture thing. Texture things are, I think, the new frontier, and this dish is a pretty safe way to play that game without going into the big leagues, where you'll have to deal with the utterly unfamiliar, and likely enter there into the animal kingdom. As an appetizer it's pretty darn hearty. I could only eat one of the two in the order (though I had eaten every bite of my smallish spinach salad, prior). A nice round glass of Malbec went well with the cannelloni, but I think a bright white would do nicely, too. Oh, yeah, and if there was corn in there I didn't see it.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1y_Tec6OtWD7U1rGMRua0DiasyZ6yJzLu9IBtmJUzdDRet_vsNiWcm7UDD41IneawH9ETZVNxZLo97tIGJ7wmo70CqU9hPfHWGjQERepnpLj_OQUrHLhsycZIRjJ9UBlFVIhRbAsCNHo/s1600-h/favacanneloni"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326185778786236114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1y_Tec6OtWD7U1rGMRua0DiasyZ6yJzLu9IBtmJUzdDRet_vsNiWcm7UDD41IneawH9ETZVNxZLo97tIGJ7wmo70CqU9hPfHWGjQERepnpLj_OQUrHLhsycZIRjJ9UBlFVIhRbAsCNHo/s400/favacanneloni" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Margaret Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16675619613726221764noreply@blogger.com0