This recipe is brought to you by the color yellow. This week's color at Ian's school was yellow, and his coloring page for the week had a lemon on it. I had a lemon in the fruit bowl, and one thing led to another led to Citron Kake, or lemon loaf.
Some recipes I pick because they seem fun to make or I've always wanted to try this dish, and some recipes get picked because of the enthusiasm of a four year old with a penchant for yellow.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Colcannon (Ireland)
Right now we are a meat and potatoes kind of family. Back to school has been great for all the Steiners, but it has also hit us hard! The early mornings aren't so bad, but the evenings are painful. Twice this week one or both of the boys have been too tired to even eat dinner, so they've gone to bed and been asleep before 7:00. It makes for a nice long evening for mom and dad, but not much quality time with the boys.
So meal time has been about simple and comfort. Even as I write this, John is making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. But one night this week I was determined to cook up a recipe from Extending the Table. This week it was Colcannon, or creamy potatoes and cabbage. It seemed like a simple recipe, but I used several appliances, pots and pans, and utensils before it was all said and eaten. But I had a little Bon Jovi cranked up, the boys played downstairs, and I sang and danced through all the work. Pairing it with Polish sausage and baked corn pudding, I was reminded of the meals my mom cooked for us. Comforting and delicious, we managed to settle down for a meal where everyone was awake and talking about the day.
Most of the recipes in the book are very simple and easy to make, but the newness of some of them can be overwhelming when everyone is tired and dragging. So mashed potatoes, jazzed up Celtic-style was enough for this week, and maybe next...
So meal time has been about simple and comfort. Even as I write this, John is making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. But one night this week I was determined to cook up a recipe from Extending the Table. This week it was Colcannon, or creamy potatoes and cabbage. It seemed like a simple recipe, but I used several appliances, pots and pans, and utensils before it was all said and eaten. But I had a little Bon Jovi cranked up, the boys played downstairs, and I sang and danced through all the work. Pairing it with Polish sausage and baked corn pudding, I was reminded of the meals my mom cooked for us. Comforting and delicious, we managed to settle down for a meal where everyone was awake and talking about the day.
Most of the recipes in the book are very simple and easy to make, but the newness of some of them can be overwhelming when everyone is tired and dragging. So mashed potatoes, jazzed up Celtic-style was enough for this week, and maybe next...
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Melkam Addis Amit!
Happy Ethiopian New Year!
This year the 10th anniversary of September 11th also falls on the same weekend as the Ethiopian New Year. Our choice today was to celebrate with our children a day of new beginnings in our beloved country of America, a country that allows a family like ours to unite and thrive as any other.
Today was a day to revel in our blessings, to contemplate what it means to be alive and well, to engage the senses. Ethiopian food, prepared and consumed today in celebration, is such that it engages all of the senses. The wats arranged on the injera are a kaleidoscope of red, yellow, and green. Rich aromas of berbere, garlic and onions hang in the air. The spongy injera used to scoop up the wat soaks up the spices, which explode on the tongue, countered with the slightly sour fermentation. And then the satisfied murmurs and sighs as our bellies fill.
The morning began with dancing. Ian requested Ethiopian music, so we but on Bole to Harlem and spun in circles and raised our shoulders with many giggles in our pajamas. There was much silliness and the boys decided to trade pajama shirts before abandoning them all together. As I settled in to make Ambesha, our favorite bread of an earlier blog post, the boys played school. Mostly it was taking their toys in and out of their backpacks, but the occasional book was read as well. Their innocence in so precious, to be protected from the events a decade ago that took what remained of my own. I couldn't help but join them in their play.
For the new year, I decided to make Doro Wat, a chicken stew. This is a pretty traditional wat, one served in berbere sauce with a hard boiled egg. This was a new recipe for me from Extending the Table, and I broke from the recipe to make it in the crock pot. Crock Pot Sundays during the school year are a long tradition in our house, and this was our inaugural slow cooking of the year. By the time I had it all placed in the slow cooker, the boys were ready to get going for the day. Ian wanted to wear an Ethiopian outfit for the day, and looked so sweet in his traditional white shirt and shorts. Suki joined in as well in a Learn Amharic tee shirt, and away we went to buy our injera.
When house hunting two years ago, I always joked that I wanted to live within walking distance of the Holy Land Deli, and wouldn't you know it, we ended up pretty close. Fresh spices and breads from the Middle East and beyond are right at our finger tips. We of course ran into an Ethiopian gentleman there, dressed very similarly to Ian, and exchanged wishes for a happy new year as we both bought our injera for the night's celebration. We love the deli, and today I couldn't help but marvel at my Thai kid in his Learn Amharic shirt picking out Greek humus at the Holy Land. Only in America, that's for sure!
While Suki and Daddy napped, Ian and I went to my mom's to share the Ambesha, one of her favorites as well. Again, it felt right, comforting to spend today sharing fresh baked bread and chatting with my mom while Ian and Grandpa searched for pine cones in the yard.
Along with our Doro Wat, I also put together some Alecha, a mild Ethiopian stew with veggies. The cabbage came from the garden and had been saved for this very recipe since we planted it back in June. This bright yellow dish, seasoned with ginger and turmeric, is the perfect balance to the spicy chicken. As we piled the food high on our injera, Ian broke into a spontaneous Happy New Year song, composed on the spot, and sung in his sweet, sweet voice, a sweet, sweet balm at the end of a challenging day to mark another new beginning.
This year the 10th anniversary of September 11th also falls on the same weekend as the Ethiopian New Year. Our choice today was to celebrate with our children a day of new beginnings in our beloved country of America, a country that allows a family like ours to unite and thrive as any other.
Today was a day to revel in our blessings, to contemplate what it means to be alive and well, to engage the senses. Ethiopian food, prepared and consumed today in celebration, is such that it engages all of the senses. The wats arranged on the injera are a kaleidoscope of red, yellow, and green. Rich aromas of berbere, garlic and onions hang in the air. The spongy injera used to scoop up the wat soaks up the spices, which explode on the tongue, countered with the slightly sour fermentation. And then the satisfied murmurs and sighs as our bellies fill.
The morning began with dancing. Ian requested Ethiopian music, so we but on Bole to Harlem and spun in circles and raised our shoulders with many giggles in our pajamas. There was much silliness and the boys decided to trade pajama shirts before abandoning them all together. As I settled in to make Ambesha, our favorite bread of an earlier blog post, the boys played school. Mostly it was taking their toys in and out of their backpacks, but the occasional book was read as well. Their innocence in so precious, to be protected from the events a decade ago that took what remained of my own. I couldn't help but join them in their play.
For the new year, I decided to make Doro Wat, a chicken stew. This is a pretty traditional wat, one served in berbere sauce with a hard boiled egg. This was a new recipe for me from Extending the Table, and I broke from the recipe to make it in the crock pot. Crock Pot Sundays during the school year are a long tradition in our house, and this was our inaugural slow cooking of the year. By the time I had it all placed in the slow cooker, the boys were ready to get going for the day. Ian wanted to wear an Ethiopian outfit for the day, and looked so sweet in his traditional white shirt and shorts. Suki joined in as well in a Learn Amharic tee shirt, and away we went to buy our injera.
When house hunting two years ago, I always joked that I wanted to live within walking distance of the Holy Land Deli, and wouldn't you know it, we ended up pretty close. Fresh spices and breads from the Middle East and beyond are right at our finger tips. We of course ran into an Ethiopian gentleman there, dressed very similarly to Ian, and exchanged wishes for a happy new year as we both bought our injera for the night's celebration. We love the deli, and today I couldn't help but marvel at my Thai kid in his Learn Amharic shirt picking out Greek humus at the Holy Land. Only in America, that's for sure!
While Suki and Daddy napped, Ian and I went to my mom's to share the Ambesha, one of her favorites as well. Again, it felt right, comforting to spend today sharing fresh baked bread and chatting with my mom while Ian and Grandpa searched for pine cones in the yard.
Along with our Doro Wat, I also put together some Alecha, a mild Ethiopian stew with veggies. The cabbage came from the garden and had been saved for this very recipe since we planted it back in June. This bright yellow dish, seasoned with ginger and turmeric, is the perfect balance to the spicy chicken. As we piled the food high on our injera, Ian broke into a spontaneous Happy New Year song, composed on the spot, and sung in his sweet, sweet voice, a sweet, sweet balm at the end of a challenging day to mark another new beginning.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Locro (Paraguay) & Ahm Phul (India)
This three day weekend was a perfect antidote for a busy first week back at school. It started with the potential to be just as hectic as the week prior, with house guests and a fairly major home improvement project, but it managed to be one of simple joys, many involving food and family, of course, starting with a Friday night recipe from Extending the Table.
Now I am not an end of the week cook. Usually as the week rolls by, the recipes become less about preparing a meal and more about heating something edible in a short amount of time. My evidence would be the Hamburger Helper we consumed with drooping eyes on Thursday night. So Friday I found myself wondering why I had planned to make Locro, an enchilada casserole from Paraguay, on my least productive night of the week. What I discovered is that the recipe was a delicious balance of 5 fresh ingredients , garnished with a little salt and cheese, and refreshing in its simplicity. I have to believe that the palate cleansing flavors, compared to the boxed concoction of the night before, set the tone for the rest of the weekend.
My job for most of the weekend was to keep the boys out of John’s way as he and his brother tiled our back porch/mud room. John ‘s mom, Donna, also came to spend time and help with the boys. She brought plenty of fun gifts that she doled out through the weekend to keep the boys busy with artwork or music. She also brought 6 dozen farm fresh eggs and 2 dozen ears of sweet corn. The boys were tired after their week of school and daycare, and both really just wanted to settle back into their home routine, happy for the Grandma time. We used almost a couple dozen eggs for breakfasts and ate corn Sunday night for our official Labor Day Weekend Grill Out. The highlight of the weekend for me was our backyard campfire. The boys roasted marshmallows for s’mores while we told silly stories of marshmallow boys and sang our favorite Sunday school songs.
Over the course of two days, the big guys laid the sub flooring and tile, and the little boys slept a lot. I also tried to keep up with the garden. I managed to stew tomatoes from the garden to freeze, threw together a loaf of bread and canned another batch of pickles between art projects. We ate our fill of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, as well.
Today the project was finishing up. After saying good-bye to our guests this morning, Ian found a recipe in a school project that he wanted to try. It was an easy recipe for granola, so the whole family walked to the store, enjoying the sunshine, to pick up a few ingredients. While John put down the grout on the porch and Suki slept almost three hours(!), Ian and I mixed up the granola that we will be eating for breakfast this week.
So despite busyness around the house, the weekend was productive, full of fresh food and a newly tiled parch, which brought family for a fun time. It ended as it started, having dinner with my family, salads with veggies from the garden, and an easy mango whip dessert from India, ahm phul. Ian almost fell asleep at the table, but Suki drank his ahm phul in one giant gulpJ
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