On Making Ravioli and Children

Hey, I have a good idea. Feeling frustrated? Irritated by some circumstance in your day? Why don't you go ahead and try to make one of the more difficult pasta dishes by hand, from scratch? It's sure to be therapeutic in an opposite sort of way.

Yes, that was me today-- plunging ahead into a ravioli making endeavor even though I spent most of the morning struggling to look at my children without losing it on them, listening to whining and fighting, missing my husband who has been gone most of the week and last night and now today as well, dealing with the same water spilling and bowl breaking issue over and over again with this little one year old.

So after the little guy was down for his nap and the other two were happily engaged, I started rolling out the pasta dough and brushing the edges and filling the little squares, some with pumpkin and some with a spinach/ricotta filling. Starting out, I really did think I was kind of an idiot, knowing how foul a mood I was in and thinking that if this didn't go well it was only my own fault for attempting it on the least patient and long-suffering of days.

Thankfully, it all went fine. The dough did not stick to the counter in a huge sheet of gluey mess as it had in my one and only previous attempt at fresh pasta making. The filling was ready thanks to prep I did earlier in the week, so the process overall was less tedious and time consuming. The kitchen was not a flour covered sea of disaster and did not take long to clean up. The cute little things looked good with their rustic fork pressed edges, and were even kind of fun to pull together.

And the quiet, hand-consuming work gave me a little time to reflect, to let my mind wander over the day and the little people that have filled it. Imps, urchins, cantankerous little devils with wills and selfish needs all their own. That is how I responded to them most of the morning. There were a few glimpses of hope, a few moments where goodness seemed to seep in the edges of the conversation and sprinkle a few drops of grace on an otherwise stormy situation, but most of the time I was on edge and raw. I could see the mirror slapping me in the face as I implored one child to think not of his own interests... but remember that Jesus always ignored his own rights and poured out his love for us, even when we were at that very time sinning against him. I just kind of sat there, quiet-- the child waiting for me to say more-- and all I could think of was my own need to digest this.

Later, as I was carefully pressing the edges of each little pocket of pasta, all the words I had read over the week seemed to converge in my mind.

"If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me." Mark 9:35-36

One of the more staggering things about our great God is the very particular way he cares for each and every human life, and calls that one life sacred. In that, he calls me to join him, even as he knows I am an impatient, selfish woman who is constantly veering back towards my own needs and wants. He must have known all that when he looked at his flesh-crusted disciples and said to them, "whoever receives one such child in my name receives me." He knew he was calling incapable people to act like him.

I have to find some kind of precious hope in that, when feeling incredibly full of incapability. How do you get there, from I am super irritated and can't say nice things to you, to receiving and responding to these children as if they were the God-man himself?

A little like ravioli making maybe? You confess that you are an idiot. You admit it seems a task with little prospect of going well. You believe that it is still worth your time and effort to go ahead with. You plunge ahead. You pray for grace, for help. And the Spirit of God always helps us in our weaknesses. He is real, our faith is required, trust is implied, and obedience is the way forward.

A Bit of Blackberry Cobbler

Berries are not very prevalent here. Strawberries are the only exception, sitting in plump piles of unnatural size and color due to the chemicals that are pumped in their little bodies. Sometimes I buy the imported frozen blueberries or raspberries that are sold at one singular store for a hefty price. So the other day when I happened upon these fresh, healthy looking blackberries priced like fruit ought to be in China, I had to snatch them up.

 I've never made anything with blackberries before. Pinterest provided some exciting ideas... spritzers, cocktails, pies, cobblers. I went with the cobbler so everyone could enjoy it and enjoy it we did. I'll share the recipe here- it's very simple and I only changed a few minor things which may or may not have made it better. The best part was how well the whipped cream actually whipped up. Usually it's a sad little dribble of barely thickened liquid. But last night, the gods were smiling and it was as firm and fluffy as a pile of cotton- except of course, way tastier.

Easy Blackberry Cobbler

(adapted from this recipe)

4 cups fresh blackberries

1 T. lemon juice

sugar to taste (depending on sweetness/tartness of your berries)

1 or 2 tsp cinnamon

1 large egg

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

6 T. cold butter

whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place blackberries in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; sprinkle with lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar (if needed). Stir together sugar and flour; cut in butter with pastry cutter. Add egg and stir until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Wonder Baking

 

A little Holiday Baking going on around here. Some take the privileges of the Baker very seriously.

On my list of goodies to be made this year:

Sugar Cookies (maybe even with royal icing and serious decorating? we'll see)

Ginger Snaps, of course

Peanut Blossoms, see above... and old standby

Mexican Wedding Cakes, my personal favorite

Tea Ring, just like my Grandma always does it

Peppermint Mochas (times 80... for the staff at school... yikes! but fun)

White Chocolate Dipped Pretzels... for gifts

I think that and maybe lettuce and endamame should do it for our diet of the next couple weeks.

How about you? Are there special things you always make, or are trying new this year? 

So far, the making for me has not been too stressful (wait until I get to the Peppermint Mochas) and I am enjoying the pleasure and heightened sense of "something wonderful is happening" that it so easily brings. 

I hope you enjoy your times of special making as well!

 

Apple Upside Down Muffins

With Thanksgiving just around the corner and autumn on my mind and in my heart, baking with apples and pumpkin seems to be playing center stage in the kitchen. We've had Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Scones, pumpkin ginger pancakes, apple crisp, pumpkin pie, and now Apple Upside-Down Muffins.

Apple Upside-Down Muffins

from Country Baking by Gooseberry Patch

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp butter, divided

1/2 cup buttermilk*

1 egg, beaten

1 cup apple, peeled, cored and grated

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

With pastry cutter, cut in 1/4 cup butter. Combine buttermilk and egg and add to flour mixture, along with apple; stir to moisten. Over low heat, melt remaining butter in a small saucepan and stir in brown sugar. Spoon one teaspoon brown sugar mixture into each cup of a greased 12 count muffin tin. Add pecans to each muffin cup. Spoon batter into cups and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and serve nut side up. Makes 12 muffins.

*Note: if you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute by adding a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice to regualr milk.

Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Chips

Pumpkin Spice Scones with Cinnamon Chips

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ginger

6 T. cold, unsalted butter

1/2 cup cinnamon chips

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup heavy cream

6 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

Mix dry ingredients together, then cut in butter until resembles coarse crumbs.

Mix in cinnamon chips.

Whip together wet ingredients. Pour into a well in center of dry ingredients and stir gently together with fork just until moistened. Gently knead several times on floured surface until dough forms. Shape into circle about 1/2 in. thick. Either cut small triangles, or circular biscuit shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in 425 degree oven for about 15-20 min, checking for lightly browned tops.

One of my favorite breakfast treats is a good scone. I would be pleased with almost any variation, but one that is a favorite around this house and especially during these cooler months is cinnamon chip scones. Because of a superfluous amount of pumpkin puree hanging out in my kitchen after a big happy pumpkin found it's way home with me the other day, I decided to add pumpkin to the equation. The result is not an overly dry scone (which some may prefer), but it sure is delicious. I would recommend doubling the recipe and freezing some, or eating them all at once. My only regret this time? Not making them into the pretty triangles I love. I was going for smaller since they were partly for a brunch treat. But in the end, a scone is a scone is a scone as it melts in my happy little mouth.

Happy Autumn!

Pears and Pizzas... Hello Fall

Homemade Pizza is our Sunday night tradition, a tradition that has been slow going this past month or so with various travels, etc. getting in the way. But last night we settled in for a return to a meal we've come to anticipate spending either as a family, or often with friends. It was the official "end" to our one week October Holiday (thanks to the Chinese National Day on Oct. 1st) and we celebrated with a leap into the ingredients that say "fall is here!" even if the weather outside isn't quite on board yet.

Pear and Pecorino Pizza

homemade crust

small sprinkling of mozza cheese

caramalized onions

thinly sliced pear

freshly grated pecorino cheese

pepper to taste

*most recipes for pear pizza use goat cheese... which we don't have. I tried pecorino which was a more pungent flavor, but it worked for us.

Pesto and Ricotta Pizza

homemade crust

small sprinkling of mozza cheese

dollops of pesto

sliced grape or plum tomato

ricotta cheese

Caramel Dipped Pears

wash and chill pears

dip into warm caramel sauce

 (we made ours with the caramel candies and full whipping creame melted together over the stove)

sprinkle with coarse salt (go light on the salt- I used too much) or nuts

*this take on caramel apples was thanks to a pinterest link from my sis in law. Thanks Jos!

Street Food and Back

What do you do in place of pizza delivery, or any nearby restaurants that serve food you are mildly comforted by when you need a night off of cooking?

You eat Street Food.

Street Food is just what it sounds like: food cooked on, eaten on (found on?) the street. The culture of a Street Food/Night Market area is incredible to experience. It will either disgust and overwhelm you, or make you feel like you've hit some small part of the incredible heart of China. It is not for the faint-hearted... if you care a lot about germs and cleanliness and stuff like that.

Let's go for a short tour. First stop, if you want some shao kao (chinese street barbecue), you fill your little plastic basket with all the skewers of meat, and vegetables, tendons, or quail eggs you desire, then hand them over to your friendly grill master...

Send someone else to hunt down bottles of water from a nearby vendor... lots of them, especially in Sichuan province where the hot in hot is HOT.

Let the kids wander nearby (no ipods, iphones, or personal gaming devices of any kind are needed- there is plenty of butchery and live creatures to keep them entertained for hours) to check out the buckets of shrimp get a rinse, or someone's dinner choice get cleaned and de-scaled, or the small puppy licking up scraps at the feet of your very own grill master.

Maybe shao kao isn't your thing, or you'd like a little something to complement it. Head down a few stalls to your choice of fried rice or noodle vendors. Just pick from a variety of chopped meats and veggies and they will throw them all into the wok and whip you up some fantastic, salty fried something in a matter of no time, all for pennies and a toothy grin.

I'm not promising you the meat has been refrigerated recently, or how many times they wash the wok out between... days or weeks, but we've never been sick and we have always had a good time. If nothing else, for the memories.

You would think I was opening a cafe

All right, well before we get started with the whole photo and essay thing... I have more food to share. I do apologize if this interruption happens regularly, or more than once. I've been having a good time with this lately. My lunches have been a little over the top- seeing as how they are for one and a half persons... and the other half mostly just wants yogurt and a few nibbles of whatever I'm eating.

It is so worth it though, and not really that much work, to end up with a nice savory meal instead of crackers and peanut butter (though those tasted good the other day too... while I was preparing lunch).

Just a couple quick recipes here, if you care to indulge yourself. The above photo is the Pumpkin and Feta muffins (with tons of other good stuff not in the title, like spinach, sunflower seeds and parmesan cheese to name a few) which I have mentioned here before... somewhere... and the first time around I wasn't overly impressed. But this time, I had to change a few things because of the ingredients I had on hand, and also spilled a little extra salt in the bowl after a fight with a feisty plastic trap door thingy that guards the salt from escaping I guess. In the end, they proved far more tastier than my first endeavor and I was really pleased with them. I ate four for lunch that day.

The recipe is found here, and my little list of substitutions are as follows:

- sliced almonds in place of the sunflower seeds

- baked sweet potato in place of the pumpkin

- 1/2 ricotta and 1/2 feta in place of all feta

- 2/3 cup whole wheat and 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour in place of all white flour

- maybe a bit more salt than is asked for

This next easy recipe is from a photo I saw on pinterest of a basil pesto, mozzarella, and plum tomato grilled cheese sandwich, with a side salad of kidney beans, sweet corn, and avocado.  I happened to have all those ingredients on hand (grape tomatoes in place of plum) as well as some fresh spinach which I threw on the sandwich. The salad was sprinkled with a pinch of salt... and there was our little gourmet lunch for one (and a half). Delish.

breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Cinnamon Chip Scones, Yum.

I do love a good scone. When I go out with a friend for coffee, I'm always a sucker for them, even when I know Starbucks commercial ones will likely disappoint. Homemade ones never do though, and recently on a trip to Beijing I found a bag of cinnamon chips (chocolate chips, but made out of cinnamon) in the imported goods store. Delight.

I do also love to take pictures of my food. When I am making something, and the light hits it in a particular way, or I just think it's looking pretty, I inevitably end up with a camera covered in floury fingerprints.

We were all so happy with these delicious scones this morning, a late one for all of us who stayed up til all hours listening to and watching the fireworks show out our windows.

Cinnamon Chip Scones

2 1/2 cups flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces

2 beaten eggs

3/4 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup cinnamon chips

milk

sugar

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Whisk together eggs and whipping cream, mix into dry ingredients just until moistened. 

3. Set dough on floured surface and knead 10-12 times until dough is smooth. Shape dough into 8 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges.

4. Place wedges 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet (I also dust with flour and layer an additional baking sheet underneath as mine tend to burn otherwise). Brush wedges with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar.

5. Bake in a 400 F for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden.

If You Can't Think of What to Make for Dinner

For the last three days in a row, I've eaten this salad. Either it is that good, or I am prone to ruts, or there is nothing to eat but apples, cranberries, and lettuce in this house. I suppose it may be all of those things. I'd like to think it is simply because this little throw-together is feeling just about perfect for a fall afternoon. 

You see, even little four year old fingers couldn't keep their hands off it.

With the coming events next week, this salad is not the only food on my brain. 

I just put a down payment on what seems way too much to spend on a turkey. You see, no one eats turkeys around here except for these crazy foreigners on this one specific day. So as the laws of economics go... they are not cheap.

Then there are the school events, the bake sales, the birthday parties, the potlucks, the gatherings in my own home... all in one short week. I love food. I love the gift of it, that we can enjoy it and not just inhale it. I love that we can share it and find such pleasure in making it. I love the way it looks, the way it smells, the way it tastes. And yet, sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. 

I feel that way about weekly menu plans too. Swapping menu ideas and recipes seems to be a frequent and regular conversation I am a part of. And this in an attempt to help lighten the loaded question that lurks in every home at the dawn of a new day... "what are we having for dinner?" (or is that just my home?). And in honor of that idea, I thought I would share a few meals we have had over this past week. Every family has their own particular tastes and tendencies, so I'm not promising you will want to make any of them, but maybe they will spark an idea if you're stuck (like I often am), or maybe they will make you think, wow, this girl needs my help, and then you can leave a wonderful idea for me in the comments below. One giant menu sharing extravaganza. I'll probably still poll the moms on the walk up the hill tomorrow though.

Here's to sharing what's going on in your kitchen...

Sunday: Chicken Fajitas (sides of sauteed peppers, fresh salsa, sour cream, cheese, and a black bean salad that a friend brought. YUM). This amazing birthday cake, with the raspberry substitute and vanilla frosting.

Monday: Our once weekly Chinese meal.

Tuesday: Corn Chowder, thick homemade bread slices, Autumn Blend Grilled Chicken Salad

Wednesday: Oven Baked Meatballs with barbecue glaze, baked potatoes, sauteed broccoli and carrots

Thursday: Chicken Curry, Biryani rice, more rice.

Friday: not sure yet

Saturday: Homemade Pizza

Autumn Blend Grilled Chicken Salad

-Grilled Chicken absolutely essential that it be grilled (I cheated on my grill pan for the stove).

-Fresh Apple, sliced and halved

-Almond Slices

-Dried Cranberries

-Romaine and/or green leaf lettuce

-I used a toasted sesame dressing b/c it's what I have and I love it but maybe that mixture is too weird for you... so use what you love.

{And if you're prone to ruts like me, make enough for several servings and pack in the fridge to assemble the following day, or several days}

A Cucumber Shout Out

 

The cucumber. I've been enjoying it's presence in my life lately. It's like the white button up oxford of the food wardrobe: somewhat boring but always adds a crispness that is at once cool and unassuming. Or like that smart girl in your class that was quiet but always had a timely answer. The cucumber sort of slides its way into so many dishes, but is rarely the flashy main attraction. So the other day at lunch, as I sliced away at a squeaky clean, crunchy cuke that just oozed freshness, I offered a small "I really like you!" under my breath. Maybe I should have said the same to that smart girl.

In China, the cucumber gets a lot of attention. You see people everywhere chomping on them like they are a bag of potato chips (and the bag of potato chips DOES indeed come in cucumber flavor if that suits your fancy). Workers on break, grandma's feeding little children, pretty young women on their way to the office, you name it young and old alike seem to love this simple veggie that can be picked up at any roadside stand (or basket).  Countless Asian dishes use the cucumber as a tasty part of their ensemble. We eat it with more foods now than we used to, which says more about me and my need to grow in food exploration than it does anything else. 

Cucumbers are an excellent complement to Indian Curry, chopped fresh with tomatoes or just sliced for finger food. Any Mediterranean inspired food needs cucumbers it seems... couscous and hummus, tomatoes, feta, olives, you name it, it needs some crunchy cuke. Even something like the boring ham and cheese sandwich can get a bit more exciting and summery with the freshness of a few summery green slices. If you're into Chinese fare, why not try it with scrambled egg? My sister-in-law Leah, who makes the best chunky guacamole salsa I've ever tasted in my life adds cucumber to her genius recipe. Here's a yummy looking recipe that I would love to try (I pretty much love all her food). When things like pine nuts, avocado, and cucumber are mentioned together, I get excited.

For me it's the cucumber, but there are so many wonderful summer foods available right now. What are you enjoying?

Ricotta to Rest: Last Two Dishes... To Die For!

Way too many puns in that title.

I have now used up all the ricotta in that wonderful first batch from a few days ago. These last two recipes are so delicious and fresh and full of summer flavor. I'm also on this salad kick so it was exciting to find one that could use up some of my overzealous jar of homemade cheese.

The salad is from a great food blog found here. Definitely not my own discovery... I find nothing original on my own but humbly admit I am usually a mere follower. Most of the salads on her list looked amazing to me, but this one was a winner because of this list of ingredients:

• asparagus (love, love that my dad is growing it in his garden!)
• broccoli (love like a faithful friend)
• orzo pasta (can't get... I used couscous instead-- love)
• sprouts (love in a it's-weird-that-I-like-to-eat-things-that-taste-like-grass-but-I-do kind of way)
• fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic (love, love, love)
• feta cheese (love, but I had ricotta and it worked great)
• toasted almonds (love them, eat them, especially with chocolate but that wouldn't work here...)
• avocado (oh my)
• cucumber (love it like it's the middle of summer and nothing says it like the crunch of a fresh cuke!)

All together this combination is amazing and light, but filling and healthy, delicious and satisfying. It's not something I would eat every day like some previously drooled over dishes. Maybe it's because of the stronger flavors? But I will definitely make it again.

Next up: Pesto Chicken and Ricotta Pizza

We make a lot of homemade pizza here and though they usually have to include pepperoni and lots of mozza cheese, I tried a friend's combination the other night and it was so wonderful, made with... ricotta! I used chicken tossed in pesto, fresh cherry tomatoes, yellow and red bell peppers with red onion tossed in olive oil and salt, and a simple garlic white sauce as the base (and a light sprinkling of mozza too). 

So now my jar is empty, but I have loved every minute of consuming it. Still on the hunt for good salads. I'm thinking something fruity/cheesy/nutty for the next one...

I Can't Stop Eating This

It's so darn good. My enjoyment of it is kind of scaring me. Have I been eating cardboard by accident the last few weeks? Anyway, the pursuit of ricotta-using recipes (b/c of my rather large jar sitting in the fridge) led me to an old Real Simple magazine that had some, you guessed it simple but yummy recipes for the grill.

Enter grill. I don't have a grill. But I DO have a grill pan thanks to my recent trip to Beijing... which means IKEA. I am also a little concerned about my level of excitement about this grill pan. It really doesn't grill food-- but it leaves cool grill lines on them and that excites me. My inner artist just loves the way it looks. 

Anyway, I really hope if you read this that you will try this lovely, fresh, summery meal. I'm so in love with it I might need some accountability. I've eaten it for lunch for several days straight now and can't wait to share it with my man who is coming home TONIGHT!!!

grilled bread with zucchini, ricotta, and basil 

(originally published in Real Simple July 2009)

4  thick slices country bread

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 small zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 cup fresh basil, leaves torn (I used dried, but added some fresh spinach)

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Kosher salt

1 cup fresh ricotta

Heat grill to medium high. Brush bread with 1 T. of the oil and grill until golden and crisp, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to plates.

Grill the zucchini until tender and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Toss in a large bowl with the basil, pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, and remaining T. of oil.

Top the bread with zucchini mixture and ricotta.

note: I think the bread is kind of important... use a good, tasty country bread. I added tomatoes which was so fresh and colorful.

Easy Cheezy :: Ricotta Making

One of the wonderful things about living in China that is also one of the trying things about living in China is the lack of cheese. They don't eat it here and so anything we find is imported and thus expensive... and the options are limited. So delights like fresh mozzarella and ricotta, or varieties of blue and feta are not readily, and some of them never, available. 

But the more I learn from others and from some of my reading, the more I would love to make my own cheese anyway! Many kinds require rennet (the lining of a cow's stomach... who comes up with this stuff?) and milk that has not been ultra-pasteurized-- more items that are hard to get here. But Ricotta does not require either of these things and is pretty easy for a first timer.

The recipe is simple. You can also find a similar one here.

I used: one gallon of milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/3+ cups of distilled white vinegar

nylon stockings (never worn... just so you know)

Heat the milk to about 180-185 degrees, near scalding temperature, just before it comes to a boil (use a thermometer if you can). When it reaches that temp, turn off the burner and add vinegar, stirring for one minute. Add the salt. Curds will form. Cover with a dry clean dish towel and let it sit undisturbed for a couple hours.

Ladle out the ricotta curds into cheesecloth lined colander, or stockings if you don't have cheesecloth! Let the colander rest inside a large bowl to allow draining. Let drain for two hours or so.

And oala! you have ricotta. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate for up to about seven days.

Make sure to use whole milk. You can vary the salt amount depending on what you are using it for and your taste. I think I would add a little more next time.

Now for some ricotta recipes. It's been so long since I've used it that I forget what to make with it! You all did great with suggestions for salads... any ideas for ricotta? And I'm keen to learn some more cheeses so let's hope there's more of this in the future.