My favorite images from the past week:
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Good Eats: Chimichuri
If you have not experienced chimichuri, then friend, you are missing out on something wonderful. This is one of those recipes that is extremely easy, but because of it’s impact seems intricate. As you eat it you’ll just think, “where have you been all my life?!” I say think, because you’ll likely be rendered speechless.
This specific recipe is from my Argentinian grandmother, who is by far the best chef I have ever had the privilege of meeting. She and my grandfather owned a quaint little restaurant when I was a child, and it was here that my love affair with Argentinian food began. I have memories of being filled to the brim with her delicacies: the very items that my culinary palette now naturally favors.
Chimichuri is great on meats, potatoes, vegetables, bread, and in my opinion everything else under the sun. When I make it, it tops every item on my plate.
*Tip: If you like yours with some extra kick, add a couple extra cloves of garlic.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 4-6 servings
- 2 bunches of parsley
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1/2 shallot, peeled (optional)
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- splash of lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
Color Trend: Blushing Pinks
I have been seeing pink ALL OVER THE PLACE recently. And not just any shade of pink: it’s blushing pinks. They’re in the mags, popping up on my pinterest feed, and one particular shade has even landed on my daughter’s dresser (photos coming soon). I’m not typically pink’s number one fan, but the blush pink craze is something I can get into, as evidenced by this photo.
Cotton Candy like woah
Pink Cake. Hello, Gorgeous!
This painting needs to be all up on my wall.
Autumnal Florals
It has finally cooled down enough for me to believe that we are entering into autumn. Experiencing each of the changing seasons is quite different in the Midwest than it is in the South. Different in that I’m actually experiencing them. Texans always joke about the unreliability of the weather, and since I’ve moved to the Midwest, I appreciate the sentiment even more. Texas weather is all over the place. One day it’s sleeting, and the next day it’s 70 degrees. There’s no such thing as autumn in Texas.
I must say, Texans are truly missing out. There is nothing that can be compared to the sights, sounds, and smells of the change from summer to autumn. Everything is just different; there’s no other word for it. The noticeable change ushers in desires for warm soups, gourds, and blankets. Suddenly, walking your dog isn’t a sweaty chore– instead, you’re likely to need a warm sweater and a hat. It’s like autumn is a gradual easement into the wintery weather that will eventually ensue in the coming months. I can actually feel the holidays. It’s a genuinely beautiful experience.
Here are some autumnal floral combinations that are making my heart go a pitter patter:
I love the largess of this arrangement from Just Imagine.
This arrangement by Martha Stewart.com
I love the contrast between the reds and white in this arrangement featured on Sarahwinward.com
This arrangement from Floret Flower Farm has me feeling some heart palpations. I wish I lived in Seattle just so I could receive their deliveries. There’s some real talent over there!
Good Eats: Oven Roasted Potatoes and Pole Beans with Shallots and Garlic
I’ve been harvesting a lot of these pole beans lately, and there are so many, that I hardly know what to do with them. I planted them as sort of an experiment in the spring, and given my unique ability to kill the things that I obsess over, decided not to expect much. I’m shocked at their abundance, and frankly, was feeling a bit annoyed.
They’re beautiful and surprisingly fruitful, but here’s a little secret: I don’t particularly care for pole beans. They’re slightly chewy and bitter. I’ve eaten them raw, boiled, and sauteed, but they’re pretty awful. However, I’ve remained vigilant in my pursuit of doing them justice (I did, after all, grow them), and have finally found a way to choke them down; nay, enjoy them!
One of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables is to roast them. They always come out of the oven glistening, with a little bit of color on them, looking absolutely stunning. Why I didn’t think to do this before, I’m not really sure, because it was the perfect solution. The pole beans developed a beautiful, crispy skin that has given me a new found appreciation for these precarious little veggies.
You can prepare this with any kind of vegetable, though roasting times will vary. Regardless of the type of veggies you choose, I would always include the garlic and shallots. They kind of make the dish.
*Tip: chopping larger vegetables into sizes that match the smaller vegetables you choose to include, will aid in providing an even roasting.
Serves 4, but if you’re like me, you will eat them all yourself.
INGREDIENTS
- A bunch of pole beans (about two handfuls)
- 6 red potatoes (cut into 1/4s)
- 4 shallots (cut into 1/4s), peeled
- 8 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- salt
- pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil cooking sheet.
In a large bowl, combine beans, potatoes, shallots, and garlic cloves with olive oil. Sprinkle half of rosemary into the bowl, and liberally distribute salt and pepper, so that each vegetable is covered.
Spread vegetable mixture onto cooking sheet and top with additional rosemary.
Cook for 25-30 minutes, checking frequently. Cook times may vary.
Plate, and enjoy! Bread is a nice addition with this side, as you can spread the roasted garlic and shallots on top. I’d probably throw a little goat cheese on there with it.
What are some of your favorite ways to prepare persnickety vegetables?
Good Eats: Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
This cake is extremely simple to make. It’s a great one to make on a whim, especially if you bake often, because you’ll likely have each ingredient on hand. I combined the ingredients in my blender, making it a quick clean up, too. It’s a win-win!
The recipe calls for three 8-inch cake pans, but I used one large pan and winged it. It turned out wonderfully!
*Tip: If you are like me, you don’t have softened butter hanging out on your kitchen counter. Not to fret, slice butter stick up into tablespoon sections to speed up softening.
This recipe is adapted from the 1996 edition of Southern Living’s Annual Recipe Book.
CAKE INGREDIENTS
- 1 and 1/3 cups sifted cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 1 and 1/3 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour cake pan/s.
Combine first three ingredients in separate bowl. Next, combine wet ingredients in blender, one at a time, in sequential order. Add dry ingredients to blender. Thoroughly blend.
Add batter to greased cake pan/s and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted into center of cake and comes out clean. Remove from oven, and let cool for 8 minutes. Remove from pan/s, and let cool completely. Cover with icing and top with powdered sugar.
ICING INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 1 and 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all ingredients in blender.
*Tip: if your icing isn’t smooth enough, add a tablespoon of milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
Spaces: Week No. 2
Here are a few of my favorite spaces this week:
This lake house living room by Thom Filica, sourced from Home Adore.
This study designed by Peter Dunham.
This living room by Peter Dunham.
This Nantucket boathouse living space by Gary McBournie.
This Nantucket boathouse kitchen by Gary McBournie.
This living space, but most of all the orange sofa, designed by Deborah French.
My Garden: In Images Only
Midwestern Musing 