ligurian focaccia

this focaccia was reminiscent of what is served in cinque terre. before walking the five towns, we filled our backpacks with each flavor of focaccia from the bakery and off we went on the day's journey by the sea. for this batch, i tried half red onion and half large-flaked sea salt.

the rising dough.

ligurian focaccia (red onion & sea salt)

cinque terre.

LIGURIAN FOCACCIA
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast / 7 gram or 1/4 oz. packet
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (optional)

Place yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Cover with warm water and stir.  Let stand 10 minutes, until the yeast has developed.  You'll know if the yeast is ready when the top of the mixture turns foamy.  Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir. Combine salt and flour.  Slowly stir in yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms. Knead the dough 2-3 minutes on a floured work surface.  Shape the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl.  Cover with a towel and leave to rise for 2 hours in a warm spot. 

Lightly oil a cookie sheet.  Once dough has risen for the full two hours, roll out the dough on your oiled cookie sheet.  Pat dough slightly into desired shape.  Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to poke dough in rows (prevents bubbling), pokes should be 2-3 inches apart.  Let rise for another hour and bake in a 450 degree oven for 15-25 minutes.

holy hot basil

delicious with a runny fried egg on top. excellent for dinner parties, total cooking time is ~7 minutes.

holy hot basil
[neua pat bai grapao]

10 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
8 bird's eye chilies, chopped
pinch of salt
1/2 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp white sugar
1/4 cup stock or water
2 large handfuls of holy basil
ground pork or chopped beef
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs

Serve w/ steamed thai sticky rice [thai glutinous rice]

Preparation
Coarsely chop garlics with chilies & salt.
Heat a oiled wok over high heat, add in 2 tbsp vegetable oil, fry two eggs until just cooked & yolks still runny, spoon oil over the top to ensure top is cooked well. Lift eggs out & set aside.

Add remaining 2 tbsp of oil to wok.  Once oil is hot, add in garlic, chili & salt mixture.  Stir fry quickly, don't allow the garlic to brown.  Add in the beef or pork and stir fry until just cooked through.  Add in the fish sauce, fish sauce & sugar to your taste.  Add stock or water and simmer quickly.  Add in the holy basil, once wilted remove dish from heat.  

Serve with thai sticky rice & top holy hot basil dish with one fried egg.  

claussen cousins

my love affair with Claussen Kosher Dills goes way back. my Aunt Janelle is to thank for introducing me to these and she is, quite possibly, the pickle fairy. the day i had my first Claussen KD was a fabulous day in my little Laura life. i was about 5 years old, and was hanging out with Alonna, i snapped straight into that tangy vinegared delight and I never once looked back. 

between '89 and '93 if you had asked Alonna or I, we would have both placed Claussen pickles on our top-three foods list. Her other top contenders were 1. ice cream and 2. popcorn. The best part is that we used to fight over who got the biggest pickle.  funny? yes. a joke? no.

pickles 

claussen cousins

pickles part deux 

budding pickle enthusiasts + fair hair

the claussen clones were super easy to make, crispy and delicious. of course, i'll always still keep a jar of the real thing in the fridge.

CLAUSSEN DILL PICKLE CLONES
1 lb cucumbers
1/3 cup minced onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds
1/2 cup fresh dill
1 1/2 quarts water
2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup canning salt


Slice cucumbers lengthwise into quarters; add to sterilized jars along with the dill. Boil liquids and seasonings to dissolve the salt & then cool the mixture. Pour over pickles and seal lids and refrigerate.They can keep for up to a year.

printed hand towels

i block-printed these hand towels with carved wood and rubber blocks, using my arrow and laurel wreath blocks. ink is black speedball for fabric. hand towels from west elm.

talkin with my mouth full of zucchini bread

i recently finished talking with my mouth full by the lovely gail simmons. good read. i recommend it to anyone out there that likes food and / or books about food. gail is a gem. anywho, the final section of the book includes some of her favorite family recipes, including a recipe for zucchini bread.

i stumbled upon said recipe right as i had also found myself with an abundance of zucchini from the summer CSA box. what is one to do with three zucchinis per week?  make zucchini bread and eat it everyday, that's what. 

i learned that it is also nice to give a loaf to a friend. That is, if you find friends who appreciate sweet quick breads made mostly of vegetables. My secret tip: just tell your friends it's cake, made from pure cake ingredients. [Cake is a more popular and socially acceptable gift than vegetable bread.] They'll never know the difference. That's just how charming you are, how gullible they are and how delightful this treat is. 

ZUCCHINI BREAD
Adapted from Gail Simmons' Talking with My Mouth Full
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp table salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two loaf pans. Mix dry ingredients and set aside. In a stand mixer or mixing bowl beat the eggs, add in the sugar, oil & vanilla and mix. Add in the zucchini, mix until just combined. Divide the batter between the two loaf pans. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  

the zingiest pasta of summer

hey peeps. just devoured a pasta like this at cuoco.  i'm all about lemon, garlic & spice and have been all over this since i figured out how to replicate it at home.

Dan isn't big into carbs so it's my go-to when he's not home.

SPICY LEMON, GARLIC & PARM SPAGHETTI
If you're eating for 1, here's what you'll need (multiply accordingly if there are other guests in your party, or extra hunger in your belly):

8 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup parsley (finely chopped)
1 tbsp butter
splash of olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (use your microplane)
zest of half a lemon (or zest of a full small lemon, use your microplane again)
spaghetti for one, can be quinoa or regular gluten pasta (cooked al dente in heavily salted water)

cook your spaghetti in heavily salted water (i heard somewhere that pasta water should taste like the ocean). drain and set cooked pasta aside. add butter, olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to your pan. cook about 5 minutes on low heat, until garlic is cooked and not brown and the spice of the flakes begins to develop. add in lemon zest. add in your pasta. toss. remove from heat and add in your finely grated parm.

get that pasta into a bowl and slurp it up.    

green arrows

ARROZ VERDE (spicy green rice)
2 cups long grain white rice (jasmine or other)
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup verde salsa or sauce (Herdez)
1/4 cup cilantro
4 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
1/4 of a white or yellow onion
1 package of cotija cheese, crumbled
1 cup of cheddar, grated


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cilantro, garlic, onion & jalapeno in a food processor, pulse until chopped. Bring broth & verde salsa to a boil and stir in rice and cilantro/onion/garlic/jalapeno mixture. Cover and reduce heat to low, cook for 20-30 minutes or until rice is done.  Stir in cotija and 1/2 cup of cheddar until just mixed. Transfer to a baking dish and cover with the remaining cheddar. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and slightly browned.