A Thought for Today
“Neither art nor wisdom may be attained without learning.”
Democritus (c.460-370 BC)
A Piece of My Work
A Memory (V)
Showing posts with label A Recipe for the Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Recipe for the Day. Show all posts
Friday, December 27, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
December 20, 2013
A Thought for Today
“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor.”
Victor Hugo
A Piece of My Work
My son and daughter in law, Daniel and Berenice, were expecting a baby. In fact, they had two little twin girls. I wanted to make something for this occasion. I called the piece "Awaiting our Granddaughters", in anticipation of their birth on October 17, 2013.
I gave this piece to Daniel and Berenice on the day they had a baby shower. It shows two babies in a heart-shaped basket under the protective hands of the mother and father.
A Recipe for Today
Paella, Valencia style
Active work time: 35 min. Total preparation time: 1 hour.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Ingredients:
1
cup of fresh or frozen lima beans or dried butter beans, soaked overnight.
2 cups green beans cut in 2” pieces
2 chicken thighs (10 oz. total)
Salt
4 pieces of rabbit (10 oz. total)
1 (10 oz.) boneless duck breast, cut into 4 pieces
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tomato grated (1/2 cup pulp)
2 tbsp. annatto oil
¼ tsp. saffron, crushed
½ tsp. pimentón
41/2 cups chicken broth
1 dz. cooked snails, optional
Fresh rosemary sprig
2 cups Spanish short-grain rice
Lemon wedges for garnish
Procedure:
Soak butter beans overnight, cook in boiling water for 5
min. Drain and refresh under cold water. Set aside.
Blanch green beans in boiling water for 1 min. Drain,
refresh in cold water and set aside.
Cut the chicken thighs in half along the bone, making 4
pieces. Lightly salt the chicken, rabbit, and duck.
Place a 14”-paella pan on the fire and heat the oil over
medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of salt into the oil then add the chicken,
rabbit, and duck and let them brown slowly, about 10 min. Add the limas or parboiled butter beans and the blanched
green beans and cook and stir 1 min. Add the garlic and when it begins turning yellow, add the
tomato pulp.
In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of water, the annatto oil,
saffron, and pimentón. Stir until the spices are dissolved. Dribble the mixture
into the pan.
Add 4 cups of broth and return the heat to high. Add the
snails and sprig of rosemary. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook 14 min. more without
stirring. Add liquid if necessary. The liquid should be absorbed and the rice
al dente.
Allow the paella to sit 5-10min. before serving, then garnish
with lemon edges.
Friday, December 6, 2013
December 6, 2013
A Thought for Today
“Every society has the criminals it deserves.”
A. Camus
A Piece of My Work
Putto (V)
I am experimenting with the putto's and found that the relationship between the size of the figure and the background plate may add considerably to the overall effect. I like this putto more than the last one shown.
A Recipe for Today
Mixed Vegetables and Veal Stew
(Ghiveci)
From Jeff Smith’s “Frugal Gourmet on
Our Immigrant Ancestors”
This is one of my preferred dishes. It is a great recipe that requires a lot of work but the results are much appreciated by all those lucky to eat it. I first learned about "Ghiveci" at home. When I started my travels in Turkey, I found out that the recipe is a Turkish dish that entered the cuisine of those who like 'soul food'...
Ingredients:
1/3
c. all-purpose flour
3 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. black pepper
2 ½ lbs. boneless shoulder veal cut into 1” cubes
2 ½ tbsp. butter
¼ c. olive oil
2 medium yellow onions peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
1 c. carrots, sliced
2 c. turnips peeled and chopped
2 c. parsnips peeled and chopped
2 c. celery root, peeled and chopped
4 c. eggplant, cut in ½” cubes
2 c. zucchini, cut in ½” cubes
1 ½ c. green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼” strips
2 c. leeks, only the white part, cleaned and thinly sliced
3 c. cabbage (½ of a small head) thinly sliced
2 c. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 c. baby okra, cut or whole
3 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp. marjoram, dried
1 tbsp. thyme, dried
1 c. beef stock
1 c. dry red wine
3 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. black pepper
2 ½ lbs. boneless shoulder veal cut into 1” cubes
2 ½ tbsp. butter
¼ c. olive oil
2 medium yellow onions peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
1 c. carrots, sliced
2 c. turnips peeled and chopped
2 c. parsnips peeled and chopped
2 c. celery root, peeled and chopped
4 c. eggplant, cut in ½” cubes
2 c. zucchini, cut in ½” cubes
1 ½ c. green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼” strips
2 c. leeks, only the white part, cleaned and thinly sliced
3 c. cabbage (½ of a small head) thinly sliced
2 c. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 c. baby okra, cut or whole
3 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp. marjoram, dried
1 tbsp. thyme, dried
1 c. beef stock
1 c. dry red wine
Garnish:
Plain yogurt or low-fat sour
cream
Procedure:
In a bowl combine the flour, ½
tsp. of the salt, and ½ tsp. of the pepper. Add the veal pieces and toss until
the cubes are well coated. Remove the meat from the flour, sifting it through
your fingers to shake off the excess flour. Sauté the veal in butter and
oil in an 8- to 10-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring frequently,
until brown on all sides, about 5 min.
Add the onions and garlic and
cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, about 5 min.
Add all of the remaining
ingredients and stir until well mixed. Cook, covered, over high heat, until the
liquid boils. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place in a preheated 350⁰ oven. Bake, stirring several times during
cooking, until the vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Serve hot. Garnish
each serving with yogurt or sour cream.
Serve with polenta.
Makes about 20 servings.
Friday, November 22, 2013
November 22, 2013
A Thought for Today
"Is it moral or ethical to bury an organ which could save a life?"
Dr. Christian Barnard (first surgeon to do a successful organ transplant in man)
A Piece of My Work
I sculpted the putto on top of the flat medallion. I used a better transparent blue glaze that pools into the crevices and troughs of the sculpture.
Putto (IV)
A Recipe for Today
Polenta with Sage
Ingredients:
2 c. water
1 ½ c. chicken broth
1 ½ c. yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp. minced fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp. crumbled dried + sprigs for garnish
2 garlic cloves
4 oz. Mascarpone
¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves (preferably flat-leaved)
Tabasco to taste
Procedure:
In a 3-qt. microwave-safe casserole with a lid combine the water and the broth, whisk in the cornmeal, a little at a time, whisking to eliminate any lumps, and stir in the minced sage and the garlic.
Microwave the mixture, covered, at high power (100%), whisking every 3 minutes, for 10-12 minutes, or until it is thickened and the liquid is absorbed. Let it stand, covered, for 2 minutes and discard the garlic.
Whisk in the Mascarpone, the
Parmesan, the parsley, the Tabasco, and salt to taste.
Pour the polenta into a serving dish, and garnish it with
the sage sprigs.
Serves 6.
Friday, November 15, 2013
November 15, 2013
A Thought for Today
"A good gulp of hot whiskey at bedtime it's not very scientific, but it helps when down with a cold".
Sir Alexander Fleming
A Piece of My Work
Putto (III)
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A Recipe for Today
Tomato Salsa
For ½ recipe For
Full Recipe (~4 ½ cups):
4 8 cloves
garlic, coarsely chopped
½ 1 yellow chili,
seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 2 medium
beefsteak tomatoes, cored and seeded
¼ ½ white onion,
coarsely chopped
3/4 1½ cup canned dice
tomatoes, drained½ ½ cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
3 6 green
onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
¼ 1/3 cup lime
juice
1 2 tsp. kosher
salt
Procedure:
In a food processor,
chop garlic and chili.
Add beefsteak
tomatoes and onion; pulse until chopped.
Add fire-roasted
tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and lime juice; pulse until roughly chopped.
Season with salt.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
November 9, 2013
A Thought for Today
"Men don't think about future until they get married; women think about future only before they get married".
Pearl S. Buck
A Piece of My Work
Putto (I)
My first attempt to making a 'putto'. June 2013
.JPG)
A Recipe for Today
Brisket
Ingredients:
5-6 lbs. brisket
3 onions sliced
1-2 envelopes of Lipton’s dry onion soup or Lipton’s mushroom soup packet
2-3 cans golden mushroom soup mixed with ¼ -½ cups water
4 peeled and sliced carrots
4 potatoes peeled and quartered
Turkey bag
Procedure:
Place sliced onions in the bottom of the bag;
Spread the dry onion soup. Pour over the mushroom soup.
Place the brisket on top and cover with chunks of carrots and potatoes.
Close the bag.
Cook at 325˚ for 2.5 – 3 hours until fork-tender;
Remove meat from the bag. Keep the gravy;
Slice the meat at an angle across the grain;
Place the meat slices into a Pyrex rectangular dish;
Pour gravy on top and add more golden mushroom soup;
Wrap in thin foil and seal edges. Bake one more hour at
325˚.
This is the key to a terrific brisket.
Friday, October 18, 2013
October 18, 2013
A Thought for Today
"To regret the past is like running after the wind"
Russian proverb
A Piece of My Work
December 12, 2012 - The Lady Doctor
My father gave my brother who was a surgeon a fine Lladro piece of porcelain showing a physician. I inherited this from my brother and we kept it on the shelf in the living room. One day, some lady friends came for dinner and, while saying that they liked the Lladro, were asking us why we don't have a lady partner to the it. Here it is, the Lady Doctor.
A Recipe for Today
Keftes de Prasa (beef and leek croquettes)
(A Persian traditional Passover dish)
Ingredients:
4 large leeks
½ lb. ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup matzo meal
¼ cup fresh dill, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Olive oil for frying
1 lemon cut into wedges for garnish
Preparation:
1. Wash well the leeks. Trim the root and discard the tough outer leaves. Cut crosswise into thin slices and swish in a bowl of water, changing the water two or three times to be sure the leeks are free of dirt.
2. Put the leeks in a saucepan and cover with water and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the leeks are soft, about 30 min. Drain the leeks in a colander and cool. When the leeks are cool, squeeze out as much water as possible.
3. Place the leeks in a mixing bowl with the meat, eggs, matzo meal, dill, the rest of the salt, and pepper. Mix well. Place a small piece of the mixture in boiling water, cook and taste.
4. Form into small patties, about 2½“across. Fry in olive oil on both sides about 4-5 min.
Makes about
22 patties.
Each
croquettes = 250 cal.
Friday, September 27, 2013
September 27, 2013
A Thought for Today
Solitude develops perspicacity and reflection.
EMM, 1959
A Piece of My Work
Human memory is a wondrous matter. I recall my first visit at a physician who was not a pediatrician. I believe I was about 14-15 years old. It was a routine visit required for admission to a particular school. While listening to his talk, I noticed on his desk a human hand made in stone, which impressed me by its expressiveness. It was saying to me: "I will". It stuck in my memory... Now, after so many years, I suddenly felt that I must make it in clay and I glazed it.
" I will" (Made in August 2012)
A Recipe for Today
Leg of Lamb
Ingredients:
2 cups tamari soy sauce
2 cups orange juice
4-6 lbs. leg of lamb
1 head of garlic, each clove slivered
1 sprig of rosemary
6 oz. Dijon mustard
Procedure:
Combine soy sauce and orange juice. Put leg of lamb in a non-reactive container and pour soy-orange juice mixture over. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Cut slits 1” deep and about 1” apart all over the meat. Stuff each slit with a sliver of garlic and a few leaves of rosemary.
Cover generously with mustard.
Cook at 325 degrees until meat reaches internal temperature of 140 degrees for medium-rare, about 15 min. per pound of meat.
Let stand 15-20 min. before serving.
Makes 8 servings.
Each serving contains about: 298 calories; 4211 mg.
sodium, 109 mg. cholesterol, 7 gm. fat, 14 gr. carbs, 44 gm. protein, and 0.24 gm.
fiber.
Friday, September 13, 2013
September 13, 2013
A Thought for Today
"Un juif est un homme que les autres hommes tiennent pour juif" ( A Jew is a person considered to be a Jew by other persons)
Jean-Paul Sartre
A Piece of My Work
"A Memory (II)"
A Recipe for Today
Eggplant – Romanian
style
Ingredients:
1 eggplant (~1lb.)
1Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 cloves of garlic smashed
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
Procedure:
Cook the eggplant on the barbeque or on the range at a moderately hot fire until it's very soft. Don't burn it. Cut the end and discard it. Cut lengthwise, open, and let it cool. Scoop out the pulp and let it drain, about ½ hr.
Remove the pulp and process it in a food processor or chop it coarsely. Add the rest of
the ingredients. Don’t puré
it.
Friday, August 23, 2013
August 23, 2013
August 23, 2013
A Thought for Today
"I prefer characters without culture to a culture without characters..."
Rembrandt
A Piece of My Work
The idea of an image of two protective hands holding the body of a woman came to me spontaneously last year. I did not mean to give any religious meaning.
A Recipe for Today
Dolmades
Ingredients:
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive
oil
3 Tbsp. fennel, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ medium red onion, minced
½ cup basmati rice
½ tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
¼ cup fresh dill, minced
¼ cup fresh parsley,
minced
1 tsp. dried mint
34 grape leaves, drained
¼ cup lemon juice
Procedure:
Heat 2 Tbsp.
oil in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel, red onion, and
garlic and cook until soft, 3-4 min. Add rice and toast for3 min. Add cumin and
1 ½ cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat
to medium-low and simmer until the rice absorbed the water, 12-15 min. Stir 1
Tbsp. oil along with dill, parsley, and mint. Let cool.
Coat bottom
of a 3-qt. saucepan with the remaining oil and 3 Tbsp. water. Cover with 4
grape leaves. Set remaining leaves on a work surface vein side up. Flatten one
leaf, remove the base part (about 1”) of thickest part of the central vein,
cross the two halves of the leave, and place 1Tbsp. of the rice mixture in the
center. Fold the bottom of the leaf over the rice filling, fold in the sides
and roll the dolma into a tight cylinder. Tuck in the ends.
Place dolmas
seam side down into the pot. Add lemon juice and ¾ cup water. Cover dolmas with
a small plate and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15-20
min. Serve cold or warm with the yogurt. Makes about 30 dolmades.
Garnish: “Tsatsiki”
1 large cucumber, peeled,
seeded and grated
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp. black pepper
Friday, August 16, 2013
August 16, 2013
August 16, 2013
A Thought for Today
All creative work has a starting point in the imagination of the individual and then it is his/her power to bring the work to fruition.
EMM, 1958
A Piece of My Work
Between February and May, 2012 I learned to do coil work. It's simple and very rewarding as I could not make friends with the turn table for pottery. Here is the first vase I made. Its glaze was surprisingly beautiful. It encouraged me to make quite a number of vases.
A Recipe for Today
Cioppino
1. White fish stock
Ingredients:
1 lb. bones
and trimmings of any white fish such as sole, flounder, or whiting, chopped
1 cup sliced
onion
12 long fresh
parsley sprigs
2 tbsp. fresh
lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
3½ cups cold
water
½ cup white
wine
Procedure:
In a
well-buttered heavy saucepan cook fish bones and trimmings, onion, parsley,
lemon juice, and salt, covered, over moderate heat, 5 min. Add water and wine
and bring to a boil. Simmer stock 20 min. and pour through a fine sieve into a
bowl.
Stock may be
made 3 days in advance and cooled uncovered before chilling covered. Stock
keeps frozen 3 months. Makes about 3 cups.
2. Ingredients for Cioppino:
24 small
clams
12 mussels
Salt
2 tbsp. olive
oil
6 cloves of
garlic, crushed
2 shallots, minced
½ tsp.
crushed red pepper
1/3 cup
tomato paste
7 cups fish
stock
1 lb. fish
(cod, sea bass, snapper, salmon) cut into chunks
¾ lb.
shrimps, peeled and deveined
½ lb. bay
scallops
Juice of one lemon
Procedure:
Soak clams
and mussels in a large bowl of salted water at least 15 min.
Rinse clams
and mussels under running water, scrubbing them with a small brush. Pull beards
off mussels. Discard any mussel with cracked or open shells. Return clams and
mussels to salted water and let stand until ready to use.
Heat oil in a
very large pot. Add garlic, shallots, and red pepper. Cook over medium heat
until fragrant, about 5 min. Add tomato paste and continue to cook another 5
min, stirring constantly.
Add remaining
stock, 1 tsp. salt, fish, shrimps, and scallops. Cook over medium heat 8-10
min. Add lemon juice.
3. Lime gremolata:
2 limes,
finely grated peel
1 lemon,
finely grated peel
3 tbsp. parsley,
minced
1 tsp.
garlic, finely minced
Friday, August 9, 2013
August 9, 2013
August 9, 2013
A Thought for Today
All falls in life may be the starting point for self-realization.
EMM, 1957
A Piece of My Work
I wonder why I suddenly thought of making a horse in clay. And not any horse but the horse of Alexander Macedon, the Bucephalus. I wonder... I could not get rid of this idea and, with considerable difficulty for my artistic development, I made what I show here.
"The Horse Bucephalus"
A Recipe for Today
(From Jeff Smith’s book “The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian”)
Caponata
Ingredients:
2 lb. eggplant (2 pc.)
2 tbsp. salt
5 tbsp. olive oil (or more)
2 c. celery, sliced in ¼” thick (~3-5 ribs)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 c. canned tomatoes, crushed
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. pickled capers, drained
10 large pitted green olives, drained and sliced
4-5 anchovies fillets in oil, cut across in several pieces
1/3 c. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
½ c. toasted pine nuts (pan-toasted with 1 tbsp. of olive oil over
medium heat)
½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper.
Procedure:
Dice eggplants in ½” pieces. Place them in a large colander and
sprinkle with the salt. Toss thoroughly and place over a large bowl. Allow to
drain 30-40 min.
Heat a large frying pan and add 2 tbsp. of the olive oil,
the celery, and the onion, Sauté about 15 min. or until tender. Remove to a 4-6
qt. pot.
After the diced eggplant has drained, rinse well in cold
water. Drain well and pat dry with a towel. Add some oil and sauté eggplant
cubes in ~3 batches, for ~10 min. each. Add to the pot of sautéed celery and
onion.
Stir in the remaining ingredients except the pine nuts, salt,
and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15-20 min. Stir in the pine
nuts, salt, and pepper. Allow to cool. Serve at room temperature or cold.
It keeps refrigerated for 2 weeks. An antipasto spread,
salad dressing, relish, or sandwich topping.
Makes: 12
servings or more
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