Friday, November 30, 2007
Contentment is a day with friends.
With family and travels, my Spanish Fridays have been becoming quite a commodity and I've missed them. This morning I was happy to see my friends again and catch up. When I arrived, Joana was watching a docudrama (Lifetime style movie) about President Roosevelt - dubbed, of course, in Spanish. I still think it's funny that my international friends know more about American TV than me. Just earlier this week an Italian friend told me about a reality show in the US called "Army wife," a show I'd never even heard of before.
So this morning we just talked, drank coffee, and ate cake. They were getting ready for the formal dinner/dance tomorrow night for the patron saint of the military - a formal event that the Spanish enjoy every year. They were laughing at the men who dress so formally in tuxedos and ties, then dancing like they were 16 to the fast Spanish rock music. I love that about my friends here. The Italian, Spanish, Greek, and Turkish could care less about how they look in spandex. They all dance. They dance with more life than I ever did in high school. It doesn't matter if they are skinny or not. All sizes dress to impress. And they all know how to move their hips. It's not about sex or how they look. It's about having a good time. They laugh. They smile. They dance to rock and roll even if they're in their 40's. They don't age.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall at their party tomorrow... it will be a good one.
So, my morning was Spanish and my afternoon was Italian. Marilena came over so our girls could play together and we could cook together. I taught her how to make pie crust and a very nice apple pie and she taught me how to make the most delicious tiramisu ever. The secret to the tiramisu is the Italian coffee... something that I'll have to learn to make (basically requires the purchase of the coffee and a cute little cast-iron pot about 7" tall and 3" wide.)
We had a nice time talking. She is so nice. Of course, I told her that I was going to make her Sicilian Couscous recipe this week and she said, "You can't." "What? Why not?" "You can't get the couscous here - only in Sicily." So she teaches me the recipe and now I can't even make it???? That is really not fair. She laughed at me. Apparently her Italian friends are complaining too. Next time she teaches a class, she needs to have extra supplies on hand!
She was surprised to see me making the apple pie dough. I don't think that it compares with anything that she's made before and she thought that there would be eggs in it. She said that it would probably be the perfect crust for the Ricotta cake that she makes - just ricotta cheese, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon mixed together and baked in a crust. Yum. She's invited us to visit her in Sicily next summer and all we need are bikinis and towels and then we can eat gelato the Sicilian way - not in cones, but served in brioche!
With family and travels, my Spanish Fridays have been becoming quite a commodity and I've missed them. This morning I was happy to see my friends again and catch up. When I arrived, Joana was watching a docudrama (Lifetime style movie) about President Roosevelt - dubbed, of course, in Spanish. I still think it's funny that my international friends know more about American TV than me. Just earlier this week an Italian friend told me about a reality show in the US called "Army wife," a show I'd never even heard of before.
So this morning we just talked, drank coffee, and ate cake. They were getting ready for the formal dinner/dance tomorrow night for the patron saint of the military - a formal event that the Spanish enjoy every year. They were laughing at the men who dress so formally in tuxedos and ties, then dancing like they were 16 to the fast Spanish rock music. I love that about my friends here. The Italian, Spanish, Greek, and Turkish could care less about how they look in spandex. They all dance. They dance with more life than I ever did in high school. It doesn't matter if they are skinny or not. All sizes dress to impress. And they all know how to move their hips. It's not about sex or how they look. It's about having a good time. They laugh. They smile. They dance to rock and roll even if they're in their 40's. They don't age.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall at their party tomorrow... it will be a good one.
So, my morning was Spanish and my afternoon was Italian. Marilena came over so our girls could play together and we could cook together. I taught her how to make pie crust and a very nice apple pie and she taught me how to make the most delicious tiramisu ever. The secret to the tiramisu is the Italian coffee... something that I'll have to learn to make (basically requires the purchase of the coffee and a cute little cast-iron pot about 7" tall and 3" wide.)
We had a nice time talking. She is so nice. Of course, I told her that I was going to make her Sicilian Couscous recipe this week and she said, "You can't." "What? Why not?" "You can't get the couscous here - only in Sicily." So she teaches me the recipe and now I can't even make it???? That is really not fair. She laughed at me. Apparently her Italian friends are complaining too. Next time she teaches a class, she needs to have extra supplies on hand!
She was surprised to see me making the apple pie dough. I don't think that it compares with anything that she's made before and she thought that there would be eggs in it. She said that it would probably be the perfect crust for the Ricotta cake that she makes - just ricotta cheese, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon mixed together and baked in a crust. Yum. She's invited us to visit her in Sicily next summer and all we need are bikinis and towels and then we can eat gelato the Sicilian way - not in cones, but served in brioche!
Marilena's Tiramisu
Whip the whites of 3 eggs until they form soft peaks, then set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat 3 egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar.
Add 400g of Mascarpone to the egg yolk mixture and mix well.
Slowly fold in the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture.
Set aside.
Dip the top and bottom side of each ladyfinger in strong Italian coffee (or espresso) briefly, the place in 8x8 baking dish, breaking pieces to fit and covering the entire dish. When the bottom of the dish is covered, spoon half of the mascarpone mixture onto the lady fingers and spread it evenly.
Repeat dipping more ladyfingers until the mascarpone is covered again, then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture and spread evenly.
Dust lightly with cocoa powder.
Chill.
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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
(In the photo... Holly is the second from the right. Hannelore is next to her in pink. Molly is in red in the center. Eleanore Boyse next to Molly with a blue shirt. And Vera is on the end with a red shirt.)Last year about this time I had the amazing privilege of attending a "coffee" at the Consular General's home in Dusseldorf. Along with some other ladies from our base, we talked with Mrs. Boyse and met with other leaders in the American women's groups from Dusseldorf and Cologne. It was then that I met Hannelore.
Hannelore stood out that day. She wasn't an American and wasn't typical in that crowd. She was beautiful and well dressed - like the others there, but her exuberance was special. The second she found out that I had lived in Seattle, we had an instant connection. She and her husband lived there too for a time and we both enjoyed reminiscing about that time together. I met and talked with a lot of ladies that day, but only two have kept in touch and one is Hannelore.
In May when a bunch of the ladies came here to tour our base, Luci was sick, so Hannelore talked with my friend, Holly.
So, not long ago I got a very nice email from Hannelore inviting me to her annual Christmas coffee, and "bring your friend that I met in May." Then I got two invitations in the mail. One for me and another printed for "my friend."
You know... there are just things that you don't turn down. It wouldn't have mattered what was scheduled and no distance is really too far. The exchanges that happen here are amazing. And... sometimes, it's just good to get out of "Mayberry."
Gussied up and excited, Holly and I drove about 75 minutes to beautiful storybook neighborhood street in a quaint suburb of Dusseldorf. We knocked on her door and the answer was not immediate, so not seeing anyone there, we were a bit apprehensive. Could we have been wrong? But it was the right place. The invitation sat on the guestbook on the table we could see through the glass by the door. And then we saw her smiling, walking briskly to the door, then opening it and immediately embracing me so warmly. It was amazing. She was so genuinely happy to see us. And it was wonderful. We don't get that often here - especially from the German people who are kind, but usually more reserved.
A small group of ladies were talking in the living room where we were offered a small glass of orange juice. The white house was immaculate and beautifully decorated. Her living room looked out to her garden full of rhododendrons and "happy birds." We were graciously introduced to the others, then a few minutes later led to a beautifully set table in her blue and white dining room - pale blue and white thickly striped wall paper, white china, dried hydrangeas, an antique Austrian ceramic stove, and a elegant advent wreath hanging from white satin ribbons set with white candles. We all sat, then Hannelore got our attention and explained each of the desserts on the table - the coconut topped cake that is traditional in her family, the small violin sugar cookies since violins are played in her family, the almond topped cake, and the traditional rice cake from Aachen served with berries and whipped cream. "And I cut the pieces small so that you can try all of them," she says. And so I did.
I love my village. I love my friends. I am so blessed and truly thankful for this place. But this was such a needed respite. We do live in Mayberry and while there are absolutely phenomenal women where we live - most of them are sadly underutilized. It was both inspiring and refreshing to sit conversing in a room of intelligent women completely outside my normal circle who are not limited by anything. They probably eat nails for breakfast and move mountains daily, but move and speak with style and grace. Molly, I'd met before and we talked about getting our groups together. Eleanore came in late, but we also had a chance to talk. She is trying very hard to ease relations between the Turkish and German people here. It always surprises me how genuine and unassuming she is while also playing a very important roll here. Vera, I spoke to at the end. She's was a Fulbright scholar in the 60's - married to a German doctor here and has started a very successful philanthropic organization meeting needs in the Ukraine and supporting a high school there.
After our treats, we went around sharing stories. Some read, some told stories, some showed childhood books. Hannelore has three boys - two of which are twins, so she has greatly enjoyed the work of David Henry Wilson who writes very humorously about a young boy. Her British friend, Ingrid, graciously read a Christmas chapter of Triple Trouble with Jeremy James and we all laughed thinking of our own children. One of the German ladies there told us that in southern Germany that it is Kris Kringle that comes and that the Weinachtsman is something from the North. To us, they are both Santa, but it is called different things in different parts of Germany. Then she shared a beautiful old book that she had as a girl by Adolf Holst called Hans Wundersan - one of those sweet stories with beautiful illustrations from the 1940's. I'm going to look for a copy for Elise since she's learning the language so well.
There are so many moments here. Sweet, wonderful moments. And today - with those people in that home - was one of those long moments when I could relax and enjoy without worry or stress and absorb it all. Different cultures and precious connections. Hannelore and I promised each other not to let another year go by. She is one of those special people.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Marilena Cammarata is from Marsala, Italy down in the western part of Sicily and before she moved here, she had her own pasta shop. She can cook anything - and not with recipes - with seeing and touching. She uses her hands for her pastas and pizzas.Today she taught a group of Italian ladies how to make Sicilian couscous - a dish only found in Sicily as couscous is very rare in other parts of Italy. I was so happy to be invited and all the Italian ladies were very warm and friendly and made such an effort to make me feel welcome.
They made Italian coffee. "Would you like some coffee?" "Yes, please." "It's Italian coffee." "I like Italian coffee." "It's very strong - not like American coffee." "I know, I was just in Italy. I like strong coffee." "Do you need sugar???" No... my coffee is too strong for some Americans. I like the strong coffee. So I had two. I was asked about apple pie and pumpkin pie, so I may end up teaching them a few American things. We all sat down after doing all the preparation for some cake while the couscous steamed.
This isn't the couscous from a box - precooked - like we are used to. It's the uncooked natural couscous. So in a large turkey pan, Marilena slowly mixed bottled water into the grain with her hands adding a little at a time until it was absorbed and the couscous was soft and stuck together a little. Then she added a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of salt, pepper, and curry. All the couscous was put into a large terracotta pot with holes in the bottom so that it could be steamed.
The other ladies chopped eggplant, onions, leeks, potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots and put them in a large pot. Then they added water, steak, and cooked it slowly over low heat. As the vegetables and meat cooked, they put just a little of it into the water under the couscous so that the flavors in those things could steam the grain and add flavor that way as well. After about an hour of steaming the couscous and cooking the veggies and meat, the couscous was put into a pan and all the veggies and meat were put on top with just a little of the broth. It sat for 5 minutes and then served.
Oh my goodness. It sounds so simple, but this was amazing- unlike any couscous dish I've ever had and so full of flavor. I'm getting some un-precooked couscous soon and trying this one myself!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
I would love to be reminiscing about the leaky rain in Spain, but today I am worn out from yesterday's holiday and cannot think of anything other than the dishes in my sink, the turkey bits on the floor and how, oh how will I ever get this house looking like Thanksgiving never even happened, so that I can fast forward into Christmas. Now after visitors and trips, it's hard to wrap my mind around the hauling of 4 large Christmas bins down from the attic and putting decorations (that I will ultimately have to put away again) here and there all over my home. My Spanish friends dream about the ultimate self-cleaning house. Days like this, I share that dream more than ever.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thursday, while you were scurrying about preparing your turkey and it's trimmings, we were just finishing up a nice taco dinner. Sounds horribly wrong, doesn't it? But it's not a holiday for us here. Kirk had to work. The girls had school. I'd baked 8 dozen pumpkin cookies to send to school with Elise, Luci and Tiara and to work with Kirk. I made caramel apples for Arianna's class. Then I went to and photographed 
Luci's party where her class dressed up as pilgrims and visited the other kindergarten class who had dressed up as Indians and they all had a pumpkin pie feast together. Then to Arianna's party for their feast which consisted of all the treats that mothers brought in including "puppy chow" - something that all the other mothers seemed to know -- Glorified chex mix with peanut butter, chocolate, and powdered sugar.On Friday (this is starting to sound like a Very Hungry Caterpillar story - I'm sorry... it's late now and I'm probably too sleepy to be coherent...). A hem. OK. Let's try this again. On Friday, I enjoyed a quiet Spanish morning with my friends where we discussed politics... a frequent discussion - always interesting. Then from 1 until almost midnight I baked 2 pumpkin cream cheese rolls, 2 apple galettes (home made dough, of course), a pecan pie (with said dough), and a new recipe for an amazing spice cake with coconut pecan icing, and then did all the pre-cooking of onions, and celery , and cranberry sauce, and assembled the stuffing. Cleaned it all up, so I'd have a "new kitchen" to work in the next day.
This morning, I prepared my 20# bird with a compound butter and rub, stuffed it, then made yams with banana and pecans, the mashed potatoes and gravy, the 3-onion goat-cheese tarts, the artichoke spread on baguettes, the stuffing, and then got stuff out to make paper turkeys with the girls. Kirk was in charge of one deep fried turkey - and, because he wanted to fry more meat, one chicken that he found shoved and forgotten in the back of our freezer. Guests started arriving at 1430, then "fashionably late" still arrived until almost 1700 when we finally ate our delicious meal. This was a much smaller group than last year, but it was a nice group and I honestly liked everyone that was there - strange comment, but it felt good to look around and be really happy that each of them could come.
Ok... for the record. How sad is it that the only photos I have from this event are a few photos of my turkeys. This happened last year. Last year we had an absolutely amazing array of food and with kids, close to 45 guests. No photos. This year, we had another amazing array of food, a terrific group of people, and photos, yes... but only of the bird. Next year, will some one come and photograph this for me??? Dinner is included.The goofy moments: Yesterday evening when looking at the turkey's, Kirk realized that he was getting the smaller turkey to deep fry and he got so purposefully dramatic about it (having the smaller turkey would somehow affect his manhood) that he almost hyperventilated. Humph. And he thinks the girls get their drama from me. Nope. Definitely from his side. And, yes, I'm vain, but this morning I said something about the compound butter to Tiara. She said, "what is a compound butter?" "What is a compound word?" "Two words put together." "OK.. so what is a compound butter?" "Two sticks of butter stuck together?" Ha ha ha ha. Too funny. To her credit, she HAD just woken up and wasn't all together coherent yet. Speaking of which, I'm not exactly coherent now... so off to sleep I go and hope to sit here a bit tomorrow reminiscing of lovely Spain and our leaky villa.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Today was particularly beautiful as I drove to Schinnen for Thanksgiving shopping in hopes that they wouldn't be sold out of turkeys. (They weren't - only sold out of fresh cranberries and pecans! Oh... how will I survive?!!?!?)Fall came while we were in Spain and left quickly after making way for a cold winter to come in haste. The leaves are almost gone leaving those naked silhouettes against the sunset. This sunset lit up the sky in pinks and oranges and this view, that I come facing each time I drive to Schinnen is always so nice. From Puth, you can see across the valley - this is the hill country in the otherwise flat Netherlands, and is pure simple beauty any time of year.
Could there be a downside of travel?I once talked with a business man on an airplane. He was lamenting his nex trip telling me how he wanted so much to stay home. I, young, thought he was quite frankly, nuts. How could you not want to travel? What a fabulous opportunity to travel all over the world and get paid! The idea of lugging around a tiny suitcase from airport to airport thrilled me.
Now I can finally see the downside. I absolutely love to travel. I think seeing other places, peoples, and cultures is fascinating and fullfilling. But, I now have done two countries in the last two months and have two more to go in the next month. The laundry is piled high. I can barely keep up with the teacher's notes home from the kids. And blogging, which for me is a therapeutic joy, has stopped almost completely. I haven't even had time to brag to you all about my brilliant children and their latest report card triumphs. So, here is yet another tantilizing photo to whet your appetite and tell you that truly, I intend, to update this all (Spain and Venice at least, may be Austria and Normandy) before I leave for London in two weeks.
Tomorrow is not a holiday for us here. The kids all have school and Kirk works, so other than the grocery store being closed, it's just another day. Saturday; however, will will celebrate with about 25 other people with the turkey and all the trimmings. Then I can relax.... a tiny bit... at least for a little while and may be, just may be - catch up on this blog.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
This one is different from the one I made last year...
I made a few loaves on Thursday when I taught the recipe to some Norwegian friends who had never tried anything with pumpkin and had never tasted cranberry sauce either. We had a nice time and everyone made two loaves.
Anyway... the flavor is wonderful - not too sweet, not bland - good pumpkin flavor. And, almost 4 days later and they are still really moist and delicious. If you're not a fan of nutmeg, you can decrease or leave out that. The bread does have a very distinctive nutmeg flavor. I'll probably reduce it by half the next time I make this.
I made a few loaves on Thursday when I taught the recipe to some Norwegian friends who had never tried anything with pumpkin and had never tasted cranberry sauce either. We had a nice time and everyone made two loaves.
Anyway... the flavor is wonderful - not too sweet, not bland - good pumpkin flavor. And, almost 4 days later and they are still really moist and delicious. If you're not a fan of nutmeg, you can decrease or leave out that. The bread does have a very distinctive nutmeg flavor. I'll probably reduce it by half the next time I make this.
Pumpkin Bread | |
| Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour | Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes | Yields: 32 servings |
INGREDIENTS:
| 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 3 cups sugar 3 eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda | 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 1 (16 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin |
DIRECTIONS:
| 1. | In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. Stir in pumpkin. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until bread tests done. |
Thursday, November 08, 2007
After three weeks of company, the last three days have been a flurry of activity as I've tried to catch up on all those things I put aside for the visit. One of those low priorities that gets pushed off is, of course, this blog. But, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I should be able to get Spain properly blogged with all its glitches by next Wednesday when I leave for Italy. Be patient... Spain is coming. It just takes a while to weed through the over 5300 pictures that were taken over the three cameras there. The time has been good though... I think I've needed the distance to get some perspective.
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