Cookery Maven Blog

St. Peter's Dome On Easter Sunday

When Easter and photo safari day coincided this year, I knew exactly where to go— St Peter's Dome in the Penokee Hills. The 1600 foot red granite dome is the highest point in the Chequamegon National Forest and trust me, it's a challenging hike on snowy/icy paths. We kept reminding each other to think like mountain goats when we encountered a particularly slippery patch. I think it worked because we all walked off the trail in one piece.

What a change from Easter five or six years ago— the bunny has been unmasked, the kids sleep in until a civilized hour and they are game for a 4 mile hike instead of sorting their candy and blowing bubbles. While I enjoyed those early mornings looking for the Easter baskets, today was about as close to a perfect Easter Sunday as I could have imagined.

While it was not all wine and roses on our hike and there were plenty of comments about the cold, wind, ice and a slow-moving Mother with a camera, we all experienced moments of wonder. Wonder at the wind howling at the top of St. Peter's Dome, at lush green moss on a tree trunk, at the feeling of walking under very, very old trees or at the perfection that is the heart of any untouched forest.

Of course, I had to include a couple of pictures of George— he is just so terribly handsome.

The water was beginning to flow, it's a sight and sound I never tire of. I can only imagine the roar of rushing water during the spring thaw— there's a lot of snow on the ground.

Even under the deepest blanket of snow, green things are awakening. The early risers are such a contrast to the whites, browns and evergreens I've been surrounded by all winter.

As I was walking along, I wished I had the right words to describe what I was seeing and feeling. We got to the top and I saw Jack looking a piece of paper attached to a tree. There they were, the words I was searching for, in a poem by Marvin Bell. Places like St. Peter's Dome, the Apostle Islands or the Penokee Hills are lifelines in a noisy and too human world.

Around Us Marvin Bell

We need some pines to assuage the darkness when it blankets the mind, we need a silvery stream that banks as smoothly as a plane’s wing, and a worn bed of needles to pad the rumble that fills the mind, and a blur or two of a wild thing that sees and is not seen. We need these things between appointments, after work, and, if we keep them, then someone someday, lying down after a walk and supper, with the fire hole wet down, the whole night sky set at a particular time, without numbers or hours, will cause a little sound of thanks–a zipper or a snap– to close round the moment and the thought of whatever good we did.

Your Mother and My Mother

Your Mother and My Mother

Fear is the cheapest room in the house
I would like to see you living
in better conditions,
for your mother and my mother
were friends.

I know the Innkeeper
in this part of the universe.
Get some rest tonight,
come to my verse tomorrow.
We’ll go speak to the Friend together.

I should not make any promises right now,
but I know if you
pray
somewhere in this world-
something good will happen.

God wants to see
more love and playfulness in your eyes
for that is your greatest witness to Him.

Your soul and my soul
once sat together in the Beloved’s womb
playing footsie.
Your heart and my heart
are very, very old
friends.

– Hafiz

A Sassy Roasted Vegetable Salad

Two really great things happened to me in the past month— my homemade red wine vinegar is finally healthy and Kathy introduced me to roasted vegetables in a green salad. I'm not sure what event was more impactful but when they came together on my plate, I had joy in my little heart. My path to homemade vinegar was full of pot-holes, really big and unmarked pot-holes. I bought my vinegar mother, put her in the crock with decent red wine, put the cap on the crock and went on my merry way for 2 months. Big mistake. I opened the crock and it smelled exactly like nail polish remover, not exactly what I was shooting for.

I searched the internet but it seemed nearly everyone had great success in their vinegar production and I couldn't find much information on what to do when the vinegar smells horrid (except throw it out and start over). I was not about to throw it out, I had two months invested and it was too cold to have another mother shipped— evidently, they need to stay warm in order to turn wine into vinegar. So, I decided to do it my way and disregard the instructions. I added some water, sugar, more wine and stirred it vigorously every third day. I waited and waited and stirred and stirred. Finally, six weeks later, I took a whiff and the most beautiful acidic aroma wafted into my nose. Homemade red wine vinegar is everything I hoped it would be— lightly acidic and fresh tasting, and not a hint of acetone to be found.

Back to the roasted vegetable revelation. I knew a salad with roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, fennel and onion combined with Sassy Nanny goat cheese and my red wine vinaigrette would be just the ticket for a spring dinner. Soon, I will have lots of fresh vegetables from the garden to dress up in a salad but for now, roasted vegetables were a nod to the passing of winter.

Sassy Roasted Vegetable Salad

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
1 fennel bulb, fronds removed and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pear, sliced
4 cups spring mix or spinach (or a combination of both)
1/2 cup Sassy Nanny Lake Effect goat cheese

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place all the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl and whisk until fully incorporated and slightly thickened.

Place vegetables, herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil in a sheet tray lined with parchment. Roast for 30 minutes or until softened and caramelized. Set aside to cool. Assemble the salad with roasted vegetables and pear slices and then toss with the vinaigrette. Place the goat cheese on top of the salad, taste for salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Scotch Eggs

There are moments in my life I'll always remember— meeting Ted on the 52B bus, seeing my babies for the first time, driving to Iowa in a snowstorm to pick up Guinness (our first Newfie), surprising Ted with an adorable yellow Lab puppy after a swim meet and my first Scotch egg at Brit's Pub on Nicollet Mall. It really was that big of deal, I even remember where we sat (at a two top next to the door). I've always liked hard-boiled eggs but when I found out there were people in the world who wrapped hard-boiled eggs in sausage and then deep-fried those sausage wrapped bundles of goodness, I knew I was at the right restaurant. I've been a fan ever since.

We ate at Brit's many, many times and we always started (and sometimes ended) with a plate of Scotch eggs. After Jack was born, it was a little tougher to find a few hours to sit at a table and enjoy a pint of Guinness and some sausage wrapped eggs. Necessity, being the Mother of invention, helped me on my path to Scotch eggs from my kitchen and to finding a good babysitter (sometimes, it's just more fun to eat at a restaurant— even if it's at a two top near the door). Since I figured eggs and sausage were enough of an artery clogging duo, I looked for an oven baked variation and they turned out perfectly. Admittedly, they look a little more anemic than their deep-fried kin but they taste as good and are a wee bit healthier. That's always a good thing.

One last thing, I like my Scotch eggs with a dipping sauce (nothing like a little mayonaisse with your eggs and sausage). I take about 1/2 cup of Hellman's mayo, 1 1/2 tbsp stoneground mustard, 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, mix it up and serve it alongside the eggs. Talk about gilding the lily but the sauce really adds a little something special (or over the top, take your pick).

Oven Baked Scotch Eggs

7 large eggs (preferably free-range and organic)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (preferably fresh)
1/2 cup saltines, finely crumbled
1 lb pork sausage

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer and add cold water to cover eggs by one inch. Heat over high heat until the water starts to boil. Remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let the eggs stand in the hot water for about 12 minutes (for large eggs), drain and place in an ice bath to cool completely. Peel the eggs and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the flour and saltines in a shallow bowl or plate and season with some salt and pepper. Break the remaining egg into a second bowl and beat lightly. Place the breadcrumbs in a third bowl or plate and line up all the bowls in a row (flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs).

Scoop out a large ball of sausage meat and flatten it into an oval shape in your hand. If the sausage is sticky, try wetting your hand with cold water. Wrap the sausage meat around the egg, pinching it together at the seam, then smoothing the meat around the eggs, making sure there are no gaps where the egg is peeking through. Dredge the sausage-covered egg in the flour, tapping off any excess. At this stage, set aside the wrapped and floured egg on the lined baking sheet and repeat this process with the remaining eggs.

Once all the eggs have their sausage blanket and their dusting of flour, dip each one in the beaten egg, making sure it all gets coated, then roll it in the breadcrumbs/saltine mixture, making sure it’s fully covered in crumbs. Place the finished egg on the lined baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining eggs.

Place the eggs in the oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are crispy and the sausage is cooked through. Scotch eggs can be eaten warm, cold or at room temperature.

Regalia & Drums At Northland College

Jack and I went to Northland College for the 39th Annual Spring Powwow on Saturday— it was a glorious display of sound and color. The drums, jingle dresses, feathers and ornate regalia were mesmerizing; the two hours we spent in the bleachers flew by.

The intricate bead work was mind-blowing and the colorful regalia was a relief from the monochromatic winter world outside the gym.

Jingle dresses were everywhere and their tinkling sound was a beautiful counterpoint to the deep resonance of the drum. According to the program at the Pow-Wow, 'The dress itself is said to have been conceived as a means of healing a medicine man's granddaughter. This elder was told in a dream to construct this Jingle Dress and have his sick granddaughter dance in it and she was healed'.

There were quite a few kids dancing, getting ready and observing the action. As I watched the parents get their kids dressed in their regalia, I was reminded of the countless times my Mom helped me get dressed for Easter or Christmas Mass. At the end of the day, it's all about passing on traditions and legacy to our children— whether it's in a church or around a sacred drum.

A Snowy Walk To The Sugarbush

Spring officially starts on Wednesday but you wouldn't know it by looking outside, there is a lot of snow on the ground (and more on the way tomorrow). Last year, the kids were at the beach in their swimsuits (check it out here). What a difference a year makes.

The Bayfield Regional Conservancy hosted a Full Moon Luminary cross-country ski out the Nourse Sugarbush at the end of January and the kids and I signed up for a little night skiing adventure. We skied the Sugarbush Trail, lit with luminaries, in a light snowfall— I remember thinking I needed to imprint that night in my brain, it was absolutely magical. When Will, Sadie and I were looking for a photo safari destination, I knew just the spot. A hike out to the sugarbush while there was still snow on the ground was just as magical in the daylight.

According to the Bayfield Regional Conservancy website, 'For hundreds of years, the sugarbush was a spring destination for Ojibwe people, who were the first to tap those maple trees for producing maple syrup. Slash marks from those days are still evident on the oldest trees. The Nourse family has continued the tradition since the 1920’s. A small cabin (c. 1920) and tin storage shed used for maple syrup production still exist on the property and are used for annual sugaring operations by the Nourse Family who retained lifetime rights to harvest syrup'. Walking among the old growth maples, before they were tapped, was the perfect way to recognize the passing of winter into spring. Although, I bet we have a couple more snowfalls in our future before 'real' spring settles in for good— this is Northern Wisconsin, after all.

Pickled Eggs, It's An Irish Thing

The realities of life after 40 are numerous: reading is impossible without either 4 foot long arms (which I don't have) or glasses (which I do have), a newly acquired relationship between anything chocolate and heartburn, 3 inch heels are a fond memory and now I can add hearing loss to the list. Joanne called earlier this week and left a message, 'hey, call me back, I have a question about fecal bags'. I consider myself an expert in a number of areas— wine, free thinking dogs, the right kind of salt and dinner parties but I'm a fish out of water when it comes to fecal bags.

So, when Joanne stopped over this morning, I had to ask her what on earth she was talking about— was it code for something, did she call me by accident, was she trying to be funny? She looked at me like I was the crazy one and said, 'pickled eggs, I have a question about pickled eggs'. Well, thank God— I know what to do with pickled eggs (kind of). You'd think with names like Duffy, Meroney, Hubbard and Kennedy in my family tree, I 'd be familiar with pickled eggs— a consummate Irish pub snack but until this week, I was among the uninitiated. No longer, pickling eggs is yet another culinary adventure I can check off my bucket list.

Joanne is having an Irish Whiskey tasting at her shop, Bayfield Wine and Spirits, tomorrow from 3:30 until 5:00. If you're around, stop in for a taste of my idea of a proper pickled egg and a quaff of Irish whiskey on a Saturday afternoon in March. Good Irish whiskey and pickled eggs— what a brilliant way to celebrate (a wee bit early) St. Patrick, the man who drove all the snakes out of Ireland.

Pickled Eggs(Adapted From saltandfat.com)

2 dozen eggs, washed
10 ounces apple cider vinegar
10 ounces balsamic vinegar
20 ounces water
6 ounces sherry
1 onion, quartered and sliced
8 garlic cloves, halved
1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp mixed peppercorns
1 tbsp salt
4 branches of rosemary
Bunch of fresh thyme

Preparation
Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer and add cold water to cover eggs by one inch. Heat over high heat until the water starts to boil. Remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let the eggs stand in the hot water for about 12 minutes (for large eggs), drain and place in an ice bath to cool completely.

In a large saucepan, heat the vinegars, sherry, water, salt and sugar to boiling and then reduce to a simmer. Divide the eggs, garlic, onions, herbs, mustard seeds and peppercorns among the canning jars, pour the brine into the jars, seal and place in the refrigerator. They are ready to eat a day after pickling if you like a lighter flavor or about a week if you like a stronger pickled flavor.

The Best Italian Meatball, So Far

I don't need to go any further, my search for the perfect Italian meatball is over. My meatball adventure isn't over yet— there are still ham, reuben and Moroccan meatballs to discover but the Italian part of my trip is over. Like any good traveler planning a trip, I spent an afternoon researching different meatball techniques and found this one on the Minnesota Monthly website. The triple ground beef and ricotta piqued my interest, it sounded like a smooth meatball was in my immediate future. I ground the beef, pork and lamb in my food processor and it worked like a charm, but if you have access to butcher, ask them to triple grind it for you and save yourself a few dishes to wash.

I have a meatball theory— if you are going to go to the trouble to mix and mold 15 meatballs, you should double or triple the recipe, mix and mold 65 meatballs and freeze them for a rainy day (or a day when you don't want to be handling ground meat). I freeze them, covered, on a sheet tray and put them in freezer bags after they are thoroughly frozen. This particular recipe is a little wetter than most meatball recipes and you will end up with meatloaf if you tried to put them in a freezer bag unfrozen. One last tip before you start your own Italian meatball journey— do not over-manage the meatball mix, gingerly form it into solid balls and then leave it alone. If you mold it, squeeze it or smash it too much, the meatballs will be a much tougher consistency. The goal is a little, pillowy soft meatball, not a doorstop.

Italian Meatballs (Adapted From Minnesota Monthly and Marco Canora)

2 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
3/4 pound ground lamb
2 pounds ground beef, 80% lean
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Parmesan, shredded
Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation
Wrap ricotta in cheesecloth a day before serving and place in a sieve set over a bowl. Weight cheese, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Mix the lamb, pork and beef in bowl. Working in batches, grind it in a food processor for about 45 seconds or until the texture looks smooth and you can't tell the difference between the different meats. Place all the ground meats back in the bowl (after you've ground them in your food processor).

In a small bowl, add the breadcrumbs and milk, stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes, or until the milk is absorbed. Add the milk soaked breadcrumbs, ricotta, eggs, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, parsley, onion, garlic, Parmesan, salt and pepper to the meat mixture. Roll the mixture into balls and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, place meatballs in the pan and cook until browned all over and cooked thoroughly, about 8 – 10 minutes per batch. Serve with white rice and spoon a little sauce over each meatball. Serve immediately.

Eagles On The Madeline Island Road

Last week, Ted and I went over to Madeline Island on the ice road for an afternoon excursion. Midway across, we saw two eagles waiting for a snack from the fishermen pulling their nets up. They are beautiful birds and I've never been lucky enough to capture a decent picture (before our Madeline ice road adventure). Talk about a happy dance, I was finally in the right place at the right time with the right lens on my camera. Life is good.

Will's Penokee Photo Safari

Sadie's Penokee Photo Safari

A Photo Safari In The Penokee Foothills

A Ritual To Read To Each Other

If you don't know the kind of person I am
and I don't know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.

For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,
a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break
sending with shouts the horrible errors of childhood
storming out to play through the broken dyke.

And as elephants parade holding each elephant's tail,
but if one wanders the circus won't find the park,
I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty
to know what occurs but not recognize the fact.

And so I appeal to a voice, to something shadowy,
a remote important region in all who talk:
though we could fool each other, we should consider--
lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.

For it is important that awake people be awake,
or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give--yes or no, or maybe--
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.

William Stafford

The last stanza in William Stafford's poem resonates with me now more than ever— awake people need to be awake because the darkness around us is deep. We went to the Penokees this weekend for our photo safari because I knew standing among all those beautiful trees and ancient rocks would be a balm for my frazzled mind. Walker signed SB1 into law today and while it most likely will be tied up in litigation for years, mining in the Penokees is a very real threat to the ecosystem of the Bad River Watershed and Lake Superior. As I started down the path to Copper Falls, I asked the trees, rocks, moss and water to show me what to capture with my camera. They spoke loud and clear— there is so much life in the forest if you slow enough to see it.

I found another raven in wood, this time in a pile of snow, not on the beach (see the beach picture here). When I caught sight of him, I knew our photo safari in the Penokee foothills was going to be an afternoon to remember.

Sadie and Will had the entire Sunday free (which hasn't happened for months) and I was so excited to spend a couple of uninterrupted hours with two of my favorite photographers. I was curious to see what would capture their attention as we walked along the trail (you can see Sadie's photos here and Will's photos here). Will, Sadie and I spent the hour drive to Mellen talking about why the mining legislation is bad, why we need to be good stewards of our environment and what happens to society when we lose touch with the Divine and worship the almighty dollar instead. I know, with every fiber of my being, that my kids 'get it' because of their access to the natural world. The only way to appreciate something is to experience it. I doubt any of the men and women who voted for SB1/AB1 know what's it's like to stand on the shore of the Lake, listen to the roar of Copper Falls or look for clues to a tree's identity in the shape of a branch or a whorl in the bark.

Bark has endless iterations of texture, color and movement— it's almost like the bark is a testament to the tree's experiences.

The afternoon flew by— Sadie's feet were cold, Will was hungry and I knew if we encountered one more set of ice-covered stairs, I would go mad or fall flat on my face. We hiked back to the car and found a perfect little snowman on the hood. The kids swear they didn't put it there so I'm sticking with my original story— the forest spirits gave us a happy snowman as our parting gift. It was truly a beautiful afternoon.

Wines Worth Seeking Out

2010 Lee Family Farm Rio Tinto

I had no idea what I was in for with this bottle but since it was from the folks at Morgan Vineyard in California, I figured it would work out okay. Okay, indeed— this is a really interesting bottle of wine for about $15.00. Made from traditional Port varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca and Alvarelhao, it's loaded with cherry, red currant and spice flavors. It's round on the palate with good mouth feel, nicely honed tannins and lingering fruit flavors. It's a fruit bomb that shows some restraint, I'm glad I took a chance and poured a glass.

2008 Domaine les Pallières Gigondas Terrasse du Diable

The word Gigondas (jhee gohn dahs) makes me so happy, I feel très français every time it rolls off my tongue (and the wine isn't too bad, either). It's a Southern Rhone blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Clairette. The Brunier brothers, of Vieux Telegraphe fame, and Kermit Lynch bought Les Pallieres in 1998 and the vineyard, operating since the 15th century, is producing some lovely wine. It's a deep red in the glass with aromas of red berries, dried fig and pepper. It's definitely full-bodied with a vibrant mineral quality and lively acidity. While it was a good bottle of wine now, I'm keeping my last bottle in the cellar (okay, my basement behind the mountain range of clothes) for a couple of years. I know it's going to knock my socks off with a few more years under its belt.

Locations By Dave Phinney F1 Proprietary Red Blend France

When I read Dave Phinney, the mastermind behind The Prisoner and Saldo, had a new wine venture— I knew I had to get my hands on a few bottles. He had an epiphany at an airport— why not make a wine showcasing the best grapes each country has to offer and label the bottle with the country code bumper sticker? He's a smart guy and a brilliant winemaker. This bottle is a blend of Roussillon Grenache, Rhone Syrah and a few Bordeaux varieties (like Cabernet Franc). It's a solid, fruit forward bottle of wine with nice spice, soft tannins and a little oak. Not too terribly complex but it's an easy drinking wine with a nice, clean finish. For about $16.00, you can't go wrong and I suspect you'll be pleased when you take your first sip.

2010 Tons de Duorum Red Blend

Made from a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (like the Lee Family Farm Rio Tinto), this wine is from the Douro region of Portugal. There are lots of fresh aromas of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and prunes off-set by well-balanced acidity and soft and ripe tannins. Port-like in its rich fruit, this is a young and vibrant wine, full of red berries and sweet tannins. It's a very well made wine for $15.00 and one I'm going to have around the house on a regular basis.

2008 The Mariner Dry Creek Vineyard

This is a splurge wine and it's worth every penny. It's a very dark ruby color with ripe and dried berry, currant, cedar and tobacco notes right out of the bottle. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc translates to an elegant and seamless experience on the palate with a core of juicy black fruit, chocolate, black plums, cassis, black and red cherry, black tea, vanilla and spice. The tannins are smooth and polished, providing wonderful structure and balance in the wine. Wine Spectator decided this wine deserved 91 points and I have to agree, it's that good.

A Dog Sledding & Skijoring Photo Safari

Last week was one for the record books— goat midwifery, Jack's first solo dog sledding run and skijoring. A beautiful, sunny, warm-ish March afternoon spent with some of my favorite people (and dogs) in the world was about as good as it gets.

Okay, I have to admit I have a favorite sled dog— Vader, the lead dog and enforcer of orderly behavior (as he defines it). He's nearly as photogenic as George and Viv and certainly more useful in the 'working dog' department. I met Vader two years ago at Good Thyme— Julie and Charly brought the dogs to the restaurant for a dog sledding field trip for Meghan and Caroline's class. I barely knew Julie, let alone a pack of what seemed to me to be feral, wild sled dogs but as I watched them pull the kids around, I fell in love with their smiling faces. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and an introduction to a bunch of honest dogs.

I wasn't exactly sure what a skijoring/photo safari entailed but I knew a bunch of handsome Siberians would make for some seriously awesome pictures. The pictures did not disappoint, the Honest Dog kennel is such a handsome crew.

There were some good-looking humans as well. Jackson isn't the biggest fan of having his picture taken and I'm completely baffled how I captured his beautiful smile. I think he was distracted by lobbing snowballs at Sadie and Gina. He's such a good kid.

They all came racing back with smiling faces (dogs and humans, alike).

Jack and Bisoux— a perfect match.

Jack took off towards the kennel and we headed back to Bayfield. It was definitely an afternoon for the record books and another reason I thank my lucky stars I ended up in Bayfield with the greatest group of friends and dogs a girl could hope for. Julie and Jill, bloggers extraordinaire, wrote about the afternoon as well— check it out: Honest Dog and Garlic Pig.

Asian Meatballs

Asian meatballs— another stop on the meatball extravaganza happening at the Dougherty's this winter. After I made the Indian meatballs (recipe here), I realized I could make a meatball for every kind of cuisine and since I literally crave Thai and Asian flavors, the Asian meatball was a logical next step in my journey. The brilliant thing about meatballs is their freezeability (not sure that's a word). I make a double or triple batch and freeze them for the nights when I don't feel like cooking but want something decent for dinner. These are more than decent, they're delicious.

Asian Meatballs with a Ginger Soy Sauce

Sauce Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup regular soy sauce
1/2 cup mushroom soy sauce (substitute regular soy sauce if you don't have the mushroom soy)
1/2 cup hoisin
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sweetened black vinegar
1/4 cup chile garlic sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup ginger, peeled and chopped

Meatball Ingredients
1/3 pound ground turkey
1/3 pound ground pork
1/3 pound ground chicken
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
4 green onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Sauce Preparation
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Reduce heat to medium-low and add both soy sauces, rice vinegar, black vinegar, chile garlic, hoisin, oyster sauce and ginger. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 30 minutes or so. Set aside.

Meatball Preparation
In a small bowl, add the breadcrumbs and milk, stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes, or until the milk is absorbed. Mix turkey, pork and chicken together until thoroughly combined. Add the milk soaked breadcrumbs, green onions, cilantro, egg, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce and pepper to the meat mixture. Roll the mixture into balls and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, place meatballs in the pan and cook until browned all over and cooked thoroughly, about 8 - 10 minutes per batch. Serve with white rice and spoon a little sauce over each meatball. Serve immediately.

A Sassy Nanny Birthing Day

'Two goats working on it. Come when you can if you want to witness a birth!'. It's not every day I get a text like that and I wasn't about to miss my chance to experience the miracle of birth as a spectator, not an active participant. I have eaten pounds of Michael's goat cheese and even taken pictures at his farm (read about it here) but I've never attended the birth of baby goats (or anything else for that matter). I grabbed a bottle of champagne (to celebrate the little ones), Tom Kha Gai soup for lunch and bones for Zuzu and Rex, jumped in the car and went off to my very first goat midwifery experience.

You'd think a woman who delivered five 10 pound babies would be an old hand at the birth game, not true. I took one look at the two girls, Lena and Donatella, getting ready to usher their little ones into the world and felt like Prissy in Gone With The Wind when she said, 'Lawdy, Miss Scarlett, I'se don't know nothin' 'bout birthin babies'. Thank God, Michael knows a whole lot about birthing babies and he delivered each one with a sense of hard-won, calm competence. Watching the babies enter this world and literally come to life in front of my eyes filled me with a sense of wonder I haven't felt since I met my own babies for the first time all those years ago.

As we were waiting for Donatella's second boy to arrive, her first decided to stretch his legs and stand up. Michael said he was one of the biggest babies he's seen and he was easily double the size of Lena's boy. He was only about 45 minutes old when he took his first unsteady steps towards Mama— a Herculean feat and so incredibly tender at the same time. It was nothing short of miraculous, witnessing the beginning of four new lives in Michael's barn.

Lena's last baby, a girl, entered this world with a nearly showstopping manuever; she had her head tucked under her back leg which caused a tremendous amount of chaos. Michael tried to grab ahold of her legs but she was good and stuck. I started to get a little panicked but he kept his cool, methodically working to free her head. Time seemed to stand still while Michael tried to get her straightened out (it probably was no more than 3 or 4 minutes) and we all breathed a sigh of relief when the little Miss lifted her head and looked around.

I walked outside to gather myself after the last baby was born. It was an intense afternoon for a woman who up to this point had a) fainted at the sight of blood and b) hated the smell of amniotic fluid— not the most logical choice for a birthing day companion. I stood outside in the sunlight and looked around at all the life Michael has ushered into the world and the lyrics from a 10,000 Maniacs song popped in my head. It was the perfect theme song for a beautiful afternoon spent with a good friend and his goats.

These Are Days10,000 Maniacs

These are the days These are days you’ll remember Never before and never since, I promise Will the whole world be warm as this And as you feel it, You’ll know it’s true That you are blessed and lucky It’s true that you Are touched by something That will grow and bloom in you

These are days that you’ll remember When May is rushing over you With desire to be part of the miracles You see in every hour You’ll know it’s true That you are blessed and lucky It’s true that you are touched By something that will grow and bloom in you

These are days These are the days you might fill With laughter until you break These days you might feel A shaft of light Make its way across your face And when you do Then you’ll know how it was meant to be See the signs and know their meaning It's true Then you’ll know how it was meant to be Hear the signs and know they’re speaking To you, to you

Jennifer's Eggs, Hollandaise & Crab Cakes

When Jennifer showed up in my kitchen with fresh eggs, not only was it a good day at the Dougherty's, it meant hollandaise which also meant crab cakes. I have to admit, we've become egg connoisseurs around here. The kids will ask if we have any 'fresh eggs' because they don't like the way grocery store eggs taste. I remember when they wouldn't eat eggs, let alone have high standards for said eggs— I've made a lot of progress in the past five years. One thing I haven't made much progress with, until now, is poached eggs. For some reason, it was an utter disaster every time I tried to make a proper poached egg. The yolks were rock hard, assuming they were still intact. Most of the time, the egg decided to give up and flop into a heap of white and yolk. I read if I swirled the water while dropping the egg into the water it would keep the whites together. No dice, it created watery scrambled eggs.

Imagine my joy when another friend, Chris, told me about the Poach Pods at Sweet Sailing. My poach-less egg days were over. These things work like a charm, every time without fail. As long as you oil the inside before you drop an egg into it and keep the water at a simmer, you can have perfectly poached eggs whenever your heart desires. I can't get over the things I've checked off my to-do list in the past year: mandarin pancakes, pie crust, naan, pork pot stickers and now, poached eggs. What's next? A timpano from The Big Night?? I think so, I'll let you know how it goes.

Crab Cakes

1/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1/4 cup onion, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard (I used Coleman's)
1 1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over and rinsed
1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation
In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, onion, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, Old Bay and cayenne. Fold in the crabmeat and 1 cup of the bread crumbs. If the mixture seems too wet to mold into cakes, add more bread crumbs in 1/4 cup increments— it should hold its shape after it's molded but not be too dry. Shape the mixture into 12 cakes about 1 inch thick. Coat the crab cakes with the remaining bread crumbs and transfer to a platter, lined with parchment if the cakes seem sticky.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the crab cakes to the pan, being careful not to crowd them, and cook over medium heat until golden and crisp (about 3 minutes per side). Drain the crab cakes on paper towels, place in a warm oven and cook the remaining crab cakes. Add 1 tablespoon and 2 tablespoons of oil for each new batch of crab cakes. Serve with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce (recipe here).