Snow Day

Our Nor-easter cake

In New York, it looks like we are getting 3 nor'easter storms in as many weeks. This time of year, as I start to yearn for spring, and am teased with a few above average spring-like days, I must remind myself that we are still in "moody-March." Even though I am over winter, winter is not over us.   Yesterday was our second nor'easter in March (the third is expected early next week). I was ready.  The refrigerator was stocked with multiple meal options, there was plenty of sidewalk salt just outside the back door and the shovel was in position for immediate use.  And, for this particular storm, I had stocked up on baking supplies. Because, when it's cold and the snow and sleet are braising the doors and windows, working around a toasty oven always warms the family.

One of my hearty Hellebore, with mayonnaise white flowers peaking out of the melting snow -- tempting us into thinking spring is here!  

I have been searching high and low for a dense, but moist cake recipe, the kind that I remember from my childhood and was popular in the 1970s (I was just a baby, of course!).  Back then, I think most home bakers used and referenced the Betty Crocker cookbook.  I fondly remember the cakes being a slightly different texture, thicker but still moist, probably because they relied on unhealthy ingredients such as Crisco shortening. Or, maybe today's flour is a bit less dense.  Or, maybe even, the standing mixer (ours was avocado green, below) didn't over mix? Whatever the case, I have been trying to replicate, somewhat unsuccessfully,  that seemingly long-gone, tender, yet dense, cake consistency.  It seems good cake, homemade or otherwise, is very hard to come by.

My childhood mixer.  I don't think it was as easy to over mix the batter back then with less powerful mixers like this one. 

So, for this week's nor-easter, we set out to re-enact my childhood favorite dessert! In the absence of the Betty Crocker cookbook, I turned to next best alternative -- The Dessert Bible. I highly recommend this cookbook and it's preceeding volume -- The Cook's Bible. Taken from the pages of the amazing Cook's Illustrated magazine, where classic dishes are meticulously tested, and retested, and the lucid outcomes are presented, these cookbooks answer the how and the why of perfected food and dessert. It's a little like science class in the kitchen and it's fabulous!

A cookbook that should be in every cook's kitchen.  Order it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Bible-Best-American-Cooking/dp/0316735701

From the Dessert Bible,  I chose the well-rounded English pound cake.  Pound cake is named, not for its weight, but for its use of 1 pound each of flour, sugar, butter and eggs.  But, for this week's cake, I chose a slightly more American version, the 1-2-3-4 cake, which is made from 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour and 4 eggs. When mixing batters, it's vital that the ingredients are room temperature so that they whip up properly, otherwise the cake will be too dense.  Butter should be slightly above room temperature. Butter that is too soft will not whip up well either.  For our cake, I neglected to take the eggs from the refrigerator early enough, so I warmed them in some warm water to get the temperature up.  It worked.

A little random, but I needed another image here.  So, here is an easy and delicious ricotta cheesecake.  Recipe can be found here: http://www.thenattydad.com/2015/09/

The best part of the cake was the buttercream icing. Most buttercreams are thick, and while ours was definitely not light, it was a touch lighter than most, and perfect for this cake as we only used it in the center.  The outside of the cake was iced in a simple home-made whipped cream. If you are looking for an excellent buttercream recipe, I again recommend the Dessert Bible.  Be sure to have a candy thermometer, though, as it is a little tricky bringing the egg-sugar mixture to 160 degrees.

Frosting the cake.  While the kitchen doesn't look too bad in this photo, in actuality, it was a bloody mess!

The only problem with baking, aside from the need to be fairly precise, is that it is messy. The counters and sink become filled with batter dripping spoons, egg sodden measuring cups, and buttered spatulas. It can be sloppy, really sloppy.  For me, the worst is the flour dust that settles on everything in the kitchen after pouring it into the mixer.  Baking with children exaggerates this many fold.  So, perhaps the best tool you can come into kitchen with when baking is patience.  Be prepared for a mess and be ready to spend time cleaning. And this is why setting out to bake on a snow day is the perfect activity.  What else is there to do?

The homemade chicken pot pie that we ate before having cake.
 It was an rich, snowy night, filled with indulgent food!
Now, off to the gym...

Morning Routine

In my family, I am the one responsible for getting everyone up in the morning. I am the family's human alarm clock, the morning buzzer, the motivator.  It's a job that I don't mind.  In fact, I prefer it. I like getting up first, when the house is quiet and dark, when the only immediate demand is to get a fresh pot of coffee brewed, and to see what crazy news I may have missed in the overnight hours. Rising early gives me the opportunity to jump start my own self before I need to energize everyone else.

Every school day morning, the routine is exactly the same. After I am fully caffeinated, which is usually just before 7:00am, I wake my daughter by endearingly singing:  "good morning sleepy doo!"  Or, sometimes I  really mix it up with a pitch perfect "good morning plumb cake!" It's sweet, and my daughter still gets a kick out of it.  I like to think that my morning jingle helps provide a pleasant, positive and jovial start to her day!

But, in this last week or so, I have noticed myself adding one more step to this simple morning routine. Before breaking into my normal "Good Morning..." sing-song custom, I find myself pausing for a moment to say a little prayer, of sorts, before she wakes. It goes a little like this: "please, God, as an adult, don't let her ever get involved in a relationship with an abusive partner."

It may seem a little strange to be thinking and praying about such a heavy topic. My daughter, after all, is still quite young and relationships are still far off into the future.  But, it's a worry that I have, nonetheless.  One that has been more electrified by current events. It's probably a worry that many of us are having of late, as we should.

"...don't let that happen, please..."

I know it's cliche, but one of the advantages that gay men enjoy is the extraordinarily close relationships they are able to build with straight women.  I cherish the relationships I have with women and consider myself lucky to have so many fascinating people in my life.  The women that I have had the pleasure of knowing and confiding in are all smart, educated and successful, and have truly enriched my life. I am very fortunate.  And aside from being intelligent and thoughtful and accomplished, there is one characteristic that many of these woman also seem to share.  They have, at some point in their lives, and to different extents, been assaulted by men.  I am not sure that most men realize that almost every woman shares some version of this experience, of being sexually assaulted. Men should be encouraged to think about that -- and about their mothers, their sisters, their spouses, girlfriends, and their daughters.

Most woman have experienced some form of violence from a man.
It's daunting!

And this is why I worry for our children!

Years ago, I received a late night call from a very, very close friend, who, through tears, recounted  the most unpleasant experience she will ever have with a man with whom she was dating.  It was disquieting and scary and I was speechless.  And, looking back,  I can only hope that I was able to give her the appropriate, compassionate and needed support. This was a long time ago and my friend is now a highly educated,  extremely successful businesswoman, successful mother and successful wife. And while I have not thought much about that haunting, late night conversation in many years, due to current events, I have thought a lot about it lately.  The stories we are seeing on the news are not one-offs, they are, to some extent, almost every woman's story.

My friend and I never spoke about that conversation again and I suspect that she hasn't shared it with many other people, possibly no one else.  She moved on, and, as I mentioned, is happy and successful.  I wonder, however, if that deplorable man, who permanently destroyed a part of my dear friend, and probably went on to assault other women, ever tried to run for public office, would she publicly denounce his supposed virtues?  I think she would, and I think she should.  Would she be called a liar? Judging from recent events, yes, she would be called a liar. But, she's not a liar.

Public life aside, I have been recently conducting a little unscientific survey of my friends, asking them what they would do if they ever discovered that a friend of theirs assaulted his spouse? The response is overwhelmingly clear --  exterminate  that odious person from their lives.  Period.  Its universal -- assault against woman (or anyone) is never acceptable.  People who engage in this activity deserve little, and anyone in the know that does not call it out is complicit. Universally, everyone in my little survey vehemently understands that violence is always inappropriate. It was the indisputable response.

So, here we are, trying to raise a well-adjusted daughter who, in today's increasingly offensive mysogynistic environment, will likely and sadly face some uncomfortable relationship encounters in her lifetime, if things stay as they are now.  Hopefully, as a precursory, I will be able to instill in her a sense of strength and strong self-worth.  It's something I work at every day.  Since our daughter was very young, I have tried to encourage open, honest, and thoughtful reflection on healthy relationships. I know that my own relationships have to be an example of that.  And I always try to accentuate the positive.  I try to make it very clear where I stand on disrespect, on abusive or inappropriate language (and that when it comes from high members of our government, they are not leaders, but bullies!) and of any form of violence. And I always encourage her to stand up for friends and to look out for others that may seem uncomfortable. Every few weeks, I remind my daughter to be an 'upstander,' to do things like looking around the lunch room and making sure no one in her grade is sitting alone, and if they are, inviting him/her to join her at her table.  I am counting on these little things, these simple daily lessons, to add up.  But, I also know that violence can happen to anyone, regardless of how strong their makeup. So I will continue to worry!

And this is why I take that moment in the morning to say a little prayer...

...before I get my family up and into the world each day.

Storing decorations, making tarts and ringing in 2018

Welcome to 2018!

All that is left from my holiday baking are the photos!

Decorating for the holidays is a little like moving!  While it may not be that evident when we are setting up for Christmas -- excitedly putting lights on the tree and garland around the fireplace -- it is VERY evident when we need to take it all down. After spending all of yesterday carefully arranging fragile bulbs back into their wrappers, discarding torn cardboard boxes, worse for wear after reuse year after year, and safely organizing and storing all evidence of the holiday season into nifty red and green waterproof containers down into the back corner of the basement, I had an epiphany.  The holidays are a boatload of work, not that dissimilar from moving. Every year, I move an entire room of items, first up the stairs, then down the stairs, to decorate and then un-decorate for the holidays. And while, at the onset of the season, it is very exciting -- the snow is falling softly outside while our whole family joyfully reacquaints ourselves with ornaments that we have not seen for a year, happily placing them on a fresh cut tree. It is far less exciting when there is a foot of snow on the ground and we are completely drenched as we clumsily box up soggy and wet outdoor garland for storing.  It's funny... what great lengths we take to make everything chipper and festive during the holidays.

But, don't get me wrong, while I may be complaining after a clean up that is still fresh in my mind, I do still love the holiday season. And perhaps there wasn't a more important year, than 2017, for each of us to put some joy back into the world.

Any trace of the holidays no longer adorns my fireplace!

Actually, I left one bowl of ornaments out for another couple weeks -- just because!

Aside for the normal bustle of the holidays, which for our family included a trip to beautiful Deer Valley, Utah, I managed to accomplish a few new tasks.  For beginners, I made my first large batch of salad dressing.  Friends, who have enjoyed my salad dressing for years, have been urging me to put it into a bottle for some time.  So, for the holidays, I finally did. I made 20 bottles of my famous garlic, parmesan dressing and I now have requests for more!  We'll see where this goes! 

Refrigerator stocked with freshly made salad dressing

Look closely, and you might be able to uncover all the secret ingredients in my famous dressing!

A second accomplishment this holiday involved baking.  I love making dough -- working with my hands to kneed and shape a dough into the perfect consistency is, in my opinion, an incredibly artful process. But, dough is tricky.  Even for the most accomplished bakers, dough can become tough, dry, crackly  -- and then there is the problem with rolling it out.  Mostly, doughs require some experience, to know when the butter is too soft, or when it is too lumpy, or when there is just the right amount of stickiness to the hand. Luckily, this year my holiday dough was perfect! No promises for next year, though!

With the dough, I made two types of tarts. First, I made a white chocolate and raspberry ganache tart (below) and then, with the remaining shells, I made a custard filled tart that I topped with colorful fruit. Both were amazing, but I preferred (slightly) the fruit tart.  

Before making some dough this winter, here are some tips (from my recent baking journey):

The fat (butter, shortening, lard, etc) must be very cold.  I like to put it in the freezer for a half hour before using. This way, the butter does not soften when kneading.   

Use a food processor (pulse position) to initially mix the flour and fat, to get the desired pellet consistency. 

Add water AFTER mixing flour and fat and do not use the food processor at this point. 

Work slowly when mixing in water, but quickly to keep the butter from melting. Tricky!

 In case you are in the mood to bake, here is the recipe that I used for the shells. It is a gorgeous recipe that can be used for any sweet pie crust:

Sweet pastry recipe:

2 and 2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

zest of a lemon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2/3 cup cubed butter

1 egg yolk

cold water (2-4 tablespoons)

Mix together flour, sugar, zest and salt in bowl.  Put into a food processor fitted and add the butter.  Pulse until pellet crumb consistency is achieved. Take out of bowl and add egg yolk and enough water to make dough come together.  Do not over kneed. Form dough into ball and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.  It can last in the refrigerator for a few days, if needed.  Good Luck!

So far, it is a great start to 2018.  I hope it is the same for you! 

Baking in my new kitchen.  The marble counter works perfectly for this!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

I published this post a few years ago, and I am republishing it because I have had many requests from friends who got frustrated trying to locate it all the way back in 2014.  So, here it is again. Let me know how it comes out   --  (Lucy and Natalie)!

Move over chicken cutlets!  My family has a new favorite chicken dish -- Grilled Chicken Fajitas. And this time of year, who can disagree.  The secret ingredient: Grapefruit!

If done correctly, Chicken Fajitas are an easy-to-make crowd-pleaser.  And if you follow this recipe, they are low in cholesterol and fat, and are gluten free!

Here is what you will need:

2 Lemons

3 Limes

2 Grapefruits

Chicken Breasts

1 Red Pepper

2 Onions

Avocado

Pepper Jack Cheese

Corn Tortillas

Cinnamon

Cumin

Garlic

Cilantro

Hot pepper paste, chipotle chili flakes or fresh Jalapeno

Olive Oil

Clean and dry the cilantro, then chop (or puree) it finely. 

Tip: Once cleaned and dried, cilantro (and parsley) leaves can last many weeks if refrigerated in a sealed container. 

Prepare the marinade by juicing lemons, limes, and grapefruit in a large bowl.  Add in 3-4 cloves of finely chopped garlic, a large handful of chopped cilantro, a diced onion, a tablespoon of cumin and a tablespoon of cinnamon. Season with salt, pepper and a little hot pepper paste or chipotle chili seeds. 

Rinse the chicken and add it to the marinate. Let the chicken marinate for 45 minutes to an hour. This citrus marinade works well for a few reasons.  First, it tenderizes the meat and cooks it a bit.  For packaged chicken, the citrus also breaks down the slippery coating on the chicken.  Finally, and most importantly, it adds unbelievable flavor!

  While the chicken is marinating, slice the 2nd onion and red pepper into strips.  If using Jalapeno, chop it into small pieces. 

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a grill pan and saute peppers and onions until soft and slightly charred.   I added hot pepper paste/Jalapeno to this mixture as well as some salt and pepper. 

Take onions and peppers out of saute pan and set aside. 

Add the marinated chicken to the seasoned grill pan.  For thin sliced chicken, grill each side for about 3 minutes.  For thicker cuts, grill for 4-5 minutes on each side.  Keep the marinade...

...and add it to a small grill pan with some olive oil.  Cook it down.

Heat the tortillas in the small grill pan.  Add marinade and olive oil, as needed. 

Slice the cooked chicken. 

Layer the tortillas with chicken, onions, peppers, jack cheese, avocado (you can use guacamole too) cilantro and maybe a little salsa! Fold and savor! 

For larger groups, all of the ingredients can be laid out on the table and guests can make their own! 

Poultry Tips:

If you have a whole chicken and need to take off the breast meat, here are some simple instructions:

Always start by cutting into the legs, where they are attached to the body.  Cut through the bone of both legs and then do the same for both wings, and set them aside.  Then turn chicken over (onto its back) and cut along center bone and slice out breast filets.  Put the bones into the freezer and use later for preparing chicken stocks. 

If your chicken breasts are too thick, do not start by pounding as this can weaken the muscle fibers and release juices. Lay the breasts on a cutting board and carefully (very carefully) slice horizontally/ lengthwise.  Then lightly pound.

To test whether the chicken is cooked, pierce a small hole in the thickest meat.  If juices run clear, it is done.  If there is still some pink, it needs a bit more time.  Thermometers also work well!

When cooking chicken and other meats, it is always best to heat the plates before serving.  This can be done by placing them on a rack above the stove while cooking; or into the oven for a few minutes at 200 degrees (or less). Even a slightly warmed plate will help maintain food temperature.

Food & Film

Taste What You See!

When you live in New York City, the film world seems ubiquitous.  Actors are everywhere, production crews and trucks seemingly inhabit all the streets (often to the chagrin of the neighborhood locals), there is always an industry insider, without exception, at every dinner party, and you can explore every genre of film at the thousands of movie theaters peppered throughout this sweeping metropolis.  For movie enthusiasts, like myself, it is one of the many reasons New York is an exciting place to live. 

There are a bunch of film festivals that make themselves at home in New York City;  some are quite famous -- like De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival or the New York Independent Film Festival.  But, my favorite, somewhat lesser-known festival, is happening this week  -- The Food Film Fest. This four-day event showcases short films solely dedicated to stories about food and its preparation. Interesting, right? But, what makes it a real night out is that a sample of the food being presented in the film is served to the audience while the film is being screened. Ingenious! And so much fun! 

What's more is the Food Film Fest helps to support The Billion Oyster Project, an ecosystem restoration and education program. The project is working to restore one billion live oysters back into the New York Harbor, through the help of New York City school children. You may not have known that oysters are a valuable natural water filter -- they help to keep water clean, and the New York Harbor needs cleaning.  But, sadly, oysters are near extinct in these waters. The Billion Oyster Project hopes to reverse that trend, to bring back the ecosystem that existed for thousands of years prior to the development of our city.  

So, The Food Film Festival is more than just a publicity show for newly released films.  It's an all-ecompassing night out, complete with entertainment, food, beverages and a deserving nod to a respectable charitable organization. 

If you are in New York this week and want to check out the Festival, tickets are on sale now for the 10th Festival: 

www.thefoodfilmfest.com/info

Always preparing for my own little food
festival! 

My Old House Renovation -- Refinishing Floors

Here we go again!!

Floor Scrapers 

As I embark upon another home renovation, focussing first on the floors, I am reminded of this back-breaking image (above) from one of my favorite but lesser known impressionists -- Gustave Caillebotte.  We've come a long way from this, with modern floor sanding machines and all; but, as I discovered just this week in my home renovation, sanding the stairs is still done the same as it was 100 years ago -- mostly by hand!

Years back, I renovated this Brooklyn townhouse...

...and then we moved to this Brooklyn limestone...

...which I renovated, and sold...

and then last week we moved to this Brooklyn Heights house...

...which I clearly haven't renovated yet!!!

We went from this garden...

 ...which I designed (inspired by a trip to Tuscany)...
to this garden...

...yet to be designed!!

Oh dear!  What have I done??

In all seriousness, I love renovations. I love the process of bringing a home back to life, of resurrecting it, of breathing new life into it.  In New York City, and in Brooklyn in particular, opportunities to do this are everywhere. There is incredible and historic housing stock here.  Most of the houses in brownstone Brooklyn still have century old details. Most, that is, except mine!  Sadly, a former owner must have stripped the priceless detail out of the house, to save on construction cost. So, I have a formidable challenge for my new/old house renovation -- putting the detail back into the rooms.  It's a big project, but I am up for it.  After all, I have made a job out of it.

Kitchen I renovated over 10 years ago in Brooklyn

When working with architects and contractors, the most important responsibility for the homeowner, from a financial and a practical standpoint, is to be clear and concise. Knowing what you want saves time and saves money.  Making changes after work commences causes more work for the crew, which costs more money for the homeowner. My contractor tells me almost every day that he appreciates that I know what I want, that I make firm decisions, and that I am clear.  Everyone's life is easier.

As I start this old house renovation, my first priority is to refinish the floors.  On the parlor level,  where the living room, dining room and kitchen areas are located, I am re-doing all the floors. I have chosen a herringbone pattern (below). And while I will keep the wood width to the standard 2 1/4" (to keep costs down), I chose a slightly longer plank, to give a bit more length to the rooms.

In the entrance way, I am using a whimsical marble (Arabesque Mosaic, from Waterworks). It's a small space (40"x40"), but it is sure to have a substantial impact.  It will also give a knowing wink to the past with it's classical pattern. I cannot wait to see how this looks, once installed.

For the upper floors of the townhouse, I not replacing the floors, but rather refinishing them.  The plank is more narrow than I would have chosen, but it is durable -- red oak.  Originally, it was done in a natural finish, but the heavy polyurethane finish has yellowed and looks a bit drab, if not down right dated.  I have instructed my floor experts to refinish the floors in a solid brown, without any hints of yellow or orange.  I chose Special Walnut stain (224 by Minwax) and we are using a flat, water-based sealant to prevent discoloration and yellowing.

A portion of my red oak floors just after they were sanded.  I rather like the natural color. 

Above is a portion of the the floor that was just stripped.  The area along the edges is not yet sanded and still looks very orange.  The natural, post-sanded color is gorgeous. I am keeping my daughter's room in this natural color because it is light and airy and clean.  But, it reads a bit modern for the whole house, so I am going with a brown stain (Special Walnut) everywhere else.

The stairs in this photo have not been sanded or stained, but the floor in the foreground has refinished.  All the orange tones are gone, thankfully! 

Refinished floor in Special Walnut and coated with a flat sealant. 

So all of the floor decisions have been made.  And most of the sanding, staining and sealing work on the upper 2 floors is complete.  I am pleased with the results and I am moving to the next phase of the project -- the stairs! Stay tuned...

www.vandykes.com

Despite all this renovating, I am still trying
 to get out and enjoy summer in the city!