Sewing Room - Cutting Table

I am very excited to have this cutting table as the newest addition to my craft room.  For more than ten years I've been cutting on a dining room table which is too low to be comfortable.  This kitchen island from Ikea is countertop height, which is perfect for cutting fabric.  It is large enough to accommodate a large cutting mat and it still has room for a box of tools and a lamp.  The shelves below hold all of my rulers, extra cutting mats, and a basket of supplies.  I did quite a bit of cutting last night to get ready for my quilting group today, and it felt luxurious to not have to hunch over to do it.

Tweet

What's Cooking? - Italian Dinner Menu

Last month, Kenny and I had his work people over for dinner.  Here's what we ate:

White-Bean Dip


The original recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food calls for veggie chips for serving, but I couldn't find any at the Commissary, so I used Sun Chips, potato chips, and Zwieback  bread.
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
coarse salt and ground pepper
bread, chips, or veggies for serving

In a food processor, combine beans, lemon juice, oil, garlic, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons water.

Process until very smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with rosemary and red-pepper flakes;  serve with bread, chips, or veggies alongside.

Serves 8

Spaghetti with Baby Asparagus


I doubled this recipe to serve 12.  I thought that would be enough since I was serving a substantial salad on the side, but it was completely polished off.  I guess I could have tripled it.  I had the water boiling and the ingredients prepped before the guests arrived.  This goes together so quickly that I just threw it together when it was time to eat.  You can substitute green beans if you like.


coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces spaghetti
1 bunch baby asparagus, ends removed
4 strips lemon zest, thinly sliced, plus 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter
1 ounce Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler

In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.  Add asparagus and lemon zest to pot; immediately drain pasta mixture, and return to pot.

Add butter and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper, and toss, adding enough pasta water to create a thin sauce.  Top with Parmesan.

Serves 4

Italian Panzanella


I doubled this recipe for a party of 12 too.  This is a great party salad because it can be made up to 8 hours ahead.  It is a very hearty salad.  I like to serve it with pasta, especially when I'm serving people who usually eat meat, because the cheese and beans add protein to the meal.  I get the one piece of provolone in the supermarket deli.  You can add 1/4 of a red onion, very thinly sliced if you like.


1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups large cubes country bread (5 to 6 ounces)
1 pound plum tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise
4 ounces provolone cheese in one piece, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper.

Add beans, bread, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and cheese.  Toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, and up to 8 hours.  Just before serving, stir in basil.

Generously serves 4.

Apple and Almond Custard Tart


There is something very sophisticated about this dessert.  It is always well received.  The crust is very delicate, so take great care when transferring to a cake plate.  I always used to keep my desserts on the bottom of my pans after removing the sides, however I've had guests think the dessert is not homemade when it has the bottom on it still, so now I try to very carefully transfer everything directly to a cake plate.


for the crust:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

for the filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/3 cup sliced blanched almonds

Make crust:  In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder; set aside.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and almond extract; beat until combined.  With mixer on low, add flour mixture; mix just until combined.

Using an offset spatula or table knife, spread dough in a 9-inch removable-bottom pan, evenly covering bottom and sides.  Freeze for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and make filling:  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and lemon zest; mix until combined.  With mixer on low, add flour and then cream; mix just until smooth (do not overmix).  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss apple with lemon juice; arrange evenly in tart pan over chilled dough.  Spread filling over apple; sprinkle with almonds and remaining 1/4 cup sugar.  Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until golden and set, 40 to 45 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Gorbea's Great Chocolate Torte


This cake is a favorite of mine, but I don't make it very often since Kenny doesn't like chocolate.  It is my Dad's recipe.  I have a hard time with the presentation, but it tastes really good.


6 squares (6 ounces) HERSHEY'S Premium Semi-Sweet Chocolate
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two round pans, 9 x 1 1/2 inches.  Line bottoms with wax paper; grease and flour pans and sides of pans.  Melt semi-sweet chocolate; cool to lukewarm.  In large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla, beating well.  Blent in reserved chocolate.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; add alternately with water, blending well.  Pour evenly into prepared pans.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans.  Cool completely.  Prepare Chocolate Cream Raspberry Filling; chill until firm.  Spread filling between cake layers, with rounded side up on top layer; chill.  Prepare Special Chocolate Icing.  Pour onto cake, spread evenly over tops and sides of torte.  Cover.  Chill.

Makes about 12 servings.

CHOCOLATE CREAM RASPBERRY FILLING

2 squares (2 ounces) Hershey's Premium Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/4 cup milk
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Melt chocolate with milk over very low heat until smooth and flecks disappear;  cool.  Beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually blent in reserved chocolate mixture.  Beat cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until stiff; fold into chocolate mixture, add raspberries; chill.

SPECIAL CHOCOLATE ICING

1/2 cup light corn syrup
6 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons butter
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine corn syrup, water, and butter in saucepan.  Bring to rapid boil, stirring until butter is melted.  Remove from heat; add chocolate.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted.  Cool to room temperature before pouring over torte to glaze; chill until set.

Yield about 2 1/2 cups

Tweet

Makeovers - Tabletop to Art

I thought my new tabletop was standing up well to the rain, but after about a week of rain the decoupage glue got gummy.  Then the sun came out for a few minutes and the top warped.  So much for my table makeover.  I took it all apart and put it in a pile to take to the dumpster.

Still wanting some seating in my backyard, I went to Ikea and picked up a small table to go with my white chairs.  I also got a black round table with four red chairs.  I was pleased with the arrangement.  The tables aren't big enough to accommodate a dinner party but they are big enough for snacks.  The gray wall still looked a little dull, and the discarded tabletop still held some appeal, so I hung it on the wall for art.

Tweet

What's Cooking? - Soft Lemonade Cookies

By popular demand, here is the recipe for my Lemonade Cookies.  Be careful not to bake too long.  They are intended to be very soft and moist.  I place my cooling racks over a sheet of foil to make cleanup easy.

Soft Lemonade Cookies

Makes about 6 dozen

From Taste of Home magazine

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 can (6 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed, divided

Additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar; add eggs.  Combine flour and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1/3 cup lemonade concentrate.  Mix well.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes.  Remove to wire racks.  Brush with remaining lemonade concentrate; sprinkle with sugar.  Cool.

Tweet

Makeovers - Outdoor Table

When we moved to California from Germany we had to wait quite awhile to get our furniture.  My grandmother was discarding this table and chairs so my mom and dad brought it down to use as a dining table to get us by.


When we received our regular furniture I had no need for a dining room table, but I did need something for outside.  It rarely rained at Fort Irwin so it was fine outside.  It wasn't pretty so I tiled the top and it worked great for the time we were there.


Then we moved to Charlottesville, VA and continued to use it as an outdoor table.  It wasn't happy.  The particle board top rotted in all of the rain.


When we moved back to Germany we moved it with us.  It was an eyesore.  I wanted to trash it and just buy regular outdoor furniture.  But, outdoor furniture is expensive and we might not always have a backyard to put it in.  And, I had a hard time getting rid of something that belonged to my grandmother.  She died shortly after we moved to California.


So, I started making over the set.  Kenny helped me remove the rotten top.  I sanded everything and painted it with outdoor paint. Then I replaced the top with two ready cut boards from the hardware store.  It would have been better to have one solid piece, but I didn't want to try to figure out how to do that at the German store.  As a finishing touch, I decoupaged a fabric remnant from Ikea and some black ribbon onto the top using Mod Podge CS11220 8-Ounce Glue, Outdoor.


I had a hard time with this project because the paint and the decoupage didn't turn out perfectly.  But, you can't tell unless you look at it closely.  I learned some good lessons (like take the time to find the right paint) that I can use for my next project.

Tweet