IN MY KITCHEN: JANUARY 2014

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

May 2014 bring a ton of happiness for you and all your loved ones!
If you like to set goals for yourself, try to make them realistic, so they won’t turn into a personal ordeal. Remember to enjoy the ride!

I thought a great way to start 2014 would be by joining the virtual party initiated by Celia many moons ago: her “In My Kitchen” series. Stop by her site to see what other bloggers are sharing from their own kitchens.

In our kitchen….

Many gifts to start this virtual tour…

A Cuisinart mini-food processor, great gift from a couple of colleagues at KSU. Works like a charm, and is powerful enough to grind nuts and spices into a nice paste. Love it!

A new pepper grinder, gift from one of my stepsons, I’ve been struggling with our old pepper grinder for 14 years, it’s one very temperamental gadget! This one, from Williams-Sonoma is stylish and functional, I can change the coarseness with a simple twist.

A special cup for hot or cold liquids that my stepson gave me to celebrate my 20 years away from Brazil. Love it! Oscar takes a nap in the background, dreaming with chubby squirrels.
In our kitchen… A box of ultra special pears from Harry & David, sent from our dear friends and former neighbors from Oklahoma. They are by far the best pears I’ve ever had, juicy, and sweet. I even used them in a special salad, a recipe that will be on the blog soon. Stay tuned!
In our kitchen…. My gift to Phil for Christmas and his Birthday (12/27)… a sexy-red Breville espresso maker. Of course, it matches our Supernova stove, and brightens up our mornings!

In our kitchen.. a labor of love from my super-skillful partner… It all started with these: a box of wine corks saved for years and years + a sheet of plywood.

For our home in Oklahoma, Phil made a wine cork board many years ago. He was just waiting for the kitchen hellnovation to be over to build a new one here, bringing to our new kitchen something we missed from the old home. My stepson was visiting us and helped with the final installation.

Can you figure out what his design represents? I can tell you it is very clever…

In our kitchen…. Black Volcanic Salt from Hawaii… ever since I bought the new book by Anne Burrell and saw a recipe using this salt, I wanted to try it. It has a smoky taste on top of the salty flavor. Love it! Plus it looks gorgeous sprinkled over certain foods like asparagus and sea scallops.

In our kitchen... Citrus-Stuffed Olives. These are amazing! I almost passed them by at the grocery store, but one thing I’ve learned living here is that the products labeled as ‘Private Selection” from Krogers are not to be ignored.

In our kitchen… Little glass vials that are perfect to store those loose spices sold in bags. Like the gift from my friend Gabi, a spice mix from Brazil… and some other goodies I had laying around the pantry in a less than ideal “living situation”.

In our kitchen… tapioca chips, something I had never heard of, found them in the great Asian market in town. They are less greasy than potato chips, with a slightly harder texture. They are made from cassava (manioc) flour. A product from India. I wonder if they are available in Brazil, since manioc products are so popular back home.

In our kitchen… a great find by yours truly, on ebay. Have you heard of a Le Creuset-like product from Denmark called Copco? Well, these are not made anymore, they are vintage items that you can only find in auctions like ebay, or garage sales. Their design is super-stylish and the quality of the enamel cast iron supposed to be superior to Le Creuset. After patiently stalking many of these babies on ebay and watching them sell for small fortunes, I managed to snag this little baby for less than 40 bucks. I was happy, happy, happy….

Can you detect an impulse buy when you see it? I have no idea how to cook them (no instructions in the bag or online), or what they taste like. But they were too interesting to leave behind. Another fascinating product found at the Asian Market. They are packaged like soba noodles, but are made from oat flour. I am intrigued.

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And now, it’s time for a message from our four-legged friends….

Chief is very happy with his new bed. It is fluffy, a lot more comfortable to rest his tired bones. Two paws up! Well, four paws down, actually. Blissfully down.

Buck believes that elegance and poise will bring good fortune. He is also versed in Geometry & Statistics, and knows how to position his body on the spot with the highest probability of “food-fall”.

Oscar was completely in love with his new friend, and wishes he would still be around to play with him. It’s ok, Osky, we all miss him! Let’s hope he will come back soon… In the meantime, Oscar will have to settle for another of his favorite activities: making sure Mom is ok after her workouts. That Tony Horton guy is one mean master!

I hope you enjoyed this little tour around our kitchen and home! Make sure to stop by Celia’s spot – Fig Jam and Lime Cordial – to visit other kitchens around the blogosphere.

I would like to close this post with a message for the New Year, a text written by Neil Gaiman. I love it, and thank Rosa for sharing it on Facebook.

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.

So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.

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ONE YEAR AGO: Tacos with Pork in Green Sauce

TWO YEARS AGO: Maui New Year!

THREE YEARS AGO: Natural Beauty

FOUR YEARS AGO: Sunflower Seed Rye

2Dec2013

IN MY KITCHEN: DECEMBER 2013

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

I am excited to join my friend Celia in her super-fun series “In My Kitchen“. Stop by her site to look at what’s happening on kitchens out there in the blogosphere.

I start my virtual tour with gifts. As usual, I am the lucky recipient of wonderful gifts from special friends… At our last dinner party, we were surprised with a beautiful package!

Inside, a set of two beautiful Le Creuset baking dishes, to match the sexy-red atmosphere of our Supernova! Such a thoughtful gift, thank you V & K!

But, they did not stop there! Just a few hours before this post was supposed to go live our friend V. surprised us with another red-hot gift to color our kitchen! The most beautiful Poinsettia ever… The photo doesn’t do it justice, it is a bit too dark already, but I wanted to include it in this post. Too beautiful to pass…

From France, a very interesting ingredient found by the same friend who provided me with saffron, Ras-el-Hanout and vanilla beans. What can I say? I have a special talent to pick generous friends. Powdered cepes mushrooms. He had the opportunity of enjoying a dish prepared by a French chef using this delicacy, and went into an expedition to get some, then shared it with me. I can hardly wait to put it to use, it smells AMAZING.

From Phil, two cute bottles of sprinkles. He felt sorry for me because I saw some sprinkles that would be perfect for a recipe I wanted to make, but did not buy them. When I went back to Marshalls a couple of days later, they were gone. These are different, but will work just fine… stay tuned…

In our kitchen…. Just in time for holiday season, 6 pounds of a favorite coffee, Peet’s… Our day doesn’t start until we sit down to enjoy an early morning cappuccino!

In our kitchen… a beautiful pasta bowl that I found on ebay. A little larger than I anticipated, but it should come in handy in case we serve pasta for 22 guests and their pets. 😉

In our kitchen… a stainless steel rack for small appliances and special baking dishes. After searching for options that would not make us go broke, we ordered the same type of racks we have in the lab, from Global Industrial. The shelves can be customized according to our needs. Perfect to lodge the microwave.

In our kitchen… from Bed Bath and Beyond, napkins that are stain-resistant and don’t need to be ironed. I was skeptical when I bought a set of two just to try. I went back and got a few more. They have a soft, nice texture, and do wash very well.

In our kitchen… a delicious tea. I featured this brand before at IMK with their chamomile saffron blend. This one also contains pomegranate. I am addicted. Caffeine-free, soothing, I go through at least three cups during the day.

In our kitchen… a product I haven’t tried yet. I was intrigued by this Mexican canned yuca root, and decided to buy one can. In Brazil we can find frozen, cooked manioc root, but here in the US it is not common. Maybe this canned version could work as a starting point for “madioca frita” which we love so much!

Note added in January 2014: I just tested it, and unfortunately it doesn’t work well for “mandioca frita”. The canned product has too much moisture and I made a fantastic mess on the stove trying to fry it. The best way to enjoy this is by simply warming them with a little butter, salt and pepper. If you want “mandioca frita”, better cook the root from scratch…

In our kitchen… one of Phil’s favorite lunch items: an Ak-Mak cracker spread with a small amount of almond butter, and loaded – and I mean LOADED – with whole walnuts. That might explain why the bag of walnuts I bought at Trader Joe’s and was hoping to use in a special recipe is almost empty. 😉

In our kitchen… some racks to organize our cabinets a little better. Also bought at Bed Bath and Beyond, you can imagine that those folks at the store are starting to address me by my first name… “Hi, Sally, nice to see you AGAIN!” 😉

Not to worry, the cabinets won’t be this empty for too long. We still have a few boxes in the basement with dishes and baking stuff stored during the hellnovation. One step at a time, we move on…

And now, a message from our faithful canine friends, obviously a very important part of our kitchen!

Buck says that the allegations of him sticking the nose into a bag of peanuts are preposterous. What on Earth could possibly have caused such unfair treatment?

Osky says he loves his Mom more than any bag of peanuts. In fact, while she is watching TV, he turns his back to the tube so he can watch her instead… Too sweet for words!

Chief wants to set the record straight. He expects peanuts handed to him, and thinks his brother’s sappy demeanor is a shame. The senior Jack Russell’s main mission in life is to find a sunny spot in the house to lay down and snooze. Two months shy of his 15th Birthday, we believe he’d owned that right. 😉

I hope you enjoyed this month’s walk through our kitchen…

ONE YEAR AGO: Sourdough Mini-Rolls

TWO YEARS AGO: Do you eat your books?

THREE YEARS AGO: Mediterranean Skewers

FOUR YEARS AGO Fettuccine with Shrimp, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

4Nov2013

IN MY (NEW!) KITCHEN: NOVEMBER 2013

Posted in General, In My Kitchen by sallybr

Remember our old kitchen? Well, we barely recognize the place now! Weeks of renovation struggles are over, and we could not be happier with the outcome! So I join Celia, from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial in her series In My Kitchen revealing our new space…

In our kitchen…

We now have a 6-burner Blue Star range, powered by gas, with a convection oven,
and a gorgeous coral-front panel… We named it Supernova 😉

and you can customize yours with a click here

In our kitchen…

A new look for our tired cabinets, with new front doors and a green, antique treatment to the frames. We love the hardware too. It matches the stainless steel look of the appliances.

In our kitchen (and dining room)….

(click to enlarge)
A new hardwood floor, light, bright, and comfy on our feet. It has a light semi-gloss finish. That alone made our kitchen into a completely different space, joining smoothly with the dining room next to it.

In our kitchen…

A new fridge that actually makes ice! Isn’t that something? (when this photo was taken, the new granite countertop had not been delivered yet). But, just a couple of days later…..

A gorgeous piece of Yukon White granite, born and raised in Brazil, found its permanent home in the center stage of our favorite place in the house. The cabinet underneath was enlarged to accommodate the bigger stone. We absolutely love this addition, it makes cooking and hanging out in the kitchen so much nicer!

In our kitchen…

A colorful light fixture on top of the sink… With a window frame painted in antique yellow.
No, we are not afraid of color! 😉

In our kitchen…

A dish drying rack from Simple Human. I’ve flirted with this piece for 8 years, decided it was time to get one. Very functional, very stylish. You can change the orientation around to fit your space, and the dripping spout works like a charm…

In our kitchen…
A trash can also from Simple Human, perfect size to fit in the space between the fridge and the little hall that leads to the garage.

In our kitchen…
A Bosch dishwasher that actually cleans the dishes! Can you imagine that? 😉

In our kitchen….

A drawer to hold our knives, with cleverly designed inserts sold by Bed Bath and Beyond. The storage is completely flexible, you can customize to the size of your knives and drawers.
Three inserts did the perfect job for us.

In our kitchen…

A drawer with wooden dividers (also from Bed Bath and Beyond) to make storage a little more organized. Don’t you love the light yellow frame that we chose for the central island cabinet? Brought even more light to the place!

In our kitchen…

A little ceramic pot that is oven-friendly, and makes me smile every time I look at it. One of those happy little containers… found it at Marshalls.

To wrap up the post, a before and after short series…

A completely new look, that matches our mood, our style, our personalities.

Now, a final message from a four-legged friend who probably struggled the most with the ordeals of the hellnovation: Chief. He stayed inside with the workers all the time, but sometimes searched for peaceful places to sleep, as far away from the noise as possible. A laundry basket (with freshly washed garage towels), or an empty luggage seemed perfect to rest his tired body… 😉

I hope you enjoyed the tour through the New and Revamped Bewitching Kitchen!

ONE YEAR AGO: The Lab Move and New Beginnings

TWO YEARS AGO: Honey-Oat Pain de Mie

THREE YEARS AGO: Carrot and Leek Soup

FOUR YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana 101

8Oct2013

IN MY KITCHEN: OCTOBER 2013

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Don’t get all excited, folks, this post is not about the renovated kitchen, we are not quite there yet. But I have a few things to share with you, joining the fun virtual event hosted by Celia, from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.

In our kitchen…

Health Warrior Chia Bars! I first learned about them through Joanne, from Eats Well with Others. She is a long distance runner, super-fit Md/PhD student who recently reviewed these high-protein, low sugar bars. They come in plenty of flavors, her favorite was coconut which is the one I tried first. I had to order online because our grocery stores in town don’t carry them, but I hope at some point they will. They are delicious! I have one as my breakfast every day.

In our kitchen…

Hatch Pepper Cheese! You probably know that Hatch chiles are pretty hot right now (pun intended). Lots of bloggers rave about their wonderful taste. These peppers are not that easy to find in some parts of the US, but here in Kansas we are lucky to have them often at the grocery store. This cheese won my heart! A mild, soft cheese, with a nice heat of these special peppers in every bite. Awesome!

in our kitchen… Gifts from special friends…

From our dear friend Gabi, a special spice mix from Brazil, called “Tempero Baiano”, that she uses to season pork cutlets, chicken, beef. The name refers to the state of origin, Bahia, famous for its cooking with a heavy African influence. I haven’t used it yet, it’s been waiting for our kitchen to be functional.
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From my former husband, a jar of peppers that, according to him, are THE authentic pepper to use in dishes like Hungarian paprikash, which is a recipe his Mom cooks like no one else. Fond memories of the many outstanding meals I’ve had at his parents’ home decades ago.

From my friend Cindy, a cool gadget to hold recipe printouts… sexy red, the way I like it! The little ball is a strong magnet, so the page stays up over your counter top, easy to read.

In our kitchen…

Gifts I bought for myself…. in anticipation of our new kitchen, I could not resist getting a few things that popped up on sales here and there.

This set of bowls were too cute to pass… I love their size, perfect for serving nuts, olives, dips, for dinner parties. They are happy. They make me smile…
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A set of stainless steel coated knives in all sorts of shapes and colors, a great deal from One Kings Lane. I find their stuff for the most part terribly expensive, but these knives were quite affordable, so I brought them to our kitchen. They are still in the box, to avoid getting all dusty like everything else in our home. 😉

And speaking of dust, let me share a few photos of our renovation, in pictures taken in the past couple of weeks.

In our kitchen, chaos before bliss…

Our cabinets are going through a total make-over! A carpenter built new doors in a more modern style. This double picture shows one such new door, as we study a color composition for the frame, and the crown molding installed a day later.

The central counter top will be bigger, and the black granite will be gone, replaced by a lighter alternative. A stone from Brazil will take the center spot of our new kitchen… How cool is that? This change allowed us to build one extra cabinet for (much-needed) storage.

Take a look at the cute storage space for baking sheets and cutting boards, love it!

This wall has the gas line installed, and all the electrical wiring in place, waiting for the new fridge, range (be still my heart, it is going to be awesome!), and the venting hood. I stare at this empty wall and dream…

And now, time for a message from our four-legged friends!

Renovations can be very stressful, but some folks don’t seem to mind it that much. Oscar, for instance, finds that a rug rolled all the way underneath the table is a lot more convenient to rest his long legs while waiting for a treat or two.

And Chief, looking mighty good for his age, thinks the new floor halfway installed in the kitchen matches his fur very well, and gives a nice bounce to his favorite toy. Two old paws up for the renovation!

Buck is quite fond of his new spot in the dining room. “Daddy is so nice! He is always ready to give me some goodies….”

“With Mom it’s a different story, I need to endure a lot of hugging to get the treats I deserve…”

Oscar has a different opinion on the subject:

“Hugging? I should be so lucky!
I have to sing my lungs out to get ANYTHING! Don’t believe me?
Click here…

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I hope you had fun with the little tour of our kitchen. We are still on the road, so I might have a bit of trouble answering to comments and visiting blogs. But, these too shall pass… 😉
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ONE YEAR AGO: Bourbon and Molasses Glazed Pork Tenderloin

TWO YEARS AGO: Crimson and Cream Turkey Chili

THREE YEARS AGO: Taking a break from the nano-kitchen

FOUR YEARS AGO: Chocolate Chip Cookies

2Sep2013

IN MY KITCHEN – SEPTEMBER 2013

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Time for another little tour of our Bewitching Kitchen, to join the virtual party started by Celia, from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.

LET ME START WITH THREE SPECIAL GIFTS…

Freshly picked blackberries from a colleague at KSU… As you might remember from a recent post, they were put to excellent use in a blackberry-cherry sorbet... Hummmmmmm…..

Vanilla beans straight from France, a surprise package, courtesy of the same dear friend who sent me a huge load of saffron in the past… My first use of one of these incredibly potent pods was the Apple-Cinnamon Bread you read about last week.

A Hamilton Beach electric oven, surprise gift from Phil, who found it on ebay… the thing is huge, and the temperature control pretty accurate. I’ve baked bread in it (the Black Sesame Sourdough), I’ve used it to roast the meat for our French Dip sandwich... Very nice option to keep the house cool during the hot months. His name is Mr. Hamilton, and our patio is his new home.
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AND MOVING ON TO OTHER STUFF GOING ON IN THE BEWITCHING KITCHEN…

Roasted bell peppers made in Mr. Hamilton. I like to cut the peppers and seed them first, the peel comes off very easily after, no need to run under running water or do all sorts of manipulations needed with the whole pepper. Try it, you might adopt this technique too!

When we spent the sabbatical year in Los Angeles the house we rented had beautiful Italian dishes from Jennifer Moore. We loved them! Ever since we left L.A. Phil has been actively searching for places that sell them. Thanks to his persistence, we now have several pieces to remind us of the months spent in California.

We normally prefer clear glasses, but these are so delicate and beautiful with a light pink body and green stems! Those are my favorite glasses to sip some Portuguese green wine. Another great ebay find by Phil, by the way…

A new product, Mycryo… If you haven’t heard anything about it, be ready to be amazed! It is a cocoa butter-derivative, that you sprinkle on food to be sautéed. It has fewer calories than any other type of fat, and is supposed to brown the food like nobody’s business. Fantastic on scallops, by the way, you don’t even have to worry about drying them. Yes, there will be a blog post about it…. stay tuned!

Preparations for one of our favorite ways to entertain: a pizza party! We provide the dough, the toppings, and if needed a quick lesson on how to open the dough. After that, our guests can have a lot of fun creating their own versions and “sharing the love”… Artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella, sautéed mushrooms, grilled zucchini, and of course those roasted red and yellow bell peppers were also part of this feast.

Another way to preserve sourdough starter, inspired by Celia and Joanna, two of my bread baking gurus who definitely know how to handle their starters! I dried a very active batch of Dan, and stored several “chips” in ziplock bags at room temperature.

AND WRAPPING UP, A QUICK HELLO FROM OUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS…

What do you mean “You cannot have dark chocolate?”

I hope you enjoyed the visit to our Bewitching Kitchen… if you’d like to participate of the In My Kitchen series, compose a post and link to Celia’s site. The more, the merrier! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Raspberry Sorbet at Summer’s End

TWO YEARS AGO: When three is better than two (2 years with Buck in our home!)

THREE YEARS AGO: Grating Tomatoes (and loving it!)

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Peachy Salad for a Sunny Day