Gastronomie

Raisin Scones

This recipe comes from David and Susan's cookbook as little kids. It's simple and delicious and quick. Also, it should be noted that this isn't what American's call a scone; it's very much a British one, flaky and crumbly and a savoury dough, not dissimilar to an American southern biscuit.

•  8oz all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2.5 heaping tsp baking powder
• 1.75 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup raisins (or other dried fruit -- prunes, dates, sweetened cranberries, etc)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Sift together dry ingredients
3. Rub in the butter with fingers 
4. Mix in the raisins and stir to incorporate
5. Mix in the milk with a fork until the dough holds together
6. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently, then flatten  to about 1/2" thick
7. Cut the dough into 8 triangles (or circles!) and arrange them on a lightly floured cookie sheet, being sure the allow plenty of space between each scone
8. Cook for 10-12 minutes (watch closely starting at the 10 minute mark so they don't burn or brown too much)
9. Shovel a hot, buttered scone into your face, trying not to burn your tongue

 

Kuku Sabzi for Nowruz, the old school way.

It's coming up on Nowruz again, and a friend asked me about this kuku sabzi recipe in the NYT.

Holy cow, that's one fiddly recipe. I love Najmieh Batmanglij, but I've said before that some of her recipes are just too heavily spiced for me, and this is one of them. As far as I'm concerned, the whole point of kuku sabzi is to revel in the freshness and flavors of spring; adding so much advieh (that particular combination of spices) just muddies the brightness of the herbs. A big nope for me. 

Here's my own kuku sabzi. It's simple and vibrant. It can be eaten hot or cold, wrapped in lavash bread with some feta cheese or on its own. Oh, and there are a lot of recipes out there for baked kuku, and you could absolutely bake this one. But for me, the little burnt and crisped bits you get from frying are worth the extra calories. After all, this is otherwise an incredibly healthy dish.   

• 1 c chopped parsley
• 1 c chopped cilantro
• 1 c chopped dill
• 1 c chopped garlic chives, scallions or leeks (use all parts, including green tops)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (leave out if you can find garlic chives)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 5 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp baking powder 
• ¼ c chopped walnuts
• ¼ c dried barberries (or unsweetened dried cranberries or gooseberries, chopped)
• 4-5 eggs
• 4 tbsp neutral cooking oil (I use grapeseed, but canola or avocado also works. Olive oil is too strong)

1. After chopping all the herbs, spread them out on a towel to dry a bit (assuming you washed them before chopping). Once they’re not “soggy”, combine in a bowl with the garlic and spices.
2. Add enough eggs to bind the herbs together, but not so much that you can see egg “floating.” Beat in the baking soda, if using
3. Stir in the walnuts and the barberries, and give the whole mess a nice whisk with a fork.
4. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a cast iron or non-stick pan, then pour in your egg mixture. Set the burner to medium and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
5. Flip the kuku onto a plate (the egg should be set on top), add the remaining oil to the pan, then slide the kuku back in to cook the other side for 5 minutes, uncovered. If this seems daunting, just cut the kuku into wedges and flip each wedge individually

Best of 2009, Day 29: Laughing At Baby Puppehs

It's hard to believe that Miss VJK's Picholine at Prefere (known in these parts as "Olive", "Baby Puppy" or "Dark Menace") is 2.5 years old. It seems like just yesterday that we asked the internets to help us name her, and now she is dam to a litter of four stunning puppies who are already well-loved family dogs that are going to do beautifully in the ring. 

There have been some truly hysterical moments this year, but somehow our visit to the puppies when they were a week old really encapsulates the joy of laughter for me. This was a laugh that came from a place of pure love, of the euphoria of watching four little hamster-sized critters develop their own personalities at such an early age. There was nothing particularly comical about this moment (oh, who am I kidding?) but I smiled and laughed so hard and for so long that my face absolutely HURT. 

I hope this little video brings a smile to your face as well. :-)

 

Best of 2009, Day 27: My Social Web Moment

I've had a Twitter account since May 2007. I wasn't too prolific in those early days, but I was fascinated from the get-go. I was preaching the future value of LinkedIn when most of my industry peers considered it "MySpace for grown-ups." And when I discovered StumbleUpon, I thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. And then, of course, there's my blog with with I've had a long-standing love-hate affair.

All of these media have brought with them their own brands of serendipity and experiences. Virtual friendships have developed, professional doors have opened, travel arrangements have been made, and new experiences created.

What I'm trying to say is that I'm no stranger to Social Media, or the way it has changed our lives. But the most awesome "social web" experience I had this year had little to do with my OWN activity on any social site. It was realizing that the industry I've grown up in and love (Multichannel Retail) was missing the boat, and that most of my peers in marketing just weren't sure where to start tapping into the power of customer engagement.

With that revelation came a lot of hard work (the paperwork! the financials!), a lot of soul-searching (do we really have the backbones for entrepreneurship?) and the subsequent birth of a partnership with someone I have a gross ton of respect for. On August 27th, TimesTwoMarketing, a marketing optimization consultancy for multichannel retailers became a legal entity, and our website went live.

Four months to the day later, I have to smile when I take stock of what we've achieved. I'm thrilled with the roster of the clients we've worked with, the challenges we've overcome, and the mentors who've taken the time to help us grow. I truly believe we are going to help our industry thrive in these new channels, and make our clients look like heros to their internal organization leaders. These are things to be proud of, and none of them would have been possible were I not as enamored of the social web.

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This post is part of Gwen Bell's "Best of 2009 Challenge" 

Best of 2009, Day 20: Magic Genie

 
 I don't usually write about people. The few times I have, it's been a family member, or else veiled by some food-related event that keeps this blog from become too personal. But once in a while, it's necessary to shed those safeguards, and write about people and events which have changed everything. Today is one of those days. 

The person who left an indelible impression on me in 2009 won't be a surprise to many people. She has a knack for changing lives, you see. 

• I met her 18 months ago at Elixir. I noticed her, we exchanged perhaps five words, and then Book Club proceeded as usual. I bumped into her on the BART platform that night as we were both Oakland-bound, and we chatted for a while. She was more alive than anyone I'd met in many, many moons.
• A couple of months later, after a few more Book Clubs, I was talking about Burning Man, and about how profoundly tortured I was over the fact that I couldn't really afford to go, but my soul was dying at the thought of not going. I remember saying to her, "you should really go; you belong there." It wasn't until much later that I learned she thought I was insane for putting myself through it.
• 2009 rolled around, and she was there to celebrate with us. We drank Mai Tais, Monkey Pods and Grogs at Forbidden Island and danced until the wee hours. It would set the stage for the next 12 months. 
• We whiled away many a Sunday at Heinolds; mid-week klatches at The Trappist often led to roast duck dinners at Yung Kee. And there was the particularly memorable evening that started with sushi and ended with Greyhounds at Cafe VanKleef. I felt like the Dynamic Duo of the DTO. 
• A mere 14 months after our first meeting, we packed up her trusty steed with two bikes, 15 gallons of water, shelf-stable "food", a first-aid kit, and enough music for the eight hour drive to the most unforgiving climate in the hemisphere -- Black Rock City. While there, we shared a tent, a sunrise, giggles, heartaches and frustration (we finally figured out that covering our bedding with one big sheet before a duststorm would help cut down on that last one). We drove home laughing and crying and exposed. She later told me she hated me for being right about her and Burning Man. I took it as a compliment.
• Most recently, I went to hear her read a collection of her short stories, and was reminded once again that I am blessed to know someone so profoundly talented and so incredibly alive. One of my greatest goals this year is to make sure I get to see her perform with her band. Yes, she's also in a band.

I have met a few amazing people in my life. I try to keep them close, for I am inspired by them and (I hope) become a better person by learning from them. It has been a few years, though, since I met someone so incredibly vibrant as her; someone so multi-faceted and impactful and non-judgmental and giving. She reminds me, almost every day, that life is a gift for which I should be grateful and with which I could do more. 

Her name is Eugenia Gratto, and I'm honored to call her my friend.

 
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This post is part of Gwen Bell's "Best of 2009 Challenge"