Easterly Inn Popovers

4 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup flour

This recipe was my grandmother's Melissa Collins Smith who ran a place called The Easterly Inn in Gloucester, MA during the 1960's. This was her recipe and I make it at home in vintage cast iron popover pans I bought on ebay. I believe that one I have is 150 years old.
1. I use a blender to mix the 4 eggs at the highest speed. Count to 10 and turn off blender.
2. Pour in 2 cups of milk and turn on the blender to the highest speed and count to 10 again. Turn off Blender.
3. Add 1 cup of flour and turn on the Blender and again count to 10. Pour into popover pans, muffins tins, or custard cups which have been either heavily greased or sprayed with Pam.

I preheat my oven to 425 but do not heat pans first (some people do this). I put the cold pan in the hot oven, close the door and in 15 min I reduce the heat to 350. Cook an additional 40-45 minutes. Please watch your oven but do not open the door if you can help it or your popovers may fall.

Baked Haddock in a Pate Brisee Crust with Mushrooms, Red Pepper, & Asparagus Stuffing

Crust - Pate Brisee without sugar in a Food Processor
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup plus a few spinkles if needed very cold water

Cut butter into small pieces and put in food processor with flour and salt - pulse several times until the flour adn butter are blened and it looks like small pea size or smaller nuggets, sort of like a coarse meal (but not too small). Please do not over pulse because one of the tricks with Pate Brisee is not to over handle it too much. Next ad water to the food processor whizzing away steadily (not pulsing) until a ball mass is formed in the processor itself. If you do not get this quickly ad a few more sprinkles of water. This comes together very quickly. Wrap the dough up in plastic wrap and put into the freezer for 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for 2+ hours. Then roll out with a little flour into an oblongish shape

Filling:
olive oil
1 small chopped onion
1/4 red or green pepper (red looks very pretty)
6-7 button mushrooms sliced
10 asparagus spears cut into small pieces
any fresh herbs you feel guided to ad such as parsley or basil - works well with out herbs
a little white cooking wine (I use leftovers I didn't drink) Everyone says, I never have leftovers but I don't drink so much so I usually have a little leftover. If you don't have leftover, then open a new bottle and drink a little of it while you make this dish. Saute everything together in a nice cast iron pan, salt and pepper and add a little wine.


Fish: Use any firm white fish available. I think this would be good with just about anything. I have made this with halibut with great success but for this recipe I used 2 fillets of Haddock which is about one lb. You could make individual portions but for this I made one large fish pasty shaped like a fish (just for fun!)
Wash the fish and pat dry. I fresh it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Set to the side and create the crust.

Roll out the crust and cut a portion of it off for the bottom layer of the pastry.

Lay 2 Haddock Fillets (about 1 lb) on top of pastry layer.

Layer the mushroom, red pepper, onion, and asparagus filling on top of fish

Cut the remaining pastry to a shape of a fish (be creative!)

Lay the pastry on top of the fish and stuffing. Use extra pieces of pastry to decorate the fish and make eyes, fins, gills, and tail. Pinch around the edges. Place into a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes and then reduce heat for 15-20 more minutes until browned and looks and smells done.

Brush the pastry with Milk and Pop into the Oven

Serve with sidedishes of choice great with everything. I am serving this with butternut squash, popovers, and an almond rigatoni herbed pasta.

Cardigan Sweater Knitting Project - Audrey Cardigan

This is a Free pattern from Lionbrand.com called the Audrey Cardigan and Scarf. I have been knitting the back since Christmas in a Silk Wool Blend yarn I bought on ebay from Colourmart UK. It came on a spool and is a pleasant fallish rust color. I am in process and the project is very easy as there are no constant changes and it is knit on fairly largish needles size 7 and 8. It has been something I can just pick up and knit a few mindless stitches here and there and it is a good balance to other more stressful projects.  Apparently the spool was a left over from some industrial knitting for Burberry and it was said that there are oils in the yarn which when washed make the yarn bulk up a bit. I did a small practice swatch and it did in fact bulk up slightly and the color became a little lighten. The yarn as a rustic look and the silk makes the wool softer and finer.

Pair of Rudraksha 109 Bead SS Neck Malas (Prayer Beads) with pearl accent

This pair of 109 Bead Sterling Silver wrapper Nepalese Rudraksha Prayer Beads were made this New Year's Day Weekend for a customer in Florida who bought them from me on Amazon.com . I made them as a custom order and it was a sweet job because they were made during a snowstorm here on Cape Ann with the wind whipping wildly around the house.  The time was perfect for the work because of the introspective energy of the weather. They were made with great attention and focus and were meticulously handpicked for matching size and color. Each wire wrap is uniform in size and shape and the links are perfectly matched. Both malas are accented with pearl. It is belived in India that saying your prayers and mantras on the Rudraksha Bead are influential and energetic spiritually. It is also believed that the Rudraksha Necklace is a powerful protector and aligns the subtle nadis and energy centers of the physical body. I have made these prayer beads for many years for spiritual seekers and yogis. It is always an honor and a great service to make a mala. Making these two neck malas this weekend was pure bliss!

Stella Artois Walnut Ginger Cake

Stella Artois Walnut Ginger Cake

A Rich Dark Tasty Gingerbread with the consistancy of a Brownie

There is no chocolate in it but tastes almost like you are eating chocolate because of the richness!

1 cup Stella Artois Beer

1 c. molasses

1/2 Tbsp. Baking Soda

3 Lg Eggs

1 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. olive or other oil

2 c. flour

1 1/2 teasp. Baking Powder
1 teasp. cinnamon
1/2 teasp. nutmeg
1/2 teasp. Allspice
2+ Tbsp. Grated Fresh Ginger

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
Prepare a Loaf or Bundt Pan by spraying with Pam or other oil

In a large metal bowl or saucepan combine the beer and molasses and heat, Turn off heat and add Baking Soda. It will foam up. Allow to sit for a few minutes and foam will subside.

Combine flour, spices, and Baking Powder. Combine egg and beer/mollasses mixture. Then add flour and spices

Combine eggs, oils, and sugars in a separate bowl. At the end whisk in nuts and fresh ginger. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. The batter will be thin. Bake for 1 hour. Do not open oven or cake may fall. Cool on wire rack. Delicious with Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream

grated gingerchopped walnuts

Green Velvet lined Chanel inspired purse

Green Velvet lined Chanel inspired Purse

I made this the weekend after doing the Hermes Bag. They are both prototypes and my intent is to make them over again and implement the changes I feel they need to make them really functional and easy.  This bag needs more work with the strap and quilting and I would like to redo the interior as well, All in all its a very nice purse to carry, no too large and roomy enough. 

Two Ultra Crispy Thin Crust Pizza - Cooked on Heated Cast Iron Pans

Why order out for Pizza when you can make the most delicious thin crust crispy Pizza right at home for around $4.50. I use a super hot oven and preheat the pans first which is the secret to really awesome crust!

Dough
3/4 cup warm water
1 Lg Tbsp. Maple Syrup
Tbsp Yeast 1/4 cup wine or beer
1 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp Olive Oil (optional)

Combine water, maple syrup, wine, and yeast in large bowl. Wait a few minutes and then add flour and salt and mix throughly and if your mixer has a dough hook let it knead the dough for a few minutes. If not, knead the dough by hand. Place in bowl and let rest with a cover on it for at least 10-15 minutes and up to a couple of hours.

Meanwhile have your oven preheated to 420 degrees with the cast iron pans or pizza stones heating up in the oven while you prepare the crusts and toppings. The pans must be heated completely for best results. Cold pans equal soggy crust which is what you definately don't want for your pizza. I spent 20 years making it the wrong way and I could never really get my homemade pizza to be as good as take out until I learned to get pizza stones or cast irons pans and preheat them. I have Mario Batali pans and they are incredible!! A fantastic investment for your kitchen. In a pinch you can use cast iron frying pans.

Pat your dough out with your palm and fingers on a floured board or counter. I use very little oil but you can use a little oil on your hands and the dough if its too sticky to calm it down. One of my secrets is to roll the dough out with a rolling pin to get it ultra thin. When you have the dough rolled out to the right size. Quickly take out your 1st pan from the oven (being careful not to burn yourself)

Place your rolled out Pizza Dough quickly onto the very hot pan! Work Quickly. Put on your toppings of choice. On this particular pizza I am putting tomato sauce, mozzella cheese, sauted onions and mushrooms, and topped finally with grated parmesan. I have used all sorts of toppings from Lobster to Fresh Herb Pesto. Be Creative.

Sauce it, Layer of Mozzerella, Layer of Onions & Mushrooms, last Layer of Parmesan Cheese. Place it in the 420 oven and do the second pizza.

If you are doing 2 Pizzas and one of them has toppings and one is a plain cheese pizza, do the topping pizza first and the plain cheese pizza second because the plain cheese pizza cooks quicker than the topping pizza so then they will both be finished at the same time. After I placed the plain cheese pizza (above) in the oven, I turn the oven down to 400 degrees. Cook Pizza for 10-15 minutes - you may want to switch the pans midway through the cooking time. Put the top pizza on the bottom shelf in the oven and the bottom pizza on the top shelf so the top of one of the two pizzas doesn't get too over cooked or browned.

Carefully take both pizzas out of the oven and cut with a pizza wheel. Serve right away! Delicious!

Great for a Cold Winter's Day - Whole Wheat & Cornmeal Almond Sesame Crackers with Chicken Noodle Soup

I was inspired by the blog "A Hungrey Bear Can't Dance" and made these crackers with my own twist,

Whole Wheat and Cornmeal Almond Sesame Crackers

1 1/2 c. cornmeal

1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

Lots of Black Pepper

1 Teasp. salt

1/2 cup chopped raw almonds

4 Teasp. white sesame seeds

1/3 c. oilive oil

1/2-3/4 c. cold water

Mix everything together except water until you get a nice meal. Then ad water by sprinkles until just before the dough starts to ball up. Pat palmfulls of dough on countertop and roll with rolling pin until desired size and thickness (about 1/8th inch). Pick up off counter with metal spatula and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or use a silpat mat.  Makes about 20 depending on size. Cook for about 20-30 min. in 350 degree oven until golden brown.

Quick Chicken Noodle Soup - Great for a Cold Winter's Day

3 sliced carrots

1 sliced onion

5 stalks sliced celery

oilive oil

1 leftover cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup beer

1 quart chicken broth

2 c. water

3 large handfuls of egg noodles

chopped parsley

peas or other fresh green vegtable of choice

plenty of salt and pepper to taste - you can add fresh ginger or garlic for variation of taste

Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in  large pot. Do not cook to fast, medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the beer and salt ans pepper. Then add cubed chicken, stir. Add chicken broth, water and bring to slow boil. Add egg noodles and cook 5 min, then add green vegtable and chopped parsley and cook for 5 more minutes or until noodles are el dente. Salt and Pepper if needed. Serve immediately!