"I've been trying for some time

to develop a lifestyle that

doesn't require my presence."

~ Garry Trudeau

Francis Cadell, Still Life (Tomatoes), c.1920

oil on board, 37 x 45 cm, Private collection

Roasted Tomatoes

6 medium tomatoes

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

and lightly crushed

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground

black pepper, to taste

1. Heat oven to 425°. Place tomatoes, garlic, and thyme on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake, brushing tomatoes occasionally with the oil, until tomatoes soften and their skins split, about 25 minutes.

2.Transfer tomatoes, along with juices, to a serving dish and serve warm with crusty bread. Recipe from Saveur

Summer Afternoon

Pineapple Coconut Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

Frosting:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Create a well in the center of the ingredients and add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple. Pour batter into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Allow to cool completely when finished baking.

To make the frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until creamy.

Basil grapefruit cooler

1. Using a vegetable peeler remove the zest from 3 of the grapefruit and put the zest in a jar. Pour over the vodka and leave to infuse for at least 24 hours.
2. Cut all the grapefruit in half and juice - if making ahead of time, freeze the juice until it's needed.
3. Pick the leaves from the basil and add the stalks to a small saucepan with the sugar and 200ml of water. Gently heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then cool, strain and chill until needed.
4. Put half the basil leaves in a jug, pour over the vodka, 300ml of basil stock syrup and the pink grapefruit juice and stir.
5. Fill 6 glasses with ice, the remaining basil and a little pink grapefruit zest (use the stuff from the vodka), and fill with cocktail mix.

No duty is more urgent than

that of returning thanks.

POACHED PEACHES IN CHAMPAGNE

Fresh peaches poached in champagne need to be tasted to be really appreciated.

2 large ripe peaches, preferably white
2 cups dry champagne
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 small vanilla bean
3 large strawberries
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 medium lemon, squeezed for juice
1 cup whipped cream
2 large mint leaves for garnish

Make a very light incision all around peach skins. Plunge the peaches briefly into boiling water, then into cold water, and peel. Place in a shallow pan and douse with champagne. Add the syrup and vanilla bean. Bring to a slow boil over low heat, and poach peaches at about 185°F, but do not allow to boil. If peaches are very ripe, they will be poached after 5 minutes.

Place peaches and syrup in a cool place, but do not refrigerate. Drain peaches, reserving the poaching liquid. Wash strawberries, remove any leaves, and purée in a blender or food processor. Place in a bowl and stir sugar into the purée. Stir whipped cream into the strawberry purée and add lemon juice.

Serve on round plates, or in glass dishes or small bowls. Line the bottom of the dishes with strawberry cream and arrange the cooled, but not chilled, peaches on top. Garnish each peach with a mint sprig. Serve the chilled poaching liquid separately in a sauce boat.

HOTEL DU PONT MACAROONS

1 lb. almond paste (best quality) 1 1/2 c. sugar 5 egg whites Mix almond paste and sugar on slow speed with mixer until ingredients are crumbled. Add one egg white and mix until smooth. Repeat process until all egg whites are incorporated. The consistency should be soft but not runny. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 15 minutes or golden brown. When cold, remove from pan. Macaroons should be eaten or put in air tight container and refrigerated. Makes 60 macaroons. Brandywine Valley Wilmington Hotels | Hotel du Pont, Wilmington ...

Claude Monet, Still Life with Eggs (Nature morte aux œufs), 1907

oil on canvas, 73 x 92cm, Private collection

Whip, Flip, and Serve

1. Crack 2–3 eggs into a medium high-sided bowl. (For an even puffier omelette, separate the eggs, whip the whites until soft peaks form, and fold egg whites into beaten yolks.)

2. Beat eggs with handheld mixer on high speed until eggs are pale, frothy, and have tripled in volume, about 2 minutes.

3. Swirl 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat to coat sides. Pour in eggs and let sit until they begin to set on the bottom of the skillet, about 20 seconds.

4. Season with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and vigorously shake the skillet back and forth to distribute the eggs, knocking them off the edge of the skillet; continue shaking over medium-high heat for about 1 minute and 30 seconds.

5. Using a flick of the wrist (or a rubber spatula), flip the omelette and cook until set on other side, about 30 seconds.

6. Top it with a slice or two of cheese, slide omelette onto a plate, and fold in half using your fingers as a guide. Makes 1 omelette.

Recipe from Saveur

Lemon-Honey Polenta Cake

1 1/2 c. butter, very soft

1/2 c. local honey, warmed

3 pastured eggs

2 c. almond flour or whole-wheat pastry flour

3/4 c. fine polenta

1 1/2 t. baking powder

zest of 2 lemons

syrup:

1/2 c. local honey

juice of 2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 350F. Beat the honey and butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. In another bowl, combine the flour, polenta, baking powder, and lemon zest. Beat the wet ingredients into the dry without over mixing.

Pour the batter into a greased 9" cast-iron or square pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the edges begin to pull away from the pan and the middle is set. Let stand for 20 minutes.

To make the syrup, combine the honey and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Whisk gently over medium heat until the honey is dissolved. Prick the cake several times with a skewer and pour the syrup all over the top of the cake.

Let the cake soak for an hour before slicing. Enjoy at room temperature with a hot cup of tea!

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY)
Recipe by Herve This & Heston Blumenthal

Ingredients

4 servings

• 9.35 ounces (265 grams) bittersweet (%70 cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped (preferably Valrhona Guanaja)
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 4 tbsp sugar, optional

Method

1. Place a large mixing bowl on top of another slightly smaller one, filled with ice and cold water (the bottom of the large bowl should touch the ice). Set aside.
2. Put chocolate and water (also sugar and/or liquor if you’re using) in a medium-sized pan and melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl sitting on top of ice and water, and start whisking with a wire whisk (or an electrical hand-held mixer) until thick. Watch the texture as you whip and make sure not to over-whip as it will make the mousse grainy. If the mousse becomes grainy (which is possible at your first try), transfer it back into the pan, reheat until half of it is melted, pour it back to the mixing bowl and whisk again briefly.
4. Divide into four serving cups and serve immediately.

A wondrous sketchbook from a year spent in the south of France—an artist's personal journal carried everywhere and crammed with drawings and notions and thoughts surprising and whimsical.

Amazon.com: Sara Midda's South of France: A Sketchbook

"For I remember it is Easter morn,

And life and love and peace are all new born."

~Alice Freeman Palmer

My mid-day break sandwich.

Fresh Carrot Sandwiches

2 cups grated carrots

1/2 cup sliced olives

2 tablespoons minced onion

1/2 cup mayonnaise

salt & pepper

bread with crust removed

Mix all ingredients together, spread a little more mayo on bread, then top with carrot mixture.

"The green eyes of Springtime,

Charming, as ever,

Flirting, again."

Michael Garofalo

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. ~Claude Monet

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."

- Charles Dickens

POTTED SPICED HAM FOR TEA TIME

1/2 pound baked ham, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 scallions, minced
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon
2 medium celery ribs, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
1 1/2 teaspoons minced tarragon
1/4 teaspoon sweet cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Hot sauce and/or 1/4 small habanero, jalapeno or Serrano chili, seeded and minced (wear gloves)
Worcestershire sauce to taste
add-in: sweet pickle relish
add-in: 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

In a food processor, pulse the ham until finely chopped. Add the scallions and blend.

In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard. Fold in the blended ham mixture, celery, tarragon and cayenne. Add in chopped chilis to desired heat level, then cool back down with sweet pickle relish and some mayonnaise. Season with salt and black pepper. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce then, taste and add a few dashes of hot sauce. Set aside for at least 10 minutes before serving. Preferably, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight to instill the flavors.

Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment.

Until spring shows up and astonishes me,

brownies will suffice.

Cinnamon Chip Cocoa Brownies
(adapted from Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet)

140g butter
1 cup sugar
3⁄4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1⁄2 cup flour
2⁄3 cup cinnamon chips, plus more for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line an 8-inch square pan with greaseproof paper.
2. Over a double boiler, melt butter, sugar and cocoa powder. Stir the mixture until it is well-combined, and hot enough for you to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping in to test. Remove from stove, and set aside to cool briefly until warm, no longer hot.
3. Add in the eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition.
4. Stir in the flour until all of the flour is incorporated. Stir in the cinnamon chips; the warmth of the mixture will cause some of the chips to melt. Beat for about 40 strokes.
5. Pour the brownie mixture into the lined pan, and sprinkle more cinnamon chips on the surface.
6. Bake at 160°C for 20-25mins, then leave to cool completely before serving.

Floris Gerritsz van Schooten, A Still Life of Cheese, c.1585
oil on oak panel, 39.3 x 55.2 cm, Private collection

Better Cheddar

1 bar Cracker Barrel Vermont Cheddar 6-8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled 1 large bunch scallions chopped to 1/2 green stems 3/4 cup toasted walnuts 1/2 cup mayo Grate cheese. Mix ingredients and serve on crackers. Add additional mayo to desired consistency if mixture is dry.

Do not let Sunday be taken from you.

If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan.

Eggplant and Chicken Parmesan

1 large eggplant, sliced in 1/2-inch rounds

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast, cut in 1-inch strips

olive oil for frying

1 red onion, chopped

15 small mushrooms, sliced in half

flour (3-5 heaping Tbsp.)

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup bread crumbs

1 28-oz. can tomato puree

1/2 tsp. each dried oregano, basil, and Italian seasoning

2 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated or sliced in thin strips

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Slice eggplant and put on a plate.

Mix eggs in a bowl, then pour into a shallow dish.

Spoon flour onto a plate.

Place bread crumbs in a mixing bowl.

Gently heat tomato puree on the stove, adding oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, and parsley flakes.

Grate or slice mozzarella cheese and put in a small bowl.

Grate Parmesan cheese and put in a small bowl.

Chop onions and mushrooms, then heat olive oil in frying pan and fry gently until just tender.

Slice chicken into strips and place in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 350° F and lightly grease large oblong casserole dish. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. When oil is hot, dip slices of eggplant in flour on both sides, then in egg, then in the bread crumbs. Fry on each side 3-5 minutes until slightly browned and you can pierce them easily with a fork. Place slices on a plate.

Add more olive oil to pans as necessary. Dip the slices of chicken in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs, and fry until golden brown on each side. Remove from heat.

To layer the casserole, place half of the eggplant slices, then half of the chicken in the bottom of the casserole, spoon on half of the onion and mushroom mixture, about half of the tomato puree, then sprinkle on half of each of the cheeses. Add another layer of each of the ingredients, with the cheeses on the very top. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

“Prayer is where the action is."

American Red Cross Responds to

Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami

American Red Cross