Family

Funnel cake

When your mother calls you and asks why didn't you  post for a whole week, you know the feeling. My mother was even more specific, she wanted a new photos of the family. Hence, the family post it is. 

Dear mother, your grandson is well fed, skinny though, but well fed. He  also is taller than both of us already. 

As you know, mom, your son-in-law loves history, and he is even wearing it sometimes... We all have hobbies, right? It was also a great getaway to clear up our minds and for a few hours forget about stressful waiting time.
What we were waiting? Some time back in April The Husband took his two days test, after which he would be eligible to apply for a license. Test results were released on June 6th, and he passed! But you, dear mother, already knew that. So that week around June 6th was restless and nerve wracking, filled with anticipation, uncertainty, and at the end, victory and some celebration. 
Then the UEFA Euro 2012 (European soccer cup) started and for the next two weeks we are glued to ESPN. As you know, we all are a huge soccer (football) fans.

And on this inspiring note,

let me wish you all a great and happy week!

See you,
Marina

Confession of a Non-Shopaholic

Don't get me wrong, I do love shopping for cute things, clothes, cosmetics, perfumes, and kitchen stuff (last one pleases me the most as there's no fit-don't-fit dilemma). The question is "how much one person or one family needs?" Or, how much can fit in my budget? And the decision making question: how much can fit in my home? Usually, all those questions are followed by a comforting my mind statement: I lived without it for so many years, so I can live without it for another few years... On that happy note I usually leave the store. My rare moments of shopping therapy are most of the time just window shopping: Coach for a little luxury, Nordstrom to try a few pair of designer shoes,  a new make up and a perfume spray  on my wrist, and I finish my "shopping" extravaganza at Williams Sonoma... an eye candy.

Last weekend I joined my friend Lisa and her family for a out of town trip to shop with her daughter for a new clothes. You know, occasion or no occasion, teenagers always have a need for a new pair of shoes (didn't buy this time though), a few new sets of  shorts, skirts, tops, dresses, etc. And we went wild, at least that's what I think. We had a lot of fun in a dressing room while our teenager tried all kinds of  cute clothes. Two shops later our happy teenager went with her dad shoes shopping while Lisa and I went window shopping a few stores until we got to the Williams Sonoma. And there we were among shiny pots and pans, colorful dutch ovens, high-end electric appliances, tools and gadgets for any job in the kitchen...

. 
Then Lisa decided that I deserved a "small surprise" for "babysitting" her teenager, house cat sitting house sitting, and fish sitting. And a surprise it was: a Breville smart oven! 
I was humbled, and very happy at the same time. Munching on a future recipes in my head, I came home with a big box.After following a few steps to prepare the oven before first use, I started baking, roasting, grilling, toasting, broiling...And so far  I love everything that comes out of the oven, except when I burned a toast  - I didn't realized how fast it cooks! It's a big step forward from what I am used to, and no wonder it's called "smart oven" with all that IQ and everything.

My oven found it's home on the kitchen counter top, and each time I use it, or even look at it, I think with a warm smile and a deep gratitude of my friend. 

Thanks you, Lisa, for your generosity, for a very warm gift, 

and most of all, for your  gift of friendship and happy times!

See you,
Marina

Tomato Ariosto

A few weeks ago I received a package with seasoning from Ariosto. The intriguing aroma of herbs perfumed my kitchen before I opened the package. I loved it from the first smell. Then I tasted each of all five seasonings: for roasted and fried potatoes; for roasted meats/grilled chicken; for tomato  sauces; for oven cooked or BBQ Fish; and Garlic and dry chili.

Such ingredients as rosemary, juniper, basil, marjoram, parsley, coriander, laurel (bay leaf), sage set me in my cooking mode. 

I had some fresh tomatoes and was eager to try the first seasoning (for tomato sauces).  

Roasted tomatoes

2 lb (1 kg) tomatoes

4 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon Ariosto seasoning for tomato sauces

Preheat oven to 375F (190C).

Cut tomatoes in half, place in a baking dish with 3 tbsp olive oil and sliced garlic. 
Sprinkle tomatoes with Ariosto seasoning and drizzle with remaining olive.
Bake for 60 minutes.

Serve on a toast with fresh basil to enjoy the flavor. 

Source

The Ariosto seasoning has my five stars, this is a keeper. Herbs and salt are balanced well without overpowering each other. 

I used the seasoning in another dishes, and also made a salad dressing with it. Because this seasoning has both salt and herbs, sodium content in food is lower, but the taste is reach and flavorful. 

*I received a free samples to review from the Ariosto. All thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.

See you,
Marina

Cannellini Beans Salad

I realized that I haven't posted for several days. Time flies. It's all started with that little "vase project", which had a snowball effect, meaning we re-organized the whole house. There was a lot of moving furniture, changing decor, some wall painting, but not a lot of cooking. Salads came to rescue for lunch and dinner.

Cannellini Beans Salad

2 cups Cannellini Beans, cooked 
2 red bell pepper
1/2 cup green olives, sliced
2 limes 
1 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil
cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste


Combine all the ingredients, and juice from one lime. Mix well, and chill in the refrigerator for minimum two hours. Serve with a lime wedge and a few cilantro leaves. 




See you,
Marina

Picnic Time

To party at this Marina you don't have to have a luxury yacht, or even a small boat; you don't even have to be near the water. All you have to do is enjoy the food and have some fun...

A refreshing tabbouleh salad with roasted eggplants and zucchini with an apricot. 

A meat pastry (belyashi) with tomato juice or adult version: bloody Mary.

Fried green tomatoes and catfish would certainly comfort any tiered traveler of the world.

A garden fresh salad...

and Roasted eggplants (aubergine) and potato risotto to satisfy a gourmet friend.

A glass of champagne orange sorbet...

with an orange margarita...

or some strawberry lemonade.


And if you have room for dessert:

donutella or...

a slice (or two, or three...) of cake Napoleon?

He is ready to party at that tent... 

And make sure you have a great time! :)

See you,
Marina

Accidental Oat Pancakes

This morning I was bitten by a bug. I was having my morning tea , and one of those "I don't like how this vase on my fireplace looks like, I need to do something there" bug.  And guess what? Twelve hours later the whole room is transformed: I painted the wall above the fireplace; I re-arranged two closets and freed up a small bookshelf to go in the living room as a space divider and to serve as a shelf for my photo props. The place looks crisp and fresh, and now I need to decorate it as the vase that started it all is just a lone standing figure above the renovated fireplace.
While working in the closet I re-organised my clothes by sleeves (sleeveless, short, and long); I got rid of any clothes I have not used in a year; I did laundry; and I am ready for some rest.


So what all of this has to do with the oat pancakes? And why it's accidental? Well, at first it was suppose to be a bread, a rye bread. Last night I mixed all the ingredients, put the dough to rise, clean the kitchen counter and took the flour bag to put it in it's place just to realize that I used an oat flour instead! 
It wasn't in my plans to make an oat bread and I added some water to the dough to thin it out and make a batter to use in the morning. 
In the morning, before the cleaning-painting-organizing bug bit me, I made a great pancakes. To the batter that I already had from the last night, I added an egg, two cups cottage cheese and some sugar. Then spooned it into a frying pan, cooked it on both sides until golden brown. I served it with a sour cream and strawberries. I know sour cream sound strange for many of you, so just use whipped cream, maple syrup, honey, or whatever you like with your regular pancakes. Those pancakes were good, and gave me energy to run all day to do my "little" project - the vase project.

I also painted my photography board...  :)

Does it ever happened to you: 

one small thing spontaneously  leads to a big all day project?

See you,
Marina 

Back to the Roots: Beets

If I have to rank my favorite root vegetables, the list would definitely start with beets. From a reach dark ruby color to a delicate taste I love it all in the beets. 

My culinary experience with it is wide: beet juice, pickled beets, raw beets salad, baked beets salad, stews, and the king of all -  the borscht. 
This summer version of the borscht is great either cold or warm.


When I was babysitting last week, I made borscht from the ingredients that were available in the kitchen. Actually, all you need for summer borscht are beets.  

The Borscht

Ingredients:

• 5-7 medium beets, baked, then peeled and shredded
• 1 medium size onion, chopped
• 2 Russet potatoes (or any other), peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cabbage head, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2-3 liters water or stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl combine shredded beets, apple cider and the sugar. Mix and set aside.
2. Start in a large pot you will be cooking borscht with heating the olive oil, then add onions and saute it until golden brown.
3. Add beets and stir it 2-3 minutes.
4. Add water or stock of your choice (I prefer to use water for this summer version), bring it to a boil. Less water will make the borscht thick, so you choose how much water to add.
5. Add potatoes and cabbage, reduce heat to a medium and simmer until potatoes are done (about 15-20 minutes).
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Enjoy it warm, with a dollop of sour cream on top, or cold (my personal favorite to eat it cold next day when all the flavor  blends).

He loves the smell of the borscht too... 

See you,
Marina