Piece of the Puzzle

Quote of the Day:  poetry by Shel Silverstein

Put Something in

Draw a crazy picture,
Write a nutty poem,
Sing a mumble-gumble song,
Whistle through your comb.
Do a loony-goony dance
'Cross the kitchen floor,
Put something silly in the world
That ain't been there before.

I've been way up north to Thief River Falls and back, over the river and through the road construction, to interact with brilliant middle schoolers at a Young Authors Conference.

I said that I'd need a room where we could move around a little, interact, and do some writing, too.  They gave me the music room. How perfect was that!

I sent a message to a friend: We might not technically be doing music, but we will have rhythm.

The rhythm of life comes out in our writing and art.

When they walked in, I gave them the journaling prompt: Write down your names. What describes who you are?

I'm sure I pushed them out of their comfort zone. I asked them to share their lists and other writing with the group. Many did. Some couldn't do it, but I did walk a little closer and ask them what they wrote about so they felt like they were sharing just with me. I had them get up and make a "Homework Machine" by making an action and a sound and interacting. It was to loosen them up a little and allow them to be silly and have fun.

Then, I handed out puzzle pieces and read another poem by Shel Silverstein called Picture Puzzle Piece.

Some kids described the puzzle piece. Others started stories. I encouraged dialogue. One girl wrote two poems about her puzzle piece. Middle School kids are brilliant. They're open and ready to create. Some have started to get self-conscious and close up already. I hope they fight through that. It's one of the reasons grown-ups think they're too old to learn something new. You're never too old. What you need is to leave your ego at the door, enter, and be ready to embrace your creativity with youthful enthusiasm.

Young people inspire me.

I hope they know that they are a unique piece in the puzzle of life.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Choose a puzzle piece and let its story take you away. Draw, write, sing, create from its possibilities, and yours.

Lasagna ai Carciofi (Lasagna with artichokes)

This is luxury on a plate.  When preparing this dish, you must get by the thought of caloric intake and savor every moment.  Remember, moderation is key in everything in life,  so why not indulge?

 

Artichokes are so misunderstood, especially in the Southern, United States,  where you more than likely going to see it used as a decoration rather than in a recipe.  I order mine by mail here in Tupelo, MS.   On occassion, they do show up locally.  Look for small, firm artichokes in your local market.  Baby varieties are showing up now.  This is a great time to try this fantastic recipe.

Here is a Northern, Italian Classic you will be making time after time.  I normally use fresh pasta sheets, but did not have time to make them.  A good, quality, box variety is key to a good result.  You want a firm texture on the plate.  

Ingredients:

9 medium, baby, seasonal  artichokes, cut, cleaned, center removed

2 teaspoons salt

One fresh lemon sliced

several liters of fresh water

Cut and clean your artichokes.  Remove your green parts until you begin to see some lighter yellow leaves.  Cut the tips off.  With a sharp knife, remove the center thistle.  Split in half and place in lemon water.  This will help retain the artichokes color.

Bring several liters of water to a boil.  Add salt and bring to a boil.

Add your artichokes and  a tablespoon of butter.  Boil your artichokes for about 30 minutes on simmer. 

 Test the artichokes pieces by poking with a fork.   Do not worry if they fall apart some while they cook. They should be nice and soft.   Drain, reserving your water.  The water has great artichoke flavor.    Add some additional  cold water and place the pot  on the fire to boil.  I like to use some of the artichoke water as it will give the pasta additional flavor and some interesting color.  Add a tablespoon of salt.  Be sure and  use the same pot, without rinsing it, just be sure its large enough to boil your lasagna sheets.

Cook your lasagna sheets until almost done.  Drain in a colander and separate your sheets to cool.   You will need a small, deep, baking dish about an  8x11.

3/4 of a pound lasagna sheets.

2 cups of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated

Additional pieces of butter for the top of your baking dish

Parsley to garnishf

This recipe will serve 6 portions.

While your water is coming up to boil, prepare your Bechamel.  Bechamel is a white cream sauce, made up of whole milk, flour and butter. 

Ingredients:

3 cups of milk

5 tablespoons of unsalted butter

pinch of salt

pinch of nutmeg

4 tablespoons flour

Method:  You will need a wide, flat skillet for the bechamel.  The sauce needs to aerate. (Thank you, Marcella Hazan).  Do not use a deep pan.  I have made this mistake one to many times.  A simple adjustment made all the difference.   A wide open skillet,  like a frying pan will do nicely.   This takes a little practice. Heat your milk until warm to the touch and slight bubbles are forming around the edges.  Turn the heat off under your milk.   Heat your butter on low until melted.  Add your flour a little at a time incorporating it into the butter.  You do not want to darken your flour.

  You just want it golden, soaking up your butter. 

After you have added all of your flour, begin incorporating your warmed milk a little at a time.  Add a large pinch of salt (about a teaspoon of each),  and your nutmeg.  Keep mixed until smooth and you have used up all of your warmed milk.  Your result should be a very smooth consistency.

At this point butter your baking dish and set it aside.   Into a bowl combine your artichokes, one cup of Parmigiano cheese and one cup of Bechamel.   Gently fold your fixture.  You can cut your artichokes into smaller pieces if you like.   Take about a tablespoon of Bechamel and coat the bottom of your baking dish lightly.  Add your first sheet layer.  Smother your artichoke mixture, a couple of additional tablespoons of bechamel and some additional Parmigiano.  Keep going until you get to the top.  Place additional pieces of butter on top.  Bake in a preheated, 375 degree oven for 15 minutes until your top is golden.   Let rest for 5 minutes and serve immediately.

Special Note:  You can make it a day ahead by covering it with plastic wrap and placing it in your refrigerator.  Remove it from the refrigerator approximately one hour before placing it in the hot oven.   Buon Appetito. 

My variation adapted from Marcella Hazan's Book, "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking."   A fabulous cookbook, everyone who cooks and even if you don't,  should live by.   Thank you to Marcella Hazan for her wise words  and always wonderful advice.  I now can consider myself an expert in making Bechamel.  Who knew a pan and some determination could make such a difference? 

Review of Amen Corner at the Guthrie

Quote of the Day:  Penumbra Theatre creates professsional productions that are artistically excellent, thought provoking, relevant, and illuminate the human condition through the prism of the African American experience. Mission statement of the Penumbra Theatre. Their production of Amen Corner is playing at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis through June 17. (Click over to the Guthrie for excellent photos and a video clip.)

The mood of Amen Corner was established the moment we took our seats at the Wurtele Thrust Stage. We can see into the church, and the housing unit below. Someone is lying on the street. People walk by. Kids run, giggle and play. A man is pick-pocketing someone. Then, a cop appears. We feel like we're in a rough neighborhood. This is a glimpse of life in a city, in a place where everyone is doing what they can to survive. Some people turn to crime, to alcohol, and others to extreme religion.

The Amen Corner seems to be the place where people congregate to share their joys and sorrows. Sister Margaret leads in song, in preaching, and in distancing herself from her pain. But, her past resurfaces in the form of her alcoholic husband, the jazz musician who once blew the sweetest notes.

I really wanted this show to be redemptive, to be uplifting, and fill me with hope. What it does is show us that we waste a good deal of time running from our pain and coping. That in the end, what matters is relationships and being there for each other. We need to show up, be present, and be honest about what life has dealt.

The actors played realistic roles in hard times. I felt their need to bring out the music of their lives, often sorrowful, to be able to live and connect. We all have a purpose, and we all have pain. Amen Corner is a fine example of the Penumbra Theatre's mission statement.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Write about your pain and how you're coping.

Stuffed fillet of Sole

In all the years of cooking, I do not remember stuffing fillets. I have always stuffed a whole fish.  I gave it a try this past Friday night and it worked.  Remember, simple ingredients can yield a great result.  I picked up some Sole fillets in Memphis while on my shopping trip.  Look for fresh, thin fillets.  They work best as they hold together raw.  Once cooked, they hold their shape too.

Ingredients:  4 Servings

4 fillets of Sole or any thin, (pliable) Fish fillet (Cod, for example,  will not work, the fillets are to thick).

one teaspoon salt (for the fish)

One teaspoon pepper

One large egg

2 tablespoons olive oil (for the stuffing)

2 tablespoons of butter divided into pats of butter set aside

One cup of bread crumbs (plain)

1/2 cup diced parsley

2 cloves of garlic diced

Additional sprigs of Parsley to garnish

2 tablespoons, good salty capers.  Be sure and give them a quick rinse.  Same rule applies if capers are under Vinegar

1/2 cup pitted black olives

A squeeze of fresh lemon over each fillet.

1/2 cup of white wine

 About 8 Shrimp/ cooked (I blanched them quickly as they will continue to cook in the oven).  4 with tales on, 4 with tales removed

Method:  Place the egg, bread crumbs, garlic,  capers, olives, parsley and olive oil into the food processor.  Give it a pulse or two until the bread crumbs hold together.  Add your white wine a little at a time to your mixture.  You can add more bread crumbs if you like. It will become somewhat pasty.  Add your Shrimp and give it a mix.  You do not want your shrimp ground to fine. It's OK to see some pieces.  You can also dice the shrimp and add it in a bowl with your breadcrumb mixture and set aside.  Set aside your 4 remaining Shrimp.  You will use them to decorate later.

Butter your baking dish with one tablespoon butter.  Lay your fillets flat and with your hands insert about 2 tablespoons of stuffing in the middle of your fillet.  Roll your fillets and turn them over.  You want the seam to be ont he bottom of your fillet.  Place a pat of butter over your fillet or you can brush them with melted butter.  Continue this process and discard any left over stuffing. 

As you can see, I had some extra olives so I added them to the dish.   (The shrimp on top  is for the purpose of this photo. You  can add them later.  They are already in the stuffing).

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.   This cooks up very quickly and you might have to take it out at the 12 minute mark.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.   Decorate with your extra shrimp on top and a few sprigs of fresh Parsley.  A little lemon would do nicely too.  Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top. Serve with a light Pinot Grigio or Vinho Verde. Buon Appetito.

Special note:  I added my shrimp to my Baking dish at the 12 minute mark.  3 minutes later, they were slightly golden on the tips and firm.  I served fried Asparagus and some Horseradish cream as a side dish.

For the Fried Asparagus:  3 each/ 12 sprigs cleaned and trimmed at the bottom

One egg

One cup of cornmeal

These Asparagus were very thin.  It was not necessary to blanch.  Dip your Asparagus in egg and roll.  Add a pinch of salt.  You want the Asparagus well coated.  Dip in cornmeal.  Repeat egg and Cornmeal a second time.  Fry in Sunflower oil until golden. It just takes a minute or two.  Lay on paper towels until serving time.  

For the horseradish cream: 

 One tablespoon horseradish, one teaspoon hot pepper sauce, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise.   I just had a craving.  I normally would just steam some Asparagus. Enjoy!

Pizzaiola alla Mamma

It's the perfect sauce on an evening where you are just to tired to stand in the kitchen.  Traditionally prepared during the Summer months in Italy, this meal might make you prepare  it during the cooler months too.   My mother used Minute steaks.  These thin sirloin beef cuts cooked up in a hurry.  The stewing in the sauce tenderized these cuts of meat.  Today, I use thin, rib-eyes.  Have the Butcher cut them nice and thin without falling apart.  A little, goes a long way. 

Ingredients: Serves 4 hearty portions

12 oz of Penne Pasta

4 thin beef steaks (about 1 pound)

3 cloves of garlic, split in half (you will be removing them later so leave them large enough to find in your pan)

Sprigs of fresh basil

2 teaspoons salt

One of pepper

2 1/2 cups of tomato sauce *unsalted (make salt adjustments to your liking)

1/2 cup of white wine

pinch of sugar, optional

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

One large skillet (enough to accommodate your sauce and steaks)

One pasta pot with 8 quarts water and 1 plus 1/2 tablespoon salt

Method:  Heat your oil in a large skillet to medium.  Heat your garlic until fragrant and golden,  remove from the pan.  Quickly add your beef steaks.  Cook on each side for about 1 minute.  Add one teaspoon salt and pepper.  You want them browned some on each side.  Set them aside to cool.  Do not worry as they juices from them will run in the plate.  This is normal.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat.  Add your garlic back to the pan.  Mix until heated again and fragrant, remove from the pan.  Add your tomatoes, wine and cook.  Let reduce about 1/2.   This will take approximately 10-12 minutes.  When you see a ring around the pan, add your beefsteaks back to the pan  with all their liquid.  Add your wine (add your optional pinch of sugar here). Submerge them under the sauce.  Cook for 10-12 minutes more on Simmer until a complete ring forms around the pan.

In the meantime, cook your pasta until al dente.  Remove your Beef Steaks from the pan and serve as a second dish.  I cut them in half and served them in the pasta bowl.  My mother would never hear of such a thing as it was always served separately,  in all it's glory and goodness.  Don't forget the Crusty bread!  Buon Appetito!

(I will be adding more photo's soon).

Review of Are You Now or Have You Ever Been at the Guthrie

Quote of the Day:  Powerful people want two choices, the right one and the wrong one. Writers challenge another viewpoint, not just one or the other. This makes them the enemy. Paraphrase of a line in Are You Now or Have You Ever Been by Carlyle Brown.

Harlem Rennaisance poet Langston Hughes was put on trial during the McCarthy era communist witch hunts. His work was brought under scrutiny, his character examined, and his loyalties questioned. All because of his words.

If you're a writer, you might be next.

I felt a little chill when he said those lines. Why writers? What do we do? Ah, it's the power of the written word. People fear what we can put into print, what we might bring to light, how we challenge the powerful and their need for their one right way to be accepted. Writers don't see things in black and white. We are the what if sayers. We are the question askers. A writer has a natural curiosity of life. (line from the play)

This is a play about poetry. You get lost if you get literal. Carlyle Brown, playwright

The stage was divided into two parts to accent the two parts of the play. In the first half, the action takes place, audience left. We see Langston Hughes languishing over his words. The floor is strewn with discarded pages. He's in his pajamas and scratching his head. He paces. He types. He talks to us. The audience is a character in the play the way readers are the unseen audience to isolated writers. We see you and feel your presence even as we write in solitude.

Gavin Lawrence played Langston Hughes with the passion and rhythm of a poet and jazz musician. He recited a poem about jazz that stirred my musician's soul. I even swayed a little and felt like applauding when he was done, the way we applaud in a musical after the singing. Regretfully, I held back. During the discussion with the playwright and historian/actor after the play, I asked if some audiences applauded after the recitation of the poems. They said, Yes, some did.

Sometimes, we saw his words on a screen as he typed them. Sometimes, they got bigger and bolder, especially as the tension grew. Sometimes, there was silence.

The second half of the play moved to our right. I felt like the senate interrogation committee was trying to silence Langston Hughes. They pulled words and phrases out of his poetry and demanded explanations and yes or no answers. Hughes kept saying, No work can be fully understood if taken out of context.

Can you imagine being put on trial for your work, your art, a line of your poetry, or a sentence in a book?  I kept thinking, asking a writer to explain a choice of a word is like asking a painter to explain the choice of color in her painting. Why? Because it felt right at the moment. It worked. I was inspired. A senate committee had no time for such answers.

Carlyle Brown said of the poet, He is the conduit, not the creator.

We don't choose the words. The words choose us. Langston Hughes was chosen to defend his words, poetry, and his very life.

Photo from Carlyle Brown website

This play gave me even stronger convictions of how important we are as writers and artists of all kinds. What we do makes a difference.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever felt fear about exposing your art, or even creating it?

Are You Now or Have You Ever Been is playing at The Guthrie through May 20.

Banana Brown-Sugar Muffins with Crunchy Oat Streusel . . . Definitely Brunch Worthy!

If there's any particular sort of baked good that can reliably remind me of my mom (speaking of Mother's Day), it would have to be anything featuring bananas. Her name was Stella, and she just loved them. The woman must have baked something banana-themed about once a week. Based on the profusion of banana-laced items that flew out of her oven, she could have been the PR gal for Chiquita. I wish I had a dime for every time I caught her humming the Chiquita banana ditty in her kitchen (click that link and you'll see--it's guaranteed to cheer you up if you're feeling cranky).

One of her specialities was a tall banana chiffon cake, baked in a tube pan. She'd cut two even slices, each piece about half an inch thick, and sandwich homemade vanilla buttercream between them. Served up this way, you could hold one of the 'nana-wiches in your hand and neatly munch on it with no need for a fork. It was the ultimate portable dessert. My dad eyes would light up at the sight of them, piled on a cake plate.

It's no surprise that, whenever I find myself in my own little kitchen, vigorously mashing peeled bananas, I'm reminded of her. So in case she's up there listening (and I like to think she's very often listening), I just wanted to say happy Mother's Day, Stella! I love you, will always miss you, and am so grateful you passed on your love of baking to me. And, of course, your love of bananas.

About this recipe . . .
This is my latest simple muffin experiment. I used a combo of white whole wheat flour (which is so much more palatable for a lot of folks, in baked goods like this, than regular whole wheat; whenever I use it, I don't think my family can even tell it's in there) and all-purpose; brown sugar instead of white sugar; canola oil for the fat, instead of shortening or butter; and, I added a crunchy oat streusel to the top. It's a nice muffin--not too cakey, nor too sweet, and bearing no resemblance to a doughnut--that would be quite at home nestled in a napkin-lined basket on a Mother's Day brunch table.

Banana Brown Sugar Muffins with Oat-Streusel Topping
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffins cups with paper liners or use baking spray. (Note: I've taken to doubling the paper liners whenever I make muffins or cupcakes lately. It really seems to help insulate the bottoms from over-browning, a problem that too often plagues me!) 

Ingredients for the streusel:
1/2 cup of cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/3 cup of quick or old-fashioned oats
1/4 all-purpose flour, unbleached
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 small pinch coarse kosher salt

Ingredients for the muffins:
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

2 eggs, large
3/4 cup canola oil (or use melted, unsalted butter if you prefer--slightly cooled)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup half & half (or milk)

4 small, very ripe, bananas (or 3 medium size, or 2 large), well mashed

Make the streusel first:

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry streusel ingredients. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers, cut/press in the butter chunks until the streusel looks evenly lumpy. (The lumps should be no bigger than about the size of blueberries, but you don't need to make them terribly small.) Refrigerate the streusel until you're ready to put it on the unbaked muffins.

To make the muffin batter:

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the eggs, oil (or melted butter), brown sugar, vanilla extract, and half & half (or milk). Add the mashed bananas and mix in.

Make a well in the large bowl of dry ingredients, and pour in all of the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or large spoon, stir just until combined, scraping the bowl regularly. There should be lots of lumps (over-mixing the batter will cause tough muffins, so don't get carried away).

Divide the batter evenly into the muffins cups using a portion scoop. Heap the batter up on each one. Sprinkle a generous spoonful of cold streusel on top of each muffin, very gently patting it in as needed to help it adhere.

Bake the muffins on the middle rack of your preheated 400 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes; check them with a toothpick inserted into the center. If it comes out clean, and the muffins are lightly golden on top, they're done. Remove them quickly from the pan, and let them cool on a rack, or serve them warm.

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