Already Daydreaming About Wine Country

You can't visit northern California and not spend at least one day in wine country!

Fortunately, Michael's good friend "Schieffer" works just north of Napa at a family-owned winery in Rutherford named Honig.  We've heard great things about this winery and are really looking forward to the V.I.P. tour and tasting.

Also, Ming-Cee and Pat will be getting married in Sonoma next May and so we must to stop by the wedding location at Larson Family Winery.  Michael and I haven't seen the place yet and it's our duty to taste the wine before the wedding, right?

And if we have time, we'd love to stop by Schramsberg again.  Our good friends Jen and Drew went wine tasting with us a couple years ago and this was my favorite.  Mmmm... sipping sparkling wine in the summertime is so refreshing and fun!  Can't wait!

Already Daydreaming About Mount Diablo

Mount Diablo State Park is another East Bay gem that I'd love to show Mom and Dad Merschat (and Michael) next week.  Although the air quality most days isn't clear enough (especially in the summer), Mt. Diablo has one of the largest viewsheds in the Western United States so you can see the Golden Gate on one side and the Sierra Nevadas on the other side.  Plus it's a short trip from our house and the drive or hike up the mountain is always fun to do.

One of the things I truly miss about California is the Valley Oak.  I love the way they speckle the hillsides and there definitely isn't a shortage of my favorite trees on Mt. Diablo.

If you want to see some great sunset photos and pictures of flora and fauna on Mt. Diablo, check out this guy's Flikr page.

I grew up thinking Mt. Diablo meant Devil's Mountain because it turns a deep red when the sun sets (that makes sense, right?).  But according to the Save Mt. Diablo website, I was mistaken:

Like many other isolated peaks, Mount Diablo is steeped in lore -- much of it involving the mountain's name. The reference to "diablo" or devil can be traced back to 1805, when Spanish military troops searched for runaway mission Indians. At a willow thicket near present-day Buchanan Field in Concord, the soldiers encountered a camp of Chupcan people and surrounded it. During that night, the Indians escaped unseen and unheard.

Angry and confused, the Spanish called the site, "Monte del Diablo", or "Thicket of the Devil". Later, English-speaking newcomers mistakenly assumed the word "monte" meant "mountain" and applied the title to the prominent nearby peak. A linguistic accident thus gave California its Devil Mountain.

Hmmm... so interesting!

Already Daydreaming About Tide Pools

One of my favorite field trips in elementary school was to the tide pools down near Half Moon Bay.  I hope we have enough time to take Mom and Dad Merschat (and Michael) to Fitzgerald Marine Reserve during low tide one day so they can explore all the neat anemones, urchins, crabs, star fish, and all the other neat things in the crevices of the rocky pools.

As the famous author and bay area resident John Steinbeck wrote in the The Log from the Sea of Cortez:
"It is advisable to look from the tide pool to the stars and then back to the tide pool again."

I think that really captures the beauty, diversity and intrinsic fascination people get when they walk along the tide pools.  I can't wait for vacation!!!

Already Daydreaming About Yosemite

At this time next week, we'll be on our way to Yosemite as part of our first (and I hope not our last) Farrell/Merschat joint family vacation!

Mom and Dad Merschat will be flying out Wednesday to stay with Mom and Dad Farrell and we'll be showing them San Francisco, Yosemite and Napa... with a smattering of other bay area points of interest.  Plus, Ming-Cee and Pat will be home for Father's Day too!!  Full House!

What I'm really excited about is the report of peak waterfall flows due to the snowmelt that started last week and will continue through July!  The waterfalls can be pretty dry by late June so we are very fortunate to have the snow cooperate with our vacation this year!

If you haven't noticed, I can't wait for vacation... but in the mean time, there's a lot of work to get done before I take off for a week.  Back to reality...

Quick and Easy Stuffed Pear in Puff Pastry

This is really quick and easy to make with ingredients you already have in your kitchen - that's why I decided to try it and it was SO worth it.

So here was the situation:
- Accidentally bought puff pastry 6 months ago and it's just been sitting in the freezer
- Forgot about the two pears in the crisper drawer from 2 weeks ago
- Needed to make dessert because our friend Steve was coming over for dinner and to watch Tennessee Rugby 7s

A google search later, I found this Greek recipe for Ahlathia me Sfoliata and it sounded delicious, quick and easy - Perfect!

INGREDIENTS
2 pre-cut 4 to 6 inch circles of puff pastry (or 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry) defrosted
1 pear
1 tablespoon of raisins (about 20-22 raisins)
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of melted butter
tiny amount (tip of a teaspoon) of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of brandy (we used burbon because that's what we had)
1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS
If using a sheet of puff pastry, unfold when fully defrosted to room temperature (about 20-30 mins), and cut two 4-to-6 inch circles out of the pastry using a bowl (or other tool) as a guide. The size of the circles isn't important - they just need to be large enough to leave a little rim of dough around the pear.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Combine raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, brandy, and melted butter in a small bowl and mix to combine completely until the liquid is fully absorbed. The filling will be moist and stick together nicely.

Peel pears and cut in half, lengthwise. Scoop out hard core and seeds, and fill the cavities with the filling. Pat filling in, and place each pear half on top of a pastry circle, centered, filling side down.

Score the tops of the pear halves in several places (to prevent their breaking open during baking), and, optionally, cut the edges of the pastry that extend out from the bottom for a decorative touch.  (You can use a knife or scissors to make little cuts into the pastry all the way around the pear).

Sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the top and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 15-25 minutes, until pastry is nicely browned (baking time will depend on individual ovens). The pastry will puff up (hence, the name) around the pear.

Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream and you won't regret it!

Our Balcony Garden: June Update

It's been about a month since we started our little balcony garden so I thought it was time for a little update!  The big experiment was the homemade, all-recycled materials self-irrigated planters for the tomatoes.  

BEFORE

AFTER

WOW!  Yes, I would call that a success!  The great thing about these DIY planters is that they don't dry out in between waterings.  The real test is the taste test... so I hope these babies spit out some delicious tomatoes.

Unfortunately, we lost our cucumber plant.  I was a little over zealous in my homemade organic aphid spray and killed the plant faster than the aphids did.  Oh well.  The zuchinni is doing fabulous and we even have a little baby squash popping out!

Another first time plant was the malabar spinach.  As you can see, it's doing really well ever since the summer heat started.  The vine grows a couple inches each day.  It's amazing!

We got our first batch of rasberries this week!  Delicious with vanilla ice cream... mmmmm...

Our herb jar is doing surprisingly well too!  The only thing struggling is the tarragon and we LOVE the eucalyptus herb.

Just look at the beautiful color in the leaves and the wonderful eucalyptus fragrance... one of my new favorites!

The lavender did better this year than last year and we've already seen lots of honey bees and hummingbirds take advantage of the pretty purple blossoms!

The strawberries are doing ok.  I think it may be too early to tell - this is another first-year experiment plant.  At least they're flowering - that's good, right?

And last but not least, our Big Mama aloe has been moved outside and has been re-potted.  She gave us five baby aloes this spring so let's hope for a few more baby aloes by the end of fall.

And that's it for now.  Let's hope the next garden update post is the taste test!

Truffle Tremor - A New Favorite

We were first introduced to Cypress Grove cheese when we feel in love with Humbolt Fog a few years ago.  It's always our go-to cheese for parties or potlucks because everyone loves it.  Over the years, we've also tried Purple Haze and just their regular chevre logs but Humbolt Fog has always been our favorite... but now there's competition!

So yesterday, we were checking out the new Whole Foods right across the street from Michael's office and as I was perusing the cheeses, the Truffle Tremor caught my eye.  We definitely spoiled our dinner last night... and it was worth it!  If you like creamy goat cheese with a light truffle flavor, you must try this cheese.  You won't regret it.

Little Bee

I can't tell you too much because you NEED to read it yourself, but I can tell you that I LOVED this book and literally could not put it down.  It took me under a week to read (and those of you that know me know that I can't read in cars, trains or buses so it takes me a while to get through books). I'm going to give it a 9 out of 10.

The characters are developed so beautifully.  The issues are current, timely and emotional. 

I know you don't have time.  I know you have lots to do.  I know you need to read this book - it's worth it and I promise it won't take you very long.

Morel Season

Spring is sprung/The grass is riz/I wonder where the mushrooms is.

This morning, I read the very short Hillbilly Haute Cusine article in Newsweek and got a kick out of it.  I thought it was so fitting since we're driving down to Barnardsville tonight so I forwarded the link to Michael.  His response: "Wow..... yes that's my childhood."

An excerpt written only by Steve Tuttle:

I remember specific mushrooms from my youth, like one I found at the base of a stump after my brother knocked me down in a fight. My head landed right next to it. And at every family reunion we all whisper about the legendary great white morel my mom found on Black Oak Hill in the 1960s. It was so big she saw it from the car, and it covered a whole slice of white bread. Perhaps the most memorable, though, was the one my brother found growing out of the side of a dead opossum. He was standing over it when my dad wisely said, "Let's leave that one alone." That's how good morels are: you have to pause for a beat before you decide not to pick one growing out of a dead animal.

Super Simple Apple Tart

Ok, I must admit that I've never made my own pie crust because the Pilsbury Doughboy has always allowed me to borrow his from the freezer.  I know, I know... it's really a crime... but I was scared!  Doughs scare me... but not anymore.  You can make this apple tart recipe from scratch.  If I can get over my dough phobia, anyone can.

If you don't have a rolling pin, flour a wine bottle and use that.  If you don't have a tart pan, go free form (aka galette-style) on a cookie sheet.  No excuses!

So I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, but it's actually an Alice Waters recipe.  Yup, the Alice Waters.  I know, if there was any doubt before, there sure isn't any now.  You're going to do this... and you will thank me. ;)

INGREDIENTS
Dough:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, just softened, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons chilled water (I only used 2 1/2 tablespoons)

Filling:
2 pounds apples (Golden Delicious or another tart, firm variety), peeled, cored (save peels and cores), and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 tablespoons sugar

Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS
Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Blend in a mixer until dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining butter; mix until biggest pieces look like large peas.

Dribble in water, stir, then dribble in more, until dough just holds together.  Toss with hands, letting it fall through fingers, until it’s ropy with some dry patches. If dry patches predominate, add another tablespoon water. Keep tossing until you can roll dough into a ball. Flatten into a 4-inch-thick disk; refrigerate. After at least 30 minutes, remove; let soften so it’s malleable but still cold. Smooth cracks at edges. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Dust excess flour from both sides with a dry pastry brush.

Place dough in a lightly greased 9-inch round tart pan, or simply on a parchment-lined baking sheet if you wish to go free-form, or galette-style with it. Heat oven to 400#176;F. (If you have a pizza stone, place it in the center of the rack.)

Overlap apples on dough in a ring 2 inches from edge if going galette-style, or up to the sides if using the tart pan. Continue inward until you reach the center. Fold any dough hanging over pan back onto itself; crimp edges at 1-inch intervals.

Brush melted butter over apples and onto dough edge. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over dough edge and the other 3 tablespoons over apples. (Deb note: I found it nearly impossible to coat it with this much sugar, so I used a little less–more like 3 tablespoons. It made a lightly sweet tart, which we found perfect.)

Bake in center of oven until apples are soft, with browned edges, and crust has caramelized to a dark golden brown (about 45 minutes), making sure to rotate tart every 15 minutes.

Make glaze: Put reserved peels and cores in a large saucepan (I used a frying pan), along with sugar. Pour in just enough water to cover; simmer for 25 minutes. Strain syrup through cheesecloth (or just do your best taking out all the apple pieces).

Remove tart from oven, and slide off parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes.

Brush glaze over tart, slice, and serve (with ice cream!)

Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

First off, I'd like to give a positive review of the Washington's Green Grocer fruit and vegetable delivery sevice we've been trying for a couple months.  We get the small organic box and it really suits our needs and saves us time.  If you're in the DC area and you generally try to shop local, you may consider reading about how it works.  It's not for everyone, but it's great for us so far.

So since we had organic asparagus and organic grape tomatoes to use, I did a google search and found this Giada De Laurentiis recipe.  It was so simple and easy!  We also served a roast chicken from the store and voila!  Dinner was delicious!

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces penne pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (about 9 ounces) cherry tomatoes (I used one package of grape tomatoes)
1 cup shelled fresh peas (I used frozen and it was fine)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus, season with the salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the stock is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the asparagus mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 of the Parmesan. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and chopped basil.

Packing Tips

'Tis the season for travel and with all the nickel and diming the airlines are doing these days, it is essential to fit as much as you can in your carry-on.

I saw this post on Apartment Therapy and they linked to this NY Times article on how to pack by rolling up your clothes!  Here's the slide show that shows you how to pack for 10 days in a carry-on and the related article Packing Tips From Travel Pros!  I will be rolling my clothes for sure when I go back to Cali next month... but it's a shame shoes don't roll up nicely.

This Year's Garden... so far

Spring has sprung on our balcony!  This year, I am trying to grow my cherry and yellow pear tomatoes in 100% recycled homemade self-irrigating planters (aka, DIY earthboxes).  I'll go into depth in another post but essentially I started reading this blog Inside Urban Green and have been wanting to try one for a while. Let's hope the experiment works!!

Our raspberry bush that Mom and Dad Merschat bought for us from the old cathedral greenhouse has bloomed and has some green berries popping out.  Can't wait until they ripen!

We're also trying cucumbers and yellow squash this year too!

Then we have the stuff that comes back every year: chives, thyme, oregano, mint, and rosemary (not pictured).

And the rest of our bounty includes strawberries, lavender, bay leaves, eucalyptus greens, dill, winter savory, sage, tarragon, cayenne pepper, yellow bell peppers, and parsley.

Oh, and we also have basil inside... it hasn't gone outside yet.

Happy Friday!!!  Enjoy the weekend!

Pakistani Perspective of Times Square Bombing

My friend Kalsoom writes a popular blog CHUP! featuring Pakistani issues and I just thought her most recent post about the Times Square Bombing would be worth highlighting (make sure to read the comments too!).  Since living with my former roommate Sania and getting to know a lot of her Pakistani and Pakistani-American friends, I really feel it's important (and interesting) to see things from their personal perspective in addition to the mass media perspective.

In short, I think Pakistanis, Pakistani-Americans, and ALL American minorities are frustrated by the perpetuation of racial stereotypes when one person does something stupid that negatively affects the perception of that ethnicity in our great country built on diversity and equal opportunity.  I feel that America is a unique nation built strong by immigrants, tolerance, and freedom.  It just worries me a little with the immigration law in Arizona and support for racial profiling on the rise.  What happened to being proud of our melting pot nation? 

Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
' With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
~ Lady Liberty

God Bless America.  And that is my rant for today.  Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!  And remember to drink responsibly.

Fast Baked "Fried" Chicken

Here's a quick and easy fried chicken recipe that's baked in the oven.  We tried this recipe from good ol' Food & Wine because we usually have frozen chicken breasts in the freezer.  It only takes about 30-40 minutes from start to finish so this is a great recipe to whip up when you have nothing else in the fridge.  This time, we served it with salad and leftover quinoa but next time, I'll have a proper fried chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and sweet and sour green beans.

Note: You will need a meat mallet to pound the chicken, but we didn't have one so I improvised and used the pestle from our mortar and pestle.

INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups panko
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs, lightly pounded
1/2 cup canola oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS
Place a rimmed nonstick baking sheet on the lower rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°. Put the beaten eggs, panko and flour in 3 shallow bowls. Season the flour with the celery salt, garlic salt and cayenne. Dust the chicken with the flour, then dip it in the egg, and finally in the panko, pressing to help the bread crumbs adhere.

Pour the canola oil onto the baking sheet. Carefully dip the chicken thighs in the oil, being sure to coat both sides evenly, and set them on the baking sheet. Bake the chicken thighs for about 25 minutes, until they're golden and crispy, turning halfway through. Drain on paper towels and serve with lemon wedges.

Window Seat Photos

Michael and I have so much in common and this is a real asset to our relationship... most of the time.  Unfortunately, we both love the window seat and staring out into the majestic upper atmosphere.  It was tough but we've made a compromise and now we usually switch between window and middle seats mid-flight.  Marriage is plagued with such difficult compromises!

Anyway, the NY Times compiled a bunch of window seat photos and it's a great Friday afternoon slideshow to click through.

The photo above was taken during our flight back from Hong Kong last summer, but it really doesn't capture the scope of that wicked thunderhead.  I have always been embarrassed to pull out my camera and take a photo out the window (just thought it was a little silly), but now I know I'm not alone and that makes me feel better! 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

City of Thieves

I think the Publishers Weekly review on Amazon sums it up with this sentence:

Benioff blends tense adventure, a bittersweet coming-of-age and an oddly touching buddy narrative to craft a smart crowd-pleaser.

Crowd-pleaser indeed!  It doesn't even matter that you don't care about WWII or Russian history because this book was quick, interesting, and just plain entertaining... just like watching a good movie! Coincidentally, Bennioff is the screenwriter who adapted The Kite Runner and wrote the screenplay for Wolverine. 

So if you don't feel like reading the book, I think there's a good chance you'll be able to catch it in the theater someday.  And since it reads like a movie, I don't expect I will say my usual book-to-movie adaptation line "the book was SO much better," but instead I'll say "yup, that was exactly how I pictured it."

Overall, I would give it a 7 out of 10 and would highly recommend it.  Solid entertaining book, but it was a tad one-dimensional with a somewhat predictable ending.

DIY Cleaning Products (Cheap & Green!)

Catching up on my Earth Day reading and found this Green Cleaning Recipes article on my weekly Splendora newsletter. 

Now, I don't know about you, but I feel a little tinge of guilt when pouring the Drano down the clogged drain or using up a roll of paper towels when washing the windows.  I'm definitely trying some of these cleaning "recipes" and tips when doing my spring cleaning!  And for more recipes, my friend writes a Greener Living column with some great suggestions for eco-friendly toilet bowl and dishwasher cleaning.

The best part about green cleaning is that I already have most of the ingredients in my cupboards anyway. Can't hurt to try, right?

Delicious Twist to Chicken Salad

We're not huge mayo fans, but chicken salad is a great sandwich stuffer!  Plus, it's a fabulous way to use up leftover beer can chicken or one of those roasted chickens from the store.

This recipe has been modified from the one on Epicurious.com

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, pulled apart from whole chicken
1 cup chopped drained spicy giardiniera from jar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon giardiniera juices
1 teaspoon dried salad herbs
1 package whole wheat dinner rolls
1 container of sprouts

DIRECTIONS
Combine chicken and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl and stir to blend well. Season salad with salt and pepper if you wish. Put it in the bread with sprouts. Enjoy!

Good Old Fashioned Place Settings

I just read The Kitchn post on place settings for dinner parties and found it fascinating!  I've always been a fan of "assigned seats" and really try to put down name cards on each place setting when we host dinner parties (especially if not everyone knows each other).  I think it just takes away that awkward moment of "you sitting here? no, you want to sit here? oh, how about you sit over here and I'll scoot over...." you get the point. 

Taking away that one awkward moment seems to help people settle comfortably into the meal - at least, that's what I have convinced myself.  Sometimes, I even make up nicknames on the name cards and our guests need to figure out where their seat is.  It automatically starts a conversation and evokes laughter every time!

Some wise, timeless advice from Emily Post:

It is usually a mistake to invite great talkers together. Brilliant men and women who love to talk want hearers, not rivals. Very silent people should be sandwiched between good talkers, or at least voluble talkers. Silly people should never be put anywhere near learned ones, nor the dull near the clever, unless the dull one is a young and pretty woman with a talent for listening, and the clever, a man with an admiration for beauty, and a love for talking. (my favorite line!)

Most people think two brilliant people should be put together. Often they should, but with discretion. If both are voluble or nervous or “temperamental,” you may create a situation like putting two operatic sopranos in the same part and expecting them to sing together.

Read the entire short post at The Kitchn.