Portraits to Remember

Thursday, April 22, 2010

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I found this portrait on Etsy particularly striking. Both because it's beautiful and because I , like the photographer am also a military wife. The photographer, Amanda Snead, not only has a thriving home studio buissness, but also a shop on Etsy.
You can find her work at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PortraitsByASnead

Fried Bocconcini with Spicy Tomato and Garlic Chutney

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

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Note, I posted the wrong recipe! Here is the correct one. I posted one for steak, which is amusing because at 29; I've never eaten beef. This recipe is from Giada at Home. It turned out wonderful. It also turned out to be my last meal with gluten. I recently found out I have celiac disease, thus all my future recipes will be gluten free.
I feel so lucky to have found the root of my stomache problems after years of trying to 'Keep Calm and Carry On' (that was for my fellow Etsians and pop art fans).

Bocconcini:
16 (1-inch diameter) balls bocconcini mozzarella cheese
2 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups seasoned Italian-style bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying
Chutney:
8 cloves garlic
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Directions
For the bocconcini: Drain the bocconcini and pat dry with paper towels. Put on a paper towel-lined plate and allow to dry in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Put the flour in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put the eggs in a second medium bowl and the bread crumbs in a third medium bowl. Coat the bocconcini in flour and then dip into the eggs. Roll the bocconcini in the bread crumbs until coated. Dip the coated bocconcini, again, in the eggs and then coat with bread crumbs. Freeze the breaded bocconcini for 20 minutes.

For the chutney: In a blender, combine the garlic, ginger, 1/4 teaspoon salt, vinegar, sugar, olive oil, cumin and pepper. Blend until smooth. Pour into a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick, about 45 to 55 minutes. Using the back of a wooden spoon, gently break up the tomatoes as they begin to soften during cooking. Season with salt, to taste. Let the chutney cool to room temperature, about 35 minutes. Place in a serving bowl.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 1 to 2 minutes.) In batches, fry the bocconcini until golden brown, about 15 to 20 seconds. Drain on paper towels.

Arrange the bocconcini on a platter and serve the chutney alongside as an accompaniment.

My Frog Prince Scarf

Thursday, January 21, 2010

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I have been drooling over Heather Ross' Far, Far and away line for some time. The double gauze made it difficult for me to find a place for it in my shop.

So, I decided to do something I haven't done in a long time; I made something for myself!

I took two yards of Frog Prince in Blush and sewed an additional 20 inches on each end in contrasting directions. Next I folded it over and stitched it. To finish it, I flipped it right side out and blind stitched my opening closed! Took less than an evening and I have a scarf I love, that will make an awesome sarong this summer.