Giving Thanks

as this day

draws to a close

i reflect

upon the gifts

of 

family, friends, kind strangers

health, joy, laughter

curiosity

compassion

conscious

and

 i am thankful

right this instant

chestnuts are roasting

in our fireplace

the perfect ending

may the spirit of being thankful,

carry us

today

tomorrow

and

forever

HAPPY  THANKSGIVING

it is probably time to get a cat...

we have a mountain home

i often talk about all the wonderful things about it

what i rarely mention

is our rodent population

hey

it is the mountains

after all

we have mice

mostly
they stay outdoors

or
 under the house
however

as it begins to cool

and

snow falls

they make their way inside

it does freak me out

especially
when i find a nest
in the arm of my robe
or
under a pillow

this morning
may possibly be my favorite tell
 the pantry held an empty walnut bag
across the room
another cabinet held this

walnuts in a vase
apparently
we have
fancy mice
eating only
from the finest of crystal

almond cake

i owe david lebovitz a debt of gratitude

while searching for 

an almond cake recipe

not calling for almond flour

i came across his recipe

one he admits comes from chez panisse

my pantry held marzipan rather than almond paste

so, i changed the recipe

ever so slightly

this cake looks light and airy

and it is

but it is also

incredibly moist

and almondy

have a slice on its own

or pair it with

 brandied cherries

peach ice cream

toffee

this cake

would be a gorgeous addition

to your 

thanksgiving dessert display

almond cake

printable recipe

(v.slightly adapted from david lebovitz)

1 cup + 2 Tbs granulated sugar

7 oz marzipan paste (i used odense)

1 cup all purpose flour--divided

1 cup unsalted butter--room temperature

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 tsp pure almond extract

6 large eggs

preheat oven to 325^F.  butter and flour a 9" springform pan.  line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper.

using a food processor with the metal blade, process the marzipan, sugar and 1/4 cup flour until it resembles fine sand. in a separate bowl, mix together the remaining flour, salt and baking powder.

to the almond mixture, add the butter, vanilla extract and almond extract and pulse until a smooth batter forms. add the eggs one by one, and scraping the bowl as necessary in between additions.

add half of the flour mixture and pulse until just combined.  add the remaining flour and pulse a few times. if need be, hand stir the flour until it is fully incorporated.

pour into prepared pan and bake for about an hour.  begin checking after 50 minutes.  you can use the toothpick test to check for doneness, or whichever method you prefer.

once removed from oven and while the cake is still hot, run a sharp knife around the perimeter to loosen the cake. do not open the springform pan until the cake is completely cooled.  allow the cake to cool in the pan.  

serve with a dusting of powdered sugar

the original food trucks {travelogue}

i never understood

the why 

of

waiting in queues winding corners

for food

deemed 

"awesome"

by virtue of a great social media strategy

the food

usually expensive

often disappointing

always a lesson in compromise

i prefer

not 

finding my next great meal through a twitter feed

the next hot

rolling rip-off

can wait

artisanal

delicious

food

is handcuffed in that environment

when i am in italy

i follow the markets

freshly made porchetta each wednesday

salumi

made by the same hand i shook

as we exchanged pleasantries

arguably

they are food trucks

but 

without the 

frenzy

of a trend

that may already have seen

its best days

*these photos were taken at the weekly market of a small village in umbria

(apologies if i offend any food truck vendors. some of you may have amazing food..stop hiding your light under a bushel)

white truffles of umbria

as you may have figured

i am mid-term into an italian holiday

luckily

the bulk of our trip is in umbria

more luck

it is truffle season

the white truffles of umbria 

are highly fragrant

and prized

i met a purveyor this afternoon

and was able to get a few knobs for myself

the truffle hunter gave me a little tip

to store the truffles in a large container

aside 2 or 3 raw eggs in their shell

after several days

the eggs themselves will taste of truffle

i'll let you know

how it goes

through this window {travelogue}

this is a window

in 

florence italy

7 via de conti

to be exact

twenty five years ago

give or take a few months

i sat on the other side

looking out

watching merchants, tourists, students, neighbors

wander to and from

the san lorenzo market

occasionally

my friends would shout 

from the street below

an invite to the jolly cafe

pink floyd videos playing all day across the back wall

grande heinekens and great hot dogs

cheap

really cheap

tacked along the walls within that room 

behind the window

were

posters

photos

letters from home

beds shoved against 

3 of the 4 walls

and

3 strangers from california

became

memory makers

memories that swarm

and ooze like honey

into the creases of our lives

of days

that changed us

made us bold

gave us a bit more context

allowed us to shed our comfort

i visit this window each time i come to florence

and this year

the 25th anniversary

the shutters are flung wide

exposing

an

empty building

i asked the shop keep

across the way

about my surrogate home

he simply said

non c'e piu

it is no more

*i am currently traveling about italy...gathering more memories

child catcher halloween costume

yes

i know

halloween is in the past

and we have moved rapidly on to

the next big holiday

but

i want to share something

i am not a seamstress

there was that one quarter of sewing

in jr. high school

where we made pillows and wrap skirts

really, i don't even know 

how to sew

legitimately

but 

i do it anyway

i act unafraid

i improvise

i'm sharing with you

so you understand

it is possible

with little or no training

combined

with a bit of creative thinking

anyone can make

these costumes

for the child catcher coat

i used simplicity pattern 5386--closed the back and didn't add the collar or cuffs

i cut the sleeve pattern as prescribed, then pinned parchment paper to it, and fashioned it around my arm to the desired shape...and cut the parchment to match. opened it up..and had a new sleeve pattern.

all of the colors and patterns, are added on top of the the original coat giving it heft.  i made this in one afternoon

the glove is a black glove with a piece of oasis duck-taped on it. the lollipops are simply stuck and hot glued.

for the planet of the apes costume

i used butterick pattern  b4574--instead of an open collar for the shirt, i kept it closed and added a rolled collar, and hemmed the shirt cuff rather than adding elastic.  from the same pattern, i was able to make the vest--eliminating the cap sleeves and shortening it to hit at the hip.  the vest is made of pleather. i was able to make the ridges by taking strips of the pleather hot-gluing 1/4" cording down the center, then sewing the strips onto the vest.  the ammo belt is also pleather, with a covering of fishnet. 

i know this all seems rather simplified...but it is to make a point

it is rather simple

the work with sewing

is in the preparation

much like carpentry

measure twice

cut once

prepare your materials

pay attention to the directions

and

don't sweat it

i doubt anyone will criticize your costume

while you are handing them candy

i hope you had a great halloween

and 

aren't freaked by the notion

that 

christmas is only 52 days away