Needle Felted Upcycled Sweater – Shhhh… It’s a Secret

February 8, 2010 – 2:28 pm

This sweater is for Chloe’s birthday, so I’m trusting you all to not tell her about it.  I just know she’s going to love it and I really couldn’t wait to share it with someone.

Several years ago I began collecting wool sweaters from Salvation Army and garage sales hoping to make a felted wool quilt.  For a number of technical reasons, I couldn’t get the pieces to come together neatly, so I let that go and the sweaters sat in the barn.  Until last week.  When I had this great idea to re-purpose all of these sweaters into up-cycled clothing.  (Okay, the spell checker is saying that ‘repurposed’ and ‘upcycled’ should be hyphenated.  I’m not so sure as I think they are now real words, but I’m going to hedge my bets and write them both ways.  Ha.)

This sweater was a woman’s medium before I felted it, so it should fit Chloe pretty well.  I cut off the cuffs because the sleeves would have been too long and now it’s a three-quarter sweater and I have the cuffs which will become fingerless mittens.  I then needle felted the tourquoise wool in the designs you see here.

Annie
Feelin’ crafty

Email this • Share on Facebook • Twitter • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us • Stumble It!

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Close to Home, Crafts, My Favorite Things | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Cook the Book – Chai Tea

February 5, 2010 – 9:07 am

Chai Tea

Chai tea is an Indian drink that has become popular in coffee houses.  It’s a nice alternative to hot chocolate. I make a batch of the spice base all at once so it’s always available.

1 bag of tea (orange pekoe or your favorite)
1 teaspoon spice base (below)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar 

In a small saucepan, bring the water, tea bag and 1 teaspoon of the spice mix to a boil; remove from heat and steep approximately 5 minutes. Add the milk and sugar; return the pan to the stove over medium-high heat and continue to heat until the liquid is hot but not boiling.  Serve immediately.

Spice base

4 tablespoons ground cinnamon or 8 sticks
2 tablespoons cardamom seeds (try to buy them without the pods.  If they are in the pods, remove the pods and measure just the seeds)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
8 whole star anise

Grind the spice base ingredients together in a food processor or spice grinder until finely ground. You can store the mixture in an airtight container for months.

Makes ½ cup spice base, 2 cups tea.

Email this • Share on Facebook • Twitter • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us • Stumble It!

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Cook the Book, Things to Sip, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Local Talent – Chefs, Writers and Producers

February 4, 2010 – 4:43 pm

Yesterday was a food-filled day and today my head is bursting with new recipes to create and stories to tell.  I can’t decide where to let my fingers fly – the kitchen or the keyboard.

Kitchen first, to bake a loaf of no-knead bread which I started yesterday when Sharon was visiting. I wanted to show her what the dough should look like when first mixed because while I can write “the dough should look like wet biscuit dough and if you are familiar with breadmaking, it looks way too wet, almost panicky-too-wet,” it is so much easier simply to show.

We then had a brownie snack before lunch, lunch, and a brownie for dessert.  The Espresso Brownies.  The brownies could be consumed without guilt because we had a big shrimp salad inbetween.  No, I don’t have the recipe for it.  I just made it up with leftover that were in the fridge.  But I can tell you how I made it.

Romaine lettuce, chopped, washed and drained.  Maine shrimp, pan fried with lots of garlic.  Kale chopped and sauteed with lots of garlic.  Rice noodles soaked in water and then cut into shorter lengths (about 2 inches).  Quarter and slice tomato and peeled cucumber. Combine everything in a large salad bowl.

To make the dressing, whisk an egg yolk with dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, tamari and minced garlic.  Drizzle in 1/4 extra virgin olive oil and 3/4 canola oil until mixture thickens.  Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.  Toss with salad and serve with grilled homemade bread, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.

Then it was on to a foodie dinner at the Hartstone Inn, hosted by the acclaimed Michael and Mary Jo Salmon.  Everyone brought either an appetizer or a dessert and then sat to share drink, food and stories.  Heaven.  Old friends and new.

My contributions were Carrot Cake with Pinapple and Black Pepper and Chocolate Tart with Toasted Coconut and Sea Salt.  The sea salt and toasted coconut were a perfect crunchy, sweet, and salty combination on top of this bittersweet tart.

To new friends:  Margaret,  Nancy, Sean and Heather and old:  Kerry and Lani.

Annie
Cheer to you all for your fantastic food and such fun!

Photo credit Sharon Kitchens

Email this • Share on Facebook • Twitter • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us • Stumble It!

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Desserts & Sweet Endings, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

My New Stove is Coming!

February 3, 2010 – 2:15 pm

Every home improvement project has a story, some are just large than others.  Ours starts with a cook (cooking professionally for 25 years) who has been working on a free, hand-me-down stove for 12 years.  Granted, it was passed on from our good friends who own Cafe Miranda’s.  But still.  Before that it was an apartment stove, blessed with the beautiful, distinctive avocado color of the 70’s that had been spray-painted white, but was still showing through in places.

The stove – cleaned and almost ready to come into the house.

Some years later, I answer, with my heart beating practically out of my chest for fear that it’s already taken, an add in Uncle Henry’s for an old Vulcan restaurant stove.  On the drive down to Portland with the whole family in the truck, I kept hoping that it would be in good shape.  Ahhh.  It was and it even had a salamander.  A restaurant-style broiler that mounts at eye level rather than below the stove.

The salamander on it’s side (when it goes in, I’ll show it to you right side up).

We muscle the thing into the car, complete with a vent system that is bigger than my entire kitchen and head home with a pit stop to pick apples at a local orchard. During the muscling process, my husband is resigning himself to shoring up the floor in the kitchen before we install the stove, knowing with certainty that the 100 year old floor joists cannot support the weight of this behemoth.

And so before the stove is installed, the floor gets shored up and the very good husband injures his shoulder pretty seriously and the wife decides that she loves her husband more than the stove and the stove can wait.

Next chapter.  The following fall, measurements are taken of the doorways.  It is discovered that the doorways are just the wee-est bit smaller than the narrowest part of the stove.  By 4-inches.  A fan, vent, several trips to the hardware store, cleaning, checking to make sure the burners and pilots all work, several more trips to the hardware store.

The stove is now ready to install.  All of the burners work including the stove.  Next week it goes in!  Thank you, husband, for the miles on your cute self (and the truck).

xo to my man,
Annie

Email this • Share on Facebook • Twitter • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us • Stumble It!

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Cooking, My Favorite Things | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book – Espresso Brownies

January 29, 2010 – 11:30 am

For everyone with a craft or a skill, there come moments when you view past work and creations with your more learned self and struggle to find acceptance of that work.  Those moments come for me when I look at recipes I wrote five years ago.  I’m five years more experienced, five years more trained, five years more smart and yet, ugh.

And when I first began to write recipes, I wrote them in a way that was easy for ME to discern.  Hmmm.  Now I write recipes that hopefully are easier for the layman to use.  This brownie recipe is one of those, originally published in At Home, At Sea.  When I tested them a few days ago I found that the basic recipe is still terrific, it just needed tightening up.  Whew!

Espresso Brownies
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
3 3/4 cups sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Grease a 9×13 baking pan.  Preheat oven to 375°.  Melt the chocolate and butter in double boiler until the chocolate is almost melted.  Remove from heat and stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture has cooled to room temperature.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, coffee and sugar.  Add the chocolate/butter mixture and stir.  Stir in the flour and mix until blended.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.  Bake 1 hour.  Cool in the pan and cut into squares.  If you can’t wait, they will take cutting warm.  The top may crack some.

Makes 12-24 brownies depending on how big you cut them.

Annie
Grateful for knowing more!

Email this • Share on Facebook • Twitter • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us • Stumble It!

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Cook the Book, Desserts & Sweet Endings | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

Saying Goodbye

January 28, 2010 – 10:06 am

Wooden boats have an energy and a spirit that is comprised of the wood from which they are made and the hands that made them.  It comes from the careful, skilled hands that shave curls of wood off an edge to make a perfect fit; an eye for sensuous, gentle curves that, when combined, create art and function simultaneously; a brawn body to mold and lift what used to be a tree into a shape that becomes a boat; and a sharp, swift mind to bring the forces of mathematics and physics to heal.

It’s not often that all of these qualities are housed in one person, but Tom Bournival was one.  He was integral in building the Riggin’s yawl boat and the house in which we live.  He left our world this Sunday, and while his physical self is no longer with us, his spirit will live on in the numerous boats he touched.

Our world is less because he is gone, but full from the legacy he leaves behind.

I have this image in my head of a scene similar to one in “Like Water for Chocolate” where instead of tears flowing into kneading bread, they stain newly sanded wood and newly steamed planks of wooden sailing vessels cared for without the hands of our dear friend.

Annie and Jon
You are already sorely missed, friend.

Email this • Share on Facebook • Twitter • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us • Stumble It!

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments (0)

20 Minute Meals – Healthy Stir-fries

January 27, 2010 – 2:16 pm

Normally I don’t go in for our nation’s fascination with faster is better.  I’m as impatient as the next person (or maybe more so depending on who you speak with or the given day) but typically the 20 minute meal craze doesn’t excite me.  Mostly because what is gained in speed can be lost in flavor.

However, when it comes to stir-fries, nothing could be more untrue.  I’m on a stir-fry kick and there isn’t one combination that has left me feeling flat.  And all of the vegetables are just the sort of meals needed after heavy holiday indulgences.

The latest Maine Ingredient column has three recipes for healthy, quick, stir-fries:

Tofu, Scallion and Cashew Stir-fry
Carrot, Ginger and Shitake Mushroom Stir-fry
Swiss Chard with Sesame Stir-fry

Annie
Making friends with my wok again

Email this • Share on Facebook • Twitter • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us • Stumble It!

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Columns, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Sourdough Starter Questons – Do I feed my starter before or after using it?

January 27, 2010 – 6:14 am

This was another question that was submitted about sourdough starters – related to a series of posts that happened in the winter of last year.  I’ve added some of the original posts if you are looking for more information.

I am storing my starter in the frig. I am using it about every 5 days.  When it comes time to use it in a recipe can I use it straight from the frig or do I have to feed it first, let it rest for a day out of the frig, and then use it?

I’ve done both.  Because I’m mostly using the starter for flavor in my no knead recipes rather than a leavening agent, I’m not sure it matters.  However, if your starter smells too strong, then I would feed it first to reduce the sour or ammonia smell and therefore taste of it.  Also, if you decide to use your starter for its rising properties, then I would feed it the night or morning before you use it.


Other posts on the same topic:

Sending out 100 year old sourdough starter

Sourdough starter – can you kill it?

Sourdough starter – can I use different flours in my starter?

And even more questions answered in these posts

Annie
Time to pull out the dutch ovens and get baking!


Email this • Share on Facebook • Twitter • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us • Stumble It!

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Breads, Cooking, Cooking 101 | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Cauliflower, Cheddar and Jalapeno Soup

January 26, 2010 – 9:11 am

The unsettling, warm, gray rain continues to come straight down as our ground turns from fluffy white to matted green and the snow disappears amidst the wet onslaught.  Days like this require something robust, creamy and comforting.  The little people in our life have decided that rainy days always call for “Cheesey Soup,” as it’s been dubbed.  For whatever reason, they don’t seem to mind the jalapeno much, surprising given that there is little tolerance for any sort of pepper in our lives.  If I were making this soup for an adult crowd, I’d be tempted to use the jalapeno seeds too as it all gets pureed at the end and that would eliminate anyone getting one, mighty burst of heat.

This soup is great with ale or another full flavored beer.  It can easily be divided in half to serve fewer people.  Click the title for a pdf of the recipe.

Cauliflower, Cheddar and Jalapeno Soup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2-3 cloves
2 cups diced onions
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (for more heat retain the seeds)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets (about one head)
1/3 cup flour
4 cups low-salt chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you prefer)
2 cups milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, lightly packed

Heat a medium-sized stockpot over medium-high heat and add the oil, add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to one minute.   Add the onions, jalapeno, salt and pepper and sauté until the onions are translucent.  Add the cauliflower and sauté for another 10 minutes or until tender.    Add the flour and stir until completely incorporated and then add the stock, stirring vigorously until the flour is dissolved.  Add the milk.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, add the cheddar cheese and stir until fully melted.  Do not bring the heat up high once the cheese has been added.  Serve as is, or for a finer look, puree the soup until it is smooth.  To reheat, allow time for the soup to come to temperature over low to medium heat.  This will insure that the cheese in the soup doesn’t break.  Serve with salad and crusty bread to pass.

Serves 4-6

Annie
Happy to be on shore and inside today!

Email this • Share on Facebook • Twitter • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us • Stumble It!

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Columns, Main Dishes, Soups, Stews and Chowders, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Cook the Book – Berry Pie

January 22, 2010 – 9:02 am

In honor of the 6th annual Pies on Parade event, a fundraiser to benefit the local food pantry and fuel assistance programs, in Rockland this upcoming Sunday sharing a pie recipe with you seems fitting. This Berry Pie recipe is  silky and luscious.

Berry Pie

Pie Crust
1 cups all-purpose flour
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs butter
2 tbs ice cold water (or more) 
 
Filling:
4 cups fresh blueberries or mixed berries
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch; 3 if the berries are juicy 

Topping:
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Crust:
Combine the flour, salt, and  butter  into a medium bowl; cut in well with a pastry knife. Add 2 tablespoons water and mix until dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a ball.  If the dough is still a little crumbly add more water 1 teaspoon at a time. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the piecrust and place it in a 9 inch pie pan. Freeze it for 15 minutes then cover the bottom of the crust with dried beans (to keep it flat while it bakes) and bake until set, about 10 -15 minutes. Cool completely.

Filling:
Place 2 cups of berries in the baked pie shell. Mash 2 cups of berries and combine them in a saucepan with the sugar and cornstarch; boil the mixture over medium-high heat until the liquid is thick and clear. Pour the hot mixture over the berries in the pie shell and spread evenly and then cool.

Topping:
Combine heavy cream, sugar and extract together and whip until you have stiff peaks. Spread whipped cream over the cooled berries and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 8 servings

Email this • Share on Facebook • Twitter • Digg This! • Save to del.icio.us • Stumble It!

By Annie Mahle | Posted in Cook the Book, Desserts & Sweet Endings, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)