Frolic!

It is the day before Valentine's day, and life is sweet.

I can't explain this morning-- I woke up in my fluffy bed, gazed up into the myriad of tree branches covering the bedroom ceiling, turned on some Nina Simone, made coffee.... and went right back to bed feeling emminently cozy and happy. I've covered the branches with silvery ornaments and mostly red and pink ribbons, so I felt like I was sitting in a valentine made out of equal parts of Andy Goldsworthy and Madame Pompador. What could be better?

The evening before I roasted another chicken ala Julia Child-- this means slathering the bird in butter and handfuls of tarragon, then carefully flipping it around during the roasting process and basting the hell out of it. In honor of the holiday, I also splashed the bird with rosewater-- it worked. Called friends, watched movies, nosed about in my books, and felt quite buttered up and frolicky.

From the Ministry of Girly Drinks: OM in Cambridge is a must meet for truly silly martinis and a dizzying array of mojitos. Shall it be? All in favor say Aye!

I need to renew my MFA membership-- The current fashion-as-art exhibit sounds great, though I know I will come out feeling underdressed, and the Michael Mazur print exhibit sounds like a do-not-miss.

Oh, and , uhmmm... ahem:

Now that's how to handle a tommy gun....

This past week I saw Miller's Crossing for the first time.

Considering how much I <3 Gabriel Byrne, I have to wonder why I took so long. This is hands down the best gangster film I have ever seen, ever.

The "Danny Boy" sequence is particularly heartwarming to watch:

leaf_shimmer wishes, and Lo! They appear!

Red Roses!
Originally uploaded by Jewelweed.

How did that happen?

May your Valentine's Day be absolutely knee deep in rosepetals, my friend.

Or how about this little treat?

Strawberry Galette for Two! Oh my!
Originally uploaded by Jewelweed.

For your sybaritic pleasure: Six inches of creme fraiche pastry cream and glistening berries.....

Heh.

:-)

(courtesy of Gawker)

Codornices en Petalos de Rosa

I haven't made this, but I want to.

Its a variation of the recipe made famous by the book and film Like Water for Chocolate, in which Tita, the Mexican cook whose dishes literally express her emotions, makes the sauce from roses given to her by Pedro, her forbidden lover:

Codornices en Petalos de Rosa — Quail or Cornish Hens in Rose Petals

• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon aniseed, crushed
• 2 small tunas (prickly pears) peeled and cut into chunks or 1 tablespoon canned beet juice
• 12 red or pink rose petals (from your garden, of course!)
• 12 red petals for garnish (not from flower shop)
• 36 blanched almonds
• 1 cup of water or as needed
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground white pepper
• 1 or 2 drops rose water (check local drug stores)
• 8 quail or Cornish hens
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

In saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter, add the garlic and aniseed, and saute until garlic is lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

Put the tunas or beet juice and 12 rose petals in blender or molcajete and puree until smooth. Pour in small bowl. Set aside.

Toast the almonds over low heat in a dry frying pan until golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool and pulverize in blender or molcajete, small amounts at a time.

Pour the rose petal mixture and the water into the blender with almonds and whiz until smooth.

Put the garlic butter and the nut-rose petal mixture in a deep saucepan over low heat.

Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

Add honey, white pepper and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour sauce through a medium mesh sieve, pressing on the sauce with the back of a spoon. Stir in rose water to taste.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season the quail or Cornish hens inside and out with salt and black pepper. Fold the wing tips under birds, and tie legs together with kitchen string. Place on rack in roasting pan. Roast for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 375 degrees, baste with a little sauce, and roast for about 10 more minutes. To test if done, pierce the thigh joint with fork. The juice should be slightly pink. Remove quail from the oven and put on a platter. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and set aside, allow to set for about 5 minutes.

Gently reheat the rose petal sauce and pour over the quail. Garnish with rose petals. Serves 4 to 6.

Robb Walsh, author of Are You Really Going to Eat That?, describes his own version of this famous recipe-- and notes usefully why you must not use store-bought commercial roses.  This one sounds especially good, and includes the all important pitaya fruit, which was a part of the original recipe from the book:  

"Putting this recipe together, I felt a little like I was preparing a witch's potion. And the most magical of the ingredients were the red roses...."

Thinking about Kielle

I have been thinking about Kielle and how much I miss her.  It feels weird to have a journal and not see her witty comments, our fun, fun banter, to not see her on my friendslist.  For those who do not know, Kielle was one of my first friends on LiveJournal, and she opened up a world to me. 

She has been gone for more than a year and there is still this Kielle-shaped hole in my heart.

          Through Rohan over fen and field where the long grass grows
          The West wind comes walking, and about the walls it goes.
         'What news from the west, O wandering wind, do you bring to me tonight?
          Have you seen Boromir the Tall by moon or by starlight?
         'I saw him ride over seven streams, over waters wide and grey;
          I saw him walk in empty lands, until he passed away
          Into the shadows of the North. I saw him then no more.
          The North Wind may have heard the horn of the son of Denethor.'
         'O Boromir! From the high walls westward I looked afar,
          But you come not from the empty lands where no men are.

Kielle, Happy Valentine's Day.  Dear, dear Lady you are so missed.