Reminiscing: Food in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

Last week, I reread To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee in order to prepare for the Swope Book Club discussion. We have a book club as part of our First Friday event and select texts related to works of art in the Museum's collection. Mockingbird was selected because of a special exhibition on view, African American Images and Artists from the Swope Collection which features an interesting painting by John McCrady called, Hush, Somebody's Calling My Name. McCrady was a Southern Regionalist and drew inspiration from the music and culture of the people around him, the title of his painting comes from a spiritual popular in the late-19th century.

John McCrady, Hush Somebody's Calling My Name, 1939
Oil and tempera on canvas
Swope Art Museum Collection, 1941.21

We had a great discussion about the painting and the book. Everyone had a lot of insight into the characters and felt very strongly about particular ones, especially Atticus and his role as 'the grounded, moral center' of the story. The narrator aside, I appreciated the balance between Calpurnia and Aunt Alexandra the most. Both women were trying to 'do the right thing' for Scout, but operating from two very different perspectives with unique motivations.

I continued to think about the book over the weekend and want to see the film again, while the text is still fresh in my mind. One thing I wish we would have discussed is the role of food in the story. It really is an important character in the book, expressing the quailities of Southern life even during an era of depression and need. What the various people eat (or don't eat in some cases) says as much about them as the delightful descriptions that Lee provides. I almost want to reread the book again, paying closer attention to the food as I go. Perhaps next year.

One of the main references to food is of course the Southern favorite, cake. Miss Maudie references her Lane Cake in this quote, "“Soon as I can get my hands clean and when Stephanie Crawford’s not looking, I’ll make him a Lane Cake. That Stephanie’s been after my recipe for thirty years, and if she thinks I’ll give it to her just because I’m staying with her she’s got
another thing coming.” Lots of people are protective of their recipes (not me!) and I have heard stories of steps or ingredients being left out of many a 'shared' recipe. Crafty.

Epicurious has a recipe for Lane Cake that looks delicious, but must be quite the undertaking.

For more information on Southern food see:
Southern Foodways Alliance

Three of my favorite books on Southern cooking:
Gift of Southern Cooking: Recipes and Revelations from Two Great Southern Cooks by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock
The Glory of Southern Cooking by James Villas
The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: Stories and Recipes for Southerners and Would Be Southerners by Matt Lee and Ted Lee

AND, a recent article in the New York Times about sweet tea vodka, the new house wine of the South.

Recipe: Crispy Baked Kale

Last year, Katie was mad for baked kale. I remember her talking about how satisfying it was, crispy and salty. But I never attempted it, until this weekend. One of the food magazines had a recipe for it last month, which reminded me of Katie's then obsession (she was on Brussel sprouts last time I checked. And salmon, but has probably moved onto something else delicious by now.) and I decided to try it for myself.

I think this is the perfect starter for cocktails, the one you are always looking for. There are always creamy dips or an array of cheeses, and a million different nuts to choose from. But sometimes you are looking for something to round those choices out, something green and light. This is the recipe. It surprises people and they will say, "It tastes like potato chips!" happily munching on a piece of kale. On a piece of kale!

The recipe itself is the essence of simplicity, the most difficult part being the removal of the ribs from the leaves. I simply place all of the washed, dried and rib-free leaves on a baking sheet and give them all a good spray of olive oil (you can buy Pam-style olive oil spray now, or you may have one of those fancy misters that does the trick) then a sprinkle of salt. Turn, repeat, then bake in a low over for about thirty minutes. Delicious and good for you. You could also add some spices to the salt, perhaps a little red pepper or cayenne? A little lemon would also be nice.

Recipe: Kentucky Fried Kale in your Easy Bake Oven
1 bunch of kale (curly, Tuscan or otherwise)
olive oil (preferably in a spray can)
coarse sea salt

• Preheat oven 250 degrees.
  
• Wash and dry the kale, then cut each piece down the middle, removing the ribs.
  
• Place the kale on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper for easy clean up.
  
• Spray lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip the leaves and repeat.
  
• Bake for 30-33 minutes, until light and crispy.

Mangez!

Recipe: Hummingbird Cake

Mildred and Brian, Summer 1971

Today would have been my Mam-ma's (Lora Mildred Marie Stevenson Whisenhunt Thomas) 90th birthday. She was very important to me and we were very good friends, so I miss her often and think about her always. But, on her birthday, which is one week and one day before mine, I think about her a lot and all of the fun we had together. From her I got my love of junk shops and antiques; my obsession with cookbooks and recipes; my enjoyment of teaching others; and my big blue eyes and great hair.

So, I am making one of her best cakes, her hummingbird cake, today and thought I would share the recipe with you and hope that you enjoy sharing it with friends and family.

Recipe: Mildred Thomas' Hummingbird Cake
This cake is moist, delicious and decadent. Since it uses vegetable oil instead of butter, it comes together easily and quickly. I usually cake it as 9x13 cake, but you can also make 9 inch round cakes or even cupcakes if you wish.

3 cups flour, sifted
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla
8 oz can crushed pineapple (undrained)
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups (3-4 large) bananas (mashed)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a big yellow bowl, whisk together the try ingredients. Stir in the eggs, oil and vanilla by hand. Add the pineapple, pecans and bananas. Still until combined. Pour into a greased, 9x13 cake pan and bake at for 50-55 minutes.

Icing:
8 oz cream cheese
½ cup butter (1 stick)
16 oz box of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until light and creamy. Ice the cooled cake with the cream cheese mixture.

Gadget: Salad Days

I'll admit it: I have a weakness for salad tongs. First of all, if you're on a trip somewhere at a great home store (say, Bloomingdale's Home in Chicago) and you see a great set of salad tongs, it's easy to slip them into the suitcase. Secondly, if you have a lot of dishes and might catch some flack for purchasing more when you get home, it's also easy to sneak said tongs into the house and later convince your spouse they have been there forever and that if they were more observant, they probably would have noticed. Plus, salad tongs are an easy way to mix up the dinner service and add a little bit of flair to a starter course of the meal, whether for guests or just for you.

Salad tip: bottle dressings are a waste of money. It's almost as easy to mix up a batch of vinaigrette yourself, right in the salad bowl. After it's mixed, simply top with your greens and put in to the fridge to chill, waiting until just before you're ready to serve to toss.

Here's my collection of salad tongs: some old, some new, none you can borrow, one set that's blue.

This set is in its original box and also has matching salt and pepper shakers.

This is probably my favorite set: red plastic that references gingko leaves. It looks great with the pink and green salad bowl, but equally at home with the wood bowl or just plain old Pyrex.

This is a vintage set I got at the auction from the Wonder Woman estate. It's part of the original service designed for the invisible jet. Sadly, the invisible salad bowl went for far above the reserve and I wasn't able to get it.

This set is blue on blue, but it's difficult to tell in the photo. The opposite side of each is dark blue and light blue, for an interesting look. Crate and Barrel currently has them in green.

This lovely set was a gift and is so very Pucci, 1960s.

Mitchell gave me this set, also in the original box, as an early Christmas present. Unique!

Recipe: Eggs Francisco

Last time I was in Austin, I had a breakfast at Kerby Lane. Since I had been mainlining breakfast tacos for about four days at that point, I decided to try something different and landed at Eggs Francisco. Hmmm? I had never noticed it before, perhaps distracted by migas and pumpkin pancakes. But, this was a total breakfast revelation and so I decided to prepare it for New Year's Day brunch along with the blintz casserole. Both absolute hits.

Recipe: Eggs Francisco
This isn't so much a recipe as it is direction:

• Toast English muffins
• Top with eggs scrambled your favorite way*
• Layer avocado and sliced tomato on the eggs
• Smother the entire thing with your best queso

Really? Simple, delicious.....sublime. The original at Kirbey had slices of bacon on it, so if you are omnivorous or want to use facon, by all means be my guest.

Mangez!

*I could go on a 15-minute diatribe on how to make the best, creamiest scrambled eggs, but I won't. Maybe later. Main tip: no matter what your mom, aunt Bessie or granny says, do not put milk, cream or water in your eggs. That's just economical cooking attempting to make eggs go farther. The best scrambled eggs are simply that: eggs that are scrambled.

Recipe: Dinner Tonight

This evening, I made one of my favorite meals: huevos tamales. It's very simple, and the key items are of course tamales, avocados, pepitas (pan-fried pumpkin seeds) and good salsa. Many years ago, Alyson introduced me to Herdez brand salsa verde. I have tried many others, but it is still my favorite. Luckily, I can find it in Indiana, where there isn't that big of a selection of Latin American food items.

I poached the egg to perfection and then sprinkled the finished dish with a little bit of black lava sea salt. Delicious!

Reminiscing: Epergne

A few weeks before Christmas, I received an e-mail from my friend April with a simple question: what is your favorite word? Interesting and fun, I initially said 'spatula,' but then confessed it was actually the favorite word of an old friend and I had stolen it from them. So, I gave my personal favorite word: epergne.

An epergne is a fancy centerpiece, traditionally made from silver (but also from glass in the late 19th century) used to serve a variety of things. You often see these archaic pieces in museums, tier upon tier of little baskets and other small containers intended to hold fruit, sweatmeats and other treats. I love the word, but I also love the object it stands for and the fact that like many serving items, it has gone the way of the dinosaur. Reader, you probably think that just because you eat your dinner with a fork, knife and spoon that your descendants 200 years from now will also eat their dinner with a fork, knife and spoon. But consider this: aristocrats didn't start using forks until the Renaissance. And what's more, they were expected to bring their own when they came to dinner! Plus, more people on this planet use chopsticks than forks. Chances are, in 200 years some completely new food delivery system will have been developed and forks will only be seen in museums. Like epergnes.

So anyway, I thought, "what a delightful game. Name your favorite word." But a few weeks later, I received a package from April containing a little frame with a my favorite word embroidered and embellished. I love it and it is truly unique. You can find fabulous things by April here.

Recipe/Gadget: Hungarian Shortbread

I inherited a propensity for kitchen gadgetry from my grandmother, who was always the first to get the bread maker, juicer or Cuisinart. They would usually get used for a while, then she would move onto the next one. I try to be selective, not replacing things which don't replaced or buying items that aren't helpful for kitchen prep. But, I have had my eye on this springform pan from Lekue for a while, because it really does take a classic kitchen pan and make it into something better.

1. The springform collar is made from silicone and fits much tighter than a conventional metal on metal pan, eliminating drips that can occur with thin batters.
2. The porcelain base looks great once your cheesecake, quiche or cake is done.
3. Both are very easy to clean

Mom and dad gave me the springform pan for Christmas, so I was excited to give it a quick trial by fire and made what has quickly become one of my favorite cookie recipes: Hungarian Shortbread.

Recipe: Hungarian Shortbread

This appeared in the butter issue of Saveur magazine last year, based on one in Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Julia. I made it last year for work where it was consumed with 'oohs' and 'ahs.' Grating the dough may seem like a lot of work, but the heavenly texture it produces is worth the effort. I used the last of the homemade jam that Phyllis Dye Turner gave me this summer. There was just enough and it was perfection.

2 cups flour, plus more as needed
1 tsp. baking powder
1⁄8 tsp. fine salt
1⁄2 lb. unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
3⁄4 cup raspberry jam

In a big yellow bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Cream butter in a large bowl, using a hand mixer on high speed, until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, vanilla and egg yolks; mix until sugar is dissolved and mixture is light, about 4 minutes. With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour mixture; mix until dough just begins to come together, about 1 minute.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; bring it together with your hands. Divide dough in half and form 2 balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap; freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Arrange an oven rack in center of oven; heat to 350°. Grease a 9" springform pan with butter. Remove a ball of dough from freezer, unwrap, and grate, using the large holes of a box grater, directly into prepared pan. Gently pat grated dough to even it out. Spread jam evenly over dough, leaving about a 1⁄2" border around edges. Grate remaining dough over jam layer; pat gently until surface is even. Bake until light golden brown, about 25–30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, on a rack, before cutting into wedges.

Mangez!

Random: Don't Worry, I Found It

After unpacking most everything that was supposed to be unpacked, I realized I was missing several things: the Ben Siebel celery dish; the Chinese god's golden cat companion; the underplates for my silver lotus bowls; the extra large pink and green bowl I love to use for salad; and most important, the teapot. How was I supposed to make it through winter in Terre Haute without the teapot? This, of course, sent me into a mad frenzy for a secondary teapot. Secondary because I knew the Chinese pot I had bought at the Asian market in OKC with Stephanie for next to nothing, the pot that held the perfect amount of tea, the pot that poured like angels singing was in a box somewhere and would be restored as the primary pot in due time.

So any other pot would be secondary. And had to be different, but still right. I looked at glass pots, retro pots and vintage pots, but sounded like Goldilocks at every turn: "This one is too orange....this one is too tall....the handle on this one doesn't have the right feel...I don't think this one looks good with my hair." Yes, a teapot prima donna of the very worst kind, annoying those around with yet another mad quest.

Luckily for all, the missing box was found and the Heavenly Teapot of Perpetual Happiness was restored to its proper place in the kitchen. Tonight, I am enjoying my favorite wild sweet orange infusion with mesquite honey from the thick-walled peony cups that Jennie and I found on our shopping trip last year as I read the annual Saveur 100 issue. Stop by and I will pour you a cup.

Kitchen Tips: Mashed Potatoes

I have had a real hankering for mashed potatoes lately, but I'm not sure why. Regardless, what better excuse to make a giant bowl of creamy goodness?

My secrets to delicious mashed potatoes?
1. Room temperature butter and cream (Yes, cream. Don't use skim or soy milk if you want the most divine spuds.)
2. A little garlic. You can roast it, but I prefer it at full power.
3. A potato ricer. My mother and Big Martha are/were able to achieve smooth potatoes with a stand mixer, but mine never come out quite right. But, a ricer does the trick and is a breeze to use.
4. Follow the rule francais: white food or white sauce requires white pepper.

Oh, mashed potatoes, how will I eat thee? Let me count the ways:
1. Hot and fresh with a BBQ riblet.
2. Formed into patties and fried in a skillet.
3. On top of chili like an American shepherd's pie.
4. Warmed in a skillet and topped with more butter.
5. Mashed potato soup?
6. Layered in a tortilla with scrambled egg and topped with salsa.

I could go on and on....but I have potatoes to eat!

Mangez!

Restaurant: Bev's

Saturday night, we had some drinks at the Black Angus with Jeff and Jen, which was a lot of fun. We talked about where to take out-of-town guests (got some new ideas) and of course, where to eat. I lamented the lack of a Sunday breakfast place, as my regular one is closed as are all of the other downtown establishments. They mentioned Bev's Country Kitchen, close to the Terre Haute Community Theater, where you can get a great breakfast for a bargain. We got up Sunday morning and gave it a shot: light, fluffy hotcakes; delcious fried potatoes; and hot, diner coffee. I'll be back Bev, don't you worry.

One question: where can you get cream gravy this side of the Mason-Dixon line?

Bev's Country Kitchen
1303 South 25th Street
Terre Haute, IN
(812) 232-5131

Restaurant: Grand Traverse Pie Company

This is only my second visit to the Grand Traverse Pie Company, but I can tell we are going to be good friends. They have your usual selection of salads and sandwiches, but an amazing selection of fruit and cream pies. David and Jessie wanted to take a break from their exhausting tour of Terre Haute, so we stopped for a pie break. I had banana cream and it was delicious. I'm not sure its a good thing to have it so close to the house. If you are in Michigan, I'm sure you're very familiar with this chain. Otherwise, you've probably never heard of it because the only locations outside of MI are in Terre Haute and Evansville, IN.

PIE!

Gadget: Silicone Tagine

I thought I had seen just about every possible kitchen apparatus reconsidered in easy, non-stick silicone, from spatulas to cupcake pans and ice cube trays. But, I had not. Yesterday, when scanning the sales at TJ Maxx, I spotted something new: a silicone tagine.

The tagine is the traditional conical shaped 'pan' of Morocco and used in the preparation of the dish of the same name. The cover collects condensation, returning liquids to the cooking food and producing succulent morsels served with couscous. The Moroccan version is generally made from heavy clay and decorated with....Moroccan designs. What else?! Several European manufacturers have reimagined the tradition dish in cast iron, including Staub and Le Creuset. You often have a choice of colors for the enameled tops. The silicone version from Okra is much cheaper, although probably a little smaller than the cast-iron versions. It's oven safe up to 426 degrees and can also be used in the microwave. It's available in raspberry or black for about $20. For recipes to use in your tagine, check here.

Blintzes

The new cookbook from Ina Garten (Translates literally as 'in a garden.') a.k.a the Barefoot Contessa (And where is this Barefoot? Italy? Everyone knows those Italian titles aren't real, so quit curtsying every time she comes on the television!), Back to Basics: Get Great Flavors from Simple Ingredients, is filled with lots of wonderful and simple ideas from entertaining. She has some very authoritative lists about ways to set the table or desserts that can be purchased, and I respect that a lot. Very 1950s of her. Of course, the best sounding recipe was one for brunch: a simplified casserole using the language and flavor of a labor-intensive blintz. My mother (aka Miss Barbara) prepared a wonderful spread for Christmas brunch, including this recipe, cinnamon rolls, breakfast pizzas and fruit. I thought the blintz casserole was quite delicious, although I might attempt a slightly smaller ratio of cheese to crust. Amazing and delicious!

Recipe: Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce*

For the batter:
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tbsp sour cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder

For the filling:
2 cups ricotta cheese
8 oz mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
1/2 cup Egg Beaters or other egg white product
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Preheat the over to 350 degrees and butter a 9x13 baking dish.

For the batter, place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour half the batter (about 1 3/4 cups) into the prepared baking dish and bake for 10 minutes, until set.

In the meantime, whisk together the filling, mascarpone, eggs and sugar in a big yellow bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and salt, mixing thoroughly. Spread the cheese mixture over the baked pancake, then spoon the remaining batter over the cheese mixture to cover.

Bake for 35-40 minutes more, until the top is golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes, cut into squares and top with blueberry sauce.

Serves 8-10.

Recipe: Blueberry Sauce
3/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 half-pints blueberries
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the juice, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the mixture has begun to thicken, add the blueberries and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, just as a few of the berries are beginning to burst. Stir in a lemon zest and juice and allow to cool.

*I've altered the recipe from the original source and posting. Mom made this for brunch, and while delicious, it was very rich. I felt like the ratio of cheese filling to crust should be less and the reduction of ricotta, plus use of an egg substitute, make for a better breakfast/brunch. treat. (1.4.09)

Over Three Feet of Cookies

I was in Indy this weekend finishing up the holiday shopping, so of course popped into Trader Joe's to pick up a couple of things and found this: three feet of cookies! We bought two to take to friends and family in Nebraska. I love the packaging because of its unique shape and size, but also because of the fun graphics. I'm sure the cookies will be delicious too, since they are from Trader Joe's.

They also had dark chocolate covered peppermint joe-joe's: the TJ version of Oreos. So very good, we finished the package by the time we got back to Terre Haute. Buy some! Don't share them! Of course, I always fall in love with things like this you can only get one time of the year. Sigh.

Brie Hole?

On Boys for Pele (one of my favorite albums of all time), Tori Amos sang, "Had me a trick and a kick and your message. You'll never gain weight from a doughnut hole. Then thought that I could decipher your message. There's no one here, dear. No one at all." But what about a brie hole? Can you gain weight from that?

I was shopping for cheese at Baesler's Market last week for my staff party and was very pleased with the selection they were offering. They had the Stilton with lemon that I like, plus a very good Manchego. The most surprising thing? A medium-sized wheel of brie with a hole cut out of the middle where you could put fruit or other things. Huh? What did they do with the part they cut out? It's called 'brie charmant,' which translates to 'charming brie.' Mais, oui oui! Tout le monde! Zeut alors! Sacre couer!!

I just bought a slab, because I have found a little bit of brie goes a long way. When I buy the huge, delicious wheel it never gets eaten, so I'll stick with a perfect wedge--une wedge parfait.

Fromage, s'il vous plait! (Cheese, please!)

Cookie Monster!

Boo invited me to observe the 16-hour cooking making marathon on Sunday, but since I wasn't feeling well I thought it best not to infect the batches of cookies. I did sneak back into the kitchen on Monday to see all that they had made. Thousands and thousands of cookies and fudge and more cookies, all destined for the gift platters, boxes and baskets that the community orders from the Crossroads Cafe. I had a sample and it was delicious!

Boo's Crossroads Cafe

679 Wabash Ave
Terre Haute, IN 47807

(812) 234-2232‎

P.S. Midwest Living stopped by to photograph the extravaganza for the December 2009 issue. Remember when you see it that you read about it here first! Scooped them, as usual.

First Chill/First Chili

A couple of weeks ago, it started to get a little chilly here and of course my thoughts turned to cold-weather foods. I had great plans to make a big pot of chili to enjoy in various ways that week. But, the weather turned warm again: Indian Summer. I enjoyed the beautiful days that followed, but knew that I did not want to waste the first pot of chili on a week of warm days. So I waited, knowing that the inevitable would happen and cold weather would descend upon the city. And it has and the first chili is here. If you don't have a great recipe for chili, I implore you to try my version. It's very healthy, yet still utterly delicious.

How am I going to eat it?
Over Fritos
On top of a baked sweet potato
With spaghetti and a little bit of cheese
Plain with nothing added to it
Covering vegetarian hot dogs, sans the bun

Mangez!

Economical

Everyone is feeling the pinch these days, so I thought I would post one of my favorite and most economical meals: mujadara or, Lebanese lentils and rice. This is a dish I have blogged about before, it's the Friday special at Byblos in Wichita, KS and I ordered it at every opportunity. But, other than one restaurant in Chicago, it's not really something you see on menus at Middle Eastern places. It's kind of one of those basic, homey dishes that is prepared for family, but not considered nice enough for restaurants or big events. But I would like to point out that American's have a yen for la cucina povera and have explored it from Italy (polenta) to the Deep South (greens, chess pie, etc.), so bring on the Lebanese version and let's all dig in.

It's very basic: onion, garlic and cumin are cooked until soft and fragrant; lentils and broth are added and simmered until the pulses begin to soften; rice is added and the whole mixture is simmered until the liquid is absorbed and the whole thing becomes a delicious pot of delicious-ness. Really, I know it probably just sounds 'alright' to you, but the whole is so much greater than the parts. In some versions, the lentils and rice are cooked only until tender and retain their individuality. My preference is for both to begin to breakdown and resemble something more akin to refried beans.

Leftovers are great warmed and topped with a fried egg. (Yes, I will put a fried egg on top of anything and call it improved.) Or, you can roll it up in a pita or tortilla for a quick lunch on the go.

Confession: traditionally, mujadara is served with crispy, fried onions on top. I'm lazy and use French's Fried Onions. I know it's a little trashy, but I am a little trashy and expect that the can of French's Onions I bought appreciates not ending up on a green bean casserole for Thanksgiving. Not that there is anything wrong with green bean casserole.

Recipe: Mujadara
This recipe can be doubled or trippled easily. I usually measure mine out based on the amount of lentils I have. I usually use the entire bag of lentil and an equal amount of rice, happily consuming the leftovers for breakfast (yes!), lunch and dinner for days.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
3/4 cup long-grain brown rice (parboiled, as below)
Salt and pepper to taste.

For rice: In a small saucepan, bring salted water to boil. Add rice and lower heat to a simmer, cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Drain water and let rice sit until ready to add to lentils.

In a large saucepan or stickpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat then add onion and saute until softened. About 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cumin, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes while the garlic and spices become frangrant. Add the vegetable broth and lentil, stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for ten minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the rice and 1 tsp. salt, and simmer for 15-20 or until the liquid is absorbed. Test for doneness and seasoning, adding more salt and freshly ground pepper.

Let cool slightly and topped with fried onions (from a can or your own if you are less lazy than I am), fresh plain yogurt and tomatoes if you wish.

A Butter Dish for Captain Ahab

Last week in Wichita, I finally had the opportunity to stop by my friend Emily’s fabulous store, Frank & Margaret. Her lovely space is filled with some of the best things you could want for your table or home, plus those unique gifts everyone is looking for this time of year. If you’re in Wichita, I suggest you make a trip, because I know you’ll find something you love.

As part of her eclectic inventory, Emily has a wonderful selection of whimsical offerings from Jonathan Adler, ceramicist and provocateur. Adler has a fun style which he offers up on TV, in his stores and his fantastic book, My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living. I love his designs, especially to give as gifts…but hadn’t seen the new, mod butter dish in the shape of whale. It was like we were meant to be together. And when I saw the matching pitcher on his web site (Do I need another pitcher? Who cares!), I knew we were all three meant to be together. Of course, the butter dish couldn’t be used for everyday. And I don’t really serve bread at meals that often, but it doesn’t matter because it will look great in my china cabinet. Or yours, ne serait-il pas?