Smoothie made smoothly

I always make smoothies by guess, adding and tasting until the end. After 25 years, I measured -- a cup each of chopped frozen mango, orange juice and plain yogurt. Add a little more than half a cup of frozen whole strawberries and blend. Sugar or honey to taste. This made three generous 8 ounce glasses. (Duh!) Later I used half-cups of the main ingredients -- enough for one big smoothie.

March-April poem

I've been learning a poem a month. I carry a few lines to glance at as I run. March was "Night Journey" by Theodore Roethke. But its complex rhyme is hard -- so it's taking two months. I chose this in memory of the high-speed train proposed between Orlando & Tampa. Our governor rejected it in March.

Raspberry Heart Tart

This is simple, except for the crust.

Raspberry Heart Tart

from Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells

Crust

Cut, either by hand or with food processor: 6 T. chilled unsalted butter into 1 C. flour (It says do not use unbleached, but I do. I also chill the flour if I think of it ahead of time.), 1/8 tsp. salt, 1/2 C. confectioners' sugar. Make coarse crumbs. Add 1 large egg, lightly beaten. Mix just until it holds together. Flatten into a disk on waxed paper.

Dust your fingers with flour. Then, working very quickly with just the fingertips, press dough into a 10 1/2 inch loose bottom tart tin (or a heart). Press dough up the sides & crimp evenly. Cover with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°. Prick bottom of the shell with a fork, but not too much or it will leak! Line shell loosely with heavy duty foil, pressing into edges so pastry does not shrink while baking. Fill with dried beans, making sure to get into the edges. Bake until light brown, about 20 minutes. It should be firm enough to stand up by itself. Remove the beans & foil, then bake an additional 10-20 minutes. It says 10 minutes for partially baked shell & 20 for a fully baked shell. This one is 10 minutes, because you're going to bake it some more. But a little more time in the oven won't hurt. Just don't burn it. Cool before filling.

Filling

Place 3 large egg yolks in a bowl & beat with a fork. Add 3/4 C. heavy cream & 3 T. sugar. Blend. Pour into cooled pastry shell.

Arrange 1 pint fresh raspberries on top. You can make a design, but I never do. Place in the center of the oven & bake just until the filling begins to set, about 15 minutes. (I cook it until it's surely set, up to 30 minutes. ) Cool. Then sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Bake with a cookie sheet under it to catch the drips.

Texture

I love the parts of The Walker -- all of them. It has to do with negotiating so many choices: what to add, what to eliminate, what to paint, what to paint over. I got intimate with this piece. In the end, I only love the pieces. There's something fragmented about the whole. It reminds me of falling in love with the words I used to write, but not liking the final story. I'm thinking of chopping this Walker quilt into pieces.

For reference, here are the steps (those I remember -- I know I've skipped some) in making this:

1. I cut the 4 top pieces ( not the one with the words on it because I needed more time to create that fabric) out in different sky/water colors.
2. I sewed them together.
3. Then I tried to collage them. They were too limp.
4.I cut the bottom as one piece.
5. Then I gessoed the base.
6. I can't remember if I also stuck the pieced top to the muslin with half and half glue/ water. I think I did.
7. I tried to machine-baste the top to the muslin base. It was too stiff & wide to sew down the middle. It was like trying to run a sewing machine down the middle of a surfboard.
8. Then I treated each of the four (5, counting the words) pieces individually. I decorated each one, sewing, gluing, painting.
9. I made each into a quilt sandwich, with thinnest batting available & a muslin back. I free-motion quilted each.
10. Then I zig-zagged all the edges, going around each piece
11. I sewed the quilt back together, zig-zagging with invisible thread.
12. I added final paint & sand, etc.

Beach Walk

Because I've touched it again & again, I love every inch of this ... quilt... is that what it is? It's not the peaceful piece I envisioned; it's bumpy & imperfect. It's not soft, either. Gesso stiffened the fabric base, so it was like quilting a surfboard. I cut it into three: storm cloud, sun-reflective sky, the Gulf & wordy beach. These I layered with oil & acrylic paint, sand, shells, papers, silks, cottons, tulle, lace, sequin waste. Then I sewed them back together. The words? a choppy lament and/or hopeful facts. I learned that violet makes a better shadow than black. 65" x 23"

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce & Meatballs too

Mario Batali had me hooked on his marinara sauce. So easy & good. The other day Batali let me down. (He wasn't in the pantry where he belongs.) I made Mom's recipe instead, & I'm shocked at myself for forgetting how simple & delicious it is. You do need time to watch it cook, but a crock pot could help. Marzetti is now a big company, but back then it was a nice Italian restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. I think Mom got this recipe from the Columbus Dispatch.

Marzetti Spaghetti Sauce

Brown 2 cloves garlic in olive oil. Add 2 cans tomato paste. (I used about half a tube, maybe more.) Cook a little, stirring. Add 2 cans strained tomatoes & 3 cans water (I don't think I used quite this much water. I just rinsed out the cans.), salt and pepper to taste, 3 T. chopped parsley, & a little sugar. (There's a sugar/no sugar rift; omit it if you must.) Cook & cook & cook. (That's what Mom's recipe says.) I simmered it a couple hours. I tasted it early on & it needed more garlic, so I sautéed a huge clove in olive oil & added it. Perfection!

Mom used to stir in some cheese at the end. She got this idea from our Italian neighbors in Steubenville.

If you like, add these meatballs an hour before serving:

Marzetti Meatballs

Mix together:

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 C. bread crumbs

1/4 C. grated cheese (Mom used Velveeta. Don't knock it -- tasted great.)

1/8 C. chopped parsley

1 clove garlic

salt, pepper

Chocolate, cinnamon & espresso brownies

I haven't been cooking so much. Clark has taken over a couple of days a week, out of hunger & the opportunity to accumulate gadgets. But these could bring me back to my taste buds: good chocolate, cinnamon & espresso, The sum is greater than its parts. If we weren't having company this afternoon I'd eat the whole pan full.

Brownie layer

8 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (Kallebut from Christmas)

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 C.) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 T. instand espresso powder dissolved in 1 T. boiling water

2 t. vanilla

4 large eggs

1 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

1 C. walnuts, chopped (I toast them first.)

Make the brownie layer:

Melt chocolate & butter with the espresso in microwave. Don't burn it!

Cool to lukewarm.

Stir in sugar & vanilla.

Stir in eggs one at a time.

Add flour & salt, then walnuts. Pour into buttered & floured 13"x9" pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 22-25 minutes.

Cool completely, then top with cream cheese filling.

Filling

Mix together:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 C. confectioners' sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 t. cinnamon

Spread this onto cooled brownies. Put into the refrigerator. When it hardens, top with this glaze:

Chocolate Glaze

Melt in microwave:

6 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate

2 T. unsalted butter

1 1/2 T. instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 T. boiling water.

Watch carefully because chocolate burns easily!

Stir in 1/2 C. heavy cream.

Spread on chilled brownies.

Keep them in the refrigerator.