Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Let's Dish ~ Shells


Let's Dish about sea shell dishes.

The sea shells above are real shells with a grove cut in them to hold place cards. They are from Two's Company, but since this is a tray scape, I'm using them as added details rather than place card holders.



I brought home a wonderful wicker tray from

my trip to the Texas hill country

and few thrifty finds from a

recent trip to Dallas & Ft. Worth.



The shell dishes are by Maxcera.

I purchased them from a

clearance shelf at TJ Maxx last year.



The shell shaped plates feature an

embossed edge with a starfish among sea shells.



The shell shaped bowls have the same fluted

edge with a turned shell detail at the top edge.



They are rustic white with brown under tones.

Absolutely perfect for serving clam chowder,

fish soup, or perhaps a shrimp or crab salad.



I chose clam chowder for tonight's dinner.

It felt like the perfect comfort food

for the rainy evening we are having.



The set of chowder spoons were a thrifty find

this past summer when we spent a week in Maine.

The Cherished Home is a wonderful shop in Belfast, ME.

They were having a great sale the day we visited.

These four coin silver chowder spoons were $25 for the set.

Two are marked Fifield & Brackett with the monogram

N. J. Furber

in gorgeous script.

The other pair is marked Vertelt

with crossed swords and the #12.

A simple TH is the monogram.




Found the napkin ring at an antique store in Ft. Worth.

There was a box of odd pieces, each priced $4.

I can't find a mark, but this little gem has

gorgeous engraved details of flowers,

none of which really show up in the photo.

No doubt it will polish up, but I rather like it's aged patina.



So there you have it.

A sea shell inspired tray scape

created with thrifty finds.



The shell dishes are Rustic White Shell by Maxcera.


TJ Maxx only had 3 bowls and 7 plates.

If you know of a source,

I'd love to find more, especially more of the bowls.



I'm playing along with

Food for Thought

this week with a review of

VIOLETS OF MARCH.

Click here for details about Sarah Jio's debut novel

and a bowl of delicious clam chowder.

Joining











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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Let's Dish ~ Tartan




Let's Dish ~ Tartan



It's time for

Let's Dish

Hosted by Cuisine Kathleen



 A time to share 

 anything table or dish related.




 National Tartan Day is April 6, 2012,

so open those cupboards and

pull out your plaids or tartans.



 There is going to be a Tartan Parade

with a linky party on April 1st for

Favorites on the First

@ The Polohouse

One Party ~ Four Blogs





Link up any post that flaunts your PLAIDITUDE.

We want everyone to share something plaid or tartan

to celebrate Tartan Day 2012.

Start planning your post now and join us for the parade.

Click below to stop by Kathleen's

for the premier meeting

of the Sisterhood of Dish Lovers



Also Joining:













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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Custard, Cookies, & Irish Coffee



I hope everyone had a chance to take part in

Kathleen's Annual St. Patrick's Day

Blog Crawl

You'll find my party post here.

Joining

Designs by Gollum

Foodie Friday

to share the recipes from my party.



Baked Egg Custard

Beat 4 eggs in the blender until light. Add a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and blend well. Add 1 cup of whipping cream. Mix well. Pour into baking dish or individual cups. Place baking dishes in a pan of hot water. Bake @ 300 until shimmering, about 1 hour.

Top with whipped cream and fresh berries or other topping of your choice.





 Crumiri Cornmeal Cookies

Crumiri Cornmeal Cookies are originally an Italian cookie, but they are a wonderful little treat to serve along with rich custard. These gems aren't very sweet and the added crunch with the cornmeal gives them a nice texture along side the smooth custard. I sprinkled green sugar on top of each little crumiri button to add to celebrate the green.

You can find a copy of the recipe I used here. I didn't have a good piping bag, so I opted to roll the dough into small balls and top with the green sugar.




Irish coffee is 

 a favorite treat here.




 Simply add a jigger of Irish whisky

to a cup of your favorite dark, rich coffee.

Then top it off with sweet whipped cream.




Wishing each of you a

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Click here to join

Michael Lee for Foodie Friday


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Monday, March 12, 2012

Erin Go Bragh


May your home be filled with laughter.

May your pockets be filled with gold.

May you have all the

happiness your heart can hold.




 "Céad mile failte"

A hundred thousand welcomes!

It's time for Kathleen's

Annual St. Patrick's Day

Blog Crawl


I fixed a special tray to

 help us celebrate.




 There are top hats 

 and shamrocks a plenty.




 Gold Coins 

 for Luck




 Green Checks and Stripes

in Honor of the Emerald Isle




Even a 

 four leaf clover!




 All special details to celebrate

St. Patrick's Day.






 I hope you'll 

 enjoy the treats!




 There's Irish coffee made with

Bushmills' Irish Whiskey.




 Topped with sweet whipped cream

and a little candy shamrock.




 A plate of goodies 

 made just for you.





 Rich Egg Custard

with Berries and Cream

and




 An Assortment 

 of Cookies





 May good luck be with you

wherever you go and your blessings

outnumber the shamrocks that grow.






 Like the warmth of the sun

and the light of the day,

may the luck of the Irish

shine bright on your way.






Long live the Irish,

Long live our cheer,

Long live our friendship year after year.


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Thursday, March 8, 2012

THE MATCHMAKER OF PERIGORD


THE MATCHMAKER OF PERIGORD

by Julia Stuart

Available here on Amazon

A book review for Food for Thought,

a delicious blog for readers with

an appetite for the written word.



This light quirky novel is full

of both humor and culinary delights.



The cuisine of France is

certainly not lacking in this whimsical read.



Yes, there are many delectable treats

among the pages of MATCHMAKER OF PERIGORD.




Just as there is an abundance of

romantic mishaps in this village of Amour.




Guillaume Ladoucette, the successful village barber, suddenly finds that his clients have grown older and balder, and it becomes apparent to Guillaume Ladoucette that he must pursue a new profession. Set in the small French village of Amour-ser-Belle (population 33) "despite its name, love was something that Amour-Ser-Belle was sorely lacking." To alter this village status, Guillaume Ladoucette takes on the task of village matchmaker.




"Guillaume Ladoucette wiped his delicate fingers on his trouser leg before squeezing them into the glass jar. As he wiggled them around the cold, slippery fat he recognized what he felt was an ankle and his tongue moistened. He tugged it out and dropped the preserved duck leg into the cassoulet made by his mother thirty-one years ago and which had been on the go every since."

My first inclination for a FFT connection was to make a cassoulet. So I went straight to Julia's MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING. Clearly this recipe was a bit too adventuresome for moi. The ingredients alone made me feel as if I were taking inventory at la boucherie.



So instead I settled on a fishing trip picnic.

"For whilst the two men were fiercely competitive when it came to fishing, their unspoken rivalry was not over what one another caught, but the contents of their picnic baskets. And the barber, who had been labouring in the kitchen since five that morning, was convinced that victory would be his."



~ Baguette ~ bunch of tomatoes-on-the-vine ~

~ jar of cornichons ~ bunch of pink radish ~

~another baguette ~ duck paté ~ vichyssoise ~

~ potato salad w/ lobster tails ~

~goat's cheese tart ~ walnut and apple cake~



"No, thanks, otherwise I won't be able to manage this! ' the baker announced, lifting a walnut and apple cake out of his basket with a flourish. But they both knew it was useless: nothing could have beaten Guillaume Ladoucette's caprine masterstroke."



Guillaume Ladoucette's goat cheese tart couldn't be topped.

So Goat Cheese Tart it is for FFT!

I used an Ina Garten Food Network recipe found here.

Instead of using garlic-and-herb soft goat cheese, I opted for Montchevre fresh goat cheese and then added fresh chopped garlic in with the saute of chopped shallots.



"Mmm, really goaty! Fancy some?"

I might add, I even impressed "the chef" with this one.

This recipe is a keeper!

Click the links below to see more

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