Une Petite Pomme: Spella Caffé

(Before reading the following sentence, please cue up your best British accent.)

I believe that I have stumbled upon, quite possibly, the finest latté I have ever had the privilege to drink.

Now, all that being said, I do not consider myself a coffee connoisseur per se but I do drink coffee...often...and I know what I like and what I like is the latté they create for me at Spella Caffé. I use the word "create" on purpose because the manner in which the baristas at Spella Caffé hand-pull their espresso shots is, quite honestly, an art form.

Wander down to SW 9th and Alder, Monday through Friday, 9a - 4p, and there on the corner, with the Italian flag proudly flying, is where you will find these creations being made. Most days you will be greeted by baristas, Chris Ryan and Tristan Roff, who clearly love what they do. I remarked to them that I have been enjoying their creations for quite some time now and I have yet to experience the bitter aftertaste that so often accompanies even the "best" espressos around. Chris explained to me that the Italian Rancilio machine they use is a manual, hand-pulled machine which makes the whole process of pulling shots a much more organic experience and allows for more control as opposed to a push-button machine. The timing is all in his head. He further explained that Spella Caffé owner, Andrea Spella, uses farm-direct Brazilian beans which he roasts right here in Portland. This past fall, always on the hunt for the best beans, he reaped his latest harvest from a place described as "Large Plateau of Iron" located between two extinct volcanoes. Talk about knowing exactly what you like...exactly what you want.

You can get your coffee to go and be on your merry way but what I recommend is to take some time for yourself. A longer lunch hour. A mental health day. Whatever. Enjoy this work of art from a real cup. Sit at one of their little outdoor tables and watch the colorful people that make up this fine city walk by. Glance over at the aspiring chefs on their break from "Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts." Have a conversation with the woman who is just sure that the jewelry store where she dropped off a ring to be repaired has closed its doors, taking her ring with it and if she finds out that this is in fact true, she is going to be "suing his ass." Once you have swallowed the last drop of your creamy, perfectly balanced latté (or the coffee drink of your choice), you'll have just enough time to stroll a couple blocks over to Powell's Books where you can become lost in the aisles of knowledge before returning to the schedule of your day...refreshed. (For those of you not from Portland, I am just sure that Powell's Books is on your list of "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" so when you do indeed come here to go to Powell's...now, you'll know where to get your coffee.)

Should you arrive at SW 9th & Alder on a day when the rain resembles a car wash, drive just a little further to SW 5th & Alder (520 SW Fifth Ave) where Spella Caffé has a tiny little indoor outpost and you can watch your creation being made...safe from the elements.

As I handed my empty coffee cup back to Chris and Tristan and reluctantly gave up my spot at the café table, Chris let me know that Spella Caffé is now serving up its works of art at Alma Chocolate on NE 28th Ave. & Davis, right off of Burnside. "Have you been there?" "Why no, I have not?" He went on to list off the accolades and praises being given to Alma Chocolate. "Enough said. I'm sold." Darn it all, I'm just going to have to go try out Alma Chocolate. Chocolate and coffee. What could be better? Anyone want to come with me?

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

One Last Fling with a Winter Greens Soup...Before Spring

Not much sleep was to be had on the transatlantic flight. And now, they had us staying in a little school on the outskirts of Lisbon, trying to indoctrinate us into the Portuguese culture for 48 hours, before meeting up with strangers who would be our family for the summer.

I have lived my entire life with different degrees of wanderlust. Possibly due to being brought up in a military family. Perhaps just my own genetic "tic." Wherever I am, I want to be somewhere else. Not that the place I am, isn't wonderful and lovely, it's just that I believe there are so many wonderful and lovely places out there and, well....I want to go see them. Experience them.

Being a parent now, I can only imagine how my mother must have felt when I would incessantly beg her, plead with her, practically sob to just let me go. To go and get on a plane bound for some far flung destination in the world for a year. I'm sure with much trepidation and fear, she finally relented to allowing her first-born child, as a high school junior, to board a plane headed for Portugal to live with strangers for the entire summer. All without cell phones or computers. Just faith that it would work out and I would be safe. I am eternally grateful to her for that summer.

I remember my first reaction to my student exchange placement of Portugal was, "Wait a minute! I said I didn't want to go to South America." Clearly, I hadn't been paying enough attention in social studies. But after that initial reaction, I studied my atlas and the picture of the family I would be living with for the summer to know exactly where I was going to be in the world and who was coming to get me. Our 48 hours of indoctrination was over and we had just finished our lunch which consisted of two types of soups: a puréed carrot soup and, the national dish of Portugal, which I referred to in my journal as "that awful grass soup." All 25 of us now stood in a line while the host families stood across from us in their own line. The counselors would call out the name of the exchange student and the families would run across the divide and embrace that person while the crowd cheered. It was all very exciting. I had already spotted my host family and wondered if they had seen me as well. I stood there, nervously waiting. Finally the counselor called out, "Carrie Cook!" But, before I could make a move, this other Carrie comes flying out of the line-up and runs to embrace my family. "But..wait...," I started to say not knowing what to do in all the confusion.

Luckily, my host family had been studying my picture as well and realized in a matter of minutes that this Carrie wasn't their Carrie. I sheepishly stepped out of the line-up with my hand up as they were trying to rectify the situation. My host family and I embraced...awkwardly and then, they took my hand in theirs (they were big hand holders) and made me a part of their family for the summer. And, I am eternally grateful for their generosity.

I spent the summer eating salted cod fish with potatoes and garbanzo beans. Barbecued sardines. Tiny little snails that we picked out of their shells with a pin. Moist, fruited and not-too-sweet Portuguese cakes. And, of course, the infamous grass soup. All these years later I have never been able to recreate these dishes...until recently. Out of nostalgia for the amazing food my host mother so lovingly prepared for me, I ordered David Leite's beautifully written and photographed cookbook, The New Portuguese Table. In there was the recipe for the "grass soup" which I have come to learn is officially called, "Caldo Verde" or "Green Soup" and is made with kale sliced "whisker-thin." (I wasn't too far off calling it grass soup, was I?) One of these days, I may work up the courage to make it and post it here for you but in the meantime, I was taken in by the more "uptown" version of the soup on the following page of the cookbook. I did, of course, make my own changes to it but it is still quite Portuguese.

So, as I chopped up my carrots, my kale, my garlic and listened to Grace Cathedral Hill playing quietly in the background, I thought about what it means to take someone into your home. To have essentially a stranger live with you. To prepare her food. Your kind of food and hoping that she'll like it. This teenager from America. I have the same feelings as I prepare food for my own family each night. Hoping they'll like it. Enjoy it. These children of mine. And maybe, this food I prepare, will hold some nostalgia for them...much like the Portuguese food did for me.

White Bean, Kale and Sausage Soup

Inspired by Azorean Kale, Sausage and Bean Soup or Sopa de Couve by David Leite

Now, let me be honest with you about two things. The first is that this soup is not a weeknight soup. There is simply too much chopping. It's best left to a Sunday afternoon when the sky is gray and you're feeling a little pensive and can let your thoughts ramble on as you gaze out the window and chop your vegetables. The second is that the first day I made this soup, I didn't like it. I have yet to truly embrace the "winter greens"...kale, collard and their cousins...but I had told myself that this was the winter I was going to try. Lo and behold, here it is almost spring, and I had yet to prepare one "winter greens" dish so when I stumbled onto this recipe, I knew this was it. Day One of making this soup, the kale was still rather coarse. Tough, even. But, by Day Two, the kale had softened. Was almost silky and had been infused with the flavors of the garlic and the spices. I couldn't stop eating it. I found it delcious. So, make it on a Sunday afternoon, enjoy it Monday night for dinner or pop it in a thermos for lunch on Monday and Tuesday. You won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried white cannellini beans (or 2 15-0z cans of cannellini beans)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 med yellow onions, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

8 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces OR 4 carrots sliced and 4 med white potatoes, cubed

5 cups chicken broth

2 qt water (1 qt if using canned beans)

1 (approx 3x2 inch) piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper (more if you like your soup spicy)

1 bay leaf (preferably Turkish)

1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 lb chouriço, kielbasa, chicken or Italian sausage, sliced crosswise, 1/4 inch thick

1/2 lb kale (preferably lacinato), stems and center ribs removed and leaves coarsely chopped

Cover beans with water by 2 inches in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered for 1 hour. Drain beans in a colander and rinse. OR, if, unlike me, you happen to be on the ball, soak your beans overnight covered by 3 inches of water. (If using canned beans, skip this step.)

In a large pot, heat olive oil over low heat and then, stir in your onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. While onions are cooking, chop up your garlic and carrots. Add the garlic to the pot and cook 1 minute. Stir in the carrots, and cook another 5 minutes. (You can chop up your kale while that's happening.) Add beans, broth, 1 quart water, cheese rind, salt, pepper, bay leaf and rosemary and simmer, uncovered, until beans are just tender, about 50 minutes. (30 minutes if using canned beans.)

While soup is simmering, brown sausage in a heavy skillet over moderate heat. Then, transfer to paper towels to drain.

Stir in kale, sausage, (potatoes, if using) and as much of remaining quart of water that is needed to cover your vegetables. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until kale (and potatoes) are tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and cheese rind. Season with salt and pepper, if needed and ladle into soup bowls. (A little more grated parmesan cheese on top doesn't hurt either.) If heating up the next day, you may need to add a little water to thin the broth up a bit. Enjoy.

Yield: A huge pot full.

NOTE: I highly recommend buying big chunks of parmesan cheese and grating it yourself as opposed to buying the already grated kind at the grocery store which lacks the same nutty taste. Costco carries a nice big hunk that will last a long time. Whenever I use it for soups or pastas, I just set it out with a microplane grater and let each person grate his own amount on top. And the bonus is that when you've used up all of the cheese, you're left with the delicious rind. Cut it up into 3 inch pieces, or so, and pop them in the freezer. You'll have them at your fingertips for your next soup recipe.

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Cookin' Up Some Aussie Bites

The day had started out with fog and heavy, dark clouds and continued on that way until late in the afternoon which is why I was surprised when a bright beam of sunlight burst through our living room windows. While I'm always thrilled to see the sun, any sun, at this time of year...this particular kind of sun..bright, white, blinding and late afternoon...is the kind of sunlight that illuminates every speck of dirt on my windows and countertops. As I turned around to face the sun and looked across the room through the haze of dust and dander, I could see something shiny glinting in the sunlight. Curious as to what it was, I made my way over to the couch only to find...the foil remnants of a granola bar wrapper. And, on the table beside it, was a collection of sticky, empty fruit leather wrappers. It was as if I'd stumbled upon Templeton the Rat's paradise.

While I pride myself on making sure my family is well fed at breakfast, lunch and dinner, it's the 4th meal of the day...the ole "afternoon snack"...that I just can't wrap my arms around. I just don't want to make another meal and yet, I find, that as my kids are entering the "adolescent years", they're starving...constantly. You should see my 10-year old take out an entire box of granola bars in one sitting...leaving only the box on the shelf...literally.

As I was speeding the baby to preschool the other day, he alerted me, with a piercing scream, that his "special lego guy" had just fallen into an unidentified crack. Once we arrived at his school, instead of just turning around to look in the back, I actually got in the back in an attempt to locate the missing "guy." There, under the seat, was the precious lego guy nestled amongst a handful of empty snack wrappers. "What is going on here?"

Other countries have formalized this...hour of the day. Halfway between lunch and dinner. The longest stretch without food. Afternoon tea in England. Goûter in France. When I had the good fortune to be an exchange student in Portugal, my host family would sit us down to "lanche" at 4 o'clock in the afternoon for a full meal. Only to be followed at 8 o' clock by a full dinner. I developed a special fondness for "lanche". Looked forward to it every day because, while there was always meat, cheese and bread laid out, this "meal" was especially heavy with the delectable Portuguese cakes.

On Sunday, I spent 5 hours in the great outdoors weeding and whining bitterly to myself joyfully communing with nature. Our yard had been attacked by weeds and the irony was that neither neighbor on either side had a single one while we had a sea of green swaying in the wind across our entire back side. Having already filled one yard debris bin, I threw down my gloves and stomped off to get the back-up bin. As I was walking, begrudgingly to the front yard, and was just about to launch into this tirade again, my daughter skips down the stairs and says, "Hey, Mom...want some help?" I wanted to kiss her feet. Sending her off to continue weeding, I grabbed the bin from the garage and started rolling it back in her direction when a little flash of light caught my eye from the depths of the bin. I kid you not...another granola bar wrapper. "Gads." It was then that I knew some changes needed to be made.

I believe it was last summer, I was watching an interview with Jamie Oliver in regards to his "food revolution". He emphasized to the interviewer that "...at some point, someone has to get in the kitchen and cook food if we're going to save ourselves from this food crises we've managed to get ourselves into...and it doesn't always have to be the woman." (I like to tack that last part onto the quote.) I guess the time has come to actually make something for snack instead of relying on little foil wrapped bits of...oats. This will be a new venture for me and, while I still don't want to be standing over a stove at 2:30 in the afternoon, perhaps I can find a happy medium. I'll share my discoveries with you as I go along but first up was the challenge to recreate the "Aussie Bites" I've picked up from time to time at Costco. The beauty of these little golden bites is that the homemade version can't even be compared to the store-bought they are so incredible and, bonus....no foil or plastic wrappers to be found.

Golden Aussie Bites...Carrie Style

After searching the internet for the infamous Aussie Bites recipe, I came across what was clearly the original "butter baked" recipe and an updated version with a nod toward healthy eating which called for coconut oil instead of butter. Now, I love butter just as much as the next person, but I happened to have some coconut oil leftover from a recipe I'll post sometime in the near future. Because I like to torture myself and research even the most seemingly-insignificant items of my kitchen, the people in the know lead me to this coconut oil as the best...hands down. Once you're done using it in the kitchen, you can even rub it all over your body when you get out of the shower...if you like that kind of thing. A repurposing kind of thing. After pulling the first batch of bites from the oven, I stood at my kitchen counter and sunk my teeth into one..."Hmmmm....a bit birdish." I just didn't care for the sunflower seeds. Could be that at the exact moment I was taking my first bite, I was also staring out at my new "Squirrel Buster" bird feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds and flocked by little song birds. So I did a bake-off, just for you, dear friend, and because I am a glutton for punishment I simply love to bake. With seeds, without. With nuts, without. One with butter, one with coconut oil and after all of the batches were made and laid across the counter for my dear children to sample...my version below was the clear winner. I did, however, include the original version in case you find mine to be a bit too crazy...you know, with the coconut oil and all.

1 1/2 cups oats

1/2 cup golden, flax seeds

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (I use this kind.)

3/4 cup slivered almonds

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup finely chopped dried fruit - I used apricots, raisins and cranberries

1/4 cup honey

1 cup virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil (I use this kind.) (See note below.)

(Or, instead of coconut oil, 2 sticks unsalted, butter.)

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp hot water

3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix first 8 ingredients together (oats-vanilla)

Melt honey and coconut oil together

Mix baking soda with hot water and add to coconut oil mixture. (Yes, this does have the appearance of a mad scientist experiment.)

Pour coconut oil mixture into dry ingredients, add eggs and mix well.

Plop a tablespoon of the mixture into each little mini-muffin well and flatten slightly. (I use non-stick muffin tins and did not grease them but if you are at all concerned you may want to lightly grease yours. Oh, and I didn't flatten mine. Didn't seem to matter.) Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. (For regular muffins, bake for 15 minutes.) Let cool in tins for a minute or so then, remove from tins and let cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container or freeze some for later. Enjoy.

Yield: About 4 dozen mini-muffins.

The "Original" Aussie Bites Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 3 1/2 oz can of unsweetened coconut or 1 1/4 cup flaked

1/2 cup sunflower kernels

1 cup finely chopped dried fruit (apricot, raisins, dates, figs, cranberries, etc.)

1/4 cup honey

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp hot water

3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl.

Melt honey and butter together in microwave.

Mix baking soda with hot water and add to butter mixture.

Pour butter mixture into dry ingredients, add eggs and mix well.

Place a tablespoons of mixture into each non-stick mini muffin well (lightly greased) and flatten mixture slightly. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: About 4 dozen

NOTE: While I am by no means an expert on the subject, here is my take on coconut oil. There is the unhealthy, hydrogenated coconut oil, which, for years, was being used extensively in "industrial food" and especially gained a bad name for itself when it was being used on movie theater popcorn. Then, there is the healthier, coconut oil that this recipe calls for - virgin, non-hydrogenated, cold-pressed coconut oil. While many of the experts are still undecided on coconut oil, in my own humble, so very humble opinion, I believe that it will go much the same way as avocados, walnuts & such - once feared for their fat content and now, the "powers that be" are recognizing their nutritional value. I could be wrong but I'd keep your eye on this little guy. You can find cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil at most health food stores, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, New Seasons - here in Portland, and on-line.

NOTE: By no means should you feel any obligation to comment; however, I know some of you, dear friends, have tried to leave me your enlightening words and it has been brought to my attention that my "commenter" is rawther, temperamental. I am in the process of getting it fixed, but until that happens, should you like to leave a comment, try this: after you type your comment, hit publish, the computer will say it can't process it so hit "preview" and then, try to publish it after that. That's what I have to do to leave a comment on my own blog......gads.

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Inspired by a Salad of Golden Yellow Beets and Brilliant Green Arugula

My appointed date in the "Blog-It Forward Mashup" has arrived at which time I am to share with the world what it is that inspires me. Thank you ever so much to the infinitely kind and talented, Victoria Smith, of the alway inspiring blog, sfgirlbybay, for organizing all 300 of us. The darling artist, Ariel, of La Petite Sirène passed the torch to me and I send it on its way to beautiful, Christine, of Lavender and Limes who will be sharing her musings with us on Monday. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to stop by La Pomme today. I am ever so grateful.

Never straying too far from me, he sits at the kitchen table while I prepare dinner. His little hand still trying to find a good grasp on the pencil. With a blank sheet in front of him, he creates entire worlds on this humble piece of paper. World after world. Sheet after sheet. I kneel down in front of him and he shares with me where he's traveled in such a short time...and, I am inspired.

I am greeted by some morning light. A welcome respite from the grays of winter. The children are still sleeping. The house is hushed. With a hot cup of tea next to me, I flip open my laptop and click on my bookmarks. The list drops down. Across the world and back I go, as I click on my favorite "weblogs", one after another. I find myself swept away by the talent, the creativity, the inspiration. Encouraging me with their photographs, their artwork, their writing, their nuggets of knowledge. The food they prepare. The recipes they share. The stories they tell...and, I am inspired.

I watch him from afar as he nervously taps his foot and unconsciously drinks his water...every last drop of it...before the game begins. I think about what he said to me. About how, "Mom. Everyone is sitting there...in a line. Watching me." I see his coach motion to him. Time to go in. And then, there he is. On the court. All of that nervousness disappears. It's just him and the ball...moving in this beautiful rhythm up and down the court...and, I am inspired.

I set the finished book down on the forever-growing pile with a sigh. My eyelids are so heavy and yet, sleep eludes me. I think about where I've just traveled in my mind...a different place, a different time. Strangers I've come to know as neighbors. Friends. I think about what it means to truly be courageous. Not in the "conquering kingdoms" sense of the word but as one human being having compassion for another. I think about how the author has gently lead me in this direction...and, I am inspired.

I hear the announcer call out the next performance. I sit in the darkened room...waiting. I flashback to when she was 8 or 9 on-stage. When she knew all of the steps but her face wore a look of panic as she performed. The lights go up and I see her sweep across the floor and then, up into a grand jeté. I watch as her body becomes the artwork for the music. Her face, so full of emotion...and, I am inspired.

I have been dressed in grays and blacks and browns...for months. Perhaps I'm trying to coordinate with the sky. The landscape. The ground. I'm ready for some color. I need some color. So, with camera in hand, I set out to find some. And there, curled up ever so tightly, in a bud that will soon come to life, is a hint of pink. The sun, low in the sky, gently warms the tiny bud...and, I am inspired.

He's there on the stairs. Clean-shaven and ever so handsome. He flashes one of his smiles at me. My heart aches his smile is so beautiful. With a quick kiss to everyone and a "Have a great day!', he's off. Off to work...just as he does everyday. Even the days he'd rather be at home. With us. And yet, he goes. For him. For me. For us. Because he cares...and, I am inspired.

Here in the depths of winter, when there's not an open farmer's market to be found and I'm about out of ideas for meals made from canned goods and squash, a dear friend comes through town. The kind of friend who's known me so well, for so long, that we're starting to resemble each other like an old married couple. A gift she has in tow for me. Ivy Manning's, The Farm to Table Cookbook - The Art of Eating Locally. I flip through her tantalizing recipes organized by season. The helpful tips. The gorgeous photos lovingly taken by her husband. And there, in the section on winter, a flash of yellow catches my eye. That desperately needed color. Golden Beet Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts. My mouth waters just thinking of this melding of flavors. The creamy cheese with the spicy arugula. The sweet beets with the more pungent walnuts. A perfect winter medley...and, I am inspired.

Golden Beet Salad with Rogue River Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Inspired by Ivy Manning's recipe in The Farm to Table Cookbook

Now, I've taken the liberty to change a few of the items from the original recipe out of personal preference. After all, if a girl knows what she likes...well, she's got to go with it. I used olive oil instead of the walnut oil originally called for because it's what I had on hand. I also swapped out the balsamic vinegar for sherry vinegar out of preference and because I had some on hand from this recipe. Balsamic vinegar tends to be a little bit too syrupy for me on salads but I know that I'm probably in the minority here so do as you please. I've talked about Oregon's unbelievably delicious Rogue River Blue Cheese before here, but if you aren't able to get it where you live, any other soft blue cheese will work. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

8 to 10 ounces (1 1/4 pounds with greens) small golden beets

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup lukewarm water

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp finely minced shallots

3 tbsp walnut oil or olive oil

6 oz (or 4 handfuls) arugula or other baby greens

2 oz Rogue River or other soft blue cheese

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted (for the "fyi" on toasting see this post)

optional: thinly sliced red onion

Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Wash the beets well and remove the greens and stems. Place the beets in a small baking dish and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until a knife easily goes through the largest beet. Remove the dish from the oven, carefully peel back the foil, and add the water; re-cover and set aside.

Combine the vinegar, sugar and shallots in a small bowl. Gradually whisk the oil to make an emulsified dressing.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip off their skins with your fingers and cut them into 1/2-inch wedges. Toss them with the arugula and enough dressing to coat the salad. Divide the salad among 4 plates, sprinkle with the blue cheese and walnuts (and red onions, if you like) and serve. Mmmmmm.....

Yield: 4 salads or salad fixings just for me to savor over the course of four days....

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Ginger & Garlic Stir-Fry to Mark a Moment in Time

I flip open the familiar sheet music, time and time again, pounding out the theme from The Young and The Restless Nadia's Theme on the piano. Having recently watched Nadia score the first perfect 10 ever in gymnastics at the Montreal Olympics, I am just sure that will be me one day. As I play the music, I can see myself accepting the gold medal. Weeping. For my country. My fans. Nevermind that when I did finally manage to land a back handspring a few years later, I broke my arm and that was the end of my gymnastic career.

My father arranges us just perfectly. Taller ones in back. Smaller in front. The handmade Noel sign as part of the background. My sister and I in matching cream colored dresses and matching Dorothy Hamill hairdos, posing for the yearly Christmas picture. Even my sweet little brother's blond hair gives a nod to the famous "doo". Each night I ever so carefully wrap my brown locks up in the pink foam curlers to keep the "undercurl" going day after day. I never could figure out how to get rid of that dratted kink that preceded each curl. Dorothy never seemed to have that problem. But, kinks and all, I smile proudly.

Starving, we dash anonymously across the street for some Chinese take-out. We chuckle that only minutes ago we had entered the hotel with all eyes upon us. He, ever so handsome in his black tuxedo, and me, in the infamous white dress. The one my mother wore on her wedding day. The one with the beautiful fitted lace (or at least, fitted for her.) The one that cried out desperately for some type of support in the brassiere department and yet, not a single "fyi" from dear friends and family before walking down the aisle and so....the sagging will be forever documented. We hop up on the bed with our take-out boxes and watch as Kristi Yamaguchi skates into history with her gold medal in Albertville, France.

We make the hour-long drive from Lake Annecy twice, determined to make it to the top of Mont Blanc. The first day it's covered in clouds and all rides to the top are closed. The second go around, the mountain is out in all her glory. We leave Nana and the baby at the bottom. No children under 3 are allowed. The air is too thin at the top. We hop on the gondola with a nervous glance toward my father-in-law. Up, up, up we ride. Paragliders sail past us. We leave the timberline behind in our gentle wake. Alighting on the platform, we take in the ominous view of the jagged, powerful alps. I watch as my father-in-law looks down at Chamonix - the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924 - so far below us. We snap photo after photo of what was to be our last big trip with him...and for that, I am so grateful.

I stand at the stove, quickly stir-frying my carrots, my broccoli, my peppers. I ask myself if this is a proper dinner to mark 18-years together. I ponder on what it means to be married this long and how we arrived here so quickly. "Mom, come on! The Olympics are on!" Breaking my own steadfast rule of "No eating in the living room.", we each balance a plate of nutty brown rice topped with crisply, stir-fried vegetables on our laps, watching the TV in anticipation of who will forever mark a moment in time for us. My sweetie happily eating his most requested dish from my repertoire. The one he always wolfs down and remarks afterwards, "Mmm, that was a good batch, wasn't it?" The one in which I can never cheat and try to use a bottled sauce. He always knows it wasn't mine. And, just to see him, enjoying his dinner, surrounded by his family, with the 2010 Winter Olympics on the television, I decide that it's the perfect dinner to celebrate our years together.

Ginger & Garlic Stir-Fry to Mark a Moment in Time

This truly is my guy's most requested dish. The one he would eat over and over again, night after night, if I didn't find stir-fry to sometimes be a little too much work for a weeknight. But, this weeknight, in honor of 18 years together, I happily fix him his favorite. Now, if you haven't made the switch to brown rice, let me just give it a little plug. Yes, it takes a little bit longer to cook...but, it leaves you so much more satisfied. It's much more fulfilling, in the literal sense, and when you are trying to feed teens and pre-teens who seem to have a never-ending appetite, you want them as full as possible, as often as possible. As for the veggies, I tend to mix-it-up with whatever is in-season. Sometimes I may only use two vegetables and sometimes I go all out and use 4 or so....everything from broccoli to peppers to carrots to celery to snow peas to bean sprouts to bok choy to green onions to Chinese cabbage...really the list is endless. I mean, what vegetable doesn't taste scrumptious with a bit of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and a quick turn in a hot pan?

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil or canola oil

1 tsp soy sauce

salt & pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized strips

3 tbsp cooking sherry

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp water

1 tsp corn starch

1 sm red onion, peeled, halved from "pole to pole" and then cut into wedges

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 tbsp ginger root, peeled & minced or finely grated

2 med carrots, peeled and julienned

1 red pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets (I pop mine in the microwave with a bit of water for 2 minutes to "parboil" them. They seem to work out better in a stir-fry this way.)

more olive oil or canola oil for cooking

brown rice

Let your brown rice cook as listed on the package while you make the stir-fry.

Slice your chicken breasts up and toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp soy sauce and pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Whisk together the sherry, the soy sauce, the water and the corn starch in a small bowl. Set aside, keeping your whisk handy for later.

Mince the ginger and the garlic. Place in a small bowl and set aside.

Place a heavy bottomed skillet over low heat while you chop up your vegetables. A few minutes before stir-frying, turn up the heat to high and turn your exhaust fan on.

Prepare all of your vegetables as listed above. Put them on a large plate, keeping them separate.

When you are ready to start cooking, make sure you have everything else taken care of - drinks, utensils and homework questions out of the way - because you cannot leave your post once you start stir-frying or your veggies will have burned bits on them and I don't know about you but my children won't eat burned bits...not even microscopic ones.

When you are ready, heat a tbsp of oil in your skillet, swirling it around to coat the pan. Add 1/2 of your chicken and stir-fry until seared and just cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a clean bowl and tent with foil. Add the second half of your chicken to the skillet, adding to the bowl when cooked.

Add another 1-2 tbsp of oil to your hot skillet. Add the onion and stir-fry until browned but still crisp, about 1 minute. Add your garlic and ginger, stir to combine with onions. Then, add your carrots and stir-fry 1 -2 minutes. Add your red peppers and continue stir-frying for another 1-2 minutes. Add your "parboiled" broccoli and saute until all the vegetables are tender crisp, 1-2 minutes longer. Return the chicken to the skillet.

Push the veggies and chicken to the sides of the pan creating a circle in the center. Grab your bowl of sauce, giving it a quick whisk, and then, pour into your circle. Let the sauce just start to bubble and then, mix it together with your chicken and your vegetables. Serve immediately with warm, nutty brown rice. Enjoy.

NOTE 1: For a vegetarian version, simply omit the first four ingredients.

NOTE 2: A long time ago I read somewhere about keeping your ginger root in the freezer. It lasts longer this way. It's easy to peel and can be grated up on a fine grater in a snap which is what I've done ever since receiving this tip.

Yield: Serves 4 regular eaters and 1 eater who is currently eating like a bird.

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Une Petite Pomme: Blog It Forward Mashup

Why, hello there dear friends....enjoying your Saturday morning? I felt compelled, this morning, to let you know of a rather epic (?) blogging event happening out in the blogosphere.

The sweet and ever-so-talented Victoria Smith of the extremely popular and always inspiring design blog, sfgirlbybay, has organized a chain letter of inspiration, so to say, calling it the Blog It Forward Mashup. Three hundred of us bloggers (yes, that was 300) from the world over are posting, on our designated day, what it is that inspires us. I will be rambling on spewing forth my words of wisdom next Friday, February 19th as part of this event but since it started on February 10th and I've already read so many wonderful and insightful posts, I just couldn't keep it all to myself until then.

Most of the blogs participating are of the design sort: interiors, art, photography, sewing, knitting and so on. Many of them...absolutely stunning. So, as you linger over your coffee (or tea, like me) this holiday weekend, looking for something to peruse, please check out this gathering of talent. Once you click on the schedule, you'll see how Victoria (over many glasses of wine, I'm sure) had to organize us into 10 different groups. She had some more established bloggers start us off including the beautiful Hula Seventy blog from Portland. Three from each group have already gone but since there isn't any posting being done on the weekends, you can catch up and be ready for the fresh words of inspiration on Monday.

Cheers!

Carrie