The week ended quietly, as I worked diligently on the Printed Silk Cardigan. I took only one night “off” this week to spend some time with another project… and finally, the cardigan is taking shape and really surprising me with its beauty! To show off her best qualities, I figured some macro textural shots were in order.

back of the cardigan - diamond twisted stitch pattern detail

sleeve two - 1 x 1 ribbing

silky shimmer of the yarn in the pattern

While I am not finished yet - half of sleeve two and the right front pattern remain and all associated picking-up and blocking remain - I feel a great sense of accomplishment with this garment. The twisted stitches gave me a small problem in the beginning, and Connie of phyicsknits, the designer of this and many other lovely pieces, was so kind to offer help. Her tips worked and immediately, my knitting looked like the sample.

The problem I had regarded the left-leaning twisted stitch. Simply put, it wasn’t working for me as described. It is not the pattern, as several other knitters have finished it successfully (Ravelry link) with the instructions given. Still, it wasn’t working. Connie offered an alternative method, provided by the inimitable Barbara Walker:

With right hand needle behind left hand needle, skip one st and knit the second stitch in back loop, then insert right hand needle into the backs of both stitches and knit 2 together through the back loop.

…and this one worked perfectly for me! Many thanks to Connie! I hope the have the cardigan finished very soon. I will be seeing my sister next weekend, and I would love to give it to her then (and to take some pretty spring-y photos in North Carolina). Wish me speedy needles and some free moments!

The waning days of Project Spectrum FIRE and the still chilly March winds prompted another warm / red cooking dish this week. Adapted from the Rosy Beet Risotto seen in the newest issue of Better Homes and Gardens:

Click on photo for recipe!

Do you have any last-minute FIRE plans? are you planning ahead for the EARTH element of Project Spectrum?

PS- I hope to see my area fiber enthusiasts this afternoon at the Homespun Yarn Party in Takoma Park!

Red Lentils

Red Potato

Carrots

Elemental ingredients for my dinner: Esau’s soup, also known as Potage of Lentils.

It is adapted from my often-used soup book, 400 Best-Ever Soups!

3 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 or 2 carrots, chopped
8 cloves of garlic
1 potato peeled and diced
9 oz. / generous 1 cup of red lentils, rinsed
1 litre/ 4 cups stock
2 bay leaves
1 or 2 lemons, halved
1/2 tsp cumin
Tabsco sauce or cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
flat leaf parsley to garnish

Heat oil in large pan. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in celery, potato, carrots, and half of the garlic. Cook a few minutes until beginning to soften.

Add lentils and stock to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for about 25 minutes, or until potato and lentils are tender. Add bay leaves, remaining garlic, and half of the lemons to the pan and cook soup for 10 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and squeeze the juice from the remaining lemons. Stir into soup.

Pour soup into food processor or blender and process until smooth. Tip the soup back into the pan and stir in cumin, cayenne or Tabasco sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top each portion with lemon slices and parsley.

MY MODIFICATIONS:
I used my *zester* and topped the soup with lemon zest. I didn’t have parsley, so I used cilantro, which tasted great. I also put a pinch of Parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy the orange-red deliciousness!

…when the temperatures are below freezing, and even two pairs of socks aren’t enough…

Warm foods and drinks provide the ultimate comfort.

Apple Amaranth + Walnuts (Hot Cereal)

1 c amaranth
3 c soy milk
1/4 t ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 large apple, cored and diced
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Place all ingredients (minus the walnuts) in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Cover pan and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes or until amaranth is soft. Top with walnuts and serve. [Adapted from The UltraMetabolism Cookbook]

The amaranth is a delicious whole grain, very similar to quinoa in texture and taste. (In fact, quinoa could be a substitute if amaranth is not available…) I added a few more apples and a little more cinnamon, because I love them, and they are red for Project Spectrum

Speaking of red, you can’t really get any redder than a beet. I recently discovered a deep and abiding love for this root vegetable. My mother says that I was allergic to them as a child, and I can safely say that the allergy passed. I have eaten them three times in the last week! And that color - wow!

It just looks warm!

Beetroot and Butter Bean Soup

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp caraway seeds
finely grated orange zest
9 oz cooked beets
5 cups vegetable stock
14 oz can of butter beans, drained
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 tbsp sour cream
4 tbsp chopped parsley

Heat the oil in a large pan and book the onion, caraway seeds, and orange zest until soft but not colored. Grate the pre-cooked beets and add to the pan with the stock, beans, and vinegar. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes further. Divide the soup, and add a dollop of sour cream and garnish with parsley. Serve hot. [Adapted from 400 Best-Ever Soups]

This is a simple and quick variation on borscht, cutting out some ingredients. It doesn’t cut down on the taste, however. It is a delicious dish. And if you are like me, you might start dreaming of beet-colored yarn…

…and my ultimate favorite warmer-upper…

…Green tea with a little heartwarming message…

–

Cooking for Project Spectrum seemed to be a natural thing for me, specifically with the fire element. Several participants have told me that they are interpreting fire to mean warmth, and this idea resonates with me as well. The idea of preparing my food with purpose and slowly enjoying the warmth of the meal brings great satisfaction.

What warms you up on the coldest of days?

Thanksgiving is next week, and Kris and I decided to start a new tradition at our house. Since we spend the actual holiday with our families, we have never cooked our own Thanksgiving feast. (Of course, we have cooked one or two side dishes to bring along to the big family meal, but not a whole meal from our own kitchen). We both like to cook, and while the kitchen (and our willpower) may be a little small for these kind of plans, we made it work. Quite successfully, I might add. We ate our early Thanksgiving (vegetarian) feast tonight - yet, we started cooking it last night. Until now, I never realized how long good quality food actually takes to cook.

Butternut Squash Gratin / Green Beans with Dill and Shallots / Creamed Corn / Stewed Carrots & Potatoes / Stuffing with Celery / “Tofurkey”

+ a beautiful Seghesio 2006 Zinfandel

The food was perfect. Worthy of the *starry* plates. Some of the dishes were quick fixes (the green beans and the stuffing) while others (the Tofurkey) took several hours to prepare. I have been a vegetarian for about fourteen years, and this is the first year I have made a fake turkey. It was pretty darn good too! It had a light stuffing inside, and tasted wonderful with a light veggie gravy. There were some favorites: Kris and I were both oohing over the Butternut Squash Gratin. So, I thought you may want to ooh over it too…

Butternut Squash Parmesan Gratin

1 butternut squash (2.5 lbs)
1/4 c butter of margarine
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/4 c chopped parsley (fresh)

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 13 x9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Peel, halve lengthwise and seed squash; cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange slices in bottom of the dish, overlapping slightly.

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and add garlic, cooking for 2 minutes, until garlic is soft and butter is infused with flavor. Do not let the mixture brown.

In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, cheese, and 1 T of the butter mix.

Brush squash slices with the butter/garlic mixture, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the bread crumb mixture. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes on until squash is tender when pierced by fork. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer on until slightly browned. Garnish with parsley.

So, there is the savory… but what about the sweet?

I love cranberries. And I love pears. This has both!

Cranberry Pear Chutney

1 lb fresh or frozen cranberries (4 c)
2 small pears, peeled and chopped (1.5 c)
1 large onion, chopped
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c raisins
2 t ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground allspice

In large saucepan, mix all ingredients. Heat to boiling over high hear, and stir frequently. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Chutney will thicken more as it cools. Store in refrigerator until serving.

What is your favorite traditional holiday food? Do you cook the meal?

I would love to hear more about your traditions surrounding the holidays - please share! and let me know if you try one of these recipes too. I stand by their deliciousness.

All I can say is that I am quite thankful for leftovers!

After a lovely day at the Waterford Festival (photos here) in northwestern Virginia, my mother and I stopped at a street side farmer’s market. I lived near this area when I was young, just over the West Virginia line, in the eastern panhandle of the state. Fall was the most wonderful time - and that was all because of the apples. When I was young, we would go straight to the orchard and buy the apples right off the tree. Apple pies, applesauce, and apple butter. Being in the area again brought back some lovely memories from childhood. Mom and I split a half bushel of apples. There were at least fifteen varieties at the farmer’s market, and as soon as you walked up to the stand, you could smell the fragrance.

I had about fifty apples, and had to figure out what to do with them fast… so I pulled out the corer/peeler and the dehydrator. Dried apples are always a tasty treat This corer/peeler may be the coolest machine we own (well, that and the Roomba). After coring the apples, I mixed up a little concoction of lemon juice (to keep the apples from shriveling and become leathery) cinnamon, and a smidge of sugar. The dehydrator take anywhere from twelve to twenty four hours to dry the apples out, but it is worth it. Plus, you get a nice autumnal smell of apples and cinnamon in your home! The only downside of the process is that while it takes almost twenty four hours to make them, you can finish off the whole lot in about twenty four seconds… they are delicious!

We have some more apples too… and I may try some oatmeal apple cookies next…