So I wanted to bring you something – to ensure you that I am still alive although have yet to return to the kitchen – except when I’m teaching classes which are the highlight of my month!

Instead of cooking I’ve been crafting! I’ve been revisiting my roots (arts and crafts are my first love) and putting my idle hands to good use.

For months now I have noticed some super stylish ladies sporting gorgeous feather headpieces in their lovely locks. On many occasion I’ve nearly bought myself one of those very headpieces but couldn’t get past the sticker shock. So instead I thought I’d make them myself.  I managed to get out of the house one day for a feather hunt.

I returned with these beauties.

Then (roughly) following this video from Martha Stewart I created these beauties.

These sassy little hairpieces will make me feel glamorous as I continue to lay on the couch. But mark my words – this week there will be a turn around. I’m determined. Until then you may see a few more crafty projects around these parts.

One last little note – if you live in the Seattle area make sure you continue to check the “classes” tab. I will be updating that section with a bunch of classes that will take us through June. They have been selling like hotcakes – for which I am so very thankful.

The “I Heart Butter” class still has a few spots. March 25. We will learn classic and quick puff pastry and we will eat mightily with each course highlighting the buttery pastry.

Thanks again all you lovely people!

]]> http://notwithoutsalt.com/2010/03/01/im-back-well-almost/feed/ 17 http://notwithoutsalt.com/2010/02/16/why-ive-stayed-away-from-food/ http://notwithoutsalt.com/2010/02/16/why-ive-stayed-away-from-food/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:10:11 +0000 Ashley Rodriguez http://notwithoutsalt.com/?p=1773 I have some explaining to do.

It’s happened a few times in my blogging career where I seem to just slip off into an unknown void. Without an explanation my words, pictures and food cease to exist in cyberspace. And I hate coming back here apologizing to you kind people for my absence because you are so dear and so patient – but this time I think not only will you forgive me but many of you will know exactly why I’ve taken such a long hiatus from delicious food.

I didn’t plan on saying this now but I just can’t stop thinking about you all. Your kind comments and emails keep coming in and many of you have asked if I’m okay and if I’m ever coming back. Thank you for your continued support and presence in my Internet home – even though I don’t respond to all the comments and emails I read them all and each one warms my heart and makes me long to return to this place.

Okay – I’ve procrastinated long enough. Not that I don’t want to tell you – I’m just nervous and don’t even know how to put it into to words because frankly, I still can’t believe it – here it is….

We’re having a baby!

This will be number three and can I just tell you that I’m more nervous for this one than either of the other two little male punks that made their triumphant entry nearly 2 and 4 years ago.

We’ll have months to discuss my nerves and you can guarantee I’ll be seeking advice – especially from those of you who have three or more children.

But for now I’m just counting down the days until I’m out of the first trimester – not too much longer.

I will spare you the details of my daily afflictions but let’s just say that food and I are not friends. I eat because I have to and when I do it’s food that would have repulsed me before. Saltines, pickles and mustard – that was lunch last week. Buttered toast, Gatorade and noodles with butter and Parmesan have become regulars.

I dread when my husband makes coffee in the morning and I’ve asked him to refrain from mentioning any food items unless deemed acceptable by me. Last week in the grocery store he happened to mention white truffle oil and I nearly lost it in aisle 9. He’s still getting used to this rule as just a couple of months ago it was I that would be shunned from bringing up food – especially after we just had a rather large meal.

I can’t tell you how strange it is to go from being so incredibly in love with and passionate about food to wishing that it didn’t exist because just the thought, smell and look of it often sends me rushing to the restroom.

This has been the most intense “morning” sickness (they really should call it “all-day sickness”) I’ve experienced. I know it will blow over soon and at the end of it all – in September to be exact – I will be holding a precious baby. Having two examples of just how fast they do grow I don’t plan on this child ever being out of my arms.

So there you have it. I have no recipes to share because I haven’t been cooking – I will say though that Saltines, sharp cheddar, pickles and mustard make a tasty little cracker sandwich.

I anticipate just a couple more weeks of this sickness and really it should be letting up as each day passes – at least that’s what I’m hoping for.

I will be back, you can count on that. I have some incredible recipes to share – as soon as they sound good I’ll start making them.

Thanks again for being here, for cheering me on and appreciating great food.

If you happen to be in the Bellingham area I’m teaching a class near you tomorrow (Wednesday 2/10) and there is still space.

Thanks all. I will be back to my regular posting self soon.

In the midst of all the holiday craziness I stepped away from the stove and got my hand out of the sugar to take a photography workshop with the incredibly talented, Penny De Los Santos.

Chances are you have seen Penny’s work as it graces the pages of Saveur and National Geographic. One glance at her website and blog will leave you inspired and hungry.

Since that workshop my photography has changed. You may not noticed as it is as much of a mental change as a visual one. Most of the information I heard from Penny I had heard in my previous photography classes, although I adored her relaxed and encouraging approach. What I did realize is the absolute need for natural light.

In these dark winter months I had grown accustomed to using artificial lighting. I just couldn’t seem to get my act together well enough to shoot during the nearly two hours of daylight (okay I may be exaggerating a bit – but there’s not much). I would use a number of light sources and just try to make it work. But I wasn’t happy with the results. The images were lacking life, light and the quality that just makes you want to reach in and eat it.

I came home from my time with Penny and immediately set out to rearrange our house. We moved the couch so that the large open floor to ceiling window could let the light pour in. Our dining table now sits just off of the window. I now make sure that if I am planning on photographing that day it happens when it’s light out or it waits until tomorrow (or the next day).

Thanks to Penny I am now more intentional with the photography. I plan ahead and anticipate the image before the food is prepared. While I still get most of my favorite images from inspiration that occurs during the shoot, I can now get to that place much quicker by planning ahead.

I still have much to learn and I am so excited to figure it out. Where as practicing piano as a child seemed like torture, practicing taking beautiful pictures is rewarding and so fulfilling.

For those who want to know these were taken with a Canon 5D 24-70 2.8 The light is au naturale.

click through to Artazza for the recipe

In February we were honored by the Times Online and of course I mean we because without you I’d be long gone. After that we ate strong cheese .

In March things looked different. NotWithoutSalt.com was born. And we drank great coffee.

In April we made butter.

Then in May we hit the big time. We hopped on a plane to L.A. to see a screening of Food, Inc. and to have a one on one interview with the director – at his home, while he ate his breakfast (this was all thanks to my brother who was a cinematographer for the film).

Garlic Scapes filled us with joy in June.

In July Bacon Caramels satisfied our sweet and salty cravings.

We learned how to render lard in August.

In September we took a field trip to the Orchard then made caramel worthy of those apples.

A-hunting-we-did-go in October.

In November we learned all about coffee. More coffee. Coffee, cont’d.

And finally in December we covered ourselves in sugar. Cookies, candies, cakes, trifles and shortbread with onion jam.

Thanks to all of you for an incredible year. Here’s to an even more memorable one in 2010!

Have a fun New Year’s celebration. I will be ringing in the new year learning all about duck. More on this later.

It was on such a list that I noticed pork was on its way out making room for lamb. While I can and will debate against them saying pork is becoming a lesser meat (bacon will always be near and dear to my heart) I will say I agree that lamb will be making a delicious rise in popularity.

Fortunately for me, during this  ‘year of the lamb”, I found myself with a selection of lamb thanks to Lava Lake Lamb. I received a nice email – with an actual person behind it, not someone just insterting my name – asking if I would like to recieve a sample of their product. It was mere seconds before I responded with an enthusiastic YES.

*Full disclaimer* so I don’t get hauled off to jail. I received the lamb for free but was not paid to write about it. I recieve many PR emails  – some I ignore, some I respond to and others ( few) I get so excited about I feel the need to blog.

Oh goodness am I excited about this.

First there was ground lamb. I added toasted cumin, mint, feta, salt and pepper. I formed that into little sausage patties which I then fried and served with olive pasta (pasta with finely chopped kalamata olives, mint, garlic, chili flakes and olive oil).

Secondly I braised lamb shanks. This wasn’t just any ol’ braise. This was like a spa treatment for the meaty shanks. They relaxed on a bed of carrots, onions, garlic and tomato. Then they enjoyed a drink of red wine, followed by an energizing bath of coffee. After all that they rested while the vegetables and juices reduced, were blended then strained. By the taste of things the shanks had quite a lovely day at the spa.

And Thirdly we ate French lamb chops. The simplest of all preparations but quite possibly my favorite. You remember the fennel pollen? Well, pull that out again. Dust your chops with it along with salt and pepper. Grab a skillet and cover the bottom with olive oil. Get it hot. No, hotter. Now you are talking. Gently place a chop in and watch the fireworks. Let that hang out for a few minutes then flip. Sizzle. Another few minutes on that side then let it rest. At this point they should be medium rare. If you want them cooked a bit more just pop the skillet in a hot oven for a couple minutes.

Serve with a raw carrot salad. Shaved carrot tossed with a lemon vinagrette (3 parts oil, one part lemon juice, touch of honey, french mustard, salt and pepper) and chopped Italian parsely.

If Rachel Ray were to prepare this she could take a 20 minute cocktail break and still be able to call it a 30 minute meal.

So there you have it. Three great ways to enjoy lamb in 2010.

Happy New Year to you all. May it be filled with joy, love, passion and food.

This has been a big year for our little family. In March we decided to pack our belongings, put it in storage and cross our fingers that our first home would sell in the less-than-stellar market.
You see, we left our hearts in Seattle. We met here, fell in love here, ate incredibly perfect food here and found our church here. We had been gone for 5 years and decided this was the year to return.
In September we sat in our new home in Seattle. It was empty. Devoid of the family photos that now hang in the hall, free from the paintings that have been placed on many walls since their creation. There was no couch to eat popcorn and watch movies on and no sugar in the pantry to bake cookies with. Yet it felt like home.
When the daring bakers challenged us to make a gingerbread house, I wanted to celebrate this year and our new change by constructing a gingerbread “townhouse”. Our townhouse.
You see we live in a vertical rectangle. Three petite floors and beautiful floor to ceiling windows that allow what little light we have this time of year to pour in.
This is our actual townhouse.

And here is our townhouse made of gingerbread, royal icing and candy.

While I love that our actual townhouse doesn’t melt in the rain I do think it would be quite fun to live in the cookie version of our house. I have no doubts that the boys agree with me.

Our original townhouse is constructed from wood and nails. My townhouse is constructed from gingerbread dough, royal icing, peppermint pillows, chocolate covered sunflower seeds, dragees, nonpareils and sanding sugar.

This will probably be the last time I talk to you before Christmas so let me just first of all thank you. This blogged has changed drastically this year and has become something entirely different for me. Where it was once a place to show and market my dessert catering and wedding cake business it has now become a place of creativity and sanctity. A place where I am free to create, share and commune with all of you.

Thank you for welcoming these changes and supporting me. I feel so incredibly blessed to have found an encouraging community during a time in my life where there has been much change and little sleep.

Secondly I want to wish you a joyous holiday filled with much love and sugar. May you be abundantly blessed in this season with hearts and bellies full.

The Food: A-Z Project is still going strong! Check out our flickr group and if you haven’t joined please do. Tomorrow we are moving on to the letter “H”.

For those of you unfamiliar with the project please let me explain. Seeking inspiration and some discipline I decided to begin a group that photographs a food item or recipe beginning with the letter in the alphabet corresponding to the week we are on. With this project I hope to see an improvement in my photography skills and become more familiar with a variety of food ingredients and dishes.

Of course there have been a few weeks in there where I simply scanned through images I have previously shot and hoped I could find some that start with the right letter. But when I push myself to shoot something intentionally that’s when I learn the most and am most satisfied.

Last week was “G” (moving on to “H” next week) and feeling particularly inspired thanks to an incredible workshop with Penny de los Santos, I set up my shot.

Using Grendadine as my “G” ingredient I made a cocktail called the Gin and Sin – which I think earns me extra points for using the letter “G” twice.

This festive cocktail is a wonderful way to bring even more cheer to this joyous time of year. Slightly sweet and sour and completely refreshing. I can’t help but think that the sparkling cranberries from Heidi at 101 cookbooks would look lovely floating on the surface.

See how much fun our flickr group is? Sipping cocktails while taking photos – join the party!

Gin and Sin

1 1/2 oz gin
1 oz orange juice
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 tsp grenadine syrup

I realize that it has been weeks and quite possibly longer  since I’ve posted something savory. ‘Tis the Season! But don’t worry mom, I have been eating my vegetables  – it’s just so fun to talk about sugar.

That changes today. Sort of. There is still sugar in the recipe but there is also an ingredient that you may be unfamiliar with – fennel pollen.

Thanks to the lovely Jennifer Perillo from “In Jennie’s Kitchen”, I was gifted a generous supply of this sweet spice.

Peggy Knickbocker wrote, in an article for Saveur, “If angels sprinkled a spice from their wings, this would be it.” I couldn’t agree more. Anything that resembles fennel in its sweet anise flavor is a winner in my book but fennel pollen goes above and beyond anise. It’s as if it takes all that is good with that subtley sweet licorice essence and makes it a thousand times better. The aroma is floral and intoxicating.  One smell and I suddenly wish I was a bee so I could cover myself in it. I guess I don’t have to be a bee to do that but it would be quite expensive as fennel pollen is nearly as costly as saffron.

The recipe for these fennel pollen cookies is nearly the same as yesterday’s chocolate chip shortbread with a touch more salt and minus the vanilla. I served them with a tart and sweet onion jam and a smokey blue cheese from Rogue River Creamery and let me just tell you the angels were singing. In one bite I tasted sweet, salty, smokey and a soft vinegar bite. The finishing taste was the fennel pollen as it lingered on my tongue, hanging there for a bit – I begged it not to go but once it did I popped another one in my mouth.

If time allows I hope to give all those I love dearly a little jar of onion jam and package of the fennel pollen shortbread. They will be happy.

Continue along for the recipes.

Onion Jam

adapted from Food & Wine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 medium sweet onions, julienned 

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup dry red wine

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup grenadine

Salt

Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until soft and just translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the sugar, wine, vinegar, grenadine and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the liquid thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 35 minutes. Transfer the onion jam to a bowl and let cool.

Note: I doubled the recipe and it worked beautifully. The cooking time was 45 minutes to 1hour.

Fennel Pollen Shortbread
Wild Fennel Pollen can be ordered online. Besides shortbread, fennel pollen, makes an incredible rub on lamb and pork. Sprinkle on salads or roasted vegetables to give an intriguing floral-anise flavor.

adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

3/4 pound butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen, plus more for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the fennel pollen. In a medium bowl, sift together, with a whisk, flour and salt; then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle a generous amount of fennel pollen to cover the the log. Cover in wax paper or parchment. Chill until firm.

Carefully slice the log into 1/4″ cookies. Place the cookies on an sheet pan covered with parchment. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.