Chicken Noodle Soup

Here's la soupe au poulet et nouilles —

Chicken Noodle Soup, elevated to something magnifique . . .

by merely serving it on the dashing Lion's Head Soup bowl . . .

And then, for dessert, Lime Mousse, from the Silver Palate Cookbook.  This is part of the standard repertoire in the Cheney household, and we never seem to tire of it — plus I got to use up the leftover limes from last Sunday's Irish Whiskey Mules.  Bon appétit!

Lemon Tablescape

How many of you remember the “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” story from your children's childhood?  My husband and I must have read this story - and its sequels (“If You Give a Moose a Muffin,” “If You Give a Pig a Pancake”) a hundred times!  And, ahem! we only did it for the kids, not because we enjoyed it in the least.  Oh, what fun times!

And now, I've created my own version.  It goes like this:  If you give Maria a Lemon Thyme herb plant,

the variegated Lemon Thyme that she can find locally only at Trader Joe's every other year . . .

chances are she's going to want to bake something special . . .

like the Citrus Loaf Cake from Rattlebridge Farm . . . 

When she makes the cake, she'll realize she needs to put together a table to go with it.  

She'll want to use her Botanical Citrus Salad plates from Williams-Sonoma, featuring limes . . .

blood oranges . . . 

grapefruits . . .

and, of course, lemons!

To complete the table, she'll realize she needs a nice centerpiece . . .

Some lemony yellow roses interspersed with creamy whites . . .

Set on a vase surrounded by lemon slices . . .

Once the table is set, she'll want to invite some friends for lunch . . .

  

If she invites some friends, it'll dawn on her that she's now going to have to prepare some food, because, unfortunately, it won't magically appear on the plates.  She makes a nice arugula salad with shaved Parmesan cheese and dressed with a lemon vinaigrette . . .

using her precious olive oil, bought in Italy last year while she was traveling in Tuscany.

Then, she'll prepare one of her favorite dishes:  Chicken Marbella, from the Silver Palate Cookbook.

The chicken is prepared with yummy treats like olives, capers, prunes, garlic, oregano, and, of course, more precious olive oil . . . All those good things that remind her of the Mediterranean . . .

Then it's sprinkled with brown sugar, which will caramelize during baking and flavor the chicken beautifully . . .

Once the chicken is done, she'll need to turn her attention to the beverages, and, since her mind is still taking a short trip back to Italy, Pallini Palmers seem perfect for the occasion!

Made with her favorite Arnold Palmer recipe, and adding a generous portion of Pallini Limoncello.

It's a perfect summer drink!

There are a lot of lemons in this post, but as Mae West once famously said:  “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!”

She and her guests can glance at her flowering clematis in the backyard, just to cleanse their visual palate . . .

Her friends will come and share the food, the drinks, and some lovely conversation on a beautiful summer afternoon . . .

And chances are . . . she'll have so much fun, she'll want to do it again and again!

Tea Bread Tuesday: Lemon Poppy Seed Bread with Lemon Glaze

I am devoted to Mr. Lime, I really am . . . and it seems disloyal to go flirting with his sunny cousin, Mr. Lemon, at the first sign of trouble.  Alas, Mr. Lime is making himself very dear this summer, what with the terrible crop we've had . . . bad winter!  So when life gives you lemons . . . we must make the best of it . . .  I'm such a tramp!  But a bread like this one can make you re-think your loyalties . . . It . . . is . . . DELICIOUS!  So moist, so lemony . . . and the hint of almonds doesn't hurt one bit!  You must try it!  This might be the beginning of a beautiful ménage à trois . . .

Here's the recipe:

For the bread:

1½ cup all-purpose flour

1¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

¾ cup of half and half

½ cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (1 large lemon = approx. 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest)

For the glaze:

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

½ tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350º F.  Grease and flour a 9” x 5” loaf pan.  Set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and poppy seeds.  With electric mixer, add the wet ingredients, one at a time, until they have all been incorporated.  Beat for one additional minute.  Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, with a few crumbs clinging to the toothpick.

While bread is baking, prepare the glaze.  In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and cook over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.  When the bread is done, let cool in the pan for a few minutes, but while still hot invert into a wire rack, and then back into a serving tray.  Brush glaze immediately over the warm bread, on top and on the sides.  Use all the glaze, the bread will absorb most of it.  For best taste, make it the night before and the bread will be ever so moist and flavorful!  Enjoy!

Ocean Dreams Tablescape

My dear, dear brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Barb, came to Chicago for a family reunion, and we invited them to dinner so we could have them all to ourselves and catch up before the rest of the family descended.  It was a cozy dinner for just the four of us.  It's summer, so with beachy thoughts in my head, the inspiration couldn't be anything but the ocean . . . 

This table came together so easily!  I already owned everything I needed, so it was just a matter of putting things together.  There's no stress at the beach!  It's a rule!  I started out with the white homespun tablecloth that's become an indespensable go-to item in my tablescaping arsenal . . .  I used this tablecloth here, for Easter.

The tablecloth was followed by Barcelona seagrass placemats from Crate and Barrel . . .

I love the color and the weave . . . and feels like it belongs with beachy things . . .

Then I used my ever-reliable white Traditions dinner plates from Williams-Sonoma, followed by glass Orion salad plates from Crate and Barrel . . .  I bought these salad plates ages ago, and I could kick myself for not having bought more.  The rippling is reminiscent of the ocean . . . how perfect can it get?

I fell in love with these soft, crossed-dyed napkins from Pottery Barn.  The color is called Blue Opal, and it seems fitting considering the many shades of blue that form the fabric, just like the ever-changing colors of the ocean . . .

A beautiful marine blue for the water goblets . . .

I picked up the fresh limonium at my local supermarket.  It reminded me of seaweed growing on the ocean floor, and I liked how the purple looked with the other blues on the table . . . 

Mr. Octopus guarding the salt and pepper cellars . . .

Red pepper flakes to go with the spicy menu . . . 

I pulled out my lantern and kept layering the blues by adding some sea glass pebbles . . . I first used this lantern in my first Watermelon table.  I love its shape and the fact that it works with so many different tables.



More whimsy with these mini-bottles of Tabasco sauce from World Market . . . I tend to go easy with the spices on the food, and offer guests a variety of ways to crank up the heat to their own taste . . .

The table is set . . .  Now for the menu:

Bacon Corn Muffins

Caesar Salad

Shrimp Creole, Cuban-style

Brown Rice

Baked sweet potato fries

And for dessert . . . Lime mousse topped with a dark chocolate/macadamia dolphin . . .

And the most important touch of all . . . wonderful family and lively conversation!  Here is my brother-in-law nibbling on fish crackers while we waited for dinner to be ready . . . 

One last look at the table . . .

Wishing you ocean dreams . . .

Lime Mousse

This recipe came from The Silver Palate Cookbook. I'm on the second copy of this wonderful cookbook and it's covered with food splatters and comments written on the margins. Next to this one I wrote: “Oh, my God! This is too wonderful!”

This recipe is a tried and true masterpiece and I've made it many times. It's one of my husband's favorites. It's silky smooth and refreshingly tart, making it a great finish to just about any meal. Impress your friends . . . or butter up your husband, next time you need the kitchen ceiling painted . . .

Here's the recipe:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) sweet butter

5 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup fresh lime juice (7 or 7 limes)

grated zest of 5 limes

2 cups heavy (whipping) cream, chilled

1. Melt butter in the top part of a double boiler over simmering water.
2. Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl until light and foamy. Add mixture to melted butter. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes a custard, about 8 minutes. Do not overcook or eggs will scramble.
3. Remove custard from heat and stir in lime juice and grated zest. Cool to room temperature.
4. This step is unorthodox but crucial. Using an electric mixer, whip chilled cream until very stiff—almost, but not quite, to the point where it would become butter.
5. Stir lime custard into whipped cream until just incorporated. Pour into 8 individual glasses or a serving bowl. Chill for at least 4 hours.

8 portions (or 6 large ones if you can't seem to find your other two glasses . . . )

And, yes, I still have more limes . . .

Tea Bread Tuesday: Lime Bread

What else? I still need to use up all those limes!


The recipe was quite simple:

For the bread:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
the grated zest of 2 large limes (1½ teaspoons)
the juice of 1 lime
2 eggs
1½ cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Half and Half
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

For the glaze (optional, I did not make it):

2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add lime juice, grated lime zest and eggs; beat well. Combine dry ingredients. Add to butter mixture alternating with the Half and Half until it's all incorporated into the batter. Fold in the nuts. Pour into the pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for about five minutes, invert and place in serving platter.

Make glaze by combining the confectioner's sugar and enough lime juice to desired consistency. Drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely.
* * * * * * * *
This bread was absolutely delicious. I chose not to make the glaze because I wanted to keep it light and not too sweet. I loved it. I think next time, though, I will try it with the glaze just so I can have a second viewpoint.

I sat in the backyard with my cup of coffee and a slice of bread . . . and savored a perfect summer day . . .

More lime fun!

When's the best time to drink daiquiris? Summertime! Especially when you have 47 limes sitting on your kitchen counter waiting to be put to use . . .

The daiquiri is Cuba's most famous contribution to the cocktail hour. Its invention can be traced back to La Floridita, an ale house in Old Havana. According to Mary Urrutia Randelman, author of “Memories of a Cuban Kitchen,” the drink grew in popularity before it had a name. One night, a passerby asked the elderly black gentleman who sold newspapers outside the bar if “that drink” was served inside. The man, using a phrase once common among African slaves, replied: “Ah, da kirie” which means simply: “Yes, sir.” And so, the daiquiri was christened.

I had a dream last night that limes were following me around the house . . .

Limes

I may have gone a tad overboard . . .

But who could resist this bounty? Twenty limes for $1 at Caputo's - my favorite grocery store! I bought sixty.

First, I dropped a wedge of lime in some fizzy water to cool off after my shopping expedition . . .

Then I made some fresh salsa . . .

And it's only Saturday! I have a whole lot of Sunday to think up more uses for these refreshing little wonders . . .