2022 Lunar New Year - Dinner for 2

A humble nod to Chinese culture to welcome the Lunar New Year!  Inspiration was sought everywhere.  I learned a lot by putting together this table, mostly that my inventory of Asian dishes is sadly lacking.  Still, it was fun to discover so many new things about Chinese traditions.

In traditional Chinese culture red symbolizes good luck and wealth.  So, out came napkins, ramekins and water goblets.

The dragonfly is a symbol of prosperity, good luck and harmony.  The Kim Seybert napkin rings are still a favorite, and seemed to work well with the red napkins.

My mother bought me this trinket box back in the 70s, in a Chinese import store on Clark Street, in Chicago.  I still remember vividly that shopping expedition with her, and the discovery of the little box in the midst of fans, slippers, silk purses, and a myriad other tchotchkes.  It was intended to hold my fortune-telling cards, however, it turned out to be a tad too small for them.  I still love the little box with the flying swallows, and it usually lives in my dresser, where I keep my special treasures.  I remembered it today, as I was running around trying to find Asian things for the table, and although it served no purpose whatsoever, I set it on the table to look at because it makes me smile and reminds me of my mom.

A few years ago, the owner of the nail spa I frequent, gave me this envelope as a token of appreciation and to wish me luck on the Year of the Rooster.  Apparently, despite its peculiar appearance, it's legal tender.  The search for inspiration continues.

The mandarin orange is an important symbol of the Chinese New Year.  The small, round fruit looks like the sun, and is a symbol of abundance and happiness.  Mandarins should come with stems and a few leaves, which is part of the symbolism and denotes freshness.  They are frequently given as gifts during this period to wish the recipient a long life and fertility.

I placed the mandarins in a Blue Calico plate.  The plate was manufactured in the pottery district in England, however, the cherry blossom pattern is evocative of Asia, where the flowers grow in abundance.

I just learned today that in a traditional Chinese table, you are not supposed to place a knife.  Supposedly it's bad luck to cut your noodles.  Imagine my chagrin when the noodles in my takeout Pad Thai came already cut!  This restaurant is not following the rules!

So, the menu consisted of Char Siu (Cantonese BBQ Pork), which I made myself, Chicken Pad Thai, Shrimp Dumplings, Egg Rolls, and Steamed White Rice.  

Then, to finish the meal, we shared almond and fortune cookies, and those delicious mandarins.  Oolong tea was served in my little red ramekins.

Happy Year of the Tiger!

Gold Chargers - Marshall Field's many years ago

Black Dinner Plates - The Dollar Tree, many years ago

Red Water Goblets - HomeGoods

Red Ramekins - Emile Henry, available through their site or Amazon

Napkin Rings - Kim Seybert

Fork - Treble Clef, by Gourmet Settings

Easter 2021

I've only had my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to date, so, for now, we continue to take precautions.  This means another Easter at home, just the two of us.

But Spring brings promises of better days ahead, so I put my energy in preparing a nice dinner for my husband and myself.

But first, the table.  I pulled out old favorites that really never get old for me:  The willow chargers, Wedgwood Nantucket Basket dinner plates, Blue Calico salad plates, and willow napkin rings to match the chargers.

We still needed some Easter candy around, even though the boys aren't here anymore, so candy-coated chocolate egg truffles were scattered on the table. 

 

The sugar-coated gummy bunnies were placed in a little bowl to contain the sugar dust.  My husband is a little boy when it comes to candy, he devours it if it's left lying around, so I had to hide it until this morning.

We had a Honey Baked® Ham, which just needed to be heated, and it was delicious!  My motto is to keep holidays as easy as possible so we can enjoy the day.

Of course, my own rule went out the window when I made this Asparagus Cheese Tart.  I have come to the conclusion that, although I've done a little baking in the past, this is the part of cooking that I like the least.  Dough is still a mystery to me.  I bought commercial puff pastry, and cut it down so that it fit in my porcelain platter.  Then, I made the filling and baked it in the same oven-proof platter. I used Martha Stewart's Asparagus Gruyère recipe.  It was good, but way more labor intensive than I expected, and my husband didn't really care for the cheesy texture, so I don't think I'll be making this one again.  It looked pretty, though. 

I had never made Garlic Maple Roasted Carrots, but they were so delicious that I know it's something that will show up on our dinner table again and again going forward.  I liked leaving the bit of stalk on top, they looked cute.

Simple dinner rolls from our favorite bakery . . .

And a sweet butter lamb rounded out the dinner.

The lamb-shaped butter from Danish Maid has become a fixture at all our Easter meals.  They are so sweet-looking, and the butter is delicious!

The dessert was a cheesecake from Costco, which was truly delicious:  Creamy, smooth, and not overly sweet.  To make it even more wonderful, I paired it with some homemade strawberry coulis, and fresh blueberries.  It was divine!  I don't think I'll ever make a cheesecake again as long as I live near a Costco.

And, when dinner was done, we were left with the crowning glory of Spring, this wonderful daffodil bouquet.  Happy Easter to all!

Flowers, and music, and bees, oh, my!

And tea!  Oh, my, my!  All from Australia!  Thank you to a dear Facebook friend, Dewita Carson, for this unbelievably thoughtful card and tea bag that have traveled halfway around the world!  Your card reminds me of how much goodness there is in the world, and how worthwhile life is, and how much we should treasure friendships!  You are an angel!

The hydrangeas are from my garden!  We finally got some blooms this year!

The description on the teabag says: "A fruity mango blend with Australian Native Plants and other ingredients that have been recognized to help relax and calm the mind.  This blend is designed to help you focus on the positive aspects of life."  I'll take it!

Dewita enjoys creating multi-media art, like in this card . . .

Always with her audience preferences in mind . . .

Here's to friendship and the land Down Under!

A Very Berry Breakfast

Some days are just special.  It's nice to indulge in a totally unexpected, middle-of-the-week breakfast as a treat for someone you love.

The food doesn't have to be fancy.  In my humble opinion, an ordinary breakfast, or any meal, actually, can be elevated with the proper setting and mood.  Mornings start early at our house, so I did most of the prep work the night before.

For a change of pace, I am using a pair of delightful Berries Kitchen Towels that we received recently as a gift.  That was the starting point for the rest of the table.  

Pairing bees with berries seemed like a no-brainer, so the La Rochère Bee glasses came out to play.

The cream tot was filled the night before, then covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated so it would be ready to go right away.  Mr. & Mrs. Red volunteered to help out.  They usually come out for patriotic tables, and occasionally for other holidays.  It's fun having them around.

The Blue Calico sugar bowl withdrew in a snit when it realized that neither my husband or I adds sugar to our tea.  Very temperamental, that Blue Calico.

We like berries and eat a lot of them at our house.  They are high in polyphenols, those magic antioxidants that do so many great things for the human body, and it's wonderful that something that is good for us, is also so darn delicious!

Won't you have a croissant . . . or a scone . . . ? 

The jam came along with the dish towels, and I couldn't wait to try it.  Oh, my!  If you have a chance, please don't pass the opportunity to buy a jar.  It is so delicious.  Most of the berries remain whole.  I wish I had taken a picture, but I was too busy licking my fingers!

And, since we were serving Blueberry Jam, the Blueberry spoon came out.  This was part of the gift package.  I'm going to remember to do this for someone else.  Everything was a delight from beginning to end!

Don't you love the Mason Woven table runner from Pottery Barn?  It adds so much to the textural mix on this table!

Even a few simple daisies can brighten your day.  The miniature vases are part of a set of three that my son, David, gave me for Christmas a few years ago.

I've gotten into the habit of always taking a rim shot, to see how my plate stack looks to any tiny bug that might wonder to the top of the table.

The Napoleon Bee flatware did not want to be left out.  I say, the more the merrier!

Breakfast in heaven includes a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.  Did you know that?

The mini vase on this side has a different shape.  There's a lot of texture and color on this table, but the white Wedgwood Nantucket Basket dishes calm everything down.

Hard-boiled eggs, with extra ones to snack on later in the morning, or tomorrow.

Another low-carb offering:  Prosciutto wrapped in Mozzarella, and Emmentaler cheese slices.  I prefer Gouda, but he likes Emmentaler, and it's a special day, so he gets his Emmentaler with a pretty tomato rose to fancy up the plate.  Everything had to be pretty today.  You see, today my husband and I celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary.  

“Come grow old with me.  The best is yet to be.” 

—William Wordsworth

A Patriotic Picnic: Cantigny Park

We recently discovered Cantigny Park, practically in our own backyard!  Where, oh where, have we been all these years!  It's located in Wheaton, Illinois and approximately 20 minutes from our house. 

Cantigny Park was the former home of Robert McCormick, who owned and ran the Chicago Tribune and made it into a formidable publication in the early part of the 20th century.  His biography is rather interesting and worthy of a read.  Upon his death in 1955 he bequeathed his estate to the McCormick Charitable Trust, now the McCormick Foundation, and at his request, the estate was opened to the public.

What a legacy!  The grounds are breathtakingly beautiful.

Filled with flowers, plants and trees of all sorts, the paths invite the visitor to walk and wander through its many gardens . . .

. . . and stop to admire the pools and statues that dot the landscape.

The marvelous Rose Garden contains more than 1,000 rose bushes, representing many, many varieties and classifications.  I could spend hours in this garden alone.  Now that we know this place is here, I must come back next year when the roses are at their peak.

This is the Chicago Peace Rose, described as a "glowing pink rose with a butter yellow heart."  This variety was hybridized in these very gardens.

Robert McCormick's second wife was very fond of oriental art, and brought back many curiosities from their many trips to Asia, especially China.  A pair of Foo Dog statues (also known as Imperial Guardian Lions) flank the front of the house.

   

The 500-acre property was originally called Red Oaks, but McCormick renamed it Cantigny, after the battle in France in which he saw action with the Army's 1st Battalion.

He also endowed the First Division Museum on the same premises, but it's currently closed for remodeling.  It contains all kinds of tanks from WWI, and from other wars that followed it.  It's now become a military museum.

Once the museum reopens, we'll have to go back.  Alas!  What sacrifice!

After wandering around all morning, and visiting his former home (no pictures allowed, unfortunately), it was time for lunch in one of their picnic groves.

And because military history enveloped us everywhere, it seemed logical to bring out the red, white and blue.

I prepared an easy and delicious picnic that could stay in the car for a few hours while we wandered around the park:  Sandwiches made with Egg and Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade on French Baguette. To drink we had lemonade.  We had also tucked a bottle of Sancerre in the picnic basket but it was so hot that we craved the lemonade above all else and never got around to opening the wine.

The sandwiches were messy and drippy, but utterly delicious.  The recipe was simplicity itself:  I sliced hard-boiled eggs, and added some Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade from a jar (that you should always keep in your pantry for emergencies, sometimes it's called Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta).  A dash of salt and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes enhanced the flavor, but were not really needed, so feel free to skip these, if you'd rather.

The sandwich was hard to photograph because it wanted to fall apart; I need to work on my sandwich building skills.  My husband, reluctantly held out what was left of his so I could snap a photo.  I should've made a couple more!

Then, for dessert, we had freshly cubed peaches marinated in Grand Marnier, and served with Madeleines to help soak up the boozy juice.  Light and so perfectly suited for the season!  The peaches have been marvelous this year here in the Midwest!

I love museum gift shops.  They always carry such intriguing merchandise!  And books, of course, wonderful books.  I found this small collection of poems from World War I, the most famous of which is "In Flanders' Fields."  It is very poignant and reminds us of how truly tragic war can be.  

I wish I had been able to find red poppies instead of red carnations, to honor our fallen soldiers.  After WW I, poppies have been adopted as a symbol of remembrance.  But my local florists didn't have any.  It would have required a special order.  Why don't I ever see poppies at the florist or grocery store?  Note to self:  Plant some poppies in the garden this fall. 

This afternoon, I was once again reminded to be grateful for our country, with all its flaws.  And to live in the moment, and have many, many picnics!

This adorable dragonfly that I also found at the gift shop says it best:  Enjoy today!