In Jennie's Kitchen

it's all happening...{day 155}

I look at this photo of us, sharing a kiss during a Cape Cod sunset, and it reassures me he was happy. People have a way of losing themselves in parenthood. It's a constant juggle, and often one half of the couple is left feeling they have more than their fair share of balls to keep in the air.

We were no exception.

But the way his eyes are closed in this picture, the way his lids rest gently on his lower lashes, they tell me he found peace with me. The same deep brown eyes that, when open, spoke volumes when not a single word was being uttered—they do the same thing in this moment captured, but they are closed.

Months after Michael and I started dating, I remember snuggling my head in his chest, and saying it was my favorite place in the world. I continued to tell him that as days turned into years, and the other night I found myself burrowing my head into his pillow, in search of the warmth that crook of his chest gave me for 16 years.

A few days after this past Thanksgiving, an email came from my literary agent. The subject was simple, with just two words—"an offer". My breath stopped momentarily. Then a tingling sensation spread to my fingertips. I happened to be in our old apartment at the time, working while the sitter was at our new home with the girls.

It felt very fitting, and surreal to call Stacey back and talk about the offer. That kitchen was where it all started, the seedlings of an idea nurtured, Michael's words always encouraging me to dream big. Now, I have the chance to move forward on my terms.

For the next two years, as I write two books for Running Press, there will be an invisible tether between my two lives—the one with Mikey, and the one without. I think these two amazing projects will allow me to weave a bridge with words to eventually feel like a whole person again.

I've been working on the cookbook proposal for two years. It is a part of the life we shared together. Mikey is even the one who came up with the title City Girl, Country Kitchen. I racked my brains for countless hours, and then in one five minute conversation I explained my goal for the book to him and the words City Girl, Country Kitchen rolled off tongue with such ease, I was envious.

Mikey, this is what I would've had waiting for you when you walked in the door as a toast to this very big dream we both shared. I love you baby.

The Celebration

serves one

I've been on a non-alcholic cocktail spree for a week now. I love how a drink can be complex, and filled with layers of flavors but nary a drop of liquor. Go for "top shelf" ingredients here, as you would if making a boozy elixir.

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 blood orange

1/2 teaspoon good quality maple syrup

2 dashes of orange bitters

Seltzer, to top off the glass

Burnt orange peel, for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the juice, syrup and bitters. Seal the top and shake vigorously until beads of sweat form on the outside of the shaker. Pour into an old fashioned cocktail or martini glass, garnish with the burnt orange peel to serve.

 

How to make a burnt orange

Just before serving the cocktail, light a match, or use a lighter, to release the essential oils from the orange peel. Do this by holding the peel with the white, pith side up, and waving the flame underneath over the outer skin of the orange peel.

how to make french press coffee

I have a drinking problem.

Not that kind, though it's no secret I do enjoy a cocktail or nice glass of wine.

It goes beyond the actual beverage. Perhaps we should call it a glass fetish—or obession. I don't know if one is really better than the other.

I'm a stickler for stemware, and have certain preferences for pretty much everything I drink. I hate mammoth martini glasses. Six ounces is way too much for a cocktail. A perfectly balanced blend of spirits is more suited to an old-fashioned three ounce cocktail glass.

Quality over quantity.

The same goes for non-alcoholic beverages. I love juice glasses! Yes, I used an exclamation point for juice glasses. Before you think me crazy, try it sometime. You'll see what I mean.

Beverages stay cold, just long enough for you to finish them. And they're darn cute, I tell you.

In fact, I find them irresistible.

But wait, I know what you're thinking. Get to the coffee already, lady.

Well, my glass issues also extend to coffee and tea. They also apply to the time of day they're served.

My morning coffee or tea must be served in this mug. No other will do.

I prefer my evening tea in this mug—yes, it's really a White Castle cup! I see the irony in this. The girl who spends $8 a pound on grass-fed, local beef, drinking out a "buy 'em by the sack" mug. I've never even tasted a White Castle burger, but do have memories of their french fries and onion rings as a kid.

Now, this leads to my afternoon tea or coffee. All bets are off, and the host mug is usually a rotating cast of characters. Lately, I've fallen in love with big, bulbous mugs, gripped by a handle wide enough to snugly fit three fingers—my pointer, middle and ring finger, the thumb resting comfortably on top and pinky resting under the handle.

I warned you I had an obsession, and if you're still tuned in, then you probably deserve an award (or are contemplating an intervention).

Sooo, this leads me to a new acquisition. This pretty little mug you see above from Anthropologie. I bought juice glasses too.

Overcome with a coffee urge after talking at length about it with Sean over lunch, I came home like an excited child, eager to give my new mug a test drive. My intention was to disguise it as a selfless act and lesson on how to brew a perfect pot of French press coffee. I failed miserably, as evidenced in the inner thoughts of my neurosis spilled across the screen. If anyone knows of a support group, I'm all ears.

But first, I need to go wash my other new mug.

French Press Coffee

makes 10 ounces of medium-strong brewed coffee

Like coffee mugs, I have mutliple ways for making java—a coffee maker, two stovetop pots, two demitasse pots, one chemex and two French presses. My obsessions obviously extended beyond ceramics and glassware. This formula is based on my smaller press. Regardless of the size of your pot, the ratio is basically 1 tablespoon (6 grams) of medium-ground coffee (see slide show below) per 3 1/2 ounces (49 ml) of boiling water.

3 tablespoons (18 grams) medium-coarse ground coffee

10 ounces boiling water

Add ground coffee to a French press pot. Pour boiling water over coffee, cover with the plunger but do not press down. Let grinds brew for 5 to 7 minutes, depending on how strong you like it. Press plunger down and serve immediately. Steamed milk and sugar are optional.

cold-brewed coffee

Saturday nights I tend to don my insomniac hat. See, Sundays are the one day of the week I don't set an alarm. It is my day to "sleep in" while the Mr. stirs and tends to the girls. I cherish those lazy mornings, when I rise around 8:30 or 9:00am—a big contrast to the 6:00am I wake every other day. The problem is my mind and body have become adept at running on 6 hours of sleep, and just as I'm about to settle into bed around 11:00pm, I get hit with a second wind.

Secretly, I enjoy this ritual. Everyone is snuggled, all cozy in bed. The house is silent, and it's a rather peaceful way to say goodbye to what has usually been a hectic week. I force myself to bed no later than 2:00am, so in the end my "sleeping in" doesn't grant me more dreamtime. But the reprieve from my weekly morning activities is a very welcome one.

I know. You're wondering why the heck I'm talking about lazy Sunday mornings when it's Monday and we're all back to the grind. Frankly, next to my girls waking up in a good mood, there's no better greeting to the day than a perfect cup of coffee.

strawberry sweet tea

Hard to believe strawberry season will soon be over. By now my pantry should runneth over with homemade jam, except my heart is big and I often find myself giving jars of it away as if I had an endless supply. Thankfully I've also been building a stash of strawberries in the freezer, and one thing I'll really look forward to this winter is some strawberry sweet tea.

Since our apartment is above the boiler room and the rest of our co-op board prefers to keep the thermostat at 72º in the winter, it's not hard to imagine I live on a tropical island, even during a snowstorm. And when such an occasion hits, I'm going to make a batch of this iced tea, throw a blanket down on the floor and play picnic with the girls.

My handy tip to keep the tea bag papers from falling into the pitcher.

Now, I should let you know straining the strawberry concentrate is one of my least favorite activities, but it really isn't a step to skip if, like me, you prefer a pulp-free iced tea (which is funny because I absolutely love pulp in my orange juice—go figure).

And if you're wondering why I didn't just puree the berries and add them to the tea, it's because it tasted a little tart that way. I found a quick cook in the microwave—you could do it in a small pot on the stovetop too, mellowed them out and developed a deeper, more intense strawberry flavor. Perhaps if the berries are super sweet, you can skip this step. And if you really want to get fancy, add some frozen whole berries to a tall glass for an slushy snack when the last sip is gone.

Key Lime Spritzer

I don't keep soda in the house, and every now and again, the urge for a sweet burst of carbonation hits me. This usually happens while the baby is napping or at midnight—both times when running out to the market aren't an option. About two months ago, such a craving arose and I approached it as I would any cooking challenge and decided to see I could do with the ingredients I had on hand.

A quick survery showed some seltzer, and tucked away in the back of the fridge was a bottle of Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice. I also had some simple syrup in there. A few minutes later, an icy cold rocks glass was filled with a spash of this and spritz of that, and I was sipping a citrusy drink with a hint of coconut flavor. Add it to this weekend's festivities and kick it up with a shot of bourbon or tequila for a head start on the fireworks.

KEY LIME SPRITZER

makes as many as you want

Selter or sparkling water

Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice

Simple syrup

This is really a no-recipe drink. It's mostly seltzer with a splash of key lime juice and simple syrup—the amount depend on your tastebuds. If you're serving it at a party, I suggest making a large batch and refrigerating it a few hours before so you can just pour and serve as needed.

Note: Nellie &Joe's also makes a 100% All Natural juice.