Creative Sanctuary

Ideas

Mint Sunflower Spread

By Allison

mint sunflower spreadMy ten days in Australia were magical.  I had never imagined I would travel there, so apart from the Sydney Opera House and kangaroos, I didn’t hold any fixed images of what Australia might be or mean to me.  Arriving without expectations left me open to experiencing each day’s offerings—beach walks, fish markets, Aboriginal art.  At each turn there was a friendly face ready to welcome me to Australia and perhaps point me to my next adventure.

My culinary experiences were especially energizing.  I tried new foods with “exotic” names like barramundi and freekeh.  I ate the best breakfast of my life at Cornersmith in Sydney.  Two years on, I think that I am most affected by the creative preparation of foods I already knew.  I still remind myself to use ingredients in ways that are new to me, and my Mint Sunflower spread was developed in that spirit.

Inspired by Vladia Cobrodova’s Creamy Mint Pesto, my spread is summer fresh.  It gets its creaminess from sunflower seeds and raw cashews.  The potency of mint and Parmesan cheese stand up to one another and make for a surprisingly lovely pairing.  Baby spinach and parsley round out the flavors.  I serve this spread with pita chips and raw vegetables as an appetizer.  It also works well as part of a main course that includes other dips and spreads.  Thin it out with a few tablespoons of water and use it as a pesto in a bowl of pasta or drizzled over grilled vegetables or meat.  Mint Sunflower Spread freezes beautifully and has brightened up many a dreary winter evening when I crave healthy, bright flavors.

Inspirations

Using summer herbs

Tea in Sydney

Australian cookbooks:  Cornersmith and A Whole New Way to Eat

Mint Sunflower Spread

Created by on August 10, 2019

mint sunflower spread Inspired by Vladia Cobrodova’s Creamy Mint Pesto, this spread freezes well, so consider making a double batch when mint is abundant.

Ingredients

  • 3 c baby spinach leaves
  • 1 1/2 c mint leaves, tightly packed
  • 1/2 c flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/2 c raw cashews
  • 1/2 c raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 c parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to store
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black papper
  • 1 1/2 limes, juiced
  • 1/4 c water

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients except extra virgin olive oil and water in food processor. Process until smooth. With motor running, slowly add olive oil. Then add water. Verify consistency and seasoning. If not to your liking, thin with more water.
  2. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with pita triangles, pita chips, or raw vegetables. If not serving immediately, transfer to jar and top with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to prevent oxidation. Will keep in refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Gazpacho Party

By Allison

gazpacho party

How are you doing with the oppressive heat? Even with the blessing of air conditioning it’s hard not to feel sluggish, isn’t it?

Today I offer you three gazpacho recipes that can serve as an easy, elegant first course at your next summer dinner party. Gazpachos are often thickened with a piece of stale bread or garnished with diced vegetables, but with these three recipes, my approach is different. I aim for thin, drinkable soups. These beauties make a stunning presentation in small glasses—no need for spoons! I do not worry about matching the glassware. In fact, all the tiny glasses pictured in this post come from local flea markets.

If you don’t have a dinner party in the works, a pitcher or two of gazpacho in the fridge can be a godsend during a heatwave. Hydrating and nutritious, soup makes a satisfying afternoon snack or light meal.  These gazpachos are best in the first three days, but will keep for almost a week.

My Elegant Gazpacho features bell peppers and ripe tomatoes. Silky Gazpacho has a generous dose of olive oil that makes an especially smooth soup. Red Fruit Gazpacho is a sweet soup whose flavor is heightened by a few drops of black vinegar.  Stay cool, stay hydrated, and enjoy!

Elegant Gazpacho

Created by on July 20, 2019

gazpacho I’ve been making versions of Daniel Boulud’s gazpacho for almost 20 years. Over time I’ve streamlined the steps, but I still blanch the bell peppers to lessen their sharp bite. This recipe makes a creamy red soup, flecked with basil. Adapted from Café Boulud Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow bell pepper, core and seeds removed and cut into chunks
  • 1 red bell pepper, core and seeds removed and cut into chunks
  • 1 green bell pepper, core and seeds removed and cut into chunks
  • 3 ripe tomatoes (a mix of red and yellow is nice)
  • 1 English cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1/4 mild onion, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 cloves garlic, split
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • juice of 1 lime
  • dash hot sauce
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 handful basil leaves, cut into ribbons

Instructions

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add chunks of yellow, red, and green pepper. Blanch 2-3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking. Once cool, pat dry between a clean dish towel.
  2. Place all ingredients except salt, pepper, and basil into the container of a blender or food processor. Blend until mixture is smooth, at least 2 minutes. Work in batches if necessary. With blender running, add about 2 tsp. salt and several grind of pepper. Stop blender, taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, or hot sauce to suit your taste.
  3. Strain gazpacho through a strainer, using a rubber spatula to push all liquid through. Discard the solids.
  4. Stir in basil, transfer to pitcher, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. Serve in glasses. Makes about 1.5 quarts.

Silky Gazpacho

Created by on July 20, 2019

gazpacho Adapted from Julia Moskin’s Best Gazpacho

Ingredients

  • 3 medium ripe tomatoes (a mix of red and yellow is nice)
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 cucumber, mostly peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 clove garlic, split
  • 2 tsp. sherry vinegar
  • 1 tsp. dried Piment d'Espelette or Aleppo Pepper
  • 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling

Instructions

  1. Place tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and garlic in blender or food processor. Work in batches, if necessary. Blend on high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed.
  2. With the motor running, add the vinegar, 2 tsp. salt and Piment d'Espelette or Aleppo Pepper. Then slowly pour in olive oil. The soup will become very smooth and bright orange or pink. If soup is still watery, add a little more olive oil until texture is creamy.
  3. Strain the gazpacho through a strainer, using a rubber spatula to push all liquid through. Discard the solids. Transfer to a pitcher and chill until very cold, at least 4 hours.
  4. Before serving, adjust seasonings with salt, Piment d'Espelette or Aleppo Pepper, and vinegar. If soup is too thick for your liking, stir in a few tablespoons of cold water. Serve in glasses. Makes one scant quart.

Red Fruit Gazpacho

Created by on July 20, 2019

gazpacho This purple fruit gazpacho is ready in minutes! Its flavor and health are heightened by tangy black vinegar from Japan. Substitute 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar if black vinegar isn’t available.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 small watermelon, cubed and seeds removed
  • 2 handfuls red cherries, rinsed and pitted
  • 2 handfuls blueberries, rinsed
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 6 drops black vinegar
  • yogurt for garnish, optional
  • ice cubes, optional

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients except yogurt and ice cubes in blender. Blend until smooth. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours. If soup has separated, shake or stir to recombine. Serve over ice and add a dollop of yogurt, if desired. Makes 1 scant quart.

Markets and Picnics in Versailles

By Allison

red fruits french marketOutdoor markets and picnics. Quintessential French experiences that join food, fellowship, and nature.  Versailles is lucky to have some of the best farmers’ markets in the greater Paris area.  So why not take advantage of the abundance and pair a morning market visit with a picnic lunch?

Marketing and picnicking require some forethought.  First, check the weather forecast to assure that your picnic won’t be spoiled by rain.  Then, think about supplies.  I always travel with bamboo cutlery and a few tea towels, so I’m close to picnic-ready in Versailles.  Another option is to drop by a local supermarket to pick up disposable cutlery, napkins, and plates.

Outdoor markets don’t take place every day, and they usually shut down in the early afternoon.  Versailles’ main market, the Marché Notre-Dame, has distinct sections and schedules:  the indoor part operates every day except Monday.  The outdoor part runs on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.  Sunday is undoubtedly the most beautiful market day, with the most vendors selling their produce.  The Marché Notre-Dame is a few minutes’ walk from the Château.

The Marché Saint-Louis, held in front of the Cathedral on Thursday and Saturday mornings, is a vibrant part of the Saint-Louis neighborhood, a 10-15 minute stroll from the Château.  Although both this market and the Marché Notre-Dame are frequented by locals, I have noticed that the Marché Saint-Louis is more quaint and less crowded.

Once you’ve equipped yourself for a picnic, you’ll need to select your ideal picnic spot.  On the Château property, there is dedicated picnic space on the Plaine Saint Antoine, between the Château and Trianon Palaces.  Picnicking is also allowed along the lower part of the Grand Canal, closest to the Château.  Please note that glass bottles are not permitted in the Park, so all wine bottles will be confiscated at the security points as  you enter.  Access to the gardens and the picnic area is free of charge, except on Musical Fountains Shows and Musical Gardens Days.  Make sure you check the schedule beforehand!

Another picnic option outside of the Estate is the Lake of the Swiss Guards, accessible from the rue de l’Indépendance Américaine.

Versailles Markets

Marché Notre-Dame, Place du Marché Notre-Dame

Indoor market—Les Halles
Tuesday-Saturday:  7:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
Sunday:  7:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.

Outdoor market—Les Carrés Notre-Dame
Tuesday, Friday & Sunday—7:00 a.m.-2 :00 p.m.

Marché Saint-Louis—In front of the cathedral, Place Saint-Louis

Thursday & Saturday:  7:30 a.m.—1:30 p.m.

Flower Market—Avenue de Saint Cloud, across from carousel

Tuesday, Friday, Saturday:  8:00 a.m.—7:00 p.m.
Sunday:  Morning

 

 

Reading Serendipitously: De l’âme

By Allison

tree man tommy mcrae

Spearing the kangaroo, Tommy Mcrae (detail)

Try this.  Pull a book from the shelf, open it at random, and let your eyes fall where they will.  What words jump out at you?  Do they hold wisdom, hope, or even an answer to a question you’ve been pondering?

I often find unexpected messages in this way.  It’s always a surprise when a seemingly random chain of words speaks to something that’s been on my mind.  The Improvised Life blog features this practice in its Opened at Random posts.  In his book on creativity, Phil Cousineau writes about engaging in bibliomancy in a Galway bookstore in hopes of finding inspiration.  When messages leap from the page to my heart, I call this reading serendipitously.

As spring was about to emerge, I was yearning to re-ground myself in nature, but it was still too cold to spend much time outside.  François Cheng’s meditation on the soul, De l’âme, spoke to my need to reconnect with the outdoors.

“Le lien entre l’arbre et les oiseaux semble naturel.  Mais l’alliance de l’arbre avec les hommes est-elle assez prise en compte par nous ?  Sommes-nous conscients que nous ne pouvons trouver dans la nature compagnon plus fiable et plus durable ?  Cet être debout comme nous, qui depuis les profondeurs du sol tend résolument vers le haut, nous rappelle que notre être tient tout autant de la terre que du ciel” (118-119).

“The connection between tree and birds seems natural.  But the union of tree with man, do we consider it enough?  Are we aware that we can find no more reliable and durable companion?  Like us, this upright being, who, from the depths of the soil stretches resolutely upwards, reminds us that our being holds just as much from the earth as from the sky.”

Rose Geranium Cake

By Allison

rose geranium cakeThe Kentucky Derby has come and gone, and today is Mother’s Day.  What plans do you have for your garden this year?  The harvest of my beloved yet modest patio garden makes its way to bright, summer dishes and iced tea garnishes.  The last few years I have made a spot for a gracious, yet spindly rose geranium.  Scented geraniums are simultaneously old-fashioned and trendy.  My favorite greenhouse sells not only rose geraniums, but chocolate mint geraniums, lime geraniums, and cinnamon geraniums.  How to choose?

I usually settle for my standard rose geranium.  When I am on my patio, I unfailingly rub a leaf between my thumb and forefinger, releasing a sweet and subtle rose scent.  I love my rose geranium for this kinetic and olfactory interaction, and I also love to make rose geranium cake.  This generous cake is dense and moist. Thin ribbons of geranium leaves lend texture and a gentle floral flavor, deepened by rose water.  I serve this cake with Ceylon teas, which are not too assertive and allow the cake to shine.

Rose Geranium Cake

Created by on May 12, 2019

rose geranium cake This refreshingly old-fashioned recipe comes from Shelley and Bruce Richardson’s A Tea for All Seasons.  I have made small modifications.  I have found that different brands of rose water vary in strength, so tread lightly, especially when making your glaze.  The 1/4 tsp rose water I use in the glaze is conservative.  Add more if...

Ingredients

Cake

  • 5 rose geranium leaves, chopped in chiffonade
  • 1/4 tsp. mace
  • 2 tbsp. rose water
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 c sour cream
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. fine-grained salt
  • 3 c all-purpose flour
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 2 1/2 c sugar
  • 1 c butter, room temperature plus extra for greasing pan

Glaze

  • 1 c confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. rose water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Grease tube pan with butter.
  3. Mix dry ingredients with a whisk in medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
  4. Using electric beaters or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add beaten eggs and mix until incorporated.
  5. Add about 1/3 of dry ingredients to batter, alternating with sour cream, until all dry ingredients and sour cream are incorporated.
  6. Add vanilla and rose water. Mix well.
  7. Fold in rose geranium leaves.
  8. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Do not over bake. Cool in pan for 30 minutes, then remove.
  9. To ice cooled cake, combine confectioners' sugar and rose water and spread over top of cake.

What lasts from generation to generation?

By Allison

;ink roses oil paintingThis week’s flames at Notre-Dame de Paris sunk us into collective grief and then unified us in hope, as we learned that much of the structure and most of the art had been saved.  Many Gothic cathedrals have been lost to flames, but in their grace we forget their fragility.

Notre-Dame has stood on Paris’ Île de la Cité for the better part of 1,000 years.  Having almost lost her, it is both sobering and gratifying to consider the cultural artifacts that last from generation to generation.  So little survives:  works of literature (many of them fragments), examples of religious sculpture, a little music, sacred buildings in varying states of disrepair.  We hold on to these traces of western cultures, but to what end?  Might it be better for us to loosen our grip on these tangible bits of our heritage?

Like many other French cathedrals, Notre-Dame de Paris honors the Virgin Mary.  The most venerated feminine figure in the Christian tradition, she symbolizes a compassionate feminine power.  Divine figures of other traditions represent this same quality—Guanyin and Tara in Buddhism and the goddess Kali in Hinduism, to name but a few.  The sacred spaces we erect in their honor frame and focus the universal energy that we attribute to the divine, feminine figures.  Sacred spaces help us to access these figures and the invisible power we’ve given to them.

Their energy is eternal though intangible.  Do we even need to honor Mary, Kali, Guanyin, and other feminine figures with special spaces?  Of course we do.  But let us embrace the constantly changing nature of scared spaces.  Cathedrals will crumble or burn.  The generative emptiness they leave will make way for new or altered sacred structures.

And let’s remember that although places like Notre-Dame de Paris can change the course of our spiritual lives, the protective power of the Virgin Mary is by no means contained within a building. The knowledge that moves from generation to generation is indiscernible to the eye and revealed in the soul.  Having grown up Catholic, I have always felt connected to Mary, but not because of a church.  The rose is my most personal, profound reminder of Mary.  Her flower is recalled in cathedrals’ rose windows, but for me the rose is entwined with family, with a Catholic upbringing, and with womanhood.  I see roses everywhere, and Mary’s flower is always sure to unlock the healing, compassionate energy she embodies.

Inspirations

Another magnificent cathedral:  Notre-Dame de Chartres

Clearing Space and evening walks

Rewriting a Symphony in Stone, by Summer Brennan

Recent Reads

By Allison

winter readsThese days, I’m living my best book life.  I have short, precarious stacks of books all over the house:  travel guides, novels, poetry, cookbooks. I love my books, but I am hard on them.  I make copious notations, I stash them in my bag when I’m on the go, and if I sense someone needs my book more than I do, I give it away.

Our winter wasn’t as cold and snowy as some, but it was grey and damp.  I spent those months dabbling, skipping from book to book, and rereading a few favorites.  If I begin reading a book and I’m not hooked after a few chapters, I set it aside.  I spent ten years as a student of literature, and I always read what I was instructed to read.  Now I’m more reckless.  Sometimes I purchase a book simply because it has a pretty cover.  I read more in English.  Unfinished books linger.  It’s glorious to flit between subjects and genres and to touch so many different books in one sitting.

For this post, I gathered a selection of some recent and favorite reads that might lead you to your next book.  Dainin Katagiri’s The Light That Shines Through Infinity has been a steady, insightful spiritual companion that I have already gifted to a friend and that I will reread multiple times.  Michelin’s guide to Brittany has had me dreaming about France’s rugged coasts, and Alexandre Maral’s Versailles: côté ville, côté jardin has furthered my research on the Royal City.  My cookbook collection is unmanageable, but Emeril Lagasse’s review of Bottom of the Pot made Naz Deravian’s new book on Persian cuisine irresistible.

A few months ago, I embarked on a poetry project with a friend.  Each month, we read one poem by Irish poet Eavan Boland.  We stay with that poem for a whole month, and then we each compose our own poem that is inspired by and seems to grow from the month’s poem.  Writing and sharing poetry terrifies me, but our Eavan Boland project has helped me to go deeper with poetry and to feel brave enough to write my own poems.

If English is my first and most comfortable language, French is my chosen and beloved language.  My French winter reads were delightful.  I’ve been enjoying random selections of François Cheng’s De l’âme (About the Soul).  He unfailingly brings me beauty as he bridges philosophies of the East and the West.  In Le camélia de ma mère (My Mother’s Camellia), Alain Baraton, the head gardener at the Château de Versailles, sings the beauty of his mother’s favorite flower.  And after teaching L’Elégance du hérisson (The Elegance of the Hedgehog), last spring, I am treating myself to a third or fourth reading of Muriel Barbery’s novel on the beauty of friendship.

Inspirations

Discovering Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca

Thoughts on beauty and grief

More reads on Creative Sanctuary

Love Musings

By Allison

rose tea heart

Photo courtesy of Shelley Richardson

Those who love use their imagination to discover solutions where others see only problems.  Those who love help others according to their needs and with creativity, not according to preconceived ideas or common conceptions.
–Pope Francis

Valentine’s Day can be fraught.  Although I see the holiday as a sweet reminder to celebrate all kinds of love, I understand the loneliness that can accompany this overwhelming greeting card day.  It is difficult to be alone on Valentine’s Day when you feel like everyone you know is sharing a cozy dinner with their sweetheart.  I have been in that sad emotional space, but several years ago, I released those feelings of inadequate solitude because they were holding me back.

Love is so much more than chocolate, flowers, and candle-lit meals!  We have a responsibility to inhabit love—to be love—each day.  Love is a powerfully creative act:  “Those who love help others according to their needs and with creativity.”  It is a dynamic, ever-evolving energy that moves us through our days.  Love involves interplay, cooperation, and patience.  It is neither formulaic nor superficial.  It is practical, messy, and beautiful.  As I have written before, love is our duty and our pleasure.

Love is too abundant, too expansive to be contained in one grey February day.  Maybe it is a bit silly to dedicate one day of the year to a concept that is so vast yet so vague, but I am content to embrace Valentine’s Day as a moment to celebrate love and to reevaluate my thoughts on love.  This year, I recommit to allowing the energy of love, whatever unexpected or unconventional form it may take.

Creative Spirits: Maple Pecan Tea Toddy

By Allison

maple pecan tea toddy

Do you have a few neglected bottles of liquor gathering dust in a cabinet?  Since I like the idea of spirits more than I actually like to sip them, my tiny selection of whiskeys and liqueurs is neglected most of the time.  This winter, I’ve decided to get creative with the spirits languishing on my bar cart, and I’m inviting you along for the ride! In the next few months, my Creative Spirits series will provide straightforward beverage recipes made with accessible ingredients.  For those of us who aren’t likely to serve stronger alcohols, I will develop recipes that incorporate modest amounts of whiskeys and liqueurs to complement other ingredients in the drinks.  This is not a time to pull out your finest bourbons.  Aim for reliable middle-of-the road spirits that are appropriate for mixing, rather than your expensive bottles that should be saved for tasting.

Let’s begin with my Maple Pecan Tea Toddy.  I suggest serving this as a soothing dessert on a chilly night.  I begin by preparing Southern Pecan Black Tea and adding maple syrup, a little bourbon, and finishing it off with a cinnamon stick.  Easy as pie.  Happy Holidays!

Maple Pecan Tea Toddy

Created by on December 24, 2018

maple pecan tea toddy Tiny white chocolate chips add a creamy sweetness to Elmwood Inn’s Southern Pecan Black Tea.  I add a touch of maple syrup to this Tea Toddy, which pairs well with the caramel notes of Kentucky Bourbon.

Ingredients

  • 4 fl oz brewed Elmwood Inn Southern Pecan Black Tea
  • 1/2 fl oz wheated bourbon, such as Maker's Mark
  • 1 tsp. maple syrup, or to taste
  • 1 cinnamon stick, optional

Instructions

  1. Add bourbon to hot tea, then add maple syrup, stirring to dissolve. Serve with cinnamon stick, if desired.

Inspirations

Having fun with iced tea garnishes

Sparkling Apple Spice Tea Cocktail

 

Color Crush

By Allison

creamy vegetable dipsI love a beautiful cheese board. I love savory and toothsome charcuterie. This holiday season, though, I’m making a departure from my savory standbys. This year, I want bright, crisp vegetables to take the place of the denser, fattier meats and cheeses that I usually serve.

As much as possible, I’m keeping fresh, chopped vegetables on hand—endives, bell peppers, celery, and cucumbers. And I’m experimenting with creamy and delectable vegetable dips that get their heft from tahini, nuts, or dairy. I am not depriving my guests or myself! My colorful combos make for a sturdy snack or a pleasing appetizer. They can also stand in for salad at dinnertime.

So what’s my strategy? I pull out the food processor and whip up a few dips. Since I keep my food processor in a storage closet, I make good use of it and prepare a few dips at once that will keep for several days in the refrigerator. I aim for different colors and textures in my vegetable and dip boards. Endives are a favorite dipper, due to their shape and their mild bitterness. Sliced bell peppers are always in the rotation. Everyone reaches for the whole wheat pita triangles.  I favor under-appreciated celery.

I’ve found so many recipes for vegetable-based dips—all perfect in their own way—that I have yet to develop my own recipes. Below, you will find the links to three of my favorites, all of which will keep in the refrigerator for at least 4 days. Just make sure to give them a good stir and to freshen them with a little salt, pepper, or olive oil, if needed.

Roasted Butternut Squash Dip, Bon Appétit

Greek Goddess Dip, New York Times

Muhammara, New York Times (there are so many recipes for this Syrian spread on the internet!)