Let It Snow

The first
real snow
of the season

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos D. Sleziak

 

 

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four

The main event at a recent dinner party

In this holiday season, it is all about family, traditions and celebrating.  One multi-generational recipe in my family is for potato pancakes.  Crispy golden brown latkes with a dollop of sour cream -- what could be tastier or more satisfying on a cold winter's night?

                                              Potato Pancakes



                          8 large waxy potatoes, peeled

                          2 medium yellow onions, chopped and sauteed (optional)

                          8 garlic cloves, minced

                          2 tsp salt

                          1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

                          1 tsp paprika

                          1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp marjoram

                          1 egg, lightly beaten

                          1 1/3 cup flour

                          3 Tbsp oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed oil, for frying 

               Grate potatoes into a large bowl using the fine side of a box grater or use a food processor 
               to puree potatoes.  Season with salt, pepper, paprika and marjoram, and add onions if
               using.  Stir until well incorporated.  Add egg and mix well, and then add flour, mixing
               well.

               Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, drop 1/4 cup
               mounds of potato mixture into the skillet; press lightly with spatula to flatten.  Cook unitl
               golden-brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined
               plate to drain.  Repeat with more oil and remaining mixture, periodically stirring mixture to
               incorporate any liquid.  Serve warm with sour cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo D. Sleziak

Let Them Eat Cake

An array of cakes -- pick one

Yum...

As a child, I had the privilege of attending many wedding celebrations, and it was there that I was first introduced to the most delicious, densely flavourful and wonderfully rich cake.  It was always presented in the same fashion: a slim slice, wrapped tightly in foil, topped with a lace paper doily, and tied with a snippet of slender curling ribbon.  Attached was a small card, a note thanking the recipient for helping the bride and groom celebrate their special day.  Every guest received one, and I often begged my mother for her piece, too, as one was never enough. 

Fast Forward...

 

As an adult, I have been dreaming of baking my own boozy, fruit-studded cake for a number of years.  But, such a creation takes planning, as the all the jewel-like ingredients need to be assembled, and, once the cake is baked, it needs to be tended to over many weeks to ensure proper ageing and fermentation.  In the busy holiday season, year after year, I always seemed to come to the notion of baking a fruitcake too late -- except for this year.  Weeks ago, I poured over the options, considered the possibilities, and found a recipe that recalled, as closely a possible, the cake of my youth.  I altered a few of the "additions" by including pecans and currants, two favourites.  The cake is now lovingly doused weekly as it sits wrapped in muslin.  As the magic happens, the flavours meld and blend and enrich, and with fingers crossed, I will soon be presenting my dinner guests with a decadently delicious token of thanks and goodwill.

The lineup: whole almond, pecan, Brazil nut, date, 
 dried apricot, glaceed pineapple, dried cherry, currant

Ingredients: the mix + eggs + flour + vanilla + rum

       

Into the oven



Wrapped and ready for dousing

 

 

 

 

 

Top photo Marthastewart.com, all others D. Sleziak

Drop

The rain outside
makes
a watercolour photograph

Photo D. Sleziak

Between the Covers: A Good Life



Between the covers -- pages just waiting to be delved into

Last in this three-post series on recommended
reads, Living in Morocco by Barbara and Rene Stoeltie is a visually rich tome that brings readers the authentic Moroccan lifestyle from homes in Marrakesh, Tangier, and beyond.  The individual homes featured offer a highly personal take on living in Morocco and move far beyond the atypical lantern or tile to bring items such as modern art, sixties designs, and 19th century English furniture successfully into the mix; a superbly stunning book, it underscores the eclecticism of Moroccan design.  In addition, the layout is superb, the text is multilingual, and the book includes a glossary of Arabic and Moroccan terms so that readers can distinguish between a dar, a ksar, and a riyad with ease.  If our homes truly are a reflection of our lives, these home owners enjoy a very good life indeed.

Authors Barbara and Rene Stoeltie, former artists and

gallery owners, include incredibly alluring images such

as these details of a garden gate (left) and a star-shaped

pool with roses (right).

 

 

 

Cover shot from Taschen; top photo D. Sleziak

Other images from the pages of Living in Morocco