Crossing the River: Things to do in Louisiana

One of the best things about living in Southeast Texas is being so close to Louisiana, and one of the best things about Louisiana is the Banners Cultural Series in Lake Charles, a program of McNeese State University.  Bill & I found out about this by accident last year, bought season tickets (for $150 for the WHOLE SEASON, not one show!), and have renewed our tickets this year.  Last year we saw such great musical acts as Arlo Guthrie, Karla Bonnoff and Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys and enjoyed unclassifiable events such as the Short Circuit Film Festival, Chinese acrobats and an avant-garde puppet show that told the tale of Troy.

One of our favorites from last year was a short film shown at the aforementioned Short Circuit Film Festival, called I Always Do My Collars First, in short, a film about ironing.  The documentary follows four dynamic Cajun women as they go about their daily lives demonstrating how the simple ritual of ironing weaves its way throughout the fabric of family life and their sense of identity.  We loved it so much, we bought copies for our family.  I can't wait to see what we discover at this year's Film Festival.

This year, we're looking forward to Zachary Richard, Avner the Eccentric, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band - the list goes on and on (a different show every week, February - May!).  This is a HUGE bargain and with the first show on February 20th, there's still time to get your tickets.

And, of course, a girl's gotta eat - Lake Charles has some great restaurants.  Some of our favorites are Tony's Pizza (try the Deep Dish!), Mazen's Mediterranean Foods, and Mama Rosa's.  Hhhhmmm, I sense a theme here.

You should go!

Valentine's Day Sweet: Crostata di Ricotta

Yesterday morning, the day before Valentine's Day, I awoke to find Bill already gone to work and a note stuck in the handle of my coffee mug that read, "Belle, for Valentine's Day, please, please, please choose one of these desserts."  Under my mug was a sheaf of battered xeroxed pages from a cookbook, Italy - The Beautiful Cookbook, that he's obviously had for years.

I flipped through the pages and was tempted by such recipes as Torta di Meliga (Cornmeal Cake), Crostata di Crema (Lemon Cream Tart), and Polenta Dulce (Sweet Polenta).  However, since it IS Valentine's Day, chocolate is a must, so I chose the following recipe.  I made some mistakes along the way, which I'll share, but still recommend you try this - if you have at least a half a day of free time.

Crostata di Ricotta
Ricotta Pie

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup superfine sugar
3 oz butter (melted?)
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup superfine sugar
2 TBSP all purpose flour
1 cup milk
3 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup maraschino liqueur (I didn't have this, but I did have a large jar of maraschino cherries, so I used the juice from those)
8 oz ricotta
pinch of ground cinnamon
grated rind of 1 lemon
reserved egg white, beaten

1.  For the pastry, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 3 egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar and the butter and mix into a dough.  Form into a ball, cover with plastic and let rest in the refrigerator while preparing the filling. (Here's where things went awry and why I think, perhaps, the butter should be melted.  Lacking direction from the recipe, I proceeded as with all pie crusts - cutting the butter into the dry ingredients, then adding the 3 yolks, which was in no way enough liquid to form anything resembling a dough.  I'm truly stumped here - so if anyone knows for sure about melting the butter, please let me know.  What I did at this point was to add splashes of milk until I got the right consistency.  Of course, I added too much milk and adjusted by kneading in more flour.  It all turned out o.k. in the end, but I was completely frustrated!)
2.  For the filling, beat 3 egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar until light.  Add 2 TBSP flour and the milk and cook the mixture in a double boiler over simmering water until thick.  (Note:  since it doesn't say HOW thick, I went by the standard, "does it coat the back of a spoon" test.)  Melt the chocolate with the maraschino.  Stir into the egg mixture and let cool completely.
3.  Put the ricotta through a sieve.  Gradually stir in the cooled custard, cinnamon and lemon rind.  Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes.
4.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter and flour a 10" pie pan.  Roll out 3/4 of the pastry dough in a circle and line the pan with it.  Pour in the prepared filling and roll out the remaining dough into a circle to cover the top.  Crimp edges together.  Brush the top of the pie with a little beaten egg white and bake for 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Let cool before serving. (Since it was Valentine's Day, I cut a heart out of waxed paper to make a stencil, placed the stencil over the pie and dusted with powdered sugar).

Notes & Variations:  Consider decorating with slivered almonds or pine nuts.  Also, I think I may do away with the persnickety crust altogether and serve the chilled filling in cups with whipped cream - sort of an Italian Pots de Creme.  I might even try various liqueurs, such as:  Amaretto, Frangelico or Kirsch.

What's for Dinner: Veggie Tamale Pie

Recently, a coworker told me that she and her hubby made a resolution to eat one meatless meal a week.  Here's a recipe from Vegetarian Times for a dish that's so hearty you won't miss the meat.  Bill & Patrick, die hard meat eaters, loved this!

Veggie Tamale Pie

TOPPING
1/2 cup dry polenta or corn grits (I used polenta)
1/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar Cheese

FILLING
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1/2 bell pepper (I used orange), diced
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano (Mexican, if available)
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz. can tomato puree
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
2 tsp. brown rice flour (I didn't have this so I used whole wheat flour instead)

1.  To make Topping:  Preheat oven to 375F.  Bring 2 cups water to a boil in saucepan.  Stir in polenta, reduce heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes (I found it took only 15 minutes to get a really thick consistency), stirring OFTEN.  Stir in cheese and set aside.
2.  To make Filling:  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.  Add zucchini, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, cumin, and oregano.  Cook 5 minutes more.
3.  Stir in beans, tomato puree and corn.  Mix flour with 1/4 cup cold water; stir into zucchini mixture.  Cook 3 minutes, or until mixture thickens slightly.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
4.  Spread Filling into 8" square baking dish.  Spread Topping over Filling.
5.  Place casserole on baking sheet.  Bake 40 minutes, or until filling bubbles and top is golden.  Let stand before serving.
Serves 6 at 195 calories per serving

Variations:   Next time I make this, I'll add a small can of chopped green chiles (preferable hatch) and maybe substitute hominy for the corn, because I just really like hominy.

Berry-Blast 4 Grain Muffins

I found this recipe on the website, Chatelaine, a Canadian women's magazine, and prepared these in advance for our camping trip.  Patrick liked them so much, he actually groaned when he took his first bite.  I, naturally, adjusted the recipe with what I had on hand.

Berry-Blast 4 Grain Muffins

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
2/3 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup natural wheat bran (I used oat bran)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp each baking soda, salt and cinnamon
zest of 1 orange
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Lightly oil or line a 12 cup muffin tin.  Measure flour, oats, cornmeal, wheat (or oat) bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl.  Finely grate in the orange zest, then add sugar.  Using a fork, stir until evenly mixed.
2. In a small bowl, whisk eggs with buttermilk, oil and vanilla.  Pour over flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened, then add berries and stir until evenly distributed.  Do not over-mix.  Divide mixture between muffin cups and fill each one right to the rim.
3. Bake in center of preheated oven until a cake tester inserted in center of muffins comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes, then turn onto a cooling rack.  

Delicious warm or at room temperature.  Muffins keep well in a plastic bag or covered container at room temperature 2 days or freeze up to 1 month.

Belle's notes and variations:  I got the Oat Bran at Kroger in Orange and the Whole Wheat Pastry Flour at Basic Foods in Beaumont.  Next time I make this, I'll experiment by adding some ground flax seed, or some toasted walnuts for texture.  If you make these with successful variations, please share in the comments section.

Camping with the Sierra Club

Every Martin Luther King holiday weekend, the Golden Triangle Sierra Club plans a camping/biking/hiking/canoeing excursion, and after several years of invites I finally cleared my schedule and joined the group for this year's outing to Boykin Springs in the Angelina National Forest,  in the heart of East Texas.

Cold rain prohibited our planned Friday and Saturday night stays, so Patrick, his adorable girlfriend Amy, and myself (Bill stayed home sick) arrived at the campsite Sunday morning early enough to set up our camp, before setting off for the day's hike.  Now, those of you who know me well already sense that I am WAY outside my comfort zone, especially in the absence of Bill, and I admit to being very skeptical to my success at camping.  However, the planners and veterans of these trips are not just tolerant of newbies, they enjoyed the opportunity to teach and assist wherever needed.

So, Saturday morning the 9 of us (plus the most gorgeous, friendly Golden Retriever, Sunny) set off on a 5 mile round trip hike to the Old Aldridge Mill Site, the ruins of a thriving sawmill town that was abandoned around 1920.  The hike through the piney woods was really lovely, following and crossing clear cold creeks along the way.  We had our packed lunch at the ruins of the mill, which were massive, spooky and desecrated by graffiti 'artists'.

Later in the evening, our group gathered around the fire to tell stories and be entertained by Patrick who had brought his guitar and honored us with a few tunes.  This was a great group of folks to hang out with, ranging in age from 17 to 81.  Our oldest camper was none other than Maxine Johnston, "Godmother of the Big Thicket National Preserve".  Although I've briefly met Maxine before, it was an experience I'll never forget - hearing her stories, and being entertained by her heartily singing a Disney tune, "The Reluctant Dragon".

After a cold and sleepless night (our sleeping bags were completely inadequate), six of us put our canoes in the Neches River at 9:00 a.m. and set off for a 15 mile canoe trip.  Let me say this, if like me you've never canoed before and someone says, "we're going to canoe 15 miles today," swallow your pride, be a weenie, and bail out or ask for a shorter trip.  Despite truly glorious moments, such as the sun sparkling on the river, the stillness, sighting a bald eagle and Maxine's aforementioned singing, 7 hours of canoeing is grueling.  Patrick and Amy turned their canoe over at mile 2, and by mile 5 I knew I had taken on WAY more than I could handle.  Thanks, however, to the patience and perseverance of our excellent guide, Gerald, we finally reached the end of our travels shortly before 5 p.m.  Yes, it's true, I shed a few tears of joy and relief when I spotted the bridge that signaled the end.  Maxine, by the way, is tougher than a $2 steak - I asked her if her arms were sore after all that paddling (mine were in agony) and her only complaint was her, "hands were a little raw."

The three of us made it home around 8:30 Monday night, after stopping and pigging out in Jasper at The Cedar Tree (best meal ever!).  We were dirty, exhausted yet exhilarated and haven't been able to stop talking, laughing about our experiences.  And, as I told Gerald, despite all my whining (and some cussing) on the river, I'm in for next year.  You should join us!

Just Read: The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, Vol. One

I just finished reading, The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, Volume One, by Gordon Dahlquist, and recommend this to anyone who enjoys sci-fi, thrillers, adventures or mysteries, because it's really a combination of all of those genres, with maybe just a touch of romance.

I picked up this book, with no recommendation, based solely on the description on the back of book:  "It starts with a simple note.  Roger Bascombe regretfully wishes to inform Celeste Temple that their engagement is forthwith terminated.  Determined to find out why, Miss Temple takes the first step in a journey that will propel her into a dizzyingly seductive, utterly shocking world beyond her imagining - and set her on a collision course with a killer and a spy - in a bodice-ripping, action-packed roller-coaster ride of suspense, betrayal, and richly fevered dreams."  I picked it up because of that, and well, the title just sounded intriguing.  I was not disappointed, except to say that there was in reality very little bodice-ripping, but that's actually a positive for me.

Although it never states the location or time-period, based on a few clues (i.e. dress and behavior) I pictured it as Victorian London.  The aforementioned heroine of the tale, Miss Temple, is a girl after my own heart.  She defies the convention of her times in both actions and personality.  She is tender-hearted, brave, quick-witted and tempered, of restless mind and spirit, and does not suffer fools gladly.  After momentarily succumbing to tears over her fear and loneliness, "She blew her nose.  She was difficult, she knew.  She did not make friends.  She was brisk and demanding, unsparing and indulgent.  She sniffed, bitterly resenting this sort of introspection, despising the need for it nearly as much as she despised introspection itself.  In that moment she did not know which she wanted more, to curl up in the sun room of her island house, or to shoot one of these blue-glass villains in the heart..."  As I said, a girl after my own heart.

The type of science fiction resembles Jules Verne or H.G. Wells, but with more interesting characters and a much more sinister tone.  I enjoyed this enough to go ahead and order The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, Volume Two and the third book in the series The Dark Volume, because I was highly engaged and entertained by the first, and also because the first ends with a major cliff-hanger.  I just have to know what happens to Miss Temple next.

Me, George Carlin & Brian Wilson

If you're familiar with the back page of Vanity Fair magazine, you're probably familiar with the Proust Questionnaire - 20 questions that are alleged to reveal one's true nature.  Questions such as:  "What is your idea of perfect happiness?" (having enough of everything) or, "How would you like to die?" (in my sleep, completely unaware).

If you have a few moments to waste (and who doesn't, right?), take the test online and find out which famous person your answers match with most.

I was rather pleased with myself that I matched 88.63% with George Carlin and 75.41% with Brian Wilson.  So, what does THAT say about me?  That I'm funny, talented, genius, troubled and plagued by demons?  Perhaps I shouldn't be so pleased.

Boot Camp, Session #1

One of my gifts from Bill this year was a month-long Boot Camp for both of us at King's Gym in Orange.  It's described on their website as, "Boot Camp Fitness is a results-driven conditioning program that runs 6 times weekly at 60 minute durations per session. It is conducted in an indoor/outdoor environment, utilizing the most progressive, innovative, and creative exercises in fitness.  Boot Camp Fitness workouts include, but are not limited to, cardiovascular, speed and endurance, partner resistance, and strength training!"

Bill and I arrived just before 6:30 at the Gym and were directed to a metal building across the street.  This turned out to be a bare-bones concrete floored 'shop' and folks, it was COLD.  I decided that 36 degrees was way better than 96, so I put on my game face and got ready for whatever our instructor had in store for us.

There were only three of us in the class, so it really felt like having a personal trainer.  The instructor explained to us what we'd be doing for the hour, what to do if we couldn't do an exercise and most of all told us not to hurt ourselves.  I was just hoping not to make a complete fool of myself by, oh I don't know, falling down, throwing up, passing out or all of the above.

We started with a 5 minute warm up, then got to the meat of the workout which was a series of four high-intensity plyometric exercises. We would do one exercise for 30 seconds, then rest by walking in place for 30 seconds, then the next exercise and so on for 10 minutes.  We then took a 2 minute break and then repeated the 10 minute process over again with a new set of plyometric exercises, broke for another 2 minutes and then started another 10 minute process, but this time focusing on abdominal exercises.  We finished with a 5 minute cool-down.

It was way too cold in there to sweat, but I was definitely breathing hard and some of the plyometrics were really difficult, such as the 'Prison Squat' (great name, right?) which is basically jumping jacks in a squat position and another where we stood on one foot and jumped front, back and side to side - that really challenges your balance.

All in all, I left feeling exhilarated (endorphins at their finest and maybe from the cold) and looking forward to Wednesday's session - we're assured that no two sessions are the same, so it will be an adventure.  And, thanks I think to the two ibuprofens I took before bed last night, I'm barely sore this morning.

Tonight is Patrick's first Varsity soccer game of the season, so whenever you're home and warm, snuggled up on your couch with the beverage of your choice, think of me and giggle.

Quinoa for Protein (and Breakfast!)

As a new (less than 3 months) vegetarian, I'm still very much in the learning stage. Do not fear, I will not be using this format as my own personal soapbox - my lifestyle choices are my own, and I would never presume to lecture anyone on what their personal choices should be. My goal here is to share what I learn, pass along healthy recipes, and even share mistakes I make along the way.

Being concerned with getting enough protein, I have introduced Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) to my diet. This is the first recipe I've tried, and it was excellent. I am not a morning person - I tend to sleep to the last minute - which leaves me no time for a healthy breakfast. This is one I can make in advance, refrigerate, microwave a serving in the morning and eat while I'm 'putting on my face'.

This recipe comes from 101cookbooks.com a site I'm becoming well acquainted with for vegetarian recipes. Warning: I rarely follow a recipe exactly, so ingredients I add will be italicized. At the end of each recipe, I'll share where I found hard-to-find ingredients here in SETX and variations for us to try.

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa Recipe

The original recipe came from, Chef MD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine which offers the following variations: low-fat soy milk may replace the low fat milk, blueberries may replace the blackberries, dark honey may replace the agave nectar, and walnuts may replace the pecans.

1 cup organic 1% low fat milk (I used Plain Soymilk, but I think Vanilla would work well too)

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt (because I'm a sweet n salty kinda gal)

1 cup organic quinoa, (note: rinse quinoa - this is very important as un-rinsed quinoa is bitter, unless you find 'pre-rinsed' - I used red here, but regular will do)

2 cups fresh blackberries, organic preferred (I had frozen wild-picked 'dewberries' in the freezer, and used those, thawed)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted* (I used walnuts)

4 teaspoons organic agave nectar

Combine milk, water, vanilla, salt and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving.

Serves 4.

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Belle's notes & variations:  I'm not fond of the seeds in dewberries and that was the only drawback to this dish - next time I'll use blueberries.  I'd also like to try this with other fruit/spice variations such as:  dried dates or apricots with cardamom and pistachios.  If you try this or have your own variations, please feel free to share them.