Lunch Outdoors, Yes

After the outdoor dinner that didn't happen outdoors, I was slightly trepidatious  about planning two outdoor lunches.   One involved a little voyage "upstate" - according to my NYC friends, I live upstate, but when I go to visit my friends in the northern Catskills it's real upstate - about 1 1/2 hours from Hudson.
It turned out to be a knock-out day, ever so blurred by an ounce or two of haze, enjoyable company, and delicious food.

My friend, Rita always sets pretty tables - this one on her screened-in porch overlooking the rolling lawn and pond - with the best flower (out of her garden) arrangements anywhere.  It's because they're so simple.  They feature the blossom.   And that's how she makes food she too.  It stars the main ingredients.

 

Rita found a locally-grown cauliflower at a farm stand in Middleburg, which is just that much farther north to have the cold nights that the compact white head needs to  thrive.  She made her interpretation of a frittata recipe out of Yotam Ottolenghi's book, Plenty.   Basically, Rita followed the recipe - she just didn't add as much cheese as it called for.  Could've fooled me - it tasted like it should have.  Super savory.

SMOKY FRITTATA

This is what Yotam says, " Scamorza affumicata  is an Italian cheese that melts fantastically well.  Often labeled 'smoked mozzarella', it is highly effective in adding depth and pungency to vegetarian dishes."    Rita didn't use scamorza - and as I said, I didn't miss it.  However, if it had been added to the frittata it would have elevated the flavor even further.   You might be able to substitute a more readily available smoked cheese.
Serves 4 - 6
1 small cauliflower, cut into medium florets
6 eggs
4 tablespoons crème fraiche  (or sour cream)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
3 tablespoons chopped chives
5 ounces smoked scamorza, grated (including the skin for extra flavor)
2 ounces mature Cheddar, grated
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Simmer the cauliflower in a large pan of boiling salted water for only 4 to 5 minutes, until semi-cooked.  Drain and dry.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Break the eggs into a large bowl.  Add the crème fraiche, mustard and paprika and whisk well, making sure the eggs and crème fraiche are thoroughly blended.  Now stir in the chives and three-quarters of the cheeses, and season well with salt and pepper.
Heat up the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan.  Fry the cauliflower for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown on one side.  Pour over the egg mixture and use a fork to spread the cauliflower evenly in the pan.  Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Scatter the remaining cheeses on top, then carefully transfer the pan to the oven.  Cook for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the frittata is set.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before cutting into wedges.  Eat immediately with a peppery green salad.

Our salad was full of stuff: nascent leaves and shoots from Rita's garden, cucumbers, crumbled blue cheese and walnuts.

Bread from Hudson's Bonfiglio & Bread.  Where else?

Dessert - Alice Water's recipe for baked rhubarb.  Rhubarb from the garden cut into 1 - 2-inch pieces, sugar ,and orange juice and zest baked 'til soft.  Not too long.  Rhubarb cooks quickly.  It was served with homemade kefir - sour milk.

Frankie, Rita's dog decided that she'd just watch Allegra cross the rapids

 

This fall's apples starting to grow

Then we went for a post prandial stroll through the lower meadow until we reached the usually docile creek which had become raging rapids from the previous stormy days.  My intrepid dog, accustomed to crossing the creek to get to the upper fields, did so - without thinking.  She made it - but thought long and hard about her return trip.   I told her that I couldn't go in to rescue her so she had better figure out a way to get back.  And she did at age 13 years and 3 months.  Brava Allegra.

Next outdoor lunch was planned a few weeks in advance.  Some friends were coming up from the city to attend a wedding on the other side of the river - the left bank.   As their destination was only about 1/2 hour from Hudson I asked them to come for lunch at my house the next day.  They accepted, and I invited some mutual friends who had recently moved to a hamlet near Hudson.

I made the meal easy for myself by buying just about everything at the previous day's farmers' market.   It's amazing how fresh ingredients can speak for themselves and give you the most delicious repast.

.    Grilled sausages from Pigasso Farm served with a sauce that I made by sautéing fresh, spring garlic in olive oil and adding chopped grape tomatoes, fennel seeds, chopped capers, hot peppers and fresh, from my garden, basil.
.    Roasted asparagus - easy peasy - place the spears on a parchment-paper covered baking sheet with sides, toss with olive oil and flaky sea salt and cook at 400 degrees F. until crispy on the outside and soft as asparagus flan on the inside
.   Tossed market salad with radishes, dressed with mustard-shallot vinaigrette
.   Assorted local cheese,  Amazing Real Live Camembert, Adirondack Cheddar, Ewe's blue
.   Bonfiglio & Bread.  Of course.

.   Semolina, coconut & marmalade cake, fresh strawberries and sheep's milk yogurt


SEMOLINA, COCONUT & MARMALADE CAKE

Another recipe from my culinary crush, Yotam Ottolenghi.  This one comes from his and Sami Tamimi's  2012 multi-award winning Jerusalem.   He says,"  Semolina cakes soaked in syrup are so numerous all over the Middle East and vary in so many ways it is hard to find a single definition or an accurate enough name to fit.  Some cakes have coconut in them; some have yogurt; some bakers prefer  flavoring them with citrus syrups, others with flower blossoms; some use sugar and others honey.  In any case, the moist light texture and the aromatic flavors are what 's all about.

Makes two 1 pound loaf cakes

3/4 cup sunflower oil (I used canola)
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (the juice of 2 oranges)
1 cup orange marmalade (fine-cut or without peel)
4 large free-range eggs
grated zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup superfine sugar
3/4 cup shredded dried coconut
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons semolina
2 tablespoons ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder

thick Greek yogurt with 1 or 2 drops orange blossom water to serve

Soaking Syrup
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons water
1 tablespoon orange blossom water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.   Whisk together the oil, orange juice, marmalade, eggs, and orange zest until the marmalade dissolves.   In a separate bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients.   Mix until well combined.  The mixture should be runny.
Grease and line two 1-pound loaf pans ( 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 -inches) with waxed paper.  Divide the filling evenly between them.  Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted in a cake comes out clean and the tops turn an orangey brown.
Near the end of the baking time, place the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.  As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, start brushing them with the hot syrup using a pastry brush; you'll need to do this in a few goes, allowing the syrup to soak in for a minute or two before you carry on brushing with more syrup.  Make sure you use up all the syrup and it is all absorbed into the cakes.
Once the cakes have cooled down a little, remove them from the pan and leave them to cool completely.   Serve with the Greek yogurt flavored with a drop of orange blossom water.

These cakes will keep well for at least five days if wrapped carefully in parchment paper or aluminum foil.


SUSANSIMONSAYS:   This Saturday at the Hudson Famers' Market come meet Rebecca Miller Ffrench and let her sign a copy of her newest book, SWEET HOME, just for you - or a friend who's having a birthday, etc.  Rebecca will be serving samples made from one the recipes in her book.

A Few Weeks in May

On May 5th - Cinco de Mayo - it seemed as if we were having a real springtime in Hudson.  Finally.   I celebrated the Mexican national holiday at brunch with friends who served not Margaritas and burritos, but smoked salmon and asparagus topped with an herb-filled cold, cream sauce, and eggs baked in butter and cream.  They said it was French food to honor not the victors but the losers. The Battle of Puebla on May 5th  was a significant victory for the outnumbered Mexican army over the invading  French and gave our neighbors to the south a push towards establishing unity within their country.  The US government aided the Mexican army to achieve their victory and so Cinco de Mayo is happily celebrated stateside as well.  

Dessert is made easy when you own an illustrious ice cream  parlor on Warren Street 

Right on the heels of my first outdoor meal of 2013, I jumped on Amtrak headed towards New York City to meet one of my oldest friends, Nally Bellati who had just arrived from Italy.  Our plan was to meet at Uniqlo on 5th Avenue and 53rd street - I mean, where else?   Nally took the E train from Chelsea and I got on it at Penn Station - and don't you know, there she was standing in the car that I was about to board. It was NOT planned.  Uniqlo, the Japanese give-away fashion spot was filled with tempting colors and we were seduced into many purchases but wound up returning everything.  Our mid-town plan was made so we could see our friend, designer Christopher Young's stunning, Gatsby-themed windows at Tiffany.  The whole city is quite Gatsby mad right now.

Crispy Swedish Bread, Danish Rye  Bread, Brown Butter, Sea Salt

Cardamom Panna Cotta

We were both  hungry and couldn't quite figure out where to eat - it's always a problem in mid-town  for me.  I don't have a business expense account(!), and also tend to favor ethnic food when I'm in the city.  In the end we decided to return to the reliable Aquavit.    The restaurant calls itself a Scandinavian country dining experience.  However, this Michelin-starred place with its Arne Jacobsen chairs puts quite a sophisticated spin on "country dining".  The original food concept comes from the great Swedish chef, Marcus Samuelsson.  While no longer involved with the restaurant - Samuelsson's imprinteur   is clearly evident.   The restaurant serves a thoroughly satisfying prix fixe lunch.  Both Nally & I ordered the crudités salad  served with a shower of crushed sunflower seeds, salmon, pale and subtle, napped with cauliflower puree, and a fine twist on panna cotta infused with cardamom and filled with almond paste.

And the main event was still to come - A big party at John Derian to celebrate his collaboration with the French ceramic company, Astier de Villatte (go to their link right now - it's extremely witty).
John's new shop - yup - another one, at 8 east 2nd street, right in between the his shops at #s 6 & 10 - was decorated like a French, country farmhouse  complete with straw-covered floors, and the piece de resistance - aside from John's beautiful designs on Astier de Villatte's very sturdy but delicate plates, mugs, vases, urns, compotes, was Livia Cetti's  jaw-dropping flower arrangement - paper flowers cut from hand-painted paper.

Cream of Asparagus Soup - recipe on Register Star column



Poached Eggs on Roasted Asparagus

Rhubarb Compote (sweetened with orange jam) on sliced Pain Viennoise topped with Roasted Cinnamon and Passion Fruit Ice Cream

Then Nally, and her husband, Manfredi came to Hudson for a few days.  Food was involved, of course - I've written about our at-home meals in my weekly column - Susan Simon Says (what else?), Food for Thought - which you can find here .  Once you get there click on Columnists and scroll down to mine.  Thanks.   We also had fine meals at Le Gamin, and Wasabi in Hudson - and at The newly reopened, resplendent in red and pink stripes, The Red Barn, in Ghent.  Nally says that
The Red Barn's mussels are deeeeeeeeeeee-liscious.

 

 

And then back to NYC for a dinner given by James and Mark to celebrate the publication of their Brooklyn apartment in New York magazine's special issue, design hunting, and the magazine's longtime design editor, Wendy Goodman.   James and Mark chose the Indian restaurant, Panna II in the East Village  - not for its food - apocryphal, maybe - but the word on the street is that all the Indian restaurants in the east 6th street area, between 1st and 2nd avenues share the same kitchen- no matter - the atmosphere trumped any food concerns.  The tiny room was a forest of Christmas lights, chili pepper lights, Christmas, Halloween, Easter and birthday banners.  Mark and James had arrived before the guests to cover the tables with shocking pink linens - "Pink is the navy blue of India", Diana Vreeland famously said - a copy of the magazine, place cards carried like bejeweled rajahs and ranees on the howdahs of  elephant holders, and cake pops made by Big City Little Sweets decorated in themes found in the couple's Park Slope apartment completed the table setting.

Whew.   May isn't over yet.   More to come

SUSANSIMONSAYS:
Great time at lunch with Nally and Louise Fili at Gramercy Tavern.  But, I must say - that Gramercy Tavern seems to be a shadow of its former self.  Oh, the rooms are still pretty and the attentive  Danny Meyer service still reigns- no complaints.  But, what happened to the food?   Greasy carrots, overcooked fish.  Nope.  Too many good restaurants in NYC to run back there.

 

A Match Made in Heaven

Every time I hear the word, marry - and these days it seems to be ubiquitous - I think of how often I, and other food writers use one word , marry, to mean, "go with, perfectly".   Huh, now there's a thought.

.   Franks and Beans
.   Rice and Beans
.   Peanut Butter and Jelly
.   Cream Cheese and Jelly
.   Bacon and Eggs
.   Ham and Eggs
.   Ham and Cheese

.   Asparagus and Eggs
.   Shrimp and Grits

.   Tomatoes and Mozzarella
.   Spaghetti and Meatballs

.   Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato

.   Fish and Chips
.   Wine and Cheese

.   Prosciutto and Figs (or Melon)
.   Gin and Tonic

And so on.  These are some of the classics.  You have your own favorites.   I have some new favorites too.   Actually there are some marriages that I crave, David Chang's Spicy Noodles at his seminal NYC restaurant, Momofuku.  The dish contains noodles, served at room temperature tossed with copious amounts of seriously spicy Chinese sausage - the kind of spiciness that makes your eyes tear up and your nose  run - paired with crunchy, sweet cashews and raw, baby spinach leaves to cool it all down. 

Everyone in Hudson seems to be craving a breakfast dish on Bonfiglio and Bread's menu that's a bowlful of croutons, yogurt, lardons, sliced avocado, topped with two perfectly poached eggs, chili oil, and lime zest.   I make my own, sort of, version with Bonfiglio's toasted quinoa bread saturated with extra virgin olive oil, sheep's milk yogurt and topped with sliced avocado, kumato tomatoes, a spritz of lime juice and Japanese sesame seeds and salt.
The thing about all these dishes is that they are made up of  different ingredients put together to make something even better.  Rather like a good marriage - don't you think?
Now, I wouldn't want to marry, like marry in the dictionary definition, any of these dishes because I'd gobble them all up and then, ahem, where would I be?
But, man, oh man - could people just think a minute before they open their mouths in opposition to same sex marriage with comments like  "The next thing you'll want to marry your dog, or a duck, or a turtle, or your son"   Puh-leez.   I love my dog, and we're a cute couple.  Marriage, I prefer my own species.
Confuscius ,551-479 BC,  said;
"Marriage is the union of two different surnames, in friendship and in love..."  That's it.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:

 

It Might as Well be Spring

Or so, the calendar says.   Could have fooled me.   The next line to "It might as well be Spring", is, "I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm".  That's it.   It seems as if we're just being blown around - teased beyond comprehension.  Basta.  I want the weather outside to be friendlier.  The reminder that Spring really and truly is about arrive is the appearance of green vegetables from sunnier, warmer climates: artichokes and fava beans.    I've had a thing for fresh fava beans ever since I ate them for the first time in Italy, decades ago, where they appeared, of all places, piled in a bowl alongside the fresh fruit that was served after dinner with cheese.  What a concept.   The nut-like, slightly farinaceous, fresh fava beans turned out to be just the right company for cheese - especially soft, fresh pecorino - sheep's milk cheese.  However you prepare fava beans - make sure that once they're removed from their plush pod you slip their pale green skin from the bright green bean.

INSALTA CON FAVE E PECORINO
Fava Beans with sheep's Milk Cheese

In the Italian regions; Tuscany and Emilia Romagna, the arrival of fave happily coincides with the arrival of fresh pecorino, a young sheep's milk cheese.   This simple combination can open or close a meal.

Serves 4

4 pounds fava beans, shelled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pound fresh pecorino cheese (not the aged pecorino used for grating)
 a baguette from Bonfiglio and Bread in Hudson - or a loaf of the best Mediterranean-style bread available

1.   In a large pot of boiling water, cook the fava beans for 2 minutes.  Immediately plunge them into ice water to halt the cooking.  Slip the skin off each bean .   Put the beans in a large bowl and add the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.  Toss together.
2.   Divide the fava beans equally among 4 plates.  Divide the cheese among the plates.  Serve at room temperature with the bread.

note:  If you can't find first-choice fresh favas, it's possible to find frozen ones in some Mediterranean and Middle Eastern grocery shops.  Follow package directions for cooking and removing skin.

FRITTELLA
Spring Vegetable Medley

I tasted frittella for the first time, in the early spring, in Sicily, when I was a guest at the agricultural estate, Regaleali.  In addition the  world-class wines that the estate produces, the land grows the food that supplies the large Tasca d'Almerita family, and the cooking school founded by the Marchesa Anna Tasca Lanza.   One day, Anna served frittella, made with the stars of the springtime harvest - artichokes, fava beans and peas.   The flavor - sweet, sour, and salty, and texture of the dish were instantly pleasurable.

Serves 6

2 artichokes, about 1 1/2 pounds total weight
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups shelled fava beans (about 2 1/2 pounds in their pods)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 pound peas, shelled, or 1 cup frozen petite pois
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

1.   Prepare the artichokes: cut the lemon in half.  Squeeze both halves into a large bowl filled with water.  Work with one artichoke at a time.  Remove the outside leaves from the artichoke by bending them backward and pulling down.  They will snap at the "meaty' point of the leaf.  Pull away the leaves until you see only pale green ones.  Cut away the remaining leaf tops.  Cut the artichoke in half and use a sharp paring knife to remove the fuzzy choke.  Place in the lemon water.   When both artichokes are prepared, thinly slice each half and return the pieces to the lemon water.
2.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook the fava beans for 2 minutes.  Immediately plunge them into ice water to halt the cooking.  Slip the skin off each bean.
3.  In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the fava beans and cook for 5 minutes.  Drain the artichokes and add to the pan.  Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes.   Add the peas, water, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook, Stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender, 15 - 20 minutes.
4.   Add the vinegar and sugar, and stir to dissolve the sugar.  Remove from the heat and serve hot or at room temperature.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:

Whenever you spot baby artichokes, grab a bunch. They are so easy to prepare - just pull off a few of the tough outside leaves, cut off the spiky ends of the leaves, and cut in half.  They shouldn't have a fuzzy choke, so they're ready to cook.  Braise them, steam them, cook them into a risotto or, my favorite, roast them.   Heat the oven to 350 degrees F., rub some olive oil and flaky sea salt on them and roast 'til crispy, about 15 minutes.   I recently enjoyed roasted artichokes crowded on top of fresh, creamy goat's milk cheese that was smeared on matza.  Oy, so good.

Bergamots

It's been a cold and somewhat gloomy winter here in the northeast.    When you can't escape to warmer and brighter climates you can bring sunshine inside via citrus fruits.   You can't even imagine the salubrious effect the globes of orange, yellow, and green will have on your physical well-being.  For moment, discount the nutritional value of an orange, grapefruit or lime and consider the visuals.  Fill a bowl or basket with assorted citrus fruit and place it somewhere in your home where you must walk past it many times a day.  That sight alone will fill you with joy and  the courage to carry just a bit longer 'til spring is here.
I can now add  the bergamot to the list of citrus fruits.   Bergamot as a whole fruit had almost completely gone away from my culinary points of reference.  It's never far away as the ingredient that gives Earl Grey tea is unique flavor, or the essential oil used in soothing skin lotions, and as a component in most every fragrance.

When I wrote the little cookbook, "Cooking from the Market - make good food with ingredients from LICK the market"  I included a recipe for  Indian Ocean Pan-Fried Fluke which is based on a memory of a fish preparation that I enjoyed in the Seychelles Islands many (many) years ago.  My memory also included a sauce for the fish made with bergamots and onions.  I didn't include that part in the recipe because I never would have imagined that the bergamot would be an easy-to-find ingredient anywhere, much less in Hudson.   And then, there it was on the shelves of LICK. (after I had already published my book).  I realize that what the Seychelloise referred to as bergamot is not exactly the same size and color as the orange-sized fruit that's grown in Italy, France, Turkey and in the USA - LICK's come from California.  The Seychelloise bergamot is small, maybe the size of a golf ball with lime-green skin and a bright orange interior. All bergamots are a sub-species of the bitter orange whose flavor it resembles. The Seychelloise bergamots are simply cut in half and used whole with fried onions in the sauce for fish.    The more common European bergamot looks like a fat lemon - with a bit deeper yellow rind - it's sometimes mistaken for a Meyer lemon whose flavor it somewhat resembles.  It's flesh is sweeter than a lemon - but NOT edible like an orange, or even a grapefruit.   It's most common preparation as food is marmalade.  The marmalade that comes from bergamot tastes exactly like the description of all the fruit's capacities - it's bitter-sweet with a slightly floral nuance.

INDIAN OCEAN PAN-FRIED FLUKE with BERGAMOT-ONION SAUCE

serves 3 - 4

1 pound fluke or flounder fillet, skin on, scaled
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 scallions, roots removed, leave 2-inches of the green, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small hot pepper, minced
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bergamot - peeled, including the pith, cut in half, use a sharp paring knife to remove the sections from the membrane of 1/2 of the fruit - squeeze the juice from the other half and add to the sections - make sure all pits are removed
1/4 cup cornstarch
Enough canola oil to fill a small skillet to 1 inch

1.   Cut the fluke into 4 - 6 pieces.  Make horizontal slits, about 1/8-inch deep on the skin-side of each piece.  You'll need a very sharp knife.
2.   Add the ginger, sesame oil, soy, hot pepper, scallions and garlic to a small bowl.  Stir to combine.   Add the fish fillets and toss to thoroughly coat with the mixture.  Reserve.
3.   In a small skillet saute the onion in the olive oil until completely wilted and slightly gold.  Add the bergamot sections and juice.  Cook for a minute.  Remove from heat and reserve.
4.   In a small skillet heat the canola oil until it has small bubbles around the edges.
5.   Meanwhile, add the corn starch to a dinner plate and coat the fish fillets.
6.   Fry, skin side down, a few pieces at a time until golden - about 1 minute.  No need to turn the fillets as they're so thin they cook very quickly.  Drain on paper towels.
7.   Serve immediately topped with the bergamot onion sauce.   The skin will stay crispy while the fish is hot.

BERGAMOT MARMALADE
makes about 1 quart

This recipe comes to me via Michael Harris the owner of LICK from his friend, Suri Farman-Farmaian who lives in Switzerland.  I have not made the marmalade but I was grateful to be on the receiving end of a jar made-by-Michael (photo of marmalade with thermometer is Michael's - he cooked his to 215 degrees F.).   It's delicious on a piece of toasted quinoa bread from Bonfiglio & Bread that has first been buttered with Kate's sea-salted butter available from LICK or Hannaford's supermarket.

8 bergamots
3 cups sugar
4 cups water plus more for blanching the bergamots
pinch of sea salt
optional: 2 teaspoons Kirsch or Limoncello

1.   Rinse and dry the bergamots, trim off stem ends, then cut each in half and pluck out the seeds.
2.   Cut the bergamots into quarters and using a sharp knife, slice the quarters as thinly as possible.
Tip:  if you have trouble getting them very small, after slicing, you can use a chef's knife to chop them to the right size.  Don't use a food processor, as that will make the marmalade muddy.
3.   Put in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Let boil for 5 minutes, then drain well.
4.   Return the bergamots to the pot, add the sugar, 1 quart of the water, and salt, and bring to a boil.  Cook the bergamots, stirring occasionally until the marmalade  begins to set using the wrinkle test: turn the marmalade off and put a dab on a plate that's been in the freezer then check it after 5 minutes; if it wrinkles when you nudge it, it's done.  If not, continue to cook, repeating this step, until it reaches the desired consistency.
Depending on the heat, the marmalade will take at least 30 minutes to reach this point, although if you're used to making other jams, it will look slightly more liquid than others when done.  You can also use a candy thermometer, the jam will be done when the temperature reaches around 220 degrees F.
5.   Once done, stir in the liqueur, if using, then ladle into clean jars and twist on the lids.   Once cool, store in the refrigerator where they'll keep for at least 6 months.

 a few of Suri's notes:
 " .... what I did was to cut them into eights, this way you can just cut the skin bits and pop out all the seeds with a knife, instead of trying to take them out individually.  So, you need to take out all the seeds, not the flesh, leave that and slice the skin to the size you want - it will be the only  visible thing at the end.  Keep all the seeds aside....after you've done the first boiling bit and it says chuck out water and drain well, DO IT.  I didn't want to thinking that's the best bit, but boy is it bitter...we tried drinking it in hot water, not bad...I'm sure you can find find some use for it.  Someone who like Fernet-Branca ...bi-tttter! ...then you put it back on the heat with water and sugar.  I put the seeds into a spice diffuser, because I don't have cheese cloth here...you need them for it to thicken {recipe does not give those instructions}.  I put in less sugar than it says - I always try and get away with as little sugar as possible.  I've used brown cane sugar in the past..."

SUSANSIMONSAYS:

Sinkless Kitchen

I've moved into my new house and am faced with the overwhelming task of unpacking everything
and finding places for it all.  Didn't I just do this a year ago?  Yes.  But this time it's for real - I own the place.  The house that I lived in all of last year, my first year in Hudson, was a rental.  After about a month and a half I realized that although the house was roomy and in a nice neighborhood, I felt that the landlady was watching my every move and I kind of gave up on decorating desires (holes in the walls, moving furniture on her precious floor, etc.).  Not to mention cooking.  While  I did make some delectable dishes on the the $300. Sears range (which I shared with you on occasion) - it was an unsatisfying experience in many ways.   Baking was just about out of the question - cakes got tough on the outside and remained gooey and almost raw on the inside.  Forget about my favorite  pizza.  It was never right

I bought a beautiful Electrolux Professional series range for the new house.  It's a sturdy workhorse that resembles its more well-known colleagues; the Wolf and the Viking - and costs just a tad under those celebrity cookers.  My reasoning for choosing the Electrolux over the others was because I had lived with a Viking for years in the City - and while it was beloved - it cost a small fortune to repair (same reason I gave up my Volvo once I moved upstate and I was doing more than just recreational driving) - the Electrolux is more main stream and easier to repair.  At least I think so.

My kitchen is painted Majorelle blue - the color made famous by Yves Saint Laurent in the gardens that he rescued and restored on his Marrakech property.  My contractors called the color "blurple" - which what it is - a deep cobalt lightened with undertones of purple.   The range is installed  (the inside of the oven is also blue, like speckled- blue camping tinware) - as is the refrigerator (in the pantry - which used to be a tiny bedroom off the kitchen).  The uninstalled dishwasher is there - but the sink is not.  It's due to arrive any second.  So my cooking attempts have been very limited - Oh, did I say that I don't have any work surfaces to speak of.  Yet.   It's not ideal to use the bathroom sink and bathtub as water and dishwashing sources.  So, I've stayed very simple.  Oatmeal.  Salads.  Pasta.  You know.

In a week or two this blog should start communicating the results of cooking experiments in the new kitchen.   Did I mention that the kitchen faces southwest giving me a lovely view of the Catskill Mountains - and now, with the leaves missing from the trees, a sliver of the Hudson River.

I have spent an inordinate amount of time at the new Bonfiglio & Bread (still no website - you can "like" them on Facebook, however) here in Hudson on upper Warren Street feeding my carbohydrate addiction.   And everyday there are new choices.  Last week I had lunch with friends and chose Bonfiglio's panade.   Panade is most often asscociated with onion soup but really it's a savory bread pudding and the ideal dish to make with leftover bread and other things that are hanging around the kitchen. 

To inspire you - here's what Rachel, of Bonfiglio did for the panade (at least I deduced) that I ate:
.  Soaked some of the bakery's leftover bread, sliced, (but cubed bread is good in a preparation like this too) in their leftover butternut squash soup.  Baked the mixure with grated cheese  - maybe cheddar - in a round pan.
.   Served a VERY generous wedge of the butternut squash panade on a bed of sauteed kale (also leftover) with a chopped fresh parsley and red onion salad.
.   You can't ask for more goodness.

SUSANSIMONSAYS:   BEST WISHES FOR HAPPY AND JOY-FILLED  HOLIDAYS.  EAT DELICIOUS FOOD.  HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.  

r.i.p. Allegra's cousins, and new friend; Dewey, Hercules, and Roxanne