ysabella_dolfin's Journal

Brown paper packages tied up with bows...
These are a few of my favorite things...

Brion in his favorite blue checked pajama bottoms
Etaine's cookies
Janosh under the mistletoe
Etaine under the mistletoe
The Meadery
Mongolian BBQ
Snuggling all night with my friends
Spending time puttering around Trader Joes with Vittoria and Aviva
Dark chocolate caramels with sea salt
Draping Stacey
Having a quiet afternoon with Debbie and Stacey getting projects well underway while the boys squeal over football in the other room
Pliska's nest in the living room
The grilled lamb riblets with Guinness sauce we had for dinner
Getting to start my internship next week by playing with pig
Having the packet all done (and getting the two thumbs up from one of my Peers)
That Brion got me 4 bags of gummies to last the weekend
That my new German dress is really nice. I love the fabric!

I hope everyone has an amazing Holiday this year!

My most beloved Syele... and Foodie friends et al....
I know I was supposed to save you a pig in the blanket from SoA night. But... well I have a shameful confession to make... with only 1 more semester of Culinary Arts school to get my degree... and an exhaustive knowledge of many higher cooking techniques... I utterly... totally... and completely... burned the pigs in a blanket. Eireanach will most likely confirm this sorry state of affairs tomorrow via her LJ. They were so burned that we even tried to just eat the tops... and they were still (by popular vote) inedible.

Yes... I can make a bechamel that will make you moan like a... really happy moaning person... and my meatballs are a thing of beauty... but pigs-in-a-blanket... are a culinary mystery.

I should go up into the highest reaches of the Appalachians to study under the pig-in-a-blanket Master and learn the ancient (like from the 70's) secrets of Pillsbury dough rolled around a juicy Lit'l Smokie.

Love,
Rachael... who shall wear a mark of shame until she can make ONE (1) decent cookie sheet of the vaunted pigs-in-a-blanket.

MUST stop "tidying the edges" of the rice krispy treats!
I almost grabbed the bacon cheese wiz. Have I mentioned that I am SO not a food snob?

I had a marvelous day having lunch with Ascelin and Etaine over at this nice little French place in Berkeley, then toddled over to Stone Mountain and Daughter to flirt with Masae and found the awesome wool for Brion's An Tir 12th Night Norse stuff (it is a surprise for him for Xmas) for like $8 a yard. Etaine has something perfect in her stash for Algefyu so I am all set there. Next week... the projects commence!

Then we hit Laci's and I got some fine linen thread. I am going to weave the ties for the Etaine's underwear in the chevron pattern like they have in JA4, just to see if it looks right. I will card weave it, which is not what they did, but it will look right I am guessing.

I love LOVE Laci's. The proprietor of the museum was there and asked me if I wanted the guided tour of the current offering which was bobbin lace. Well YES, thank you!

Check it OUT.... REAL gold!

Ok... time to go fondle the little brown men with d_salie and Phoebes and Joe! I hope they brought their 40's of Budwieser! Pups in a blanket, here we come!!!

PWT accoutramont acquired
Tonight is the final episode of mine and Brion's guilty pleasure, Son's of Anarchy. So today I puttered over to my local Safeway and got Lil Smokies, BBQ Sauce, Rice Crispies, Marshmallows, Flakey Pilsbury Dough, Tater Tots.... you see where I am going here? OH YEAH Baby! Poor White Trash food! Brion is going to be especially excited about the rice crispy treats.

BUT that means I cannot go over the top on Mojitos during my lunch with Syele and Etaine today or I will have to stay in Berkeley until I am good to drive. I am hitting a few places today to get the fabric for Agelfyu and a few odds and ends for Etaine's underwear.

I am so excited about going to An Tir 12th Night this year. I am really looking forward to letting my hair down and partying with the girls. I miss everyone a bunch. Plus I will be able to gather some numbers for Sabrina to hit up for teaching classes at W/AT this year. This war is becoming freaky deaky sexy arts war... and I LIKE it!

I think it was Juana the other day that was like... Well the wars are the best places to get your art on... which made we squee with pleasure as that is a long way from "There is nothing for me to DO at a war if I am not a fighter". What I love about my Kingdom (and An Tir as well)... we don't just say... "We need more arts activities"... we say, "IT'S ON! We are going to squeeze art into every appropriate crevasse we can find!" It is a funny conversation when Sir Sexy Pants is like, "I ducked off the fighting field twice to check out all the stuff. I wish I could have taken some of the classes!" And you know what is the most awesome thing about the situation? When Arts wins the war... EVERYONE wins! Ok.. ok.. I'll try to stop cheerleading... but you guys know how excited I get.

Ok, I better get ready to go see my girls and forage for my projects. I still need to tidy today for snuggly pajama watching with pigs in a blanket and lil smokies in BBQ sauce.

Questions

dukesean 's questions

1. How has the SCA made you a better person?

2. What was the greatest invention prior to 1600?

3. If you had to live in another Kingdom, which one would you choose?

4. You are currently in culinary school. Is that the career you would choose if money were no object?

5. Aren't you glad I didn't ask you anything about being banished?

LOL

5. Yes!

1. The SCA has made me more aware of the fact that not everyone thinks exactly like me and I should be considerate of their space when possible. Its also made me seriously think about how I utilize charisma and sexuality; the inherent power in them and how to wield them more wisely. People are confused by (and often inexplicably terrified of) strong sexual women and it is both smart and polite to respect their fears and be gentle (pinkie action aside) or you risk making yourself a target for some unfortunate stuff.

2. Wow! There are SO many. I study all the time and I am constantly proud of my species for its ingenuity and cleverness. I can't think of just one thing... maybe ships that could traverse the Atlantic?

3. I would live in An Tir if I could not live in the West. It just feels like home to me and I love the people and raw enormous beauty of the (extremely large) region, plus some of the most gorgeous cities. They have a similar camping culture to the West and some of my favorite people in the world are there (plus Paul and Sue of Bellatrix are retiring there in a few years and I will miss them terribly). I've never been to Artermisia but as I am madly in love with you and your beautiful Queen, I hope to get there some day!

4. If money were no object I would own a gorgeous stone cottage by the sea that was a bar/restaurant. I would have a meat aging cave cut into the rocks by the ocean where I would make my own charcuterie and cheese. Stained glass windows... like something Hobbits would party in. With a lush lawn and 6 finely furnished rooms for the Inn in front and a cottage in the back for Brion and I with a giant walk in fire place.

OH and a request form one of the Culinary Students...
Does anyone know of someone, or have interest in helping out an awesome young CA student who would like to go foraging for wild mushrooms (safely)?

Sunday's rock mightily...
Making good progress on Etaine's camica and found some dark green wool that might do the trick on contrast fabric on my dress, but I like

aastg suggestion of the blue as well... will have to see what I can find on sale.

I have an appointment to go to Perbacco and talk to the Chef/Owner on Wed (YAY!) about my internship. I am pretty excited about it! I should have a good week or two to get all of my bigger projects underway before anything happens if it is going to.

My class schedule will be rough next semester

Baking fundamentals 3.5 units
Advanced Baking 5 units
On Campus Catering .5 units
Co-op (my internship) 1 units
Garde Manger 2 units
Catering Business and Operations 2 units
AT&T Pro Am Catering lab 1 unit

15 units and most of the classes start at 7:00am. It will be all about baking and pastry next semester. Which I have very little experience with, but I am totally interested in it!

But I will be out of class by 1:00pm Wed/Thurs and off on Friday.

It is my final semester for lab classes and I will only have a couple of night classes to take to get my associates degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management, plus Culinary Arts. If I take ONE more evening class after that, I can get my baking and pastry certificate as well. If I want to get a four year degree in HRM, they do have on at San Jose State, but for the next two semesters while I take the final night classes I need I will likely be working full time, or take some time to intern at the places I want to learn the most from and bulk up my resume.

I am so excited about the Perbacco thing... the vibe of the place is really cool. Very friendly but upscale.

Here is a shot of some of the work on Etaine's camica

I dunno,,,
maybe the sleeves on that last one are not fancy enough... maybe this one...

I like the shoulder treatment as well.

Turkey day down... Now forward to projects!
I am sitting here with my love-cookies from Etaine and a hot toasty coffee with some eggnogg. I have my delicate Christmas eggnog mugs which make me feel very cozy. If I could only get Bejeweled to work on Facebook...

But since I've been mulling over my projects in anticipation that I will be busting a few of them out in the next few weeks I've come to some conclusions...

On Aelgefyu's dress... the linen I have for it is awesome for Middle Easterns... not so much for a German Cranach gown. I am going to barter with my friends (it is a teal/blue shot linen, very fine) to trade for some heavier duty fabric that is the right color and weight. I need to check with Aelgefyu to make sure this is ok. I have gold for the guarding and I know what I want to make... I just need the right fabric.

On my new gown... I have the most gorgeous heavy duty orange wool I bought from Etaine and I am leaning towards this dress

I just need to decide on a contrast fabric/color. I also have a nice fleece I am planning to make a gollar for the dress.

On Etaine's under that I am going to try and enter into the Golden Poppy at 12th Night. I was trying to use linen thread and have gotten a portion of it done. But it is just too coarse and thick. I am going to trim that part off, redo the neck gores and start over with silk thread and hope and pray that it looks more like what I am trying to achieve. Aldith is going to help me and her advice has been more helpful than I can possibly convey in the past.

Onward to projecty goodness!

I LOVE TURKEY DAY!
A quick heads up... Phoebe's birthday is on New Year's Eve so we will be having a party here with crash space etc. I am going to do finger foods :) Make sure you give Ms. Phoebes a good Bday spanking! Back to our regularly scheduled program...

Really fun Turkey day! We brined the turkey and then stuffed the skin with sage and butter and them smoked it. It totally caught on fire! Like the paint burned off of our smoker, kind of fire. But it was early in the process and... it actually turned out freakishly yummy! Brion is the Turkeymaster!

I made a leg of goat (slathered with ginger, tumeric, garlic, honey and a bunch of other spices, then I put in a pan with cabocha squash, oranges, carrots, onions and raisins and slow roasted it), leg of lamb (garlic and rosemary), candied yams, green salad, garlic mashed potatoes. Jax brought stew and soup and Gina Marie brought soup as well. Etaine brought cookies, Gislane brought bacon wrapped dates with nuts in the middle. I made lox, pig heart (not as good as Lamb heart) and sausage stuffed calamari. Sue made cucumber finger sandwiches. I made Phoebe some love humus. Wulfric and Donata brought some yummy pies (I am eating some right now) everyone brought lots of yummy wine. It was so lovely! I love my chosen family very much.

Today is slouch around in my pajamas day. The kids are playing Rock Band with Bri and I have the turkey carcass in the big stock pot getting this weeks turkey soup going (which smells great!). Gianetta came by and picked up the feast gear she generously let me borrow for Esfenn FoFA. We are both pretty excited about the stuff we are doing for Eireanwood! And a heads up for Eireanwood participants... I will be doing "the Courtesans visit the Papal Palace for a Garden Party" theme all day on Sat so if you feel like bringing Italian stuff I will running Sat like a period play space as much as possible for the full day. So Food Geeks of Eireanwood Unite!

From klwilliams
1. What does love mean to you?

2. Where would you like to go that you've never been?

3. You're throwing a banquet for your five favorite people. What would you serve?

4. What have you not had time to do that you'd really like to do?

5. What would you think your children will be when they grow up?

Answer:

1. Love... It is such a broad term! But as far as romantic love goes... I think to me it means passion combined with respect. You can respect someone immensely and not have passion for them, and you can have lust for someone without respect but to have a truly sustainable and deep romantic love I think BOTH must be present. It is one of the reasons that Brion and I have lasted for more than four years now (when not one sane person would have taken THAT bet when we got together except maybe Brion's dad)... we have a profound passion and respect for each other.

2. Italy! For the food, for the architecture, for the art... I would love to stay in an Italian castle for a month and then sail around the boot on a tall ship for another month, maybe hit some of the Greek isles as well. I would gain 40 pounds!

3. For five? Roasted beets shaved thin and grilled lamb hearts drizzled with honey, vinegar, salt and pepper and pecorino and arugula, my house cured salumi, real Russian blini with Oestra caviar, deviled eggs drizzled with olive oil and topped with hot smoked Spanish style chorizo, real beef Wellingtons with au jus, french fries with truffle oil and salt, asparagus grilled and drizzled with butter and balsamic reduction, and for dessert a bourbon dark chocolate pecan torte with clotted cream.

4. I know it sounds weird... but I would cook more! But other than cooking, I would love to sew more. I really love making garb but I have not had the time I would like to do so. But after Thanksgiving my schedule clears a bit and I am hoping to pound out quite a few projects!

5. Mike will likely be a performer. He has been in a rock band since he was 13 and is a Drama major in college currently. He is incredibly charismatic and fearless on stage (and off stage as well) and really beautiful. My daughter is also very involved in the arts (music and theater) but she is far more interested in being a scientist. Her math grades are currently not what they should be to be a science major, but she has a few years to get them up. My baby is 9, he is more introverted than the other two (but he is still far more extroverted than many) and he is incredibly athletic and loves any kind of sport, he is also really happy on his own, very independent... I am not sure where his path will lead but his inherent kindness and sweetness will serve him well in any profession I think.

Oh and a quick heades up on FP next week...
Sean (Duke/King) was planning to come out for the holiday and also fight at FP but he and his lovely bride are going to be unable to make it (this time). We will still have the uber awesome FP and lots of hanging out etc and hopefully my beloved Sean and Lil will be able to come another time :)

Holiday preparations are not easy... or boring... or from a box....
They are decadently slow and delicious. Altho I admittedly love mashed potatoes from a box (even if I would never make them for Thanksgiving).

Today I hit up the Asian Grocery for two pork hearts (gormflaith turned me on to heart at FP this past week), a pound or so of jowls, a beef tongue (which won't be ready in time, but the weather is perfect to cure some), two whole ducks with the heads on (to make the confit for the cassoulet), whole squid (for the sausage stuffed squid) and pork belly (for the sausage). I think it is hysterical when my favorite cashier informs me every week that "White people NEVER buy this stuff!"

So today... I will trim out the duck and put the legs in the cure overnight and render the fat. I will scald the tongue and shave off the hair and put in the cure and trim out the pork belly into fat and lean to grind later in the week. Maybe even get to the jowl today as well.

I will also be making a hot smoked luccalian sausage for Saturnalia some time soon. It has pine nuts and lots of spices... I think it will be YUM!

It is a perfect rainy day, the cat and dog are both asleep in front of the pot belly stove, I have the whole weekend in front of me to putter in my kitchen wearing ridiculously fluffy socks. Foot ball and brunch will happen on Sunday. Next week is my last week of school and I am raring to go on my projects after Thanksgiving. Life is Yummy.

Answer to question #5 of mermaidinblack's questions....
If I could have anyone to dinner and serve anything, who and what?

I would invite the Obama's and kids, non-famous chefs from my favorite restaurants, and anyone who wants to come who is not socially unfortunate in a mean way. Also all members of the Ramones. and Elvis Costello. And Debby Harry.

I would serve pigs wrapped in banana leaves and clay and baked over hot coals, deep fried plantains with cojita and berry coulis, pork belly covered with honey and chinese five spice and braised until tender, steamed buns, hosin sauce and peanut butter, sausage stuffed calamari sauteed in butter, grilled lamb hearts with pepper aioli, Brussels sprouts cooked with bacon and garlic, wheat sour dough, cured salmon with pickled cucumber and cream cheese, mountains of Alaskan crab legs and dungeness crab, ebilskeivers stuffed with fresh berries... I am going to have to do this in several different posts....

The Meme
Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."

• I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity

• Update your journal with the answers to the questions

• Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.

( answers to mermaidinblack )

( answers to hunrvogt )

( answers to allergicone )

Weekend of Win...
Saturday we

mad_baker 's surprise birthday party over at

etaine_pommier and

dave_orphal 's house. It was foodie heaven with E making this amazing chiopinno and there were these really good crab puffs made by someone named Kiara and well... the pate was awesome... everything was SO good. Had a hysterical conversation with Jeffy Matt and Crystal about the Esfenn Feast where they were like, "We can't believe people ate all that stuff!" which was exactly what I was thinking at the time. SCA eaters are notoriously picky and my pickled shad etc was pretty risky. GK said people don't eat as much fish at feasts, and the salmon came out last at the Esfenn feast and did not get all eaten, but the other fish courses (especially the cured tuna belly and soused shad) were totally devoured. Maybe people are getting more adventurous?

I got pretty squiffy! I now have a bit of a hang over... but a miller lite or two and I will be feeling better! E made me this COOLEST 1940's style apron with cherries. It is going to be my sexy-time apron. Fo Sho.

The company was divine and the food was SO so good. Brion was too sick to go (he is still really under the weather) so E's mom was my hot date. I am so grateful for the many amazing and talented friends! FOOD GEEKERY ROCETH MIGHTILY!

Today

vittoriosa and I puttered around and cooked all day. We made scallops wrapped in homemade pancetta with salad and some pork foot soup for lunch. Then for dinner we did a rack of lamb with mint and peppers from Etaine's garden with butter roasted cauliflower and fried rice. The boys watched football all day and talked about their fantasy football teams. Sara made chocolate chip cookies and V and I went over to

hyperparasitoid 's house so V could bring her the cupcakes she made for her birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVIVA!)

It is my last two weeks of this semester and I am looking forward to the break. Next semester will be my last of my main classes, after that I will have a couple of night classes to do and then I will be done (YAY)! I wish I had been taking more night classes as they are the one thing I am behind on.

The lamb liver sausages look weird...
I know I didn't overpoach them... They smell really good... and spices and meat should be really good... I made the pancetta myself and the spices I used in the sausage were selected to compliment them... I hope it doesn't suck! The fat was super cured. But the recipe suggests back fat (firmer fat)... we'll see. I think I will slice them and fry them and serve them with cooked greens and pasta. They still look weird... I think I don't really like liver much... (but I really want to!)

It has been a heavenly day, laying around, playing with meat. Brion is really really sick. That is not heavenly. We did delivery sushi and I am having a glass of wine. I think I am going to make steak and kidney pie for FP this next week.

We are watching Legally Blond. And then Kill Bill 2. Lots of strong underestimated women giving "the man" the finger. I think too often we miss how much they really love us...

Busy happy FP....
Really REALLY awesome crew filling the house last night. Baron Antonio graciously agreed to be my W/AT War deputy autocrat (YAY!) which I think is going to be an awesome partnership. I think he has some strengths I can learn from and his connections in Cynagua will make it a much broader base of support for the war (which is also a big bonus).

We also did some Saturnalia planning, which I am pretty excited for as well!

We had a house full way before practice started as Etaine, Syele, Vittoria and Hannah and I had all gone out for a leisurely lunch at a new trattoria in Berkeley instead of our usual Caesar's. The food was decent but we will likely not be replacing "The Office" anytime soon. Amazing company however and I feel like I have been mentally recharged this week by the happy happenstance of hanging out with some amazingly bright articulate loving ethical strong women.

The lamb brains were par boiled and Vittoria made an egg batter and fried them, then she made home made french fries which we put salt and truffle oil on and ate with the fried brains. It was totally amazing and delicious. It is hard to describe the texture of the brains without grossing people out, but it really was yummy!

The goat was a huge hit and when I woke up this morning and surveyed the post-party mess, I could see the bones had been picked clean by the previous evenings guests. Etaine and Vittoria helped me make butternut squash gnocchi as well and we tossed it with some butter and goat cheese and salt and pepper.

I got my first big box from my new CSA today and it had all kinds of fun stuff in it. tiny little beets, lots of greens (I might make a guanciale and greens soup this week inspired by the one at Cosca yesterday) a ginormous leek.

Anyway, woke up with a helluva hang over today and slept til like 10:30, then Syele and I went into get some Ethiopian food and I dropped her off at her house. We stopped at the original Peet's Coffee and got some coffees! It is like a small museum and I wished I had time to wander around and look at everything. All kinds of really cool old style coffee makers and apparatus and news clippings. Gorgeous day today, cold and clear and of course all the Berkeley crazies were out in force, mixing and mingling with the college students... like a glorious street carnival that smells of patchouli.

Now I am home with the babies and Bri and cozy as can be. I planned to start processing the liver sausage today, but I doubt I will get to it. Plus I cannot find my copy of Scappi anywhere. It is making me really nervous. Plus I can't find my kidney fat! I might cry if I left it at Ariah's dad's place!

Having such a nice week so far...
Ellie and I hit Perbacco for lunch today. She was helping me get an introduction to the Chef/Owner to talk about my internship and... well... a combination of riveting conversation... delicious food...

Ellie's coworker worked long ago with the Chef (Steffan) and was going to join us and introduce me. Of course, I have an amusing back and forth with Ellie via email as to whether it would be appropriate for me to bring some of the cured pig tongue (which I am very proud of)... so yes I had a baggie of meat in my purse when I left the house.

I got there a little early, it is only a couple blocks from the Embarcadero BART and the city was clear and cool and smelling of wood fired pizza ovens and the ocean. It was about 11:30 when I walked in the restaurant, a gorgeous modern building that filled quickly with men in expensive suits and women wearing tweedy wools. Ellie and Thomas showed up and we were seated and perused the yummy menu.

The Chef came up to say hi and asked me if I'd used #1 salt, I said no, the tongue was #2 salt, then we chatted about the stuff I'd done. He was so... chill, interested and knowledgeable. I can see why it would be a dream to work for a Chef like that. I bet he doesn't yell at people, or throw things.

Thomas does small batch wine making and he talked animatedly about the 500 case bottling he is in the process of and knew so much about wine! It was really... that lunch could have gone on for a week and I would have been ok with that. I am inviting Thomas to Saturnalia.

The Chef gave me his card and asked me to send him my resume (YAY!) which I've already done.

Elsie and I made some amazing sausage on Monday and I got to geek out about sausage all day, which I love. Plus one of the most profound weekends of my life up in Quincy with Ariah and her family.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to hitting a new trattoria with Vittoria, Syele and Etaine (and hopefully Hanna) in Berkeley and making a giant Greek style leg of goat with home made flat bread and minted yogurt for fighter practice. This means I need to get up early and marinate the goat, and make the bread dough and let it proof while I am out at lunch. I put together the yogurt tonight to sit over night.

Tonight is date-night and Bri and I are watching our show. I made candied hazelnuts to go in the salad, some garlic and truffle oil potatoes and minted lamb chops (to grill up in a few minutes.

It's been one of the nicest weeks I've had in a while (albeit I had a super awesome weekend at

evilviscountess house a few weeks back!) and I am very grateful for it. I hope everyone else is having a wonderful week as well!

Else and I...
TRIUMPHANT!

We made 15# of emulsified sausage today, plus 3# of guanciale and 5# of sowmatta/pancetta/bacon for a feast she is doing in December. It was really fun to go thru the emulsification process and we poached them off and tried one and it had a really awesome texture! Getting texture right on an emulsified sausage is really temperature sensitive and it was cold and perfect. I am going to be putting in the dry cure items in the next few weeks because it is the perfect tiny window to do it, weather-wise.

I did not realize that I have like 20# of Lamb liver, kidney and heart! I am going to have to figure out what I can do with those? I've never eaten anyone's heart (at least not literally) so I am not sure what the taste/texture is? I am going to have to do some research tomorrow!

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