Monday, February 25, 2008

Wallpaper: A Note to Self

On my computer desktop at this moment I have 47 digital stickie notes. Forty-one of these stickie notes are recipes. The recipes remain in the stickie zone until they are proved and as stickies were perhaps intended, a reminder. There’s roasted curried cauliflower, sautéed tangerine shrimp, chile blanco, and salted fudge brownies. Spicy slaw, bolo de amêndoa, zucchini carpaccio salad, and lemony potato salad with olives, corn, and cashews. Citrus and avocado salad with honey vinaigrette and touch-of-grace biscuits.

What of establishment fare? Du-Par’s steak pot pie, traditional sunset salad from “21” Club, and Blue Chip chocolate chip cookies. My family breakfasted at Du-Par’s in Glendale under the tall bank tower. My father ordered two eggs any style (sunny side up) with hash browns, wheat toast, and decaf. Inevitably, he ordered bear claws to end the fast.

The eggplant ricotta bake I made in November is still listing on screen. I wasn’t wild about it the first day and will definitely drain the ricotta next time, but I thoroughly enjoyed doses of leftovers and have since repeatedly thought about its tomato-y goodness. The stickie note stays for now.

I can’t think of something I don’t love about a recipe—where it came from, when it was served, why it was created, what works with it and what doesn’t, family favorites. Handwriting, recipe card choice, the story.

Two recipes have been made to acclaim—fresh ginger and chocolate gingerbread and buckwheat butter cookies with cocoa nibs. From Dorie Greenspan and Alice Medrich, respectively. How to save them now? I prefer RB’s old-fashioned gingerbread recipe above this one, but this has chocolate icing and the real ginger is a draw. The buckwheat cookies have been made so often, I like having the recipe handy.

For dessert, gâteau au chocolat fondant de Nathalie, peanut ice cream, cardamom and lemon rice pudding made in a slow cooker, s’more brownies, chocolate candied orange peel. And from a stickie on the Taylor’s refrigerator door, Grandma’s coconut pecan frosting.