Improvising

Quiche is a culinary treat. It’s one of my favorite dishes for a few reasons, but namely because it’s so easy to improvise. Recently, we arrived home from a trip late and hungry. No one felt like going to the grocery store, so I looked in the fridge to see what I had: eggs, butter, cheese, and some assorted vegetables. What to make? Quiche!

Another reason I enjoy quiche so much is because of the way the textures and flavors combine to create a complex flavor profiles. A quiche custard done right is light and delicate. The vegetables and cheeses stud the egg with delicious pockets of flavor, and a crisp, buttery crust rounds out the dish. A crust that melts in your mouth provides the perfect complement to a light custardy, cheese filling. A true quiche isn’t far from ambrosia.

This is a perfect time of year to make quiche, as the first spring vegetables come into season. Quiche is a dish easily adapted to seasonal offerings. Quiche is a good way to take advantage of ramps, peas, asparagus, and artichoke. Mix and match the vegetables, cheeses, and seasonings for a selection of diverse outcomes. Here’s my basic recipe to get you started: 

Rosanna’s Mediterranean Quiche

INGREDIENTS

Pie Crust

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1 1/4 Sticks Organic Salted Butter

3 Tablespoons Crisco or other vegetable shortening

1/4 Cup Ice Water

1/2 Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt

Vegetables

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil for cooking

1 bunch loosely chopped asparagus (preferably thin)

1 bunch green onion, greens and whites loosely chopped

2 cups fresh peas

3 Cloves of Garlic, chopped finely

Custard

6 Eggs

3 Cups of 1% Milk

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Cup grated Reggiano Parmiggiano Cheese

8 Small Fresh Mozzarella Balls, cut in fourths

DIRECTIONS

Vegetables

1.     Heat olive oil in medium sauce pan, add garlic and stir briefly

2.     Add chopped vegetables and sauté at medium-high heat until wilted and soft

3.     Remove from the heat and set aside.

Crust

1. Cut the butter into 2-inch pats and set aside.

2. Prepare ice water and set aside

3. Combine flour and salt in the food processor, mix in the butter pats and shortening.

4. Process the mixture until the flour, butter, and shortening are totally incorporated- the mixture will look like coarse sand.

5. Add ice water slowly. Process in the pulse mode until the dough forms a rough ball.

6. Place the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Custard

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add in the milk, salt, grated parmesan, and mozzarella, and whisk together with a fork.

3. Remove the vegetables from the refrigerator (make sure that they’ve cooled down to room temperature), and add to the egg mixture.

4. Mix with a fork and place mixture back in the refrigerator.

Quiche Assembly

1. Remove dough from refrigerator.

2. Spread a pastry cloth over a large, flat surface.

3. Fit a stocking on your rolling pin.

4. Scatter flour on the pastry cloth and rolling pin.

5. Coat the dough with a light dusting of flour.

6. Flatten dough with your hand and slowly begin rolling out in a firm even manner. (Don’t over handle the dough or add too much flour as it will become tough and not flaky).

7. Once the dough is rolled out, slip a pie pan under the dough and gently transfer to the pan.

Leave at least three inches of extra dough all around the edge. Cut off excess.

8. Remove the egg mixture from the refrigerator and pour into the shell.  

9. Gently crimp the extra dough around the edges of the quiche with your thump and forefinger into fluted edges.

10. Cook quiche at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. The quiche is done when the custard has risen and solidified, and when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

11. Let the quiche rest on a wired baking rack for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

Enjoy!

*Photo by John Granen courtesy of Coming Home: A Seasonal Guide to Creating Traditions. Published by Abrams: Stewart, Tabori & Chang

www.rosannainc.com

Sisterhood

This past President's Day Weekend, my husband and I got a taste of what it's like to be Empty Nester's. On Friday we put Francesca, our youngest daughter, on a plane to Berkeley, CA to spend a few days with her older sister, Alessandra.
At first, I was nervous about Francesca's trip. She's my baby! But, when she arrived back home that Monday night, emitting an astonishing and unmistakable new aura of confidence, I forgot about my concerns. I knew that agreeing to the trip had been the right choice.
I realize now that encouraging your children to spend an extended period of time together on their own can be one of the most powerful ways to perpetuate close bonds between siblings. Something magical and crucial to closeness happens when siblings hang out without their parents around, at least that's what my older daughter tells me.
For my girls, who are eight years apart, this year couldn't have been a better time for this trip to happen. Francesca, who's 14, and Alessandra, who's 22, are finally starting to relate to each other as peers; their age gap is finally starting to close.
For a younger sibling at the seminal point of transition into life as a young adult, spending time with an older sibling can be an especially profound and impactful experience. I didn't realize it until after Francesca's trip, but an older sibling can be an incredible resource in raising younger children. Here is another person who can provide perspective, introduce new worldviews and get your younger children to start thinking about the life stages that lie a little further down the road. As an added bonus, because younger siblings generally regard older siblings as the most gloriously cool humans to ever walk the earth, they're much more likely to incorporate the values we hope to teach them when those values are modeled by their big brothers and sisters.
We all know that it takes a village to raise a child. But as you search out role models and mentors who will help your children grow into their full potential, don't look too far; they may be right under your nose. They may even call you "mom."
 

www.rosannainc.com

Music

Music is a primal pursuit. In the bustle of activity, it can slip easily out of our days and we forget the power it holds. Making the effort to keep music in your life is worth it because music is vital. As we open our ears, we also open our eyes. Music creates new awareness of the world in which we live.

In my book Coming Home, I talk about the crucial role of music, and dance, to building an enlivened existence:

"Music and dance can temper any mood, elevate the spirit and release a rush of endorphins. The sense of well-being that comes from dancing is a priceless gift that we experience far too infrequently. Music and dance release tension, allowing our souls to become free."

Today I want to talk about the music that, the first time I experienced it, touched me deeply and now enriches my life on a regular basis.

Five years ago, a friend brought me to the opera. We saw La Boheme by the composer Giacomo Puccini. Experiencing this tragic story through arias that trembled, glimmered and thundered with emotion changed my life in more ways than one.

Opera has a rich legacy with influences, contributors and innovations from all over the world. It is a medium that spans a wide swath of eras and finds inspiration in some of the most unlikely places. Attending operas has given me a blossoming awareness of its many traditions in opera. And the more I learned, the more the music opened me to the spiraling complexity of this beautiful art form.

About a year after I saw my first opera, I began designing products for the Metropolitan Opera. This ongoing project has been immensely fulfilling and vastly educational. It has allowed me to delve deeper into the music, and, in so doing, feel more alive.

Music of all kinds frees our souls. Different sounds speak to different people. Opera may not be the music that touches your soul, but there is music out there that will call to you, wake you and transport you to new places. All you have to do is find it and listen.

www.rosannainc.com



*Coming Home: A Seasonal Guide to Creating Family Traditions, Published by Abrams: Stewart, Tabori & Chang

Birthday

About a week ago, I celebrated another birthday. I love birthdays because they offer the opportunity to do my favorite things--gather, connect and create joy together.
However, I've never liked birthday celebrations that are all about me. This year, I wanted all the good things that come along with a celebration--festivity, laughter and community, but I didn't want the focus on me. So, instead of having my friends or family throw a party in honor of me, I  threw a party in honor of something very important to me: women.
This birthday party in which I focused on celebrating a group of people I feel passionate about was a perfect solution--it allowed me to celebrate a community I love and myself, at the same time.
Here are some tips to plan your own birthday party premised on one of your passions:

• Think about the identities that define you the most. Are you a painter? A triathlete? A gardener? What communities do you belong to? Think about which activities make you feel most yourself when you're doing them. If you're drawing a blank, start out by making a list of your five primary identities and choose one to inspire your birthday theme.
• Decide on an activity. It may be related to the identity of pursuit you want to celebrate, like a day in the garden with your gardening friends. Or a studio night with your artist friends. Maybe, it's simply a shared meal together or a good old-fashioned party.
• Choose an aesthetic theme for your celebration. If you're a gardener, maybe the theme is green. If you're a writer, maybe you'll incorporate words. If you're a world traveler, you could start by replicating the aesthetic from one of your favorite countries. Because my theme was women, I decided to throw a dinner party where everyone would be free to chat and connect without distraction. I set a feminine table incorporating fresh cut roses, my finest linens, my most delicate china, beautiful crystal stemware and antique silverware. The guests oohed and ahhed, appreciating every element on the table. 

Other helpful questions I asked myself to round out my birthday theme included: 

1. What time of day should this party take place?
2. What kind of music fits this theme? Which kind of menu will enhance the party the most?
3. In lieu of gifts, is there a project or activity related to the theme that we can do together in honor of my birthday?

This years birthday celebration was a beautiful gathering. I felt both celebrated and fulfilled, having spent the evening in a community I love, honoring and sharing all the things we have in common. I can't think of a better way to commemorate the passage of another year, than that.


*Photo by John Granen courtesy of Coming Home: A Seasonal Guide to Creating Traditions. Published by Abrams: Stewart, Tabori & Chang

 

www.rosannainc.com

Chicken Soup

"It's so cold outside!"

In January, the heart of winter, staying warm is just about the only thing we can think about. In this time of year, we crave food that heats us from the inside out. However, we're not so far away from the holidays either. Light, clean cooking is the order du jour. But there's the bur--we want warm and filling but also light and clean. How to strike a balance? It's tricky.

I start with Leftover Chicken Soup. The clear broth keeps this dish from becoming too substantial. The vegetables make it fresh. The carcass of a previously roasted chicken imparts a wonderful, satisfying depth of flavor, and the noodles make this soup a classic comfort food dish. Leftover Chicken Soup makes a good winter meal because you can cook a big pot, eat some and freeze the rest for another blustery winter's night. Enjoy with a full-bodied red wine, Umbrian Montefalco and Montepulciano from Tuscany are two of my favorites, along with a loaf of fresh, crusty bread.


Leftover Chicken Soup (serves 8)

Ingredients
2 large carrots - cut into 1/4 inch rounds
2 large celery ribs  - chopped into 2 inch crescents
Carcass and pan drippings from a roasted chicken
1 lb parpardelle noodles (wide egg noodles)

1. Fill a large stock pot halfway full with water. Add the carrots, celery, chicken carass and pan drippings. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Boil for 5 minutes then reduce to a simmer.
3. Remove carcass, stripping off all loose meat. Add meat back to pot.
4. Cook over low heat for 1 hour.
5. Just before serving, add the pasta. Parpardelle comes in nests. Crack the uncooked nests in two before adding so the noodles aren't too long.
6. Cook at a simmer for 15 min or until noodles are soft.
7. Serve hot in low, shallow bowls
8. Make sure to save some for your children's lunch tomorrow!

*Photo courtesy of John Granen for Coming Home: A Seasonal Guide to Creating Family Traditions. Published by Abrams: Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

www.rosannainc.com

Nesting: Part 2

By Rosanna's eldest daughter, Alessandra Wollner

A few weeks ago I wrote a post called Nesting: Part 1. It explored the experience of setting up house in one’s first “Big Girl Home,” paying special attention to the magic formula that makes a house a home. 

The recipe, I’ve found, is endlessly adaptable and more than amenable to improvisation. 

I discover new ingredients every day. The best part is that these ingredients show me how to combine them so that together, their contributions make this new home sing. 

Here are some words to describe what I’m talking about:

Sleepover Magic

I want to live in a space where guests feel supremely comfortable. In fact, my secret goal is to make them feel so comfortable they never want to leave. When guests end up feeling that good you know what happens next—sleepovers! 

Making people feel welcome is a priority. Having a place to put them is an imperative. I don’t have a guestroom yet. Somehow, that never seems to deter our friends from bunking down. Besides, extra sleeping accommodations that are finagled rather than formal seem like much more fun to me.  To arrange your own ad hoc sleeping arrangements, consider buying one of the following: 

Sleeping bag and inflatable camping pad

Air mattress

Futon

Extra-wide couch

Fold-out couch 

Each space asks for a different approach. It depends on the room and furniture you have to work with. Extra sleeping space in Magic House came to us in the form of a large, overstuffed green couch from our local second hand store. Like the house, the couch is magic. It’s so inviting that to look at it is to hear it issuing its sole command: 

“NAP ON ME. NOW.”

Magic House, meet Magic Couch

Dishes For The Masses 

Always have enough dishes to set the table for a crowd. Being the daughter of a dinnerware designer and therefore guaranteed free dinnerware for life, telling other people to make sure they have enough dishes might be a little insensitive. Let me qualify that statement: 

Having lots of dishes doesn’t mean owning 20 identical place settings down to the fish forks. Just make sure you have enough surfaces for people to eat off of. Mismatched settings don’t have to be a last resort. It can very easily look deliberate. In fact, my favorite dining room aesthetic is mismatched vintage silverware. Making your own set is a simple matter or rescuing it from your local junk shop and investing in a jar of silver polish. 

Also, make sure to have a collection of real dinnerware—ceramic, porcelain, melamine, or bamboo—whatever. It may look like a hodgepodge in the cabinet, but once the table is set, it won’t make a difference if not a single plate matches. You’ll be surprised how far a little intentionality can go.

My mom's ode to mismatched dishes- Boho Holiday

I like mismatched silverware.

Systematize Your Sounds 

iHome, subwoofers, floor speakers—do it an way you want, so long as it amplifies sound. 

Like ambient lighting and original art, audible music plays a crucial role in the creation of an atmosphere. While you’re at it, whip up a handful of go-to playlists for different kinds of gatherings—brunch/drinks/dinner party/partyparty/outdoor picnic/teatime/late night rendez-vous. 

Bring the World Home. 

I spent 1/3 of last summer in Morocco. While there, I sat on the ground a lot. I loved the laid-back feeling of Moroccan floor seating. Sitting on the floor instantly makes thing less formal, more egalitarian, and a little sillier. After traveling through Morocco, an incredible, fulfilling, and profoundly educational experience for me, I knew I wanted floor seating in my home.

Let the world make impressions on you. We’re all just little lumps of clay waiting to be shaped by our experiences, right? Create a living space that incorporates the places, people, and adventures that have impacted you. This is what makes us who we are. Keeping them in front of your face, and part of your daily life can become a potent reminder of selfhood.  

My sendup to Moroccan floor seating

I didn’t realize it at the time, but when I wrote Nesting: Part 1 I was a little cuckoo. Completely in the clutches of homemaking-mania. Fortunately, an enforced nesting hiatus due to a trip to Seattle gave me some valuable perspective on process. 

Before the holidays, I was running around like a frantic squirrel to secure every single solitary element that would transform this naked space into Magic House. I toggled between hunting down the vintage typewriter I’ve been fantasizing about to securing a decent-looking kitchen table (both of which, by the way, we still don’t have). I was Veruca Salt from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory; I wanted it all and I wanted it now.   

By the time I left for Seattle, we had most of the basics—a couch, a coffee table, beds, ambient lighting, towels, pots and pans. Wine glasses. Like I said, the basics. As I looked around at what we had accomplished, this Something we had already whipped up out of Nothing, I thought, “For now, this is enough. More than enough, it’s good.”  

There comes a moment in moving when it’s time to stop pushing. We have entered that phase. Now that the sundries are all here, it’s time to allow our home grow into itself on its own terms and time frame. 

I still have dreams about how Magic House will eventually look. And make no mistakes—we will find that typewriter. Someday. 

For now though, what we have is more than enough. In fact, for now it’s perfect. 

And guess what? 

It feels like home.

Me and Patrick, my lovely friend and roommate

The Calm After the Holiday Storm

I love the time between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s a small respite from the winter months that has a little bit of a magical lull. Kids are on school holiday, and business operations have slowed down. To me, this is the perfect time to take advantage of a little hit of quietude, and enjoy the calm after the holiday storm.

Here are some ideas about how to make the most of the halcyon days between holidays:

-Spontaneously invite friends over for drinks, dinner, or Christmas cookies. Keep these gatherings simple.  Don’t worry too much about the food.  It’s all about spending time with friends and staying cozy. Everyone has so many Christmas dishes and holiday treats still floating around, it’s easy to cobble together a meal or a festive get together from holiday odds and ends.

-Spend time with your family. Play games, go see a movie together (there are lots of fantastic, big-budget holiday productions of all genres in theaters now) or rent a movie and stay in.  These family activities can be as simple or elaborate as you want to make them, thanks to the little extra slack that comes at this time of year.

-Cultivate quiet. Everyone talks about peace this time of year; make some for yourself! Light candles, take a bath, make tea, or curl up with a new book you received as a gift this year. Take stock of this past year, and think about the things you want to bring into your life in the new year. 

The peace, silence, and stillness of late December is something to cherish. Extend hospitality, spent time, express gratitude, bring light, and have a very happy holiday. 

www.rosannainc.com