Tag: shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Bream

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Over the weekend, I took a quick jaunt over to London for the Rugby World Cup. Edward got these tickets almost a year ago, but with my new job back in the States, I could only take one day off. The result was a 48-hour haze of joyful reunions, fierce England sporting patriotism, and – unfortunately – a steady battle against jet lag. Like the mortals who wander through hill and dale in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, most of the time I had no idea whether I was awake or dreaming. But there are some things in life that zing you awake – perhaps it’s the limey acidity and sharp red onion in a ceviche nacho dish; perhaps it’s an elixir from cheeky Puck in the forest; or perhaps it’s the feeling of being surrounded by 80,000 people singing “God Save the Queen” in support of England’s rugby team (who, incidentally, beat Fiji!).

 

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Ceviche Nachos:

1/2 pound white fish (sea bream, sole, tilapia, halibut)

1 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red pepper

1/2 red onion

Zest of three limes

2 tsp chopped parsley (or a fresh herb of your choice)

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choosing (I used a Mexican mix)

Four heft handfuls of tortilla chips

Instruction:

1. Cut fish into quarter-inch cubes. Pour lime juice until just covering fish, then cover with cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes. The fish should be opaque.

2. In the meantime, dice pepper and onion. Toss together with black beans, lime zest, parsley, salt, and pepper. When fish is finished chilling, gently drain lime juice and add fish to the pepper and onion mixture.

3. Arrange tortilla chips on a plate, sprinkle with cheese, and microwave for about 40 seconds (cheese should be melted and bubbling). Serve immediately with ceviche.

Enjoy ceviche nachos with William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and check in at http://warandpeach.com for future recipes and book reviews!

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Rummy Oat and Juliet

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As I get older, it becomes much more apparent how similar I am to my parents. Anyone who knows the pair of them is aware that they are quite different – opposites, in many ways. I seem to have landed somewhere in the middle. From my mother, I’ve inherited slight OCD tendencies and a solid knowledge of every word to “It’s Rainin’ Men.” From my father, I’ve learned Shakespeare’s great monologues and the importance of travel.

But one thing they have both passed on to me is a love for chocolate chip cookies. When I was younger, my father baked a batch almost every Saturday afternoon. Now mother continues to make them, with the addition of hearty oats and a dash of cinnamon. The sweet smell throughout the house, the cheeky teaspoons of raw dough, and finally warm gooey goodness with a cold glass of milk are all avenues to instant happiness. I’ve tried for years to find a way to find a way to make a recipe equally as delicious and comforting. A dash of rum complements the brown sugar quite well in this “grown up” cookie recipe. But hurry, because they’re so delicious that a batch will be gone in an instant – and parting with these cookies is such sweet sorrow.

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Grown Up Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons rum

1/2 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

Instruction:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk melted butter and sugars together until smooth. Add vanilla extract, rum, and egg. Whisk until smooth.

2. Sift in flour, baking soda and salt. Beat in with wooden smooth until completely combined. Fold in oats and chocolate chunks.

3. Using an ice cream scoop, form large dough balls. Flatten slightly into disk shapes. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes (until golden brown). Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.

Enjoy grown up chocolate chip cookies with William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and check in at http://warandpeach.com for future recipes and book reviews!

All’s Well That Blends Well

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In keeping with the Shakespeare theme on the blog this week, I turn to another tale of deception, confusion, and general mayhem. In All’s Well That Ends Well, hidden elements surprise and delight the audience at every turn.

The plot is reminiscent of the old TLC show “Trading Spaces,” in which two couples traded homes and work with a designer to makeover one room. Each episode could produce feuds and deceit, clashes between designer and couple, attempts to pump the carpenter for classified information. Ultimately, though, as in Shakespeare’s beloved play, everyone reconciled at the end of the drama.

Though I primarily watched “Trading Spaces” for Genevieve’s hippy coolness or Frank’s quirky baldness, I did pick up on several real points. For example, color can set the mood of a room, and perhaps even evoke a feeling. The same can be true of color in cuisine. I associate warm orange with Bryn Mawr in November, leaves crunching, a cinnamon scented candle lit, an extra warm blanket shared between snugglers (usually my dog and me). This autumnal puree’s hue makes it a bit easier for me to be abroad this autumn, because I can think about all of the things I love about home.

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Puree:

3 parsnips

5 carrots

1 onion

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup apple cider

Salt to taste (up to 1 teaspoon)

 Instruction:

1. Peel parsnips and carrots; chop them (and onion) roughly. Over medium-low heat, sauté with lid on until all vegetables are tender.

2. Pulse vegetables with cinnamon in blender, gradually adding in cider. Season with salt, if necessary. For a completely smooth texture, pass through a strainer, pushing the lumps through with the back of a ladle.

Enjoy this autumnal puree with William Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well, and check in at warandpeach.com for future recipes and book reviews!

Much Ado About Stuffing

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My actual boyfriend was the one who broke the news to me about my make-believe boyfriend’s engagement. When Benedict Cumberbatch made his grand announcement in the Times last week, Sherlock devotees all over the world took the news quite hard. But he’s not the only Benedict causing trouble. In William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Benedick toys with Beatrice in a variety of ways and surprises everyone (players and audience alike) with a sudden shift of his views on marriage.

All of Shakespeare’s comedies make for very pleasant reading (or viewing) material. Like a proper Thanksgiving stuffing, something that has gone stale (seemingly past the point of being salvaged) can indeed be the foundation for all of the other components. In this dish, different textures keep each bite interesting, and the playful combination of smooth honey and punchy ginger teases the consumer’s palate.

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Ginger Honey Stuffing

6 pork sausage links, casings removed

10 strips of bacon

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

1 onion, finely diced

2 loaves of stale bread, crusts removed

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 small egg (or half of a larger egg), beaten

1/4 cup honey

3 tbsps ground ginger

3 tbsps unsalted butter

1. Cube bread and lay out in baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with half of the ground ginger. Bake in 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes, then remove and let cool.

2. In the meantime, cook sausages (casings removed) over medium heat in olive oil, breaking up with a wooden spoon into small bits. Remove and let cool on paper towel (to soak up extra fat). Dice bacon and cook in same pan until crispy. Remove and let cool on paper towel (to soak up extra fat).

3. In excess bacon fat, cook diced onions until translucent and soft. Let cool, then combine with sausage, bacon, diced raw apples, and cooled bread cubes.

4. Beat egg with warm (but not hot) chicken stock. Toss dry ingredients in the liquid, then spread entire mixture evenly in baking dish. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle the rest of the ginger. Dot the stuffing all over with bits of cold, cubed butter.

5. Bake stuffing in a 350-degree oven until liquid is absorbed and top is golden brown.

Enjoy ginger honey stuffing with William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and check in at http://warandpeach.com for future recipes and book reviews!