Yum

There is something magical about being outside in the fog as it overflows from the river, camera in hand, before the sun comes up on a crisp spring morning. The palette transforms from blue to grey to gold in a wave that can only experienced though patience and watchfulness. On a day when my youngest was moving through her own kind of palette, her life filling boxes, overflowing with all that she would need; I was up early, anxious in both good and bad ways to help her to transform herself as she moves out on her own. Unable to sleep in the dim grey light of night I walked though the house and caught a glimpse of the mist outside. This weather would give me an opportunity to capture some shots that would hopefully be worthy of hanging in her new house, images of the old, remembrances of where we last lived together… for her.

As I walked around our neighborhood, lurking around trees and fences and birdfeeders, peeping through yards and driveways I had time to reflect on the day ahead.   This is what I had worked and hoped for over the last twenty some years. From the time I had my second daughter I had pushed for them to have a relationship that was close. When they were teens and fought relentlessly, I resorted to brainwashing, a technique that became a ‘go to’ manner of raising them. Initially I used this technique to try to convince my oldest into turning her little sister into a slave, the youngest only wanted to be around her, if only she would find ways to use that to her benefit rather than trying constantly to keep her away. It was a struggled for years and then one summer we had turned a corner. Maybe it was age and maturity, maybe it was that they both realized they were inextricably linked through a match in bone marrow we were fortunate enough to not have to resort to, maybe they were both just grateful that my oldest came home… It doesn’t matter why, it only matters that now as my youngest is getting ready to move she made the decision to move close to her sister and her sister is finally her closest friend.

I have plans for the bedroom that my youngest has occupied for the last number of years, with its wall of windows I plan on moving my photography into that room, making use of the light and space to create a space of my own. I have been looking forward to this for a while. I can’t fill that room fast enough… not because I want that space so desperately but because its emptiness is a reminder that time moves on, things transform from darkness to grey to gold and then back again, over and over. And change, regardless of how positive, is difficult and sometimes painful, though for now I’m focusing on the light, how it changes, the beauty of it and the peacefulness I need to draw from it as I move, and as my daughter moves later today.

Today is a day that is about finding comfort and I find comfort in the sunrise on a day filled with fog and mist and I find comfort in pasta, a food group I don’t eat as often as I’d like. I made these rolls a little while ago and they are delicious.  Home made egg pasta cut into lasagna sized strips, the filling of ricotta, slow roasted tomatoes, ground dried mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and spinach. So good, so comforting, if only I could eat them every day!

Egg Pasta – rolled into strips about the size of lasagna (I used about 5 eggs and 2 1/2 cups flour, boiled for a couple of minutes, rinsed and set aside to fill.

Filling Mixture 

• 500 gram container of ricotta
• 1 cup grated Mozzarella
• 1/4 cup ground dried mushrooms
• 1/2 cup slow roasted tomatoes, though you can use sun dried
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach

*The amount of filling will be dependent on how much pasta you have and want to fill.

Mix all the filling ingredients and allow to sit so that the mushroom crumbs have a chance to hydrate. Then spread the mixture along the pasta, roll, and stand up in a baking dish.

Once your dish is full, sprinkle with more grated cheese and oregano and dot with chunks of butter OR you can pour pasta sauce, my preference is minus the tomato/pasta sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees until all the cheese has melted and the rolls are hot.  Serve immediately.

Yum

It’s a ‘sit by a roaring fire, read a good book, enjoy good meal’ kind of day at our house today.   Spring was in the air yesterday and after some necessary tasks we sat out on the deck and loaded up on some much needed vitamin D. Today though the skies have clouded over and the rain began to fall. I understand that it’s the way the world feeds the earth below it, nourishing it, but rather than energize me it always seems to make me wilt just a little, the dreariness of it, the dampness of it. It reminds of me camping and laying in the trailer listening to the drip drop of rain on the roof. It reminds me of naps and makes me think of lost days.

This rainy day I’m not hiding from the rain in a trailer but wandering around the house needing to cook something that will comfort me, take me home, bring back memories of a different kind of lost days.

This meal was one I grew up with back in the days before carbs were my nemesis; they were simply nourishment and comfort. This was one of our favorite meals. It’s heaviness indicative of the food my parents and grandparents ate back in the Czech Republic. You can still get this meal at many of the restaurants and people still enjoy it, it is filling and heavy and flavorful. It is a meal that is synonymous with Czech people.

I’m guessing that the dumplings or knedliky were a homemade substitution for bread when people had far less access to fresh bread or potatoes on a consistent bases… but truly … that’s an claim that isn’t drawn from any actual history… Really I’m making up and it makes sense to me. If anyone knows the history by all means…. Please drop me a comment and help to enlighten me. I’m not and have never claimed to be a history buff regardless of how much I feel it would be helpful and useful.

The knedliky are delicious and pillowy and an absolute dream when used as a vehicle for a good hearty sauce. The Dill Sauce or Kôprová Omáčka is one I have always loved, creamy and bursting full of fresh dill, a little sourness from the vinegar…It’s flavour unlike anything else I’ve ever eaten. This distinctive flavour profile has been imprinted on me so deep I will never be able to escape.  To this day regardless of how much I try to stay away from heavier foods I will never turn down this meal…. and sometimes, every so often… I’ll even make it.

So if you find yourself in Prague or another part of the Czech Republic on a dreary day and need some comfort indulge in this dish, you will not be disappointed. Or if you aren’t going to find yourself in that lovely European country anytime soon then make this at home, close your eyes and I swear you will feel transported.

Knedliky – Dumplings

• 3 Cups Flour
• 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Egg
• 2 Cups Lukewarm Water
• 1Teaspoon Salt
• 1 day old Kaiser Bun (or other type)

Place flour, salt and baking powder in mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment and mix. Stop the mixer and create a well in the middle of the flour add the egg and about a ¼ cup of water. Mix on low speed to create a ball of dough adding water as needed. Slowly add water ensuring all the water is worked into the dough really well. Once you have a good soft ball of dough then pull the dough onto a work surface and knead in the chopped up bun. Day old buns work best, as they won’t fall apart when you work them into the dough. Ensure that the bread cubes are inside the dough; if they are outside they will get soggy as you boil the dough.

Form the dough into two even logs. Boil a large pot of water; I use a roasting pan so that the dumplings have enough room to expand. Boil the dumplings for 25 minutes in gently boiling water, turn half way through.

Once they are done, take them out gently and place on a cutting board. Some people have cut these with a knife but I was taught to use thread. You double up a white thread and slide it under the dumpling, criss-cross it over the top and pull through to cut through the dough. Cut through one after another with each of them about ¼ inch thick. Place in a bowl with paper towels under the lid so that the condensation doesn’t drip on the dumplings.

If you are not going to use them immediately steam to reheat. When steaming I put a paper towel under the lid so that the condensation doesn’t drip onto the them, as they really shouldn’t be wet.

Beef

Boil a beef roast in water with; bay leaves, carrots, celery, whole onion, peppercorns, and whole cloves of garlic in a soup pot and salt to taste. Boil the meat until it is tender then slice and reserve the broth for adding into the dill sauce.

Dill Sauce – Kôprová omáčka

• ¾ Cup Butter
• ½ Cup Flour
• 3 Cups Milk
• 2 large Ladles full of the Beef Broth
• ½ Cup Vinegar
• ¼ Cup Sugar
• One whole bunch of chopped Fresh Dill

In a saucepan melt the butter and then add the flour, cook on low heat for about 3 – 5 minutes, stirring often not letting the flour burn. Then add the milk (it’s best if you warm it up in the microwave a bit so you’re not adding cold milk). Stir and cook until thick. Mix the vinegar, sugar and dill in a separate bowl and add this to the saucepan once the milk mixture is thick. Add the two ladles full of the beef broth, salt to taste and serve over the sliced meat and dumplings.

If you are not eating this right away the sauce will thicken each time it is cooled. In order to loosen it up add either milk or some beef broth as you are heating it up, add just enough to get a nice gravy consistency.