Tribeca Yummy Mummy

As my morning sickness continues to plague me even this late in the game, I have had to find some means of distraction.  Standing on my head is one of them, sewing is the other.  Both require focus, patience, and creativity.  The yoga gives me energy and strength, but it’s the sewing that sustains my life at home.

Together, the yoga and sewing have created a sort of synergy.  Some of the spoils of that synergy?: two Oliver + S Sailboat Tops.

Mira stood by the machine just waiting for it to be done so that she could get it on her body.  For her, we agreed on a fabric we both loved and went with it.  She loved her top.  End of story.

To tell the truth, though, I find it so difficult to sew cute things for Liev.  Besides the basics, which are lovely but, um, a little boring, fabric is a challenge.  Plus,it seems like American patterns for boys, to understate it, lack the hip factor.  Despite a couple of no-go’s when he was in his twos and protesting most things, he has wanted to wear the things I make him.  When he’s gotten special mama-sewn garments in the past, Liev has loved them with all his heart, requesting to wear a pair of pants every single day even when the pair of pants was in the wash pile.  It seems that I just have to get more creative–or perhaps just more European or Japanese-with my boy clothes-making.

This is Liev’s second beloved Sailboat Top, and even though I was not sure how it would go over, since there are no animals and no shades of blue (his most favorite-est) involved, he beamed when I put it on him.  Then he promptly refused to take a picture.

He zoomed off to his room as the words he trailed behind himself revealed something about needing to get his backpack.  When he returned a few minutes later, his backpack was loaded to the hilt with all of the various stuffed animals he takes care of, binoculars, stickers, and his favorite blue cape.  At that point he let me know that he would take a picture now with, he specified, his backpack.  So, if his top looks a little wonky, please ignore that one sleeve looks about five inches too short and appreciate the full effect.  A boy.  A mushroom shirt made with love.  A backpack filled with love.  A little moment before he zoomed off once more.

Back to my machine I will go for at least a few more weeks.  The other things that have come out of this prolific streak will hopefully get shared here as well.  The TYM pre-baby sweatshop is in full force while the nausea rages.

Following the Soule Mama caravan… though adding about how proud this mama is of her little writer.

Also a translation:

“Second, you put in the ingredients.”-Mira, cookbook author and illustrator, age 5

In our family, ebleskivers-the sweet kind served with maple syrup or jam- are a tradition when the family is all together.  My mom’s well-used, well-worn pan comes out of hiding into its special place of honor on the stovetop.  Each ebleskiver cup is filled with melted butter first and then batter to make those light, lovely Swedish pancakes.  Her grandchildren, my children, now beg for them whenever we are in visiting.

Never in my ebleskiver-eating life had I been served the savory version and thought we might have fun giving the “skivvies”, as my husband likes to call them, a twist.  Oddly, they still call out for some sort of sweet, tangy accompaniment or sauce.  Try making Apple-Cherry Chutney or cracking open a jar of sour cherry or raspberry jam to warm up and serve alongside them.  Even a quick, lemony applesauce would be really delicious.

In class, because of no wheat allergies, we used halfsies on the flour- all purpose and buckwheat, but for those with a gluten intolerance, please go whole hog and use all buckwheat flour.  The lightness that the egg whites lend will give your ebleskivers a huge lift.  For mini-chefs, especially cheese-loving mini-chefs, these are fun to make and they will most likely be fascinated by the way that the batter balls puff up so much.

Liev, 3 1/2 now, described ebleskivers to the class as “spherical pancakes”.  This, after I had been trying to find the right words and struggling.  They truly are.  I would also add the words “cloud-like” and “fluffy”.

As I was cooking our fluffy spherical pancakes, one of my bright, always curious students came over to the stove to watch for a while.  After a minute or so, he asked, “But why, I wonder, do they get SO big, Mama Cate?”

Magic.  Maybe that’s in the description, too.

Three-Cheese Buckwheat Ebleskivers

• 1 c. buckwheat flour (or 2 c. if you’re going gluten-free0
• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 2 t. baking soda
• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 c. buttermilk, room temperature
• pinch nutmeg and/or cinnamon
• 1/2 c. parmesan, grated
• 1/2 c. gruyere, grated
• 3/4 c. fontina cheese, grated
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and baking soda.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, spices, and cheeses.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites till they form stiff peaks.  Stiff peaks are when, if you try turning the bowl over, the whites will stay glued to the bowl and not fall out.  Try this with your mini-chef.  It’s lots of fun!
4. Pour the yolk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix till combined.
5. Very gently fold in the egg whites till combined but do not over mix.
6. Big Person: Over medium heat, ladle a bit of the melted butter into each ebleskiver cup, fill each cup to the top with batter and cook till brown on the first side, flip with a kitchen fork and brown the other side.
7. Serve warm, fresh from the pan.  Repeat until all the batter is gone.

Each Indian household has a special blend of spices, their own special recipe when they make their garam masala.  Garam Masala is a pantry staple in Indian cooking, and, while you can easily buy it, the Yummies needed a blend of their own.  While there are exceptions, most of the mini-chefs in my classes have had one thing in common: they do not like spicy things.  Spicy in the sense of “piquante”-ay yi yi, chili peppers, etc., not in the sense of pungent.  Their palettes are really sensitive, so unless they have had a strong diet of chili peppers since before they were born, a lot of spiciness will just burn their palettes out and make the food unenjoyable.  Garam Masala is a way to impart flavor without burning up those little palettes.

Making a spice blend like this at home also ensures that you have control over what goes into the garam masala.  Below is a recipe that you should feel free to play with as much as you like, making it your very own house blend once you figure out exactly what your family loves most.

Mira helps me mix the spices so that, even though a lot of Indian cooking is done at the stovetop where she is not yet allowed, she can still be part of the food that gets made there.  It would be wonderful if you had a spice grinder (a coffee grinder works well and of course a mortar and pestle) and could grind all of the spices below as whole spices, but if that is too fussy, then use fresh ground spices that haven’t been sitting around in your cupboard for too long.

We love making roast potatoes with a squeeze of lime or lemon and a sprinkle of our fresh garam masala.

Garam Masala Yummy House Blend

• 1 T. cardamom
• 1/2 t. cloves
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 2 t. cumin
• 2 t. nutmeg
• 2 t. black pepper
• 1/2 t. ground fennel seeds

1. In a small, clean jam jar, measure and mix all of the ingredients.
2. Store in the jar for up to 6 weeks with the top tightly sealed.