Elias at Dog Camp

Elias went off to Dog camp while I was at my gathering this week and seemed to have a good time though he did get bit by another canine camper and needed to visit the vet. Here he is frolicking with the culprit; the large black dog.

And this is a rather beautiful stream in the back of the cabin he stayed at for the week.

So I accomplished a lot on the knitting side of things while camping in the Northwoods this past week. First I finished a megaltithic ruana which cements in my mind my distaste for bulky yarns. Worsted weight is where I draw the line. I'll have more photos of it later though it is the grey mass in the picture above. Second I finished another pair of Latvian Mittens. The pattern is 49 stitches across and fifty rows high. I did these on #2 DPs in Silky Wool, a yarn that may well be my favorite at the moment. I'm really fond of this color combination. They'll be going to my friend Dan as a parting gift. Now I need to decide if my first DC project will be a sweater or another lace shawl...

The view in the northwoods

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required. Visit www.apple.com/quicktime/download to download the free player or upgrade your existing QuickTime� Player. Note: During the download process when asked to choose an installation type (Minimum, Recommended or Custom), select Minimum for faster download.

Ella

Ella my new niece ; babies all look a bit lumpy. I'm just saying.

Mmmm This Sounds Tasty

The Splendid Table makes my heart happy.

~~~~~~~
Lynne's Renaissance Wine Syrup
May 31, 2008
Printable version
Copyright 2006 by Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Deep garnet colored, deep and lush in flavor, this syrup steps straight out of the banqueting scenes of Italy's golden age. Drizzle it over chocolate desserts, anything made with cream, from Panna Cotta to ice cream, and over seafood, meats, rice, pasta and vegetables. Don't be surprised by the spices. Yes, these were several of the plethora of unexpected spices which made food taste Italian in the era before the tomato and corn came from the Americas.
A little history: Glamour, magnificence, grandstanding and ruthless politicking hallmark banqueting in the Italian Renaissance. The food and the table were theater, art gallery, and power play all rolled into one. Only nobility could fling around rare finds and sugar and spice into nearly every dish they served.
Spicy syrups of all sorts gilded meats and seafood, meat pies and pastas, and even sweets. This recipe comes out of the court of the Este Dukes of Ferrara in the early 1500's. Then, Lucrezia Borgia reigned over the banquets of her husband, Alphonso, heir to one of the most powerful duchies of the north.

Cook to Cook: If using leftover wine, reduce amounts of other ingredients in proportion to the amount of wine you have.

6 whole cloves
1 generous tablespoon each whole fennel seeds and whole coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 bottle full-bodied red wine (3-1/4 cups) - Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon
1-1/2 cups sugar
Generous pinch salt
1. Combine all the spices in a mortar or a blender of food processor. Bruise them to open up flavors, but don't totally crush them. Turn them into a 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan or skillet. Add the wine, sugar and salt.
2. Boil 10 minutes or until bubbles look glossy and your spoon or spatula leaves a narrow trail in the pan when you run it across the bottom. This shows the syrup is thick enough. As it boils, stir occasionally and scrape down the sides of the pan.
3. Set a fine strainer over a bowl, pour the syrup through it. Cool and refrigerate. Use at room temperature.

~~~~~~~~

Now I wonder how long it keeps and whether lamb roasted in it would be tasty.

The Anglican Church in Zimbabwe

Just an interesting story from the BBC about what is going on between the pro Mugabe and opposition branches of the church in that country.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7396539.stm

The US media hasn't been paying much attention to Zimbabwe but then it never pays much attention to Africa so I read the BBC instead.

"The Shaker Cookbook" published in 1953 with the majority of recipes dating to the 1820's and 30's. There's a whole chapter on pickles which is rather exciting.