Monday, August 18, 2008

During Olympic games

During watching Olympic games, I made some little guys like these. The blue one is a new camera cover. オリンピック見ながら作ったモノ達。右の青いのはデジカメケース。アメリカにいると日本人選手の活躍が思うように見れないからちょっとくやしい。愛ちゃんの卓球見たかったなあ。

Glass case for Steven's boss!! She liked Steven's a lot so I made one for her. Stevenの上司へメガネ入れ。Stevenのを見てすごく気に入ったと言うことなので、彼女にも作りました。

Below is a gift for my grand ma. She spends most of her time on the bed recently but comes to the dinnning table for her meals so I made place mats. I embroidered some leaves with chain stiches on a purple linen.下のはおばあちゃんに敬老の日のプレゼント。最近はベッドに横になっていることが多いおばあちゃんですが、食事は起きてテーブルにつくということなので、ランチョンマットを作りました。紫の麻の生地にチェーンステッチで刺繍した葉っぱのモチーフ。

Coq au vin for busy people. (recipe is at the end) Well, I am not so busy but I don't want to wait for 2 days which classic Coq au vin takes. Still took 2 hours to cook this. Tasted so gooooood. 今夜はコック オウ ヴァン。トリのワイン煮。本当のレシピは2日かけて作るのだけど、これは2時間でできあがり。2日も待てないよん。


Modern Coq au Vin
(Serves 4 to 6 ) Recipe from America's Test Kitchen

1 bottle fruity, smooth, medium-bodied red wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 sprigs fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 ounces bacon , preferably thick-cut, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed of excess fat and cut in half crosswise Table salt and ground black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
24 frozen pearl onions , thawed, drained, and patted dry (about 1 cup) (see note above)
8 ounces cremini mushrooms , wiped clean, stems trimmed, halved if small and quartered if large
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. Bring all but 1 tablespoon wine (reserve for later use), broth, parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 3 cups, about 25 minutes. Discard herbs.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons fat in small bowl; discard remaining fat.
3. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of chicken in single layer and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining chicken and 1 tablespoon bacon fat.
4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add pearl onions and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and flour; cook, stirring frequently, until well combined, about 1 minute.
5. Add reduced wine mixture, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; add 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Return chicken, any accumulated juices, and reserved bacon to pot; increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
6. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to large bowl; tent with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer sauce until thick and glossy and measures 3 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and reserved 1 tablespoon wine. Season to taste with salt. Return chicken to pot and top with minced parsley. Serve immediately.

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