Teresa's Table
"Happiness in the Ordinary"
“Happiness In the Ordinary”
—My Table Issue #47 (February-March 2002)
Doesn’t seem like all that long ago when one of my to-do’s this weekend would have been buying Valentine’s for my daughter and her little brother to take to school on Tuesday. They would carefully go about selecting their theme for the season—some Disney movie, a cartoon, Barney, whatever—and I’d purchase the bag of 50 or so cards and usually some of those little candy hearts to go with them.
Arriving home, we’d get out the class list and begin happily signing one after the other and stuffing them into the envelopes. There were enough valentines for everyone: their classmates (boys, girls, it didn’t matter), their teachers, mom and dad, even each other. Basically, there was a card for anyone who had even a small role in their life. And, boy, did they enjoy it.
My son just turned 13 last week. Officially, he is now a “young man” rather than a “boy,” and he wouldn’t be caught dead giving out Valentines at his middle school. He’s entered that most confusing time of life, for children and parents alike, as he begins to find his way to adulthood. Friends have already begun to take a more important role in his life and more time will be spent with them. This is all as it should be, though I can’t help but feel the bittersweetness of the moment.
The quote that headlines this edition of SideDish comes from a My Table issue written at the very end of 2001 (it appeared in our first issue of 2002). Of course, 2001 was a most difficult year for us all, but my “happiness” came from the quiet enjoyment of a simple task—cleaning the dinner dishes—and chatting with my daughter who was then heading off to college that fall. Like Valentine’s Day card shopping and laughter in the kitchen, it is the totally ordinary moments that bring me—and everyone—quiet happiness.
My suggestion for this Valentine’s Day is to share a moment with all those whom you care for. Maybe it is your husband’s favorite food for dinner, some pricey chocolates for a girlfriend, a small gift for your dad. Or maybe it is simply a moment of your time to write a card or make a call to say hello.
PS To prove I’m as good as my written word, below I share with you my all-time favorite cake. It’s low fat and delicious—I can eat a whole one by myself. It will make for a great Valentine’s Day moment, trust me!
Editor's Table
"Let us hear from you!"
Have you recently found, eaten, or just stumbled upon something you think might interest the SideDish community? Please share it with us.
One of the goals of SideDish is to uncover and discover new and interesting foods, drinks, places, and people.
A great example is an email I received from a reader about the Vine Wine Room on Memorial in Houston:
Dear SideDish,
Just wanted to make you aware of a new wine bar in Houston. Some friends and I decided to try it out last week and had a fabulous time. It is a comfortable and cozy place and while they don’t serve food, you can order in from a great little Italian place just down the way. I am forwarding an email I received from the owner for your information.
Love the newsletter!
E.M. Houston
“...speaking of last week, I had a gentleman stop by one early evening for a glass. Nice enough fellow but clearly stressed and complaining about traffic, work etc…When asked what he’d like he replied, “Oh, It doesn’t matter, anything.” I poured him a 2002 Lynmar Russian River Pinot Noir.
His expression changed upon first sip and within minutes his conversation did as well. He began talking about how lucky he was for his wife, family, friends and our evolving neighborhood. Amazing, I see it all the time, worries just melt away. It’s not about intoxication, it’s about relaxation, revitalization and realizing what is really important in life. Wine, I mean family, friends and so forth.
In Vino Vita, indeed.”
Sounds like my kind of place! Joe Rippey is the owner…he doesn’t have his site up yet, but you can reach him by email joerippey@aol.com or call 713-463-8463 for information about his Valentine’s Day Bordeaux tasting on the patio he is doing Tuesday.
And another reader made us aware of a special event at Truluck’s next week:
Milo Hamilton, the voice of the Houston Astros will be signing copies of his memoir, Making Airwaves: 60 Years at Milo’s Microphone at Truluck’s on Monday, February 13. Seatings for the 3-course lunch will be between 11:45 and 12:15. Cost of the lunch will be $40.00 per person and will include a signed copy of Making Airwaves. Call 713-783-7270 for reservations. Truluck’s will be closed to the public during this special event. www.trulucks.com
Let us hear from you…it’s easy…just email me.
Ask the Wine Professor
"Blush or White Zinfandel?"
Question:
Hi Randy,
When a wine says it has been ‘Estate Bottled’, what does that mean? Is it different from ‘cellared and bottled by’?
N.H., Houston
Answer:
One wine bottle label says “estate bottled,” another says “cellared and bottled by.” Another says something else. Who really made the wine?
A U.S. wine can only state “estate bottled” if 100% of the grapes used to make the wine were grown on property owned or controlled by the producer, and the wine was made, cellared and bottled at the address shown on the label. Plus, all of this must have happened in the designated American Viticultural Area (e.g., Napa Valley).
If the label says “produced and bottled by” then at least 75% of the grapes used to make the wine were grown on property owned or controlled by the producer, the wine was made by the producer, and was bottled at the address shown on the label.
“Vinted and bottled by” or “Cellared and bottled by” indicates that the wine was subjected to cellar treatment (e.g. aging) and was bottled at the address shown on the label. Who made the wine is anyone’s guess.
Question:
Randy… is White Zinfandel a blush or rose wine?
B.M., Georgetown
Answer:
Yes, it’s a blush wine. Rose wines or blush wines are made usually from red grapes. But after only a few hours of the dark skins soaking in the clear grape juice, the skins are removed so that only a bit of pink color is transferred to the wine. White Zinfandel is made from the Zinfandel grape, a dark, red grape also used to make Zinfandel red wine.
Recipe of the Month
"Chocolate Angel Food Cake"
As I mentioned, this is my all-time favorite cake. My nana used to make it for us kids when we were growing up in the 1950s. It was the cake for every birthday. My nana died in 1989, so now my mom and I both make it for birthdays and family gatherings, and my two children love it, too. Little did we know that this wonderfully light cake—there’s practically no fat—would be so nutritionally correct in the 21st century.
Try it for Valentine’s Day…it will be a great treat!
- 1 cup Swan’s Down cake flour
- 2 T. cocoa
- ½ cup sugar
Sift these together at least five times to combine and make airy. Set aside.
- 13 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- dash of salt
- 1 ½ tsp. cream of tarter
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Near the end of the beating, combine the sugar, salt and cream of tarter and add to egg whites a few tablespoons at a time. Beat in vanilla. Then, very gently but thoroughly, fold in the flour-cocoa-sugar mixture by hand using a rubber scraper. Scrape the mixture into an angel food cake pan (do not grease the pan) and bang the pan a couple times on the counter to get rid of air bubbles in the mixture.
Bake one hour. Do not open the oven door while baking. Let cool completely before removing from pan.
Note: We always frost this cake with a thin mocha frosting made by creaming a bit of soft butter with powdered sugar and cocoa and thinning with a dribble of cold leftover coffee.
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Disclaimer
Copyright My Table magazine, 2008
Protected by U.S. Copyright Law {Title 17 U.S.C. Section 101 et seq., Title 18 U.S.C. Section 2319}: Infringements can be punishable by up to 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
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