The Disappearing Art of "Tatting"

I learned to tat today quite by accident, really. I was going to learn from my friend Linda, and about an hour before we were supposed to try and meet up I popped into Hobby Lobby to get a needle and some thread. The only tatting needle they had was included in a DVD 'how to' kit, and they only had one of those. Fortunately, I was able to go online with my phone and use a 40% off coupon, so I got the DVD and a small amount of thread.

Well, Linda's schedule didn't quite match mine, so I decided to pop in the DVD. It was actually very well made - well enough to teach me how to start tatting, and yes, I've now made my first "rings and chains" project (had to pick up more thread first).

I'm still hoping to get some great tips and techniques from Linda...I can't wait to tat some more! I'm very encouraged by her positive feedback, and I agree - not too bad for my first day ;-)

The DVD Title:

"Learn the Easy Art of Needle Tatting and More"
by Barbara Foster, Handy Hands, Inc.

Recipe: Lamb Meatloaf with Rosemary

It's good when the animals on the farm make nice - especially since this recipe calls for both lamb and turkey, and I found they do play well together!

Wanting to experiment with ground lamb for quite a while, I finally decided to give it a go. Meatloaf seemed like it would be the fastest and easiest way to get it onto my table and into my hubby's mouth (he normally doesn't like to eat lamb - see posting "Our Kitchen's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy"). The lamb is the featured meat in this loaf, but it needed to be paired with another meat to keep it subtle, so my logical choice was ground turkey - it's not too oily, it's very juicy and mild, and it just blends well with other meats. Oh yeah - it's healthy too!

Of course, there are as many meatloaf recipes out there as there are moms, grandmas, aunts, cousins, and Uncle Buds that like to cook. The great thing about a meatloaf is it can be pretty forgiving, so it can be very fun to play with. That being said, you'll want to refer to my "Lesson Learned" below, where I share an important thing to remember about one particular ingredient.

BTW, before you laugh at the topping...sure, I could've/should've paired this meatloaf with some apple/mint concoction on top, but my husband really likes ketchup with his meatloaf, and I mean he squirts a mountain on his plate for dipping (sigh). Sometimes it's best to just go with the flow a little.

So, without further adieu...

Lamb Meatloaf with Rosemary

Ingredients:

1 lb pkg ground lamb
1 lb pkg ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, diced into small pieces
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 - 4 small garlic cloves, minced
5 tbsp (1 dollop) applesauce
1/2 cup jasmine rice (measured before cooking), cooked
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced (can substitute dried)
1 tbsp lavender buds, ground (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt (approx.)
1 tsp ground black pepper (approx.)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (approx.)

Topping:

approx 1/2 cup mix of your favorite BBQ sauce and ketchup.

Directions:

Oh, this is so fun and easy! After you've cooked your rice, diced your onion and minced your garlic and rosemary (and ground your lavender buds if you're using them), just throw all the ingredients (except the topping) into a large bowl and mix well.


Put meat mixture into a bread loaf pan (I use Pyrex), or you may shape your own loaf on a cookie sheet pan covered with foil. Try to eliminate any air pockets in the meatloaf - this is easy to do in the bread loaf pan because you can tamp it down with your wooden spatula or a large spoon.

Spread your topping mixture evenly on top, and bake uncovered at 350° for 1 - 1.25 hrs.

Serve with a side of applesauce, mint sauce, or (gulp!) ketchup.

• "Like my mother, I don't measure any of my ingredients (except when it's required, as when baking), so the measurements are approximations of what I used. If you cook a lot you'll know how to season this to your taste, otherwise just follow the recipe. Remember - cooking is one big experiment! Have FUN with it!!!"

• "I used to emulate my mother by using my hands to mix, but over the past few years I've started using a large wooden spatula, and it's now much easier to clean up afterwards."

Lesson Learned:

I thought I would take a short cut this time and let the rice cook in the meatloaf while it baked, because you can literally see the juices boiling through the sides of the glass. I found out the hard way that only the exterior rice touching the sides of the glass was cooked properly - the rest of the rice was cooked too, but the texture was way off. It didn't affect the flavor, nor the overall texture too badly, but I learned my lesson about rice and shortcuts. ;-)

Our Kitchen's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy

Yes, it's true. I hide great secrets from my husband. That is, when he is scarfing down a nice meal going "Mmmmmm Honey! What's IN this!? This is GREAT!!!", I prefer to wait until after he's finished eating before I tell him.

Why? Because sometimes if I tell him before he's finished eating, he won't finish his meal. If he finds out a yummy spaghetti sauce he's been slurping has anchovies in it...over. Done. If he finds out a meatloaf he's been gobbling has lamb in it, such as the one we started on last evening, (and are still eating on this very evening - hope he reads this after dinner), he'll dig his feet in, clamp his jaws shut, and let me finish off the rest in a series of leftovers. He knows better than to ask if my curry is goat or beef...he just might get an answer he doesn't like.

He can get pretty adventuresome sometimes in the food department, but he says he can't eat lamb because he sees a poor little lamb in front of him when he's trying to eat it. I guess he gets bad images also if he hears "mushrooms", "veal", "anchovies", etc.

Of course, sometimes I do use his meat of choice just to lull him into a sense of security. Once he's gotten out of the habit of asking, I can pull out the exotic and sometimes healthier stuff, and he assumes it's beef or pork. Like when I make turkey burgers...(much juicier and tastier than beef in my opinion).

Just have to add that there's always the exception to the rule, and sometimes I do actually tell him when he asks, but usually I say "Don't ask...just EAT!" And, being afraid of the answer I could give, he shuts up and continues to eat...then we're both happy ;-)

March 18, 2010 Update: We finished off the meatloaf last night - yes, I saw him chew it with my own eyes....yes, he DID read this blog the night before...and finally, yes, he did still say it tasted great! I believe he may actually be learning to get past his lamb issues. Yay!

I think this warrants posting the lamb meatloaf recipe ;-)

Recipe: Herbed Vegetables (aka "VeggieWOW Bake")

This is a recipe that was inspired by a dish a friend of mine made (her name is Dana, pronounced like 'Donna'). She owns a wonderful little store called "Family Food Mart" where I buy the freshly butchered goat meat for my goat curry.

If you don't keep tons of herbs in your kitchen or garden, you can find most of those listed below at The Fresh Market or at an Indian grocery. If you don't feel like spending a fortune on herbs you may not use very often, consider the abridged basic version of the recipe (below).

Herbed Vegetables (aka “VeggieWOW Bake”) by Michelle Young

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Vegetables:

Yellow Squash

Roma Tomatoes (5 – 7)

Yellow Onion

Herbs/Spices: (spices are whole unless indicated otherwise)

Fresh Garlic Cloves (minced and whole, mixed)

Oregano

Marjoram

Thyme

Savory

Fresh Rosemary Sprig (broken into 1” pieces)

Tarragon

Cherval

Coriander Seeds (fresh ground)

Fennel Seeds

Cumin Seeds

Yellow Mustard Seeds

Lavender Buds

Cinnamon (ground)

Sea Salt

Red, White &Black Pepper mix (Fresh Ground)

Cayenne Pepper

BASIC VERSION:

Fresh Garlic Cloves (minced and whole, mixed)

Oregano

Black Pepper

Salt

Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Wash squash and tomatoes, and peel the onion. Quarter the Roma tomatoes, and cut the squash and onion into chunks of your preferred size (not too small, or they’ll dissolve during cooking). You can also use zucchini or eggplant in this dish, or any vegetable that’ll absorb flavors well…personally I wouldn’t use carrots, but they might be good too.

Put your vegetable chunks into a large bowl and start adding your herbs and spices to taste. Some herbs you can go to town with, like oregano and most of the green dried herbs. Other ingredients, like the cinnamon or cumin, you’ll want to just add a dash. Feel free to be generous with the lavender – it’s awesome! You can also be generous with the mustard seed. Just use your creativity – you can hardly go wrong, and if you do you’ll know what to change the next time! ;-)

Once you’ve added all your seasonings, stir the mixture until the vegetables are evenly coated. Empty the bowl into a baking dish (I use a Pyrex bread loaf pan), being sure to scrape all your seasonings from the sides of the bowl into the baking dish. Pour a generous amount of olive oil over the top of the vegetables – I usually have about ½ inch of oil at the bottom of the dish, more or less. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about an hour. I guarantee the odors will have you salivating long before the dish is finished!

Best served in a bowl with bread or rice . I prefer a nice mini baguette – the bread is perfect for dipping into the juices - sort of like going to an Italian restaurant, but the oil/juice mixture is much tastier than olive oil with cracked pepper. (In the South we’d call that “sopping”). If you serve with rice, I suggest a fragrant jasmine or basmati.

Enjoy!