Antique
Book Box
By
Kiki Clark
I am a
sucker for secret compartments, hidden drawers, and swinging
bookshelves that reveal staircases leading to tower rooms. But
until I get a house with all those things, I make do with hidey
holes around my modest bungalow. No, I’m not going to tell you
what I keep in them. Well, okay -- nothing usually, because I’m
more likely to run up to my friends squealing, “Look at this!”
than to squirrel something away. The point is, I could
hide things. And so can you.
Now, you
artier-than-me types can feel free to go all kinds of crazy with
the decoupage. What I’m going to teach you is how to make your
box look very
booklike,
so you can stick it on a shelf and no one will look twice. Plus,
you can put your name on the cover. For some of us writer types,
this feels very overdue.
First, you
need the papier-mâché, book-shaped box. If you have a craft
store that sells these, go pick one out yourself, checking for
the straightest lines and most regular shape. Books aren’t known
for being crooked. If you can’t find a box locally, order
online. Chances are, it will be fine.
Supplies:
Papier-mâché, book-shaped box
Acrylic
craft paint
Paint
brushes of various sizes
Fancy
paper
Scissors
Tape
measure
Coat
hanger, for drying purposes
The first
thing to do is choose a color for your book’s cover. It’s an
antique-style shape, so you want to go with leather colors such
as black, burgundy, and tan. If you find a nice color in a
single shade, great. Add a tiny bit of black to muddy it up so
it looks old. I mixed brick red, yellow, and black for my faux
leather. Avoid diluting the paint.
Paint
everything that might conceivably look like the cover or the
inside of the cover. You can also use your fingers to smudge
some darker paint in spots (I used burnt umber). Old books
usually have some discoloration, from wear or mildew.
Use your
wire hanger to hang the book to dry. This is the only stage that
requires the hanger, but you should definitely let new paint dry
before painting the next bit.
Next,
paint what would be the edges of the pages. Old books don’t have
white paper, so mix a little brown in your white paint. If you
have a fan brush, you can make a dilute mix of a slightly darker
shade and run it across your base coat for a little more
discoloration.
I also
took a hair off my own head (ouch!), dragged it through my
burnt-umber paint, then pulled it along the page “edges” to
simulate an uneven or damaged
page. The details are what make it fun.
I hand
painted the title and author on the spine, but rub-on transfer
letters would also
work. The
trick is finding letters small enough. Measure and cut your
fancy paper and line your book, to give the impression of end
papers.
A little
copper paint livened up the spine of my book. Then I painted a
few ornaments over the top of that, and also a colophon of my
actual initials. A colophon is the
publisher’s symbol.
And that’s
it! You now have a place to hide treasure maps, stolen crown
jewels, disruptive wills, and incriminating photos. Have fun!
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Since
we’re the Wet NOODLE Posse, we decided to celebrate the second
anniversary of our e-zine with tons of delicious pasta recipes
contributed by several of the handy-in-the-kitchen
Noodlers. Enjoy!
Lasagna
1 package
lasagna noodles
1 pound
ground beef
1 package
sweet Italian sausage (You can use mild Italian or hot.)
1 pound
full-fat ricotta cheese
1 small
wedge of Parmesan Reggiano cheese
2 eggs
1 small
bunch fresh parsley
1 small
bunch fresh sweet basil leaves
2 1-pound
10-ounce jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I like Prego.)
1 package
or 2 cups of grated Italian cheese blend (mozzarella, Romano,
Asiago and Parmesan)
Salt
Pepper
(freshly ground)
Prepare
the noodles according to package directions. If using oven-ready
noodles, be sure to go heavy-handed on the sauce when you start
layering. If you’re using old-fashioned noodles, don’t let them
get too soft in the pot; they’ll tear.
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Spray large, deep, 13x9-inch casserole dish
with oil.
Meat
Mixture: Remove sausage from casings. Crumble sausage and ground
beef in a large skillet. Brown over medium heat. Break up any
large pieces with the end of a spatula. Once the beef and pork
mixture is completely browned, do NOT drain the fat. The fat
gives the meat sauce flavor. Add one jar of spaghetti sauce to
meat and simmer.
Cheese
Mixture: While meat is browning, finely chop parsley and sweet
basil. Set aside ½ cup of each. Mix ricotta cheese and eggs in
bowl. Add parsley and basil, then salt and freshly ground pepper
to taste. Cover and keep chilled in refrigerator.
First
Layer:
Cover
bottom of casserole dish with a layer of meat-free sauce. Place
rows of lasagna noodles over the sauce. I tend to use a
three-horizontal-and-one-vertical pattern. Spread more non-meat
sauce over the noodles. Spoon dollops of ricotta cheese mixture
onto noodles. Use ½ the ricotta cheese mixture in this layer.
Smooth the cheese evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with a little of
the Italian cheese blend and grate a little fresh Parmesan
Reggiano over the layer.
Second
Layer:
Top cheese
layer with another noodle layer, following the same 3 horizontal
and 1 vertical pattern. Spoon a thick layer of the meat sauce
mixture over the noodles. Use all of the meat mixture in this
layer. Sprinkle meat with a little of the Italian Cheese blend.
Third
Layer:
Top meat
layer with another noodle layer, following the same 3 horizontal
and 1 vertical pattern. Spread non-meat sauce over the noodles.
Using the remaining cheese mixture, spoon dollops onto noodles.
Smooth the ricotta mixture evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with a
little of the Italian Cheese blend and grate a little fresh
Parmesan Reggiano over the layer.
Top Layer:
Top cheese
layer with a layer of noodles, following the same
three-horizontal-and-one-vertical pattern. Pour remaining
meat-free sauce over the noodles, letting it seep into the
crevices of your pan. Use a spatula to smooth the sauce out
evenly. Top the sauce with the Italian cheese blend, and grate
fresh Parmesan Reggiano as well.
Place the
lasagna in the oven on the center rack. Place aluminum foil or a
cookie sheet on the bottom rack to catch any sauce that bubbles
over the sides of the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60
minutes. Keep an eye on the cheese topping. Lasagna is done when
the cheese topping is nicely browned and the sauce around the
edges of the casserole dish is bubbling.
Allow
lasagna to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and eating.
Easy
Chicken Broccoli Pasta
Cook some
pasta, throw in a cube of butter, salt and pepper, then add
cooked broccoli and chicken and serve. It’s so good and
easy to make.
Chicken
Pasta Primavera
Contributed by Pam Payne
12 ounces
corkscrew pasta
2
tablespoons butter
1
(15-ounce) can asparagus
1 cup
frozen, sliced carrots
1 red
pepper, sliced thin
1 clove
minced garlic
1 teaspoon
thyme
1/2
teaspoon pepper
1/4
teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups
heavy cream
1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese, grated
2 1/2 cups
shredded, cooked chicken (If you buy the rotisserie chicken from
the grocery store deli, it adds extra flavor and you don’t have
to cook it!)
Cook pasta
(use package directions), drain and rinse. Melt butter in
non-stick skillet over medium heat, add red pepper, and cook 3
minutes, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus and carrots, and
cook until heated and tender. Add garlic, thyme, pepper, and
salt, and cook until garlic is golden, about 1-2 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high, add cream, and simmer 5-7 minutes
(until cream thickens). Stir in Parmesan cheese and remove from
heat. Toss with chicken and pasta.
Alfredo
Supreme
Contributed by
Dianna Love Snell
This dish
can be made ahead of time and fixed quickly when ready to eat.
Sauce:
½ cup
butter or margarine
2/3 cup
heavy cream
1 ¼ cups
grated Parmesan cheese
Dash of
salt and pepper
Combine
ingredients and heat at medium, stirring, until ingredients are
mixed.
Main dish
ingredients prepped in advance:
Your
favorite vegetables, fresh and uncooked
Your
favorite meat -- chicken (cubed and cooked), shrimp (boiled and
peeled) or sausage (cut links, cooked)
Your
favorite spices -- garlic or pesto
Your
favorite pasta -- linguini, bowtie, tortellini or angel hair
In a large
pan, throw in fresh vegetables, meat, spice and pasta.
Here’s my mix:
Spinach,
black olives, mushrooms, red bell peppers, ½ cup chicken, ½ cup
boiled shrimp (small ones) and garlic…lots of garlic, then a
scoop of bowtie pasta.
Other
choices might be sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, green onions and
spinach pastas.
Heat over
a medium flame, tossing the mix until you like it, then dump it
in a bowl and pour a scoop or two of Alfredo sauce over the top.
Sprinkle shredded Parmesan over everything.
Spring
Rolls
Contributed by Kiki
Clark
I’m
allergic to wheat and corn, so regular noodles don’t work for
me. The one noodle dish I love to make at home is spring rolls.
Just boil some thin rice noodles to the desired tenderness then
dunk into cold water to stop the cooking process. Buy some
spring roll wrappers and dunk in cold water until they’re soft
enough to handle. Then fill with lettuce, cilantro, avocado,
shrimp, bean sprouts, cucumber, or whatever you fancy. The Asian
section of your grocery will have the noodles, the wrappers, and
some yummy peanut sauce to dip the finished rolls in. Wrap them
in cling wrap and take to lunch. Yum!
Pasta with
Tomato, Fennel and Olives
This sauce
is easy to make and has a wonderful combination of flavors, and
it’s great to serve to vegetarian guests.
1 cup
chopped fennel bulb
2
tablespoons olive oil
4 to 6
cloves of garlic, crushed
1
(28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4
teaspoon crushed, dried chili peppers
1/3 cup
ripe olives, pitted and cut in half
1
tablespoon capers
3
tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
Grated
Parmesan or Romano cheese for topping
Cook the
fennel in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain. Heat the
olive oil over medium-low heat, and sauté the garlic, being
careful not to let it burn. Add the chili peppers and sauté for
another 30 seconds or so. Stir in the tomatoes and fennel, and
simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. Stir in the olives,
capers and parsley. Heat through. Serve over your favorite pasta
with a generous grating of Parmesan or Romano cheese.
Pasta with
Pesto and Pepper Sauce
You can
buy ready-made pesto in the deli section of your favorite
grocery store, but I prefer to make my own because there’s
nothing quite like the taste of freshly made pesto.
To make
the pesto, you’ll need:
1 cup
fresh basil leaves
1 bunch of
fresh parsley (stems removed; you only want the nice leafy bits)
1/4 cup
toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
3 to 4
cloves garlic, crushed
1/4
teaspoon salt
Freshly
ground pepper, to taste
½ cup
olive oil
Toast the
pine nuts. I do mine in a cast-iron skillet. The trick to
toasting pine nuts is that you can’t be doing anything else
because they will burn. Toasting them only takes a few minutes,
but it requires your full attention. Heat the dry skillet over
medium heat, toss in the pine nuts, and shake the pan every 30
seconds or so till they’re nicely browned. Immediately remove
them from the skillet to stop the cooking process.
Into a
food processor, dump the basil, parsley, pine nuts, grated
cheese, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and process till
well mixed. With the food processor running, add the olive oil
in a slow, steady stream. Refrigerate pesto in a covered bowl
until you’re ready to serve it. I prefer to make it several
hours ahead so the flavors have a chance to meld.
To make
the sauce, you’ll need:
1 onion,
thinly sliced
3
tablespoons olive oil
1 green
pepper, seeded
1 red
pepper, seeded
1 yellow
pepper, seeded
3 to 4
cloves garlic, crushed
1
(28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Shaved
Parmesan cheese for topping
Slice the
peppers into long, slender slices. Heat the olive oil over
medium heat. Add the onion and sauté till translucent. Add the
peppers and sauté for another two minutes. Add the garlic and
sauté. Stir in the tomatoes, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
While the
sauce simmers, prepare your favorite pasta. Dump the drained
pasta into a large pasta serving bowl and stir in as much of the
pesto as you like. Top with generous spoonfuls of the sauce and
freshly shaved Parmesan. This is another great vegetarian pasta
sauce, and so colorful! I like to serve it for lunch with big
chunks of warm focaccia bread.
Spaghetti/Tagliatelle/Fetuccine/Whatever (your choice) Carbonara
6 rashers
(slices) bacon or pancetta
Carton of
cream (1/2 pint or 300 milliliters)
2 eggs + 1
egg yolk
2 ounces
(60 grams) grated Parmesan cheese
1 ounce
(30 grams) butter
Pepper
375-500
grams dried pasta
While
boiling pasta for 10 or so minutes to taste or al dente, cut
bacon or pancetta into thin strips, fry over low heat till
crisp, add cream and stir till sizzling. Combine eggs and extra
yolk and half the Parmesan cheese in a bowl, beat until
combined. Drain cooked pasta, return to pan with 1 ounce (30
grams) butter, and toss over low
heat until
combined. Add combined bacon-cream mixture, then egg-Parmesan
mix and season.
Serve with
extra Parmesan, garlic bread and an Italian salad. Serves 6.
Tuna and
Mushroom Pasta
Submitted
by Trish Morey
1 pound
(500 grams) favorite pasta
1 pound
(450-gram) can tuna
1 onion
3 ounces
(90 grams) butter or margarine
4 ounces
(120 grams) fresh mushrooms
½ pint
(300 milliliters) cream
2
tablespoons tomato paste
Chopped
parsley
While
boiling pasta, melt butter in pan, cook chopped onion till
tender, add drained and shredded tuna and sliced mushrooms, and
stir lightly till tender. Stir in cream, tomato paste and
seasonings as needed. Bring to boil and immediately serve over
cooked pasta topped with chopped parsley.
Serve with
extra cheese, a crusty Italian bread and salad.
For metric conversions of the measurements above, consult any of
the following sites:
http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/blconv.htm
http://www.thatsmyhome.com/recipes/conversion.htm
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/conversions.htm
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