olive twists

parchment cone of olive twists

Yesterday I craved salty, earthy olives. I remembered these delicious Olive Twists my friends and I enjoyed with a bottle of Conundrum at Amical, a little Bistro in Traverse City, Michigan. On that warm August evening, after watching Hamlet 2 at the TC Film Festival, we dined al fresco and started our meal with briny, funky, flaky pastry.

I was certain I could find a recipe online, but through my quick perusal of the usual suspects--epicurious and the blogosphere--I didn't really find what I wanted. I found a recipe for cheese twists in my Bon Appetit cookbook, and decided to improvise. Amounts aren't exact because, well, I'm really an improvisational cook, which is why I don't think I could ever write a cookbook.

Olive Twists
*makes 30*

1 sheet prepared Puff Pastry, thawed
1/4 lb pitted kalamata olives (or any other olive you like)
lemon zest and juice, to taste
thyme, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine olives and seasonings in a food processor until roughly chopped.

Lightly roll out the puff pastry. If it separates along the fold lines like mine did, that's just fine. You'll have three equal sections.

Spread olive mixture on pastry; sprinkle with cheese.

Cut each of the three sections into ten short pieces. Next, twist and stretch each section. This will be a bit messy and the filling may spill out a bit--you can scoop it back into the twist.

Places twists on prepared baking sheet--I covered mine with parchment paper. Bake for about 8 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.

Enjoy warm or cool. These are delicious with wine and cheese:)

up north adventures: sassy scrams and tiny bubbles

artwork from wikipedia, 1915 English magazine illustration of a lady riding a champagne cork
From The Lordprice Collection, copyright license found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Two years ago H, S, and I discovered the delicious foods at Kejara's Bridge, a little cafe smack dab in the middle of the Leelanau Peninsula. I still remember sitting out in the garden, dodging bees, and feeling more than a little windswept, as we ate our fresh, clean flavored breakfasts. H and I ate there twice this visit, talking about our dreams of buying the place (it's for sale)...a real dream since other lives and other jobs beckon, not to mention a serious lack of capital. But it's fun to imagine the possibilities of a different life.

The most delicious item on the menu, in my mind, is the Sassy Scram (which also happens to have the best name). Three eggs are scrambled with spinach, red and green pepper, red onion, tomato, feta, and white cheddar. Served with whole grain toast and fresh fruit, the concoction makes a lovely breakfast or lunch. I've made similar dishes at home on a random Tuesday when I don't feel like "really cooking," but somehow Kejara's is a bit more delicious, which I suspect has something to do with their much more liberal use of cheese.

The ambience veers towards the boho-hippy, with local art for sale on the walls, an eclectic range of vintage tables, and folksy music. We were lucky enough to listen to Bob Dylan (well, I was. H isn't a big fan of Dylan, but she softened towards his vocal stylings by the end of our lunch). There's something about Dylan's rambling narratives that comforts on days--like this one was--when all I could think about was the melancholy of leaving and moving on to new chapters.

On our last visit, H and I had the pleasure of serendipitously running into an old friend from college who's doing really important and great work.

As my time on the Peninsula drew to a close, H and I had one more destination in mind: the vineyards of Larry Mawby. As I've mentioned before, vineyards dot the land in this region. What distinguishes Mawby is that all his wines are sparkling. He uses the traditional methode champenoise, and his wines are effervescent and lovely. The tasting room rollicks with music that can only be described as *sexy fun*--selections like "Let's Get It On," "Lady Marmalade," and "You Sexy Thing." Between the tiny bubbles and the fun music, H and I were dancing in our chairs, reading all the poetic text on the walls describing the various wines. I bought a half-bottle of Talismon, an estate wine named one of the top 100 wines in the US, and Sandpiper, available only at the vineyard. H bought a bottle of Fizz, a demi-sec sparkler, and Sex, a wine rife with jokes. Add my new purchases to the bottle of Conservancy I bought when I visited last fall, and I'm ready for celebration!