Sunday, May 13, 2007

Wine Biscuits For All My Friends

My posts have been few and far between and for that I do apologize. I've been working very hard on my design/organizing business. And I've been working with a career coach and I have many hours of homework every week. Things are starting to take off a bit. I done some decorating consultations and I assisted another organizer on a big job. I was asked by NAPO-NY to be a spokesperson for the organizing biz and I had to work on tip sheets. And it looks like I'm going to be in the September issue of Woman's Day magazine with an article all about organizing your purse. I'll pass along more details when I get some. So, I bet you are all wondering what's going on with the cookbook? I had to make a major & difficult decision about it.

I was dividing my time between working at the restaurant, writing the cookbook, trying to get my biz up and running, errands & life. I was becoming so frazzled and anxiety ridden. I hired a career coach to help me focus and she soon realized that I was simply trying to accomplish too many major things at once and everything was suffering because of that. So, I thought long and hard about exactly what I wanted. Whenever someone heard that I was writing a cookbook I would get the following questions; Do you want to be a chef? No.... Are you going to own you're own restaurant someday? Goodness, I hope not... Do you want to have you're own show on the Food Network like Rachel Ray? Definitely not..

It started to become very clear to me that I was focusing much time and energy and I wasn't exactly sure why. Yes, I did want to preserve family recipes and I did that. It took many years, lots of blood, sweat and tears, but, the recipes have been perfected and are done. Then I began working on the stories to go along with the food and it started to feel like a chore. I must admit that it's been very difficult to focus on funny or happy or even crazy family memories now that Poppa has passed. He was definitely the glue that held our family together. I will not go into all the gory details about what's been going on in my family, except to say that most are not even on speaking terms. It definitely does not make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and want to take a stroll down memory lane. At least not now.

The cookbook has been put on the back burner and I must tell you all that I feel as if a huge load has been lifted off of my shoulders. In fact, I do not want to continue to call it a cookbook. I'd like to refer to it as my memoir with food, which will get done, eventually, but I do not know when. Right now, I'm focusing on my business which is my true passion. I love going into people's NYC apartments and seeing beyond what is there to all that it can become. My mind instantly reorganizes, rearranges & redecorates every single space that I walk into. It always has. Now I understand why. This is truly what I was meant to do. And I get to do some hands on sewing and painting projects which fills me with glee.

I owe something to each and every one of my readers over the years. I know I would not be this far along if it was not for all of your support and encouragement. I will continue to post stories, daily (well, more like weekly) babbles and even a good recipe or two that I come across. My gift to all of you is a family secret recipe that Poppa just loved. Wine biscuits. They are more like a cookie than a biscuit. We eat them as little treats after dinner, lunch, heck, we eat them all the time when someone bakes a batch. They go great with milk & even a glass of red wine. And they are so very simple and quick to put together. I can totally picture Poppa sitting at the kitchen table chowing down on a few. I hope you enjoy them.

WINE BISCUITS

1 cup sugar

1 cup red wine (Italian table wine or the like)

1 cup vegetable oil

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon of salt

5 teaspoons of baking powder

1-2 eggs, beaten

-1/2 teaspoon of cold water

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees

-In a large bowl, mix together the first three ingredients with a wooden spoon.

-Add in salt and baking powder.

-Slowly add the flour & begin to knead with your hands when you can no longer stir with the wooden spoon. Add more flour if needed.

-Shape into pretzel twists and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

-Add ½ teaspoon of water to the beaten eggs.

-Using a pastry brush or spoon or even your finger, spread egg mixture over the tops of the biscuits.

-Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

Posted by Dawn Falcone @ 5:45 PM 7 comments