Hynovian Launch Party

The Hynovia Launch party was the perfect end of summer evening.  I’d had some trouble coming up with decorations, until I found some lovely Indian bedspreads in golds and reds and browns.  After that it was pretty easy to hang lanterns, pin up my sister’s sari fabric and transform our living room into a cozy salon full of warm late summery/early autumnal colors.  Our usual star lanterns fit right in.  One of my guests even loaned me a lovely Turkish coffee set for decoration:

We didn’t use it – well, except for our littlest guest, Ellie, who discovered that the goblets were fun to teethe on.

The menu came out wonderful – lots of bright flavors – as well as very pretty.  The Nut and Feta balls were a big hit and I have not forgotten that folks wanted the recipe.  I plan to make them again next week and post the recipe and photos up here.

In addition to the feast, we read the Hynovian short story "Azura of Carantia" and my sister did henna tattoos on those who wanted them.

Here are some more photos of the guests, the food and the decorations:

Hynovian Recipe: Almond and Walnut Baklava with Rose Water Syrup

The Hynovian Launch Party is tomorrow – I will be posting about it in a couple weeks.  I have been cooking for the last few days and thought I would share a "Hynovian" recipe that will be served at the party.  This recipe is adapted from the Baklava recipe from Turkish Cooking, by Tess Mallos (Periplus, 2005).  If you've never used filo dough, its not as intimidating as it might seem. Remember to let it defrost all the way, and use it quickly once you unwrap it as it dries out. 

Almond and Walnut Baklava with Rose Water Syrup

Makes 35 small squares

Oven to 325° - Baking time 1 hour

Ingredients:

Assembled Ingredients

Pastry:
1 package (18 sheets) filo dough, defrosted. (I used The Fillo Factory’s organic whole wheat filo dough.)
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups finally chopped almonds
1 cup finally chopped walnuts
½ cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Syrup:
1 ½ cups water
1 ¼ cups sugar
¾ cup honey
1 strip of lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
½ tsp rose water

Preheat the oven to 325°.  Brush a little butter on the sides and bottom of a 9” x 13” baking pan.

Mix the chopped nuts, cinnamon and sugar for the filling and set near your pan.

Mixing the nuts, sugar and cinnamon.

Open out your defrosted filo dough and fold over the top sheet.  Lift into the pan and brush with butter.  Repeat with five more sheets.

Sprinkle with ⅓ of the nut and sugar mixture and cover with a folded sheet of filo.  Brush with butter and layer with two more sheets, brushing the butter between the sheets.

Filling the Baklava

Repeat with another ⅓ of the filling and three more sheets.  Cover with the last ⅓ of the nuts and finish the pastry with the remaining six sheets of filo, brushing with butter between each folded sheet.

With a sharp knife cut the uncooked baklava into 35 squares – five cuts across the length of the pan and seven across the width.  Sprinkle with a little water to keep the edges from curling up while baking.

Ready to bake

Bake on the center shelf of the oven for 30 minutes.  Then rotate your pan and move up to a higher shelf for another 30 minutes.

While the baklava is baking make the syrup.  Heat the sugar and water in a small pan until boiling, stirring occasionally.  Add the honey, lemon zest, cinnamon and cloves.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the rose water.  Strain into a measuring cup or small pitcher and allow to cool.

Adding the rose water

Pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava.  

Pouring the syrup

Let stand for several hours at least before re-cutting and serving.  I garnished mine with miniature rose petals from my patio garden. Enjoy!

Ready to Party!

Launch Party Preview: Mezze

Well, I may still be trying to edit the story for the Hynovian Launch Party in September, but the menu was easy!  The setting is sort of fantasy Byzantine/Mediterranean so I have made a mezze menu drawn on Greek, Turkish and Lebanese recipes.  Here is your preview... (Subject to change – depending on ingredients and time, etc.)  I  also might have henna tattoos - so make sure your costumes has short sleeves or isn't some priceless heirloom if you are interested in one.

Menu:

Grilled Marinated Mushrooms with Tahini Sauce
Feta, Pine Nut and Walnut Balls
Kababs with Spiced Seitan, Summer Squash and Onions 
Herbed Lentil Salad 
Pita Bread
Feta-Lemon Spread
Tzatziki
Artichoke and Marinated Mozzarella Salad
Cauliflower Salad
Braised Green Beans 
Chilled Melon
Dried Poached Apricots stuffed with Cream Cheese
Almond and Rose Baklava

And to drink:
Iced Mint Tea
Iced Spiced Grape Juice
Iced Lemonade with Mint and Rose Water

Of course if it’s freezing and pouring rain I may change some of those cold drinks and dishes to hot, but I’m hoping for a warm evening.

Orin Launch Party

I have been having a lovely summer vacation – beginning with the Ornish Launch Party and ending with a weekend at Westercon65.  I’ll talk about the convention next week, as this post is to be dedicated to the Launch Party.


It was a lovely evening.  I really enjoyed the new format of having a series of entertainments including the reading of “The Summer Valley.”


It was a long feast, as each course was a drawn out affair with one of the poems or musical numbers included.  I was particularly pleased with the Leek, Mushroom and Cream Cheese Crapes and the Meyer Lemon Creampuffs.


I spent a lot of time on the decorations for this party, creating banners and flags.  We got a huge number of flowers from the Farmer’s market (where I got most of the produce too!) and also picked them from my P-Patch garden.


Here are few pictures of the evening: decorations, food preparation and the guests in their regalia.

Party Preview

The Ornish Launch Party is fast approaching... Too fast it seems sometimes.  Besides working on decorations I have begun the first food preparations.  Last week I blanched and froze sixteen artichoke bottoms and tomorrow I am going make and freeze a pile of crapes.  I have my menu planned out and so I thought I would post it to whet your appetites.  Get out your tunics and surcotes, ‘cause this is going to be a fine party!


Drinks:
White Grape Juice with Lemon, Honey and Lavender
Blackberry, Basil and Rose Sparkler


Course 1 - Starter:
Herbed Artichoke Bottoms stuffed with Ricotta and Parmesan on Braised Arugula, garnished with Roasted Fennel with Balsamic Vinegar and Pine-nuts


Course 2 - Salad:
Salad of Herbs, Greens, Radishes and Cucumbers with White Wine Vinaigrette, garnished with Deviled Eggs


Course 3 - Palate Cleanser:
Strawberry Black Pepper Sorbet


Course 4 - Main:
Leek, Mushroom and Cream Cheese Crepes,
Asparagus,
9 Onion Braise (red, yellow, pearl, spring, shallots, leeks, green, and chives), 
Roasted Gold or Purple Cauliflower with Lemon, Olive Oil, Parmesan and Garlic


Course 5 - Dessert Round 1:
Meyer Lemon Cream Puffs


Course 6 - Dessert Round 2:
Almond and Orange Cake with Orange Blossom Water and Candied Orange Peel


Then – food coma and story time!

Spring has Sprung and So Have I...

... or is that just the coffee?


I feel like I am on a roll right now.  This week I have started my next country, Hynovia, and its accompanying story.  Hynovia is in the south-east of Idhua and has close ties to Eonia, so there is already some information about it from the work I have done on its neighbor.  The story is just an idea right now, but I am going to explore someone turning down the “great opportunity.”  This came from musing on the way in which our culture has a narrative that if someone has a talent or opportunity that will make them rich, famous or powerful then it should be grabbed with both hands.  Likewise, the story more often told is the young person who wants to leave home and claim their gifts.  While I don’t have a problem with ambition or exploration, I want to acknowledge that there is also value in the person who decides that love of what they have is enough, that they don’t need to do great deeds or have great acclaim.


Besides the new country, I’ve been editing The Summer Valley, which I have decided is pretty good as it is and I just need to get over being neurotic about presenting it to a big launch party in June.  I am also pursuing an idea of asking some of the other guests at the launch party to perform music or poetry and so to make the evening a literary and musical celebration.  To this end I have begun to make arrangements with Dusty Stings to rent a harp for my friend E.  She can’t bring her harp up to Seattle with her, but she and I are both eager for her to play at the party.


I have also been thinking about decorations and the menu, which is a bit early I know, but this is a big one!  I am thinking of a five to seven course feast, leaning heavily on the fresh produce that will be coming into season in June: asparagus, peas, and strawberries.  This week I am going to make and freeze Meyer Lemon Curd so that I can make Meyer Lemon Cream Puffs as one of the desserts.


Besides all the excitement in writing and party planning, Norwescon is coming up next week.  I am going with artist Sara Twitty who will have a display in the art show – so if you’re going to be there, head to the Gallery sometime to check out her work!

Aricadan Launch Party

We had a lovely time last Sunday at the Aricedian Launch party.  The theme of the decorations was a still room – drawing on the story “Blackfoil” which was read following the dinner.  A few weeks ago I raided the P-patch were I have a garden and gathered a collection of herbs to hang against the wall: rosemary, thyme, mint, lemon balm, fever-few, parsley and red spray roses which I bought since there not blooming up here in the Pacific NW yet.  The day before I bought more roses and some ivory stock and made posies with all sorts of things from the P-patch and my neighborhood, including calendula, miniature daffodils, mustard and broccoli flowers, fava bean shoots, clover, mints and feverfew, fennel sprigs and a few things I wasn't sure what they were besides pretty!  I thought the overall effect was quite lovely and the guests agreed.

The guests were the usual suspects with a new addition: Baby Ellie!  Last launch party was the day before she was born – I think I wrote then that it was astonishing to see pictures of her at the hospital and to realize that she had been at the Tav’urisk party the night before still in utero.  She was a great guest for Ariceda – she even dressed up in her grandmother’s white linen baby dress for the occasion.

We had a rustic springtime menu that included pasties with herbs and mushrooms; greens, beets and peppered chevre; lettuce tansie; a salad of greens, radishes, cucumbers and herbs with violets and calendula petals; delicious Struen bread from Grateful Bread and Ladysmith cheese with chives from SamishBay Cheese; and a strawberry-rhubarb galette with honeyed cream – which was really delicious if I say so myself.  

Finished Orin

I have finished both the entry and the rough draft of the short story for my next country: Orin.  The short story, titled “The Summer Valley” is being read by my kind and generous beta reader, M, whom I hope will not be quite as despairing about it as I have been feeling.  The reason I am being gloomy about it is that the launch party for Orin is set for June and it is going to be a big one.  My mom, my dear friend E, and my sister’s boyfriend are all going to be up from CA to see my sister graduate and will be here for the party.  In addition, when I sent out a “save this date” invitation I had a lot of positive responses, a number from people who will be coming for the first time.  So it’s not that I don’t like “The Summer Valley” but rather that I have been feeling that it should somehow be extra special for an extra big party with VIPs.


Orin is a country which spans a temperate and Mediterranean climate – in the north above the Idessa Mountains it is cooler and wetter, though it rarely snows, while in the south there are vineyards and orange and lemon orchards.  It was limping along a bit until I decided that they needed a legendary king to focus on with both their history and their legends and folk-lore.  I glanced over the Arthurian and Carolingian cycles, not only for inspiration, but also as an example of how such bodies of literature and legend work on a patriotic consciousness.


Here is the current map of Idhua: It is entirely coincidental that I have been working on the purple countries.  Apparently, I colored a number of the countries which were settled earliest (which is my criteria) purple without planning it.

Tav'uresk Launch Party

A tent in our living room

Last night was proof (if there was any doubt) that I have yet to grow out of making pillow forts.  My original idea had been to put up a canopy to give the impression of a tent - but once I started I couldn't stop.  Good thing I have so many sheets and random lengths of cloth!

Key structural detail: Rice Paddle

 I used an entire box of straight pins - several dozen safety pins, a ball of yard, a length of chain, several books, several chairs - but the most important structural detail was a wooden rice paddle.

 

Our Tav'uresk Launch Party was, therefore, held in a tent in our living room.  The menu was delicious - I still don't much like deep-frying, but the results were great.  The repast consisted of:

Egg Noodles with Shredded Greens, Ginger and Basil
Perfumed Rice (Jasmine Rice cooked with ghee, and a broth of lemongrass, ginger, mint, basil, onions, black pepper and cardamom)
Seitan in Curried Yogurt Sauce

Cucumber, Carrot and Radish salad with Tamari-Sesame Dressing
Pickled Onions
Apricot Chutney

Curried Kabocha Samosas

Green Peas with Paneer Cheese
Turkish Donuts with Rosehip and Honey GlazeCream Cheese Stuffed Dates, Candied Almonds, Dried Apricots

and to wash it all down:

White Grape Juice with Ginger, Mint, Cardamom and Pepper

One of the fun elements was that I made my own curry powders and spice blends.  This was partially to use as little pre-made food as possible, (I made the Paneer too,) but also because one of the guests can't have coriander/cilantro which is a big part of many curry mixes.  It was fun researching and mixing the spices!

The evening continued with a reading of The Silvered Swords and then extended congenial conversation.  I highly recommended making a fort and a feast! 

Here are some pictures of the guests:

Preview: Tav’urisk Launch Party

The Tav’urisk Launch Party is coming up in early December and I have been menu planning for it.  It is going to be a mix of dishes with an Asian bent – I’ve been reading Indian, Chinese and Nepalese cookbooks for ideas.  I am also drawing on Middle Eastern and Medieval Europe influences.

At the moment I have (as usual,) a ton of dishes and since the Tav’urisk “traditionally” do not use ovens, they are all stove top or, gasp, deep-fried recipes.  I very rarely deep-fry anything – it’s so unhealthy to eat (if delicious!) and a pain to do if you don’t have the right equipment.  I jury-rig pots, sieves, and slotted spoons and such, but it’s still a bit annoying.
 

However, I am going to make, and fry, Kabocha Squash Samosas and a Turkish Donut Recipe which sounds sort of amazing.  They are essentially a choux pastry, fried, and dipped in rose-hip syrup.  I am going to tweak the syrup recipe to be made with honey and no rosewater or lemon juice (ingredients the Tav’urisk wouldn’t have), but otherwise I am following this method: Turkish Doughnuts with Rose Hip Syrup.  I think I’ll do small balls instead of rings.

Turkish Donuts

photo by: John Kernick

Eonia Launch Party

Idhua’s third country, Eonia, has been launched.  An archipelago off the eastern coast, Eonia has an eastern Mediterranean influence.  The room was draped in shades of blue and violet, and decorated with ivy and flowers, candles and a shrine to the Eonian sea goddess, Moriana.  The menu was consisted of flat bread served with hummus, homemade yogurt cheese with olive oil and sumac, black and green olive tapanade, cumin carrot spread, and herbed artichoke heart relish; a salad of romaine, radishes, sweet onions, cucumbers, feta, and mint in a lemon and olive oil dressing and a goat cheese and roasted mushroom filo roll.  After supper there was reading of The Amulet of Aranos.

The evening was concluded with an ice cream made of Greek yogurt, honey and orange flower water served with candied orange peel and pomegranate seeds.  Everyone wore Greek/fantasy inspired costumes, but sadly a great number of the pictures came out fuzzy.  Below are a few that turned out:

Happy Anniversary Idyllwild!

Last Saturday M, N and I celebrated the first anniversary of the Idyllwild Literary Guild with a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.  The Idyllwild Literary Guild’s purpose is to promote mythopoeic literature and art with a particular emphasis on the beautiful and fantastic.  It was started last year, by some friends and I, and though it is not terribly big or active, it is a fun venture.  

At our tea party we had five tea pots – with Irish Breakfast Tea, Peppermint Tea, Cherry Punch, Water and Chocolate Milk.  Of course we played croquet – but though we managed to rent a croquet set, we failed to look up how one plays croquet.  Deciding that it couldn’t be that hard, we set up our arches (somewhat randomly) and fell to whacking the balls with enthusiasm.  We figured that if anyone criticized our method, we could point out that it was a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party – so the croquet must also be a little mad.  At least we weren’t whacking hedgehogs.

A game you can play in long skirts!

Fjallind Launch Party

The second county in Idhua has been launched!  On Friday night the country of Fjallind was introduced with a small dinner party and reading of “The Sorrow of the Lady of Sorjaey.”  Fjallind is in the far north-west of Idhua and has a Nordic flavor.  To that end we had a menu which started with sourdough rye bread with homemade soured cream, pickled onions with fresh dill and smoked roasted mushrooms.  Our main course was honey-roasted root vegetables (parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, carrots and beets) and seitan “reindeer” meat with dumplings in sour-cream gravy. It is somewhat amusing to me to be making up a culture and cuisine and then to be adapting vegetarian versions of the dishes.

Later we had a dessert of crepes with wild blueberry sauce and honeyed whipped cream while we read the story.  Below are some pictures as we passed the story from person to person.  To add to the experience, one of my friends, PF, who attended, had set the song from the story to music.  It was a lovely surprise to add to the evening.

A verse of the song:

Into your keeping, Lady of Midnight,
Myra of the wayfaring roads;
Keeper of travelers and singer of stars,
One last breath, before I am yours.

Incidentally, this story is the one I submitted to the Fairwood Writers' workshop at Norwescon in April.  I am excited to see what sort of comments and criticisms I receive on it.

S, D and I listening

D and PF listening

SF reads as M listens