Goodwill goes Italian

See this bowl? It is an Italian ceramic one that my mother-in-law gave me a couple of years ago. I love it and it's the perfect size (6 inches high by 9 inches diameter) for pasta salad, or potato salad, or any kind of salad. I love the colors and its versatility.

 

Well, yesterday on one of my regular forays into our local Goodwill store, I found her little sister!

 

She is 3 inches high and 4 1/2 inches across. Perfect to hold sauces, salsas, or veggie dip. I couldn't be prouder! The only problem is now I realize that there was more than likely a set of sister bowls in in-between sizes.

The mark on the bottom is "ceramiche alfa". Alfa is an Italian ceramic tile maker that once made pottery as well. I looked on Replacements, Ltd., but they don't carry that pattern. I also went through eleven pages of Italian pottery on Ebay with no success, although I did see several pieces that I would like to own.

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My other Italian purchase was this book, The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland. I read it several years ago when my wonderful friend Lynn, the art history expert on Italian Renaissance, recommended it to me. It is the story of Artemisia Gentileschi, who was the first woman elected to the Accademia dell'Arte after years of struggle as an artist. At a young age, she was raped by her painting teacher, Agostino Tassi, and then put on trial for accusing him in public. It is a fascinating story.

If you would like to see a film featuring the the paintings of Artemisia Gentileschi, I highly recommend "Painted Lady", starring Helen Mirren, my most favorite actress. It was originally a two-part mini-series for the BBC and it was shown here in the states on Masterpiece Theatre about ten years ago. Dame Mirren is astounding in her portrayal of Maggie Sheridan, as she is in all of her work.

For a very different perspective on Gentileschi's life, there is the movie "Artemisia", which presents Gentileschi and Tassi as consensual lovers.

Thanksgiving is a-comin'

Have you written your Thanksgiving menu? I started mine yesterday. It's not that it's that much different from any previous year. We're very traditional when it comes to holiday meals. I like to have it written down, because it makes it easier to make my shopping list. I am gonna go a little crazy this year and make Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole instead of the usual Candied Sweet Potatoes. I'll probably get some protests, but I decided to change that particular item for the reduced calorie and fat count. I have a recipe from Cooking Light magazine that got rave reviews on their website.

The menu is as follows:
Roast Turkey w/Giblet Gravy
Dressing
Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Corn (frozen, from my in-laws garden)
Brussels Sprouts w/pecans
Green Beans
Cranberry-Orange Salad
Whole Cranberry Sauce (Homemade)
Cranberry Jelly (from the can)
Homemade bread (my mother-in-law)
Pecan, Pumpkin and Dutch Apple Pies

Is that carb hell, or what? And, yes, we have to have three kinds of cranberry side dishes. The jelly is for my father-in-law. I have to have the whole sauce which I make with fresh ginger and orange peel. Everyone else likes the cranberry salad.


These are serving dishes that I love to use for the Thanksgiving feast. Some are family treasures, and a couple of them are just because I love them. Starting with the white leaf bowl which I bought myself and going clockwise. The large red and gold bowl was a birthday gift from my best buddy, Cindy. You can heat it in the oven and it makes a great bread bowl and keeps it warm throughout the meal. The round Depression glass covered butter dish is from David's Grandma Hinkle. The oblong green Depression dish is from my mother and the one I put the cranberry salad in. The little green dish I bought because it matches Mom's dish. The gravy boat belonged to Mom. The oval pink dish is also from Grandma Hinkle's collection and holds the cranberry jelly. I always feel close to my family when I use these dishes. This is just a small representation of the ones that I treasure and I hope my children will love them for me when I'm gone.

Here's the recipe for the casserole:

STREUSELED SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Assemble the potato mixture and sprinkle with the streusel, then freeze the casserole up to 2 weeks ahead of Thanksgiving. Thaw in refrigerator and bake as directed. Or cook just the potatoes a day ahead, mash and refrigerate and proceed with the recipe as directed (starting with the addition of half-and-half) the day you're serving the dish.


Add 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper if you want to add a bit of heat to this sweet dish.

Yield
18 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

Ingredients
14 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 5 pounds)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

Place potato in a Dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Combine the half-and-half and next 4 ingredients (half-and-half through egg) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add potato to egg mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine flour and sugar in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add chilled butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans; sprinkle over potato mixture.

Cover and bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until the topping is browned and the potatoes are thoroughly heated.