Above photos taken by me with my iPhone at Randolph Street Market http://www.randolphstreetmarket.com of Dollies’ Antiques and Treasures http://www.dolliesantiques.com who will be outside at the July 29th and 30th Market. I became fascinated with her collection in May and she explained how she got started collecting Flower Frogs. Another reminder to engage the vendors in conversation, not only are they eager to talk about their treasures but you will learn something new every time…I most certainly do.
A rare matte green flower frog
A marriage of a wire cage flower frog on top of a vintage plate. Owner says it is quite useful for floral centerpieces. Above photos were taken by Linda Heister of her flower frog collection exclusively for nenasnotes.
Above photos on how to use your flower frog collection (when not used for flower arrangements) from Pinterest photo credits unknown.
A site to show you how to use flower frogs from Martha Stewart http://www.marthastewart.com/271596/how-to-use-flower-frogs
A book, of course, there is….looks quite interesting…found this on Amazon.
When I was a little girl we lived in Rogers Park on the Northside of Chicago (I wish I had that apartment today, it had incredible space, never did understand the long hallway from the front door to the living room but it did make a great gallery for my Father’s artwork, but no matter, it was extraordinary!) Mom and Dad would often take me with them (read, always took me with them) to dinner and one of our favorite neighborhood spots was in an alley at the end of Howard Street just before you came to Sheridan Road. It was an exquisite French Bistro and I adored it. One of their specialties was fried frog legs (don’t get your knickers in a twist, they happen to be delicious, taste rather like chicken, you should be able to find them in the seafood section of a Whole Foods for an example) and I couldn’t eat enough of them. My Father was of Russian descent, so perhaps his food tastes were a bit more European than most, and he was a superb cook, as was my Mother, (he loved to cook and I would stand on a chair and be his sous chef, I wish I had his recipes, I have shared his borscht with you in a previous post) and I ate many unique items from birth, one ate what was in front of them, I wasn’t told to clean my plate but knew early on that what was there was the choice for that meal, therefore, I eat just about anything (no insects, please and no, they weren’t on Daddy’s menus….). I am sharing a recipe for Fried Frog Legs that I found on the internet, it sounds much like the recipe used from my childhood….this nostalgia is making me crave them again….I need to get to the Store……..
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds frog legs (have your fishmonger remove the skin from the frog legs)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced very thin
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
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Soak the frog legs in the milk in the fridge for an hour. Meanwhile, mix the salt, black pepper and flour in a bowl, then chop the garlic and parsley.
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Heat 5 tablespoons of the butter in a frying pan large enough to hold all the frog legs; if you don’t have a pan large enough, put a baking sheet in the oven and set a rack inside. Turn the oven to about 180°F. You’ll use this to store the finished frog legs while you fry the rest. If you do have a large enough pan, set the baking sheet with the rack set inside next to the stovetop.
- Dredge the frog legs in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess. Fry in the butter over medium-high heat until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Flip only once if you can help it, as the flour coating is fragile. Set on the rack to drain when the frog legs are done.
- Discard the butter in the pan and wipe it out with a paper towel. Set the pan back on the stove over medium-high heat. When the butter is hot, saute the garlic until it smells good, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and swirl in the lemon juice. Arrange the frog legs on individual plates, and, right before you serve, mix the parsley into the sauce. Pour it over the frog legs and serve immediately.
Hank Shaw’s comment: “I served my frog legs with sauteed chanterelles and crusty bread. But boiled or roasted fingerling potatoes would be another good option, green beans an ideal veggie, or maybe a bitter greens salad with a vinaigrette dressing. White wine or a lighter beer, i.e., a lager or pilsner, is a must”.
Hank Shaw’s fascinating site, Hunter Angler Gardner Cook can be found at http://www.honest-food.net