sebastian projecttag:,2013:/12013-04-09T04:51:55ZMovable Type 3.35Well, That's Two Hours of My Life I'll Never Get Backtag:r3n3.net,2013://1.8422013-04-09T03:38:56Z2013-04-09T04:51:55ZUsually, around this date, I post something here complaining about my birthday. It usually also is somehow connected to my vanity, which is derived entirely from my comparative youth. Today is my birthday, and true to form, I am here...
looooooong pause...
I started trying to type out a list of the things that I supposedly 'learned' at this event, but I can't. It infuriates me. I understand that maybe not everyone has embraced social networking like I have - I have, at one time or another, had 3 different Facebook accounts, 2 twitter accounts, 4 different google accounts (2 google plus accounts), 2 msn accounts, 2 Skype accounts, a yahoo ID, ICQ, Second Life, multiple blogs, a tumblr account, 2 flickr accounts, a pinterest account and an instagram account. I have had any number of networking/texting/chatting apps on my smartphone including two different Facebook apps, Skype, WhatsApp, Kakao Talk, Instagram, Google+, Twitter, Find Friends, Game Center, a number of email accounts and oh, yeah, an unlimited international texting plan (before you are horrified, this is over the course of years, and most of those are now inactive) - but I think it's really unnecessary for the school to pay someone to come in and explain to parents what Twitter is, and what Instagram is, and what a f*cking selfie is. Internet savvy or not, if you haven't figured out LOL yet, you're out of luck, and you don't need to understand that a hashtag is this (#) to keep yourself or your child safe online. Yes, I KNOW Google owns YouTube, and YouTube isn't censored. Thank you for explaining to me that I need to only post photos on Facebook for 48 hours and then delete them so Google can't 'get' them. It was wonderful of you to teach me how to google myself. And you know, just to be sure I wasn't just ranting without knowing what I was talking about, I DID google myself, using 3 different variations of my name, and you know how many images I found of myself? Three. All images readily handed over to be published online when I gave interviews about my artwork. The rest of the hits were from my Etsy store (also, happy to have them come up in a search!) and my photography website. There was not a single FB photo (profile photo or photo I was tagged in) that appeared. I wonder if I should be concerned though, that the pics that did show up, and really, most of my pics on Facebook, are not the prescribed head-and-shoulders shots, but closer to the "selfies" you taught us about, which are bad, for some unspecified reason.
Ah, that's it. That's my problem. Aside from the fact that I was taught about technology I already knew at least as much as the teacher about, what I really object to is the very not-impartial moralizing of what we should and shouldn't allow our kids to do. Asserting that children should not be allowed to lie about their ages to create accounts is one thing. Saying that there is only one appropriate way to take a photo of oneself, or asserting that your child really doesn't NEED a tumblr account, without explaining why it's unncessary or redundant takes this out of the realm of expert teaching facts and right down to random guy giving you his opinion on the internet. His opinion on products that, by his own admission, he doesn't use. And we're thanking him for doing it, we're applauding and we're writing him a big fat cheque at the end.
I know I'm being grouchy, I do. But it's my birthday, I'm entitled.]]>
Apple Crumble - things are going to be amazing.tag:r3n3.net,2013://1.8412013-03-17T22:48:54Z2013-03-18T04:31:49ZThe last few days have been... stressful. What else is new, right? Do I ever write here and say that the last few days have been amazing? Not often. Sorry about that. But you know what? Things are going to...
Sorry about that. But you know what? Things are going to get better. All the sadness and stress and working away at things that seem impossible, it will all be over eventually. All the things that are unspeakably maddening or distressing now, those things are going to melt away into distant memories, stories to tell the grandchildren, mental souvenirs of the struggles that led to happiness.
Things are going to be amazing.
Some people might say you should celebrate future amazing days with something elaborate, something beautiful. Today, I disagree. What better way to celebrate the beauty of everyday happiness than with a simple, everyday dessert?
Apple Coconut Crumble
Ingredients
4 medium apples (I used macs, but it's really up to your taste)
⅛ cup of icing sugar
½ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ cup of all-purpose flour
½ cup of dark brown sugar (packed)
½ cup of steel-cut oats
½ cup of flaked coconut
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
½ cup of melted butter
seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Method
Peel and core the apples and cut into small pieces. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with water. Simmer, covered, on medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes, until apples are tender but not falling apart. Drain well. Combine the icing sugar and first measure of cinnamon and toss through the apples.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, coconut, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Add the melted butter and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix well using a fork. Ensure all ingredients are moist and mixture has a crumbly texture.
Divide the apple mix evenly into 4 small ramekins. Spread crumble mix over top of apple. Bake at 350F for approximately 35 minutes, or until crumble topping is slightly browned.
Serve warm with a generous splash of cream, and celebrate the little things that make up every day.
]]>
Shopping for Arttag:r3n3.net,2013://1.8352013-02-25T23:37:11Z2013-02-27T15:58:32ZI saw him wandering slowly along the front of my booth, and started back across the field to greet him. The traffic at the art show had slowed enough that I was doing a bit of shopping of my own....
If this kid was putting on a show - and I don't think he was - he certainly earned his five-dollar discount. "You know what? It's almost the end of the day, I'm going to pack up soon, and I'd rather see this go home with you than box it up and take it back with me. I can do five dollars less."
He looked utterly THRILLED. Seriously thrilled. He kept asking if I was sure, of course I was sure. Then his face sank again. "I rode my bike here - how am I going to get it home? It won't fit in my backpack." We rummaged through the various materials I had brought for packing up larger items, and after a bit of work, had fastened a twine harness to hold it to his backpack. His smile returned, he gave me his money and went on his way. I felt pretty good.
Until I saw him returning, ten minutes later, looking somewhat sheepish. I wondered if he wanted to return it. I wondered if perhaps his roommates had talked him out of spending all his money on one picture to hang on his wall. He sidled up to the booth, looking almost as though he wished I couldn't see him. Then I noticed he had taken the frame out of the twine bundle, and held it in his hands.
"Is everything ok? It didn't fall, did it?"
He shook his head, and smiled timidly. "I forgot to ask if you'd autograph it."
Last summer, I participated in my very first art show. Those of you who were around then might recall my nightmares leading up to the day that I would show up in a towel and my booth would collapse in a heap of broken glass and frames, or my fervent pleas for you all to come and at least look like you were buying something, or my offers to make this whole adventure worth your while with cookies.
Obviously, I survived. My booth also survived, and I wore clothes both days. I KNOW! But more importantly, I didn't need to bribe anyone with cookies to buy my art (or pretend to buy my art). I sold loads more than I expected to, and was actually the top seller for the entire show. But equally importantly, I got to meet and connect with my customers. I got to watch people examine my art, tell them the stories of each piece, hear their feedback. I met a lot of wonderful people that day, many of whom bought my work, some who I had lovely conversations with about cameras, or Newfoundland, or the UK, or if I get to write off my travel expenses. And that boy, who bought his very first 'real art' from me, and asked for my autograph.
I'm telling you this story now as my own roundabout way of announcing that, together with some of the very talented artists I met for the first time at that show, I am opening a real, proper, brick-and-mortar shop. We are the Rural Creators Collective, and we'll be opening our doors just north of Hamilton in May of this year. Thank you to all of you who have supported me in getting this far, and I hope to see you at the store!]]>
Chicken Pie, Not Taken Seriously tag:r3n3.net,2013://1.8312013-02-17T20:57:36Z2013-02-18T17:25:16ZIt is a bitterly cold and grey day outside, and after spending yesterday morning running errands and yesterday afternoon cooking and yesterday evening entertaining, I don't really feel like doing much. The wind howls at me to stay inside, and...
There's a first time for everything. Today's first is savoury pie.
For the pastry
Ingredients
150 grams of butter
250 grams of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 egg yolk
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of dried of herbs (I used parsley, oregano and rosemary)
100 grams of sour cream
Method
Put all the ingredients, except sour cream, in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the texture is like breadcrumbs. Add the sour cream and mix to a dough. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
For the filling, understanding I have no authority here and you should adjust this to suit your own tastes
¼ cup of butter
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
approximately 2 cups of cubed yellow potatoes
3 cups of stock (I used garlic stock)
2 cups of mixed vegetables (I used corn, peas and carrots)
2 chicken breasts, cooked (or vegetarian equivalent) and diced
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
seasonings, to taste (I used rosemary, salt and a generous amount of pepper)
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter, and sauté the onions until golden. Add the stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. After five minutes, as potatoes begin to soften, add the mixed vegetables and the chicken. Boil until potatoes are soft but not falling apart. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the cornstarch and seasonings. Cool and set aside.
Roll out the dough, cut the size required and place in a pie dish, or muffin tray. I used a large muffin tray (6 muffins). Poke holes at the base using a fork. Add the filling, and cut another piece of dough to cover the top. Crimp the edges and decorate if desired with any remaining dough. Baked in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25 - 30 minutes.
Full disclosure:
1. I followed the recipe for the crust fairly closely, which is to say, I read 3 or 4 different recipes, averaged them out and then only made one major change, which is ridiculous as I have never ever made a savoury pie crust before.2. I did not follow any recipe for the filling, as all the recipes I read seemed either too dry, or too full of gravy. I made up a recipe, based loosely on my recollection of a pie I ate in England more than a year ago. I'm not sure I was taking the responsibility of making my first pie very seriously.
3. They turned out incredibly deliciously. In the future, I may still tweak the herbs a little bit, but I had absolutely no idea that pie was so incredibly simple to make. I am going to make more pies!
For reference, if you are making small individual pies, this recipe makes approximately enough for 8 pies if you are making them using a large muffin pan (6 muffins) - yes, I know that is inconvenient. I have dough and filling for 2 pies left in my fridge too. :P]]>
OMG PANDA BREADtag:r3n3.net,2013://1.8152013-01-19T22:39:41Z2013-01-21T00:36:57ZI wasn't sure that I was going to continue posting recipes here. I rather doubt I'll make it all the way to 100 recipes, but this was too exciting a baking experiment not to share. (Also, a number of people...
This took two attempts. I got my instructions from Taste for Adventure, and I recommend you check out her step-by-step photos for how to actually assemble the face, because it's easier than trying to understand typed instructions. However, I did not use her recipe. Or rather, I used her recipe, and the fates (or maybe a draught in my kitchen) conspired against me, and my dough did not rise. At all. I don't blame her recipe, her bread obviously turned out perfectly, but I don't know what happened. I tested my yeast, and it was fine, and I re-read the instructions about fifty times to make sure I hadn't missed something. (I hadn't.) I decided to try again, but I didn't really want to mess around with a recipe that had just failed, even if it was probably not that recipe's fault. I didn't really see any reason why I couldn't just adapt any white bread recipe to become panda bread, so I decided to do that instead. And so, without any further introduction, here is my recipe for (OMG) Panda Bread. (But really, check the link for pictures to explain the assembly better.)
Ingredients
½ cup of 2% milk
3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of sea salt
3 tablespoons of butter
4½ teaspoons of active dry yeast
1½ cups warm water (approx. 110°F)
5-6 cups of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of green tea powder mixed with 2 teaspoons of hot water (or green food colouring, if you can't find matcha)
3½ teaspoons of cocoa powder mixed with 1½ teaspoons of hot water
Directions
Place the milk, sugar, salt and butter in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Cool until lukewarm.
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in the warmed bowl of a stand mixer. Add the lukewarm milk mixture and approximately 4½ cups of flour. Using a dough hook, mix at low speed for about one minute. Add the remaining flour, ½ a cup at a time, and mix until the dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead on low speed for another minute or two, until dough is smooth and elastic.
Remove the dough from the mixer, take about 1/5 of the dough and put it back in the mixing bowl with the cocoa powder mixture. Knead on low speed until the cocoa mixture is incorporated. If the cocoa mixture makes your dough too wet, add a small amount of flour until it returns to being smooth and elastic. Place in a small, lightly greased bowl, turning to grease top.
Wash out your mixing bowl, and then take ½ of the remaining dough and place it in the mixer with the matcha mixture or food colouring, and knead on low speed until incorporated. Place in a lightly greased bowl, (separate from the cocoa dough) and turn to grease the top.
Place the remaining white dough in a lightly greased bowl as well, (turn to grease the top) and cover all three bowls and place them in a warm, draught-free area to rise for approximately one hour. (The dough should double in bulk.)
Once the dough has risen, you need to make your panda faces. My recipe happens to make two loaves of bread, so remember that you need to divide each dough in half and follow the directions for assembling the loaf twice.
For each loaf: divide the cocoa dough into four equal parts. Divide the matcha dough into two parts, one about twice the size of the other. Divide the white dough into three parts, one about half the size of the other two.
Start with one of the larger pieces of white dough. Roll it into a long tube. Roll out two of the pieces of cocoa dough the same length and place them on top. These will be the eyes. (Check the link above for images if you don't know what I'm talking about.) Roll out the smaller piece of white dough and place it in between the eyes to keep them apart. Knead the last piece of white dough into a rectangle and wrap it over the top and sides of your panda face. Roll out the remaining two pieces of cocoa dough and place on top - these are your panda's ears. Roll out the smaller piece of green dough to separate the ears, and finally knead the larger piece of green into a rectangle and wrap it around the top and sides of the whole thing. Your panda face is created, and probably doesn't look very panda-ish yet:
Repeat for the other half of the dough, and place each panda loaf into a lightly greased loaf tin, and place in a warm, draught-free spot to rise for one hour. Once risen, bake for 30 minutes at 400°F.
Voila, pandas!!
]]>
C+, 2012tag:r3n3.net,2013://1.8142013-01-09T16:47:01Z2013-01-11T02:09:05ZI guess there's really not much chance that any of you have missed the New Year, huh? I mean, I really don't get out much, and even I couldn't really avoid knowing that it's no longer 2012. And since you...
soooo clever, you've probably also figured out that since I started my 100-recipe challenge on New Year's Day last year, and my last post was Recipe 69 (heh), I didn't quite finish that challenge. I knew in November I wasn't going to get to 100 in time, but I did hope to get a bit closer than I did. By late December, I had surrendered to not clearing 70, and started writing a post grading my performance and condemning myself to a C+, and consoling myself that, in most cases, a C+ is a pass, and at least I wouldn't have to repeat the year.
And then the end of December hit, and my New Year's curse exploded with frightening new ferocity. And writing about recipes fell somewhere outside of the top thousand things I needed to do.
But here I am, on the other side, peering out cautiously from under my blankets, and feeling a bit bad that I just left you all hanging.
I did have my next few recipe posts planned out, they just never got made. Here they are:
70. Momofuku's Crack Pie
71. Meemaw's Kitchen Sink Cookies
(those two were actually meant to be a single post about potentially awesome desserts with terrible terrible names)
72. Gratin Dauphinois
73. OMG PANDA BREAD ♥
74 - 76. A collection of variations on shortbread, chocolate shortbread, walnut thumbprints and pistachio cranberry shortbread that I did actually end up making for the neighbours, but at the last minute, without photos or writeup (ok, one photo - here:)
77. Stroopwafels (actually attempted, but never completed to my satisfaction)
78. Baked Tomatoes
79. Duchess (Princess?) Potatoes
That's still nowhere near the full one hundred, and I really couldn't say at this moment if I will finish the rest in the next few months or just move on to a new goal for 2013. Before I walk away from this challenge entirely though, I must thank some people.
The first is a thank you I need to offer with a farewell attached. Mrs. One Day, the ever-enthusiastic inspiration to so many (Blogging, music, tattoos, repeat...) left us on Christmas Eve. Rock on, darlin'. I'll think of you every time I hear a Rob Zombie tune.
Thank you to Tina, for inspiring me to attempt this challenge in the first place. Thank you to both Jessica N and Anna Delores for taking the time to interview me, and letting me get to meet your readers.
To the rest of you, the ones who read, of course, the ones who wrote and offered suggestions and encouragement, thank you so much. The ones who shared my work with their friends, and the ones who checked my site faithfully, even in those long stretches of emptiness when I couldn't bring myself to write, thank you for believing in me.
Happy 2013.]]>
Recipe 69 of 100: Potato Corn Chowdertag:r3n3.net,2012://1.8132012-12-17T20:01:04Z2012-12-17T20:10:06ZI started this post more than a month ago. The soup featured in the post, was made at least a week before that, for someone who was complaining he was sick, and asking me to bring him soup. Unfortunately he...
chowder comes from the French chaudière - the copper pot in which fishermen's wives cooked a communal soup from a share of each man's catch, to celebrate the safe return of the fishing fleet. Don't say I never teach you anything.
I've tried for a few weeks to come up with something to say about this, and it hasn't happened. And the clock on my 100 recipes in one year challenge is running out, so there's really no sense in hanging on to this recipe any longer, waiting for inspiration to strike.
I can say that the person who requested this soup initially, for some form of cold or allergies, runny nose and general grumpiness, is much sicker now, and even really good soup can't help him at this point. Get well soon, dear, please?
Ingredients
90g of butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 clove (yeah, right) of garlic, minced
2 teaspons of cumin seeds
4 cups of vegetable stock
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 cups of fresh corn kernels
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons of heavy cream
red chili flakes (optional) to garnish
Method
Heat the butter in a large pot. Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until golden. Add garlic and cumin seeds and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and reduce heat, simmering uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the corn, bring back up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir through the cheese and cream, heating gently. Remove from heat, and use an immersion blender to remove lump and thicken soup. Sprinkle with pepper flakes and serve immediately, preferably with garlic toast.]]>
Recipe 68 of 100: Lemon Raspberry Caketag:r3n3.net,2012://1.8122012-11-14T15:54:15Z2012-11-15T00:15:52ZI'm going to tell you a secret. Remember when I told you about how vain I am? I'm also a wee bit competitive. And by a wee bit, I mean rather a lot. Rather a very lot. And remember, I...
when I told you about how vain I am? I'm also a wee bit competitive. And by a wee bit, I mean rather a lot. Rather a very lot. And remember, I have a history of trying things in the kitchen just to prove people at the store wrong. You'll see.
We've had a lot of sick people in my house lately. Not a lot, really, since there aren't really that many of us, but at any given time, at least one of us has been sick, and in most cases, when I wasn't the sick one, I was still kind of tiredly shuffling along, on the verge of being sick. My immune system needs some work.
You know when you're caring for sick people, and they request a specific thing to eat, and nothing else will do? I'm horribly guilty of that - when I'm sick, I crave the most ridiculously specific thing, and no substitution is acceptable. If I want a Guiness-cheddar grilled cheese sandwich on Bavarian with a garlic dill pickle, I would rather have nothing than some other (possibly better) sandwich. Yes, I'm ridiculous.
For this story, however, I was not the one with the special request, I was the one out searching for it. The Holy Grail at the end of my quest? Sara Lee Frozen Lemon Cake. Sounds simple, right? Pretend it does, even though you know it's not because otherwise I wouldn't be writing this. For those who don't know, Sara Lee is possibly the most basic slab of cake with a thin, tart icing, usually readily available at slightly sketchy convenience stores for more than its worth, but less than fancy bakery cakes. I was on this, it was an easy request, considering it didn't require me to bake anything myself. I hit the local Avondale. No Sara Lee. Mac's - nope. Foodland? Nada. I resigned myself to actually facing Sobey's. A few of the guys I used to work with at Commisso's work at Sobey's, and I dislike running into them there, especially when I'm in my pyjamas, shopping for junk food and generally looking like I don't have my life together.
I slipped through the front doors and immediately made for the frozen dessert section, far from the meat department where my former co-workers would be. I scanned the shelves behind the freezer doors. Some fancy tartufo confection, a plethora of Deep N Delicious... no Sara Lee. Perhaps they are over by the bakery? Ugh. The bakery is right beside the meat department. The things you do for people you love, right? I skimmed the bakery cooler - nothing. Right. Now what should I do? Loads of other cakes tempted me, cakes infinitely more delicious than a low quality frozen lemon layer cake with cheap sugary lemon icing. Mocha bombes, decadent volcanos, and dulce de leche cheesecake all called my name. But these would not fill a flu-induced craving for lemon cake. I had to find the closest possible match. I scoured the bunkers full of chilled desserts, until at last I found what I felt was my best bet.
A generic brand I didn't recognize, but it was lemon (and raspberry, ok) and it was a frozen layer cake. It clearly thought better of itself than a mere Sara Lee, it was decorated with white chocolate curls and drizzled with raspberry coulis. It would have to do. I bought it, and took it home, where it was gratefully accepted and eaten, but the story doesn't end there. The remains of the cake sat in my fridge for a few days. And the box taunted me. I noticed it in the fridge the first day.
The cake that mother couldn't bake! Hmph. Seems a bit much.
The second day. The cake that mother couldn't bake! Really? I could bake that.
The third day. The cake that mother couldn't bake! What the hell? How do they know I couldn't bake that?
The fourth day. The cake that mother couldn't bake! I'LL SHOW THEM. I CAN ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY BAKE THAT CAKE, AND MY CAKE WILL KICK THEIR CAKE'S CRAPPY ASS!
Yes. I baked this cake to show the grocery store frozen cake people. I hope they've learned their lesson. Just smile and nod, please.For those of you wondering, this is quite possibly the most delicious cake I've ever made, and definitely a more-than-adequate substitute for Sara Lee. Also, for those of you who are wondering AND paying attention, the reason my cake only has three layers and not four is that one of layers was mysteriously lost... to sampling... did I mention it was really delicious?
Recipe borrowed liberally from several of my cookbooks, Not So Humble Pie and Martha Stewart.
Ingredients:
For the cake
2¼ cups of cake flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
1¼ cup of buttermilk, at room temperature
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1½ cup of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
½ cup of butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon of pure lemon extract
For the frosting
½ cup of butter
3 cups of icing sugar
1 vanilla bean
1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons of milk
Additionally
1 cup of raspberry jam (for between layers)
1½ cups of white chocolate curls (if you like that sort of thing) or 1½ cups of desiccated coconut, if you really want to teach those frozen cake people how it's done
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 350°F and place a rack in the lower third of your oven. Lightly butter two 8" pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Place the pans on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a second small bowl, combine the buttermilk and egg whites and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the sugar and lemon zest and mix for a minute on medium speed until fragrant. Add the butter and cream together on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon extract and then grab your bowls of flour and buttermilk.
Reduce the mixer's speed to slow and add 1/3rd of the flour. Once moistened, increase the speed to medium and mix until incorporated. Then add 1/2 the buttermilk mixture and beat until the mixture is uniform. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk, alternating until you've finished with the last 1/3rd of the flour. Mix the batter for a further 2 minutes to ensure it is lump free and well aerated.
Divide the batter evenly between your baking pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the centers of the cake springs back when touched lightly. Place the cakes on wire racks to cool. After a few minutes, run a knife around the outside of the pan to release the cake and remove from the pans. Allow to cool right side up until room temperature.
Beat room temperature butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy. Add confectioner’s sugar a few tablespoons at a time to allow everything to combine. Cut off the end of your vanilla bean and squeeze the insides into the mixture. Continue adding confectioner’s sugar, alternating with additions of the milk and lemon juice until frosting comes together. Add more milk if you like thinner frosting, and less if you like thicker frosting.
For a four layer cake, level and divide the layers with a serrated knife. Place the bottom layer onto a cake round or cake plate.
Spread a third of the raspberry preserves onto the bottom layer of the cake and then a layer of buttercream. The trick to layering buttercream on top of a slippery layer of preserves is to put your buttercream into a disposable piping bag (or ziplock bag) and cut off a 1/3" diameter opening. Starting in the center of the layer, pipe a coil of buttercream. Continue to coil tightly, round and round until you have an even layer of icing on top. No need to spread the frosting with a spatula using this method. Top with a second layer of cake and repeat two more times. Place the last layer on top and then crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of icing. Chill the cake until the icing is firm and then frost the cake with the remaining butter cream. Smooth the remaining buttercream over the cake with an offset spatula until it is level and smooth.
Sprinkle the coconut over the top of the cake and coat the sides by gently pouring the coconut between your hand and the cake.]]>
Recipe 67 of 100: Chocolate Espresso Pancakestag:r3n3.net,2012://1.8102012-11-08T00:50:41Z2012-11-08T02:12:45ZLet me paint a picture for you. Outside, it's a blustery autumn day. It's mid-morning, but still seems dark because the sun has not found the strength to push its way though the dark clouds. Raindrops patter on the window...
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of baking soda
1½ cups of milk
½ cup of sour cream
3 eggs
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 tablespoons of instant coffee
For the syrup:
¼ cup of maple syrup
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1 shot of espresso
Method:
Start with the syrup, combining all the ingredients, whisking well and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure the cocoa powder is well sifted, so that it will dissolve evenly.
In a separate bowl, combine the milk and sour cream until smooth (it helps to slowly dilute the sour cream with the milk while whisking, which reduces the chances of clumps). Add the instant coffee powder and mix well until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until you have a slightly lumpy batter but without any large clumps of flour. If batter is a little runny, add a tablespoon or two of flour.
Let the batter sit while you preheat your griddle. When griddle is hot, drop batter in portions desired onto the greased griddle. When bubbles come up and edges look cooked, gently flip to cook the other side. Once pancakes are cooked, transfer to a plate. Spread a small amount of the maple syrup mixture over the top of the pancake so it soaks in while still hot. Continue with the remaining batter until done.
Serve with whipped cream or butter and more syrup on the side for dipping. ]]>
Recipe 66 of 100 and the Reckless Treatment of Root Vegetablestag:r3n3.net,2012://1.8112012-10-31T16:08:24Z2012-10-31T16:57:35ZRemember how, when I started this whole 100 Recipe thing, I was playing sort of fast and loose with the rules of cooking, improvising methods, adding and omitting ingredients on a whim, and damaging all of my kitchen utensils in...
100 Recipe thing, I was playing sort of fast and loose with the rules of cooking, improvising methods, adding and omitting ingredients on a whim, and damaging all of my kitchen utensils in desperate pursuit of cake?
Lately, my methods have been a bit more disciplined. I check to make sure I have ingredients before I start a recipe, and I almost always use the kitchen tools for their intended purpose. Almost like I've become a proper cook or something. Today, in keeping with my recently-realised kitchen maturity, I decided I must use up some vegetables that had been sitting in the fridge since Thanksgiving. Yeah. Root vegetables stay good for a long time, it's ok.
I looked at them and I turned to google. Rutabaga recipes - search. My internet connection seemed slow, so I loaded up Netflix in another tab to make sure I had a connection. I got distracted and watched the first half of the episode of Top Gear where they go to Bolivia and Richard Hammond is tormented by insects. I remembered my task. Back to the vegetables. Google and pinterest both let me down, so on to my cookbooks. Richard Hammond had forgotten his malaria pill. I mean, I found a recipe. Seemed easy, boil, toss in butter and herbs, bake, done. I'd have this dish done before the Top Gear boys hit the Atacama. Have I mentioned that I like Top Gear?
The recipe called for 1.5 pounds of rutabaga, and I wasn't entirely sure I had that. Scale out, 1.3, close enough. First step, peel and dice the vegetables, and boil in salted water. Done and done. I didn't even cut my fingers open or damage a knife. Drain and set aside.
The next step called for me to melt some butter in a large skillet and add two cloves of minced garlic. There were two problems with this instruction: I cannot add only two cloves of garlic to anything, and I have destroyed my garlic press, insisting the steel should be able to handle the giant cloves of elephant garlic Aidan brought back from the farm this summer. Snapped the handle clean off. I minced 5 cloves of garlic with a santoku and felt I was being suitably restrained.
Once the garlic was lightly browned, I added the chopped boiled vegetables, as instructed, and looked at the next step. Add chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh thyme and chopped fresh chives. My parsley plant was still recovering from the last time I needed parsley and cut it down to almost nothing, I only had dried thyme, not fresh, and I was pretty sure my chive plant would not have survived the effects of Hurricane Sandy while sitting out on my front step. Sooooo, dried thyme then? Yes. Yes indeed.
At this point I got distracted by the noise of my empty recycling bins blowing away, and ran outside to get them before they landed in the lake. Coming back inside, I noticed that my poor neglected chive plant was not dead yet after all. Sweet! Handful of chives chopped into the dish.
The next step explained in what seemed to me a rather convoluted way that I should fry the bread crumbs in melted butter and then sprinkle them over the vegetables, which I had transferred into a baking dish. The Top Gear boys were about to take Viagra to save themselves having edemas in the mountains, and this all just was seeming not that interesting anymore. I transferred the mixture into a clay baking dish. I chopped up some butter into cubes and dumped them on top. I sprinkled the whole mess liberally with bread crumbs, and some parmesan for good measure. I threw it in the oven at 400F until the episode was over. (15 minutes? Let's call it that.)
When it came out of the oven, I tossed it all around a bit with a spoon, to get that melted buttery-breadcrumb mixture all incorporated. I tasted it, and it was not bad. It didn't taste quite how I was expecting though. Obviously, thyme, garlic, parmesan, all unsurprising flavours. But the vegetable bits themselves didn't taste the way I had expected. And then it hit me.
Rutabagas were what I used to make neeps and tatties to go with my vegetarian haggis back in January. They tasted largely like potatoes, which was, I think, what I expected from this dish. Except I now remembered that a rutabaga was, well, huge, and sort of dark purple and brown. The vegetables I had just prepared? Much smaller, mostly white, with a pale fuschia blush. Yeah, they were turnips.
>.<
There are no photos of this dish, because once I realized my mistake, I figured I'd never write about it, so just served them up with sprouts for dinner and went on my way. So here, instead, is a picture of the view across the lake yesterday at noon. Yes, noon. Hurricane and all that.]]>
Getting Lost Again and Things to Do with Pumpkin Leftoverstag:r3n3.net,2012://1.8092012-10-26T00:01:41Z2012-10-27T00:02:02ZNot that long ago, I posted about the long-standing antipathy between autumn and I. I complain about the weather, and autumn, she turns my toes blue. We are never going to get along. It's just not going to happen. But...
so flamboyant as to be distracting.
Until yesterday. Yesterday I went for a walk in the woods. A proper walk with no other purpose but to enjoy the scenery and the company. Our bellies full of hot coffee and peanut butter cookies, with no particular destination or direction, we clambered up and down hills, shoved each other towards puddles (ok, maybe that was mostly me) and just laughed and talked. I've been down a lot lately, feeling hard done by and like happiness was for other people. But yesterday I was happy. For a little while, everything seemed possible. Not even possible, simple. The world was there for the taking, I just had to reach out and grab it and enjoy.
I was still cold. My nose ran, my cheeks were rosy. I wore big long socks and boots and mittens and at times, both of our jackets. But the rain held off and the sun even came out for a bit, and just for the day, autumn and I called a truce.
In celebration of that truce, I offer you Things I Made with Leftover Pumpkin.
Recipe 64 of 100: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
The kids ate the pumpkin seeds so fast, I didn't even get a chance to photograph them. Here are some pretty leaves from the walk.
I roast pumpkin seeds every year - the kids enjoy them so much, we start carving 'practice pumpkins' in late September, just to have more seeds to roast. My recipe varies slightly every year, as I've never thought to write it down until now, but as these turned out quite well - one of my better batches, I think - now is as good a time as any to record the recipe, right?
Ingredients
2 cups of fresh pumpkin seeds, washed
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of mesquite seasoning
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, toss the seeds with the olive oil, coating thoroughly. Add seasonings and toss some more. Spread seeds in one even layer across a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the seeds are golden brown. Stir the seeds every so often while they're baking, so that they toast evenly.
Recipe 65 of 100: Pumpkin Muffins
I lifted this recipe directly from Smitten Kitchen, so I won't repost the whole recipe here. The recipe is a cinch to make, and makes your kitchen smell like you are a proper baker.
*So, at the end of her recipe, she has a bunch of notes about things she forgot, or did wrong. I have one of my own to add - I totally did not put any baking powder in. It's at the beginning of the recipe, but the instructions start with the wet ingredients, and when she got to 'whisk in the flour mixture' I simply whisked in flour and went on my merry way. Apparently it is impossible to mess these muffins up.]]>
Recipe 63 of 100: Aloo Gobitag:r3n3.net,2012://1.8082012-10-20T14:11:40Z2012-10-20T14:24:05ZI'm a little bit late in writing this post. A few weeks ago, maybe a month, back when it was summery and bright outside, my adorable nephew came over one day with my brother to proudly deliver some of his...
Ingredients
2 whole cloves of garlic
1 chunk of fresh ginger, approximately equivalent to the amount of garlic you have
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
1 cup water, divided
2 tablespoons of peanut oil
1 large serrano pepper, split down the middle leaving halves attached
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
6 small yellow or white potatoes, cut in halves
salt
Directions
Throw the garlic, ginger, and vegetable oil in a chopper and chop until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste. Mix the paste, coriander seed, turmeric, and 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large cast iron wok or pot, warm the peanut oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the serrano pepper, wait 30 seconds, and then add the cumin seeds and wait until they're done spluttering. Try not to burn yourself, oil burns hurt! Add the paste-spice mix, which will also splutter. Cook until the paste thickens and deepens in color slightly, about 2 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and potatoes, stirring to coat the vegetables. Season with salt and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes. Then, remove the lid, stir, and cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
I eat green chutney with pretty much anything, including this. If you do not have green chutney, chopped cilantro adds some freshness to the salty-oiliness of this dish.
]]>
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. I might make 100 yet!tag:r3n3.net,2012://1.8072012-10-10T13:52:32Z2012-10-10T17:04:54ZI think I mentioned in my last post that Thanksgiving was a little out of control for me this year. Without having advertised at all due to concern about being in the hospital getting my kidney sliced up in little...
at all due to concern about being in the hospital getting my kidney sliced up in little pieces or something, I have booked more shoots in this month than I have all summer. And many of them were this weekend. I will tell you more about everything that's been going on here lately, but in the meantime, the highlights of what I cooked for Thanksgiving dinner. (Where 'highlights' = 'dessert')
Recipe 59: Pumpkin Cheesecake
This is one fussy cheesecake. Seriously. Look at it wrong, and it will crack or slump or be runny in the middle. Respect its weird rules, and it may well be the best cheesecake you've ever had.
Ingredients
For The Crust:
1½ cups of crushed speculaas cookies (recipe below)
½ cup of finely chopped pecans
⅓ cup of butter, melted
For The Filling:
4 packages (8 ounces each) of bar cream cheese, very soft
1¼ cups of granulated sugar
3 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 cup of pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon of ground ginger
½ teaspoon of ground cloves
1 vanilla bean
½ teaspoon of salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
Method
Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.
In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth. Mix in flour, being careful not to overmix. Add the pumpkin purée, spices, vanilla, and salt; mix just until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next.
Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform, and gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce oven heat to 300 degrees. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven; let cheesecake stay in oven 2 hours more (without opening).
Remove from oven; cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Unmold before serving. Top with candied pecans (recipe below).
Recipe 60: Speculaas
These are traditional Dutch cookies for St. Nicholas Day, but after determining that a simple graham cracker crust just didn't contribute enough to my pumpkin cheesecake, I decided to bake these, then crumble them up with ground pecans for the crust. They really are a delightful cookie on their own though, sharp and spicy.
Ingredients
3 cups of all purpose flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon of ground aniseed
½ teaspoon of ginger
½ teaspoon of white pepper
1 cup of butter, softened
1½ cups of dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons of rum (more if you need to taste it first, to make sure it's still good)
1 egg white, lightly beaten (only if you are making the actual cookies, not just making cookies for crumbs)
½ cup of slivered almonds (also just for cookies)
Method
Preheat your oven to 375° F.
Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
In a bowl of an electric mixer beat the softened butter together with the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir the rum. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring until it is well combined, and form the dough into a ball. Knead the dough on a board sprinkled with flour and roll it out into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick. With a sharp knife or
cutter cut the dough into rectangles 2 1/2 inches by 1 1/2 inches. (This is the traditional method. I like cutting them into shapes to be prettier, and since I normally make them for the St. Nicholas/Christmas season, mine tend to be stars.) Put the rectangles on
a buttered cookie sheet, decorate them with blanched almonds, halved or slivered, and
brush them with lightly beaten egg white. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are browned and firm.
Recipe 61: Candied Pecans
Because making a cheesecake that already requires me to make cookies to smash up for the crust, and needs to be left alone to meditate or something in the oven after it finishes baking for two hours just still didn't seem quite fussy enough.
Ingredients
1 large egg white
½ cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of salt
2 cups of pecan halves
Method
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with butter.
Whisk egg white in bowl until foamy. Add sugar, spices, and salt. Whisk until mixture is thick and opaque. Add pecans; stir until coated. Using forks, transfer nuts to sheet, spacing apart; discard remaining coating.
Bake nuts until deep golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool completely on sheet. Transfer to container; cover and store at room temperature.
Recipe 62: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Aidan assured me that ice cream was a necessary accompaniment to the cheesecake, making this a new record for the blog, squeezing four recipes out of effectively one dish.
Ingredients
2 cups of heavy cream
2 cups of whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 egg yolks
½ cup of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
Method
Combine the cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add vanilla bean and heat until mixture almost boils, about 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Meanwhile, beat the yolks, sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl until light yellow and smooth. Add 4 tablespoons of the hot cream/milk mixture and stir until combined. Gradually add the egg yolk mixture to the warm cream mixture, stirring continuously to prevent the eggs from curdling. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened, and the mixture coats the back of a spoon - about 3-5 minutes. Cool completely.
(This can be done by refrigerating overnight in a covered container, or chilling in an ice bath for 30 minutes if you're running out of time.)
Once cool, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the ice cream mixture, discard the shell. Stir until well combined. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow the machine instructions, mixing until the mixture thickens, and then freezing in an airtight container for at least 2 hours.
]]>
Recipe 58 of 100: Braided Cinnamon Breadtag:r3n3.net,2012://1.8062012-10-03T23:32:32Z2012-10-03T23:59:56ZWhen I put up my last post about Heather and margarita ice cream sandwiches, I sent her a message apologising for the haste in which I had written it, but that summer wouldn't last here much longer, and posting about...
Yes, I do wear all those things. It's medical. It seemed, even to me, that I must be exaggerating the abrupt change in seasons here.
And then the calendar ticked over to October, and flip flops went away and boots immediately filled my hall closet again. My toes turned blue, and I begged anyone I knew who could knit to make me warm snuggly things.
I don't do well with autumn. Autumn and I, we are not friends. Everyone I know is glorying in the cool weather, the changing leaves, the lower sun. Not me. I love summer. I love winter. But I just can't get comfortable with fall.
What I do do well with is big dinners, and at least fall brings me Thanksgiving and an opportunity to extend my table and dress it up nicely and cook every single thing I've pinned on Pinterest. Actually, my Thanksgiving weekend this year is largely booked with photo shoots - for which I'm thankful - so while there will be a turkey, and roasted root vegetables and some scrumptious gravy, it won't exactly be an all-out feast. How far I push the culinary boat out will depend on how much time I have, but I might just make another of these if I'm pressed for time.
Not bad, huh? I whipped that up last night at 8pm when I discovered relatives from Holland might stop by for coffee today and I realised I had no cookies in the house. One cannot serve coffee to Dutch guests without a cookie, and I believe we've already established that I am not reasonable enough to just run to the store and buy some cookies.
It looks complicated, but I promise it's not. I've adapted the recipe to suit my own tastes, but I will link here for a really clear photo tutorial on the braiding.
Ingredients
For the dough:
¾ cup of lukewarm milk
1 envelope of dry active yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 cups of all purpose flour
½ teaspoon of salt
⅛ cup melted butter
1 egg yolk
For the filling:
¼ cup of butter
½ cup icing sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar for sprinkling
Method
In a warmed mixing bowl, combine the yeast and sugar with the lukewarm milk and let it sit for a few minutes until the yeast bubbles and foams up. Using a mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the egg yolk, the melted butter, the flour and the salt. Mix until the dough leaves the side of the bowl and clings to the hook.
Place the dough in a large, greased bowl, then cover and place in a warm space and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
While your dough is rising, melt the butter for the filling in a heavy pan. Heat until butter is completely melted, and starts to brown just slightly, and smell heavenly. Once lightly brown, whisk the icing sugar in with the butter to form a thin icing.
Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 350F. Dust your work surface with flour, and roll the dough out to a thickness of 1 centimetre.
Spread the brown butter icing across all of the dough, then sprinkle with the cinnamon.
Roll up the dough, and using a knife, cut the log in half length-wise.
Twist the two halves together, keeping the open layers exposed as described in the photo tutorial linked to above. Carefully transfer to a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Brush lightly with any remaining brown butter icing and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
]]>
Recipe 57 of 100: Margarita Ice Cream Sandwichestag:r3n3.net,2012://1.8032012-09-22T19:31:56Z2012-09-22T21:27:30ZHave I ever told you I used to be on Second Life? Does anyone even know what Second Life is anymore? In early 2008, after a pretty rough couple of months, I was stuck in bed after some surgery and...
Does anyone even know what Second Life is anymore? In early 2008, after a pretty rough couple of months, I was stuck in bed after some surgery and my dear friend Rob offered to help me kill time by showing me this online world where he DJ'd sometimes. I totally did not expect it to be my thing, but it was actually a bit (read: VERY) addictive, and I met more than a few people there who I still consider friends today. (I haven't had time for Second Life lately.) I met The Wife Who Can't Cook there, as well as Mrs. One Day. But I've already told you about them. This post is about Heather.
Heather and I have a lot in common. We read a lot. We're stubborn and have big mouths. We're moms to teenage boys, we share a fanatical love of boots (and shopping for more boots), we love to bake and we are both fuelled pretty much entirely by coffee. Heather and I could be twins. Except she's thinner and prettier. Heather is also a loyal friend, and has been one of the biggest supporters of my latest photography endeavours.
She lives in Phoenix, and when summer fades away here, we make imaginary plans for me to escape to Arizona where we will lie in the sun drinking margaritas, which her husband will surely not mind bringing us. I don't know when that idea started, but when I think of margaritas, I think of Heather. And when I first found this recipe, I knew I would make it for a post for her.
Someday when I'm wildly (hell, even moderately) successful, maybe I'll get to Phoenix for one of those margarita rooftop parties. This is not a recipe for last-minute whipping together when friends drop by - you have to be prepared, even though the recipe is simple, there are multiple multi-hour steps here. But then, knowing Heather, she'll have this whipped up and waiting in the freezer before I even book a ticket.
Ingredients:
½ cup of softened butter
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 large egg
5 teaspoons of grated lime rind, divided
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
2½ cups of all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons of baking powder
⅛ teaspoon of table salt
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
½ teaspoon of coarse sea salt
2 cups vanilla of frozen yogurt
2 cups of lime sherbet
Preparation:
Place butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg, 1 tablespoon lime rind, and lime juice; beat 2 minutes or until well combined. Combine flour, baking powder, and table salt; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat just until combined. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 6-inch log. Wrap logs individually in plastic wrap; chill 3 hours or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut each log into 16 (about 1/3-inch-thick) slices, and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the cookies evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons lime rind, turbinado sugar, and sea salt. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes on pans on a wire rack. Remove from baking sheets, and cool completely on wire rack.
Place vanilla frozen yogurt and lime sherbet in a medium bowl; lightly fold and swirl together. Scoop 1/4 cup ice cream mixture onto bottom of one cookie, and top with one cookie. Cover each sandwich with plastic wrap; freeze 4 hours or until firm.
(These are not as pretty as they could be, but I was short on time to style and plate, and these were the last two sandwiches of the entire batch in my freezer, so I had to photograph them before they disappeared!)]]>
I know I'm being grouchy, I do. But it's my birthday, I'm entitled.]]>
Apple Coconut Crumble
Ingredients
4 medium apples (I used macs, but it's really up to your taste)
⅛ cup of icing sugar
½ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ cup of all-purpose flour
½ cup of dark brown sugar (packed)
½ cup of steel-cut oats
½ cup of flaked coconut
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
½ cup of melted butter
seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Method
Peel and core the apples and cut into small pieces. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with water. Simmer, covered, on medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes, until apples are tender but not falling apart. Drain well. Combine the icing sugar and first measure of cinnamon and toss through the apples.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, coconut, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Add the melted butter and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix well using a fork. Ensure all ingredients are moist and mixture has a crumbly texture.
Divide the apple mix evenly into 4 small ramekins. Spread crumble mix over top of apple. Bake at 350F for approximately 35 minutes, or until crumble topping is slightly browned.
Serve warm with a generous splash of cream, and celebrate the little things that make up every day.
]]>
Last summer, I participated in my very first art show. Those of you who were around then might recall my nightmares leading up to the day that I would show up in a towel and my booth would collapse in a heap of broken glass and frames, or my fervent pleas for you all to come and at least look like you were buying something, or my offers to make this whole adventure worth your while with cookies.
Obviously, I survived. My booth also survived, and I wore clothes both days. I KNOW! But more importantly, I didn't need to bribe anyone with cookies to buy my art (or pretend to buy my art). I sold loads more than I expected to, and was actually the top seller for the entire show. But equally importantly, I got to meet and connect with my customers. I got to watch people examine my art, tell them the stories of each piece, hear their feedback. I met a lot of wonderful people that day, many of whom bought my work, some who I had lovely conversations with about cameras, or Newfoundland, or the UK, or if I get to write off my travel expenses. And that boy, who bought his very first 'real art' from me, and asked for my autograph.
I'm telling you this story now as my own roundabout way of announcing that, together with some of the very talented artists I met for the first time at that show, I am opening a real, proper, brick-and-mortar shop. We are the Rural Creators Collective, and we'll be opening our doors just north of Hamilton in May of this year. Thank you to all of you who have supported me in getting this far, and I hope to see you at the store!]]>
For the filling, understanding I have no authority here and you should adjust this to suit your own tastes
¼ cup of butter
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
approximately 2 cups of cubed yellow potatoes
3 cups of stock (I used garlic stock)
2 cups of mixed vegetables (I used corn, peas and carrots)
2 chicken breasts, cooked (or vegetarian equivalent) and diced
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
seasonings, to taste (I used rosemary, salt and a generous amount of pepper)
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter, and sauté the onions until golden. Add the stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. After five minutes, as potatoes begin to soften, add the mixed vegetables and the chicken. Boil until potatoes are soft but not falling apart. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the cornstarch and seasonings. Cool and set aside.
Roll out the dough, cut the size required and place in a pie dish, or muffin tray. I used a large muffin tray (6 muffins). Poke holes at the base using a fork. Add the filling, and cut another piece of dough to cover the top. Crimp the edges and decorate if desired with any remaining dough. Baked in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25 - 30 minutes.
Full disclosure:
1. I followed the recipe for the crust fairly closely, which is to say, I read 3 or 4 different recipes, averaged them out and then only made one major change, which is ridiculous as I have never ever made a savoury pie crust before.
2. I did not follow any recipe for the filling, as all the recipes I read seemed either too dry, or too full of gravy. I made up a recipe, based loosely on my recollection of a pie I ate in England more than a year ago. I'm not sure I was taking the responsibility of making my first pie very seriously.
3. They turned out incredibly deliciously. In the future, I may still tweak the herbs a little bit, but I had absolutely no idea that pie was so incredibly simple to make. I am going to make more pies!
For reference, if you are making small individual pies, this recipe makes approximately enough for 8 pies if you are making them using a large muffin pan (6 muffins) - yes, I know that is inconvenient. I have dough and filling for 2 pies left in my fridge too. :P]]>
Repeat for the other half of the dough, and place each panda loaf into a lightly greased loaf tin, and place in a warm, draught-free spot to rise for one hour. Once risen, bake for 30 minutes at 400°F.
Voila, pandas!!
]]>
77. Stroopwafels (actually attempted, but never completed to my satisfaction)
78. Baked Tomatoes
79. Duchess (Princess?) Potatoes
That's still nowhere near the full one hundred, and I really couldn't say at this moment if I will finish the rest in the next few months or just move on to a new goal for 2013. Before I walk away from this challenge entirely though, I must thank some people.
The first is a thank you I need to offer with a farewell attached. Mrs. One Day, the ever-enthusiastic inspiration to so many (Blogging, music, tattoos, repeat...) left us on Christmas Eve. Rock on, darlin'. I'll think of you every time I hear a Rob Zombie tune.
Thank you to Tina, for inspiring me to attempt this challenge in the first place. Thank you to both Jessica N and Anna Delores for taking the time to interview me, and letting me get to meet your readers.
To the rest of you, the ones who read, of course, the ones who wrote and offered suggestions and encouragement, thank you so much. The ones who shared my work with their friends, and the ones who checked my site faithfully, even in those long stretches of emptiness when I couldn't bring myself to write, thank you for believing in me.
Happy 2013.]]>
Ingredients
90g of butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 clove (yeah, right) of garlic, minced
2 teaspons of cumin seeds
4 cups of vegetable stock
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 cups of fresh corn kernels
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons of heavy cream
red chili flakes (optional) to garnish
Method
Heat the butter in a large pot. Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until golden. Add garlic and cumin seeds and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and reduce heat, simmering uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the corn, bring back up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir through the cheese and cream, heating gently. Remove from heat, and use an immersion blender to remove lump and thicken soup. Sprinkle with pepper flakes and serve immediately, preferably with garlic toast.]]>
A generic brand I didn't recognize, but it was lemon (and raspberry, ok) and it was a frozen layer cake. It clearly thought better of itself than a mere Sara Lee, it was decorated with white chocolate curls and drizzled with raspberry coulis. It would have to do. I bought it, and took it home, where it was gratefully accepted and eaten, but the story doesn't end there. The remains of the cake sat in my fridge for a few days. And the box taunted me. I noticed it in the fridge the first day.
The cake that mother couldn't bake! Hmph. Seems a bit much.
The second day. The cake that mother couldn't bake! Really? I could bake that.
The third day. The cake that mother couldn't bake! What the hell? How do they know I couldn't bake that?
The fourth day. The cake that mother couldn't bake! I'LL SHOW THEM. I CAN ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY BAKE THAT CAKE, AND MY CAKE WILL KICK THEIR CAKE'S CRAPPY ASS!
Yes. I baked this cake to show the grocery store frozen cake people. I hope they've learned their lesson. Just smile and nod, please.
For those of you wondering, this is quite possibly the most delicious cake I've ever made, and definitely a more-than-adequate substitute for Sara Lee. Also, for those of you who are wondering AND paying attention, the reason my cake only has three layers and not four is that one of layers was mysteriously lost... to sampling... did I mention it was really delicious?
Recipe borrowed liberally from several of my cookbooks, Not So Humble Pie and Martha Stewart.
Ingredients:
For the cake
2¼ cups of cake flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
1¼ cup of buttermilk, at room temperature
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1½ cup of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
½ cup of butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon of pure lemon extract
For the frosting
½ cup of butter
3 cups of icing sugar
1 vanilla bean
1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons of milk
Additionally
1 cup of raspberry jam (for between layers)
1½ cups of white chocolate curls (if you like that sort of thing) or 1½ cups of desiccated coconut, if you really want to teach those frozen cake people how it's done
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 350°F and place a rack in the lower third of your oven. Lightly butter two 8" pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Place the pans on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a second small bowl, combine the buttermilk and egg whites and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the sugar and lemon zest and mix for a minute on medium speed until fragrant. Add the butter and cream together on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon extract and then grab your bowls of flour and buttermilk.
Reduce the mixer's speed to slow and add 1/3rd of the flour. Once moistened, increase the speed to medium and mix until incorporated. Then add 1/2 the buttermilk mixture and beat until the mixture is uniform. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk, alternating until you've finished with the last 1/3rd of the flour. Mix the batter for a further 2 minutes to ensure it is lump free and well aerated.
Divide the batter evenly between your baking pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the centers of the cake springs back when touched lightly. Place the cakes on wire racks to cool. After a few minutes, run a knife around the outside of the pan to release the cake and remove from the pans. Allow to cool right side up until room temperature.
Beat room temperature butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy. Add confectioner’s sugar a few tablespoons at a time to allow everything to combine. Cut off the end of your vanilla bean and squeeze the insides into the mixture. Continue adding confectioner’s sugar, alternating with additions of the milk and lemon juice until frosting comes together. Add more milk if you like thinner frosting, and less if you like thicker frosting.
For a four layer cake, level and divide the layers with a serrated knife. Place the bottom layer onto a cake round or cake plate.
Spread a third of the raspberry preserves onto the bottom layer of the cake and then a layer of buttercream. The trick to layering buttercream on top of a slippery layer of preserves is to put your buttercream into a disposable piping bag (or ziplock bag) and cut off a 1/3" diameter opening. Starting in the center of the layer, pipe a coil of buttercream. Continue to coil tightly, round and round until you have an even layer of icing on top. No need to spread the frosting with a spatula using this method. Top with a second layer of cake and repeat two more times. Place the last layer on top and then crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of icing. Chill the cake until the icing is firm and then frost the cake with the remaining butter cream. Smooth the remaining buttercream over the cake with an offset spatula until it is level and smooth.
Sprinkle the coconut over the top of the cake and coat the sides by gently pouring the coconut between your hand and the cake.]]>
There are no photos of this dish, because once I realized my mistake, I figured I'd never write about it, so just served them up with sprouts for dinner and went on my way. So here, instead, is a picture of the view across the lake yesterday at noon. Yes, noon. Hurricane and all that.]]>
I lifted this recipe directly from Smitten Kitchen, so I won't repost the whole recipe here. The recipe is a cinch to make, and makes your kitchen smell like you are a proper baker.
*So, at the end of her recipe, she has a bunch of notes about things she forgot, or did wrong. I have one of my own to add - I totally did not put any baking powder in. It's at the beginning of the recipe, but the instructions start with the wet ingredients, and when she got to 'whisk in the flour mixture' I simply whisked in flour and went on my merry way. Apparently it is impossible to mess these muffins up.]]>
Recipe 59: Pumpkin Cheesecake
This is one fussy cheesecake. Seriously. Look at it wrong, and it will crack or slump or be runny in the middle. Respect its weird rules, and it may well be the best cheesecake you've ever had.
Ingredients
For The Crust:
1½ cups of crushed speculaas cookies (recipe below)
½ cup of finely chopped pecans
⅓ cup of butter, melted
For The Filling:
4 packages (8 ounces each) of bar cream cheese, very soft
1¼ cups of granulated sugar
3 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 cup of pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon of ground ginger
½ teaspoon of ground cloves
1 vanilla bean
½ teaspoon of salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
Method
Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.
In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth. Mix in flour, being careful not to overmix. Add the pumpkin purée, spices, vanilla, and salt; mix just until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next.
Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform, and gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce oven heat to 300 degrees. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven; let cheesecake stay in oven 2 hours more (without opening).
Remove from oven; cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Unmold before serving. Top with candied pecans (recipe below).
Recipe 60: Speculaas
These are traditional Dutch cookies for St. Nicholas Day, but after determining that a simple graham cracker crust just didn't contribute enough to my pumpkin cheesecake, I decided to bake these, then crumble them up with ground pecans for the crust. They really are a delightful cookie on their own though, sharp and spicy.
Ingredients
3 cups of all purpose flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon of ground aniseed
½ teaspoon of ginger
½ teaspoon of white pepper
1 cup of butter, softened
1½ cups of dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons of rum (more if you need to taste it first, to make sure it's still good)
1 egg white, lightly beaten (only if you are making the actual cookies, not just making cookies for crumbs)
½ cup of slivered almonds (also just for cookies)
Method
Preheat your oven to 375° F.
Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
In a bowl of an electric mixer beat the softened butter together with the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir the rum. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring until it is well combined, and form the dough into a ball. Knead the dough on a board sprinkled with flour and roll it out into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick. With a sharp knife or
cutter cut the dough into rectangles 2 1/2 inches by 1 1/2 inches. (This is the traditional method. I like cutting them into shapes to be prettier, and since I normally make them for the St. Nicholas/Christmas season, mine tend to be stars.) Put the rectangles on
a buttered cookie sheet, decorate them with blanched almonds, halved or slivered, and
brush them with lightly beaten egg white. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are browned and firm.
Recipe 61: Candied Pecans
Because making a cheesecake that already requires me to make cookies to smash up for the crust, and needs to be left alone to meditate or something in the oven after it finishes baking for two hours just still didn't seem quite fussy enough.
Ingredients
1 large egg white
½ cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of salt
2 cups of pecan halves
Method
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with butter.
Whisk egg white in bowl until foamy. Add sugar, spices, and salt. Whisk until mixture is thick and opaque. Add pecans; stir until coated. Using forks, transfer nuts to sheet, spacing apart; discard remaining coating.
Bake nuts until deep golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool completely on sheet. Transfer to container; cover and store at room temperature.
Recipe 62: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Aidan assured me that ice cream was a necessary accompaniment to the cheesecake, making this a new record for the blog, squeezing four recipes out of effectively one dish.
Ingredients
2 cups of heavy cream
2 cups of whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 egg yolks
½ cup of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
Method
Combine the cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add vanilla bean and heat until mixture almost boils, about 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Meanwhile, beat the yolks, sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl until light yellow and smooth. Add 4 tablespoons of the hot cream/milk mixture and stir until combined. Gradually add the egg yolk mixture to the warm cream mixture, stirring continuously to prevent the eggs from curdling. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened, and the mixture coats the back of a spoon - about 3-5 minutes. Cool completely.
(This can be done by refrigerating overnight in a covered container, or chilling in an ice bath for 30 minutes if you're running out of time.)
Once cool, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the ice cream mixture, discard the shell. Stir until well combined. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow the machine instructions, mixing until the mixture thickens, and then freezing in an airtight container for at least 2 hours.
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Not bad, huh? I whipped that up last night at 8pm when I discovered relatives from Holland might stop by for coffee today and I realised I had no cookies in the house. One cannot serve coffee to Dutch guests without a cookie, and I believe we've already established that I am not reasonable enough to just run to the store and buy some cookies.
It looks complicated, but I promise it's not. I've adapted the recipe to suit my own tastes, but I will link here for a really clear photo tutorial on the braiding.
Ingredients
For the dough:
¾ cup of lukewarm milk
1 envelope of dry active yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 cups of all purpose flour
½ teaspoon of salt
⅛ cup melted butter
1 egg yolk
For the filling:
¼ cup of butter
½ cup icing sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar for sprinkling
Method
In a warmed mixing bowl, combine the yeast and sugar with the lukewarm milk and let it sit for a few minutes until the yeast bubbles and foams up. Using a mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the egg yolk, the melted butter, the flour and the salt. Mix until the dough leaves the side of the bowl and clings to the hook.
Place the dough in a large, greased bowl, then cover and place in a warm space and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
While your dough is rising, melt the butter for the filling in a heavy pan. Heat until butter is completely melted, and starts to brown just slightly, and smell heavenly. Once lightly brown, whisk the icing sugar in with the butter to form a thin icing.
Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 350F. Dust your work surface with flour, and roll the dough out to a thickness of 1 centimetre.
Spread the brown butter icing across all of the dough, then sprinkle with the cinnamon.
Roll up the dough, and using a knife, cut the log in half length-wise.
Twist the two halves together, keeping the open layers exposed as described in the photo tutorial linked to above. Carefully transfer to a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Brush lightly with any remaining brown butter icing and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
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Ingredients:
½ cup of softened butter
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 large egg
5 teaspoons of grated lime rind, divided
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
2½ cups of all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons of baking powder
⅛ teaspoon of table salt
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
½ teaspoon of coarse sea salt
2 cups vanilla of frozen yogurt
2 cups of lime sherbet
Preparation:
Place butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg, 1 tablespoon lime rind, and lime juice; beat 2 minutes or until well combined. Combine flour, baking powder, and table salt; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat just until combined. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 6-inch log. Wrap logs individually in plastic wrap; chill 3 hours or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut each log into 16 (about 1/3-inch-thick) slices, and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the cookies evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons lime rind, turbinado sugar, and sea salt. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes on pans on a wire rack. Remove from baking sheets, and cool completely on wire rack.
Place vanilla frozen yogurt and lime sherbet in a medium bowl; lightly fold and swirl together. Scoop 1/4 cup ice cream mixture onto bottom of one cookie, and top with one cookie. Cover each sandwich with plastic wrap; freeze 4 hours or until firm.
(These are not as pretty as they could be, but I was short on time to style and plate, and these were the last two sandwiches of the entire batch in my freezer, so I had to photograph them before they disappeared!)]]>