In it!

Today I was putting my misfitted topping over a peach cobbler that I was making because I had to, because I had all these peaches that would spoil if I didn't make a cobbler immediately and meanwhile, this achingly sweet version of an Edna St. Vincent Poem sung by Deb Talan came over the internet radio and life altogether just made me swoon.

Here is ESVM's poem. Cobbler is above.

(but you should really hear it through Deb Talan).

I was overcome with the feeling that sometimes you really are just in the middle of it and you are the gladdest thing.

Have some!

Here are two takeaway products from my trip abroad.

1)I used to think that Icelandic yogurt was just another fancy food store gimmick to make people feel good. I had Skyr (yogurt) in iceland and it was so thick and smooth. I'll say it. It was better than the yogurt I usually eat.

So many yogurts in the U.S. are made lowfat, rendering them less creamy and a little chalky. Skyr is naturally fat free and doesn't leave me wondering what it would taste like with a little milk fat in it. I'd recommend Skyr to you no matter what the back of the container said, but I can't help noting when there is a good nutrition facts-good taste anomaly. Skyr is expensive at the Whole Foods, I can't get around it. But, it is a real treat and what a yogurt should be. (Not to mention all the nostalgia it fills me with!)


2)Norwegians eat chocolate bars to keep themselves going. I admire this about them. In addition, most of the time it is milk chocolate. Really good milk chocolate (not always an easy thing to find). I haven't found Norwegian chocolate here, but luckily I brought some back and luckily my parents are in Norway and I put in a request for a small supply.

Living off the Norwegian Land (Part 2: Fisk!)

One of the most invigorating parts of my vacation was when I went fishing. I strapped a knife to my belt, put on a life vest and headed to the boat. SEM knew what she was doing and GA and I were ready to learn. We put the oars in the water and once we had a good pace we put in the otter trawler.

The otter is this little plank of wood with a long fishing line with 10 hooks and flies coming off of it. The line is connected to a piece of metal that pivots backs and forth so that it can change directions. As long as someone keeps rowing it looks like there are 10 flies dancing across the water. Irresistible. We made loops between the two island in the lake hoping something would bite. Sure enough, one did.

GA was holding the line and it started to pull. I was rowing at the time and to keep the fish on the line it didn't matter where I took us as long as I kept moving and avoided running ashore. SEM winded it slowly back in, being sure not to slice her hand with one of the other hooks. GA scooped it up with a net and brought into the boat. Finally, we had it! SEM took it off the hook, squeezed hard and clubbed it with an old wooden mallet designed just for this (sorry, there is no other way to describe what happened).

The otter went back in, GA guided it, I rowed and SEM pulled in the fish. After two more catches I was ready to change roles. I pulled in a fish of my own, unhooked it and then killed it.

We caught a total of 6 trout that day. After we anchored our little row boat and tied it to the dock I learned how to clean them too. Sem carefully and craftily showed me how to gut the fish. I slid the knife on my belt out of its sheath, cut the fish open and emptied it out.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this whole excursion. I felt a little squeamish and bad at the though of deceiving and killing something. But, the more I thought about it, I felt that I needed to do it. I needed to be a part of the whole (mild water) hunting process and know how it feels.

It took three of us to catch one fish. We were tired and had worked hard and for hours. I felt truly powerful. I had to use the power of my arms, stomach and legs to keep us going in the rowboat. I almost squeezed a fish to death because I didn't want to screw up when I clubbed it. I slit the fish open and made it ready to eat. I helped feed my friends. We didn't need any middle men. It was SEM, GA and I that took care of it on this day.

(To be historically accurate I should note that we had a second excursion that day to catch our 6th and final fish. JB helped to bring this one in.)


Below are a few very short clips of demonstrations the start of cleaning a fish and taking the skin of in order to eat it (please note KH having her way with the fish behind SEM's slow speed demo.)

Eating off the Norwegian Land: (Part 1: the Berry Edition)

These days eating directly from the earth usually means visiting a farm with a "pick-your-own" crop; shopping at the farmers market or growing a few vegetables as experiments in the backyard, or on the deck in pots or a little patch of well fertilized dirt. This is a glorious and satisfying way to get my food, but, never before have I just been able to feel like the casual roaming reindeer eating what the land provided for me!

One of the most magical parts of the second half of my vacation was the time that I spent in a cabin in rural Norway. Just up from a glacial fed lake that provided the drinking, washing, and swimming water, the cabin was our cozy home for 6 days.

There were two things that covered the ground: Blueberry bushes and reindeer moss. Luckily we were there at the height of the blueberry season. (Reindeer moss is actually a slow growing lichen that has a misty green hue that makes everything look enchanted.)

We had blueberries for breakfast. We put blueberries in our cocktails. We made blueberry galettes and blueberry crumble. We ate blueberries on the way to the lake. We ate blue berries on the way to the outhouse. And never did I feel like I had too many!

On our last day we took a long, dramatic and beautiful hike. Like good Norwegians we had chocolate bars with us for energy and morale. However, there was nothing better to keep me going than the occasional mountain raspberry that we found along the way. It is hard to tell, but here GA is picking one.

Bright pink-red berries peeked out of bushes on the sides of mountain cliffs. They may be the sweetest, softest berries I have eaten.

Oh, Norway, I’ll eat your berries anytime!

Hot diggity dog!

There is a little place to stop in between the United States and the rest of Europe called, Iceland. The landscape is stark; the blue lagoon is hot; the population is small; the capital is small; the puffins are small.

I had two days and I was focused on two things: baby puffins and hot dogs. In my pre-trip research I learned that while we were arriving a week after pride in the only country with an openly gay head of state that at least we were in time for watching puffins!
I also learned that among various forms of putrefied shark meat this little country was known for a delicious hot dog. This information proved to be the anchors of our loose agenda.

Hot dogs in Europe are different. They are crunchier and spicier and well topped. In Iceland the absolute best place for one of these deluxe dogs is Bæjarins Beztu, a metal stand down by the water. The classic is served up with a dark & sweet mustard, ketchup, fried onions and raw onions on a bun. In 48 hours, more than one trip was made here. What tasty and satisfying food which proved to be the cheapest meal on my vacation!

It was only upon going through customs on the way home that we learned Icelandic hot dogs are one of the few meat products the discerning U.S. of A. will not confiscate.
I really blew that opportunity. If anyone is going…pick me up a pack?






(don’t worry, I also went on a puffin watch and got the best view of the city while watching the struggle that is the flight of the odd little puffin. Two members of our group even enthusiastically ate puffin at a local restaurant. I understand that it was very smoked.)

Danish! Birthdays! Break out the flags...

If you know anything about me, you know that I love all things birthday and Scandinavian (particularly Danish things).

This week JRD combined both for me. We left early in the morning to make a long confusing drive to Medford for a surprise trip to The Danish Pastry House!


For a few years I have been reading about this cafe marked by a sign with the signature golden crowned pretzel as marks every bakery in Denmark. The atmosphere was warm but not exactly great. It was bright and modern but more like a new cafeteria than danish design. None of that mattered though once we got to the pastry case.




In a long row we saw many pastries we recognized from Denmark- real "danishes" called Vienebrød, filled with cream centers, not cheese. We also saw pastry dough swirled with cinnamon and chocolate which reminded us of onsdag snegle (Wednesday Snails, that is. Most bakeries would feature a pastry on a specific day of the week.

JRD and I almost lost it when we saw flødeboller. These are lighter than marshmallow confections that are piled on a little crisp waffley disk and then all of it coated in chocolate.
The mother of the family that I lived with in Denmark brought these home when she was wanting a treat.

We shared some with our roommate, JML.




We tried nougat things and sandwhiches and other things that didn't seem typical to what we see at other bakeries. They even had little marzipan Kaj like in most pastry houses in Denmark ! Kaj is a little green frog and the most beloved kids tv show character in Denmark.


My mom and I have tried almost every marshmallow chocolate thing for the past few years hoping to find something similar to flødeboller. But, now that I have found it I might be in trouble (as you can see...) knowing that there is a place to get authentic flødeboller right here in the commonwealth!

Hey Puddin'.

I don't have much to say on this except, I love pudding. Puddings and custards and creams.

Oh, the sweet, rich glory of them!

Recently most dessert recipes that I think of making are some sort of custard. Custard is on my brain and just won't slip slide off. Of course, I don't really mind.

The following recipe from Alice Medrich's Pure Desserts was so delicious and sophisticated while still being pudding that the ease of it is going to be shared with you.

Alice Medrich has written a few well respected cookbooks and been a consultant on many others.

Pure Dessert is organized by featured flavor components. These Recipes often begin with well written anecdotal and/or explanatory notes and then go on to be straight forward and simple enough in concept (often also in skill.) Each picture is bright, crisp, uncomplicated and severely desirable.

I added a little more sugar (as AM suggests adjusting to your taste knowing that her recipe is very intense and bittersweet). Here it is as she writes it. Notice the detail she gives; she includes where your bowl should be so that when the crucial time hits you aren't in a panic! I whipped up some heavy cream adding a tiny teaspoon of sugar just to add a little dimension, but keeping it nearly pure so that it compliments and cuts through the richness of the pudding.

My (Medrich's) Chocolate Pudding:

2 large eggs
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup (1.1. ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (AM prefers natural)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 pinches of salt
2 cups of whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (AM likes to use a 70% bittersweet) chopped medium-fine

equipment:
six 4-ounce custard cups or ramekins or 8 smaller cups.

Set the food processor near the stove. Have a whisk, a heatproof (silicone) spatula, and a ladle on hand.

In a medium bowl (preferably glass or crockery, because it is heavy and will stay put when you whisk in the hot pudding), Whisk the eggs thorough. Set the whisk and bowl near the stove.

In a medium heavy saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Pour about 1/3 cup of the milk into the pan and whisk to make a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining milk. Heat the milk mixture over medium heat, stirring with the heat-proof spatula, until it begins to bubble around the edges. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady low boil and stir constantly for 2 minutes, sweeping the bottom and sides of the pan constantly to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat.

Ladle about 1 cup of the hot mixture gradually over the eggs, whisking constantly to prevent scrambling. Scrape the egg mixture back into the pan and whisk vigorously to blend. Set the pan over l0w-medium heat and whisk for just 30 seconds, without simmering or boiling, to be sure the eggs are hot enough. Off the heat, add the vanilla and chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted.

Scrape the pudding into the processor and process for 10 seconds. Divide the pudding among the cups or ramekins. Let cool and serve, or chill before serving.


Enjoy! and always Share! (...with me...)


thanks Ms. Medrich for the recipe, KK for the book, SEM for the darling cups, JRD, as always for beautiful pictures.

Sofra (its been a long time coming)

What do you do the day after you run a half marathon?
Take a lazy, sunny trip to Sofra with friends, of course, of course

What do you do after an afternoon of particularly high stress babysitting?
Stop by Sofra on the way home, of course, of course.

What do you do the morning after a lovely late night with a friend?
Continue the conversation over breakfast at Sofra, of course, of course.


I will tell you about the post half marathon trip with LZA, JRD, and SSS.

Sofra sits on the edge of Watertown and Cambridge off of Mt. Auburn. The cafe is a product of the continued collaboration of Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick. Much like their restaurant, Oleana, the flavors are primarily inspired from Turkish and Eastern Mediterranian cuisines.

The four of us sat outside in the beating sun on the sleek patio they recently finished building secretly hoping the sun would color our cheeks a little. The atmosphere is a combination of contemporary chic and an old Turkey I have never seen.

We ordered a mezze platter where we got to pick 5 different spreads to eat with their housemade pita and fingerling bread.
-Lentils and carmelized onions.
-Beet Tzatziki (my fave)
-Whipped Feta with sweet and hot red peppers (JRD's fave from Oleana).
-Whipped Celery root with almonds garlic
-Smokey Eggplants with pine nuts (I didn't love it, but I don't usually like smoked things).

They have this egg sandwhich with cheese, optional bacon and a cooked to order egg on a rich, soft brioche with a spiced top. This is one of the best egg sandwiches I have had.

We also had poached eggs swimming in a tomato curry with toasted pita crumbs, a tasty and welcomed new take (for me) on usual breakfast fare.

The Turkish breakfast was an array of fresh flavors. This was a soft boiled egg with cucumbers, olives, thick yogurt, a sweet jellied fruit, fig and phyllo noodle shreds.


We ordered a sampling of treats.
-The Bee Sting - Honey, almonds, brioche. This sounded better than it was.
Persian Donut - Oof! Not too sweet, delicately fried!
Strawberry Rhubarb tart - a delicious classic.

Good coffee was had, a Rhubarb mint drink (very sweet - we added some seltzer when we got home!) Orange Blossom Lemonade - MK told me to get this a long time ago and I thank her for that. Their iced housemade chai is a little different than you might expect, very very sweet (undrinkable way too sweet for some), but very good (to me!).

We took so much home too so that the experience could last the entire length of a day!

An absolute must are the incredible fluffy clouds of not quite pita that you can buy by the bag full. We did.

Plus Milk Jam. Milk jam is essentially carmelized milk and sweetened condensed milk and is good on most things, including your pinky!

-Earthquake cookies are beautiful, and chocolatey, with a very thin crunchy layer and a chewy inside.
-Molasses cookies have a sweet spice, crunchy outside, soft inside.
-Chocoloate Hazelnut Baklava is a more complex, less sweet version of the traditional.
-Almond Rose cake has a light crumb with a strong almond but gentle rose flavoring.
-Kunefe is shredded phyllo with a sweet cheese inside which makes for such an interesting texture in your mouth and the flavor is simple and deep.

Sometimes the floral flavors are too heavy handed for my taste especially when I am not warned. I have ordered some things and sure enough there is the rosewater, there is the orange blossom and I just didn't want it there. In the lemonade it is clean and delicious but I don't need it everywhere!

I could go on and on about all of the different things I have had over the past 8 months here and I haven't even talked about the flatbreads and schwarma. Look at the menu on their website to learn about all the other options. More importantly, go! They are a cafe with some limited options but they have something everyone whether it be, vegetable tarts, flatbreads, soups, dips, or sweets sweet sweets.

These picture by JRD and SSS are pretty self explanatory and may cause extreme cravings. In that case stop what you are doing, pick up your phone, give me a call, I will pick you up, we will go. Trust me.

The fat of the matter is...

This all started when I got biscuit anxiety at work. The dough was crumbly, dry and not coming together. I thought I had lost my touch. Finally, I was alerted that we got cream for a different company and the milk fat was 40% in this brand of heavy cream instead of the typical 35%.

I started wondering about what all of this means... Of course, this meant pumping KK for all that she knows on the matter and then she lent me her book, "Starting with Ingredients, Baking," by Aliza Green. I've learned a lot and am ready to share.

Here are some basic definitions:

Half and Half is 10-18 % fat.
Light Cream is 18-30% fat.
Whipping cream is 30-36% fat.
Heavy cream is over 36% fat.
extra-heavy cream is 40% fat. (interesting to try an ice cream with this one...)

Creme fraiche is heavy cream ripened with a bacterial culture.

Sour Cream is a light cream ripened by a bacteria that thickens it.

Buttermilk is the left over liquid when you make butter and consequently is very low in fat or has none at all.

Speaking of butter...

American butter is 80% clear yellow butterfat, 18% water 2% milk solids

While European butter contains up to 86% butterfat and much less moisture.
- the extra fat means flakier and richer baked goods and that it doesn't burn as easily.

Plugra is the most common brand of European butter and can be found even at the Trader Joe's.
This butter is obviously more expensive. Everything still comes out wonderfully with regular American butter. Save the European butter for when you really want an edge (or money is no object and you insist on living the most decadent high fat content life possible). If you are going to splurge on it, wait till you are making a puff pastry, or maybe more likely, a pie crust. Your pie will have a flakier, nuttier and easier to work with crust.

If you are still interested in butter facts, read on!

I have always wondered why it says sweet cream on most of the butter I buy. The sweet cream label signifies that it is made from pasteurized cream and can be salted or unsalted. Butter used to be made from soured milk so that there would be more butterfat.

If sex and food are not already linked in your mind, maybe this will help. If you are wanting to make butter and use proper terminology, you churn cream or milk until the butter comes.

You'll need 21 pounds of cow's milk to make 1 pound of butter! Now, I am curious about sheep's milk butter.

Next time I make a crust I am going to try a european butter and I am going to ask around if the butter would make a noticeable difference in a shortbread recipe with which I recently fell in love.

Thank you KK and Aliza Green for all the Information!

and then there were three, Franklins that is!

Monday nights are becoming one of my favorites. Somehow some of my most indulgent evenings crept up unexpectedly on this early weekday. The festivities of a few Mondays ago only furthered this pattern.

Before SEM and I even knew each other separate Franklin Cafes had found their way into the stomachs of our separate hearts. She had been to the original on Shawmut Ave in the south end for most of her birthdays since turning 16 (and in historical markers, it claims the spot of her first legal drink). The Franklin in Gloucester (and the only franklin with dessert!) is one of the best restaurants on Cape Ann so many occasion are celebrated there by the residents. JRD and her mom, B, were the first to take me and I haven't looked back since.

We made a plan to try the latest one. The plan was on Monday night. Luckily, KH was also available.

This South Boston restaurant is larger and more open than its counterparts and promises a small patio in warm weather. I had been expecting a similar menu to the others. I'll admit it, mostly I was looking forward to the Franklin Calamari. However, this dish was not on there! I recognized one or two things that seemed similar but it seems as though they are going for a slightly different tone here.

They still had their exciting, elegant and comfortable cocktail list.

KH adores oysters. She ordered us each one. My first. It squeaked down and tasted like the ocean. What a way to start a night. All I could think of was MFK Fisher's first oyster at her all girls school Christmas party seated between two uperclass girls. The oyster was followed by exhilarating dances with each girl. (our before and after pics are shown)

Our oysters were followed by several other dishes and excited, frenzied planning of our futures!

We had tomato soup with a little bite of grilled cheese. Zucchini salad with a dramatic piece of cheese. Gnocchi with a corn puree and a crisp ham. Surprisingly good shumai (despite all the respect I have for the Franklin, I didn't expect this Asian dish to be as good as it was)! We also had a juicy, appropriately salty chicken dish.

They were on their winter menu still, marked by all the balsamic reductions and the fact that the menu said as such, which was disappointing especially because the day we went was perfectly, cool-ly, spring.

No dessert at this Franklin, just like the original. I respect their choice to ignore it, plus it gives us an excuse to enjoy other spots in the neighborhood.

Plans are in the works for a trip to Franklin Cape Ann followed by a sleepover and a beach day (to remind us of the oysters...)