Vanilla Icing

Sun & Scarves

Yarn Along with Ginny...

I must confess I've not done too much knitting this past week.  I've done a little work on last week's project and I'm about halfway through on my Branching Out Scarf.  The rip-back on the scarf disheartened me slightly and slowed me down but I rallied after a few days and 'caught' back up only to be distracted by a painting project and an outdoor project.  The outdoor project consisted of digging up several, large, heavy rotting rail road ties that edged my front walk and then replacing them.  The work left me sore all over--including my hands!  When I tried to knit, my left hand cramped severely and I've not picked up my needles in two days.  

But, I've had an even better 'distraction.'

'The Tuscan Sun Cookbook' by Frances & Edward Mayes was resting innocently enough on a table at the bookstore.  I passed the table twice without looking down but when I finally did and saw this cookbook I knew it had to be mine.  And it was, just mere minutes later!  I snatched it up so quickly you'd have thought it was the last one of a Christmas' toy fad and all but ran for the register.  Never mind that there was a tidy stack of at least ten more on the table, I must confess I behaved a bit like a lunatic.

Frances Mayes is the author of 'Under the Tuscan Sun', 'Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life in Italy,' and a few others.   She is one of my favorite authors and I adore her writing.   Her words on Italy, travel, art, food, and simply life are beatifully written and I reread her books over and over.  They are literary comfort food to me.

I haven't tried any of the recipes from the cookbook yet; I am still very much in the stages of reading the words and savoring the pictures.  Frances Mayes' other books often contain a few recipes and I've tried many of them.  The recipes are simple, requiring only a few ingredients and a willingness to let the food speak for itself.   The Tuscan Sun Cookbook appears to be following suit and I am very much looking forward to trying many-if not all!-of the recipes.

Gaskell & Butt Sweaters

Participating in Ginny's Yarn Along...

Lots of contrasts in this week's Reading & Yarn Along!

I am reading Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Wives & Daughters' on my Kindle because as a classic it is free through Amazon.  Earlier this week, I watched the BBC's mini-series version of the book on Netflix and enjoyed it so much I thought I'd read the book as well.  I've been having a bit of an obsession lately with programs of this sort.  I think what I enjoy most about stories of this nature that even the most 'shocking' part of the story isn't even a 'blink the eye' sort of occurrence in so many of today's stories.  The stories are not focused around CSI type dramas nor bizarre medical condition after bizarre medical condition and there's never any onslaught of graphic detail when a death or illness does occur.  They are simple stories and even the most risque of them would be considered 'wholesome' by today's standards.

I am knitting 'The Butt Sweater' which is a rather ungraceful and unladylike name especially when you are reading Wives & Daughters.  I keep hearing Cynthia reprimanding me for use of the term 'butt!'   However, if you look at the photos that accompany the design you can see that it is actually a simple, but feminine skirt.  See my Butt Sweater progress here: hopefully!

The yarn is from my stash; it's Knit Picks Shine Sport which is a cotton blend that I hope will make the 'butt sweater' comfortable for wearing in late Spring.   This color is rather a bold bright blue--I think of it as 'cookie monster blue'--that I bought a long time ago for another project that I didn't have the skill set (yet!) for and have long lost the instructions.  I'm trying to clear out some of my stash and this will allow me to use up all the skeins of this particular yarn.  

Last week I shared my 'Branching Out' Scarf that I had started for a slightly more challenging beginner lace project.  I am nearly halfway finished with it but I would be nearly three quarters of the way finished if I hadn't had to rip back several inches.  I brought the project with me when we visited family on the other side of Pennsylvania and twice I brought it out to knit on it.  Both times were frustrating and I couldn't concentrate on the work and everyone around me.  Since I didn't come all that way to spend time with my yarn, I set the scarf aside and didn't pick it up until I returned home and noticed that I had knit a good many inches backwards.  All the right side work was on the wrong side!  I ripped back to the mistake and re-knit it yesterday.  I learned the lesson of needing a simpler travel project (the Butt Sweater would make a great one--the majority of it is stockinette stitch 'round and 'round!) especially if I intend to knit while sharing conversation with extended family.

Cheese & Scarf

Participating in Ginny's Yarn Along.....

I promised this week there would be no more zombies, but I'm afraid to some that my current book might seem just as strange.  My "Making Artisan Cheese" by Tim Smith took forever to arrive in the mail but it finally came after nearly ten days of me obsessively tracking the package's progress.  

The descriptions and instructions for making all sorts of cheeses--from fresh cheese that takes one day to make to cheeses that need to be aged for at least one year--are clear and conscise and I'm excited to try a good many of the recipes once I gather a few supplies.   The basic items needed like rennet, cheesecloth, thermometer, and cheese molds are easy to obtain.   It's the convincing Rick that I need a cheese cave (second refrigerator!) to ripen cheeses in that's going to be more difficult.   I think my best route will be starting with the fresh cheeses as I have a little bit of experience--emphasis on little bit!-- already with them and scouring the county for a clean, second hand refrigertor.

Last week's 'lacy' knitted socks turned out to be quite a success and I was inspired to try a bit more lacework this week.  This pattern is called 'Branching Out' by Susan Lawrence and was recommended as a good beginner lace project which is exactly the type of lace projects I need.  You can follow my progress here on Ravelry and hopefully in a few days you'll see the completed project.

The yarn is Australian Alpaca Centre 100% Baby Alpaca yarn brought to me direct from Australia from my friend Cathy.  She spent a half of a year living in Australia not too long ago and brought me a couple of these deliciously smooshy soft skeins of yarn in the exact shade of blue that I love so dearly.   Cathy is a jewelry artist and can appreciate one's dedication to a certain color or material.

It's difficult to see the pattern in the scarf before blocking but it is supposed to be a series of leaves 'branching out' which is a very apt name for a beginner at lace knitting even if it isn't exactly the right time of year for knitting scarves.  I'm a little slow at knitting lace but I've done three pattern repeats already and I'm starting to get the rhythm behind it.

Tristyn wants me to make the cheddar right away but it's one of the cheeses that needs to be aged in a cheese cave.   I want to make Romano.  

And Parmesan.  Guess we are both going to need a little patience.

Game of Thrones Lemon Cakes

It's official; I AM a Game of Thrones geek.  I read the first couple of novels years and years ago and promptly forgot about them until I saw the trailer for the first season of Game of Thrones on HBO.  It's not often that books from the fantasy genre are turned into television shows and when they are they are often full of fail.  (See the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind-the show was full of cheese!)  But, I'm a long time fan of HBO productions and I had faith that they would do it right.

And do it right they did.  Season one of Game of Thrones was fantastic and it even turned Rick into a GoT geek too!  We both read all of the books and have held endless discussions on them and have been known to scare away family members and friends with our geekery.

Needless to say, excitement for season two ran high in our household and we invited a few friends down to watch the premiere with us.

One of them, Cathy of Intentional Stones, is just as geeky about it as us.  She joined me in making snacks appropriate for the Game of Thrones.  She borrowed my book "The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook" and selected a dish to prepare from it and took inspiration from an alcoholic drink recipe to create her own version.  I wanted to make the lemon cakes Sansa & Arya are always mentioning but I wasn't impressed with the recipe in the book and made my own version as well.  By the way?  The Official Game of Thrones cookbook comes out May 29, 2012.  Of course, I intend on owning both.  Don't judge.  I'm holding back on the GoT coffee mug, tshirt, playing cards, board game, and journal.  For now.

Lemon cakes.  Sweet and tart all at once.

Wildfire.  Cathy put the drinks in cunning little flasks and then packed them appropriately in a wooden crate surrounded by straw.  It was a fantastic idea!

Cheesemonger's Caramelized Onions.  Heavily aromatic with an earthy sweetness.

The Walking Dead......Knit?

Lately, I've been enjoying looking and seeing what everyone is doing in Ginny's Yarn Along and decided that I would try participating this week.   I'm knitting the Rainy Day Socks by Yuliya Sullivan in this soft snuggly yarn in a delicious pink called Strawberry Cream.   My progress has been slow but that's by choice; this pair of socks is my first pair of socks that have any sort of lacework in them and I'm trying very hard not to make any more mistakes.

I am reading The Walking Dead.   Rick is a lover of all things zombie and we've been watching the AMC's The Walking Dead together.  The show is surprisingly good and not at all like the zombie movies that most people are accustomed to seeing.  It has zombies and all the gratutious killing that comes with that but the zombies are not the main plotline.  Instead, they play a prod-the-tale-along-role in this story about people, their relationships and their actions in times of high stress.  

For Rick's birthday I picked him up the first half of the graphic novels (there's 90+ so far!) that have been written and he enjoyed them so much that I decided to give them a try.  It was difficult at first because as an avid reader (of words!) I kept forgetting to look at the pictures and sometimes would have to go back and make a concentrated effort to look at the pictures when I  missed something in between all of the dialogue.  But by the time we finished the first half and picked up the second half of graphic novels, I had gotten the knack of reading graphic novels down.

It's a strange juxtaposition--pink lace knitted socks and gruesome zombie graphic novels--but they have the commonality of being firsts.  Odd though it may be for pink socks and the walking dead to be my first post joinging the Yarn Along, that seems to fit the the theme of firsts too.   

Don't worry, I'm nearly finished with the last graphic novel....and should be back to reading something more expected very soon!

 

Pecans, Pecans, Pecans

The two absolute loves of my life--okay so I mean my culinary life--are David Lebovitz and Jamie Oliver. What better way to enjoy both of them together but in one dish?

First, I made La Torta Della Giovane Sara (Young Sara's Torte) from Jamie Oliver's "Jamie's Italy" book which in typical Jamie fashion is a feast for the eyes as much as it is a fabulous collection of recipes.  I made only a few adjustments to the recipe so that I could accommodate the ingredients I had in my pantry.  I substituted vanilla for the lemon zest and juice and pecans for the pine nuts.  This cake is a little dense but its subtle sweetness and rich buttery flavor makes it a perfect complement to a cup of rich, dark brewed coffee.

And ice cream.

It is almost impossible to have too many nuts--when you are talking about the tree variety!  The Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream from David Lebovitz's "The Perfect Scoop" is a favorite of mine for two reasons.  One, because it's so darn delicious and two, because it will make butter pecan ice cream lovers out of even the most toughest of ambivalent butter pecan ice cream eaters.  The recipe is in three parts. First you make the custard (and I dare you to keep a tasting spoon out of it!), then you make the buttered, salted pecans that I guarantee you'll burn your fingers and tongue popping more than a few of them in your mouth and then you churn the ice cream once the custard has been thoroughly chilled.  

A healthy scoop, or two if you are sharing, of the Butterscotch Pecan ice cream on top of the torte is a perfect way to enjoy these two rich desserts.  The flavors are complimentary, plenty of butter and pecans, but yet the sweetness of one is tempered by the mildness of the other.  I let the velvety ice cream melt a little and soak into the crumb of the cake before taking a bite, enjoying the way the salted pecans crunched in my teeth.  I regret agreeing to share this dessert.

Who would have guessed that a year ago I didn't even like pecans?

Racines Cake

                                        Racines Cake

Rich and decadent, this chocolate cake deserves all of the adjectives one usually associates with cake but then it needs a few extras:  Eye rolling-melt-in-your-mouth-nearly-orgasmic-chocolate-bliss.

I barely managed to snap a picture of this cake before it was gone.  I was slicing and my friend Katie was drizzling a pool of Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce on the side of each plate and placing a dollop of lightly sweetened fresh Whipped Cream next to it when I realized if I was going to get a picture it had to be now.  I glanced at our two families to see if anyone's cake wasn't touched yet because the slices did look so nice next the sauce and whipped cream but that end of the table looked like chocolate carnage.   I settled for quick picture of the cake platter, tossed the camera aside and took my first bite.....and didn't think again about pictures until this morning.  Ah, well.  That's why I'll never be a food photographer.

A couple of weeks ago, you might remember me gushing mentioning David Lebovitz.  If you don't, you can find my creepy behavior (do you see it's continuing here? shameful!) at Chocolate Lava Cakes.   I got his new cookbook Ready for Dessert recently and I've really been enjoying it.

The Racines Cake is from this book and the Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce.  Do make the latter the day before like he advises because it is even better that day but eat the Racines cake the day you make it. Though, three of us did split the tiny slice that remained the next day and it was still very, very good.

The Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce makes a fair amount of sauce that you can keep in the fridge for at least several days but I think it's better to find other uses for it.  Like the Caramel Ice Cream recipe. The bittersweet sauce is the perfect counterpart to the sweet caramel.  

Ready for Dessert is not a beginner's cookbook in my opinion unless you a very ambitious and fearless beginner.  Confidence in the kitchen is something that will do you well as you make your way through these recipes because they can seem difficult at first when you page through the book.  That little bit of confidence will help you to see that while upon first glance the recipes seem difficult that they are not as complicated as they seem.  The recipes often have multiple steps--no dumping everything in one bowl all in one go!--but they are very well written and easy to understand and follow and have additional details for techniques that might be worrisome to some.  For example, in the back of the cookbook, there is a clear, concise (and picture loaded) section that discusses caramelizing sugar.  I propped this section open as I was caramelizing the sugar for the Caramel Ice Cream and everything proceeded exactly as described.  

One thing to keep in mind is that this book is ' Ready for Dessert---My Best Recipes.'   Emphasis on the desserts.  These recipes make wonderful desserts whether you are entertaining or they are just something special for yourself but I don't think they would be useful for something like a 6 year old's birthday party.  Unless of course, that six year old and all of his friends have exquisite taste!

P.S.  Dear Mr. Lebovitz--Thank you so much for going back to fetch the recipe for the Racines Cake.  I would have done the exact same thing.

Chocolate Lava Cakes

Two Thanksgivings ago I found the perfect recipe for Cinnamon Ice Cream.  It's quickly become the permanent accompaniment to Apple Pie and Pumpkin Pie.  I got the recipe from this brilliant man-- David Lebovitz and his book The Perfect Scoop-- for which I shall remain forever thankful.   I am getting the the Chocolate Lava Cake--bear with me please.  

A couple of weeks ago I picked up The Sweet Life In Paris not realizing it was by the same person until I was partway through it.  The book was fantastic; it combined good food and living in Paris and it made you want to go running to the nearest bakery...or travel agency...or chocolate shop.  It was chock full of informative tidbits whether you wanted to know about cheese or quirks of French people's habits.  I've been unable to stand in a queue since without remembering Mr. Lebovitz's description!  My only complaint about the book was that I read it too quickly it ended too soon.

Then two days a truly awful/wonderful thing happened.  I discovered Mr. Lebovitz's blog!  He's been at it for several years and I am ashamed to say that I've been a bit creepy/stalkerish because I've been reading through the archives and enjoying every moment of it.  That's the wonderful part.  The awful part is the blog is impossible to read without.....um....craving certain things.  Like chocolate.

There's a lot of chocolate talk (pictures too!) going on at his blog.  I dare you to try to read a month or two of it without wanting chocolate.  It's impossible.  

Yesterday, I bought three truffles at a chocolate shop...and reluctantly shared them with Rick.  Today, I made Molten Lava Cakes.  We enjoyed them outside in the backyard while a cardinal sang to us.  I think he was entreating us with his song to leave a morsel for him but no one else wanted to play along with my fantasy.

I dressed them up with Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Sauces and a small dollop of Fresh Whipped-but barely sweetened- Cream.  Fresh raspberries would be a nice touch.  The molten center and the cake are made with 60% cacao dark chocolate for a deeply rich chocolate experience.  When you take the first bite of moist cake, the pool of chocolate slowly oozes down the new made crevice and you can't help but drag your fork through it and licking the tips of the tines.  It is a dessert that wants to be eaten slowly and savored.  Hours later it is still satisfying.  

Chocolate Lava Cakes

            by Michelle

2 ounces Chocolate, 60% cacao

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup butter

4 ounces Chocolate, 60% cacao

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup of flour

1.  In a double boiler, combine the 2 oz of chocolate and the heavy cream.  Stir until combined and then place in the freezer until firm.  Scoop into 6 balls and return to the freezer.

2.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a double boiler, combine the 4 oz of chocolate and the butter.  Stir until combined.  Set aside to cool slightly.  Butter 6 four ounce ramekins.  I like to flatten a mini-cupcake paper and place it in the bottom of the ramekin and butter that as well.  It helps later with removing the cake from the ramekin. 

3.  In a clean bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until they are pale yellow and fluffy.  Fold in the chocolate mixture.  Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and fold in until just combined.

4.  Fill each ramekin halfway.  Place a frozen lava ball in the center of each ramekin and then cover with remaining batter.  Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  the cakes will puff up and feel firm to the touch.

5.  Cool for a few minutes and then invert the ramekin on a plate.  You may need to run a knife around the edges of the ramekin before inverting it.  Serve warm.

Library Love

The last day of school was yesterday....summer is finally here!!!!!

Tristyn and I took an immediate emergency trip to the library because who can start a summer vacation without books and lots of them??!

Books!!!

This spot is lovely for reading when warm summer breezes come through the window but only if you are reading the right sort of book.

Tristyn prefers this spot for reading in that particular seat.  At least that's what I think because he always chooses that exact place.

Thinking

Why, oh WHY did I take the red pill?

I am having a very big "The Matrix" last two to three days moment after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

Before reading this, I had a vague sense of 'wrongness' with certain types of food that occasional shot little bolts of lightning out that greatly disturbed me. But, vagueness being what it is, for the most part I was able to ignore that tiny bit of knowledge I had and not really let it impact me or my buying very much.

I can't say the same now.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle + additional research makes such vaguness impossible now. While I haven't the resources (ie a farm) at hand to deal with such knowledge as she did I definitely am thinking even more about organic foods and local foods. Quite a feeling of guilt (guilt isn't exactly the word I'm looking for)was arising with each chapter I read and the only thing that soothed me was remembering I had just made my second payment on our CSA share.

A CSA share and some vegetables I'm attempting to grow on the deck and front flower bed isn't very much but it's a middle part to the way I've started to try to go. That book was simply the bridge.