creme fraiche

no story

no fancy words

just a simple plea

make.your.own.

and 

use.it.liberally.

creme fraiche

3 cups heavy cream--room temperature

6 Tbs plain greek yogurt--room temperature

stir the yogurt into the heavy cream.  put into a glass jar and cover with a bit of cheesecloth (to keep out bugs and dust, but allow for airflow)

let sit draft free at room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 36 hours

-the longer you leave it out, the more tangy it will become-

give it a good stir, it will thicken right before your eyes

tightly cover and pop in the fridge

enjoy where you would otherwise enjoy cream or sour cream

mix with a bit of brown sugar and pour over berries

stir into warm soup

create a calvados cream sauce for roast pork

pour over warm peas, carrots

or 

cold beets

just for starters....

when life gives you carrots....

i really like carrots

raw dipped in a bit of sea salt

honey roasted with onion dip

deep fat fried loaded into a feedbag

all good

but 

best of all?

baked in cake

 

 carrot cake

-this recipe comes from my culinary school notebook, it is not my own

(printable recipe)

4 large eggs--room temperature

6 oz vegetable oil

14 oz granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

9 oz flour

1 Tbs cinnamon

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 lb carrots--peeled and grated

2 1/2 oz walnuts-toasted and roughly chopped

whisk together sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment whisk together the eggs and oil until the eggs are thick and pale yellow (about 10 minutes).  mix in the dry ingredients, just to fully incorporate.  fold in carrots and walnuts.

split evenly into 2 prepared* 9" cake pans. bake at 325 for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean

*preparing cake pans includes spraying with pan spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper

allow to cool and split each cake round into 2 layers.  

frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting**

decorate with marzipan carrots

**i'm not opposed to sharing my cream cheese frosting recipe, but truth be told...i don't measure.  i   use 1 part unsalted butter to 2 parts cream cheese, a pinch of salt a bit of vanilla and enough powdered sugar to reach your desired sweetness. 

guilty eatings

have you ever stood over a cheesecake

fork in hand

mouth full of sweet regret

the even weight on your shoulders

devil on left

angel on right

 muddled words ping-ponging

i should stop

and

just one more bite

shoveling it fast

before you change your mind

thinking of all those poor people

for whom store bought

is the only option

or even worse

no. bake.

side glance to the dogs

looking so disappointed

not because you are gorging

but because

you aren't sharing

me too

thankfully

the phone rang

strawberry-balsamic shrub {beverage}

my childhood summers

had one constant

my grandparents

although maybe not the true reality
i remember

our

last day of school coincided

with their arrival

"the grandparents"

all 4 of them

(yes, both sets)

my grandma grace

oh how fitting that name was for this amazing woman

each and every summer night

wandered into the kitchen

pin curls in her hair

wearing a perfectly pressed house dress

served herself

a tablespoon of vinegar

with the flair

of pouring herself a night-cap

she passed a few years ago

well into her 90s

healthy as an ox

until the day she died

sturdy and strong

with

peaches and cream

wrinkle free

skin

she ate

fresh food

all of her life

it was all that she could afford

but 

i believe 

her nightly vinegar shooter

was her secret weapon

i.

really.

do.

i like vinegar

but

i take mine moderated

in a shrub

a shrub marries

sweetness of fruit and sugar

with the 

acidity and brightness of vinegar

in a way that makes

that little shot every night

very

palatable

a shrub is typically meant to be mixed with soda water

but

it is great in cocktails too

strawberry-balsamic shrub
(printable recipe)

2 cups ripe strawberries-cleaned, hulled & sliced

1 tsp fennel pollen (optional)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

10 black peppercorns-slightly crushed

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

place strawberries, sugar, fennel pollen (if using) and peppercorns into a glass crock or wide mouth jar.  allow to sit for about an hour, then macerate to break up the strawberries. cover and allow to sit 24 hours. (i let mine sit at room temperature, but if you are concerned, it is okay to put in the fridge).   after 24 hours macerate the mixture again, aiming to crush the strawberries.  you can move onto the next step, or allow to sit another 24 hours at this point.  add to the mixture the balsamic vinegar and the cider vinegar and stir well.  allow this to sit 7-9 days at room temperature, stirring daily.  the sugar should eventually "melt" into the liquid.  it is important that you tend to the mixture daily.  after 7-9 days.  strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer (if you don't mind a few bits in it) or a strainer with cheesecloth (if you do) and bottle for use.  for longer shelf life, i recommend storing in the refrigerator.