2.21.2013
gone native...
whipped up something awesome for lunch today. fettuccine with SNAILS (!) in a light garlic, butter, olive oil, lemon, and gin (!!!) sauce, finished off with fresh thyme and a healthy shaving of quality Parm. i broke about every convention of culinary etiquette by accompanying this with a painfully dry red... but rules are made to be broken.
1.22.2013
the breakfast of royalty...
there i was at 4 A.M., munching on a Minneola orange and catching up on my latest television obsession (which shall go nameless, lest i be judged by my viewing habits), when it occurred to me... the Minneola is the perfect cooking orange. it has far more flavor than should be allowed in a single piece of fruit, including the highly fragrant rind. imagine compressing a half dozen "regular" oranges into one... and tossing in a Meyer lemon or two for even more absurd deliciousness. winter is orange season, and a bag of Minneolas in my grocery basket is a guarantee of good things to come.
while the orange can be easily integrated into anything from a flavorful couscous to a decadent cheesecake, i could not resist the call of a simple breakfast fit for the aristocracy. the scone, let's face it, is at its core a pedestrian shortbread masquerading as royalty. think: buttermilk biscuits... with a pedigree. the cranberry-orange scone is a familiar sight at coffee shops trying to appear swankier than they really are, but 1) i don't have any dried cranberries on hand, and 2) i'm not a fan of the cranberry... so i went in a slightly different direction using whatever i could find in my baking stash. behold... the Minneola orange, raisin, walnut, brandy scone (scroll down for the recipe). and yes... that was my breakfast. the boy had one with a cup of tea, and the remainder were sent off with him to work. yes... i am... i mean... we are awesome.
speaking of royalty... after saying goodbye to my cupcake Diesel shortly before Christmas, Santa brought me two lady kiddies who definitely think they are my social betters in every possible way. i introduce to you (Lady) Ophelia "Philly"... a.k.a. Ninja-kitty... a.k.a. The Shadow... a.k.a. "hey you... get your head out of my glass!"....
and, (Queen) Titania "Titty"... a.k.a. Mama-kitty... a.k.a. The Bandit... a.k.a. "dude... i just put fresh water in your bowl... why are you drinking out of the toilet?".
they are incredibly sweet, though a bit skittish as they get used to their new home... but i still miss my Cupcake terribly.
Minneola-orange raisin walnut brandy scone
1 c. raisins (or dried cranberries, if you must)
zest of 1 Minneola orange
juice of 1/2 a Minneola orange (~2 tbl.)
1 tbl. brandy
1/3 c. super-cold butter or margarine (i used margarine, because i prefer the finished texture in scones)
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tbl. sugar (brown sugar is the default around here, but use whatever you have)
1 tbl. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. + 2 tbl. cream or half-and-half (substitute with non-skim milk, if that's what you have on hand)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
icing
1/2 c. icing sugar
1/2 tsp. brandy
1-2 tsp. Minneola orange juice
the Thompson raisins i had on hand were rather large, so i cut them up, added the zest, juice, and brandy, mixed to combine, and let it sit covered for half an hour. if you're in a hurry, nuke it in the microwave for 20 seconds and let it cool to room temperature for about 10 minutes.
while the raisins are macerating, put the butter in the freezer. when you're ready to make the dough, combine the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. whisk the eggs and 1/2 c. cream together in a separate bowl (you can place this mixture in the fridge to keep it cold). cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. work quickly to avoid the butter softening. add the raisins, walnuts, and egg-cream mixture (hang on to the egg-cream bowl), then use a fork to combine, scraping around the sides of the bowl as you go. you're scraping and cutting into the center of the mixture, turning the bowl as you go. avoid over-mixing. it should resemble a moist, but not sticky, dough.
turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured board, and press (don't knead) it into a disc about the size of a dinner plate. using a sharp knife (i used a dough scraper), cut the disc into 10 wedges.
arrange the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet. add the remaining cream to the bowl that held the egg mixture, swirl to combine any remaining traces of the eggs, then brush onto the tops of the wedges.
as a general rule, i usually leave baking powder-leavened doughs to sit at room temperature for a few (3-5) minutes before placing them into the oven. this allows the baking powder to get a head start on doing its magic before the crust starts to harden in a hot oven. bake the scones in the top half of a 400ºF oven for 10-15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through for even browning. move the scones to a cooling rack, then drizzle on the icing (make sure you put something below the rack to catch potential drips).
while the orange can be easily integrated into anything from a flavorful couscous to a decadent cheesecake, i could not resist the call of a simple breakfast fit for the aristocracy. the scone, let's face it, is at its core a pedestrian shortbread masquerading as royalty. think: buttermilk biscuits... with a pedigree. the cranberry-orange scone is a familiar sight at coffee shops trying to appear swankier than they really are, but 1) i don't have any dried cranberries on hand, and 2) i'm not a fan of the cranberry... so i went in a slightly different direction using whatever i could find in my baking stash. behold... the Minneola orange, raisin, walnut, brandy scone (scroll down for the recipe). and yes... that was my breakfast. the boy had one with a cup of tea, and the remainder were sent off with him to work. yes... i am... i mean... we are awesome.
speaking of royalty... after saying goodbye to my cupcake Diesel shortly before Christmas, Santa brought me two lady kiddies who definitely think they are my social betters in every possible way. i introduce to you (Lady) Ophelia "Philly"... a.k.a. Ninja-kitty... a.k.a. The Shadow... a.k.a. "hey you... get your head out of my glass!"....
 |
| Philly |
and, (Queen) Titania "Titty"... a.k.a. Mama-kitty... a.k.a. The Bandit... a.k.a. "dude... i just put fresh water in your bowl... why are you drinking out of the toilet?".
 |
| Titty (left) and Philly (right) |
they are incredibly sweet, though a bit skittish as they get used to their new home... but i still miss my Cupcake terribly.
 |
| Diesel (Cupcake) |
Minneola-orange raisin walnut brandy scone
1 c. raisins (or dried cranberries, if you must)
zest of 1 Minneola orange
juice of 1/2 a Minneola orange (~2 tbl.)
1 tbl. brandy
1/3 c. super-cold butter or margarine (i used margarine, because i prefer the finished texture in scones)
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tbl. sugar (brown sugar is the default around here, but use whatever you have)
1 tbl. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. + 2 tbl. cream or half-and-half (substitute with non-skim milk, if that's what you have on hand)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
icing
1/2 c. icing sugar
1/2 tsp. brandy
1-2 tsp. Minneola orange juice
the Thompson raisins i had on hand were rather large, so i cut them up, added the zest, juice, and brandy, mixed to combine, and let it sit covered for half an hour. if you're in a hurry, nuke it in the microwave for 20 seconds and let it cool to room temperature for about 10 minutes.
while the raisins are macerating, put the butter in the freezer. when you're ready to make the dough, combine the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. whisk the eggs and 1/2 c. cream together in a separate bowl (you can place this mixture in the fridge to keep it cold). cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. work quickly to avoid the butter softening. add the raisins, walnuts, and egg-cream mixture (hang on to the egg-cream bowl), then use a fork to combine, scraping around the sides of the bowl as you go. you're scraping and cutting into the center of the mixture, turning the bowl as you go. avoid over-mixing. it should resemble a moist, but not sticky, dough.
turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured board, and press (don't knead) it into a disc about the size of a dinner plate. using a sharp knife (i used a dough scraper), cut the disc into 10 wedges.
arrange the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet. add the remaining cream to the bowl that held the egg mixture, swirl to combine any remaining traces of the eggs, then brush onto the tops of the wedges.
as a general rule, i usually leave baking powder-leavened doughs to sit at room temperature for a few (3-5) minutes before placing them into the oven. this allows the baking powder to get a head start on doing its magic before the crust starts to harden in a hot oven. bake the scones in the top half of a 400ºF oven for 10-15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through for even browning. move the scones to a cooling rack, then drizzle on the icing (make sure you put something below the rack to catch potential drips).
12.18.2012
black cherry soda...
i am incredibly proud of this yarn. while it is not, in my humble opinion, the prettiest yarn i have produced to date, it is the most consistent batch both in terms of the size and color of the finished yarn. there is a total of 6 skeins, each weighing approximately 90 grams, and a total of 560 yards. details of my super-lazy dye process will follow at some later date. it will (hopefully) become a large triangle shawl by the end of the weekend. i have a lot of coffee and holiday sweets. it will be done!!!
 |
| colorway: black cherry twist. 3-ply worsted-wight merino. |
12.01.2012
biography with pictures...
or... how an unremarkable ball of yarn finds a new life.
it all began, about a year ago, as a 100g cone of cashmere/wool yarn on Ebay. if the label says otherwise, please don't ruin the fantasy. this yarn could be best described as stupid thin (it's a light lace-weight at 1200yd/100g) and i am not a sadist, so steps had to be taken to make it just a touch more user-friendly.
this is my first time using the acid dyes from Dharma Trading Company, which has proven to be a more cost-effective option (roughly 50-75% savings, ounce-for-ounce) than the Jacquard Acid Dyes . as the objective was to create a gradient of color on the outer portion of the ball, i skipped the recommended pre-soaking of the fiber and dropped it directly into the dye pot. the ball was very tightly wound, which slowed down the migration of the pigment. this resulted in an intense midnight blue color on the outside, which quickly gave way to a more speckled appearance as the ball was unwound.
using a mixture of brilliant yellow with the slightest hint of blazing orange, i overdyed the loosely-tied bundle, which had the effect of turning the blue to a dark bluish-green (the photos were taken without use of the flash, but the yellow is slightly more orange-ish than it appears in the following images).
the boy noted that the final result sorta looks like an acorn squash... thus, the colorway was given a name.
i haven't yet decided if i will turn this into a finished object or display it in a location where it can inspire me to create more beautiful things.
it all began, about a year ago, as a 100g cone of cashmere/wool yarn on Ebay. if the label says otherwise, please don't ruin the fantasy. this yarn could be best described as stupid thin (it's a light lace-weight at 1200yd/100g) and i am not a sadist, so steps had to be taken to make it just a touch more user-friendly.
i first wound it off of the cone into a center-pull ball (actually, more of a cylinder), grabbed both ends of the strand (one each from the center and outer-edge of the cylinder), then held both strands together and wound it into a tight ball. careful examination of the first image will reveal the double-stranded final product.
this is my first time using the acid dyes from Dharma Trading Company, which has proven to be a more cost-effective option (roughly 50-75% savings, ounce-for-ounce) than the Jacquard Acid Dyes . as the objective was to create a gradient of color on the outer portion of the ball, i skipped the recommended pre-soaking of the fiber and dropped it directly into the dye pot. the ball was very tightly wound, which slowed down the migration of the pigment. this resulted in an intense midnight blue color on the outside, which quickly gave way to a more speckled appearance as the ball was unwound.
the center of the ball remained white, and, as tempted as i was to hang on to the watercolor-like gradient... there was more to come.
using a mixture of brilliant yellow with the slightest hint of blazing orange, i overdyed the loosely-tied bundle, which had the effect of turning the blue to a dark bluish-green (the photos were taken without use of the flash, but the yellow is slightly more orange-ish than it appears in the following images).
the boy noted that the final result sorta looks like an acorn squash... thus, the colorway was given a name.
 |
| Smitten with Kittens / Foter / CC BY-NC |
i haven't yet decided if i will turn this into a finished object or display it in a location where it can inspire me to create more beautiful things.
11.13.2012
food for sanity...
back in high school, i developed an odd fascination with baking. specifically, i used to make bread in the middle of the night when i was in a particularly pensive mood. mom would occasionally awaken to a loaf or two on the kitchen counter, a testament to my restlessness. to this day, i find baking to be a most calming activity.
my kitty is not feeling well. he's spending a couple days at the vet's, and i'm hoping it goes well as my sanity is wrapped up in that chubby ball of fur. if ever a moment called for therapeutic baking, it is now. there was a small carton of whipping cream in the back of the fridge, so i used that as the filling for a simple Victoria Sponge cake (i know, i know... i should have taken the cakes out a couple minutes earlier). the whipped cream is flavored with a hint of vanilla and almond extracts and the jam of choice is raspberry (seeds and all). here's to my honeybear's swift recovery.
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