Egg Yolks and Egg Whites

This weekend was another exciting one. Once again I made three different dishes. The first dessert that I made was Crème brûlée. It turned out surprisingly well. On first taste I'm not sure that I liked it as much as I liked the Panna Cotta of a few weeks ago, but that may have had something to do with the size. I think next time I'll make my brûlée smaller. It is quite a delicious rich dessert. I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com and followed the suggestions that the people made at the bottom, it turned out delicious.

The second dish that I made was semi related. I made Meringues. I did this because the Crème brûlée took half a dozen egg yolks, which leaves a lot of egg whites left. meringues on the other hand take a lot of egg whites. So, you see, this way I could use whole eggs. The meringues didn't turn out as well as I would have liked but with some chocolate pudding they are quite delectable, much like eating air.

The third dish that I made wasn't a dessert at all, but was my dinner. I made Broccoli and Chile Spaghetti; only, I used a red bell pepper instead of a red chile. Surprisingly fresh red chiles are nearly impossible to find, and so i figured that a red bell pepper was the next best thing. Certainly they aren't the same at all, but they do have one thing in common-their color. The broccoli and red bell pepper spaghetti turned out quite well, especially with a little salt and pepper. Overall I think that it was a fairly sucessful weekend. Hopefully this next week will prove as exciting.

Pizza Margherita

Delicioso! A nice pizza with basil and mozarella, baked to a light toasted state, quite delicious. Today's adventure was a pizza one. I tried to flip the pizza crust above my head; I haven't quite got the hang of it yet though. It sort of works but gets too thin in the middle and not thin enough near the edges. I made it work though. The sliced mozarella was really nice, and the fresh basil gave the perfect flavour. It was a good meal. I look forward to making it again, thoughI think next time I would cook it a little less and maybe use a tad more cheese. You can never have enough cheese.

Fruit and Gruyere

Tonight I tried my hand a a couple of new recipes. First I made Cantaloupe Melon with Grilled Strawberries. They turned out quite well. The warmth of the broiled strawberries was a nice contrast with the coolness of the cantaloupe.
You just broil some sliced strawberries with a little powdered sugar sprinkled on top for a few minutes and then serve them with sliced cantaloupe. It's quite delicious.

Next I made Golden Gruyere and Basil Tortillas. The Gruyere cheese has such a deliciously strong flavour and when it melts it mellows it out just perfectly. The fresh basil adds the perfect touch. Both of these recipes are ones that I look forward to making again.

Unfortunately the last recipe that I tried tonight didn't turn out nearly so well. I made a loaf of Chocolate Banana Bread. I managed to forget to put in the baking soda and so it didn't rise at all. my "bread" turned out about half an inch thick, and then it didn't even manage to cook all the way and so it doesn't look like bread in any way shape of form. It does taste pretty good but it looks pretty awful. Next time I imagine that I'll remember to include baking soda, and maybe even cook it all the way...

Lemonade

Nothing is better than fresh squeezed lemonade made with homegrown lemons. Lemons off the tree in my backyard just make such a tasty treat. especially with mounds of sugar, and a frozen strawberry or two.

Lemonade
1 1/4 cups white sugar
5 2/3 cups water
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Boil the sugar and 1 cup water together till sugar is dissolved. chill. Mix it all together.

I like to use a little less sugar (scoop up a cup and then shake a little of the sugar out) and a little more lemon juice (but only a little) It's also good with a frozen strawberry or two as ice cubes. the strawberries add the perfect flavor.

Hot Cross Buns

1 a penny
2 a penny
Hot Cross buns
Are delicious
Hot Cross Buns are actually fairly easy to make and I am proud to say that I spent the time (considerable) and made some this weekend. It was a wonderful treat this week before thanksgiving. I only wish that mine had turned out looking as good as the ones in this picture. Oh well, maybe after I've practiced tons...

Thames

"The Sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway. In the offing the sea and the sky were welded together without a joint, and in the luminous space the tanned sails of the barges drifting up with the tide seemed to stand still in red clusters of canvas sharply peaked, with gleams of varnished sprits. A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in vanishing flatness. The air was dark above Gravesends, and farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth." -Heart of Darkness














You can almost see how the river and the sky meet, so that it's nearly impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends. I have to say that Conrad's novel is beginning to grow on me, maybe one day I will like it. In the mean time I miss London with all the passion of my young girl heart.

Remember Remember the Fifth of November

"Remember, remember the fifth of November,

The gunpowder, treason and plot,

I know of no reason

Why the gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.”

Yes, that is correct, today is indeed Guy Fawkes day. I sorely wish that I had time to parade some sort of effigy around; however unfortunately, there are papers that must needs be written. I will take a brief moment though and remember the fifth of November and I encourage you to do the same.

Museum Delights

Last night, my roommates and I decided that since it was Friday and none of us wanted to do our homework that we should do something fun. I imagine that it says a lot about my apartment that we decided that it would be utterly delightful to go to the MoA and look at one of the exhibits there. We decided to see the exhibit called "Windows on a Hidden World: Japanese Woodblock Prints."

They were stunning, but as we were wandering through the exhibit it reminded me of home. Here I was, standing in a museum, with my red scarf around my neck, my black bag slung over one shoulder my coat over my arm and my book in hand. It was just like the good old days when I could wander through the National Gallery or the Tate or the British Library. It felt wonderful to be back in that cultural air and remembering how it used to be. It was a wonderful evening, made bettter when we went home and made a pie, but that's besides the point.