eggbeater

Sunday New York Times: July 20, 2008 {!}

This coming Sunday you may want to pick up the NY Times. Look for something written by the inimitable Amanda Hesser.
July 20, 2008.
It will be a special day indeed.
Well, for me, at any rate.

See you soon?

 

Yuba River, California

The Yuba River

has changed me forever.

I am in awe.

my heart has been stretched and pulled

water, in all its green clarity

massive granite boulders

dimpled and sanded

rough & smooth

hot & dangerous

dynamic

beautiful.

I could not have designed a better place to swim, think, travel inward, see, visit, take part in,

and now know about. I will be back. Mark my words with an x on my heart.

once s'more, with feeling!

How To Make Snickerdoodles!

You all have been waiting soooo patiently!

You've been teased.

And promised.

And tempted.

And some of you have even taken nibbles.

But now.

Right now.

I have a recipe, method, step-by-step instruction and photos,

and

if you live close by

you could even taste one.

Follow the bowl of swirling cinnamon sugar

to Simply Recipes where I'm guest authoring.

SNICKERDOODLES.

                     /and you thought the day would never arrive. awww. i keeps my promises!

rose petal tea & tisane

a number of years ago an old friend gifted me with one of the most evocative, delightful teas i had the pleasure of experiencing. it came in a small, silver square tin and inside there was loose black tea and pink rose petals.

i have quite a thing for black tea, as you know, but up until that moment, and the Mariage Freres she would also introduce me to, i was a mere novice, drinking strong bags from England and Ireland, always having a box of Twinings Earl Grey on hand, thinking it was the most flavourful. {little did i know!}

rachel's gift of rose tea came from Takashimaya, an austere Japanese department store on Fifth Avenue in NYC.

a few weeks ago i had the pleasure of sharing the most stunning glass teapot filled with whole rose tisane at bar JULES in san francisco. 

all dried roses and rose petals are not created equal. like dried herbs and spices, their aroma is volatile and will not keep for much more than 6 months at the intensity they once had when freshly dried. (and all dried herbs and spices are irradiated in the USA unless specifically stated otherwise. this process wipes out a lot of the flavours/scents you want in dried herbs and spices.)

at bar JULES i noticed a large dark pink Mariage Freres tin and guessed that this was where our lovely pot's roses came from. i thought it quizzical since there's a fantastic source for dried roses and rose petals, in bulk, in san francisco, at Rainbow Grocery. at my last job i had the magical pleasure of using dried rose petal dust mixed with ground cassia cinnamon from a woman named Kathy FitzHenry who has a local company called juliet mae. it went especially well with a moroccan ground almond "crust" i made for a lebne cheesecake.

many people don't love the taste of flavours that hail from flowers because of their inherent perfume qualities. but rose petals and buds are much more subtle than rose water, oil, or even infusing with fresh rose geranium. look at the tea in the photograph. it's so barely pink it could be an illusion.

i might not need to say this but, unfortunately, i feel i must:

never use roses, dried or fresh, that you are not absolutely certain are not sprayed. roses, because they have been bred a million ways, are treated heavily with carcinogenic chemicals. if you are making a rose infusion with pesticide and fungicide laden flowers, you will promptly ingest those chemicals.

one of the most delicious desserts i had the honor to prepare and serve of claudia fleming's when i worked for her at gramercy tavern was a bowl of warmed blackberries with fresh rose petal cream. it was summer, perfectly. scents, color, temperature.

bold and deep, light and heady.

exquisite.

Have you ever made pastry cream at home?

Creme Patissiere anyone?
With flour? Cornstarch?
Whole eggs? Just yolks?

While there are a number of recipes online, I couldn't find one I loved the explanation for the method of.
Do you have one you always follow?

    p.s. this is research so I can give you a recipe you've asked about... 

berries berries berries everywhere.

if you had too many bush berries on your hands, what would you do with them?

feel free to point me to your favorite recipes...

merci!

The Fourth of July!

today is:

chocolate buttermilk cake
sticky buns
beignets !
sweet potato pie
caramel cake with caramelized butter frosting
a spoonful of the best coconut pastry cream, if I love you
snickerdoodles
chocolate chocolate chip cookies
bacon-scallion-cheddar biscuits
limeade
mint lemonade
strawberry lemonade
lacy yeasted cornmeal waffles with brown sugar butter
creamed corn
warm buttermilk biscuits and local jam
blue bottle coffee
homemade granola
black cast iron skillet baked cornbread
grits
a giant smoker filled with ribs and chicken
perfectly poached eggs
watermelon
real vanilla ice cream
honest iced tea
fresh squozed orange juice
R&B
a dash of hip hop
old school soul
hot cooks
even hotter bakers
corn on the cob
friends
barking

and beautiful
big
explosions of light
and colour
in the broad
grand
mighty
night sky.

happy fourth.
be safe, sane & consensual, and responsible tonight. /please.
just think:
you may even want to remember what you did today, tomorrow. just sayin'

see you soon?

I Am Going To Bed With Someone Wonderful Every Night.

How To Become A Famous Writer Before You're Dead

Your Words In Print And Your Name In Lights

by Ariel Gore.

Do you know her?

Have you bedded her as well?

There are moments in time when all you need is unlimited support. Unconditional love. Complete understanding. Inspiration beyond the beyond.

Whether you want to be a writer or a chef or an astronaut, this book will be helpful.

I like to read novels. Besides magazines and the food section of a few American newspapers I don't find non-fiction or self help books to be of much use.

But I love this book.

And Right Now,

Going to bed with it every night makes me feel like everything's going to be ok. Even though it's not.

The list price for the paperback is $11.16.

It will be the best almost $15 you spend if buy it. This is a woman who believes in you but can also light a small loving fire under your tuchas to get your life into gear and help you eradicate excuses and rationalizations. With 261 tiny chapters, your story about why you can't _____ will shrivel up and die.

Titles of chapters include:

Get Your Heart Smashed, But Just Once Or Twice

Fight For Your Time

Take The Book's Dare

Write

Dream

Relax The Rules

I am in love with this book. As soon as I am done I will re-read it because although I am attempting to savor every touch, caress, kiss, prod, poke and shake, I'm already staying up way past my bedtime and reading it too fast. This week I am waking up every day at 4 am, so those minutes count...

Do let me know if you've read it and what you think too. Spread the word!

/thank you beckyfresh for giving it to me even though I said I don't read these sorts of books...

Porchetta. It's All the Rage!

Everyone's doing it.

    In the streets.
    On the floor.

Mmmmm Porchetta....

Pigs doin it.
People eatin' it.
Cooks butcherin'.
Knives slicin' it.
Twine a wrappin'.
Ovens roastin'.
Juices flowin'.
Belly a renderin'.
Pan juices sizzlin'.
Fingers gettin' a lickin'.
Mouths a waterin'.

Porchetta.

Sounds so succint. Humble. Simple. Regal. Rustic.

Delicious.

And thank g-d it's Friday.
Tonight, {and every Friday},
if you live nearby,
    you can get yours
at Sea Salt.

Prepared with love and care,
& a healthy dash of New York humor and irreverence,
by none other than,
Anthony Paone, chef of all days of the week, and the eighth one too.

Sit at the kitchen counter.
Give him hell.

/And then tell him I sent you.

Sea Salt
2512 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, Ca. 94702
510/ 883.1720