Sure, It’s Confiture
January 3, 2008
Homemade strawberry jam is one of those things that, when you announce to friends that you’re planning to make some, elicits several comments that are — for my part — not so accurate. Most of these comments drop neatly into the category “Time and Hands,” as in “look who’s got too much on theirs,” and it’s with that observation that I take issue. (With the runner-up, “That Sounds Rad,” I have no contentions. More toast?)
Truthfully, I haven’t had much time these days. To spend hours on a Saturday afternoon gently skimming froth from a saucepan growing gummier by the minute would be impossible for me. That’s why this recipe is such a find: within half an hour, with minimal effort, you have jarfuls of deeply satisfying, garnet-colored jam. As a spread, it’s tailor-made for toast, cookies, cakes and — as was the case with my mother — gifting to the neighbors.
Pommes Fraîches
October 17, 2007
This past Sunday, J., our friend R. and I woke up at seven in the morning to have possibly the most wholesome day of all time — we went apple picking and antique hunting in upstate New York with our friend G.
Tongue, Taste and Locusts: An Evening with St. John
September 30, 2007
The Guardian describes St. John as “profoundly edible”. This is an interesting description of a restaurant known for having ox heart, squirrel or bone marrow on the menu. However, St. John is by now a London institution, with two locations, and from the moment I read about it in Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour, I knew it had to be my first London fine-dining experience.
Add a Pinch of Inspiration, Stir.
August 25, 2007
Being wholly and completely original in cooking is a rare thing. The foundations of good, tried-and-true flavour combinations are so well-laid it often takes silly measures like making cubic watermelons or beet-root sorbet to truly surprise and shock people.
Personally, my cooking ‘innovations’ tend to be inspired and based upon the ideas of others (I always try to give credit where credit is due!). I mix things up with my own ideas in order to create a brand new little baby/mutant dish that can go on to grow up and become a moody teenager like all my others. This is the story of one of those little dish podlings.
