Eva's Pink Grapefruit Sorbet

I've believed for most of my life that I've never met a stranger. While I've encountered a fair amount of what many would consider strange, this underlying belief has served me well far more often than not. The supposed strange has frequently been more entertaining and enriching than anything else. It doesn't always work, but it isn't a bad way to be in the world.

I don't know if it is a way of being based in true friendliness or compulsive curiosity. I suspect the latter, but am comfortable calling it friendly.

As a result, I know some wonderful people. This is the true reward. Some I know in the real world and others I've become acquainted with through the magical weirdness of the interwebz.

People, like my friend Eva, that will decide they need to make Grapefruit Sorbet and try the recipe a few times to get it "right".
People that generously share their ideas and expertise. Or their recipes. I do have more curiosity than most people need, but I'm not gifted in the patience department. A friend that will tinker with combinations and adjustments several times is a friend to us all.

This recipe is easy. It starts with Pre-Freezing a dish

Eva's Pink Grapefruit Sorbet

You will need:

A pre-frozen, shallow container. Preferably glass.
11/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
11/2 cup pink grapefruit juice
juice of 1 lemon
1 T of grapefruit zest

In a saucepan, heat water and sugar until fully dissolved. Cool completely. An ice bath can speed this process along. Once cool, stir in the juices and zest. Pour into a shallow (you don't want the mixture in too deep a container), pre-frozen container and return to the freezer. Take it out to stir/scrape every half hour until set. Freeze at least 4 hours before serving. For best results, freeze overnight.

I suppose you could use an ice cream maker.

I've never used one. I'm not bad at reading directions, so I'm sure I could figure it out.

I'm sure I have friends who know all about them, though

"When Life Gives You Lemons..."

We've all heard the saying about lemons. While I enjoy lemonade, I've never been quite sure what it means. Make the best of something sour? Is lemonade the best we can do?

I have a lemon tree in my tiny garden. It gives me lemonade and so much more. I look at the bright, manic yellow of the lemons and I smile. I have the luxury of being able to pick a fresh lemon just about whenever I need one. When the tree is in blossom, the scent is heady and full of promise for the coming fruit. My lemon tree is the vision I held in my mind during the long planning, organizing and agonizing that comes with moving to another country. The tree symbolizes lemonade and more to me.

The origin of Citrus is far more mysterious. It is thought that lemons and the rest of the citrus family originated in India, Burma or possibly China. The spread of the fruit can be traced through ancient trade routes, whether by The Silk Road or by ship. They made their way to the south of Italy with the Romans and to the rest of the Mediterranean with the Arabs. Citrus made their way to the Americas the same way. Lemons arrived with Columbus and never looked back.

Lemons are the true workhorses of the citrus family. For culinary uses, they can be used for both sweet and savory. As a cleaning agent, they are anti-bacterial, deodorizing and are useful in aromatherapy, too.
Maybe we need to reconsider, "When Life Gives You Lemons...". Maybe when life gives us lemons it is giving us the opportunity to enjoy a glass of lemonade and consider what wonderful things could be done with the rest.

Lemon Curd

You will need:
The juice and zest from 4 large unwaxed lemons, about 1/2 cup
200 grams of sugar
100 grams of butter
4 large eggs
a pinch of salt
your favorite double boiler set up

Start some water heating in your saucepan
I whiz the zest and sugar in a food processer, add the butter, then whiz the eggs in one at a time. Then the juice and the salt
Pour the mixture into the container used on top of the sauce pan and cook at a low heat, stirring constantly as it thickens. You want to make sure it doesn't boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before using as a pie filling, cake filling, straight out of a jar with a spoon, or as a gift. From start to finish, making Lemon Curd takes about the same amount of time that it takes to make fresh lemonade. Well, maybe a little more.
I would add one warning. You will see recipes that suggest cooking directly on the stovetop instead of a double boiler method. Have nothing to do with these recipes unless you either A) are an incredibly skilled and patient cook, or B) enjoy lemony/sweet scrambled eggs. Trust me on this one.

* If you are wondering about how to "de-wax" or clean fruit, fill a sink with cold water and add about a cup of vinegar and let the fruit(any fruit) sit for about 10 minutes. This will also discourage mold with berries.

Potato/Potato/Vodka

 Food is often our first introduction to a new place or culture. An edible "Howdy! This is what WE do with*insert food item*" Sometimes it is wildly successful and other times your taste buds and stomach are at a point of near revolt. Who knew that pickled herring would leave me with a lifelong appreciation for vodka and boiled potatoes? Always look on the bright side, I say. I was in Sweden visiting friends and much to my delight, I was invited to a Smorgasbord. I had no idea what to expect and to this day, I'm not certain that pickled herring in a variety of sauces (tomato, mustard, sour cream, onion, etc) served alongside boiled potatoes and shots of ice cold vodka are what constitutes a Smorgasbord. I do have the lingering suspicion that my friends were more interested in watching me try Lutefisk than anything else.

Several years later, while living in Seattle, a German neighbour was explaining to me that while the potatoes in the US were alright, they just weren't as good as German potatoes.
Her: "Maybe this is one of those plants that just does better in Europe than here."
Me: "Maybe.Considering they originate in South America and grow just about anywhere, I doubt it. Maybe you just haven't found the right potato for the dish you want to make."
Her: "Are you sure?"
Me: "Why would I make it up? Waxy potatoes are great for casseroles or potato salad and starchy potatoes are great for baking, frying and mashing. If you like your mashed potatoes lumpy, try a mix."
Her: "No, are you sure that potatoes aren't native to Europe?"

*sigh*

Game Changer#2

I give you the Potato

I should probably point out that the potato deserves to be #1. It is only my love of tomatoes that places potatoes firmly in second position.
Although the Germans are famous for their potato salad and their potato dumplings, their cuisine isn't stand alone as far as the widespread use of this staple crop.
Once introduced to Europe in the 16th century, it rapidly gained prominence as a near perfect food to grow, store and eat. They are nutritious, filling and quickly became the primary food source for the poor. In the 1840s a potato blight devastated crops setting off a famine that affected all of Northern Europe and devastated Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. More than a million died of starvation and even more immigrated.

The potato may be humble, but it is mighty.

By the 19th century it had relegated turnips and rutabagas to secondary root vegetables. Learning this gave me a perverse joy. Somehow, the idea of a steaming pot of boiled turnips to accompany that long ago meal of pickled herring and lutefisk washed down with vodka made me wonder if there would have been enough vodka in all of that quiet neighborhood in Stockholm. Or Scandinavia. Or Earth.

Speaking of humble, yet mighty
Spain is famous for Paella and like most stereotypes, it is only partially  true. The next dish is far more common in all parts of the country. Vodka is optional.

Spanish Tortilla
You will need:
4-6 medium waxy* potatoes
1 med onion diced fine (optional) I would note here that bacon, chorizo, ham, red peppers and spinach are all additions I've either eaten or tried. All are optional.
5-6 large eggs
1 cup olive oil
salt
A serving plate slightly larger than the pan you will be cooking with

Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water. After they are done and cooled, slice thinly and into smaller pieces. At a medium temperature, heat the oil in a decent sized(9"-10") frying pan, preferably non-stick that is also oven safe. Saute onions until translucent and golden. Add potatoes and allow to heat thoroughly. Whisk eggs with a pinch of salt and add to the pan. Stir enough to insure even distribution of egg, potato and onion. Meanwhile, turn on the oven to about 350. Once the eggs have cooked (slowly!) around the edges, lift the tortilla gently with a spatula to check if it is browning on the bottom. Once you see a slightly golden color, pop it into the oven for about 10 minutes to finish. Or attempt the flip. I recommend trying it both ways and do what works best for you.
The Flip
Place plate over the top of the pan
Flip tortilla onto the plate
Add a little more oil to the pan
Return tortilla to the pan, uncooked side down for about 5-10 more minutes until egg is thoroughly cooked.
Serve warm, cold, anyway you like. I enjoy a green salad with mine.

My next potato offering comes courtesy of the Hasselbacken Hotel in Stockholm. Pickled fish or Lutefisk is optional.


Hasselback Potatoes
You will need:
8  relatively uniform, starchy potatoes ( each approx. 6-8 oz )
olive oil
sea salt
butter
a pair of chopsticks
aluminum foil
A glass baking dish large enough to hold the potatoes
Whatever toppings you care to use. I'm a purist. I prefer butter, salt and pepper. But I've been known to use parmesan, bacon, chives, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Preheat oven to 450. Generously oil the baking dish. Peel the potatoes is you like. I don't, but you can. They should be clean, though. Thinly slice a small bit of each potato off of one side to make it sit flat lengthwise. Place the chopsticks alongside a potato and crosswise, make 1/4 inch slices. The chopsticks insure you don't slice all the way through. Clever business, isn't it? Rinse and dry each potato. Place in the oiled baking dish. Add butter between each cut. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. Remove foil, brush potatoes with oil or butter. Bake for an additional 15-20.
I consider these to be the ultimate baked potatoes. They can be a meal in themselves and go well with any meat or fish.

Or Vodka.


Vanilla, Lemon or Coffee Vodka
You will need:
2 vanilla beans, Or the peel from 2 lemons(yellow part only), Or a handful of coffee beans
1/5 of vodka. I wouldn't recommend using the cheapest vodka you can find, but I wouldn't recommend high end either.
Open the bottle and pour off about 2 shots. Do something creative with it. We waste nothing. Add your preferred flavoring, close the bottle and store for at least a month before using.

* Note on differences between types of potatoes
There are a gazillion different varieties of both types. There are no hard and fast rules about what you should and should not use.Choosing the right potato makes the outcome of whatever you are cooking more predictable. I think it is worth spending a little time learning the difference between waxy and starchy (aka floury) and what varieties are available where you live and shop. I could tell you the names of the potatoes I buy, but you may have totally different potatoes.

"It's Like Buttah"

Butter.

I could just leave it at that, but I should probably go into a little more detail before moving on to recipes. Perhaps I should begin with a disclaimer. Butter and olive oil are my preferred fats. Not only for the multi-purpose cooking and eating uses or the obvious flavor enhancement to just about anything you add them to, but also for the health benefit. I know butter has received a bad rep the last few decades and it is a reputation I've cheerfully ignored. Fortunately for me and other lovers of butter, science is providing vindication and evidence that butter is certainly healthier than margarine.

Considering there is evidence of milk fat in stone age containers dating  to 6500 BCE and one of the earliest Mesopotamian "How-To" manuals dating to 2500 BCE was on how to churn butter, I'm fairly certain I'm not alone in my appreciation.

 Last year, my husband and I were travelling in Brittany and I discovered the butter from this region of France. We stayed in a charming bed and breakfast called Chambres de Lourmel in Pontivy, where we were served buckwheat crepes, a regional specialty, homemade jam and Bretagne butter every morning. It was love at first taste. The B&B is also located just a short stroll from Rohan Castle. It seems Tolkien was also fascinated with Brittany and borrowed many place names. It is easy to imagine elves and hobbits walking through Broceliande Forest or visiting the many standing stones in the area. Brittany has butter and history. Two of my favorite things.

At this point, I will add a second disclaimer. Moderation allows for many luxuries in our lives.

Moderation does play a part in these recipes. Trust me.

The Best Shortbread Recipe in the World

You will need:

2 cups of butter, softened 

Whenever possible, I use butter from Bretagne. Not because I am a snob, but because it is extraordinary. But any butter will do. I prefer salted because I enjoy the sweet/salty flavor. Again, choose what you like.

1 cup of packed brown sugar 

Do not consider using white sugar. If you do not have brown sugar, do not make this recipe.

4 cups of all purpose flour

Chopped pecans (optional)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

a small flat dish and about 2 tablespoons of white sugar

Cream butter and sugar. I use my food processer. Occasionally scraping the sides, I run it for about 3-4 minutes. Add flour in 3 parts. Transfer from food processer into a glass bowl, add nuts, cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. This step is especially important because the butter is allowed to cool back to a semi-solid state and the flavors have a chance to meld. Preheat oven to 325 and place baking paper on the cookie sheets while dough is resting. Once the dough is ready, I roll into little balls, dip the base of my favorite wine glass into the flat dish of sugar and squash them to about 1/4 of an inch thick. Or they can be formed in the more traditional shape. I prefer the little rounds as this shortbread is incredibly rich, so a few are incredibly satisfying (Moderation Alert) they also make wonderful and much anticipated gifts. You know that you've got the recipe right when your friends and neighbors start giving you butter.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes. When they are done, allow to cool on a rack. They keep and freeze beautifully.

Enjoy

Spreadable Butters

Cinnamon Honey Butter

I cup butter, softened 

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

With a food processor or mixer, blend ingredients

Allow to refrigerate for a day or two

Enjoy

Olive Oil Butter

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup olive oil

Blend ingredients

Enjoy

And So It Begins

Testing. Testing.
I suppose I could apply that word to my approach to food as well as blogging. One giant experiment. I'm fascinated with the histories and the adaptations of what we eat. How we prepare and how we enjoy. Eating is one of our most necessary functions for basic survival. Food can define cultures, religions and allow for ridiculously beautiful expressions of creativity or a tragic lack of imagination. It is art, science, comfort and fuel.
So my first question is simple. If we must eat, why are so many willing to eat poorly?

I'm not referring to the obvious lack of food that many in our world suffer from. That is a topic that needs its own time and space. I'm speaking of the casual acceptance, even the avoidance, of good food that has been prepared well. Attention to detail can elevate the most humble food to the sublime and some of the most humble foods have been the biggest game changers.

Game Changer #1

I give you the Tomato

Indigenous to the Americas, more specifically Mexico, it is thought to have been brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus on his first return voyage. It is known that Cortez did return with seeds. It has made its way into virtually every cuisine. Some cuisines are so defined by this fruit that lives as a vegetable that the history of how it made its way from its native cuisine to become a foundation food in others is a surprise to many. Who thinks of The Conquest of the Americas when we consider Marinara Sauce?

Speaking of Marinara sauce

You will need:
1/2 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves
2 small or 1 large onion
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
sea salt
ground pepper
oregano
2 bay leaves
2  32 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes

Feel free to chop the garlic,onion,celery and carrot into small pieces. I prefer a food processor. While the oil is heating( medium temperature) in a heavy bottom decent sized pot, I whizz the garlic and onion. Once they've been added to the pan, I whizz the rest. Once the onion mixture is translucent, add the carrot/celery mixture. Add some salt and pepper at this stage. Saute until vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves and some oregano. I often add a pinch of sugar to reduce the acidity and to round the flavor. I've also been known to add a dash of balsamic vinegar to add depth. Lower the heat a bit and simmer uncovered for about an hour. I would recommend covering with a splash guard(the kind that look like a round bug screen) to minimize clean up. Adjust seasoning and enjoy. This sauce tastes better the next day and it freezes well. I often make a vat, freeze it in smaller containers and enjoy it at will. It converts easily to a meat sauce or an addition to soups.

On to something easier and almost magical

Pan con Tomate
You will need:
a loaf of the most amazing bread you can find
a toaster or means of toasting
Ripe,soft tomatoes
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
Slice and toast the bread
Cut a few tomatoes in half, feel free to squeeze out the seed pulp
Rub cut side of tomato on toasted bread
Sprinkle with salt
Drizzle with olive oil

Serve alongside some thinly sliced Spanish ham, cheese, olives and roasted almonds. A fine bottle of Rioja, something from Somontano,or your favorite red of the moment would be my beverage recommendation. On a pretty plate whenever possible.

Enjoy with friends