...a latte'love

sometimes i wish i didn't have to do anything other then cook, bake and take pictures. heres my latte with torched brown sugar on top, made while my pound cake bakes in the oven (35 minutes left). i love how the layers looks....i love how it tastes even more.  :)

playlist: canada vs. germany (4-0!!!)

coconut tuiles

the name just sounds like summer…like twirling in a big open field of tall grasses.

i love to open a cookbook, without a single idea of what to make, and search for the perfect recipe. most of the time its a long process of narrowing down what’s in the cupboard, what I feel like making, eating, or giving to others. this recipe was for me, but it made quite a few, so i took most of them to work.

todays project is to find something “snacky” to make while watching the hockey game. there seems to be nothing to eat in the cupboards, only ingredients. but the possibilities are endless.

(go canada!!!!)

today was the end of our sunshine, sadly. it was sunny all day at work (of course), and I thought for a moment that it would stay nice, and that maybe the weatherman was wrong. but as soon as I drove home, with hopes of going for a run in the bright sunshine, a big grey cloud came and swept up the light. i did go for a run, a slightly chilly one I must say. i hummed and hawed about whether i should weather gloves and/or a wind breaker, i opted out of both, but i should have gone with the gloves.

playlist: cbc radio 2, drive with rich terfry 

...fassoulada

today was another fabulous day, sunny, warm and beautiful. i was up with the sun, which really isn’t saying that much and out the door with my hound by 10am. i’ve been feeling a little under the weather, but not enough to let it stop me. i know that this amazing weather has to end sometime and i’m going to let it go to waste!

i left the house with long johns on and three layers under my fleece and had a to strip down about a quarter way up. i ended up hiking most of the way in a tank top (in february)!! it was an amazing day! of course i put most of those layers on again once i got to the top, but that’s par for the course. i cracked my thermos, poured my self a latte, gave schooner one of travis’ homemade dog biscuits, and soaked in the sun! it was perfect!

i got down the mountain, picked up soup supplies, washed my muddy car and was back home in time for the hockey game!

todays soup was fassoulada: bright and colourful, hearty, full of thyme and a hint of lemon.

“fasolada or fasoulada (φασολάδα or φασουλάδα, sometimes written fassolada or fassoulada) is a greek soup of dry white beans, olive oil, and vegetables, sometimes called the "national food of the greeks".”

playlist: canada vs. usa

completion

at the end of a crazy day at work, i get to come home to a sky full of stars, a dog that is thrilled with a capitol “t” to see me, and ice cream custard chilled and waiting to be churned in the fridge. life’s not so bad! although now i have way too much sugar in my system to be able to fall asleep, i guess it’s a good thing i’ve got a good read on my night stand and don't have to work until noon. sweet dreams.

playlist: olympic highlights.  

maple pecan ice cream

ice cream is one of those things that i can never cheap out on. i can't go to the frozen foods isle and buy the 5$ a gallon bucket. but i can't quite justify spending my hard earned cash on the really good stuff either. (so i buy the really good stuff anyway and don't think about it!) 

home made ice cream tastes like heaven and its a million time better then anything you could ever buy and every single flavor is in stock. today i made maple pecan. well, i have made the custard - its in the fridge chilling. then when i got home from work tomorrow night, i'll pull the freezing cylinder out of the freezer, add the chopped pecans, churn for about 15 minutes, and let the flavors dance on my tongue. 

i still haven't figured out if i'm going to praline the pecans or not yet...i guess i have time to think about it :) 

Maple Pecan Ice Cream

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons cold, heavy cream
6 egg yolks
2/3  cup maple syrup, the darker the better
2 good pinches sea salt
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

Heat the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Beat the egg yolks lightly in a second, heatproof medium bowl.  

When the milk mixture is warm enough that you see steam rising from the surface, pour it, in batches, very slowly into the yolks, whisking it in to prevent the yolks from cooking. Pour the whole thing back into the saucepan and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping the sides and bottom well, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon (i.e. if you draw your finger across the back of the spoon, it should leave a neat path).

Pour cream into larger bowl, add maple syrup.  Pour in custard and mix to combine. Add salt.  If you want, pour custard through a seive, to remove any possible lumpy egg bits.  

Pour mixture into an quart jar and leave in the fridge over night. This will make the freezing process a million times easier, and the waiting will make it all the more enjoyable! :) 

Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions, adding the pecans when the ice cream is almost set. (if you've chilled it over-night, you'll want to add the pecans right away as it will take no time at all to set). 

playlist:

one evening - feist

need somebody tonight - john hiatt