Gonzo Muffins

A bit of this and a bit of that is all your really need to succeed! I try to apply this wisdom to everything I do, especially in the kitchen. This recipe is really for blueberry muffins, but if you are a bit heavy handed on the milk, the tops peak over at the end of baking and they look a bit like the beak on the Muppet Gonzo.

I realize the inexact nature of this recipe may be rather uninviting to many bakers. Having acknowledged this I say you should get over it. At the risk of sounding cruel, I think the single biggest challenge anyone faces when preparing food is confidence, or a lack thereof. The thing about food is that it is not permanent.... no one will die (as long as proper food safety guidelines are followed) or forever shame you if you make something less than perfect. What ever you prepare, it will be all gone in a weeks time and probably forgotten. So once again, get over it and learn how to trust your own judgement in the kitchen. You are good at this, really!

Gonzo Muffins

beat:

4 eggs

1/2 heaping cup sugar

splash milk

splash oil

splash vanilla

mix in:

1 heaping cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

a couple big shakes of wheat germ

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

stir in:

blueberries, preferably wild, frozen

Pour into greased muffin cups to the top. Sprinkle tops with sugar. Place in a 450 oven for twenty minutes. Reduce heat to 425 (convect if you can) for 2-5 minutes until done. Enjoy warm or not!

Should make 12 muffins. If you find there is not enough batter to accommodate 12, you should add more blueberries next time. If muffins are dry add more oil.

The rain has stopped, so I picked some flowers

It has been raining here in southern New Hampshire FOREVER...at least it seems that way. This morning the rain stopped and I decided to go assess the damage. I did not find any, instead I found that the whole world was coming into it's own. Everything is lush and green, the lilacs, apples, cherries and mock orange are in bloom. The backyard is full of forget-me-nots.

After working on a wedding with Sasha last month I look a little differently at what is growing for free right outside my door. I became inspired and thought I might try my hand at a mid-May, all for free brides bouquet. Have I mentioned that flowers are Sasha's thing? Well they are and I hope that my novice floral eyes have done some justice the the beauty that surrounds us right now.

First I foraged in my own back yard, there I found lilac, apple, forget-me-nots, some purple weedy thing and some white weedy thing. Next I moved across the street to some "public" land and snipped some cherry, crab apple, more lilac and mock orange.

Having collected a stash of fragrant spring blooms to work with I am ready. I began with the lilacs all by themselves. Lilacs are nothing short of amazing. The flowers are so large and perfumed and their season is so short, they truly are a unique situation all alone. If you were putting together a late spring wedding in New England you could use nothing more than lilacs and manage a stunning, aromatic display. I was only able to reach the standard light purple lilac, though, there are many other varieties ranging from grey blue to deep burgundy to white, all of which are widely available in these parts.

Next I moved toward putting the rest of the blossoms together to create a meaningful and memorable display.

I think it came out lovely, whether for a simple brides bouquet or very fragrant centerpiece options. One thing I like about using blooms from trees and shrubs is their versatility. Urns filled with crab apple boughs and mock orange would be stunning at an alter. Snippets of small clusters of blooms can be used on and around the cake. Another thing to keep in mind is the span of the season. The lilacs are just coming out in my town, but they came out a week ago in the next town over. If I were to travel north a short way I would have access to things already going by here.

Making Space and Finding Treasure

As spring is well upon us and summer is nearly here I am reorganizing my kitchen to accommodate the culinary delights from the summer garden. Part of this task has involved weeding through the many cookbooks that clutter my shelves. As a food lover I find it very difficult to part with these books, even if I have never used them for meal preparation.

I spent this morning reviewing the 1953 edition of Better Homes and Gardens new Cookbook. This book has graced my kitchen shelf for over ten years, and I have yet to make a single recipe from its depths. It should have been an obvious choice for the "get rid of" pile.... and yet, I find I cannot part with it. What tickles me about this book begins right in chapter one with meal planning. How can one part with a book that recommends Fried Brains with Glazed Pineapple as a main dish? If this doesn't give you pause then read on and consider serving your family Tongue with Gingersnap Sauce for a change.

Chapter two is loaded with tried and true kitchen tips from measuring to storage. If per chance you shopped for the Fried Brains dinner but won't be preparing it today you would need the know that "... brains are delicate. If to be refrigerated, simmer in salted water with dash lemon juice or vinegar for 15 minutes. Drain, refrigerate in covered container up to two days. "

Chapter twelve, entitled Jiffy Cooking is devoted to meal prep with short cuts. Most of the tips and recipes covered in this chapter would seem normal enough to the modern homemaker at a glance. The general idea is to use some pre-made ingredients to cut your prep time. Generally speaking, I do not believe in food short cuts, but with titles like "Pizza Hash" and "Hot Dogs Delicious" I wonder if I might reconsider. What I find lacking in this section are descriptions for these pernicious meal titles. Has anyone in the nearly sixty years since this book was published ever made pizza hash?

The rest of the book is JAM packed with interesting photographs, illustrations, tips and often unheard of foods. Truly the best chapter is saved for the end when it trains in the lost art of table setting for entertaining. "...there's no getting around it-an imaginative table setting does make food taste better." This section pays homage to the often under-acknowledged napkin and it's contributions to a balanced, colorful, and personalized table. Also to be found in this section are instructions for seating your guests and the proper way to serve after-dinner coffee. I feel like throwing a formal dinner party now that I know the respectable way to set places and what pieces to set them with.

After re-familiarizing myself with this long forgotten treasure I think I shall let it linger a while longer.