apple cinnamon muffins of varying heights--Little S had a good time filling the tin-- that's his unofficial job --Everyone here is still sick so we've all been stuck inside the cavern. There isn't much to do but clean and cook and then take temperatures...beep, beep, beep.
I don't post much about recipes and food because I get most of my recipes from foodie friends and their blogs and there isn't much sense in repeating what they already posted. I do love to cook and bake though and I spend hours in the little kitchen I posted pictures of.
Most nights we eat vegetables, about a 1 litre jar gets filled each afternoon with whatever I have in the fridge, --often tomatoes, a potato, courgettes, onions and carrots--always garlic! I can usually chop and fill it in 15 minutes or so (while listening to podcasts!) I buy three days worth of meat at a time or sometimes tofu and I make our dinners in a huge cast iron skillet with drizzled olive oil. It's my generic, predictable meal. Although it sounds boring it isn't really. The veggies change regularly, sometimes grilled or steamed and sometimes the whole thing gets cooked and made into a quiche or dished out on tortillas and smothered in lime. My friend Lucy is the one who taught me about making a "spice mix maison" and this is what I use, regularly changing it around about every two weeks to suit my whims. Right now it tends to have a lot of curry and pinches of cinnamon in it. It's my own mix and she's right I think it is important to make your own mix (although Lucy gives you a good start by posting what's in hers). I keep it stored in a baby food jar next to the stove and you can actually see it in the photo below or the post I did about my kitchen. It's a wonderful way to not fumble around for individual spices and have fun with flavors.
About twice a week I play in the kitchen making new things and experimenting with different recipes. I like learning so I usually try to find something challenging but sometimes I just get a hankering for something and I have to have it. This week it was meatloaf of all things and I found a great alternative to my mom's 1970 traditional recipe, Italian Meatloaf. This was fun to make but very hard to roll. I added olives and walnuts to the recipe and for some reason bought fresh parmesean instead of mozzarella which I ended up preferring. I also stir cooked my own mushrooms in some wine and used that juice. (I love that there is a recipe for "Baby's First Meatloaf" on that site and I have no idea why they put a tablespoon of formula into it. I guess that's what makes it suitable for babies. That's just so funny).
I am trying to learn to be a better baker, always trying and slowly improving. The whole time we were in Mexico my oven didn't work and it drove me mad trying to get my landlord over to fix it. Mexican landlords are very casual about things like that. When I got to Florida to visit my parents I went a little crazy baking every day. I just had to get it out of my system. It was a long year without an oven!
Baking in France is a little bit of a challenge for an American because of the difference in flours and rising powders. I often cheat and bring things back from the States. (If you're coming to visit France soon bring me some Clabber Girl baking powder please! ) Pastry chef David Lebowitz has lots of wonderful recipes and he gives great tips for American bakers living in France, hints for substitutions and lots of tips for where to find things. His blog is linked in my sidebar.
Right now I'm trying to make that No Knead Bread from the New York Times website, (rising nicely in my kitchen from yesterday but lots of people seem to have problems with it) and I'm on a muffin kick. I don't remember where I got my apple-cinannamon muffin recipe but it's similar to this one. These would be fun for Halloween decorated with caramel icing. I haven't gotten around to the icing yet so maybe my Halloween muffins will be chocolate chip because these are already gone!
(Notes for the expat baker--I used French self rising flour and levure chimique in cakes. It's the only way I can get anything to rise. People often tell me they use yeast in place of levure chimique but I have never given this a try. If you are looking for baking soda in France look in the aisle where the salt is. It comes in a container that looks a bit like salt, and shockingly enough not sold in a bright yellow box with decapitated limbs--(how is this even possible?) It's called bicarbonate alimentaire.)
4 comments:
I made muffins this weekend too! Oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins. Jack did all the mixing, pouring and egg cracking. I was only allowed to measure the ingredients.
But I am not so adventurous with meals. My repertoire is pretty repetitive and linked to the season. (Right now it's a lot of pumpkin, broccoli and calliflower on a rotation basis.) Nothing too exciting around here.
Isn't it cute to have little boys in the kitchen baking? I want him to always be a passionate about food so I always try to get him to help me.
Oh I bet you have lots of little local recipes that you've picked up without realizing it. There are so many Italian recipes I'd love to make here but the ingredients are so hard to find and so expensive! I find that weird because France is right next to Italy and theres the EU and everything.
What are the basic ingredients of Lucy's or your "spice mix maison"? I cannot find this described anywhere on-line. Merci!
Sorry that link is broken. Without searching it out again I'll just tell you what mine sort of is (this month at least), --rock salt, cracked pepper, curry, tumermeric, paprika) The quantities are somewhat equal. You can make your own by experimenting with herbs and spices you like.
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