Niagara Falls

On the second day of our road trip from Massachusetts to Indiana, we drove from Waterloo to Buffalo, New York. While D was reluctant to leave Waterloo, home of the Furniss Train Sleeping Couch Car, Corn Sheller and Separator, and the Scythe tree, I convinced him to press on to our next stop, Niagara Falls.

I'm glad we did. Here are a few photos from our first trip to Niagara Falls State Park.

a stitch of lemon peel

These days, most of my stories rest in the tuck and folds of a quiet morning. A slow yellow stitch between the squint of dreams.

Crows patrol the near empty street. Inside his small bungalow, a man makes candles in the middle of the night. He wears a perpetual thin veil of wax over his fingertips as he pours the milky liquid into short cylinders. Once he needed to use our telephone and in return he left a candle on our doorstep.

After a long night of candle making, he suits up and jogs around the neighborhood, his legs in a slow motion bounce. He returns home to find sleep.

Another stitch of light. Dawn, a stretch cotton, unravels. Dusty pink, red plum, and lemon yellow.

The crows land in a cacophony of shrill language while teetering on the pavement.

I open the back door.

Black wings flutter over a bowl of pocked lemons. They peck and shove until the last lemon is carried away. The street empties and is quiet once again.

A small trace of lemon peel sews into the sky.

I follow the crows and scavenge four lemons hidden behind a maple tree. I cut and squeeze their juices and grate their skins.

"A torte," I said, " I'll make him a torte with ground up macadamia nuts, corn flour, and maple syrup. Light tartness."

I leave it on the candle maker's porch with a note, "I made this for you."



A lemon macadamia nut torte with lemon buttercream frosting and white chocolate chips.

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.




Lemon Macadamia Nut Torte

(printable recipe)

Yield 2 small 4 layer tortes (4 1/2 inch rounds), serves 8

3/4 cup pure maple syrup (divided)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon ground macadamia nuts (grind in a food processor, VitaMix, or coffee grinder)
1/2 cup corn flour (this is different from cornmeal, a finer grind)
4 large eggs (yolks and whites divided)
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup organic coconut oil (melted)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place the racks in the top and center thirds of the oven and preheat to 350F. Get out two baking sheets.

Cut four pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Use a 4 1/2 inch circle (I use the lid of a 32 ounce yogurt container) as a template and a sharpie or pencil, trace two circles on each sheet of paper for a total of eight, and turn over (you will see the circle through the parchment paper but you do not want it to touch the cake batter...).

Combine 1/4 cup maple syrup, ground macadamia nuts, and corn flour. Whip 1/4 cup maple syrup and egg yolks in a separate bowl with an electric mixer about 5 minutes. Beat in lemon zest, coconut oil, and lemon juice. Fold in dry ingredients. Beat egg whites and salt in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the remaining 1/4 cup maple syrup to egg whites a little at a time until stiff, shiny peaks form. Fold egg-white mixture into batter about 1/3 cup at a time, mix well.

Use an offset spatula to spread an even layer of batter into of the traced circles on the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until two trays and four circles are filled. Bake one sheet on the top rack and the second sheet on the middle rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, move the baking sheet from the top rack to the center and the center rack to the top. Bake until the edges are lightly browned and the cake center springs back when pressed gently in the center.

Cool the layers completely. Turn one sheet of parchment paper with 2 cakes over onto a flat surface and slowly peel off the top layer of paper from both cakes. Use the same sheet of paper to rest the cakes on to cool. Repeat with the second sheet. Continue with the two remaining papers and batter to make a second cake with four layers. Cool the layers completely. Use the 4 1/2" template (yogurt lid) and a small serrated knife to trim each layer of cake for even stacking and decorating.

Assemble the torte one layer at a time. Spread each layer with lemon buttercream frosting and white chocolate chips or with alternating layers of lemon curd and raspberry preserves and top with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

(This recipe is inspired by Chef Akasha Richmond's Lemon-Nut Torte With Summer Berries found on www.epicurious.com and originally published in the July 2009 issue of SELF)

long gone

Gone to Indiana, ain't never coming home – from Gun Street Girl by Tom Waits




We leave for Indiana today. See you on the road...

long overdue

Over the past four months, I've received several blog awards from some amazing and talented bloggers. First, let me say that I'm honored and thank you. It's great to be a part of such a creative community. You are a constant source of inspiration!

Onto the awards...


Thank you Julie of Oeufs Mayo for the One Lovely Blog award! Julie writes about food and life as a 'French girl living in Park Slope, Brooklyn.' Visit her blog to discover essential New York City restaurants to dine in, documentary-style Polaroids, and good fresh food.

This award must be passed on to 10 other love-worthy blogs that I have recently discovered.


This award goes to:

Feasting on Art

Lovely Olio

Rosa's Yummy Yums

Not Quite Nigella

Mango & Tomato

Lemonpi

Piggy's Cooking Journal

Tartelette

Zoe Bakes

The Sophisticated Gourmet


Thank you Ann of Healthy Tasty Chow for the Kreativ Blogger Award! As the blog name suggests, Ann's blog showcases mouth-watering food that is flavorful and healthy. Her photos are as lovely as her recipes.

Award to do list:

* Thank the person who has given me the award
* Copy the logo and place it on my blog
* Link to the person who has nominated me for the award

* Name 7 things about myself that people might find interesting
* Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers

* Post links to the 7 blogs I nominate

* Leave a comment on each of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated

About me:

I miss writing hand-written letters.

I have a Master of Arts degree in writing and poetics.

I like the butterflies that swarm in my stomach when I ride fast roller coasters.

One of my favorite photographers is Sophie Calle.

I once hated mustard.

I got my hair cut today.

I rode alone on a grayhound bus from Indiana to California when I was thirteen. A stranger with a large hat slept on my shoulder for many hours before I could wake him. I ate salads and candy bars at the rest stops. I wish I had taken photographs of the trip.

This award goes to:

Cake and Commerce

Pig Pig's Corner

use real butter

Palachinka

Musings From The Fishbowl

Joy the Baker

Megalie


Thank you Anula of Anula's Kitchen for my second One Lovely Blog award! Anula is a fellow Daring Baker and Daring Cook who shares a passion for cooking. Her blog is filled with tasty recipes from around the globe, all of them drool-worthy!

This award must be passed on to 13 other inspirational blogs that I enjoy.



This award goes to:

Thoughts From Becca

Shanna Murray

eggbeater

hula seventy

SouleMama

Simple Lovely

simply photo

Lisa's Musings

my polaroid blog

pictures and pancakes

Nectar & Light

maine momma

angry chicken

the return

Family Vacation. Cape Cod. August 2009.

Last week we watched L, our 14 month-old son, build sandcastles on the beach and ride gentle ocean waves while tucked inside our arms. He chased rabbits on the grassy front lawn. He sat with us in a hammock and pointed to the ocean waves.

"I want to go to there," I whispered for him.

We stayed in a mid-20th Century beach cottage with a family of eight (including two toddlers) on Cape Cod overlooking the ocean. On our first night there we ordered Indian take-out and discovered that the cottage was built by an English professor who penned the history of the Cape in verse.

I wanted to curl up in bed that night with a book and drift off to the sound of the pounding surf. Instead I tucked in with L who by chance was on the verge of cutting four molars and needed much comfort and soothing.

Needless to say, sleep was not on the agenda. Nor was the opportunity to read about the Cape in verse or the many dusty volumes of classic and modern poetry and prose that were packed into the built-in bookshelves. My reading wish list: Henry David Thoreau, T. S. Eliot, Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle) and William Faulkner.

I did, however, manage to crack open Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker's 1975 edition of The Joy of Cooking and Marion Cunningham's 1979 edition of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Both kitchen classics, these two cookbooks were instrumental in teaching Americans how to cook. These books offer a history of the American dinner table set in the same period as the cottage we stayed in.

In the spirit of Fannie Farmer, we ate food recently harvested from our farm share and from our collective gardens. We shared cooking duties and while we slept little, we all ate well.

We even managed to sneak out to the movies on the one day it rained to see the much talked about Julie and Julia. The movie theater was already packed when we arrived so I waited in line for the restroom. Once the line dwindled and I found myself in front of the mirror washing my hands, a young girl with dark curls and silver braces approached me.

"What movie are you going to see?," she asked.

"Julie and Julia," I said.

"Oh, we say that yesterday," she said, "It was marrrvellous!"

"I look forward to it," I said, "What movie are you going to see?"

"500 Days of Summer," she said. She dried her hands with a brown paper towel and spun around in her skirt and out the door.

I have to say that I agree with her.




Peaches Poached in Sweet Blueberry Wine

(printable recipe)

Yield 4 servings

3/4 cup water
1/4 cane sugar (for a sweeter syrup, use up to 3/4 cup cane sugar)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups sweet blueberry wine (or other sweet, fruity, and full-bodied red wine)
12 fresh mint leaves (I prefer using chocolate mint)
1 1/2 pounds ripe peaches

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, maple syrup, blueberry wine, and mint leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes. Slice the peaches in half; remove the pit and peel. Cut the peaches into 3/4-inch thick wedges and cook up to 10 minutes (for ripe peaches, longer for unripe) in the blueberry wine syrup. The peaches should be cooked just long enough to heat them up.

Allow the peaches to chill in their syrup. Serve cold with a few spoonfuls of wine syrup over top.

(This recipe is inspired by Lindsey Remolif Shere's Elberta Peaches Poached in Red Wine with Cinnamon Basil found in Chez Panisse Desserts).

direct line

One week before the fire, we order take out from Smokin' Bowls Soup Shack on Route 103 in Bellows Falls, Vermont. The wooden shack is narrow inside and fits one or two people behind the grill. They specialize in simple dishes using quality local and organic ingredients and on that day, Mexican food. I choose a black bean burrito with a tangy cilantro and jalapeno cream sauce. It took a while for our food since there is already a small line in front of us when we order, so we walk around and find a rotary phone in back connecting the shack to a telephone pole. The guy inside said, "It's for deliveries."

A week later, we return for more of anything smothered with that cilantro cream only to find the Shack's smoky remains. In shock we drive away and eat flat barbecue without even a subtle pretense of heat. Lucky for Smokin' Bowls fans, they plan to rebuild "Bigger and Better" this October in two locations.

away

An epic sky and long surf fall into one continuous blue curtain. Beneath a sun dried coat of sand, salt, and ice cold waves, we lie in silence. Book pages turn in the wind. I daydream: a sentence or two lifts letter by letter off the page and floats skyward as if trailing the Goodyear blimp. Really, I can't think of any other place I'd rather be.

A light cucumber salad for a long awaited beach picnic. Enjoy.




Cucumber Avocado Salad
adapted from Mark Bittman's 101 Simple Salads for the Season

(printable recipe)

Yield 4-6 servings

2 pounds cucumber (peeled, seeded, and chopped)
1 medium carrot (shredded)
1 avocado (chopped)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil


In a bowl, combine the cucumber, carrot, and avocado. In a separate bowl, whisk the mirin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil together for the dressing. When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the cucumber salad and top with sesame seeds. Gently toss the salad and serve.

descartes bakes

News flash. Rene Descartes is alive and baking in our town. Evidently, that old 'brain in a vat' experiment really works.

the green and the gold

Then we ate cake. Scratched from air. Shiny egg whites. Green tea powder. Orange blossom honey. Cake so light it sailed over sunken red dots in a pool of creamy white. Yogurt. Raspberries. Pale leaf green.



We made a day of cake.

Breakfast: plain cake with a cup of tea.

Lunch: cake coated with a thin veil of golden honey.

Dinner: cake parfaits with alternating layers of raspberries, yogurt, and honey.

The sun rose and set, and still there was cake.





Matcha Tea & Honey Angel Cakes (Gluten Free)
(printable recipe)

Yield about 2 dozen cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons matcha green tea powder
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 11 large)
2 teaspoons warm water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup raw honey

Topping

4 cups fresh raspberries raspberries
2 cups plain yogurt (whole or lowfat milk)
2-4 tablespoons raw honey

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Sift flours, matcha, xanthan gum, and sea salt together 3 times; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine egg whites, water, lemon juice, cream of tartar, and vanilla. Using a mixer, beat on low speed for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 3-5 minutes, until mixture looks like soft foam, stiff but not dry. On medium-high speed, beat in several tablespoons of honey at a time, taking 2-3 minutes. Once all the honey has been added, the foam will be glossy white and hold soft peaks.

Sift the flour mixture over the whites 1/4 cup at a time and gently fold in.

Spoon batter into ungreased muffin pans.

Bake until cupcakes are lightly golden, top springs back when touched about 28-32 minutes. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool completely. Use a knife to loosen sides of muffin cups.

Rinse fresh raspberries and allow to dry on a towel. Whisk honey and yogurt together. Cut cupcakes in half. Serve cupcakes with a few spoonfuls of honey yogurt and fresh raspberries or make a parfait by layering yogurt, raspberries, and sliced cupcake in a glass, repeat again until glass is full. Top with a drizzle of raw honey.

(This recipe is inspired by the Joy of Cooking's Angel Food Cake and Bon Appetit's Vanilla Angel Food Cake with Mango-Ginger Sauce, from April 1998)