Happy (late) 1st anniversary or the wooing bread roll

So I'm almost ten days late wishing my blog happy first birthday. Which was, as all of you who can count and/or found their ways to the calender page know already, the 4th of this month. (Although actually, I'm not sure I even have a calender page. Does blogspot have a calender page?) I kind of thought I should make an anniversary post as all the cool kids are doing with their blogs, but then rocks fell and everybody died. I MEAN I got kidnapped. I MEAN I ran away. I MEAN-- oh this is getting us nowhere. The Real reason for the outrageous delay of this post is as follows.

I was confusingly and surprisingly well aware of the date, I didn't forget. What is more, I had pictures to show you, I had things to tell and stuff to rant about. There was just this thing called the visit of a Very important and dear friend (who just might be called Vilina, please don't chase her to Argentina because of kidnapping me) over the holidays of May Day, which led to visiting the very important and dear friend who maybe lives in Turku spontaneously and kidnappingly and ran away-y just on the evening of the 4th when I had planned to do the post. Then the next day I was going to make the post, but a certain mr. computer refused to play nicely with my camera and so I decided to drop it and try again later at home. And, well, I returned last Monday.

And what comes to the trip itself, I must say that "the Official Royal Cat Amuser and Petter is super pleased by the trip and misses her kidnapper very much" doesn't really even begin to describe it. Or, well, does begin. But is daunted well before halfway.

That's the story, then. In fact I think it's rather exciting and much more romantic to have a story to tell as an excuse for being late than just be on time every time. And that's it for today, I guess. Tune in later this week (hopefully), there's going to be a word or two about a very nice bulgur and dried cranberry salad plus a picture of this very short and not-anymore-that-new hair of mine if you'd happens have any interest towards it. Or hadn't seen it just yet.

Thoughts may vary or stream of consciousness

 

Sattumanvaraisia sekä mielivaltaisia mietteitä:

-- Joskus, kun istuu tietokoneella keskellä yötä ja yrittää olla mahdollisimman hiljaa ja nauraa sisäänpäin tai tyynyyn koska koko muu talo nukkuu ja äiti muutaman metrin päässä seläntakana, alkaa ihan valtavasti tehdä mieli jotakin, mitä ei takuulla ole jääkaapissa tai mitä ei voi alkaa ryminällä laittamaan keskellä yötä. Joskus se on mozzarellaa, toisinaan se on ollu vaikka munakasta. Kerran se oli lihapataa ja sitä nyt ei ainakaan saa mistään keskellä yötä. Toisinaan mietin millasta mahtaa olla asua vaikka New Yorkissa, missä melkein mitä tahansa saa mihin aikaan vaan. Vaikka punajuuria keskellä yötä. Varmaan melko hämmentävää. Yöllisiä leipomisia ei mikään estäisi! Paitsi nukkuva äiti muutaman metrin päässä, tosiaan.

-- Tiedättekö sen tunteen, ko toisaalta tekis mieli vaan lähteä. Ei väliä minne, ei väliä millä, kunhan vaan pääsisi pois. Toisiin paikkoihin, omia menojaan, mahdollisimman kauas ja hukkaan muilta ja tietämättömiin seikkailuihin. Toisaalta pelottaa niin ettei haluais ees sängystä nousta aamulla. Minusta tuntuu nyt siltä.

-- Olin tänään melkein valmistautunut kirjottamaan jostakin, joka olis mennyt ihan päin männikköä. Jostaki surkeasta reseptistä tai jostaki joka oli tätä vaille valmis mutta kuppi tippui lattialle tai aineksista, joita olisin kokeillu yhteen mutta joista olis tullu vähintäänki sellasta ydinjätettä että sillä vois kiristää muita lähettämällä sitä niille kirjeessä, mutta mitään sellasta ei tapahtunukkaan tänään. Siitäpä tulikin mieleeni, ajatelkaapa jos joku lähettäis ydinjätettä toiselle kirjeessä, mutta joku postivaras sattuisi sen varastamaan. Olispa melko huono päivä sille poloiselle.

-- Tiedättekö, menin tänään ympäri internettiä ja tutkin muutamaa unohtamaani ruokablogia lähemmin ja löysin muutamaan uuden. Kuinka valtavan hienoja reseptejä, kuinka kekselijäitä ideoita! Sellaisia minäkin haluan joskus keksiä ja kirjottaa niistä. Tuntea ne kaikki ruokabloginpitäjät Amerikasta jotka vierailevat toistensa luona road tripeillään, kirjottaa ehkä reseptikirjan. Tietää mikä viini menee minkäkin kanssa. Osata keksiä jotakin sellasta, joka on odottamatonta mutta silti niin lähellä, että on vaikea lainkaan ymmärtää miten ei ennen ole tullut ajatelleeksi kokeilla niin itsestään selviä aineksia keskenään. Kaikkea hassua jännitystä elämään tehdä.

-- Kuinka onkaan hassua tavata vanha ystävä muutaman vuoden takaa ja huomata tarkkailevansa ihan muita asioita hänessä, kuin mitä silloin ennen. Toisia piirteitä, toisia tapoja ja ajatuksia, sellasia, jotka on aina kyllä olleet siinä, mutta joita ei koskaan oo tullut ennen ajatelleeksi tai kiinnittänyt sen erityisempää huomiota. Vähänniinkoin kun joskus yllättää itsensä ajattelemasta jotakin, jota on ehkä ajatellu jo viikon muttei oo vaan ajatellut ajattelevansa. Ehkä se kertoo ajatusmaailman muutoksesta. Vaikka se onkin tylsästi sanottu, on ainakin mukavaa kuvitella muuttuvansa niin lyhyessä ajassa. Minusta ainakin.

-- Minulla ei vieläkään ole junalippua Pariisista Nîmesiin enkä tiedä miten sellaisen saisin. En silti osaa lainkaan huolestua asiasta.

Next, something I bet you didn't see coming.

En edes muista koska olisin nauranu viimeksi yhtä paljon kuin tälle eilen. Kutsukaa omituiseksi, mutta niin se vain on.

Ei, älkää menkö! Ensikerralla palataan taas normaaliin, resepteihin ja sellaseen. Ehkä.

A short trip and a dessert feast that lasted for half a week

    

Ohhoh, kattokaapas miten aika lentää - en minä missään välissä suunnitellut teitä näin kauaksi aikaa hyljätä. Varsinkin ko kirjotukset on nyt onnellisesti ohi ja luulin että aikaa olis enemmän ko tarpeeksi sellasiin asioihin ko kastikkeiden perusteelliseen opetteluun ja blogin päivittämiseen niin eipäs vaan, yllätys oli suuri ja asia aivan päin vastoin! Aika tuntuu vaan lentävän. Pian on jo toukokuu ja sen jälkeen pian jo jotakin aivan muuta. En edes yritä kieltää - pelottaa ihan valtavasti.

Sitten jotakin muuta. Kirjotukset tosiaan oli ja meni, lähes ihmeen vaivatta jopa. Ootin hurjaa taistelua uskonnonkokeen kohdalla, mutta mitään sellasta ei sitten loppujen lopuksi tullutkaan ja se hämmensi kovasti. En tosin jaksa olla järin innostunut kuulemaan edes tuloksia, sillä nyt on tärkeintä lähinnä se että ne on ohi eikä tarvitse enää niistä huolia. Tokihan nyt vähän aina kiinnostaa kuulla miten on mennyt, mutten odota sitä tietoa.

Pian kirjotusten jälkeen, ite asiassa jo samalla viikolla, leivoin paljon kaikenlaista kirjotusten loppumisen ja Unnan sokerilakon loppumisen kunniaksi. Siitä tulikin lopulta monen päivän mittanen feast, koska edes kolme ihmistä yhessä ei voi niin montaa sokerista jälkiruokaa saada tuhottua pelkässä yhdessä iltapäivässä. Reseptit lopussa sitten. Aa, ainiin - syökää nyt ihmeessä jotakin ennenko luette, varsinkin jos tuutte helposti ruokavalokuvista nälkäisiksi. Siispä, hakekaa jokin mukava leipä tai eilisen leftoverseja ja oikein hyvää kahvia kupillinen tai vaikka mehua, niin kaikki päättyy paremmin. Varotin sitten, ette voi syyttää.

Ensimmäinen, jonka tosin tein viimesenä, oli Strawberry & Vanilla Floating Islands, yllättävän helppo tehdä eikä maultaan yhtään sen vähäisempi ko ulkonäöltäkään, jos saa omia teoksiaan vähän kehua. Marenkisaaresta tuli tosin melko hurjan sokerinen, mutta se sopi mansikkaliemen kanssa paremmin kuin hyvin. Kelluva saari on alunperinkin eurooppalainen jälkiruoka, tosin perinteisesti liemi on crème anglaise, maitopohjainen vaniljanmakuinen kastike. Minusta tosin henkilökohtasesti tuntuu, että edes minä pieni hurja sokerihiiri en voisi syödä jotaki niin äkkimakeaa loppuun asti, crème anglaisea ja marenkia yhdessä.

Tämän kohdalla mietin, että olisko pitänyt laittaa Food from the States osioon, mutta sitten kävikin ilmi etten oikeastaan tiedä, mistä maasta muffinssit on kotosin. En myöskään vieläkään tiedä, mitä eroa on muffinsilla ja cupcakella, jota ei voi edes suomentaa. Sinänsä harmi, koska Food from the States on hauska asia ja Sanna armas ystäväiseni teki ihan oman tunnuskuvan koko sarjalle. Mutta taidan silti tyytyä vain esittelemään Omena-pekaani muffinsit itsenään. Muffinsit ittessään oli oikein mainioita, pelkästään kuorrute oli vähän ylisokerista kenenkään meistä makuun. Näytti silti kauniilta.

Kaikista paras oli silti Rasberry Dacquoise, kakku, jonka pohja sepä päällys on pähkinäjauhoihin tehty levy ja joiden välissä on kermavaahto-jugurtti -vaahtoa ja vadelmia. Sitä oli myös mukava tehdä ja se ei ollut yhtään liian makea muttei kuitenkaan turhan hapankaan - selvästikään ei amerikkalainen resepti, melkeinpä täydellinen vastakohta muffinsseille. Olinkin jo melko tovin kaihoisana toivonut, että saisin hyvän syyn kokeilla reseptiä jonka Clotilde vähän joulun jälkeen esitteli blogissaan. Ensikerralla taidan tosin suosiolla yrittää tehä pohjan ja päällyksen erikseen enkä vaan leikata yhtä pyörylää kahtia, se oli vähän turhan katastrofaalista. Olisitte nähneet sen siivon mikä siitä yrityksestä syntyi!

Sen lisäksi oli myös cheesecake brownies, koska niitä toivottiin, mutta niistä ei ole kuvaa. Kummallista miten jotaki niin hyvää voi olla niin vaikea kuvata edustavan näköisesti.

Viime viikolla olin Vilinan luona Turussa käymässä muutaman päivän ja se oli valtavan hauska ja virkistävä matka, vaikka nappasinki melkosen flunssan sieltä kotiinvietäväksi. Niin hauska ite asiassa etten edes hoksannut paljoa kuvata, mutta tässä sentään vuohenjuusto-granaattiomena -salaatti. Aamupalakuva tuolla ylhäällä on myös samaiselta matkalta.

Voisin kertoa vaikka ja mitä Turun-matkasta, mutten usko että saisin kaikkea kuitenkaan tyhjentävästi kerrottua. Täytyy silti mainita että Vilinan ja Katan seura oli mitä parasta ja Vilinan koti niin hurjan kodikas että melkein unohdin toisinaan että olin vain lyhytaikainen vieras. Kiitos Vilina, kiitos Kata.

Tänään.. Tänään. Tänään luin Humisevaa harjua muutaman tunnin ja söin eilisen lammaspadan lefoverseja. Humiseva harju on melko synkkä, mutta pidän sen lukemisesta, viihdyn sen seurassa tunteja kerrallaan jos niikseen tulee. Olin itsestäni melko ylpeä, tein lammaspataa ilman reseptiä eikä siitä tullut edes pahaa! Ehkä kaikki toivo ei olekaan vielä menetetty, ehkä minusta voikin vielä tulla jotakin.

Reseptejä sitten.

Raspberry Dacquoise

Originally from Chocolate & Zucchini

For the dacquoise:
- 50 grams (1/2 cup) ground hazelnuts (see note 1)
- 50 grams (1/2 cup) ground almonds, a.k.a. almond meal
- 100 grams (3/4 cup) confectioner's sugar
- 4 egg whites (120 grams or 4 1/2 ounces total)
- 1 pinch salt
- 30 grams (2 1/2 tablespoons) sugar (I use blond raw sugar)

For the filling :
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cup) fromage blanc, or Greek-style yogurt, or quark
- 25 grams (2 tablespoons) sugar (I use blond raw sugar)
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- 4 sheets gelatin (7.5 grams or 1/4 ounce total, see note 2)
- 200 ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) whipping cream
- 300 grams (2 1/3 cups) raspberries (if frozen, don't thaw them)

For finish :
- Confectioner's sugar
- A stencil shape drawn on and cut out from light cardboard (a star, a snowflake, a flower, a heart, a Christmas tree, you get the idea)

Serves 10 to 12.

1. The day before, prepare the dacquoise. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F) and line a quarter-size sheet pan with parchment paper. I use a flexipat silicon sheet pan that's 24.5 x 34.5 cm (9 2/3 by 13 1/2 inches) and is 1-cm (3/8-inch) deep; it doesn't need lining.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground hazelnuts and almonds with the confectioner's sugar.

In another, spotless and grease-free bowl, put the egg whites and the pinch of salt. Using an electric whisk, beat the egg whites, at moderate speed first, then faster, until they form soft peaks. Add the 30 grams sugar and whisk for a few seconds more, until the egg whites are glossy.

Fold a third of the egg whites into the hazelnut mixture, working gently with a spatula to avoid deflating the egg whites. Repeat with another third of the egg whites, then with the remaining egg whites.

Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, level the surface with the spatula, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the surface is dry to the touch and golden. Let cool completely in the pan. Cover with a clean dishcloth and keep somewhere cool and dry. (If you used the silicon sheet pan, flip it cautiously onto the dishcloth and gently peel the silicon pan back from the dacquoise, starting from the corners. Place a sheet of parchment paper onto the dacquoise, flip the dacquoise again onto a rack or a tray, and cover with the dishcloth.)

2. The next day, prepare the filling. Place the fromage blanc in a fine-mesh sieve to drain in the fridge for an hour. Place a medium mixing bowl and the whisk of your electric whisk in the fridge as well.

In the meantime, cut the dacquoise into two equal rectangles so they'll fit into a 24 x 17 cm (9 1/2 by 6 2/3 inch) rectangular pastry ring, or the ring/pan of your choice. You'll note that the dacquoise is dry to the touch on one side (the side that was exposed to air during the baking) and slightly sticky on the other (the side that was touching the pan during the baking).

Place one of the dacquoise rectangles, sticky side up, on a piece of parchment paper that's larger by at least 7 cm (3 inches) on all sides, placed on a cutting board or serving dish. Adjust the pastry ring over the dacquoise rectangle, cut out squares in each corner outside the ring so the parchment paper will form the shape of a cross, and slip the flaps inside the ring to line the sides neatly. Set aside. (Instead of parchment paper, some people also line the sides of their pastry rings with a clear plastic named rhodoid, but I am weary of letting PVC touch my food, so I don't use it.)

Once the fromage blanc is thickened, place it in a medium mixing bowl and beat it with the sugar and vanilla.

Put the sheet gelatin in a bowl of cold water to soften. Set 1 tablespoon whipping cream aside in a small saucepan.

Take the mixing bowl and the whisk that you'd set in the fridge to cool, and use them to whip the remaining cream until stiff.

Heat the reserved tablespoon of cream over gentle heat. When it is just under a simmer, remove it from heat. Squeeze the sheet gelatin in your hands to drain, add to the cream, and stir to dissolve. Pour into the fromage blanc mixture and whisk to incorporate.

Fold the whipped cream into the fromage blanc.

3. Assemble the entremets. Pour a generous third of the filling into the prepared pastry ring, making sure you fill the corners well. Top with the raspberries: align them harmoniously all around and up against the sides of the ring first, so they'll be visible when the entremets is unmolded; arrange the others in a single layer in the middle. Top with the rest of the fromage blanc mixture, again making sure to fill the corners. Level the surface with a spatula, top with the second dacquoise rectangle, sticky side down, and press gently so it adheres well.

Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 3 hours, ideally 6 to 8, and no more than 10 (after that, the dacquoise will begin to turn soggy).

Thirty minutes before serving, remove the entremets from the fridge and slide it onto a serving dish. Lift the ring to remove it. Peel the flaps of parchment paper delicately from the sides, cut them off with the tip of a sharp knife, and discard. Place the stencil on top of the cake, dust with confectioner's sugar through a fine-mesh sieve, and remove the stencil. Serve 30 minutes after removing from the fridge.

Note 1: If you're unable to find ground hazelnuts, you can make your own. Combine a scant 1/2 cup (50g) hazelnuts with half of the confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a blender or mini-chopper, and process in short pulses until reduced to a fine powder.

Strawberry & Vanilla Floating Islands Recipe:
Originally from Tartelette

Serves 4

For the strawberry coulis:
16 oz (500gr) strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/4 cup (50gr) sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
In a medium saucepan, bring the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice to a simmer over medium low heat. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and puree the mixture in a blender or food processor. Divide evenly between 4 dishes or glasses.

For the floating islands:
2 egg whites (60gr)
1/2 cup+1.5 tablespoons (120gr) sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeded
Coat 4 ramekins of your choice with cooking spray, place them in a deep baking dish set on a baking tray, set aside.
Preheat the oven to 250F.
Place the egg whites, sugar and the seeds from the vanilla bean in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and cook until the mixture registers 140F on a candy thermoter, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and whip the mixture with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until double in volume and cool to the touch. Pipe or spoon the meringue into the ramekins and fill the baking dish with hot water almost 3/4 of the way up. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the meringues are slightly dry to the touch. Using tongs, remove the ramekins from the baking dish and set aside to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, invert them and let the meringue slide right off over the strawberry coulis.
Decorate with cut strawberries and chopped pistachios is desired.

Apple Pecan Cupcakes
Can't remember where from, do tell if you know. Not mine, still. Adapted from Allrecipes.com

58 mini-cupcakes / 12 large cupcakes.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups finely chopped apples
3/4 cup finely chopped, roasted pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line cupcake molds of choice with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk, stirring until batter is smooth. Spoon batter into the cupcake molds.

Bake for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cupcakes are done when they spring back to the touch.

It's five o'clock somewhere

 

Helloo March! Helloo exams! Helloo a very odd new way to spend a Wednesday evening! What better way to start the month but with random photos, especially after some quite photo lacking posts? That's what I thought, here we go! Random photo's from the last couple of weeks. This time with alternate texts!

This is the very delicious Broccoli and Apple Quiche from Clotilde's first book.

 

We visited Iisa's new place last week and it was very beautifully decorated and stylish. It was a pleasure to photograph.

This one's from Iisa's place as well.

Aand then something completely else. Can you recognize the costume?

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Happy Ash Wednesday, everyone! I know, I'm kind of late with this Mardi Gras post, I had two perfectly good weeks to write about it but I didn't. Still, surely it'll all be forgiven when you read what I baked yesterday, no?  But first let's talk some more about Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras in the United States mostly, even though it is celebrated in many other countries as well. Actually I refuse to leave this world before I've seen the Mardi Gras in Venice.

While Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) isn't celebrated all over the United States, many regions and cities have different kinds of Mardi Gras celebrations from balls to King cake parties. Mardi Gras is a French Catholic tradition and was brought in North America by the Le Moyne brothers, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Babtiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in the late 17th century. In most places the Mardi Gras season starts on Twelfth night (January 6) and ends on Mardi Gras day. Celebrations are especially concentrated for the last two weeks and the weather permitting, there's at least one parade every day for those two weeks. The biggest parades take place on the last five days of the season.

What did I bake then, you ask? What does Baking have to do with Mardi Gras? A King Cake, that's what I baked. A king's cake is a traditional treat eaten the whole Mardi Gras season, starting from the first week in January. King Cake parties are being held for the whole season up until this very day when the lent begins. The King cakes appeared after 1872 when Rex Krewe selected the traditional Mardi Gras colours, purple, green and gold. They each have a deeper meaning to them: purple represents justice, green faith and gold power. There are at least two things you can recognize a King Cake from. Firstly, it's sprinkled with purple, green and gold sugar and secondly, there's a small plastic baby or a red bean inside. The tradition is that whoever gets the piece with the baby or the bean inside will be the King or the Queen of the day, lucky for the following year and has to buy or bake the King cake the next year.

 

This cake was exceptionally hazardous for me. I almost broke two kitchen machines, couldn't find sugar with the right colours, rolled the dough a little too thin, made such a Hueg mess in the kitchen that I've never seen worse in this house and all sorts of things like that. But it was all worth it, the cake is So delicious. So delicious in fact, that it's almost gone already.

Even though Mardi Gras is already over for this year, here's the recipe I used without the slight variations I made so you can maybe make the cake next year. At first I was a bit puzzled with this recipe, but eventually everything turned out just fine.

King Cake Recipe Originally from NOLA Cuisine

For the Brioche:

1 Envelope Active Dry Yeast
2 Tbsp Warm Water (115 degree F)
1 tsp Iodized Salt
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Milk
2 tsp Orange Zest, minced
2 Cups All Purpose Flour, sifted
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Eggs, beaten
1 1/4 sticks cold Unslated Butter, cut into very small dice
1 Egg beaten and 2 Tbsp water, for the eggwash
1 plastic baby trinket

Dissolve the yeast in the workbowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, let stand until frothy.
Dissolve the salt, sugar, orange zest and milk in a small bowl. When dissolved combine the milk mixture with the yeast mixture. Mix the cinnamon with the flour.
With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, then gradually add the flour, until all is incorporated. Knead on low speed for 10 minutes, or until a smooth elastic dough is formed. A little more flour may be necessary. With the motor running, incorporate the butter into the dough, a little at a time but rather quickly so that it doesn’t heat up and melt.
Turn the dough into an oiled bowl, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour in a warm spot.
When the dough has doubled in bulk punch it down, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll the dough out to a 6 x 18 inch rectangle. Spead the Pecan filling (recipe below) out in the middle of the rectangle along the whole length, leaving about 1 1/2 inch on each side. Place the baby trinket somewhere with the filling. Fold the length of the dough over the filling and roll up tightly, leaving the seam side down. Turn the roll into a circle, seam side down and put one end inside of the other to hide the seam, and seal the circle. Place the cake on a baking sheet and let rise, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Brush all over with the egg wash, then place the king cake into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

When the cake cools, brush with some of the glaze (recipe below) thinned out with more cold water. This will help the sugars adhere. Decorate the cake with the colored sugars and drizzle some of the thicker glaze onto the cake.

Place on a large round serving plate and decorate with Mardi Gras beads, doubloons and whatever else that you like.

For the Pecan filling:

1 Cup Pecan halves, broken up slightly and roasted until fragrant
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
1 pinch of salt
4 Tbsp Steen’s Cane Syrup

Combine all of the ingredients together.

For the glaze

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Bourbon
Water (enough to make a paste that can be drizzled)

Combine the sugar and bourbon, whisk in enough water to make a glaze that can be drizzled.

The worst pies in London

Hey wow, hear this, world: I'm done with high school! Oh, yes I know, there are still some minor examination thingies to be done like, oh I don't know, French and Finnish and religion, but at least I have no courses left. No loong, endless hours in the chemistry class, nor in the Finnish classes or any freaking other class. Hehe, kinda nice feeling. At least now that I haven't still quite understood I'm out soon for real.

So, last Thursday we had penkkarit in school, the day which officially starts the lukuloma and ends the shcool work for the majority. The whole day was So much fun, triple the amount I had thought it would be. Everybody was dressed up as someone or something as was only right. Unna and I decided to go as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett and I must say I'm quite proud of how the costumes turned out.

This is us, Unna on the left and me on the right. Picture taken by someone with Unna's camera in school.

Mrs. Lovett, me, again. In the same old place by the living room window where the light is best. Picture taken by me myself.

I wonder if I should put more photos from the penkkarit here, mainly from the costumes, but I don't really have anyone's permission. Oh well. Say if you'd prefer not to see yourself here, dear ladies and gentlemen, and I'll take your pictures right off. Unfortunately quite a lot of the pictures I had taken are so bad in quality that I won't bother to put them here at all. All these pictures are taken by me.

There were so many good costumes this year. These were absolutely some of the best. I can't possibly understand how they were able to paint the exact copies of these, they look so alike with the real ones! Rasvaton maito was perhaps my favourite of these. I'd tell you who the gals in the boxes are, but I have to confess, I can't remember their names. But the cacao girl is Sonja.

Some more in the same theme. The picture sucks big time, but it's the only one with Mrs. purkkpussi. Amazing work, I must say.

This one was also so brilliant. And oh, the perfume girl is the other half of our French course, Kristiina. I'm the other half, mind you. Yes, it's just the two of us this year.

Let me introduce you, Ernesto Che Guevara. This was my absolute favourite of all the costumes (outcluding my dear Mr. Todd, of course). No wonder there was some fifteen photos of him in my camera. The boy inside the costume is Samir.

This speaks for itself.

We had quite many group costumes this year which was great. Mario, Luigi and Peach.

And last but not least, a mushroom from Mario. I love this picture because of his lower lip and what ever is happening to it.

This picture is from jatkot, from Kaarleholvi. While others were dancing upstairs, I was downstairs, taking photos. Well okay, not quite but almost, at least. I didn't take but a few photos, the lightning was so bad it would've been no use to try take more. Nevertheless, the building was very old and beautiful, a very nice place to spend time in. I liked it a lot.

That was that, then. Random news as follows.

-Last weekend I was invited to two parties and I baked for both, but for some reason didn't take any pictures. Shame, really, I'm sure that Tall and creamy cheesecake and lime syrup would've been very American.

-Some days ago I was bored out of my skin since a certain someone is in Sweden till Thursday, but then I accidentally happened to find the Minimalist in the New York Times' site. I find Mark Bittman quite amusing, even though I was a bit suspicious at first. He's so entertaining in fact that I almost forgot to go to sleep! I would've liked to put a video clip here but don't know how, so you'll just have to imagine.

- One epic fail and one great tragedy: I was so sure I had lost my phone for good yesterday since I couldn't find it anywhere. After of a long and desperate search and giving up eventually, turned out it had hid itself under the newspaper on the living room table. Then yesterday I was washing the dishes and accidentally dropped my favourite glass pan on my right foot. Neither one was lucky, the pan broke and my foot swelled and bled the whole evening without me even noticing it. I do now, it hurts. A lot.

-You wouldn't believe how cold it has been this week. -22 C. I'm glad I'm soon leaving for somewhere a bit warmer HEY I HAVEN'T EVEN TOLD YOU. I think it's now safe enough to tell you without Murphy hearing. Knock on wood, still. I'm not only leaving school this year but also this country. Where? Guess.

See you in France, says the adventuring cook.

Food from the States: Florida Keys

Ladies and Gentlemen, gather around! Today, ooh, today the time has come and I've got something to show you, something more than a mere risotto recipe. Today is the day when the very first food related series in this humble blog of mine will start. Yes, that's right! And the series will be called

    Food from the States

Wow, it has quite a nice ring to it, doesn't it? So, the series will be about different foods and dishes from different states or regions in America. I've never really been to the States, I know, but the thing is that I will find out what kind of dishes they eat all around the States and make the dishes myself and then maybe later on in the future I will get to taste the authentic versions of them while traveling, at least that's what I hope. But while that's maaany years away, this series is about to start right now.

The topic today and the first place will be The Florida Keys. It was quite hard to find out practically anything about Florida Keys' gastronomy, but being an archipelago, they eat a Lot of seafood there. They also have quite a lot of special plants and animals there that can be found only rarely elsewhere on the earth. I've also read that they have a rich drinking culture, surely you all have heard of Mojitos?

Also, some people say that chickens run all around as there is a wild chicken population on the islands. I personally wouldn't know yet.

I'm quite sure it's pretty safe to say that Key Lime pie must be the most known and the widest spread local dessert. To make a completely authentic Key lime pie, one should use key limes, of course, but since everybody can't have such specialities, regular limes go just as well. Key limes are a bit smaller than regular Persian limes and yellow in colour. Their taste is also a little sweeter than the limes we know.

I've made a Key lime pie now twice and both times it has been an absolutely stunning dessert. One of my dear friends, Mert, came by the last time I baked this pie and he thought it was so good it made his jaw tickle. That can't be a bad sign!

I've used two different recipes in the making of this pie, here's the one I used the last time I made it. Traditionally the pie is yellow, but I put some food colouring in it. Also in the traditional version there is a meringue topping included, but I prefer my pie without it. It's so nice to decorate with the lemon slices, all the fun would be taken away if there was a meringue topping.

Key Lime Pie

Crust
16 graham crackers, crushed
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cube (1/4 lb) margarine or butter, melted

Pie
4 large or extra large egg yolks
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh key lime juice (approximately 12 Key limes)
2 teaspoons grated lime peel, green portion only

Crust:
Mix the ingredients and press them into a 9" pie plate.  Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 10 - 12 minutes until lightly browned. Place on a rack to cool.

Pie Filling
Use an electric mixer and beat the egg yolks until they are thick and turn to a light yellow, don't over mix. Turn the mixer off and add the sweetened condensed milk.  Turn speed to low and gradually mix in half of the lime juice. Once the juice is incorporated add the other half of the juice and the zest, continue to mix until blended (just a few seconds).   Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake at 350F for 12 minutes to set the yolks.

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I'm sorry for the lack of pictures, I wish there was more to show you but they are all so similar that it'd bother me to put more than one of them here. But I do very warmly recommend making this pie, it was simple as heck. Maybe a bit on the pricey side I'd say, but it's nothing. You'll understand when you've had the first spoonful.