Berry Picking... Galettes... and 10 Years...
It has been a life changing year! And, really looking back at the the last 10 years when I have been blogging, I am at a loss for words to describe the transformation I have been through. That tonguetied-ness has been a reason for my quiet here. But…. I’ll try…! :)
So, as I was reflecting on 10 years of blogging and trying to figure what that milestone head would read, I realized that it was not about blogging but how one small step into this world, changed my entire life. Not entirely on its own, but like a stone gathering momentum, it set things in motion, it tweaked things in me, opened my eyes to certain qualities in myself and others, met so many interesting people, changed careers….. Starting this blog just created a little path in a new forest and that took to a place that I would never have imagined myself to be in 10 years ago - physically, metaphysically, emotionally, psychologically.
Rhubarb me Lovely!
This post has a collection of wonderful recipes with rhubarb, previously shared and a new recipe for a Rhubarb Compound Butter!
Compound butters are a gastronomic rage. Rooted in French classic cuisine, they are well known for adding a depth of flavor of dishes. Often, when they are referred to, it is in conjunction with meats and seared ones at that. Yet, there is no reason to isolate them to either special meats or even restaurant meals. They are very easy to make and can elevate even a humble toast with a dash of more than plain butter. In return, all it asks for is good butter to begin with.
Pristine..
Pristine. Nothing is. Yet, why do we try to box life into it? Homes are never spotless if they have been lived in. Yet, we see so many stunning photos of perfectly styled and photographed homes that set our hearts racing. Kitchens, are rarely clean if someone who loves to eat resides there. Yet, most photos that you see, styled rustic or contemporary, are so flawless. I ponder about it and wonder why. Is it a quest for something that is not really achievable in reality that makes us obsessed with it in smaller frames where we have more control? Like through the lens of a camera for a short period of exemplified purity? Like a mummified moment....
I have at times yearned for that carefree impeccability that has taken the styling world by a rage under the name of Scandinavian aesthetic that paints a sunny, pleasing picture of everything. I have tried to get it that look, live that life, be that person.
The truth is my kitchen always looks like a war zone, my fridge always has something that has been there too long, my pantry has jams and preserves that I forgot I had made, or packets of lentils and spices stashed in the recesses and completely forgotten until I go looking for something and find something else. The truth is this is my reality. I am not perfect. I am not pristine.
And, I am happy I am not. Phew!
I suppose this cake is kind of my way of acknowledging that. It is a strawberry cake of sorts with a cake using a borrowed recipe. My rhubarb strawberry compote was a tad overcooked because I left it on the stove and got immersed in a book I was reading. But, it tastes awesome and makes for an lovely sweet-tang note on this frosting.
Almond Rhubarb Cake for Two
Rhubarb and Friday! It has been a long week and going to be not much of a weekend with work that needs to be wrapped up piling up my to-do list. Still, I am going to rejoice in the tying together of loose ends, snatched times to self over the next few days and simply, the checking of items from the list that will thankfully happen. I am going to run back to that list but I had to leave you with this gem of a cake made with the season's blushing favorite, Rhubarb!
Also, if you are interested in improving your phone photography, I wrote a post with tips on composition and processing on the phone.