Ah that was 2020!
2020!
More than anything it left me with a deep gratitude for my life, our way of life and our very, very fortunate ability to create and stay in a bubble. We are still in a bubble. It gave me perspective, insight into people and the ability to view things from a distance both a luxury and a necessity.
It was a year defined by closeness, smallness and family.
Cranberry, Cheddar and Thyme Scones
I proclaim ‘cranberries’ as the new love berry.
There you have it! That’s the gist of this post.
You see I feel the cranberry is very underrated red fruit. So, I am resurrecting its glory in these scones and making it the centerpiece of my day! Now, the thing about them is they are indeed hard to love. There is an acid tartness to them that you either fall head first for, or, decide there are easier fruit to lust after. But, if you look at the whole package and beyond the cutting first taste and look how it melts and loses its hard exterior to become a soft, succulent package with just a little love (and heat), you can truly appreciate it’s worth.
Be my Valentine, Coz I am Real!
Have you ever bit into a strawberry and had an epiphany of “Ohh! This is love !!”. Or, looked at someone you love and think, “Ohhhh, caramel?!”. No! Because that is not really how love works. So, I have decided to rebrand Valentine to the real, authentic and multi-dimensional… atleast in the foods we use to represent and celebrate love. Today, I bring you the first idea, a tease of a dish…
I present to you Blue CheeseCake topped with Honey and Sage Roasted Grapes.
It's Basic (ally) a Good Cake!
But, what is a girl to do when she just wants some rightly-sweet cake with her coffee/tea. You know the kind that you don’t fall into but one you can eat while reading a book and sipping a beverage all at the same time. Yes, the afternoon tea kind.
Well, bake it herself of course!
So here we are. I decided, I’ll make myself an easy cake that needs no adornment save a light dusting of powdered sugar, like fairy dust and lasts a few days, so I don’t have to bake anew every other day.
In Salt we Trust
My time in Italy, especially in the less touristed region of Emilia Romagna gave me a new appreciation of the basics of food - of salt, fat, acid and time. It is the food belt of Italy and from where most of the best known food exports come from - Proscuitto di Parma and Parmigianno Reggiano cheese.
Living in Reggio Emilia, which, actually is a the micro region from where both of these originally hail (but were affiliated to Parma because Reggio was attached to manor seat at Parma), I obviously indulged in both those every week! But, more than either, today’s Reggio has a different dish as their cultural beacon - Erbazzone - a humble and little known (outside the region) tart that is made with the best of the region!
Oh I fell head first in love with the Erbazzone. Addiction is what I would call it.