What do you think about a sprinkle of cinnamon on a custard pudding? Is it warranted? Superfluous? Totally unnecessary? Do you even care about a flan? Some say a little caramel, a dollop of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry to top it off. Hmm. Sounds good to me.
Nah, too bland. Lmited number of taste buds. Maybe baby or sickly.
ReplyDeleteWhat about nutmeg? Any opposition to a little of the exotica of the Spice Islands heritage? Just a sprinkle?
ReplyDeleteFlans can be bland, but grated nutmeg is nice, an essence of difference for a touch of old spice.
There's not all that much to think Moluccan heritage in Indonesia was 'exotic'. Rather, more or less as sad or sadder than similarities to the Trail of Tears or any subjugated peoples. Usual attempts at using basic savagery to wipe natives off the face of the Islands to secure access to the spices.
Actually quite a capitalistic idea. Not a wonder why there is such a hue and public outcry against public option no. 1.
Bands of ravaging wild boars from England, Boers from Holland, and boorish Portuguese descending on the land after Moors of Spain, and Arabian plunderers filched what they could.
Such is the way of western history, and, luck of hapless prey. Pray, why are those cultures proud of their involvement influencing civilization in the Crusades?
As a kid, my mother believed in preparing very simple foods, but in high school my sisters and I were given a little leeway in the kitchen and so we did some experimenting with Meta Givens. Spinach aspic Jell-O, home-made yogurt, Jewish Marble Coffecake. Helen's forte was home-baked breads, and when she entered the convent, she passed Sylvia her favorite book Beard on Bread, along with the bread basket. (Sylvia was always a perfectionist. Her quick breads sent at Christmas-time were to die for.) Successes are marked by worn corners, and flour-coated pages. One recipe we did not attempt was custard, although I seem to remember eggs in cream sauce served over green beans on Friday nights. As a matter of fact, that may have what was littering the floor on Good Friday 1964.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, the egg and I were not friends until I was well into my 50's, so 'eggs over easy' may be a dish for the old women in my lineage. As a matter of fact, the chickens and and the rooster and I were not friends when we kept them in the chicken yard out back. It was still my job to clean out the coop on Saturdays until college days. For an exercise treat, I let the chickens wander around in the chickweed. Big brown eggs, and wonderful fresh egg color, but well-cooked, please!
When my kids were small they couldn't stand eggs, either. My first husband recalled a childhood treat with his father served at the American Restaurant in Tokyo was custard pudding, and I learned to make it for my son and husband from Jell-O! Later, I found it was easy to prepare with a recipe as simple as popovers. Later, Godmother Claire sent a recipe book from New Mexico Kitchens featuring Navajo Pudding, Blue Corn Tortillas, Puberty Cake, and flan, essentially a Spanish custard.
The simple custard ingredients: 2.5 cups skim milk, 4 eggs or equivalent egg product, 1 or less cup sugar, 1 teaspoon flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg; mix together then blend gently to turn into a cooking pot.
Cook on medium heat until just before bubbly, then spoon into custard cups set into a baking pan. Add an inch of water to the pan for the cups to maintain heat, and bake at 350 deg. F for 45 minutes until spoon inserted, comes out cleanly. Invert cups and drizzle caramelized maple sugar, add a dollop of whipped cream, and maraschino cherry on top.
In late summer, we froze the custards to serve with currant jam or raspberry sauce. If baked in a square pan, I blended shaved custard 'curls' with puffs of whipped cream to serve with chunks of angel food cake and blueberries.
When I first married, my husband stated that not everyone served meals as seen in Japanese photocookbooks, that I would have to learn how to cook for a Japanese peasant. In this case, however a peasant eats like a king. One of his favorites in autumn was baked kabocha, as special type of squash, but one we didn't find in either Albertson's or Safeway in Wyoming, so I used acorn squash. I imagine miniature pumpkins or other tiny squashes would do just as well, for individual servings or a pumpkin for a 'larger bowl'.
After lightly salting the interior, steam the hollowed out squashes 30 min. or so to soften --in the microwave, or in a large pot, then sprinkle with 0.3 cups sake to retain moisture. Cut off the top and remove seeds, and some skin from the sides and bottom to level in a baking dish. After filling with a custard made from of softened sliced mushrooms, tiny cubes of chicken or pork or shrimp, some small green peas, and an egg per acorn squash, a little sugar, and soy sauce, the acorn tops were replaced. Further steaming about 30 min. and voila!
the acorns sound quite interesting. i might just give that one a try.
ReplyDeletei love my eggs over easy.
and cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are my absolute favorite spices. i cant bake anything it seems without somehow justifying I should add a smidge of at least one of those spices.