Thinking about the Year to Come...

I'm really tempted to put together a New Years post. I was considering doing "a year in review" or a "top 10 recipes of 2009" kind of post. But, I've been more interested in thinking about the future. So much has changed in the past year that I feel like it's time to take a step back and assess the new trajectory.


Becoming more settled over the past year has made R and I eager to travel. We really enjoyed spending time in New York (and hope to go back).


This year we'd like to travel further and for a longer period of time.

This year, I hope to learn a lot about home remodelling -- ideally not "the hard way". I am not particularly skilled with handywork, but I'd like to learn how to do some things like tiling a backsplash or laying laminate flooring.

I'd like to grow a garden...Successfully.


I'd like to return to volunteering -- almost weekly I look at the flyers advertising volunteer positions. I keep waiting until I feel like I have things crossed off of my list. Realistically, the list is eternal - so it's time to just do it.

I'd like to host more dinners and get-togethers. Sure, it's bloody cold outside - but we can't stop living!


I'd like to simplify my life, spend more time in nature and focus on the positive. I've been told by a few too many people that I'm a pessimist. I don't fully agree, but I will admit to having greater ease with communicating criticism than compliment.


I don't intend on becoming a zen-master from here on out. But, I will commit to making a concerted effort to achieve these goals.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Vanilla Crème Brûlée & Matcha

I have some hoarding tendencies. Giz likes to make fun of me for it. When I go somewhere and buy something that is native to that location (or a rarity), I don't want to use it. For me, there is more enjoyment in keeping items to know that I have them (and the memory associated with them) than there is in using up the item. For example, when determining whether it's time to stock up on wine, I don't even consider the bottles I've collected from Turkey, France or Salt Spring Island. R and I told ourselves that we would drink the bottle of Champagne we bought in Reims (a city in the Champagne region) for a special occasion... but after a year of special occasions (graduations, weddings, buying a home, new years, etc.), no one occasion seemed to merit opening the bottle. So, logically, I would have to deduce that I don't really want to open the bottle.

I had the same feeling about the Tahitian vanilla beans I got from Julia. In her letter, accompanying the vanilla beans, I believe she wrote, "Can't wait to see what you make with these!" But, I knew I really didn't want to use them. After I use them, I won't have them anymore and then I won't be able to admire them anymore (yes, I occasionally take them out of the freezer just to look at them).

Being that it has been almost a year since I received the beans, I thought it was time to actually put them to use. Plus, I received this crème brûlée set as a wedding gift.

After a moment of silence (in honour of the vanilla bean), I slit one apart to make this recipe:

Vanilla Crème Brûlée

6 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
6 teaspoons granulated sugar (or 8 -12 teaspoons packed brown sugar).

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Whisk yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl to blend. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Gradually whisk the cream into the sugar. Divide mixture among 6 - 3/4 cup custard cups or ramekins. Arrange dishes in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of dishes.
Bake custards approximately 35-40 minutes until the custard is set. Do not overbake or your custard will be rubbery. Remove the pan from the oven and remove custard cups from the water. Allow custards to cool before placing in the refrigerator. Chill overnight.

Two hours before serving:
Preheat broiler. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar atop each custard. Place dishes on small baking sheet. Broil until sugar just starts to caramelize, rotating sheet for even browning, about 2 minutes. Chill until caramelized sugar hardens, about 2 hours.

Verdict:

So - it turns out that I'm kind of a moron. I didn't know that the set wouldn't come with the fuel/butane needed to work the torch. My friends and I momentarily tried to use a bbq-starter.


Yeah...not so effective.

So - we went with the broiling option.


I'm going to need to continue perfecting crème brûlée. The recipe said to not overcook, but I'm pretty sure it needed more time in the oven. I'm still getting used to the oven in this house, which is probably about 25-30% slower than my previous oven. The flavours were really good, but the custard was not thick enough.

The next day, I tried to cook the remaining portions to give them more time in the oven. Even with an extra 15 minutes in the oven, it still lacked perfect texture. So the sporadic mission will continue.

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While trying to figure out what to do with the crème brûlée, I had my first exposure to the Japanese green tea, matcha. My friend recently spent some time in Japan and brought me some of the tea along with the traditional bamboo whisk used to stir the tea.


Here's a video showing how you make the tea:




To me it tasted like something you would put in a smoothy for its auto-immune benefits -- apparently it's an acquired taste.

Note to self: don't drink matcha after 12pm. I had a couple of ounces at 5pm and was up until 4:30am. Then again, I don't handle caffeine very well. I think I'm going to give in a try in the morning -- maybe it'll give more energy at work.

Galaktoboureko

Peter, of Kalofagas , my local go to guy for Greek specialties suggested that a must have at Christmas time is Galaktoboureko. When I saw the recipe my instinct told me this wasn't very figure friendly but then who am I to follow my own instincts? It looked fabulous and decided to give it a try.

Ingredients

7 large eggs, room temperature
10 cups of whole milk, room temperature (I used 2% lactaid and it was fine)
2 cups sugar
1 cup fine semolina flour
1 heaping Tbsp butter
zest of 1 lemon
1 package commercial phyllo
2 sticks melted butter (for brushing)
14x11 bakeware dish

Syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

1. Place a large pot over medium-high head and add eggs, sugar and semolina and mix constantly over medium heat until incorporated. (note: follow this - it burns really easily if you leave it)
2. Add milk, zest and butter and continue to mix using a potato masher until custard has thickened slightly. Place a tea towel between the pot of custard and the pot's lid, cover and reserve off the heat.
3. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Butter baking dish. Count how many sheets of phillo in your package and divide in half. One half will go on the bottom, the second half will go on the top.
4. In the bottom of the pan, layer your one half of phyllo, leaving the edges hanging over the sides of the pan. Brush each sheet generously with the melted butter. Pour the custard over the bottom of the phyllo layers.
5. Fold the excess phyllo over and into the pan and evenly distribute the remaining sheets of phyllo to entirely cover the custard. Again, ensure that each sheet is brushed generously with butter.
6. With a very sharp knife, score the phyllo (just penetrating the top layer of phyllo) to make the desired size and shapes of your Galaktoboureko pieces. (this makes it easier to cut later and will also allow the syrup to be distributed completely.
7. Bake in the middle rack for 35-40 minutes or until the top is nice and golden-brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
8. To make your syrup, add the sugar, water juice and zest and bring to a boil and count 10 minutes for your syrup to develop.
9. Using a ladle, pur the syrup over the Galaktoboureko (1 ladle at a time) until the syrup is absorbed.
10. Carefully complete the slicing of your pieces (tracing your initial cuts); allow to cool for approximately 1 hour. Refrigerate uncovered over night to set. Serve cold or room temperature.



Notes: I should have cut the Galaktoboureko in smaller pieces. This is a very sweet and rich dessert and smaller amounts are preferred.

Verdict: I don't think I could make this unless I had alot of people over - I'd eat the whole thing - it's really a wonderful dessert albeit off the glycemic scale.


Peter said that when working with phyllo as long as you follow some basic rules it should be easy enough to work with.

1. Make sure you defrost frozen phyllo in the fridge overnight.
2. When working with phyllo use one sheet at a time and cover the balance with a damp tea towel to ensure it doesn't dry out (it can dry out really quickly)
3. Handle the phyllo gently - it's very fragile.
4. Make sure you brush melted butter on each sheet