Some really good fruits

Apple is also a fruit. Let’s not forget that. Even though in today's world it may have technological connections in the laboratory of plant breeders it is still a comestible and it’s a ridiculously versatile one, making appearances, some surprising, in many dishes. In the American tradition you have used or consumed it in a betty, a crisp, a crumble, a cobbler, a grunt, a buckle, a slump, a sonker, a dowdy or even a pie, to name a few of its many baked incarnations. It pops up in desserts all over the place and even makes cameo appearances in main dishes or salads. Waldorf anyone? We ought not ignore the foreign contributions to this effort, such as the tarte tatin where the ingredients are simple but the process is somewhat complexified to the point where the entirety is the apotheosis of each ingredient. Really: sugar, apples, flour, butter, egg yolk and an optional lemon. The final combination is essentially brilliant but beware that the apples are the right type to ensure that those big chunks don’t disintegrate in the baking.

This commentary also pertains to our native fruit, which the common apple IS NOT! Even as widespread and adapted as its reach is today, it was not found on the shores of North America when the first immigrants landed. They brought their own plants or seeds and from there the diversity multiplied readily, so much so that legends were created and careers made by its propagation. Its tasty precursor in very ancient times was the medlar, a primitive form of tree fruit that has to be practically rotten before it is used. The delightfully descriptive adjective “bletted” describes this state of near-decay. Needless to say medlars never really clicked like apples.

Some of our neglected native fruits deserve a little attention too. If we limit ourselves to trees, that eliminates scuppernong and concord grapes, cranberries, beach plums, raspberries, blackberries, cloudberries, blueberries and a host of other delicious bear forage species.

Everyone likes cherry pie but the native black cherry is probably not the source of the filling except in the most rural areas where the trees provide abundantly for the taking. The stone size relative to the flesh is pretty big and most of the fruit goes to the birds or survivalists.

That leaves us with persimmons and paw-paws, two popular but localized favorites. Talk about underutilized, well they are the ones. Each has its own particular charms and you needn't be ashamed if you never heard of one or the other. This also means you are not a Kentucky native or from one of its neighboring states where their use in season is pretty common. If you ever have the chance to try either of these native fruits don't be shy. They each have a rewarding and unique flavor that deserves more frequency at any table. I say bring back the megafauna which were theoretically responsible for their distribution in the first place! We'll make room!

Smooches, Celeste       

On kitchen tools

Doesn’t everyone have a favorite kitchen tool? It isn’t as if we invented the little thing but we can still feel a sense of pride in possessing it and putting it to its intended purpose with some skill and smoothness of operation. You probably have a short list as do I. I’ll bet there are special implements in your kitchen that you would feel bereft of if you were unable to reach for them at just the right moment. That moment is special. It combines a feeling of satisfaction in finding the tool exactly where it is handy and in the anticipation of working it the way it was intended. Happily this includes those tools of our own adaptation which we use, which were never intended to serve the purpose we find for them. There is a secret and satisfying celebration in this quasi-inventive success as it vibrates sympathetically with the tool-using regions of the human brain.

In general, these tools are complex to some degree and manufactured en masse. I am not talking about spoons, knives and forks though there are many subtle variations on those themes, including the specialized and au courant use of long-handled ice-tea spoons for swirling coulis. Nor am I speaking of adapted medical and dental instruments for who knows what purposes, although it must be said that medical pincers do allow for more subtle placement of garnishes and that hypodermic syringes efficiently deliver edible infusions of all sorts. These are heady times for industrial inventiveness among chefs who prowl the hardware stores, equipment catalogues and flea markets for implements that will serve their extravagant visions.

Dare I suggest the carrot peeler as one of the most perfect tools, which now has an ergonomic and comfortable handle? There is a considerable amount of design and ingenuity in this little piece as anyone knows who has purchased a cheaply crafted version that doesn’t quite operate as well as it should in spite of its similarity to the superior and more serviceable model. If the blade angle is not right or the arc of swing of the blade is not appropriate then you find yourself going over and over the same segment of the vegetable, carrot or potato. These micro efforts have an insidiously cumulative and negative effect in any kitchen where efficiency and ease of effort are the underpinnings of finely prepared meals. Every effort, no matter how small, contributes to the ultimate success of the dish or meal. Wasted time and energy cannot be anything but a drag on the quality of the total experience of preparation and a genuine impairment of the enjoyment of serving the final product.

This exultation in the heft of a good implement can be marred by disappointment when tools are misplaced by others or go un-replaced immediately when lost or worn out. Let this serve as a caution to those who enter the temple of the kitchen and who casually avail themselves of its utilitarian resources without fully understanding their exalted importance to the celebratory communion to follow. You know what I am talking about!

Kisses as Ever,

Celeste

A sparrow

Is a sparrow consequential? Does one sparrow make any difference? This seems a weighty philosophical, cosmological and ecclesiastical topic, doesn't it? It is not one of the ordinary subjects which I address for the calculated and happy advancement of modern living. I think it pertains nonetheless. There are those who subscribe to the idea that the flutter of a butterfly's wings will have a dynamic effect on matters far removed and apparently unrelated. I find this to be a useful precept to bear in mind. Whether one is of a contemplative nature or not, it is hard to deny the connectedness of life.

One can hardly live in the present and be unaware of the perils which many species confront constantly, whether it is at the active hands of trophy hunters and poachers or by the passive presence of glass window panes. My sister Livia is in the front ranks of the alarmists on this issue and she reminds me that to be a Cassandra is to be an outcast in many quarters. It does not prevent her from speaking out. This literally brings home the urgency and importance of the slow collapse of the biosphere which seems to be in motion all around us. Do not see the movie Melancholia if you are at all inclined to this point of view. It may put you over the edge!

When it comes to quality of life, we are certainly in a gilded age here in America. The privileges with which we are blessed ought to be seriously considered as precious and not to be assumed to be eternal. Stewardship requires vigilance. For example, now that we know that neonicotinoids (think nicotine) are anathema to honeybees, shouldn't we ask at the garden store whether the pesticide we are considering is safe in that respect? Talk about a buzz kill. Knowledge is good and action is the important next step. Those inspirational talks on the world wide web are great but what good do they do if no one acts on them? Apathy is the real problem. Ask any activist. How do light a fire under someone to not only pay attention but to take affirmative action? It's an age-old problem. It has been said that the definition of evil is what happens when good people do nothing. Hmmm.

Now, I know I am preaching to the converted, but it is a rainy day and that often generates introspection. You'll forgive me if I vent a wee bit on this topic lest we continue skipping along and blithely ignore signs of trouble. The particular sparrow of which I spoke has been an inspiration all this season. It is a song sparrow which begins its trills before the sun rises and continues to proclaim all day long. It is a life-affirming sound, expressive of an intrinsic need to announce presence and location. It informs my day with an appreciation of the vitality all around me. At just about a half an hour before sunset this sparrow arrives at the birdbath every day. It twitches its tail and then plops into the shallows to swivel and swish vigorously, pausing, I like to think, to appreciate the feeling of the cool water on its skin. We share that moment. We share so much.

Hugs, Celeste

Coming Summer Bounty

What is it about the bounties of summer that are so entrancing? Maybe it is that they seem to follow, one upon the other, in quick breathless succession. Or maybe it is that they beg to be conserved in some way, a bulwark against the scarcity of the next seasons. Or maybe it is the tantalizing colors and textures appearing in such diversity. It seems that we were just beginning to enjoy the tender lettuces of springtime! Wallace simply adores butter crunch, by the way, also known as Boston lettuce. Who knows why it is named for Boston? Was there a grower there who specialized in this variety? That is true of Bibb lettuce, its approximate equal, which has Kentucky origins. Boston gets the credit in name for bringing us lots of good things, including cream pie, baked beans and terriers, so I am not complaining.

What was I saying? Oh yes, the summer harvest. What would it be, at least in the United States, without tomatoes and corn? We are crazy about both. Real vine-ripened tomatoes from a farm stand or the garden are unequaled. My grandmother liked to slice, salt and pepper them and drizzle a little vinegar on them. You can call that a salad of sorts. If she were really going all the way there might be some juicy bacon bits, the real kind, liberally sprinkled on them. She put bacon into just about everything and I can't think of any harm that it did anywhere at any time. For sandwiches, what is possibly finer than bacon, lettuce and tomato on homemade bread with mayonnaise? Sitting in the shade on the front porch, we could have eaten those until we burst if we hadn't had some bicycle exploring down at the creek to do that very afternoon. Fortified by those BLT's we could accomplish just about anything.

Corn can't come to market soon enough to remind us of how we savor it every year during its productive season. Low in glamour, high in returns, this is what Americans crave no matter what state they come from. The hybrid magicians have created some very tasty types without resorting to the dreaded genetically modified route. Driving through the countryside recently I could tell it is going to be a great year, at least for field corn. The stalks seemed to be taller and stouter than I ever remember and the dagger like leaves appeared to be downright dangerous. Europeans mostly grow corn for livestock and there are few places where a steaming plate of sweet corn arrives to the table there to such unanimous delight as it does in America.

Really, it's all about the butter, if I must be honest. Corn on the cob has a wonderful flavor but its charms are greatly magnified by the generous application of fresh butter. If you haven't sampled some of the artisanal butters that have begun appearing at markets, then you owe yourself the favor of procuring some in order to exalt fresh corn to its proper rank in the firmament of summer stars. Don't be shy about flavored butters either! They can provide an undreamed-of enhancement to the experience. And be sure to wear a bib of the kind that protects your summer chemise from excessive enthusiasm!
Still, Celeste

Summer thoughts

The glorious days of summer are upon us. What a delight to have long days for all our favorite outdoor activities. Even as the day length wanes, ever so subtly, we still feel that we are getting a full measure of light sent as a gracious complement to our interests. There is plenty of time to get things done and to entertain in the warmth of lingering sunsets or in the cool of the midday shade. If ever there were a season for entertaining, this is it, if you ask me. Certainly the other seasons offer their own virtues but nothing beats the languorous summer season for bright and breezy opportunities at every time of day. Let's not forget the chance for warm summer night dancing on the terrace when colorful paper lanterns may illuminate a sociable crowd. I'll have a chilled Rosé with that!

Summer means the advent of so many things to everyone, not the least of which are (in no particular order of importance): boats in the water flying colorful pennants, delivery men in shorts, hay-scented country drives, home gardens of bright flowers and sincere vegetables, outdoor concerts, impromptu bicycle lunches in the park, desserts that take advantage of fresh fruits such as cherry clafouti, the call of mourning doves (not those screechy recent tropical arrivals), the sound of a screen door closing, summer dresses, the supremacy of the gin and tonic cocktail or the ice cream from Tastee Freez. Many of these elements touch a fond chord in some of us.

I love being in my little garden where I can observe and cultivate and learn. Most of this practice (if doctors practice medicine, why can't gardeners practice gardening?) allows me quiet time and physical exertion at the same moment. Grubbing away at the dahlias to incorporate compost into the soil is a highly recommended activity for the serenity it provides; likewise with spider lilies and amaryllis. It's the time for dividing and sharing those early spring bloomers so that you don't wait too long and let the fall season get ahead of you. Share them with your fellow practitioners sooner than later. It's better to disturb them now and allow them to recover than to dig and transplant with the shocking onset of cooling weather. They may survive such a transplant but not flourish as they ought to.

It's funny how some people approach garden tools. Take trowels. They're simple. They're utilitarian and they have a singular purpose. Who would guess that there are so many ridiculous variations on this theme at the stores? The handles, the blades, the angle of attack and the heft are all up for grabs in the world of designer tools and consumer appeal. Even I can be accused of prejudice. I used to think a garden trowel was a straightforward implement. Not so! My all-time favorite is more of a scooper than anything and it has a serrated edge. It was a gift that I received with some suspicion and it sat on the shelf for a long time because it didn't conform to my idea of a proper trowel. Now the sight of it evokes summer to me and I wouldn't garden without it.

Warm summer kisses,

Celeste

On family guests

   Guests are one thing but family guests are another. They require special consideration and rules mainly due to the delicacy of the familial bonds that dare not be broken, except in cases of distant incarceration, in which instance the best policy would be to send holiday cards only without any personal notes, thereby maintaining the thinnest connectivity. When there is a disturbance in the family fabric it has a tendency to propel vibrations far and wide and to engender tremors in faraway and unexpected places. One of the consequences of which is that the original actors in the drama are misunderstood, misquoted and generally maligned by persons who hardly know them and can’t be bothered to find out the facts. In order to preserve the status quo of cherished family values and character, some precepts ought to be observed by the host and hostess when sheltering family:

1. Never loan them money as a house guest. Its corollary: never ask for repayment by a guest, lest it be misunderstood as “rent”. 

2. Do not encourage the family guest to give up a cherished vice, such as drinking, smoking or gambling while in your home as this is likely to exacerbate violent mood swings. 

3. Limit sharp objects around the house, especially within easy reach on kitchen counters. 

4. If a family guest makes an inane and offensive remark at table such as, “Not all slave owners were really bad people,” ask them to help in the kitchen with some menial task in order to defuse any ill-will, especially if it happens to be Martin Luther King Day. 

5. Placate dietary requirements as best you can but do not be vexed by unanticipated and unexpressed needs. Meet them with casual nonchalance such as, “I don’t believe you mentioned that to me” or “Help me find a substitute in your food pyramid.” 

6. Provide ample brochures for local activity in rooms and meet requests for things to do with a slightly bewildered deflection to them. 

7. Plainly express your day’s plan ahead of time and let the family guests work around your schedule. Leave explanatory notes with diagrams on the kitchen counter when you must be away. 

8. Inform the family that your pet has a delicate nature and that territorial displays are to be expected, the consequences for which you will not be responsible, no matter the provocation. Stock in stain remover. 

9. The second phrase after welcome must be, “Remind me how long you said you will be with us?” A direct declaration is important for clarity. Much sorrow and ill-will has arisen from over-staying, Benjamin Franklin’s quotation notwithstanding. Remind your guest how thin your walls are. Blame the builder. 

 10. Your goal is to make it all look easy. Even those who exploit your kindness with unexpressed appreciation can sense the effort you have made. Somewhere in the deepest recesses of self the rewards of kinship will be felt. Offer to reciprocate with a visit of your own in the near future.

Kisses,

Celeste

Mangez!

       What can be said about a nation famous for pastries which are 50% air? Genius! If you are lucky enough to have a French patisserie close by, as I am, then you can appreciate the advantage of serving some of their delectations in all their glory. If you think about it there are many occasions to avail yourself of this delightful resource such as breakfast, lunch, dinner and anytime in between. Do I exaggerate? Hardly. Not every selection is a desert load of sugar, confectioners and otherwise. Some of the croissants and brioches provide a wonderful foundation as accompaniments to a salad, as serving platforms for fruited preserves or as the foundation of a sandwich. If they also make bread then that opens up whole new avenues for enjoyment but that is really a boulangerie.

       It is hardly a coincidence that so much of the vocabulary of cooking, gastronomy, has French origins. The high priests of western cooking have traditionally been French and the cordon bleu has been their assignment of excellence. No one will deny that they have codified many worthy dishes, much to their eternal glory. Here is the modifier for some dishes described as using truffles: Financière, Maréchale, Périgord, Régence, Reine, Rossini, Royale, Suvarov and Zingara. That shaves it pretty fine indeed and that is just for truffles! The big and little tweaks that we appreciate so much in cooking are pretty much frowned upon by the standard bearers of French tradition.

       The fabulous expansion of the influence of world cuisine in recent years has been a tidal wave of novelty and experiment which has overtaken a lot of traditions. Have the French stood still through all of this? The answer is no. Change is hard. To embrace new cultures and new methods requires a bold unselfish commitment. Without trying to put too fine a point on it, I mention that the origin of the word chauvinism is in France.

They actually have not stood manning the barricades against assault by the forces of ‘mediocre’ modernity. In the cosmopolitan cities there are abundant examples of very fine new approaches to cooking. And yet there are some things that they get right and don’t require tinkering in my estimation. Your patisserie has just the thing to enliven any occasion and enchant your guests. Some arrays of pastry offerings are overwhelmingly beautiful, not to mention delicious. You may select petits fours, tartes, tartelettes, macarons, meringues, mille feuilles (also known as Napoleons), verrines or operas. The list goes well beyond these but they are the basics to expect at any self-respecting patisserie. There may also be the permutations of croissants and brioches with added fruit or chocolate but the basics should suffice to enhance your table, whether for a particular occasion or not.

      Part of your hospitality mission is to engender delight in a beautiful presentation and the use of any of these pastries is sure to make a special visual statement with a yummy payoff. Maybe the first day of summer is a good reason to celebrate! Why wait for Bastille day?

Still,

Celeste