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| Before/after |
Monday, February 28, 2011
Dying Palm Trees of Sicily
The palms have always been such a striking feature of the landscape. However, an African beetle made its way over here. The pest burrows in from the top of the tree, and starts eating away. Before long the fronds die and the trunks fall. Most that are infected are being cut down to prevent their falling onto someone or something. Current link about the situation that is affecting all of Italy is here. I will post more pictures later where the fronds are dying or dead. Sad.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Mardi Gras King Cake...A First!
I was ready to tackle this project Monday, but lacked cinnamon. Yesterday, I bought the cinnamon. Flint located the gold, purple and green icings for the decorations several days ago, but I found the colored sugars that the recipe calls for in the NEX. I spent most of the day creating two Mardi Gras King Cakes. (The inspiration came as we are invited to a Mardi Gras party. The hostess's eyes sparkled when I mentioned the words, so this is a trial run.)
The recipe is in Celebrations on the Bayou-one of the best Junior League cookbooks around, and it has nothing to do with the fact that dear friend Posey spent time as chairman of that endeavor. The recipes we've tried from that book, can't be beat. Flint has asked me to make the Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Dip for their Black History Month celebration next week. When we hosted a New Years Day open house, I would make this DIP; however, people ate it with a fork. I don't remember how many times I would multiply that recipe!
I really haven't fooled with yeast that much except when I make bread at our nephew's in a breadmaker. A rather dreary and dismal day, my first thought, "Didn't I hear someone say long ago that yeast doesn't rise on rainy days?" But, I forged on having to turn the oven on and off for the rising of the dough. Sicilian weather seeps into the house whatever the outdoor conditions may be, and I figured that would be the best place for it to rise. And it rose beautifully! I knew the yeast wouldn't be a problem when I went upstairs and the fragrance was with me.
One of the things that I should have paid closer attention to is that this recipe makes two King Cakes. After dividing the dough in two, each piece is to be rolled out to 30 x 15 inches. We use a game table in the kitchen - a yard squared. Using an aunt's old rolling pin that must be 70+ years old, there wasn't much area. Then you have to make three strips, filling each with a mixture of brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Seal them, and braid it before you make the braid into a 'wreath.' Then it rises some more before baking.
The cakes aren't very symmetrical, but as they rose and baked, each became a round loaf. The oven only held one at a time for baking, and the first one out has a brown side and a browner side. The second one is too brown, but it's an even brown. The sugar crystals described as "bright" barely show so it's good that I have the colored icings, too. The taste: Fit for a king!
The recipe is in Celebrations on the Bayou-one of the best Junior League cookbooks around, and it has nothing to do with the fact that dear friend Posey spent time as chairman of that endeavor. The recipes we've tried from that book, can't be beat. Flint has asked me to make the Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Dip for their Black History Month celebration next week. When we hosted a New Years Day open house, I would make this DIP; however, people ate it with a fork. I don't remember how many times I would multiply that recipe!
I really haven't fooled with yeast that much except when I make bread at our nephew's in a breadmaker. A rather dreary and dismal day, my first thought, "Didn't I hear someone say long ago that yeast doesn't rise on rainy days?" But, I forged on having to turn the oven on and off for the rising of the dough. Sicilian weather seeps into the house whatever the outdoor conditions may be, and I figured that would be the best place for it to rise. And it rose beautifully! I knew the yeast wouldn't be a problem when I went upstairs and the fragrance was with me.
One of the things that I should have paid closer attention to is that this recipe makes two King Cakes. After dividing the dough in two, each piece is to be rolled out to 30 x 15 inches. We use a game table in the kitchen - a yard squared. Using an aunt's old rolling pin that must be 70+ years old, there wasn't much area. Then you have to make three strips, filling each with a mixture of brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Seal them, and braid it before you make the braid into a 'wreath.' Then it rises some more before baking.
The cakes aren't very symmetrical, but as they rose and baked, each became a round loaf. The oven only held one at a time for baking, and the first one out has a brown side and a browner side. The second one is too brown, but it's an even brown. The sugar crystals described as "bright" barely show so it's good that I have the colored icings, too. The taste: Fit for a king!
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| The lightly browned side highlights the colors of the sugar crystals. |
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Band of Birds
A couple of years ago as a group of us walked to school from the Food Court, thousands and thousands of migratory birds flew overhead. The line stretched as far as we could see. They almost looked like they were in an invisible tube. Today I drove and watched the same phenomena for about two miles. Warmer weather must be on its way as they were heading south.
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