It's been so much fun to play in the kitchen since we've been back. I cannot tell you how awesome it is to open a drawer and recognize the contents. I'm not exactly a frequent Sur la Table shopper, but I've got enough gadgets to get the job done. Plus eating off our own plates makes every meal a comfort dish. Ahhhh...the nesting instinct is in high gear around here. Tim plays in the garden while I play in the kitchen.
Yesterday I played with phyllo for the first time. I'm not a baker. My desserts may taste okay but they are never pretty. I'm not a measurer. I prefer the "little of this and little of that and a bit more of this," strategy when I cook. So that makes it tricky to create elegant desserts. I've always been intimidated by puff pastry and phyllo. You have to keep it at the perfect temperature, the paper thin layers way too delicate for my patience level. But this recipe I found in an old Bon Apetit for B'stilla, a Morrocan chicken pie was irresistable. I love the aroma of cinnamon and onions and spices...so exotic.
We'd invited our good pals, Barbie and Mike, over for a Sunday nt. supper. I warned Barbie I was trying out a new recipe so we could end up eating cheese and crackers and drinking wine in the event of disaster. I got up early, finished my coffee, waved bye-bye to Tim, and got to work. The ingredients called for exotic spices, chicken, phyllo, almonds, raisins, cilantro...and butter. Lots of butter. An entire stick of butter. That is more butter than I have consumed collectively since I got my cholesterol wake up call last winter. What the heck. If Paula Deen's survived this long, what's a stick of butter? The entire operation went smoothly. It was actually fun to peel the parchment thin layers of dough apart. When I was finished assembling the main course I had left over scraps of phyllo. Couldn't let that go to waste (instead it went to waist.) So, I scrounged some chocolate chips, dried cranberries and more butter. It looked just as ugly as any other dessert I'd ever made but it sure smelled good.
Our pals showed up. We drank the wine, noshed on appetizers and sat down to dinner. It was delicious. Usually when I prepare the meal, I cannot really taste it. But last night was an exception. The pastry was light but crispy, the almonds added a subtle crunch, and the flavors...oooh la la. Every last bit was finished. There would be no left overs from this meal. We adjourned for after dinner sips and shared the ugly, patchwork dessert. More deliciousness. Before we knew it the evening had come to an end. Time for bed.
It wasn't long before I was tossing and turning and gripping and burning. I don't know how Paula does it...she must pop Pepcids like M&Ms. It was a long night and this morning I was very happy to remember there were no leftovers to face today. Bye bye butter. See you in another lifetime.
No comments:
Post a Comment