Valentine to a Golden Birdie

February 13, 2015March 12, 2015 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

It wasn’t love at first sight, not even second sight. My “date” was quite verbose, but I was seduced by his vulnerability, the ease with which he stripped his….heart bare (clothes stayed on). Once I fell into his grasp, I fell hard for him. My husband knew of this love affair, and was fine with it because the object of my affection is a book, The Goldfinch. I devoured it for hours at a time, good thing I don’t have kids, otherwise I would surely have Child Services knocking on my door. I was swept away by the raw beauty of Donna Tartt’s writing, and how the main character wooed me into his inner life. The story unwound itself page by page and wrapped itself around me in sensurround. The Goldfinch in the title of the book refers to an actual painting that became very dear to the main character, but please go read it for yourself if you haven’t already.

I wanted to make an edible Valentine to The Goldfinch, and thought something lemony would be fitting. I decided to create golden cupcakes that are tart and sweet, which is one of the book’s messages, that is – even though your life may be sour, sweetness can still be found. Because the book is so substantial in content and length I wanted my cupcakes to be dense and substantial, almost like a pound cake quality. For the love of The Goldfinch, below is my Valentine cupcake recipe.

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New Year New Food!

January 16, 2015March 12, 2015 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

What do aliens eat? Do they have the same food groups as earthlings? Do they care about eating local, organic and fair trade? What do their fruits and vegetables taste like, look like? Do they even eat? Or, have they done away with eating, which would be sad. I am fantasizing about alien cuisine because I’ve got food fatigue. That is what I am experiencing more and more these days. You must have those days too where you just can’t stomach another boring bowl of oatmeal, spring mix salad, or chicken breast. I want to travel with my tongue.

And so it was with gratitude that I came across 2014’s top ingredients of the year. And I find myself behind the food trend because it is now 2015 and there are foods from last year’s list that I have never heard of, ie. shishitos, leaf lard (I didn’t know leaves have fat) and gribenes to name a few. But I am happy to say there are many ingredients that are staples in my pantry.

The number one ingredient of last year is the spice mixture, zaatar, I remember reading about it a few years ago when it first burst onto the culinary scene, but have never tried it. Until now, it is a new year and new food, well, at least for me. So I went on the hunt for zaatar, and found it at a Mediterranean market. What exactly is zaatar? It is a mixture of herbs – thyme, oregano, marjoram – sumac and sesame seeds. You may be familiar with the first three ingredients, but sumac? What the heck is that? When I had gone to Turkey in the past, I brought some sumac back and didn’t really know what to do with it. But it is a berry that is dried and then ground into a powder. It has a tangy citrusy flavor.

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The Ultimate Hot Chocolate

January 9, 2015March 12, 2015 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

Is it too early to talk about chocolate? Valentine’s Day is a month away, but oh what the heck. Chocolate never goes out of style, is never passé, and no one will ever says “Chocolate is so yesterday!”

One year when the season of Lent was approaching, I was wondering what I would give up for 40 days. Christians observe Lent by going through a season of self-denial to make room for the presence of God in our lives, and as a preparation for Easter. One should give up something that will be missed, something that will hurt a little. And so I gave up chocolate for 40 days because it had become something I had to have every day. It did hurt, but it made me aware of how much I thought I needed it. Was I on my way to becoming a chocolate addict? This might be overstating it, but I want to live a life where I am free to choose. And the act of giving up chocolate was a stark slap in the face, that is – I wasn’t free to choose chocolate as it had become something I had to have and not something I “get” to have. Once Lent was over, that first bite of chocolate tasted divine!

My relationship with chocolate has since become more balanced, and I don’t have to have it everyday. When I do have it, it should be really good. So, as I think about some food related highlights from 2014, I feel that visiting Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France with {Kale} was one of them. You can read about our visit here. We had the drinking chocolate and I have been meaning to make a version that was a little less rich, but no less satisfying. As a result, here is my ultimate hot chocolate!