#ruth reichl

[a-path-by-the-moon]

[itsdeenlee]

[litandlifequotes]

When fortune smiles, you immediately start to worry about how it will end. Why not enjoy the moment?

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl

[what-marsha-eats]

Pink Deviled Eggs

by Ruth Reichl

They’re so beautiful, and you get a lot of bang for very few bucks.

(Incidentally, I usually use Sriracha in the recipe, but like many people, I am suffering from Sriracha deprivation due to the shortage of Huy Tung Sriracha, which is currently selling for a staggery $75 on Amazon. According to the "Los Angeles Times," the company goes through 50,000 tons of Mexican chiles a year, and the drought south of the border has created a chile shortage. I haven’t found another brand I like, so I used Tabasco in its place.)

1 dozen hard-boiled eggs 1 jar pickled beets Tabasco mustard mayonnaise salt and pepper

Once your eggs are cooked and peeled, put the whole eggs into a bowl with the juice from a can of pickled beets; add a bit of water if the eggs aren’t completely covered.

Before long the eggs will begin to turn a vibrant shade of pink. Leave them in the refrigerator overnight, and the whites will be the most beautiful color, a dazzling contrast to the marigold color of the yolks. (Leave them in the beet juice for more than 18 hours, however, and the yolks will turn pink as well.)

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise, then slice a  bit off the bottom of the white of each half so they won’t wobble on the plate.  It makes them considerably easier to fill. Remove the yolks and mash with  mayonnaise, a bit of mustard, and salt and pepper.  Add a splash of Tabasco for heat.  

If you want truly etherial tenderness, whip the filling in a food processor; it will make it smoother. Then pile the deviled yolks back into the pink shells. (A pastry tube makes this easier.) 

At the end, just for color, top each one with a little leaf of herb.

A small digression on the science of hardboiled eggs….

When eggs are new, the membrane beneath the shell sticks tightly to its shell, making peeling them a serious challenge. As eggs age, the protective coating on the shell becomes porous and begins to absorb air making the whites less acetic. (This is why the whites of freshly laid eggs are cloudy; as they absorb air they lose some of the carbon dioxide in the albumen, the ph rises, and the whites become clearer.)

But while the egg whites are losing their acidity, they are also getting thinner, meaning that the yolk is moving farther from the center. So if you’re intent on perfect deviled eggs, begin with organic, new-laid eggs but put them in the refrigerator for a week and store them on their sides.

When you’re ready to hard-boil them, bring the eggs to room temperature (which will keep them from cracking). Put your eggs in a pot that will hold them in a single layer, so that they cook evenly. Cover them with cold water and raise it quickly just to a boil. Cover the pot, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for 12 minutes.

Chill the eggs, immediately, in a bowl of ice water.  This will prevent the dread green circle around the outside of the yolk. (That occurs because the iron in the yolk reacts with the sulfur in the white when the temperature of the egg reaches 158° F.  Although perfectly harmless, it lends your deviled eggs a slightly ghoulish air. )

If you don't want to wait a week, steam your eggs.  It's easy. Put them in a steamer (or a colander over a big pot), cover them and steam for twenty minutes. Plunk them into an ice water bath until they’re cool enough to handle. Roll on the counter.  The shells of even new-laid eggs will peel right off.  

[binsofchaos]

Pancakes | Ruth Reichl

A cooking site — and you know who you are — recently published a recipe for “everyday pancakes.”

I am here to say that there is nothing “everyday” about pancakes. Their entire purpose in life is to prove that a few simple ingredients can become absolutely extraordinary. They exist to wake you up, make you happy and send you out into the world with hope in your heart. That’s a tall order for a little cake, and it cannot be achieved by stinting. The minute you start worrying that they’re too rich you’ve defeated the whole purpose of pancakes.

Pancake magic is not for the eater alone. Their chemistry is also enchanting: the cook gets to watch a simple mixture of butter, flour, eggs, and milk puff itself up a=and turn into a sassy little cake.

The speed of the transformation always astonishes me. I stand, mesmerized, watching bubbles form, watching edges crisp, savoring the drama of the flip and the generosity of the scent that surrounds me. There may be a better way to start the day; I haven’t found it.

If your pancakes aren’t this much fun, it’s time for a change. My basic pancake recipe is so delicious you could easily forego the syrup. But what I love most is that, unlike other pancakes, they respect syrup and refuse to behave like floppy sponges. Whatever recipe you use, however, it will be better if you remember the pancake rules.

The first rule of pancakes: Don’t use a mix. Let me repeat that: Don’t use a mix. It saves no time, it tastes no good — and it costs more money.

The second rule of pancakes: Don’t even think about using inferior maple syrup. A good pancake deserves the very best.

The third rule of pancakes: Don’t skimp. I know my recipe has a lot of butter, but where pancakes are concerned, more is always more.

Here’s my recipe. I’ve made this so often that I can pull it together in under a minute. After you’ve done it a few times you’ll be able to do that too. This is not diet food, but I promise that these pancakes will make your family very, very happy.  

Pancakes

1 stick butter 1 cup milk 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 4 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt

Melt a stick of butter in a heavy skillet. Whisk together a cup of milk, 2 large eggs and a tablespoon of vegetable oil, then add the butter. Put the buttery skillet back on the burner, ready for the pancakes.

Whisk the flour with the baking powder, sugar and salt. Whisk the mixture into the butter mixture, just until it’s combined. Don’t overmix. Allow to sit for a moment, then add enough milk to make it pourable.

Pour some batter into the skillet. The size is up to you; sometimes I make them tiny for children, sometimes I make them ludicrously large. Watch as the bubbles appear in the batter, grow larger, and then pop and vanish. When most have popped, carefully flip the pancake and cook the other side.  

Rush the pancakes to the table as each one is finished. You want them hot, sweet, salty and a little bit crisp. You want the memory to linger with your family as they move through their day.

(This is enough batter to feed four generously. It will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days; you will probably want to thin it out with a bit more milk before using.)

[randomrichards]

JULIA:

Unlikely show host

Made US love French cooking

Living a good life

[popchyik]

i. nina lacour, everything leads to you

ii. the goldfinch (2019), dir. john crowley

iii. the goldfinch, donna tartt

iv. the five people you meet in heaven, mitch albom

v. the perks of being a wallflower (2012), stephen chbosky

vi. the goldfinch, donna tartt

vii. picnic - bob dornberg

viii. ruth reichl

[fortezzabastiani]

L'unica cosa che fa sgonfiare un soufflé è sapere che ne avete paura.

(James Beard, per Squisito! di Ruth Reichl)