Sunday, May 1, 2016

In My Kitchen: May 2016


Gadzooks! it has been ages since I have invited you to drop by and visit. It's nothing personal, honest, but the routine kitchen activity aound here hasn't been all that engaging as the last weeks of winter dragged on. I am counting on Spring to supply some creative cooking energy - although the sunshine and blossoms visible through the sliding glass door keep interfering, luring me outside to enjoy the day. Spring in Seattle is something to behold, sunny or not.


Photo: Mt. Rainier and rhododendron blooms vie for attention.

...in my kitchen, breakfast is not routine and predictable. Traditional and non-traditional items alternate on a random basis, some healthy and others not-so-much. On the current list of breakfast favorites, cold pizza slices rank right up there along with almond milk/fruit smoothies, toast and avocado slices, or a soft-cooked egg atop a mixed green salad... with fresh croutons and bacon crumbles, of course. Today RL requested Swedish pancakes. Pancakes?  I really prefer sourdough waffles to Swedish pancakes, but he offered to man the griddle so I smiled and cheerfully enjoyed the treat. Along with blueberries and kiwi, this started the month off right. Happy May Day.

Photo: The balloon lifting off on the "Up, Up and Away" plate fit my uplifted spirits in Seattle's MayDay sunshine and warm weather. 
Photo: Swedish Pancake as a wrap or breakfast taco? Any excuse for finger food, just add a dab of Greek yogurt and some fruit, or try a slather of butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.


...in my kitchen this lovely bouquet from friend Laci added a welcome explosion of color throughout the past week. The flowers arrived in tight bud, unfurling in slow sequence. First to open were the brilliantly blue iris, next the sweet snapdragons and red roses, and finally the lilies. I wish I had recorded each step of this progression from the beginning. (Note: the scraps of paper on the counter are paint swatches for the upcoming exterior repaint project - thankfully not in my kitchen!) 

  
   
...in my kitchen you will find more new, single-purpose items. Lack of impulse control... again. The new apple corer has proven to be easier to grip and much kinder to achey hands than a previous model, and releases the core without any fuss. The strawberry huller was just too cute to pass up, in addition to being relatively functional and requiring little drawer space. Necessary, you ask? whatever does that have to do with gadget love?!






Three new madeleine pans called for reorganizing some vertical storage space, but oh my! the sweet little cakes are such amazing bites. How could I have waited this many years for my first taste?! It's time to make up for lost opportunities and explore various flavor combinations. Stand by for posts to follow as the taste tests proceed. 





...in my kitchen old gadgets mix with the new. Ages ago my father-in-law delivered a large cardboard box filled with "old stuff" he  had accumulated, things he thought I might find interesting. Many hung on the wall as objet d'art, but eventually were boxed up, labeled and sent to long-term storage. During a recent flurry of organizing and decluttering, these treasures resurfaced again, tucked away on a closet shelf in my study. Imagine the fun of rediscovery... and the puzzle of what to do with all of this cool "old stuff". Photo props, I suppose, and I'll think of John whenever I use one of his nifty gadgets. The egg scale seems workable, though the calibration needs some fidding... surely the grocery didn't make a mistake with the eggs labeled "large". How do you size eggs today when you raise chickens?


This IMK post began with sunshine and breakfast and ends with dessert, Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Custard Sauce and fresh strawberries with mint. Guilty confession - not just dessert, we ate some for breakfast as well.  


Now I'm out the door to check on the latest blossoms and watch the waterfowl. Small flotillas of Canadian geese are paddling by, honking loudly while shepherding scores of newly-hatched downy little fluffballs. Wow, those chicks (okay, goslings) can move fast, paddling like wind-up toys as they race for the shelter of a dock or overhanging bush whenever eagles cruise overhead.

The monthly In My Kitchen roundup is hosted by Maureen at Orgasmic Chef. Click on the link to visit Maureen and see what is happening in other kitchens around the world. Check back often as the list of IMK participants grows daily until the 10th of each month.

Happy Spring, and thanks for the visit.

18 comments:

  1. What a fabulous post!
    I have never seen an egg sizer before!! I am also a gadget queen. No space for anymore but I still keep buying them.
    Thanks so much for sharing
    Julie
    Gourmet Getaways

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aha, a sister gadgeteer. We'll never be minimalists, but we do have nifty "stuff".

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  2. Oooh... I love Madeleines. I only have one tray which means I have to do them in batches which can be a bit annoying. I think I should just go your route and buy some more. Yes? The photo of Mt Rainier and the blooms is gorgeous. A picture postcard shot. You could never get sick of that view!

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    1. I love the convenience of multiple baking trays, and free shipping via Amazon Prime gave me all the justification I needed. You're right, I never tire of gazing at The Mountain.

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  3. Wow! Your baked goods (and Swedish pancakes) look fantabulous...You've inspired me to bake up a batch of Madeleines...And, yes, of course, pound cake is meant for breakfast =)

    P.s. Lovely flowers (and friends!) too =)

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    Replies
    1. Here's to more Madeleines and pound cake and such, though stretchy pants might be needed soon.

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  4. I am a fickle breakfast person too, but isn't that what leftovers are meant for? I love madeleines but discarded my scratched and beaten tin last year. I think it's time to go shopping.

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    1. I've explained to the husband that leftovers are really "pre planned pre-cooking" efforts. He doesn't believe or appreciate their breakfast potential.

      More Madeleine tins? I say Go for it!

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  5. Pizza for breakfast is the very best, especially heated with a poached or fried egg on top. It doesn't get much better.

    Lovely Swedish pancakes. I have my mother's madeleine sheets and have never used them. Your own look so good I need to drag them out and bake a batch.

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  6. Your madelines look fabulous! I've used the Julia Child recipe and it works a treat!

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    Replies
    1. Julia's recipes rarely disappoint. I'll check out her Madeleine recipe for ingredients and technique - a tasty research project!

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  7. Somehow I just spent 2 weeks in France without eating a single madeleine. Yours look delicious!

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Mae, surely that is a reason for a return trip: sample Madeleine's and revisit all of your favorite bites and experiences!

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  8. Dee, your random breakfasts appealed to me greatly and your colorful photos were breath of cool Spring air. I missed most of Spring in Oklahoma -- the mornings are HOT here already. Maybe I'll have to treat myself to a spinach salad with strawberries or something else "spontaneous" for breakfast, inspired by you! (I like the way you think!) Your lemon pound cake looks soooo scrumptious... oh my.

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    Replies
    1. Kim, it must be a treat for you to be home again after so long. Here's to treats, "spontaneous" dining, and the joy and comfort of home.

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  9. yes i am a gadget freak too. i keep buying them and shoving them in drawers. i must say they are more a novelty item than practical. will you soon be reading Proust now you are making madeleines?:) love the top photo of the snow on the mountain - not something we see around here.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sherry, I will continue to bake Madeleine's but cheerfully ignore Proust. The view of the mountain and snow changes daily as our recent warm,dry weather speeds up the spring melt and interesting shadowed contours become more prominent.

    ReplyDelete

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