Category: cooking

  • been crochetin’

    I’ve been home sick all this week, and I think I’m finally feeling better. Still a ways to go though. I spent a few days pretty much doing nothing, but now I have some energy back so I’ve been crocheting.

    been crochetin'

    Piles of these circles for the innards of a bunch of hexagons, following this tutorial. It’s very easy, and they’re really quick. I’m working with a bunch of random skeins of Cascade 220 and a 4.25mm crochet hook (G). I’ve made 32 so far in about 3 days. I’ll do the last round of all of them in the same colour and join them as I go, once I have them all. I think I might aim for 100.

    been crochetin'

    been crochetin'

    I guess I’m pretty bad at taking it easy, because this week I’ve also started laying out 5 new sweater patterns, and swatching for some new designs. Double-stranded Handmaiden Casbah!

    and swatchin'

    Watching: CW’s Nikita – it’s filmed here in Toronto, and it’s pretty fun picking out locations! Good butt-kicking fun.

    Reading: Cryponomicon by Neil Stephenson. It’s going to take awhile.

    Eating: not much, sadly. But congee is a good, plain, comforting food. It’s just 1 cup of rice (I used short-grain, like sushi rice), 8 cups of water, simmered together for an hour or two with some salt until it’s like a porridge. Serve with sesame seeds and soy sauce/tamari, and whatever mix-ins you like – I usually do some sauteed tofu and peas, but I’m just eating it plain right now.

  • textures, and a recipe

    I’m obsessed with making various neck thingies this week – cowls, scarves and shawls.

    texturey

    Mmmmmm.

    But, since I don’t really have anything much more to show you, I thought I’d pop by with a recipe I’ve been making a bunch lately! It’s a great breakfast, and I’ve lightened it up considerably from its original recipe, so I thought I’d post it.

    dutch baby

    (I took this photo ages ago at my old apartment – sniff, there are lots of things I miss about that place.)

    Dutch Baby Pancake

    Ingredients
    – 1-2 tbsp butter
    – 4 eggs
    – 1/2 cup flour
    – 1/2 cup milk (I use lactose-free, 1%)
    – cinnamon, nutmeg, a few drops of vanilla extract

    Directions
    Turn oven on to 400F. Put the butter in a cast iron skillet or glass pie pan and place it in the heating oven while you mix the rest of the ingredients.

    Mix the eggs, flour, milk and seasonings together – I use a large glass measuring cup, and I find that the immersion blender (stick/hand blender) does a great job of incorporating the flour quickly and adding some air. Otherwise, use a standard blender, or just a bowl and a good whisk.

    Once the butter has melted and foamed in the pan, pull the pan out of the oven, pour the batter in, then stick it back in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until it has puffed up around the edges and is nice and brown.
    Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with whatever you want – I use maple syrup and homemade strawberry jam!

    A few notes: I think the batter puffs up the best with room temperature batter, but the reality is that sometimes I just don’t have time for that! Instead, I measure out out the eggs and milk the night before and put them in the fridge, and measure the flour and seasonings out into a bowl. That way in the morning I just have to turn on the oven, mix it all up and dump it in the pan.

    And don’t worry if you get to about the 15 minute mark and it looks like it’s not puffed – it comes up really quickly at the end!

    Nom. Perfect with a big cup of tea.

  • and a happy new year

    I’ve been fighting a pretty nasty cold all week, so I’m staying in this New Year’s Eve. I don’t really have the energy for a recap either, so just a few happenings since my last post!

    My yule log was beautiful – unfortunately the cake was kinda dry. I really liked the frosting though – Swiss Meringue buttercream, flavoured with instant espresso powder and vanilla. I’d definitely make that, and the meringue mushrooms again.

    yule log, complete!

    I knit an Attabi cowl in one day, out of Berroco Blackstone Tweed – it’s a sample that I’m taking with me to the January TNNA show next week. I love the deep purple!

    attabi cowl

    Not so much a single day project (I had to keep ripping out for sizing), but on Christmas and a few days afterwards I knit this cowl out of Malabrigo Twist. It’s reversible, and super quick and fun! I used 2 skeins – look for the pattern in January.

    new cowl, side B

    That’s about it! Tonight I’m knitting, relaxing, and trying to kick this cold. Hope your New Year’s is fun.