use real butter

OMG, I woke up at 9 this morning. That is incredibly late for me, especially as I had the intention of waking up at 5:30. I’m trying to be patient and accept that I need to let the side-effects of radiation play out, which means sleeping way more than I ever wanted to (Manggy is gasping with indignation at that, I’m sure!) The other reason I slept in this morning was because I was up late shooting something special. Can you guess what it was? Not something in the sky…

For as long as I can remember, we had these funky, fleshy, gangly plants growing in our house. And whenever I visited a member of my mom’s family, they had one or two or three or more of these plants in their house too! It all started when Grandma came to the States from Taiwan and carried a leaf wrapped in wet paper towels and plastic bag. She gave it to my mom who started a plant in her house. Every time one of us bought our first house, we were given this plant (leaf). They grow into the most unwieldy things that must be trimmed back (give the leaves to your friends to start their own) periodically, and from time to time will grace your house with a bloom.

here is a bloom that will open tonight: it’s almost alien looking

can we get a puppy schnoz for scale? thanks, ‘weah

In my (Mandarin-speaking) family, we always called it tan hua. Then someone said it was called a century plant in English. Whoever said that was wrong, but those were the pre-Google days. I have since confirmed that this is in fact, a night-blooming cereus (aka Queen of the Night).

You know when a bloom is coming, because it takes about 2.5 weeks for the buggers to go from tiny bud to ginormous flower. The flower only blooms at night and it only opens for about 6+ hours and then it’s done - no more blooming action! It’s quite a treat and I remember it was one of the few occasions that my mom would let me stay up past midnight as a kid. My favorite part was the delicate fragrance that the flower would release - almost a floral, tea-like scent that permeated the entire house. Grandma said it was a good omen for the house. Hey! She’s a feng shui expert! Good omens are good…

in profile

fresh face

Not only was it good feng shui, but it was the first time Jeremy had witnessed a Queen of the Night bloom! My mom called in the evening to ask if it had started opening. Then she said, “Can you smell it yet?” I stuck my nose in the flower and couldn’t detect anything (and I have a GOOD nose). I told her no and began to secretly worry that my plant was somehow defective. She assured me it would start to smell in a couple of hours. How did she know?! Well, she was right - that lovely perfume began to release around 10 pm.

It was also a nice opportunity to mess with my flashes. See folks, this is one flower you will not be able to shoot in natural light unless you have a hot house in the Arctic or Antarctic circles and I have my doubts if the plant will survive even then. An argument to learn to use your damn flash ;) You can see the series of pictures on the photoblog. The cool thing is that I have two more buds that are going to bloom tonight! Sweeeet.

speaking of sweet… lychees

Somehow this recipe was forgotten and has been languishing in my archives for a few months. Please, forgive me.

What I love about lychees is that they have a subtle, floral flavor to match the plump and juicy flesh. [There goes Manggy running out the door - he hates lychees!] Since I can’t get fresh lychees very easily around here, I use canned. They are different beasts, yes, but I still enjoy the canned variety as well (just imagine how painful it must be if you’re standing underneath when the cans drop off the trees…)

raspberries for color and tartness

Ah yes, the recipe is lychee panna cotta. Remember when I said that FIL is a chocolate fiend? Most of the people on that side of Jeremy’s family are chocolate fiends. Personally, I think people who limit themselves to chocolate-only desserts are a little close-minded and I have to exercise a lot of patience with them. The true dessert afficionado knows that there are so many wonderful confections out there that don’t involve chocolate. Luckily, MIL loves a lot of the cream-based or fruity desserts that I delight in. When I first met Jeremy, he would wrinkle his nose at non-chocolate desserts. I almost kicked him to the curb except that he loved sushi, so it balanced out in the pros and cons list… But over time, he has surprised me with his matured tastes. He now eats and loves a myriad of vegetables (still working on tomatoes, but at least he eats them), fruits, Asian foods, and… non-chocolate desserts. Imagine my delight when he sang the praises of the lychee panna cotta with nary a drop of chocolate or caffeine in sight.

pour in the precious cream mixture

The dessert is subtle. I use the lychee syrup from the can to flavor the cream. If the syrup is too weak for your tastes, I suggest boiling it with a little sugar and reducing it to a syrup. That will concentrate the flavor. The raspberries and lychees will float to the top unless you fill their cavities with the liquid panna cotta. I think it’s fun.

my favorite way to serve panna cotta: shots

Panna cotta pairs with so many flavors and it is wonderful served any time of year. This summery version is delightful with a little rose syrup served on top (not pictured because we ate it!). The little panna cotta shots are great if you do dessert “courses”, or serve it in a juice glass if it is the main event.

a creamy way to end a meal

Lychee Panna Cotta

1 cup cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean
2 tsp gelatin
1 cup lychee juice (from the can)
3 tbsp sugar
lychees (canned or fresh if you can get them)
raspberries (fresh)

Bring cream, milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Open the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out into the cream. Discard the vanilla pod. Sprinkle gelatin over the lychee juice or syrup* and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir the lychee mixture and sugar into the cream. Place fruit in serving glasses or bowls and pour cream over fruit. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

* If you want a more concentrated lychee flavor, you can boil the cup of lychee juice with the sugar and reduce it to a syrup. If you do this, then omit the 3 tbsp of sugar from the cream mixture.

Ahhh, after all of the horrible heat that was forecast for the past several days, we have been enjoying some afternoon cool offs with dark clouds, gorgeous lightning, and even some much needed rain. The office window is open and the cool (60°F) air is dribbling in across my arms as I type. Oh baby! I love the smell of the mountain forests right after a rain. I think if I lived down on the flats, I would have lost it by now.

Because of the hot weather, we got up early yesterday morning to do a little hiking and shooting. Sadly, the Parry’s primroses are on their way out, but I see some king’s crown starting to bloom streamside. In another month, the wildflower display will be but a memory here. Best to enjoy them while we can.

bluebells, heartleaf bittercress, parry’s primrose

catching some stream action

The other day, I found myself in front of the Whole Foods seafood counter once again. That is trouble in a nutshell, let me tell you. “Okay,” I told myself, “don’t get all crazy.” No, no crazies. I decided to go easy on the wallet and ask for four scallops. Four luscious, supple, giant scallops. Oh yes… oh yes…

beautiful scallops make me cry tears of joy

The first time I purchased scallops at the Whole Foods in Boulder, I asked if they were dry scallops. Fish dude looked at me funny and said he wasn’t familiar with that term. So I asked if they were water-injected and he emphatically replied, “No ma’am.” I was relieved to hear that, but what was with the Ma’am thing? Anyway, on the East Coast I had seen two types of scallops: dry scallops and “scallops”. I put that in quotes because the little tag will read “scallops”, but the words underneath “scallops” written in 3 point font state that these beauties have been injected. Injected with sodium tripolyphosphate for the sole purpose of making those scallops SUCK. No really, it’s to prolong shelf life and maintain plumpness, but at the expense of taste, quality, and everything good known to Man.

simplicity in seasoning - just salt and pepper, kids

Back in the day, I made the mistake of purchasing these cheaper cousins and trying to pan-sear them. No dice. They oozed out their nasty STP juices (okay, I guess it’s mostly just water) and I wound up with braised rubbery scallops that tasted like ass. I learned my lesson and now hopefully you have too.

One of Jeremy’s favorite dishes is pan-seared scallops. He couldn’t resist ordering them whenever they popped up on a menu. As a cook, I couldn’t help but try to reproduce this dish at home. I get my jollies creating restaurant-style meals at home for a fraction of the restaurant price!

So what is the first thing to do? Well?? Get dry scallops. Haven’t you been paying attention?

I will pat the scallops dry of moisture first and then season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Next, get out your best pan because we want it to be HOT. I use my trusted 4-qt All-Clad frying pan. Add a little olive oil, set the flame on gi-normous. When the oil is hot, set the scallops into the pan.

pan-sear the right way: with dry scallops

They cook fast and even when you remove them from the pan they will continue to cook. If you overcook the scallops, they will become rubbery, you will have wasted your money, and I will personally show up in your kitchen and thwack your hands with a chopstick. So DO NOT OVERCOOK THE PRECIOUS SCALLOPS.

For these scallops (about 2 oz. each) I let them cook about 2 minutes on the first side, flip and cook another minute plus on the second side. I remove them quickly to a plate while I address the sauce.

sauce? you say

That sticky mess of burnt scallop bits in the pan would be unhappiness for the dishwasher (aka Jeremy), but a dream come true for me. It’s fond and it makes some wonderful pan sauce because it is packed full of flavor. With the heat reduced to high instead of gi-normous, I’ll slap in a pat of butter and stir it around as it melts.

don’t be adding crap wine!

When the butter is completely melted, it’s time to pour in some liquid. It could be broth, water(?), or wine. We were having a nice French Chardonnay that night, so I nipped a bit from the bottle. [Note: When I pan-sear steaks I like to use port for reduction.] The liquid will bubble and steam, but you need to get a whisk or spoon in there to stir it around and scrape at that fond sticking to the pan. The fond softens up and dissolves into the liquid, which makes cleaning the pan much easier and flavors that lovely sauce. As it reduces to the right consistency, I remove it from the heat and serve it with the scallops, pronto.

pan-seared happiness

Pan-seared Scallops

4 large dry scallops
salt
pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup white wine

Pat the scallops dry with towel or paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the scallops (both sides). Heat olive oil in a frying pan (don’t use non-stick) over high heat. When oil is hot, place the scallops in the pan with at least one or two inches between them (so they don’t crowd and steam one another). After two minutes, the base should be browned nicely. Flip the scallops and cook for another minute or until base is browned. Remove from heat and set on serving dish(es). While still on high heat, drop a pat of butter into the pan. Move the pat around the pan until melted completely. Pour in the wine and use a whisk or spoon to scrape the fond from the pan and stir it into the liquid. Leave the heat on high and let the sauce boil until it reduces to desired consistency. Immediately remove from heat and serve with scallops.

Four times a year, the first of the month is a special day for me. Of those four times, only one of those days is one that I had chosen and the rest were out of my control. March 1 is our wedding anniversary because MIL had wised up to the fact that although we had announced our engagement (as evidenced by my engagement mountain bike) mostly to appease the moms, we neglected to plan for the actual wedding. It was at 5 am in the ILs’ living room right before we were headed for the airport that we pulled out a calendar and I selected the earliest first of the month that fell on a Saturday for our wedding date. The first, so that we wouldn’t forget our anniversary as it would always coincide with when rent was due.

November 1 is our smoochiversary or “Happy I’m Glad I Met You Day” or the day that I “robbed the cradle”. Jeremy is my junior and when I was “pursuing” him in the dorms, my friend Ernie leaned over and said, “Jen, if you hit on Jeremy any harder, you’re going to knock him clear out of the cradle.” This date means more to us than our wedding anniversary.

May 1 is the anniversary of my sister’s death and August 1, today, is her birthday. Kris would have turned 42 on this day.

remembrance

When I was little, I used to tag along with my big sister everywhere she went. She hated it. We fought because I wanted to be with her and she wanted to not be with me. Mom and Dad made her let me tag along.

the dorkiness was evident at an early age

yeah no - she didn’t catch it, she’s just holding it up for a photo

Despite our 5-year age difference, we grew incredibly close when she entered high school. We sailed competitively together, we confided in one another, we were best friends. Best friends and sisters. I always looked up to Kris even though I was taller than her by age eleven. She was this petite (size 0, sheesh!), pretty, and well-dressed teenager and I was a sloppy, tomboyish, bulldozer younger sister. Yet, we looked to one another for support and guidance. The day she left for college I felt like my heart would break from the sadness.

another good day for sailing

But we just grew closer and we always seemed to know when the other was in need of some cheering up or a care package or a listening ear or advice. One look and we would send each other doubled over in laughter. We shared far too many inside jokes which annoyed the hell out of most of our boyfriends. And we fought too, because two headstrong, type A, alpha females are going to butt heads from time to time. It never lasted long and usually ended with loud guffaws and more inside jokes.

it was the 90s and i didn’t pick that tablecloth dress

Of all the people in my life I never, never imagined losing Kris. The thought never crossed my mind. I worried about Grandma, Mom, Dad, Jeremy, even Kaweah. But Kris was always there in my future. I even figured she would be by my side when I, an old crotchety Chinese lady who swore at everyone, swore my last profanity. Then one sunny Saturday afternoon four years ago, out of the blue - my dad called to tell me Kris was gone. That day and those that followed were the saddest of my life.

August 1 is bittersweet, but I try to focus on the sweet as much as possible. So I’m posting a cookie recipe as my sister was a consummate size 0 snacker. I have been slowly addressing the high altitude issues in some of my favorite cookie recipes that I used to churn out on a regular basis at sea level. I think my sister would have liked these. Happy Birthday, Kris.

dried cranberries

oats

The dangerous part about this recipe is that I actually *like* cranberry oatmeal cookies. Almost all of what I bake is foisted on Jeremy, neighbors, friends… I might as well tape these cookies to my hips because I love me an oatmeal cookie, or two, or three.

dark brown and white sugars with butter

mix in the dry ingredients

This recipe is based on Susan G. Purdy’s Trout Dale Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies from Pie in the Sky. The only substitution was dried cranberries for raisins (because Jeremy fears raisins). What I find amazing about Purdy’s recipes is that she tests them at sea level, 3000 feet, 5000 feet, 7,000 feet, and 10,000 feet and gives instructions for each elevation. Contrary to what one might assume, the adjustments are not linear with elevation and they get especially wankerish between 7,000 and 10,000 feet. Wouldn’t you know, I live at 8,500 feet…

cookie dough soldiers

The end result was a chewy inner cookie with just enough of a crispy outside to call it perfection. Wait any longer than a day and it becomes a full-fledged soft and chewy cookie. I ate five in one day which is more cookie than I consume in a typical month. I gave the rest away to ensure that I could fit into my ski pants come the first snowfall (are you kidding me? it may be summer, but I think of skiing ALL year).

this is dangerous

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
modified from Trout Dale Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies from Pie in the Sky by Susan G. Purdy

This recipe is for sea level, with elevation adjustments for 8,500 feet in parentheses.

1 1/2 cups flour (1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 tbsps)
1/2 tsp baking soda (1/4 tsp)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla (2 tsps)
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup dried cranberries

Heat oven to 350°F. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter until soft and creamy, then beat in both sugars, scraping the sides of the bowl when necessary until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla and scrape down the bowl again. Slowly mix in the flour mixture, then the oats and cranberries. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoon onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes (14 minutes at 8,500 feet) or until cookies are golden brown. Cool cookies on wire rack and store in airtight container.