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http://lemonsandthyme.blogspot.com/

Love, Inspiration and Health to you all
Joy

Lemons and Thyme: Lemony Goodness

A separate adventure, a streamlined sleek look, weekly, delicious.

Check out the very first post, recipe and cannot wait to keep the good stuff coming!

Lemons and Thyme: Lemony Goodness: "For my 26th Birthday, I opted for a rich lemon curd tart. The flaky crust is accented with toasted almonds. The rich lemon filling is lusci..."

O is for Operation Oblivion.

These are my feet. Were my feet. About a 17 days ago. In the sand of the Pacific is where my feet seem to look the happiest. Although, right now any sea will do just fine. Having said that, this is also the last picture of the original gnarly Joy feet.
My left foot remains, unhindered by knife and thread at the moment. My right however, well, lets just say its had better days. Although, fingers crossed, it will be having better days in the future because of the removal and rearrangement of some bones and tendons.

Having surgery for the first time puts a lot of things in perspective. Also, gives me a multitude of time to contemplate Life.
Great.
Having too much time to do this is always causes me some emotional upheaval. If I get all tangled up in the big mess of, 'what and I going to do with my life' thoughts I end up making rash decisions. Apply irrationally to programs I can't get into. Impulse buy things on the internet or, my new thing,  crutching around in circles to tire me out. Kind of like a child. Playing with it in order to help tire them, until they are so sleepy you have to put them into their PJ's at night. I am now purposefully treating myself like a 4 year old.

Great.
I have all this ambition and drive. A steaming pot of pent up energy and compulsion to create. I now have no where to channel any of that. Firstly, I cannot stand up on my left foot for at the most 10 minutes, without my right foot throbbing like a pulsating orb in a science fiction movie. Subsequently making my toes look like little vienna sausages. Secondly, because my creativity is normally channeled though food, cooking and the use of my hands while standing on my feet, well, all of that has come to a jarring hault.
Soon, I know, I will be able to stand, able to do, able to create. But right now, all I feel is restless.
Additionally, painkillers aren't super helpful for the creative process. I take that back, I guess they are in some ways, but not when you can't stand up (on both feet) and instantly spring into creativity. My opinions and mind flow much more freely than normal (that's for sure) when taking them, but otherwise, I'm really just swirling from thought to thought.

I am easily side tracked. For example, I am reading Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton, which is fantastic throughout, as I am reaching its end. I am enjoying every page and relate to her voice and style of prose. Read it.
So I am focused in, reading intently, and she begins to describe watching Andre Soltner, a chef, whom I had the honor of interacting with a few times at my recent job, make a beautifully delicate, perfectly soft omelet at her stove. I mark my page, and pick up my computer and look up how to make a perfect French Omelet. Although I have seen Jacques Pepin make one, even though I should know how to do it well, and I have tried, but never been adequately judged on its result; so then from there I get side tracked by an article about organic, free range eggs and misleading labeling, but I turn to thinking about buying chickens, and how to raise them humanely; at which point I go out in the garden and stare at the flowers and vegetables my mom planted; I begin to think about what I could make with the huge leaves from the red cabbage, if they would be bitter, if I could juice them and make pasta from their vibrant deep purple red, then and my foot starts to throb distractingly. I crutch back inside nearly falling up the steps, and see on the counter an apple; wash it, carry it under my chin back to my room where I elevate my foot and realize that 5 hours have gone by since I first picked up the book. Now I'm back in my room, and can't hardly remember why I had gone outside in the first place. Chickens? Take another pain killer realizing that I needed to do so an hour before hand, and go through another very similar sort of process of distraction, interest and confusion.

Crimini Mushrooms for Garnish. Earthy, firm, fantastic.

Pain, quite distracting. Staring at toes lack of movement. Distracting.

Never the less. I wrote a 'real' post about Oatmeal for my O entry, which I will post(haste). But, since I could barely form a well structured sentence when I first began writing said post, it needs to be edited a little further, perfected a little more, and  become a polished gem of fun fiber facts. Unlike this post,which, I send out into you, great internet universe, knowing full well this is a rant of grand proportion. But just wanted to fill you in on the goings on. Because right now, I could ramble for hours.

N is for Now Introducing Spring!

Just a few little teases of Spring from the Euclid Ave. garden taken March 29th 2011.

Apricot Tree Leaves

Budding White Rinnuculla

Beautiful Blue Lillies

Terribly Sweet Tangerines

Lovely Pink Blossums on our Pretty Peach Tree

Sprouting Rainbow Swiss Chard

Delightful Little Daisies

Cruciferous Red Cabbage

Lambs Tongue Lettuce

Rosey Magenta Rinnuculla

Fantastically Fragrant Freesia

The Whole Bloomy Garden

M is for Masterpiece.

There is a song by Joni Mitchell, and I have heard it countless times. In her album, Miles of Aisles which is a live album, she talks to the audience briefly about the difference between the performing arts and being, for example a painter, she goes on to state, that a painter can paint a painting, and it will live on forever as such, in an attic, on a wall in a museum, where ever, but it exists as it is. She goes onto say, and I quote "you know, nobody ever said to Van Gogh, you know, paint 'A Starry Night' again man..."(which she says in the most stoney, lackadaisical and poignant kind of way) I always loved that, thinking to myself, not knowing who Van Gogh was yet, or what kind of masterpiece a starry night actually was, but I remember thinking, how being a performing artist, rather than an artist by trade is rather different. On one hand, I am sure she had been asked by someone, you know, sing 'Circle Game' again man. And I know that I have certainly been asked, you know, make that pasta with the vegetables again man.
There certainly is a difference, and when I think about it, being a chef is much like being a performing artist. We are given obstacles to success, we work against the odds, which are many, we endure thousands of hours on our feet, we have to work with products that sometimes aren't up to our standards, feed people because we find it satisfying not because it pays the bills, much like a musician or a thespian. We aim to please. We aim to learn, and if you are really an artist, one day, you will gain some recognition for all those efforts. Although we don't use guitars, pianos, or for that matter oil paints or canvas, we do have knives, fire and butter.

When I was young I can remember listing to Joni Mitchell's voice through the stereo in our car, her guitar in our living room or at the beach from a boom-box. I remember mostly though, that quote. I wonder, sometimes how those little things that a person hears as a child can foster a little gem inside them. As we grow, that gem grows too. The idea of creating something which can be improved upon, or given a different setting be better or worse, concepts and of course inspiration. Who knows. But for me its these little connections, which we can make to our childhood, that can help steer us into the directions that can maintain what we truly strive for, and with that our future can finally become just a little clearer.

Although I am not Van Gogh or Joni Mitchell, I still want to have someone say to me one day, ya know, feed me that thing I love that you make again man. And just like 'A Starry Night' or Joni's 'Circle Game' everyday, I can strive for a masterpiece. Which will always make me smile.

L is for Luscious and Luxurious, also known as Gelato

5 Gelato's in Sorrento - Discovery of best combination ever:
Chocolate Rum and Tiramisu. 

Sadistically, I purchased an Ice Cream maker. Mine actually touts itself as a 'frozen yogurt' maker as well, but lets all be honest, why make frozen yogurt when you can make Gelato! Lovely, luscious, luxurious, positively perfect gelato. It was nothing but agony while in Italy to walk past gelateria after gelateria. The oozy, chewy, mouthwateringly spectacular flavors beckoned every second of the day when the temperatures would rise above the 40's.  A personal favorite was the Chocolate Rum Gelato. The kind of ice cream you need to be alone with.
So, while I have been desperately trying to loose the weight that I have gained from travels abroad, cold weather woes here on the east coast and lack of exercise due to exhaustive 60+ hour week work efforts, I bought an ice cream maker? Counterintuitive much. Yes, yes I am.

My Caramel Gelato at FCI.

I've stumbled into a new realm of just doing whatever I want, and one day, in January, I wanted an ice cream maker. So now, I proudly can say I have made some pretty spectacular creations. She of course is named Macchina Meravigliosa which basically means 'wonderful machine' in Italian, but like most words, doesn't it sound better in Italian? So my little 2 quart modern miracle and I have been churning out some killer flavors for just under two months now.
Experiments have included herb infusions, thick rich caramels, blue agave, unique spices, soy milk, house made blueberry syrups as well as different kinds of milks, creams and eggs (all organic), and just today we took goats milk for a test run.

Josh and the Deep Dark Chocolate Gelato. 

A short back story of my road to todays creation: Last Monday was Black Monday, also know as Greeting Card Day, also known as Valentine's Day. Too my utter surprise and delight, I received a dozen beautiful red roses from a good friend of mine and the smell has been wafting around the apartment this entire week. Stricken with a toothache I haven't been in the cold-food-mood so, when I finally got a prescription for some antibiotics, and started to feel a bit better, I got to thinking about Goats Milk Gelato. I thought, what would be a good combo, could it just stand on its own, also in general what the difference in texture would be, etc. etc. So I had been marinating the idea for a bit of time. I did some research, Goat's Milk, tangier than Cow's milk is higher in fat, and higher in saturated fat. It contains more probiotics than cow's milk, and also has a more complete protein profile, also it contains more calcium per glass than cow's milk. So, knowing these things, I expect it to act basically the same way.

Roses in a makeshift wine bottle vase

This weekend, while strolling the aisles of Whole Foods on Houston, I scanned the spices, produce and diary sections for inspiration. Did you know that they do not carry lavender?! First plan, foiled. Second plan, was do maybe steep some star anise, but I feared it would over whelm the flavor. Third I was going to do a rich nutmeg gelato, but, my friend whom was enduring my indecision suggested Rose Water. Bowing to his genius, I accepted the concept, and searched out the essence. (Of course upon finding it I also bought a rose candle and rose balm, because 'impulse buy' is my new middle name.)

 Today, I got to work. While smelling, tasting and retesting for accuracy of flavor, it hit me. Astha.  Ashta is a curdled cream from the middle east, specifically Lebanon, and at the restaurant I spent the majority of my early 20's working at served the most lovely Ashta Ice Cream! Some found it an acquired taste, I thought it was complex and wonderful. It is quite amazing how smells, taste and flavor really help a person recall memories so vividly.

In any case, in light and leu of this past Valentines Day, I have embraced with open arms the essence of Rose. I think I'd like my scoop with a crisp shortbread cookie or slowly melting on top of a warm piece of bing cherry pie. Either way, it is simply luxe.

Goat Milk Rose Water Gelato
Yields : 1 1/2 quarts

500 ml (2 cups) Whole Milk Organic Goat's Milk
500 ml (2 cups) Organic Half and Half
120 ml (1/2 cup) Rose Water
Pinch Sea Salt
6 Large Organic Egg Yolks
200 g (1 cups) Organic Evaporated Cane Juice (Sugar)

*Have Ready before starting this process: A large bowl with ice and water (ice water bath), and bowl on top of that, and a fine mesh strainer over the empty bowl in which to strain the gelato base into.

1. In a Large sauce pan, over low heat, combine goats milk, half and half, rose water and salt together, do not let boil. Just bring to a near scald.
2. Meanwhile, separate eggs, reserve whites for other use. (I like to make egg white omelets with them, but they keep covered and refrigerated for at least a week)
3. Whisk the yolks together, slowly add the sugar to the yolks. If you add it took quickly, you might 'burn' the yolks, so add it slowly and whisk until light yellow and thick.
4. When milk and cream mixture is hot, slowly add 1/2 cup to the egg yolk and sugar mixture, whisking constantly. This method is called tempering, as to not cook the yolks, but get them used to the temperature they are going to be introduced to.
5. Add this mixture to saucepan all at once, whisking constantly again. Bring entire mixture to 177-179 degrees Fahrenheit (80-81 degrees Celsius), which is essentially a Creme Anglaise. This mixture will look thicker, not curdled, and will coat the back of a wooden spoon. If you run your finger down the spoon, the line from your finger should remain.
6. Once the mixture is ready, stain it into the prepared bowl on the ice bath.
7. Chill this mixture until cold to the touch.

Thick, creamy, rich, luscious and slightly tangy gelato churning.

8. Pour into prepared ice cream maker (i.e. frozen churning bowl, clean, ready, etc.) And churn as long as the manufacturers instructions require. Mine took about 30 minutes, other may be shorter of longer.
The consistency should be very thick.
9. Put into containers, and freeze, at least 1 hour, or until you are ready to enjoy it!