05 December, 2005

Fragment of a non-existent diary


It was, in fact, a wonderful weekend. I am in many ways completely exhausted, in a very good way.

I love to have people over, and to feed them and ply them with drink. I'd much rather do this than "go out" any day, and as most people flip over idea of free food, it is not difficult to draw a bit of a crowd.

So after our gourmet burgers I decided to make Creme Brulee, a little treat I've had much success with in the past. For whatever reason I had a lot of heavy cream in the fridge that threatened to expire in a week or so. As to the other necessaries, I had a dark foreboding feeling that somehow all was not complete in my pantry, but a quick and cursory glance over the old recipe gave me the courage to forge ahead. Then I had the darndest time finding the superfine sugar to mix with the egg yolks. I faintly remembered putting it into one of my neglected - and frankly awful... stay away from Bed Bath and Beyond - ceramic containers. Must have been that medium sized one... so 3/4 of a cup of that, and put the vanilla in the lightly boiling cream, then beat together cream and yolk, set aside to cool before dividing the mix into 6 ramekins placed in a bain marie...

At this point I realized I didn't have the proper pan. So there, on the counter, in the way of everyone and everything, the bowl sat, brimming with a fragrant mixture of egg yolk, cream, vanilla, and "sugar." Should I freeze it? Really no room in the forest of frozen veggies. I delayed decision, and eventually my phone rang. It was the second call I'd received that day that someone with whom I'd not spoken in months. Lilly convinced me to go ahead and make the damn things, proper pan be damned. So I did. I improvised and used that $1.99 foil pan that I had gotten to make those rather delish breaded pork chops for LuLo. Arrange ramekins, pour in boiling water, cover with foil, into oven at 325 for 20 minutes. Mmm, what a lovely smell. Take out of oven, remove foil, dump water, dust custards with brown sugar. Oh hells bells! I remember throwing out what had become a brick of brown sugar when I moved. No matter, let's use cane sugar. Into the broiling broiler, and my how it bubbles! what a lovely smell! ah, take it out cool it down. After 10 minutes, I discreetly open the fridge to taste a test run. With guilty pleasure I crack the brown and bubbly crust - success with cane sugar! - and scoop my usual heap, and slide it into my mouth...

YUCK!

Salty creme brulee?

That is the dumbest thing I have ever done in my life. May it never be equaled, surpassed, or repeated!

Comments:
If this is the dumbest thing you've ever done in your life I'd say you're doing pretty well. I'd say the dumbest thing you ever did in your life was go to law school.
 
If that dish has spilled on the floor, it wouldn't have been a slippy qrippy. Of course, you always have a handel to reach for in that room. Glad to hear it all worked out.
 
Gazoo: You're right. I guess I blocked that out of my mind to ease the pain. And as you know, oh! how painful.

Princess: Welcome, and that you so much for the link to that beautiful website! Can I offer you some vanilla salt custard?
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?