Dear Megs,

I almost forgot! The other day, I made blueberry-lemon-mint-vanilla ice cream. I used this recipe, substituting orange zest for lemon, and doubling the amount of blueberries without changing any other proportions. It is a traditional custard ice cream, and though it's delicious, I would have preferred a lighter texture for a summery blueberry dessert. I should have made it more a sherbet-type deal, left out the vanilla bean and eggs, and added a ribbon of lemon syrup or something to lighten it up.

That said, it is delicious, and would be a wonderful winter dessert, paired with a lemon tart or a Quaker lemon pie, something with a really bright flavor.


Loves!

Linz

Birthday Cupcakes 1

Dear Megs,

I LOVE your jam. Also am feeling inadequate since we have been *buying* our blueberries, and we live in Maine, for Heaven's sake. That said, pretty soon, we're headed over to the greenway, where there are an astonishing amount of wild blackberries. We shall see what comes of that. Last summer I made blackberry cupcakes with mocha frosting (delish), but if we get enough this summer, I think jam is in order.

So, here is the problem with the internet, and why we really need to start making up our own recipes more often. I was looking up lemon cupcakes (that's what Ian and Emma want for their birthday), and here is what I found:

Perfect Lemon Cupcakes

Cake:
1 package lemon cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 small package lemon instant pudding

Horrible. Will update with the recipe I actually USE.

Love you,

Linz

Blue

Dear Linds,

I miss you so thought I'd write a blue post to match my blue mood. . .

The women of our family used to pick blueberries at least once each summer, but the tradition faded as my sisters and I grew up and became more interested in boys than berries. Until recently. Last week, I went picking with my mom and older sister. I then made jam to "preserve" our memory of it. (please forgive the pun)



I wish I could remember what I did because it's my best jam to date. I *think* the recipe went something like this:

6 cups blueberries
3 cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
10 or so basil leaves wrapped in little cheesecloth package
(please note that I did not use pectin)

I threw everything in the pot and stirred occasionally until it reached the desired consistency (remembering that it would jell a little more once it cooled). I then removed the basil, poured the warm jam into sterilized jars, and sealed them in a water bath for five minutes.

Loves,

Lazy Summer

Dear Linds,

How is Paris? And Sylvain?? Brookyn is sleepy and sweaty. I am too. Yet, despite the thermometer, I still don't feel like it's summer. I guess that's what I get for starting my coursework in July. . .

Anywho - I did have one summer night. The Kronos Quartet was playing in Prospect Park, and, to honor the occasion, I made buckets of pulled pork. I wanted to show you its shredded goodness, but it had already been inhaled when I finally thought to photograph it:

I miss you.

Loves,
Me

Dear Linds,

Bacon Peanut Brittle is my new cure-all.



In the past few weeks, I've found myself making and eating copious amounts of this stuff. So far, I've found that it helps with hangovers, random stomach aches, dizzy spells, broken hearts, and a wavering (dis)belief in god. I mean, something this good has to have some sort of g-o-d in it. Here's the recipe, courtesy of Al Dente:

2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 T ground ancho chili
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups bacon, cooked and chopped into .5" pieces (about 1.5 pounds)

1 cup roasted, salted peanuts
2 T unsalted butter, divided
1 tsp baking soda

Measure all ingredients in advance so that they are ready to mix into the sugar mixture before it hardens. Butter a baking sheet with about ½ tablespoon of the butter and set aside.

Boil sugar and corn syrup over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly and a pale golden brown. Add the ground chili and cayenne and cook for 2-3 minutes longer or until the sugar mixture has reached the hard-crack stage, about 300ºF on a candy thermometer.

Take off the heat and, working very VERY quickly, stir in the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of butter and the baking soda. Add the peanuts and bacon and mix well. Immediately pour onto the prepared baking sheet, smooth with a spatula and let cool.

Break the brittle into pieces and ENJOY!

Love,
Megs

Beignets!

Dear Megs,

Help! I am almost done with the baby blanket I've been working on, and I think I'm going to start the hat that matches the yellow scarf I made (the one you made for me). What is Yarn Over? How is it done? Also, what do you think is the best way to sew all these squares together securely for the blanket? In my place, would you use a drop of superglue to secure the knots? Or do they tend to stay put on their own?

On the menu today (in preparation for company this weekend): tabouleh, pink grapefruit and mint sorbet. :)

Love,

Linz