Simple French Toast

Salve: : a remedial or soothing influence; something that soothes or heals.

That's what cooking does for me. It soothes me. It heals me. It's simple and honest. It's what I turn to time and time again. When life is good and when it's bumpy. 

Life continues to have it's ups and downs for me as I settle into its current reality. I don't really know how to describe it, because it just is what it is. It's not great, but it's not bad either. Even that description doesn't sound right. Oh well.

I knew I needed to cook this morning, not in the "because we need to eat" way, but in the soothing way. I decided to make french toast this morning for Nathan and me. I had some french bread leftover from Friday's night get together with some dear friends I've made in the past year. (There's another balm*) I'm embarrassed to say this, but I actually looked up a recipe because it's been years since I made french toast. I turned to the Joy of Cooking (appropriate title) and it didn't let me down. 

French Toast

from the Joy of Cooking

This is a halved version of the original recipe. 

1/3 cup milk (I used almond milk)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt (I used a pinch)

Pinch of cinnamon (my own addition and optional)

4 slices of french bread or white sandwich bread

Butter (or Earth Balance Buttery spread)

Heat a skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-low heat.

In a shallow bowl combine the first six ingredients and whisk until well incorporated.

Next, dip both sides of the bread into the egg mixture. You want to soak them, but not too much or they'll fall apart. 

Butter the skillet and then place the bread on the skillet. Brown each side until golden brown and serve hot sprinkled with powdered sugar, maple syrup and fresh fruit. I took some frozen raspberries and popped them in the microwave for about 2 minutes until they got warm and fell apart. 

*Good friendships. I've always treasured them, but I'm not always the best about making room for them. I'm learning and have some good friends to remind me and set an example. 

Keeping It Real

I've been debating on whether to post this week or not. I'm trying to post once a week in order to keep at it and not let this blog disappear into the ether. I really want it to work (I think) and I know that in a way I need to make a habit of it until it becomes second nature. Or, until I have more free time.

The reason that I was going back and forth on posting is because I've got other things on my mind and I don't have a recipe to share. That's what this blog is all about right? Sharing recipes and (kind of) pretty pictures?

Well... yes and no.

It's a blog about food and how it plays a role in my life. Sometimes that might mean sharing a recipe, or a funny story, or (like today) sharing that my dad has suffered a health setback and I haven't done much cooking.

Folks, I want this blog to be honest. It can't always be about pretty pictures, because that's not real life. There are times when that recipe you tried wasn't that great, when your attempts at styling your food just so didn't pan out, and times when you just don't have an appetite. Real life.

And yes, I know that sometimes we use blogs as a momentary escape from real life, because dammit real life can be hard and mundane and sometimes all I want to do is look at pretty pictures. But today, I just can't do that. The reality of life has been staring me square in the face and I can't deny its presence. It sucks. There I said it.

Food last week didn't register much, which for me is kind of huge. Like I said, I didn't have much of an appetite. We ate leftovers and I ate out far more often than I care to. I also ate almond butter straight from the jar with chocolate chips on top. Real life.

Since Sunday, I've managed to get back in the kitchen. Partly out of necessity and partly because it's comforting. Life is distracting right now, so I'm hoping to keep it simple in the kitchen. Sometimes we just need to remember to keep it simple.

That's what I've got for you. Real life and a spoon full of chocolate chips. And, I think it's ok.

As Easy As Riding A Bike

At the behest of a good friend of mine, I'm posting today even though I don't have a recipe to share. Instead spurred by a recent post of hers I'm going to share a story about our trip to Paris last year.

Back in September, I met my husband in Europe after he had been working overseas for 2 1/2 months. We met in Germany and flew to Paris together for 2 glorious weeks of good food. I could tell you about all the amazing cheese we ate.

Or the amazing manicured gardens we visited.

Or the ridiculous pastries and sweets we ate on a daily basis.

Or even the amazing open air markets we visited and the food we ate from the markets.

Instead, spurred by this same friend and her recounting of a recent bicycle adventure, I'm going to share my own bicycle comedy.

But. Did I mention the cheese?

Like anyone who has watched Amelie and dreamed of going to Paris, I had visions of what I wanted to do (and of course eat) in Paris. One of the "to do" items on my list. Ride a Velib in the City of Lights. Easy enough. So I thought.

My first encounter using a Velib in Paris was less than romantic and more of a matter of not wanting to walk the mile to Sacre Coeur. We had done a lot of walking in the previous days and I thought it would be easier. Overall, it was and while I didn't feel quite as comfortable on the bike as my cycling husband, I did ok. Well, at least that's how I remember it.

The second time we used the Velib system, we picked up bikes near Galeries Lafayette. For those of you unfamiliar with Paris, this is a bustling area of the city with lots of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Red flag number one. 

Anyhow, we picked up the bikes and headed straight into the bustle of midday traffic. My husband's only request of me was to follow him. Simple enough I thought, since he's a seasoned cyclist and can maneuver through traffic well. Red flag number two.

Our destination was the Left Bank, so we planned on cutting through the Louvre and crossing at Pont du Carrousel. Red flag three.

I followed my husband diligently for about a 1/4 mile, after which I became so enchanted by the fact that I was in Paris. On a bike. Passing the Louvre. Folks it doesn't get much better than that. And in fact, it didn't. 

Like I mentioned, I was feeling pretty good about myself after that first 1/4 mile and was enjoying the scenery all around. I somehow managed to get beside my husband as we approached the Louvre and were getting ready to cross the Seine. As we started to cross the Seine I started to pull away from my husband and into the middle of traffic. Literally. Instead of riding along on the farthest right lane, I had managed to ride myself across 2 lanes of traffic (if you can call them lanes) and found myself amongst an angry motorbike and a honking car. There could have possibly been lots more honking, but at this point I was fearing for my life and couldn't tell you with any certainty.

In the blink of an eye, I was jarred from my perfect Paris ride and couldn't figure out how to get back into the correct lane. So, I did what any sane, scared person would do. I rode right back across two lanes of traffic. Once on across and on the sidewalk, I promptly jumped off and got the ugliest stare from mon ami. In all fairness, he gave me more of a "what were you thinking you could have gotten yourself killed" worried stare. 

Needless to say we didn't ride any more that day and walked the rest of the way. 

Yet, somehow I managed to convince myself and, more importantly, my husband that we should do it again two days later. I rode white-knuckled all the way and that my friends was the last time we rode in Paris.

I don't know if we'll do it again the next time we find ourselves in Paris, but we'll always have that memory. It may not be the Amelie version, but it's my version. All mine.

Me after our last ride in Paris with a "never again" smile.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

To know me is to know that I can be an indecisive person. I will over analyze and over think just about anything if you give me a chance. From the big things in life to the little things, I will waver up until the last moment. But, if there's one thing in life I'm certain about it's my favorite cookie.

Chocolate Chip. No doubt about it.

It's a classic cookie with simple ingredients and heartwarming, soul-satisfying flavors that no cookie can compete. Well, at least in my opinion.

Like everyone out there who loves a good chocolate chip cookie, I've got one or two recipes that I return to time and time again. There's the now famous New York Times recipe, Kim Boyce's recipe using whole wheat flour, and of course my mother-in-law's recipe (a family classic). But, like a true indecisive, I like to try out new recipes wondering if it just might be a bit better.

In the case of this particular recipe, I was looking for something gluten free. I don't have a gluten allergy or even a sensitivity for that matter. I just like baking with different flours, because of the taste they impart. And, we try to be conscious of how much gluten we eat. It's a thing we do. So, I searched for recipes that included two flours I had on hand. Almond flour and coconut flour. I didn't come up with much that included both, so I tweaked a recipe that I thought had potential.

The original recipe uses only almond flour, but in my experience this tends to create a cookie that's a bit dense. I knew coconut flour would add some lightness, because it absorbs moisture fairly well and creates some crumb. The minor changes worked and this chocolate chip loving lady is satisfied.

Well, for now at least.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Meaningful Eats

3/4 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
3/4 cup brown sugar 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure they are thoroughly combined between each addition. Add vanilla and mix until combined.

Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt to batter and mix. Add the almond flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the coconut flour and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon and stir until thoroughly combined.

Shape dough into tablespoon rounds and place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Press down gently on each round to flatten slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on the level of doneness you prefer. Remove from the oven and place cookies on a wire rack to cool. Be careful as you transfer the cookies to the wire rack as they are soft straight from the oven. They will firm up as they cool.

Our garden

When I imagined having a home of our own one day I always imagined having a garden. I imagined going out into the garden and cutting fresh herbs for that's night dinner or picking sweet vine ripened tomatoes to be eaten simply with a sprinkling of salt.

Two years ago we bought our first house and one of the first things we did was build a garden. Some of the first things we planted were broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, tatsoi and swiss chard. Three days later a January frost settled in for four days. We lost almost half of the plants that I had so lovingly planted just days before. That was followed by a record number of 100 days straight of 100 degree plus temperatures. The tomatoes that I had dreamed of alluded me. I can't remember if I planted anything that fall, because I was feeling a bit disillusioned about gardening (as you can imagine). But my husband, ever the encourager, told me we were learning and we would keep trying. Luckily,  I listened to him and we planted again the following spring. The garden produced a bounty of carrots and greens that still brings a smile to my face. That was followed by another sweltering summer, but this time we faired better with our tomatoes. We enjoyed them a number of ways. My favorite being straight off the vine.

We took it a bit easier this fall and decided to let the garden rest. I planted a few onions, some garlic, carrots and beets late last year. Things are coming along nicely and I'm looking forward to pulling a few carrots from the ground in a couple of months. Of course, I've already got tomatoes on my mind. I've got a smile on my face just thinking about it.