Ben and I walked from Lutry to Cully. Nice walk, perfect weather for it.
Lavaux walk
Author: admin
In a bit less than a year…
July 2022
June 2023
I’m actually afraid to think of the actual number of corks in there…
Recent pictures of his lordly chonkness
[recipe] Triple chocolate brownies
Nonstick vegetable oil spray or unsalted butter, room temperature
60g all-purpose flour
50g Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4tsp. Morton kosher salt
115g unsalted butter
115g dark chocolate, preferably 70%, broken into pieces
250g granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
115g milk chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375F/190C/170C fan. Lightly coat a metal 8×8″ baking pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray or unsalted butter, room temperature, then line with parchment paper, leaving generous overhang on 2 sides. Lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray.
Whisk all-purpose flour, cocoa powder and kosher salt in a small bowl to combine.
Combine unsalted butter and dark chocolate in a medium metal bowl set over a large saucepan of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not be touching water). Heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Whisk in granulated sugar, then add 3 large eggs one at a time, whisking very vigorously between additions. Once all eggs are incorporated, continue to whisk 1 minute more. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in vanilla extract, then whisk in dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, stir in milk chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth surface.
Bake brownies until set across top and a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 27–30 minutes. Let cool in pan at least 30 minutes, preferably in refrigerator, before cutting into 12 pieces.
[recipe] Potato rosti quiche
For the base:
butter or oil, for greasing the tin
2 large white potato, unpeeled (650g)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
3 tsp onion granules
40g plain flour
1 medium egg, plus another for brushing
For the filling:
3 medium eggs
150ml whole milk
150g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
a small handful of fresh chives
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C. Start by generously greasing a 24cm round tart tin or pie dish, preferably not loose-bottomed as this will save us from any leakages.
Grate the potatoes and squeeze out any excess moisture. Pop the potato into a bowl along with the salt, paprika, onion and flour and mix really well, making sure it is all evenly distributed. Add the egg and mix through well – you should have a mixture that is well coated and clumps together.
Tip the mixture out into the dish and using the back of a spoon press tightly into the base and sides. Bake for 25–30 minutes.
Take the dish out and using the back of a spoon press the mixture into the base and sides again. Brush the base and sides with the egg, generously filling in any gaps that might be there and any gaps that might not be. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling by adding the eggs, cheese and milk to a jug and whisking till well blended.
Take the tart shell out. Pour the mixture straight in, sprinkle over the chives and add a sprinkling of salt and a generous sprinkling of pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes till the centre is just wobbly.
Leave to cool for about 30 minutes, allowing the eggy custard mix to set, then take out, slice and it is ready to eat.
End of an era
We are now catless. Tolstoy, the patriarch, the grumpy bastard, has passed. He’d been declining in the past weeks, with more yowled confusion, wobbling, vomiting and now using our bed as a litter tray. It was the right decision, at the right time, for the right reasons. It’s what’s best for him right now. That’s what I keep repeating to myself.
He was almost 18. He’d been hit by a car and had his jaw and pelvis broken. He survived a herniated diaphragm, peritonitis, pancreatitis, and a chronic heart murmur. He racked up 5-digit vet bills over the years. At one point, the vet told us we’d be lucky to have him for 6 months. That was 10 years ago.
Stubborn git.
I’m going to miss him.
WHARRGARBL
Canada trip redux
I’m back in the land of cheese and chocolate. I was in Canada for the last 2 weeks – a “workation” – as I needed to work remotely while trying to relax and visit with family and friends. The work part got done. The visiting part was mostly done, but the relaxing part was… less successful. There’s a lot of anxiety around my dad’s health concern, and there was some family drama on both sides of the ocean, which meant that there was a lot of things to still juggle. I’m happy I went and saw my family – I needed that – and I managed to do/see some of the things I had planned, but not all of them and the return home was brutal.
Stepping 20 years into the past
Met up with the boys tonight. Some of them still kept in touch with each other, some not as much, but all made the effort to come by and spend an evening together when they knew I was in town. Some of them I’d not seen in close to 12-15 years. I’m honestly, truly, deeply touched. These were my guys, my tribe, my friends when I was living in Montreal and tonight, it felt at times like I never left. We retold the old stories of our most stupid times together and we just laughed at and with each other. I’ll cherish this night for a long time.
Sushi making 101
