Tuesday, June 15, 2021

The Big Picture

I just took the last blueberry crostata for the month out of the oven. Yum, for lunch tomorrow and the next several days.


So, no time like now for the cherry custard recipe. Custard is comfort food. Don't let this put you off: my most enduring memory of custard, way past my grandmother spooning it into my little mouth, is of my dad. Over the few weeks of his last decline, he ate only custard, three or four ramekins a day. I believe he would have had nothing to eat, except for the pills. He and mom had a deal. He could die at home if he would take all his anti-seizure meds, and he swallowed a lot of pills in a lot of custard. That was long ago, in February, 1978. He called Janice and me "daughter" when he spoke, because he couldn't remember our names. I don't remember what he called our brother or mom. Anyway,

Baked Custard: (this is the basic recipe, in the event you need a good one)

4 eggs

2 cups of milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

I made cherry custard by omitting the sugar, vanilla and salt, and substituting a small jar of tart cherry jam.

All ingredients at room temperature. I use the glass mixing bowl for the baking pan. Crack four eggs into the bowl. Froth the eggs well with a beater. Next time I will use the hand blender to chop the cherries smaller. Many sank to the bottom, which was OK, but a lot more in the custard would have been nice.

Add the milk slowly, continuing beating the eggs and jam. Put the bowl into a pan of water and put into a preheated 350 degree oven. If using ramekins, it takes about twenty minutes. In my standard mixing bowl, it took an hour to set. The custard is done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

I will make this again, over and over. I will experiment. I will use only half a jar of jam next time. For maximum servings, I would slice the custard in half and each half into thirds for serving. The slices lift out reasonably well. As I said, it was very tasty and was gone in four servings, so I will be a tad less piggy in future.

An amazing picture. I happened to glance up from the table and there it was. It hung about for perhaps five minutes, not moving. I don't know how long it had been around. It didn't hurry off, but it did look carefully around between every bite. 

I tackled a long overdue project this morning. I know I said I would sell the books on line, but the site I found offers about a dollar a book. My book avarice has declined, but is not yet under control. So, I decided to tidy the area, see how much room a year and a half of books consumes, and then make other decisions.


You may recall, the original lot consumed half of the front of the shelf, standing, and the other half lying in the side. I moved it all to the back and commenced a new row standing.


The project required close supervision of the cat. 


There is ample room to acquire more. At least a year's room on that shelf. I keep the box because ...

I received a birthday gift, probably the year before Covid. It has a lovely, lacy little adornment on top. I remember my friend's husband telling me how much time he spent crocheting the lace, and there was a lovely little gift inside. Later there was such a falling out over the gift, and nothing I could do would set it right. I keep the box visible as a reminder of the value of a friend and the cost of losing one.


54 comments:

  1. Thank you. I LOVE custard and would sometimes make it to have for breakfast before going to work. Eggs, milk: pretty good breakfast, if you ask me.
    Probably a key element in keeping your father going.

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  2. Custard is perhaps the best comfort food isn't it? It is way too long since I have had or made it. Thanks for the nudge.
    And oh dear the cost of losing a friendship. I lost one of over forty years standing a few years ago and still mourn. It isn't recoverable but...

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  3. Dear Joanne, I'm cutting and pasting your recipe, then printing it. Mom never made custard. Instead we had tapioca pudding and bread pudding or canned fruit for desserts. So I never really became a fan of custards, but your recipes tempts me to use some marmalade I have and see what happens. Thank you.

    Also, I had to walk away from a 25-year-old friendship with a couple who became my surrogate parents after I left the convent. Our relationship had become (in my mind) dysfunctional. So I understand what it is to lose friends and how we grieve and how everyone ends up hurting. It took me a long time to let go both of the grief and the guilt. I hope you are at peace with what happened. Peace.

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  4. The custard sounds amazing. I will have to have Kyle make it as he has turned into a desert chef lately. Congrats on the book project. Take care.

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  5. Hari OM
    I used to make 'creme caramel' (posh name for it - by burning some suger on top) at least once a week. Never done it here - mainly because the oven I have is built for a family of giants and uses up a week's worth of budget for an hour of baking. I'll stick to making the 'creme anglaise' version on the stove top. Although I tend to use half cream and half milk... dad adored it for his pills too!!! YAM xx
    (I had a similar memento - re ex friendship - managed to let it go in recent tidy up.)

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    1. As I made the custard I considered making it on the stove top, and probably will, next time. That's what we grew up calling custard.
      The very first time I had creme brulee was in a posh restaurant. It was served decanted, quivering marvelously on its plate, and the bruelee part was intact and did not break until my spoon hit it. I still remember regretting I could not lick the plate.

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  6. The custard sounds lovely. Leo likes bread and butter pudding - another custard dessert - made with jam and raisns, so I might try it with cherry jam for a change.

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  7. I love custard but don't like cherries. Perhaps a blueberry or raspberry one would suit me better. I too have trouble getting rid of my books and do need to go through them.

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  8. Your crostata are beginning to get to me. I have an almost overwhelming urge to eat one. To hell with your $24 towels, how much for a crostata?

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    Replies
    1. And what the hell is that critter in the pixilated photo?

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    2. It's a rabbit. Hare, to you. Isn't the camouflage incredible!

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    3. Tom, you are a great cook. Do this: put 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl. Add one Tablespoon lemon juice. Add one pint of berries and turn with spatula to coat them. Put into a pie crust. Fold over the edges. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Report back to us.

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    4. And 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, which I realize I left out of today's crostata. Old age.

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  9. losing a friendship over a box is giving me a side ache- how does that even happen?

    Custard is a favorite, I have never made it, I thought it might involve some magic that i do not have. I will try this recipe!

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  10. I too love custard... custard alone, custard pie (custard in a pie shell), bread pudding (custard with bread), etc. And as far as I'm concerned, books are a great decor for a house!

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  11. Thank you for the recipe. I'm definitely doing that. Every now and then I have an urgent need for some sort of milk dessert. Poifect.

    What's the critter through the screen?

    So sorry about the breakup with your friends. That's sad.

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    1. It's a local rabbit. We still have enough fields to support them.

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  12. I will experiment with this recipe! Love custard. Comfort food.

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  13. I've never attempted to make a custard. Maybe I should try with your recipe.

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  14. I have never had custard.

    Seeing the cat in front of the books reminds me of some of my family cats, who favoured taking naps behind the books.

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  15. Did your custard puff up and then sink??

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    1. Yes, but only a tiny bit. Shallow depression when I first cut it.

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    2. Very good, but mine separated and it's watery at the bottom. :/ Maybe it's because I put too much in the custard cup dishes. I also used 2% milk because that's all we ever use. And, I put them in a 9x13" pan without water... I've read that you should put boiling water in the bottom of the pan. Might give that a go once we've eaten all of this batch! THANKS heaps!

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    3. I just start out with hot tap water. I have no idea how that works in the baking process. Part of the magic, I figure.

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    4. I use cold water and full cream milk. The water is essential to provide even heat around the ramekins or whatever dish you use. Have the water at least halfway up the baking dishes, two thirds is better.

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  16. Wascally Wabbit!

    A lady who gave me board between two years at university had been a dietician in her working years, and was a marvellous cook. She made a divine custard. She always said the proportions were 3-2-1 - three eggs, 2 c of milk, 1 c sugar. I tried it a couple of times but it never worked for me. I'll try yours and see if it has the magic ratio. It's something my mother never made so I have no family recipe.

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    1. To jenny_o -- what happened when you made that recipe?? When you say it didn't work, why didn't it? Inquiring minds need to know! LOL

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    2. My recipe is for each large egg, have 100ml milk and one tablespoon sugar. I use a little less sugar, for instance if I have four eggs I will use only three tablespoons sugar. Possibly it could take even less than that, but I like it with three.

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    3. Joanne: Yes, too sweet. I'm wondering if I mis-remembered what the numbers stood for. Maybe they weren't all for cupfuls. Maybe the 3 was 3 T of sugar, the 2 was eggs and the 1 was milk. I think I'll just try yours instead of trying to figure it out.

      Tehachap: It's been a long time since I tried it, but I seem to recall it was tough! My landlady's was like silk on the tongue, but mine was ... chewy, maybe?

      River: Thanks for your recipe - I think I'll try it as well as Joanne's.

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  17. I'm not a custard eater, but the crostata looks delicious. I also like the idea of tart cherry jam.

    Love,
    Janie

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  18. I am going to save that custard recipe and give it a try with sugar free jam. I hope it will set. It is so sad about the falling out over a gift.

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  19. The custard sounds excellent. Thank you for the recipe. Does the recipe call for whole milk? Watching wildlife is always so interesting. That is a good looking owl. When friendships dissolve, I remind myself, nothing lasts forever. I think this happens to everyone at least once or twice.

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    1. Yes, whole milk. I have no experience with less than that.

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  20. Between the crostata and the custards, you have me drooling.

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  21. Your blueberry creation looks delicious. I imagine it smells wonderful as it bakes.

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  22. I like your blue rug. I bake my egg custard in ramekins, without jam, but with a good sprinkle of nutmeg on top.

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  23. What a wonderful post you've written. Blueberry crostata, cherry custard, wonderful books and even a bunny rabbit!

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  24. Thank you for the custard recipe, Joanne! It reminded me that my second household still is not complete: I do have a mixer, but no electric beater (though a hand beater, which is good, but in case that I have to prepare beaten egg white it will not be so useful).

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  25. Losing friends hurts.
    It can be worse when no reason is given.

    Love El Gato being your supervisor of book sorting. I could do with a supervisor here. Mind you, books are like old friends too...

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  26. I'll use the recipe you gave Tom, I'll make one soon.

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  27. I haven't made custard in a long time. The last one I ate was a little custard tart from a Portuguese bakery, and they had nailed it. It was delicious with a little nutmeg sprinkled on top.

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  28. I attempted to make a caramel topped custard yesterday and it was a total fail. My frustrations continue. I will try your recipe next time and leave the caramels for cookies. Coincidently, a friend dropped off a crostata yesterday. It was my first one and it was delicious.

    I hope that time will heal the wounds of your lost friendship.

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  29. The screen adds and interesting texture in the bunny pic.

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  30. Oh, Joanne! This post just delights me! I love custard with all of my heart and all of the related desserts like flan and creme brulee. They are the best desserts although that crostata would give them all a run for their money.
    You and I have many of the same books. I had to smile, seeing your Keith book.
    And your rug is lovely. Reminds me of the one I bought for my bathroom which I admire every time I walk in that room.

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  31. Hi, Joanne!
    My mother always made baked custard---she sprinkled nutmeg on the top.
    Happy memories.
    A million variations.... of both memories, and custard. Also, some failures.

    It's a bit of a pain, but have you tried selling books on eBay? I just sold three, $10 each--that's about $7 profit each.
    Most of those books are too plentiful to sell, but Caste, for sure, and also Berger's Photograph would bring at least 10.

    We have bunnies galore!

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  32. I hate to give up books but have limited myself to the ones I absolutely have to keep because . . . because I need to!

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  33. Ah custard with nutmeg - my mother made lovely ones - usually for sunday lunch with apple pie.

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  34. Books seem to grow of their own accord around here. I've been very careful about book purchases. My favorite store has been closed. That helped. I too love custard.

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  35. we had beaucoup books before we moved out here. we were over possession by then I guess because we only kept maybe a tenth and donated the rest to the library or sold to a used book store. we don't buy books anymore as the library is just 5 minutes or so down the road. the custard sounds good. may have to try that. I too could not figure out what animal that was. so, a rabbit.

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  36. If, in my final days, I could eat nothing but custard prepared for me by a family member, I might find it calming, soothing, loving.

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  37. I love custard too. It's not necessarily good for me, but I do love it. A cherry custard pie sounds heavenly.
    I have books to donate, but not much anymore since I only use my Kindle.
    And I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. That's very sad.

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  38. We got lots of books from the charity shops over the years. It's easy to accumulate lots of them when you can buy them for .50 cents. Your custard sounds wonderful.

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