neat little domestic life

There is a hierarchy of how magical it makes one feel to create...

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:23:34 -0500

There is a hierarchy of how magical it makes one feel to create something from scratch. Baking is more magical than cooking. Making candy is significantly more magical than baking. But marshmallows may be the most magical of all.

So much better than the York kind. I can’t even tell...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:40:39 -0500

So much better than the York kind. I can’t even tell you!

Recipe, once again, from the beautiful Not Without Salt. If you are interested in making candy and haven’t yet, these would be a good place to start. The hardest thing you have to do is temper chocolate, which I think is simpler (and far less likely to be injurious) than cooking with sugar.

I thought these caramels were a lost cause the morning after I...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:50:00 -0500

I thought these caramels were a lost cause the morning after I made them, but thanks to (of all things) an eHow article, I’ve brought them back to life! They’re really, really good, a lot better than the ones I made last year — the cinnamon and ginger balance the sweetness, and the vanilla flavor is deep and rich.

Spiced caramel recipe from Not Without Salt (a really lovely food blog, one of my favorites). Yesterday, I used her recipe for homemade peppermint patties, which I will also post soon!

Knitting is the best and fastest way I know to come to terms with the concept of a sunk cost.

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:57:32 -0500

Chai latte in my favorite mug!

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:22:26 -0500

Chai latte in my favorite mug!

I finished these the other day! Also, I’ve been making...

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:59:00 -0500

I finished these the other day!

Also, I’ve been making candy, but consistently failing at it. There will be updates once something works out.

Bunny tracks in the first snow of the season.

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:17:17 -0500

Bunny tracks in the first snow of the season.

I accidentally doubled the butter in these, but I can’t...

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:04:00 -0500

I accidentally doubled the butter in these, but I can’t say it seems to have caused any harm.

(Same recipe as I posted here [almost a year ago!], but instead of hazelnut liqueur in the frosting there’s a tablespoon of triple sec and some clementine zest.)

Oh, Boston!

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:20:31 -0500

Oh, Boston!

Happiness and cheer.

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:54:13 -0500

Happiness and cheer.

"To truly enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in the..."

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:36:59 -0500

“To truly enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in the world that is not what it is merely by contrast. … The height of this deliciousness is to have nothing but the blanket between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal.”

- Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (via bryanmckay)

I did some knitting over the long weekend. Pictured here: my...

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:26:00 -0500

I did some knitting over the long weekend.

Pictured here: my first hats, knit lace, and buttonhole. In the works: cables.

What should you do for dinner tonight? You should do this: Heat...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:03:16 -0500

What should you do for dinner tonight? You should do this:

Heat two or three tablespoons of butter or oil in a big pot over medium heat. Slice up the white and light green parts of three leeks, peel and cube three potatoes, and mince a few cloves of garlic. Dump it all in the pot and add salt, pepper, some thyme, and a bay leaf. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then pour in four cups of stock (or water) and simmer for half an hour. Remove from heat, puree with an immersion blender, normal blender, or food processor, return to heat, and stir in some cream (maybe 3/4 cup). Adjust seasonings, garnish with parsley or chives if you’re feeling fancy, and enjoy the warm, satisfied feeling in your tummy.

My best friend Maddy came to visit this past weekend. Our...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:16:00 -0500

My best friend Maddy came to visit this past weekend. Our previous few visits had been fun but exhausting whirlwinds, so this time we stayed in and focused all our energy (of which we had plenty, since our second main activity was sleeping) on making and eating excellent food:

macaroni & cheese with caramelized onions & goat cheese
brussels sprouts (perfect when sautéed in butter over high heat)
homemade peppermint ice cream
sandwiches from Wan (best sandwiches in Boston!)
waffles
french bread smeared with roasted garlic
homemade ravioli (spinach pasta, cheese filling) in tomato sauce
salted brown butter crispy treats
crepes and Nutella milkshakes from the Paris Creperie

Oh, and the drinks!

apple cider with Southern Comfort
grown-up eggnog
gin & tonics with key limes
champagne with grenadine & pomegranate arils

It was a very good weekend. I would like to do it again soon.

Thanks to some encouragement from Bryan and Lisa, I am now...

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:23:00 -0500

Thanks to some encouragement from Bryan and Lisa, I am now officially the editor of the Blogcritics.org Tastes section.

My first piece there was an ode to macaroni and cheese including three recipes, two of which have been posted here in the past and one of which (pictured above) has not. I hope this will convince you to check out my new territory! (Phillip also wrote a rebuttal to my article, and it’s a lovely piece of writing though completely wrongheaded.)

I’d also like to encourage any of you who also write about food (or drink) to contribute to the site. Tastes currently gets the fewest articles of any section and I’d love to see it grow!

We’ve owned a slow-cooker for over a year and somehow...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:59:43 -0500

We’ve owned a slow-cooker for over a year and somehow managed not to use it until today. We’re usually very good about not letting appliances, even more specialized ones, gather dust, so it was really strange and inexcusable! I’m so glad we finally did it, and even gladder that it resulted in this delicious vegetable curry.

I will miss fresh tomatoes, but fall and winter food are really where it’s at.

bryanmckay: Beer float? This was good! I don’t think it...

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:15:40 -0500

bryanmckay:

Beer float?

This was good! I don’t think it would’ve been as palatable with any other type of beer, though. Even with this, there’s a moment at the beginning that just tastes… wrong. But immediately after it tastes chocolaty and rich and sweet but also a little bitter and complex. Really nice.

bryanmckay: Happy Halloween! He’s mad ‘cause we...

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:02:05 -0400

bryanmckay:

Happy Halloween!

He’s mad ‘cause we cut out his rotten spot, but I love him still!

A toasty, delicious classic. Happy Halloween!

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:32:47 -0400

A toasty, delicious classic. Happy Halloween!

“So make no mistake. For a few glorious days each October,...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:50:54 -0400

“So make no mistake. For a few glorious days each October, New England is unquestionably the loveliest place on earth.”

-Bill Bryson