I am tired..it is late…I decided to do something challenging that may wake me up – searching for food blogs. Since I am new to food blogging, it may be a good idea to orient myself to the “industry.” I did not know where to start but I do know how to spell food blogs and that is how this trip started. (a brief note: searching for food blogers netted more sites).
The first food blog I decided to click on is “Use Real Butter.” I love the name; finally someone is not afraid to use the “B” word. Unfortunately, I became pretty fast disappointed from this site (Jen, the blogger almost ruined my trip); I do not care for the use of that many four letter words, unless they spelled c a k e. Really Jen, assholery? you couldn’t come up with a better creative word, like tushy?
My next click landed me on “Joy the Baker’s site, where there was neither Joy nor Baker to be found. The invisible author writes quite funny, but I do not think that she loves me, so why use the word in vain? The truth of the matter is that I do not care for orange cats; I came to see the baking projects. What happened to the photos? Are they only available to those that will discipline the orange cat for climbing the screen door? But I forgive her; admittedly, she had way too much gin the day she wrote this.
After this visit I was really delighted to lend on the site called “The Food Section”….and enhance my culinary vocabulary with the word “tryvertising”. Actually I stand corrected it is a gastronomical word invented by the Ketchup people (only they could katch-up with a word like this). Once again I had to move on, when Mr. Friedland started to report about Heinz opening f-stores. I already expressed my feeling about sites using four letter words.
Suddenly I see this beautiful boy struggling to crack open oysters with what I think is a pretty huge knife? at Dash and Bella. Oh my G’d! My first instinct is to report this mom for endangering the life of a minor; than I calmed down and wanted to report her for feeding oysters to a minor….but than I remembered that I am a grandmother now who supposed to agree everything moms do, because at one time I was a mom too that hated meddling grandmas. But I could not leave the site before checking a dictionary about the word: Dash (the name of the little boy). The last time I used this word was…sorry it was not a word, it was a dash between two words to divide a line. If used as a verb, the dictionary states the meaning to be “to strike or smash violently, especially to break to pieces”. I guess he must have kicked his mom pretty violently in her womb to deserve the name? Of course, the sister name is Bella, and she is a bella when she is allowed to show her face making jello, but in my eyes Dash is a Bellie too.
I could not resist not to click on a name like Cannelle et Vanille. I just wrote about vanilla, my favorite flavoring agent in my baking. I was actually inquiring about how to get a vanilla plant (if anyone knows, please send me a note; I will be forever indebted to you; I even promise to supply you the fruit forever). These photos are absolutely mesmerizing. There is nothing funny about this site, except I wish my life would be in such beautiful pastel green. And that strawberry clafouti just want to jump off the screen, so I decided to complete this tour by providing you with my variation on a clafouti. You must forgive me, however, because I do not have my camera with me, so I am unable to offer you a photograph (although you do not miss much; I am still a lousy study for making pictures). All I can say is, that I am sure you will love this easy to make and delightfully tasty tart cherry clafouti.
Tart Cherry Clafouti
Ingredients
- 1 lb pitted, tart cherries preserved in syrup (if you can find cherries that are preserved in brandy, go ahead and use that; it will create a marvelous cake). I also want to add, that if you want to repeat the recipe in June, you can use fresh cherries, but you will need to own a cherry pitter.
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) Armagnac or other brandy (if you use cherries preserved in brandy, omit this)
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (4 ounce total) granulated sugar, divided
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup (8 ounce or 237 ml) lukewarm whole milk
- 3 tablespoons (1.5 ounce) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup (2.5 ounce) unsifted, all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
- Confectioners sugar for dusting
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205 C), with the rack placed in middle. Butter a 2-qt shallow baking dish (preferably a Pyrex)
Toss the cherries with the Armagnac and 1 tablespoon sugar in a bowl and let it macerate for 30 minutes. Transfer the cherries to the prepared baking dish with a slotted spoon and pour the juices into a blender or a food processor. Sprinkle the cinnamon on the cherries and mix it gently. Add the eggs, milk, butter, salt, vanilla and almond extracts, and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar into the blender or food processor, and process until well combined. Sift the flour into the mixture and blend again until combined. Pour the mixture over the cherries in the buttered dish. BTW, this mixture can also be used for making crepes.
Bake until puffed and just set in center, about 35 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, then dust with confectioners sugar. If you are using convection oven cut the temperature to 375F (190C) and bake it for 25 minutes.
Please drop me a note about the clafouti and direct me to other food blogger’s sites. I truly enjoyed this brief surfing; I would not mind a repeat trip.