Getting busy in the kitchen

Tags

almonds, apples, baking, cooking, frittata, postaday2013

Father’s Day is upon us and I was gearing up in the kitchen for the weekend. I decided to make the desserts tonight because tomorrow I have my hands full; what with weight class, a doctor’s appointment, shopping and more cooking.

My hubby asked for the apple tart that I had made when my sister and her kids were here at our house last. One of my favorite cookbooks is Patricia Wells “Bistro Cookbook” and she has a wonderful recipe called the apple and golden cream tart. I improvised it somewhat last time because I had extra almond creme and I added it as the base before laying down the apples in a rosette design and adding the custard afterwards. Actually the tart’s name can now be “apple, golden custard with an almond creme”. The almond creme is a basic component in French patisserie and all you need is equal amounts of room temperature butter, equal parts ground almond, equal parts sugar and an egg with a dash of flour.My hubby really liked the extra layer of flavor that the almond creme gave to the custard and the apples.

The kids have fallen in love with the frittata and since my gratin of potatoes was devoured last night. I figured another one would make them happy, I threw in garlic, onions and bacon; everything tastes better with bacon, and the eggs. Since I had the oven set at 375 because I had pre-baked the pie shells for the two tarts (I made two to make sure that the whole weekend is dessert filled) a frittata made perfect sense. At this point I had not burned myself, I was faithfully using my dish towels. When I took out the pan and inverted the frittata onto the plate, I still hadn’t burned myself. It happened when I had my dish towel in my left hand and used my right hand to put the pan into the sink. OWWWW! I tell you, how silly can someone be? I have the dish towel just not in the proper hand. I’m okay don’t worry. I melted a few ice cubes in my right hand palm for awhile. I still love baking even though I am a danger to myself.

Daily Prompt : The law

Tags

imagination, law maker, postaday2013, writing

You have the power to enact a single law. What would it be?

If I had the power to enact one law and only one, I think that it would be related to the gun situation that is unique to the United States. Part of our cultural legacy is a very strong gun culture embodied within a mythic worship of the second amendment. What frustrates me so much is that almost all second amendment fans gloss over the first phrase -A Well-Regulated Militia and go right to the right to bear arms.

I would definitely take my opportunity to write a law that would make it mandatory to have universal background checks, no loop holes whatsoever, two week waiting period, civilians would not have access to assault weapons or high capacity magazines and there would be a national gun registry.

I know for a fact that many who reside in the “red” states would be up in arms, pun intended, over my multi-pronged gun law. I would be very curious as to how long it would stay in effect and how radically the NRA would react over its passage. I would be so gratified if, even just parts of it would stay in place.

I thought of this because I read the most distressing account of a Newton CT family’s disillusionment with the failure regarding any passage of gun related legislation. The account has followed one family and their profound grief as first they lost their son and then they lose faith that their son’s death will ever have any meaning whatsoever and that he had his life cut short and end of story.

That would be my one and only law.