Tucked away in the corner of the train I am surrounded by the calm masses that are in a hurry to get home. Sardined in my seat, squished in my spot, silently we wander wayward towards home. The subdued rush is content with the distraction found in the small handheld phone. Conversations rage on silently, games are individually studied with concentrated attention, eyes are trained at the tiny yet enthralling miniature screen. The train car packed with people, without an inch to give on all sides, remains quiet. There is nothing to say to the fellow strangers, nothing to talk about on this trip away from the week of work. Only the gentle sway of the train teetering on the parallel tracks, rocking us like children to our final destination, is the full extent of the action in this crowd. The silent soldiers of the work force are content passing through the dark and rainy evening. The train gradually empties as I slowly speed home, fresh air fills the vacated spaces.
Tag: winter
Cool, Creamy, and Charred
Tres Leeches de Coco. A coconut lime cake soaked with 3 coconut milks, pistachio crunch, charred tequila pineapple, blood orange purée, toasted flake.
It’s about representing winter, and focusing on the wonders of natural ingredients. It’s about representing the elemental forces in a dish, it’s about highlighting the flavors and textures of the season. It’s about capturing the essence of fire and exploring everything that the coconut has to offer.
The cool and creamy coconut milk mimics the fresh snow both visually and texturally, the pistachio cookie mimics the crunching of the frozen snow underfoot, the charred pineapple is reminiscent of the flame produced by fire, reconnecting the consumer with the power of this primal tool.
The coconut is represented in all ways: the fresh grated flesh forms the base of the cake, the coconut milk is soaked throughout, the lightly toasted desiccated flake adds another texture and reminds the eater of warmth. This is paired with a blood orange purée, a slightly bitter flavor that rounds out the sweet, the char, the toast, and the nut.
Together this creates a harmony, a refreshing taste after the hot and obnoxious summer. This dish highlights the integrity of a few ingredients with minimal processing. Nature steals the show with this dessert.
Midnight Hug
The dark world is comforting with its constant midnight hug. I miss the sun but the forever night is appealing with the bright glowing lights. This warm yellow light in inviting with its lazy glow. The slow and constant wintertime rains feels like staying under the covers for the whole day, comfortably hiding from the outside world. There is something magical about the mystery of the long moonlight. Something provocative about the deep black, something charming about the abyss of black holing you stead fast in a cozy embrace.
A White Thanksgiving?
I love the falling snow. The flirtatious fluttering of giant, soft snowflakes topple downward, cartwheeling in the glee of being free from the heaviness of aquatic drops. It is so pretty and peaceful. The snowflakes lazily glide down without a care in the world, unaware of how its light weight can cause such a heavy burden. You cannot capture the elusive snowflake, it vanishes upon touch. It’s almost magical in its existence, this complex crystal of frozen water. A frozen prism that sparkles rainbow confetti. Each one is so intricate and so fragile, so blissfully inspiring in how such a small, delicate, almost invisible object cause can such dismay, foul language, full hearted grunts, such a scurry in the step, can change the mood of an entire city. In a snowflake’s moment, the whimsical crystal can dispatch an entire fleet of large trucks with shovels so giant that you question the laws of gravity. It certainly is motivating, these tiny lightweight miracles, that collectively can impact the world so ostentatiously.
marigolds forever 