Kimchi and Kvetching?

Okkkkk. I am entitled to have a case of ennui. It isn't boredom. It is a sense of something in the air that is about to happen. Maybe it isn't ennui. Maybe it is something else. Maybe it is just the end of Summer. Don't get me wrong, I love Fall. It is unbearably beautiful here in Fall. I even love Winter. Snow still excites me. So, what is it? I am not sure. So maybe ennui isn't the right word. Maybe I have a case of "Saudade". Saudade is a Brazilian Portuguese word difficult to translate into English. It is a longing, missing or nostalgia, often bittersweet. Ok you say ennui and I say Saudade...lets call the whole thing off.



My friend Amanda schlepped this cabbage grown in her garden in Pennsylvania to Massachusetts. I had to do something wonderful with this mammoth cabbage. It was beautiful.




So, I honored this giant cabbage by making it into one of my favorite things in the world. Kimchi!



I found the recipe on Amy Kim's Kimchi Mom website. You need to check it out because I loved the story behind it. It is called Summer of ’69 Kimchi.



It came out fantastic.

What else have I been cooking?



Chinese plum sauce out of plums that Heather Atwood gifted me.



Maple Scones that I made for Heather when she came to visit me. I had never made scones before and these were awesome and easy. I got the recipe from Eating Out Loud

That is about it. I think I will go wander. Maybe write poetry. Maybe take a walk on Walden Pond (I live near Walden Pond and in reality it is dirty and kinda gross but there is a really cool bookstore run by the Thoreau Society there. It would make Thoreau puke to see them selling bumper stickers that say "Simplify Simplify Simplify" Oh well. I am not going there for real. For real I am gonna go do laundry and go grocery shopping. So much for having "Saudade" time


Maple Oat Scones
Alan Williams

For the Scones
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oatmeal, finely ground
1/2 cup oatmeal, coarsely ground
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chilled butter
1 beaten egg
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 chopped pecans

Egg Wash
1 beaten egg
1 Tablespoon heavy cream

Maple Glaze
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar)
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon maple extract

In a large bowl, combine the scone dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter in until pieces are smaller than the size of peas. Stir in the chopped pecans.

In a small bowl, stir together the cream, egg, and maple syrup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. It is important that you do not over mix the mixture. Once the liquid is absorbed and the dough is coming together (only a little dry flour in bottom of bowl), then stop.

Remove dough from bowl and knead until it holds together. Pat the dough in to a 7″ circle that is 1 1/2″ thick and cut into 8 wedges. Use a spatula to carefully place scones onto a greased cookie sheet (I lined mine with parchment). Brush tops and sides with egg wash. Bake at 375F (190C) for 20 minutes.

While the scones bake, mix together the maple glaze ingredients in a small bowl. After baking, allow scones to cool on baking sheet. The scones should be completely cooled before attempting to glaze. Pour 1 tablespoon glaze on top of each scone, using the back of the tablespoon to spread it evenly over the top and down the sides.