January 2013

caramelizedturkey0

I am totally shameless. I know we all spent the last month eating turkey and potatoes. I know at least I shouldn’t keep eating turkey and potatoes. I know I should balance the holidays out by eating nothing but salads and fruits during January. I know. I know. But I couldn’t help it. Turkey was on my mind. So I went and got a turkey breast… and while I was at it I ran into some really tiny potatoes and some decently-sized shallots (which is not common where I shop). So I had to get them too. And of course I had to caramelize all of them together. And even though I am shameless I have no regrets… because the result was this: incredibly sweet and tender shallots, roasted baby potatoes and soft, juicy, turkey slices… all covered in the best jus of your life, thanks to the butter, sugar, shallots and turkey juices all caramelizing together. The only regret I have is not having done something to get more of this legendary jus… I’ll have to think about how to do that next time. But in the meantime, I’ll have to post at least a couple healthy recipes right??
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So I know that almost the entire blogosphere is talking about the New Year, and their resolutions, and what they learned in 2012, etc. And I know that those who aren’t talking about it are either writing about how everyone is talking about the same thing (like me) or just plain fed up. I know. But I’m still going to go ahead and get my newyearism off my chest. But don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with deep reflexions and the importance of life and the answer to everything! Instead I’m going to give you the best ever lemon pound cake recipe. Yup, best ever. I’ve been sitting on this recipe since Christmas Eve, when I made it for my mom as her present…yes, my mom is one of those people impossible to give gifts to, the only think that makes her truly happy is pound cake. She’s absolutely crazy for it, and she’s always begging me to bake her a couple. Because one just isn’t enough. But lemon pound cake holds a particularly special place in her heart, because eons (seriously, like 20 years) ago she baked one for my birthday party and it was the best cake she had ever made. Everyone complimented her, it was gone within seconds, the texture was perfect, the flavor unsurpassable…you name it. In her mind, the cake was something only angels ate, and she had been blessed with the recipe. Which she of course proceeded to lose. Because that’s what she does. She keeps things so well, they get lost. And I think there’s a little bit of that in all of us… as humans, we tend to keep things, emotions, experiences and feelings so well we end up forgetting where we put them. Be it that spare cash for emergencies you hid god knows where in your house to the memory of that horrible recurrent nightmare you had when you were five, tucked neatly away in your unconscious, the things we keep make us who we are. Just like that lost recipe holds for my mom that part of herself where she used to bake for her kids. So here’s to long lost recipes, memories, things and emotions. Here’s to finding them, organizing them, and eventually forgetting all over again where they were. Here’s to having a year full of new things to keep, and lose. And to looking back into the year gone by, to recognize what we’re made of, even if we’re made of recipes, lost or found.
On a side note: this recipe comes from Dozen Flours, it’s Julia’s recipe for a better than starbucks poundcake, and trust me, it’s waaaaay better. Even if it’s not food from heaven. All you’ve got to do is ask my mom.