peyton and byrne: the greatest new thing to grace my doorstep

Straight from the UK, not even off the presses in America until this spring, with the price even printed and pounds and EVERYTHING came this to my doorstep earliest thist afternoonst: 

The most GLORIOUS, BRILLIANT and BEAUTIFUL compilation of British baking I've yet to lay eyes on. I was honestly caressing it's cover and wiping fingerprints off it's lovely, delicately embossed white doily with a damp towelette.

You know you're serious about a cookbook when you bring out the towelettes. Towelettes are for freaks with greasy fingers and even greasier hair who hang out in sports bars who have not been clothes shopping since the 70's, (those sick pedophiles) not petite bakers with a penchant for make-believing her cat speaks with a Russian accent. (Diary by Walter soon to follow--stay tuned.)

Do you know what the British call their cupcakes? Do you? DO YOU?
FAIRY CAKES! Fairy cakes!!! 


The euphoria is alarming.

There is an entire section entitled A Cup of Tea and a Bun. Could anything be so near and dear to my butter-loving heart than that phrase?

These photos are mere snapshots and do not do the photography in this cookbook justice by any means of the word; my iPhone even takes better pictures than my actual camera. I mean, come on, there is a close-up of a broken egg shell in a plain-old brown egg carton that nearly brought me to tears.

It's sitting on my lap with me and Walter is jealous.

You're judging. So stop. 

Sunday haven.

 I just adore Sundays. They are my absolute favorite day of the week. Everything about them is divine: waking up mid-morning and sliding into my slippers to tramp out to the frozen porch to retrieve my frozen Sunday paper, and then hunkering back down in bed with said paper and a pot of lovely, lovely English breakfast tea whilst something quiet and Sunday-ish plays on my iTunes. 

After an appropriate amount of time to fully enjoy all that the paper has to offer has passed, (noon or later) and setting the rest aside for lunchtimes later in the week, a trip to the library might be in order. A walk in the brisk air. A leisurely tea. 

And always, always, a big, blowout Sunday dinner with friends and family.

This week's Sunday dinner was roast chicken stuffed with lemon, garlic, tarragon, and dill. Parsnip and celeriac mash was served on the side, along with the carrots that had roasted along side the chicken in my hefty Le Creuset pan. 

Above: 

Spice tea and shortbread cookies.

Walter attacking said shortbread cookies. 

(Subsequently knocking them all onto the floor and stalking off satisfied with his dessert-fueled deviance)

The herbs, lemon, and, in the background, my new-ish

 (it is an antique store find) wrot-iron cookbook holder!

More herbs and lemon for the chicken. Don't worry--the chicken had a happy life.

Giant flowers at Michael's. 

what posses me: teatime

Teatime. My favorite time. Without question or exception. 

An occasion, any occasion, to meet with and enjoy company in the cruelest of winter weather (of which we have not seen much here in Salt Lake). An occasion to sit with your thoughts of the budding new year and a good book near the faux-fireplace, listening to eccentric old ladies a'chattering.

Left and top right teatime at the Beehive tearoom. 

Hazelnut tea with orange-cranberry scones.

Bottom left teatime at Mazza. 

Cardamom tea with orange-blossom simple syrup. 

An after-holiday luncheon. To myself. Again.

this past week

What I've been doing lately: 

Cramming for finals with cozy gingerbread tea, 

visiting the gorgeous lights on Temple Square, 

baking, (although the storm is yet to commence after finals are through) 

seeing Alta for the lovely ski resort it is. 

I am loving this Christmas season!

What Posses Me: Part V. Sunday Morning Scones

Hello, Earl Grey. 

Spent the morning baking orange + currant cream scones and drinking life-sustaining liquids, e.g., tea. I have been feeling quite depressed lately not being able to be in the kitchen, what with the 90 degree heat and having our floors redone to boot. Forcing baked goods onto friends and neighbors always cheers me. 

My fool proof go-to recipe for cream scones is from The New York Times Cookbook, my absolute favorite cooking manual/bible. I keep it near for a little light breakfast reading. 

...light breakfast reading? 

Oui. 

Oooo. Rebellion.

(Comic by Dagsson)

Susannah catches Royal Wedding Fever, among other things, (admit it--you have it, too) and her love of tea becomes kitsch. Part I.

Hello all. And welcome back from your Easter candy induced sugar coma. Today is a groggy one for all.

Less than one week to go until the much-anticipated Royal Wedding, and you can bet your knickers I will be one of the loony ladies up in the wee hours of the morning drinking William + Kate's bath water (a.k.a., kitschy tea featured above, isn't it a brilliantly tacky idea? You should see the other wedding memorabilia available online...) and watching the whole royal procession live. I don't know whatever I shall do when the wedding is over. I feel I've jumped on the royal wedding train a bit too late--all the Will + Kate books are checked out of the library and I missed the new cheesy Lifetime movie documenting their love story. American and British media outlets are going totally bonkers over the shindig, even the Weather Channel is covering the wedding! Truly an acceptable occasion for gossipy media.

how the green buds blossom in the avenues; also, a lazy darjeeling tea time

This is what I awoke to yesterday morning outside my window on 5th Avenue:

 Real honest-to-gosh leaf blossoms on my real life tree. I spent the morning doing laundry and listening to Billie Holiday croon gently on as the rain fell and flooded the gutters. I knew it was going to be a good day. 

 It was. I went to my favorite lazy day haunt, The Beehive Tearoom where I had cranberry maple almond scones (must replicate!) and Darjeeling tea. (A London favorite of mine and Miss Rikki's)

A snowstorm of white and pink blossoms. 

Later, I went to Sugarhouse to visit my sister and was amazed at how the cherry blossoms and flowers literally appeared to have bloomed overnight. It was a beautiful, overcast day. 

Books reviews thus far in 2011

One of my goals this year was to read two books a month. While I fell short during January (another thing I can blame Istanbul for) I have caught up and am devouring the downtown and Avenues libraries top to bottom. This year is yielding a strong culinary theme in my book preferences.

Check it out:

JANUARY:

A fun thing to read over tea during the darkest part of the afternoon right before dinnertime. Full of vintage advice our mother's and grandmother's adhered to. While some could be adopted for our modern lifestyles, others are downright silly; such as the diagram picturing specifically how a sick person's tray should be arranged so as not to "sicken them further with the stress of a an unorganized tray."

FEBRUARY:

The most fantastic armchair cookbook ever composed. Written by the marvelously talented Sophie Dahl, (granddaughter of Roald Dahl though she humbly shies from these bragging rights anywhere in the book, I for one didn't have any idea until after I'd Wikipediaed her.) her first cookbook is divided into sections equaling the four seasons and is peppered with delightfully written prose about her forays into the foodie world, starting with her family's love for team-cooked meals. I loved this book so much I bought in right away on Amazon new. Not used. That's how good it is.

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In Julie Powell's second book, she documents her life after the success of her amateur blog/turned book/turned hit movie about cooking her way through Julia Child's cookbook, (if ya'll didn't know by now) her failing marriage, (with one-too-many over-shares on her rather odd affair) and her blind forays into the butchering industry as an apprentice. While still enjoyable and worth reading, the not necessarily-a-sequel to Julie&Julia is not for the weak of stomach or particularly sensitive vegetarian types. I found myself wanting to cover my eyes at some of the more gruesome moments, but powered on.

MARCH:

A delicious book, plain and simple. Elizabeth Bard truly lives the life we girls all fantasize about: a new life in Paris, book deals, French husbands, French food, Frenchfrenchfrench, Francefrancefrance! She invites us to peak into what is really is to live in the capital of France and into her made-up-as-we-go recipe collection. The recipes are mouthwatering and none-too-challenging for this fledging baker and chef. The first day upon cracking open the spine, I found I simply must make Poulet Basquaise (chicken and sweet pepper stew) that evening. And I did. And it was delicious. And made enough to last a week. I have since started a recipe book devoted to copying many of the recipes in this book.

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After spring fever hit, subsequently so did a sudden fever to move to Oregon, buy up some land, vegetable seeds, sheep and chickens and ducks, (for aesthetic purposes only, of course) and proceed to begin my life as a new, hip, young organic farmer. After reading Kurt's honest (yet nonetheless appealing and heartwarming) and insightful account of what it's really like to drop everything and begin working towards a life that stems from the ground up, (I'll give you a hint--it's not all sunny days and rosy lambs and fat, red tomatoes) I think I shall obtain some capital in the form of non-debt and student loans, and probably find a farmering partner while I'm at it. I'll stick with my window sill herb gardens for now and get my earthy-fix from the Farmer's Market. *Opening the morning of June 11th at Pioneer Park!*

UP NEXT FOR APRIL:

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Scones: The Quest. Attempt #1: Currant and Orange Zest

Enjoy hot from the oven with butter and a cup of Yogi green tea!

In my fervent quest to satisfy my desire for the perfect scones reminiscent of the U.K., my kitchen has been transformed into my own SkonLab, a phonetic spelling of the pronunciation of the word, being "skon" in Britain as compared to the American "scone".

Attempt #1: Currant and Orange Zest

Dried currants are traditional fare for scones, easily substituted with dried cranberries, raisins, or cherries. I found my recipe via Martha Steward online (I know, the irony...) and can be found here. I used the entire 3 tablespoons of sugar in the batter and topped the pre-baked scones instead with raw cane sugar. I think it gives the scones a nicer crunch and sparkle. I also added about one teaspoon of orange zest and cut my scones into triangles instead of cutting them out with a round cookie cutter as Martha suggests. I just like triangle scones. I probably kneaded them just 2 minutes too long and would recommend minimal kneading or else the dough will be too stiff and the scones won't rise as much as they should.

{the perfect destination}

I honestly can't think of a more perfect little place to stop on a rainy day. This can be nowhere but ideal Britain. God save the Queen! (and the tea.)