Martian Pudding

Actually, it is called a ‘hot chocolate pudding’ in Nigel Slater’s book The Kitchen Diaries, 2005. I named it Martian, because it behaved somewhat like a supernatural alien.

When I put it into the oven, it nearly went astral. The mass grew up into a lovely big half shell, with colours going from yellowish brown to dark violet, cut through by thin reddish rays. When the insinuating chocolate smell started scrabbling our rooms, I returned to the kitchen to raise this wonder to the proper height of the cosy Sunday dinner.

In a few minutes, when my husband came to the dinner, he also got excited about this Martian guest, but so wasn’t I anymore. The pudding went down and looked like a thick dark brown pancake. You can still recognize the lines of Martian rivers on it, some hills, but it’s not a big half shell any more.

‘Maybe I kept it too long in the oven and it went too dry,’ I thought. When we finished our dinner, I put the rest of the pudding under a glass lid, only to find out next morning that my extra-terrestrial lived a secret night life. The hills became a bit more pronounced, but the main thing – the pudding seemed to have soaked some humidity from the air under the lid. It became more wet, softer and more tender in its chocolate bitterness.

Does he hide any more secrets, this otherworldly friend? Can’t know, it flew by our noses very fast.

Best wishes, 

Katia

The first snow

Best wishes,

Katia

Life mix

When I took Nigel Slater’s Appetite book from the library, the first recipe I paid attention to was the one I cooked today: ‘A creamy, calming pasta dish’. Spaghetti with a garlic sauce turned out to be a light and delicious course, where garlic was unrecognizable, yet gave a sweat taste. ‘I should rely on my intuition more,’ I concluded about my choice of the recipe.

When the pasta was already on the table, I glanced at my balcony. Ooops! I thought that 26 October in Finland would not be a good day to expect another harvest from my salads. Yet they were still alive, green and violet young leaves –like tender little friends. I saved them from the coming frost, took them home and placed near the warm pasta. ‘I should not trust my intuition so much,’ I concluded about my pessimist agricultural expectations.

Looks like I should trust myself more when I choose for myself but trust the world (and not myself) when it decides for themselves, like my salad did. Life is a mix, a resonance between my pasta and a salad from the balcony. You never know what results from that.

Best wishes, 

Katia

The last days

I made an Irish apple cake that was a disaster. No, a recipe was good, and the taste was good. The cake simply stuck to the pan and the sauce was overcooked...

I decided not to make any more sweets cakes until December, because they somehow keep disappointing me :)

I got up early those days, I read books, drunk teas, cooked our meals for a day while my husband was asleep. It was a very quiet and cozy time :)

And colours... Colours are so beautiful now! Autumn colours. Outside and inside :) A good season. 

Best wishes,

Katia

Second-hand haul and flower shop

I took a long walk today. I was in Flör, a big local flower shop, and a second-hand shop.

Colours are beautiful, and air is fresh, cold this time of the year. I even saw the first snow today :) A lovely day!

I wish I could have my own garden and buy all these flowers that I saw today... They are very beautiful! And I found an interesting flower pot :) With legs :)

I bought only a big espresso coffee maker in the second-hand, it cost only 2 euros. A good deal!

Flowers! I like flowers a lot!

Best wishes,

Katia

Friday

We had a plain breakfast today. Sourdough bread, eggs, fresh salad from my balcony, fruit and, of course, cinnamon buns :)
"Cinnamon Roll Day falls on October 4th each year. It is an annual secular holiday in Sweden and Finland that was instituted in 1999 by Kaeth Gardestedt" (Wikipedia).

And mint tea from my mother-in-law's garden :) Good!
And then I took a long walk to a second-hand and flower shop. Photos's coming soon :)

Best wishes,

Katia

October

I took a walk in the morning and enjoyed autumn colours. I met two squirrels under an oak. They had acorns for breakfast and weren't very happy to see me :)

Best wishes, 

Katia