A long time ago, and far, far away...I was a youngish bride with friends over for dinner. I must have been very distracted because I forgot to put the baking powder in a cranberry coffee cake. When i shated by disapointment that id hadnt raised, my friends who were French said, perhaps generously, that they thought I'd made a clafouti. At that time I'd never heard of a clafouti. It was a lesson in both perspective and how to help your hostess save face. Now, if a recipe doesn't "turn out" like it's supposed to, I shift my perspective on it to see if it has any merit or if it just didn't meet my expectations. I also really do all I can to avoid waste.
Damsons!? That's amazing! I wonder if they grow in Quebec! I really enjoyed reading this!
My failures always happen when I'm making a recipe from a recipe that I KNOW isn't going to work and that sounds outrageous, but I think, "They must know something I don't know." Then I make it and into the bin it goes. ha. Learning to trust the gut is a lifelong education. Thanks for the lovely post! xo
my grandmother always said that damsons only grew properly in shropshire, england, but she had a way with words. we always left the skin and stone in when we made jam. the harvest was always generous and sometimes a jar was left forgotten so long that it slightly crystallised: i wonder who today wouldn't curl their lips at these old fashioned and inconvenient textures.
I leave the skin in...but I do try to get out the stones. If you leave them in you can't gobble the jam; you have to spread it thinluyand proceed cautiously. So leaving the stones in is a technique of frugality, I'd say.
Oh! What a fabulous space this is! Naomi Duguid from whom I learned about Flatbreads, great cookbook! AND Elizabeth Luard! Correct me if I'm wrong but Elizabeth had a cooking series in Country Living British edition where i learned about campfire bread, a recipe that has morphed into a big seeded cracker/Flatbread, a version of which is in my fridge. Yes, also be learning. Apologies, Naomi if I didn't put this in the right spot, I'm just rather tickled and thrilled to find you bother her! I don't know how to "like" her like...
Yes, I see this. Perfection isn’t much of a teacher, although it can be a driver. And I like how you show failure as part of the learning curve — whether with injera or a fried egg.
A long time ago, and far, far away...I was a youngish bride with friends over for dinner. I must have been very distracted because I forgot to put the baking powder in a cranberry coffee cake. When i shated by disapointment that id hadnt raised, my friends who were French said, perhaps generously, that they thought I'd made a clafouti. At that time I'd never heard of a clafouti. It was a lesson in both perspective and how to help your hostess save face. Now, if a recipe doesn't "turn out" like it's supposed to, I shift my perspective on it to see if it has any merit or if it just didn't meet my expectations. I also really do all I can to avoid waste.
Damsons!? That's amazing! I wonder if they grow in Quebec! I really enjoyed reading this!
Thank-you. There must surely be damsons somewhere in the markets in Montreal
My failures always happen when I'm making a recipe from a recipe that I KNOW isn't going to work and that sounds outrageous, but I think, "They must know something I don't know." Then I make it and into the bin it goes. ha. Learning to trust the gut is a lifelong education. Thanks for the lovely post! xo
Thanks Laura... 🧡🧡
I love your writing. Thank youfor getting me on this platform.
Thank-you! I'm so glad you've embarked with Substack 👍
my grandmother always said that damsons only grew properly in shropshire, england, but she had a way with words. we always left the skin and stone in when we made jam. the harvest was always generous and sometimes a jar was left forgotten so long that it slightly crystallised: i wonder who today wouldn't curl their lips at these old fashioned and inconvenient textures.
I leave the skin in...but I do try to get out the stones. If you leave them in you can't gobble the jam; you have to spread it thinluyand proceed cautiously. So leaving the stones in is a technique of frugality, I'd say.
post war britain... frugality sounds about right.
Oh! What a fabulous space this is! Naomi Duguid from whom I learned about Flatbreads, great cookbook! AND Elizabeth Luard! Correct me if I'm wrong but Elizabeth had a cooking series in Country Living British edition where i learned about campfire bread, a recipe that has morphed into a big seeded cracker/Flatbread, a version of which is in my fridge. Yes, also be learning. Apologies, Naomi if I didn't put this in the right spot, I'm just rather tickled and thrilled to find you bother her! I don't know how to "like" her like...
You'll love Elisabeth's suubstack. Wonderful paintings, recipes and vigorous writing
Yes, I see this. Perfection isn’t much of a teacher, although it can be a driver. And I like how you show failure as part of the learning curve — whether with injera or a fried egg.
So much to comment on! Love this post but my response runs over 2000 words so posting as a separate note referencing this.
Where is your note? I can't find it☀️☀️
Hold on a minute. Sending to you first.
Ketchup is Good. Put an Egg on It. The Role of Acid and Tart. https://open.substack.com/pub/culturesgroup/p/ketchup-is-good-put-an-egg-on-it?r=2db83w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Notes on a Post by Naomi Duguid at Home and Elsewhere (https://naomiduguid.substack.com) Original Post: https://substack.com/home/post/p-173450658