a mini-manifesto

Mini food is much nicer than maxi-food. Maxi food is stomach-bloating, hip-fattening, heartburn-inducing. The tiny food can be caught in one hand, enjoyed in one bite. It can realize the whole experience of say a cake, within just three bites. Who hasn’t had the sort of day where you dream of tucking into a whole cake for a whole lot of sweet therapy? When this moment of self-indulgent, well, indulgence, is over, if your cake was only 2 inches wide, then what was the harm? And, the mini affords the baker more opportunities to hone their craft, to make tiny sugar flowers, to, well, stay up all night carving tiki huts and the like. Mini is therefore a win-win prospect. what mini's can you make? mini-trifles, mini-cakes (quite a lot different from cupcakes), mini-pies, mini-pot pies. So, I say, make minis.

Tiny Kumquat Madeleine Citrus Curd Condensed Milk Trifle with ...

Alright, I was tempted to add something else to the title just for effect, but the actual elements are funny enough. I had all these elements on hand for various reasons the other day when I really needed something sweet. It is very rare that I yearn for a sweet, but when I do I lean towards the tooth-shattering. I had made kumquat madeleines as a gift. We also have more condensed milk at home than a Vietnamese coffee stand. Why? Lord knows. But, thanks to the French colonists of Indochine, we know that condensed milks lasts pretty well. And, then orange/lemon curd was quick to whip up.

The result was both refreshing and shockingly sweet. In the future, should somehow this perfect storm of citrus appear again in my refrigerator will I make this? Heck yeah. I have already come up with a plan to make up 15 or so for a late winter's brunch (when citrus is back in season).

This trifle is also my entry for this month's sugar high fridays: Citrus, an event started by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess and run this month by Tartelette.

Recipe/ Plan
Blah blah blah Trifles
In a small cup or even a votive candle holder (as picture), layer madeleines [made in a mini-mold or with teaspoons (as invented by Aaplemint)] with cream or whipped cream and citrus curd.

Condensed Milk Cream
Mix vigorously 1/4 cup greek yoghurt with 1 T condensed milk.(This is good for 2 mini-trifles)

Citrus Curd
I followed this recipe from Fine cooking but halfed it. Also I used half lemon juice and half orange juice(This is good for 2 mini-trifles)

Taste and Create:Ma che ti sei mangiato's Morel Risotto Sans Morels

I am optimistic. Case in point, today. We went mushrooming and I knew that we would find one lovely morel. I live in the Great Lake Region, after all, a morel superland. Many people had found morels but a few miles from our friend's land.

My Taste and Create Partner, Rossella, had found morels recently and made a single serving of risotto. Mind you, she lives in that beautiful, blessed land called Italy--and lord knows that there are many more travelogues books about Italy than Cleveland. There were other lovely dishes on her Rosella's site, but the morel risotto just screamed to me. And, this recipe instilled more strength of conviction that my morel was out there waiting.


On Saturday, I ran to the market to purchase organic wild mushrooms--black and yellow cloud mushrooms, but knew that we would not be having these mushrooms in risotto. They would be put to use elsewhere, as my morel was out there.


And, then yesterday, we got all suited up to trek through the drizzles of rain. So, we went back to the land of ramps and looked hard. Along our path, we saw lovely jack in the pulpit, pink trillium and carpet-like swaths of moss. I photographed them half-heartedly, as I knew in my bones our morel was around the next corner. I was prepared to cut my little prize in half to confirm that it had no cotton in its surely hollow interior. As we chatted on our hike, I was considering with which bowl I would use to soak my expensive prize.

And, then finally, as we got to the end of my friend's land, our bag empty, it finally dawned on me--my morel was not out there. Alas....

There were many wonderful recipes at Ma che ti sei Mangiato. Mind you, I took only one course in Italian for Reading Knowledge, and with my dictionary and BabelFish, we read through her site. There was a very nice artichoke and proscuitto pasta too, and I particularly love reading about the dinners she served. If it was melon season, I would have definitely made her risotto with melon. I have bookmarked this one for the future. Finally, loking at our pantry, my husband and I made her lentil soup (which I will post this week), which was from 101 cookbooks, and mushroom risotto using our mushrooms.



The result was excellent, filling and satisfying, and it makes me say, who needs morel mushrooms. (Though, if I should ever come up a morel, I will completely change my tune, mind you.)