PLUM BUTTER
I miss Michel. He's been dead more than a month and all I want to do is cook. Sleep and cook.
My return to L.A. feels almost surreal. Nothing's changed. I imagine Michel walking the woods, returning to the apartment, watching Zorro, having sausage and pickles for dinner.
Comme habitude, I call to make sure he is alright. He tells me he misses me, he misses my family, he misses L.A. When will I be back? Soon, I tell him. Before the fresh walnuts arrive.
Fuck, I hate this...
I can't find a decent plum to save my life this summer in California. In the Moselle, they are sweet, deep and so juicy. What happened to the plums of my childhood in California? We had beautiful plums. There was a tree in our backyard aching with plums. Sweet, luscious, beautiful plums. All that surrounds me now are these weird roly things of blah.
I tried making a thick plum butter with what I could pilfer from a few trees. Michel would be pleased. With a good faisselle, Michel would be oh, so pleased. Fuck, I miss him so much.
Nobady knows what a faisselle is in L.A.
(what I did with the plum quantity I had on hand)
900 grams plums, plus one or two set aside - washed well.
150 - 170 grams turbinado sugar (depends on the sweetness of the plum)
3 fluid ounces water
juice from one lemon
Split plums in half, remove pits, keep them and count them! Do not peel. Cut into small-ish pieces. Place everything (including the seeds) in a 3-6-quart nonreactive saucepan.
Add the water, sugar and lemon juice. Cook on low heat until the fruit is very soft, about 20 - 30 min. Remove from heat, add a tiny splash of brandy/b&b/whatever. Let cool.
Remove seeds. Add the extra plum/s cut into small pieces. Purée plum mixture with its liquid in a food mill.
Return puréed plums to very low heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until thick enough to liking; between 10 - 30 minutes. Depends how thick you want it to become when cool.
Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Go find some faisselle...
I miss Michel. He's been dead more than a month and all I want to do is cook. Sleep and cook.
My return to L.A. feels almost surreal. Nothing's changed. I imagine Michel walking the woods, returning to the apartment, watching Zorro, having sausage and pickles for dinner.
Comme habitude, I call to make sure he is alright. He tells me he misses me, he misses my family, he misses L.A. When will I be back? Soon, I tell him. Before the fresh walnuts arrive.
Fuck, I hate this...
I can't find a decent plum to save my life this summer in California. In the Moselle, they are sweet, deep and so juicy. What happened to the plums of my childhood in California? We had beautiful plums. There was a tree in our backyard aching with plums. Sweet, luscious, beautiful plums. All that surrounds me now are these weird roly things of blah.
I tried making a thick plum butter with what I could pilfer from a few trees. Michel would be pleased. With a good faisselle, Michel would be oh, so pleased. Fuck, I miss him so much.
Nobady knows what a faisselle is in L.A.
(what I did with the plum quantity I had on hand)
900 grams plums, plus one or two set aside - washed well.
150 - 170 grams turbinado sugar (depends on the sweetness of the plum)
3 fluid ounces water
juice from one lemon
Split plums in half, remove pits, keep them and count them! Do not peel. Cut into small-ish pieces. Place everything (including the seeds) in a 3-6-quart nonreactive saucepan.
Add the water, sugar and lemon juice. Cook on low heat until the fruit is very soft, about 20 - 30 min. Remove from heat, add a tiny splash of brandy/b&b/whatever. Let cool.
Remove seeds. Add the extra plum/s cut into small pieces. Purée plum mixture with its liquid in a food mill.
Return puréed plums to very low heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until thick enough to liking; between 10 - 30 minutes. Depends how thick you want it to become when cool.
Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Go find some faisselle...
