carrot cake jam, wha?

my goodness, whoever heard of such a thing as carrot cake jam? not me. i think it’s it’s just ridiculous. and delicious. i really thought i was not going to like it but i do. i’m imagining a whole mess of this on top of another whole mess of cream cheese on top of…well, you get the idea. i needed to preserve something with carrots as per the can jam assignment for this month. i really thought about canning my mexican hot carrots and eventually i will. but i managed to intimidate myself out of it as the last time i made pickles and water bath canned them, they went as limp and colorless as an old rag doll.

i know what you’re asking yourself : does it really taste like carrot cake? the answer is yes. and no. i might’ve made a few changes if i was on top of it before i even put it all together. i would have left out the cloves. unnecessary and i don’t believe carrot cake generally includes cloves. the addition doesn’t seem out of place but it was confusing on the palate in this application. i also would have added some some coconut. yes, that would’ve made it perfect. as it stands, it almost reminds me more of morning glory muffins than carrot cake.

not that i’m complaining.

carrot cake jam (makes about 5-6 half pint jars)

adapted from ball complete book of home preserving

1 1/2 c  carrots, grated or matchstick-cut

1 1/2 c  pears, peeled, cored , cut into tiny dice

1 3/4 cup finely chopped pineapple with any collected juice

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

4 c granulated sugar*

put all ingredients into a heavy bottomed pan, bring to a boil and allow to simmer rapidly until mixture resembles molten sugared lava and mixture reaches about 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer. took me about 20-30 minutes. place a small amount on a plate that has been in the freezer for a bit, put back in freezer for 1 minute. it should be firm and wrinkle some when you touch it.

ladle mixture into sterilized jars and process in water bath for 10 minutes. allow to cool completely on counter, checking to be sure all jars have sealed properly.

* original recipe called for 6 1/2 cups of sugar (4 seemed sweet enough to my taste) and pectin, which i opted not to use.

happy birthday to you, bloggy mcblogsalot.

ok, so one year ago today i said to myself “hey, i love food blogs, i love to cook, i love pictures of food”. so i decided to start a food blog. then my friend frank said in response, “so, do you have anything to say?”. of course i immediately said “well, of course i do, don’t be ridiculous”, then i went and cried myself to sleep because i was dumb enough to think that  starting a blog was a good idea. then i woke up and started my blog.

and that is how it all started. ever since then, my husband can’t eat until all the pictures are taken, i cook and take pictures during most of my time off, and i take pictures in my jammies when it’s 30 degrees outside because the light is ‘perfect’.

but, i have also given myself the luxury of cooking something as many times as it takes until it is perfect (to me, anyway).

i have reawakened a love for photography not felt since my early twenties (helped immensely by the canon given to me by husband-yes, he’s an enabler).

and i have met and befriended a community of food bloggers and writers in my hometown that mean the world to me.

there are countless people to thank for even a small endeavor such as a food blog. but mostly i need to thank my friends and family for their willingness to taste anything and everything, and my dear friend and photographer extraordinaire, casey, who has helped me grow leaps and bounds over the past year.

rocket and mazzie, my accidental food tasters and floor lickers (i mean floor cleaners).

and this beautiful man, who married me without knowing what was to come, what was to be had for dinner, and when i would allow him to start eating.

**incidentally, and unrelated to this whole first birthday celebration, i found out today that i have been named in the austin chronicle’s top 10 food blogs. happy birthday, little bloggy:  http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A933445**

sparkling cranberries

i just love the holiday season. i know, i know, i am a freak of nature according to many, but i just can’t help it. i love the food, the lights, the specialness of it all. as christmas approaches, i start to get a little freaked out that the holidays are winding down. honestly, i have to talk myself down off the ledge, take a deep breath, and enjoy all that is around me.

cranberries are a special holiday treat, mostly because of their seemingly short life-span (in terms of acceptability in using them after christmas anyway). and these cranberries are special. you can serve them as part of a cheese course, on top of a holiday dessert, or just pop ‘em in your mouth. we tossed them in our glasses of bubbly, too! they take a little getting used to because they are essential raw and very tart but the sugar seems to tame this somewhat. they are at first sweet, then with a burst of tartness, then sweet again. live a little…try ‘em out!

well, i am off to the in-laws for several days to enjoy family and friends for the holiday. i hope you enjoy yours!

sparkling cranberries (makes 2 cups)

adapted from 101 cookbooks

2 cups fresh cranberries

2 cups water

2 cups granulated sugar

plus additional granulated sugar and medium coarse grain sugar for coating

make a simple syrup by heating water and 2 cups sugar in a medium saucepan. bring to a simmer, until sugar is dissolved, then set aside to cool for a bit. pick over cranberries, discard any shriveled or soft berries, rinse in a colander and set aside in a glass bowl. when syrup is still warm, but no longer hot, add to berries. place a small plate on top of berries to be sure they are all submerged. cover with plastic wrap and chill 8 hours or overnight.

drain, reserving syrup for another use, if desired. roll berries a few tablespoons at a time in medium grain sugar. (i used an unbleached medium grain organic sugar sold at costco for this step). dry for a few hours on a cookie sheet. then roll them in the regular granulated sugar for a final dusting. allow to dry for an additional hour or so before handling. the combination of sugars does seem to do a fine job of coating them completely.

these keep chilled for up to a week.