Banff and Buttery Brioche

Two highlights from this week, getting pumped about extreme outdoor activities at the banff film festival in Salt Lake and making brioche (whole wheat of course). For years I had heard of the epic films at the band festival and finally this year I went with Tay, Sheb and Chan. It did not disappoint, we even got our fill of environmentalist propaganda with a 40min film about the spirit bear that resides in British Columbia, right where they are proposing the construction of an pin pipeline. Needless to say, there wasn't much sympathy among the frames for the rare black bear with the recessive gene affecting his coloration effectively turning him white. After the films we stopped for a capper at Hires Big H. Their burgers are delicious, on those soft homemade buns. And I indulged in my favorite chocolate peanut butter shake. Such a positive experience.

The brioche came about upon discovering I had a decent number of eggs and getting butter for cheap. And as a result of my joy of cooking book. I love hat book, you can tell they tested the recipes and they are clearly written and I've loved the ones I've tried so far. Making it whole wheat was a veritable crap shoot, but I don't have white flour and I don't cook with it anymore. After mixing in the butter, it was looking lackluster but it eventually rose and taking them out of the oven the next day I was delighted to discover deliciously buttery brioches for my consumption. I wrapped some for Chan and packed several for Whit's lunch. I will make them better next time but it was definitely not a failure.

Weekend Therapy

My dear brother Chandler Merrill celebrated 22 years on Saturday! I made him grandmother's chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting with chocolate shavings on top. I enjoyed making it and he enjoyed eating it. Chan came over last night to enjoy the cake, with his buddy Max. I bought fresh handpacked Baskin Robbins pralines 'n cream to accompany the chocolatey goodness. Chan was pretty stoked on the celebration. He informed me he didn't like birthdays much, he's not a fan of the excessive attention and wishes birthdays would just go away. So we kept it mellow.

Saturday morning my wonderful friend Sara Sonntag (met her in DC on Washington Seminar) and I drove up to Park City and enjoyed a quick getaway. First stop, Windy Ridge Bakery. Unfortunately they were out of their fresh baked pastries, but desperation leads to innovation and I took advantage of the opportunity to discover the most delicious eclair I have ever tasted. Also my two mini dark chocolate raspberry truffles were drool-worthy. As always, my expectations were met and exceeded by their quality delights. Next, we headed over to No Place Like Home where I swooned over sparkly white Le Creuset cookware and french brioche molds. I came out with some India Tree Belgian Pearl Sugar. They are large, irregular-shaped, sugar chunks to adorn the tops of baked goods. The sugar does not un-chunk as it bakes, and it's beautiful. I was tempted to buy the French loaf pan that dismantles, and the ruffled brioche mold, but I refrained. I was only comforted when I had another bite of my eclair back in the car. Then it was onto the outlets, first J.Crew and then Banana Republic, Nike, Bass, and Old Navy. I didn't find anything I couldn't live without in any store except...Old Navy. I couldn't believe it, but I came out with 4 tops, a dress, and pants. All fabulous and super reasonably priced. Plus, the snow-blanketed city was beautiful and it felt like we had escaped from gray Provo for a bit.

Happy Day (week) of Love!

It started the Friday before, when a package from my mom, full of delectably wrapped manifestations of love, arrived. From there I couldn't help but continue the feeling my mom had started. I started making valentines with Whitney and we continued in spurts for the next three days. Being creative is something indescribable. You feel inspired and meditative, while simultaneously feeling vibrantly alive and focused. Here are the results of my efforts.

Belgian Waffles and Butternut Squash Burritos

Two recent culinary endeavors. I have made these butternut squash burritos several times and they are so delicious; the only inconvenience is peeling, de-seeding, and chopping the butternut squash. But the undeniable flavor provided by their perfectly golden roasted flesh is worth every second. These boast black beans, onions, and butternut squash, simply flavored with garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. A red pepper, avocado, and pure sour cream really brought this batch up a notch.

And as you can see from the picture, I'm not huge on tortillas, so I made some bulgur wheat to go with the vegetables. My experimental endeavor was the belgian waffles, made from a recipe from my recently acquired Joy of Cooking cookbook. I have a particular affinity for breakfast food, per the Frame tradition, and I saw this recipe for a yeast-raised dough and I couldn't resist trying it. Of all breakfast fare, waffles tend to be my least favorite because they seem to get "squished" in the waffle iron, and I prefer "fluffy" breakfast items. So with high hopes, I mixed up the dough, and set it to rise. Patiently, I waited for the dough to double in size,

and then with anticipation I heated my berries and mixed up a delicious buttermilk syrup (equal parts butter, buttermilk, and maple syrup) to accompany my forthcoming waffle. I will also note I made them with all whole grain flours, because I prefer to use only whole grains. Luckily, the dough still rose and when they came out of the waffle iron, they were fragrant and light and fulfilled all my waffle dreams.

With the berries, some dark chocolate chips and the warm buttermilk syrup on top, they were nothing short of a Sunday morning breakfast dream!

Just a little obsessive

In the Frame family, we are known far and wide for our slight obsession with food. We have been known to plan our trips around eating at certain favorite locations, and breakfast is somewhat of a sacred ritual at our home. Considering these details it came as no surprise when i walked into my brother's house to see this post-it on the fridge. I thought it humorous and strangely true. Chan immediately laughed and exclaimed it was the most obese quote ever. I still stand behind it.

Boho Goodness and a package from Mom

Usually I do not tend toward things that look bohemian or hippy-ish, but I have this fantastic vintage scarf I had picked up from the Da-Z in Pasadena, and it was the perfect day to wear it. I crafted an outfit of seemingly disparate elements: blue skirt, cream silk tank under a different shade of blue cardigan and my brown riding boots. It worked well, though. And Friday afternoon I walked inside the house to find a package from my Mom sitting on the table! Inside were individually wrapped valentine gifts, adorned with crown tags, pink ribbons, and heart cutouts. My Mom is one of a kind. Here they are, and mind, they're not all for me, several of them are for Tay and Sheb and Chan.

Give us this day...

I am someone who is always searching for new recipes that sound different and healthful. Interestingly, this is both a blessing and a curse, as many times my attempts don't turn out quite as I would like. But I persist. And the stellar victories make up for the misses. There's always my surefire pumpkin bread recipe (from the Joy of Cooking book) which has evolved over the years into what it has become today, moist, soft, pumpkin-y, with hints of decadent belgian chocolate, and a crispy, sugar-encrusted top. Everyone needs their stalwart favorites. That has become mine. I even had my mom ship me cans of pumpkin on my mission in Brazil because I couldn't live without it. I hear taste buds change over the years, but I still love this loaf as much as ever. Maybe because it was one of the first things I made on my own at school, and it has stayed with me like a trusty friend. What I really wanted to write about was the loaf of whole wheat rye bread I made last Sunday, aptly called "black bread" by its creator Heidi Swanson. Heidi's blog is my go-to for healthy, flavorful recipes. Ever since I inherited my kitchen aid mixer, I have finally felt like I could venture into the land of yeast breads. I found this recipe (http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/black-bread-recipe.html) on 101 Cookbooks, Heidi's blog, and I couldn't resist trying it. Sunday was the selected day, and it worked out perfectly. I perched the bowl in the sun streaming through my window, and it rose like magic. I have never had bread with grated carrot inside, but it's quite delicious. Look at how lovely it came out!

Looking and tasting like an artisan loaf. This was one of those victories that makes trying new recipes and the broad endeavor of cooking worthwhile. I ate the fresh bread with my favorite vegan cream of mushroom soup, made using my new immersion blender.