WALNUT TEA, TONSILLITIS AND CASANOVA

Having inflamed tonsillitis was an often occurrence and as much as I dread it, as much I was looking forward to Mama making the walnut tea.  It looked a bit dark and frankly revoltingly brown, but it tastes amazingly lovely and I wasn’t sharing it with anybody.  And I loved the feeling of being dotted over and looked after.  I eventually would lose my voice and would only screech and scratch when I speak.  So I was told I am talking like the Godfather...  And they were rolling down laughing that finally I can't talk!  Well, they wouldn’t want me making them a deal they can’t refuse!

I still get these painful moments with throat so red and inflamed that I can’t swallow sip of water.  These days I have to get up of my mighty backside and start making my own walnut tea.
Then I curl up on the arm chair, daydreaming or just staring through the window.  And thinking what if I was at the Bahamas, walking on a blinding white sandy beach.  Or, wait!  Scratch the beach, we have beaches galore here!  I want to be in Venice!  Oh, that’s right!  But this packing and unpacking is getting me tired.  Somehow Venice is charming me, but not that hard to wish it bad.
My eyes are getting heavy and tired.  They are still wondering through the window, but I am trying to remember why I ever was mesmerised by Venice if I’ve never been there?!  And as I moved my sleepy grazing eyes and they licked naked woman on the book cover at my library shelves, I recognised the old devil there – 12 volumes of Casanova’s History of My Life.
Ciao Giacomo!
Now is good time to get together again – nice soft spot, walnut tea, lemons, cherries and you and me...

WALNUT TEA:

8 cracked open and unpeeled shells walnuts

1 litre water

Bring to boil and reduce the heat.  Boil for 20 minutes.  Serve with honey and lemons.

Till my next post!

My very best wishes to you,

Sophia

© 2013 - sophia terra~ziva.  all rights reserved

GRANDMA’S QUINCES

Grandma's Quince tree was heavily pregnant with sun and sweetness...  The branches were weighing down with myriad of fruits and golden rays and we knew the end of summer was approaching.  Their fragrance was like a tossed blanket, hugging us with every slight breeze and we were already checking if Mama and Grandma are getting the big pots and jars ready for the traditional preparing of quince compote, confiture and jelly.

It was a ritual for the family’s matriarchate, executed with precision of military manoeuvres.  And when Grandma would take from her old glory chest the primitive grater she kept from her Great-grandmother, we felt as we were part of some sacred ceremony…

Now I hold in my hands the same old weathered primitive grater and I have my two girls tiptoeing on their chairs to get as high as the table and watch me prepare confiture and jelly.  It feels good!  And I can’t be happier!

If you want to pour some “memories from summer” into the jars, here is the recipe –

CONFITURE:

1 ½ fruit of quinces grated

1 ½ kg sugar

1 litre water

4 table spoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (you might reduce it to 2 tablespoons, if you are planning on using some pectin-based jam settings because they already contain some amount of citric acid).

Wash, dry and keep warm in the oven at 100 degrees Celsius the jars for preserving.

Bring water and sugar to boil and reduce the heat.  Cook until starts to thicken, about 15 minutes or just check by dropping drop syrup on a clean plate and look not to spill and keep its shape.

Clean the quinces from the seeds and skin and keep aside the peels and cores.  You will need them for the jelly.  Add the grated quinces, which should be grated just in the last moment so their colour can be intact as much as possible.

Bring to boil and boil for another 15 minutes.  Do the drop check and if the drop holds its shape, take the confiture from the heat; and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes.  Pour into the prepared sterilized jars and seal immediately.
*If the quantity of sugar is your concern, you can reduce it, but you have to help thicken the jelly with extra pectin.  For this amount of syrup 25 grams of pectin will do a great job.  Add the pectin in the last 5 minutes, boil it vigorously stirring occasionally.

JELLY:

Peels and cores from the quinces

1 ½ kg sugar

1 ½ water from the boiled peels and cores

4 table spoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (you might reduce it to 2 tablespoons, if you are planning on using some pectin-based jam settings because they already contain some amount of citric acid).

Wash, dry and keep warm in the oven at 100 degrees Celsius the jars for preserving.

Place in big pot the peels and cores and generously cover with water.  Bring to boil and reduce the heat.  Let it cook for ½ hour.  Drain the water and sift through cheese cloth.  Measure the liquid and for mix equal quantity of liquid and sugar.  You might choose to have no more than 1 ½ litre of the boiled liquid mixed with 1 ½ kg of sugar.  Boil until thickens into a syrup.
Bring to boil and boil for another 15 minutes.  Do the drop check and if the drop holds its shape, take the confiture from the heat; and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes.  Pour into the prepared sterilized jars and seal immediately.

*If the quantity of sugar is your concern, you can reduce it, but you have to help thicken the jelly with extra pectin.  For this amount of syrup 25 grams of pectin will do a great job.  Add the pectin in the last 5 minutes, boil it vigorously stirring occasionally.

Enjoy!  Now the only thing you might have to worry about is getting nice bread and butter for the breakfast tomorrow…

My very best wishes to you,

Sophia

© 2013 - sophia terra~ziva.  all rights reserved

OUT OF THE BLUE AWARD

My dear friends, this post wasn't planned.

However, I would like to share with you a little news that tickles my pride and gives me more reasons to work hard.

Last Friday, 13^th of September I received two Honourable Mentions in Non-Pro Advertising : Food category at The International Photography Awards in Los Angeles.  This is an annual competition for professional, non- professional, and student photographers on a global scale, creating one of the most ambitious and comprehensive competitions in the photography world today as they describe themselves.

Here are the links for my entries, which are two series of images – The Spice Trail and Gastronomia e Natura Morta .

The 2013 International Photography Awards received nearly 18,000 submissions from 104 countries across the globe.  IPA is a sister-effort of the Lucie Foundation, where the top three winners are announced at the annual Lucie Awards gala ceremony.  The Foundation’s mission is to honour master photographers, to discover new and emerging talent and to promote the appreciation of photography.  Since 2003, IPA has had the privilege and opportunity to acknowledge and recognize contemporary photographer’s accomplishments in this specialized and highly visible competition.

I am grateful to all my friends that were supporting me and encouraging me and especially thankful for all direct, to-the-point and no nonsense critique I've received all those years!

Till my next post!

My very best wishes to you,

Sophia

© 2013 - sophia terra~ziva.  all rights reserved