about men

“Young men want to be faithful, and are not;
old men want to faithless, and cannot “
Oscar Wilde

 

Can’t live with them … can’t live without them. Very much pleasure – very little guilt.
Even if they aren’t back on my priority list yet, do I enjoy their company. Have been “the boss” for nearly 140 men (my chefs brigade), in total as most – and only one of them had a problem with having a female boss. The women I had under my wings – never a problem neither. Could never worked with women only. Really like men’s company. No “bullshit” behind the back – everything straight to face; No intrigue and backstabbing. We, women, can be so evil to each other. They fight – but when they do … they do it more honest.
Love when a man … passes me and he smells good.
Love when a man look me in eyes .. across a packed commuter train.
Love when a man makes me laugh.
Love a well dressed man – his tie tells me so much about him.
Just love men.

We should be kind to and love our men …
because they are only creature of that breed – we have.

Photo provided by: dressmann.com / weakstream.us

rubus chamacmorus ….. wellies and -40c; cloudberry crème brûlé

Can be picked in all the Nordic countries (except Denmark), Alaska, Canada, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Russia, Maine, Long Island, New York and Scotland plus you can buy them at IKEA all over the world – as jam on a glass jar for about $6.00. They grow on wet grounds … grows like a strawberry, looks like a raspberry – but yellow. Absolutely delicious and bursting with C vitamins, but they don’t come cheap.
This wonderful little berry has many names; clouldberry, hjorton, applebake, lakka, knotberry, mylta, knoutberry, aveinan and evon.
This little plant can survive temperatures down to -40C, but not when in bloom.
You need wellies and a good back to pick them.

For a quick dessert, I just buy a jar of “hjorton” jam – heat it up and serve it over ice cream. A more upscale dinner will demand something more – I often serve this little dessert. So easy and can be done in advance.

Cloudberry Crème Brûlé, 4 portions

250gr defrosted cloudberries
15ml (1tbsp) clear honey
1250ml milk
1250ml whipping cream
4 egg yolks
15ml (1tbsp) of each caster and raw sugar, mixed

1. Defrost cloudberries in a colander – then turn cloudberries in a honey. Put them on the bottom of the glass and place in the fridge for a a coupe of hours before you boil the cream.
2. Boil the milk and cream. Whisk together the egg yolks until fluffy. Pour the hot milk mixture over the yolks
3. Set back on stove and simmer gently until the custard thickness, stirring constantly. Ensure that the mixture doesn’t begin to cook – then the eggs coagulate.
Let cool down a bit – then pour brulés mixture of cloudberries and put back in fridge for preferably over night
4. Serving: Sprinkle mixed sugars on top of cream and burnt by the torch.
Garnish with some cloudberries and a crisp leaves of fresh mint.

                             

 Over here in Sweden we also use “hjorton” – cloudberries – for beer, wine, vinegar, cosmetic crèmes and in Finland they make a fantastic liqueur by name “Lakka”

Photos provided by; maion.com / ikea.com / jumpstartyourhealth.net / karinkonstgrepp.se / björn lindberg