tasting memories

Plates by Roger Baumann and Jim Shack. Photo by Marta Bartolomei Edmonds.

Let me tell you about Puerto Rican dulce de leche. This is not the creamy, spreadable South American dulce de leche that you might be familiar with. This is a sweet and tangy dessert of curdled milk and lime served in a syrup. Whole milk is first curdled by adding lime juice and then slow cooked with sugar and lime rind to create a wonderful confection.

I have to be honest, this dessert is not for everyone. When I make it at home, Scott and Angelica leave the house right away. The acidic scent of cooking soured milk drives them away. But don't be discouraged and try it. It's a wonderful treat and a great use for outdated, soured milk.

Enjoying dulce de leche in Abuela Sara's kitchen was a highlight of my weekend visits. She would serve it in tiny little bowls. Those little bowls of dulce de leche were like little bowls full of her love: sweet and tangy. I have great respect for my grandmother. She calls it like it is and is not afraid of showing you her middle finger if that will get her point across. Despite her frank and direct demeanor, she manages to remain poised and ladylike in her presence. She's strong and at 88 years old still a very vital woman.

This recipe is an adaptation of the original recipe from Carmen Aboy Valldejuli's Juntos en la Cocina. Good Puerto Rican dulce de leche will have large curds. The trick is not to disturb the milk by stirring when curdling and cooking. You can use outdated or soured milk instead of fresh milk called for in this recipe.

Dulce de Leche Puertorriqueño
1 liter of whole milk
2 tablespoons lime or limón verde juice
the zest of one lime removed with a knife
2 cups sugar

1. In a large pot, bring the milk to a boil over high heat. As soon as the milk begins to boil, remove it from the heat and add the lime juice and zest. Gently stir only once with a wooden spoon. Do not mix or stir too much to allow the milk to curdle into large curds.

2. Return the curdled milk to the stove and bring to boil over high heat. As soon as the milk begins to boil distribute the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, without stirring.

3. Simmer over moderate heat for one hour. Do not stir the mixture while cooking. Occasionally run a wooden spoon along the edges of the pan to dislodge any milk solids. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Pour the candy onto a platter or shallow bowl and rest until completely cooled. Refrigerate until serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Makes 4 cups or eight servings.

Photo from MSNBC video clip.

The town of Obama, Japan celebrates our U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama with bean cakes. Read full story here and see MSNBC's feature here.

Photo by Marta Bartolomei Edmonds.

It's pumpkin time! My favorite time of the year. Pumpkin is the perfect fall vegetable. Delicious and versatile it lends itself to many applications in anything from breakfast to dessert.

I love to sneak pumpkin into my dishes whenever I can, especially in the fall. Sunday morning I made a batch of pumpkin scones that I wanted to share with you. They are moist, light, with a touch of spice and sweetness. Serve them with a little butter and dark maple syrup.

When you make these, keep in mind that this particular recipe will yield a very wet dough that will likely stick to your hands. Don't get frustrated, the results are worth the mess! If you are new to making scones, take a look at these scone baking tips.

Also, if you love pumpkin as much as I do, try these pumpkin muffins.

Spiced Pumpkin Scones
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, pumpkin, egg, vanilla extract, and spices. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture with a few swift strokes until a loose wet dough forms.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather the dough into a ball. Gently press the dough into a ¾ inch thick disk.
3. Sprinkle the disk with turbinado sugar and cinnamon. Using a knife, cut the disk into 8 wedges.
4. Arrange the wedges ½ inch apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Makes 8 scones.

Plate by Jim Shack. Photo by Marta Bartolomei Edmonds.

What would be Thanksgiving turkey without the sweet and tangy company of cranberries?

This Spiced Cranberry and Orange Relish recipe has been a family favorite for years. It's super easy to make and can be made ahead of time.