Can you imagine?
It took me five years - FIVE YEARS! - in which every year I wrote down the good resolution (among others): "Learn to prepare a Bavarian cream".
Well - though I love to cook and bake, and prepare an excellent Mousse au chocolat, I was too anxious to make this crème bavaroise. Pretended to have too much to do, though actually I feared words like "beat the egg-cream diligently in the bain-marie to a 'rose' - you recognize that rose-state when you blow softly over the wooden spoon and there forms itself a rose" - aha! I also have high respect for 'gelatine' - in Germany you only get it in form of stiff leaves, which you have to water, then press the water out, then slide them one by one - softly, softly - into the hopefully stiff beaten egg cream.
So every year I used my stays in Munich to go to the gourmet food - temple Dallmayr near the Marienplatz (http://www.dallmayr.de/delikatessenhaus/) and bought it there, highly content with what I got - and even more intimidated (Pearl of Wisdom: if you compare yourself, don't do it to the professional's ideal).
But this year I said to husband: "I will do it - now! Don't want to face another New Year's Eve with this unfinished business!"
Of course I said this on the morning of Christmas Eve - still having to do the elaborate and not utterly uncomplicated Christmas Dinner for next day, of which the Bavarian cream should be the dessert (I was at least clever enough to arrange a meal in a beautiful French restaurant for the second day). So you saw this woman swirrling through the kitchen (YES - one has to prepare a raspberry puree too - haha: also with gelantine..)
Well: it worked out lovely.
.jpg "Britta Huegel")
You see that on my happy face:
So I am really proud of having done it. Finally. And I see - again - that many 'fears' are unfounded - but that I can only find out by doing it.
So - after this deep insight - you might ask: what comes next? And you might hear me call:
WHERE IS MY HARLEY-DAVIDSON? !? Pronto!
Belle Mooney used to be driven around Bath on her Harley Davidson, but the driver was her young man. I know you have a few young men who would drive you around Berlin - just for a spoonful of your Bavarian Cream.
ReplyDeleteDear Tom,
ReplyDeletethat melts like butter in my mouth :-) When my late father was young, he had a motorcycle and I sat behing him (no helmets then) and I liked it very much. Later they persuaded me not to drive a motorbike (that was reasonable), but the argument that I would not be even able to hold a Harley I don't believe in now - having opened so many huge locks lately... I think getting older makes one more adventurous - the mild 'fourth season' (around 75, which should be used for meditating, is still a while ahead, hopefully).
Anyone can hold a Harley - until it reaches about 20 degrees off upright when stationary. Then we all have problems.
DeleteOn the Bremer 'Freimarkt' (kind of huge funfare), there were artists in a huge tent doing motorcycle stunts. Impressing, loud, dangerous - they seemed to be wizzards.
DeleteOh my goodness but that looks delicious! I'd be completely put off by the required 'rose' state of the mixture and by the German gelatine, which I remember well. It baffled me!
ReplyDeleteWell done!
Dear Pondside,
Deleteit was delicious - and yes: I was put off for five years... Though I knew: it is only a cream, and in the worst case I could throw it away - I was intimidated. It is the same with little tasks sometimes: done in two minutes, but thought about two days :-)
Well done Britta. Sounds far too intricate for me, so I am greatly impressed! x
ReplyDeleteDear Paisleysummer, thank you! I will not do it every Sunday :-)
DeleteOh, you are now Queen of the Kitchen! I am sure you are up to most any recipe challenge. I read several recipes for the Bavarian Cream and admit that I would be more than a bit intimidated trying to get the correct consistencies. I think I will add the ingredients to next week's grocery list and give it a try... maybe, after a bit more contemplation! However, I will stick to the open road in my Mustang... not even tempted by your mention of the Harley... been there, done that... def too far along the continuum for another motorcycle adventure! Hope you have a good week! Smiles...Susan
ReplyDeleteDear Susan,
Deleteyes, try it! I will prefare Mousse au chocolat - but as I love variety...
As to the Mustang: Wow! Our son had two times a Pontiac Firebird (and misses it still), but I gave up my dream of a car - a vintage Jag - because of the narrow parking places here in the city. As to the Harley: there are some dreams that must have been realized up to a certain point - or forgotten. So I accept not biking (anymore - before always on bikes not my own), though some other dreams are still on my agenda. Have a good week too! Britta
It looks beautiful and magical. And you look so delighted with its success. Cannot decide which is the lovelier confection. Just delighted you had the moment photographed!
ReplyDeleteDear Geo.,
Deleteoh thank you! As you see: I love compliments - and husband was so happy that the hectic grumbling in the kitchen had finished that he gladly took the photographs.
Ah, Britta! How much do I love this post?! My first question is, does a rose really form over the spoon when you blow on it? Or am I missing some inside joke, here? :)
ReplyDeleteI love the resolve to not face another year with unfinished business. It seems to me so sassy and full of elan! I also want to tack to a wall near my workspace the thought that fears are unfounded--if only we would just do the thing that needs doing and find out that this is so.
Well done!
Dear Suze,
Deletethank you! Well: with a vivid imagination you can see a sort of a bold and simple drawn rose on that spoon. No inside joke.
The thing with thinking of upcoming events too much is really true - as is thinking about problems at three o'clock in the morning: they seem so much bigger than in clear daylight! As to unfinished business: small things go quicker (haha, it only took me five years) - big things take longer - sometimes, but I sit now diligently at my computer and don't blog too much :-)
That looks delicious Brigitta - it is always surprising how something that challenges one, is so often all in the mind.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing you dressed up in your black leathers.
Dear Rosemary,
Deletethank you: the black leather (in moderation): yes. Harley - only like Belle Mooney, as Tom wrote: behind a driver.
My dear ...
ReplyDeletefirst of all happy new year. I wish you and your family a very GOOD year!!!
Now, you are so GREAT! I'm so proud of you. Bavarian cream ... seems to be delicious, sorry no seems I'm sure it was delicious!
Bisous, Babi
Dear Babi,
ReplyDeletethank you - I wish you and your family a very happy new year too! Yes, the cream was delicious (and now, after the opulent festive days: a little bit more vegetables :-) Bisous, Britta
You're right: hesitating to do something out of fear is a lot more time-consuming than simply taking a deep breath and going for it. Like the ads here say, "Just do it!" Good for you! Your creation looks beautiful... and delicious. I don't do nearly as much baking as I used to, but I am going to marinate some beef this week for sauerbraten. (One of my favorite dishes.)
ReplyDeleteMy husband rode a Harley for many years, but I was never very comfortable on them. Too much traffic around here. We rented a bike when we were in Hawaii, and that was a lot of fun, because the roads weren't as congested there as they are here. But when I got a phone call twenty-five years ago from one of his biker buddies telling me he was being loaded into an ambulance after being hit by a truck... that "didn't see him"... I didn't ever want him to get on a bike again. So far, he hasn't, but he's starting to get "that look" in his eyes again whenever he sees one roar by. (sigh)