Today I saw a little symbol in the top right hand side of the page from WordPress. A symbol of a little cup which when clicked on told me that today was Maria Dernikos’s second anniversary. Instead of a glittering post I have decided to post what is actually happening in my kitchen and why. The picture above was taken on my mobile phone with the most abysmal lighting.
Two years of erratic posts. I am very lucky to still have readers. How I wish I could post and share all the recipes that I cook. My main problem is photography. As with my food I like to present my posts and my recipes to the best of my ability. The only problem being my photographic ability. It is very much like a cyclist who has been given the keys to a Ferrari – I have no idea of what I am doing. When I started this website I moaned that the lack of quality photographs was the fault of my inadequate camera. So as a very generous birthday gift I was given a Cannon EOS digital SLR (embarrassingly, I don’t even know the exact model). I thought I could just point and click and the result would be a sharp professional photograph. How wrong I was. I started to watch Youtube tutorials, buy books on the subject but very little has sunk in.
A friend casually asked if I took more than one photograph of the food on my posts. One photograph!! – more like 50! My technique has been to point, click and repeat as many times as I can and then pick a picture. It still remains a mystery to me why when I am standing in the same position and my subject has not moved an inch that 50 pictures can be so different.
One big lesson I have learnt is how important natural light is. Another woe to add to my endless list – living in England in winter has its problems. I need say no more.
I have searched the Internet for advice and thanks to a post from Flora’s Table and others I have picked up some very good tips but progress is slow and I seem to be photographically challenged on a gigantic scale.
So today I am going to post a picture and a recipe that would normally be left on the reject pile (which after two years resembles more of a mountain than a pile). Mainly because the weather here is overcast, damp and windy which makes any photograph in natural light a disaster. Secondly, because if a picture can paint a thousand words I am afraid mine isn’t painting the right words. The custards tasted wonderful and the burnt sugar topping tasted of toffee.
I don’t think I need to tell anyone that Crème Brûlée – or as it was known in England originally as Burnt Custard – tastes divine. Underneath the hard toffee sugar discs sit the richest of egg custards that have been generously flavoured with vanilla seeds.
The reason I have posted this simple recipe is for those of you who have any double cream sitting in their fridge left over from Christmas and were wondering how to use it up. Of course the other recipe would be to make butter as I have posted here.
This recipe can be halved very easily.
I only had small eggs so I weighed them in their shells to roughly get the weight of 6 large eggs. Each large egg should weigh with shell 63-73gms so to get the weight of 6 large eggs I needed roughly 210gms of whole shelled eggs. This is also quite a good method to use if you have different sized eggs.
Crème Brûlée or Burnt Custard
(4 generous ramekins worth)
Ingredients
600 ml double cream
2 vanilla pods (1 would suffice) split lengthwise
6 egg yolks
60g caster sugar
1-2 tsp of demerara sugar per ramekin.
Method
Turn the oven to Gas mark 2/150C/300F
In a heavy bottomed pan put in the double cream and the split vanilla pods. Bring to a boil gently.
Meanwhile, put the egg yolks and the caster sugar into a bowl and beat until silky smooth and pale. When the cream has boiled remove the vanilla pods and pour onto the egg mixture. Mix thoroughly.
Strain the mixture into a jug.
Place four ramekins into an oven proof dish. Fill the dish with cold water to half way up the ramekins. Thus making a water bath for the custards. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the four ramekins filling to the top. Place carefully into the oven and leave there for 45 minutes.
To check when they are done gently shake the ramekins. There should be a slight wobble no more. If not leave them for another five to ten minutes.
When done remove from the oven and their water bath and leave to cool. When cool place in the fridge. These can be made the day before. Shortly before serving sprinkle the top of the custards with demerara sugar, making sure that there is an even coating over the entire area. Place under the grill and when the sugar has dissolved, remove. Leave to one side for the sugar to set. Serve.
N.B. Wash the discarded vanilla pods in warm water and allow to dry. When dry place into caster sugar. Over time this will flavour the sugar.
I really loved this post! So honest and at times you were speaking for me…I relate. Happy 2nd anniversary Maria, these creme brûlée’s look fabulous. Happy New Year…
Thank you for your lovely comment. I know I can’t be the only one to struggle with the photography side.
Can definitely relate to you and your problems with natural light. Most days I just don’t bother at the moment as I know it’ll be a waste of time. Having said that I’m fine-tuning editing techniques and at last managing to save photos from the delete button! That’s just happened very recently. Keep at it!
Congrats on your two year anniversary. And Happy New Year!
A wave of relief has come over me reading that even you have problems with natural light. Your photographs are so sharp and so beautifully composed, but, I do know you have put in the work to get to that level. I am going to keep at it as that camera was far too expensive for me to give up!
Happy New Year to you too.
Maria!!! Another lovely post! Happy 2nd blogaversary! I’m so glad I found you. You’re an amazing cook. And creme brulee is certainly a wonderful way to celebrate. I was wondering how you burnt the sugar on top. Great tip, using the grill. As for photos, I live in a lightless NYC apartment and have slowly evolved. The best tip I’ve gotten was to go to a hardware store and by an $8 clamp light that simulates daylight. It’s and energy saving light and I clamp it to my heat pipe and it looks like every day is sunny in my tiny dark kitchen. I’m telling you, that’s half the battle. The light: http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-150-Watt-Incandescent-Clamp-Light-CE-300PDQ/100354511#.UsJdxPRDs_g
The bulb: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Electric-200W-Equivalent-Daylight-6500K-Spiral-CFL-Light-Bulb-ESL40TN-D/203252142#.UsJd8_RDs_g
Happy New Year!
“buy, not by” it’s 1am here. zz
Amanda – I didn’t notice!!!! and its am here and I have had my cup of coffee, doesn’t say much for me!
Amanda, you are always so generous with your compliments and I thank you for them. I do have one of those fancy blow torches but they put the fear of God in me so it has sat in its box for a least ten years and as far as I am concerned will remain there. To grill them I just stick them in the grill pan and stand over them, pulling them out every ten seconds to make sure they don’t over burn. Once the sugar has dissolved they are ready.
The light clamp sounds really interesting and I will be looking into that in the New Year, thank you for the tip. I plan to master this camera.
Happy New Year to you too!
Oh, Maria. You’re singing my song! I can so identify with your photography problems. I’ve no natural light in my home suitable for photography, so, either I’m outside shivering, like this afternoon, or under poorly rigged lights. In the end, though, all that really matters is the dish that’s being shared, like yours today. No one, not me certainly, will remember what photo you chose. We will remember, though, that you shared your wonderful recipe for Crème Brûlée — and I’ll know to call it Burnt Custard just to show off. 🙂
Wishing you and all whom you hold dear the very best that the New Year has to offer.
Dearest John. We do a lot of singing together!! I have so many recipes to share but have held back because the photographs as so awful or we are eating the dish in the evening – I need say no more about evening light!
When I think back to all the recipes from the ‘olden days’, they came with the briefest of descriptions and with no pictures. Here in England we have Elizabeth David who I don’t believe ever put a picture to any of her recipes yet she still remains a national icon.
I too wish you and all you hold dear a healthy and happy New Year. M x
You really shouldn’t worry about your photographs Maria! Your great personality shines through. Keep it real there’s enough fake out there.
Happy 2014 everyone!
Thank you Harri.
Happy New Year to you!
This is one of our favorite desserts and your post has inspired me to make it again soon! Happy New Year !!!
I always buy too much cream over Christmas and then forget what I can do with it. Its a simple easy recipe which I too love. Happy New Year to you!
Congratulations on your second anniversary of blogging! I’m so thankful for your blog – love your writing AND the food you make.
I empathise entirely with your photography woes and yet, I think how beautiful your photographs are. I particularly struggle with photographing savoury dishes and main courses – and so as a consequence many of those dishes never make my blog.
I’ve never made Creme Brulee Maria and yet it is one of my favourite desserts. I must give your recipe a try.
Happiest of New Years and look forward to more from you in 2014. xo
Thank you for your comments, always gives a warm feeling. Yep, I agree with the main courses, I have all but given up. The creme brulee is easy peasy and a great way of using up any left over cream.
Happy New Year to you and wishing you health and happiness in 2014. M x
Happy Anniversary, Maria. I had to smile at your words. They could have been mine…we probably even have the same camera. Living in snowy New England, I have the same problem with light. My other problem is that almost every dish I cook is prepared at night. Love your recipes and am looking forward to what you will be preparing in the coming year. Happy New Year.
Thank you Karen.
Maria, many of us who have entered the food blogging world have had an exciting journey learning about three things; cooking, writing and photography. I think of my own struggles with photography where I start photographing in natural light and by the time I have things cooked, I am using artificial light. It’s a challenge. Each of the three, photography, writing and cooking is an art in it’s own right and each takes a huge amount of effort to improve. You are doing great.
Happy New Year,
Conor
Dear Maria,
Thank you very much for the kind mention – glad to have provided a few photographic pointers!
Photography is in my view fascinating, but it certainly requires practice and lots of patience! Any question or doubt, feel free to email me – I’d be glad to help as much as I can.
Thank you for sharing the recipe for creme brulee! It is such a wonderful dessert.
Happy New Year, Maria!
Stefano
Stefano – I have re read and re read your tips – they are so helpful. I do hope you write more.
Creme brulee is lovely but I think best not to make it too often!
Happy New Year to you too.
Dearest Maria, As you know, I have the exact same issues with photography. I had to chuckle where you said, “One photograph!! – more like 50!”. It is my reality too. Thank you for the recipe. I thought I had to have a blow torch to make creme brulee. Never thought of the broiler. 😉
Happy 2nd anniversary. I am patient and please continue to post your quality recipes.
Happy New Year to you and yours! 😀 Fae.
You need to keep a keen eye when putting them under the grill/broiler but for me so much safer!
Thank you for your kind comments. Looking forward to reading the ever growing Magazine. M x
Dear Maria,
I cannot say I relate but I completely see your point. As the “art director” 🙂 of our blog, I just prepare the setting and, when everything is ready, the real artist steps in. I wouldn’t know where to start from. I would be completely lost without him. So you see? You are way ahead of me! 🙂
As to your skills, I think you are too severe with yourself. During my blogosphere experience I have seen a lot of good food very poorly photographed. It is a pity though because, in some cases, the flavors were really there!
You are right! Food should look good and yours is no exception. Your settings are always tasteful and delicate and your photos always show the deliciousness of your dishes. Could you ask for more? 😉
Great, great recipe! Very similar to mine. In your professional opinion, do you think the grill is better than the torch for the top?
Hope you enjoyed your Montalbano’s episodes over the holidays and I wish you and your family a wonderful and very healthy New Year!
Love,
Francesca Xx
Dearest Francesca.
Let me first start with the wonderful Salvo – we avoided temptation in watching the new series. We did weaken and watch the first one when it came out. So last night with great anticipation we watched the second one in the series and it didn’t disappoint especially the Arancini which were huge. I will one day post my version! As I watched I longed to visit Sicily, the food, the architecture…..
I think you and Stefano make a perfect team. I always love to look at your pictures as there are so many levels to them, so many little details that are missed initially. Unfortunately, my husband who is I have to say equally as bad at taking pictures tries to have a go and is equally mystified why this small metal box called a camera is so difficult to master! Sometimes getting annoyed with me as he wants to eat the food rather than watch me hover over it to photograph!!
Lastly, thank you so much for your kind words.
I think that the blow torch is a better tool for the tops of the brulee’s but I have a good hot grill which I light and leave on to heat up and so the actual custard does not heat up too much. If it does no harm comes to them if they are popped back into the fridge for a short while to cool down again.
Perhaps in 2014 I might dust down my blow torch and give it a go then I can really answer the question.
Happy New Year to you and your family too.
M x
I hear you Maria! Unbeknownst to my fellow bloggers, I use my daughter’s iPod to take pictures! So I’m very limited you see. And natural light? Come Autumn and winter when the light begins to fade at 4:00 PM and my dinner is ready at 6:00 or 6:30 PM, well, I think you get the picture! I think your photos are great and that burnt custard has me drooling. Happy New Year Maria and all the best in 2014! xoxo
Wow, I wouldn’t have never have guessed. It just goes to show how we all seem to struggle in this department. We have had to eat our evening meal at lunch time because I have wanted to photograph it! Happy New Year to you. I am now going to head over to see what you have posted since I last visited. M x
Belated happy 2 years of blogging. I’m happy that you blog even if erratically. Some is better than none. I love you sight unseen and I love your blog sight seen! Speaking of your blog and sight: your photos are pretty good, I think you’re being hard on yourself. To think you would’ve deprived us of this super recipe. (do set up a table next to a window with natural light. cloudy days are good actually, naturally filtered sunshine!)
xoxo
azita
Azita that is as always, kind words. I am going to not worry so much about the photos in 2014 and see if I can post more!
Seriously, Maria, you should. You should!!!