Morning...
*waves*
Morning, guys. A little bit of several things here:
1) I'm good with last night's ep. Not the best it's ever been, but definitely far from the worst. C. Humphries? Whip 'em back into season 1-2 shape, plz? kthnxbai
2) You guys, there are SO MANY COMMENTS for Pit and Peak. WTF? I'm overwhelmed by your kindness - and, yeah, it's KINDNESS because I know the story is fine, but it's not that great and SORRY because I know that sounds offensive, like I'm calling your taste into question but trust me it's all about me and my crapping self-esteem and emotional instability and I thank you greatly for such a wonderful reception back into fic-posting after such a long absense - and will get to replies this afternoon/evening at the latest.
3) *points at #2 above* Uh...I'm a giant mess right now.
4) I think quellefromage and I are going to see Coraline today at a matinee because we both have the day off.
5) OMG I'M SO BAD ABOUT BIRTHDAYS...I missed tiffosis 's big day - HI, BABY! SORRY! HAPPY HAPPY! And I have nothing but empty hands for buriedchild , who celebrates the special TODAY.
6) I made tangerine salt:
So...tangerine salt. I read about it on one of the food blogs I watch and had JUST purchased a tangerine the day before; inevitable, yeah?
First step - slice your tangerine thinly. Mine was a minneola.
Lay out the slices on a baking sheet covered in parchment or Silpat - sose they don't stick. Bake in a 200 degree oven for a loooong spell. Do lots of other things while your house fills with a pleasant citrus smell. Here's what the slices look like after about an hour:
and another hour...
...and then a last half hour or so...
The final product. Pretty, no?
Now you have your tangerine wheels...and here's where the salt comes in.
You need something coarse with a good moisture content, like fleur de sel or fleur de gris - a less course salt will pulverize to powder, and something iodized won't have the moisture to cling to the tangerine dust. Speaking of which -
throw a dried tangerine wheel into your clean coffee grinder. Pulse a few times.
Guys...this dust smells HEAVENLY. Like high-brow Tang or something. Add to this about 2 tablespoons of your salt.
Pulse, pulse, pulse...until:
The final product, finally. It's beautiful, smells gorgeous, and - yes - tastes vaguely of citrus under the salt.
Transfer to a spice jar or other airtight container...
and there you go! Tangerine salt! Whoo-hoo!
So far, it's been used in a pork roast and leeks dish, and sprinkled on a roast slow-cooked with tomatoes and merlot. The flavor isn't overpowering, but just...adds a layer. It would be awesome rimming the glass of a margherita, and the tangerine dust by itself would be the perfect addition to a citrus vinagrette.