making a memory

sometimes, i consider myself a food person,

someone who knows about trendy ingredients,

the latest gadgets

and the must-visit restaurants.

somebody who likes a lot of different

foods, but is not overly impressed

by everything she eats,

because, she, unfortunately, is a bit particular.

and other times,

i feel like i'm the newest girl on

the culinary block

(proof: i started this blog

about 5 years too late),

shocked by a new kitchen technique,

or truth be told,

an old classic.

scared to try,

yet so intrigued, i can think of little else.

that's how i felt the first time

i learned i could make

marshmallows.

we were in school.

it was the fourth module:

pastry.

i had been looking forward

to this section from the

beginning, knowing, there

wouldn't be any lamb

and that it was where i would

really thrive

(i forgot that pastry requires

a lot of precision for piping, frosting,

dolloping, slicing).

one very, very hard and, i think,

angry, instructor later, i was counting

down the days for the module to

end. i know. it's a familiar story.

but then, during the candy weekend, we

were taught to make

marshmallows -

which we learned were

quite prized in europe and often

brought to restaurant tables in long strips,

before they were

cut into individual squares

for diners,

using fancy marshmallow scissors.

i was instantly smitten by

the idea,

the process,

the whole thing.

before we even made the first

batch, i felt a connection

to marshmallows that i've

never before felt.

sure, i like a good

s'more. so much so

in fact, that we served

them at our wedding.

i did love that when you

add heat -

from an open flame,

a microwave

or an oven,

they change from

a solid, decent-tasting

sweet into a drippy,

sticky, caramelized

mass that seems

determined to make

you smile or swoon.

and i loved that they

usually are associated with

stories, like how in

camp as a child,

we counted

down to the

one day each summer

in which nature class

was not a seemingly boring

exploration of caged bugs

and birds,

but a time that we would

collect sticks, build a small

fire and in the middle of the

day, char a stickfull.

or how my youngest sister

went through a very long

s'more phase and because

it spanned over winter

months, settled for placing

marshmallows on top of

graham crackers and chocolate

chips and microwaving them

for 25 seconds. every time, she

waited until the very last

second before yanking open

the microwave door and watching

the now huge and 

about-to-burst marshmallow

collapse atop the grahams.

all that, but i never really

thought about or cared about

the marshmallow itself.

that day in class,

my partner and i were assigned

rose water marshmallows,

which was the one i was secretly

crosing my fingers not to

have to make, but we got it

and we made it

and i still loved everything

about boiling the mixture,

beating it into fluff

and once smoothed,

letting it sit and cure

before cutting.

(and even after, when a jerk

in my class of adults

dumped a whole

bowl of tempered chocolate

onto them, just because,

it didn't damper my enthusiasm.)

i realized how amazing

marshmallows can be when

they're freshly prepared, using

excellent ingredients. i realized

that they're at once

artisan and rustic.

and i realized that even if my squares

weren't perfectly cut,

no one cared after one bite.

and so, even though i promised myself

that once i left culinary school

i would:

braise everything all winter long,

always make my own chicken stock

and

use as many pots as needed

no matter how much of a mess 

it makes,

making marshmallows

was one of the very few

promises i abided by.

and i still do.

i swear by marshmallows,

a book that boasts combinations

like pear honey and 

sweet potato spice.

i've made absolutely scrumptious

brownies from one of my favorite

cookbooks,

demolition desserts,

using homemade marshmallows

and homemade graham crackers

and i constantly search for new

recipes.

this one, featured 

about a year and a half

ago in gourmet, was one of the simplest.

if you've never made marshmallows

before, i strongly 

recommend that you start with this 

relatively simple recipe.

i hope that if you try a batch,

you love to make them as much 

as i do.

but i give you this recipe

and this story,

fully aware that feeling

like marshmallows may be your calling, 

like marshmallows may be the one thing

you feel a true connection to in the kitchen

is kind of weird and 

probably not for everyone.

and in that case, 

i hope you just like

eating them. 

and, that you have a wooded area

nearby so that you can 

pick a stick, 

light a (safe) fire

and create your own s'more memories.

toasted coconut marshmallows

adapted from gourmet magazine

i know that coconut is not everyone's favorite and i haven't tried  it yet, but i have to believe that you could substitute finely crushed almonds or ground chocolate for the coating. or, if you want plain marshmallows, mix together two parts confectioners' sugar and one part cornstarch. don't coat the pan with this mixture. instead, once they're firm, toss the entire marshmallow in. they are so unbelievably sticky before they're coated - but don't worry, the coatings have an impressive effect on them. also, like many candies, it's best to make marshmallows on a dry day.

if you become serious about marshmallow (or candy) making, a battery-operated thermometer is a great tool that beeps so that you don't have to stand and stare and give yourself an inadvertant facial waiting for the syrup to come to temperature.

2 cups unsweetened dried coconut

3 (1/4 oz.) envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 cup water, divided

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

place oven rack in center of oven. heat oven to 350˚f.

place coconut in shallow baking pan; place in oven and bake 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until golden brown. oil bottom and sides of 9x9 baking pan with 1/2 cup toasted coconut. set aside. place 1/2 cup water in bowl of electric stand mixer; sprinkle gelatin over water.

in saucepot over low heat, combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and remaining water; stir until sugar dissolves. bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, without stirring. using moist pastry brush, wash down any sugar crystals that appear on the side of the pan. put thermometer into syrup and cook (without stirring) until thermometer registers 240˚f. remove from heat and let stand until bubbles dissipate.

turn mixer onto low speed. in a slow steady speed, carefully pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture. increase speed to high and beat 15 minutes, or until very thick. add vanilla extract and beat 1 minute more.

immediately pour marshmallow mixture into prepared pan and press with dampened fingers to smooth the top. sprinkle with 1/2 cup toasted coconut. let stand uncovered 2 hours, or until firm.

run a sharp knife around the edge of pan; invert onto cutting board. cut into 3/4" wide strips and then cut into 3/4" squares. toss marshmallows in coconut (in small batches) to coat completely. i like to dip all sides one at a time.

*we were so lucky to find kella macphee, our wedding photographer, who took both beautiful and memorable pictures at our reception. she took the second two pictures in this post, the blazing marshmallow and us, making our own s'mores.

*the first picture of the marshmallows came from my mom's house. she was forced to deal with me, carrying a plastic container of marshmallows, asking for her camera and then ransacking her cabinets for interesting or colorful dishes, all before i took my coat off. we decided to go with her huge white corian dining room table. different, but fun, i think.