Reading may seem like a solitary pleasure, but we do not believe it is so. As we read, we intimately interact with writers, the worlds they create, and our own inner selves as well as the real world that surrounds us. Some of us are also blessed enough to have friends to share the experience with.

While discussing the idyllic village of Three Pines and the captivating characters author Louise Penny created in the Inspector Gamache books, we were aware of the sensory pleasure to be had in the meals described. Olivier’s Bistro, Gabri’s baking, and dinners at the Morrow’s can easily make us salivate while reading the books… Louise Penny's books, are a wonderful entrée into a sensual world, where each book is a season, capturing its mood and flavours, and contributing to the layers of meaning about the characters, who are marvellously revealed over the series.

At one point, a daydream of going through the series with a notebook in hand, writing down all these meals and later cooking them, took shape. This is our "notebook". We hope you enjoy this literary-culinary-sensory-philosophical journey.

Friday, April 1, 2016

Clotted Cream, Strawberry Jam and Scones...and Camaraderie

by Libby




They put on their coats and ran across the snowy road to the inn and spa for the regular post-exercise tea and scones. ... a plate of warm scones, clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam. This was Clara’s favorite part of exercise class. (Bury Your Dead, Kindle, p.239)

It is six months since Olivier was imprisoned, and Jean-Guy Beauvoir has returned to Three Pines, at Gamache's request, to quietly review the evidence in the case against Olivier. Beauvoir needs Clara's help, for unlike Gamache, he has always been aloof with the Three Pines community. He figures she 'was the best of a bad lot' to take into his confidence. So very Beauvoir!

With Gamache's and Beauvoir's belief that they 'might have gotten it wrong', Clara undoubtedly feels a moral obligation to help Olivier, and support Gabri whose unstinting belief in him has led to this turn of events. But her decision to help Beauvoir by studying the case file and asking some questions within the community, places Clara in somewhat of a moral dilemma.
She didn’t like the idea of being a spy but if he was right then an innocent man was in prison and a murderer was among them. (Bury Your Dead, Kindle, p.156)

Clara uses the post-exercise class gathering of women, her friends, as an opportune time to raise the subject of Jean-Guy Beauvoir's visit and of murder, to suss out Dominique Gilbert, The Wife, and Hanna Para. She wonders if each is capable of murder or perhaps their husbands, or other family members.

As always, Louise Penny sheds a little light where there is darkness with her wonderful sense of humour, allowing us to so easily relate to her characters’ foibles...and of course, recognise our own.
"Ten more.” Clara groaned and lifted her legs in unison. “Keep your back flat!” Clara ignored the order. This wasn’t pretty. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but she was going to damn well do it. “One, grunt, two, groan, three...” ... Myrna turned to Clara. “If you hold her down, I’ll kill her.” (Bury Your Dead, Kindle, p.237)
Haven’t we all shared the ‘pain’ of such feats of endurance in an exercise class with incessant moaning and complaining, regardless of the perceived benefits? And doesn’t it make any after-class treat all the more worthwhile and less of a guilty pleasure. What a laugh!

As Clara tries to lead off her ‘investigation’ after the class, with a comment about Beauvoir's presence in Three Pines, there is more humour with the chorus of responses about him ranging from caring concern, to a need to fatten him up, to an appreciation of his 'cuteness', and his Mr. Spock 'coolness', as Clara explains, even though it was not where she was wanting to lead the discussion!
Everyone had a crush on Mr. Spock because he was so cool and distant. They wanted to be the one to break down his reserve, to get into that heart.”

“It’s not his heart we want to get into,” said Hanna and everyone laughed. (Bury Your Dead, Kindle, p.238)
Who doesn't recognise themselves somewhere amongst this group of women in their responses to Jean-Guy Beauvoir! There is such a wonderful sense of camaraderie in this exchange about him; women who are comfortable enough with each other to be quite frank, to joke, and probably talk about almost anything.

Once they settle down to their scones, clotted cream and jam, Clara turns the conversation towards Olivier and murder.
“He still insists he didn’t kill the Hermit,” said Clara, watching everyone closely. She felt a fraud, pretending to be a homicide investigator, play-acting. ... Had one of these women killed the Hermit after all? But why? What could have driven them to it? And what did she really know about them? (Bury Your Dead, Kindle, p.239-40)

I can recall feeling uncomfortable that Clara was in this position of resorting to 'investigating' her friends, to ascertain if they were anyway implicated.

Was it morally justifiable that she would take advantage of a gathering of friends in this way? Was it a betrayal of the trust and consideration or fairness these women would necessarily expect as part of this group? With such a dilemma Clara would have to weigh up her moral obligation to Olivier against the morality of her actions with her friends. And anyway, by her own admission, how well did Clara know these women? But given time...

From my experience a wonderful camaraderie can be forged in the company of women, a sense of good will and trust, that grows from shared experiences or activities with opportunities to relax, learn from each other, and just enjoy each others' company. And in the process we try each other on for size, seeing how well we fit, finding some boundaries or parameters for a friendship or friendship group. And it's the stuff on which closer friendships are founded...or not.

Loyalty, trust, commitment and honesty are at the heart of closer friendships that evolve over time as we learn more about each other, and shared values become explicit. This doesn't mean that those friends are necessarily a mirror image of yourself, but something about your core values and moral beliefs will be attuned. Ultimately the very closest of friendships are characterised by high levels of trust and commitment, a deep and genuine concern for each other's well-being, and intimate knowledge of each other through mutual self-disclosure. Clara has that with Myrna.

What we observe with the Three Pines’ exercise class and the women who gather at the morning tea is the taking of that opportunity to get to know each other more intimately and develop mutual respect as they share their opinions, their motivations, their confidences, and even some startling disclosures about murder!
The women in the room chatted about love, about childhood, about losing parents, about Mr. Spock, about good books they’d read. They mothered each other. And by lunch they were ready to meet the winter’s day. (Bury Your Dead, Kindle, p.242)
While Clara left that encounter with one or two observations for Beauvoir to pursue, she was possibly a little further along the pathway towards forging some closer friendships.

How often have you made a really meaningful connection to someone just by taking those opportunities to talk with them, ask each other questions and learn about your respective likes, desires and beliefs, fears and motivations, to share experiences and discover that there is something in each others' company to be enjoyed, pursued and cultivated, and truly valued? And what starts as a little spark, forges a friendship that offers mutual support and comfort and a safe, intimate and trusting place. And immeasurable joy! Life is full of possibilities.

 

Scones, clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam

 



What better to accompany camaraderie!
I've been drawn to the idea of a traditional cream tea (as it's known in Cornwall) or Devonshire tea (as it's known in Devon) ever since discovering a small book on clotted cream in a little bookshop in Fowey, Cornwall. What a delight! And more so, in discovering it being enjoyed in Three Pines! 

I couldn't resist the opportunity to make clotted cream and it really is quite easy. What a wonderful combination of flavours and textures in a cream tea, and how absolutely worthwhile doing everything from scratch, so that it's all homemade. The deep, rich flavour and thick sticky texture of clotted cream goes so well with the sweet acidity of the strawberries and the light, crumb of warm freshly-baked scones.

Lashings of clotted cream and jam (this is no time to be stingy!) on a warm scone is indeed a treat, and reward enough for a punishing exercise regimen. And just the thing to serve with a fragrant tea in the company of women friends, I think. 


Clotted cream

This cooked cream is traditionally made with creamy full fat, cow's milk that hasn't been homogenised. At home the easiest method is just to use pure cream and bake it a very slow oven for 10-12 hours until it thickens and a crust forms.


- 4 cups of pure cream (no thickeners), with a high fat content

- a ceramic or Pyrex baking dish with a largish surface area that allows the cream to be at least 2.5cm/1inch deep

1.  Pour the cream into the baking dish and cover with aluminium foil.

2.  Place in a low oven at 80C/180F for 10-12 hours or overnight.

3.  Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature.

4.  Spoon off the thick, crusty top layer. It has the consistency of sticky mud. This is the clotted cream.

5.  Spoon the clotted cream into a serving bowl and refrigerate the remainder.

6.  Approximately a cup of thin, runny cream will remain in the baking dish. This can be poured off and used as a base for sauces or in other dishes such as a creamy, pasta bake.


Strawberry jam

I prefer to make small amounts of strawberry jam so I can reduce the sugar content. With a third of the sugar normally used to preserve a jam, this one needs to be kept in the fridge. But it has the benefit of a more enhanced strawberry flavour and less sugary taste. It is still very sweet though. I like to keep the fruit whole so it's more like a preserve.

- 3 cups of whole, firm strawberries

- 1 cup of superfine (caster) sugar
juice of 1 lemon

- 1 tbsp Kirsch


1.  Wash and hull the strawberries and gently pat dry.




2.  Layer the strawberries with the sugar in a glass/ceramic bowl and pour over the lemon juice.



3.  Gently mix. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave overnight. This helps to reduce the cooking time (to keep the fruit whole) as much of the sugar will dissolve overnight.


4.  Place the strawberry mixture in a heavy-based saucepan and gently heat to dissolve any remaining sugar.

5.  Once all sugar is dissolved, bring the mixture to the boil and stir continuously. After 10 minutes, start to check for setting point - mine was reached at 20 minutes.





6.  Stir in the tablespoon of Kirsch and remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes.

7.  Pour into one or two warm, sterilised jars. Seal and refrigerate.





Scones

The trick to light scones is working with the dough quickly. A quick mix in a food processor helps with this. The use of buttermilk is also key for many, for lightness and a little bit of tang. I don't use sugar in my scones. Sweet toppings are enough.


- 4 cups of self-raising flour

- 2 teaspoons of baking powder

- 100g/3.5oz butter at room temperature, cut into small pieces

- 1.25 cups of buttermilk at room temperature (or whole milk with a squeeze of lemon juice)


1.  Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F. Lightly grease a baking tray.

2.  Mix the flour, baking powder and butter in a food processor for barely 10 seconds, so it is like the texture of breadcrumbs.

3.  Pour into a bowl, and quickly and lightly mix in the buttermilk to form a dough.

4.  Gently roll or pat out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 3cm/1.2inches and cut to shape.

5.  Place close together (it helps them rise) on the prepared tray and brush the tops with a little milk.

6.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes, depending on your oven.

7. Cool a little on a wire rack, before serving.






27 comments:

  1. Thank you for this thoughtful post. I always wondered what clotted cream was! Louise Penney's observations about friendships from exercise classes is so spot on. I still meet with a group I exercised with for years, even now I don't know everyone's last name. We talked about all those things the Three Pines ladies did. I exercise with a different group and we chat a lot, also.
    It took Beauvoir a while to appreciate Three Pines. He thought they were all nuts, especially the Anglos. What character development Louise did.
    Again, thank you for this blog. I feel as if we are friends through our discussions.

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    1. Hi Nancy, you're so right about Louise Penny! She captures some experiences in ways where it's easy to recognise yourself and others you know, and the feelings you share. The exercise class followed by morning tea is a classic example. I've experienced it too and have developed some special life-long friendships from it.
      Oh and Beauvoir! His growth over the series really is the most marked to me. He really was a bit of a tosser, with his rather 'limited' views of people early in the piece. He's come a long way. I love him!!
      Lovely to hear from you!
      Libby

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  2. Libby,
    I love this:
    "And in the process we try each other on for size, seeing how well we fit, finding some boundaries or parameters for a friendship or friendship group. And it's the stuff on which closer friendships are founded...or not."
    You are so right...
    I didn't know what clotted cream was! And it seems so easy to make!
    I just might have to try this recipe & post about making one of Libby's recipes. LOL!
    I looks so yummy.
    I love your tip about adding the sugar the day before. I've never made jam with the whole strawberry. I can see how it would be a good idea. I'll have to try that. :)
    Amy

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    1. And Amy, isn't it wonderful that friendships are not confined to geographical proximity!! I love that I have special friendships with others, who are on the other side of the world. Amazing! :)
      The jam is something I like to make in small quantities every now and again, rather than having jars of it preserved with loads of sugar being forgotten in the back of a cupboard. I like to see the whole pieces of fruit too, rather than having it all mooshed up. Plus it's very fresh tasting.
      Libby

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    2. Libby, I was excited about the clotted cream, but now that I saw Julie's comment, I'm assuming the cream needed to make it isn't something easily found. Sigh. Would fresh cream work? The cream used to make whipping cream? Wondering.
      And YES! regarding friendships that aren't confined geographically!

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    3. Hi Amy, you can still be excited about the clotted cream. As I said to Julie below, you can make it as long as you can get a high fat cream. And pasteurised cream works.

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  3. So happy I wasn't disappointed! I admit it freely. I am a clotted cream snob. Here in Seattle, menus often claim clotted cream and they either give you whipped cream (not the same thing AT ALL), or worse, cream that has been whipped with cream cheese. You can't buy Devonshire cream here right now - something to do with importing it being too expensive due to shortages, so it's whipped cream or nothing these days. As far as I'm concerned a scone is nothing but a clotted cream delivery system, so it's nothing for me.

    I have looked (though not terribly hard) for unpasteurized whole milk or cream, and it also seems hard to come by. In fact, cream is usually super-pasteurized which means that it will keep much, MUCH longer than regularly pasteurized milk, but it really won't clot at all. Why are there no cows in Seattle?

    Loved the recipes, and the jam, especially, looks wonderful! I'll try that for my next tea party.

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    1. I'm so happy you weren't disappointed! I'm so glad Libby posted it and not me! I'd have gone for whipping cream - although the clotted cream (I'd never really even heard of it) sounds so much yummier... I'm assuming I won't be able to find Devonshire cream here either. I might have to wait until my parents go to the farm and have them bring whole milk straight from the farm. This should be fun!

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    2. Hi Julie, glad you weren't disappointed! LOL!

      I tend to be a bit of a purist about food, so really understand your point of view. If you can get pure cream (the cream I used was pasteurised, but not ultra-pasteurised) with a high fat content (about 45% fat) then you can make it. Where I live raw milk/cream is not available for human consumption so pasteurised it is, and it works.

      So for your next tea party you could do it all! Your friends will be delighted. :}
      Libby

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    3. So Libby... if I use high fat content cream it will work? Hmmmm... I'll try it.

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    4. Yes Amy. Just make sure it's NOT thickened cream, where gelatine or some other thickening agent has been added.

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  4. I don't have any close women friend where I live, so I do enjoy this blog. Wish I could meet you all in the real. But will be happy with a virtual relationship. Clara's friendships in 3 Pines is enviable. Thank you for the incredible recipes.

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    1. Great to hear from you TTP! It's always hard when we're removed from friends. I really do revel in the company of women friends. And love the fact that social media allows meaningful contact with some who are far removed. Oh wouldn't it be fabulous to have a gathering 'all in the real'! :)

      So glad you're enjoying our recipes too!
      Libby

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  5. Libby, I really enjoy your posts. We seem to return to Bury Your Dead quite often. That book is just packed, isn't it. I know it is the most gripping one for me. I remember loving this whole scene of the exercises and Louise's take on the treat after being part of the class. Too funny! Great reflection on how we share as women and learn more about ourselves in the midst of it. I hate to think what a narrow view I could develop if I didn't exchange ideas, and intimate moments with others. One of the wonderful things about technology, is that is has allowed us to initiate and cultivate relationships from around the world. A real bonus in my life.
    Your cooking, Madame Purist, is nothing to sneeze at! I love to make things from scratch, but don't often seem to have enough time. I compromise, a little, still liking to prepare everything myself, but taking a few short cuts, out of necessity. Your clotted cream, for example - it never would have occurred to me to try and make it, but since it's so hard to find, it might be the only way to get it. My friend from England is always challenged to get some. I must share your recipe with her. I have only eaten it once, (at that friend's house) and know it would be a hit around here. So I really must find some cream...I have a dairy friend or two!
    You make your jam the same way I do! Whole berries and sitting in sugar the night before. I have never added Kirsch, however. Must give that a try.
    I always use buttermilk in my biscuits, as well, but don't usually use self-raising flour. I'll try that next time to see if I notice a difference.
    Thanks, again Libby for such a thoughtful and visually appealing post.

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    1. Madame Purist. I love that.
      She's amazing, isn't she?
      I keep wanting to go visit her to sit in her wonderful garden and eat her purist food. I wonder if my non-gourmet taste buds would be spoiled forever. LOL!

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    2. Yes, she is amazing.
      I have noticed, though, that you shine pretty brightly yourself, Madame Philosopher!

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    3. Haha, Mary!
      What I do is ramble as I try to organize the thoughts in my head. I think it's what we all do when we read.
      I am faaaaaar from a food purist, though (which might explain the difference in silhouettes. LOL!
      I love how Libby _knows_ food. I've learned so much just reading/looking at her pictures.
      I (confession) confess to not having made any of her creations yet, though.
      I keep meaning to try the Earl Grey ice cream and now the clotted cream. The ingredients seem so hard to come by, though. Especially since I'm pretty sure son & husband won't approve.

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    4. Hey Mary, you're absolutely right about Bury Your Dead being packed! It and How The Light Gets In are the two that stand out for me in terms of their dramatic and emotional punch.

      Oh I know how to take shortcuts too with cooking! Meal preparation can be a bit of a grind sometimes when there are other things loading up your day. LOL!

      Oooh, with direct access to a dairy you could be assured of wonderfully rich-flavoured cream, which of course will make the best clotted cream!

      Whole fruit in jams is just the best, I think! I can just imagine your raspberry jam!!! Do you have to moosh that up to get rid of the seeds? - some people prefer it seed-free. And you know me, I like to add a little dash of certain liqueurs to things as a flavour enhancer. Just a dash, mind. :)

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    5. Libby, I think you're amazing. And if I ever go to your side of the world I will definitely take you up on that.

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    6. Yes, Libby _knows_ food. I love her presentation, too! She could work in a fine French restaurant without the Cordon Bleu training!

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    7. Raspberry jam vs. Raspberry sauce. I never smoosh the berries or take the seeds out of the sauce, but it doesn't cook very long and you can use less sugar than with jam. I usually smoosh the raspberries, for jam, however, and remove some of the seeds, because when you boil it down it gets very seedy.

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    8. Amy, so in awe of your headspace! Love your philosophising! :)

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    9. Mary, must try making your wonderful raspberry sauce! It would possibly be a bit like the low sugar strawberry jam I made, just saucier! Yum! Raspberries really have the best flavour, I think.

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    10. Libby, I agree. Raspberries have so much flavour!

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  6. Hey Amy, you can all come to my place and I'll prepare us a feast and we can all laugh and talk ourselves silly!! :)

    Sometimes food can just be enjoyed by reading about it and checking out recipes. I like doing that but it doesn't always translate to inspired cooking on my part. Often it's just about getting a well-balanced meal on the table, with no frills and the least amount of fuss! LOL!!

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  7. I would love to come to dinner and talk about our favorite Canadians. I believe we live on 3 different continents but that shouldn't stop us!!!

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    1. It's a small world Nancy, I'm sure we could manage it! What fun!! :)

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