Contour Lines | 005
Kizuna Sketches Experiment 005
Contour Lines is an evolution of an experiment in consistent and raw writing for ones self by the amazing Grace Nikae. When she started the experiment she asked if any other members of the Kizuna Studio wanted to join in. You can read more about how I and why I started Contour Lines here.
I am loving this process of writing.
Maybe a confluence of many things, but I am feeling a delightful calm and groundedness on a daily basis.
I've been thinking about what to write for my food post this week, and had several ideas. I may start writing a Sketch every day.
Then of course this morning came and inspiration took over.
The joys of a morning in the mountains
Slightly burnt chocolate and roasted pecans fill my nose as I complete the bloom for my pour over coffee.
Out of the window, fog is rollin' through the holler, the breeze mixing fresh the scent of raindrops and wet pine needles into the kitchen. The apples are coming in nicely.
aking a big sip as I turn towards the other counter, I sigh. I haven't been able to get the counter completely decluttered in a week.
kids.
I take the Betty Crocker cookbook down from the shelf. My wife knows how to make biscuits from scratch, but I always like to check my measurements.
1/2 cup of shortening (I use butter)
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons of sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 a cup of milk.
And our family's secret ingredient: 1 tablespoon of buttermilk solids. The tangy powder wafts up as I take the airtight lid off.
Mixing all the dry goods in a large bowl, the stainless steel dough hook (top tier kitchen upgrade) warms in my palm as an equal distribution is met.
Now for the taxing part, at least for me. I take the stick of butter cut into chunks and toss it into the dry goods. You can use a set of knives to "cut" the shortening into the mix, but we use a pastry cutter
Nonetheless, before the job is done my hand starts to ache.
At least I can grip it for a short time. I take a break for a moment and stare out the window with my coffee, songbirds singing amidst the leaves. A shadow of movement in the woods catches my eye - a deer is skirting through.
The sound of the family stirring urges me to finish the biscuits sooner rather than later.
Once the shortening is cut though into fine crumbs, now it's time for the milk. I pour it all in at once, and this time use the dough hook to stir the dough till it leaves the sides of the bowl in a sticky lump.
Now for the fun part. I get to put on my "Le Chat Noir" apron. I really don't like getting flour on my clothes.
scattering flour across the counter and my hands, I turn the dough on itself several times, though not as many as the book says. It makes the biscuits too dense.
At the sink I have to scoot the pan from last nights dinner out of the way to wash my hands. I'll clean up after this.
I get out yet another stainless steel implement, a square biscuit cutter. Everyone else does circular biscuits - we do square. More efficient for the dough, fits all the biscuits easily into the pan.
There is enough left over for two mini-biscuits. Those are for the boy.
And into the oven it goes,450 for 12-14 minutes.
I take my coffee outside, joined by the family as we wait.
Rain drips from the leaves. The birds sing.
And on the porch, a peeper says hello.
As a cat reminds me to fix their breakfast as well, yeasty buttery goodness starts to mix with the smells of nature around me.
Coffee, mountain air, and biscuits.
A beautiful morning.
As always, thank you for reading!
-Chris