Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Pope's Cream Cake Recipe & Kim Ode's Adventure.

Polish Jesus,

Verily-Verily, I say unto thee, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Usually when other people get really cool stuff, like many of you guys. I covet their spoils or oppurtunities.

However, today on this rare occasion, I won't.

I've already had my "God Payback" as I like to refer to it, when I was able to go and work in Russia.

Throughout that time, nobody was more supportive than my friend Kim Ode.

She sent me video links to where I would be going,filled my head with sensless facts about the Motherland, and even gave me a 4 leaf clover for good luck.

Well.... time has past, and often times I have wished (and said Polish Jesus prayers)that my friend could have a simular experience.

Any chump with a credit card can book an international ticket, no big deal there, but to go abroad and have the oppurtunity to work.....O-M-G, it doesn't get better than that.

But, if truth be told.....Ode isn't volatile enough to blend in the eastern part of europe.

Her DNA is a little more laid back, I've been told it is traced back to Scandinavia. her lineage is a product of Norway.

So yesterday, I call Kim Ode (who had just come back from vacation)and in a "Deer with its head caught in the headlights" voice she tells me.....

"I miight be going to Oslo."

For the briefest of seconds I waited for a punchline, but it never came.

Kim Ode continued.........

"The paper wants me to do a story about modern Norway, I'll have acsess to the King & Queen. As a matter of fact Klecko, not long after my return, the King and Queen will be coming to America, and one of the first stops they'll be making is at your son's Lutheran college."

The last comment forced me to witness JP2 spinning in his burial vault, but no kidding huh? My bestest best friend gets to go to Oslo and experience....oh, I don't know, a sort of homecoming I guess.

Polish Jesus....I give thanks to thee.

In the past, when oppurtunity has come my way, there was nothing I loved more than hashing out the small details, forcing others to become irritated with my exsessive glee.

but today...today...today......

"Excuse me Klecko, do you have a second?"

I did.

"If you were going to fly into Oslo, would you transfer in Reykjazik or Frankfurt?"

Remembering the Fischer / Spassky match in 72, I opted for Iceland.

Kim agreed.

"Yes, that's what I selected."

When I asked if she would have any free time, I basically did so flinching, like a old softball pitcher who hangs a meatball over the middle of the plate......

"Well, we'll just have to see. You do know I will be spending a great deal of time with the Minister of Foreign Affairs right"?

And now I can hear her chuckling, because Kim is far too modest to brag to most people, but when she started to unviel her purpose to me, I think the oppurtunity made her giddy from disbelief and forced her to do phone smiles.

She also reported that she would be checking out the new opera house, and the huge ski jump that was recently constructed in the middle of downtown Oslo's metropolitan area.

Polish Jesus I give thanks to thee!

Her plane will be lifting off in 4 short days.

For those of you who are inclined to saying prayers, or tossing out mega karma, please keep her in mind as a favor to me.

And Polish Jesus.....I really want to do more than thank you. Nobody wants to hear the graditude of a parasite, so in the tradition of The Little Drummer Boy, I will offer up tribute.

Today I am going to post something that has been kinda secretive to me, something i have kept close to my heart.

It is the favorite pastry recipe of John Paul the 2nd.

In 1999 when he visited his old hometown of Wadowice, he mentioned to the press corps matter of fact like, that as a kid he was really fond of kremowka cakes.

Within days every bakery in Vatican City, and many bakeries across Italy adopted the Popes favorite recipe and put it into production.

Remember, JP2 grew up poor, so in some respects this pastry was considered "peasant".

Most of the ingredients in this treat were scraps that the Polish bakers had at the end of their workshift, and wanting to be a good steward of the products made available, they would basically make a sandwich that had puff pastry as the two bread slices that held in the custard cream filling.

For the record....some people use a shortbread, but most people can agree that puff pastry was the far more common version.

So while your puff pastry squares are baking in the oven, scale up the following......

2 cups milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
a pinch of salt
6 egg yolks

Scald the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and combine the sugar, flour, salt and egg yolks. Stir until it is blended. You would like it to not have any lumps. Slowly add your milk, cook over a low flame, and always stir.

When the custard is done, spread between the to squares of puff pastry, and some people will sift powdered sugar over the top layer of laminate.

Polish Jesus.....I really do love Kim Ode, take care of her while she is away from us and provide her with cool adventures where she doesn't get hurt, but....oh yeah, thy will be done.

Polish Jesus.....I give thanks unto thee

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