Grass, Dew and Marmalade
The summer season has its subjective pros and cons, just like most things in the world.
For me, unfortunately, the cons outweigh the pros.
The season marks itself as a sweat-drenching, bug-attracting heat wave filled with swarming children and tired adults. Yet, despite its cons, it upholds many peoples’ favorite time of the year.
And despite the faults I’ve acquired for the season, many good things come out of it.
For one, the grass is greener, the morning dew glows deeper, and the marmalade tastes richer.
And so, if you’re a lover of the colder seasons, this food pairing might help you get through the sweltering months known as summer.
This dessert is a classic of the Ukrainian-Slavic kitchen and requires only three ingredients:
plain wafers (rounded or square)
condensed milk (preferably caramelized, which is also known as dulce de leche)
unsalted butter
As an optional add-on, you could add your preferred fruit; we tried our apricots picked from our garden to include some tartness.
The instructions are simple: with each waffle wafer, spread a thin layer of butter and caramelized milk on the surface. The key is to make sure to reach the edges! Put as much as you prefer, but note that too much dulce de leche can lead to an overly sweet dessert.
When making our cakes, we add enough to have the layers stick. The optional fruit can be added at any stage of arrangement; the key idea is to slice them so the cake can compactly squish together.
Such a simple recipe allows the maker to be as creative and versatile as possible - it leaves the rest to one’s imagination...
Alongside the quenching summer, everyone knows the importance of a refreshing, caffeinated drink. One that perfectly pairs with anything is a European-wide drink known as coffee tonic.
It’s exactly what it sounds like.
All that’s needed is a bottle (or can) of tonic and a fresh shot of espresso. To have a two-toned effect, ice is preferred.
Get a cup, pour your desired amount of ice, and then your tonic. Then pour the espresso over one of the ice cubes to get a dual-colored effect. When consuming, mix the drink together to get an even taste.
The taste of the overall drink will largely depend on the quality and type of coffee and tonic that you are using! As the tonic plant in Ukraine was destroyed due to the war, many of the cafés bring in their own tonic from Italy and other countries.
Every café in the city serves this as a token drink option. Some cafés vitalize lemon, lime, mint, spices, or juice to further heighten the drink. Everything is set up for one’s preferences!
Despite the faults I’ve acquired for the summer season, many good things come out of it.
For one, the grass is greener, the morning dew glows deeper, and the season brings its own array of delicious sweets and drinks.
