Not quite like Doctor who
The world of fiction is riddled with tales of time travel. It’s a fascination humans have speculated on for millennia. Ancient scriptures like Vishnu Purana and Mahabharata describe time travel of sorts. And, they speculate that the gods experience time differently than humans. The Talmud and Quran also feature stories of acolytes experiencing or witnessing future events. But, the real obsession with time travel developed over the last few centuries in works of fiction from L’An 2440, rêve s’il en fut jamais in the 1700’s through HG Wells’s the Time machine, to a whole sub-genre of science fiction flooding the market today. And, today, we celebrate this on our own.It’s Pretend to be a time traveler day. This is a fun day, but, Not quite like Doctor who.
So, how do we celebrate this day? If you have an actual time machine, that would be cool. But, most of us don’t. Unfortunately, it’s left to our imagination. The usual prompt is: if you could go back in time, what would you do? The answer? Go back and stop Hitler. While a noble thought, it’s a bit shortsighted, and, a bit unrealistic. Unless you pull a Terminator move and kill his mother before he’s even born, it’s not as easy as it sounds. And, then there’s the butterfly effect. If you stop him, what if a Stalin or other despot takes his place? What if you go further back and stop something like the crusades or the fall of Rome? Or, maybe save Jesus from crucifixion? The TV show Supernatural had a great scene where the Titanic had never sunk. But, it created a whole new set of problems.
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Your version may not be quite like Doctor who
We actually, all do a little time traveling nearly everyday. It’s called memories. When you recall your childhood or things you’ve done throughout your life, that is a form of time travel. You re-live events in your mind. When we read a book about something historical, we transport ourselves to that time, and recreate the scenes. The beauty of memories and recreations is the lack of the butterfly effect. But, it does have a couple drawbacks. It’s not real. There are no physical manifestations. And, our minds are very inaccurate. Believe me, you weren’t the belle of the ball with a perfect body and a flowing main of silky smooth hair. And, you didn’t save that burning village OR the Titanic…
But, it is fun to romanticize and speculate. And, the beauty of self directed time travel is the ability to go both backward and forward. Doing time travel in real life is incredibly difficult (some may say impossible). There are myriad factors to consider. Let’s say you travel back to meet Shakespeare. 1) Your clothes are all wrong. 2) the language they spoke was vastly different from modern languages. 3) what do you do for money? 4) and, the list goes on and on. And, going ahead in time is even more difficult, since we have no record of what to expect. That’s why it’s safer and more likely that time travelers must be merely observers. You can’t just plop yourself into a different timeline without some form of preparation. So, it takes multiple trips. It’s Not quite like Doctor who, jumping from planet to planet and time to time.
Can it really be done?
Some believe time travel is pure fantasy. Others speculate that there is a scientific basis for the ability to traverse both time and space. Einstein’s theory of relativity is often cited as a basis for bending and manipulating time. And, the concept of wormholes and alternate universes play a role in time travel theory. Others take a more spiritual approach to time, positing that it is not linear, but that everything, everywhere happens all at once. This explains concepts like destiny, deja vu, and divine intervention. entities with god like abilities can enter and leave timelines like walking in a room. That’s because it’s all happening at once. You just need to know how to access times. So, the future isn’t some unknowable concept, it’s happening right now. When someone sees future events, this is what’s happening. They have access.
So, it’s not quite like Doctor who. The early concepts of time travel depicted in religious works didn’t rely on time machines like the Tardis. The gods, themselves, could access the entire timeline. In some lesser known religions and mystic teachings, the concept of Perfect masters and god man theories posit that we can access this ability through a shedding of what Meher Baba calls Sanskaras. These are our shortcomings, pettiness, and obstacles to the god mind inside us all. By transcending our corporeal existence, we can access the subtleties of the mind and spirit, on a path to experiencing the god part in all of us. You’ve probably heard phrases like “be one with the universe”. That is exactly the point. We are all part of one entity. Thus, everything is connected. People, trees, rocks, animals, the universe, and time itself are all one, all at the same time.
The evidence suggests it’s Not quite like Doctor who
If these mystics and “perfect masters” are correct, time travel is possible to anyone willing to do the work. Unfortunately, it’s not going to happen today. It takes years of work to synthesize your physical existence with your mental being and the spiritual connection to the divine and eternal. Of course, once you get there, all time happens all at once, so those years are not wasted. But, you won’t physically travel through time and space. Your essence will be able to drop in and out at will. But, your physical body has a finite existence. Whether you are on a path to enlightenment or not, there is still a way to time travel with our simple minds: imagination. Luckily, in our present timeline, there are multiple fictional stories to help boost your imagination.
And, thanks to the interweb machine, you can access a treasure trove of time travel stories and depictions from the Talmud through Terminator, and every genre between. There are scary variations like the Shining (yes, there is a time travel element in it). Silly ones like Hot tub time machine. And, a plethora of everything from classics like “The Time Machine” to Back to the Future. And, now we have things like the Marvel and DC universes where time travel and multiverses link stories from different characters together. So, if you feel your imagination isn’t up to the task, you can take cues from, literally, thousands of movies, shows, and writings. What a time to live in. And, thanks to time travel, you can live it over and over again. Hopefully, you don’t get stuck in a time loop like Groundhog day, though (yes, another version of time travel).
What does this have to do with cooking
Ah, grasshopper, you see through all, but see nothing at the same time. Remember, we proposed a few drawbacks to time travel like having the right clothes, currency, and language. But, what to eat while time traveling is equally important. We live in a day of modern luxury compared to just 100 years ago. That’s around the time the first commercially available refrigerators came to market. Now, these, and other advancements provide us with a relatively safe food system. Try eating, even preparing food in a jaunt back to prevent the black plague. Good luck. Maybe you could convert your refrigerator into a time machine and solve that problem. It’s Not quite like Doctor who. But, definitely helps. Except for one thing: electricity. D’oh!
Putting aside the fantastical for a second, food can be a time travel device in and of itself. When you make your grandmother’s recipe for Whatever, it takes you back to when you were a kid. That, my friend is time travel. Or, maybe you want to recreate a time period. I catered the anniversary of the Porsche 914. So, we recreated a menu of food and drink from the late 60’s. Guests and entertainers dressed up in garb from 1969. The decor reflected the time period. And, the music was from that year. While it wasn’t 1969, for those few hours, it looked and felt like it was. So, on this day, we can pretend to travel in time. Maybe recreate a menu from the Titanic. Or, make food from a time we appreciate from the past. Maybe a jello mold. How about a TV dinner? eeuuhh…
It’s Not quite like Doctor who, but, here are some recipes that evoke old times:
The Infamous PEI Nutella Crepes
Ingredients
- 2 Cups AP flour
- 2 Cups Milk or light cream
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- Pan Spray for cooking
- Nutella for spreading
- Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs and sugar together well. Add the milk and continue stirring. Mix in the flour and salt, be careful to work out all lumps. Then fold in the oil. Allow the batter to rest a few minutes.
- Use an 8 inch no stick pan over low heat. Heat until it's almost smoking. Spray with pan spray. Then ladle in a thin coating of the crepe batter, turning the pan to smooth it out into an even coating, less than 1/8 inch thick. If it's too thick, it won't be pliable enough. Heat until you see a little color begin to appear around the edges of the crepe. Use a heat proof rubber baking spatula to lift and flip the crepe. The flipped surface should be a golden brown. continue cooking on the raw side for about 20 to 30 seconds. Then flip the crepe out onto a plate. repeat this process until all the crepes are done. The first one may get a little too dark or even fall apart a bit. But, as you get in the flow, the rest will come together well. You'll be an expert crepe maker by the time you finish the last one. Adjust your temperature if necessary.
- When all the crepes are done, Spread each one with nutella on the lighter cooked side. Fold them in quarters and present on plates. You can top with whipped cream if wanted or just serve as is. Bon Apetit.
Lemon and Salted Caramel Cream Puffs
Ingredients
- For Pate A Choux:
- 2 Cups Light Cream or milk (or water)
- 2 Cups AP Flour
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter
- 7 large Eggs
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- For Pastry Cream:
- 2 Cups Light Cream
- 2/3 Cup Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 3 Large Eggs (2 Yolks and 1 whole)
- 1/4 Cup Corn Starch
- 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Large Lemon, just the zest and Peel
- For the Whipped Cream:
- 2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
- For The Caramel:
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 2 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Large Flake sea salt, plus extra for garnish
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
Instructions
- Make the Caramel: Melt the Sugar in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the water and allow to caramelize, stirring continuously. Let the This forms a syrup. Allow the syrup to brown into a caramel. When it reaches a nice color, stir in the butter and salt. You want it to be relatively stiff. Set aside for later.
- make the Pastry Cream: Heat the cream and half the sugar in a heavy pot over medium heat, whisk until well blended. In a separate bowl, Whisk the egg yolks and eggs with the remaining sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and lemon zest. Then ladle a little of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking the entire time, you don't want the eggs to cook. Continue adding the cream a little at a time until all is mixed. Then, return the mixture to the pot and return to a low heat. Whisk until it thickens, but be careful not to curdle the eggs. Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter and lemon juice. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on top and refrigerate.
- make the Pate a Choux: Heat the milk or cream and butter over Medium heat in a heavy pot until it comes to a boil and the butter is melted. Then stir in the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix it with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. It will come together to form a ball of dough. Continue cooking for a couple minutes, stirring as need, to cook the flour and remove excess moisture. Remove from the heat and transfer to an electric mixer. Mix the dough at a medium speed. Add in the eggs, one at time until they are all incorporated. The mixture will be a sticky beige batter.
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Line sheet pans with parchment paper and spray with pan spray. Put the Choux paste into a pastry bag with a plain tip. Pipe the paste into quarter sized mounds on the parchment. If you want to make eclairs, pipe it into logs. Space the mounds at least an inch apart, so they have room to puff out. Once piped out, dip your fingertip in cool water and flatten the point left from where you pulled the pastry bag off the mound.
- Bake the Puffs at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. They should be golden brown and semi-hollow inside. Air cool them.
- Make the Whipped Cream: Whip the Cream in an electric mixer or by hand until it begins to stiffen. Then add in the sugar and vanilla. Whip until it holds its shape, but don't over-whip or it will begin to break down and become butter. Keep this cold. Put in a pastry bag with a star tip.
- Using a bread knife, carefully cut the puffs crosswise so you have a top and bottom for each.
- Put the pastry cream and whipped cream into pastry bags. Pipe a little of the pastry cream on the bottom halves of the cream puffs. Then pipe the Whipped Cream vertically on top of that. Top with the top half of the puffs. Then re-warm the caramel and drizzle over each. For an extra touch, you can also sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with a couple grains of flaked sea salt. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Serve cold.
3 Cheese Fondue
Equipment
- Fondue pot or heavy pot
- a stand to keep a heat source under the fondue
- skewers
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Gruyere Cheese chopped or shredded
- 1/2 Lb Gouda Cheese Chopped or shredded
- 1/2 Lb Fontina Cheese Chopped or Shredded
- 1 Cup Dry White wine Chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc preferred, or whatever you like
- 1 oz Frangelico Or another type of liqueur
- 1/2 tsp Cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 oz heavy Cream (Optional)
- Bread, fruits, and vegetable to serve with the dip
Instructions
- Heat pot over low heat. Add in all ingredients and stir until melted into a smooth creamy dip. Keep a tea light or low flame under the pot during service to prevent it from sticking and scorching. And, stir it often.
Notes
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1 Tbsp baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Jam, pick your favorite flavor. Raspberry is preferred, but any will do. Just make sure it is thick enough to stand up to baking and not run.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl.
- Beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars in a mixer with a paddle attachment until it is smooth and well blended. Scrape down the sides and paddle as needed.
- With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time and mix well. Then add the vanilla.
- Add the flour mix a little at a time on low speed to prevent it from flying all over. Mix in well until a smooth dough forms.
- Scoop dough onto a pan with a non stick pad or wax paper or parchment paper sprayed with pan spray. Press down the dough balls to form a thick disk. Push your thumb or finger into the middle of the cookie and put jam in the indentation.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookies have browned up and are crisp.