I first heard about Alison Gopnik's The Gardener and the Carpenter on NPR, and when she uttered the line, (paraphrasing from memory) "The day before your child is born, stuff is just stuff. The day after, it's a Mad Max dystopia," I was sold. Alison Gopnik is a professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, and a leader in child development. This book contrasts "parenting" with being a parent, and discusses how trying to construct your child into a certain individual (the carpenter aspect) can be the wrong way to raise a child, choosing instead, the model of a gardener, who tends to their needs, protects them while they develop, but gives them freedom to flourish.
Gopnik backs this up by examining how children learn through different stages of life, often outlining experiments and showing the results from her own research. It's fascinating to realize that how their brains work may be significantly different from how an adult's brain work, but it operates exactly how it needs to. For example, a child who is distracted might actually be focusing on exactly what they have the most to learn from in that moment. Also, how the adult interacts with the children can change the way the children approaches something. "Let's see what this does" can be quite different from "Let me show you what this does." I know in my own interactions with my children, I have gotten frustrated because one of them isn't thinking along the lines I think they should, and this insight is helping me change my behavior. Another thing I've tried to change in my interactions is to view them less as a student, and more as an apprentice.
One evening, I was on the train sitting with two other commuters at a table, reading this book, and I turned to the only American at the table, and asked if he switches his fork to his other hand when he uses a knife. He doesn't, because it slows down the process of getting food to his mouth. Gopnik uses this ritual as an example of not helping you eat, but rather "tell you something about who I am, about my ethnic, religious, or national affiliation, and about whether I know and follow the rules of my group or defy them." We discuss exactly that, and I enjoyed that moment of community after a busy work day.
This book was a truly fascinating read. I was stunned by the role of pretending in allowing babies to develop a theory of mind; the ability to learn how different people may think and believe differently. I don't think I've ever asked myself why children need to pretend at a brain level, just attributed a general value to it. She presents a refreshingly optimistic take on technology, and "screens", comparing it to what used to be the new technology of "reading." I thoroughly enjoy when Gopnik gets philosophical. She writes something that I've mulled over many times since, "We don't care for children because we love them; we love them because we care for them." Her writing style is not dry, nor overly scientific, and using examples from her own life helps to make this an easy read.
So what the heck is a milk punch?! Spirits weren't nearly as sippable back in the 1700's as they are today, and a surprising method was developed for making punches more palatable: using milk to clarify the concoction. The oldest recorded milk punch recipe, dated 1711, is attributed to housewife Mary Rockett, although even before that Thomas Brown William Sacheverell mentions the drink in his 1688 account about the Scottish island of Iona. Benjamin Franklin had his own recipe that he included in a 1763 letter to James Bowdoin. When Charles Dickens (who is referenced in The Gardener and the Carpenter!) died, he had bottles of milk punch in his cellar, apparently very drinkable when later auctioned off. Which also speaks of another benefit of the milk punch, it is shelf stable, and ages gracefully over time, not unlike wine.
How does it work? Similar to consomee, which uses egg whites to clarify a broth, this technique uses the curdling of milk to collect the impurities within the beverage. Once filtered, the resulting liquid is clear, and often has much of the original color removed. Not only that, the flavors of the punch meld together, and any harshness is removed, resulting in an incredibly smooth drinking elixir, with a hint of creaminess.
before and after the milk treatment!
A milk punch seemed to perfect for a cocktail inspired by a book about being a parent, and child development. You've got milk representing childhood, port and bourbon to get you through raising children, espresso for those sleepless nights. The meyer lemons came from a friend's garden.
One of the themes of Gopnik's book is how children can build upon previous generations' knowledge and experience. And with that, I will point you to Camper English's excellent article in Cook's Science, The Key to Crystal-Clear Cocktails? Milk. (Really.), The author and Cook's Science team has already done the homework on clarifying issues such as do you use hot milk, or cold milk? Add the punch to the milk or the milk to the punch? He also has within a black tea-port milk punch which I borrow heavily from for my recipe.
The Gardener and the Carpenter Milk Punch
INGREDIENTS
1 oz Oleo-Saccharum (made from the peel of 4 meyer lemons)
1 cup ruby port
2/3 cup bourbon (I used Bulleit's)
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of meyer lemon juice
1 cup of water
1 shot of espresso
1 cup whole milk
In a one quart measuring cup, add the shot of espresso, water, and sugar, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add oleo-saccharum, ruby port, bourbon, and lemon juice. Stir.
In a mixing bowl or measuring cup with 2 quarts capacity, pour in the cup of whole milk. Pour the punch mixture into the milk, and gently stir curds. Cover, and refrigerate overnight (or up to 24 hours).
pre and post pour into the milk
Line a mesh strainer with a coffee filter and place over a bowl or measuring cup with at least 2 quarts capacity. Slowly pour the milk punch mixture into the filter, allowing it drain before reaching the edges of the filter. Repeat this process with a new coffee filter with the filtered punch (at least one more time).
curds settling after sitting for about 2 hours
final filtering
Store in an airtight container, preferably in the refrigerator (although cellaring is possible too) until ready to be served. Recommended serving size, 1/2 cup.
The resulting cocktail is remarkably smooth, complex, with a significant forward facing coffee component, fading into a smooth port like finish. My first version used a little more espresso, and less port. While I really enjoyed that punch, this version is a little more balanced in flavors, and yields a prettier color.
No comments:
Post a Comment