oranges and cream and the joy of bringing joy
is there a better feeling? honey, I don't think so!
Hello!
Now that you know ATK is casting season two (and that you should apply), we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming.
I just got back from a week and change in New York with Robbie. Amazingly, I made it through the whole trip without even so much as a sip of alcohol. Never knew I had it in me. I did have one single cigarette. I was at a gay bar in Brooklyn. Old habits die hard!!
Anyway. We went to Bonnie’s in Brooklyn; we ate pizza on the Lower East Side. We saw Wicked. We saw All of Us Strangers (again). I ran into Paul Mescal with my literal body on the street the day after we saw All of Us Strangers. I don’t know what that means, like, energetically for me. But it definitely means something! Paul, if you read this, don’t hesitate to reach out!
We also cooked an incredible dinner together, for which I was not initially supposed to cook anything. It was really fun and special to be in a kitchen with him again. It’s rare, for me at least, to find enjoyment in sharing space with someone in the kitchen. I usually feel a lot like this meme:
But I have it with Robbie in the same way I do with Lara, and that feels like a lovely kind of something you can only really know once you’ve spent some deep time with people. Sharing a kitchen, doing that unrehearsed kind of kitchen dance you only do in that confined space—it’s its own kind of love and language, and it was so wonderful to be reminded of that.
On the way home, I finally finished Bellies, which I liked more than I initially thought I did. I also read this beautiful essay about San Francisco by Rebecca Solnit—it’s 6000 words, and all of them are worth it. And then I made this playlist because I’ve been making a lot of desserts lately, and I think that deserves its own unique soundtrack. It’s short, but it’s good. (I think. Also, don’t shuffle! It’s in an extraordinarily chaotic order all its own!)
Which brings me to this recipe. Another dessert! I am not sorry! I think since I’m still not drinking, my body is looking for sugars in ways that aren’t alcohol, and I am satiating that craving with lots of desserts. Sue me!
Back to the recipe.
A few years ago, we were having a little dinner party. Toward the end of dinner, when people were done eating and we were all kind of just sipping wine and watching the candles melt, Joe (my roommate/best friend/platonic life partner/in-house legal council) walked back into the dining room with one of those Danish Kringle’s from Trader Joe’s and everyone lost their shit. The energy in the room became electric. No one was particularly hungry, but deep in their hearts, everyone was looking for a sweet treat.
Most people you have over for dinner will be too polite to ask, “Where is dessert?” Some will go so far as to say, “Do you have a little bit of chocolate or something lying around?” And while offering up a couple pieces of nice chocolate for a little nibble is more than acceptable, what Joe did was God-level shit. What we experienced as recipients of that Kringle was sumptuous delight, but what Joe felt? Knowing the joy he’d just brought to everyone? It must have been like watching someone open the perfect gift on Christmas but seeing it happen 4 or 5 or 8 times simultaneously—and knowing it was your doing. It’s a feeling I wish could be bottled and misted around the house on particularly hard days.
But it can’t! And so, instead, here is this dessert recipe.
It doesn’t come together as quickly as throwing a Danish Kringle in the oven for 3.5 minutes, but it does happen pretty fast. It’s the kind of thing you could walk away from the dinner table and be back with before anyone realizes you’re gone (as long as you prep the components beforehand). It’s bright and citrusy and crunchy and creamy and toasty, and I think it’s a wonderful way to end a meal. Enjoy!
oranges and cream: ingredients
As with this pie, you can really use any citrus you want, but I’d stick to oranges or grapefruits or pomelos (a mix would be fun!). Just note that, obviously, different citrus are different sizes (and flavors!). Two blood oranges (sweet and tart!) will yield a lot less fruit than two grapefruits (tart and bitter!)—just use your eyes and your head and your heart and your mouth, and you’ll be fine.
Serves 4-6
2 cups citrus segments from 4-6 pieces of citrus: This newsletter is quickly descending into segmented citrus propaganda, but I wouldn’t tell you to do it if I didn’t think it was worth it. (I used one grapefruit, two blood oranges, and two tangelos!)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon light brown sugar: you can use plain white sugar, but… this is better
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup greek yogurt: you know what I’m gonna say… highest fat percentage you can find!
1 tablespoon citrus zest: I would stick to an orange varietal here; grapefruit is too bitter
2 tablespoons fresh citrus juice
Whole fresh nutmeg for grating on top: Buy preground if you have to, but the nutmeg isn’t optional, and the whole nut is preferable!
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
oranges and cream: method
You can make this and serve it right away, but I think it’s best when the citrus can sit and marinate for an hour or two, and the whipped cream can get as cold as possible (no putting it in the freezer!). If you’re doing this for a dinner party, make everything early, put it in the fridge, and then pull it out, assemble, and serve. You can do it on a big plate or in individual cups—choose your own adventure!
Zest one piece of citrus and reserve in a small bowl for later. Then, supreme all your citrus into a big bowl, making sure to catch all the juice. Juice the carcasses into the bowl and then discard them along with the rind. Here’s a tutorial if you need it.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar in with the oranges, mix gently until the sugar is dissolved, and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 cups heavy whipping cream, and two tablespoons of the juice from the supremed citrus mixture. Using a hand mixer, whip for ~4 minutes or until stiff peaks form. (You could also do this by hand, but I just don’t have that kind of energy. You could also use a stand mixer, but I also don’t have that kind of energy.) Using a big spoon or rubber spatula (or other tool of your choice) fold in the tablespoon of reserved zest and greek yogurt, and mix gently, just until everything is inorpated (if you use the hand mixer the zest will get caught in it, and nobody wants that).
Move citrus and whipped cream to the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. (Again, you don’t have to wait, but I think you should! It’ll hold overnight, so honestly, make as far in advance as you want to!)
In a large skillet, toast one cup of slivered almonds over medium heat. Once toasted, transfer to a bowl until serving.
When you’re ready, plate it up! Whether on a big plate or in individual cups, add some of the citrus supremes to the bottom of your vessel. Top with cream, and using the back of a spoon, create some divots. Fill those with the remaining supremes and juice. Top with some toasted almonds (I serve the rest on the side so people can add more if they like!) and a big showering of fresh nutmeg. Really let it rip!
And there you have it! It’s honesty so, so good. And it’s citrus season, so this is really the time to do it. And, as always, you don’t need to wait for a dinner party to make this. You’re reason enough. It’s a real treat, and you deserve it, baby.
citrus season forever,
Garrett
😍🫶🏼🤤