Hawaiian Style Pina Colada Creme Brulee

Ahh.  Wondrous vacation.  

sunset at our Hawaiian paradise

Makes a girl go from looking like this

Self portrait after a horrible night shift

to this.

It’s hard to come back from a romantic belated honeymoon with time in the sun, a cool Hawaiian breeze, tropical fruit, and lots of pleasure reading to 100-degree heat and C-sections. 

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I love scientific research that is so obvious.  For example, a 2009 meta-analysis in the Journal of Occupational Health states that vacation has a positive effect on health.  People have actually spent money researching the fact that sitting on a sailboat drinking lemonade is more healthy than working a 12 hour shift overnight without sitting or eating taking care of 15 patients. Yeah, I know.   

Sadly, the same study suggests that coming back to work erodes away all positive effects of vacation between two and four weeks.  However, I have to disagree.  Having gone a six-month stretch between vacations this year with only one weekend off between, I think a vacation got me through about three months of that.  Then it was pure pain.

With this recipe, we can all go on a tropical vacation together.  I love pina coladas with their 1200 calories of rummy goodness.  I begged my husband to buy me ONE at the pool bar because it was 12 bucks.  (It wasn’t even that good.)  Now home, attempting to maintain my island spirit, I decided to make my own version of a pina colada in the form of a creamy crème brulee. This recipe has all the tropical hints of a pineapple and coconut without being overly sweet or cloying--just the elegance of fresh fruit and a tiny splash of rum wrapped in a ceramic package of a delicious custard and a crispy sugar shell.

Pina colada crème brulee

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp rum

2 tsp vanilla

5 large egg yolks, 2 large eggs

¼ cup brown sugar

Thin pineapple slices

granulated sugar to top

blowtorch! Or oven broiler

6 6 oz ramekins

Pre-heat oven to 350.  In heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, whisk together coconut milk, cream, rum, vanilla and brown sugar.  Heat, stirring constantly until almost simmering.  In separate bowl, whisk eggs together.  Temper eggs by slowly adding 1/3 of the warm cream mixture to the egg mixture and then add the tempered eggs back into the saucepan with the rest of the cream mixture.  Continue to heat over medium heat, stirring continuously until mixture begins to slightly thicken, about 2 minutes.  Do not allow to curdle.  Strain custard with a fine mesh strainer.  Divide mixture between ramekins.  Place ramekins in large roasting pan.  Place pan with ramekins in preheated oven and fill pan with boiling water ¾ of the way up the ramekins to make a water bath.  Bake for 15 minutes and as custards begin to set, carefully place pineapple slices on top.   Bake for another 15 minutes until the custards are set.  Remove from heat, allow to cool and refrigerate overnight. 

The next day, add 1-2 tsp granulated sugar to the top of each ramekin.  With a blowtorch or carefully with the broiler, caramelize the sugar until it is golden brown. 

De Bloom J, Kompier M, et al.  Do we recover from vacation?  Meta-analysis of vacation effects on health and well-being.  J Occup Health. 2009;51(1):13-25. Epub 2008 Dec 19.

The end of bliss--with blissful white wine sangria

The end of bliss.  The fizzle of time with friends, relaxation, swimming pools.  No more absence of alarms, afternoon naps, 2am chats.  It’s time to WORK!  I know, I’ve been a doctor for a month now, but I feel as much of a doctor as Antarctica is tropical.  Besides freaking out on planes, or getting really worried about massive neurological injury from the keg stands and back flips witnessed at the pool as a paranoid, Advanced Cardiac Life Support certified physician, I’ve become a stumbling, blubbering idiot.

Well no longer! Sure, I’m going to be just as big a know-nothing as ever, but with my long, beautifully buttoned, clean white coat with my name with MD emblazoned on the breast, hopefully I can fool somebody.  I am in complete denial about the changes that are about to happen in my life; I have no true understanding about how my internship will shape the way I practice medicine and dictate my hobbies and habits. 

Orientation starts tomorrow morning.  I feel like my intern class is at the beginning of a car race.  Our engines are roaring.  We aren’t moving yet, but we are about to take off, deliberately hovering our feet over the gas pedal ready to fly the second we’re told to.  We’re hoping that after each lap we haven’t spun out, flipped over, or caught on fire. 

The program director muffles into the bullhorn “Ladies and gentlemen…gear up your specula” and we’re off, taking care of the women of Dallas county, one pelvic exam, C-section and ultrasound at a time.   You’ll see the track marks of my sneakers as I bolt down the hall.   The onlookers--the nurses, older residents and attendings watch and anticipate with a mixture of excitement and complete horror.

The finish line is far away.  All I know is that whatever happens in the next four years, it will be an experience I won’t soon forget.  Thanks to everybody for getting me this far, and I’m sorry for my grumpiness that will surely come.   To celebrate my last day of freedom, I made a large pitcher of white wine sangria.   It’s sweet and refreshing with a bit of a punch to dull the pain and anxiety I’m about to endure…and cools you off even in the hottest of days.

White wine sangria

2 bottles sweet cheap white wine (we used Reisling)

1/3 cup sugar

3 stone fruit diced (peaches, nectarines, plums)

1 mango diced

1 orange diced with peel

½ lime diced with peel

soda water

ice cubes

Mix wine, sugar, fruit and allow to sit for a few hours.  Serve over ice with a splash of soda water. 

Taking a break

Hello loyal readers.

I've been working hard to post 2-3 times a week.   Some of my friends have told me they can't keep up.  I thought I would give you some time to peruse.

I'm in Chicago spending time with family and friends this week and then off to Dallas to look at housing this weekend.  I bought a wedding dress yesterday and planned my upcoming trip to Mexico.  I'm having other people cook for me or eating out and enjoying the time I have with the people I love. 

I may post once this week, but I thought this would be a good time to put some of my favorite posts thus far if you feel like you want to look back.  Hope that all is well and that the sun is shining wherever you are.

I'll see everybody next week.

Elizabeth

The big bad brussel
One of my first posts, but also one of my favorites.  The genetics behind why some people hate bitter foods

And the Beet Goes On
Why some people, including me, pee red when they eat beets.

A Shout Out to Kraut
Reminiscing on a microbiology lab disaster making sauerkraut and why I still love it.

Why Chai--Caffeine as Medicine
A recipe for fragrant homemade chai and a discussion of the therapeutic uses of caffeine including a cure for headaches. 

Maple Syrup Pork Roulade--homage a Maillard
A recipe for a beautiful spicy marinated stuffed pork roulade and a gracious thanks to my college adviser for all he did for me.  Thank God I never have to use a test tube again.