And it is this guy’s birthday. I kind of have a big squishy spot in my soul belonging to the marvelous sparkle angel that is
Richard Effing Simmons.
This sweet glitter doodle is 65 years awesome today, and I just realized that he has been a celebrity my entire life. He had his own show when I was quite small, has been a resident ofPort Charles, and built a healthy living and eating empire that thrives today.
I have largely ignored his principled approach to eating to establish my own pastry regimen, but whatever. My parlor trick is that I can nutritionally justify pretty much any food. That said, I think if I handed Richard one of these, he’d be pretty pleased. Plums are low glycemic index, high fiber, and heart-healthy. Red wine is delicious. And it has antioxidants. Gelatin is protein-rich. Ta-da! Nutrition!
Red Wine-Plum Gelee`
yield: Four 3/4 cup servings
1 1/2 pounds Santa Rosa plums, halved and pitted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dry red wine
A pinch of ground cinnamon
A small pinch of salt
1 cup water
1 Tbsp gelatin
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped with 2 tsp sugar, to medium peaks
In a medium pot, simmer the plums with the sugar, red wine, cinnamon, salt and a 1/2 c. water over medium heat until they are tender but not falling apart.
Remove from heat.Strain out all the plum chunks and reserve the juice. Puree the plums until no chunks remain. Pour through a fine mesh sieve (you may need to force a bit of it through). Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cooled juice and allow to bloom for five minutes. Return to low heat, and gently stir until the gelatin is completely melted. Stir in the pureed plums and remove from heat.
Pour into glasses and chill, covered, in the fridge until set, about 3 hours.
Top with whipped cream and fresh plums and eat with reckless abandon.