Hurricane Matthew is the talk of the town on Delmarva today. The WBOC Storm Tracker Weather Team is working around the clock to track it. Have you ever wondered what goes into forecasting a storm like Matthew? Sean Streicher spends some time with Meteorologist Mike Lichniak to get a science lesson, of sorts, on everything that goes into forecasting a storm.
We talk a lot about health on DelmarvaLife. A lot of what we cover deals with physical health. There’s another aspect that can be just as debilitating as some diseases, and that’s the state of your mental health. You probably already know, many mental health issues often come with stigmas attached to them, and they’re sometimes the brunt of jokes in casual conversation. The truth is mental health issues are no laughing matter. They’re powerful enough to control a person’s life, no matter what their age. Drs. Niru Jani and Sushma Jani, of Community Behavioral Health, join us on the couches to talk about how the community can erase the stigmas attached to mental health. They say it’s so important to do that, so people affected will not be ashamed to seek treatment.
We’re also learning about dysautonomia today. Ocean City resident Crystal Caldwell shares her story of living with the condition. She says dysautonomia impacts the autonomic nervous system. Crystal says, “I have headaches almost daily, feel lightheaded, severe heart palpitations, leg numbness, fatigue, fainting, poor concentration and memory (brain fog), tremors, shortness of breath, and there are many more. Every week is different, I’ll have good weeks and bad weeks. It all depends on what’s going on in my life at the time and what I am doing.” It’s easy to see why Crystal is so passionate about raising awareness of dysautonomia.
Chef Jordan Lloyd of Bartlett Pear Inn joins us in the kitchen. Today, he’s making “Jack Be Little Pumpkin Crème Brûlée.” You’ll find the recipe below.
Lisa with the blow torch!
Jimmy acting silly
Jack Be Little Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
12 Jack Be Little Pumpkins, topped & hollowed
1 quart Milk or Heavy Cream
1 large Vanilla Bean, split, scraped
1 Cup Sugar, divided
8 large Egg Yolks
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups Pumpkin Pulp (jack pumpkin hollows)
-Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
-Bring the cream, vanilla bean, vanilla bean pulp, pumpkin pulp and ½ cup sugar to
a light simmer on the stove. Turn the heat off and allow the ingredients to steep for
10 minutes. Using a potato masher, press the pumpkin pulp through the cream to
extract flavor.
-Beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar together until light ribbon.
Slowly pour the hot vanilla cream over the sugared egg yolks until all is
incorporated whisking vigorously.
Strain the pulp from the hot custard cream through a mesh strainer into a pitcher.
Pour the pumpkin cream into the hollowed out jacks.
Bake the jacks in a water bath 40 – 45 minutes or until the custard is set. Times may
vary due to nature.
Check by giving a slight nudge to the side of the pan or pumpkin. Watch the
custards carefully for a loose or firm ripple in the pumpkin cream. Check the mini
pumpkins individually as they may finish variously.
Traditional Finish: Once cooled to room temperature, dust granulated sugar
across the top and lightly toast with a blowtorch. Allow the newly formed thin crispy
crackling to cool. Enjoy!
Seasonal Finish: Dust with Cinnamon Sugar and torch. Serve with sweet whipped
cream, pumpkin marmalade and finish with chocolate mint or tarragon. Add a
sprinkle of nutmeg on the whipped cream. Enjoy.
