Cheese by Rogue Creamery
This year’s IACP was my first conference and it was fantastic. What a treat it was to have over 900 food lovers, chef’s, food writers, food photographers, food stylists, and recipe developers descend on our already food-obsessed town! I volunteered for several events which in turn I was allowed to go to them. Other than designing the signage for the opening reception, I was able to help out with the lovely Ellen Jackson‘s dinner A Culinary Duet, a fundraiser for The Culinary Trust.
by Chef David Machado of Nel Centro
The opening reception was, in retrospect, a dream. Imagine yourself walking into a rococo ornate hall with ceilings that seem to reach the sky, all decorated with real pears hanging from branches, deep low lighting, and then being handed a sparkling glass of champagne as you enter. As you walk a little further over the soft, plush carpeting padding your footsteps, you are handed plate after beautiful plate of fresh, aromatic, and at times sensual foods from over 18 different local chefs. The roaring noise from hundreds of people’s chatter and exclamations slowly fades as you sip and nibble your way through the room. Every now and then you close your eyes to take in the layers of flavors and textures from what you are nibbling only to open your eyes to see the chef who made it smiling back at you. “That’s what I thought too” he might say, “the first time I tried this.” Fantastic. There was an entire room dedicated to local wines and beers where it was all flowing quite freely. And yet another room, rouge red and dark, solely dedicated to absinthe tasting. It was like a secret club that actually took me quite a while to find. The only reason I knew it existed was because I made a sign for it. I had never tasted absinthe before and it is interesting. It has a heavy anise flavor, like black licorice, but just slides right down. I wouldn’t be able to drink much of it (I’m not an anise fan), but it was wonderful to try.
Pix Patisserie macaroons
Bunk Sandwiches (seriously the best sandwich I’ve ever had: spicy chorizo, avocado, messy, amazing street food…)
Paley’s Place seafood gnocci
Raw beef nigiri
Absinthe pouring, by owner and distiller Gwydion Stone
Then there was Ellen’s dinner. Also not a dream, I have to remind myself, but a true taste of the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. There were seven local chefs and artisans, as well as the farmers and ranchers with whom they collaborated. They created an exceptional family-style meal dinner that “blended old and new” cooking traditions with Oregon’s culinary heritage. Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, authors of The Flavor Bible introduced each chef through out the meal. The menu was exceptional:
Appetizers included carrot soup with roasted Braeburn apples and chervil, a goat’s milk ricotta on walnut bread, pea shoots, and olive oil, as well as a flank steak, grilled beef heart and beef liver pate (which was actually my favorite!). All of the appetizers were done by Executive Chef Aaron Dionne of Bon Appetit Management Company.
Fresh rosemary tied around the bases of the branches, such a wonderful touch!
For the first course we ate wild morel puff pastry with gathered spring greens and aged sauvignon blanc vinaigrette (wine pairings: Trisaetum 2008 Estate Riesling and Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Dry Reisling) by Chef Naomi Pomeroy of Beast restaurant.
The second course was a lamb, purgatorio bean, and spring vegetable roast (incredible!) (wine pairing: Erath 2006 Prince Hill Pinot Noir) by Chef Jason French of Ned Ludd as well as a grilled country ham, south carolina grits and wild mushroom red eye gravy (wine pairing: Grochau Cellars 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir) done by Chef Adam Sappington of The Country Cat Dinner House.
The cheese course was done by Steve Jones, of The Cheese Bar. There was a Borenkaas (raw cow’s milk aged Gouda), a Tin Willow Tomme (raw sheep’s milk), and a Cynthian (raw goat’s milk with herbs). The latter was my favorite–it was soft, but not creamy like a brie, and infused with the essence or perfumes of the herbs instead of them being right in there. Amazing.
Then, for dessert we had a hazelnut cake, rhubarb compote and creme fraiche ice cream by Pastry Chef Lauren Fortgang of Paley’s Place (wine pairing: Francis Tannahill 2008 Gewurztraminer) and a Piment d’Esplette & chocolate by David Briggs of Xocolatl de David. The chocolate was actually two small round chocolate cookies with a foie gras chocolate (called Foitella) sandwiched between. About half the table loved it, the other half did not. I fell into the latter category–but then again, I’m not a mole fan (and I wish I was!) so meat and chocolate together just are not my taste all too often.
I’d say Portland exceeded in showing the culinary crowd how well they do food here, beyond even their wildest imagination. The dinner was set in an old converted building that literally transformed itself as the sun set, with candles hanging from the branches at each table, easily yet daintily illuminating every place setting just enough so the diner could see what they were eating. The entire experience was a little bit like magic. I even pinched myself the next day when I woke up. As I was making my morning tea, I looked over on the counter and saw the menu sitting there–it wasn’t just a dream.
There is something about warm weather that makes me crave berries! Berries are one of the only foods that almost all people can enjoy–they have the least amount of allergies associated with them out of all of the food groups and are packed with some pretty amazing nutrients. Think about it, do you know anyone who is allergic to berries? Or who doesn’t like to eat them? I’m sure it’s possible…but it’s pretty rare.
This weekend, I cracked open another favorite cookbook of mine, Janie Hibler’s Dungeness Crabs and Blackberry Cobblers. The book’s name grabbed me at first site, so I decided to try the title’s namesake–blackberry cobbler. I love Hibler’s book because she weaves her recipes with the histories of and stories from the pacific northwest. The book is filled with old photographs from as far back as 150 years ago. You by now probably know that I believe in the power of eating food from recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation and the stories and memories that go with it, as an important part of who we are. It helps us define our selves today as well as understanding our heritage. I love it! Hibler does all this and more with this book, it’s a treasure. This recipe came with a narrative about “blackberryin’ ” as part of most pacific northwesterners summer routine–which, I can attest to, is still true today. During the summer, you will see people pulled off the sides of highways picking blackberries, off of hiking trails with buckets, in local parks eating fistfuls, even foraging down ally’s and side streets. They are rampant here, thank goodness, because we love to eat them!
This was the first cobbler I’ve ever made that did not have a dumpling-like topping. Instead, it uses a traditional but multi-purpose pie crust. I was intrigued–is this going to be like a pie, just without a bottom crust? Yes. In fact, it is–but it is delicious. The crust calls for baking soda and vinegar–this gives it a lightness and flakiness that was wonderful. It was fuller than pie crust, somewhere between that and a very dense biscuit. The berries didn’t need too much–they were freshly frozen so they still held all of their flavor. I used brown sugar instead of white, and only a 1/2 cup, it still turned out nicely sweetened. Next time I might even cut down the sugar to 1/4 and add a little cardamon!
In the next month, I’m going to be opening up a few spots on my blog for sponsorship. I’m looking at companies and people who are just downright good!–they promote green whenever they can, they support local, and they are certified organic. If you are interested in sponsorship, or have an idea for me, please email me! I’m really excited about curating a group of great sponsors, things that I myself trust and use and would be telling my friends and you all about anyway!
Cheers!
Blackberry Cobbler, recipe adapted via Janie Hibbler’s The Blackberry Cobbler Duo recipe
6 cups fresh or frozen blackberries 1/2 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the berries in a shallow 8-inch baking dish. Toss with the brown sugar and flour. Dot with the butter.
I use Spectrum shortening because it is non-hydrogenated (meaning it hasn’t been super altered and your body can actually digest it without serious long term repercussions) and they have a great farm system where they employ small farmers in South America who grow the palms for oil. Plus, it always works well in my baking! Key!
Pastry dough for the top
This makes enough for 2 double crusted pies plus 1 single crust–I halved it and then added just a little less from that even…
5 cups all purpose flour 2 1/2 cups non-hydrogenated shortening 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 1 egg 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
In the bowl of an electric mixer place the flour, shortening, baking powder, and salt. Break the egg in a 1-cup measuring cup and add the vinegar. Beat with a fork to break up the egg. Fill with cold water not quite to the top and stir again. With the mixer at low speed, slowly pour in the liquid and blend the ingredients until they form a ball. Roll out enough dough for the cobbler if you’ve made the whole amount, or just roll out all of the dough if you’ve halved the recipe, to about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. If you have remaining dough left over, you can save it by wrapping it in plastic wrap or putting it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator–keeps up to about a week.
Lay the rolled out dough over the pan and using the rolling pin roll over the top hitting the edges so you can easily peel off the excess hanging over the sides. Brush the top of the pastry with milk or cream. Sprinkle the top with some sugar, then bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown. Serve it warm, topped with vanilla ice cream.
For the past few weeks, I’ve had a few encounters with the french pastry known as the Kouign Amann (pronounced: queen ah-mahn). I first heard about the pastry while visiting Salt Lake City, where there is a bakery called Les Madelines that specializes in making them. Of course when we got to the bakery, they had just sold the last one 20 minutes prior. My first taste of this flaky, buttery goodness was not to be! But I was intrigued. What was this pastry people were so excited about? I made a mental note to research it when I got home.
The day after we got home, I opened up the FoodDay section of the Oregonian and the Kouign Amann in all it’s glory was the main story. It was complete serendipity when a friend called a few hours later and invited me over for brunch on Sunday, asking if I could please bring something sweet. I had to make these and am so glad I did.
Ladies and gentlemen, I think I have found my sweet weakness. It’s true! Even though I bake quite a bit–I enjoy bringing sweets to life and playing alchemist in my kitchen. However, I am usually pretty good with eating a little and giving a lot away. Or, in some sad cases, throwing a lot away (when I simply can not eat any more, Andrew forgets about it and hasn’t eaten much, and I didn’t get a chance to give it to anyone). But these, these pastries are different! And once I start eating one, I have to finish it and possibly a second. Thank god I took these to a brunch, otherwise I’d have languidly laid about today nibbling away on the whole batch while I finished a book. Heavenly and decadent….
Imagine taking the best of all worlds when it comes to baked goods–the lightness of a yeasted bread, the buttery flakiness of a croissant, and the chewy caramelization of butter and sugar baked together, making the bottoms a satisfying stickiness. These little pastries in all their glory tasted of light and celebration–a special delight enjoyed a few times a year.
The brunch today was a lot of fun–there were butter-lambs (yes, butter that was molded into the shape of a lamb! amazing), fruits of all kinds, orzo pasta salad, goat cheese with olive oil, crushed garlic and rosemary poured over it, fresh squeezed juices, and the Kouign Amanns. We even died Easter eggs! It was a wonderful spring feast.
And now it’s April…can you believe it? Here’s to spring, cheers!
Kouign Amann, recipe adapted from FoodDay and David Lebovitz–for step by step photos, see D.L.’s site…)
1 packet active dry yeast 1 3/4 cups warm water (110 degrees) 5 cups all purpose flour (1 2/3 pounds), plus more for dusting 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 cups cold, salted butter, (preferably European-style; 4 sticks), plus 2 tablespoons melted (divided) About 2 cups granulated sugar, for dusting and sprinkling
In a medium bowl, stir the yeast into the warm water until disolved. let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, salt and melted butter on low speed. Add the water-yeast mixture and continue to mix until well combined, about 2 minutes.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Slice the remaining 4 sticks butter into squares about 1/2 inch thick. Refrigerate until ready to use.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the chilled dough to an 18-inch square. On top of the square, arrange the chilled butter pieces so that they form an 8-by-8 inch diamond. Fold the sides of the dough over the butter to enclose, and pinch the edges to seal. Roll out the dough into a 24-by-8 inch rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds as you would a business letter, aligning the edges carefully and brushing off any excess flour. Wrap the dough in plastic; chill for 20 minutes. This completes the first of three turns.
Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times, starting the rolling with the dough positioned with the flap opening on the right, as if it were a book. Refrigerate at least 1 hour between the second and third rollings. After the third rolling, wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. on a well-sugared work surface, roll out dough to a 24-by-12 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Using a pizza wheel or knife, cut dough into eight-teen 4 inch squares. Working with one square at a time, fold each corner toward the center, pressing down firmly to seal, thus creating a smaller square–flower like. Repeat on all the squares. Sprinkle generously with sugar, place on a baking sheet as you work. Let rise in a warm place until slightly puffed about 30-40 mins.
Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until the pastries are golden brown and edges are caramelized, 30-35 minutes. immediately transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. These are best eaten the same day they are made (and you may not be able to help yourself otherwise!)
My pastries came undone in the oven so instead of looking like the nice little flowers in the dough image, they were more flat–but still delicious. You can also make this as a whole cake, explained by D. Lebovitz.
Happy Kouign Amann making! And eating!
Last weekend, Andrew and I went to visit his brother and sister-in-law for a little mini-vacation. It had been a while since we had gone anywhere, and when the opportunity arose to get out of town for a bit, we jumped at it. We did some skiing and snowboarding–well, I attempted with the snowboard. I was down in the snow more than I was up on the board! Andrew, on the other hand, is an incredible skier–but he was really patient with my foibles and wipe-outs, never leaving me in the dust (or powder!–what they call that soft, powdery snow in the Rocky Mountains), and always encouraging.
I also had the chance to see a little bit of Salt Lake City itself. The scenery around this city is absolutely stunning. Stunning! Surrounded by mountains on all sides looking like they’ve been lightly dusted with powdered sugar this time of year and the city spreads out across the valley.
While there, Alana (Andrew’s sister-in-law) and I teamed up to make dinner one night. She made her famous prosciutto wrapped scallops with apples and sage–it was fantastic! The combination of flavors and textures was flawless–the apples paired with the sage and browned together with the scallops were like magic. And, surprisingly easy to do! On the side, she made some crispy yet tender roasted asparagus and then threw in some tomatoes to roast too. Together we made a basic french bread loaf and a lovely panna cotta with blackberry compote for dessert. I had so much fun! I really love cooking with others, especially people who are just as excited about good food.
Prosciutto wrapped sea scallops 4 servings 12-16 large scallops, washed and dried 8 slices Prosciutto, halved lengthwise 1 bunch fresh sage 1/4 cup butter (60 ml) 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish (30 ml) 2 apples (pink lady, gala, golden delicious), peeled and cored 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (15 ml) Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (5 ml) 1 tablespoon butter (15 ml)
Pat the scallops dry and wrap one half-slice of the prosciutto around the equator of the scallop. You can use toothpicks or kitchen twine. Melt 2 tbsp. of butter and olive oil together in a sauté pan. Bring to a slight smoke.
Toss in the sage leaves and sliced apples wedges into the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat and add the sherry vinegar. Cook until soft and caramelized. Finish the sauce by swirling in butter until just melted. Add lemon juice.
Season the scallops with salt and pepper and place in the pan. Cook for 2 minutes per side, or until golden.
Image by Andrew Owen
Panna Cotta via David Lebovits
4 cups (1l) heavy cream (or half-and-half) 1/2 cup (100g) sugar 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 2 packets powdered gelatin (about 4 1/2 teaspoons) 6 tablespoons (90ml) cold water
Heat the heavy cream and sugar in a saucepan or microwave. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
(If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds from the bean into the cream and add the bean pod. Cover, and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the bean then rewarm the mixture before continuing.)
Lightly oil eight custard cups with a neutral-tasting oil.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a medium-sized bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
Pour the very warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into the prepared cups, then chill them until firm, which will take at least two hours but I let them stand at least four hours. (Judy told me American refrigerators are colder than European ones. )
If you’re pressed for time, pour the Panna Cotta mixture into wine goblets so you can serve them in the glasses, without unmolding. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each Panna Cotta and unmold each onto a serving plate, and garnish as desired.
For the blackberry compote: 2/3 bag frozen blackberries thawed or 1 carton fresh blackberries a dash of cinnamon a pinch of nutmeg a splash of vanilla
In a saute pan over medium high heat, combine all the ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up some of the berries for more juice. Heat until about half of the berries are juicy and serve warm over the cooled panna cottas.
After my trip to the farmer’s market, I was inspired in so many ways. And one of the ways this inspiration manifested was through a pie. And not just any pie, but the first pie I made without using any measurements–I went with just the feel of the dough in my hands, taste, texture, and sight. Risky business, I know, but I was ready for the challenge. After all, I’ve been making pies for a long time now, wasn’t it about time I just trusted my instincts? I thought so, so I went ahead and gave it a shot.
I sliced up the fresh rhubarb–the seasons first–cut up two fresh pears, Bosc I believe, sliced a fresh vanilla bean down the middle and scooped out the insides with the blunt end of a butter knife, tossed it all together in a bowl with a few tablespoons (about 4-6) of sugar and let it sit while I made the dough. I like to let my fruit mixtures sit for a bit while I do something else, this gives them a chance to mingle, let their juices run into each other. They become better acquainted making your fruit dish (pies, cobblers, etc…) an even better experience.
I then set in for the dough. I scooped out what I thought looked like a quarter cup of earth balance buttery-spread, cut off what I believed was about 8 tablespoons of butter from the fresh brick of Kerrygold we had in our fridge, dumped in about 3 cups of flour, added a bit of apple cider vinegar, and ice cold water, then kneaded it with my hands. It was a pretty neat experience just trusting my hands to tell me if it was ready or not. It felt a little dry initially, so I simply added a little bit more water, worked it a little longer with my hands, and wa-la! Pie dough was ready to go. I gave it a rough roll out with my rolling pin–meaning I kept the dough pretty thick and was just trying to get it flat so I could lay it in the pie plate–filled the pie with the fruit, then realized I needed a topping. I used about a cup of oatmeal, some brown sugar, a bit of cinnamon, and a few tablespoons of olive oil, mixed it all together, and sprinkled it on the top. In it went at 400 degrees F and baked for 40 minutes.
People, this pie was fantastic! I would recommend trying to make a pie, or any dish for that matter, based on touch and flavor, then relying on the visual. It keeps you present, honest, and fully in the moment–especially if you want your food to taste good! I also used really good ingredients which definitely helped with the flavor. If you do try something like this, I’d love to know how it turned out–even if it comes out looking like and/or tasting like hell! The first try is always a little wonky, so don’t give up and give it a go again. Your thoughts are always much appreciated.
In other news, I’ve made some significant updates to my Food Loyal website. I’m excited the direction it is taking. It just makes so much sense to pair health coaching with eating design, bringing people a creative and holistic approach to their health and nutritional needs. I can not WAIT until I am certified in May and can start seeing clients then officially! I especially love working with small groups and families to find creative solutions to reach their goals and meet their needs–so much fun and talk about an interesting design challenge. Hope you are having a wonderful week!
A few months ago, some friends gave us two huge jars of canned apricots. “My mother cans them every year,” he said. “They have a HUGE tree in their yard and literally nothing goes to waste.” “And,” his wife chimes in, “she sends us a crate of them every year, we are up to our ears in backlogged apricots!” Amazing! I thought. It sounds like a dream I sometimes have (seriously)–going into my pantry or kitchen or shelving area and finding row upon row of colorful, tantalizing, and amazing canned goodness! Apricots, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, succotash, tomatoes, pickled cucumbers, carrots, bok choy, jicama, cabbage, and I am sure I’m forgetting a few, are all there lining the shelves in their glossy (glassy) glory. These two huge mason jars of apricots have been sitting in our dining room for some time now. That’s good, because they have been in plain sight and prompting me to subconsciously stew over what to make with them. Deep down, I’ve known for some time now that little puff pastry danishes with the apricots would be in order–so when I re-discovered the recipe in the Baking with Julia (Child, that is) cookbook, I immediately got busy and started in on them.
The puff pastry took two days to make. It sounds intimidating, but it’s really a matter of patience more than anything (which, is challenging in and of itself!). First, you make a very basic dough–water, flour, salt. Then, you roll it into a circle with “flaps” coming off of the four sides. You do this by first rolling out a circle, then putting your rolling pin in the center to start, you roll out first towards the top to make a flap that protrudes out. Make sure you do this for each side. Why? Because when you fold in the pound of butter shaped as a square–yes, you heard right, one pound–you wrap it in the dough like a present.
Roll the dough out with the butter inside into a rectangle, about 18-24 inches. If it starts to squish through the dough, wrap it in plastic and set it in the fridge for a half hour to firm back up. Then try again. Once the dough has been rolled once, fold the rectangle length-wise, with the folds on your left (like a book) roll it out and do it again (that is a total of three times so far). Roll it out one more time if it’s cold enough, then fold on top of itself, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for an hour or over night. Make four thumb marks on the side of the dough so you remember how many times you’ve rolled it. The next day (or hour) roll it out two more times. The butter should be nicely incorporated–it might coagulate a little bit on the ends which happens, but otherwise, it should be a part of the dough by now, not seeing chunks anywhere.
I’ll give you the rest of the recipe below, but making the puff pastry itself is pretty involved and deserves it’s own explanation! Sometimes a girl (well, me anyway) just needs to get into her kitchen and make something challenging. Instead of putting on my boxing gloves, I put on my oven mits–needless to say, I don’t actually use oven mits, but you get the idea. If you are new to baking, you may want to research puff pastry a little more. My explanation was quick and step by step images really help. But don’t let intimidation or the little voice in your head saying “ya right! puff pastry?!” stop you! Keep on keepin’ on, my friends, and if it doesn’t turn out the first time, it more than likely will your second or third try. This is a great recipe though and I highly recommend Julia Child’s cookbook, Baking with Julia, for this very purpose. She is a master explain-er! (but of course!). I love how detailed her books are–she’s not only good with explaining with words, but there are nice step by step photos too. If you try puff pastry, or ever have tried it, I’d love to know about your experience!
Puff Pastry
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups cake flour — I used all regular flour and it worked out alright
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/4 cups ice water
4 sticks (1 pound) very cold unsalted butter, shaped into a square
*see above for instructions
The Apricots *if you don’t have any canned apricots laying around, here’s a way to make some quickly yourself 2 cups water 1 cup sugar Juice of 1/2 a lemon 8 apricots, halved and pitted
A few hours (or as long as 2 days) ahead poach the apricots: bring the water and sugar to a boil in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the apricots and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until they offer just a little resistance when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Take the pan off the heat and let the apricots cool in the syrup. Drain an pat the apricots dry before using. If keeping the apricots for longer than a few hours, cover and refrigerate them.
The Pastry Cream 1 cup milk 1/4 cup sugar pinch of salt 2 large egg yolks 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Put the milk, sugar, salt, egg yolks, and cornstartch in a 2-quart sauce pan. If your’re using a vanilla bean, split it in half lengthwise, scrape the soft, pulpy seeds into the pan, and toss in the pod. If you’re using vailla extract, keep it in reserve until the cream is cooked. Stir with a wire whisk to ble, bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and let the pastry cream bokl for 30-60 seconds, at which point it iwll have thickened and the whisk will leave tracks as you stir. Take the pan off the heat and scrape the pastry cream into a strainer set over a bowl. Push through the strainer, discard the vanilla bean. If you are using extract, stir it in now. Cover the bowl with plastic, pressing the plastic wrap up against the surface of the cream and top the layer of plastic with ice cubes. Leave the ice cubes there until the cream cools.
The Pastry
Puff pastry recipe
2 cups (approx.) sugar
1/2 cup apricot jam
2 teaspoons water
Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Working on a lightly floured surface (cool marble is ideal, although my kitchen table worked fine too), roll the puff pastry to a thickness of between 1/8 and 1/4 inch. Flour the edges of a 4 inch cookie cutter round and cut 8 rounds from the dough. Stack the puff pastry scraps neatly, trying to keep the layers in place and refrigerate to use in another recipe (coming soon!). Clean the work surface and sprinkle it generously with sugar. While you work on one round, keep the others covered with plastic wrap. Rest a puff pastry round on the sugar and dust the top of the round lightly with flour to facilitate the rolling. Roll out the round until it elongates into an oval about 8 inches long. Don’t roll all the way to the ends–you want the ends to be a little thicker so that they’ll puff up higher around the apricots (also, if you roll over the ends you risk pasting the layers together). Brush the flour off the top and put the oval on the large unbuttered baking sheet, sugar side up. Repeat with the remaining pastries, leaving little room between each pastry on the sheet–these are going to puff up, not out.
Spoon a walnut-sized dollop of pastry cream onto the center of each oval and set 2 apricot halves side by side on the cream so that they resemble eggs sunny-side up. Bake the pastries for about 35 minutes, The pastries should be golden and beautifully puffed, and the sugar should have caramelized.
We decided to get out of town for a little bit last weekend and drove out to the Oregon coast. By absolute luck of the draw, it was sunny out there! And gorgeous. Just what we needed to re-energize and feed the soul.
We started in a town called Florence, where there are sand dunes a mile wide and 40 miles long. It was pretty spectacular. Staying over night there, we had a chance to hang out in the little downtown–basically eating our way through it. We stopped at the Waterfront Depot, once an old train station depot converted into a cozy little bar and ristaurante that sits right on the water. We had two different types of cheese plates and some drinks. We then sauntered down to Kelly’s Cantina, had some tapas that were excellent, and then finished the night off with dessert at a very cute spot called Feast.
When it comes to night time food photography, I find myself in quite the conundrum. Seriously. It can look really bad! Natural lighting is so key for good photos! This is why I don’t have pictures of my eating excursions through Florence. I also rarely take photos of food that I have not made–not because it isn’t good, but because making the food is part of the whole process of blogging for me. Actually, it’s not only the making, but the doing that is important because doing something good for me is just as energizing and wonderful as making or eating something I love. That’s why I’m showing you a feast for your eyes by way of coastal treasures. Sometimes we just have to eat for our souls, and getting to visit gorgeous spots like this is an excellent way to do it.
(Over 400 sea lions in the Sea Lion Cave!)
(Real starfish in a tidal pool)
I did, however, take a photo of a ginger cookie I got at a Cheese Shop and Bakery in Yachats (pronounced YA-HAW-TS). What a perfect combination, at least in my book! Specialty cheese and baked things? In one place? Yes, please! I held that cookie in my hand for a good 30 minutes before we found a nice beach spot to eat our snacks. Why did I do this? To take a photo of it. And it was torture! I had a nibble of one at the shop. The cookie I bought was beckoning me with it’s gingery goodness, to bite into it’s soft little body the whole way. Not to mention the ginger taste still lingering in my mouth, calling out for more. Sometimes photoing your food can just not be worth the trouble. Like when it’s getting cold, stale, or hard (but alas, even under those circumstances it still happens quite a bit. It just comes with the territory of food blogging!) But sometimes, it can be worth it. Like when you know the sugar crystals from a cookie will shimmer like the sand and it’s spicy orangeness will be a perfect compliment to the azure sky background. It tasted like a ginger cookie I make. The ginger heat was heightened the salty air that clings to and covers your hair, skin, and lips. It was like a mirror to the suns energy, sending it directly into my body via this little sweet morsel. It was a great beach snack for a blustery, sunny day.
Cheers!
February is a dreary month, where the idea of spring seems to be nothing but a distant memory that is vague, maybe even slightly illicit. This month, more than most other months I believe, needs a holiday like Valentine’s day–light, cheerful, and full of warm colors. I’ve never bought into the whole “needing a sweetie” hallmark version of this holiday. Rather, I’ve always though of it as a day to reflect on those who you love in your life, including yourself. You may wish to show how much you love those special people with a phone call, email, a little hand made valentine card, or even a nice lunch–or just simply taking a moment to remember them all. Valentines Day is a time that has been carved out for us to be able to revel in the many sources of love we actually do have in our lives! And take a little time to cherish each and every one!
I have a stack of M.F.K Fisher books and short stories that live next to my bed. In between books or even taking a break from what I’m currently reading, I will pick her up and dive in. Reading her is like being with an old friend–no matter how long you’ve been apart, you seem to pick right back up where you left off and part again feeling fulfilled and joyous. I read a short essay of hers the other night called “Hearts and Flowers”–and it happened (so nicely) to be about Valentines Day. In it, she gives the perfect prescription for a Valentine’s Luncheon, including Little Sandwiches in a Boat, Eggs Valentine with Mushrooms, Endives with Violet, Cream Heart, Bacchus Cocktails, and Vin Rose. “The Bacchus cocktail, which properly sets the theme with its evocative name,” she describes, “is delicate, appetizing, and of a rosy color that sings out loud.” Yes, please! I was thinking to myself as I was reading. But when I got to the part about the Cream Heart, I was immediately intrigued. She says, “the dessert, another shock to guests expecting at the least some elaborate mousse, is a flat pat, half “cottage” cheese and half cream cheese put through a sieve with enough cream to moisten, and then molded in a wicker heart or cut into shape when it is well drained on a napkin, with rich gleaming strawberry preserves in a hole in the center. It is served, not with the little cakes so correctly expected, but with crisp, lightly toasted slices of sourdough bread. And coffee.” I love her mischievous way of merry making and menu planning. She thought things through to the very end, including the anticipation of the guests surprise, then delight.
How does one make this Cream Heart or Coeur à la Crème? I found out about the French saying because this exact recipe was posted on Saveur’s website as the Valentines dessert. What luck! They used a nifty coeur a la creme mold which seems like it would come in handy for this particular dessert–however, I just used my hands dipped in a little warm water every few pats I gave the cream to shape it into a heart.
The cream itself is excellent–I love the warm honey undertones with the slightly salty cream cheese and goat cheese flavors. However, the strawberry sauce was OUT OF THIS WORLD. As I was making it, I was transfixed by the seductive aroma as I stirred it in the pot. I literally woke up, as if I was hypnotized, to find myself a few inches from the pot still stirring it, just smelling it in. That’s never happened to me before… And it was love at first smell!
Coeur à la Crème, via Saveur
6 oz. fresh goat cheese
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
For the strawberries:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1/2 cup red wine, preferably pinot noir or zinfandel
3 whole cloves
2 whole black peppercorns
1 2″ cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
and scraped, seeds reserved
3 cups strawberries (about 1 1/2
pints), hulled and halved
lengthwise
1. Make the coeur à la crème: Soak two 12″ x 12″ pieces of cheesecloth in cold water and squeeze dry. Put a 7″ heart-shaped coeur à la crème mold into a baking dish or set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl; line mold or sieve with the cheesecloth, allowing the corners to drape over the side. Set aside.
2. With a whisk or hand-held mixer, whisk together the goat cheese, cream cheese, and honey until very smooth. In another bowl, whisk together the cream and confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. Gently fold the cream into the cheese mixture until evenly combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared mold or sieve and fold the corners of cheesecloth over the top. Allow the mixture to drain for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Make the strawberries: In a 12″ skillet, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup is light golden, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add wine, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and vanilla bean with seeds. Return pan to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add strawberries, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, occasionally stirring gently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
4. To serve, fold back the cheesecloth corners and invert the coeur à la crème onto a serving platter; remove mold and cheesecloth. Arrange the strawberries and sauce around the rim of the plate.
SERVES 4–6
Bon Apetit!
I was talking with a friend of mine the other day who told me that at the new year he gets a compulsive urge to madly write in his journal about the past year, furiously scribbling pictures and words revisiting his yearly narrative. He followed it up by saying “weird, huh.” No way! I told him. That is an incredible way to look back, reflect where you’ve been and what you’ve learned, and find the exciting possibilities of where you’d like to go in the coming year.
I too get especially contemplative this time of year. It is a rare and wonderful opportunity for me to really look inward and get a clear picture of my personal road map. I follow my tracks remembering a moment where I laughed so hard I cried, or physically cringing remembering another moment. I’ve found that with the difficult situations I’ve been through, it helps me to learn from my mistakes as well as heal old wounds when I visualize a different outcome–the one that I would have liked to have happened.
This year, I’ve made a list of a few things I’d like to do and learn. First, I want to be more open–to possibilities, to myself, and to really listening to others, nature, and the heart (or gut); I want to better surround myself with those who are positive and supportive as well as cherish daily those who have been there for me through thick and thin; I want a fulfilling career–one that I am able give back to the community all that I have learned (and continue learning from!) which I am so grateful for ; and laugh more–to find the humor in more situations and to laugh at myself more. There is a time and a place to take things seriously, but it is truly an art to not take more than is necessary so seriously! I admire those who can turn what may be awkward, intense, or difficult situations into something else.
I was flipping through The Bread Bible to find one of my favorite bread recipes, when I came across one with the title of American Chocolate Bread. It was under a chapter that I hadn’t yet ventured into called, A Slice of Divinity: Celebration and Dessert Breads. Talk about reflection (see above;), I started wondering why I hadn’t been reading the recipes in that chapter. They are diverse, packed with history, about celebration (who doesn’t like a good party?), and unique. This particular chapter was like getting a concentrated world history lesson via bread. Yes, please! Historically, (according to the book), there is not any link to the new year, per say, and this recipe. However, in my mind the two will be inexorably linked forever. This may even become a new holiday ritual (I do love food rituals;). These not-too-sweet breads are perfect for breakfast or a midnight snack. They satisfy the senses on many levels: the slight crunch of the sparkling sugar on the crust, the warm smell of yeasted bread, the surprise gush of melted chocolate on your tongue and lips as you bite into the center, and the heft of the roll itself–let’s just say you are not eating air.
And speaking of rituals, Andrew ensured good luck for us both in the coming year by making a family favorite: black eyed peas. He made them without following a recipe but went along with his memory, intuition, and some already burgeoning good luck. They were fantastic. Happy new year!
American Chocolate Bread, via The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger
For the sponge:
2 tablespoons (2 packages) active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Dough:
1 cup warm milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon salt
4-4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
8 oz semisweet chocolate (nice chocolate like Scharffen-Berger or Ghirardelli)
3 tablespoons vanilla sugar (or just regular sugar works too)
1. In a large bowl using a whisk or in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, place the yeast, sugar, water, and 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Cover and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. This makes your sponge.
2. Stir down the sponge with a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup milk, 3 tablespoons butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. Beat hard until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding 1 tablespoon of flour at a time as necessary until dough just loses its stickiness. It will be soft and springy.
4. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Turn once to coat top and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. Grease eight 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch loaf pans. (If you don’t have these, that’s fine, I just twisted mine into little rolls and baked them on my bread stone). Cut the chocolate into 1 oz portions. Gently deflate the dough. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and divide into 8 equal portions. Pat each portion out into a 7 by 4 inch rectangle about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Place a piece of chocolate at short edge of each dough portion and roll the dough up jelly roll fashion. Pinch the edges to seal and completely enclose chocolate. Arrange either in the pans or if you are not using pans, just on the floured surface, and let rise until almost doubled, about 15 minutes.
6. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the loaves with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon sugar to sparkle the crust. Place the pans in the oven and bake 20-30 minutes, or until a delicate brown. Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Serve warm.
A happy, healthy, and adventurous new year to you all!
These past few weeks, I’ve sorely missed being in the kitchen. The solace, the flavors, the smells, the space that let’s me be totally present in the here and now. Yesterday, I realized how much of a void I felt for my creative outlet as I came home from another meeting. And it just kind of hit me, too–like a tsunami wave. Yes, it was fierce and hard and it jolted me back to myself. It was a wake up call to bring more balance back into my daily routine. Sometimes, I think it is necessary to inundate oneself in something while learning a new skill or getting something off the ground–those can be seriously all-encompassing procedures that don’t necessarily leave a lot of room for much else. But wouldn’t it be interesting to challenge that notion? What if we were to give ourselves the gift of 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour a day, no matter what the circumstances? I’ll have to get back to you on this one after I try (try being the key word here!) it out.
The tsunami swept me into my kitchen where I decided to make a tart. I got a new tart pan a few months ago, but had not yet had the chance to use it. Now was the perfect time to make use of it! Sometimes when I want to get into the kitchen just for the sake of getting my hands dirty, I will consult others to see if they have any particular cravings: others meaning most often Andrew. Blueberry was easily decided upon (he has a serious affinity for blueberries!). So I got out our frozen blueberries, lots of butter, and set to work. And it felt great!
I used a historic recipe for both the crust and the tart itself from the Dungeness Crabs and Blackberry Cobblers cookbook by Janie Hibler. (I made these cookies from it a while ago, this book is an absolute gem of Pacific Northwest goodness–the abundance of fresh, local, and seasonal recipes are outstanding!). The original recipe was extremely blueberry–a purist type of tart–Andrew’s favorite. The blueberries simply burst in your mouth and the creamy texture of the custard took on the blueberry notes, complimenting the whole fruits. I made it true to the historic recipe–and it was excellent–but of course it got me thinking how I could tweak it a bit next time. I know, I know, why mess with a good thing? Sometimes though, I just can’t help myself from trying/wondering, and then going ahead and doing!
Really old recipes can sometimes overdo the amount of cream, butter, and sugar. This was for several reasons including not letting those perishables go to waste by using them in baked goods and also as a means to show wealth. Don’t get me wrong here, this recipe is good. But I couldn’t help wondering, is it necessary to use so much cream and sugar get the same flavor sensations, textures, and overall mmmmm-factor? Not always. So below I will give you the original recipes with some variations I’ve tried which I think modernize it in a way. They still use all the good butter, cream, and sugar, but maybe varying amounts or different types.
Favorite Tart Pastry, by Janie Hibler
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream the flour and butter (you can use a food processor or your stand mixer for this). Add the egg, cream, lemon juice, sugar, and salt and mix well. Place the dough on a floured surface and roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Carefully fold the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to the tart pan. Push the dough into the corners with your fingers. Trim off the excess dough by running the rolling in over the top of the tart pan. Prick the bottom and sides of the pastry with a fork and bake it for 8-10 minutes.
*variation: I would add a little more lemon juice, squeeze a whole half lemon in there.
Blueberry Cream Tart
The original recipe also called for Blackberries, but I thought blueberries would be just as good–and they were!
Make Favorite Tart Pastry
2 1/2 cups blueberries
1 cup heavy cream
1 beaten egg
1 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 F. Sprinkle the blueberries over the prepared crust and set aside. Blend the cream, egg, and sugar together. Pour over the berries. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
*variations: Try using brown sugar, and only about 3/4 cup–maybe even a half cup.
*If you use more sugar, squeeze some of that left over lemon juice over the berries before you pour the cream mixture on top, this will give it a good balance so the sugar doesn’t feel like it is just sitting on your teeth!
*Sprinkle a little cloves or cinnamon into the cream mixture–these spices are nice in the fall or winter with your frozen berries–and compliment the berry flavor wonderfully.
*You could probably do with 3/4 cup cream, although I haven’t tried this. It would just make it more custardy and less cream-like–it would be a texture preference for you.
Cheers!
(You can still see the steam coming off this piece fresh from the oven:)
