Naked in the countryside

Sense of humor in the countryside!

So Very Happy

I took my mom home from the hospital again today. She's finally on the mend and I'm so relieved! We picked up all of her prescriptions, the prices of which are insanely expensive, (I sometimes forget how lucky we are in France) and got her settled back into her home.

A few hours later I met up with a friend I've known since we were four years old. She suggested a local restaurant and when I arrived I realized it was Happy Hour!
$2.99 Margaritas and half price crab cakes, coconut shrimp and artichoke dip.
What a fabulous invention.

All in all, a great afternoon!

This is My Wedding Cake. I Made It.

Here it is, the one thing I've made all year that I'm most proud of. The longest single culinary project I have undertaken so far. The one component of my wedding over which I was completely, and totally obsessed. To put it in perspective for you, I ordered the third wedding dress I saw. Ordered it on-line, from Nordstrom.com. I chose our invitations in less than 20 minutes, although the woman who owned the adorable little stationary store warned me when I came in that I could make multiple 2 hour appointments if I need them. Yea right. But this cake. I anguished over this cake. I bought books, I looked in magazines, and searched on-line. I took a class, I bought all of the supplies over a several week period. I actually didn't need to practice the painting much, since I have a lifetime of doodling under my belt. My first practice run was right on the cake, actually. I think I must have gotten supremely, incomprehensibly lucky. The cake wasn't perfect, so to speak. It was homemade, by a girl who is far from a professional baker. But it was mine, it was exactly what I wanted, and for us, it was pretty close to perfection. Now I'm going to show you how I did it.

Tips for Making a Wedding Cake

The first thing was to make the cake itself. I chose a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream which I had made several times before. No reason, I figured, to try something new when I was already trying everything new. I tripled the Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream recipe from Magnolia, which ended up being enough to fill two 10" layers, as well as two 6" layers. I had far too much buttercream left over after tripling the recipe, but found that it was sinfully delicious spread on the loaves of banana bread my mother placed in all of our guests' rooms.

We were married in Breckenridge, CO, a ski town to which my family has been going since the beginning, although my parents live in Denver. So I made the cake layers in my mother's kitchen, then triple wrapped them in cellophane and froze them for the trip up.

When you're baking layers as large as 10", it's helpful to use a wonderful little invention called Magi-Cake Strips. Basically, they're strips of material which you run under cold water and then pin to the outside of your cake tins as they bake. Normally, the edges of the cake bake faster than the middle, which causes the cake layer to dome. Something that can be a real pain if you plan on stacking tiers. Water-saturated Magi-Cake Strips slow the baking of the edges, and prevent this doming. Score.

To transport the layers, I kept them frozen and wrapped, and set them on cardboard rounds slightly larger than the layers themselves. Once in the mountains, it was time to get to work. The first thing was to split the layers so they could be filled with buttercream. For this, and for most later steps for that matter, a rotating cake stand is pretty much indispensable. The easiest way I've found to split layers is to hold a serrated knife perpendicular to the cake layer and, keeping the knife still and steady, spin the cake stand slowly making a light line in the side of the cake which should be straight and even. Then, use the serrated knife to cut straight through the cake, following that same line. Once this is done, the bottom layer should be placed on a cardboard round which is cut to the exact same size as the cake layer.

You can use a dollop of buttercream on the cardboard to act as glue so that the cake layer stays in place. Then spread buttercream between each of the layers, and stack them one on top of the other.

Next, use an offset spatula to frost the entire outside of the cake tier. Try to get it as smooth as possible. The buttercream is, first and foremost, the tasty part. But it also acts as a glue to keep the fondant attached. As a side note, you wouldn't want to use a cream-cheese based frosting under the fondant because it would likely go bad. So buttercream is your best bet.

Next, for the fondant. Make a mixture of about equal parts powdered sugar and corn starch and use it to prevent the fondant from sticking to the counter and to your rolling pin as you roll it out. For specifics about how much fondant to use based on the size of your cake layer, see this chart from Wilton. Roll the fondant out so that it is quite a bit larger than the size of your cake. It should be at about a thickness of 1/4".

Carefully (seriously, be careful) drape the fondant over your cake, which should still be resting on your rotating cake stand. The fondant should drape down around the cake, hanging over the edge. Start at the top of your cake, and begin to smooth the fondant, sealing it onto the top of the cake. You can use your fondant smoothing paddle for this. Then, using cupped hands, smooth the fondant over the top edges of the cake, and, turning the cake stand, smooth around the edges. You can switch back to your paddle again so get a really smooth finish (although my finish wasn't perfect, there were lumps etc. But whatever).

Smooth down to the bottom of the cake, and push down gently, making a kind of light crease at the bottom where the cake meets the stand. Now, using a pizza cutter, cut off the excess fondant from around the cake tier. Carefully slide your cake tier off of the stand and repeat the process on the next tier. Once both tiers are covered, transfer your base tier to the display stand you plan on using.

Now it's stacking time. Cake, as it turns out, is not that sturdy of a building material. And even on a relatively small cake like mine, the bottom tier needs a little help supporting the top tier. So you have to stick wooden dowels down through your bottom tier to do the supporting. So, using an extra cardboard round that is cut to the size of your smallest tier (in this case, a 6" round) place it on the center of the largest tier. Using an exacto knife, lightly trace a circle around the cardboard to serve as your guide. Remove the cardboard, and, again using an exacto knife, cut away a bit of fondant on the top of the cake, just large enough for one of your wooden dowels to fit into (you can buy these dowels at a good cake supply store). Now, shove your dowel down into your cake, and mark the exact spot where the dowel is flush with the top of your cake. Remove the dowel. Repeat with about 4 more dowels, placing them in a circle, with one or two perhaps in the center. Now cut each of your dowels at the point you marked, and put them back into the cake. Okay, now your smallest tier should already be resting on a cardboard round which is cut to the exact same size. So now all you have to do is place (carefully!) the smaller tier on the dowels and you're done! Well, with that part, anyway.

The fun part, at least for me, was the decorating. I bought some edible food coloring in powder form and mixed it with lemon extract until it was roughly the consistency of paint. Then, using an artist's paintbrush from the craft store (a new one, of course) I painted my design around the top. I used a real brown ribbon to hide any mistakes around the bottom, and secured it with a small drop of glue, that was only on the ribbon, not on the cake. Top with fresh flowers, perhaps.

And there you have it! Your own little wedding cake. We were married on an overlook called Sapphire Point, high up in the Colorado mountains, with 25 guests and a whole lot of wind. We don't have many of our pictures yet, but I suppose I can share one...

By the way, I didn't take those photos of the finished cake. That was our photographer, Gary Soles, who is a truly amazing landscape photographer in Breck. If you don't check his work out here, you'll be missing out on some of the most beautiful photos I've ever seen.

UPDATE: want the recipe for that luscious chocolate cake? I've posted it in the form of cup cakes. But be reminded that the recipe was tripled for the wedding cake.

Just Answering the Question!

So the other day my friend introduced me to an acquaintance of his and this guy asked where I live and I said, "I live in France" and he said, "really, where in France?" and I replied "in the south of France." (I rarely say exactly where because we live in the middle of nowhere)
Then he said, in this really mocking, sing-songy, bitchy tone, "oooohhhh, you live in the south of France."



No, you jerk, I was fishing for a bitchy retort.

*sigh*

Am I Still In the South of France?

The clear blue skies and sunny weather of last week clouded over this morning and suddenly big, fluffy flakes of this strange white stuff that we seldom seen around these parts started falling from the sky...
SNOW!

Just in time for my 1½ hour drive to Perpignan airport to pick up our friends. The timing could not have been worse.

But this beautiful, white, winter wonderland landscape is amazing!

Tapas

There's a group of eight of us that get together every so often to cook and eat and enjoy each other's company. It started as a once a month curry night and has evolved into a whenever-we-can-get-our-schedules-coordinated ethnic night. Thus far, we've had the original Indian curry night, a fabulous Turkish evening, a Mexican night with killer Margaritas and a super, spicy Thai supper.
For our next get together, the first we've had since December (yes it is strangely difficult to get eight people together for dinner) we're making a big assortment of Spanish tapas. And I think (and hope) that someone is making a big pitcher of sangria to enjoy with them!

My contribution includes a chickpea salad, a vegetable coca (like a tart) and patatas bravas.

Chickpea Salad
recipe taken from Euroresidentes.com

• 1/2 kg chickpeas
• hard boiled eggs
• 4 red peppers (pimientos del piquillo)
• small bunch of spring onions
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1 large tomato
• fresh parsley
• extra virgin olive oil
• white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 50g cured ham

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas (if using dried chickpeas soak overnight and then boil the next day in a pressure cooker for 10 mins or boil for 1 hour 10 mins in a pan)
2. Prepare the tomato by blanching it and removing the skin and pips following this cut it into small cubes and place in a bowl
3. Add the red peppers to the tomato (if you can´t find the spanish pimientos del piquillo you will need to roast the red peppers for about 20 mins and then remove the skin and cut into strips)
4. Cut the cured ham into small squares and add to the bowl.
   
5. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar over and season with salt and pepper
6. Add the chickpeas to the salad mixture
7. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve

Vegetable Coca
recipe taken from Tienda.com
serves 4

for the dough:

• ¾ cup water, hand hot
• a pinch of sugar
• 1½ teaspoon dried yeast
• 9 oz strong plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lard

for the topping

• 9 oz chard or spinach, shredded
• 9 oz spinach, shredded
• ½ bunch spring onions, cut into 4 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp pimentón
• salt
• 1 tomato, skinned, seeded, and chopped

1. Mix 1/2 cup of the water, the sugar, and the yeast and leave for about 10 minutes until a frothy head forms.
2. Mix the flour, salt, yeast mixture, oil, and lard, and add just enough of the remaining water to mix to a soft, pliable dough.
3. Knead well for about 10 minutes, then place in an oiled plastic bag and leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, put the chard and spinach in a saucepan with a small amount of salted water, bring to a boil and simmer for 4 minutes. Let sit for 3 minutes then drain, squeezing out the excess water.
5. Add the spring onions, parsley, garlic, and oil. Season with paprika and salt and blend well.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and curl up the edges to make a border.
8. Place on a greased baking tray and spread the vegetables over the dough, sprinkle with tomato, season with salt, and bake for 30 to 50 minutes.

From Spain on a Plate by María José Sevilla

I'll be making a few changes to the above recipe. For one, I don't have chard so will use only spinach and I'm replacing the lard with the equivalent amount of olive oil.



I'm still hunting for the perfect patatas bravas recipe.

Food Safety

Where do you shop for groceries? I shop all over the place. I shop at chain grocery stores, at specialty gourmet stores, at farmer's markets. You name a place to shop, I've probably shopped there. I'm not alone in this habit. I noticed some time ago that people seem to want cheap--as in Costco and high quality such as you find at local farmer's markets or high end specialty shops. So they shop all over the place. But thinking about quality and price brings to mind a very frightening topic in the news these days--mad cow disease.



I was in Great Britain a while back when the scandal was hitting the high mark. The most terrifying thing about the British situation was that in an effort to avoid hysteria, the government assured people the beef was safe, when in fact it wasn't. It's the uncertainty that's really scary; not knowing what to believe. What we know for sure is that the practice of feeding cattle to cattle that gave us mad cow disease in the first place has been outlawed in the US and Canada since 1997, but we are still finding cows born before 1997 that are infected and our own government refuses to tell us where the meat was sold and to whom, at least here in the Bay Area.



To me it all comes down to quality. What price are we willing to pay for quality? You can have your food safe or you can have it cheap, but cheap, safe AND high quality may be more illusive than we've been lead to believe. Corners will be cut when the pressure to lower prices is so intense. It's that very pressure that lead to feeding cattle animal parts in the first place. This is certainly not the first industry where this has happened. Just remember the Ford Pinto.



Whether it's irradiated foods, dairy products from hormone dosed cows, or mass produced meat, my suggestion is this: think about what you buy. Think about where it comes from. Think about what has to happen for you to save money. Try to feel as good as you can about what you buy, and not just because you're saving money or getting a great deal. Feel good about it because if it's good for the farmer and good for the environment it's probably good for you too.



Eat well!

Julia Child Contest

I am still savoring my Summer edition of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. It was an entire issue devoted to none other than Julia Child. There are interviews, remembrances, stories, poems, songs and even a picture of Julia in the bathtub with her husband Paul! Reading about her as written by so many people who knew her so well is enlightening. And inspiring.

I thought I knew a lot about Julia Child, but I learned so much more reading this issue. It's the details that add depth to understanding someone who is already such a well-known figure. I knew that Julia took to cooking later in life but it's interesting to note she and Jacques Pepin started cooking in the same year--she was 36 years old and Jacques was 13. Pepin shares his slight jealousy upon seeing her landmark book Mastering the Art of French Cooking for the first time, admitting it was the book he thought he would write someday.

In working on her first book, Julia was obsessed with replicating the "French taste". Because Americans were not great wine drinkers at the time, she substituted 1/2 to 2/3 the amount of wine with vermouth in many recipes. While ingredients were important to her, she felt the key to cooking was in technique. Not a traditionalist, she loved using new-fangled gadgets like food processors and electric mixers.

More tidbits? Italian food was her least favorite cuisine. In 1989 she wrote a song about chocolate cake that premiered at the Kennedy Center. While she did not endorse products, she did publicly support political causes including Planned Parenthood and The National Audubon Society. A democrat in politics and in taste, she loved McDonald's french fries and even served Pepperidge Farms Milano cookies to guests.

And now for the contest! Here is a Julia Child quote. Can you complete it?

"One of the secrets of cooking is to correct something if you can or...."

A. live with it if you cannot
B. else call it "today's special"
C. go out to dinner if you cannot
D. try, try again

Choose the correct answer and post your guess in the comment section, be sure to include your email so I can contact you, if you win! Only one entry per person so choose carefully. The first person to correctly answer will receive a copy of Julie & Julia by Julie Powell. Four runners up will receive a combination measuring and tasting spoon.

Endive with White Bean Dip: Recipe

It's exhausting being a celebrity! Ok, maybe I'm not famous, but I felt like I was this weekend. On Saturday I spoke for about 45 minutes to a sold out crowd at the Larkspur Library, and then demonstrated four "no cook" recipes, including one adapted from New Flavors for Appetizers. On Sunday I was at the Palo Alto Williams Sonoma store signing copies of my book. We sold about 40 copies! It was fun chatting with customers and accepting compliments on the two recipes that were being sampled, Chilled Green Pea Soup and Dates Stuffed with Chorizo and Aged Goat Cheese. Both of those just happen to be "no cook" as well.

If you'd like to attend my next talk and cooking demonstration at the Larkspur Library it will be on April 4th from 4:30 - 6:30 pm. Tickets are $10 and include a donation to the Friends of the Library, tasting of four appetizers (plus the recipes), St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc and Bionade (non-alcoholic beverage). The recipes I'll be demonstrating are Fava Bean and Ricotta Crostini with Fresh Mint, Chevre Stuffed Apricots, Prosciutto Pear Bites and Endive with White Bean Dip. The event already is about halfway sold out, so call 415.927.5005 or stop by the library to reserve soon if you'd like to attend!

Here is just one of four "no cook" appetizers I demonstrated and served this past Saturday. It's endive topped with a dollop of white bean dip. Canned cannelini beans become very creamy when mashed. This recipe has an Italian flair to it, because the dominant flavors are lemon, garlic and olive oil. It also just happens to be vegan. I'm trying to include a few more vegan recipes in my repertoire.

READ MORE My post Go Vegan is up on KQED today. Let me know what you think of it and please add your tips in the comment section.

Endive with White Bean Dip
Makes 5 servings

1 15 oz can cannelini beans (I like the ones from Trader Joe's)
1 lemon, 2 Tablespoons juice, 1 teaspoon grated rind
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, stronger flavored the better
1 clove garlic, mashed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
Freshly ground pepper
1 green onion
20 large or medium endive leaves, discard small ones
Flat leaf parsley to garnish

Drain, rinse and mash the white beans in a mixing bowl using a potato masher. Add the lemon, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to the beans and stir to combine. Slice the white and pale green parts of the onion and fold into to the mixture. Taste for seasoning. Scoop one heaping teaspoonful or so on each endive leaf. Garnish with leaf of parsley.

Enjoy!

My daily bouchon

You guys are to be commended. It takes a very kind, optimistic crowd to greet the homely old celery root with open arms, and by gosh, you did. You’re clearly well schooled in the old saying, “You can’t judge a celery root by its cover.” You’re great.So after all that good will and pale green soup, you deserve some dessert, don’t you think? I hope you won’t mind if it’s kind of, um, homely.

Still life with giant sloth and loaf of bread

Every week should begin this way: watching the sun rise over the Cascades from a warm bed next to an enormous window, the wind whistling outside, a flock of tiny birds circling and swooping above the spruce. This is a bluegrass song.Late Sunday morning took us down idyllic two-lane roads, past pastures full of cows and trees shaking with turning leaves, to Nicho’s family’s farm in Sultan. Along

Photo du Jour - Old Paris Porcelain

Old Paris porcelain glowing under lamplight on a side table in my friend's house.

Photo du Jour

Rusty, timeworn door knocker.

Photo du Jour

In the last ten days the leaves have burst forth on the vines.
Wonder if it will be a good year?

Ecco La Pasta!

Dried pasta is the perfect convenience food, after all it only takes a pot of boiling water to cook it. But fresh pasta is another story. It takes work. Having a food processor and a pasta rolling machine make it a little easier but it's far from foolproof. And the trickiest pasta of all is really a potato dumpling--gnocchi.



Gnocchi is such a favorite in our household that if it is on a menu it will likely find its way onto our table. While I can make a terrific ricotta gnocchi, wonderful pumpkin gnocchi and even a Roman style semolina gnocchi, the secret to making perfect potato gnocchi has remained illusive. And I have tried every trick possible--from baking the potatoes on a bed of rock salt to adding egg yolks to the dough. The problem is, if the dough is too firm it cooks up dense and heavy. And if the dough is too light, it practically melts in the pot of water, losing its shape and turning to mush. So what to do?



Well the first thing NOT to do is buy pre-packaged gnocchi, they are sure to disappoint. At the Fancy Food Show back in January I happened upon a great solution. Ecco La Pasta gnocchi flour comes in a bag that makes a pound of pasta when you add the water to mix it up. In the time it takes to boil a pot of water, the gnocchi will be ready to go--roughly ten minutes. I'm not normally a big fan of dried mixes, so I was skeptical at first...but it really works! With painstakingly clear instructions included, you simply cannot fail. If you're still not convinced you can do it, you can review the "how to" demonstration video.



The gnocchi flour in additon to their pasta flour comes in four flavors--Rosemary & Garlic, Sundried Tomato, Spinach and Potato, costs just under $4 per package and is now available locally at Sur La Table stores but check the web site to see where you can find it near you or to purchase online.

Photo du Jour

A gift from Sara in Italy. Some sparkly digestive sugar and a darling little box of pastilles.
Grazie Sara!!!

Photo du Jour

Across the street from my sister's house.
Pretty gorgeous, huh?

Breakfast in Paris: enjoying the Indian summer

Yesterday morning I enjoyed, as I have been doing everyday, my favorite breakfast. It was so quiet, the day was breaking, and I was sitting on the deck, surrounded by a mix of summer and autumn flowers. It felt great.
On my tray, my Printemps procelain white with a blue rind cup and saucer, gift of a dear friend, my Italian percolator with my coffee ready to be poured, a glass of grapefruit juice, and a bowl of a delicious mix of my home made Charentais melon jam, plain low fat yogurt, and 1/2 cup of organic muesli. I am using a fair trade Brazilian coffee right now, and I love it. I have ALWAYS loved Brazilian coffee I must say. I store it in this container I bought in Venice (Marci has the same) The Italian percolator makes pretty strong coffee, but it's so delicious!
Every morning I also have a large glass of 50% juice, orange or grapefruit, and 50% water. I'm watching the calories I take, doctor's injunction, and I have fresh fruit during the day, so I am careful. I use a Japanese blue and white bowl I bought in Japan back in 1992. It contains a healthy mix. Plain yogurt: culture and milk, that's it (why would you need anything else?). Of all places, I have found in Amsterdam my favorite muesli mix, to which I add some sunflower and pumpkin organic seeds and dry cranberries. I take about 1/2 cup. Finally I add 3 or 4 teaspoons of one of my home made jams. Right now I am using a delicious Charentais melon jam; I will share with you my recipe in my next post.
I look forward this moment every morning!

Photo du Jour - Indian Pommes Frites

Potatoes roasted in Indian spices and ghee and some mango chutney for dipping.
My version of pommes frites.

Recipe to come later today.

Off to Southeast Asia!

I'm going to Vietnam with a side trip to Cambodia. I will be gone for an entire month. I know there will be lots to write about and assuming all goes well I plan to share the details of my trip from the road, so stay tuned.

It may take me a few days to get situated so in the meantime please feel free to peruse the archives, you never know what you'll find, or try a recipe in the Get Cooking! section. Every Wednesday you'll find a new post from me over at Bay Area Bites. Best wishes for a Happy New Year!

FOOD

Chocolate Cake with a Difference

I had a few days off work last week, and when I am home all day, cakes happen. I get bored with the basics, though, so I am always looking for simple recipes with a few original touches. I found this easy as...cake recipe in April 2007's Guide Cuisine.

To read more about this magazine and its role in my French culinary education, refer to my recent post on Paper Palate.

But for you chocolate-lovers out there, let's get back to the cake.

The basic idea is:

1. Melt 8 ounces (225 grams) of baking chocolate with 4 ounces (120 grams) of butter.

2. Add 2/3 of a cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon; mix well.

3. Add 3 eggs, one by one, then one and a half cups (200 grams) of flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

4. Finally, stir in 2 tbsp. of crème fraîche.

Bake in an appropriate greased cake pan for about 45 minutes at 350° F (180° C). Be careful not to overbake.

The original recipe calls for frosting the cake with a mix of chocolate, honey, butter and rum, but I'm one of those people who gets chocolated out...so I skipped that step. I'm sure some of you will miss it and perhaps create a frosting of your own to make up for it!

What's special about this cake is that the cinnamon spices it up and the crème fraîche mellows it out.

It's a nice change from basic French gâteau au chocolat, which I find a bit dull. But unlike some of my fellow bloggers, I'm not a chocoholic!

Inside the Kitchen--Elizabeth Falkner

www.flickr.com

Funny and down to earth Pastry Chef Elizabeth Falkner surprised us this morning by cooking two savory dishes in addition to a knock-out dessert. She said most people don't know she cooks savory dishes too. She especially likes that savory dishes are consumed right away and don't just sit around. Here's what she said:

"I don't make ice cream sundaes every day, ok, I might, but I've still gotta eat!"

Falkner regaled us with stories about her experiences cooking on the Iron Chef, her California influenced philosophy on food and the concept for her new restaurant, something she is calling "California Avant-Garde". The dishes she made were inspired by the end of Summer and a bit of a hangover cure--Prawns, Avocado, Corn Dust and Bloody Mary Sorbet, and also the beginning of Fall with a Maple Spice Pork Tenderloin with a Sweet Potato Succotash. Both were delicious, but her dessert was "wow"!

For dessert she made a parfait of coconut tapioca, chocolate ganache, and "shagged" ice cream. To shag ice cream you scoop it and roll it toasted coconut. The tapioca was infused with tropical flavors of ginger and lemongrass and was not too sweet. Perfect for our 11:30 in the morning snack. Looking forward to seeing her compete in the afternoons chef competition. More later...

FOOD + INSIDE THE KITCHEN

Photo du Jour

An abandoned business with fading shutters.

Skipping a meal

Yesterday I skipped dinner. This might not seem like big news to some, but in my world it's worth writing home about. The reason is, as it usually is, all in the timing. Lee had to fast for a medical test and I was fasting out of solidarity. Or laziness. I'm not quite sure anymore. In any case we didn't have our first meal until about 3pm which meant that neither of us would be hungry again until 8 or 9 at the earliest.



At 9 o'clock just as the almost full moon rose in the sky, Bjork came on stage at pier 30/32 and Lee and I were watching. If you've never seen her live, I urge you to experience it once in your life. It's like watching an elf come straight out of the forest to perform for you. Or a fairy. Or a pixie. Or an extraterrestrial being. She is pure magic. Her look, her movements, her dancing, her singing are all unique, creative and beguiling.



At the concert Bjork performed a lot of music from her latest album Vespertine. As Bjork herself says, vespers are evening prayers sung by monks, vespertine are things flourishing in the evening. The music on Vespertine is like a cup of cocoa. Warm, sensual, spiritually provocative, comforting, quiet and personal. Deeply satisfying on many levels. She also performed a fair number of songs from her earlier albums. Much of the earlier music is electronic, pulsing with energy and emotion. Like a fresh fruity sorbet it is refreshingly light yet intense, sweet and energizing.



To top it all off, the show included a firework and pyrotechnic display that even further emphasized the intensity of her music. With an evening like that, you can easily miss a meal.

Favorite French Foods: Crème de marrons

I will never forget tasting chestnuts for the first time at a Thanksgiving celebration in Tours, France in 1980. I thought things couldn’t get much better than that; I hadn’t tasted “crème de marrons vanillée.” This specialty of the Ardèche department is made by the Clement Faugier company. Imitations may exist, but I would never buy them. The firm also makes marrons glacés, or glazed chestnuts, which are a popular treat at Christmastime.

Crème de marrons is packaged in jars, cans or tubes. Delicious on fresh crêpes, it can also be used in baking, as in this chocolate chestnut cake .

The old switcheroo

Alright, people. That’s it. Enough of this wedding hoo-hah. Enough gushy, gloppy, lovey-dovey stuff. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s September. Like, end-of-summer September. Back-to-school September. Early-season-apples September. The calendar said it was coming, but still. It’s something we should talk about.As a kid, I always loved September. It meant a reprieve from the

Cooking with Amy goes Glam!

Did you know I'm a Glam girl? Ok, not really, but I did get to post a guest spot over at the Glam web site courtesy of Lifestyle Editor and Last Minute Party Girl author and contributor to magazines like Food & Wine, Bon Appetit and InStyle, Erika Lenkert.

Since I am almost always misquoted in interviews I figured, why not set the record straight? I interviewed myself and the result is a cheat sheet to some of my favorite picks and places and a funny story to boot. You can read all about it over at GlamNest.

FOOD

Finally, an answer on the fond de commerce

It's been a tumultuous path....ups and downs....highs and lows...good news followed by bad news followed by good news.....followed by more waiting....and at last, we have the answer.

In the end, the boutique/café/kitchen I had hoped to set up in the 14th arrondissement in Paris is a disappointing non. It's not for lack of trying, I can assure you. I've had lots of support on the effort for which I'm deeply touched and forever grateful.

We crossed many hurdles on this little journey, but there was one hurdle that could not be surpassed, and that is to receive the landlord's approval to upgrade their facility. It's really mind-boggling to us - this thought that we offered to put in a respectable investment into the landlord's property to improve it, and to bring it up to hygiene standards for my business, something that they require in their own contract...(urgh) - and he said no to the offer.

Not only did he say no, but he said it s-l-o-w-l-y. Couldn't he have just told us that two months ago, straight away??

I suppose it's for the best. This was my immediate reaction. Who knows what future problems we may be avoiding....with the renovations work (I've heard a horror story or two), or with the unresponsive landlord himself (if we needed to ask anything from him, including trying to sell the place ourselves someday...)

OK, so I've got this great, big disappointment on my hands. And I feel like I've wasted a million years to get to nowhere....except we have gained valuable experience, and learned a few things along the way. Isn't that always what we say in situations like this??!! Well, there is a thread of truth to it!

I'm back on the hunt...looking for a good fond de commerce. There's even more on the market at the moment.....so, stay tuned, we'll see what happens next! All good things in their own time...

:/dma

Photo du Jour

Ripening purple plums.

Cooking with Amy on View from the Bay!

Last week I was on View from the Bay and you can watch me demonstrate a recipe with only three ingredients! Ok, it has four if you count the salt.

There are also three delicious Spring recipes reprinted from my book, Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Appetizers: Chilled Pea Soup with Creme Fraiche and Chives, Fava Bean and Ricotta Crostini with Fresh Mint and Deviled Eggs with Watercress. If you can't find or don't want to bother with fresh fava beans, edamame make a great substitution. For the demo I used frozen green peas in the soup. Only use English peas if they are sweet and not starchy.



I was also on Dining Around with Gene Burns yesterday. It was a great experience, Gene is a wonderful interviewer. You can download the podcast or listen online if you like.

Fessing Up to Something Fishy

I have been meaning to confess to Cuisine Quotidienne's April Fool's trick for a long time. But I kept enjoying the comments on how wonderful "my" Sunday April 1st meal looked, and basking in the idea that a few people believed that I could actually cook such a feast.

I thought some alert reader might find it strange that I was able to cook this great meal on the same day I left for a trip to the Tarn department, or would pick up on the "fish" reference that is part of most French April Fool's tricks:

"I would have preferred cooking a lighter main dish -- fish, for example -- but my daughters aren't big fish fans, unfortunately."

In fact, April Fool's jokes are called "poissons d'Avril" here and often include a reference to fish. The classic school house trick is to stick a cut-out paper fish on someone's back for the day.

I did something even worse. Practically immoral. I let you think that I had prepared a fabulous meal with a dessert like this:

And you believed me, because you certainly recognized my kitchen tablecloth, where many of my photos for this blog are taken:

But I'm sure you can now see a slight difference in the quality and presentation of the two!

So it's time to tell the truth, and say it loud. This meal did not come out of my kitchen, but out of an excellent little restaurant in Rodez which just happens to use the same tablecloth I do. I was saving the photos for some little joke, and found it in my April Fool's post -- which was put up a few days late, but did refer to a meal on Sunday April 1st.

Thanks for believing I had made such a snazzy meal. But now it's time to give credit where credit is due:

Au Grain du Sel

2 rue Viarague

12000 RODEZ

(0)5 65 68 17 31

La Fête du Fromage - Homemade Chèvre

Technically this is a French cheese. The milk came from French goats and it was made in France.
It is my French cheese. Homemade chèvre frais.

For the last year I've planned to make some of my own cheese and just never got around to doing it. Procrastination sometimes gets the best of me.
So when I was offered a couple of liters of extremely fresh goat's milk the other day, I grabbed some cheesecloth and a lemon and in just under two hours, voilà, I had cheese!
Creamy, snowy white, mild, delicious goat's cheese. Which I then dressed up with a bit of minced garlic and a sprinkling of herbes de Provence.


The process is so simple it's silly. And it makes me wonder what the heck took me so long to try it.

• 1 liter (1 quart) goat's milk - pasteurized or unpasteurized, but not ultra-pasteurized*
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 clove minced garlic
• a pinch or two of sea salt
• optional - minced herbs such as thyme, herbes de Provence, parsley, rosemary

1. Heat the milk over medium heat until it reaches 180 degrees F on a candy or meat thermometer. I used a meat thermometer because I couldn't find my candy thermometer in the deep, dark recesses of my kitchen utensil drawer.
2. Take the milk off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. The milk should begin to curdle immediately. You'll see the curds separate from the whey.
3. Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth - I used about 4 layers. You want to make sure that the curds don't get through.
4. Place over a large bowl to catch the whey and ladle the curds and whey into the cheesecloth lined colander.
5. Gather the corners of the cheesecloth together and hang from a wooden spoon over a deep bowl for about 60-90 minutes. The consistency will be similar to that of dry cottage cheese.


6. Transfer the curds to a bowl and fold in the salt and optional herbs. If it seems a bit dry you can stir in some whey to create a creamier texture, a teaspoon at a time.
7. Eat.

Your homemade chèvre can be stored in the fridge for 1 week in an airtight container. The texture becomes drier after a day or two, so I recommend eating it pretty quickly. Which you will want to do anyway.



*I used unpasteurized milk and heated it to 185 degrees F

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Starbucks VIA Ready Brew instant coffee & giveaway

I got a chance to try "VIA Ready Brew" coffee last week, and perhaps you tried it too over the weekend when Starbucks was offering taste tests in their stores*. It was the best instant coffee I've ever tasted, and it was certainly the most expensive instant coffee I ever tasted, at about $1 per serving. VIA is being sold in a 12 pack for $9.95 and a 3 pack for $2.95. Starbucks doesn't want you to stop drinking their fresh brewed coffee, they want you to take VIA everywhere you can't get their fresh brewed coffee. For people who drink good coffee everyday, this might be an acceptable option when camping, traveling, or for making iced coffee in a hurry, since it dissolves in hot or cold water.

The story behind Starbucks VIA instant coffee is interesting. The late Don Valencia was a cell biologist who developed a technique for freeze-drying cells for examination under the microscope. In the early 1990's Starbucks hired him to head up research and development. His research led to creation of a coffee extract used in many products including bottled drinks and ice cream. It also led to the patent-pending process for making a new kind of instant coffee with more of the aroma, flavor and body of fresh brewed coffee.

I have a confession to make. I'm not really a coffee drinker. I drink it when I'm in Italy, otherwise, not so much. But I do love the flavor of coffee in baked goods, stews, chili, ice cream, you name it. I have a bottle of espresso powder I keep in the fridge for cooking purposes, but even I can tell that instant is not the same as fresh brewed coffee. Since I am not a regular coffee drinker, I will probably be using my samples primarily for cooking.

I have 10 each 3 packs of Columbia and Italian Roast, both are made from 100% arabica beans, ethically sourced. The Columbia is described as "rich and smooth" the Italian "big, bold and full-bodied." To win a sample, leave a comment with any thoughts you have about coffee, a recipe idea, favorite blend, how you might use it, whatever you like. I will choose 10 winners at random who will receive a 3 pack of each variety. You must have a valid email address and US mailing address since I am paying to mail these out. You can also use your sample to inspire an entry in the Starbucks VIA contest with prizes ranging from free coffee to roundtrip airline tickets or a $2,500 Williams-Sonoma gift card. Good luck!

* Today, Monday October 5th, is the last day of the taste test to try VIA for free at Starbucks stores. They will even give you a free cup of brewed coffee for your time.

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED, THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS

Holiday Gift Guide

Over Thanksgiving I hopped behind couches, slipped into a closet and even snuck out a backdoor. Yes, I was playing hide-and-go-seek with my not quite 5 year old niece. And every time she found me and we switched places (she'd hide, I'd seek), she'd adopt my last hiding place. While it made finding her a breeze, I kind of understood her thinking. If it's good enough for auntie Amy then it must be good enough for me.

Which brings me to the topic of holiday shopping. I don't think anyone has ever had a hard time finding me a present. I am pretty clear on what I like. Often I buy what I want for myself for others, which is where my thinking is on par with that of my niece...

So without further ado here are my top picks, presents I have actually given and truly, madly believe in. These are gifts that please me, but I'm betting they'll please you or someone you know too.

Kitchen Gear



Butter Keeper.It comes in other colors too, but isn't the orange pretty? Keeps your butter fresh, soft and within your reach. I bought this in red for my sister last year.




Heat-resistant spatulas. Ok everybody just needs to have these. They will forever change the way you cook scrambled eggs.




Microplane.The best grater/zester ever, accept no substitute. I have gotten and given this one.




Kyocera peeler.You can even peel winter squash with this!




Remote thermometer. Unchain yourself from the stove once and for all. I bought one for me and one for my parents.


Edibles



Madras Curry mustard. This is just so yummy! It's my favorite mustard.




Truffle salt. Use this on tomatoes, potatoes, etc. An affordable luxury.




Truffle honey. Oh my goodness, this drizzled on blue cheese is heavenly!




Fudge is My Life sauce.Contains no corn syrup, is microwaveable and delicious right out of the jar. I bought tons of it last year for friends.




McQuade's Celtic chutney.Alison's chutneys are a delight. Enjoy the vibrant flavors and colors. Last year I bought Fig and Ginger for friends. This year I bought the Melon and Peach, the Cranberry Tangerine and the Habanero, but I'm not sharing!




Sonoma syrups.These syrups inspire me in the kitchen, but they are also great for making cocktails or even for sweetening ice tea. The Black Currant, Lemon and Lavender flavors are favorites, but they're all good. No artificial flavors or colors.




Maggie Beer Burnt Fig jam. There is nothing like this jam, if you love figs you have got to try it!




MarieBelle Hot chocolate. What can I say? My mother-in-law loves this stuff and I can't blame her.

Food-inspired Indulgences



Breath Palette toothpaste. This is just a fun product, the flavors only last for a minute so don't be scared!




Honey I Washed the Kids soap.The most scrumptious honey scented soap around.




Fresh Sugar candle.Ok it's pricey but very luxurious and smells divine, equally wonderful are the Demitasse and Sake versions.

FOOD