Chemin des PotencesJust around the corner from our house, this little road leads out of the village. It is the old route to the hill where they used to hang people.
Potences means gallows.
Creepy...
Photo du Jour
Chemin des PotencesJust around the corner from our house, this little road leads out of the village. It is the old route to the hill where they used to hang people.
Potences means gallows.
Creepy...
Organic Milk
When I was growing up my parents raised chickens. We had fresh organic eggs even during the most lean times. We ate a lot of eggs and sold the rest to neighbors for a dollar a dozen, as I recall. The yolks of the eggs were thick and orange colored, and they tasted, well, like eggs. Sadly eggs from the market don't. Try any brand you like, but unfortunately they just aren't the same. And this in San Francisco, a stone's throw from the city of Petaluma at one time known as the egg basket of the world.
I never really experienced farm-fresh milk. Except once or twice at a visit to a farm. But I think I know what farm-fresh milk tastes like. A year or two ago my sister-in-law was raving about organic milk. I decided to give it a go. The taste is amazingly different from the traditional commercial product we have all become accustomed to. In the Bay Area we can choose from Straus Family Creamery or Horizon Organic milk. I prefer Straus, but by all means try both or see what might be available in your area. After drinking Straus milk, I can actually discern a chemical aftertaste in the non-organic stuff. Even if you haven't drank milk in a long time, give organic a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised I'm sure.
Taste is almost always number one with me, but there are added benefits beyond taste in purchasing organic milk. It's better for the environment, safer for your health and buying it helps to build the demand for organic which perhaps one day, will bring the prices down. When buying from Straus you are also supporting family farming, which as we all know, needs all the support it can get.
Straus also makes award-winning butter and cheese. In addition, Cowgirl Creamery uses Straus milk to make their fabulous cheeses many of which are available by mail order or at the Cowgirl Creamery stores in San Francisco:
Artisan Cheese
2413 California Street at Fillmore
415-929-8610
Cowgirl Creamery Artisan Cheese
Ferry Building at 1 Ferry Plaza, along the Embarcadero
415-362-9354
Americano Restaurant Review
I've eaten at Americano three times in the past couple of months, and each time it was better than the last. Located on the ground floor of the Hotel Vitale, it's main architectural feature is a large patio that runs the length of the restaurant and faces the bay. With heat lamps, plenty of tables, chairs and even couches, it's one of my favorite outdoor dining spaces in San Francisco (Foreign Cinema is the other).
The menu has something for everybody, with plenty of appetizers for sharing or light meals, pasta, Italian entrees and even a hamburger. While I've enjoyed the fish and hearty steak entrees, it's been the pizza, pasta and appetizers that have made me a fan.
Their take on the Margherita pizza, the pizza fresca, $15 is puffy and crisp and not overburdened with toppings. It has that melting quality I love when sauce, cheese and crust all meld together.
My favorite dishes are the appetizers, $7 each or 3 for $18. The luscious tonno conserva is so rich and delicate it will wipe away any memory of domestic canned tuna. Also notable are the arancini and the artichoke and brussels sprouts fritti. None of the fried bites are greasy or heavy.
It's hard for me not to order pasta, especially when it is homemade. Chef Kory Stewart makes fantastic stuffed pasta, supple and soft, simple yet with very high quality ingredients. You can get his pasta in smaller or larger portions. If you want to try several dishes I won't blame you for ordering the small portion, but if you're like me, you will be sad when it's gone. His pastas are often dressed simply with just a bit of olive oil or butter and topped with a bit of herbs or vegetables. The version with fava beans and Meyer lemon was a wonderful expression of late spring.
While I've enjoyed several desserts the one not to miss is the Mocha Custard $5. Served in an espresso cup it is is rich and creamy and the happiest marriage of chocolate and coffee.
Americano Restaurant & Bar
8 Mission Street @ Embaracadero
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 278-3777
The menu has something for everybody, with plenty of appetizers for sharing or light meals, pasta, Italian entrees and even a hamburger. While I've enjoyed the fish and hearty steak entrees, it's been the pizza, pasta and appetizers that have made me a fan.
Their take on the Margherita pizza, the pizza fresca, $15 is puffy and crisp and not overburdened with toppings. It has that melting quality I love when sauce, cheese and crust all meld together.
My favorite dishes are the appetizers, $7 each or 3 for $18. The luscious tonno conserva is so rich and delicate it will wipe away any memory of domestic canned tuna. Also notable are the arancini and the artichoke and brussels sprouts fritti. None of the fried bites are greasy or heavy.
It's hard for me not to order pasta, especially when it is homemade. Chef Kory Stewart makes fantastic stuffed pasta, supple and soft, simple yet with very high quality ingredients. You can get his pasta in smaller or larger portions. If you want to try several dishes I won't blame you for ordering the small portion, but if you're like me, you will be sad when it's gone. His pastas are often dressed simply with just a bit of olive oil or butter and topped with a bit of herbs or vegetables. The version with fava beans and Meyer lemon was a wonderful expression of late spring.
While I've enjoyed several desserts the one not to miss is the Mocha Custard $5. Served in an espresso cup it is is rich and creamy and the happiest marriage of chocolate and coffee.
Americano Restaurant & Bar
8 Mission Street @ Embaracadero
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 278-3777
The Flavor Bible: Book review
Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page have done it again. They've written yet another book that is sure to be a classic kitchen reference guide for years to come. The Flavor Bible lists thousands of ingredients and what other ingredients complement them. A typical listing? Grits are compatible with cheese--cheddar and parmesan, corn, cream, garlic, mascarpone, nutmeg, black pepper, salt, andouille sausage, shrimp and Southern cuisine. These days I need ideas more than I need recipes so the format is perfect for me. The Flavor Bible helps solve the "what else can I do with brussels sprouts?" question and expands your culinary horizons with entries for unusual ingredients such as quince (which has an astounding 51 ingredients associated with it), or lavender.
The ingredient lists came about by reviewing menus, restaurant reviews and cookbooks from all across the country. Some ingredients also have a season, weight, volume, and technique(s) indicated. But there is more to the book than just that. Top chefs from Jose Andres to Vikram Vij share their philosophy about using specific ingredients and techniques and there are also lists of intriguing dishes and "flavor affinities" such as butternut squash, risotto and sage or mango, almonds and lime. The book is very similar in format to their earlier award-winning book, What to Drink with What you Eat.
My only nitpicks are that the list of chef experts are mostly from the East Coast and tend to be focused on European cuisines. There are no chef experts representing the cuisines of Asia (with the exception of India), South America or Africa, that said, the book does include quite a wide range of ingredients such as fish sauce, yuzu, plantain and achiote. Also, since even a book such as this cannot be comprehensive a little more room in the margins would have been nice so that notes could be added. Still I recommend this book wholeheartedly. I am already finding it an endless source of recipe inspiration and impossible to put back on the shelf.
Aubergine Caviar: Another simple meal (2)
My market bags also had 4 small egg plants, 2 bunches of parsley, and 1 bunch of mint leaves. I was in Lebanon!My menu?
Aubergine Caviar
Taboulet
Grilled Lamb
Grapes
Taboulet, humus, aubergine caviar, kebbe, and more are part of the "meze", small savory dishes that are served in the Middle East as appetizers. In spite of its name, Aubergine Caviar is not fishy.
AUBERGINE CAVIAR or baba ganoush : I cut the aubergines in two lengthwise and broiled them until brown. I removed them from the oven and put them in a plastic bag that I closed with a tight knot. After 15 minutes (I was peeling the vegetables for the minestrone), I removed them from the bag and peeled them. I place them on a strainer and let them drain overnight, with some fresh lemon juice so that they do not become dark.
The following morning, I peeled a garlic clove. I mixed over medium speed the garlic clove, 1 plain yogurt (culture and milk only), two Tbsp of sesame cream (can be bought in speciality stores), salt and pepper, until the consistency was creamy. Then I added my aubergines and mixed over low speed. I do not like the aubergine caviar too smooth, so I do not mix too long. Put in a ramequin, pour some olive oil on top, and serve. I served it with small leaves of romaine salad, but it is used as a dip with pita type bread.
The following morning, I peeled a garlic clove. I mixed over medium speed the garlic clove, 1 plain yogurt (culture and milk only), two Tbsp of sesame cream (can be bought in speciality stores), salt and pepper, until the consistency was creamy. Then I added my aubergines and mixed over low speed. I do not like the aubergine caviar too smooth, so I do not mix too long. Put in a ramequin, pour some olive oil on top, and serve. I served it with small leaves of romaine salad, but it is used as a dip with pita type bread.
Update: Kath has told me (see comment) that this dish is called baba ganoush or بابا غنوج in arabic. Thank you Kath!
TABOULET: I pressed one lemon. I put 4 Tbsp of bulgur (see below) in the lemon juice and let it soften. I chopped 1 medium onion, I placed it in a small bowl with some salt, and let it stand for a while. I chopped the two bunches of flat parsley, a handful of mint leaves (left the rest to dry in the kitchen to make mint infusion), and put the greens in a salad bowl.
I chopped and added one ripe medium tomato.
It takes sometime to chop the parsley, but beware it needs to be done by hand! The result is not the same at all if you use an electric device.
I squeezed the onion between my palms, and added it to the vegetable mix. I also added the bulgur and olive oil to taste (pretty much for a good taboulet). Let it stand for a while so that everything is impregnated with fresh flavors, and serve cool, with romaine leaves (or pita bread)
Bulgur is whole wheat that has been washed, steamed, dehulled, dry-cooled, and cracked; it is used in the Middle East.
LAMB
I bought 2 lamb chops per pseson. I marinated them in a mix of herbs and olive oil and broil them over a rack so that I did not eat the fat. Golden outside pink inside: perfect!
I served Italia type grapes for a light dessert.
Red or yellow cheese?
A French friend used to say when you visit the Netherlands you are asked if you want yellow or red cheese! Of course, France having so many different types of cheese, he felt he did not have enough choices there. But he had forgotten that Dutch cheeses were a delicacy during the reing of French King Charlemagne!
I always try to eat local products when I travel. I was in Amsterdam for two days and found delightful cheese shops that cater many different types of the classic Gouda, Edam, Maasdam, Mimolette. Some have cumin, which adds a sharp note; or herbs.
Enjoy!
An AWARD!
Laura's Paris Cooking Notebook has won "You make my day-Award"!
This has been a good opportunity to stop and think, but also to browse and have fun, which I am grateful for!
I'd like to present the You Made My Day award to blogs that have inspired me:
> Mademoiselle Green because she's always bringing and acting new green ideas
> Paris Authentic because of the "retro" spirit of their tours
> Lucy Norris with whom we made "cornichons" at distance
> The Kitchen Pantry, because its creative and tasty recipes (would like to have one in my website!)
> Vagabond Diaries because Laura has enthusiasm and energy to create incredible gourmet memories
AWARD INSTRUCTIONS! The award works like this: 1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make me think and/or make my day. 2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver. 3. Display the "You Make my day Award" logo with a link to the post that I wrote. (Optional)
4. Tell the award winners that they have won by commenting on their blogs with the news.
This has been a good opportunity to stop and think, but also to browse and have fun, which I am grateful for!
I'd like to present the You Made My Day award to blogs that have inspired me:
> Mademoiselle Green because she's always bringing and acting new green ideas
> Paris Authentic because of the "retro" spirit of their tours
> Lucy Norris with whom we made "cornichons" at distance
> The Kitchen Pantry, because its creative and tasty recipes (would like to have one in my website!)
> Vagabond Diaries because Laura has enthusiasm and energy to create incredible gourmet memories
AWARD INSTRUCTIONS! The award works like this: 1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make me think and/or make my day. 2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver. 3. Display the "You Make my day Award" logo with a link to the post that I wrote. (Optional)
4. Tell the award winners that they have won by commenting on their blogs with the news.
La Fête du Fromage - Tomme de Thônes
I love butter. Especially the sweet butter from Brittany, the kind with generous amounts of sea salt flakes mixed into it. Sometimes I think that there's nothing more delicious.
If I wanted to throw caution to the wind (and buy an entirely new wardrobe in a much larger size) I would eat slabs of the stuff every day.
Well, I think I've found something just as delicious as my beloved Brittany butter; Tomme de Thônes, an absolutely heavenly, buttery tasting fromage de vache from the Haute-Savoie.
Tomme de Thônes is a medium strong cheese that offers the luscious flavor combination of rich salty butter, yeast and sweet mountain grasses and flowers. It is dense, yet quite soft, and melts in your mouth.
Yes, I'm in love.
It paired nicely with a glass of local rosé, but not with our Minervois red.
I think a glass of white from the Savoie would be perfect.
A little something extra: A short video showing Le Beurre Bordier being produced. It's much more amusing than it sounds. I promise!
Recycling in Paris
Organising trash collection in big cities is a complex task, and it is even more complicated when the effort of recylcing is made. 
One with a white top and a hole for glass (see picture) ... yes, the French drink wine which comes in glass bottles, plus yogurts, petits pots, preserves, and more. They are collected twice weekly.
Another trash can has a yellow top; this one is for boxes, cardboard, paper, newspapers, magazines, plastic bottles, small electric appliances, cans ... Collection is made twice a week as well.
The one with a green top is for the rest! These are collected everyday. They come in two sizes,
We have three different trash cans in our Parisian buildings. 
One with a white top and a hole for glass (see picture) ... yes, the French drink wine which comes in glass bottles, plus yogurts, petits pots, preserves, and more. They are collected twice weekly.Another trash can has a yellow top; this one is for boxes, cardboard, paper, newspapers, magazines, plastic bottles, small electric appliances, cans ... Collection is made twice a week as well.
The one with a green top is for the rest! These are collected everyday. They come in two sizes,
small and large, according to the size of the building and the size of the trash compartiment.
To respect our dreams, the 432 trucks in charge of trash collection circulate in the city only after 6 am and 60% of them use natural gas as fuel.
That's our daily contribution to recylcing at home, but there's more to it!
You see in the streets large container like the once in the picture, for glass as well. That is because a lot of very old buildings (like the one where I love) have no room for three trash cans and cannot comply with the town regulations. Therefore, we have a bag where we keep the bottles and glass jars, and when it is full, we go an to one of the many large containers to recycle glass.
Other way to recycle include:
> Many supermarkets have special containers for batteries, lamps, and Brita filters.
> Chemists must take medicine that has not been used.
> Optical shops accept old glasses that an organisations recylces and send to low income countries.
> Shops that sell appliances must accept the old washer or TV set when you buy a new one ...
To get rid of toxic chemicals (paint, acid, etc.) you can call a telephone number and set an appointment for them to come collect. This is a free service.
You can call a different number to dispose of furniture that you no longer need. If the furniture is in good condition, you can also choose to call an association that will redistribute to people with low income. Same for clothes.
The Paris city hall also encourages the inhabitants to take a recyclable bag when they do their shopping, to buy items with as little package as possible, to use "refills", to avoid using disposable wipes, to use batteries that can be recharged, and to drink tap water.
Click on the test on the right to know what your carbon print is! (test is in French)
Tout un programme!!
To respect our dreams, the 432 trucks in charge of trash collection circulate in the city only after 6 am and 60% of them use natural gas as fuel.
That's our daily contribution to recylcing at home, but there's more to it!
You see in the streets large container like the once in the picture, for glass as well. That is because a lot of very old buildings (like the one where I love) have no room for three trash cans and cannot comply with the town regulations. Therefore, we have a bag where we keep the bottles and glass jars, and when it is full, we go an to one of the many large containers to recycle glass.
Other way to recycle include:
> Many supermarkets have special containers for batteries, lamps, and Brita filters.
> Chemists must take medicine that has not been used.
> Optical shops accept old glasses that an organisations recylces and send to low income countries.
> Shops that sell appliances must accept the old washer or TV set when you buy a new one ...
To get rid of toxic chemicals (paint, acid, etc.) you can call a telephone number and set an appointment for them to come collect. This is a free service.
You can call a different number to dispose of furniture that you no longer need. If the furniture is in good condition, you can also choose to call an association that will redistribute to people with low income. Same for clothes.
The Paris city hall also encourages the inhabitants to take a recyclable bag when they do their shopping, to buy items with as little package as possible, to use "refills", to avoid using disposable wipes, to use batteries that can be recharged, and to drink tap water.
Click on the test on the right to know what your carbon print is! (test is in French)
Tout un programme!!
O Look What's in Store!
California Safeway markets are now featuring a whole line of organic products labeled O Organics. Looks like Safeway is finally jumping on the bandwagon. It's about time I'd say. Just this past September Safeway announced a program of commitments to health and wellness including nutritional icons on Safeway branded items, partnership with Dr. Dean Ornish and a line of organic products.
I used to do most of my grocery shopping at supermarkets like Safeway, but then along came warehouse stores, and Trader Joe's, ubiquitous farmer's markets, Webvan then organic produce delivery. My trips to the supermarket became less and less frequent. My experience shopping at supermarkets when I did go, was less and less pleasant and they seemed to not be carrying products I was looking for anyway. For example just recently I found myself in a Safeway and discovered they had eliminated dry ancho chiles. Dried chiles are a staple item for me and I always thought Safeway did a better job with "ethnic products" but it just goes to show that supermarkets are no longer the one-stop-shop they used to be for many of us. And I don't even shop at a Walmart, one of the biggest competitors for supermarkets.
The O Organics line includes fresh dairy products, eggs, juices, sauces, frozen fruits and vegetables and snack foods like chips, pretzels, cookies and popcorn. I haven't tried any O products yet, but I do hope they are good and offer value for consumers who have clearly demonstrated their desire for organic products. Supermarkets might not be "super" but Safeway certainly is taking steps in the right direction. A few other food bloggers have recently pointed out their own reasons why they like Safeway, check out Click Blog Appetit's post about Safeway's Creme Brulee and Food Musings praise of their good selection and friendly people.
Free range
Just walked down to Scarecrow Video to return discs 1 and 2 of Six Feet Under and pick up discs 3 and 4. Am so excited. Think I'll try to prolong the gratification by only letting myself watch two episodes at a sitting. Can hardly wait. Good thing I don't have a television, so I can't get this irrationally excited about too many other shows.
But this is all a tangent. The real meat of the deal
But this is all a tangent. The real meat of the deal
Carrot frenzy!
Friday, market day. It's raining in Paris but I do not want to spoil the pleasure of having fresh vegetables at home. Did you know carrots come in all these shapes and colors? Well, I bought some of each type at one of the local producers, and I am going to saute three of each kind in Brittany salted butter, with some garlic, a pinch of sugar, black cumin seeds that I received from Turkey, and fresh parsley. As for the different flavors, I'll let you know soon.
Still hungry?
| READ MORE Over at Cool Hunting is my post on Seasoned Skewers which are now available at Sur la Table stores. |
FOOD
My birthday: Menu
Here is my menu:
We started with Ravioles de Royans, a Dauphine (French region) speciality food. The little delicate squares (like mini raviolis) are made with white flour and stuffed with cheese and basil, I served them with a bit of olive oil and sliced olives and dry tomatoes. I presnetd them in a fine bone china bowl placed on a colorful chinese hand decorated dessert plate.
The main course was "magrets de canard" (duck breasts) from South West France. Magrets weigh about 1 lb each the skin side is very fat. First you make incissions on the fat to ensure it cooks. Then you cook them about 7 minutes on the fat side in a heavy pan (I use a Le Creusot iron cast frying pan) without any fat. The fat will melt. Your turn them and cook them 5 minutes o the meat side. You remove and put them in a pan in a medium low oven for 10 minutes. Cut and serve.
I served them with caramelized spring turnips (a classic garnish for duck) and onion compote with raisins, as if it were a chutney. Duck is served medium rare in France and cut in rather thin slices. I changed plates and forks amd knives and served a fresh lettuce salad, quite refreshing after the duck.
My cheese platter came from la Fromagerie d'Auteuil , the cheese shop near my house that I have often praised in this blog. It had one old Valencay goat cheese, one soft sheep cheese, a slice of Roquefort produced in a small farm at Roquefort, a small piece of Munster (keep your breathe!), and half La Pierre qui Vire, produced by monks at the Abbey with the same name - cow milk. 
My dessert was a home made iced vanilla flavored cream with swirls of dark chocolate, served in a shell of meringue. I had put the vanilla bean on top to decorate the cake and to give a hint of the flavor.
I served a Chateau Pailhas Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1999, perfect for duck.
We had our Nespresso in these small Chinese cups.
It was a good birthday indeed!
We started with Ravioles de Royans, a Dauphine (French region) speciality food. The little delicate squares (like mini raviolis) are made with white flour and stuffed with cheese and basil, I served them with a bit of olive oil and sliced olives and dry tomatoes. I presnetd them in a fine bone china bowl placed on a colorful chinese hand decorated dessert plate.The main course was "magrets de canard" (duck breasts) from South West France. Magrets weigh about 1 lb each the skin side is very fat. First you make incissions on the fat to ensure it cooks. Then you cook them about 7 minutes on the fat side in a heavy pan (I use a Le Creusot iron cast frying pan) without any fat. The fat will melt. Your turn them and cook them 5 minutes o the meat side. You remove and put them in a pan in a medium low oven for 10 minutes. Cut and serve.I served them with caramelized spring turnips (a classic garnish for duck) and onion compote with raisins, as if it were a chutney. Duck is served medium rare in France and cut in rather thin slices. I changed plates and forks amd knives and served a fresh lettuce salad, quite refreshing after the duck.My cheese platter came from la Fromagerie d'Auteuil , the cheese shop near my house that I have often praised in this blog. It had one old Valencay goat cheese, one soft sheep cheese, a slice of Roquefort produced in a small farm at Roquefort, a small piece of Munster (keep your breathe!), and half La Pierre qui Vire, produced by monks at the Abbey with the same name - cow milk. My dessert was a home made iced vanilla flavored cream with swirls of dark chocolate, served in a shell of meringue. I had put the vanilla bean on top to decorate the cake and to give a hint of the flavor.I served a Chateau Pailhas Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1999, perfect for duck.
We had our Nespresso in these small Chinese cups.It was a good birthday indeed!
New Little One
New Year's Miracle
The secretary at the mairie called this morning.
My carte de séjour finally arrived!
This is a very good beginning to 2007.
My carte de séjour finally arrived!
This is a very good beginning to 2007.
Financiers
It is a particular characteristic of the best classic foods that they turn a few simple ingredients into something wonderful. If you were looking for a recipe for something to give away, something simple but sophisticated, something that can be eaten with the fingers without any mess, you could do a lot worse than the financier. Although they're best eaten the day they're made, the batter does have to rest, so you can whip it up the night before and let it rest overnight, then bake them just before distribution. Look at the ingredients. Butter, sugar, almonds, egg whites and flour. That's it. From this minimal list, you'd have no idea just how refined the taste would be. But when you brown the butter until it smells like caramel-covered nuts and grind the almonds to the consistency of flour, you'll see why the financier is one of Paris's most-loved little cakes. And, I mean, I love Paris.
Not as famous as its cousin the madeleine, the financier is more understated, not as attention-seeking as that iconic shell. Their classic shape is reminiscent of the golden bars of their namesake 19th century stock brokers. According to Dorie Greenspan, who adopted this recipe from the Left Bank's Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Poujauran, they were invented during the late 1800s, and although they don't appear in French cookbooks as often as they probably should, they are a Parisian standard.
And now a word about browning butter. You're going to set your butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. You don't necessarily need to stir the whole time (although I'm neurotic, so I do) but you do need to watch it closely the whole time. If stirring helps hold your attention, do it. First the butter will melt, then it will start to bubble and then foam as the solids separate from the liquid (this is how you make clarified butter, but we're not going to separate the solids from the liquids. Instead, we'll continue cooking until the solids brown.) Eventually the foaming will subside and the butter will be bright golden. Keep it going until the solids start to brown. Watch closely at this point, because they can burn very quickly. Once the solids have reach a beautiful amber color, remove from the heat at once. It will continue to darken a little off the heat, and will smell like caramel. Once you smell it, you'll understand the magic of the financier.
Financiers
Adopted from Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets: Great Desserts from the City's Best Pastry Shops
1 1/2 sticks butter (6 ounces)
200 grams sugar
100 grams ground blanched almonds
6 large egg whites
90 grams all-purpose flour.
In a small saucepan place the butter and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Stir it occasionally and brown until it smells like caramel (see above). When browned, but not burned, remove form the heat and set aside.
In another large saucepan, stir the sugar and almonds together, then stir in the egg whites. Put the pan over medium heat and cook and stir until the mixture is heated through, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir the flour into the mixture, then stir in the browned butter gradually. It will be quite a wet batter at first, but the butter should get pretty well absorbed.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and cover with cling wrap. Push the cling wrap down on top of the batter so that it is protected from the air and various smells of the refrigerator. Chill the mixture for at least 1 hour, or up to three days if you're not ready to bake.
When you want to bake the financiers, preheat the oven to 400F with a wrack centered. Grease a financier pan, which is in the shape of bars, or you can use a mini muffin pan, if that's easier. I made mine in a pretty standard financier pan, so if you do go the mini muffin route, you'll have to watch them and adjust the cook time.
Fill the molds almost all the way, then bake for 12-13 minutes until the financiers are golden and springy when you poke at them. When I made them, the bars on the periphery cooked up faster than those in the middle, which had to be returned to the oven for a couple of minutes. But the cakes should not be mushy in the middle. When finished, take them out of the oven and remove them from the molds. Put them on cooling wracks and allow them to cool.
We ate this cake
About a million years ago, by which I mean last Thanksgiving, I mentioned on Twitter that my cousins had made an olive oil cake for our mothers’ birthday dinner. Our mothers are identical twins, born in the third week of November, which means that our family’s Thanksgiving comes with an extra bonus meal: The Twins’ Birthday. Anyway, I mentioned this cake, and someone - maybe one of you reading
In The News...Again
Wow! Cooking with Amy made it into two articles that published today! The Tennessean ran a really wonderful article in which the writer spends a week trying out blogger's recipes to great success including my recipe for Leek & Potato Soup. Congratulations to the other terrific bloggers featured in the article.
The other article is in the online version of Time Asia. It's an article about the online event "Is My Blog Burning?" For clarification, I use the event as an excuse to develop new recipes myself, not necessarily to try other people's recipes, though that is a very good idea.
Happy Blog Day!
Today is Blog Day 2005. The idea behind blog day is to choose 5 new blogs and share them with your readers. I have chosen 5 blogs launched in the last 6 months and you can find the full post with blog descriptions over at Bay Area Bites where I post every Wednesday.
Mostly I do interviews and book reviews for KQED's group food blog, Bay Area Bites, but this time I thought I'd join in this new event and let you know about it here as well.
The blogs I wrote about are:
1.In Praise of Sardines
2.Bunnyfoot
3.Delicious Days
4.Beauty Joy Food
5.David Lebovitz
I hope you'll celebrate by visiting each one. If you'd like to see a round up of other new blogs, visit the technorati page, here.
Asparagus
May is the month for asparagus in France. I love them. I have wondered why I left for Uruguay in May ! Since my return May 29, I have indulged in asparagus several times.
It was the recipe of the month of May in a A World in a PAN , where you can find several Asparagus recipes.
Nevertheless, during the Paris May classes and the classes in June so far, we have cooked asparagus pretty often. Asparagus with parmiggiano and hazlenut oil (pictured above), feuillete of asparagus, asparagus veloute, asparagus quiche ... Every participant seems to love them but few seem to know how they grow.
Asparagus grow best in a sandy soil. In France there are several production areas, the Saumur area, the Landes (near Bordeaux), Sologne (south of Chambord, a hunting area) ... In Germany, they are grown in Baviera. They are also abundant in the Netherlands and Belgium. The Spansih grow mostly green asparagus, less tender, thinner, and with a stronger taste. I saw wild asparagus in Sicily last year. They are very thin and the taste is stronger than the white ones.
White asparagus are around 8 inches (20 cm) long, the shoot grows vertically from under the soil but when they come out the white fades, hence the fact that they need to be harvasted right away, when they are young.
In France, asparagus are harvasted immediatly after their "nose" comes out with a special shovel that has a circle at the end, allowing to dig and pull without damaging the asparagus. According to French food regulations, they ought to be stored maximum four hours after harvested in a humid place at no more than 7 C.
Bon appetit!
Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting
So thanksgiving. Are we still talking about that? Some of us might still be enjoying the leftovers, although since I only made dinner for two, I am not one of the lucky ones. Making Thanksgiving dinner for myself and a Norwegian was something of a double-edged sword. On one hand, it really left a lot of room for improvisation, sparing me the whining that might come from people who have a lifetime of Thanksgiving expectations behind them. For example, we didn't have turkey (but that's another post).
On the other hand, R doesn't like pumpkin pie. I'll pause for second so my readers from the US can recover from the shock. My husband, whom I've promised to love and cherish for the rest of my life does not like pumpkin pie. Does not appreciate the custardy, autumnal filling, baked to not-quite-solid. And since it was only dinner for two, I couldn't very well make an entire pumpkin pie just for myself. Even I have to draw the piggy-line somewhere.
So instead, I made a pumpkin roulade with cream cheese frosting that I've made before, a couple of years ago for a friend's dinner party. Still of the season, still includes pumpkin, but in a form both of us were willing to polish off in under two days (boom). And even though Thanksgiving is over now, it's still relevant because no one wants to stop eating pumpkin yet. And no one ever wants to stop eating cream cheese frosting.
Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adopted from Saveur Magazine, number 106, November 2007
1 tablespoons butter softened, plus extra for greasing the pan
3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray a 10"x15" jelly roll pan with either butter or spray, and place a piece of parchment paper over it. Spray the parchment paper and set aside. In case you don't know, a jello roll pan is just a cookie sheet with a rim. And this size is bit smaller than the standard size, but perfect for my little mini-oven.
Sift the flour together with the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. Break the eggs into a bowl of an electric mixer, or just use a hand mixer, and beat them until fluffy and tripled in size. This will take 4-5 minutes, so maybe go with a standing mixer if you have one. Add the granulated sugar in thirds, and be sure to beat well after each addition so it's completely incorporated. After the last addition, beat the mixture for another 2-3 minutes until it's thick and creamy.
Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the pumpkin and lemon juice. Fold in the flour mixture gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan evenly, and spread it all the way to the sides. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Bake for 15 minutes, until cooked through.
While it bakes, get a work surface ready by sprinkling a clean kitchen towel with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. When the cake is done, quickly loosen the parchment paper from the pan, and (show no fear, commitment is your friend) flip it over onto the towel. Roll the cake up in the towel right away like a jello role. Set aside and let it cool for 1 hour, seam side down.
For the filling:
Combine the 4 tablespoons of butter with the 1 cup of confectioners' sugar and all of the cream cheese, as well as the vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until the frosting is smooth.
To finish:
Carefully unroll the cake and spread the frosting over it. Gently reroll, but this time without the towel. Transfer to a serving place, seam side down and refrigerate until set and ready to serve.
Jet lag!
9 hours time difference with France is hardly bearable!
While I was strolling last Sunday in Santa Monica 3rd promenade, Parisians were already celebrating Bastille Day - hence my post actually written on the 13rd which shows July 14 as the posted date. Yes, my computer resists jet lag and keeps the hour in Paris as its rule - though it's not French.
Angelinos celebrated Bastille day in West Hollywood. French associations are very active here, and organize a big gathering every year with "everything French".
The French Consulate in Los Angeles features a vast range of celebrations and events, that can be seen in their website. Vive la France!
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