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Monatsarchive: March 2012

Citrus Mint Salad & A Cookbook Giveaway!

Where Women Celebrate Cookbook


Thank you everyone for your get well wishes. It was a slow cooking/blogging week. Perfect opportunity to tell you about a project I was thrilled to be part of earlier last year. Along with some pretty awesome authors, photographers, bloggers, crafters, I was asked by the magazine Where Women Cook, to be part of their book project, "Where Women Cook: Celebrate!". The book is a collection of women’s stories on how they celebrate and gather the people they love around them.

The instant I read the first lines of the project, I knew I wanted to tell the story of how my grandmother used to celebrate. Above all the traits I inherited from her, this is by far the strongest one. The project was easy: tell with pictures and a few recipes your favorite way to celebrate, how you gather the people you love ad create lasting memories.

Tthe theme I chose to feature and photograph was the same one my grandmother would pick for family gathering: a Berber Couscous with merguez sausages, stewed veggies, chicken and mutton. Plenty of couscous and harissa to go around too. Both my grandparents were in Morocco for a extensive period of time, ten years apart, both my parents were born there, ten years apart. Moroccan cuisine is very much part of my family coding. It’s celebration food for us.

Where Women Celebrate Cookbook


My friend John at Lana Restaurant provided all the bistro bowls, silverware and napkins I needed. We set out a pretty table with flowers in mason jars and lots of natural twine.

Where Women Celebrate Cookbook


We strung some lights across the trees and all over the yard.

Where Women Celebrate Cookbook


The girls got busy making pretty flower arrangements while I was finishing cooking and John was grilling. The other guys in the group got busy with quality control and opening wine bottles.

Where Women Celebrate Cookbook


We sat down by the water and cheered, laughed, ate well, raised our glasses and polished off many servings of couscous. My grandmother would have been proud of us!

Saffron Honey Ice Cream


We took a break, played some silly games and found some room for Honey Saffron Ice Cream and Cardamon Shortbread Cookies.

Where Women Celebrate Cookbook


Fanny and Patrick from Bin 152 provided much of the wines and we lingered at the dinner table and watched the sun set over the water. We talked for hours and I completely forgot to serve a family favorite palate cleanser, a Citrus Mint Salad.

Citrus Mint Salad


So here it is. The one recipe that never made it into the cookbook, my grandmother’s super easy refreshing Citrus Mint Salad (check at the end of the post).

For the Berber Couscous and the Honey Saffron Ice Cream & Cardamom Cookies recipes, I encourage you to check out the book, "Where Woman Cook: Celebrate!". You will also be able to discover some of the amazing women who participated in the project such as Ree of Pioneer Woman, Angie of Bakerella, and Molly of Orangette.

You could also…enter a giveaway to win a copy of the book, right?! Well, here it is! I am indeed giving away one copy of "Where Women Cook: Celebrate!". All you have to do to enter is leave a comment to this post, between Friday March 30th and Monday April 2nd, midnight Eastern Standard time when a winner will be picked at random. And yes, I will ship overseas.
Just a few guidelines: no anonymous comments, one comment per person and prize must be claimed within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Citrus And Mint Salad:

Serves 4

1 pink grapefruit
1 white grapefruit
1 large orange
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
3 tablespoons honey

Supreme the pink and white grapefruit as well as the orange. (here are great instructions on how to supreme citrus)
Place the fruit segments with the mint and honey in a non reactive bowl and let sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Divide among bowls or ramekins, adding some of the natural juices over the fruit.

Roasted Tomato Soup & Tomato Parmesan Croutons

Roasted Tomato Soup


One of the things I always try to have on hand is a batch of soup. Does not matter the kind, but there is always one in the freezer, or one in the refrigerator or one simmering on the stove. This is my cure for everything. From being homesick to missing tooth.

Tomatoes


The latter is me today. After a painful molar extraction yesterday, the only thing I wanted to eat last night was soup. Smooth tomato soup. I was too drugged up to even want to thaw the batch I had in the freezer so my dear honey brought me some home from the local eatery.

Roasted Tomato Parmesan Croutons


Today, in between two rounds of painkillers, I am putting this Roasted Tomato Soup on the stove. It is my drug of choice to nourish me while I can’t have solid foods and to calm down the sounds coming from my stomach. A girl’s got to eat and even beaten to a pulp, I will try to make something tasty.

I am really honored to be sharing this recipe with the reader of Joanna at Cup Of Jo today in her "Best Simple Recipes" series, here. I also wrote a bit of my long love story with soup for her readers.

Thank you Joanna for having me!

Roasted Tomato Soup



Roasted Tomato Soup With Tomato Parmesan Croutons
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh tomatoes
4 garlic cloves (skin on)
4 small Vidalia onions, cut in half (or 2 regular onions)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried basil
2-4 cups water (depending on how thin/thick you like your soup)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the tomato parmesan croutons:
8 to 12 large cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
Fresh oregano to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Slice the tomatoes in halves and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Place the garlic cloves and onion halves on a separate baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast the vegetables until soft, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Peel the skin off the garlic cloves and place with the rest of the vegetables, in a food processor. Add about 2 cups of water and puree until smooth. Add more water to reach your preferred consistency. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.

For the tomato parmesan croutons:
Turn your oven broiler on high.
Thinly slice the cherry tomatoes (I usually get 3 slices per tomato) and layer on a baking sheet line with parchment paper. Sprinkle evenly with the dried oregano and parmesan. Broil for about 1 minute or until the parmesan starts to get golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
To serve, place the soup in a large saucepan and re-heat quickly over medium heat right before serving. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the tomato parmesan croutons. Enjoy!

Registration Now Open For Our 3-Day Workshop in Seattle

Workshop

The workshop is officially sold out! Thank you to everyone who registered so fast (30 minutes – boom – y’all are amazing!). We are looking forward to meeting you all in Seattle!
—————————————————–

Registration is now officially open for the 3-day food styling & photography workshop I am teaching with Clare Barboza and Becky Selengut in Seattle
The workshop will take place August 10th-12th and is limited to 10 participants.

For more information and to register, please head over here.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Save The Date: A Three Day Food Styling & Photography Workshop in Seattle, Washington

3 Day Workshop Seattle


I am really excited to announce another multi-day workshop that I will teaching with two of my favorite people

Save the date for an amazing three day workshop in Seattle, Washington! Here are the details:

Join photographers Clare Barboza, Helene Dujardin and chef & cookbook author Becky Selengut for a 3 day workshop full of photography, styling, and delicious food in Seattle, Washington!

When: August 10th, 11th, and 12th 2012

Where: Clare Barboza’s studio, as well as other locations out and about in Seattle.

What: This is a 3-day hands-on workshop. Over the course of three days, students will learn about natural light, composition, exposure, utilizing props, and food styling from the perspectives of both the photographer and the chef. They will practice their photography skills in a studio setting, in the busy kitchen of Poppy Restaurant, as well as an outdoor setting.
Additionally, Clare and Helene will share their processes with post-production and workflow in both Photoshop and Lightroom.
There will be delicious food prepared by Becky each day, and a dinner party for the entire group on the third night.

How much: $1250, which includes 3 days of instruction, lunch each day, and a dinner party with wine pairings from sommelier April Pogue on Sunday night.

How to register: Tickets will go on sale on Monday, March 26 at 8am PST/11am Eastern.
Space is limited to 10 attendees.

Heirloom Tomato Galette & Feeling At Home

Heirloom Tomato Galette


I was going to start this by saying that I had not married into a typical Southern family but to tell you the truth, I can’t think of one typical Southern home. Here in the South you can be from the Lowcountry, the Midlands or the Mountains. Three different ways of life, three different Southern twang lingering after each word. Three different ways of seeing the sun shine bright and to make a tomato pie.

Homemade Ricotta


I married into a Southern family with history and well, more history. My family is nomad in comparison with a history of adaptation, made colorful by the people in it and the countries we come from. I married a guy with a keen ability to retain only the goodness of the past to move into the present. He understands that I will adapt both our traditions to keep connected to my family and call his, my home. The Lowcountry does feel like home to me now. I have embraced its food, its ingredients, the seasons (sort of) that bring picnics at the beach in December and ripe juicy tomatoes in March. And tomato pies.

Heirloom Tomato Galette


I had never had a tomato pie until I met my mother in law. Actually, I met the pie first. Bill brought it to a picnic date and I also fell in love with my future family that day. If she wanted to tie me up to South Carolina through its culinary traditions, she had me at "another slice honey?" Juicy tomato slices in a buttery crust, happily nested in a creamy filling with plenty of basil, garlic and topped with a generous handful of sharp cheddar.

Heirloom Tomato Galette


Nothing that my doctor would be thrilled about. Nothing that my brain, deeply anchored in its own culinary ways, could compute. Nothing that I would admit craving as soon as Spring rolls around. And yet, I could not control my will power and had another generous slice. I felt completely and utterly happy, satisfied and calm. Giddy from my brain to my toes. From a tomato pie. Alright…and from the man before me.

Heirloom Tomato Galette


That very same day, I vowed to do something my grandmother and mother had advised years before: never ever, under any circumstance try to replicate that pie. I had now entered the potential "it’s not quite like when my mom makes it" territory. I ain’t no fool…Instead I decided to create my own version. The one adapting ingredients we have here to flavors and tastes from back home. A different approach to the same theme. A Tomato galette with homemade ricotta and plenty of oregano. A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan.

Heirloom Tomato Galette



Heirloom Tomato Galette:

Serves 4 to 6:

Ingredients:
For the crust
:
1 1/4 cup Jeanne’s all purpose gluten free flour mix (or regular all purpose flour if not gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
110 gr cold butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup icy cold water

For the ricotta filling:
1 cup ricotta (I use this recipe to make homemade ricotta)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

Topping:
3 to 4 heirloom tomatoes
1 tablespoon parmesan
2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:
Prepare the crust:

In the bowl of a food processor, (or follow the same instructions if doing by hand), pulse together the flour, salt and oregano until incorporated. Add the butter and pulse until the butter resembles small peas and is evenly incorporated. Gradually, stream in the cold water until the flour just comes together. Turn the mixture out onto your work surface and form into a 2-inch thick, round disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or overnight) before rolling out.

Preheat the oven to 350F and position a rack in the center.

Prepare the filling:
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Slice the tomatoes and spread them out on layers of paper towels to drain some of their moisture out while you roll out the pastry.

On a large surface area, well floured, roll out the pastry dough to a 10-inch circle, spread the ricotta filling but not all the way to the edge. Leave a 2-inch border of pastry all around. Layer the tomatoes on top. Gather the edges of the pastry dough, pleating as you go with your fingertips (don’t worry about being even – these are free form. Imperfections are wonderful anyways…). Sprinkle the tomatoes with parmesan. Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly, drizzle with the olive oil, some more oregano and serve.

Lemon, Chicken and Orzo Soup

Lemon, Chicken & Orzo Soup


It looks like the bout of bronchitis going around town has find a way to sneak into our house and beat me to pulp. Or at least it feels like it. I can’t complain though. We each get sick about once a year and thankfully not at the same time. That would be miserable for everyone around us…and we would drive each other crazy.

Meyer Lemons


While B. tends to crave fruits and juice when he is sick, I tune in to hot, energizing, shock-full-of-good-for-you ingredients soups. As soon as I feel I am about to get sick, and it always settles on my throat and chest, I make a huge pot of chicken broth and creates a couple of soups to have on hand. I may feel like a lion is coughing up a storm in my bronchi but at least, I have hot and nutritious liquids to navigate through it.

And it’s good for the soul too. Which always makes one heal faster.

Taking the next couple of days off and staying under the cover to get better.

Lemon, Chicken & Orzo Soup



Lemon, Chicken & Orzo Soup:

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks (or diced)
1 small celery stalk, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh spinach
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 cup gluten free orzo
salt and pepper
8 cups chicken broth (or water if you prefer)
Zest and juice of a lemon

Directions:
In a large pot (4 quart or more), heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the carrot, celery and onion pieces. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken breast, the spinach, oregano, orzo, broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, half covered for about 30 minutes or until the orzo is al dented.
Remove the chicken breast from the soup. Let cool enough to handle and shred it into pieces. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Add the lemon juice and zest, stir and serve.

Berries Sorbet & Lavender Shortbread Cookies Sorbet Sandwiches

Triple Berry Sorbet


Since Winter never really got here, we are and have been in Spring like mode for quite a few weeks over here. Local seasonal produce has been changing rapidly. Peas are sprouting, winter squash are disappearing. Asparagus are in, wild blackberries and raspberries are popping out in by the marsh behind our house. Strawberries are just a couple of weeks away.

Berry Heaven


Along with the produce, my whole being makes a little switch. In that time in between mosquitoes and scalding heat, I wake up and immediately open up the windows, I go to bed without pulling the mosquito screens. I continuously check for the progress of the seedlings I planted. Impatiently.

Berry Sorbet and Lavender Shortbread Sandwiches


You can feel a natural tingling in the air, to everything and everyone at Spring is approaching. It always gives me inspiration and energy. At home, it means a thorough clean out of the studio and re-organizing equipment and files. Recycling, giving, de-cluttering. Making a space that allows my thoughts to grow even wilder.

Lavender


In the kitchen, recipes change less than the ingredients they use but soups tend to get lighter and colder, salads take on many more fresh herbs and sprouts. Cakes, cupcakes and such make ways for lots more custards, creams and sorbets. A lot more berries are popping in desserts and sometimes in salads lately.

Hautes Alpes


This time of year always make me long for home. The valleys and mountains of Provence and the Hautes Alpes where I grew up. Lavender, thistle, thyme, rosemary. Picking blackberries and raspberries on the side of the roads with my parents. Making lots and lots of blackberry tarts for my dad. Watching my mom stir a long wooden spoon in a heavy copper jam pot. Watching her pull out her sorbetiere to churn homemade treats.

Berry Sorbet and Lavender Shortbread Sandwiches


I picked enough blackberries the other day to have enough for a cobbler or a tart but I was really craving sorbet instead. With raspberries and blueberries left over from a shoot the other day, I had plenty to make that sorbet I so desired. I made two small batches, one I left with nice bits of fruits in it and one I pureed smooth to sandwich with lavender shortbread cookies.

Hautes Alpes


Lavender, berries, cookies, sorbet. A fabulous trip down memory lane. And lots of nice treats to share with our neighbors.

Before I leave you, I wanted to share with you two little big things that I had the privilege to do this past month. One was to have some of my photographs used as a backdrop during a Donna Karan’s event for her non profit foundation, Urban Zen. I was in good company with fellow photographers Matt Armendariz and Lindsay Morris. You can see pictures of the event by clicking here and a recap of the foundation’s event here.

I am also extremely honored to have been asked by Heirloom Book Bo. to have my photography on exhibit for the next couple of months. The opening reception took place recently and it was an awesome thing to share with friends. You can find pictures and more info about the exhibit here and here. None of this, work and accolades, would be possible without your constant support and appreciation. Thank you!

Triple Berry Sorbet



Berries Sorbet and Lavender Cookies:

Makes 4 cups (sorbet) and about 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups water
zest and juice of one lemon

Directions:
In a medium saucepan set over medium high heat, place the berries and the rest of the ingredients and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Puree until smooth in a blender or food processor and then strain through a fine mesh chinois (strainer). Process in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
You can also let the mixture cool completely and churn without pureeing it smooth. It will give you a chunkier sorbet.

Lavender Shortbread Cookies:

Makes 12 cookies for sandwiches

1& 3/4 cups all-purpose flour or Jeanne’s Gluten Free All Purpose Mix
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons fresh edible lavender
3 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Position a rack in the middle.
In a bowl stir together flour, sugar, and cornmeal. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in lavender. Add milk. Stir with fork to combine and form into ball. Knead until smooth and divide in half.
On lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2-inch square cookie cutter, cut out dough.
Place cutouts 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack. Cool.
To store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature up to 3 days. Or freeze unfilled cookies up to 3 months.

To make sorbet sandwiches:
Spread about 2 cups of the sorbet in a 8×8 square pan and freeze until firm. With the same cookie cutter used for the lavender shortbread, cut out square of sorbet. Sandwich between two lavender cookies and freeze again until firm.

Tomato Goodness & Giveaway Winners

Tomato Salad


The skies above the creek are getting black and threatening. On a Friday. It’s warm. It’s just getting pitch black and on the eve of a busy weekend, I am hoping to counteract the atmosphere with some sunshine on our plates!

Let’s me start with a good dose of bonne humeur (good spirit) by announcing the lucky winners of Beatrice’s cookbook, La Tartine Gourmande – Recipe For An Inspired Life:
Congratulations Melissa at I breathe…I am hungry and Heather at DIY Du Jour. Please send me your email your mailing address at mytartelette AT gmail DOT com and I will notify Bea’s publisher.

Heirloom Tomatoes


I don’t have a "real" recipe today, more a little something I put together for lunch the other day. Layers of ricotta seasoned with chopped oregano, salt and pepper and yellow tomatoes. It was refreshing and filling. You can make the layers as tall or as thin as you want. In retrospect I would have let the ricotta drain a little in between layers of cheesecloth to make it a bit firmer. But for an impromptu lunch with my husband, it worked like a charm as it was.

It’s already tomato and asparagus season here. It’s been warm and humid. Perfect to let things grow in the gardens around. We have wild blackberries growing in the marsh behind our house already. A month early…I’m not complaining though. That means refreshing tomato salad and blackberry pies a month early too!

Tomato & Ricotta Napoleon


I think my favorite way to enjoy the tiny heirloom tomatoes from our neighbors' garden is simply with some oregano (again…one of my favorites), salt and pepper and a drizzle of really pungent olive oil. Make a little, make a lot…

But always eat with pleasure and joy. Tomatoes this good always bring sunshine on a rainy day!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tomato Salad

Chocolate Financiers, "La Tartine Gourmande, Recipes For An Inspired Life" & A Cookbook Giveaway

Chocolate Financiers


It’s always excited to see someone realize their dreams. Pick up their courage, their doubts, their talent and creativity and just go for it. I got excited when Beatrice announced she was writing a cookbook and I got even more excited when I finally held in my hands. "La Tartine Gourmande, Recipes For An Inspired Life" was no doubt a labor of love for Beatrice. It shows. From the colorful imagery to the detailed recipes, one can tell she did put a lot of care and perfectionism into her first cookbook.

I have Bea met once before on a press trip and it was a delight to see that the book matches the person in real life. Deeply French, but also very much in love with the flavors and aesthetics of other countries she visited. The book achieves what I look for most times in cookbooks: it reads like a novel with prose and anecdotes and at the same time it serves the purpose at hand, giving you plenty of recipes and creative ideas for casual to sophisticated plates.

LTG Book Cover


The book is divided in two major parts; one where Bea goes through core recipes used in various chapters, as well as covering the flours, sugars and utensils she favors. The other parts covers all the recipes, from breakfasts to picnic, to casual lunches with friends, to sophisticated or simple dinners. One thing I really appreciated in Bea’s writing is the fluidity of the recipe writing as well as the simple yet to the point style of the headnotes.

If you are familiar with Bea’s blog, the book is indeed, its perfect extension. Recipes that are simple to make, full or flavors and leaving you inspired to go create more of your own. I made 3 batches of these Chocolate Financiers in the span of a week. They disappeared as fast as I was pulling them out of the oven. (Recipe for the financiers after the jump)

Cupcake Wrappers


Bea was kind enough to answer a little fun interview I prepared so you could get to know her better. For more descriptions and excerpts from her book, you can check her amazon author page, here.

1/ Which person in your life influenced your cooking the most?

My mother. No doubt. I learned by her side. But in many ways too, it’s my upbringing in France. And the fact that I come from a family where there’s always been a clear passion for food, home cooking, and making someone happy with a meal. My brother and sister-in-law whom I am very close to love to cook and eat–like my mother, they keep an amazing vegetable garden to feed our crave for homegrown foods. Whenever I am in France, we spend a lot of time cooking together. Talking about food. So I know that it’s really us all, as a family, that rooted this love for food inside me. And the way I cook.

2/ Which culinary traditions or family habits have you kept from France?

The fact that I cannot skip lunch. Ever 😉 I am so French in that way. Lunch is cooked and needs to be a sit down meal during which I leave work and other things I am doing behind–to enjoy my meal. And it does not matter if I will have that meal alone. Everyone deserves that treat. As a family, Lulu, P. and I always eat together. Sharing our meals is a very important time of our day. Lulu is only 3 but she understands and loves it.

When I look at the dishes I make, no doubt, my cooking is French in essence. But I don’t perhaps cook what most people think of as French cuisine. I like to reinvent classics, which connects me to my roots and the foods that I loved to eat as a child. And then I personalize them to my taste and the influences my cooking gained from traveling and living in different countries. So in the end, it’s French but with a twist and exotic touches. I am curious about food, so I also like to constantly try new ingredients and build recipes around them.

At home, we always cared how food was presented on a plate. And we also always made sure that our meals were balanced in nutrition as well as in texture–hence I will always eat something cooked with something raw (ie there will always be salad that accompanies my meals). I think these definitely explain why I love to play with food the way I do. I like to make a dish pop onto a plate, looking light and colorful. And not overly complicated. I believe that we eat with our eyes first. I believe that what makes a great meal is quality ingredients, attention–and the rest follows naturally. That’s the way I was brought up to think about food.

3/ If stranded on a deserted island, which of the following would you miss the most?
– vegetable
– fruit
– spice and/or herb

vegetable: carrots from my mother’s garden
fruit: I’d say I’d miss the taste of a wild strawberry. So concentrated. So delicious and unique.
spice: cumin
herbs: parsley, coriander, chervil

4/ What is your favorite meal to cook for a romantic dinner "a deux"?

Not sure. It changes all the time since my creative flow keeps coming. I know there’d be chocolate somewhere during the meal (hello Molten chocolate cakes!). And we’d have a stunning looking refreshing appetizer, most likely a dressed-up salad or a verrine, with tons of zest (grapefruit, orange or lime), avocado and crab meat. As a main, I could easily imagine a creamy red kuri squash risotto finished with truffle oil and served with clams cooked in white wine, garlic and .fresh herbs.

5/ Favorite word? Least favorite word? Favorite color? Two things you can’t stop eating lately?

Favorite word: Maman….it’s filled with so many meanings and special things for me.
Least favorite words: Dépêche toi! (hurry up!) I hate when I have to rush….
Favorite color: That’s a hard one as I love most of them. Right now, I’d say red as I can see myself buying a lot of fabrics, bowls and home textiles with different hues of red on them. I also also love spring green and turquoise blue.
Two things I can’t stop eating right now: fine slices of apples enjoyed with pecans and honeycomb; coconut milk tapioca pudding with stewed fruit.

Chocolate Financiers


Bea and her publisher were also very kind to share two copies with two readers. To enter the giveaways for a copy of "La Tartine Gourmande, Recipes For An Inspired Life" – all you have to do is leave a comment (no anonymous, one entry per person) on this post between Monday March 5th and Thursday March 8th, midnight EST. You must claim your prize within 48 hours or two other winners will be picked. I know this sounds harsh but many enter, I announce winners and prizes stay unclaimed for months and/or are never claimed which is not fair to the other participants who really do care about a gift.

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of the book by the publisher. All images (except the book cover) and opinions are my own.

Chocolate Financiers, slightly modified from La Tartine Gourmande:

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons millet flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
A pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup powdered sugar
4 large egg whites (beaten slightly)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F, position a rack in the middle and line the inside of 10 muffin tins with wrappers.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook until it starts to turn brown and smells smells like hazelnuts, between 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the almond meal, millet flour, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar. Mix until blended. On low speed, beat in the egg whites.
Add the butter and vanilla and mix for another 30 seconds.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins and bake the financiers for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let cool and dust with more cocoa powder if desired.