Jahresarchive: 2010

Orange & Pastis Braised Baby Fennel

18.11.2010 30 Comments

Instead of worrying if I’d have time or where I’d find time to come update with posts and recipe, I thought I’d start a mini series of posts instead. Shorter posts with recipes geared toward the upcoming holidays or inspired by the plethora of produce and items I find every weekend at the farmers market.

Depending on the time and subject at hand, some post might be shorter than others but this blog is a place of stress relief and comfort first and foremost. For you and for me. For my mom too so that she can see I don’t "forget to eat". Seriously. Forgetting to eat? She had to be thinking about someone else.

In the spirit of making it count and making something good, I want to share a side dish we have been eating twice already this week: Orange & Pastis Braised Baby Fennel. Sweet, a little tart and full of the wonderful aroma of anise and citrus. B. said it was like eating candied vegetables and I am so glad I put 2 bunches of baby fennel in my basket at the farmers marker last weekend. He frowned. Now he’s rubbing his belly in approval. Ahah!

I am keeping this as my secret weapon depending on our final menu for Thanksgiving. I must confess that I *can’t* wait for Thanksgiving this year as Tami from Running With Tweezers, her boyfriend Mike, Broderick from Savory Exposure and Chris from Mele Cotte are making the drive from Atlanta to Charleston to spend a few days and celebrate Thanksgiving at our house. Food! Slumber Party! Happy Hour! Farmers Market! Walks!

We have been talking about the food for a few weeks now and there are some wonderful dishes in the works! Be prepared for some sneak peeks and posts about our dinners. That’s what you get when bloggers, bakers, food stylists, food photographers, food enthusiasts gather together around the table!

I am thankful for their gift of friendship and love to us. These folks are like my second family and I am a lucky to have these few days with them in our gorgeous city.

** You still have until Sunday to enter the giveaway for Gluten Free Girl and The Chef Cookbook! Just head over there and put your name in the virtual hat! **

Orange and Pastis Braised Baby Fennel

Notes: It’s one of those dishes that require little in the form of active hands on preparation and that cooks on its own while you can tend to more pressing issues. You can definitely use regular sized fennel for this recipe and do without the pastis by using a couple of anise seeds and broth or water instead. The anise should be subtle enough to play up the natural aroma of the fennel while the orange gives it a nice floral and sweet note.

Serves 4

2 bunches baby fennel or 2 medium bulbs fennel (fronds discarded – keep them for salads!)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (clementines right now are perfect for this in the South East)
zest of one orange
1/4 to 1/3 cup Pastis (or equivalent in water + 2 star anise)
1/3 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the baby fennels in half lengthwise. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan (I like to use cast iron as much as possible) set over medium high heat and sautee the baby fennels until they start to get golden. Add the orange juice, orange zest, Pastis and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the baby fennel is fork tender, 40 minutes to an hour. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the liquids reduce to a syrup and coat the fennel completely. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve hot.

Thin Crust Pear Tart – Tarte Fine Aux Poires For Gluten Free Thanksgiving & A Giveaway

15.11.2010 276 Comments

As I was making this tart for Shauna’s Gluten Free Thanksgiving Baking Round Up, I started reflecting on how much I enjoyed being an expat in America around the holidays. I now have an entire second family, a tight group of friends and handful of added occasions to celebrate new traditions and holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc… Even Christmas in B’s family is light years away from mine. Starting with the food of course.

I did not grow up around pumpkin pie, pecan pie or double crusted apple pie but like anyone entering another family, expat or not, there are new traditions I have come to love. Some I have been privileged to make my in-laws discover as they let me bring my own creations to their tables. One of these dishes was my grandmother’s Tarte Fine Aux Pommes. She was famous for it. And for good reason. One of the simplest and yet most aromatic and satisfying thin crusted pie I have ever had.

She’d start by making a very basic applesauce with heirloom and very tart apples, a bit of cardamom, and lemon. She’d then layer it at the bottom of a very thin pate brisee crust and top the tart with thin slices of fresh apples. It was thin on all counts, rustic and absolutely amazing. The textures, fragrances. That bit of crunch from the crust, the oozing applesauce underneath and the pretty slices of apples on top. A feast for all senses.

When Shauna sent out an email to put together a massive round up of gluten free baking recipes for Thanksgiving, my head started spinning. Wow! Thanksgiving was indeed so close and I felt like I was already one train wagon behind! But it is indeed necessary to start such a big round up filled with so many options for baked treats for the holidays. Whether you are gluten free or need to bake gluten free for someone coming to break bread at your table, that round up provides you with so many delectable options.

Go check it out on Shauna’s blog. It’s awesome. And tempting. And delicious.

I first thought about making pumpkin pie but it’s not our true favorite to celebrate. We tend to like apple pie and tarte tatin, tarte fines and the like. Instead of using apples like my grandmother, I chose one of my favorite Autumn fruit, Forelle pears. They are juicy and fragrant. Cute as can be and one fits in my pocket quite perfectly…

I was going to go with Shauna and Danny’s recipe for Asian Pear Tart in their book but the Asian pears were literally the size of mini watermelons so I substituted Forelle pears and instead of making applesauce like Grandma would have, I followed Shauna’s directions to use apricot jam. I knew there was a reason I was holding on to that last of homemade apricot jam from this summer! You don’t have to go that extent but don’t skip on the quality is all I’m sayin’…

Did you see the giveaway going there on her blog? Pretty cool, non?! Guess what?…Shauna is graciously giving one copy of their book to one of you guys! Whether you like stories, recipes, tips, challenges, there is something for everyone. There is love to share. Beautiful words, delicious recipes and inspired photography by Lara Ferrroni. A feast for the senses!

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and Sunday November 21st at midnight Easter time, when my better half will draw a winner at random. No anonymous comment, sign an initial, X or a name so I know you are not a robot! One entry per person. Good luck!

Forelle Pear Tart – Tarte Fine Aux Poires – Adapted from "Asian Pear Tart" in Gluten Free Girl & The Chef.

Notes: I am writing down the recipe as Shauna and Danny wrote it for their book and adding my changes as I go along. The only reason behind my substituting flours was due to our personal preferences and what I have on hand in the pantry.

For the crust:
1/2 cup sorghum flour – I used millet flour
1/2 cup tapioca four – I used corn flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon – I left it out
pinch of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) frozen butter
1 large egg
1/4 cup ice cold water

Filling:
6-7 medium Asian pears – I used 10 Forelle pears
1/3 cup sugar – I used 1/4 cup honey
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped – I used 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/3 cup apricot jam

Prepare the tart shell:
Sift together the millet flour, corn flour, potato starch and sweet rice flour into a large bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon if using and salt. Sift into another bowl (I admit I skipped that part).
Grate the frozen butter directly into the dry ingredients with a medium cheese grater. Work with your fingertips until the dough feels like cornmeal or large pieces of sand.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg and the water together with a fork. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the liquid, and start gathering the dough together with your hands or a fork. Gather the dough into a ball and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

Butter and flour an 11-inch tart shell (I used 2 rectangular pie shells). Pull the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature a little. Roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper to the approximate size of your tart pan. If the dough tears a little, just piece it back together with your fingertips.
Freeze the tart dough for about 30 minutes.

While the dough is freezing, preheat the oven to 375F. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough, fill with dry beans and blind bake for 15 minutes. Let cool.

Prepare the filling:
Core and peel the pears and toss them with the honey and cardamom (or vanilla bean and sugar if using).
Spread the apricot jam evenly at the bottom of the pie shell and layer the pear slices on top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and serve with whipped cream if desired.

Gluten Free Crepes With Honey Lavender Roasted Persimmons & Some News

12.11.2010 113 Comments

Given my love for corny, it should be no surprise to hear me say that you have no idea how perfectly perfect it was to sit down to breakfast this morning on the back deck. Crips skyes, warming sun, pups by my side, all wrapped up in comfy blanket, a hot cup of coffee and a gluten free crepe filled with lavender roasted persimmons.

**STOP** Let’s keep this real shall we? It was 6am. It was downright nippy cold. The pups started barking at the squirrels and I ended up spilling my coffee on the cozy blanket. But, let’s face it… my positive disposition is more inclined to wipe off the coffee and become deaf to the sound of two crazy wild beasts barking their heads off just for the sake of waxing poetic about crepes.

That’s what I like about writing and photography. Any form of artistic expressions actually. It’s yours to do whatever you want and give to people. Some will get it, some won’t but a civilization honored with that name will let you be and say and play.

I for one, decided this morning to look on the bright side of things for so many other reasons than to depict a blissful image of something that was just not happening as I thought it would. If you have read my previous post about my hectic relationship with breakfast well, then you realize that my morning episode was a feat in itself. I was sitting to eat. Breakfast. That’s big.

I also quickly realize that I was as exactly as my husband likes to describe me: I have a real coeur d’artichaut. I fall in love easily and often in love. It’s not that I don’t know what I want, quite the opposite. I just don’t want to avoid emotions and sensations. How does that relate to crepes, persimmons and breakfast? I stubbornly and repeatedly try to fall in love with breakfast. And in that regard, I clearly lean towards breakfasts that pack a punch and awaken sensations versus the cereal and milk days of my childhood. Like with most things, it’s got to keep me entertained.

Crepes rank pretty high on my list of "entertaining breakfasts". I think I am seriously developing serious tastes for seriously stylish items in the morning. Chocolate tamaring cupcakes? Check? Crepes? Check? With en papillotes roasted persimmons? Ouuh la la! Add a touch of honey and a sprinkle of lavender buds and you are about to smack me on the head! I know! I would too if it weren’t for the fact that oh dear, the combination is so good, I hope you try it if you can.

I have no idea where, how, why I came up with that one, but the moment fuyu persimmons went on sale at the market, I knew I’d roast them with honey in little parchment paper pockets. That was that. The lavender? Well, if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m more of a "why not?" kind of gal than anything so it was worth a try. Or it was simply the result of too much coffee on a bright sunny day…

You have no idea how giddy I am knowing that I finally nailed down a gluten free recipe for crepe that we all like and behaves exactly like its gluten counterpart. Crepe parties! Been way too long since I had a warm sugar crepe and a cup of tea on a chilly Autumn day. Well, no more!

Roasting fruits or vegetables in parchment paper is a fun little technique to optimize and concentrate flavor as well as minimize cleanup. Always thinking about efficiency…Do not worry about how neat or pretty the packages are as long as they are tightly sealed. Feel free to use another seasonal fruit such as pears or apples, or stone fruits and berries if it’s Summer where you live. There is no wrong way to go about it just tons of possibilities.

This brings me to a ~~little~~ big news to share with you. Back in June, I forwarded an email to B. asking him to "please stop pulling my leg with pranks like this. It’s just not funny dude". He replied "honey, I did not." and I went "Oh shoot". It was from Wiley Publishing. Yeas. "The" Wiley Publishing. They asked if I would be interested in writing a food photography book. In my voice. In my words. To share with budding photographers and food bloggers wanting to keep learning, the fundamentals of taking photographs for their blogs, or their products.

It’s not just photography, and it’s not just styling. It’s not just natural light and it’s not just artificial. It’s not just about what to do to get the shot and it’s not just about workflow and editing. It’s not a definite how-to. It can’t be such a book in photography as this world constantly evolves with people and subjects. It’s meant to be a resource book for your to learn from, grow with and pass on to someone who might need it.

Yes. It’s meant to share information and tools and let you use what you need/want from it. It’s not meant to tell you what to do but to give you options to enjoy taking photographs . It comes without any other pretensions.

The manuscript is due in February and the book is scheduled to be released in May 2011. So yes….I am writing. And photographing to illustrate ideas and points. And working with Carrie Vitt on a dessert cookbook for next year as well my other clients in the meantime (gotta keep the electricity on – I hear it’s really important and all!!).

As I said last week: send chocolates. And coffee. And some bourbon. I think…

In the meantime, it’s Friday evening and we’re having a crepe party at the house! Have a great weekend!

Gluten Free Crepes With Honey Lavender Roasted Persimmons:

Makes 12 crepes

For the crepes:
125gr potato flour (about 3/4 cup) (I use Ener-g Potato Starch Flour)
125gr millet flour (about 3/4 cup)
pinch of salt
2 cups whole milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
pinch of salt
1/2 cup light beer (or club soda or cider)

For the roasted persimmons:
6 Fuyu persimmons
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lavender buds

Apricot jam
whipped cream or vanilla yogurt

Prepare the crepes:
In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients and pulse until fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
If you decide to do it by hand: combine the flours and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly add the liquids. When all is in, add the beer or club soda.
No matter what method you used, strain the batter if necessary. Refrigerate, covered for an hour or overnight.
In a saute pan (8 to 10 inches round) set over medium high heat, laddle 1/3 cup batter (depending on the size of your pan) and cook 2 minutes on each side.

Prepare the fruit:
Cut twenty four 7-inch square pieces of parchment paper and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375F and position a rack in the middle.
Peel and core the persimmons as you would apples cut in half. Cut each half into thirds or quarters (depends on size of fruit). Place six to eight pieces of fruit in the middle of one parchment paper square, top with one tablespoon of butter, one tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of lavender. Place a second piece of parchment on top and seal the edges over themselves to close the package.
Repeat the procedure until you run out of fruit.
Place on two baking sheets and roast for about 20-30 minutes.
Let cool 5 minutes before cutting the packages open. Be careful of the steam!

To assemble, layer some apricot jam at the bottom of each crepe, top with some roasted persimmons, add some whipped cream if desired and close. And eat. Of course.

A Bowl Of Crab Soup – Catching Dinner In The "Backyard"

08.11.2010 51 Comments

People I meet when on travels are often wondering whether I am exaggerating when I enthusiastically mention getting our dinner fresh from the dock or the sea. The answer as you can see from the pictures below is no. Not at all. All the possessions in the world will never equate the intense sense of gratitude we feel from being so close to the water and taking some time receiving from the ocean some of its bounty.

View from the dock – what we call "the extended backyard".
We are indeed lucky to be able to just go catch a dozen crabs on a sunny Sunday afternoon or cast our net during shrimp season to make fresh shrimp and pesto linguine for dinner. Yes. We know. Once that first shrimp hits our lips, we can smell and taste all the depths of the ocean in just one bite. Slightly sweet, a bit salty, strong earthy flavor. It’s like that first sip of perfectly cold beer on a sweltering day. Magic.

Bailey is one happy puppy!
I sort of apply the same feelings to the first soup enjoyed on the first chilly day of the year. I’ve been making the same ones every season. Crab soup and lentil soup with a poached egg on top. I can’t say we get really cold weather here, maybe for a few weeks, but the little nip of crisp and chill weather is enough to turn everyone to light fires and make soup. Just because it’s a bit chilly. Just to take the edge off.

Bailey and Bill checking on the crab catching progress.
Impatiently waiting for a drop in temperature last week, I got the pups and the husband to the dock to enjoy the cool ocean breeze for a little while. Once home, I opened up all the windows one night and let the breeze come wafting in while I started simmering this soup.

This guy is a little cold – not too speedy to realize what the heck is going on…
Anyone who has spent some time with the ocean will tell you that the world moves at a different pace. It tells you when your dinner is caught, not the other way around. It tells you to slow down for a while and just be. Observe. You might see some pretty nifty things this way.

A fiddler crab that looks straight out of "Pirates of The Caribbean" he spent so much time under water. A baby shrimp almost translucent as it’s still building strength and character. A few porpoises at sunset playing hide and seek on the horizon (pics next time).

Trust me….he’s not reaching for a hug.
Yes. I like traveling but I also like coming home. I am a mountain girl from the rocky side hills of Provence. I can also crack, pull apart and pick a crab faster than my mother in law now. Ha! I’m still discovering all that the ocean has to give and the abundant seafood culture of the South. But trust me I do my best every week while cooking to appreciate it even more. Starting with crab soup.

Simple, naturally sweet from the crab and with a tiny little kick to it, this soup is great as a starter for a celebration meal or on its own for a casual and cozy dinner. As with anything in life, it’s best shared with loved ones and friends even though you might be tempted to hoard it all for yourself. Fair warning.

A bowl of hot crab soup, a piece of bread and a crackling fire. It’s good to be home and take a breather before the next adventure.

P.S: Congratulations to Karin Alisa Houben and Kathy from Foodiebia – each winners of a copy of Food Heroes by Georgia Pelligrini. Send me your addresses at mytartelette {at} gmail {dot} com so that Georgia’s publisher can get those out to you pronto!

Crab Soup, adapted from Cooking Light 2003.

Notes: If you get the chance to get fresh crabs, just cook them in a pot of lightly salted boiling water for about 8 minutes per crab. To pick a crab, this video is really easy to follow.

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf
4 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch (or arrowroot) dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound lump crab meat
2 tablespoons Cognac

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the carrot and the next 5 ingredients (through jalapeno), and sauté 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add salt, black pepper, herbes de Provence, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the water, and cornstarch/water mixture and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.
Stir in the milk and cream and cook 5 minutes. Stir in crabmeat and cognac cook 5 minutes or until the soup is thoroughly heated. Serve.

Fiadone, A Corsican Dessert & A Giveaway

02.11.2010 308 Comments

I realize that I never posted a recap of my BlogHer Food experience and although work being the primary reason, well…I really don’t have another reason. Many bloggers were doing such a good job at putting into words all the feelings experienced during that weekend that I commented on theirs instead of writing mine. I did go to BlogHer Food with some goals such as deliberately meeting some folks to see if my first online impressions matched my second in real life ones but also to let the unexpected guide me to meet new faces or take part in amazing conversations.

That’s how I met Michael (deliciously devilish), and Stephen (super talented photog), told Aida Mollenkamp I digged her shoes of all things, had an Oprah moment in the conference hotel bathroom with Tami and Jeanne and finally crushed hard on this little firecracker of a woman, Georgia Pelligrini. And I also digged her boots. No I don’t have a foot fetish, I just have major crushes on strong women, marrying beauty and fearlessness.

Georgia could be a model. Instead she roams the world to discover "culinary artisans across the world, who are fighting to preserve their food traditions." She compiled 16 of them into a book "Food Heroes" that came out this past September. Listening to Georgia’s enthusiasm about the people in each story was like drinking moonshine. It’s sweet, powerful and it burns your eyes it’s so good. I promised myself to order a copy as soon as I got home. Georgia beat me to it and sent me one with a little note telling me to check the chapters on the two artisans in France.

For the next 30 minutes I was in another world. It’s one thing to tell the story of someone. It’s another thing to tell someone’s story. Georgia knows how to do just that. In no time I was back on the hills of my childhood, running among the olive trees and picking fresh figs to eat on the way back from school. I wanted to read about all the other people in her book and without realizing it, night had fallen while I was deep into the story of Bill Best, the seed librarian in Berea, Kentucky.

There’s something comforting for an historian like me to know that some people make a life out of preserving food traditions. As Ruhlman said during the conference, "food is our humanity" and these people are our humanity keepers. Keeping traditions alive is a testament of our ability to understand passion for quality and care. I see that every Saturday morning when I go to the farmers market in downtown Charleston. We have genuine artisans among them, people with the skills of working their product in an ethical and organic fashion. To pass their passions and a bit of their story on to us everytime we go and take the time to chat for a couple of minutes.

It’s a special treat to see these farmers' eyes light up with every question I ask or when I tell them what I cooked or baked with the produce or meats I got the week before. There is an exchange far beyond that of goods and paper bills. There is humanity. I always feel a little closer to that when I can buy a product in its raw form and turn it into something else, simply by applying the teachings of other artisans I met when I worked in restaurant kitchens. Food artisans and food lovers would be miserable without one another.

I was really excited to get the first delivery of fresh goat’s milk of the morning the other day at the market. I bought more than two people would consume in one week and I know the people at Joseph Fields Farm thought I was a bit strange. I had a plan. I had been craving faisselle, a soft large curd cheese I grew up eating and wanted to make a few batches with goat’s milk for a change. I think if I were to become an artisan, I would raise goats and make cheese. I am serious.

I made so much faisselle that I quickly had to think about ways to use it. I love it barely drained from its whey with a bit of honey and a sprinkle of walnuts in the Winter. In the Summer, I like to mash up so raspberries and sugar along with it. In the Fall? Well…I had never thought about that one. Yet. Until one of our friend mentioned that his work stint was over with here and he was moving back to his native Corsica. I told him to come over for dinner and I would make Fiadone with the fresh faisselle I had just made.

I have spent very little time in Corsica but it was enough to fall in love with its people, its landscape, its energy and its food. One thing I loved almost as immediately as it hit my lips was the Corsican dessert Fiadone. It’s really a cross between a flan and a cheesecake and usually made with brocciu, or brousse, a slightly curdles soft cheese made from cows or goats. All I had to do was make the faisselle, drain it as I would fresh cheese and we were in business.

I know not everyone has access to fresh goats milk to make faisselle for this dessert and the good news is that you can substitute ricotta or well drained yogurt in the same proportion. It is light and refreshing and you can really boost up the flavors anyway you want. We like it with loads of lemon zest but orange or freshly cut pear slices on top would be perfect for the season. Hope you give it a try!

In the spirit of celebrating food crafters and food artisans all over, Georgia is graciously offering two copies of her book to two lucky readers. I dare say lucky because you will want to get on a road trip and visit them all after reading this book! All you have to do to win one of two copies of Food Heroes by Georgia Pellegrini is to leave a comment on this post between today Tuesday November 2nd and Sunday November 7th. One entry per person, no anonymous. That’s it…

I monitor comments manually and I am going out of town for the rest of the week so if you don’t see your comment right away, give me at least 48 hrs before emailing me about it.

Where am I going? I am heading to Indiana to photograph Caitlin’s, from Engineer Baker, wedding. It’s my wedding present to her and J and after our engagement session here this summer, I could not be more excited. I took the week to be with them and give her some bridal shots, document the making of the wedding cakes (yes….she’s doing her own wedding cakes), the rehearsal dinner and of course the ceremony. Those lovebirds are so adorable together…I will try my best to post snapshots!

Fiadone, adapted from "Fromages Frais Maison" by Cathy Ytak

Serves 6-9

1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 cup drained faisselle or ricotta cheese

Line an 8×8-inch sqaure pan with parchment paper, butter lightly and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375F and position a rack in the middle.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and the eggs until pale. Add the lemon zest, cornstarch and salt and whisk until blended. Add the drained cheese and whisk well.
Pour into your prepared pan, place into the oven and lower the heat to 350F. Bake for 45 minutes. The cake does not rise, it gets dark around the edges and a knife inserted in the middle should come out clean. Let cool for a few minutes before sharing.

To make faisselle without the traditional molds (what I do at home):

Heat up 4 cups of raw milk or whole milk (cow or goat) and 1 cup of Greek yogurt (full fat) into a large saucepan until the mixture reaches 30C.
In the meantime, place 6 drops of rennet (found at healthfood stores) in the bottom of a large, super clean, bowl.
Once the milk mixture has reached proper temperature, slowly pour it into the bowl with the rennet. Give one turn with a wooden spoon and let sit.
Do not move your bowl or stir again. Leave it alone for a least 6 hours. Very carefully transfer to the fridge. Try not to shake and move the bowl too much to prevent the curds from breaking lose before they are ready.
After another 4-6 hours, the faisselle is ready to be broken into and to be drained to the consistency that you prefer.

Gluten Free Candy Filled Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

29.10.2010 46 Comments

Despite seeing it on the store shelves since late August, I resisted getting candy for Halloween until yesterday. For once, that’s kind of how my stubborn mind works. The more commercial a holiday gets, the longer I’ll resist buying into it, and it was not until B. gave me a friendly hint that maybe we should stock up for trick or treaters, that I finally started seeing the displays at the store. However, I had a better reason for waiting to be closer to Halloween: Lara's Candy Filled Doughnuts. Oh yes.

If I make cookies, they disappear as if a tornado went through the kitchen. If I get Halloween candy a week before the due date, I keep finding little gold and silver wrappers in his pockets for seven days straight. The man cannot be left alone with food. I count my blessings that he can’t cook but knows how to eat. I also love when he gets involved and excited about baking something even if I know I’ll be the one at the stove.

Nothing warms my heart more than seeing people get excited about food even if they feel or are clueless about putting it together. I know we will have a good time in the kitchen or at the dinner table ultimately. It did not fail when I saw B. huntched over Lara’s book letting out some "ooohs" and "aaaaahhs" with almost every turn of the page. Then he got quiet. Pages were not being turned. He gave me a look so meaningful I thought he was going to start his sentence with "mom, can I have that?"

Yep, at the sight of Candy Filled Chocolate Cake Doughnuts, this grown up guy was 6 years old again. Very relieved to hear his deep ~~sexy~~ adult voice "hon, isn’t it time for Halloween candy?" You know the old complaint "it’s not what you said, it’s how you said it"? Yay…I totally knew what he was up to. I said "give me the book – Give me the book now – you can’t look at the book. You’re making me crazy." And then he gave me that look again and I melted. Again. Damn he’s good! So I told him to pick one and stick to it.

This recipe is so easy to put together and so timely if you want to play with some of your extra candy. If that ever happens to you that is. I had to hide a handful to make sure I’d have something to post! I made the dough the night before which always makes it easier to roll, gluten free or not and had enough to make 15 doughnut holes filled with various candies and 4 doughnut rings. I want to make a full batch of dipped cake ones now. Forever. Well, only if it involves salted butter caramel icing.

Lara…dear…you did again. And we could not be happier…!

Public Service Announcement: a while back, my friend Rachael from Today’s Mama and the nice folks at Avery asked me if I wanted to contribute a design to their "back to school" binder initiative with pictures of mine for the cover and back. Unless, it’s a doughnut Rachael asks me for, I pretty much melt when she talks to me. She’s hot. Strong. Nice and her schedule really makes me look like a lazy bum. Anyway… Avery and Today’s Mama are running a follow up campaign and giving away 10 binder certificate for you to create your own. It’s super easy and fun…and a neat way to keep things organize. More details on Today’s Mama.

Gluten Free Candy Filled Chocolate Cake Doughnuts:

2 cups Gluten Free Baking Mix for Doughnuts (recipe follows)
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 unsalted butter, cold and cut into small dice
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup milk, scalded and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
vegetable oil for frying
your favorite candy (cut smaller if too big)
extra sugar and cocoa powder for dusting if desired

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the baking mix, cocoa powder, guar gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Blend on low and add the butter still on low speed, blending until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, yogurt, milk and vanilla. With the mixer running on slow, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and mix for 30 seconds. The batter should be similar to loose cookie dough. Let rest 30 minutes (I like overnight) (stay with me people I am still talking about doughnuts!)
When ready, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out 3-inch rounds with a cookie cutter. Place a candy piece in the middle of the round, bring the edges over toward the top and seal. Roll the dough ball in the palm of your hands and place them on a baking sheet.
Refrigerate 20 minutes. During that time, heat the oil up to 350F.
When ready to roll, gently drop the holes in the hot oil. Fry a couple of minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and dust with sugar and cocoa powder if desired.

For doughnut rings:
Roll the dough and cut holes with a 3-inch cookie cutter then with a smaller cookie cutter to create a hole (I use the opposite end of a pastry tip). Fry as directed above.

For the salted butter caramel sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 stick (115gr) salted butter at room temperature, cut into small pieces
1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a heavy saucepan set over low heat, combine the sugar and water. Cook just until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter. Let it come to a boil and cook until it reaches a golden caramel color. Remove from the heat and add the cream ( it will splatter and get crazy). Whisk to combine and put back on the stove. Let it come to a boil again over low heat and cook 15-25 minutes until you reach a creamy consistency.
Let cool. Dunk or double dunk (!) the doughnut.

Gluten Free Doughnut Baking Mix:
Enough for a standard recipe in the book – mix all the ingredients together.

1 cup potato starch
1/4 potato flour or sweet sorghum
1/2 tapioca flour (we don’t like the taste so I used cornstarch)
1/2 cup sweet rice flour

Spiced Poached Pears With Warm Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

23.10.2010 76 Comments

If you read this from France or are an expat anywhere in the world, you’re probably looking at this picture and thinking "Oh! Helene made Poire Belle Helene!" and move on to the rest of the post. If you had never had such a dessert and read a title like this, you’d think I’d blown a fuse by naming a dessert after myself. And as if that weren’t enough, adding the adjective "belle" to describe it all. Hmmmm….No.

I did not come up with name, heck I did not even liked the dessert this much until in my late twenties! Auguste Escoffier created the Poire Belle Helene in 1870, naming it after one of Offenbach’s operette, La Belle Helene. Yes. 1870. Makes me wish Escoffier had had a blog in 1870. Or a twitter account. I bet his updates would be of the most delectable kind. Seriously.

This is probably one of the core desserts of French cuisine. At least of bistros and restaurants when I was growing up. Funny thing is that I never did make much of it though because it bears only half my name. Indeed, I was born and baptized Marie-Helene like some are named Marie-Louise or Jean-Luc. However computers here in the States don’t seem to recognize hyphens and cut my first name in half. If I was going to be halved somehow, at least I’d get to pick which one, darn it. So I’m Helene. Except when I am in trouble, ehehe!

So, there is part of the little story. Or at least part of the reason why I never really appreciated Poires Belle Helene until well into my twenties. Why this late? I have an aversion for fruits and chocolate combined. There, I said it! I love nuts and chocolate. I love lemon and chocolate. I used to hate all fruits with chocolate. My most least favorite pairing was orange and chocolate. My less least favorite (!) was pear and chocolate.

There is something about the soft fragrance of pears that plays well with chocolate and either brings it forth and mellows it just so. Poached pears and hot chocolate sauce especially. They like each other, it’s obvious. They’re not sure on who should lead though and artfully play that up. And much like two people attracted to each other, poached pears and hot chocolate sauce are kind of the ultimate in sexy when it comes to dessert.

It’s the only fruit – chocolate pairing that enthused me this much. Add a good scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and the combination hot chocolate, cold vanilla, soft fruit just has me weak in the knees. There are indeed moments of bliss to be experienced with the simplicity of certain flavors, textures and temperatures. Poire Belle Helene is just that. Hot and cold, creamy, crunchy, soft. We did a few "hmmmm" and "aaaahhhs" with the first spoonfuls. I even caught one of my friends sashaying her hips around the living room the night we shared these for dinner.

Poire Belle Helene won’t bring on World Peace but I guarantee it’ll make everyone at your dinner table a tad bit happier inside…It won’t cure whatever ails you but it won’t give you a brain freeze. It will just super activate all your senses…

Tiny Forelle pears make it remarkably easy to plate and portion out but you can use any of your favorite pear variety. As I have three major deadlines all coming to a clash for November 1st, this dessert has been the easiest thing to fix myself for a little midnight reward. That’s my sly way of saying "I know I suck big time at posting right now and wait, you ain’t seen nothing yet. It might get worse!…"

Please send chocolate…

Poires Belle Helene – Spiced Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

Serves 6

For the poached pears:
6 Forelle pears (or other small-ish pears)
2 tablespoon mulling cider spice mix
juice of one lemon

For the chocolate sauce:
4 oz semisweet best quality chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon honey

For the ice cream:
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
1 cup (200gr) granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean

Prepare the pears:
Place the pears, spice mix, lemon juice and enough water to cover them in a tall saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat and let them simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pears are just soft (poke with a toothpick to check).
Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and allow to cool on paper towel or baking rack.

Prepare the sauce:
Place the chocolate in a non reactive bowl and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan set over medium high heat, bring the cream and honey to a strong simmer. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes then slowly stir until the mixture comes together.

Prepare the ice cream:
In a large saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, and sugar. Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape the inside with the tip of a knife. Add that pulp (the seeds) to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let steep as it cools to room temperature. Refrigerate, preferably overnight. Strain if desired.
Process the mixture into your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s intructions.

To plate: ice cream + poached pear + warm chocolate sauce.
Yes…

S' Mores Doughnuts

18.10.2010 70 Comments

By the lack of postings one could wonder if I ever came down from the high that BlogHer Food and San Francisco. I did. I actually gave myself one day to catch up and crashed hard on Wednesday evening. Responsibilities hit me up again the following day. I love that work is insane and insanely good. I don’t like that it keeps me away from here this much. I definitely rely on a 4 o’clock break complete with cookies and milk. Or as it was the case this week, doughnuts and hot chocolate!

I am not one to be afraid of deep frying but I certainly am one to shy away from making doughnuts that often. I know I will end up eating too many. Right out of the hot oil. Almost. Perfectly brown. Crisp and soft. Lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. Simple is always best but there is a place and time to venture out in baking. Especially when it comes to doughnuts. S’Mores Doughnut specifically.

Thanks to Lara Ferroni and her book "Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home", I only have to sit there and pick the next one. I know for having been part of her testing panel that all the recipes have been seriously and thoroughly discussed, dissected and perfected. I could not have possibly tested them all and started making a list of the ones to bake once her book would be out. S’mores doughnuts of course, but also Apple Cider, Creme Brulees, Sopapillas, Loukoumades, Carrot Cake…there is literally a doughnut and a glaze for every friend you have.

You get it. I liked the book. A lot. The doughs, the glazes, the fillings. The regulars like Basic Raised Yeast doughnuts, the basic cake, the chocolate version. And a impeccable gluten free version. Maple glaze, bourbon, caramel, chocolate. There four pages of these for your belly’s delights. See? Not kidding when I tell you there something for everyone.

If you are into visuals, Lara’s book is truly the proverbial feast for your eyes. And how could it be otherwise with Lara’s talent as a photographer and stylist. Knowing what goes into a shoot when working/acting as a single agent, from the shopping, cooking, styling, photographing, all the way to post processing, you can tell that Lara poured her heart and perfectionism into this book.

It shows. It’s fun, it’s straight foward, it’s generous in details and instructions and it’s quirky at times. Much like Lara…

So far this week, I made the Gluten Free Raised Doughnuts with a citrus glaze and the S’Mores Doughnuts. Wish I had not ran out of gluten free flours when I decided to make these but from the look on B’s face as he chowed through a couple, I know I must make them again this week! Stay tuned for another doughnut post…Both versions of the basic yeasted doughnut were equally easy to work with and very close in texture which is no small order in gluten free baking. That makes me very very happy for the rest of the recipes in the book.

Bravo Lara! Hard work pays off, period. Wishing your book plenty of sweet and delicious success! I am honored everyday by your friendship and generosity.

S’Mores Doughnuts (reprinted with Lara’s permission)

Makes 8 to 12

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
10 graham crackers, finely crushed
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
1 batch Basic Raised dough (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon milk or water
twelve 1-ounce squares milk or dark chocolate
48 mini marshmallows

Stir together 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, graham crackers and sugar. Cover and set aside.

Prepare the dough as directed through the proofing stage. Roll the dough to just a bit more than 1/4 -inch thick. Cut into 3-inch diameter rounds. Roll out half of the rounds to about a 3 1/4-inch diameter. To assemble, lightly brush each wider round with the milk or water and place a square of chocolate and 4 mini marshmallows in the center of each. Top with the smaller rounds and lightly pinch to seal. Then recut with the same cutter to seal the edges.

Fry the doughnuts as directed and let cool for only 3 minutes. Brush each doughnut with a little melted butter, then dip into the graham cracker mixture. Serve immediately.

Basic Raised Dough:

3 tablespoons (22grams) active dry yeast, divided
1 cup of whole milk, heated to 110ºF, divided
2 to 2 1/2 cups bread flour, divided
2 tablespoons (30 grams) superfine sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
½ stick (4 tablespoons / 2 oz) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
vegetable oil for frying

In a medium bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of the yeast into ¾ cup of the milk. Add ¾ cup of flour and stir to create a smooth paste. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Combine the remaining milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the rested flour mixture along with the sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg yolks. Mix until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add ½ cup of the remaining flour. Mix on low for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix until it becomes incorporated, about 30 seconds. Switch to a dough hook and add more flour, about ¼ cup at a time with the mixer turned off, kneading the dough at medium speed between additions, until the dough pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and not too sticky. It will be very soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can’t roll it out. You may have flour left over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 12 hours).

Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured non-terry dish towel. Roll out the dough on a slightly floured surface to ½ inch thick. With a doughnut or cookie cutter (can use a glass, too) cut out 3-inch-diameter rounds with 1-inch-diameter holes (for filled doughnuts, don’t cut out the holes).

Place the doughnuts on the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm spot to proof until they almost double in size, 5 to 20 minutes, testing at five-minute intervals. To test whether the dough is ready, touch lightly with a fingertip. If it springs back immediately, it needs more time. If it springs back slowly, it is ready. If it does not spring back at all, it has overproofed; no worries- you can punch it down and re-roll it once.

While the doughnuts are proofing, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a thermometer registers 360F. With a metal spatula, carefully place the doughnuts in the oil. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack over a paper towel, and let cool before glazing.

Disclosure: the book was sent by Lara’s publisher as a thank you for being one of her recipe testers.

Chilled Lemon Cucumber & Fresh Pea Soup

13.10.2010 31 Comments

BlogHer Food has been such a whirlwind that I need to think on it for a couple of days before I can post some about it (and get my derriere to post process all the shots I took). It went by fast that’s for sure which is why I am so happy I extended my stay by a couple of days and stayed with my close friend Anita and her husband and got to hang out with some more of my favorite people which I will pimp out in future post, eheh.. They are truly my home away from home.

Like most of us attending BlogHer Food, I met Anita online when I started leaving comment on her blog everytime she posted a new cocktail. Not that I drink that much but I do love the mixology part of the cocktail, the technique and craft very closely related to food. We exchanged emails, we sent cards then little gifts. We just clicked. And they got two adorable pups…all about that! It was nice to spend a couple of days relaxing and exploring San Francisco aside from the conference. So hard to get any time off these day.

Chris and Tami, my roommates at the conference hotel, joked that we have to meet on the other side of the country to catch up when we only live a few hours from each other. And catch up we did. It was pretty much Comedy Central from the moment we’d get up until bedtime when we’d literally crash on our pillows. Love those two. Gracious definitely comes to mind when I think about them. They are gracious of their time, advice, energy, faults and strength. Tami sees the world with a brutal honesty I admire and seek while Chris is one of the most nurturing woman I know.

I’ll go back more on BlogHer Food in a later post but there were moment that made me want to get all these people on a plane and ship them back with me to Charleston. They would love it here, they would love my friends her and they would love them back. I know that. In those moments I start thinking of the gatherings we would have around our dinner table and the belly laughs that would soon follow. I begin picking the menu in my head according to what I think I’d find at the market. Right now, we would undeniably start dinner with this Lemon Cucumber and Pea Soup I made the other day.

It’s not Fall here quite yet so we are still enjoying tons of salads, cold soups, light entrees. After making gazpacho and Vichyssoise a lot this summer, I took opportunity of another trip to the market and loaded up on tiny lemon cucumbers for a cold soup. They owe their name to their shape rather than their taste but they are distinctively mellower than regular cucumbers. The ones I have been getting also seem to have more flesh to seed ratio but feel free to use what you have available.

This soup is nothing but easy to make, easy to eat and easy to crave some more. It makes a refreshing starter a great little chaser during a long multi course meal.

I almost forgot to announce the winner of the Scharffen-Berger giveaway…..! And the box full of chocolate goodies goes to: Emily from Five And Spice! Congratulations! Please get in touch with me (mytartelette @ gmail . com) so we can get this box shipped out to you!

Lemon Cucumber and Fresh Pea Soup:

Serves 4 as an appetizer

Notes: we like to top ours with some pomegranate seeds for a bit of a crunch and a little tartness to a mellow soup but you could skip this step entirely or use polenta croutons, toasted nuts, pumpkin seeds, root chips, etc…
If you can find pea shoots, they make a lovely topping but a few leaves of arugula would work also to add to the soup.

1 cup fresh peas, shelled(can use frozen of needed but not canned)
4 lemon cucumebers or one regular cucumber
water of vegetable stock
salt and pepper
pomegranate seeds and pea shoots optional but very tasty…

In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the fresh peas until fork tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and immediately dump the peas in a bowl of ice cold water to cool and stop the cooking process. Once they are cold, drain completely.
In the meantime, peel and seed the cucumbers. Seeding is not mandatory but I would definitely do it if I were to use regular cucumbers from the store.
Place the peas and cucumbers in a food processor and start pureeing them. Depending on the amount of water originally in the cucumbers, you might need to add water or vegetable stock to reach the consistency you desire, anywhere from a few tablespoons to 1/3 cup. Salt and pepper to taste.
Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Vanilla Rice Pudding & Chocolate Panna Cotta

06.10.2010 498 Comments

Yes, I am giving away a box full of chocolate donated by Scharffen Berger in San Francisco. Head toward the end of the post for details on how to participate.

Back in June (wow that feels like an eternity…) I was part of a food blogging panel at Evo 10 with two wonderful ladies, Jane and Helen Jane. Yep, I am not making this up. We clearly sounded like a tribe "Hi! I’m Helen!" "And I am Jane!" "And I’m Helen Jane". They were handling the blogging part of our workshop and I was doing the photography part. Lots of fun and new friendships came out of this. Honest, comfortable and packed with belly laughing punctuated conversations.

There is a myriad of ways to blog and find your peace and balance. I don’t think on it much. I am thrilled to make you discover bits about my home country, new recipes and techniques. It’s a place for me to practice my crafts and hopefully to give you something enjoyable to look at and tempt you as well. I put a lot of hard work and dedication into this space and it has given me so much in return. Most of all, the possibility to connect with wonderful people all over the world and be able to live all sorts of experiences.

However, when Jane sent me an email asking me if I wanted to help her organize a little party during BlogHer Food this weekend, my first reaction was "ugh…I don’t really have time to plan right now" but Jane came back with the words "what if it is a swanky chocolate filled little shingdig?". My reply? "go on, I’m listening…"

I have no idea how it all happened but before I knew it, I was part of a team of talented and generous ladies getting together venue, foods, libations and gifts for a party. I got worried that we would have to sell our souls to the Devil to make it happen but Jane & Kristen calmly said "We won’t do any of that. Just sit pretty and eat your chocolate. Scharffen Berger is giving us tons for the party".

I am a milk chocolate kind of gal if you must know. I don’t eat that much chocolate but when I do, it’s the creamy kind that gets me all tingly. Add nuts and caramel bits and I will do just about anything…

And that I did. And still do tonight as I am finishing packing for BlogHer Food. I can’t wait to be there and see familiar faces and meet new ones. People I’ve been reading for years becoming even more real. I love that my schedule this weekend is a nice balance of work, play and unexpected.

There was a tad bit of planning to be done on the home front before heading out though. Mainly stocking the fridge with good foods and making sure that the important things were right in front of his eyes if B. opened up said fridge. There are now eight Vanilla Rice Pudding & Chocolate Panna Cotta facing him. Don’t worry, he’s got more nutritious foods to dig into.

I have no idea what got into me to combine panna cotta and rice pudding except my deepest love for both. I figured with the weather finally changing a bit we could try to get into Fall mood a little too and start simmering, stirring, chocolating again after the heat of the summer. It does feel nice to finally have that little crisp in the air as the sun rises over the water.

So I am not going to tell you that this post was made possible by the folks at Scharffen Berger who sent me chocolate because I would have made this recipe without them sending chocolate anyway. But…I would have used high quality chocolate like theirs nonetheless specifically because chocolate is in the front seat in this one.

What I am going to tell you is that they make some mighty fine chocolates and by using the 70% bittersweet chocolate bars, the panna cotta packed a good chocolate punch while remaining smooth as silk. To make sure you get the chance to feel the way we feel after sharing one of these, I asked if they’d let me have more chocolate to give away to one of you. I asked for "some chocolate" and they are sending a box full.

That’s also why I love them. They know how good their craft is and are all about getting us addicted to it…eheheh. Did they ask or demand I post about them? Nope. I volunteered. That was a no brainer for me. Eat chocolate and giveaway some more on your blog. Make someone else happy.

I am happy to be giving away a mixed box of Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder, 99% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bar, 62% Cacao Semisweet Chocolate Baking Chunks and a few of their eating bars in various percentages courtesy of Scharffen Berger. To enter, you have until Monday October 11th, midnight Easter standard time to leave a comment on this post. (No anonymous comment). The winner will be picked at random by the closest person to me in the room (not kidding) – I’ll be in San Francisco until Tuesday but I will make sure to get in touch with the winner.

Vanilla Rice Pudding & Chocolate Panna Cotta:
Serve 6 to 8

For the rice pudding:
1 cup rice (really the kind you like best)
1 1/2 cups (315ml) whole milk (I used raw)
1/2 vanilla bean, split open
1/2 cup (60ml) heavy cream
1/4 cup (50gr) sugar
Pinch of salt

For the chocolate panna cotta:
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin (2 sheets gelatin)
1/4 cup water
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup honey
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 cup Greek yogurt

Cocoa nibs, dusting of cocoa powder and fresh whipped cream (optional garnish)

Prepare the rice pudding:
In a stainer, rinse the rice under cold water for a minute to remove some of its natural starch.
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the rice, milk, cream, sugar to a simmer. Scrape the seeds from inside the vanilla bean and add to the pan with the salt. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally for about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let cool for a few minutes and divide the pudding evenly among ramekins. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap until you are ready to pour the panna cotta on top of the rice pudding.

Prepare the panna cotta:
Place the water in small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Reserve.
In a large heavy bottomed saucepan placed over medium heat, bring the milk, heavy cream, and honey to a simmer. When the cream is hot, remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted. Add the reserved gelatin and stir until it is completely dissolved. Add the yogurt and whisk vigorously until well blended.
Divide the mixture over the rice pudding ramekins. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to let the cream set properly.
Garnish with cocoa nibs and whipped cream if desired.

Full disclosure:
The chocolate, cocoa powder and cocoa nibs used in this recipe were given by Scharffen Berger at no cost.