Monatsarchive: September 2011

Elderflower Cream Tartelettes & Portland Trip Part Two

29.09.2011 57 Comments

Everytime I go through my pictures of Portland to write another post, I start looking online for airfares and rentals so B. and I can make our own memories there, armed with the few penciled down addresses I already love and plan to revisit. Thing is, both our schedules are filling up already until next summer so I don’t think a vacation will happen anytime soon. I’ve been booked shooting non-stop which explains the infrequent postings here. That and catching up with friends and family.

The vibes that Portland exudes are very similar to the ones I live here in Charleston. Although we lack the vista of the mountains, both towns have a humane quality of life that I absolutely love. People are open, people smile. People love to tell you about their town and are never short of recommendation. Instead of pointing to a direction, they will make sure you know your way there with maps and drawings, phone numbers and more spots to see on the way.

Let’s get on to the second part of that Portland trip, our first real day of activities…one that took us high up, from mountains to rooftops while keeping our eyes full of magical sights and our bellies warm with exquisite meals. A day that inspired these Elderflower Cream Tartelettes.

I had chosen to take part in the foraging and wild foods exploring tour, led by Dr. Kallas and found myself staring at the beauty of Lake Tillium that morning, mesmerized by the beauty of Mount Hood majestically standing before me. Mountain air. One I miss every single day. I am a mountain gal from my area of Provence but never once did I get a crash course on Nature’s edible. Until Portland. It was fascinating.

Trust me folks, listen to the advice of experts like this guy before picking edibles in the wild. Read up, do your research, take classes. It takes one little mistake to pick up a deadly from a lovely. That plant is edible. It even tastes like vanilla at certain time of the year.

This is a "no-no" as far as edible. Sure looks lovely though…

I had a difficult time turning my back on the area and hopping into the van. Calming. Refreshing. A balm for the hurried soul. People boating, fishing or simply enjoying a quiet day off by the lake. I know that feeling all too well here in the South. Made the area even more appealing for me. But we all that foraging made our bellies ready for food and wine. Not surprisingly, we were fast obliged.

After a lovely ride up to Timberline Lodge (the same ride in the opening credits of The Shining – I kid you not), we were treated to a wonderful lunch designed by Chef Jason Stoller Smith with edibles he had foraged himself a few days earlier. Now, that’s what I call a creative culinary treat. Each dish was paired with a different glass of wine from Phelps Creek Vineyard.

Among those interesting edible concoctions were a foraged salad of Smooth Yellow Violet, Indian Paintbrush, Wild Ginger and Columbine, Hemlock Tea Sorbet, Hood River Peaches With Pineapple Weed Ice Cream and Vanilla Olive Oil Powder. A little molecular gastronomy was thrown in here and there supplying some really nice touches (nitro blast whipped potatoes are smooth as baby’s skin…) without being overwhelming or out of place. Well balanced meal throughout.

My own foraging led me to the elderflower plant grown by the next door neighbor which inspired these little tarts. With a little Saint Germain (elderflower liqueur) thrown in there for good measure. Hmmm…

We did not have a minute to spare noodling about after lunch as next on our agenda was a visit to the McCurdy Farms, Steve McCarthy and his Clear Creek Distillery. Yes, the orchard were pears and apples happen to make it into the bottle.

It is a really fascinating sight to see and the love that Steve and his crew have for their craft is clearly reflected in the quality of the pear brandy and other liqueurs they produce. We sampled and sampled and sampled some more under the blazing sun and found refuge walking in the shades of the orchards. Pears on one side, apples on the other.

The bottles are set on the fruits while they are barely buds and left until the pears or apples have reached a desirable size. In the meantime, the liqueur is made the old fashioned way, as Steve learned from his experience in Europe.

The operation is relatively young, 26 years old, but booming with all sorts of interesting concoctions. Classics like pear or mirabelle plum eaux de vie but also Douglas Fir eau de vie and a vast array of grappas.

There is something special about orchards. At least to me.

After many a small glass of brandy of different flavors, we had to ride back to Portland downtown. The bus which was bubbling with conversation and excitement that morning was nothing but a murmur of napping food bloggers. The altitude, our full bellies, our well doctored veins (eau de vie is keen to medicine in my family), made for a quiet ride back to the hotel.

A little time to rest and we were back on for dinner. Burgers and brew. Looking over Portland. Gorgeous sunset and the talented chefs of Metrovino and The Guilt Club and their team. Great fun.

We were treated to three different kinds of burgers and buns, lamb, venison, beef as well as many delicious sides and dessert nibbles. Cold glasses of tea from Smith Tea as well as copious glasses of beer from The Prodigal Son Brewery.

Once back home in Charleston, I found myself foraging my own way and came up with these tartelettes. Nothing fancy or complicated but the perfect transition from Summer into Fall. A light elderflower flavored cream nestled in gluten free tart shells and topped by Champagne grapes, figs and the last of the (good) raspberries around here. They go perfectly with a small glass of pear brandy by the way…!

*Disclosure: I was not asked nor received compensation to write about the trip. I’m doing it because I loved every bit of it. Transportation, meals and drinks when enjoyed as part of the trip itinerary were all taken care for by Travel Oregon.

Elderflower Cream Tartelettes:

Makes 8 tartelettes

For the pastry crust:
I used this one from my friend Jeanne at The Art of Gluten Free Baking but I also recommend this one from Holly Herrick if you are not gluten free.

Preheat the oven to 350F and position a rack in the middle. Roll the dough in between sheets of parchment paper if you are using the gluten free one or on a well floured countertop is using the regular one. Cut the dough the fit eight 4-inch tart rings or shells. Fill the shells with dried beans or pie weights and bake until the shells are completely cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely before filling.

For the filling:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
juice and zest of one lemon
1/4 cup Saint Germain (elderflower liqueur) (or can use elderflower syrup)
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add the lemon juice, zest and Saint Germain and whisk again until fully incorporated. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Divide among the tart shells and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set.

To finish the tartelettes, top each with your favorite seasonal fruits.

Love traveling for the ability it gives to lose myself in completely different surroundings. Finding the familiar in things around me would be no different than staying home. Pointless.

Portland Part 1 & Honey Walnut Cake With Riesling Sabayon

20.09.2011 67 Comments

A couple weeks ago I boarded a plane heading toward Portland, Oregon. I had no idea of what was ahead of me. I had no expectations either. I have learned that beside the ones I put on myself or my work, expectations can ruin an adventure. They make you focus on one thing and make you miss the alternative, the little things, the beauty that lies wherein.

I had nothing on my mind than not to miss my flights because Portland, a city I had never visited awaited. And I was meeting up with Tami in Chicago to catch our connection. Both our schedules had been so incredibly intense that we had to put ourselves on a self imposed "time off – time out – see you later – don’t burn the house down and please feed the pets" to finally give each other a big hug and a good conversation.

We did not sign up for the trip just to hang out with each other but it was definitely one of the perks. Actually neither of us (and neither of the twenty or so other participants on that trip) knew the other was going for a while. It makes me smile that a group of strangers all received the same email one night, not knowing how much they would gain of the trip, discovering a new city, new kindred spirits and themselves in the process.

Yes, I had been asked on a sponsored trip. I am never asked on any of them or swanky organized parties and dinners and frankly, I am ambivalently happy about that because I’m still not sure how I’d feel if offers were frequent. I had never been to Portland. There was an opening in my schedule. Bill was busy every day and night with work and music. I said yes. So glad I did!

For three days, Travel Oregon made sure that we discovered the city of Portland, its food, its people, its landscape and many facets. From canoeing, foraging, fishing, to canning and charcuterie with people and artisans who cared about their craft, their land and wanted to invite us to come visit and leave with the desire to come back. Never were we asked to post, tweet, facebook or promote anything.

Portland, honey, I fell in love with you. You’ve got mountains like back home. You’ve got heat and snow. You’ve got magical hours and colorful places. You did not have to twist my arm, just to let me soak it in to hook me up.

This post will be part of a series of three, all accompanied with a recipe inspired by a dish I had there. There was some good eating and good drinking in Portland. Happy hour seem to start early and lasts all night. The running joke was "it’s been a full 5 minutes since my last cocktail/bite"…Portland, you’re pretty special.

Tami and I flew in a day before to get our feet wet, catch up and catch our breaths before the trip would start with some friends we’ve known for years and some we were meeting for the first time. We had only one "must do" for that evening: Pok Pok and its famed Thai & Vietnamese dishes. For various reasons, I did not take any photos of the dinner. I was focused on conversing with Tami, our bartender was extremely distracting (think Toni Bourdain and Eric Rippert secretly engineered offspring), and I needed both hands to polish off the most succulent fish sauce chicken wings. The numerous cocktails created with the restaurants house made drinking vinegars, did not help with focus either.

Dinner was quite an adventure for my palate. Every bit of spicy was balanced by a hint of freshness. Every sweet met its salty. I must recreate one of the desserts we shared that night, the Pok Pok Affogato, when I have more time. Quite possibly the best of the last five years for me.

We rounded up the evening with cocktails at the hotel (Hotel Deluxe) lounge, The Driftwood Room. I am rarely impressed by the lounge within a hotel but this one quickly became a rendez-vous point for most of us on the trip. Crisp and refreshing cocktails with glamourous names and vintage appeal. The Springtime In Paris, the Ginger Rogers or the Rita Moreno kept us going and talking a little while longer each night.

The next day, the official start of the Travel Oregon weekend was not starting until late in the afternoon so Tami and I grabbed our cameras and walked about town. We stopped in the famous Powell’s bookstore and happily got lost in this mecca of new and vintage books. A short walk down to Porch Light, a lovely prop shop recommended by Lara and we met up with Paula from bell’alimento who had just arrived for the trip also.

Gruner restaurant and its shaded outdoor seating provided a lovely respite for three ladies with varied tastes and preferences. More lovely cocktails and beet pickled deviled eggs to start us off. Salad with smoked trout, apples, blackberry vinaigrette, toasted hazelnuts, a tarte flambee (Flammekueche), zucchini and ricotta dumplings with roasted tomatoes. All were passed around the table and enjoyed without restraint.

Dessert is what inspired today’s recipes. We clearly would have been happy to sample all of them but we only had room for a few more bites. And what glorious bites! The hazelnut-powdered sugar doughnuts with warm chocolate ganache were surprisingly light as a feather and melt in your mouth dangerous. The star of the meal was however the Honey Walnut Cake with Riesling Sabayon and Blackberries. A perfectly light cake with deep flavors of honey and walnut balanced by the soft and refreshing cream of the sabayon. This one was a sure winner for us three.

After more walking around town and a little get together to meet our trip companions for the next three days, we were whisked off in separate groups to different restaurants for dinner. Three of the activities on the trip were a choice between 4 or 5 options making it a truly tailored experience to our preferences or adventurous spirits. It also made it more manageable to handle small groups and to share our activities with our friends later on in the evening as we were recapping the day.

That evening Paula and I found ourselves seating across at the dinner table at Ping, created by the man behind Pok Pok. I know, two Asians restaurants in two days….Given the lack of seriously authentic ones here, I was a darn happy camper again.

The menu and cocktail pairing created for a small group was truly amazing. And abundant. Two dishes really stood out for me. The Quail Egg Skewers wrapped in local bacon and drizzled with a spicy mayo were an unusual bite of soft and crunchy, spicy, salty and neutral. The Vietnamese Style Short Ribs marinated in fish sauce, lemongrass, garlic and scallion oil were a perfect balance between balance of execution and presentation and depth of flavors. Strong, salty, refreshing and sweet.

The rest of the menu food was as rich and interesting as the setting and atmosphere of the restaurant with a theme of street food meets bistro carried out throughout the building.

The rest of the evening is a blur. My belly was full and grateful. My senses overwhelmed by this much "different" experienced in one day, one evening. Hard to believe that we all got up hungry and joking about it. Luckily for us, our next meal was just an adventure away…

Stay tuned for more about Portland! I hope you enjoy the Honey Walnut Cake, with sabayon or just a spoon of whipped cream. It is even great the next day, toasted for breakfast…

Note: the winners of Tart Love: Sassy, Savory and Sweet by Holly Herrick is Jessie in Los Angeles and Kate in Rochester NY. Send over your mailing address at mytartelette [at] gmail [dot] com and I’ll send the book right away.

*Disclosure: I was not asked nor received compensation to write about the trip. Transportation, meals and drinks when enjoyed as part of the trip itinerary were all taken care for by Travel Oregon. I did come in early and left late, staying and eating on my dime at the hotel and restaurants around. And it was all worth it…!

Honey Walnut Cake With Riesling Sabayon:

For the cake: Recipe from David Leite of Leite’s Culinaria
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan (or 1 cup gluten free flour mix here)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Reserve.
Spread the walnuts on a sheet pan and toast in the preheated oven for 4-5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
Grind the nuts in a food processor with 1/2 cup of the flour until fine. In a medium bowl, stir together the ground nuts, remaining flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter with the honey and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the orange zest and vanilla. Add it in three times to the butter mixture. Beat well to incorporate after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a cake rack to cool. Serve with the sabayon.

For the Riesling sabayon:
1/2 cup Riesling wine
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar

Directions:
Place a saucepan filled t 3/4 full with water over low heat. Bring water to a low simmer. Place Riesling, egg yolks and sugar in a stainless steel mixing bowl. Place mixing bowl over pan with water. Whisk vigorously until mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes. Serve with the cake and fresh berries.

Braised Artichokes With Olives & Feta, a Lavender Buttermilk Tart & A Cookbook Giveaway!

13.09.2011 499 Comments

I’ve had the chance to travel to the West coast and back twice in the last couple of weeks and twice I had high hopes of experiencing some lower, nice Fall-ish temperatures. I was ready. Sweaters picked. Scarves tied up to my purse. Instead, it was tank top and summer dressed that ended up in my suitcase. It felt exactly like what October is here in the South. A soft stroke of the sun, a lull of breeze in the trees. A delicious moment.

Since we never really get a transition between seasons, it’s always a bit difficult to feel in an autumnal mood with food and recipes. I do, however, like to get in the kitchen and try to conjure up some wicked good Fall recipes whenever possible. It most often involves roasting, slow simmers, braising. Warmth and aromas filling the house with the comfort of nostalgia and the promise of another season ahead. Yes, it does make me mellow.

One of the dishes I made recently that really invoked Fall as I knew it back home was artichokes, braised with plenty of onions, lemon, olives, thyme and feta. I did not vary much, if at all, from the original recipe I found in a magazine my mom sent me. I usually ad lib the recipes I read but this one was too intriguing to pass up.

When it comes to artichokes, we usually fix them two ways: steamed ad served with vinaigrette to dip or barigoule (barigoule is the name of a certain kind of mushroom in Provence by the way). We had this with sauteed scallops one night which turned out to be a perfect match. Hearty and light. Not quite Summer anymore and not yet Fall either.

I made the artichoke dish the evening before a trip to Portland last week and fully expected to have some leftover for B. to warm up while I was gone but we almost polished the entire thing with our dinner companions that evening.

Tonight, I prepared a Lavender and Buttermilk Tart for tomorrow’s dinner, right on the eve of my departure for New Hampshire. I am teaching two food photography and styling workshops at the bi-annual creative retreat Squam Art Workshops. I like for Bill to have a little something sweet while I am gone. In moderation right now because I’m pretty much here and gone for another couple of months for various work projects.

The tart is from Holly Herrick's newly released "Tart Love: Sassy, Savory and Sweet" and for which I was honored to be commissioned to do the photography. I must tell you why I dig this book so much. Beside the fact that I am thrilled of the work that the designer and publisher did with the photos and lay out, I am completely enamored with all the recipes in this book. Holly is not only a prolific recipe writer but a darn good one to boot. Her flavor combination were at times intriguing but always spot on and a sure success. Trust her to know what flavors and tastes work together and in what quantity.

The woman is an amazing chef. Her pastry crust is flaky, rich, easy to make and easy to roll and re-roll without ending with rubber. The recipes are creative, fun and quirky at times: Feisty Shrimp & Grits Pockets, Salad Nicoise Tart, Raspberry Creme Brulee Tartlets, Butterscotch & Caramel Apple Tarts. I love her titles as much as I love that Holly’s personality and love of seasonal produce comes through each recipe.

I could talk about the tarts in this book for hours. I loved making all of them as much as I loved photographing them. Whether you are a novice or an advanced cook, you will find more than ten tarts you can start baking right from the start. Seriously. If you are nervous about making a tart crust, Holly takes you through each step with care and ease. If you wish you had more interesting or just some new/other tart fillings in your repertoire, this is also the book for you.

Trust me. I just received my "official" copy the other day and I have rediscovered, with great excitement, recipes I had cooked just a year ago. I am thrilled to give away two copies of Holly’s book, Tart Love. Fresh from the press, tested, tasted and approved by yours truly. And my husband and about everyone in the neighborhood when I was done taking the tarts mug shots, ahah!

Photos from Tart Love: Sassy, Savory and Sweet. © Helene Dujardin 2011
All you have to do to enter the giveaway is to:
– leave a comment at the end of this post. One entry per person, duplicates will be rejected and anonymous will not be accepted (unless you are my mother, but she knows better…!)
– Please allow 48 hours for your comment to be moderated and to show up on the blog as I will be traveling this week.
– The giveaway will close Sunday September 18th 2011, at midnight Eastern time

Keep your eyes peeled for other reviews and giveaway of the book as some bloggers have graciously offered to take it on a virtual launch tour! Could not be more excited for Holly to give her hard work the recognition it deserves.

Braised Artichokes With Onion, Olives & Thyme, barely adapted from Saveurs (France)

Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 lemons
6 baby artichokes
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 red onion, sliced
1/2 cup white wine or stock (vegetable or chicken)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
6 sprigs of thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions:
Turn the oven to broiler setting. Slice one of the lemons horizontally and spread the slices on a baking sheet line with parchment paper. Place under the broiler until the lemons turn a bit dark on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Fill a large bowl with water and the juice of the remaining lemon. Cut the top of the artichokes and remove the outer leaves almost down to the core (only the softer leaves should remain). Save the leaves to steam later and snack on if desired.
Cut the artichokes in half and clean the inside of that fuzzy part (in France, we call this the "hay"). Cut each half once more and place each quarter immediately in the lemon water to prevent oxidation.
Heat up one tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauteeing pan and cook the onion for about 5 minutes, until tender.
Add the artichokes to the pan, the white wine (or stock) and the same amount of water (1/2 cup). Season with salt and pepper according to your preference. Cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and cook another 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Place the artichokes and onions on serving plate, randomly add olives, feta cheese, lemon slices and chopped thyme. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and the vinegar. Check the salt and pepper if necessary.

——————————————————————————-

Lavender & Buttermilk Tart, adapted with permission from Holly Herrick’s Tart Love: Sassy, Savory and Sweet.

(Serves 6 to 8)

Tart Crust:
2 1/4 cups White Lily all-purpose flour (or other brand if White Lilly is not available)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 tablespoons ice-cold water, or just enough to hold the pastry together

At least 30 minutes before rolling and baking (or up to one day in advance), prepare the pastry. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a plastic blade, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse rapidly, 40 – 50 times, or until the butter is blended into the flour and is coarse and the butter is the size of small peas. Gradually, add the water in a small trickle, with the processor running. Continue adding just as the pastry starts coming together in the shape of a loose, crumbly ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Form into a disc, about 1″ high, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.

1 egg wash – yolk, pinch salt, splash water, blended together

For the lavender infused buttermilk:
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup whole cream
1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers or lavender leaves (available at most gourmet specialty stores and some groceries)

For the custard dry ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

For the custard wet ingredients:
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons sweet butter, melted
1 teaspoon best-quality vanilla extract

Prepare tart crust. Chill 30 minutes (or overnight), and roll out into your preferred tart pan, creating a little border above the rim of the pan itself. Chill 20 – 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the prepared shell on a baking pan and partially blind bake the pastry by placing a piece of parchment paper on the bottom crust, filling it with dried beans or pie weight and baking for about 10 -15 minutes. Let cool and remove weights and paper. Brush down the pastry with the egg wash, and return to the oven to finish baking until golden brown, another 10 minutes. Remove the pre-baked shell from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350F. Allow the shell to cool slightly at room temperature.

Meanwhile, infuse the buttermilk with the lavender. Combine the buttermilk, cream and lavender flowers in a saucepan, whisking to combine. Turn the heat on high and bring up to a low boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to steep five minutes. Using a fine sieve, strain the infused buttermilk into a medium bowl and refrigerate to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar and salt), whisking to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Whisk the eggs for one minute until light and lemon-colored and fluffy. Whisk in the butter and vanilla. When the buttermilk has cooled to body-temperature or cooler, it’s time to add it to the wet mixture, slowly streaming into the egg mixture and whisking to combine. To finish the custard, stream the milk/egg mixture into the dry ingredients mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the custard into the prepared tart shell. Bake 35 minutes or until the custard has browned to a light tan and the custard still quivers to the touch. Remove from oven and cool for at least one hour before slicing.

Announcing A Three Day Food Photography & Styling Workshop in Los Angeles

07.09.2011 8 Comments

Something exciting has been brewing behind the scene for a little while…now it’s time to let it out: my awesome photography agency Primary Reps, led by my agent Chris has been working hard to put together a fantastic 3 day workshop in Los Angeles this November.

The deeds? Three days packed with information on camera work, lighting, composition, and a professional stylist will be there to talk about the demands of that side of the job. Chris arranged for one day to be spent on location where we will take our cameras out of the studio and right into the heart of the matter.

Besides the intensive training, there will also be guest speakers throughout the weekend including a digital tech from Digital Fusion, art buyers from a local ad agency, as well as a photographers rep, all sharing valuable insight into the business of food photography.

The workshop is limited to 10 students so you can be sure to have the perfect one on one time to practice, share, ask, get feedback and improve.

Yep. Intense. Informative. You will walk away with a wealth of ideas and your creative juices flowing…

For more information on the schedule, rates and how to register, check out this page.

Looking forward to seeing you there!