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Unexpectedly So…

Getty Villa - L.A


Just looking at this picture, I’d say it looked I just took a trip to my beloved Provence. But I did not. This was taken at the Getty Villa in California last week, in between two workshops.

Getty Villa - L.A


If I did not know any better I’d think these were shot right outside the window of the house where I grew up. Cherry blossoms. Figs just starting to budd. Olive trees. Cypresses. Sun and warmth. The ocean in the distance. Still at the Getty Villa.

Getty Villa - L.A


More cherry tree blossoms. Just because I can’t get enough. Because I even love baking with their extract. Because I grew up surrounded by them. In another South. Feeling dangerously like home. Mine. Back home across the other ocean.

Monkey Tree - Vashon


Lunch at the Monkey Tree on Vashon Island, Washington where I stayed with Shauna, Danny and Lu for a couple of days. Giggled with Lu reading books after books. Baked gluten free goodies and ate with friends. Family now.

Monkey Tree - Vashon


Warmth and comfort. Blackboard specials and used wood. Worn. Shared. Felt a community coming together in a great little quaint spot around a good bowl of soup and a crusty loaf of bread.

Monkey Tree - Vashon


On top of the piano at The Monkey Tree. Where things that don’t belong suddenly start to make sense.

Monkey Tree -  Vashon


If I did not know any better, I’d say I were in North Carolina for a couple of days. This cafe. The trees. The fields. The houses and the greens. I could get used to this. There are piers, docks and seagulls. I’m thinking this is so easily familiar…

Monkey Tree - Vashon


Oh Vashon! Temptress… I could easily forget I can’t have any of these. Not with friends who are constantly searching a way to make great foods just a tad bit differently. That’s all. We tried and experimented. The process. The friendship.

Snowy Lucy


And this little one. Who steals my heart each and everytime. And the snow. Big fluffy watery flakes of snow that made the moment just that much more magical.

Thank you dear friends…

All The Way Away In L.A

Blossoms


I bet that when you think about L.A, Japanese plum blossoms are not the first things coming to your mind. Me neither but when your first night in town start with dinner at Todd and Diane’s, this is one of the things you can expect. A delectable tour of their edible garden, a fantastic dinner and plenty of great discussions, laughs and good times. Made my heart giddy with happiness and gratitute. And that was just day one…

Pacific


Since I am staying on the beach, the first thing I did was to go check out the Pacific ocean. Nice plump and beautiful waves. The kind we usually see at the beginning of a storm here but it’s nice to be close to something familiar. I keep thinking how much fun Bailey would have in these waves…crazy pup.

Jen


Yes, I made it to L.A without a glitch on Wednesday and it’s pretty much been a whirlwind since then. Jen has been the most wonderful host. Attentive and generous of her time, making sure we see everything that makes L.A while avoiding the tourist pitfalls. Jen is definitely a rock star!

Dinner at Todd and Diane's


Back to Todd and Diane for a second. I was so thrilled to finally walk around in their beautiful edible yard. Fruit trees, salad, root vegetables…you name it. Nothing beats dinner where most of the ingredients come directly from their labor of love over their gorgeous space and sanctuary. Add dinner guests such as Matt and Adam and Broderick and you can expect flying jokes and hilarious work stories. Hmmm…hmmm….what a night!

Matt and Adam invited me to come by their studio the next morning and see their creative space. Oh my! I wanted to move in. Or make myself so tiny they’d forget I was there. A couple of hours talking and laughing away and Jen and I were back gallivanting around town.

Jimmy Stewart - L.A


She knows my heavy addiction for old Hollywood movies, my crushes on Jimmy Stewart or Cary Grant and at the detour of a conversation, I found myself staring at the famous actors footprints at the Grauman’s Theather on Hollywood Boulevard. And so I snapped. Happy to be doing the same thing everyone was doing. At least this once. Let’s face it: I don’t get to L.A that often (read never) to pass on the opportunity to get this close to dear old Jimmy. Heck no! Ahahah….

Oscar Time!


And Oscar. It just so happened that I am in L.A during Oscar week. Pretty cool considering my TCM addiction. Almost makes me want to see ghosts of actors passed. Almost…

Time to get a few more things done before tonight’s workshop…

San Francisco Part 2 – Rendition of Bouchon Lemon Tarts

Gluten Free Lemon Tarts


We were still in the airport parking garage, ten minutes after landing that Bill placed a small bucket full to the rim with crabapples and positively so proud of himself said "You love them so much that as soon as I saw them at the store I had to get you some. Welcome back!" Clearly, if you knew my husband, this would make you melt in an heartbeat. This non shopping, non cooking kind of guy had just connected with me on another level. And what did I say in return? "I must recreate Bouchon Lemon Tart in a gluten free version as soon as possible! Shauna must try it!".

Forget the crabapples, forget the pot of soup simmering on the stove, forget the house all shiny and tidy. I could not shut up about the great meal I had had with Anita, Shauna, Danny and Lu the Monday after BlogHer. And I could not stop thinking about Bouchon and their lemon tart. Go figure.

Inside Bouchon Restaurant

Inside Bouchon.

We headed out in the morning to Napa in search of pork. For real. Shauna and Danny also write Pork, Knife and Spoon. It’s all about the pork, and we did find it in Napa. We made a quick stop in front of The French Laundry for a "Bench Monday" photo op and then headed down to Bouchon for lunch. What a lunch! I am not sure what I loved the most between our exquisite dishes, Lucy flirting with the people in the room or the decor that sent me back to French bistros back home. I relaxed, I breathed, I paused. I forgot every bit of crappy stuff and wished Bill had been there with me. He would have loved the food, the company and the relaxed setting.

Desserts were all tempting but if I spot a lemon tart on the menu, I blank on pretty much everything else and my mouth quickly screams for a bite. Bouchon lemon’s tart is one of the bests I have ever had. The filling is tart just so, the shortbread crust is sandy and crispy just right and the addition of pine nuts gives it an earthy texture that complements perfectly the smooth filling. The slice was big. I ate it all. I did not even think twice. And I wanted more.

Shauna and Lucy At Bouchon Bakery

Happy Gluten Free Girls

I sighed I could not share a bit with Shauna right there as the tart was not gluten free but we all agreed that this would be one of the easiest desserts to adapt for gluten sensitive folks and I set about the task as soon as I got home (recipe and more pictures are right after the jump).

After lunch we headed to Bouchon Bakery where I resisted buying another lemon tart and settled on one of their giant macarons. They are seriously huge which is perfect for sharing. I shared an espresson one with Anita while Lu and Shauna settled on a raspberry macaron. Happy. But we were on a pork mission afterall…

The Fatted Calf

The Fatted Calf

At The Fatted Calf.

Well fed and satisfied, we felt safe to tackle The Fatted Calf without wanting to eat their entire display. My desire of visiting their outpost in Napa goes back to the days when Sam of Becks and Posh used to describe the content of her Saturday market basket. Toulouse sausage, pancetta, merguez. Finally the day had come! I think I have a disease that makes my brain shut off and erase from memory all previous meals while making room for more food. I could have eaten one of every item in the store.

My heart did skip a bit when I spotted figatelli on the counter. I kept having flash backs to many aperitifs held on my parents' terrace where I’d try to sneak as many pieces of figatelli as I could. After school snacks of olives, bread rubbed with garlic and tomatoes and a few slices of that sausage. I tried my best not to spill the content of my nostalgia to the very nice lady behind the counter. I added some spicy chorizo and petit sec to my loot as I knew Bill would love some of those too.

Oxbow Market & Rancho Gordo

At Oxbow Market & Rancho Gordo.

I was psyched to hear we would also make a stop at Rancho Gordo during our Napa excursion. I have no idea why my first blog reads were almost all from the Bay area but needless to say I have been hearing them sing Steve Sando’s praises for quite some time now, increasing my desire to put my hands on some genuinely good heirloom beans.

Yes, I know. I am all about buying and eating local but I think I was a Western local in a previous life and a part of me got stuck there. I borrowed being local for 5 days and the people of San Francisco were very generous in sharing that with me.

Oh! What a day! We headed back to town and reluctantly said goodbye to Shauna, Danny and Lu. I can’t describe how lucky I felt to share so much in so little time with them. We all spilled our gutts, laughed and cried. We shared from the most raw places in our hearts and yet with the most uplifting bravery. Thank you guys! Thank you for letting me play with Lu so much!

There was so much more good stuff to come too, starting with a fabulous dinner at Contigo.

Contigo - Bar Seating

Bar seating, facing the kitchen at Contigo.

Since Brett announced on his blog In Praise Of Sardines that he was opening up his own restaurant, Contigo, I have been cheering him on all the way from SC. Thanks to Anita and Cameron who have sort of made it their joint, I have been able to read rave reviews pouring in about the place and I can add that they are all justified. The tapas menu is creative and fun, the dishes executed with flair with the freshest ingredients and the atmosphere and staff make the whole experience relaxed and delectable. Bravo Brett and your staff!

Contigo

Contigo.

I was fortunate to share this incredible feast with other smart and dedicated food bloggers, Caron, Sean and Paul, Tea and Anita. Thank you guys for making this evening memorable and lively of conversations, patient of my photographing all the dishes so I could relate the Bill exactly what we had. Everything from the garden steamed vegetables, stuffed piquillo peppers, jamon iberico, lemon verbena flan and churros con chocolate (and many more in between) were spot on! A total of 15 tapas were shared and loved.

I know Brett had quite his share of bloggers' visits for dinner that weekend and it is all well deserved. If you are in San Francisco and have not stepped foot there, run there! If you plan a trip to SF in the near future, run there too! You won’t be disappointed. Tapas done right. Local and fresh ingredients. Dedication pays off.

Contigo - The Kitchen

The Kitchen at Contigo.

I just want to wrap this post on an incredible day but saying how grateful I am to Anita and Cameron for their generosity and hospitality in having me stay a little while after the conference was over. These two live 100% whether at work or play and it shows. I could not have asked for better hosts and friends in San Francisco.

Stay tuned for another installment of this trip when I get to play a whole day with Tea and discover another side of town. There will also be another dessert adaptation. This time from one I had at Contigo.

Contigo

At Contigo.

For now, I am going to curl up on the sofa with a gluten free lemon tart and dream I were cooking and dancing with all the friends I have left out West…

Rice Flour& Lemon For Tarts


Gluten Free Lemon Tarts:

Makes six 4-inch tartlets

Kitchen note:I have a very hard time finding brown rice flour and Shauna suggested making my own by pulverizing brown rice until very fine. The gluttinous texture of the brown rice helps with the crust much better than white rice flour.

For the crust:
1 stick (113gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (60gr) unsifted powdered sugar
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 cup (160gr) brown rice flour
1/4 cup (30gr) amaranth flour (you could use sorghum flour)
1/4 (40gr) potato starch
1/4 cup (20gr) ground almonds

For the filling:
5 tablespoons (80gr) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
4 lemons, zested and juiced (about 1/2 cup of juice)

Prepare the crust:
In a mixer, whip together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and pinch of salt and mix until incorporated. Add the three different flours and ground almonds and mix briefly. Dump the whole mixture onto a lightly floured (use more rice flour) board and gather the dough into a smooth ball. Do not work the dough while in the mixer or it will toughen it up. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat oven to 350F and position a rack in the center. Place eight tart rings on a parchment lined baking sheet and set aside.
When the dough is nice and cold, roll it out on a lightly floured board or in between two sheets of plastic. Cut out eight 6-inch-rounds into the dough and fit them into eight 4-inch tart rings. If the dough tears while you roll or/and transfer into the rings, just patch it with your fingertips. Line the dough with pieces of parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dy beans and par bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment paper. Keep the oven at 350F.

Prepare the filling:
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, the juice and zest from the lemons. Add the melted butter and whisk to incorporate. Divide evenly among the tarts and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve room temperature.

Gluten Free Lemon Tarts


Muscadine Grape Frangipane Clafoutis

Almond Frangipane and Muscadine Grapes


There is rarely a post without a story around here. I know I had a story for today. Had to have one. As my dad would say "I did not say it was good, I just said there was one". Simple and straight to the fact, which is not how these Muscadine Grapes Frangipane Clafoutis came to be but the result with our friends at dinner last night was actually just that. Simple and straight up good. Oh wait! They are the story. The dessert, the grapes.

A friend wanted me to teach her and her husband how to make souffles. We immediately turned this opportunity to see them into a dinner with a larger group. In return I asked that she helped me out with the huge cross stiching I’ve been working on for years. Yes, I decided one day to cross stich one famous Charleston street filled with gorgeous ante-bellum houses, and it feels like I have been at it for an eternity! After the first tray of souffles went in the oven, she gave one look at my cross stiching and exclaimed "Well, looks like you have a problem staying within the lines". I gave her the biggest smile and said "Doh! It’s me we’re talking about. Of course I can’t stay within the lines!" She quickly fixed my issues and we proceeded to round two of the souffles lesson.

After the third tray, I could see they both had the hang of it and we moved on to other things. We had made small batches all along and realized we would not have enough desserts for everyone, especially after all the sampling and testing we had done as the lesson progressed. I quickly glanced at the pantry and fridge and decided to assemble another dessert. I was in the mood for clafoutis, Bill was in the mood for something with frangipane. I had bought some really juicy red and green muscadine grapes, the firsts of the season, and decided to add some to my clafoutis-frangipane mix.

Muscadine Grapes


Muscadine grapes are big grapes with somewhat of a thick skin which makes them happily snap and pop when you eat them. Just like with kumquats, it’s best to take the time to seed them but luckyly there are little of them inside and they are pretty easy to discard. The season is usually September through October but it looks like our crops here have already started to be bountiful. Happy me! Much like kumquats I just love to pop them in my mouth for a snack but I discovered by pan searing them in honey that they are absolutely wonderful warm on vanilla ice cream. Happier me!

As we were fixing dinner, setting the table, getting drinks and nibbles ready I realized I was not paying attention very well and had completely forgotten to add the green grapes in there and we were munching on the reds I had saved to top the clafoutis-flan-whatever-we were-going to call-this. Improvise, devise. Quick! Alright, so we would bake the dessert and quickly pan sear the green muscadine grapes in honey and top the frangipane clafoutis with those. Ok, that would work. Reds inside, greens outside. Guests in the driveway!

Here is what we were not expecting: when I took the tray out of the oven all the frangipane clafoutis ressembled souffles. It was like the never ending souffle making oven! We gathered around the island and started counting, absolutely sure they would deflate within seconds. One, two, three…ten, thirty. Nothing moved. The beautiful golden crust on top remained puffy and upright.

Almond Frangipane and Muscadine Grapes


Hmmm…where to put those pan seared green grapes now? Bill took the back of a spoon, smashed the tops down as the rest of us looked horrified and spooned the green and saucy grapes in the middle. He looked at me all happy and said "That works! See I can do stuff in the kitchen!"

He was absolutely right! It worked perfectly, except we had no idea how to call what I had just baked so for now it’s just Muscadine Grape Frangipane Clafoutis. I am leaving the souffles part aside because I have no idea if the effect will reproduce itself if I make these again or if you decide to try this recipe. I knew the method would make them rise, I did not know ours would never fall!

Almond Frangipane and Muscadine Grapes



One year ago: Lemon Balm Infused Berries with Almond Tuiles.

Muscadine Grape Frangipane Clafoutis:

Serves 4

For the clafoutis:
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
1 oz (30gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (50gr)ground almonds
2 tablespoons (15gr)all purpose flour
pinch of salt
a dozen red Muscadine grapes, halved and seeded

For the pan seared grapes:
1-2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 cup green Muscadine grapes, halves and seeded
3 tablespoons of honey (or to taste)

Prepare the frangipane clafoutis:
Preheat the oven to 340F and position a rack in the center. Lightly coat 4 ramekins with cooking spray or a dab of butter and place them on a baking tray. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, butter and the egg yolks until the mixture is a smooth paste. Add the heavy cream little by little. In a separate bowl, stir together the almonds, flour and salt, add this to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until well blended. In a very clean bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the almond mixture. Divide evenly among your ramekins (make sure to fill them only 3/4 of the way up) and place 3-4 grape halves on top of the batter. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Top with the pan seared green grapes.

Prepare the pan seared grapes:
In a large skillet melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the grapes and sear them for about 5 minutes or until they just start to soften. Deglaze the pan with the honey and remove from the heat.

Celebrate!

Reach


There are times blogging is not about food, travels and the pursuit of all things sweet. It’s about the people. How they come to have a special place in your heart no matter how far away they are or how frequent the interactions may be. Yes, I will post plenty of sweet recipes next week but today I want to stop and celebrate.

The picture above is dedicated my dear friend Barbara of Winos and Foodies to celebrate the end of her chemotherapy. I’ve entitled it "Reach". A couple of years ago, Barbara posted a picture of her dancing shoes on New Year’s Eve and these words "Dance like no one is watching" while she was still going through life with cancer, its ups and downs and all that it affects. It inspired me. It moved me. It was "so Barbara". Strong, funny, witty. I shot this one thinking of her dancing shoes. She inspires me to stay strong, focused and to try to reach new heights everyday.

Today a few of us are also reaching out beyond our screens to extend a virtual hug to Barbara and toast her to life, to health and to her family and friends. Yeah baby!

I have had the priviledge to laugh, cry and get hungry with Barbara over the past few years in the emails we shared. Her ability to see things so clearly was painful to me sometimes. Raw. Reality. Fear. Pain. Sadness. Hope. I’d share my miscarriages and she would share her cancer. Not fair, eiher way in their own ways. I had it easy compared to the hell that she was going through. That’s Barbara. Grace and generosity. Class and moxie.

Barbar, my friend, cheers to you and your wonderful family! Reach for the moon my dear!

Asheville Trip To Foodtopia – Part II

Chocolate Torte, Caramel Ice Cream and Chocolate Sorbet


Day two of our trip in Asheville had us move around a bit less but was just as intense, keeping us on our toes until bedtime. Or was it until we all rolled, stumbled, fell, crashed on our beds?! Ha! Yes, we can blame it on all the tasty wines, succulent dishes, intense Iron Chef competition, culminating with an outstanding dinner at Horizons in The Grove Park Inn.

The 4 Diamond restaurant gathered us around one of the best meals I have had in my life, ending in the most perfect sweet note: a chocolate and caramel tasting executed by Pastry Chef Laura Bogard. Before I could even ask our hosts if Laura would be kind enough to share a couple of the recipes, I was graciously handed a print out of all the components of our plate. Once back home in SC, I decided to put my own spin on it and make this Chocolate Torte topped with Caramel Ice Cream and Chocolate Sorbet, inspired by that evening. But let’s talk about the day first…

We started with a visit to Sunburst Trout Farm outside of Asheville. I was really looking forward to it for the simple reasons that I used to go trout fishing all the time as a kid and I fully support trout farming when done with sound ecological practices. I was thrilled to meet Sally, her family and her staff after I had read more about them and their operation. They confirmed every thought I had already formed in my head: happy trout, careful workers, quality products.

Sunburst Trout Farm


Before meddling with the trout we were treated to a scrumptious breakfast smorgasbord of trout dishes, carefully prepared by their research and development chef, Charles Hudson. Trout dip, trout omelette, trout gravy and biscuits, hot smoked, cold smoked…you name it, we probably had it. All accompanied by fresh and pickled vegetables from the chef’s garden. A feast. We had to draw the line and think about the next round of food aventures and skip lunch.

Food bloggers skipping lunch? Ah yes. We had to keep ourselves sharp and moveable for what was awaiting us next. A full blown, very serious and incredibly fun CSA Mystery Box Iron Chef Competition held at AB-Tech Culinary Arts Center. If I were a student looking for a culinary college, I would, hands down, apply there first. Everything there is made to teach and practice without being stale or stuffy. Me? I was trying to contain that beaming smile of being back on the familiar grounds of a professional kitchen.

I wish I could have combined my two loves of cooking and photographing but I was about to get my hands chopping and my apron dirty. Diane of White On Rice Couple was our full-on photography journalist that day so I will be sure to update you when they post about it. We all had such a blast that I can’t wait to see it in pictures!

Each blogger was paired with a local chef to create two courses using the content of CSA boxes provided by The Appalachian Sustainable Agricultural Project, as well as the trout we had filleted that morning and extra ingredients provided by Blue Ridge Food Ventures (love that project – please take the time to click) and our own chefs.

Team France: Chef Michel Baudouin - Tartelette

Right photo courtesy of Diane at White On Rice Couple.
Meet Team France! Yes. Could there have been a better pairing than this? I think not! Indeed, I was teaming up with Chef Michel Baudoin, owner and chef of Bouchon . I have to say that the first thing I told Dodie was "Oh sh!t (!) you know that two French chefs competing together is more explosive than them competing against each other, right?!" She mentioned Michel had a similar reaction, eheh. Ah yes, that’s us French peeps. Bill says we take out our swords first and talk later. Very right. But in this case, very wrong.

We had a blast! Talking and yapping away in French. Chopping and dicing while coming up with our competition dishes. We were supposed to make only two dishes, but I guess you will not be surprised to hear that we made three. See! It’s not only me during Daring Bakers challenges! It’s genetic!! We started off with a fennel and zucchini tart, topped off with chorizo crumbles. Our main course was a Sunburst trout fillet stuffed with local goat cheese, baby turnip filled with purple potato puree. (picture here)

Michel is so low key and humble, I just had the greatest time cooking with him and talking about our experiences with food, cultures, restaurants, etc…I previously had dinner at Bouchon a few years ago and I am looking forward to returning to Asheville just for that!

Dessert was my grandmother’s vanilla apple compote served with pecan shortbread cookies. My biggest fear was this item. Seriously. Baking without measuring or weighing, mixing everything while eye balling and feeling the dough. I think I had a couple of shots of moonshine brought over by Todd’s chef while the cookies were baking! Turns out that everyone raved about that simple, homey dessert and it even earned us an extra five points. We still lost by 1/2 point though while Alison and Chef Annie Pettry took the high honors of the day.

Food Blogger In Action


It was an intense competition but with such great spirited and talented chefs that even if we were feeling it in our gambettes (legs), we still had enough of an adrenaline high to carry on with dinner planned at The Grove Park Inn’s Horizons restaurant, Horizons.

We started off by a round of cocktails (check out Jaden’s post about her tasty Xanadu libation) and appetizers which got their beauty shot courtesy of Todd.

Dinner At Horizons


I did take pictures from that dinner but let’s recap my physical state at this poing: late breakfast + cooking competition + a few nibbles of the finished dishes + moonshine + wine + cocktails + outstanding dishes + wine pairings + sake tasting = one very fuzzy sets of pics. Love that Bill knows me so well that he immediately asked the next day whether I had behaved. I think I did 🙂

Aren’t you lucky I don’t have all the words, the right words to describe how outstanding this dinner was?! I mean just look at that menu and sigh. I am! Thank you Jeff and Kevin for the superb setting and organization, you can be proud of the team you have cooking for your guests. Seriously, and I am not saying that because I never saw the check, this was one of the best meals of my life. Everything so fresh, sourced locally as much as possible, and executed with such perfection by Chef Duane Fernandes and his staff that I finished each- and- everyone- of- my- plates- OMG- I still- can’t- believe- I did this! And the wines…I want to do it all over again but with just the wines! Ok, maybe not…because there is a seriously tempting dessert tray to talk about.

Dinner at Horizons


Chocolate almond torte, chocolate sorbet, chocolate and caramel pudding and caramel ice cream and malt shakes. So happy to see I am not the only one thinking mini milkshakes are cool (see DB challenge)! I admit, while deep with both chocolate and caramel flavors, the pudding is the only item I left on the plate after sampling a few bites (research people, it’s all research). I did wish for a groundhog day type situation in which that chocolate torte, chocolate sorbet and caramel ice cream would just keep on appearing before my eyes and plate. This good. I have not even been really in the mood for chocolate lately but after making this at home, it is all I can see!!

Soft, luscious, powerful, smooth, intense. I took the three elements I loved the most about our dessert sampler that night and combined them in this entremet, starting with the chocolate torte as the base and then topped off with the caramel ice cream and chocolate sorbet. I made six. We had 2. That’s four more for me if I find a way to sneak around Bill. I hope it convinces you to try all three together or separately. It was hard to keep the caramel ice cream around long enough to have any left to fill the cake rings!

Are you still with me for Day 3 and 4 and a couple more exquisite recipes from the chefs of Asheville? Sure hope so!

Have a wonderful 4th of July!

The Making Of: Chocolate Ice Cream Cake


Chocolate Torte, Caramel Ice Cream and Chocolate Sorbet:

For the chocolate torte:
10 oz (300gr) chocolate
8 oz (230gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 eggs
3/4 cup (150gr) sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons (15gr) flour
3/4 cup (70gr)finely ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon espresso
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For the Caramel Ice Cream:
1 1/2 cups (300gr) sugar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup (125ml) water
1 quart (1L) half and half
or 2 cups whole milk + 2 cups heavy cream
12 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt

For the chocolate sorbet:

2 1/2 cups (625ml) water, divided
1 cup (200gr) sugar
3/4 cup (65gr) cocoa powder
8 oz (240gr) dark chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare the chocolate torte:
Preheat oven to 350F and position a rack in the middle. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt together the chocolate and butter. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
In a stand mixer (or with hand held beaters), whisk the eggs and sugar on medium speed until slightly thickened. Add the vanilla. Turn the speed to low and add the chocolate mixture and whip for a minute. Still on low speed, add the rest of the ingredients. Beat one minute until everything is incorporated.
Spread the batter on the prepared sheet pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or unti the center is just set.
Let cool completely.

Prepare the caramel ice cream:
In a heavy saucepan, set over high heat, stir together the sugar, honey, and water and cook to a dark amber caramel. Slowly add 2 cups of half and half and return to a boil, stirring to dissolve all the caramel bits. Slowly add the remaining 2 cups of half and half and return to a boil.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yokls to break them up and slowly pour the hot caramel mixture over them to temper. Pour the content of the bowl back in the saucepan and cook over medium low heat until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and salt and stir until dissolved.
Let cool completely, refrigerate until cold.
Process in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Prepare the chocolate sorbet:
In a heavy saucepan set over medium high heat, stir together 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, cocoa, and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, turn the heat down and simmer for a minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remainin 1 cup of water, chocolate and vanilla. Let stand for a minute. Whisk the mixture thoroughly to make sure that everything is incorporated and smooth.
Let cool completely. Refrigerate until cold before processing in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

To assemble:
Line six 3-inch round cake rings with acetate or platic cover sheets and place them on a parchment paper line baking sheet. Cut out six 3-inch rounds in the chocolate torte and place them inside the prepared cake rings. Divide the caramel ice cream and chocolate sorbet evenly in between the cake rings. Freeze until solid.

I topped the cakes with fresh berries and tuiles made out leftover frangipane from the last Daring Bakers Challenge.

Asheville Trip To Foodtopia Part 1

Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake


Update: check Todd and Diane’s Part 1 here. Amazing!

One of the first things I did when I got back from Asheville, NC was to email Jael and Dan Rattigan from The Chocolate Lounge and beg ask them to share a recipe, any recipe, from their outstanding repertoire. So happy they sent the one for their Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake (see end of post). Most delicious thing I have had in terms of cheesecakes. Really.

We were in NC to discover the Foodtopian Society of Asheville and we all fell in love with the pair, the minute we walked into their shop. Proof? We told Dodie (Super Mistress of Organization – Tourism Office PR Manager) that we had to take Brian, Todd and Diane there as soon as they’d arrive. Great chocolates, cakes, great photo opps, etc…Yeah, truth is we wanted more. More chocolate, more cookies and more of Jael and Dan. A couple of us even went back a third time and will have a post up soon.

Even though I have spent the last week being wined and dined by the wonderful chefs and artisans of Asheville, I did work very hard (smile and beg a lot primarily) to get you some of the dessert recipes I enjoyed on the trip. As a chef, I know it is no small gesture to part with one and I greatly thank the chefs who shared their creations with me and now you. This is one more example of the generosity of the artisan food crafters we have encountered.

As Diane mentioned one day, these people, restaurant owners, chefs, farmers, cheese makers, bakers, never talk about themselves. They talk about their crop, their product, how it evolved and how they evolved with it, not the other way around. They listened, they laughed, they patiently answered our questions, shared their knowledge and passion. We all took home different views and feelings from this trip I am sure, except one common trait uniting food professionals and food bloggers: we are passionate about food. We are all very tuned in to all of this so I think it was a pretty easy group to talk to but I know that they would have said and done the same for newbies to the concept of locally grown foods.

The Mighty Team


But who are these fellow food bloggers I keep mentionning? Let me tell you, I felt I had been a little sign that read "for good Kharma" when meeting them last week. Each of us had a little/lot of something to share and discover and oh my! Can we talk! And eat! And photograph! I have certainly made new friends, fell in love with the world again but dang country for being so wide! France is as big as Texas – a trip cross country is done in half a day! Yep, until I find a better way and until we meet again, I’ll just keep on reading their blogs.

From left to right: Alison at The Humble Gourmand, Brian from The Food Geek, Tami from Running With Tweezers, Diane from White on Rice Couple, Jaden from Steamy Kitchen and Todd from White On Rice Couple. Truly, honestly, amazingly, funny, smart, down to earth, talented and all around good people to be with. (And no, I am not saying that just because I can’t remember certain moments where lots of wine was poured and realised there might be video to remind me why.) On a side note, Tami works as a food stylist and you can guess that we were glued to her stories and experiences. Looking forward to taking her up on her offer to see her in action!

It's A Blogging Thing


As soon as we had checked in at the hotel, we were off for a little walking tour of Asheville complete with a few gourmet samples and later on dinner. It hit me as we sat down at The Laughing Seed for a tasting of locally brewed beer that I was among hardcore food bloggers like me: listening with both ears, shooting with both eyes (one on the camera, one checking out the aesthetics around), all senses working like mad to capture it all. Having been to Asheville before, I can vouch that The Laughing Seed’s popularity is justified: great food, great kitchen staff, fresh ingredients and minimal fuss. Love this place and I was so happy to go back!

Inside Grove Arcade

Top left photo courtesy of Alison at The Humble Gourmand.

A little walk through Grove Arcade revealed more than just a "little walk": indoor fresh markets, specialty cheeses and honeys, cute little shops of all sorts. And then we entered Jael and Dan’s shop. We could have stayed there for hours. They are genuinely good artisan chocolatiers. Conversation flowed, questions arised and were patiently answered. They are so passionate and knowledgeable about their truffles making, very easy to listen to and get inspired by. Especially when Dan kept passing the chocolate covered roasted hazelnuts around. And they have coffees, amazing hot chocolates and a plethora of baked goods too! More on that with the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake recipe.

At Zambra

Left picture courtesy of Alison from The Humble Gourmand.

We had dinner reservation at Zambra and we kind of reluctantly left The Chocolate Lounge. Little did we know what awaited us at this tappas restaurant. The decor is as luscious as the food and at the same time comfortable and never intimidating, much like the plates that Executive Chef Adam Bannasch and his staff prepared. Jaden recognized right off the bat that portions would have to be somewhat downsized or we wouldn’t be able to make it through this 8 course meal. Me? You can’t ask me that question at the beginning of a meal! Of course I am going to say "bring it on!". Even with a small downsizing we still ended up rolling out of the restaurant in a certain food haze (or was it the sangria?). Content. Fresh, local and innovative food. Everything well balanced and perfectly executed. And that dessert! Most tasty fruit soup paired with an outstanding basil ice cream. Perfect balance of sugar and herb. Adam, anytime you feel like coming this side of Southern, I’d be happy to take you around our own restaurant gems!

As you can see, we were off to a pretty good start! We went back to The Chocolate Lounge with Brian, Diane and Todd the next day. Within a few minutes we were sitting with some tasty French press coffee and one of the best slices of cheesecakes I have ever had. I am not just saying that. I am not one to like fruit and chocolate, especially berries and chocolate, and I am not the best advocate of cheesecakes in the world. But this? This is something I would want to eat everyday. This Mousse of Strawberry Cheesecake not just "strawberry cheesecake". Run. To. Make. It.

I leave you with this fine introduction and recipe they wrote while I prepare part 2 of this trip. Trust me it gets even better!

At French Broad Chocolate



Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake, from Jael and Dan Rattigan.

Serves 12

The best time of year to enjoy this cake is when strawberries are in season, so it can be garnished with fresh berries. however, you’ll see that the puree is made from frozen berries (because the freezing and subsequent thawing releases the juice from the berry’s cells which were ruptured in the freezing process), so enjoy any time of year, and try the same recipe with a seasonal, locally-available fruit of your choosing!

Other ingredient notes: choose ingredients with the same care and attention you would use to pick a babysitter for your kid. dessert is serious business! we use all organic dairy, free-range local eggs, organic sugar, and a highly aromatic vanilla extract. as for chocolate: the ganache topping only uses 4 ounces, so get a couple bars of something you would enjoy nibbling, preferably with a fruit-forward bouquet to complement your berries!

Strawberry puree:
10 oz. frozen strawberries
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Almond crust:
2 cups whole raw almonds
2 oz soft unsalted butter
3 T sugar
¼ t salt

Strawberry cheesecake:
1 lb. cream cheese, room temp
1 cup (7.5 oz.) sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
12 oz sour cream, room temp
2/3 cup strawberry puree

Ganache topping:
4 oz. chocolate (50-55% cacao mass is best), finely chopped
4 ½ oz. cream
½ large egg (beat 1 egg, weigh it, and use half)

Prepare the strawberries:
Thaw strawberries and strain out the juice completely (reserve pulp, should be about 5 oz). Place juice in a small saucepan and, at a simmer, cook down to a third of original volume. (you should start with about 5-6 oz, and end with 2 oz.) Add sugar to reduction and stir to dissolve. Mix juice and pulp together with lemon juice.
blend in food processor or with immersion blender.

Prepare the crust:
Preheat oven to 400F and position a rack in the center.
Pulverize almonds, sugar, and salt in food processor until crumbly. Add butter and pulse to combine. Press into bottom and sides of 9” springform pan (2.5” tall)
bake 15-20 min, or until deep golden brown. Set aside to cool while you make the cheesecake.

Prepare the cheesecake:
Turn the oven down to 350F.
Beat cream cheese and sugar until very smooth (3 min) in a stand mixer at medium speed using the whisk attachment.(yes you read right. It gives the cake that mousse quality). Add eggs, 1 at a time, scraping bowl and beating after each just until smooth. Add vanilla & salt and beat until incorporated. Beat in sour cream. Beat in strawberry puree. Wrap the pan with the crust in a double layer of aluminum foil.
Pour batter into crust. Place in water bath (hot water) in a larger oven proof pan
bake 45-55 min.

5-10 min before cheesecake is done, make ganache topping:
Boil cream. Pour over chocolate and let sit a minute. Whisk gently until chocolate is melted and smooth. Gently whisk in egg. Spread over hot cheesecake (careful, and don’t pour it all in one place as cheesecake is fragile). Smooth out the top. Bake 12-15 more minutes until ganache is set along the sides. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack, with a large mixing bowl over the pan (to cool slowly). When it reaches room temp, refrigerate. Chill 8 hours before unmolding. To unmold, run a thin blade knife around the cake pan sides. Remove springform. Gently slide cake onto serving plate. Store covered in refrigerator.
it’s easier to cut the cake if you heat the knife. run it under very hot water, then dry it. Slice!

Indian Cardamom Mava Cakes

Indian Mava Cakes


Many days of the week, I wish I could just call up my friend Bina to come and have tea or coffee with me. I know my afternoons have never been sweeter as since she shared her Mava Cakes recipe with us. I am very fond of a little tea break and I am very fond of Bina. We "met" when she emailed about her macarons issues. We just went through every problem, one by one, laughing along the way. Like with most friendships, it is difficult to explain how the pieces of the puzzle just fell into place. We started sharing a bit more each day, her about India and me about France.

We finally met in person and confirmed our friendship went deeper than a computer screen. We cook the same way, from memory, from family, for others, always worried people are going to enjoy themselves and have enough. Our cultures are miles away from each other and yet we relate by cooking like our ancestors did. Our way to keep alive the generations before us and pass it on to the ones after us.

Bina is funny, talented, attentive and generous. There is no better guide than her when going grocery shopping at an Indian grocery store which is precisely what I did on my last visit. A lot of dishes and treats were mentionned on that last trip but nothing prepared me to the little box she sent me last month.

Mava Cakes


"I am sending you some mava cakes I just made. It’s a recipe I have been working on for a while". As soon as the package arrived, I ripped the wrapping to shreds and stared at the container, wondering if I should wait on B. to sample one. I did not, and a moment of sheer bliss quickly followed. I started counting the mini cakes wondering how many I could eat before B. would find it strange she sent so little…

Hints of butter, milk and cardamom hit me all at once sending my senses in a very happy dance. I quickly shut the box closed and sent her an email "please, please, please, tell me how to make those! What’s the story behind them? What’s mava?"


Turns out mava is a reduction of milk and/or cream that gives a thick spread complementing the butter and other ingredients in the cakes. Her recipe calls for evaporated milk and heavy cream and I am sure there are others out there but this is the one that makes Bina feel closest to home and that sounds perfect to me! On a side note, she tops hers with cashew halves but I ran out on my last batch and plopped a pitted cherried right in the middle instead.

Mava Cakes


Thank you dear Bina for adding your words and memories to this post. I am just the one telling people "you must make this!".

Mava cakes bring back all the wonderful memories I have of growing up in Mumbai– my family, friends, college, monsoons, red double-decker buses, Marine Drive, amazing food, wonderful bakeries…

The bakeries were not the trendy places more common now, but simple Irani/Parsi ones which had the best mava cakes! Our family favorite was the City Bakery which was a ‘must-stop’ for us, often around 5 am, on our way back from the airport after helping a friend or relative catch an international flight (which always left at some crazy hour like 3 am!). The city always looked so quiet and peaceful at that hour and as we approached the bakery, we would be greeted with the amazing aroma of freshly baked bread. Next to the breads, piled high on a tray were the mava cakes. Not particularly impressive to look at, plain looking almost, occasionally dressed with a sprinkle of cashews or almonds. One bite of these delicious cakes was all it took to get hooked! We would return with our stash of baked goodies and sit in our balcony overlooking the Arabian Sea, sipping hot tea and munching on these cakes, watching the sky get brighter. Home for me is now over here but whenever I make these cakes, I feel like I am back on that balcony and that always makes me smile.

Mava Cakes


One year ago: Loquat Creme Brulee Tartelettes.
Two years ago: Lemon Mascarpone Charlottes.

Mava Cakes:
Makes about 12-18 depending on the molds
Notes: I used canele molds but feel free to use anything that you have, like muffin tins or cupcake liners.
Make sure to use a large pot so the milk and cream cook down properly.

For the mava:
2 cans (14oz each) evaporated milk (not low fat)
1 cup (250ml) heavy cream

For the cakes:
1 1/4 cups (155gr) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2gr) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (100gr) mava, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (85gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (100gr) sugar
2 eggs
6 tablespoons whole milk
cashew halves (optional)

Prepare the mava:
Place the evaporated milk and heavy cream in a large stainless steel pot or wide saucepan (12-inch) with tall sides. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high and let it cook, stirring more than occasionally for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to medium and let the mixture cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to thicken. Turn the heat to medium low and cook another 10 minutes. At this point, the mixture starts looking like a grainy butterscotch pudding. No worries, everything is going according to plan. Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes. Do more than stirring occasionally there too: there is very little moisture left and the higher risks of scortching happen at that point.
The whole process should take about 50 minutes, pay close attention to the mixture during the first and last 10 minutes of cooking. The final consistency is that of a very thick pudding.
Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate if not using right away. The mava can also be frozen for up to 3 months. With this mava recipe, you have 3/4 cup to 1 cup of mava, enough for 3 batches of cakes.

Prepare the cakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 and position a rack in the middle. Lightly spray with cooking spray (or brush with melted butter) small cupcake, muffin tins or other mini cake moulds. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt. Reserve. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with hand held beaters), beat together the mava, butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Turn the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time and beating well after each addition. Still with the motor running on low, add the reserved flour mixture and the milk. Turn the speed back up to medium and beat until the mixture is smooth. Divide evenly among the prepared cake tins, top each with a cashew half if using and bake for 20-25minutes.

Guest Post: Almond Blancmange

Surprise! I am here but I am not really here…. At the beginning of the year I mentionned that there would be some new and familiar faces coming by to mend the fort while I would focus on deadlines for the cookbook. The support these people have given me is beyond any expectations whether it be a "hey! Whassup?!", a "dude! Calm down and breathe!" or a single image they took or post they wrote moved me in many different ways. I also thought that asking them to guest post would let you discover amazing people if you don’t know them already. They won’t all be food bloggers, but they do have a couple of things in common: talent and a love of all things sweet. I’ll be back next post!

Today, it’s my very own hero Jen of Use Real Butter keeping you company. I discovered Jen through the Daring Bakers and our friendship has grown in the most delicious way this past year. She is funny, bubbly, and sincere. She gives it to you as it is, has a very opiniated opinion (her words), a mouth watering blog and brilliant food photography. We have a say in our house "Jen’s…that’s what for dinner!"

I am positive I will go to my grave with a long list of desserts trailing behind me… I don’t mean my gluteus maximus (hey, I’m keeping it clean since this isn’t my blog), I mean a list of dessert recipes that I want to make. For every new recipe I master, there are at least three or four that I add to the list. Oh, who am I kidding? I don’t master recipes, I just make them, shoot them, post them, and pawn them off on friends and neighbors. Despite this sisyphean endeavor to work my way through The List, imagine my delight and astonishment when I am introduced to a completely new dessert.


sprinkle gelatin over cream and water


I think Tartelette will laugh when she learns that the first time I ever heard of Blancmange was when I was in junior high and listened to the British synthpop band by that very name. It wasn’t until 20+ years later *gasp* that I sunk my teeth into the dessert, blancmange, at my aunt’s house. Utterly delightful stuff.



ground almonds and sugar



If you told me that I could not eat chocolate ever again, I would not be heart-broken. I like to make things with chocolate, but I am okay without eating it. Now, if you said the same thing about cream-based desserts, I might sit down and have a cry because I actually enjoy eating them almost as much as I enjoy making them.

add some amaretto to the cream (you boozehounds, you)



Having tried blancmange once before, I found a recipe for a modern variation on the dessert in one of my cookbooks. This one contains ground almonds – enticing! Based on other recipes I’ve perused, it looks as if blancmange is typically very smooth – a thickened cream-based dessert that is served unmolded. I ran into one discrepancy in the recipe, which was to use 1.5 cups of blanched almonds and in parentheses, the recipe said 4.5 ounces. That’s not right at all. 1.5 cups yielded 7.5 ounces. In hindsight, I think I’d go with 4.5 ounces and I’ll make a note of that in the recipe.

folding whipped cream into the almond cream mixture



Even with a lot more almond than I think the recipe should have had, it was delightful. I would probably grind the almonds down finer than I did for a creamier consistency in the future. The process of folding in the whipped cream lends to the airy texture of the dessert. I made individual servings in ramekins, which unmolded with some stubborness. That may have been due to the high almond content.

these will set in a couple of hours in the refrigerator



The resulting texture was slightly thicker than mousse. If unmolding had not worked, I could have easily served the blancmange in lovely quenelles (although I’m not sure that would fly if I had made the recipe with less almonds). Either way, the important accompaniment is the fruit. Any combination of berries, drupes, you name it, pairs lovingly with the almond and cream. It also looks as stunning as it tastes. A simple and elegant recipe to serve.

et voilà



Modern Almond Blancmange Recipe:
from Classic Home Desserts by Richard Sax

1/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup cold water
1 envelope (2 1/2 tsps) unflavored gelatin (powder)
4 1/2 oz. almonds, blanched, sliced or slivered (just under 1 cup)*
2/3 cup sugar
4 tsps kirsch or Amaretto (ummm, I think I could definitely use more of this)

*the recipe says to use 1 1/2 cups which 66% more than 4 1/2 ounces, so if you want a really almondy dessert, go for it, otherwise I think 1 cup is sufficient.

In a small saucepan, combine the 1/3 cup of cream and the cold water. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface and let stand for about 5 minutes. Stir over low heat until the gelatin dissolves. Set aside. Pulse the almonds and the sugar in a food processor until the almonds are very finely ground. When the gelatin mixture has cooled slightly, stir in the kirsch or Amaretto. Add the ground almond mixture and stir until combined. Whip the remaining 1 1/4 cups cream to soft peaks (do not overbeat). Fold the cream into the almond mixture in thirds. Rinse a 6-8 cup mold or 8 4-ounce ramekins (I did 6 6-ounce ramekins) in cold water. Pour in the mixture and cover with plastic wrap (but don’t let the wrap touch the mixture). Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. To serve, run a sharp knife around the edge of the mold. Dip the mold quickly in and out of hot water. Invert the mold onto a moistened plate and unmold. [Or, if you’re me, cover the ramekin with plastic wrap after loosening the sides and dipping in hot water, then turn it over and smack it on a kitchen towel on the counter several times. When it finally comes out, use another piece of plastic to cover the top, then invert it again, remove the first piece of plastic, then invert it once more onto the serving plate.] Garnish with lots of fresh fruit (berries, peaches, etc.).

Pomegranate Hibiscus Tea & Honey Ginger Yogurt Verrines – A Virtual Hug

Pomegranate Hibiscus Tea & Ginger Yogurt Verrine


I play well with food. We get along nicely.
I can twirl it around, bake it, cut it, stretch it, play it up, play it down.
We spend many hours together everyday. Swishing sounds of the whisk play with the silence of my thoughts.
We do get along well. Sometimes though I wish I weren’t alone in the kitchen.
Peeling fruit, brewing tea. Impatiently waiting for that drop of honey to fall from the spoon. Sometimes I wish I had Barbara with me in the kitchen.
I know she would sit on the vintage stool by the counter. For about 5 minutes before heading in there with me.
I know she would pour us a glass of wine while helping me pick the buttercream from my cheek
Like she virtually wiped the tears from my heart last year when I lost someone I had never met but already loved.
She would remind me to dance even if only in my head.
In fact I believe she’d turn the radio louder and we’d dance right in the middle of spun sugar and flour clouds.
Then we would fall loudly on the sofa and laugh…and hug.

Barbara needs and deserves all the hugs she can get right now as she is undergoing yet another round of chemo and being the Lady that she is, she remains quiet and private about it. However Bron and Ilva started thinking that it was about time we got vocal about this wonderful woman and tell her how much we care, love and want to be there, right next to her fighthing that nasty disease. A secret email for a special person and you know me….when there is some cancer butt kicking…I am there!

I don’t have to touch to know. I don’t have to see to understand. Barbara is around. She has worked her magic in so many of us. Time to say "thank you" and "we love you"…..

Pomegranate Jewelry


You can imagine that if I am calling her attention here while she is on chemo, it would be difficult to stomach seeing buttercream ladden cakes (nothing wrong with that usually) or sticky sweet creations (nothing wrong with that usually either). Keeping that in mind I decided to concentrate "good for you" flavors in a glass, also called verrine and have a little fun with the presentation. Since recreating Pierre Herme’s Sensation Satine last year, I admit that I have a fondness of geometrically challenged mousses or jelly set in glass. Seriously, doesn’t that look like fun?

I know that Barbara loves pink and has a fondness for travels and exotic locales so I wanted to make her travel a bit without much effort right now. I made some hibiscus tea that B. had brought back from Egypt and mixed it with some pomegranate juice, turned the mixture into a jelly and once set I topped it off with some Greek yogurt flavored with some honey and ginger. The yogurt mixture is turned into a jelly also for the sole purpose of consistency continuity. I tried it just spooned on top of the jelly and also as made here and it worked much better as a jelly for spooning and eating with the tea part but feel free to experiment to your own liking.

Did you see those macarons sneaking up next to that dessert? Couldn’t help it! The pomegranate seeds look like little jewel gems to me and I couldn’t help pairing them with macaron (eye) candy so I when I was making some to take as a hostess gift, I also colored some of the batter and filled them with buttercream and added a seed in the middle and a seed on top. Macarons are indeed perfect little hugs of sweetness.

Love you Barbara!

Tea Jelly Verrines & Macarons


Pomegranate Hibiscus Tea and Honey Ginger Yogurt Verrines:

Makes 6 servings

For the tea jelly:
1 1/2 cups brewed hibiscus tea
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Pour the water into a small container, sprinkle the gelatin over it and set aside. In small saucepan set over medium high, heat together the tea and juice, and the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon zest and remove from the stove Add the gelatin and stir until it is completely melted. Let cool to room temperature. Divide evenly among glasses and position them at an angle in an empty egg carton. Let set a couple of hours in the fridge.

Honey Ginger Yogurt Gelee:
1 1/2 tsp gelatin
2 Tb water
2 cups Greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

Pour the water into a small container, sprinkle the gelatin over it and set aside. In a small bowl, heat half the yogurt in the microwave for one minute. Microwave the gelatin for 12 seconds. Quickly mix the two together, add the rest of the yogurt, ginger and the honey. No need to let it cool, layer it on top of the tea layer and position it at the opposite angle in the egg carton. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.