Feels like Summer is officially here in the South. Don’t let the calendar fool you! I spent my birthday last week in the company of the guy I call my surrogate brother, chef John Ondo, and a group of complete strangers on the beach while doing a food photography and cooking workshop. Well, we were strangers to each other for about five minutes. Nothing like a few nibbles he had prepared for us and a glass of wine to break down the ice and make everyone share a good laugh and a good story.
The workshop was a huge success in my book. Between photo assignments and down times, everyone walked away with a different perspective on their own photography and cooking. We ate well, enjoyed the sunshine and the heat and welcomed the rain and lower temperatures one day. It gave me the opportunity to show students why shooting in the rain always gave me the greatest pleasure. The electricity in the light, the potential for pushing your camera settings and re-programming your brain to find the unexpected.
I walked away with new friends, new connections, plans for future workshops that leave me with a skip and a hop in my step. Always something that keeps pushing me forward. On a side note, we have a couple of spots open for the workshop I am doing in Atlanta in a couple of weeks! Details HERE.
Coming back from workshops is always tricky. Let’s face it, they require a lot of planning and "on" time. It takes a few naps and a few long nights to get my internal clock re-adjusted. In those circumstances I always rely on the food on my plate to give me the sustenance needed to re-enter reality.
With the heat, my palate craves the fresh flavors of sweet fruits. A meal always end with something sweet, usually a square of chocolate or fruit compote on yogurt in the winter and big fruit salads in the summer. Right now, the farmers market abounds with local bright red strawberries. We’ve been adding them to everything, including green salads actually.
The combination of honeydew melon and strawberries is always a winning one for us. We just sliced a bunch for dessert and sprinkled our plates with lemon juice, lemon rubbed sugar and fresh mint. Clean, light and super refreshing. The kind of desserts that helps my body and mind feel reset. It’s really so easy to prepare and always a hit with our friends.
My life in Birmingham is nothing but a series of first. Fall. Winter. Friday nights. Weekends. Dinner with friends. Neighborhood. All a first. Living a long distance relationship with my husband. Definitely a first. Having one puppy at home as my companion. How we have come to rely on each other, the old pup and me. Another first. Which is quite nice knowing that at 16 years-old, he is giving me some precious last moments together.
Everything about settling here as been new and wonderful. I am exploring a lot on my own every chance I get. I have also started a little fun side notebook in which I jot down the places I want to discover as a first with Bill and not just on my own. They can be restaurants, parks, places…I just know him, and I know us, and I know how much more fun and meaningful it would be to do those as a couple.
Spring would definitely be one of the seasons I would want us to experience together here. But, we all know one cannot stop Mother Nature. It will be Summer before he moves here for good. I just have to find the right words, the most descriptive ones to tell him how gorgeous Birmingham is in the Spring. And it is. I know one can say "but it’s the South! You know the South!" Yes. But it is a completely different South. One with seasons, tornadoes instead of hurricanes. One with a different past. One with a different food culture.
A series of first everywhere and all the time…
The first time I turn my favorite sponge cake recipe into Lemon Cakelets With Vanilla Bean Cream. The first time I add deep rich and robust olive oil (from the family batch) to Bittersweet Chocolate Pots de Creme.
Hello Summer! Yep, our Spring is already over here in South Carolina. Was nice to have it for about three weeks. But we have already moved on to going for late afternoon jumps in the ocean to wind down. It will never cease to surprise and amaze me. It never deters me from braising and roasting every once in a while though. That’s because air conditioning always leave me as cold as a cup of ice cream.
With the gorgeous produce falling out of farm stands everywhere, rhubarb and strawberries have been among my top choices for first lately. Crumbles, tarts,ice cream, panna cotta, etc… We just can’t get enough. As my dear husband pointed out, we are running low on my homemade strawberry jam so I guess a trip to the U-pick plantation is in order for next weekend!
It’s been a while that I have had in my head to make concoct a drink with both fruits. I am fond of mixology and cocktail developing on the weekend but this time I wanted something refreshing that we could drink during the day while working over the weekend. I was craving a nice cold homemade lemonade so the idea of making a Rhubarb & Strawberry lemonade naturally came about.
Later in the afternoon I gathered some drinks, some cookies and headed outside with the husband. We sat down just long enough to take a breather and feel refreshed from such a simple but tasty treat. A little stolen moment in between two assignments.
This drink is a great base to add a little seltzer water or ginger ale to have a little fizz going on. It is also a great starter to refreshing fruity cocktails and mocktails for a nice gathering with friends.
Rhubarb And Strawberry Lemonade:
Makes enough to fill a large carafe (sorry I did not measure. We were thirsty!)
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups water
1 pound rhubarb, cut into roughly 1-inch dices
1/3 cup honey or agave (which is what I used)
zest of 2 lemons
3 cups of strawberries, halved
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions:
In a large pot, bring the water to a boil along with the rhubarb, honey or agave and lemon zest. Reduce the heat down and let everything simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. Add the strawberries and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the stove and let cool completely. Place the mixture in a blender with the lemon juice and puree until completely smooth.
Refrigerate until completely cold.
It looks like the bout of bronchitis going around town has find a way to sneak into our house and beat me to pulp. Or at least it feels like it. I can’t complain though. We each get sick about once a year and thankfully not at the same time. That would be miserable for everyone around us…and we would drive each other crazy.
While B. tends to crave fruits and juice when he is sick, I tune in to hot, energizing, shock-full-of-good-for-you ingredients soups. As soon as I feel I am about to get sick, and it always settles on my throat and chest, I make a huge pot of chicken broth and creates a couple of soups to have on hand. I may feel like a lion is coughing up a storm in my bronchi but at least, I have hot and nutritious liquids to navigate through it.
And it’s good for the soul too. Which always makes one heal faster.
Taking the next couple of days off and staying under the cover to get better.
Lemon, Chicken & Orzo Soup:
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks (or diced)
1 small celery stalk, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh spinach
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 cup gluten free orzo
salt and pepper
8 cups chicken broth (or water if you prefer)
Zest and juice of a lemon
Directions:
In a large pot (4 quart or more), heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the carrot, celery and onion pieces. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken breast, the spinach, oregano, orzo, broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, half covered for about 30 minutes or until the orzo is al dented.
Remove the chicken breast from the soup. Let cool enough to handle and shred it into pieces. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Add the lemon juice and zest, stir and serve.
If you have been reading this blog for a while, you have noticed that I very seldom do product reviews or promotions. Part is because I am seldom solicited to do so. Part is because although I am asked every so often, I either don’t like the product I am offered or I don’t think it fits this blog. But there are the rare times when something piques my interest, and the people asking for my collaboration do not take my opinion, time and readers for granted.
Through my relationship with Martha Circle, the folks at Truvia hired me to develop and shoot a recipe for their New Year Healthy You campaign. I would probably have passed on the offer if it weren’t for my own current use of this stevia based sweetener and my desire to develop more and more recipes with it for a couple of family members who could benefit from it such as my mother who will be visiting soon.
Even if I eat healthy almost every day of the week, there are always those periods of time when a few extra pieces of chocolate add up, that one little extra sliver of cake passes my lips and that extra creamy bite of macaroni and cheese just calls my name. Sometimes, it’s simply too much work and general lack of organization and the first things to take a backseat are proper homecooked meals.
Food that is healthy and good for you does not have to be bland and boring. I have learned that along the years of cooking for family members with health issues as well as my own desire to keep my health optimum. Whether you need to pay attention to sugar, fats or carbohydrates in your cooking, there is always a moment when you feel something is a lacking or not working right yet. For me, it was sugar. Or the desire to reduce it without losing taste or texture in the dishes I’d cook.
Enters Truvia. A natural sweetener made from the stevia plant. Although I have used stevia based sweeteners for a while, I became a Truvia user in the last year or so when my mom and I decided to try it in her favorite cake recipe. Maple syrup, honey, molasses are usually our sweeteners of choice but draining on the budget (especially if you bake or cook often) and not as portable as little packets of Truvia when you travel.
We followed the direction on the box as far as dosing: 3/4 teaspoon of Truvia equals 2 teaspoons of sugar and not only did the cake texture turned out fine but there was also no strange aftertaste. This is a huge deal when a savory recipe calls for a pinch of sugar such as in marinades, sweet and sour dishes, etc…
One of the dishes I like to make to get back into healthy habits after the holidays is a sweet and savory seafood salad with shrimp infused with a lemon, parsley and garlic marinade and served on top of zucchini, squash and carrots cut very thinly into ribbons. The marinade needs that little bit of sweetness to break down the acidity of the lemon marinade and Truvia works perfectly there (I use raw honey usually). A pinch and you are set. It dissolves quickly without over powering the rest of the ingredients.
I love making this dish with all sorts of different seafood (mussels, clams, scallops) and different vegetables. Same goes for the herbs. I always have parsley on hand but cilantro, tarragon, thyme and even rosemary work great here. Keep it light, easy, super fresh and full of flavor. Something that makes you feel good when you prepare it and light and healthy when you sit down to eat it.
Disclosure: Through Martha Circle, Truvia hired me to create and photograph one recipe and I was sent a jar of their product to do so. The rest – my opinions and words – are my own. Lemon Parsley Shrimp With Ribbon Vegetable Salad
Serves 4 as a light lunch or 2 as dinner
1 pound medium shrimp
3 tablespoon olive oil
zest and juice of one medium lemon (about ¼ cup juice)
¾ teaspoon Truvia
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup flat leaves parsley, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large zucchini
1 large yellow squash
2 carrots (peeled)
Shell and devein the shrimp, rinse under cold water and place them in a non-reactive bowl. Refrigerate while you make the marinade.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, zest and lemon juice, Truvia, garlic clove, chopped parsley, salt and pepper until well combined. Set aside 2 tablespoons and pour the rest over the shrimp and toss them to make sure they are well coated in the marinade. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
In the meantime, make the ribbon vegetable salad:
In a non-reactive bowl, peel the zucchini, yellow squash and carrots lengthwise with a vegetable peeler to obtain long ribbons. Stop before you reach the core. Discard the core or keep to make vegetable stock later.
Toss with the reserved marinade. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and sear the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Discard the marinade used for the shrimp. Remove the shrimp from the pan and let them cool off on a plate.
Plate the vegetable ribbon salad on a large platter and top with the shrimp and serve.
Finally edited the last part of my trip to Portland a few weeks ago. I get lost in my memories of Portland every time I look at this last set. The day was jam packed with fun adventures…it kept my camera busy and happy.
I ended my trip on the same note it started, taking Sunday as an extra day to chill before getting back to work. A day spent with friends, visiting more of Portland, free of schedule. More time to spend with Tami, Nicole and Andrew to go about town. One pit stop at The Meadow salt and chocolate shop inspired the Lemon Salt Lemon Cupcakes pictured above.
Before I start waxing poetic about the shop and the salts, let’s (re)visit that last part of the Full On Oregon trip. Kuddos again to Travel Oregon for the incredible trip. I can’t wait to go back with Bill or my family.
We started bright and early at one of the farmers market. A mix of food vendors, fresh produce and flower stalls as far as the eye can see…Desserts and small bites from the dinner appeared behind a case and I was tempted to get more macarons and brownie bites…
Gorgeous displays of pastries from various bakeries in town as well as what seemed to look like an ever ending sea of flowers strewn about the market.
I must say that seeing one of Portland farmers market made me very proud of our own. Although smaller, we are equally serious about quality and diversity of produce, farmers and artisans.
A display of various kinds of mints and basil as well as other Asian staples. Heirloom tomato season was in full force and they were popping at just about every corner.
Flowers as far as the eye can see…
Bouquets of Brussel sprouts and colorful cauliflowers.
Artichoke flowers…mesmerizing color.
Gorgeous produce everywhere. I am telling you, my finger was glued to my shutter button!
My favorites… Ronde de Nice zucchini are perfect for "Petits Farcis" like my grandma used to make. Recipe here.
Garlic, garlic flowers and more gorgeous flowers…
After a thorough tour of the market, we actually had to stop and shop for the items we would use during the first workshop of the day on preserving and canning. As you can tell, it was not a complicated task to find everything we would need!
Jennifer from Sassafras Southern Kitchen led our workshop on canning and preserving. We set up at KitchenCru, a community kitchen and culinary incubator which is about 24/7 so that various business can cook and package their products safely when their schedules allow it.
We used all the gorgeous heirloom tomatoes we had picked up earlier at the market and set up various station of chopping and canning for the next three hours.
The final product was Sassafras Southern Kitchen signature tomato relish. A little sweet, a little vinegary and simply delicious. I made it twice since I came back from Portland and we are just slathering it on everything. Will post the recipe soon!
Lunch was served right in the dining area of KitchenCru space and catered by threeaward winningchefs in Portland. Again, we did not lack great food exquisitely prepared. The meal was topped up in the most delicious way by Salt and Straw Salted Caramel ice cream. This team is young but they are already creating some big buzz around them. Justifiably so.
My afternoon session was all about charcuterie. My choice. I know, I could have gone with chocolate or ice cream making but I wanted to do something completely different and challenge my camera eye, my perspective and well….I do love charcuterie. Plain and simple.
Our class was led by Paula Markus and Eric Finley of Chop Butchery and Charcuterie. The enthusiasm and care they have for their business was contagious and evident in the quality of their products and the meats they use to keep such standards courtesy of Mt Shadow Natural Meats.
We started by making chicken liver bourbon mousse, then moved on to starting pancetta (it needs months to cure) and gathering herbs and seasonings for it.
Both Paula and Eric tagged team throughout the afternoon to take us through the various products and processes of their operation. They also had a whole hog brought in and took us through the various cuts and how they’d be used. Learning where you food comes from…
After our session and a quick refresher at the hotel, we boarded a bus, direction the Willamette Valley wine country for the Full On Oregon culmination dinner at Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. The surroundings were gorgeous and we got here right as the sun was setting and the Golden Hour was setting a wonderful cozy glow on everything.
More flowers everywhere and even more surprises at every turn in the garden. More on that later.
The dining room was beautifully set and each table was adorned with more flowers and a tablet of local Xocolatl de David chocolate bar was given to each attendee. I regretted that we did not get a tour of the property or the operation. It would have been nice to hear about their vision and products.
The dinner was executed by local chef Vitaly Paley and his staff and each dish was paired with different wines. Although all exquisite in their own way, dishes and wines, I must say my sensory palette was overwhelmed. So much so that I can’t tell you who was what and where.
One of the surprises waiting for me at the corner of the patio where we were enjoying hors d’oeuvres and wine was the small garden patch brimming with gorgeous fresh produce. Tomatoes galore of course but so much more…
Onions…and more tomatoes….
Swiss chards and blooms.
Lettuces…
Yes…I know. More tomatoes. But admit these are gorgeous. I just wanted to cut one open, sprinkle it with salt and eat it right there and then.
Speaking of salt…After this official closing dinner party on all the events of the Full On Oregon trip, I had decided to leave Portland on a red eye flight Sunday night. It was leaving me more time to hang out with Tami, Nicole and Andrew. We started with a little bite a food truck in town and met up with Andrew at The Meadow. The famous salt shop…and wow…were we in for a treat!
I picked up a few salt including a really fragrant lemon salt that immediately made me think of a sweet/salty concoction. The vision of lemon cupcakes with lemon salt was already dancing in my head…
We also took some time to walk through the Japanese Gardens before saying our goodbyes, eyes full of wonderful sights and bellies repast with delicious meals. My heart was just making jumps of appreciation and gratefulness for knowing so many nice and genuine folks.
Lemon Salt Lemon Cupcakes:
Notes: I used The Meadow lemon salt to top the cupcakes with and I realize it’s not accessible everywhere. One easy substitute is to rub some lemon extract with coarse sea salt and sprinkle it on the cupcakes. Another option is to just use a very light sprinkle of high quality sea salt on top. The salt and sweet combination is really tasty.
Makes 12
For the cupcakes:
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1½ cups Jeanne’s gluten free all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
zest and juice of one lemon
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and position a rack in the middle.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and airy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each addition. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Lower the speed of the mixer and add the flour mixture and milk alternatively to the butter/eggs mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add the zest and lemon juice ad beat until smooth. Fill cupcake tins about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out free of raw batter. Let cool completely before frosting.
For the buttercream:
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
zest of a lemon
Prepare the buttercream:
Place the yolks in a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment.
Bring the sugar, water and lemon juice to 238F (on a candy thermometer) in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Slowly pour the hot syrup over the egg yolks and continue to whisk until cold. Change to the paddle attachment and beat in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Add the lemon zest and continue to beat for a few seconds until completely smooth.
Assemble:
Pipe the buttercream on the cupcakes and top with a few flakes of lemon salt or coarse sea salt.
Hard to believe that one week ago, last Sunday, we were basking in the heat of Oklahoma watching our first rodeo, enjoying the last bit of our trip to pioneer country.
I’m from the South of France. I talk with my hands. A lot…
A ranch. Wild horses. Cows. Stray dogs. And cats. Night skies that fill your soul of everything good and infinite. Sunrises so intense they almost paralyze your thoughts. And your words.
Food. Lots of it. Cameras clicking away. Spatulas folding fast and furiously. Strangers who became fast friends. Happy banter. Wine. Late nights and shooting stars.
Downtown Saint Louis.
2850 miles driven. One macaron workshop. One food photography workshop. Lots of pictures taken and archived. Lots of coffee. Lots of time spent catching up with Bill as we drove through Memphis, Pawhuska, Saint Louis, Nashville, Asheville. We reveled in the immensity of this country. We anticipated with excitement our time off together at the ranch. We smiled the whole drive back to Charleston. We had fun. The trip gave us back every bit of ourselves we put out there. To strangers and to each other.
I loved that Bill saw me in my element and that now he understands why I get so involved and so quiet everytime I do and leave a workshop or a conference. I invest everything I’ve got in the people coming to learn. I am spent. Emotionally, verbally. It was great that he saw the dynamics and spirits of the people attending. Now he gets it. And he gets why it is so important for me to pay it forward. Continually.
Darcy, Helene, Krystin.
Seeing a dozen people go from mildly intrigued to slightly nervous and completely giddy at the idea of learning a new skill like macaron making is priceless. The act covers much more than just piping and filling pretty cookies. It covers essentials of pastry science that would be Harold McGee or Shirley Corriher approved. Things that explain incidents or successes with other cookies and recipes.
Answering people’s questions about photography. Seeing people with different levels of interest and skills just pick up their camera and compose and shoot food all afternoon was balm to the heart. They teamed up, they geeked out, they giggled. They got frustrated. They got creative. I was thrilled that my editor at Wiley, Courtney came for the weekend too and saw the book in action so to speak!
It was a moment that went beyond taking a picture or making a story. A sense of community developed bringing us closer. It made them want to share what they had learned that day. I told them they should. I do! It’s the key to a happier soul.
Saint Louis.
We drove to Oklahoma with clear chatty anticipation of the weekend and we drove back to Charleston in silence. Memories already making room in our hearts and bumping around in our heads.
Thank you to everyone who came with open minds and open hearts, who came for one thing and left with three others. Thank you to Ree for opening her home to a bunch of strangers and for the time spent with us in the middle of family sickness and cookbook deadlines.
Ree shooting a recipe for her new cookbook.
It was a colorful weekend. And I am not only talking about the macarons! It was hot sure, but for us it was actually a heat we could sustain as it was humidity free. The moment we stepped out of the car in Charleston, it felt like a steam oven. Come to find out, it was especially beneficial to my plants this whole time and I walked into an oasis of overgrown basil, thyme, oregano, pineapple sage and lemon verbena. Happy, happy!
In an effort to keep the plants trimmed and well and to accompany this post, I made a batch of lemon-lemon verbena macaron the other night. Light and summery. They are perfect with a glass of lemonade as a little pick me up in the blistering heat of summer.
One last thing and there is a giveway to go along…
I rarely travel empty handed and I had brought goodie bags to all the attendees to help them with macarons making (aprons, spatulas, food coloring, etc…) and each attendee also received a copy of Plate To Pixel. I don’t know how it happened but I came home with an extra goodie bag and I want it to find a good home so I am putting it up for grabs today. The bag contains:
– one apron (similar to the ones worn by the attendees in the pictures above)
– spatula, pastry tip, pastry bag
– powdered food coloring kit (8 colors)
– one signed copy of "Plate to Pixel, Digital Food Photography & Styling"
To enter: leave a comment here between today, Sunday July 31st and Tuesday August 2nd, midnight (Eastern time). No anonymous entry. One comment per person. That’s it! Easy peasy.. Lemon Verbena Macarons:
Makes 25 to 30 filled macarons, depending on size
Ingredients:
For the shells:
200 gr powdered sugar
110 gr almonds (slivered, blanched, sliced, whatever you like)
1 tablespoon loosely packed lemon verbena leaves
90 gr egg whites (use egg whites that have been preferably left 3-4 days in the fridge)
25 gr granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon verbena
Directions:
Place the powdered sugar and almonds in a food processor and give them a good pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the lemon verbena leaves and mix until blended. Sift if desired (helps keep the shells smooth in appearance).
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, (think bubble bath foam) gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue (think shaving cream). Do not overbeat your meringue or it will be too dry.
Add the nuts and powdered sugar to the meringue, give it a quick fold to break some of the air and then fold the mass carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10. Give quick strokes at first to break the mass and slow down. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate: if the tops flattens on its own you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple of turns.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip (Ateco #807 or #809) with the batter and pipe small rounds onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with the finely chopped lemon verbena. Let the macarons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 280F.
Bake the macarons for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool.
Once baked and if you are not using them right away, store the shells in an airtight container out of the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks (longer and the sugar starts to seep out which makes them sticky). Fill the macarons and let them mature in the fridge at least 48 hours prior to eating them.
Lemon Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
zest and juice of one lemon
In bowl of electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar on low speed, until very smooth with no lumps. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix until well blended. Pipe or spoon about a tablespoon into the center of each macaron shell and top with another shell.
I did not make a cake for my birthday this year. I have a "coeur d’artichaut" you see: I change my mind at the drop of a hat. Last Wednesday I wanted chocolate and caramel in my cake. The day after I was on to lemon and vanilla. In the morning I was all set to make it a three tier with luscious curls of chocolate on top. Maybe a few piped flowers. Maybe. At the end of the day, I was seriously finding the repetitive motion of icing a few cupcakes a much better option.
Honestly, I just had one of the best birthday weekend. Really. Intensely focused on being, breathing, family and friends. No material gifts. I just wanted to spend some quality time with the people I loved the most. My parents are here and strolling the gorgeous streets of Charleston with them on a gorgeous day last Friday was just a much awaited moment. A late lunch at my favorite place, a good nap and I was a happy gal.
I did receive a gift. Seeing my parents pride and joy as I was giving them a copy of my book Plate To Pixel. That was pretty priceless… You all wonderful readers have also given me the most wonderful birthday present with your lovely tweets, messages and emails about the book. I am thrilled when you send a picture of the book of your kitchen counter or next to your camera. I want to hug you silly when you say you had many a "ha ha" moments reading it and getting some concepts that were escaping you until now.
You are given me the greatest gift ever. You got it. You got that Plate To Pixel was written with you in mind and from where I was myself when I started in my journey with food photography. The goal was to give you tools, tons of them, and examples. But not all the tools. That’s for the sequel…ahaah! To reassure you that the only way to get going at this photo thing, was to just…get going. What was the worst that could happen? More learning time, more practice round, more growth and getting inspired and moved. Yeah…that would be awful (insert sarcastic laugh).
An edible bouquet to say "Thank you".
Witnessing all the good, motivation, sharing, learning, laughing, talking. Seeing all this happening in this community, around food, the people who make it, the people who tell its story, the people who enjoy it, the people who document it…I am moved and inspired. This is my birthday present. Thank you.
And I thank whoever came up with cupcakes, tea cakes, mini cakes and the like. I dig them. They are fun to make and fun to eat, highly transportable and I rarely meet someone turning one down. Especially not these. I got the idea of honeysuckle and jasmine flavored cupcakes from my good friend John, chef at Lana’s Restaurant who used jasmine syrup to soak lemon cake layers one time.
Luckily we have lots of honeysuckle and Confederate jasmine growing around the yard so a little of both picked out the other day and I was on my way…I made a simple syrup first with equal parts water and sugar and let it cool for about five minutes before I threw in some honeysuckle and jasmine flowers. I poured some over the cupcakes right when I took them out of the oven and added some to the buttercream.
I do live with a coconut thread hater but to my surprise, B. agreed that the toasted coconut sprinkled on top was a really nice way to round up all the flavors. When he says things like that, I immediately go hide a couple for me because I know we’re going to fight over the last one. And we did….!
Honeysuckle and Jasmine Cupcakes:
Makes 16 cupcakes
Note: Honeysuckle and jasmine grow wild in our backyards but I still washed them and patted them dry to before using. Only use edible grade flowers when baking or cooking. You can prepare the syrup a day ahead and keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator after it is made (strain the flower after a couple of days). I freeze mine in ice cubes and use for cocktails sometimes.
You can replace all the gluten free flours with 2 cups all purpose flour if desired.
For the cupcakes:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup olive oil (don’t skimp on the quality)
1 cup plain yogurt (low or full fat)
zest and juice of a lemon
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch of salt
shredded coconut to decorate (optional)
For the honeysuckle and jasmine syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flowers
For the buttercream:
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
zest of half lemon
2 tablespoon honeysuckle-jasmine syrup
Prepare the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350F and line cupcake tins with cupcake liners, slightly brush the inside olive oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice and zest and whisk again so that everything is well mixed. Add the rice flour, millet flour, sorghum flour, baking powder and salt and mix until the batter is smooth. (You can do this in a stand mixer if desired)
Divide among the muffin tins, filling no more than 2/3 of the way up. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out free of crumbs.
Let cool completely before frosting. Once frosted, add a few pieces of shaved coconut if desired.
Prepare the syrup:
Place the sugar and water in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring once or twice to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, let cool 5 minutes and throw in the jasmine and honeysuckle flowers. Let steep while the cupcakes cool.
Prepare the buttercream:
Place the yolks in a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment.
Bring the sugar and water to 238F in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Slowly pour the hot syrup over the egg yolks and continue to whisk until cold. Change to the paddle attachment and beat in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Add the lemon zest and the syrup. Continue to beat for a few seconds until completely smooth.
To assemble:
Poke holes in the cupcakes with a toothpick or a fork and pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of the flower syrup over them. Place the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with star tip and pipe frosting on top. Decorate with shredded coconut if desired.
I hope everyone is having a great start to the New Year and feels refreshed and ready to enjoy 2011 to the fullest. B. and I don’t really make resolutions as we know what works and what does not, what needs to go and what needs to be and always keep those in mind. Not just because it is the New Year. It’s refreshing to think of beginnings though. Possibilities.
This past Sunday, we pulled out the big calendar and jotted down our respective commitments so far. We got to July and looked at each other with a big smile and circled August three times and wrote with capitals "vacances a deux". There’s been a lot of traveling but it’s been too long since we traveled just the two of us and we absolutely love it. We’d love to go to Ireland and Scotland where he is from. It’s not a definite yet but we’ll work hard to make it happen. Got to dream big right? Right!
The second thing I wrote down in my internal calendar was to make an effort to put myself on pause for tea time. I’ve mentioned this family tradition before where would gather at the dinner table around 4 or 5 o’clock and have a cup of tea and a couple of cookies or a slice of pie. It was a good way to talk about anything. It was the perfect way to breathe and make plans, laugh and banter.
The cooler days in Winter are perfect just to curl up on the sofa, and take a little time to just be. No disturbance or interference. I am all about a sweet little nosh with my tea and I love making our favorite family treat back home, a simple lemon and olive oil yogurt cake. Everyone, boy or girl, in the family has been taught this cake as soon as they were able to handle a mixing spoon. So easy, so good, so comforting.
This time I changed it up a bit and turned the cake into cupcakes with cream cheese frosting left over from making carrot cake macarons. I also used desiccated coconut as part of the gluten free flour mix I used for no the reason that although he likes the flavor of coconut, B. can’t stand the shreds. I bumped the citrus for good measure and the cupcakes were a hit.
Perfect with a hot cup of tea on a sunny Winter afternoon…
Lemon Coconut Cupcakes:
Makes 14
For the cupcakes:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup olive oil (don’t skimp on the quality)
1 cup plain yogurt (low or full fat)
zest and juice of a lemon
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch of salt
shaved coconut to decorate (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350F and line cupcake tins with cupcake liners, slightly brush the inside olive oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice and zest and whisk again so that everything is well mixed. Add the rice flour, millet flour, coconut, baking powder and salt and mix until the batter is smooth. (You can do this in a stand mixer if desired)
Divide among the muffin tins, filling no more than 2/3 of the way up. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out free of crumbs.
Let cool completely before frosting. Once frosted, add a few pieces of shaved coconut if desired.
I don’t make cupcakes very often. Rarely. As in four times a year maybe. I have nothing against cupcakes. I am as picky with them as I am about any small bite I make, bake or eat. They’d better have a higher interestingness to frosting ratio for me to pay attention. In about everything I do, I go straight for the good stuff. I skip the fluff (rhyming unintentional) but today is special. It’s my dad’s birthday!
Joyeux Anniversaire mon p’tit papa!
I wasn’t going to say anything or blog about it but I know I have written Mother’s Day posts and birthday posts to my maman before, made macarons and cakes for my brother, shared a tear with you reminiscing about my grandparents but never about my father. Time to fix this wouldn’t you say? Note to my family: don’t expect a post per family member’s birthday or it would be the only thing people would read. I’d rather make lemon curd instead, ehehe.
My father. The unsung hero of this blog seems like! Without diving into the melodramatic, allow me to put down in writing a few things about him. These cupcakes made me think of him in many different ways. They are soft like his hugs. Tangy like his sense of humor. Creamy like…well if I say love, it sounds tacky, right? Well then, be it. Now that years have softened him. Or he’s always been a softie but spent a great deal of effort hiding it? I don’t know. All I know is that he deserves to be in the spotlight for a little while. If only on his daughter’s site.
To know my father, Jacques, is a gift I hope many more people would experience. To say that I am 50% my father and 50% my mother is no understatement. I am as reserved as I am public. I am as righteous as I am mischevious. I am as poised as I am exuberant. I am as leveled as I am dramatic (my dad being the first of all these adjectives).
My father lost a lot in his life. He’s also gained the never ending respect of his family by the way he’s always conducted himself. I could give you a few very sad sad stories to illustrate this point but like him I’d rather look on the brighter side of things so here goes the moment I realized at 6 years old that my dad would always be a "put your money where your mouth is" kind of guy. That story that makes us laugh a great deal now even if I get red cheeks every time it goes around.
I call it "the day I got (justifiably) whipped back into shape for misbehaving".
One evening my parents had an important dinner on Base (my father is a General in L’Armee de L’Air), my brother Thierry was put on babysitting duty of my brother Arnaud and myself. Everything was just dandy until I thought it’d be hilarious to throw peas across the table with my spoon, catapult style. My brothers got quiet. My father looked at me straight in the eyes and said "you do that one more time and you will get spanked. Bare bottom." For my father to say that, you know I had crossed some major line. I looked back as straight as I could hold it, lifted my fully pea-loaded spoon and catapulted them across the table.
Silence fell upon the room. My brothers were looking at me like as if I was a green alien with red antennas. Without flinching my dad commanded me to come see him after I was done with my dinner. Going up the stairs to meet my fate felt like the 12 steps up to my room suddenly were 120. Five minutes later, I was sporting my father’s hands neatly and naturally tatooed on my derriere. The one and only time this would ever happen.
However difficult it was for him (and he told me so years later), he was right. We both had to own it. He did gain my respect and my trust forever. Different times, different ways. Let me end by saying that this blog is not the place to have a "how to raise your child, slapping-no slapping" argument. This is just a story of why every time I see parents counting to 3 and then 3 more I think about that day almost 30 years ago. Not sure it would have worked the same with my brother though.
Note to my dad: it had the desired effect but no need to slap me to get your point across anymore. Bringing me chocolate will, ahaha!
My father is one heck of a man. He’s resilient and patient. He wrote a novel. He paints beautiful sceneries that my mom frames. He’s patient. Yes, I know. I’ve said it just a second ago but that’s because I debited a lot of my "father’s patience" credit this past year without collateral. He did not say a word and let me find my way and establish myself in my work. I hope that being too busy to call as promptly as before is a good indicator that I am paying him back rightfully. I hope so.
I love you Papa! Hope you spend the rest of the week celebrating, you deserve it.
Cupcake liners from Bake It Pretty. Lemon Vanilla Cupcakes:
Makes 24
Note: for non gluten free readers, replace the sweet rice, millet, sorghum flours and cornstarch with 3 cups all purpose flour. Omit the xanthan gum.
I use sucanat for the lemon curd which gives it a bit of a molasses taste and a darker color but regular sugar works the same.
For the cupcakes (adapted from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc At Home):
1 cup superfine sweet rice flour
1 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons coconut oil (solid stage preferably)
2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
6 egg whites (use the yolks in the buttercream)
For the lemon curd:
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup (125ml) lemon juice
1/4 cup sucanat (or sugar)
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the buttercream:
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 vanilla bean
Prepare the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly butter 24 cupcake liners.
Sift together all the flours, cornstarch, gum, baking powder and salt. Reserve.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, coconut oil and 1 cup sugar at medium speed until pale and thick. Add the vanilla, then the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the milk. Transfer the batter to a separate bowl and wash your stand mixer bowl very well.
In that clean bowl, whip the egg whites to a foam at medium speed. Increase the speed and slowly add the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until you get a glossy and firm meringue with stiff peaks.
Fold 1/3 of the whites into the flour batter to lighten it and then fold in the rest carefully not to deflate the meringue completely.
Divide in between the prepared cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes.
Let them cool completely. In the meantime, prepare the curd and buttercream.
Prepare the lemon curd:
In a heavy medium saucepan, stir together the lemon zest, juice and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, beat the egg and egg yolk to break them up. Beat some of the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook stirring constantly until it thickens up, about 5 minutes. Remove the curd from the heat, let cool five minutes then whisk in the butter slowly, one tablespoon at a time. Let cool completely before using.
Prepare the buttercream:
Place the yolks in a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment.
Bring the sugar and water to 238F in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Slowly pour the hot syrup over the egg yolks and continue to whisk until cold. Change to the paddle attachment and beat in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Split the vanilla bean open and scrape the seeds out. Add to the butter mixture. Continue to beat for a few seconds until completely smooth.
To assemble:
With a pairing knife or the large opening of decorating pastry tip cut a whole in the center of the cupcakes. Fill with lemon curd and top the hole back with the cupake piece you just cut. Frost as you like either with a straight or star tip or just by "spatulating" some buttercream on top.
