recipe

Squash Blossom Quiche With Feta & Basil

09.05.2012 26 Comments

My voice is raspy. My eyelids are heavy. My clothes are still in a pile by my bed. And I still have to find my slippers. Yet, my heart is full, my memories wonderful and my mind is a big mumble jumble of pressure drop, happiness and everything that is good and wonderful.

Clare and I held our first 3 day workshop together this passed weekend and I still have to process it all. To say we had a great time would not do it justice. We met one of the most wonderful group of women we had had the chance to instruct in everything food photography related. One word that I have used so far to describe the workshop and this weekend is "generosity". I will go back to that when I post more about the workshop in the next couple of days.

As I mentioned, I still have to process the emotions and thoughts of this weekend. All wonderful. All making me completely aware that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. What I have set out to do and giving it my all everyday. Food photography allowed me to become my own. It is my responsibility to nurture that path.

For Clare and myself, the workshop was both a way to nurture the attendees' interest and skills in food photography as it was a way to offer them the time and the place to unwind and focus for a few days. Something we don’t always have the opportunity to do in the midst of careers, families, children, etc… We wanted to take care of them. We made them work. We made them laugh. We fed and wined them.

One of the lunches we prepared consisted of several salads and quiches. One of them was a variation on the one I am posting here today, a Squash Blossom Quiche with Feta and Basil. Unusual and completely tasty. Squash blossoms are in season here right now and every where at the farmers market these past couple of weeks. I can’t get enough of them. Simply chopped and tossed in salads. Slightly grilled and sprinkled with sea salt. Filled and pan fried until crisp. It’s a love affair I hate to see end in a few weeks when they will disappear from the stalls.

Another love affair of mine lately is with radishes. Watermelon radishes, heirloom French radishes (Jaune D’or radishes), French breakfast radishes, early Scarlet, Sicilian reds, etc… Raw with a sprinkle of salt, roasted with a sprig of rosemary. Or simply dressed with a drizzle of pungent olive oil, celtic salt and freshly ground pepper. I bought many bunches to use during the workshop and they were the perfect peppery or spicy touch to the giant salads that accompanied all our dinners.

We are very lucky to have the folks at Lowland Farms grow as many interesting varieties of radishes, greens, kales, etc…with that much care and passion. A simple radish salad was the perfect buttery-peppery partner to the soft and delicate squash blossom quiche.

Time to unwind, get myself situated again and get ready for the busy weeks ahead. All by nurturing creativity and self with good food and good people…

Squash Blossom Quiche With Feta And Basil:

Serves 6 to 8 (I used a 9.5-inch round Le Creuset pie pan and had plenty for 8)

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (or same amount of Jeanne’s gluten free flour mix)
generous pinch sea salt or kosher salt
1 stick (115gr) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/4 cup ice cold water, or enough to just hold together the pastry
1 egg wash – yolk, pinch salt, splash water, blended together

For the filling:

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

8 to 10 squash blossoms

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a plastic blade, pulse together the flour and salt. Add the cold butter all at once. Pulse until the flour is the size of tiny peas. Drizzle the ice water through the mouth of the food processor, while pulsing. Stop just when the pastry begins to come together. Empty the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and form into a disk using your hands. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This can be done up to 2-3 days in advance. You can of course, do the whole thing by hand.

Once the pastry has rested, preheat the oven to 350F. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface, to about 1/4″ thickness. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

In a food processor, pulse together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and basil leaves until the basil gives the filling a light green color. By hand, nutmeg and feta. Do not pulse but stir them in with a spoon. Pour at the bottom of the refrigerated pie crust and top with the squash blossoms in a circle all around the filling.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until the quiche is golden brown. Let cool slightly before eating.

Creamy Salmon Bisque & Rhubarb Tarte Tatin

24.04.2012 37 Comments

A little update before I talk Salmon Bisque and Rhubarb Tarte Tatin…The workshop in Ireland sold out so fast that we decided to exceptionally open up four more spots. There are three remaining. So, if you missed registration and would love to be able to join us for an amazing three day- four night food photography workshop on the grounds of Belle Isle Castle and Belle Isle Cookery School (all details here), here is your chance! Follow this link to the registration page. Hope to see you there!

Back to today’s recipes…

Let’s back track to a couple of weeks ago when I had tooth issues. Bear with me, something incredibly tasty came out of one little inconvenience. Well, it did not feel "little" at the time but in the grand scheme of things and with two more family members in bad shape, you won’t hear me complain of anything. It was just a tooth and one minor setback not the end of the world…

I could not eat more than two or three spoonfuls of soup at at time. I started dropping weight. If you know me, you know this is the last thing I need. I was starting to lack energy while my gigs were getting more intense. Not a good combination. I knew I could easily fix this by making meals that packed a punch in nutrients. I could eat soups. I devised a plan to make a big batch of a super nutritious soup and to keep a bowl by my side at all time during the day. A few spoonfuls there, another couple here and within the course of the morning, I would finally have eaten a normal lunch. Same thing for dinner.

What soup did it? A Salmon Bisque, full of good-for-you wholesome ingredients such as wild pacific salmon, potatoes, Vidalia onions, zucchini, garlic, fish stock and herbs. I could make it thin, chunky. I could change the vegetables with whatever was in the fridge such as subbing carrots for the zucchini, lefover rice instead of potatoes, etc… As long as I had a good combo of protein, carbs, fat and veggies, I was good to go. Getting all my nutrients helped heal at a normal pace. I did that for five days and it worked. Hooray!

Not going to lie, but the first thing I sank my teeth into after that episode was a big plate of crunchy radishes, a plump kebab of local shrimp and a big slice of tarte tatin. Rhubarb tarte tatin. With plenty of buttery goodness from the puff pastry crust and long pieces of caramelized rhubarb that just melted in your mouth. The latest edition of Donna Hay magazine was just chock full of tatin recipes with puff pastry. And well, those two words tend to make weak in the knees as soon as I see them..

Since I can occasionally eat gluten (once or twice a week without showing signs of Meniere’s) I figured a Tarte Tatin would be a darn good way to go for it. And it was. And I have one in the oven as we speak. I wish I were kidding. But this one is for my in-laws. Because they can’t ever have too much tarte tatins. Or rhubarb.

After a nice bowl of soup. This tarte is definitely melt in your mouth decadence of the best kind.

Creamy Salmon Bisque:

Makes enough for 6 to 8 large portions.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 small baby Vidalia onions (sweet onion) or 1 large onion, sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

3 zucchini, sliced

1/2 pound small potatoes

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound wild salmon, boned, skinned and cut into large cubes

4 to 6 cups seafood stock

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and sautee the onions and rosemary for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the zucchini and potatoes and sautee another 2 minutes. Add the garlic and salmon and saute for a couple of minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic. Add about 4 cups of seafood stock and pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool for about another 10 minutes and puree in a food processor or blender (immersion blender works great too) until completely smooth. Add more stock to adjust the consistency to your liking. For example, we like thick soups but some don’t – adjust accordingly. Salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve warm.

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Rhubarb Tarte Tatin, very slightly adapted from Donna Hay magazine:

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 sheet of puff pastry (I made my own using this recipe) (you can also find a gluten free puff pastry here)
3/4 cup (165g) sugar

1/4 cup (60ml) water

2 tablespoons (50gr) butter

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 10cm long pieces (4 inches long)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Roll the puff pastry to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out a 22cmx32cm (8.5 inch x 12.5inch) rectangle from the pastry and set aside.
Place the sugar and the water in a small saucepan over medium low hear and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium high and cook for 8 minutes, until the sugar turns to a caramel color Add the butter and cardamom and stir until the butter is completely melted and combined with the caramel.
Pour the caramel into a 20cmx30cm (8×12-inch) baking pan and arrange the rhubarb pieces over it.
Top with the puff pastry and tuck the edges under a little. Place on a larger baking sheet and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. or until the puff pastry is cooked through. Allow to cool for five minutes or so. Loosen the edges with a knife. Invert the tart onto a serving tray.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Crisps – Spring In A Cup!

12.04.2012 27 Comments

We have been stocking on the bounty of Spring produce left and right lately. Strawberries, peas, rhubarb, ronde de Nice, baby Vidalias, etc… The farmers market is in full swing and my mind is buzzing with photographs to take of all this beauty.

It was torture however these past two weeks to cook for two and only one could eat. Yes, I had mild complications from the tooth extraction and for two weeks I was barely able to finish a bowl of soup. I would make Bill a meal and send mine through the blender. Eating was problematic so I would set out a my soup and eat a few spoonfuls at a time throughout the day.

Last Sunday I was finally able to eat my first solid meal. Little bites at a time. I have nothing against soups, I love them, and I became quite creative with mine but I am a chewer so it was getting old! Since we had friends coming over for dinner that Monday and my brain started going crazy happy on the meal planning!

I spent the day in the kitchen chopping, cooking, tasting, anticipating like a child the moment when we would all sit down and share a meal. A good meal. Imperfect, bountiful, mismatched, seasonal. With friends who made me laugh until I was about to burst.

I had prepared dessert thinking we’d be too full for it but I had forgotten about the crew at the table. Gourmands, epicureans, bon vivants. They would not pass on dessert. Especially Rhubarb and Strawberry Crisp. True Summer in a cup. I served them with a creme fraiche ice cream I must make again and blog about soon. Unfortunately there was none left for the photoshoot. That good.

We had the leftover crisps with a little heavy cream whisked just until it gets thick, no whipped and it was just as perfect. Every bit of sunshine on a spoon.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Crisps:

Makes enough for 6 to 8 depending on your ramekins

Ingredients:
For the topping:
1 cup sugar, divided (1/2 and 1/2)
1/2 cup all purpose flour or gluten free flour of your choice (I used millet flour here)
1/2 cup gluten free oats or quinoa flakes
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
zest of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

For the filling:
juice of one lemon
3 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups chopped strawberries
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons kirsch or brandy

Crème fraîche, thick cream or ice cream, to serve with (if desired)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and position a rack in the middle. Lightly butter the inside of 6-8 ramekins and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour, oats, brown sugar, lemon zest, salt and the cardamom. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until crumbly. Cover the cover and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
In a large bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice with the chopped rhubarb and strawberries. Add the cornstarch and liqueur and fold well with a wooden spatula.
Divide the fruit mixture in between the prepared ramekins. Divide the crisps topping equally over each portion. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the topping is browned. Top each crisp with a dollop of crème fraîche, thick cream of ice cream if desired.

Vegetable Couscous For Food & Wine & Winner of "Where Women Cook: Celebrate!" Book

06.04.2012 15 Comments

Before I talk about this comforting and tasty Vegetable Couscous, I would like to announce the annouce the winner of the "Where Women Cook: Celebrate!" book giveaway. Folks! Congratulations to Heather from La Tarte Tatin all the way in Seattle!
Heather, please email your snail mail address to mytartelette AT gmail DOT com and I will put the book in the mail first thing Monday morning!

Now back to the Vegetable Couscous….

Earlier this year, Food & Wine Magazine assigned recipes to food bloggers and photographers for images for their site. I had a blast shooting the ones they gave me. Less than 48 hours after I had submitted my images, I got another email saying that they loved my images and could I shoot another ten. They were afraid timing was tight before the holidays. Little did they know my schedule! As a photographer, there is little room for normalcy! Weekends, holidays… we follow the food.

And I would follow that bowl of Vegetable Couscous everywhere. And I did. It was one of the favorites from the shoot. Reminded me of my childhood. The couscous dish my grandmother used to make, just a bit lighter. We eat everything, with fish and vegetarian dinners being the majority so this was perfectly fit for a light dinner al fresco. Paired with a tomato salad and a glass of rosé, it turned out to be all we needed to satisfy our hunger and enjoy the evening.

Hope you enjoy the recipe! Have a wonderful weekend!

Vegetable Couscous, with slight modifications, from Food&Wine:

Note: you can make this gluten free by using gluten free couscous instead of regular one. For the sake of making the recipe as per the requirements of the photo shoot, I used regular couscous.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cut into thin slices
4 carrots, cut into thin slices
1 fennel bulb, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small eggplant cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, including seeds and ribs, cut diagonally into thin slices
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
5 1/2 cups water
1 2/3 cups drained and rinsed chickpeas (one 15-ounce can)
1 1/3 cups couscous

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion, carrots, fennel, eggplant, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook, covered, until the vegetables get soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, coriander, caraway seeds, 1 teaspoon of the
salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring once or twice for another minute.
Add 3 1/2 cups of the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas, stir and cook another 2 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the couscous: in a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the
couscous. Cover ad take the pot off the heat. Let stand for 5 to 8 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Spoon some couscous in individual bowls and spoon some of the vegetable stew and broth over it.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Lemonade

02.04.2012 46 Comments

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.

Heirloom Tomato Galette & Feeling At Home

20.03.2012 38 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

Heirloom Tomato Galette:

Serves 4 to 6:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

06.03.2012 398 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chocolate Financiers, slightly modified from La Tartine Gourmande:

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

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

An Impromptu Picnic: Salmon & Quinoa Salad and Meringues With Creme Fraiche & Berries

28.02.2012 29 Comments

It’s been a game of hide and seek in our household for the past month or so. My better half has been playing music jobs left and right, on top of his day job. I, on the other hand, have been buried in the studio either shooting and editing until early evening, hoping for an evening when we can just chill. There have been a lot of "just changing clothes and heading out! I love you!" and "I won’t be home for dinner" exchanged.

It’s ok. After so many years, we are used to the fact that some months his schedule makes him a passing ghost and some other months, well, it’s my turn to hop from plane to plane for work or workshops. On a side note, for an updated workshop schedule, click here. It’s a rythm we understand and adapt to happily. His passion for playing music brings him so much that I would be the last one to complain. Same goes the other way. He knows how much I love to travel and share my passion about photography with others and help them as much as I can, and lets me be where I need to be. A happy mate is a happy house…

Well, even with our motto of "doing things independently together", there are those moments when the in passing "love you" needs to turn into a long hug, a conversation. A sit down and a cup of coffee. A date night. Whatever it is that makes it worth it. There are so many nights with a single plate on the table, so many girls night out or in, so many chick flick marathons that one can take before the string starts wearing thin. My best way to fix that is to pack some food, a blanket, our kite and our fishing rods and head to the beach. A picnic. A moment that we create.

I started planning some of our favorites to take along. A Salmon & Quinoa Salad, a big bottle of lemonade, and to finish a cross between a Pavlova and Eton Mess. A Meringue with Creme Fraiche and Berries. Something healthy and light and something completely decadent but just as light to the palate.

I was about to put all our victuals in the car when the sky became black and thunder rolled up its big drums. Within minutes, it started pouring. So much for a picnic at the beach. Well…c’est dommage (too bad) but I was not going to let this one day off together slip away. I pushed the furniture in the living room, spread our picnic blanket on the rug and laid out our meal.

We sat there, with the pups sleeping soundly, listening to the sound of the rain and feeling grateful for this one little moment alone. And…grateful to be only steps away from the kitchen to go for seconds…!

And on a final side note: if you are in Charleston or plan to visit soon, the opening reception of my gallery show at Heirloom Book Company will take place Friday March 2nd from 5.30-m til 8pm. The exhibit will run from now through the end of the Spoleto Festival.

Salmon and Quinoa Salad:

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 sprig oregano
1 garlic clove, smashed
One 6 oz salmon fillet
1 to 2 cups arugula leaves
1/2 cup edamame
6 to 8 medium radishes
olive oil and vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and oregano. Ad a pinch of salt and some cracked pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the quinoa is translucid and soft. Remove the oregano and garlic. Let cool.
In a sautee pan heated over medium high heat, add a teaspoon of olive oil and cook the salmon for about 3 minutes on each side (longer if the fillet is thick). Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and let cool.
Assemble the salad by dividing the quinoa arugula, edamame, radishes, and salmon among plates (or cups that you can place a lid on if traveling). Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar to taste.

Meringue With Creme Fraiche and Berries:

Serves 6

Note: Start this dessert the day before you serve it. The meringue needs to sit in the oven overnight (off) and the homemade creme fraiche requires you start it the day before you assemble the dessert. It is so easy, I wonder why I don’t make it more often..oh yeah… not as calorie free as it tastes! You can purchase your own creme fraiche if you wish.

Creme fraiche:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon buttermilk

Place the heavy cream in a non reactive bowl. Stir in the buttermilk. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on the countertop overnight. The next day, refrigerate until ready to use.

Meringue:
2 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F and position a rack in the middle.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites to a thick foam at medium speed for about 3-4 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time until the meringue is stiff and glossy.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and form circles of meringue with about 1/4 cup of the batter for each. You can make them as thin or fluffly as you wish, smaller or larger. Mine were about 3 inches round.
Place in the oven, turn the oven off and leave them overnight.

For the berries:
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup blackberries
1 tablespoon honey
juice of one lemon

Mix carefully all the berries together with the honey and lemon juice. Reserve until ready to use.

To assemble:
Place a meringue round on a plate. Whip the cream fraiche for a minute to fluff it up and spoon some on the meringue. Top with the berries and drizzle with some of the juice they gave out while sitting.
You can also, layer the meringue, creme fraiche and berries in glasses and pack them up in your picnic basket.

Champagne Sorbet With Red Currant Syrup

17.01.2012 45 Comments

First thing before today’s post and recipe: the winner of the Squam Workshop Giveaway is Patti from Peppermint Ph.D! Congratulations! please send me your mailing address at mytartelette AT gmail DOT com so I can forward it to the Squam team.

So strange. So strange to be writing and listening to the sound of my parent’s voices in the room above ours. Such a pleasure. After weeks of scheduling and rescheduling, they finally arrived last Wednesday. It’s been amazing to see their whole bodies relax and let go of the tension, the sorrow and the worries they have been going through.

It’s been wonderful to pick up where we left off since last May when they were here. So many things have changed and so much has stayed the same. I would have loved to have them here when work was less hectic but in a way I am glad they are able to see first hand how a magazine or cookbook shoot goes. What goes into a production meeting, how I organize the shoots, assistants and the studio depending on the task at hand.

They have seen me find the route ahead and stick to it, work and practice constantly and have kept to themselves their worries and doubts as parents. It’s nice to be able to share what goes on during a day at work. It’s also nice to show them first hand that I don’t noodle around until noon in my pj’s because I don’t have regular work hours.

Above all, it’s been so nice to spend time in the kitchen with my mom or engaging in conversations of all kind with my father at the dinner table. I like hearing the mugs clicking comes five o’clock. Sound that a little tea break and a cookie are just around the corner. It had been too long since I’d heard the usual "I know have too much bread on my plate and not enough cheese".

I like observing them and how they interact with life. How they grew old and yet remain so much as I knew them when I was a teenager. I like the wisdom with which I am trying to approach their visit. I know. I did say "trying". What can I say…I have too much of both their temperaments sometimes and things might just get a little heated. Nothing that a glass of Champagne can’t fix though.

Right before they arrived, in between two New Year’s Champagne toasts, we found ourselves with a couple of opened bottles and only two of us to drink them. During a work week, it proved a bit difficult to tend to them fast enough. I had hoped during the holidays to save enough Champagne to make sorbet. Last week proved to be the perfect time. A little later than planned. I took it as a nice way to prolong the holiday spirit.

I have always liked Kir Royale (with blackcurrant liqueur) or a little raspberry or red currant liqueur in my Champagne. Seeing the red syrup slowly mingle with the bubble and swirl in its descent to the bottom of the glass. I knew I wanted to somehow create the same effect with the sorbet I was making. Since I still had a lot of red currants, I cooked them with lemon juice and honey and made a syrup to be poured over the sorbet right before serving.

The red currant syrup was the perfect hint of tang and contrast to the sorbet. A simple dessert, full of life and generous in flavor.

Hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

Was about to leave without a workshop update…
The November 1st – 5th workshop with Clare is already half full and going fast if you are interested!
The November 8th -12th workshop with Clare and food stylist Tami still has some spots available!
We can’t wait to be there!

Champagne Sorbet With Red Currant Syrup:

Ingredients:

Sorbet: (adapted from Ice Cream Ireland)
2 cups (500ml) Champagne
1 cup (200gr) sugar
1 cup (250ml) water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey or simple syrup

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring the Champagne, sugar and water to a simmer and stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and honey. Stir to combine. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight until cold. When ready to churn, pour the liquid into your sorbet maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once made, keep the sorbet in the freezer until ready to eat. Serve with the red currant syrup drizzled over and some extra red currants of desired.

Red Currant Syrup:
4 cups red currant
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
juice and zest of one large lemon

In a large saucepan set over medium heat, bring the currants, water, honey and lemon to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for about 30 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Discards the solid and refrigerate the syrup until ready to use.

Lemon Parsley Marinated Shrimp With A Ribbon Veggie Salad

06.01.2012 11 Comments

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.