Spring Baking: Lemon Almond Tart

 

Everything about this recipe says SPRING!  Maybe it's the extra hour of daylight (although technically I slept in so it works out to be the same...), or all the juicing I've been doing lately, but I'm in the mood for lighter, fresher recipes. I'm tempted by pretty much anything that involves pastry, and since it's citrus season (not here, obviously, but imported from warmer climates) I think it's a worthy place to start my spring baking.

Image and recipe from Sweet Paul Magazine's spring issue

Dough:
1 cup almond meal
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 sticks salted butter, cold and in pieces
1 egg
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Filling:
5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 stick salted butter, cold and in pieces
candied lemon, optional

1. Place almond meal, flour, and sugar in a bowl and mix. 2. Add the butter and work it into the flour with your fingers. The result should be grainy. 3. Add egg and lemon zest and quickly work the dough together. If it seems dry, just add a few tablespoons of ice water. 4. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 5. After an hour, preheat the oven to 375 F. 6. Take out the dough and roll it out to a thin crust. 7. Place in a greased pie tin. 8. Use a fork to prick the bottom. 9. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. 10. Cool on a wire rack. 11. Beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy. 12. Place over a hot water bath and add zest, lemon juice, and butter. 13. Beat mixture until it becomes thick and creamy. 14. Pour into the pie crust and cool until servinv.
Decorate with candied lemons.

Little Paris Kitchen

La Petite Cuisine a Paris (Little Paris Kitchen) was, until recently, the smallest restaurant in Paris. I say recently because British chef Rachel Khoo started to cook out of her Paris apartment for patrons in order to test recipes for her cookbook that is coming out in the UK this month, and as such, at least for the time being, it now no longer operates. Instead, her little Paris kitchen can now be transported, so to speak, wherever her cookbook is available. Based on reviews of her dinners that I've come across online, and the recipes she's demonstrated in videos, this will be one to seek out.

Also, I'm sort of secretly hoping that there will be something in her book about how to achieve the kind of quintessential-adorable-and-totally-pulled-together French girl thing she has going on.

Birthday Week

It's kind of a big one.

I'm turning thirty, which when written out like that makes me kind of queasy, so I'll refrain from doing that again. I'm not at all daunted by it and feel ready to leave behind my 20s, and to welcome in the new decade I'm trying to find the perfect cake recipe. Yes I will be making my own birthday cake, it's one of my great pleasures in life, and this way I get to choose. 

There have already been two birthday celebrations (and three birthday cakes) in the last few weeks, and since I've provided all three of them (happily), I kind of want to pull out all the stops for my own. Cake #1 was chocolate with peanut butter frosting, cake #2 was David Leibowitz's carrot cake, and cake #3 was gluten-free, chock full of dates and ground almonds and a LOT of chocolate - it was fudgy and soo good that I had to request my sister take the remainder out of the house because I was justifying eating it for breakfast, lunch and snacks (you know, because of the dates, it was healthy...).

Right now I'm torn between two routes: do I make the outrageously sugary and delicious-looking (and -sounding) pumpkin s'more cake that I've been eyeing since the fall or one of Babycakes' cupcakes, which is more in line with my new baking philosophy - also delicious-looking, but requires a slightly revamped pantry. I'm borrowing the Babycakes cookbook right now, and every one of her cupcake recipes is calling my name. I have no idea what half of the ingredients are and what they do (xanthan gum?!) but I love baking with coconut oil and almond milk, and am trying to eliminate sugar (so far fairly successfully, aside from the above cake list) and since Erin Mckenna, Babycakes founder, is the queen of vegan and sugar-free baking, and also so darned cute, I'm set on one of her recipes in the hopes that it will make me more like her.

I'm leaning slightly towards Babycakes' carrot cake, but am super anxious about the frosting. There's always a lot riding on the frosting, and in this case, being free of icing sugar and butter (eeek!) it could go either way. Updates and recipes to follow. Fingers crossed.

Saturday On The Cape

In hindsight, we were completely unprepared for our trip to Provincetown; but then again, how were we to know that it would be pouring rain when we got off the ferry (the forecast for Cape Cod said 'sunny'), and that our intended casual "15-minute" bike excursion to the beach would end up being over 12 miles (we naively ended up doing the entire trail instead of just part of it)?

A fellow ferry passenger informed us while we took shelter under a tent on the wharf that the skies would clear around 2pm, so when the downpour turned to light rain we made a beeline for the town centre in search of food. We found Tiny's, a very small patio restaurant (made even smaller under the cordoned rain tent) with an impressive menu of local foods. The lobster corn chowder was the big winner, as was (for me) the house-made basil and grapefruit soda. 

When the rain clouds dispersed shortly after 2:30 pm out came the sun, and along with it the heat we thought we had left behind in Boston. We rented our bikes on the main street and navigated our way to Herring Cove Beach and then to Race Point Beach. The distance between the two was further than expected (and the terrain hillier than we would have liked), but both the swimming and the scenery were perfect - and made up for the post-return exhaustion we felt when we only just made it back in time to return our bikes at the end of the day.

The ferry from Boston to Provincetown is a bit pricy for a day trip, but it definitely beat not having to contend with traffic on a busy Saturday in July. Also - the 7:30pm fast ferry back to Boston was like a romantic sunset cruise (take-out seafood and lots 'o salt water taffy are highly recommended for the ride home).

Tartelette

Tartelette (fr): tartlet

Tartlet: a small pastry tart

Strawberries and rhubarb. Such a perfect combination of tart and sweetness. 

I have been salivating over this stop-motion video by My Little Fabric that demonstrates how to make the most perfect mini tarts filled with almond cream, rhubarb compote, and fresh strawberries. As soon as the first strawberries of the season appear, this will be number one on my baking agenda. ( Although I hear that most produce is about 2 weeks behind schedule due to all the rain...) 

Find the video here and scroll down a touch

(all images are film stills from the video by my little fabric)

Pizza Perfection c/o Gwyneth Paltrow

I first started making pizza about a year ago, relying first on Mark Bittman's recipe in How To Cook Everything and then this past winter I started using the pizza recipe found in Baking Illustrated. Both books had really clear instructions that were perfect for a beginner, and, as they are essentially the same recipe (the only difference is in the measurements; one yields more dough than the other), I wouldn't necessarily recommend one over the other.

But in the dozen or so times I've made pizza, there was always something missing. I knew that whatever was missing could take the pizza from really good to fantastico, and I was pretty sure that it was in the crust, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. That is, until I came across Gwyneth's Goop newsletter on making pizza. All this time I thought maybe it just needed more garlic or different herbs. Nope. What's been missing? Sugar.

So last night, after adding 1.5 tbsp of organic cane sugar to my regular recipe and using Gwyneth's recipe for tomato sauce, I made the perfect margarita pizza.

You can always tell if a pizza is good if even the simplest of toppings makes for a transformative eating experience. With some good mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and fresh basil, this pizza brought me back to Italy. Now all I need is to get my hands on an ice cream maker and make this - it will almost be as good as a trip to Italy...

For G.P.'s pizza sauce and instructions visit GOOP's Newsletter on Pizza

Spring Greens With Sunday Dinner

With the warmer weather that we've been having lately, I've been craving lighter fares like these salads with herbs, watercress and spring greens. So simple, so perfect with Sunday night dinner (or any night of the week).

images from la tartine gourmande 

I normally use a lemon-based vinaigrette, but I found this incredibly tasty and creamy dressing on not without salt's blog that I intend to make many times in the coming months. 

Vinaigrette

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp creme fraiche

1 tbsp vinegar (I used rice vinegar)

1 minced shallot

1/2 tsp honey

2 tsp dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

For the salad I used a package of mixed greens with herbs and added a handful of shredded mint and cilantro, 3 thinly sliced radishes, and a large handful of sliced purple seedless grapes. 

image from not without salt

image from la buena vida

Moroccan Inspired Dinner

chicken tagine from bon appetit (source)

spice bazaar (source)

moroccan tiles (source)

Yesterday afternoon I met up with a friend at the market with a vague notion of making a chicken tagine for dinner. After filling our basket, picking up a couple of bottles of white, and running into a few friends along the way, we hurried home to feed our crew.

A couple of vodka martinis (us) and a sweet mural of marker sketches (her 4 yr old) later, this is what we came up with after briefly consulting several related recipes:

Chicken Tagine

1 package (6 pieces) boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 shallots, chopped
1/2 large fennel bulb, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped
3-4 tbsp cilantro
small bunch of basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

served with couscous

(served four and a half people generously*)

The best part about this was that we were able to improvise the dish using what was on hand, cooking first the shallots and fennel, adding the chicken, then the liquid and spices, allowing everything to simmer for about 20-25 minutes before adding the olives and cilantro. 30-40 minutes tops including prep. This was a quick (but really tasty) version of what can be a big production - a traditional tagine is slowly simmered over low temperatures for a few hours. Even her 4 year-old was raving about it, so that says something (although the kid counts olives and couscous amongst her fav foods, so we knew it would get good reviews). Also, you can play around with flavours and spices, depending on mood or availability. Epicurious had some good recipes with spice options.


*four adults and one child

The Hartwood in Tulum, Mexico

Todd Selby (of theselby.com) is on the go lately for his new 

series Edible Selby. These photo stories profile creative food 

people on location in their restaurant/cafe/market/home.

I'm not sure what Tulum, Mexico is like, but 

from these photos it looks like Paradise:   

All images from The Selby

For the full profile of Mya Henry and Eric Werner's restaurant check it out here.

Spring Fever: Hot Soup In Anticipation of Warmer Weather

I swear it was Spring just two days ago, but now the winter wind chill is back and so I'm fighting back with french lentil soup.

Saturday morning after whipping up a batch of brownies at a friends', she threw together a delicious lentil soup and now I've got it on the brain to do the same. This recipe from epicurious is pretty similar to the one we found in her Joy of Cooking cookbook. I'm excited to taste what the dash of balsamic at the end does for the overall flavour. I'm also kind of tempted to add something spicy to give it more of a kick, but since I hate to deviate from a recipe that I haven't made a hundred times already, I probably will just add extra pepper.

Image from Bon Appetit magazine (via epicurious.com)

Edible Selby - Tartine Bakery

The latest venture for Todd Selby has him photographing for the NYTimes T Magazine. His first feature is on Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, owned and run by Chad Robertson and Elizabeth Prueitt. Roberston has built a reputation as the best bread maker in all of the US, having apprenticed with several bakeries in France. He published a book in the fall, Tartine Bread, which I can't wait to get my hands on. I'm really hoping that the recipe for that fig and fromage blanc pizza will be in it...

Interview with Chad Robertson

Copenhagen

Winter on the East Coast makes me want to be somewhere more romantically wintry. An article in the Travel section of the Globe, "Q. How does Copenhagen taste? A. Good," has me casting a glance towards the northern part of the Continent. This wouldn't be the first time either.  About a year ago a friend was telling me all about the multitude of great museums they'd visited in Denmark, in every grand city and tiny village alike, the archaeological digs looking for Viking treasures, and the tax they've imposed on beer that goes directly into the arts.

Copenhagen is now home to the "best restaurant on Earth", Noma. This has certainly brought them lots of attention, as to be expected, but it's not Noma's molecular foods I'm after. It was such phrases as "19th century varieties of danish wheat" (or "retro" bread) and "heritage breed of pig" (and I don't even eat pork) mentioned in the article that caught my attention. I can't explain why this appeals to me, in all likelihood it's the allusion to rustic dining and the Old World. Anything 'heritage' or 'heirloom' related in food, as in heirloom tomatoes or antiquated grains. The writing of M.F.K. Fisher, her stories and descriptions of dining with famed country chefs in Italy and France and Switzerland in the 1930s and the elaborate meals they would force upon her, and the foreign foods and ceremonies that had not yet made their way to North America whose traditions were based on post-Victorian British ways of eating. Also, in general, farm tables and big wood cutting boards, cleavers, backyard herb gardens, etcetera...

In the meantime, this Toronto-based blog has (somewhat) satiated my interest in Scandinavian food, as they seek out really interesting restaurants in their travels both here in Canada and the U.S. and abroad.