November 30, 2006
Le Pain qu'on ne pétrit pas
[No-Knead Bread]
Complete fiascoes are few and far between in my kitchen. I'm not sure whom to thank for this -- my lucky star, my karma, my mom? -- but the fact is that the things I cook or bake very rarely end up in the trash. I have disappointments of course, dishes that turn out a bit meh despite my high hopes, but nothing quite as débâcle-like as when I tried my hand at the recipe everyone has been raving about lately, stressing how laugh...
"Le Pain qu'on ne pétrit pas" continues »
November 28, 2006
Biscuits Très Gingembre
[Very Ginger Cookies]
One should always be careful what one writes about on one's blog, for one never knows what hungry demons one might unleash as one mulls over edible memories from one's past.
After I wrote about shortbread last week and listed some of the things we liked to buy at Marks & Spencer's, I could not get their stem ginger biscuits out of my mind. These cookies were tough little things to bite into, but they crumbled in your mou...
"Biscuits Très Gingembre" continues »
November 22, 2006
Cours de Boulangerie
[Bread Baking Class]
Hi, my name is Clotilde, and I have conquered my fear of yeast.
For years and years, everytime a recipe called for yeast -- dry, instant, fresh, whatever -- I would write it off with a resigned sigh, like the plain teenaged girl writes off the popular unkempt boy, thinking, "He's not for me."
I didn't know the moves, I didn't know where to begin, I didn't know how things worked, I didn't know what the dough should look a...
"Cours de Boulangerie" continues »
November 17, 2006
Shortbread
I grew up in the most anglophile French household I know, where the paperbacks strewn about the coffee table often bore little penguins, where the parents used English as a secret language when they didn't want their daughters to understand, and where sending them to England every summer sounded like a good idea (that question is still up for debate; in any case, there went the secret language).
Food-wise, it meant that fried eggs frequently c...
November 14, 2006
Green Bean and Almond Soup
[Soupe de Haricots Verts aux Amandes]
None of my friends need to be reminded how I feel about Rose Bakery, their salad plates, their assortment of British goods (including Neal's Yard cheeses), and their superb sweets that one simply must try and reproduce at home. "Where should we go for lunch in your neighborhood?" they ask. "I like Rose Bakery," I reply. "And what about breakfast/tea/brunch, what do you recommend?" they ask. "Well, I like R...
"Green Bean and Almond Soup" continues »
November 10, 2006
Aged Gouda and Dried Pear Scones
[Scones au Gouda Vieux et Poires Séchées]
Before we begin, I would like to address the scone/biscuit question. To Americans, a biscuit is the hand-held version of a quick bread, leavened with baking powder. Usually round and savory, the American biscuit may be served in place of bread to accompany a main course, especially if said main course involves a gravy component. The closest equivalent the British and the French can think of is the scon...
"Aged Gouda and Dried Pear Scones" continues »
November 8, 2006
Dried Pears
[Dried Pears]
I oven-dry tomatoes all through late summer, when I can lay my hands on cheap and tasty specimens, and I like to apply that method to pears in the fall, too: the drying sublimates the pear flavor into a hauntingly sweet concentrate of itself. This does mean it is a good way to cut your losses on below-average pears, but for superb results you should of course use superb pears. The technique works best with fruits that are ripe bu...
November 6, 2006
Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen
[Click here to enlarge.]
As those of you who subscribe to the C&Z; newsletter already know, my upcoming cookbook is now available for pre-order on Amazon (and on Amazon.fr, too).
It feels quite peculiar to see it there, as does each step that leads to the book's release* and makes it more real: I have seen the production schedule, I have gone over the first-pass pages laid out as the final book will be, I will soon receive blads and galleys, a...
"Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen" continues »
November 2, 2006
Cake à la Banane Flambée et Noix de Pécan Caramélisées
[Flambé Banana Bread with Caramelized Pecans]
One of the things I love the most about kitchen activities is that they come in all shapes and sizes to fit your mood, and how much time you have on your hands. Whether you're looking for instant gratification or a way to spend some quality moments with your pans and spatulas, there is a project out there that's perfect for you. And even for one given dish, there are always plenty of options, high-...
"Cake à la Banane Flambée et Noix de Pécan Caramélisées" continues »