A cake fit for a Queen

     Birthdays, I find, should always be about receiving pleasure.  The ultimate pleasure.  To me, nothing brings more pleasure than chocolate, especially when it is the best, most refined European chocolate made into a dense, unique, cake.  It is the philosophy of one of New York’s best chocolatiers, Maribel Liberman. 

     Liberman, a native of Honduras, understands good chocolate when she tastes it.  She owns an exquisite store in New York City called MarieBelle Chocolatier.  And as someone who understands the importance of a good piece of chocolate, she also finds that “life is all about the pleasure and happiness we find in food, art and beauty”.

     Until I became a fan of all things French, I couldn’t picture beauty as being present in food.  The French excel at this.  Everything from the packaging to the way edibles are presented, the thought placed in creating and enjoying meals, the quality of the ingredients, and the sharing of those experiences is conducive to beauty.  Beauty inspires art, and chocolate was the venue, this birthday when I turned 45, for that inspiration.

     The treat for my birthday was a Marie Antoinette Vintage Truffle Cake, made by this chocolate house that also creates artfully illustrated chocolates, raw cacao confisseries, signature ganaches and decadent hot chocolate mixes.

     I ordered the cake through Dean &Deluca, but it is also available through the company’s website.  The cake honors Queen Marie Antoinette of France, who adored the chocolate pastilles that then chemist to the French Crown, Debauve & Gallais, created for her so she could swallow unpleasant tasting medicines.  Marie Antoinette adored chocolate, and this cake, which comes packaged inside a box simulating an ancient book, includes a poem in her honor, and her chocolate:

She stares with puzzle at her treasure book

She can’t help but wonder

What the story is all about inside

She flips the cover

And to her surprise:

A mysterious dark slab

With a rich golden chandelier

Simulating the entrance of a Palace

How amazing!!!

He contemplated her with joy

As she closed her eyes as if

She was going into a trance

He was the man she loved

But at that moment

He took a second place

People warned her that one

Becomes a prisoner of obsession

She held the slab and took a first bite

Melting cream in her mouth she screamed

                                    OH… CHOCOLAT!!

     Indeed, the Marie Antoinette Vintage Truffle Cake is like biting into a truffle.  It is quite small, about 6.5” by 4.5”, but it compensates in richness.  The truffle cream chocolate lies on top of crisp chocolate wafers, so when one bites into it, there is also a certain crunch.  It is decorated with the image of an antique chandelier, faintly showing out of a sprinkle of gold glitter, and to my surprise, it did not fade throughout the life of the cake.

     I recommend a rich, dark shot of Italian espresso to accompany this luscious dessert.  And of course, a trip to this chocolatier is de rigueur during a visit to New York City.

      After the cake is consumed (which will not take long, believe me), the simulated case can be used for storage of cherished secrets – love notes, valentines, etc.

A small piece with a cup of strong espresso is all this cake needs.  It should be cut in triangles as shown here.

You will get 8 portions.

A cozy Thanksgiving

     Thanksgiving is the most celebrated holiday in the American calendar.  That is because mostly every family who lives in the United States participates in the holiday in some way, regardless of religion or race. 

     But what is the essence of Thanksgiving?  Beyond the eating and the shopping, it is the foremost way to celebrate the harvest, and send hopes into the void for a future bounty one.  I like this latter idea of Thanksgiving.  Since I moved to Florida, over 20 years ago now, I especially enjoy the Autumn.  Once the last days of August hits I seem to become alive, and the smells of the new season come alive in my kitchen as well.

     From the entertaining point of view, it is the ideal time of year.  The fruits of the harvest invite a varied sort of cooking, and the chillier weather makes for wonderful get-togethers and cozy moments.

     This year I decided to by-pass the ubiquitous turkey and made an Argentinian classic – carbonada.  This version is by Chef Guillermo Calabrese, one of Buenos Aires top chefs, who started his career at the famous Gato Dumas Restaurant in Recoleta.  I remember eating at this trendy restaurant in the 90’s.  It was a mixture of refined Argentine specialties with a touch of French cuisine, in an ambiance that was stylish without being presumptuous. 

     The carbonada is a fulfilling dish for a cold day, not unlike the weather we were lucky to have for Thanksgiving.  It is served inside an acorn squash, making for a beautiful presentation.  Although it takes some time to prepare, it beats the long hours of the turkey and proves for a dish full of the typical flavours of Fall for which you will be remembered.

Argentine Carbonada in acorn squash:

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 small acorn squash (about 6” in diameter)
• 4oz unsalted butter
• 3oz sugar
• ¾ cup milk
• 3 small corn stalks
• Corn oil, as needed
• 12oz plain rice
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 small white onions
• 3 green onions
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1pd veal, cut in cubes
• 1 can tomatoes
• 3.5oz white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 oz veal stock
• 3.5 oz dried apricots
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• ½ Tbsp cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ Tbsp sweet paprika
• ¼ grated goat cheese
• More salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

     Wash and dry the acorn squashes.  Cut the tops, which will be used as covers, clean and remove the seeds, and cut small incisions on the inside with a knife. 

     Coat the insides of the squashes with softened butter, dust with sugar and bathe with a bit of milk.  Place on an oven plaque and bake at 380F for 25 minutes.  Check halfway to ensure the squashes are not disintegrating.  They should only be partially cooked at this point.

     Cut the corn in smaller pieces, blanche and reserve.  In a separate saucepan add about 2 Tbsp of corn oil and sauté the rice no longer than 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and reserve.

     In another saucepan with 2 more Tbsp oil sauté the onions, previously chopped.  Add the pepper, the meat (make sure you clean all the fat) and brown.  Add the tomatoes and deglaze with the wine.  Season and cook until the alcohol evaporates.

     Add the rice, the veal stock, dried apricots and season with sugar, cumin, bay leaves and paprika.  Cook for 15 minutes on high.  Fill the squashes with this stew and bake for another 25 minutes at 380F.  Sprinkle with a nice grated goat cheese.  I chose a Spanish one from La Mancha, flavored with paprika, which you can buy HERE.  It mimicked the flavor of the pieces beautifully.  Serve with corn cobs on the side.

A tablescape inspired by the colours of Autumn

      After such a nice main course, the dessert had to be just as memorable.  And maybe a bit more patriotic.  I find nothing more authentically American than cheesecake.  Thanks to the Martha Stewart magazine, I became aware of a uniquely crafted maple syrup, infused with Tahitian vanilla and Egyptian chamomile.  As soon as I saw the recipe, I ordered it immediately.

     This is a very rich, creamy cheesecake, ideal to have with some strong Earl Gray tea.

Maple-Walnut cheesecake:

Ingredients for 8 to 12 servings:

            Crust:

·         9 Graham crackers

·         ¾ cup black walnuts

·         1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

·         4 Tbsp melted unsalted butter

·         Pinch of fresh nutmeg

·         Pinch of salt, ideally Himalayan pink salt

Filling:

·         Four 8oz packages of cream cheese, at room temperature

·         ¾ Noble Tonic 02 Maple syrup, available HERE

·         ½ cup granulated sugar

·         4 large eggs

·         3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

·         ½ cup heavy cream

·         1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

·         ¼ tsp maple extract

Preparation:

     Fill a roasting pan halfway with water and set on a rack in the lower third of the oven (this will ensure a very moist environment for the cheesecake to cook into); position another rack in the middle and pre-heat to 350F.  Wrap the outside (bottom and side) of a 9” springform pan with foil.

     To make the crust, pulse the Graham crackers in a food processor a few times until crushed.  Add the walnuts and brown sugar and continue pulsing until finely ground.  Add the melted butter, nutmeg and salt and pulse to combine.  Press into the bottom and about 1” up the side of the prepared pan.  Bake until the crust is golden, about 10’.  Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

     For the filling, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until nearly smooth, about 1’.  Add the maple syrup and granulated sugar and beat until smooth, about 2’ more.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Increase the speed to medium high and beat in the flour, heavy cream, lemon juice and maple extract until the filling is smooth and silky, about 1’.

     Pour the filling into the cooled crust.  Transfer the cheesecake to the oven, placing it on the middle rack, directly over the water bath.  Bake until golden and set around the edge but still jiggly in the center, about 45’ to 1 hour.  Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold and set, preferably overnight.  Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature 20”, the run a thin knife around the edge and remove the springform pan.  Serve and enjoy!

L'art du pain

     The French and their bread are a case apart.  One can spend hours debating on the subject of bread with French people.  It is just as important to them as wine is.

     In France, pairing the proper bread with one’s food is something taken very seriously.  Rye bread is the only one eaten with oysters, while breads made with lemon or aux hèrbes are reserved for fish.  Pastries, such as tea cakes or cookies, are mostly consumed for the mid-afternoon treat called le goutier and are rarely eaten in the morning.

     Originally, bread was the staple food of the peasants.  It was not until Louis XIV’s reign that bread started to be refined into what is known today as the ubiquitous baguette, and all its extensive varieties.   In the 18^th century, the aristocracy decided that the pain de campagne was a bit too heavy for their stomachs, and the refinements of flour in order to produce white bread began.

     Bread was one of the main causes of the French Revolution.  Following a bad harvest, the government decided to raise the price of cereals.  This meant the common folk were not only deprived of the beautiful palaces and glamour the aristocracy enjoyed, but were now also going to starve.  The people revolted, and the rest, as they say, is bloody history – literally.

Kirsten Dunst uttering the famous line “let them eat cake” in a 

still from “Marie Antoinette”

Another still from “Marie Antoinette” showing beaucoup du pain!

     When Marie Antoinette uttered the famous “qu'ils mangent de la brioche”, it was indeed an insult to injury to the already starving populace.  She could only keep her head for another four years after that. 

     Nowadays, in Paris alone there are about 35,000 bakeries, which produce about 3.5 million tons of bread per year.  When it comes to baguettes alone, it is estimated that 10 million are sold each day.  In France, it is illegal to put preservatives into the bread.  Hence one must buy it every day.  I remember the practice was the same in Buenos Aires (where I was born).  One would go to the almacén within one’s own neighborhood to get the bread for the day.

     This is unfortunately not the case with bread in the United States, where generally, the bread is very bad.  One can find excellent bread in any bakery in Europe, or even in the supermarket.  But in the U.S., unless one goes the extra mile to find it, all there is available is what I call “plastic bread”.  It is chewy like gum and has no crispness at all.  An insult to the art of baking bread really.

     Luckily, and thanks to the local farm-to-table movement, there are a few places where one can go for just the right amount of goodness when it comes to bread.  I am speaking, of course, of The Olde Hearth Bread Co., a local bakery with a stall at the most excellent East End Market.  They also sell their products over the weekends at the Windermere and Maitland Farmers Markets.  They supply the top local area restaurants and premiere hotels… and I have their breads all over my freezer at home too.  For me it is de rigueur, every 2 to 3 months, to place a large order and stock up on their wonderful bounty.

     Here’s what I got this last time I went, starting at the top right hand corner and then clockwise:

     -          Croissants.  Their plain croissants are the best ones I’ve been able to find in Orlando.

-          Fougasse a l’oignon.  Small breads with onion, ideal for substantial sandwiches to go on a picnic for instance.

-          Ficelles. Two small baguettes to laden with butter and preserves for breakfast in the morning.  For more details on the French breakfast, go here.

-          Chocolate boule.  Yes.  This is a pain the campagne made with chocolate and either dried mango or dried cherries.  I prefer the mango.  Toasted with a slab of cold, salted butter and a cappuccino, it is my weekend treat.

-          Pain de mie raisins.  Smells like the holiday season already.  Great toasted with some butter but even better for French toast.

Not pictured, but also worth trying, are the specialized baguettes aux figues and noisette (ideal for a great cheese plate), as well as the brioche challah loaf, which makes an ideal dipping bread.

     I’ve always longed to visit famous bakeries in Paris, but for now, I am happy I have The Olde Hearth Bread Co. for my monthly supply of bread.

How to clean copper

     At the end of 2013 my husband and I moved into a new house.  It was a daunting, albeit highly positive, stepping stone.  Used to living in a small apartment for a number of years, the vastness of our new abode presents new decorating and maintenance challenges every day.  It was also the reason for my two month hiatus from blogging.  I should have plenty of material under my present circumstances.

     I have always been a lover of copper for kitchen utensils.  The material is undoubtedly the best for cooking and baking, copper being the best conductor of heat.  And who can deny the glistening of egg whites beaten in a bowl of solid copper.

     I own several pieces of copper, from saucepans to cookie cutters, so in order to keep them shining I decided to try an idea I once heard from Laura Calder in one of her cooking shows.  It is a paste of all-purpose flour, coarse salt and white vinegar.  The salt works as a scrubber and does not dissolve, while the vinegar works its brightening magic.  The flour is mostly a binding agent.  The results were excellent... at the beginning.

Before...

...and after

     This what they looked like after a few hours:

     So obviously not a good choice.  I came back to my old time favorite Copperbrill, a product created by French copper manufacturers par excellence, Mauviel.  Undoubtedly, this the product to go for.  

One of my mixing bowls.  Results that last.

My coveted KitchenAid got new highlights

     It's worth noting that copper will acquire a slight patina with time.  This is not only encouraged but beautiful.  Nevertheless, a product like Copperbrill will ensure that your copper utensils always look their best.

A unique mold... and Seed cake

     In continuing with my exploration of kitchen tools the French kitchen, I have come across a unique cake mold, recently offered by Williams-Sonoma.

     This rectangular cake pan offers the peculiarity of a lemon-shaped top, ideal for any citrus-flavoured recipe.  It is made of solid cast aluminum and its non-stick coating ensures easy unmolding.  I like to keep my eyes open for interesting molds to add to my collection, and I just couldn’t resist this one.  Always be on the lookout for accessories to add to your kitchen tools, and in time you will develop a set tailored to your own style of cooking and baking.

     But beyond the ubiquitous citrus loaf, I went a – curious – step further and decided on a classic Victorian recipe – Seed cake.  I became aware of its existence watching an episode of the Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple series, “At Bertram’s Hotel”.  During one of the sumptuous teatimes, Ms. Marple is offered this cake by one of the waiters.  But Jane Marple is hesitant in accepting the offer, until the waiter tells her it is indeed the “true” seed cake, a specialty of the house, for which the pastry chef has had the recipe for years.

     Seed cake was the typical Victorian teacake.  Sometimes it was also eaten as a snack before turning in to help aid digestion, as caraway seeds are known for their soothing qualities.  After some research, I came up with Mrs. Beeton’s recipe, a true testament to the history of British teatime.

Victorian Seed Cake

Ingredients:

• 225 gr butter
• 225 gr cake flour
• 175 gr caster sugar
• 2 Tbsp caraway seeds
• 3 eggs, whisked
• 1/4 cup brandy
• Tad ground mace
• Grated nutmeg to taste
• 50 gr chopped candied citrus peel

Preparation:

     Cream the butter along with the sugar.  Add the sifted flour.

     Add the mace, nutmeg, caraway seeds and chopped candied peel and mix well.

     Pre-heat the oven to 325F and grease the pan.

     Stir in the whisked eggs and then the brandy.  Beat for about 3 minutes, until very smooth and with no lumps.

     Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for about 1 ½ hours, until a skewer comes out clean when tested and the cake is well risen, firm and golden brown.  Once cold, it can be sprinkled with powdered sugar. 

     This is a very moist cake.  It also freezes well, and I can’t think of a better way to satiate bedtime munchies, along with a hot cup of herbal, lemony tea.

A tool to have in your kitchen: Moulinette

     The right tools are essential to successful performance in your kitchen.  The French excel at this of course, and have invented dishes to satisfy every possible accoutrement.

     This weekend I tried two recipes that require the use of a moulinette or food mill.  I was able to get my hands on, after much searching and comparing, one of the best moulinettes on the market, made by European manufacturer Paderno.  Made entirely of stainless steel, it is used in major restaurants.  It is the secret to wonderfully creamy soups, sauces and preserves.  

     I admit it is pricey, but it is a tool that will last forever and you will find yourself using it more and more.

     The first recipe I tried was from fellow Francophile Laura Calder, who found it in an old recipe notebook: Confiture de carottes – or carrot jam.  Yes, you heard right.  Carrot jam.  It is as delicious as it is unusual and so simple to make.  Keep it in mind for the next time you need to make a nice house-warming gift.  It should be eaten with slices of baguette or bâtard bread smothered with slabs of cold, salted butter.

Confiture de carottes

Ingredients:

• 1 pd. peeled carrots
• Water, as needed
• 2 cups sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon and juice of 2
• 10 whole chopped or slivered almonds
• 2 Tbsp. Cognac

Preparation:

     Slice the carrots and put them in a saucepan along with the water until they are just covered.  Boil until very soft, then run through the moulinette to puree.  Put the puree back into the saucepan and add the sugar, the lemon zest and lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Cook until “glassy” and “jammy”.  

     Remove the pan from the heat and add the almonds and Cognac.  Cool and spoon into a sterilized jar.  Keep in the fridge.

     The other recipe I tried was a soup.  What with the cold winter we are having here in Florida, a nice creamy pea soup is a welcome meal any time.  This recipe is classic of a typical French brasserie.  It even carries the name of the trendy 6^th arrondisement – Saint-Germain-des-Prés.  It freezes wonderfully, so make double the recipe and stock up!

Pureé Saint-Germain

Ingredients:

• 15 oz. split peas
• 2 oz. lardons
• 1 cup veal stock
• 1 bouquet garni: thyme, leek, bayleaf, celery
• Freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup butter
• Croûtons and crème fraîche to serve 

Preparation:

     Soak the peas for 2 hours in cold water, then drain and boil in 4 cups of lightly salted water, skimming off the foam.  When the peas are ready, drain (keeping half the water) and sieve through the moulinette.

     Sauté the lardons in a pan, removing the grease.  Add the sieved peas, pour on the veal stock and the liquid and add the bouquet garni.  Simmer for 15 minutes at a very low temperature.

     Remove the bouquet garni, season with pepper and pour the pea soup into a preheated tureen or serving bowl, stir in the butter and add the crème fraîche and croutons separately upon serving.