MOUSSE AU CHOCOLAT AU CARMEL AU BEURRE SALÉ (Salted Butter Caramel-Chocolate Mousse) from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
Not much can leave me speechless.
SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL-CHOCOLATE MOUSSE.
Words. Cannot. Describe.
It’s Cook-the-Book Fridays and this week’s mousse is a thumbs up choice. The jar is by Weck. I use their containers for gift-giving.
Since every drool-worthy dessert needs a simple meal as its prop, I’m nominating this old-timer, Pasta Citron avec Jambon and Olives from Le Procope in Paris. Claiming to be the oldest cafe in Paris (George Washington probably slept there also.), their no-frills recipe has withstood the test of time. Just by tossing together a green salad and adding a hunk or two of country bread, you’ve got a springtime meal to thrill your family or dazzle your guests. Promise.
Despite some unpacked duffels and adjusting to my 940 square feet condo in a bout of settling frenzy, I’m home in Aspen (Pitkin County). Small spaces translate to everything owning its place. Otherwise, it’s chaos. Since I’m currently wearing my re-organization crown and in honor of my “speechless” mousse, this week’s post is visual.
Enjoying a reunion with new friends, Rita, Bobbie and Susan (LtoR) before returning to Colorado. Bear Valley Trail. Point Reyes National Seashore.
Before driving home, I made one last trip to California’s Marin and Sonoma counties. In February, if you recall, I spent 4-days in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta on a ecology field/boat trip to learn more about water issues. I was a Coloradoan and a bit resentful that California was taking so much of our water. The other 23 participants were Californians and defended their Colorado River water rights. (They were correct, of course.) In truth, we were all on the same team and just wanting to do better.
Shells and Sand Dollars from Limantour Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore.
While there, I met three other women and, like often, in parting we promised to keep in touch. Usually once the blush of a trip fades, those experiences just become wonderful memories. For whatever reasons, this promise bore fruit. In March I spent a long welcome-to-southern California weekend in Venice with Susan Seeck, a LA clinical therapist. Before leaving California, Susan and I visited Rita Bernardi, a retired educator from North Marin, and Bobbie Curley, who grows grapes in Sonoma.
Following Rita’s tutorial, Susan and I tried our non-Italian hands at Bocce Ball. I fulfilled my PE requirement at Florida State by taking Bowling (not particularly proud of that) so I held my own.
If my winter needed a finale, this adventure worked. While organizing the trip, Susan and I suggested to our hostesses that one evening the two of us would cook a meal. Offer accepted. That’s when Susan remembered Le Procope’s pasta with lemon, ham and black olives, a delicious pasta dish she’d made long ago. It wasn’t difficult to create a meal to compliment it and “tote” the ingredients/wine to Novato where Rita and her husband, David, live.
Susan made the pasta topping while David boiled the pasta (perfect) and tossed it together.
Readers, it’s an easy menu. You know I never take the road less travelled in the kitchen. I always trot down the tried, true and simple route. That’s why I’m sharing all this yumminess with you today.
Our farewell dinner at my namesake restaurant in Sonoma.
The most difficult part of making the mousse is having to wait eight hours while it chills. In the spirit of full disclosure, I only managed four. It was scrumptious.
Mise en Place. The most important thing a cook can do is gather all the ingredients together BEFORE cooking. Do it.
At the end of the day all the ingredients have been used/included and the recipe will be a success. It’s called Mise en Place.
MOUSEE AU CHOCOLAT AU CARMEL AU BEURRE SALÉ
(Salted Butter Caramel-Chocolate Mousse) from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs, room temperature, separated
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, preferably fleur de sel
DIRECTIONS:
1. Spread the sugar over the bottom of a wide saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium heat. As it begins to liquefy at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to very gently drag the liquefied sugar toward the center. Watch carefully, as once the edges start to darken, the sugar is in danger of burning. Continue to cook, stirring very gently, until all the sugar is melted and begins to caramelize.
The sugar is beginning to caramelize. Watch it carefully and you’ll be fine.
2. When the caramel is a deep amber color and starts to smoke, wait a brief moment for it to smell just slightly burnt. Remove the caramel from the heat and quickly whisk in the butter, stirring until melted. Gradually whisk in the cream, stirring until all the little bits of caramel are completely melted. If everything was well stirred there shouldn’t be any hard caramel bits left over. However, if some remain, strain the mixture to remove them.
3. Once smooth, add the chocolate, stirring gently until melted and smooth. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and let it to cool to room temperature. Once it’s cooled, whisk in the egg yolks.
Here’s the mousse mixture before the egg whites are folded in.
4. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture, also sprinkling in the flaky salt. Fold in the remaining whipped egg whites until no white streaks remain. Divide the mousse into serving glasses or transfer to a decorative serving bowl. Chill for at least 8 hours. Serve chilled straight up(my preference) or, with fresh berries, espresso beans embellishment or a dash of whipped cream.
Why is this my favorite photo? It tells a story. Susan is cooking. Rita, our hostess who grew these gorgeous roses, is watching. And, Bobbie (off camera), who lost her husband recently, is pouring David some wine. She shared a bottle from her husband Joe’s last vintage. Our friendship of 2 months will be ongoing!
LE PROCOPE’S PASTA WITH LEMON, HAM & OLIVES adapted by Patricia Wells, Bistro Cooking cookbook
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 to 7 minutes
Yield: 4 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 lemons, scraped of their yellow rind and juiced ( 1/4 cup)
Salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (3 ounces) oil-cured black olives, pitted
1/2 pound unsmoked ham or prosciutto, cut in thin strips (We used prosciutto, a good choice.)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (P. Wells, “It is well worth finding some fresh thyme. If you can`t, infuse some dried leaf thyme by letting it steep in cold water for a good 15 minutes, then strain and pat dry.”)
Coarsely ground black pepper
1 pound long pasta, preferably fine like spaghettini or capellini (angel hair)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Whisk lemon juice with a little bit of salt in small bowl until dissolved. Whisk in oil, then set aside.
2. If necessary, pit olives with a cherry pitter or place the side of a cleaver or wide-blade knife over the olives, give them a very hard whack with your fist, pressing down on the knife blade, roll it back and forth over olives, then pick out pits.
3. In a large shallow bowl, combine the olives with ham, thyme and lemon rind. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to blend. Set aside.
3. Just before serving time, heat 4 quarts of water to boil. Add a tablespoon of salt and the pasta all at once. Cover pot until it returns to boil. Remove cover and stir with wooden spoon until the strands no longer are bunched together. Cook until al dente (crisp tender).
4. Drain and immediately transfer to a warm serving bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss gently. Serve immediately, garnishing with freshly ground black pepper ONLY being careful to divide the ham and olives proportionately.
TIP: I suggest serving this pasta dish with no embellishments at all. It needs nothing.
Cook-the-Book Fridays is a virtual international group who are making their way through David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen cookbook. To see what others have dished up this week or to join our group (it’s fun), go here.
Where to begin. This is my last LIGHTSonBRIGHT postmarked from California. In mid-November I left Aspen, barely escaping the first snow flurries, knowing it would be springtime before my return. The left side of my brain, where my logic is warehoused, kept telling me this was a good thing. My heart, where most of my decisions are made, was shouting, “What have you done?”
David Lebovitz’s CROQUE MONSIEUR from My Paris Kitchen cookbook
In the past 5 1/2 months of this solitary journey I have motored through five states, joyously celebrated three major holidays, one VIP 50th birthday and settled into 3 different homes. Good fortune smiled broadly in December for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Galapagos.
The Valley Vixens, my nature study group, flew to California for a long week-end of whales, wildflowers and birds. – with our guides at Chimney Rock, Point Reyes National Seashore
This solitude and being alone thing cuts both ways. My adventures and explorations throughout California from Point Reyes in the north to Los Angeles have been magical. I have fallen in love with this state and the people in it. (Caveat: Aspen and the Rockies are still #1.) I’ve relished my aloneness, Yin time to my Yang’s constant busyness of Aspen. Admittedly, it’s time for Yang.
My BETTER THAN THIS drop cookie
There will be many hours during my 1,000 mile trip back to Colorado, to revisit this journey, realize Life lessons learned, and re-think traveling more simply. Unfortunately, the drive also coincides with what would have been our 30th wedding anniversary. That day I plan to cut short my driving time, stop at a familiar hotel, enjoy a nice dinner with a glass or three of wine and remember the good times. Reservations already booked.
Load. Lock. Puree. This tapenade can be thrown together in 10 minutes.
MY PARIS KITCHEN: TAPENADE & the non-sexist CROQUE
I’m betting you’ll like this farewell post from Cambria. It’s Cook the Book Fridays when we feature recipes from David Lebovitz’s spectacular My Paris Kitchen. That man knows how to write a cookbook. Here’s my take on his Artichoke Tapenade with Rosemary Oil, a tasty quickie and multitasker. Try it also on pizza, stuffed in mushrooms or in a myriad of other ways suggested here. And, that Rosemary Oil? Do it.
The Rosemay Oil infusion is oh-so-simple to create and it is a classy touch to the tapenade.
Let’s be clear. The Croque-Monsieur, which America has bastardized into a fried ham and cheese sandwich, is sexist. Whenever this recipe is featured anywhere, we women end up in parentheses:(to make Croque-Madame, top it with a fried egg). I just can’t work with that. Instead, this week we’re making David’s absolutely delicious Croque-Madame. (If you’d rather make a Croque-Monsieur, hold the egg.)
No, artist Andy Goldsworthy isn’t hanging out on Moonstone Beach but visitors and locals alike create their own disposable twig art every week-end. Using debris that’s washed up on the beach, they spend their time creating habitats. And, then, we all sit together in them and enjoy the sunset. And, then, Boom, it’s washed away at high tide.
For David’s, first mix together his Béchamel which elegantly separates his version from the pack. Don’t be intimidated, Readers. It’s a white sauce, plain and simple. Now, start building the sandwich, layering the prosciutto or ham with Comté or Gruyère cheese. Then, butter. Not a good calorie-counting day. Serve this richness with a green salad/mustardy vinaigrette. I cannot express adequately how deliciously amazing this sandwich tastes.
Mmmmm. dark chocolate, dried cherries, toasted walnuts and oatmeal – what’s Better Than This?
We only post David’s recipes if they are already out there in cyberspace. Luckily these two are flying high so I’m reprinting them. I do encourage you, however, to buy this terrific book.
My friends travelled from Colorado to San Francisco for sunshine, warmth and to visit me. Is one out of three considered a Win?
The BETTER THAN THIS Cookie
The beloved Dorie Greenspan, our talented French Fridays with Dorie mentor, bakes World Peace cookies. Her test-tasting neighbor, Richard Gold, became convinced that ‘a daily dose of these cookies was all that is needed to ensure planetary peace and happiness.’ They are sublime. Blogger Chris Scheuer, who resides at Cafe Sucre & Farine, makes I Want to Marry You cookies, a chocolate chip delight reputed to inspire marriage proposals. These are two of the best cookies I’ve baked.
Pop into the ‘fridge for ten minutes before putting into a 375 degree oven.
However, I’m throwing down the gauntlet and suggesting to these ladies that my gem of a cookie can compete. I’m naming it the Better Than This cookie because no cookie you taste or bake now can be, you got it, Better Than This. Here’s the deal. Since returning to Aspen three years ago and setting up shop at The Gant, its young, professional staff has made me feel comfortable and safe. They’ve helped launch me into a happy albeit different Lifestyle. My gratefulness knows no bounds. Those kids have become willing LIGHTSonBRIGHT test-testers. Because I’ve been MIA the past many months, I’m afraid my tiara may have tarnished somewhat. Here’s betting this tasty jewel of dried cherries, dark chocolate, rolled oats and walnuts, will re-burnish my status and have them asking, “What can be better than this?”
I will miss these crazy noisy clowns called Acorn Woodpeckers who live nearby. If you ever spot a tall pole or tree riddled with hundreds of holes, each containing an acorn—it’s an amazing Woodpecker granary tree. Stop and take a look.
A Granary Tree – One tree can have up to 50,000 holes drilled by Acorn Woodpeckers, each filled with an acorn for winter forage. Imagine the effort involved.
When I see you next time, I’ll be happily shedding my road warrior skin and blogging from Colorado’s High Country. Big smiles all around.
CROQUE-MONSIEUR by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen cookbook
Makes 2 Sandwiches
INGREDIENTS
Béchamel Sauce ingredients
1 Tablespoon salted or unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
3/4 Cup whole milk
Pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Croque-Monsieur ingredients
4 thin slices sourdough or country style bread, 1/4 to 3/8” thick
4 slices prosciutto or thinly sliced dry cured ham or 2 thick slices boiled ham
2 thin slices Comté or Gruyère cheese
4 Tablespoon salted or unsalted butter
1/4 Cup grated Comté or Gruyère cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Spread the Béchamel Sauce on the bread.
1. Béchamel Sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in the flour. When the mixture starts to bubble, stir and cook for 1 minute more. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the milk, stirring to discourage lumps. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Cook for about 1 minute more, until the sauce is thick and creamy, like runny mayonnaise. Remove from the heat, stir in a pinch of salt and cayenne and set aside to cool a bit and thicken.
2. Place meat of choice on one slice.
2. Spread the Béchamel evenly over the four slices of bread. Lay a slice of meat over two of the bread slices, top them with slices of cheese and then top with the remaining ham slices. Close the sandwich with the two remaining slices of bread, Béchamel side down (on the inside). Brush the outsides of the sandwiches without restraint with the melted butter. (TIP: My choice, Prosciutto and Gruyère).
3. Top with cheese of choice and then add more meat.
3. Turn on the broiler and heat a large ovenproof frying pan or grill pan over medium heat on the stove top. (Make sure to use a pan with a heatproof handle for broiling later.) Place the sandwiches in the frying pan, drape with a sheet of aluminum foil and then rest a cast iron skillet or other heavy pan or flat object on top. Cook until the bottoms of the sandwiches are well browned. Remove the skillet and foil, flip the sandwiches over, replace the foil and skillet and continue cooking until the other side is browned. (TIP: I used a grill pan and browned for 2 minutes on EACH side.)
4. Close sandwich. Slather each side with melted butter. Now is not the time to begin worrying about calories.
4. When browning the sandwiches, place a piece of tinfoil and heavy object on top to weigh them down.
4. Remove the cast-iron skillet and foil and scatter the grated cheese on top of the sandwiches. Put the pan under the broiler and broil the sandwiches until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.
6.Perfect.
7. Scatter grated cheese on top and pop in the over to broil.
ARTICHOKE TAPENADE with ROSEMARY OIL by David Leibovitz, My Paris Kitchen cookbook
Because I was using up my opened items before leaving Cambria, I used green olives with pimentos. It was pretty and tasty but David recommends the real deal, fresh green olives.
Serves 6 to 8.
INGREDIENTS
Tapenade Ingredients
One 14-ounce) can artichoke hearts (2 Cups), drained and quartered
1/2 Cup pitted green olives
1/3 Cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed, squeezed dry, and chopped
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/8 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
Rosemary Oil Ingredients (Makes 1/2 Cup)
1/2 Cup olive oil
Generous pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 Cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 Cup rosemary leaves
Toasted sliced baguette or crackers, to serve
DIRECTIONS
Rosemary Oil
1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Heat the oil and salt in another small saucepan until warm but not boiling. Remove from the heat and set aside. Add the herbs to the boiling water and cook for 10 seconds before draining and putting the herbs in the ice water.
2. When the herbs are cool, lift them out with your hand and press them in a paper towel until very, very dry. Add them to the oil. Let the herbs infuse for 15 minutes.
3. Blend the herbs and oil in a mini-chopper or food processor for 30 seconds. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh strainer. There will be a few bits of greenery in the oil. The rosemary oil can be kept for a few days at room temperature in a closed container, or for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before using.
Artichoke Tapenade
1. In the bowl of a food processor, purée the artichokes, olives, olive oil, capers, lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Taste, and season with a bit of salt if necessary.
2. Serve drizzled with a liberal amount of rosemary oil, along with toasted slices of baguette or crackers for dipping. The tapenade will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
The BETTER THAN THIS cookie adapted from THE KITCHN COOKBOOK by Sara Kate Gillingham and Faith Durand
Note to High Altitude Bakers: When I return to Colorado, I will adjust these cookies to altitude and post the resulting recipe.
Makes 4 dozen cookies
1 3/4 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 Cup dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
1 Teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 Cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 Cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 Cup dried cherries
8 Ounces (two bars) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
Flaked sea salt (optional, I use the Maldon brand)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liner. Pour the walnuts onto the baking sheet and toast until browned about 10 minutes, turning once. Cool slightly and then chop coarsely. Cool completely before using them.
3. Cover the cherries with 1 cup boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes to plump up. Drain and thoroughly pat dry. Chop the chocolate into small pieces.
4. In a large mixing bowl with the paddle beater, mix together the sugars with the softened butter until completely blended. Add the eggs, one at a time to form a smooth batter. Mix in the vanilla, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
5. Add the flour all at once and stir the batter gently by hand until the ingredients are well-combined. Fold in by hand the rolled oats, cherries, and chocolate until all the ingredients are combined.
6. Using a medium cookie scoop or mounded 1 1/2 inch tablespoon of mixture, space the dough on the cookie sheet 1 to 2 inches apart. Put each tray in the refrigerator for ten minutes before baking the cookies. Then bake, rotating the tray once, until the craggy tips and edges just start to darken, 10 – 12 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. After completely cool, these cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week. These cookies freeze well.
TIP: When baking, use exact measurements. No eyeballing anything. With all drop cookies, I use an Oxo cookie scoop.
Cook The Book Fridays is an international group cooking its way virtually through David Lebovitz’s newest cookbook. To visit our link or join us, go here.
Strolling near the Pacific Coast Highway, Carpinteria. Brown Pelican, 2016.
If you’re ever in Aspen and receive an invitation to have dinner with Cathy O’Connell and her husband, Fred Venrick, say, “Yes.”
Until last September their back door was a short two blocks from my front door at The Gant. Although I never heard her complain, Cathy’s kitchen was tinier than my present mini-one. When they decided to move to a more sizable townhouse this fall, I threatened to throw myself in front of their moving van.
The Barefoot Contessa’s LEMON and GARLIC ROAST CHICKEN
Not only are CathyandFred (pronounced in one breath) personal friends, they’ve also constantly welcomed me to their table. For the 8 years Michael and I lived in Nevada, I returned like clockwork three days/twice a year to Aspen. After a nine-hour drive with my long list of to-dos, scheduled meals weren’t a priority. Happily there would always be a message waiting, “Hey, Mar, we expect you for dinner tonight.”
POTATO DAUPHINOISE from River Cottage VEG
I hope you all have friends like the Venricks who just love sharing delicious food and fine drink with others. They don’t know strangers. When Cathy meets an engaging skier on the lift or Fred encounters a potential hiking partner, they not only say, “Let’s get together.” but actually make it happen.
Katie Baillargeon, a UC Santa Barbara prof and her family came for lunch. Our menu included Asparagus Pizza from River Cottage Veg.
Cathy, like so many of my friends, serves up sensational. While Fred pops the corks, she manages to effortlessly turn out a meal. May I remind you again of that Lilliputian kitchen? When I once complimented her effusively on a braised lamb shanks and mashed potatoes with fennel dish, she shrugged off the praise, “I’m not such a good cook, Mar, but I am a really, really good picker.”
The New York Times’ Rosemary Shortbread is perfect for spring and summer.
Cathy explained she’d learned to spot good recipes, put together menus that are delicious and also manageable in her small workspace. Her response has become my mantra. I can never create recipes nor ‘just throw something together.’ I have neither the food science knowledge or knack for those skills. To be honest, I’ve never “cooked” confidently.
Lentils with Beets and Feta from River Cottage VEG
Admittedly, after five years of writing this blog, a different recipe every week, stirring the pot has become a simpler and more enjoyable chore. Every so often I even go rogue, climb out on that limb, changing up the spices or flavoring. Readers, that’s big. Chemist Jade Barker suggests that “trying a too complicated recipe doesn’t build skill faster. Rather, it’s like starting a diet by buying clothes a size too small. It’s forced and uncomfortable.” (For someone who’s done both, that’s good advice!)
Guess who requested a grilled cheese and french fries with ketchup for lunch.
With a nudge or two from Cathy, here are my 6 tips for making better choices: Choose Recipes…
1. that appeal to YOU;
2. with a comfortable number of easy-to-find ingredients;
3. which use recognizable measurements;
4. where you understand the directions/techniques;
5. which is pan/dish thrifty for less clean-up;
6. that work together, mixing complicated/time consuming with easy and make-aheads.
This Great Egret just caught his lunch of choice, some unfortunate aquatic creature.
I consider my five recipes this week as “good picks,” and worthy of any table. After 23 months of cooking through River Cottage Veg, our Cottage Cooking Club has almost cooked-through-the-book. Hugh’s simple and tasty recipes this month, POTATO DAUPHINOISE, ASPARAGUS PIZZA and LENTILS with BEETS and FETA are three I’ll make again.
It took 5 minutes to slice the potatoes for the dauphinoise with this safe, inexpensive OXO mandoline.
A Shortbread Tip: Cut the shortbread into the desired pieces/slices while it’s still warm.
I used my oblong tart pan for these bars but any over-safe container will work.
Enjoy these recipes. Have any of you adopted some tips, have clues to lessen anxiety and have more fun in the kitchen? A penny for your Tips.
A Successful Meal.
POTATO DAUPHINOISE by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 TBS butter
2 pounds potatoes
1 2/3 C heavy cream
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Rub a large casserole dish liberally with the butter.
2. Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly, either with a sharp knife or a mandoline. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, garlic and nutmeg and season well with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes in the creamy mixture, then layer them in the gratin dish, spreading them as flat and evenly as you can. Pour over any remaining cream.
3. Bake for 1¼ -1½ hours, pressing down with a spatula every 15 minutes or so to compress the potatoes and stop them drying out. The gratin is ready when the top is golden and bubbling and the potatoes are tender.
4. You may want to turn the oven up for the last 5 minutes to achieve a bit of extra bubbling crispness. Leave to stand for 5 minutes or so before serving.
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
1. Use half potato/ half celery root OR half potato/half turnip to add a new dimension to the dish.
2. You can use half cream and half milk for a healthier version.
3. I halved the recipe and used a smaller ovenproof casserole dish. I also sprinkled parmesan on top at the last moment because I had it. Not necessary at all. Save yourself the calories.
ASPARAGUS PIZZA by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg
The softened, caramelized sliced onions are this pizza’s “sauce”.
Makes 2 small or 1 large pizzas
INGREDIENTS
Pizza Dough, Make your own or use store-bought pizza dough.
TOPPING
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra to trickle
2 Onions, halved and thinly slices
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 12 ounces slender asparagus spears, trimmed
2 balls of buffalo mozzarella (about 4 ounces)
A little grated Parmesan, hard goat cheese, or other well-flavored hard cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare the dough according to package or your directions.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees°F.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onions. Once sizzling, decrease the heat to low and cook gently, stirring from time to time, until the onions are soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Roll out the pizza dough as thinly as you can with a rolling pin and then by hand and divide in half if you wish.
5. Scatter a baking peel ( if you have one) or a baking sheet with a little flour and place the rolled out dough on it. Spread one-third of the onions over the dough, then arrange one-third of the asparagus over the top. Tear up the mozzarella and distribute one-third of it over the asparagus. Scatter over a little grated cheese, some salt and pepper, and add a generous trickle of oil.
6. Slide the pizza(s) into the oven if formed on a peel, or, if formed on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the crust is crisp, the edges browned, and the asparagus tender. Check your pizza often after 12 minutes.
7. Immediately cut into slices or wedges. Serve hot.
TIP: Roasting asparagus on top of the pizza in a very hot oven makes it deliciously tender and a bit caramelized also. If you have thick spears, cut in half lengthwise…..Hugh
LENTILS WITH BEETS & FETA
Dress warm lentils with olive oil and some balsamic vinegar and toss with wedges of roasted beets and cubes of feta or goat cheese. To make a quick version of this salad, I used steamed lentils from Trader Joe’s (or, any grocery store) and pre-roasted beets sealed in vacuum bags.
The Black-crowned Night Heron hangs out during the day and forages at night.
Cottage Cooking Club is an international on-line group. led by Andrea Mohr of The Kitchen Lioness, which is cooking through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg. If you’d like to join us as we explore more of Hugh’s cookbooks, go here.
Last summer a good friend returned to Aspen after a week of sifting through, sorting and discarding boxes she’d left behind in her mother’s attic. “I had so many dreams and hopes back then,” she told me rather regretfully, “that I’ve never fulfilled.”
WINTERY FRENCH LENTIL SOUP with BISON MEAT and CARROTS, spicy and hearty
Color me shocked. As she later acknowledged, her life is privileged and bountiful. And while those early dreams and hopes have been unrealized, I suggested they were just replaced. “Yes,” she replied, deciding she would buy into that.
Melissa’s friend, Linda, made this fantastic paper art typewriter for me. I actually used a typewriter once upon a time.
At Thanksgiving dinner my family returned to this same subject. Melissa and Stephen are turning 50 this year. This has brought them up short, of course, a pause for soul-searching. Like many of you readers, they are peddling overtime with businesses, raising two teenage daughters, countless responsibilities. But during our annual “I am thankful for” pre-dinner grace, they both made it abundantly clear there is no place they’d rather be. To their two girls, who do realize they are running their parents ragged, those were reassuring moments.
There something beautiful about fresh carrots just pulled from the earth.
While I’ve been somewhat haunted by my friend’s revelations, I hadn’t had time to run through my personal hopes and dreams checklist until recently. My recent 1,500-mile car trip equaled thinking time. I’ll not only share those thoughts but also showcase Wintery French Lentil Soup with bison beef, carrots and red wine. It’s a quick and hearty meal adapted from Lori Lynn Hirsch’s blog, Taste with the Eyes. For sweets, try my faux Chaussons aux Pommes made easily with homemade applesauce.
The Chaussons aux Pommes are ready for the oven.
Although Lori Lynn and I are not related, I was attracted to her blog because of name coincidence. I subscribed because she is a fantastic cook. Her French lentil soup hit all my buttons and provided a home for my fresh carrots. In trying to introduce more grains to my diet, the lentils, a grain legume, were perfect and, as Lori wrote, ‘eating lentils in the new year is said to bring luck and prosperity.’
The Garlic Bulb after it’s had a haircut and been coated with EVOO. Now, into the oven.
Another change I’m making in many recipes now is to roast my garlic instead of mincing/sautéing it. Liz Berg at This Skinny Chick Can Bake and Peggy Gilbey at Spiced Peach Blog persuaded me that soft, caramelized cloves are a sweeter, user-friendly addition to cooked food.
When the garlic cooled, I squeezed the caramelized cloves into the soup.
Chaussons aux Pommes are a gussied up apple turnovers. Using apples from my Talley Farms Fresh Harvest box, I made one-step, no fuss applesauce and, with puff pastry, baked some sweet nibbles for snacks, dessert and breakfast. The recipes are below.
When it’s low tide I usually walk down the stairs to the tidal pools. Not this week. Sometimes the Pacific gets unruly.
Now, back to hopes and dreams. In the past three years as I dismantled our home, I cornered the market on that walk down memory lane. While there’s been some wishing I’d have done things differently or made wiser choices (don’t we all), that’s all shoulda, woulda, coulda poppycock. I was a halfwit at 21 when Melissa was born. Now, 50 years later, I consider myself a candidate for Mensa!
Although I prefer the applesauce in my slow cooker to be chunky, I do mash it up for the turnovers.
Each twist and turn in Life, I guess, is a building block to realizing dreams and fulfilling hopes and handling those damn disappointments and regrets. Frankly, I threw so many hopes and dreams at the wall, the odds were that something was gonna stick.
If you don’t wish to sprinkle cinnamon/sugar on the pastry, that’s fine. I just found it more flavorful because I purposely don’t add sugar to the applesauce.
Today my only shock is that after a big bump or two, I was able to rebuild a happy life again. Perhaps I just put my dreams and hopes in different costumes. After Michael died, all I wanted was to return to my Aspen home and friends. To do that, there were compromises which I elected to make. Then I revisited my passions, writing and the nature gig, and morphed them into possibilities which now consume my daily life. And, what I do best, being a grandmother, is a glorious role I play seriously. That’s it. Presently, my hopes and dreams are reimagined in those pursuits.
This is a Surf Scoter. These ducks hang out at the San Simeon pier with their relatives, the Black Scoters.
I might suggest to my friend to be more gentle with herself. Success or failure cannot be measured by something packed in a cardboard box for 45 years. However, her one innocuous comment has given me pause and will also hopefully stimulate some conversation at your house this week.
the San Simeon pier located near the Hearst Castle
WINTERY FRENCH LENTIL SOUP
Adapted from Lori Lynn Hirsch, Taste for the Eyes
INGREDIENTS:
3 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 roasted garlic bulb
3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. chile powder (or to taste)
4 to 5 c. beef stock
1/2 c. of red wine
1 lb. Bison ground meat, cooked and drained
12 oz. french lentils, steamed (I like Trader Joe’s pre-cooked)
salt and pepper
parmesan, grated
large handful of cilantro, rough chopped
DIRECTIONS:
1. Roast Garlic (directions below)
2. Heat Oil in Soup Pot. Add onion and cook until soft. (If you’d rather use 4 minced garlic cloves, add them after onions are softened and saute for a minute or two until lightly golden.)
3. Then add carrots, cumin, chile power, softened roasted garlic cloves and beef stock.
4. When carrots are al dente, add Bison meat, cooked lentils and red wine.
5. Simmer for 10-15 minutes
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Place soup in warmed bowls. Dust with Parmesan and garnish with parsley or cilantro.
ROASTED GARLIC
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole head of garlic
2 tsp. Extra-virgin Olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the papery layers off the garlic, keeping the bulb intact.
3. Trim the top off the garlic, as shown (1/4” to 1/3”).
4. Drizzle EVOO over garlic bulbs, rubbing your fingers lightly over the top so oil sinks through.
5. Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 45-55 minutes.
6. Let garlic cool before squeezing into the soup.
CHAUSSONS aux POMMES
APPLESAUCE
1. Peel 12 Apples (more if you wish)
2. Add Cinnamon Sticks, if you wish.
3. Put in Slow Cooker and add 1/2 cup water.
4. Set at Low and Cook for 8 hours (or, overnight).
CHAUSSONS aux POMMES
INGREDIENTS:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed per package directions.
1 C. of applesauce
Cinnamon/Sugar
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
3. Sprinkle work surface lightly with flour. Roll out thawed puff pastry into 15-inch square.
4. Using a coffee mug, small bowl or large round cookie cutter,
make cutouts with a paring knife.
5. Brush each square with egg wash. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon-sugar and spoon applesauce in the center as shown.
6. Fold each in half and press edges together tightly to seal.
7. Transfer to cookie sheet.
8. Use a sharp knife to make a few slices in the chaussons WITHOUT slicing completely through the puff pastry.
9. Bake between 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
10.Sprinkle top with plain sugar.
TIP: Let cool. (Applesauce can burn your tongue.) They will de-pouf a small amount.
After a hale and hearty Vive La France we put on our biggest, soooo American smiles to honor the people of Paris and friends in France.
Last Saturday evening I planned to have dinner with friends before leaving Aspen for the winter. Then, Friday the 13th happened. Paris was bloodied. France, bruised. The six of us, who had all experienced and enjoyed the City of Lights as well as the country itself, were shaken.
Donna Grauer set a beautiful table for the evening. Note the tiny towers at each place setting.
After watching the events play out throughout the next day we decided to do what our friends abroad would wish and still gather together for food, wine and friendship. Only, we decided, this evening would be more about France. So it was.
Irish Whiskey Soda Bread and not Baguettes?
Our menu, already set, was appropriate: Bruschetta with Burrata and Sautéed Capers and Shallots; Leafy greens covered with a tangy tarragon dressing; Farro With Mushrooms and Roasted Pine Nuts, a recipe adapted from Martha Rose Shulman; followed by French cheeses and fruit. The only oddball was my proposed contribution, Irish Whiskey Soda Bread.
Not only was this not French, it wasn’t even St. Patrick’s Day, the appropriate time for such fare. Remembering French cooks, who aren’t into waste, are ingenious with leftovers, I mounted my defense. Although I did damage to my bottle of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey for last week’s Irish Coffee recipe, my leftover supply is still ample and needs to be used. The verdict? Soda bread instead of baguettes.
We brought out the champagne flutes for this well-considered rosé produced at the Jolie-Pitt chateau in France.
For our special toast our hosts, the Grauers, brought forth a wine they’d been gifted of 2014 Provençal rosé produced on the 150 acres of vineyards at Chateau Miraval owned by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Wine Spectator had ranked their first vintage at number 84 on its list of the top 100 wines of 2013. A perfect touch.
Add the eggs/buttermilk/irish whiskey mixture to the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter crumbly mixture and you’ve got it!
There’s little we six Americans can do to heal wounds and lessen grief. It’s a helpless feeling. All of us DO send thoughtful solace with appreciation for the wonderful times we’ve all experienced in France ….. and, will again. That’s what our evening was about. Vive la France.
Not much kneading is “kneeded” to form the dough into a round. Don’t forget the X slit before sliding it into the oven.
This evening proved there is no need to save this Irish soda bread for just one holiday. The slight flavor of Irish Whiskey lends its zesty flair to the raisins, currants and caraway seeds. It’s soft-textured and, unlike the breads we usually enjoy, more cake than bread. With no yeast, soda bread rises because of the reaction by the acid in the buttermilk to baking soda. It is perishable, however, only lasting two days. Think toast on Day Two.
After the meal, the leftovers and crumbs
Although the lights on my blog will go dark for the next three weeks, my personal light will continue to shine brightly. I leave Aspen this week-end and will be spending Thanksgiving for the ninth year with my family at Death Valley National Park. Shortly after the holidays I’ll fly to Quito, Ecuador and, eventually, the Galapagos. I anticipate this to be the trip of my lifetime and am grateful for the opportunity.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL.
Note the men, waving, with yellow gloves, who are hanging the winter lights at The Gant
Magical.
IRISH WHISKEY SODA BREAD adapted from HOMEMADE WINTER by Yvette Van Hoven
Day Two – Soda Bread makes perfect toast.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup mixed raisins and currants
2 teaspoon caraway seed
4 tablespoon Irish whiskey
8 cups all-purpose flour (In the altitude? Use High Altitude Hungarian Flour)
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, cold
2 cups buttermilk, or more or less as needed for a month dough
3 eggs
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment.
2. Mix the raisins/currants with the caraway seeds and whiskey and let soak for 15 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Slice and cube the cold butter. With your fingers, work in butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Pour the raisin-whiskey mixture through the flour mixture.
5. Beat two eggs and blend them into the buttermilk.
6. Pour that over the flour mixture and knead until it comes together in a ball – no longer.
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form a smooth ball of dough. Form the dough into a round.
8. Place it on a prepared baking sheet.
9. In a small bowl, beat an egg and brush it over the top of the loaf. (You won’t need to use the entire beaten egg.) Use a sharp knife to cut an ‘X’ into the top of the loaf as shown in the picture..
10. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted through the center of the loaf comes out clean and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 45 to 50 minutes. Check for doneness every 5 minutes after 35 minutes.
Who’s to say you can’t begin lunch with hot chocolate? Longtime locals and friends, Jessica Salet and Katherine Koch, had never tasted the Nell’s hot chocolate.
The world of a food blogger is occasionally challenging. Sardine rillettes? Maybe not. David Lebovitz’s Seaweed Sablés? Sticking with Snickerdoodles. Mimi’s Oxtail-Macaroni Gratin? I’m a lumberman’s daughter and partial to Babe.
Sometimes, however, sacrifices must be made. In the spirit of the upcoming holidays and our approaching winter, stress-minimizer comfort drinks are required. This week I’ve nailed down the only two you’ll need: The Little Nell’s Hot Chocolate, called the Best in America by Travel & Leisure magazine and the Original Irish Coffee recipe compliments of barman Dara Cruise of Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin, Ireland. Now, Readers, who could better put the Irish in the coffee than an Irishman?
ORIGINAL IRISH COFFEE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CREAM AND COFFEE LIVE TOGETHER BUT SEPARATELY – NO SMALL TRICK!
Realizing I will endure any travail and tribulation for LightsOnBright, I’ve navigated between an early morning hyperglycemia stupor and an evening boozy haze for the past week. Being tagged as the “Best Ever” is akin to “George Washington Slept Here” but, in the end, the Nell’s hot chocolate does lovingly caress your taste buds. Mmmmm Since the only Irish coffee drinks I’ve ever tasted were topped with Reddi-wip, I wanted to do better. I turned to the Irish who didn’t disappoint.
THE LITTLE NELL’S “AMERICA’S BEST HOT CHOCOLATE”. THE SWIRLY, TWIRLY CUP & SAUCER ARE BY VILLEROY & BOCH.
ASPEN’S LITTLE NELL’S HOT CHOCOLATE
Travel & Leisure Magazine calls it “America’s Best Hot Chocolate.”“Best Hot Chocolate Ever,” says Buzzfeed. This cup of deliciousness lives three blocks from me at The Little Nell, a ski-in/ski-out hotel located on Aspen Mountain at the base of the Silver Queen Gondola. I had never tasted this drink but last week’s full-on snowstorm became an opportunity to sip.
Tuesday morning Luky Seymour, Membership Director of the Aspen Mountain Club, and I met at element47, the hotel’s restaurant. We were soon joined by Pastry Chef Curtis Cameron whose responsibility it is to maintain this “Best in America” designation. “We serve this hot chocolate every day, all day, all year long,” he said, “but in the winter it’s especially popular. We average making upwards of 200 cups a day.”
WE MET LUKY IN 1986, SOON AFTER MICHAEL AND I WERE MARRIED, AND HAVE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE THEN. LUKY, ALWAYS A GOOD SPORT, WAS ONLY THINKING OF THE CALORIE COUNT OF EACH SIP.
The Chef and his crew create the concoction in 20 gallon increments. “If we’re hosting a special event, we sometimes meet the guests getting off the gondola with a cup of this,” he adds. “The secret is to use pure cocoa which is bitter and rich.”
Although Cameron says the home cook can choose the dark chocolate and cocoa powder of choice, he prefers Valrhona which can be purchased here. Truthfully, Readers, I don’t love or even crave chocolate but I found this to be delicious and restorative. All that dark chocolate, perhaps? And, let’s not forget the two light-as-a-feather marshmallows sitting on the saucer. Step aside, Campfire marshmallows. You’re done.
How do you spell R-E-S-T-R-A-I-N-T? Calories – 472. Cost – $12 a cup.
PASTRY CHEF CURTIS CAMERON OF ELEMENT47, LITTLE NELL HOTEL, ASPEN, COLORADO
ORIGINAL IRISH COFFEE
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat. Alex Levine
ORIGINAL IRISH COFFEE, Photo Courtesy of The Four Seasons, Dublin, Ireland
Although my Irish Coffee experience is limited, I diligently plied the Web this week to raise my bar. First, choose among the many good Irish Whiskeys: Bushmills 16, Redbreast, Yellow Spot, Green Spot, and Jameson 18, for example. The coffee must be fresh, high quality and steaming hot. The slightly whipped heavy cream must be very cold. Therefore, when the cold cream is poured gently over the hot coffee, it will hang out on top and not infiltrate the coffee.
MISE EN PLACE, INGREDIENTS FOR AN IRSH COFFEE, IN DISARRAY. (Note: Please understand it’s been 5 evenings of Irish Whiskey. )
Although I stumbled and bumbled through numerous tasting trials, I finally settled on, what I consider, the best I can offer any home cook. My hot chocolate and Chef Cameron’s drink taste remarkably alike. (Minus the accompanying cloudy pillows, I’m afraid.) ) And, if I were an Irishman, which I am not, I would want my Irish Coffee to taste exactly as I made it.
“Irish whiskey is the comfortable clothing, the familiar friend, the comfort food of whiskey. You don’t have to work at it, you just enjoy it.” Lew Bryson
MY VERSION OF CHEF CAMERON’S DRINK WITHOUT, SADLY, THE HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS.
LITTLE NELL’S HOT CHOCOLATE shared by Pastry Chef Curtis Cameron, element47, Little Nell Hotel
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Valrhona Dutch process cocoa powder (or, your choice)
1.5 ounce Valrhona P125, an 80% dark chocolate (or, your choice)
Pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring the half-and-half to boil, and whisk in sugar. Bring back to a boil. Whisk in cocoa powder, chocolate, and salt.
2. Top with whipped cream which has just begun to thicken. Add chocolate bar shavings to the top.
3. Variations: marshmallows, chocolate chips or a peppermint stick.
4. Supersize the chocolate with a sidecar of Amaretto, Bailey’s, Frangelico, Kahlua or your favorite coffee liqueur.
MISE EN PLACE FOR MY HOT CHOCOLATE
ORIGINAL IRISH COFFEE courtesy of Barman Dara Cruise, Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin Ireland
Serves: 1
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 jigger Irish whiskey (1 1/2 ounces or 3 tablespoons)
Heavy whipping cream, slightly whipped
DIRECTIONS:
1. Fill footed mug or a mug with hot water to preheat it, then empty.
2. Pour piping hot coffee into warmed glass until it is about 3/4 full.
3. Add the brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Blend in Irish whiskey.
4. Top with a collar of the whipped heavy cream by pouring gently over back of spoon. Serve hot.
5. Sprinkle with nutmeg, if you wish.
TIPS: Be sure that your coffee is hot and your slightly whipped cream is cold. Hold a cold tablespoon over the cup of coffee and pour the slightly whipped cream over it and into the container.
