Originally this was supposed to be just poached pears in spicy red wine topped with this magnificient pepper…then after some more thoughts, I decided to add a crust under the pears and make it a galette, a rugged and peasant type of galette, full of flavors but yet delicate. I love when dishes are a mix of rustic and delicate at the same time (actually thinking about it, I love when people do have this type of contradiction too!), otherwise it gets too predictable.

My friend Laurent brought me this amazing pepper from France, it’s a Madagascar pepper infused with vanilla and chocolate…and I just wanted to create a little sweet thing where fruits marry this pepper, and this is it. I will make it again and again until I ran out of pepper.

The crust is light and nutritious, a little unusual since I used a very fragrant olive oil instead of butter, and the pears are poached in spicy red wine. This is truly a delicious and fragrant treat, and a third of the calories of the traditional desserts. To be consumed…without moderation!

Ingredients for one large galette

For the dough

• 3 tbs whole grain farro flour
• 1 tbs amaranth flour
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs water
• 2 tbs coconut sugar

For the filling

• 1.5 medium red d’Anjou pears, peeled and medium sliced
• 200 ml red wine
• 1 tbs honey
• 2 tbs coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1 tbs apricot jam or apricot fruit spread (which I prefer since there is less sugar)
• 1/2 tsp Luna pepper

Preparation

For the dough

In a wooden surface or mixing container, mix flours together, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to obtain an homogeneous and smooth dough. Set aside.

For the filling

In a deep pan, mix wine with sugar, honey and vanilla extract (including cinnamon if you like it). Mix well to dissolve sugar. Place pear slices evenly in pan and let cook until cooked but still firm. You want to avoid mushy pears, they’ll be hard to handle. When cooked, drain liquid and let the pear cool down.

Roll dough with rolling pin, about 3-4 mm thick forming a galette, and spread apricot jam or Fruit spread on top. Place pear slices evenly leaving 1.5 inches to form a border. Sprinkle with a little coconut sugar. Bring the sides of the galette back inside.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 370F for about 20-30 minutes until the galette is cooked. Check to bottom part of if to ensure it’s cooked.

When cooked, sprinkle poivre la luna pepper or any other fragrant pepper on top and eat lukewarm.

I decided out of the blue one day to make pain d’épices…I think last time I had one slice I must have been 10 years old. What is pain d’épices? Well it’s another one of those traditional French breads or cake that is popular in Alsace region. It’s literally translated into “spice bread”, simply because it has many spices. It could be an distant ancestor of the Ginger bread, but the French one has no ginger so, I would not even try to compare it to ginger bread.

Pain d’épices is made with honey and rye flour, and no sugar even though some recipes include brown sugar. Of course some recipes vary slightly from one to another; this version has no butter nor oil, so no fat and no eggs. Its consistency is very similar to the one I am used to eating in France…chewy, dense and very flavorful.

The origin of pain d’épices is traced back to ancient times (as far as the Egyptians) and was brought to Europe from China by the Crusades. They brought back the recipe and the spices, It was then spread over Europe during the middle ages, and the first Pain d’Epices called Lebkuchen was found in Germany in 1296. But it’s in Reims in XVII century that the Masters of Pain d’épiciers (Maîtres de pain d’épiciers) were officially recognized by King Henri IV as a specialty company. Reims remained one historical city linked to this bread. Nowadays there are two different kinds of Pain d’épices, the one from Reims made with mainly rye flour and the one from Dijon made with mainly wheat flour. Think that that we have a Museum on Pain d’épices in Alsace, called Musée du Pain d’épice et de l’art populaire Alsacien so that’s a serious deal!

In this recipe I use already packaged spices “épices pour pain d’épices” I bought during my last trip to France, but you can use loose ones, so I will give you the quantities for regular loose spices.

Pain d’épices can be served with savory dishes such as foie gras, or salmon…it can be eaten as is with a cup of hot chocolate, or as a toast with butter and jam, even prepared as a French toast, or combined with fruits in verrines (this will be on my next post). So as you can see its use is quite wide.

I was thinking that for someone with a savory tooth like mine, I did quite a good job with the sweets lately. The beauty of it is that I always share half of my sweet concoctions with my neighbor…otherwise I would break the poor scale. Unfortunately I am not among the lucky ones who can eat anything and remain thin…I have to work at it!! Oh well, maybe in my next life!

Ingredients for one loaf

• 4.4 oz (or 125 g) wholewheat flour
• 4.4 oz (or 125 g) rye flour (you can also use 250 g rye only)
• 7 oz (or 200 g) honey
• 1.7 oz (or 50 g) agave nectar
• 6.7 fl oz (or 200 ml) milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp star anise powder
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp clove powder
• 1 tsp orange peel powder (see picture above)

Preparation

In a mixing bowl combine honey, agave nectar and lukewarm milk. Mix well to dissolve the honey. Add flours gradually whisking well to obtain a smooth and homogenous mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients. Place in a bread pan previously buttered and floured to prevent from sticking. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 365-370F for about one hour. Let it cool and serve warm or cold.

My favorite fruit is finally back in season! Cannot get tired of eating peaches…Of course, we don’t need to do anything to the fruit to enjoy a juicy and sweet peach, but sometimes we can turn them into an elegant and delightful little dessert by roasting them. I love to grill roast, saute, poach, or anything you can think of, just like a vegetable.

I haven’t been able to blog nor read anyone’s blog as much as I would like simply because I am too busy at the moment, cooking and preparing menus, and I thought summer would slow down, which seems to be just the opposite. I still think with my French mind, where in France everything slows down during summer, because everyone goes on vacation, so July and August are dead.

When I have a little time, I always enjoy posting some new recipe, even if it’s something as simple as that. Sometimes, a warm roasted peach enhanced with honey and Grand Marnier is all you need to make your day perfect. It did it for me today, despite the same old San Francisco gloomy summer weather. I haven’t used Grand Marnier in desserts for years, and I remember when I was growing up in France, they sold Grand Marnier flavored yogurts from Yoplait, and my aunt was going crazy about them. Doesn’t this sound funny to have a yogurt with a liquor flavor? I guess in the US, you’ll need to show an ID to get those yogurts!

If you buy the kind of peaches that are hard to peel, cut the in half and place them in boiling water for 30 seconds. They’ll peel very easily.

You can serve this with vanilla ice cream and butter cookies and it will make truly a wonderful dessert.

Ingredients for 4

• 4 white peaches
• 1 tbs salted butter
• 2 tbs lavender honey
• 1/3 tsp vanilla powder
• 2 tbs Grand Marnier
• 1 sprig rosemary, chopped

Preparation

Peel peaches, and cut in half. Melt butter in a pan and brown peaches on both sides at high temperature. Don’t let the peaches overcook or they’ll get mushy. Add honey and decrease temperature. Sprinkle with vanilla powder. Add rosemary, and stir for one 30 seconds or so. Pour Grand Marnier, and flame. Divide in bowls and eat warm. How simple is that? Almost as simple as eating it!

One of the best meals I have ever had was in Biarritz, for those who have traveled to France and who went to Pays Basque, must know Biarritz. It’s located in the Southern part of France on the Atlantic coast, close to the Spanish border.  I remember this rustic restaurant that looked more like a chic cabin with dark wood decor and an amazing menu. The dessert I ordered was quite simple, just the way I like it. It was a long glass filled with a sheep milk yogurt type of mixture, a cherry compote and topped with honey but it was so good that I still vividly remember at this time the sensation of pleasure I got at the first spoonful.

In the Basque region, you can find wonderful cheeses made with sheep milk since the Pyrénées Mountains are close by, where lots of sheeps are raised.

It’s been a while, I felt like having this particular combination of grilled fruit and goat milk yogurt. I adore grilled fruits, the grilling makes the flavors and sweetness stand out but I find sheep milk yogurt to be stronger and goat yogurt suits my taste buds better. This can be a snack, a dessert or something you make anytime because you have some cravings.

After seeing some beautiful juicy and sweet apricots at my Greek barn, next door, I decided that apricots were part of the game…Summer fruits are out, maybe not at their best quality yet, since it’s still the beginning of the season but Mr. Greek grocer found delicious and sweet ones. He picks himself his fruits and vegetables and gets up at 2am to go to the market, so he always get gorgeous produce.

Langues de chat is literally translated into Cat’s tongues, just because those flat cookies do have that long shape  resembling a tiny tongue. They’re usually longer  and narrower than the ones I have made.

Their origin is traced back to the XVII century, and their deliciousness kept their popularity through the times. They’re traditional French cookies, and very easy to make, you cannot fail making langue de chat, I promise. Even the beginner bakers will make great langues de chat.

Ingredients for 2

• 3 apricots
• 1 goat milk yogurt
• 2 tbs lavender honey
• 2 figs
• cardamom powder
• 1 tbs pistachios, chopped

For the langues de chat

• 2.64 oz (or 75 g) butter
• 3 egg whites
• 3.52 oz (or 100 g) flour
• 3.52 oz (or 100 g) powder sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

For the langues de chat

Take the butter out of the refrigerator to room temperature about 30 minutes before using it. In a mixing container, mix butter and sugar together, add vanilla extract. Beat the white slightly (don’t whip them), and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Add flour and mix again.

Using a piping bag (douille) lay a small amount of batter on a silicon sheet (silpat) or parchment paper. Leave some space in between each cookie, they tend to spread when cooking. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 355-360F for about 10-15 minutes until the langues de chat are slightly golden from the sides. Let them cool and set aside.

Grill apricot halves in a grill pan or grid, on each side. Sprinkle some honey on top. Mix cardamom with yogurt.

In a bowl, place 3 apricots halves in the bottom. Add yogurt, top it off with remaining honey, figs and pistachios. Serve with 2 or 3 langues de chat.

Have you ever felt like a goat cheese appetizer but not on a salad or on toasts? This warm goat cheese appetizer has been one of my favorites, and makes such an elegant small dish with simple and down to earth flavors.

It’s one of those appetizers, that you make regularly because it’s so good and so quick to prepare, you can prepare the red pepper salsa in advance which can be appreciable when you have guests and many courses, then you don’t have to stay in the kitchen while your guest are having a good time in the living room. Since I love to have everything ready when guest arrive and not drink my glass of wine by myself with my vegetables, I had to find recipes that would allow me to do that.

For a long time, goat cheese was not one of my favorites, I thought it was too strong and smelled like a real goat (the same smell you can encounter at the gym, when people don’t use deodorant and have been working out in dirty clothes). I got to appreciate it more while living in Paris, sometimes during the weekend, all you want to do is get out of the crowded city and explore the countryside, see some greenery and breathe fresh air.

During our weekend getaways, we discovered a few goat farms where they raised goats to produce cheeses. Yes, when you enter the farm the goat smell is hard on your nostrils, much worse than cows or horses, and when you leave, you smell like a goat too, but c’est la nature!!..little by little, I somehow got to appreciate the diversity of goat cheeses and their flavors, and now it’s an ingredient I adore.

Ingredients for 4

• 8 slices of goat cheese (1.5 cm thick)
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1.5 tsp honey
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbs parsley, chopped
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Cut the cheese in 1/2 inch thick slices. Whisk egg and dip cheese slices in it, then coat with bread crumbs. Set aside.

Broil red pepper under broiler on all sides until the skin grills and turns dark. Remove from the oven, let it cool and remove the skin and the seeds. Cut in small strips, then in small dices. Set aside.

In a pan, heat olive oil and add shallots, brown the shallots, then add garlic. Cook for another few minutes to get the flavors out. Add honey, cook for a few minutes, then add balsamic vinegar, let it reduce. Add red peppers, stir well and coat peppers with mixture. Add parsley. Remove from heat.

In a pan, heat sunflower oil, brown the breaded goat cheese slices on both sides. When golden brown, remove from heat.

Place 2 slices of goat cheese in a plate and divide the red pepper salsa around them.

I made a pizza a few nights ago, something I don’t do as much as I used to, and I had leftover dough I didn’t want to through away. I just hate to throw away food and more so doughs that can be used in so many different ways. I have been thinking to combine goat cheese and lavender on some sort of a tart or small bites, voilà, c’est fait en un tour de main (it’s done in a hand twist if you have dough of course). Those canapés are tiny, about 2 inches in diameter, even though they seem a lot bigger by looking at the picture.

As much as I dislike lavender as a scent, I would never buy lavender soaps or fragrances, but I adore lavender in food, it feels like Provence with its warm and sunny days, vibrant colors and flower fragrances. Lavender is like vanilla for me, the smell in fragrances makes me cringe but I love cooking with it.

The particularity of pizza dough, is that it needs to cook fast at high temperature, to get a crisp bottom and not chewy. Usually I bake it in a very hot oven, at high temperature and the dough is always perfect. Well, it’s perfect for me, since I like it crunchy and not soft and chewy.

I used large oyster mushrooms, but any mushrooms such as cremini, would work fine. You could also use eggplants, that makes a great combination with goat cheese.

Never throw away leftover dough of any kind, you can always use it, it makes beautiful bites so when unexpected guest show up, they come in handy.

For about 12 canapés

• pizza dough or pate brisée
• 1/3 lb mushrooms
• 12 slices goat cheese
• honey
• lavender salt
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Sauté mushrooms, in olive oil, add salt and pepper and let cook until the water evaporates.

Roll dough very thinly, about 2 mm thick. Cut 2 inches circles with a cookie ring. Place some mushrooms, top it with goat cheese. Sprinkle with lavender salt and honey.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 400F for about 10 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and cheese has melted.

Serve hot.

Again, one of those days where I made a trip to la Boulange to get some Brioche, among many other things…I keep forgetting that Whole Foods distribute it. We are so used to savory sandwiches that I wanted to use the best brioche in town for some sweet morning treat. If you have a little time in the morning for breakfast it’s delicious with a nice cup of coffee. I thought half of it would be enough and I have to admit that both pieces were not.

Usually brioche can be greasy, especially the one you buy at the store, it is indeed filled with butter. So you cannot eat it every day, or you might have to get a membership at the local gym and work your calories out! Sorry, I am indeed a fitness freak and seems like I am built with a calories counting machine inside my head. BUT that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy eating and that I eat fat-free stuff. You can really love wholesome and fabulous food that is still healthy and good for the mind and body. Anyway, la Boulange brioche is not that greasy, at least you don’t have shiny fingers after you finished eating it!

It is quince season, and using seasonal ingredients is really the best. So obviously, running into those quinces, I had no other option than buy them. In France, where I grew up, during fall we have tons of those and make jams with them. That quince jam is so delicious, it smells like a perfume and seriously, you just want to spread some on your neck.

You cannot eat quince raw like you would eat a pear. It needs to be cooked, so you can use them for making chutneys, or jams or just caramelize them in a pan.

For 2 people

• 4 slices of brioche (about 1.5 cm thick)
• 4 tbs ricotta
• 2 quinces, peeled and sliced
• vanilla powder
• 2 tbs honey
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbs butter

Preparation

Cut brioche in four slices. Melt butter in a non-stick pan, add quince slices, sprinkle with a little sugar and brown both sides.

Grill brioche in a grill pan on both sides. Top one slice with 2 tbs ricotta, sprinkle with vanilla powder. Add honey and quince slices. Top with the other brioche slice.

]]> http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2009/11/its-quince-time-grilled-brioche-sandwich-with-ricotta-honey-and-caramelized-quince/feed/ 14 http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2009/08/a-small-je-ne-sais-quoi-ricotta-cake-with-honey-raisins-candied-orange-and-spices/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-small-je-ne-sais-quoi-ricotta-cake-with-honey-raisins-candied-orange-and-spices http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2009/08/a-small-je-ne-sais-quoi-ricotta-cake-with-honey-raisins-candied-orange-and-spices/#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:15:47 +0000 silvia http://www.citronetvanille.com/blog/?p=3050 Un petit goût de pain d’épices  qui me plait bien – Gâteau de ricotta au miel, raisins secs, oranges confites et épices

This has been something that arrived out of the blue after a crazy wedding weekend…ricotta is an ingredient I like to put everywhere, and I love it particularly in desserts.

On my last trip to France, I bought a pain d’épices spices mix. I have wanted to make pain d’épices for a long time, it literally translates to “spiced bread” and is a wonderful and spicy cake from Alsace, my neighboring region. The base of the cake is honey and lots of spices, it has a dark brownish color, and is quite sweet. Kids love it. Even though you can find many variations to the cake, the city of Reims has its own, the city of Dijon as well. In Alsace you can find a Pain d’épices Museum that retraces the history of that cake with all the tools developed for its fabrication.

I would certainly not call this cake a pain d’épices, but it does have a few important ingredients that pain d’épice has such as the spices and the honey, so there is an after taste of pain d’épices. The spice mix I used is composed of star anise, cinnamon, cardamom and clove. Since I don’t like cinnamon that much, I did not add too much, but I know that Americans are very fond of that spice, so whoever likes it can add more if desired. For those who won’t have the spice mix available, I would just use the loose spices powder.

The ricotta made this cake very moist and soft and the spices are not overpowering, so it turned out really well. To be enjoyed with a nice hot cup of tea a bowl of fresh fruits or whatever you feel like having.

I added Mirabelle liquor which is something I brought from France, my dad makes it with our mirabelle plums he grows in his garden. You can find it I think in some specialty liquor store in the US. You can use other fruity liquor as well, such as calvados, Grand Marnier, etc…

Ingredients for 6

• 3 eggs
• 4 tbs honey
• 6 tbs light brown sugar
• 1 cup ricotta
• 1 cup white flour
• 1/3 cup quinoa flour
• 5 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 tbs dried cranberries
• 3 tbs golden raisins
• 2 tbs candied orange zests
• 2 tsp pain d’épices spices mix or (1/2 tps cinamon, 1/2 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp clove, 1/2 tsp star anise powder)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• zest of half a lemon
• 1 tbs herbal liquor (I used Mirabelle, a liquor made out of plums)
• Powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, mix eggs, sugar, honey then add ricotta. Add oil. Mix well. Add liquor. Add flour and baking powder and baking soda. Mix well. Add spices, lemon zest, and dried fruits. Mix well to get a smooth consistency.

Bake in a non-stick deep dish, in a 375F pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes, check after 30 min. to see how the cakes comes along, and keep cooking or until the cake is cooked all the way through.

Well it might no longer be crab season, but I have urges of a pregnant woman when it has to do with food. Anytime I see crab, I cannot help and buy some. I am a big supporter of eating seasonal and local products, except for crab, I see it, I buy it, which I know goes against what I preach. I hope I will be forgiven.

Don’t get confused, there is no pasta in this dish, just cucumbers cut like spaghetti. I love to make those cucumber spaghetti with fish terrine, or any appetizer bouchée that has seafood in it, it is so refreshing. The thing is you cannot make those ahead of time because the cucumbers produce a lot of water, then they will be soaked in it and lose their crunchy texture. Whenever you grate them, you have to serve them right away.

Crab and shrimps are a great combination. You just need to be careful when you break the shell of the crab legs to remove the flesh, they have some thorns that can be quite dangerous if you are not careful.

Ingredients for 3 (2 crab cakes each) 6 crab cakes

For the crab cakes

• 3/4 lb king crab legs (leave some extra for decoration)
• about 12 large shrimps, ground
• 3 shrimps cut in half for decoration
• 1 egg
• 6 tbs plain bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp tarragon, chopped
• 1 tsp capers, chopped
• 1 tbs red onion, chopped
• 1/3 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper
• paprika for decoration

For the cucumber spaghetti

• 1 english cucumber
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp hot Dijon mustard
• 1/2 honey
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp fennel leaves chopped
• salt and pepper

Preparation

For the crab-shrimp cakes

Break crab legs and remove flesh, set aside. Remove shell from shrimp and devein them. Grind them in a mixer, not too thin. Mix with crab flesh. Add all other ingredients and mix well. For small patties about 2 inches diameter.

Heat olive oil in a pan and cook cakes on both sides until golden brown and cooked all the way through, about 5-6 minutes at medium heat.

For the cucumber spaghetti

Start making the dressing. Mix olive oil, honey, lemon juice, mustard and fennel, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Set aside

Peel the cucumbers and grate them lengthwise using a julienne cutter, place in mixing bowl with dressing and serve right away. Spoon a tbs of cucumber in a small plate, add one cake on top and decorate with shrimp cut in 2, topped with a little crab, fennel leaves and paprika.