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Scallops with Roasted Patty Pan Squash
2010-12-10 22:03:00
Everyday, every Winter, I am just a bundle of buzz, bliss, excitement and creativity. Everything about the day makes me move about and almost lose myself snapping photographs. The sky is magical this time of year with its every changing shades of blues. The silver and gold reflections of the water in the creek down below. I am constantly amazed at the light offering itself for the taking inside the studio. I lose myself in it as soon as the sun rises on the horizon until far after it is reasonable to admit.Good thing my love for everything that is magical about Winter and the season is being matched with working on a few projects and chomping away at deadlines. I also love the fact that B. is either grading papers or exams in the room next to mine and through our respective silences, I know our minds are bursting with ideas. He's constantly re-evaluating his way of doing things and presenting notions and I find myself doing the same in a different way. He is definitely the best men...
More About: Squash

Pistachio - Cocoa Nib Macarons With Bourbon Buttercream
2010-12-08 00:29:00
Thank you all for the kind thoughts, good vibes and uplifting words. Thank you also for reading what I had to say about our dear friend. Today we officially said goodbye and I can't stop thinking about what she used to tell me all these years: "Live hard. Love harder. Work the hardest...and always, always eat good food!"Yes...eating good food that is inevitable with us. If we become friends, you will come over for dinner. And again. And again. I was raised this way. That's the one thing my grandma did that I knew to count on when I was growing up. Sunday suppers around a full tables of nibbles and sweets were not just tradition. They were second nature happenings. Sometimes there were four people, sometimes ten. Did not matter. Same is true of our Sunday table.The idea was to end the weekend on a comforting note and to send you off into the new with a warm meal and a handful of sweet treats. In my case, both my pockets...ehehe!Rum babas, petits fours, mini eclairs, financiers, mad...

White Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse & Cocoa Nibs Shortbread Cookies
2010-12-03 16:08:00
When I started this post yesterday I had no idea how fast the day would get away from me. Not because of work. Not because of play. I heard news of someone dear to me passed away. And I hit a wall. I could not put two thoughts together without having memories rush through my head.I know we all experience the loss of someone dear many times in our lives and I certainly don't write about all the sad stuff here. I try the opposite actually. But I want to tell you about Francoise. I must. You see, without Francoise, this blog would not be exactly what it is today.A lot of us today have a pinch in our hearts knowing that Francoise is gone. She was, along with her husband Peter, the owner of Mistral, a French restaurant here in town which closed last year. To visitors she was a favorite cousin you see on vacation once a year. To her staff she was a surrogate mom, a favorite auntie and a royal pain in the butt too and we would not have changed that for the moon.She gave me my first positi...
More About: White , Cookies , Chocolate

Gluten Free Braised Lamb Ravioli With Shitake Parsley Broth
2010-11-29 15:29:00
I hope that everyone celebrating Thanksgiving this past week had a wonderful time doing so. I can safely say this Thanksgiving ranks high in the "best to date" for us. The food was outstanding. The company was delicious. Oh wait. It should be the other way around...As I told B. that evening after a strong cocktail "we had fun and we had fun making fun". That pretty much sums it up.I live for moments like these. Moments when friends just know that they are going to have a good time, relax and leave their worries behind. When they feel comfortable to dig into the fridge, get out the cutting board and chop away, preparing a delicious meal in a cacophony of pots and pans. I wanted nothing more than great friends around me at the dinner table and I got just that. I'm a very lucky girl. Thank you Tami, Mike, Broderick and Jack for such a rocking day! As far as time with friends goes, I want days like Thursdays everyday. As far as the food goes, Thanksgiving seems to kick start my desire ...
More About: Ravioli , Free , Gluten Free , Lamb

Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Tart With Mascarpone Cream
2010-11-22 06:02:00
Holidays really have a tendency to make us marvel at the time gone by year after year don't they? We shake our heads in denial and wonder how can time fly by this fast. Right now I am grinning as I look at the calendar, thinking that I've done a lot and yippee there is way more to do! There are things I'll happily leave behind when the new year rolls in but overall I am saying out loud "Yes! Let's do this again and often please!" That's worth a good slice of pie and glass of milk.Like most of you celebrating Thanksgiving, the week is going to be a bit of whirlwind at the house. Some of you travel to be with your family, some of you host the traditional dinner, some of you try your best to avoid the madness of it all, stores and crowds. Some of us still have to work and meet deadlines in the middle of it. That's the holidays indeed. This year we decided to break the routine and decided that since Christmas was already planned to happen here with B's family, we could make ourse...
More About: Pumpkin , Tart

Orange & Pastis Braised Baby Fennel
2010-11-18 06:10:00
Instead of worrying if I'd have time or where I'd find time to come update with posts and recipe, I thought I'd start a mini series of posts instead. Shorter posts with recipes geared toward the upcoming holidays or inspired by the plethora of produce and items I find every weekend at the farmers market.Depending on the time and subject at hand, some post might be shorter than others but this blog is a place of stress relief and comfort first and foremost. For you and for me. For my mom too so that she can see I don't "forget to eat". Seriously. Forgetting to eat? She had to be thinking about someone else.In the spirit of making it count and making something good, I want to share a side dish we have been eating twice already this week: Orange & Pastis Braised Baby Fennel. Sweet, a little tart and full of the wonderful aroma of anise and citrus. B. said it was like eating candied vegetables and I am so glad I put 2 bunches of baby fennel in my basket at the farmers marker last we...

Thin Crust Pear Tart - Tarte Fine Aux Poires For Gluten Free Thanksgiving &
2010-11-15 17:44:00
As I was making this tart for Shauna's Gluten Free Thanksgiving Baking Round Up, I started reflecting on how much I enjoyed being an expat in America around the holidays. I now have an entire second family, a tight group of friends and handful of added occasions to celebrate new traditions and holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc... Even Christmas in B's family is light years away from mine. Starting with the food of course.I did not grow up around pumpkin pie, pecan pie or double crusted apple pie but like anyone entering another family, expat or not, there are new traditions I have come to love. Some I have been privileged to make my in-laws discover as they let me bring my own creations to their tables. One of these dishes was my grandmother's Tart e Fine Aux Pommes. She was famous for it. And for good reason. One of the simplest and yet most aromatic and satisfying thin crusted pie I have ever had.She'd start by making a very basic applesauce with heirloom and very ...
More About: Gluten Free , Pear

Gluten Free Crepes With Honey Lavender Roasted Persimmons & Some News
2010-11-12 18:12:00
Given my love for corny, it should be no surprise to hear me say that you have no idea how perfectly perfect it was to sit down to breakfast this morning on the back deck. Crips skyes, warming sun, pups by my side, all wrapped up in comfy blanket, a hot cup of coffee and a gluten free crepe filled with lavender roasted persimmons.**STOP** Let's keep this real shall we? It was 6am. It was downright nippy cold. The pups started barking at the squirrels and I ended up spilling my coffee on the cozy blanket. But, let's face it... my positive disposition is more inclined to wipe off the coffee and become deaf to the sound of two crazy wild beasts barking their heads off just for the sake of waxing poetic about crepes.That's what I like about writing and photography. Any form of artistic expressions actually. It's yours to do whatever you want and give to people. Some will get it, some won't but a civilization honored with that name will let you be and say and play.I for one, decided...
More About: News , Free , Gluten Free , Honey

A Bowl Of Crab Soup - Catching Dinner In The "Backyard"
2010-11-08 18:40:00
People I meet when on travels are often wondering whether I am exaggerating when I enthusiastically mention getting our dinner fresh from the dock or the sea. The answer as you can see from the pictures below is no. Not at all. All the possessions in the world will never equate the intense sense of gratitude we feel from being so close to the water and taking some time receiving from the ocean some of its bounty.View from the dock - what we call "the extended backyard".We are indeed lucky to be able to just go catch a dozen crabs on a sunny Sunday afternoon or cast our net during shrimp season to make fresh shrimp and pesto linguine for dinner. Yes. We know. Once that first shrimp hits our lips, we can smell and taste all the depths of the ocean in just one bite. Slightly sweet, a bit salty, strong earthy flavor. It's like that first sip of perfectly cold beer on a sweltering day. Magic.Bailey is one happy puppy!I sort of apply the same feelings to the first soup enjoyed on the fir...
More About: Dinner , Soup , Crab , Backyard

Fiadone, A Corsican Dessert & A Giveaway
2010-11-02 14:45:00
I realize that I never posted a recap of my BlogHer Food experience and although work being the primary reason, well...I really don't have another reason. Many bloggers were doing such a good job at putting into words all the feelings experienced during that weekend that I commented on theirs instead of writing mine. I did go to BlogHer Food with some goals such as deliberately meeting some folks to see if my first online impressions matched my second in real life ones but also to let the unexpected guide me to meet new faces or take part in amazing conversations. That's how I met Michael (deliciously devilish), and Stephen (super talented photog), told Aida Mollenkamp I digged her shoes of all things, had an Oprah moment in the conference hotel bathroom with Tami and Jeanne and finally crushed hard on this little firecracker of a woman, Georgia Pelligrini. And I also digged her boots. No I don't have a foot fetish, I just have major crushes on strong women, marrying beauty and f...
More About: Dessert

Gluten Free Candy Filled Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
2010-10-29 02:58:00
Despite seeing it on the store shelves since late August, I resisted getting candy for Halloween until yesterday. For once, that's kind of how my stubborn mind works. The more commercial a holiday gets, the longer I'll resist buying into it, and it was not until B. gave me a friendly hint that maybe we should stock up for trick or treaters, that I finally started seeing the displays at the store. However, I had a better reason for waiting to be closer to Halloween: Lara's Candy Filled Doughnuts. Oh yes.If I make cookies, they disappear as if a tornado went through the kitchen. If I get Halloween candy a week before the due date, I keep finding little gold and silver wrappers in his pockets for seven days straight. The man cannot be left alone with food. I count my blessings that he can't cook but knows how to eat. I also love when he gets involved and excited about baking something even if I know I'll be the one at the stove. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing people get e...
More About: Free , Gluten Free , Cake , Chocolate

Gluten Free Candy Filled Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
2010-10-29 02:58:00
Despite seeing it on the store shelves since late August, I resisted getting candy for Halloween until yesterday. For once, that's kind of how my stubborn mind works. The more commercial a holiday gets, the longer I'll resist buying into it, and it was not until B. gave me a friendly hint that maybe we should stock up for trick or treaters, that I finally started seeing the displays at the store. However, I had a better reason for waiting to be closer to Halloween: Lara's Candy Filled Doughnuts. Oh yes.If I make cookies, they disappear as if a tornado went through the kitchen. If I get Halloween candy a week before the due date, I keep finding little gold and silver wrappers in his pockets for seven days straight. The man cannot be left alone with food. I count my blessings that he can't cook but knows how to eat. I also love when he gets involved and excited about baking something even if I know I'll be the one at the stove. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing people get e...
More About: Free , Gluten Free , Cake , Chocolate

Spiced Poached Pears With Warm Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
2010-10-23 16:13:00
If you read this from France or are an expat anywhere in the world, you're probably looking at this picture and thinking "Oh! Helene made Poire Belle Helene!" and move on to the rest of the post. If you had never had such a dessert and read a title like this, you'd think I'd blown a fuse by naming a dessert after myself. And as if that weren't enough, adding the adjective "belle" to describe it all. Hmmmm....No.I did not come up with name, heck I did not even liked the dessert this much until in my late twenties! Auguste Escoffier created the Poire Belle Helene in 1870, naming it after one of Offenbach's operette, La Belle Helene. Yes. 1870. Makes me wish Escoffier had had a blog in 1870. Or a twitter account. I bet his updates would be of the most delectable kind. Seriously. This is probably one of the core desserts of French cuisine. At least of bistros and restaurants when I was growing up. Funny thing is that I never did make much of it though because it bears only half my ...
More About: Ice Cream , Bean , Chocolate

Spiced Poached Pears With Warm Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
2010-10-23 16:13:00
If you read this from France or are an expat anywhere in the world, you're probably looking at this picture and thinking "Oh! Helene made Poire Belle Helene!" and move on to the rest of the post. If you had never had such a dessert and read a title like this, you'd think I'd blown a fuse by naming a dessert after myself. And as if that weren't enough, adding the adjective "belle" to describe it all. Hmmmm....No.I did not come up with name, heck I did not even liked the dessert this much until in my late twenties! Auguste Escoffier created the Poire Belle Helene in 1870, naming it after one of Offenbach's operette, La Belle Helene. Yes. 1870. Makes me wish Escoffier had had a blog in 1870. Or a twitter account. I bet his updates would be of the most delectable kind. Seriously. This is probably one of the core desserts of French cuisine. At least of bistros and restaurants when I was growing up. Funny thing is that I never did make much of it though because it bears only half my ...
More About: Ice Cream , Bean , Chocolate

S' Mores Doughnuts
2010-10-18 16:45:00
By the lack of postings one could wonder if I ever came down from the high that BlogHer Food and San Francisco. I did. I actually gave myself one day to catch up and crashed hard on Wednesday evening. Responsibilities hit me up again the following day. I love that work is insane and insanely good. I don't like that it keeps me away from here this much. I definitely rely on a 4 o'clock break complete with cookies and milk. Or as it was the case this week, doughnuts and hot chocolate!I am not one to be afraid of deep frying but I certainly am one to shy away from making doughnuts that often. I know I will end up eating too many. Right out of the hot oil. Almost. Perfectly brown. Crisp and soft. Lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. Simple is always best but there is a place and time to venture out in baking. Especially when it comes to doughnuts. S'Mores Doughnut specifically.Thanks to Lara Ferroni and her book "Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home", I only have...

S' Mores Doughnuts
2010-10-18 16:45:00
By the lack of postings one could wonder if I ever came down from the high that BlogHer Food and San Francisco. I did. I actually gave myself one day to catch up and crashed hard on Wednesday evening. Responsibilities hit me up again the following day. I love that work is insane and insanely good. I don't like that it keeps me away from here this much. I definitely rely on a 4 o'clock break complete with cookies and milk. Or as it was the case this week, doughnuts and hot chocolate!I am not one to be afraid of deep frying but I certainly am one to shy away from making doughnuts that often. I know I will end up eating too many. Right out of the hot oil. Almost. Perfectly brown. Crisp and soft. Lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. Simple is always best but there is a place and time to venture out in baking. Especially when it comes to doughnuts. S'Mores Doughnut specifically.Thanks to Lara Ferroni and her book "Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home", I only have...

Chilled Lemon Cucumber & Fresh Pea Soup
2010-10-13 16:32:00
BlogHer Food has been such a whirlwind that I need to think on it for a couple of days before I can post some about it (and get my derriere to post process all the shots I took). It went by fast that's for sure which is why I am so happy I extended my stay by a couple of days and stayed with my close friend Anita and her husband and got to hang out with some more of my favorite people which I will pimp out in future post, eheh.. They are truly my home away from home.Like most of us attending BlogHer Food, I met Anita online when I started leaving comment on her blog everytime she posted a new cocktail. Not that I drink that much but I do love the mixology part of the cocktail, the technique and craft very closely related to food. We exchanged emails, we sent cards then little gifts. We just clicked. And they got two adorable pups...all about that! It was nice to spend a couple of days relaxing and exploring San Francisco aside from the conference. So hard to get any time off these ...
More About: Lemon , Cucumber , Soup , Fresh

Chilled Lemon Cucumber & Fresh Pea Soup
2010-10-13 16:32:00
BlogHer Food has been such a whirlwind that I need to think on it for a couple of days before I can post some about it (and get my derriere to post process all the shots I took). It went by fast that's for sure which is why I am so happy I extended my stay by a couple of days and stayed with my close friend Anita and her husband and got to hang out with some more of my favorite people which I will pimp out in future post, eheh.. They are truly my home away from home.Like most of us attending BlogHer Food, I met Anita online when I started leaving comment on her blog everytime she posted a new cocktail. Not that I drink that much but I do love the mixology part of the cocktail, the technique and craft very closely related to food. We exchanged emails, we sent cards then little gifts. We just clicked. And they got two adorable pups...all about that! It was nice to spend a couple of days relaxing and exploring San Francisco aside from the conference. So hard to get any time off these ...
More About: Lemon , Cucumber , Soup , Fresh

Vanilla Rice Pudding & Chocolate Panna Cotta
2010-10-06 17:20:00
Yes, I am giving away a box full of chocolate donated by Scharffen Berger in San Francisco. Head toward the end of the post for details on how to participate.Back in June (wow that feels like an eternity...) I was part of a food blogging panel at Evo 10 with two wonderful ladies, Jane and Helen Jane. Yep, I am not making this up. We clearly sounded like a tribe "Hi! I'm Helen!" "And I am Jane!" "And I'm Helen Jane". They were handling the blogging part of our workshop and I was doing the photography part. Lots of fun and new friendships came out of this. Honest, comfortable and packed with belly laughing punctuated conversations. There is a myriad of ways to blog and find your peace and balance. I don't think on it much. I am thrilled to make you discover bits about my home country, new recipes and techniques. It's a place for me to practice my crafts and hopefully to give you something enjoyable to look at and tempt you as well. I put a lot of hard work and dedication into thi...
More About: Rice , Chocolate

Vanilla Rice Pudding & Chocolate Panna Cotta
2010-10-06 17:20:00
Yes, I am giving away a box full of chocolate donated by Scharffen Berger in San Francisco. Head toward the end of the post for details on how to participate.Back in June (wow that feels like an eternity...) I was part of a food blogging panel at Evo 10 with two wonderful ladies, Jane and Helen Jane. Yep, I am not making this up. We clearly sounded like a tribe "Hi! I'm Helen!" "And I am Jane!" "And I'm Helen Jane". They were handling the blogging part of our workshop and I was doing the photography part. Lots of fun and new friendships came out of this. Honest, comfortable and packed with belly laughing punctuated conversations. There is a myriad of ways to blog and find your peace and balance. I don't think on it much. I am thrilled to make you discover bits about my home country, new recipes and techniques. It's a place for me to practice my crafts and hopefully to give you something enjoyable to look at and tempt you as well. I put a lot of hard work and dedication into thi...
More About: Rice , Chocolate

Cinnamon Rolls & A Special Little Girl
2010-10-02 17:22:00
I look at the little girl in the photographs below and I see so much of myself in her. And I hope she'll beat to the tune of her own heart as I try to. I hope she'll tell the people in her life, close or distant, how much they matter as I do. As often as possible. Because in the end, it's what counts. Truly. I hope she has the courage to take chances, get hurt, and love again. To be imperfectly alive. As my friend Brene says "it will confuse and terrify people" but I will be there if she needs me.She is a part of me. My niece Lea. She's turning ten on Monday and this post is for her. Being ten is a big deal. I know! I see so little of her over the years that everytime I feel like meeting a different person. I love how my brother and his wife are raising her and her sister. It's chaotic, it's loud and imperfect and it's full of laughs and love, hugs and stories.I was so happy to spend some time alone with her while visiting my parents this summer. We took some time out to go a...
More About: Girl , Special , Cinnamon

Plum Crumbles & Ginger Ice Cream
2010-09-29 01:39:00
Summer is looking to find Fall around here it seems. Today for example is what I like to call "une journee formidable" - a glorious day. And as corny as it sounds, (I like corny, there) I've been humming this old song all day. Bright sunshine, mild temperature and a nice breeze. I turned the A/C off and opened up all the windows.And breathed. I have put myself on mandatory time outs at 11 and 3 o'clock every day and go outside, do a funky shake down - move about in the house or just play with the pups. Days are intense, yes, but absolutely gratifying. I was just thinking the other day that I may have a lot of projects in the works but all have a wonderful personal relationship attached to them. Everyday I am given the chance to help someone's vision come true. That is a privilege.When Holly and I decided to celebrate our working together on her cookbook, she graciously invited us to her house and I volunteered to bring dessert. I was not going to bring tarts, that's for sure...!...
More About: Ice Cream , Ginger

Heirloom Tomato and Olive Tapenade Tartelettes
2010-09-23 07:59:00
Can't get enough heirloom tomatoes these days. They were lovely in June. Yes. They are even better now and we are having them every day. If you stay for dinner you might get some lovely slices simply sprinkle with coarse sea salt, olive oil and a sprinkle of chopped basil. If you are around for lunch, I will just hand you a crusty piece of bread to scoop up thick pieces of tomatoes, garlic and basil, all dressed in a simple vinaigrette.If you come around on Sundays though, you will get them in a tart. Or eight. Depending on how late we got up... For some reason, Sundays have become more domestic because of our schedule. We take the time to prep things for the week, he in his office among his papers to grade and the bills and I, in the kitchen getting foods ready for us or work that week.No matter what, it almost always end up around the dinner table with a couple of friends. Or a lot. And a bottle of wine. Or many. Living wholeheartedly the moment as it presents itself. And right ...
More About: Tomato

Honey Yogurt Mousse With Raspberry Coulis & Shortbread Cookies
2010-09-17 16:11:00
Time flies. Let's face it, the only time when it doesn't is when we twirl our thumbs. And even then, I have seen people twirl they thumbs long enough to realize how time flew by - along with life - as they were doing so. The only thing I've twirled this week were my hair while sitting at the computer to edit pictures and lastly the spoon in my verrine of Honey Yogurt Mousse with Raspberry Coulis. And cookies! I have twirled a cookie around my little finger. My life is now complete...Ok, you know that's sarcasm. There is more to life than mousse and cookies... although...Simplicity has been the motus operandi lately around the house and will remain for a little while (more on that later) and as such, these fit the bill perfectly. I could not help but giggle as I was spooning the different layers in the glasses. I kept thinking of my niece Camille who looked at me with wide open eyes one morning I was twirling honey and yogurt for my cereals.She's at the age of food discoveries a...
More About: Cookies

Memories Of Provence & French Inspired Giveaway!
2010-09-14 15:58:00
I honestly think the older I get, the harder that jetlag thing becomes. Maybe it is simply that each time it becomes a tad bit more significant in emotions and events. I did give myself the weekend off to do the mundane "back from vacation" routine and spend some time with B. and our friends getting re-adjusted.I also took time to write down some sort of schedule as my work time is pretty much spoken for until this April. I look forward to come here on this page and unwind with more recipes and stories!In that spirit and to tell you "Thank you" from the bottom of my heart for reading, laughing, frowning and smiling with me, I put together a little basket of French goodies I picked up on my trip to give away today. Head to the end of the post for instructions on how to enter...!In the meantime, on to the Southern part of my trip back home. I do hope my aunt and uncle won't mind my posting about their gorgeous home and the wonderful meal we had when we stopped there on our way from t...
More About: France , Provence , Memories

Watermelon & Honeydew Sorbets With Lemongrass Sauce
2010-09-10 17:24:00
The reality of the other day's weather hit me like a brick. Chilly and rainy in Paris and hot and humid (doh!) in Charleston which meant only one thing. I'd better post the sorbet combination we had a couple of weeks ago as we are in the tail end of melon season, at least on this hemisphere. I sure hope B. does not run to the freezer after this. The Watermelon and Honeydew Sorbets with Lemongrass Sauce is gone. I may or may not have anything to do with it...As Fall was creeping up on us in France, I was having to fight my mom on a daily basis as she tried to feed me entire cantaloupes as often as she could. Ok, I am exaggerating. But really, she loves them. Me? I think I overdosed as a child. Don't get me wrong, I like cantaloupe just fine (especially with port and proscuitto) but I'd rather have a thick slice of juicy and ripe watermelon or honeydew at this moment in my life. Now turn watermelon and honeydew into sorbets and add a few spoonfuls of lemongrass sauce and well... ...

On The Road - The "Hautes Alpes"
2010-09-06 18:59:00
View of the Durance Valley.This past week I took a much anticipated trip down South with my parents. It had been many years since we had taken a trip just the three of us, something I have always loved to do as they love to discover new places and old ruins as much I do. We were to meet my brother and his family in Toulouse but decided to take the long way there via the Alps and Provence. They indulged me in a trip down memory lane.Saint Crepin. Life is simple here.Small village - lots of hospitality.Being as close as we are, I also like this quieter time together to talk about serious things and catch up (I?ll always be their baby after all). French highways and a little trip under the Southern sun were perfect for that. I hope you enjoy the photographs below and maybe discover or re-discover other facets and areas of France.Everything has a past & a present.Streets of Guillestre.Our first stop was the Hautes Alpes where we have had a chalet there for more than 30 years. I grew...
More About: Road

Dark Chocolate Brownies, Ginger Ice Cream & Salted Butter Caramel Sauce
2010-09-03 07:00:00
For the first few years I moved away to the US, my family would always ask me to bake brownies when I?d come back to visit. There is a little of an unspoken love affair for that simple square of dark chocolate, sometimes studded with nuts, sometimes often adorned with a scoop of ice cream. Almost always with a short cup of espresso.I can?t even recall where I found my first recipe for brownies and I admit I go through what B. dubbed my ?brownie baking frenzy phases?. I have been known to bake quite a few batches in the span of a few days just to keep finding the elusive ?perfect? one. I know I am not the only one with that problem.Just as with anything in life, and after hundreds of batches tested and enjoyed by our friends and neighbors, I do believe there is no perfect recipe for us ? just the one we like then. Consistently different and yet every time just right However, there is one I have favored a bit more over the years, probably because I memorized it easily and it has neve...
More About: Ice Cream , Chocolate Brownies , Chocolate , Dark , Brownies

Mirabelle Plums & Almond Frangipane Tart
2010-08-30 10:35:00
I have not been here a week yet and my heart is already replenished and my eyes filled with beautiful memories. I keep catching myself throughout the day thinking "I can?t believe I am here". It?s good to go home and see all my cousins for a joyous occasion for once. I?ve been enjoying my mom?s wonderful cooking, let my nose take me to the cheese box and renewed my love affair with the most fragrant cantaloupes, Saturn peaches, and tiny mirabelles. I?m in complete bliss.On Saturday my grandfather gathered the family for a celebration of his 100th birthday. As he said, never in his life did he imagine that the family that he and my grandmother started at 2 would grow to an intimate (!) group of 50 - children, grandchildren, great grandchildren (and their spouses). That?s us. We as a whole function as a giant tribe composed of many smaller clans. It?s joyous. It?s loud. It?s everywhere and all at once. It?s tensed and climatic. It?s pretty darn awesome when I get to be there (and so g...
More About: Almond , Tart

Back Home
2010-08-26 15:44:00
I am home. Or what I like to call ?my parents home?. I have always been happy where they live now but I left my heart in the South when we moved to be closer to my grandparents. I do however like their present close proximity to Paris and the surrounding areas. I am spending a week there in the lush and cool climate of the Yvelines before heading down to Provence where I grew up.As I was heading out to the Boulangerie-Patisserie the other day and took a few snapshots of their town. So typical of the area. A mix of old and new. Hope you enjoy the tour?I know I am by the greenery around me. When we first moved here, we were mesmerized by how green and different trees and gardens were compared to Provence. You can bet I still have the same reaction now in South Carolina where things.You know you are in France by the road signs and the very messed up unusual intersections.I think I can safely say that every small town in France is built around the church and here is no exception. This i...
More About: Home , Back