All Wrapped Up in One

It's not just the people who are beautiful in Paris. 

Jacques Genin's ultimate lemon tart.  See how we spit it? We are nearly virtuous!  (PARIS)

Worth their weight in gold (literally). Passion fruit puree and gingerbread caramels from Jaques Genin. (PARIS)

Gorgeous birthday lunch at Bistrot Bruno Loubet: Beetroot ravioli with shredded rocket and crispy parmesan. (LONDON- CLERKENWELL)

Birthday cocktails at the Zetter Townhouse (LONDON- CLERKENWELL) 

Birthdays, Paris, Lots of cake, VIP guest lists.  Each in their own right could warrant their own blog post. But seeing as I appear to have been out for 15 of the past 17 evenings (I now realise where my new accessory called "the belly" has come from) I thought I'd try and wrap up some of the most exciting news for food happenings in Dana's world  - and maybe, if lucky, come up with one mamajama of a story for you.

Let's start in Paris.  The last weekend in September I was invited to visit the gorgeous YL for a pre-birthday celebration.  Her pitch?  "Come visit and let's do a patisserie crawl around the city!"  SOLD.  So while in the end we didn't venture too far out of the Bastille / Marais area we were well onto our sugar high by noon having consumed more chocolate croissants slathered in homemade apricot jam than is healthy (I say "we" but the honest truth is that it was just me - but thanks YL for taking one for the team).

After browsing some lovely shops and buying and assortment of treatakins at le petite atelier de paris (seriously how cute is their stuff?) we headed over to Jacques Genin.  Immediately upon entering the holy shrine to all things both gorgeous and delectable the heart palpitations began, the seratonin started flowing, and the general state of patisserie perfection began clouding my vision and making everything go a bit soft and fuzzy.

Side bar: This is why I never got into recreational drugs.  Exquisite baked goods/confection appear (for me) to have what I imagine would be a similar effect of such narcotics.  

Even though we were already filled to the gills from brunch we decided to share a tarte au citron.  At a delicate size and the perfect ratio of pastry and tart and creamy filling, YL and I had many a moan worthy moment.  Even though we shared, we were also served two (each) of Jacques handmade chocolates (basil ganache and cinnamon ganache).  All were slowly savoured with tiny mouthfuls.

Jacques Genin is also famous for his hand made caramels.  Having read about his passion fruit puree caramels and knowing that Mama Cupcakes loves passion fruit (arguably more than some of her offspring now and again) I thought I'd try and work on my standing in the favourite child category. Certainly if I could send some over to her in New Hampshire I could move myself up a notch or two?  She reported back that she savoured every single one.  However, in response to my "am I your favourite child now?" question, what was returned back was a laugh and nothing more.   I think she's playing me for more caramels. Smart woman.

I'd like to say that the desserts ended there...but alas...there was more to come, manifesting itself in a pair of hot from the oven custard tarts from Comme a Lisbonne.  Funny thing though, after going back to YL's apartment for a bit of a power nap (sugar coma) we (again, just me) woke up starving! All I could think about was sinking my teeth into a bloody piece of meat after all that sugar. Successfully accomplished later that evening at a nearby Bistro.

Now fast-forward one week and I was able to celebrate my birthday in London with a few friends.  I had a bit of an internal debate (party? dinner? lunch? cocktails?) on what to do.  Unlike the past few years when I've thrown a shindig, invited the masses, cooked and baked for weeks before to prepare, and quasi bankrupted myself in the process, I decided on the simplest of activities for me, a late lunch followed by cocktails for those who couldn't make one or the other.

In the end I went for lunch at Bruno Bistro Loubet which was absolutely wonderful.  My favourite eat of the day was my starter of beetroot ravioli, rocket salad, fried breadcrumbs and parmesan.  I could have stopped there and been happy (of course I didn't).  My main wasn't nearly as exciting although it was certainly tasty - having another craving of red meat I went for the grilled steak with little gem caesar dressing, and a red wine sauce. We opted against dessert and went on straight to the Zetter Townhouse, without a doubt one of the coolest cocktail bars in London - complete with experimental cocktails to match.  Having been out the night before until 4 am drinking pink champagne with an assortment of characters (eccentric artist, professor of art history, former military/expert in middle east relations) my birthday festivities on the Saturday ended at a very civilised (read: getting old) hour of 8 pm.  But to be honest, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. For those of you wonderful friends who did make it out to join me - muchos gracias from the bottom of my 29 year old heart.

Foodie Pen Pal - Take 2

Foodie Pen Pal Treats - Take 2

This month's foodie penpal was the lovely Suzzane over at avocado and basil. It's arrival coincided on my birthday, which was an absolute treat! I know that wasn't part of her master plan, but thank you Suzanne and the Postal Service for a job well done.

As soon as I opened the package I was overtaken by the wonderful smell of fresh basil which Suzanne had lovingly picked from her windowsill and wrapped in some tissue.  She'd also spent the weekend before in Italy so I benefited from some chocolates and cavatelli pasta.  Added to the mix were some of her favourite food stuffs like pukka tea (also in my tea caddy - but some new flavours for me to try),  a nakd bar (looks healthy AND delicious - who knew?) some ginger candies (not yet consumed but waiting patiently for me on my kitchen counter) and some chocolate and hazelnut meringues (must stop eating but can't stop eating)!

Thank you Suzanne! Job well done! :-)

Bagel Nosh

Boiled and ready to be baked 

The Finished Product

The recent Jewish holidays left me craving lots of good nosh, and in particular, bagels. Convinced that the only way to get them in London is either en masse in horrible roll format in supermarkets, or to take a half day and schlepp to the outskirts of North London I figured the best option would be to take the challenge to bake some myself.  As a virgin bagel maker I scampered the internet for quite a while until I found a recipe I liked.  Considering the great number of positive reviews (minus some of the donkeys that didn't follow it correctly) I figured I had as good a chance of success as any.  And come on now - look at these babies! I know every good Jewish mother thinks her kids are the best looking and well, I kinda feel that same way about these little guys.

As I opted for a slightly longer boil time they were nice, firm and crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  I ate three within 12 hours - which is probably more than I've consumed collectively in the past 6 months.  Luckily they have frozen really well.  I'm planning to have some friends round for brunch so I can make another batch and serve them fresh and warm from the oven. You know those one-off food items that are just so absolutely delicious that you scarf them up so fast you almost don't taste them (I realise this is not a good habit but NEEDS MUST)  - well straight out of the oven and with just a bit of butter, they were just that.

So without further ado... http://www.sophisticatedgourmet.com/2009/10/new-york-style-bagel-recipe/  (although is it a bit cheeky to say I prefer the more bronzed bake of mine over hers)?  

Foodie Pen Pal - Take 1

Christmukah in July!

Treats from the US and Bristol

Perusing the web a few months back I came across Foodie Pen Pals via The Lean Green Bean. Lucky for me there is a small (but growing) group over in Europe that's started up as well - and I jumped right on in.

The basic premise is that you randomly get paired up with someone (either a fellow food blogger or just someone who really enjoys getting his/her grub on) and send through a surprise foodie package spending less than £10 (not including shipping).  It's monthly and you can be as active or not as you'd like.

I was paired with Sue in Germany over at http://sueintraining.wordpress.com/ and sent through some of my favourite treats (jam, spices, candy) from Ottolenghi's Upper Street store. Unfortunately the prized (and pricey!) passionfruit jam didn't make it in one piece. Dang UK to Germany shipping. Apparently in transit the glass jam jar broke into a thousand shades of inedible. Hopefully she'll still enjoy the homemade raspberry lollipop and za'atar spices.

On the flip side, I received the care package of goodies above from Karen in Bristol.  After a brief introductory email (giving the basics which mentioned my Yankee heritage) she very sweetly decided on a hybrid package.  Thinking I might be homesick (I was, but was also packing for a flight home to the USA 2 days later) she sent through some "all-american treats" as well as some local Bristol goodies such as clotted cream fudge, local cider, and marmalade.  I've not yet tried the latter two but the fudge went down a treat.

On the Stars and Stripes front I got two candy-bars (the Reese's NutRageous has already been demolished) and a Cookies and Cream Hershey's bar (possibly to be used in some chocolate brownies this weekend).  Also in the package? Kool-aid and Fluff.  Now both of these products are something I've not consumed for over thirty years*, which is certainly ironic since I'm not older than 29 (roll of eyes).  I vaguely remember them making their way into my Montessori smurf lunch box though. Man, I wish I still had that thing...but I digress.

My challenge if I choose to accept is to work these classic lunchbox treats into some sort of baked good.  Well, let's be honest - the fluff will become a baked good and the kool-aid in some sort of cocktail to be consumed while making the baked good.

Ironically I've promised some "American themed treats" at a work meeting next week.  I see the possibility of some fluff rice-krispy like snacks in their future.

*I have quite possibly consumed Kool-Aid more recently than the age of 4.  I have a vague memory of an Alpha Delt "Purple Passion" party my freshman year at University. I'm pretty sure this cocktail (if you can call it that as it was served out of plastic bag lined garbage cans) consisted of Everclear and Purple Kool-Aid. I choose to forget.

Bonkers for G'Nosh

It is not often that a product impresses me so much that not only do I go out of my way to buy it at a few select (overpriced) shops but on the off occasion they are sold out, I pout all Piccadilly line ride home.  It's a fricken' dip people, I know - but this one (or rather these two) have wooed me in the best way possible - with pure joy on the tastebuds.

First discovered in Selfridges food hall a few months back, G'Nosh produces a small selection of dips - and two have burrowed their way into my heart, beetroot and mint (with a little kick of chilli and parmesan) and babaghanoush (way better than anything you can find on Edgware Rd / Little Beirut...you get the picture).  You often see small products like this dip in and then 12-24 months later dip out (no pun intended, hardyharhar), but I really hope this one is here to stay.  If they put as much love into all their products as they do these then I can't wait to see what else is in store.

Getting creative with 1 of my 5 a day...

Peach and raspberry "coffee" cake

I've had a bit of a fitness burst in the past couple of weeks.  With a three times a week kickboxing purchase off of groupon (I only go 1-2 times), tap class, my normal gym visits, and my 1-2 weekly yoga sessions, my normal 3-4 times per week workouts have been randomly upped to 5-6 since the beginning of July.  This waranted Mama Cupcakes asking me last night if I was "addicted to exercise". I laughed - because of course I'm not.  But then, I gave it a think for more than 2 seconds and realised it's not the exercise I'm addicted to...it's...well...cake.  Linked to the increase in exercise has been an increase in treats coming out of my oven.  I'm not sure whether or not they are directly correlated, but regardless it's probably for the best (the excessive exercise, not cake making).

I really should give more away at work, but with the office running at about 20% capacity (all of Norway and my fellow Norwegian colleagues here in London seem to be off) there's actually just too much cake to go around at the moment.

Last night's cake making was my standard Silver Palate "coffee cake" but with a number of delicious peaches and raspberries added to the mix.  Just after I started making it I realised I was missing a few key ingredients... just shy of the right amount of butter, not enough sugar...I filled in the blanks with a few other ingredients (e.g. brown sugar instead of white) and added 1.5 cups of the fruit to the cake batter resulting in some interesting textures and tastes.  In its virginal Silver Palate state it's a classic but with the adjustments it was part crumb-like and part delicious fruity and moist bread pudding like.  I'm not sure I could repeat in the same exact way again (I didn't measure very much), but I will keep in mind the addition of fresh seasonal fruit. It's a very palatable way to get one of your five a day I say!

Pimm's Cup(cakes)

Candied minted cucumber

Strawberries and Pimm's cream galore

Pimm's cup(cakes) with candied cucumber

What to drink at an English Summer Garden Party? Pimm's Cup (obviously).

As a party snackaroonie - maybe not quite so obvious? Some Pimm's Cup(cakes).

Last week's GP theme was "English Summer Garden Party". With Koko decked out in some festive bunting and many a party goer in their floral finest I was tempted to stick true to the theme and bake something for the gaggle of GP's motley crew of merrymakers.  Strawberries and cream was the obvious answer, but I figured I could do even better than that.

All of my ambitions aside there was a slight snafu earlier in the week.  On Tuesday, as I was mixing away with my hand mixer for a colleague's birthday cake I started to smell something burning.  Next I noticed red sparks that seemed to be going off inside the machine.  Then there were the small flames coming through the vent.  Last stage? Trying to turn it off and failing.  All speed settings (and the off position) were set to "fast."  Thankfully here in the UK our outlets have those little switches that cut off the power like a light switch.  I'm not sure how keen I would have been to frantically pull the plug directly from the wall.

The death of a much used and loved kitchen appliance is a sad day.  If I'm honest with you all though, this was a classic case of kitchen appliance abuse on my part. I took and took and took some more from this little electric hand mixer. It gave with all it's might and I gave it little time for rest in return.  In the end, it was death by cake batter.

I suppose there are worse ways to go.

So, not wanting to disappoint (and loving the idea of playing around with some candied cucumber), I managed to swing by and purchase one Friday after work right before the shops shut.

And here's what I came up with....

Minted candied cucumber

Cut 1/2 an English cucumber into slices about 1/8-1/4 inch thick and cooked them on the stove top in 2 cups of water, 1 cup sugar and a "large handful" of mint cut finely.  The temp was set to low and stirring fairly frequently I let them simmer for about 25 minutes.

After laying them out single file on a silicone baking sheet I placed them in oven set around 175F or 80C and just let them dry out.  In the end it took about 3 hours or so...although they were pretty tasty at 2 hours I was looking for something a bit crispy as opposed to chewy.  Personal preference really.

Pimm's cupcakes

Using my fail proof martha yellow cupcake recipe that's been posted on abiteof before, I replaced 1/3 of one of the cups of buttermilk with Pimm's.  I also always reduce the flour by 1/2 cup and since they don't have cake flour in the UK - just use all regular flour.  Only additional change I might make? Up the Pimm's to at least 1/2 cup - it could have done with a bit more of the flavour in the cake part of the cupcakes. Note: This recipe makes about 36 cupcakes so you may want to halve (or alternatively like me, freeze half of them for a cupcake rainy day).

For the frosting I kept it simple - I didn't want to start faffing around with a buttercream, especially as it's really not my favourite.  I stuck with something easy that I love - whipped cream and berries.  I wasn't sure how alcohol would take to cream, but seeing as I always use a healthy dose of pure vanilla extract when I whip it up anyway, instead I replaced it with about 1/4 cup of Pimm's. I also added about 4 tablespoons powdered sugar.  After whipping it all up until stiff I folded in strawberries and raspberries.  Note: I used about 1.5 cups whipping cream (and it covered 18 of the cupcakes) but you could certainly double everything if you were throwing a super shindig since you have the 36 cupcakes anyway.

For the strawberries I cut up one cup very finely. For the raspberries, I took about 1/2 cup and smooshed them completey with the back of a flat knife.  The raspberries were what gave the frosting the lovely shade of pink while the strawberries were whole enough to get that real strawberries and Pimm's cream feeling.

For assembly I used a pastry bag with a wide tip nozzle (so those pesky strawberries wouldn't get stuck) and added the candied cucumber and mint for that added flare.