Hello Fall

Whew.  Summer went by fast.  

As I've gotten a little bit older summer's seemed lost it's edge over the other seasons.  No longer does it have the advantage of months free from responsibilities, those careless days of childhood summer vacations.  It's evolved from a time of swimming pools, popsicles and picnics to work-filled early mornings, and sweaty, uncomfortable nights.

Don't get me wrong, there are still things I love about summer: the plethora of produce at farmers' markets, the colour that floods our backyard garden, and the blast of heat that good ol' weber greets me with.  

But...Hello Fall.  Apples, pajamas, pumpkins, squash, sage, soups & stews, pies, cranberries, cinnamon, and cloves.  What's not to love?  Not to mention a predecessor of Christmas (don't even get me started on my love for Christmas).

Before I delve into the world of autumn baking and cooking, I figure I owe it to the past couple of months to at least acknowledge some of summer's hit recipes.  So here we go...

Chocolate Pavlova

6 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp cornstarch

3 tbsp cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Beat egg whites until foamy.  Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks are formed.  Slowly start adding the granulated sugar and beat until the meringue holds stiff peaks.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in the vinegar and vanilla extract.  Sift the cocoa powder and cornstarch over the top of the meringue, and, with the spatula, fold in.

Gently spread over a parchment lined baking sheet in a circular shape.  Bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until the outside is firm to the touch.  Let it cool, in the turned of oven with door ajar.  Once completely cool, top with fresh slightly whipped cream (speckled with vanilla bean is perfect), and a hodge podge of summer berries.  Delicious.

Giada's Spaghetti with Pinot Grigio and Seafood

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream

California part 1 - Bouchon Bakery

I've been in California for the past week and a half for some R&R and good eats.  There were a couple places that I decided to pull out the camera and nab some pictures of the gorgeous food. I'll start off with Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.  

Seeing as how it's owned by Thomas Keller of The French Laundry fame, I just had to peak my head in and try a couple things.  Since I recently discovered the joy of french macarons, I had to try Bouchon's version.  I picked one of each: chocolate, caramel, vanilla and pistachio ($3.00/ea).  The vanilla was by far the best, speckled throughout with flecks of the bean.  Caramel and pistachio were also delicious, and the chocolate, although my least favourite was still quite good.  I must say I had a better version of the macaron somewhere else in my travels, but I'll save it for another post.

The lemon tart ($5.75) was good, but I found the crust too crumbly.  It was shortbread-like, but as soon as my fork touched it, it turned to a pile of buttery crumbs.  I prefer a more substantial crust I guess.  The other item I picked out was their version of an Oreo Cookie, which I have to say I was a little disappointed in.

The cookie wasn't crisp, but it wasn't chewy either...and the filling definitely left something to be desired.  I have to say I prefer Mr. Christie's!

Bouchon was certainly a charming and cute spot, and I would be happy to return and try some more of their different items.  Preferably with an empty stomach and full wallet.

Breakfast for Dinner

One of the things that depresses me most about the work week is not having a good, hearty breakfast.  I'm one of those people that lives for breakfast foods...pancakes, waffles, crepes, eggs, hashbrowns....oh my!  When I just can't make it to the weekend for a leisurely morning filled with cooking in my robe, I turn to breakfast for dinner.  Soooo satisfying.

Carrot Cake with Toasted Coconut

• Lite Carrot Cake (allrecipes.com)
  
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour one 9x13 inch pan or two 9 inch round cake pans.
  
• Separate eggs and beat egg whites until frothy, then continue whipping and gradually add 1/2 cup of the white sugar. Beat until stiff.
  
• In a large bowl combine; the cake flour, wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon, mix until blended. Add the oil and the buttermilk and mix well. Add the egg yolks and mix well. Fold in the egg whites and then the carrots. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes. Cool and frost with your favorite Cream Cheese frosting using light cream cheese.
  

Meyer Lemon Marmalade Part II

Okay, so it took me a little longer to post than i thought, but here it is.
I have mixed feelings about it though...at first, it tastes beautiful; bright, sweet and lemony, but not too tart. After a little while however, it leaves a slight bitter taste on the palate. Maybe it was my batch of meyer lemons? I'm not sure since this is my first time using them. I've made plain old orange marmalade before and never had any problems. Oh well!

Meyer Lemon Marmalade - Part I

On a little excursion out to Whole Foods a few days ago, I found these beautiful meyer lemons. I never see them at my regular grocery store, so I decided to buy a bag full. When I came home, the excitement of finding them had worn off and I realized I would actually have to make something with them. Now bathing suit season is approaching, so no creme brulee or pots de creme. I filtered through the sinfully rich dessert recipes on epicurious and settled on some meyer lemon marmalade. It's a two day job, so all this morning entailed was slicing them up and soaking them in water. I'll check in tomorrow...hopefully with some successful marmalade.