Coeur à la creme

 I used to love to make this for the kids. We had a little heart-shaped wicker basket, which I would fill and let drain overnight. The kids loved this like cheesecake. And it's so much healthier.

The basket fell apart. So Amazon.com came to my rescue with a purpose-made dish that drains neatly. It's just enough for two, really, 12 ounces. Very romantic as a dessert to share. With proper prior approval by the sharee, of course. (Ms Manners has the final word on people who expect one to share when one does not want to).

Edouard de Pomaine (French Cooking in Ten Minutes p. 140) has this in a much faster form than mine, above. "Beat some heavy cream into farmer's cheese or soft cream cheese. Stir in some sugar and a little powdered cinnamon. This is a super-quick dessert and it's excellent [italics mine!]. You can serve it either with or without vanilla wafers."

1/2 package of Neufchatel (low fat cream cheese)
1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1 tablespoon honey
[Optional: 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur]
Strawberries, cherries, or other fruits

1. Line a coeur à la creme mold with cheesecloth or paper towel.
2. Beat the ingredients with a fork and then a whisk until smooth.
3. Pour into the mold and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 1-2 hours.
4. Unmold, remove the cloth or paper, and serve with fruit.

Tarte aux pêches (Julia's way then mine)

Here's a great little tribute to Julia, and her peach (or apricot) tart (MAFC I p. 639), written just after her death for the Washington Post. I have simplified it just a bit to get it in the oven in 10 minutes flat, but I think it's almost as good. And then I add a recipe, just as fast, that is, in my experience, more typical of French cooking, with custard.

For 6 people
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

9-inch pastry round (such as Pepperidge Farms)
8 to 10 fresh apricots or 3 to 4 freestone peaches
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pea-sized dots
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup apricot preserves

1. Halve and remove the pits from the peaches. Cut the halves into slices.
2. Fit the prepared pastry into a fluted pastry pan with a removable bottom.
3. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar in the bottom of the pastry shell.
4. Place the peach slices in concentric circles, close together in the shell.
5. Sprinkle on the rest of the sugar. Dot with the butter.
6. Bake in the middle level of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit has colored lightly and the juices have become syrupy.
7. Meanwhile, microwave the apricot preserves and 2 tablespoons of sugar for one minute. Set aside
8. Slip the tart onto a rack. Decorate with the slivered almonds, and spread on the apricot glaze.

And here's one with a custard, the way you see it in French pastry shops--and almost as pretty.

Tarte aux pêches et amandes

Serves 6-8

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

1 round of pastry for a 9 inch pie pan
1/2 cup pulverized blanched almonds (4 ounces in a food processor with 1 tablespoon sugar)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream or creme fraiche
2 eggs

1. Lay the pastry over a 9 inch fluted tart shell with a removable bottom and crimp the edges.
2. Halve and remove the pits from three or four ripe peaches and arrange them tightly in the shell, cut side down.
3. Combine the other ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with a wire whip until blended.
4. Pour the mixture over the peaches, pushing it off the tops of the peaches.
5. Bake at 400 degrees in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden, the custard is golden in places, and set.
6. Let cool for an hour on a rack. Remove the tart by carefully pushing it up from the bottom.

All these very French, very easy peach tarts have almond powder. 10 minutes with a prepared crust and don't peel the peaches.
http://www.750g.com/fiche_de_cuisine.2.123.4272.htm

Much the same thing from Marmiton, with cream (not fraiche) and diced peaches.
http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_tarte-aux-peches-aux-amandes_37826.aspx

Another similar: great photos
http://lesbonsptiplats.canalblog.com/archives/2007/08/17/5879940.html

Maizena is cornstarch!

Strawberries in red wine: Sonoma with J, J, J, J, J, and A.

Mid-March, John drove us up to Sonoma in a rented minivan. John, Jen, Jenny, Javier, Joyce, Amy and I. Such a sunny spring Saturday. The vines were dormant, but between them was wild mustard, yellow as can be.

Jenny and Amy proposed that we buy cask shares of new wine, which happens at this time in Sonoma. The idea is that you buy wine still in the cask, which is delivered in six months or so, when the wine is bottled. The ideal is that the wine will be as good or better than what you tasted in the cask--or cost as much or more--or both.

We bought shares at a delightful winery offering what they called a Rhone blend, mostly Cabernet. But aged in acacia wood casks rather than the traditional French oak. This is the very articulate winemaker, and our cask, and his acacia tree flowers, which happened to be in bloom, and as impossibly yellow as the mustard flowers.

The Sonoma wineries are lovely, full of spring and tipsy young people (Jen kindly designated herself driver on the way back, a sacrifice not adequately acknowledged, I say here to perhaps make up for in part.) The most lovely was an organic winery, with oranges and chickens in the yard. They sold olive oil from their trees, as well as wine from their vines. And I learning from the young women there that the mustard is not planted but grows wild, and is not generally harvested, but instead tilled under to fertilize.

They also have a large vegetable garden, with marvelous California produce that I have never seen growing. The artichokes for example look prehistoric. I wonder that there are so many plants in this green world that I have never seen growing, yet consume every day (coffee, for example).

But the most delightful thing in any spring, for me, is strawberries. It is too early for strawberries in Iowa, but I don't care. I buy them from California, or wherever. And I eat them even when they are woody and anemic in flavor and sandy and I don't care, obviously. They are strawberries, and they comfort me that spring is coming in this horrible cold Iowa. And I take great pride in the fact that the strawberries coming from the Ames Farmers' Market will be deeply flavorful and small and better than last year's, invariably.

While we are waiting until the time is ripe (love that phrase), I take whatever strawberries there are and soak them in red wine and black pepper until they are soft and full of wine, and the wine is full of them. This is an old trick but a good one. And it is especially good with zinfandel, for some reason. And Sonoma is famous for its Zin. I would not actually waste ripe Iowa strawberries on this. But for California ones . . . so here we are, adapted from the amazing Paula Wolfort: http://www.chow.com/recipes/12462



1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half if very large
1-2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup dry red wine
a few "tears" of fresh lemon juice
2-4 turns of a pepper mill

1. Hull the strawberries and add 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature, covered with a towel.
2. Just before serving, add the rest of the sugar, if needed for sweetness, a few drops of lemon juice and a few turns of the pepper grinder.

Omeletes as Julia's "Dinner in half a minute!"

Maybe this is what got me on this obsession with fast French food: Julia's intro to the first show of hers.

I remember so well: "How about dinner in half a minute?!"



So that about says it all.

I make an omelet almost every morning for breakfast, though usually with egg substitute (terrible name for egg whites--I like Eggbeaters so much better, the name and the product). Now in my new Calphalon ten inch omelet pan they go much like above.

And the variations are endless. My favorite is the dessert omelet, mentioned famously in The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas. Their cook goes a little crazy one evening and makes a meal of hors d'ouvres, capped with a jam omelet for dessert. Why not?

Galette aux poires

I have always loved to make Julia's free form tarts (MAFC II 454, 457), because you can make them any shape. I made strawberry for Mary's graduation open house. A great day.

They are in the oven in 10 minutes with pre-rolled-out pie crust, your own or store-bought. Don't get the kind that are already in pie pan. They are dry and horrible. Get the kind where the dough is rolled out into a round and then rolled up in waxed paper.

A corer makes cutting up the pears (or apples) short work.

Cooking spray
1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury) OR 1 sheet Pepperidge Farms puff pastry thawed in advance (yes, cheating) OR your own dough made in advance.
3 firm Bartlett or D'Anjou pears, peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices (a corer is essential for speed)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400°.

1. Slice and core the pears. Cut the slices into 3/4 inch pieces.
   
2. Toss with the sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Grate nutmeg on them (or use ground).
   
3. Unfold the pastry and place it on a sheet pan or pie pan.
   
4. Add the pear mixture to the center. Then fold the edges around and pinch the edges secure
5. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden and the pears done. (The filling may leak slightly during cooking). Cool galette on a wire rack.

VARIATIONS:

There are infinite variations, both in the fruit and the shape of the tart. Here I give filling for two rhubarb tarts. We planted rhubarb when we moved here twenty-some years ago, and the plants still give us a favorite tart filling. Maddie loves to make these, even though our uncle Chris calls it "sour celery."

Rhubarb Galette

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1/2 pound rhubarb, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small piece

Strawberry Rhubarb Galette

• 2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1 cup chopped rhubarb
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

3 mousses au chocolat: légère, Julia's & 5-minute

Here is chocolate mousse three ways. I made it for Valentine's day yesterday, and I realized I can make Julia's version in 10 minutes, with some fancy footwork. And I even do a 5-minute version sometimes that feeds a crowd very fast. But my favorite is a light one that was inspired by Julia's. I give all three here.

I invented the light version for a dinner party my daughter gave for five of her teenage friends, years ago. She wanted me to make chocolate mousse. And I remembered back 35 years ago when I first made it from Julia. I loved the orange flavor (MAFC I p. 604). And it was this recipe (and TV episode) that taught me to beat and fold in egg whites. I had few of the ingredients and no time. So I made a light version for the girls.

I serve this in little 3-ounce cordial glasses. A fun treat rather than a big chocolate dig-in. Nobody complains except kids. And you can haul out the leftovers and let them fight over them.

Chocolate is always an issue in a small town. The other day, I picked up a bar of Hershey's Special Dark chocolate in the baking chocolate section, then noticed the same bar in the candy section (conveniently placed next to the express lane at Fareway) for almost exactly half the price. It worked fine. Of course you can buy the fanciest chocolate you can. If time is money, then this recipe is a bargain no matter how expensive the chocolate is.

The 5-minute version is heavier because you don't take time to beat the egg whites. But hey, it tastes really good. And it's not all that heavy. The guys at the shelter love it. So here they are: light, Julia's shortened, and 5-minute. (By the way, the Valentine's day menu yesterday was Caviar deviled eggs with Parmesan crisps, rib-eye steaks fry-broiled, roasted winter vegetables (potatoes, parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts), Maytag blue cheese with olive oil and pepper)

Mousse au chocolat légère

Serves 4-6

8 ounces excellent semi-sweet or milk chocolate
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
4 egg whites

1. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a clean metal mixing bowl and reserving the yolks for another use (they freeze fine).
2. Break the chocolate into pieces in a microwave safe plastic bowl. Add the orange liqueur and microwave on medium for about 35 seconds, or until just melted.
3. With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (MAFC I pp. 159-160).
4. With a spatula, stir 1/4 of the whites into the chocolate. Then turn the chocolate mixture into the egg white bowl and carefully fold the whites and the chocolate together (MAFC I pp. 160-161)

VARIATION: Mousseline au chocolat; Mayonaise au chocolat; Fondant au chocolat

This is the original recipe from MAFC1 p. 604 speeded up. The ingredients from Julia's recipe are the same. A fast operator can have this ready to chill in 10 minutes, and two hours later, about dessert time, it's ready.

Serves 6-8

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or baking chocolate broken into bits with a kinfe
1/3 cup powdered sugar
4 Tb strong coffee
1/4 cup orange liqueur
6 ounces unsalted butter (one and one half sticks)
4 eggs
optional: 1/4 cup finely diced, glazed orange peel (candied)
1 can compressed whipped cream

1. Run warm water in a large bowl or sink while you separate the eggs, putting the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Float it on the warm water.
2. Put the coffee and orange liqueur in the microwave on high for one minute, until very hot but not boiling
3. Place the chocolate and sugar in a blender and blend on high for 15 seconds.
4. Add the hot liquid and blend 15 seconds or until smooth.
5. Add the butter, cut into 1/2 inch slices, and the egg yolks. Blend on high for 15 seconds.
6. Using a hand mixer, beat the yolks with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
7. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg whites and fold the c
8. Pour into elegant serving bowls, wine glasses, flutes, or ramekins and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
9. Garnish with the whipped cream and optional candied orange peel or chocolates.

VARIATION: Blender chocolate mousse in 5 minutes
Serves 8-10

Here's the one I did for the Emergency Residence Project on 1/14/11. I made it in 5 minutes, with time to chop the pistachios.

1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips (Hershey's Special Dark is good)
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup hot cream (160 degrees F/71 degrees C)
1/4 cup strong coffee, heated
1/4 cup orange liqueur
[optional] whipped cream pressurized, pistachios

1. Open the cream carton and put it in the microwave on high for one minute.
2. Put the chocolate chips and the sugar in a blender and blend on high for 10 seconds.
3. Add the hot milk, hot coffee, and orange liqueur and blend on high for two minutes.
4. As it is blending, add the eggs one at a time through the top hole.
5. Pour into a glass serving bowl, individual glasses, bowls, or ramekins, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
6. Garnish with whipped cream and/or chopped pistachios

Ramequins fondants au chocolat

I always wanted to find an elegant 10 minute chocolate dessert for romantic evenings (Valentine's Day) or big dinner parties when I am too busy with other things to bake one of Julia's French cakes. This is it. The most popular recipe on the most popular French recipe site, Marmiton.org. And very popular with my Valentine (the chocolates Right are from her, the homemade card from our sweet Maddie).

They are a lot like lava cake, which my daughter buys in a mix for her 'bring your own lobster' parties (because as a student she worked in a Boston fish house where they served little lava cakes--where and learned to kill, cook and dismember one with skill and grace, which she justly loves to show off).

These can be served hot or warm or cold, molded or unmolded (they have to cool about 10 minutes before they are stable enough to unmold). After they've been baked they can be reheated in a microwave to restore that melty goodness. And the batter can be made ahead or even frozen so you are never without a chocolate dessert.

I used to just use a bar of Hershey's Special Dark, which is much cheaper ($1.19) than the same chocolate in the baking section. It's divided into 16 pieces, so I use 12 for the batter and four (each broken in two) for the chocolate centers). It's not the best chocolate but full of value for money. But now I think what the hell, buy the best on the shelf, which at Fareway turns out to be Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar.

5 minutes prep. 12 minutes baking [MAFC I 677]

6 ounces dark chocolate, bitter-sweet (the better the chocolate the better the dish)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 ounce (1/8 stick) butter
1 tablespoon flour

1. Preheat the oven to 410.
   
2. Over low heat, melt the butter and four ounces of the chocolate, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick and smooth. (Or microwave on 'defrost' for 3 minutes)
   
3. In a mixing bowl, with a wire whip, beat the eggs, the sugar, and the flour until well combined and slightly frothy, about one minute.
   
4. Mix in the chocolate.
5. Pour 1/3 of the batter into individual ramekins. Place one half of a one-ounce chocolate square in each. Then add the rest of the batter.
6. Bake the ramekins for 12 minutes, NO MORE!
7. OPTIONAL: Carefully unmold and dust them with powdered sugar and/or garnish with berries or toasted nuts OR place on a bed of custard or whipped cream. Ice cream is also good.
   
   

Reasonable wines with this are semi-dry Bergerac or Monbazillac.