Chocolate for forever

A few years ago my brother died of  lung/brain cancer. His birthday before he died he had just finished a round of chemo and was doing pretty well. We gave him a surprise birthday party with some of his closest friends and immediate family. He told me it was his best birthday . At the party I gave out a small favor of chocolate truffles to each person that I had made. Rick liked chocolate so they were really for him. Everyone else seemed to like them too. One of his best friends shared them with his mother and she loved them too. I made a mental note of that as I often do when it concerns peoples food preferences.


During the time that Rick was so ill and needed lots of help, his friend Ken was always there. Not just for Rick but for all of us and he still is. He is a “forever friend”. I live  four hours away and when my mother needs a ride to the train station or just help with anything, Ken is always there to help. When Rick’s wife or son and daughter need Ken - he does not disappoint, he comes to the rescue. He is a “forever friend” to Rick and all of us, he is family.  So, when my Mom fell and hurt herself and was not able to travel by train this Easter to come visit us, Ken volunteered to drive her half way and meet me so that I did not have an eight hour drive in one day. He is the best. I think my brother knew that. Now we know that. So, I remembered that his (Ken’s) mother liked truffles and I made a box for her and box for him  as a small thank you to both of them, for being such good friends to us and to my brother Rick. 


Forever Chocolate Truffles


7 ounces of Dark Perugina Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 stick, unsalted organic butter
5 Tablespoons of organic heavy (whipping) cream
¼ teaspoon of real vanilla extract
1 pinch of sea salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon


In a medium pan heat the butter, cream and chocolate. Stir constantly until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla (or other flavoring) and cinnamon.  Pour mixture into a container and chill in the refrigerator for several hours.  Once chilled thoroughly,  use a small melon baller to shape the truffles.  Dip the melon baller  in  hot water between each truffle. As you shape them put them on a plate or pan covered with parchment paper. If you would like them to be round and uniform just quickly roll them in the palms of your hands in a circular motion to shape them into round balls. Place them back in the refrigerator while you make the dipping chocolate.  


If you like you can just quickly roll them in cocoa, or finely chopped nuts. I prefer them dipped in tempered chocolate.

Procedure for dipping truffles

Melt  2 bars of  chopped Perugina Dark Chocolate in a bowl over hot water. ( It does not take very much to melt the chocolate).  When the chocolate has cooled to about 88 degrees, starting to thicken, dip the truffle quickly in the chocolate and let the excess drip off : place the truffle on a rack with parchment paper underneath. Leave them there to harden before storing. This will take about 1 hour. Keep in a container in a cool place -do not store in the refrigerator. 


These are so yummy they will not last very long. I like to make them as special gifts, or part of a dessert after dinner. They are best when shared -or as a gift to a special friend. Store in a cool place, but do not refrigerate or the truffles will get hard and may even "bloom" (white coating).

Hot Pita Bread from the Oven

On this rainy Spring morning there is nothing more grounding and satisfying then making bread. For quite a few years now, ever since Myra (Kornfeld) and I did a Flatbread Class together at Sur La Table, I make Pita Bread on Saturday morning for Ron.


Myra developed this recipe and I thank her for that. Most Pita bread recipes have two rises and not any different results in taste, this one has only one rise which is a time savings and you can make it in a morning before breakfast! Which is what I do. Feel free to experiment with other flours, but I have settled on this combination because it keeps well,and it freezes better than using Spelt (which I am very fond of).


Our favorite thing to do with these Pita is to Grill them. Just put them on a hot grill long enough to get marks on both sides and then eat them anyway you would like, as a sandwhich, stuffed like a regular Pita, or our favorite way, for breakfast with butter and raw honey and a serving of  homemade Yogurt and fruit .


On the practical side, I love these for a party with lots of dips and spreads, such as red pepper spread, humus, tabouhli, cheeses and other condiments. Make the pita breads on the small size so that you get a “Petite Pita”. You can make them the day of the party or you can make them ahead of time, bake them lighter than usual - freeze them and then take them out frozen, pop in a 350 degree oven on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size) and you have fresh hot Pita for your dinner or party. This bread also makes a fabulous grilled cheese!


So enjoy!!!!


Whole Wheat Pita Bread  

Makes approximately  16

Ingredients:

3 cups of Organic Whole Wheat Flour

2 Cups of  Organic All Purpose Flour

2  Packages (¼ ounce each) dry yeast

1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup, or Rice Syrup

1 Teaspoon sea salt

Procedure:

1. Pour the warm water inot a large bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir to dissolve.

2. Stir the maple syrup and sea salt into the yeast mixture, mix thoroughly. Gradually add  4 ½ cups of flour, stirring constantly, until the dough is smooth. Slowly work in the remaining flour (½ cup) with your hands, kneading until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  This can also be done in a stand mixer. Using  the paddle blade follow the about instructions, to add the last ½  of flour and knead change to the dough hook and let the mixer work in the last flour and knead the dough. 

3. Shape the dough into an even rectangle and cut in half lengthwise. Divide the dough into 16 even portions.  Shape each portion into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a floured surface and cover them with a cotton dish towel or cloth while you roll our one ball at a time.

4. Gently press each ball flat with your fingers, keeping it well rounded. Flour a work surface and rolling pin. Roll each round from the center to the outer edge giving the dough a ¼ turn after each roll, to form a perfect circle not quite ¼ inch thick. Carefully flip the circle of dough over to smooth out any creases that may prevent the pocket from forming while baking.

5. As Each loaf is rolled place it carefully on a floured surface and cover with a clean , dry towel: do not let the surface of the loaves dry out. Let the loaves rise in  a warm, draft free area for 30-40 minutes.

6. Fifteen minutes before the loaves have finished rising, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. At the same time, place a baking stone or an ungreased baking sheet in the oven on the bottom rack, closest to the heating element, to preheat.

7. To bake, place 4 pitas at a time on the hot stone or baking sheet, a peel is most helpful for the transfer on the pitas, but you can do it without. Bake until the pita has puffed and slightly browned on the bottom, then turn the loaves over, using tongs and bake about a minute longer or until slightly browned on the other side.  Be careful not to let the pita bake to long, they will get crisp and brittle. 

8. Remove the hot pitas from the oven and wrap immediately in clean, dry towels until cool enough to handle. Serve warm or at room temperature.

9. Repeat this process until all the pitas are baked. The pitas freeze well if you do not eat them all right away, just put in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes to heat again before serving.

Puffed and ready to come out of the oven!

Winter Breakfast in the Sun

Our dining room faces the South and it is delicious to warm ourselves in it's Winter strength while we have our mid-morning meal. A week ago, I made some cheese from our raw milk that we receive every Thursday from our cow share. Such wonderful cows to share their milk with us!  Ron makes his cappacino with layers of white foam and milky coffee every morning, and I with my pot of Organic Earl Grey tea with cardamom infused. This is the way we start the day. Good healthy food with deep world problem solving conversations.

This morning the star of the meal was the fresh English Coulommiers Cheese. It is a semi-soft light fresh tasting cheese with a slightly tangy bite. We had freshly baked whole grain Pita bread to accompany the cheese and it was very satisfying on a cold but sunny Winter morning.

This is a fairly easy cheese to make requiring only 1/2 gallon of whole milk, vegetable rennet, and flora danica culture.The recipe is from Rikki Carroll's Home Cheese Making book. Her book is rightly famous and fantastic. Her website offers cheese making workshops at her facility in Vermont and she sells all the equipment and cultures to make your own cheese at home. www.cheesemaking.com

Their is always a "wild tale" every day here. This morning at 6:30 am Sophie and I were out walking on  the snow piled streets and a beautiful Red Fox ran out in front of us. Sophie, in her young 9 months has never seen a Fox. She quickly turned around to look at me, and then back at the Fox, with the appropriate response to have chase, and bark!

Cup Cakes for Julia

Recently the movie about Julia Child's life in France along with Julie Power's blog of cooking her way through Julia's French Cookbook opened and has made a big splash.
Ron and I went to see the movie shortly after it premiered and enjoyed it very much.
I had been reading her memoir "My Life in France" so it was even more fun.

This made me remember my own special experience of meeting this legend of the food world. I wrote about it and sent it in to our Natural Gourmet newsletter for publication. I have included it here as it seemed relevant to the buzz of the movie.
Enjoy!!!

On August 15, 1912, Julia McWilliams was born. On August 20th, 2002 we celebrated her 90th birthday and incredible life, in the Nation’s Capital. When Julia Child left her Cambridge home several years ago to live in California (where she was born and raised) her famous kitchen was donated to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. C. as a national treasure. This past week in honor of her birthday the permanent exhibit of her Cambridge kitchen opened for all to see. Julia came to Washington for the opening of the exhibit and there were many gala events in her honor She was interviewed on radio and TV, dinners were given in her honor at the Four Seasons, and at 1789; she also did a book signing for Sur La Table in Pentagon Row, Arlington, Virginia.
Last October I took a position with Sur La Table as the Culinary Program Coordinator of the cooking school at the Sur La Table in Pentagon Row. As soon as I found out about Julia Child’s kitchen exhibit I was on the phone to our Promotion and Event planner at Sur La Table. I begged her to see if Julia would be up for doing something - anything at our store. Many months later we got the news. Julia had consented to come to our store for a book signing and lunch at the Ritz Carlton. I had left my position at Sur La Table as head of the cooking school in June before going to Italy with family. I left the position on good terms and still work for the school and teach classes. I was honored and thrilled to be a part of the book signing event for Julia.
I knew that I would be working the day of the event in some way -but several days before the event our store manager asked me to make the 300 cupcakes that would be given to the customers in honor of Julia’s birthday (someone had canceled). Of course I consented.
That Saturday I started testing recipes. They needed to be made the day before and be able to stand up to the heat of our Washington summers and no refrigeration. Further, they needed to be small and of course beautiful. After two days of testing I had the perfect cupcake- I was ready for production. I went into the kitchen at the store and started. Carl, a pastry chef, and Robin, a graduate of California Culinary were helping out. We got the first double batch in the oven. Big problems! The cupcakes crowned and looked and tasted like muffins! We deduced that someone had put bread flour in the wrong bin. Still problems on the second try - the batter was not thin enough. Of course our hot disgusting weather may have had something to do with it, not to mention that it was Monday and the store had not had any air conditioning since Friday - and Julia was coming! We forged ahead though - no excuses. By 7:00 PM we had 285 cupcakes that looked beautiful. White butter frosting piped in stars and swirls with candied flowers on each one! We were all tired but happy with our work and looking forward to the next day with Julia.
The store had already sold over 200 of Julia’s books on Monday and at 8:30 am when I arrived at the store people were lined up around the block and waiting for her. It was getting hot outside and even hotter inside. No AC still. No one cared - we had a fun day ahead of us. People were all very excited all waiting to see their Julia, everyone had a story about how she had changed their lives and their cooking. There were children, men, women, grandmother’s and grandfathers, home cooks - professional cooks, press and politicians all waiting to see her. They were all very patient and happy - we kept them that way by giving them bottles of water, lemonade, cupcakes, and later some of the area restaurants handed out appetizers. We let people in the store to buy books and then it was back outside again to get in line for the book signing. Julia arrived at 10:00 am - a half an hour early. They greeted her like a rock star - cheering and yelling, then as she came in we all sang Happy Birthday to her. Then it began, she started to see each one - they told her they loved her, they told her thank you, she spoke to them in French and German, they took pictures. They were all happy.
Julia had been to two days of events and earlier that morning she was on TV. She was not feeling well, but she did not show it. She would not attend the luncheon at the Ritz. The Ritz culinary staff came over to the store and honored Julia with a cake made for her. After 2 ½ hours of signing books she needed to stop. The people left would not leave - they just wanted to see her. She promised all of them signed book plates to be sent to them after she returned home. In all she saw about 700 hundred people.
Julia had been seated on a stage in the kitchen for 2 ½ hours - it was now time to leave. I had never met her before or seen her in person. I watched her as she greeted people and signed books, she has such a sense of humor, and seems to really like people and has a way with children. She was quiet this day, her assistant doing a lot of the talking. She uses a walker and needs help to stand. She looks her 90 years, but her eyes have a twinkle and shine of a child. We helped her down off the stage, I held her walker for her and she strolled out to her car smiling at everyone. What was she thinking of all this? People hung around for a long time, talking with new acquaintances they met in line - just trying to make the experience last a little longer. Those of us invited to the Ritz walked over to a beautiful lunch in the Ritz Carlton Presidential Suite with a fantastic view of Washington - you could even see Georgetown - where Julia and her husband Paul lived for some years. We looked out at the view and gave a champagne toast to Julia. Julia was back at her room in the Four Seasons having a really good tuna salad sandwich with tomato and lettuce - something I am told she enjoys - as long as there is no pickle.

Julia Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups organic unsalted butter
2 cups of organic evaporated cane sugar
3 cups of organic all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of arrowroot
2 1/1 teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups of organic cultured buttermilk
1 cup filtered water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 drops of lemon oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream the butter and sugar ( this will take about 5 minutes). Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder salt and arrowroot onto a piece of parchment paper. Add these combined ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture slowly with the mixer on stir. Combine the wet ingredients together and then add slowly only mixing until well combined. If the batter does not pour easily into the cupcake papers add more liquid. Fill the cups ¾ full. This batter does not have a high rise - but it does produce a flat surface. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Cake should spring back to the touch and have a golden color. Cool for several minutes before taking the cakes out and placing on a cooling rack. Wait until completely cool to ice.

Butter Frosting - This is not my ideal frosting but it holds up well in the heat, pipes well and looks nice.
Ingrdients:
1 lb. Confectioners sugar
½ cup ( one stick) organic unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 drops lemon oil or one tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons of milk or buttermilk
In a mixer beat the butter, add about one third of the sugar at a time. Beat well for several minutes until the butter and sugar are light (low speed) finally add the milk for consistency for piping and the vanilla and lemon. Place in a piping bag and pipe on the cupcakes with a star tip in little stars or in a swirl. Place decoration in the middle.

First French Radishes

These are the first French Radishes picked from the garden this morning. They are small but delicious. I just could not wait any longer to taste them, they are delicate and crunchy -but they finish in the back of your mouth with a burst of heat. We are looking forward to more when they are fully mature. My vision is sliced radishes on top of homemade toasted ciabatta spread with basil butter -great to have just before dinner to stimulate the appetite.

It has been cool and rainy these last couple of days so I thought some soup was a good idea to warm us up. Potato and carrot soup with fresh ginger and garlic. I wish I could say that the carrots and potatoes were from our garden, but -a little to early in the season for that. SOON!!!

Garden at the End of April

The Wisteria is blooming and the fragrance permeates the back yard. The Azaleas are beautiful this year but since they have been neglected we have had to prune most of them back and will hope for more beauty and health from them next year. The woman who owned this house was an azalea nut!!! We have so many azaleas that I stopped counting at 100.


As this is our first Vegetable garden we are documenting it by taking pictures and keeping this written record. We have had a nice rainy spring and the plants have really taken off. We just have to protect them from all the little and big critters.
The Fuji apple blossoms are just about done and falling off, I hope the bees have completed their pollinating!!! The arugula is so tender and tasty we have some everyday. Tonight we will have it with cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella-drizzled with Italian olive oil.

Wild Tails: 3 Does

Last evening Ron and I went down to the garden to close up the raised beds and what to our wondering eyes did appear- but 3 beautiful does. They were not at all afraid of us -they seemed to have checked us out - and deciding we were no threat, they just kept on munching the leaves, grass, and plants, of our neighbors yard. The mother is the ring leader, she came right up to the fence and showed those big brown doe eyes to us while she wiggled her big ears. At one point I thought she was just going to jump right over the fence and into our yard -like 5 feet from us. Ron and I stood there watching them and talking to them for at least 5 minutes-they did not talk back –of course. They were on their way home, back into the woods.
This is why we have our raised vegetable beds covered with mesh and row cover. If we did not it would be a fabulous all you can eat salad buffet for the 3 does.
Hoping to post a picture of the 3 does. But -it might not happen as we are putting up an 8 foot deer fence this weekend.