Strawberry Pavlova, the Perfect Dessert to Celebrate a Milestone

"I'm thinking of signing him up for golf camp, basketball camp, a soccer camp and maybe some swimming," one of my well-meaning friends was saying to a group of us about a month ago. The conversation then lead to the fall, "Besides soccer, we're putting together a flag football team if anyone wants to do it."

The conversation continued and as I sat there listening, sipping my coffee, I thought about how different  I am now as a parent as opposed to when my daughter was younger.

She was in swim lessons at six-months-old. As a toddler, she had a regular "playgroup" that met weekly. She was in Gymboree classes...for years. She could write her name before she entered preschool and ride a bike and tie her shoes before she entered Kindergarten.

For my youngest, playgroup and Gymboree aren't even words in his vocabulary. As for some of the others, well, maybe I had been a little lackadaisical in teaching him some of those childhood milestones. So I said to my friends, "You know, I think you should count us out. We're still working on...some basics."

Later that day, I sat my Kindergartener down and said, "Guess what we're going to do this summer?"

"What?"

"You are going to have "Bike Camp with Mom," "Swim Camp with Mom," and "Tie-Your-Shoes Camp with Mom." We're going to start with Bike Camp. How does that sound?"

He was thrilled. Besides motherly guilt, I was feeling particularly motivated to get rid of the training wheels because I knew we'd be meeting up with his cousins at the beach for vacation soon and he just couldn't be shown up by his three-year-old cousin who could already ride a two-wheeler.

Day one of bike camp was held in our driveway. We worked on simply gliding. Then, I taught him how to use the kick-stand, how to use the brakes, how to start and then went on to the back-braker....holding onto the back of the bike as he "rode" it up and down the driveway. Luckily, before my back gave out, I was interrupted by my neighbor driving by. She stopped. And we chatted...on and on.

In the middle of our conversation, I decided to check on my little guy. As I turned around to look for him, there he was riding his bike out of the garage. On two-wheels. By himself.

I turned to my neighbor and said, "Sandbagger."

Then, I turned back to my guy and shouted, "Whoo! Hoo! You're riding your bike by yourself!!!"

With a huge smile on his face, he stopped the bike, put the kickstand down and took off his helmet. Then he said to me, "Can I go back in now?"

"But buddy, you just learned to ride your bike. That's so exciting. Don't you want to keep practicing?"

"Well, I was in the middle of a lego war when you called me out here." For crying out loud, his older brother would have been out here for hours practicing his new-found-skill if this had been him.

We continued our bike camp throughout the week, visiting various parks with tracks or trails and culminating with the park in our neighborhood whose trail travels over bridges, around a pond and up and down hills. He completed the required "two times around the pond" but he really just wanted to play on the playground with some friends who happened to be there.

To celebrate my little guy's "Completion of Bike Camp," that night I made a special dessert. Strawberry Pavlova...which he inhaled. As I watched him enjoy his dessert, I thought to myself how different my children are. How my middle guy was the kid who rode a two-wheeler at age three...because he wanted to. How my eldest could swim as a toddler and still is my fish...because she loves it.

And my little guy, well, apparently he takes on the mantra that the Rooster applies to handyman jobs from time to time, "It's not that I can't do it, it's just not how I choose to spend my time." (Although, let the record state that when the Rooster does choose to do handyman jobs, he does a mighty fine job.)

We'll see how swimming and shoe-tying go.....

Strawberry Pavlova
Inspired and adapted from The Reluctant Entertainer and MIX magazine

I am not a fancy dessert maker. Usually the pinnacle of my dessert making consists of ice cream with berries or every so often a pie but that's about it. However, I was intrigued to make this dessert when I read about it in my friend Sandy's book, The Reluctant Entertainer. And then a recent issue of our local food magazine MIX also had a recipe for it and considering that both the Rooster and I had brought home half-flats of Hood strawberries recently....well, I needed to find ways to use them up. Hood strawberries are truly the most delicious strawberry you will ever taste but...they don't last long.

Also, I made my pavlova with a sour cream filling because I don't like my desserts to be too sweet and trust me, it was plenty sweet...but if you're a whipped cream purist you could always substitute that for the filling.

Ingredients
Meringues
1/2 c egg whites (about 4) at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 c granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Filling
1 c sour cream or crème fraiche
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract


Berries
2 pints fresh strawberries (preferably Hoods if you can find them), hulled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice


Directions
Meringues
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.


In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your egg whites and cream of tartar. Using an electric mixer, beat them together until foamy. On medium speed, add in your granulated sugar a tablespoon at a time. Increase your speed to high and continue beating for about 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Fold in your cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla extract and stir just until combined.


Spoon out six half-domes of meringue onto the cookie sheet. Using the back of your spoon, press gently down on the center of each one to make a shallow well. Bake for about one hour or until your meringues lift easily off the parchment.


Filling
While your meringues are cooking, prepare your filling. Whip your sour cream, 1 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract until thick. Then, put in the refrigerator while the meringues are finishing. You can make your filling in advance but it may need some gentle re-whisking if it sits for over an hour.


Strawberries
Put your sliced strawberries, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice in a bowl. Mix together to combine and then set aside to macerate for 5-10 minutes or the duration of your meringue baking time.


When ready to serve, put each meringue on an individual plate. Spoon on some of the filling and then, top with the berries. Put out for your friends and family to "ooh and ahh" over and then....enjoy.


Yield: 6 individual dessert...quite large servings

...

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Just in case you didn't see this message on my last post, La Pomme de Portland is just about to get a new look. My friend and web designer Kirsten Hope has been helping me create this lovely new space. It is so pretty.

The time has come for us to do the site transfer. In order to do so, my website will be down for about a week starting July 3rd. I'm letting you know this for a couple of reasons.

1. I am crossing all fingers and toes that nothing will happen but there is a chance that in the transfer I may loose a few of my email subscribers' subscriptions. I apologize in advance for this. Should you not receive your regular emails from me after July 10th, you may need to go back onto my site and re-subscribe. My site address will remain the same: www.lapommedeportland.com

2. In case you want any recipes for Fourth of July, I encourage you to print them before July 3rd. :) Once the site transfer happens, all recipes, new and old, will be available again.

...

Fourth of July Menu
In case you're looking for ideas, here is my Fourth of July menu:

Cowboy Caviar
Cherry Tomato and Asparagus Summer Salad
Grilled Salmon with Cherry Tomato and Shallot compote
A Strawberry Tart


...

Organizing Project
Just spent the past week, including...and I'm not kidding here...10 hours yesterday....organizing my yard. This included weeding, weeding and more weeding, planting 15 boxwood plants I bought on-sale on the one sunny day we had this past spring and filling my planter boxes with petunias I bought back in May in a fit of momentary excitement.



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

What's In Season? Cherries

Well, it's cherry season! While I'm absolutely in love with the Rainier cherry - those unique little yellow and red orbs - I'm starting to have a new crush on the super-sweet Bing Cherries coming out of Washington. Of course, right now as I'm typing this to you and need to know the exact name of those Super-Sweets, I cannot recall it so...I'll get back to you on that one.

My favorite way to serve cherries is right out of a bowl. For meals I'll just stick a bowl on the table with a ramekin next to it for pits and stems and for the "littler" guys I always have "Charlie" handy.

If I was going to stray from the bowl of cherries and actually make something with them, the following recipes would serve as inspiration.
Chocolate Cherry Clafoutis
Cherry Jam
Grilled Peaches, Poached Cherries and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

And I can say that I have made Julia Child's Cherry Clafouti to rave reviews.


Happy Pitting!!


All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

Apple and Rhubarb Baked in a Pie

It was during my third hour of weeding that I said to myself, "And I thought this was a good idea because...why?" Not the weeding. No. That was simply part of "the sickness" as the Rooster refers to it.

That along with deciding now would be a good time to take down the cat house which had been sitting unused, out-of-sight since our kitty went up the Happy Hunting Grounds - God Rest his furry soul - a year ago.

That and deciding now would be a good time to clean out the crawl space under the house which held such relics as a Princess Palace tent, a puzzle alphabet mat and foam that was going to be used for window seats four moves ago. (Sad thing is our last move was 9 years ago. You do the math.)

No. All of those things were just symptoms of my "entertaining sickness." (aka The Crazy Projects Carrie Deems Necessary to Complete Before Hosting a Party at Her House Whether or Not the Effort Will Be Noticed.)

The cause was deciding to auction off "Cooking with Carrie" events months ago (as if I'm Rachael Ray for crying out loud) for various organizations to be held at my home during the month of April.

Now, here it was April and I was tired. The incessant gray weather wasn't helping my energy level. And the end of my to do list seemed...well, to never end.

I forced myself not to think too far in advance. To simply keep going. To check one thing off my list at a time.

Weeding - done
Wine glasses labeled - done
Groceries purchased - done
Heavenly little handmade chocolate bars tied with raffia - done

Rain boots on, clippers in one hand and bucket in the other, I headed into my backyard the day before the party. The sun miraculously came out adding a shimmer to the outside world as it reflected off the raindrops still clinging to the trees.

As I clipped the branches, my thoughts turned to my Mom. Everything about spring reminds me of her - the daffodils, the purple hyacinths, the different shades of green, the sweet cherry blossoms, the brighter days.

My Mom is beautiful. And yes, she's beautiful on the outside but what I'm really talking about is on the inside...where it counts.

She's a bit like spring herself. Just when you can't take another day of rain, there she is providing you with a much needed bit of color. And not in any loud, pomp and circumstance sort of way but subtly. Subtle in the way that when you are with her, she's fully present. She listens. Really listens. She gives you and your thoughts a feeling of importance. And you feel your spirits lifted after you've been with her.

I set the table with the "good" plates, the "good" glasses, the "good" silverware. I used the linen napkins, tablecloth and runner. And then, standing back to admire the table, I once again thought of my Mom. The way she always sets a beautiful table for us.

The ways she clips fresh flowers from her yard and thoughtfully places them on her table and around the house. The way she lights candles, turns on the music and brings us all together for a family dinner. Again, her seemingly quiet yet thoughtful gestures giving all of us a feeling of importance. We mean so much to her that she would take the time to create such a lovely setting for our meal.

Twenty minutes before my first party, I was ready for my guests. Cesaria Evora was playing in the background. The comforting aroma of candles burning warmed my house. The cherry tree branches were so beautiful inside my home that it didn't matter it had started to snow outside...in April.

And it was in that moment I realized why I had done all of this.

Because with this busy life I lead, I don't take the time to do this very often. To dress-up my home and invite people in. To share a meal. To spend a couple of hours getting to know new people. Learning more about friends I already cherish. Passing along what I know and love about cooking so they can go home and do the same for their families.

And hopefully, if only for an hour or two, I make them feel important. Extra cared-for.

At the end of my last party, as the last guest walked down the drive, I heard her kindly remark to no one in particular, "I feel like I've died and gone to heaven."

I smiled as I closed the door and said quietly, "Thank you Mom for teaching me how to do this."


...

Apple and Rhubarb Baked in a Pie
Inspired by Apple and Rhubarb Pandowdy, Rustic Fruit Desserts

When I set out to decide what to serve for dessert for my parties, I looked to what is in season and let me tell you, here in Oregon after 5 straight months of rain, there's not much...in season. A few apples still holding on, some citrus coming up from California and...rhubarb. So what does one do when she is left with only rhubarb to work with? She tries a bunch of rhubarb recipes. Interestingly, rhubarb also reminds me of my Mom. She always made a warm, rhubarb compote for us when I was growing up that we would spoon over vanilla ice cream. I always loved the way the tartness of the rhubarb and the creaminess of the ice cream mingled in my mouth but...not everyone is a rhubarb lover.

I ended up with two recipes that I found to be absolutely delicious but not overly "rhubarby." The Apple and Rhubarb Pie I have listed below and a Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Bundt Cake. I ended up serving the cake because it was easiest to prepare the day before and I didn't have to worry about reheating it or serving it with ice cream. I cannot recommend it enough but since the recipe isn't mine and I didn't "adapt" it even one eensy-teensy bit it wouldn't be right of me to post it on my blog. However, you can find the recipe in the book Rustic Fruit Desserts by Portland's own Julie Richardson and Cory Schreiber.

As for the pie, the recipe is below and I implore you to make it up and serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. Heaven.

Ingredients for the Crust
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/8-1/4 c of ice water

Ingredients for the Filling
2 c rhubarb, diced (3-4 stalks)
5 c apples peeled, cored, sliced and quartered (4-5 baking apples)
juice from 1/2 a lemon (approx 1 tbsp)
1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
pinch of nutmeg

Vanilla Ice Cream


Directions

First make your crust. Don't be afraid. Very, very easy. You can do this with a simple pastry blender, your fingers or a food processor. I avoid hauling out my food processor if I can help it. I do not like to clean it but I love making crust in it.

Put your flour, salt and sugar in a medium bowl or the bowl of your food processor and mix until just combined. Add your butter to the flour mixture by cutting it in or processing it in your food processor. Process it just until the mixture starts to look crumbly. Slowly add in your water just until the dough starts to hold together. (Not more than 30 seconds if using your food processor.) Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gather into a ball and then, flatten into a disk. Wrap in wax paper, place in a ziploc bag and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. (I usually double all of my pie crust recipes and put half in the freezer where it can stay for up to 3 months. That way it's always handy if I need to make a little something sweet at the last minute.)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 9-inch deep dish pie plate and set aside

Now, for your filling. I know I've said this before but if you plan on baking with apples you really must invest in an apple peeler. I bought this one last fall and it has made all the difference.

Peel, core, slice and quarter your apples and put them in a large bowl. Dice up your rhubarb and add it to the bowl along with your lemon juice. Mix. In a smaller bowl, combine your brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Once those ingredients are mixed together, add the mixture to your apples and rhubarb. Using a large wooden spoon or your clean hands, combine the fruit with the sugar and spice mixture coating evenly.

Pour your filling into the prepared pie plate.

Take your dough out of the refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out so it's about 1/2 wider than the circumference of your pie plate. Lay it over the top of your fruit and then, tuck it in down on the sides. If you still have crust that didn't tuck in you can roll it over on itself.

With a sharp knife, cut a few slits in the top of the crust to vent the steam as it bakes.

Put your pie on a cookie sheet (to catch any drips) and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Then, turn down the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbly around the edges.

Simply looking at your masterpiece when you pull it from the oven should make you want to start humming, "Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye, apple and rhubarb baked in a pie" or at least, I did.

Let it cool for 30 minutes or so on a wire rack but serve it while it's still a bit warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Scrumptious....

After the initial serving, cover it with a kitchen towel leaving a few spoons in the dish. People will come by and "sneak" a bite or two in the wee hours of the night or early morning and before you know it, it will be gone.

Enjoy....


PS: A little side note, those of you in the Portland area near a TV on Wednesday, 4/20, can tune into AM Northwest on KATU Channel Two at 9:00 am where I'll be making this little Sixpence Pie with Helen or Dave.

...

Organizing Project

Still have not tackled the 6-year old's closet. Was distracted by cat house and crawl space as I indicated above. I did, however, clean out a large wicker basket full of magazine clippings I've collected over the years...as in 20 years. Interesting to see how different things caught my eye at different times of my life. And conversely, interesting to see the things I'm drawn to over and over again....shades of green and recipes with vegetables. Clearly I have a thing for green. Could be due to the fact that I reside in the rain forest we affectionately call Portlandia.

Goal for this week: To get the stuff I pulled out of the crawl space, out of my garage.



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

A "Chocolate Times 100" Cake and a Little Celebration

I found myself immediately transformed into a traffic cop as I held out both hands and practically threw myself into the "after-school pick-up" traffic to avoid having my 5-year-old hit by on-coming cars as he obliviously skipped across the street toward me. His eyes were shining. His "too-big" back-pack was jostling wildly up and down on his back. His smile...melt-your-heart big.


"Mom! Mom!" he cried out. "Guess what?"


"What, sweetie?" I said to him while wrapping my arm around his shoulders and pulling him over to the side with me.


"Best day ever!"


"Really? Why?"


"Today was the 100th day of school!"


He then launched into a dissertation on why that 100th day was "Best Day Ever." Top of the list was the half-eaten Fruit Loop necklace he wore around his neck. One hundred Fruit Loops, strung onto a piece of yarn and divided into groups of tens by squares of black paper.


"And, Mom, I finished my "neck-a-lace" first. Other people said they did but they didn't. Not really."


He continued to chatter as we drove home. Recounting the other 100th Day of School activities they had been doing in class. Collecting 100 things. Sorting 100 things. And then, counting out 100 cheerios, 100 raisins and 100 chocolate chips for the 100th day snack. The pinnacle of the 100th Day celebration.

And it made me think, 100 of anything, is quite substantial. Meaningful even. 100 days. 100 dollars. 100 yards. 100 years. 100 La Pomme de Portland posts.


And since this here post marks my 100th, I decided that it deserved its own little celebration. The kind of "Best Day Ever" celebration. It seems so long ago that I wrote that first one.


So, I baked a cake. A chocolate cake. From a box. With a few extras. Just because. And took pictures. Trust me it's delicious. The Rooster couldn't get over his good luck when he arrived home from work and found it sitting on the kitchen table.


And no it's not low-fat, calorie-free or rich with whole grains but sometimes we can't worry about that. Sometimes we simply need to enjoy what we're eating because it tastes delicious. And because we're celebrating. Or as those fancy French folks would say, "pour le plaisir." So go on. Go make it. Celebrate with me.

And then as a little gift for you, I have created a list of inspiration (which ended up taking me a lot longer than I thought and hence the reason why this post did not go out last week at its regularly scheduled time.)


One hundred inspirational sites that I visit regularly. Sometimes for the recipes, sometimes for the beautiful photographs, other times for the bits of relevant information or simply because of the person behind the site.


This list is not exhaustive. There is so much talent out there on the web. It's impossible to capture it all in one list. But I hope my one hundred may inspire you and lead you on to find your one hundred.


You will always find my list at the top of my site under the tab "Inspiration" and I will rotate the sites on the list as time goes by and new bits of inspiration are discovered.

And last, but certainly not least, I send out to each of you one hundred thank you's. Thank you for reading. For growing along with me from 30 friends, to one hundred, to one thousand, to two thousand and more every month. Really and truly. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. You mean the world to me. I don't take for granted the precious time that you kindly spend here on La Pomme. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.


xo
Carrie




A "Chocolate Times One Hundred" Cake
My dear, talented sister, Courtney Cook Hopp, passed this recipe on to me years ago. It's easy. It's a winner and it never fails to taste incredible. Perfect for celebrations. Plus, since I'm not much of a baker, as in "cake baking," this recipe takes away the angst of "Will the cake be moist?" It always is.
I was inspired to garnish the cake with bits of greenery from the woods after reading this fascinating article written by our local Oregonian FOODday staff writer, Leslie Cole. Of course, all I could find in my woods were soggy Nerf accessories and a broken badminton racket so I ended up using some French tarragon from my herb garden that is just starting to pop up for spring. Furthermore, if, after reading the above article, you find yourself completely enamored with the foraging concept, here's another good read. This article written by our own Kathleen Bauer of Good Stuff NW.


Ingredients
1 box Devil's food cake mix (fine with or without "pudding in the mix")
1 5.9 oz box instant chocolate pudding
1 1/4 c water
1/2 c oil
4 eggs
2 c chocolate chips, divided (semi-sweet or dark, your choice)
1/2 c whipping cream
Optional: powdered sugar


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan. Set aside.


Combine the first 5 ingredients (cake mix through eggs) and beat with a mixer for about 2 minutes on medium speed. With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in 1 cup chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.


Bake for about 55 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.


Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully turn cake out onto a metal rack to finish cooling.


Once cake has completely cooled, make your ganache. Put your remaining cup of chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, carefully bring your cream just to a boil. Slowly pour over your reserved chocolate chips. With a spatula, gently stir the chips and cream until they blend together. You can let it sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency. Then, spoon over your cooled cake.


As another option, you can pass on the ganache and simply sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar. I like to put my powdered sugar in a sieve and then gently press it through the sieve with the back of a spoon. This leaves a fine, even spread of the sugar on the cake.


PS: I like to pop my pieces of cake in the microwave for about 10 seconds. It softens up the chocolate chips and....yum.


...


In Case You're Trying to Stay Away from the Box....
Check out these lovely posts, featuring cakes made from scratch.

• Ashley over at Not Without Salt made a Homemade Rainbow Chip Cake. Who knew you even could?
• Hannah has a Browned Butter Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Frosting going on at her lovely Honey and Jam site.
• Here is charming Molly's Winning-Hearts-and-Minds Chocolate Cake that I've always wanted to make but never have.
• Kim over at Quit Eating Out has a recipe for "light and healthy" Red Velvet Cupcakes. Could there be such a thing?
• And of course, one can never go wrong with anything by Ina. Here is the Barefoot Contessa's Chocolate Ganache Cake.

...


And Because I Have Spring Fever....
Yes, yes, I could go on and on bemoaning our gray, rainy, no-sun weather typical for this time of year but I won't. No. Instead I'll tell you that I have spring fever. I managed to get some sweet pea seeds in the ground by President's Day. Hoping to get some lettuce seeds in the ground as well and I absolutely swooned over this tea towel that Victoria featured over on her design site, SF Girl by Bay.

You can find this little goodie over at Terrain.


...


And yes, the Organization Project is back on....
I managed to pull out everything from the "under the stairs" closet. It is all boxed up, labeled and ready to donate. Of course, it is all sitting in my entryway at the moment. So, the goal for this week is to get it loaded into the car and taken to the appropriate donation site. Can't wait!


All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

A Modest Little Almond and Cherry Cake

There are days, afternoons, evenings when I simply want all of my chickens and the rooster home...but I want to be left alone. 


No extraneous chicken friends. Just the 5 of us. Here in our coop.


And I don't want to play Candy Land. And I don't want to have Family Movie Night. I don't want to sit around the kitchen table and have a meaningful conversation.


I just want to do "my thing." Alone.


And at this moment, I'm not concerned with the amount of TV they've watched this week or how many video games they've played. Whether or not they've had enough fresh air or eaten enough servings of fruits and vegetables. 


I just want them to be occupied. Quietly. Without needing me.


And, I want to be able to unwrap my new kitchen wall clock. The one I finally decided upon after years...yes, years....of contemplating this purchase. And I want to unwrap it, brush it off and hang it without any "help". Just me and the clock.

And I want to happily enter "To Dos" into my recent discovery. That discovery being Things. A "To Do List Lover's" nirvana. And I want to do this with out any video game sound effects or 30-sec blips of music coming from the computer next to me.


And I want to step out the front door without having to watch for bikes and scooters and take note that while the rest of the country is under a blanket of snow, here, it's beginning to look like spring. I want to notice the green shoots that will grow into daffodils pushing their way up through the ground. I want to breath in the faint perfume in the air. And admire the rhodies with their first blush of pink.

And I want to bake a cake. A simple cake. With cherries and almonds. Not one with a lot of pomp and circumstance. 


(Although, if I were looking for a chocolate cake that was the most incredible tasting cake I had ever tasted and came with plenty of pomp and circumstance...well, then I wouldn't make a cake. I would order one up from talented Mary over at Sweet Ambrosia. And no, she didn't pay me to say that, but I'm sayin' it because it is 100% true.) 


But since I just want a simple cake. One to go with a cup of tea or a piping hot cup of coffee. I'll make it myself. And I want to be left alone. To listen to my music. Over and over again. And get lost in my thoughts as I mix and stir.


But, you see, I want them home. My chickens, that is. And the rooster.


Because.


I don't want to worry.


I want to be left alone, to do "my thing" and I don't want to worry.


I don't want to worry that my littlest guy is running around at recess with his shoes untied, once again. And worrying that today is the day he's going to trip on those laces and scrape up his face.


And I don't want to worry that my middle guy, who is all things speed, is going to come screaming down the driveway on a motorized go-cart and continue down the street where he might possibly slam into a mailbox or worse yet, an on-coming car. Prickles of panic start to wash over me when I envision those possiblities.


And I don't want to worry about how nervous my teenager is or whether she stumbled over her words or somehow embarrassed herself. The teenager who left the house flustered and almost in tears because she had a speech to give that day at school. 


And I especially don't want to worry about the plane the rooster is boarding. Will it make it to its destination? Will there be turbulence? Bad weather? Ice on the wings? Ice on the runway?


No.


I don't want that.


Which is why, I just want them all here. Safe and sound. Sittin' in front of a TV even.


So, I


can just do "my thing", 


alone...and, worry-free.

A Modest Little Almond and Cherry Cake


I have to admit I'm not one to eat a lot of cake. Most days, I'd rather have pie. But for some reason, I got the hankering for a slice of cake. A simple one. No frosting. Not a lot of special preparations or precise measurements. Something to go with a cup of tea. Or a piping hot cup of coffee with plenty of half-and-half. And so I came up with this one. It's hard to beat cherries and almonds together. And the rooster told me I could make this for him anytime he loved it so.


Ingredients:


3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
1 1/4 c all-pupose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 c sugar
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 c milk
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 c chopped, dried cherries
1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted


Directions:


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Or if you're like me and don't own a cake pan, flour and butter a deep pie plate.


Put your whole almonds in a food processor and pulse the machine until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl. Add your flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine and then, set aside.


In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture becomes pale and yellow. Add the butter, milk and almond extract. Stir to combine. With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the cherries. Then, gently add your dry ingredients. Pour the batter into your prepared cake (or pie) pan. Evenly sprinkle the 1/2 c of sliced almonds over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Then, loosen the edges with a knife. Flip the cake onto a cake stand. Take a few steps back to admire your heavenly creation. Then, slice and serve while still a bit warm. Enjoy.




Yield: One 9-inch cake....




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Calendar Wrap-Up


Thank you, thank you...a million Thank You's....to all of you who purchased La Pomme de Portland calendar(s) in December. All the checks are in, the numbers have been tallied and through your generosity the calendars profited $1500.00...which means I was able to send a check off to the Oregon Food Bank and the Northwest Sarcoma Foundation for $750.00 each. I am humbled. Thank you....




...




Super Bowl Menu Ideas


And just in case you have decided to host a Super Bowl Party on Sunday but are still undecided about what to make....


Here's a menu direct off La Pomme de P:


App: Cowboy Caviar with tortilla chips
Main Course: Lighten Up Chili, Greens with Homemade Vinaigrette, a fresh baguette
Dessert: Vanilla Ice Cream and NYT Chocolate Chip Cookies


And if you do seriously consider making the Chocolate Chip cookies, make them today. Right now. Get going. By the time the big game rolls around the ingredients will have had the perfect amount of resting time. Your guests will think they've died and gone to cookie heaven.


And just in case you were hoping for even more Super Bowl inspiration, my friend Lori, over at RecipeGirl, has gone to extreme lengths to round up 101 Best Super Bowl Recipes on the Internet. Go Lori!




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A Quick Little Note


I finally put together a Recipe tab at the top of this here website. A few of you gently mentioned to me that it was challenging to find past recipes here on LPdeP. I hope this helps. Let me know if it does. 


I also added a tab for AM Northwest since a few of you Portlanders have kindly been asking me for the dates of my next appearances. I've now gathered that all in one place as well as videos from my past appearances.




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Organizing Project


So I decided last week that I was rushing things a bit and needed to take a week for mental planning as in....Where will I put the items I haul out of the under-stairs closet? So my revised schedule for organizing goals looks like this:


Jan 24-30: Mentally prepare to pull items out of closet.
Jan 31-Feb 6: Pull half the items out.




...




And Just Because...


I can't get enough of this talented gal's desktop calendars, here's Shanna Murray's latest:

which you can download here.


And which Shanna collaborated on with one of my favorite food and design bloggers, Nikole Herriott at Forty-Sixth and Grace.




....






Whew! That's all for this week! xo












All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

Simple Little Ginger Crisps

If you'd like, cue up, Christmas Time is Here.....

I watched her walk toward me through the snow. Snow at least 2 feet deep. Deep by Portland standards. A steaming mug of tea precariously balanced in each hand. A few tense minutes later she successfully arrived at my front porch and handed me one of the mugs. We sat down in the weathered adirondack chairs. We chatted. My neighbor and I. We watched our children build their snowmen and engineer their sledding jumps. We enjoyed these cups of black tea with a pinch of cardamon and a smidge of milk. Something so seemingly simple and yet, she was sharing with me, the way her Persian mother makes tea for her. I was touched.

"Carrie," she said to me tapping me on my hip. "Are we going to have those drinks again?" I must have looked puzzled so my 6-year old neighbor continued. "Remember, the ones in the Santa cup? The ones with the sprinkles on top? Those drinks we had last year." "Oh...the egg nog." Every Christmas growing up, my Granny served her grandchildren egg nog in Santa cups, complete with a dash of nutmeg on top. Those mugs were eventually passed down to me. I continue the tradition. Nothing fancy. Egg nog bought from a store. A pinch of nutmeg. But always in the Santa cup. Last year, I had set out a round of egg nog for the neighbor kids as they decorated cookies. Such a simple thing. But, remembered.

With the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the holidays upon me, I struggled with what to feed my boys who were apparently "famished" from the long day at school. It had to be quick. It had to be mess-free. I grabbed the corn chips, a can of black beans, some grated sharp cheddar cheese. I quickly assembled some nachos, popped them in the microwave for 45 seconds and set them down for the boys with a scoop of salsa. A few hours later as I unpacked another box of Christmas decorations, my Kindergartner skips up to me and says, "Mom. I really like those nachos you make. I'm not just sayin' that. It's for real. I love 'em. Really. I'm not just sayin' that. I love beans. Really. This is for true. I'm not just sayin' it." And off he skippped.

We curled up on the couch. The winter sun was beaming through the window warming us. We each held a cup of peppermint tea. A plate of ginger crisps rested on the ottoman next to us. And she, my dear friend, talked. She, who just needed someone to listen. And somehow, that pretty little plate of cookies, took a sad moment and helped bring a little cheer. Nothing fancy. No elaborate frosting. No sprinkles or silver balls. Just a simple little cookie. But it was enough.

Sometimes, when I find myself at the height of holiday madness, embarking on yet another crazy project, I have to stop and ask, "Carrie, what are the bits and pieces of the holidays that people actually remember?"

Simple Little Ginger Crisps
Adapted from Cookie Cutter Ginger Crisps by Susan Branch

These really are so easy to make and they don't need any extra adornment. They are perfectly sweet as is. My favorite part about them is that they freeze really well. So, you could have a friend or two drop by unannounced over the holidays and before you panic as to what to set out for them to nibble on, you remember that you have Ginger Crisps in the freezer. By the time you've pulled some cookies out of the freezer, made everyone a cup of tea (or coffee would be good too) and set it all down in front of your guests, they are defrosted and ready to nibble. They are also nice alongside a little scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:
1 c softened butter
1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c molasses
2/3 c light corn syrup
4 1/2 c flour (sifted if you have the time)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Directions:
Begin by creaming your butter and sugars until light. 3-4 minutes. Then, add your molasses and corn syrup and mix well. Next, mix in your cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda and cloves and combine well.  Finally, add your flour, little bits at a time, ensuring that it is all incorporated into your mix. When it is finished being mixed, the dough should have a smooth appearance.

Wrap your dough in parchment paper or plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.

When you are ready to bake, preheat your over to 350 degrees. Roll your dough out on a lightly floured surface to less than 1/8 inch thick. Cut with floured cutters. I personally like to choose just one shape - little gingerbread men, scalloped edges, snowflakes. There is something pleasing about the repetition of a single design. Bake on greased cookie sheet, or one lined with silpat, for 8 min. Cool and store in an airtight container or freeze them. Enjoy.

Yield: 3 dozen or so depending on the size of your cookie cutter

Calendar Update:

The calendars are IN!!

And, I have to say they look quite lovely. A huge thank you to all of you who have already placed orders. I'm so touched. Truly.

Out of the 200 we had printed up, I have about 16 left so if you were hoping to get one, email me or get your order placed on Etsy soon. They are $15.00 a piece.

If this is the first time you're "hearing" about these calendars, below is the link to the original blog post explaining the calendars as well as the link to my Etsy "store."

http://www.lapommedeportland.com/2010/12/2011-la-pomme-de-portland-calendar.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63516254/2011-food-photography-calendar

All orders leaving the Portland area have been shipped. East Coast and Mid-West orders were mailed Friday, 12/10. All Southwest and West coast orders were mailed Saturday, 12/11, as well as a few Portland area orders. Everyone else, I will contact you on Monday or Tuesday for the "pick-up" schedule.

One last note, after the original 50 I had listed on Etsy sold, I've only been able to list 3 at a time. And being the Etsy rookie I am, I can't figure out how to change that. So, if by chance you want more than 3 calendars, email me and we will work it out so you don't get charged twice for shipping.
Email: carrieminns (at) me (dot) com



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

A Provincial Sort of Apple Cake

I kept seeing it everywhere. This recipe for, "Dorie Greenspan's Apple Cake." Always referred to as a 4-word title. There it was in our local paper, tied to her book review on Amazon.com, traveling the virtual airways by Twitter, Facebook, Blogs. Hard bound and in print on page 432 of her new cookbook, Around My French Table. And even on AM Northwest, there was Dorie Greenspan making her Apple Cake. My curiosity was piqued...and as I've shared before, I'm not one to bake much.

Before giving it much thought, I tossed out the following statement to the virtual world by means of my La Pomme de Portland Facebook page, "Feeling a little sad to have missed Dorie Greenspan at the Heathman last night but went to Powell's today and bought her new cookbook, Around My French Table. If I make the apple cake, anyone want to come over and try it out with me?? I can't eat a whole cake by myself....seriously."

The response was a resounding, "Yes."

Then, I started to panic....a little. "I know it's Dorie Greenspan and all but what if I make the cake and it's not something I would want to serve to other people?" So, after finally making it to the liquor store for dark rum, I whipped up a trial run of Dorie's apple cake (which, by the way, is called Marie-Helene's Apple Cake in her cookbook.) And, as I pulled away the sides of my springform pan to admire the final product, I thought to myself, "This looks like a cake that Dorie Greenspan would make. It's petite, sophisticated, elegant. And the rum....wow!....you can't miss it." I sliced it up and passed around pieces to the family. I wondered, for just a moment, if I should be worried as I saw my 11-year old all wide-eyed going back for seconds. He, like me, who doesn't usually like baked goods.

The next morning, I carried slices next door, where my neighbor and I analyzed this final product over cups of coffee. I was curious what she thought.... she being a baker and all. Delicious, absolutely, but we couldn't help chuckling as we wondered if this was more of a "5 o' clock" cake. Of course, that didn't prevent us from eating each rum-laden bite.

After leaving my neighbor's, I came to the conclusion that this cake truly looked and tasted like something darling, sophisticated Dorie would serve to guests in her home. The cake reminded me of her...based on the brief amount of time I've spent around her. But for me, someone who spent her most formative years on an island in the Puget Sound, I needed something a little more provincial.

I hauled out my over-stuffed recipe box and whipped up an Apple Cake recipe I had copied down years ago. Too much oil. I pulled out cookbook after cookbook searching for Apple Cake recipes. Too many add-ins. I combed the internet for apple cake, apple bread, apple crumb cake, apple anything. Too much sugar. Finally, in a fit of frustration, using 4 or 5 different recipes as guides, I whipped up my own apple cake.

With Corinne Bailey Rae's rendition of "River" playing in the background and the first flakes of the season gently falling outside, I sat down with a slice of my apple cake. As I tasted that first spice-laden bite, I thought, "Yes. Now, this is something I would serve guests." A bit rustic but still pretty with the dusting of powdered sugar on top. I would serve it warm, with a cup of tea and possibly even a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Funny how even the food we set down for friends and family can say something about us.

And in the spirit of setting down food for family and friends, I wish you a most wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you may be, whatever you may be serving.

Apple Cake with a Provincial Flair

This cake isn't overly sweet which is how I like my baked goods but if you tend to go for cakes and cookies on the sweeter side you could add up to another cup of sugar. For the apples, I used a mixture of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith but any baking apple would work fine. Also, I didn't put any nuts in this cake since I have a kiddo with nut allergies but if you aren't in that same situation I'm begging you to put walnuts or pecans in yours. I just know it would be fantastic and would round out the flavors.

2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c applesauce
4 c apples, diced and peeled (approx 3-4 med apples)
Optional: 1 c chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside

In a large bowl, cream together your butter and sugar. Add eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir in your vanilla and applesauce.

Slowly add your flour mixture to your butter mixture, bit by bit. Mix well to make sure all of the flour is absorbed. Fold in your apples (and your nuts). The mixture will seem to be heavy on the apples but not to worry.

Pour your mixture into your prepared Bundt pan and bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, invert onto rack and cool to room temperature. Once cool, sift a light dusting of powdered sugar onto the top.

Slice. Serve with a cup of tea and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, should you desire. Enjoy.



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010