The Incredible Edible Egg

Most of you who know me know that I have a chicken fantasy -- no, nothing like that -- I would love it if we were able to have chickens in our back yard.  I love the thought of stepping off of my back porch and gathering up a handful of fresh eggs.  Until that happens, however, I must content myself with getting eggs from my friends with coops or picking them up at the neighborhood farmer's market.  The egg is certainly a glorious little food that deserves to be admired any day of the year - but, at Easter it seems only right to spend a few extra minutes singing the praises of these ovoid wonders.

A dozen beautiful brown eggs from my friend Henry's happy hens

Eggs of all shapes, sizes and colors form the base for several of my Easter dishes

So, while there's nothing quite like the beautiful orange-yellow color and and rich, luxurious taste of fresh eggs, I must confess that there's another "egg" that has become an Easter tradition for me - and it's anything but natural.  Guy and I are lucky enough to spend most holidays with our friends Matt and Jennifer McClish and their lovely children - Madeline, Ian, and Aidan.  When the kids were much younger I began a tradition of making Jello Egg Jigglers as part of our Easter feast - and, much to my chagrin (perhaps secret delight?), a bowl of  these non-natural, anti-organic, artificially dyed and flavored spheres of wiggling fun has graced our table every year since.  As you can see from the pictures below, these "eggs" are enjoyed by kids of all ages!

The makings of "Jello Egg Jigglers" - nothing natural to be found here!

Ian takes a minute to admire the "natural beauty" of the Jello Jigglers

It appears that the Jiggler is irresistable to kids of all ages.
Matt and Guy get caught sneaking one of these bright Easter treats.

In addition to the Jello treats, I did make a few other Easter dishes - and one that I wanted to share with you was my dessert - Martha Stewart's Easter Cheesecake.  This smooth, luscious treat was pretty simple to make and turned out to be a big hit with both adults and kids alike.  I have to believe that the fresh eggs were a big contributor to this cake's creamy texture and light yellow color.  It was a yummy end to a great Easter lunch - with a second piece making a great treat after an afternoon bike ride. 

Martha's Easter Cheesecake served with Betsy's Fresh Berry Sauce 

Easter Cheesecake (adapted slightly from Martha Stewart's website)

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 pound finely ground blanched almonds
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 9"springform pan and dust with ground almonds; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, cream, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, and beat until incorporated. Beat in zests and vanilla.
3. Pour into prepared pan and transfer to oven rack.  Additionally, place a roasting pan full of boiling water in the oven to keep cheesecake moist while cooking.  
4. Bake until firm, about 2 hours, adding more boiling water if necessary. Turn off the oven; keep the oven door ajar using a wooden spoon. Let cake cool completely in the oven.
5. Transfer to refrigerator and chill overnight.

I was going to top the cheesecake with some simple, sliced berries - but my husband reminded me of a great fruit sauce that was a staple of our dear friend and great Southern cook, Betsy Farnsworth.  While we didn't have Betsy's recipe, Guy had watched her make it often enough that we felt pretty confident we could re-create it.  This simple fruit sauce can be used to top just about anything - cheesecake, pound cake, ice cream.

Betsy's Fresh Berry Sauce

• 1 pint strawberries
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Cassis (or other liquer such as Chambord or Kirsh)

Place berries, sugar and water in medium saucepan.  Heat over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes, then add in lemon and liquer.  Cook for a few minutes more, then turn off heat and let cool.  Once sauce is cool, puree in blender until smooth.  If desired, pass sauce through medium sieve/strainer to remove raspberry seeds.  Can be stored in refrigerator for several days to a week.

Local Boy Does Good

Well - actually it's three local boys who've done good - and I mean REALLY GOOD!

www.localthree.com

I have a favorite new restaurant that I can't wait to share with you all - Local Three Kitchen & Bar.  I've been there twice in the past month and it gets TWO BIG thumbs up!  It's a great place that combines a casual, fun atmosphere with artfully prepared fresh, local and sustainable food.  I've attached the link - spend a little time on their website and you will be intrigued...who can resist a place that describes its style as "Foie Gras in Flip Flops" and touts their daily operating philosophy as :  People Matter Most. Local Is Priority. Seasonal Makes Sense. Authenticity Rules. Quality Governs. Delicious Trumps. Pretense Loses. Comfort Feels Good. Appreciation Tastes Better. Prudence Sustains It All.  I admit it - I'm totally smitten!

I've enjoyed some pretty yummy food there on my two visits - Cheddar, Bacon and Thyme popcorn as a snack for the table, Spring Pea Carbonara as a starter, Wood Oven Roasted Hanger Steak, Panko Crusted Atlantic Flounder.  It's kind of addicting - even though I'm over-the-moon satisfied with the food in front of me while I'm there, I'm already planning what I'll have the next time I come (Lobster Pot Pie anyone?).

Rosie enjoying a birthday treat

  
We had dinner there tonight to celebrate my dear friend Rosie's birthday (with a belated shout out to Neighbor Greg's birthday as well). I've captured Rosie enjoying her birthday dessert - a tasty apple pie accompanied by a cheddar crisp and rosemary ice cream.

You'll also note that this place bosts quite a pig collection - makes perfect sense, right - after all, who can resist those adorable squealers (clearly Rosie can't!!).  



If you are in the ATL - run, don't walk, to Local Three - I promise you'll have a great meal and a great time. If you are an out-of-towner - make sure you hit Local Three on your next trip to town -- call me, I'll be glad to go with you!

March Madness

Spring has definitely sprung  - it's in full bloom here in the ATL and it's glorious!  Of course, I choose to focus on the beautiful blue skies, warm days, budding dogwoods and blooming daffodils rather than dwelling on the thick layer of green-yellow pollen that has settled onto every surface of my house, car and nasal passages! 
Weather this beautiful just beckons you to leave the house and soak it up - and there's no problem with that plan except last weekend was when I had planned to make my "March Cake" (you remember - 2012 is the Year of the Cake, a new cake every month - it seemed like such a great idea back in the dead of winter!).  Quite frankly, March Madness seems like an apt description for my life right now - things have been incredibly crazy at work since I made my announcement to leave, I'm trying to make some contacts in the culinary world so I have been meeting folks at night and on the weekend, and I also plan to head to Ohio next weekend to visit my mom!  Good grief - how's a girl supposed to fit in making a fabulous Spring Cake with all that going on AND find time to play outside in the sunshine?  Well - my answer to this conundrum is to rely on one of my favorite "Go-to" recipes - you know, one of those ones you can always count on to turn out great without alot of fuss and trouble - for me, that's my Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake.  I've been making this recipe for years - it's easy to make, doesn't take any fancy ingredients or culinary acrobatics, and never disappoints - and it's fresh, lemony taste is a great way to welcome Spring. 

    

Blooms in the Atlanta Botanical Garden

Blooms in the Atlanta Botanical Garden

So - embrace Spring! Get outside, breathe in the scent of blooming flowers and soak up the sunshine - it's a sure cure for the madness that fills your days!  And, if you have an extra hour or so - try the Lemon Buttermilk Poundcake - it's especially great topped with fresh berries and shared with friends.

A fresh, lemon glaze keeps the cake moist

Fresh strawberries definitely add to the Spring feeling

This cake must be good - Madeline ate 2 peices!

Sharing cake with friends after a walk in the park - what a great way to celebrate Spring!

Lemon Buttermilk Poundcake (Fine Cooking Magazine, May 2001)

Cake:

6 3/4 oz (1 1/2 c) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

4 oz (1/2 c) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 c sugar

1/2 c buttermilk

2 large eggs, room temp

Zest of one lemon, finely grated or chopped

Glaze:

Juice of 1 lemon

4-6 Tbsp confectioner's sugar

Heat oven to 325.  Butter an 8 x 5 loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended. 

With an electric mixer (I use paddle attachment on stand mixer) beat butter until pale with little tails.  Add in sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Scrape sides of bowl, then add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. 

With mixer on low, add flour mixture and buttermilk in parts, ending with flour.  Just before all of the flour is incorporated, switch to a stiff rubber spatula, add lemon zest and stir slowly until all is incorporated.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown and toothpick comes out with just a few clumps clinging to it when inserted into the center - 50-55 minutes. 

Let cake cool for about 10 minutes in pan - as it is cooling, stir together lemon juice and conf sugar to make glaze.  

Carefully invert pan, tap to release.  Brush sugar glaze on cake while it is still warm.  Cool completely before serving.

(Note - recipe can be doubled and made in two pans).

Coming Out of the Culinary Closet

Well - I did it - I took the plunge!  Two weeks ago I gave my notice at Kimberly-Clark - telling my boss that I was leaving the corporate world to pursue my culinary dreams.  WOW - what a mix of emotions. 

Although I had been planning it, talking about it with my friends and family, and dreaming about this day for over two years, it was quite surreal to actually say the words out loud "I'm leaving my job to do something in the culinary world".  I would be lying if I didn't tell you there was a little bit of stammering, sweating and even some hyperventilation that accompanied that statement.  Of course, because he's a great guy, my boss took it well.  After asking if there was anything he could do to change my mind, to which I responded "no", he gave me a big hug, wished me all the best, and asked me how I would like to announce it more broadly and handle my transition. 

While it seemed like a big step, telling him was really only dipping my toe in the water  - the real belly flop into the deep end came last week - when he actually published my annoucement to a few thousand of my closest friends and colleages at KC.  There it was in black and white, flung out via email to computers and iphones across the globe...

    

CRYSTAL LEACH, KCP R&E Director for Global Safety and Productivity, has announced her decision to leave K-C effective mid-May 2012.  Crystal is leaving to pursue her longtime dream of attending culinary school.

YIKES - no going back now!!  I feel relieved, excited, scared, exhilarated, nervous - all at the same time - there is no other way to describe it than "surreal".

So - what happens now, you might be asking?  After I finish at KC, I will spend most of the month of June on vacation in France - a great itinerary that includes a week in the French countryside and a week-long bike trip on the Canal du Midi with Guy, an amazing wine trip in Provence and the Rhone Valley, and a week relaxing with friends (I know - rough gig, huh?).  Culinary school then starts in July. 

There is still much to decide and much to do - but I am taking it one day at a time.  Of course, I'll take you all along with me on the blog as I try to finalize my decision on which culinary school to attend and what I'm actually going to do with my life AFTER school.  And - the good news is, I have actually made the blog "public" now - so it should be much easier for you all to read and access.

Of course, I have to take a minute to thank my husband for his support through all of this - but, especially during my "culinary coming out" period - I must admit, I was a little bit of nutcase over the last few weeks. But, I think I've actually gotten used to being public about something that I've been keeping close to the vest for so long. 

So -  I've done it - taken that first big step on Mon Voyage Culinaire - and it actually feels pretty good.

Mon Petit Chou

   Today's post takes a slight departure from the culinary for just a minute to welcome my new Great Niece Ella to the world!  My favorite nephew Brian and his sweet wife Crystal welcomed their first baby, Ella, into our family on February 15th -- and she's already proving to be quite the little cutie.  I haven't seen her in person yet, but I am already smitten by her pictures - of course, I've included a few below so you can swoon along with me. 

     Congratulations to my brother Craig and sister-in-law Patti - they seem to be settling into Grandparenthood very smoothly.  I, of course, am much too young to be a "Great Aunt" - so I think Ella and I will have to strike a little agreement to just go with "Aunt Crystal". 

     Mon Petit Chou - this is a French term of endearment - literally "my little cabbage" - seems very appropriate for our new addition to the family.  One of my favorite things to do is cook with my nieces Amanda and Crystal - I'm sure we'll be bringing Ella into the fold soon - she'll look adorable in a little pink chef hat! 

Mandy and Crystal -- partying in anticipation of Ella's arrival

Ella arrives!

Grandma Pat with Ella and Romo

Mon Petit Chou

Cakes with Friends

     Lest you forget - 2012 is "The Year of the Cake". One of the best parts of this year-long celebration is picking out the appointed cake for each month. Quite honestly, the criteria isn't all that stringent - it needs to be a cake that promises to be yummy (very techincal culinary term, I know), has an interesting story, and will provide blog-worthy photos. I am giving priority to cake recipes I haven't ever made, but I do expect a few old favorites will find their way to the cake stand sometime this year - for instance, anyone who knows my husband knows that Coconut Cake will likely get the nod for April, the month of his birthday.      
     So, for February I selected Hummingbird Cake - a moist, homey Southern treat. The recipe came from Nancy McDermott's "Southern Cakes - Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations", a beautiful book that brings to life many traditional Southern Recipes - I highly recommend it. Nancy writes this about the history of the Hummingbird Cake:

Hummingbird cake is a modern classic that showed up in community cookbooks in North Carolina in the early '70's, and achieved stardom after it was featured as a reader's recipe in Southern Living Magazine in 1978. It has been captivating people around the country ever since. Wonderfully rich and pretty in an understated way, it features delicious layers moistened by pineapple and bananas, and a yummy cream cheese frosting studded with pecans. It's all the more impressive for the fact that it is quite simple to make.

  

    
Quite frankly - Nancy was right - this is a relatively easy cake that packs lots of flavor into it's moist layers. I've attached the recipe at the end of the blog.





     While picking out each new cake recipe is certainly fun, by far the best part of the Year of the Cake is sharing each month's culinary adventures with my friends.

It seems that Hummingbird Cake makes a great birthday cake - we celebrated Aidan McClish's 9th birthday with a rousing game of Apples-2-Apples, Jello Jigglers and large pieces of Hummingbird Cake for everyone.

My dear friend Rosie - always up for an adventure - has decided to join me in my yearlong baking endeavor.  She started the year quite deliciously, with a beautiful Pineapple Upside Down Cake for January and is working on a Coca-Cola cake for February.  Cooking and eating a new cake is certainly fun - but doing it with a great friend like Rosie makes it even more special.






    So - embrace the Year of the Cake - try Hummingbird Cake or some other treat that will flex your baking muscles.  But - most importantly - bake a cake or share a piece with your friends - that is the true treat!

Nancy McDermott's Hummingbird Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 eggs, slightly beaten
¾ cup vegetable oil
1½ tsp vanilla extract
One 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour three 8-inch or two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside.
Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and use a fork to mix well. With a large wooden spoon, mix in the beaten eggs, oil, vanilla, pineapple, bananas and pecans. Mix well, stirring gently, just enough to blend into a thick batter.

Divide batter evenly among cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cakes are nicely browned and pulling away from the sides of the pans. Cool the cakes in pans on wire racks or folded kitchen towels for about 15 minutes. Turn out the cakes onto wire racks or plates. Turn layers top side up and cool completely.

To finish the cake:
Place one layer, top side down, on a cake stand or a serving plate, and spread frosting on the top. Place the second layer, top side up, on the frosting. Frost the sides, and then the top. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes or so, to help the icing set.

PECAN-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• One 16-ounce box confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup finely chopped pecans

Combine cream cheese and butter with a mixer at low speed in a medium bowl. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until the frosting is fluffy and smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the bowl and blend everything thoroughly. Add the pecans; stir well. (NOTE - I did not mix the pecans in the frosting, but simply sprinkled them on top.  also - I found this to be a very sweet cream cheese frosting recipe.  I actually made 1.5X batch)

The Jolly Farmer and other English inspirations

OMG - it's been too long -- it appears that having a full-time job is interfering with important activities like cooking and blogging!  I've spent the last few weeks traveling for work - so please forgive the lack of blogging activity - hopefully I am back in the proverbial culinary saddle.  So, although I didn't get to get my hands dirty and practice my culinary skills while traveling, I did get to feed my culinary soul during my recent trip to England and thought I would share some of that inspiration with you. 

First - I would heartily recommend a trip to the Food Hall at Herrod's for anyone visiting London. I spent over an hour roaming the large and lavishly decorated rooms known as the "Food Halls", admiring row after row of fresh foods from all over the world - everything from fresh salmon to dim sum to teas to chocolate napoleans. Of course, I was besotted by the patisserie and confection cases - row after row of beautifully decorated and artfully displayed cakes, cookies, pastries and tartlets - I was enthralled and had to be forcibly removed by my traveling companion (not good, you know - after all, the English frown on open displays of emotion). We ended our outing by having afternoon tea there at Herrod's- a tiered tray of perfectly trimmed sandwiches, scones and miniature sweets, accompanied by a flowered china pot of steaming English Breakfast Tea - how perfect is that? 

 While Herrod's was amazing, I must tell you I was in British Hog Heaven later in the week when I was taken to dinner at a local restaurant/pub/market in the English countryside - The Jolly Farmer. It was everything I love, just with an interesting accent, hand-loomed sweater  and quirky sense of humor! The Jolly Farmer is a converted farmhouse that focuses on local foods - serving meals composed of seasonal and local offerings and selling a variety of local-sourced and house-made specialites in their pantry/farmer's market lobby.  There were local meats, fresh farm eggs, local cheeses made from the milk of local cows and sheep, house-made jams, ice cream and, of course, several beers.  I spent at least an hour examining all of the offerings and plotting how to get a larder of fresh foods home on Delta.  I must say, my KC colleague was quite patient while I took pictures, investigated each flavor, sampled some clotted cream fudge and spent at least 30 minutes chatting with the owner about the pure joys of fresh cheese and local honey.  Even though it was a cold, wet and typically-English evening, I was warmed throughout by the homey atmosphere and charming host.  The Jolly Farmer made me smile - filled my belly and my soul - and inspired me to make sure to include local foods as part of my culinary journey.