I have been so busy with my current photography project that I am afraid that I am neglecting you, and my blog too.
But eh, it will not last, will it? So I promise to come back soon with an easy dessert, one that talks a lot to me, at any time of the day.

Especially these days.

A bientôt, promis !

Oh, I know that you might look at this and scratch your head, thinking: “What is she thinking?” Not very seasonal, non? But wait! This is really a subjective topic, isn’t it? Comfort food should never be seasonal. Beside, even when it is hot and summery outside, I do not necessarily crave cold foods.

I am like this.

And not alone. Take countries like India or China: you soon realize that the idea ingrained in public belief that cold food helps to cool down is only a myth. Cold food in your stomach is never going to be as nicely digested as warm food. The Chinese believe in this, and I like this theory too — of course, you do not have to agree. It however works well for me even if, like everyone else, I can crave and eat cold foods too — I am still salivating at the thought of the cold leek parsnip vichyssoise eaten recently at lunch with P.

But when I need comfort, then warm food are the buzz words!

With leftovers of ground veal used to prepare stuffed zucchinis, I imagined making meatballs flavored with carrot — another good reason to get that juicer I told you about. I wanted to pair the sweetness of a carrot-flavored sauce and the softness in taste of veal. Did it work? Probably so when I acknowledge to you that during the course of the last two weeks, I prepared the recipe a few times.

Not that I am lacking cooking imagination, or anything of the kind — there is always desire and inspiration to make good food — but simply because my schedule has been recently busy with a fun project. I cannot yet tell you everything about it but if you are curious — like my friend N. — I can tell you that I am currently doing the food styling and food photography of a baker’s cookbook. And I am blessed since her recipes work as a charm.

So when I spend my days baking, styling and photographing, the thought of a comforting dish bringing a nice relaxing end to my days is quite welcomed. In fact, I thought that you too might like to have a recipe like this handy, when life gets too busy on your side of the fence. It is great on the first day, and the next.

And even the one after the next.

Leftovers at their best.

Read the rest…

“I can’t stay in bed,” I told P. “Don’t insist!”

“Why not? Isn’t it nice and toasty in here?”

Well it surely was but the problem was that I was hungry. As is always the case when I wake up. I am one of these people waking up with a stomach making noises and calling for food. Aren’t you too?

I discovered granola and its wonders about fifteen years ago, when I lived in the United States for the first time, during the days when I was teaching French in a university lost in the middle of corn fields. Yes, corn fields there were indeed in that part of the world! Many!

This was also the time when I met P. and to tell the truth, he is really the one who initiated me to granola. How could I have lived for so long not knowing about this delicious food, I wondered then? What was wrong with us the French for not welcoming more cereals like granola on the breakfast table? No argument, I would have granola any day instead of a croissant. Vraiment !

After the first bite of granola, I was hooked: I immediately fell in love with its nuttiness and crunchiness. A few years later, when I visited P. again — and we then shared a bit of life living together in a tiny apartment on campus — we also enjoyed cycling every weekend or so to the small organic store nearby, to fill up with more granola when we ran out. We liked ours not too sweet and often ate it quite simply, with fresh berries or perhaps slices of fresh apple and plain French-style yogurt. It might sound silly but I loved that P. and I shared a liking for the same types of food. I knew that a good connection was on the right track: with the man, and the food.

Will you then be surprised when I tell you that I have been making all types of granola since then?

Making granola is pretty easy and straightforward, and can be customized as you like. Choose the nuts you like — pecans, walnuts, and more — and add any type of dried fruit you prefer. I particularly like dried cherries or slices of dried apples, because apples and me in the morning are best friends. This is also one of the reason why I like to add apple juice too when I prepare granola, and add maple syrup and honey for extra flavor. Sometimes I can also add orange oil instead of canola oil but then, that gives me another recipe altogether.

Then sit down at the table, make yourself comfortable and be happy to start your day on the right foot.

With the right food.

Nothing beats a healthy breakfast like this one.

But can I tell you a secret?

I love to pack some in a zip-lock bag and snack on it when I am out, at any time of the day.

Simplement délicieux !

Read the rest…

I secretly did not want to believe it, hoping that they would have made a mistake. They sometimes do, those weather people. I opened my laptop quickly and pulled open a browser. Google-searched “weather Boston MA.” The result came back invariably the same: “heat wave watch for four days.”

Four days!

We did not except it to come so fast and truth being said, it hit us by surprise. The scorching sun and its overwhelming heat. One day it was jeans and jackets, and the following day we were wearing shorts and bikinis, and that was even too much to feel comfortable. How did it happen? I simply don’t know. How long it will last? I hope as short as possible. The heat and I, we are not best friends. In fact, we can get pretty upset at each other. Moi, especially.

So like everywhere when this happens, you hear people talk about this unfriendly heat, you hear stories about grilling, barbecuing, ice creams, salads and all sorts of foods to cool you off. Writer Kim O’Donnel at the Washington Post even wrote an article about it, with delightful ideas to feel inspired by — I contributed with my chilled avocado, orange and lime soup.

Oddly enough, from the list of possibilities, salads do not always necessarily do it for me. But a dessert made with fruit and a light vanilla-flavored cream might. But it is mainly the gourmande in me who is speaking then.

Sabayon might have a complicated name, somewhat enigmatic, but it is in fact a dish extremely easy to make. It is Italian in origin, and although it somewhat resembles a crème anglaise in its looks, it however does not require any addition of dairy, like milk — which is the case of a crème anglaise. Instead, it is typically made with wine like a Sauternes, or Champagne even, and is cooked with eggs and sugar beaten together until light.

Except that I decided to prepare a fruit version, and instead of using wine, I used apple juice.

Because if there is one kitchen appliance that I would truly find hard to let go of, if I had to, it is my juicer. I am a real sucker for fresh fruit or vegetable juices of all sorts. When you have a taste of what a freshly squeezed apple juice is compared to even la crème de la crème of any store-bought one, there is no possible way to go back.

Really!

I use my juicer for vegetable and fruit juice on nearly a daily basis. It comes particularly handy when I want to make recipes that involve fresh vegetable juices, like carrot or beet.

For this recipe, the sabayon technique stays the same. Beat the eggs with sugar, and once light, add the warm juice. Reheat gently to thicken the cream. Ni plus, ni moins.

The dessert is light, just sweet as one needs to be, colorful and refreshing. It does not require fancy techniques or ingredients — ok, perhaps just a juicer, if I have to insist — and can be made over and over, without anyone tiring of it. Well, it is really true when you have to deal with hot days like the ones we currently endure everywhere, it seems, on the East coast.

I still have to wonder who ever thought, up there, that anyone of us, down there, could enjoy hot and humid together. They just don’t go well together.

Unlike fruit and cream.

Read the rest…

Yes indeed!

The need for a simple dessert, and refreshing.

I am not complaining — well, I am actually a little — but it is so hot outside! Where did this come from suddenly? We are only early June, after all!

Promise, I will let you know about the dessert very soon — this one is a fruit sabayon with berries — when I am able to gather my thoughts! Probably after a swim or something to cool us down.