The Joys of U-Pick

Nine different varieties.

Eating fruit that’s warm from the sun.

Getting to know your farmer.

Twenty pounds of cherries for $30. Plus free all-you-can-eat in the orchard.

Cherries that keep for weeks (seriously, weeks!) and are still better than “fresh” cherries at the grocery store.

Eating cherries to your heart’s content every day for weeks!

Black Forest Panna Cottas
Printable Recipe

8 ounces cherries, pitted and quartered
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ cups milk
1 tablespoon gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon Kirsch
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or scant 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine the cherries, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and ½ cup water in a small pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Let cool slightly and puree in a food mill using a fine disc.

Measure ½ cup of the milk into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over gelatin. Combine the remaining 1 cup of milk, 1 ½ cups of the cream, and remaining ¼ cup sugar in a small saucepan. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and then the cherry puree, Kirsch, and vanilla. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among 6 dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a bare simmer in a small, heavy saucepan. Place the chocolate into a small bowl, add the hot cream, and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly and divide among the dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Serves 6. If you can get your hands on it, use Tahitian vanilla, which has a uniquely floral character.

Summer Baking

While the rest of the country has been suffering through what seems to be the hottest summer ever, temperatures here in the Pacific Northwest have been unseasonably cold. I don't mean to rub this in for those of you who live in the inferno area, but we haven't had a single 90-degree day yet. Would you believe today I actually donned a fleece jacket? All this is to say that I don't mind turning the oven on when I feel like baking with summer berries.


Blueberry Cobbler with Lemon-Crème Fraîche Biscuit Topping
Printable Recipe

Unsalted butter, for greasing the baking dishes
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
6 ounces crème fraîche
¼ cup heavy cream
1 ¼ pounds blueberries
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Butter 4 individual baking dishes. Whisk together the flour, ¼ cup of the sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Blend together the crème fraîche and cream in a small bowl, add to the flour mixture, and stir until just combined.

Combine the blueberries, remaining 2 tablespoons of the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a large bowl and toss to coat. Divide the blueberry mixture among the baking dishes. Divide the dough among the baking dishes, dropping it by the tablespoonful onto the blueberries. Sprinkle the cobblers with the Turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling around the edges. Let cool slightly and serve.

Makes 4 individual cobblers. Blueberry and lemon is a flavor combination made in heaven. Huckleberries may be substituted for the blueberries. Perfect with vanilla or lemon ice cream.

Of Hearts and Strawberries

Strawberry season came later than usual this year, but the timing was perfect. My parents were here visiting, so we had free labor for strawberry picking! We filled up a flat in record time…


And then we emptied it in record time.

But before I proceed with the berrylicious treat made with our haul…

A big thank you goes out to Yummly for featuring my Steak au Poivre with Red Wine Sauce.

And hugs and kisses to my little brother for once again singing the praises of Seared to Perfection. Thanks, Andrew, for being my biggest fan! Word cannot express how much I love you and how proud I am of you for becoming such an amazing cook in your own right!


Coeur à la Crème with Strawberries
Printable Recipe

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces heavy cream
1 ¾ pounds strawberries, sliced
1 ounce sugar

In a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. With the motor running on high, gradually add the cream, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to whip on high to stiff peaks. Divide among 6 cheesecloth-lined coeur à la crème molds set on a baking tray. Smooth the mixture into the molds using a spatula and fold the excess cheesecloth over the tops. Let drain in the refrigerator overnight.

To serve, unfold the cheesecloth from the coeurs and invert each one onto a dessert plate. Remove the molds, gently peel off the cheesecloth, and set aside at room temperature for about half an hour. Meanwhile, toss together the strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl and let macerate, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft and juicy. Divide the strawberries among the coeurs and serve immediately.

Serves 6. Use a high quality cream cheese such as Nancy's. If you can get your hands on it, use Tahitian vanilla, which has a uniquely floral character. You'll need about 2 pints of strawberries for this recipe. If heart-shaped coeur à la crème molds are unavailable, use little berry colanders instead. Finely woven cheesecloth is preferable—if you have the loosely woven kind, use several layers of it. If you like, flavor the coeurs with some finely grated lemon zest. Alternatively, substitute chèvre for a portion of the cream cheese.

Holding on to Summertime

It's funny to think that today's the last day of summer because I'm not sure we really even had a summer here in the Pacific Northwest. It's like we went from spring straight into fall this year. We only broke out the sunscreen a small handful of times, the figs on our tree are still rock hard, and the leaves are already threatening to turn. This blink-and-you'll-miss-it summer has left many of us feeling shortchanged. Luckily for those of us in denial that the season for basking in the sun is over, the markets are still loaded with summer stone fruit like peaches and nectarines. So here are some sunny Nectarine Shortcakes to help us hang on to summertime for a few moments longer. Enjoy!


On another note, my book Seared to Perfection: The Simple Art of Sealing in Flavor officially comes out next month, and I just received my copy last Friday. It was an amazing feeling to hold the finished book in my hands for the very first time. I almost passed out from pride. With an irresistible-looking steak on the cover and fiery red and orange print within, the book looks fantastic, even if I do say so myself. I had quite a moment when I put my own book on my own bookshelf, with the rest of my cookbook collection. And I had another moment when I signed a copy (with I pen I bought especially for the purpose) for the first time. (In case you're wondering, it was for my husband, the Official Taster and Recipe Testing Timekeeper.) By the way, you can get your hands on a copy right away because Amazon is already shipping.

Seared to Perfection is mentioned in Publishers Weekly's Fall Cookbooks, By the Trends under More Meat, Please (love it!) and earned a notable mention in the single subject category in The Eater Fall 2010 Cookbook and Food Book Preview on Eater National.

Nectarine Shortcakes
Printable Recipe

For the shortcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 ounces (¾ stick) cold unsalted butter, shredded
1 large egg
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons Turbinado sugar

For the sugared nectarines:
8 nectarines, peeled, pitted, and cut into eighths
¼ cup sugar

For the whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the shortcakes:
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Blend together the egg and ½ cup of the cream in a small bowl, add to the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Transfer to a work surface and knead a few times until the dough just holds together. Pat the dough into a 6-inch wide, 1 ½-inch thick circle and cut into 8 wedges. Arrange the shortcakes a couple of inches apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Lightly brush the shortcakes with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream and sprinkle with the Turbinado sugar. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

Make the sugared nectarines:
Toss together the nectarines and sugar in a medium bowl and let macerate, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft and juicy.

Make the whipped cream:
Whip the cream to medium peaks. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to whip to stiff peaks.

Assemble the shortcakes:
Split the shortcakes in half horizontally and arrange the bottom of each one split side up on an individual plate. Divide the sugared nectarines and then the whipped cream among them. Replace the top half of each shortcake and serve immediately.

Serves 8. Here's my secret to the most irresistible shortcakes ever: I use my scone recipe instead of a bland biscuit, and I don't skimp on the fruit and whipped cream. Work quickly and with a light touch to prevent the butter in the pastry from melting. If you can get your hands on it, use Tahitian vanilla, which has a uniquely floral character, for the whipped cream. Peaches may be substituted for the nectarines. If you enjoy this recipe, try my Strawberry Shortcakes.

Mixed Berries

This is what summer's all about.


Sweet, luscious berries.


Certainly nature's most generous gift to us.


Strawberries. Raspberries. Blackberries. Blueberries.


Each one, perfection.


But combine them, and magic happens…The individual flavor notes meld and together gain in intensity, like instruments in an orchestra.


So it's no surprise that the flavor of these Mixed Berry Mousse & Gelée Verrines was described as "intoxicating" and said to "taste like wine". Magic indeed.

Mixed Berry Mousse & Gelée Verrines
Printable Recipe

10 ounces raspberries
10 ounces blackberries
10 ounces blueberries
8 ounces strawberries
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 ¾ teaspoons gelatin
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Chambord
1 cup heavy cream

Puree the berries in a food mill using the finest disc. If the puree has seeds, strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove them. Divide evenly among 2 large bowls.

Stir ¼ cup of the sugar into ½ of the berry puree. Slowly sprinkle 2 ½ teaspoons of the gelatin over ¼ cup of the Chambord. Place the bowl of the gelatin mixture over a small pan of simmering water and heat until melted. Stir into the berry mixture. Whip the cream to stiff peaks. Stir 1/3 of the cream into the berry mixture, then fold in the remaining cream. Divide the mixture among 6 dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Stir the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of Chambord into the remaining ½ of the berry puree. Measure ¼ cup of water into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over the remaining 2 ¼ teaspoons of gelatin. Place the bowl of gelatin over a small pan of simmering water and heat until melted. Stir into the berry mixture. Divide among the dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Serves 6. Serve topped with additional fresh berries, if desired. Can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

Happy 4th of July!

I interrupt my European travelogue to wish you a happy 4th of July and share with you my Strawberry Shortcake recipe. Strawberries are in season, so shortcake is just the thing to serve right now. For a red, white, and blue dessert, toss in a few blueberries or blackberries.

Have a happy and fun-filled Independence Day everybody!


Strawberry Shortcakes
Printable Recipe

For the shortcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 ounces (¾ stick) cold unsalted butter, shredded
1 large egg
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons Turbinado sugar

For the sugared strawberries:
2 ¾ pounds strawberries, sliced
3 tablespoons sugar

For the whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the shortcakes:
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Blend together the egg and ½ cup of the cream in a small bowl, add to the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Transfer to a work surface and knead a few times until the dough just holds together. Pat the dough into a 6-inch wide, 1 ½-inch thick circle and cut into 8 wedges. Arrange the shortcakes a couple of inches apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Lightly brush the shortcakes with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream and sprinkle with the Turbinado sugar. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

Make the sugared strawberries:
Toss together the strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl and let macerate, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft and juicy.

Make the whipped cream:
Whip the cream to medium peaks. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to whip to stiff peaks.

Assemble the shortcakes:
Split the shortcakes in half horizontally and arrange the bottom of each one split side up on an individual plate. Divide the sugared strawberries and then the whipped cream among them. Replace the top half of each shortcake and serve immediately.

Serves 8. Here's my secret to the most irresistible version ever of this favorite summer dessert: I use my basic scone recipe instead of a bland biscuit as the shortcake base, and I don't skimp on the strawberries and whipped cream. The scone "shortcakes" are wonderful made with vanilla sugar. Work quickly and with a light touch to prevent the butter in the pastry from melting. Strawberries that aren't perfectly ripe will require additional sugar, so add more to taste. If you can get your hands on it, use Tahitian vanilla, which has a uniquely floral character, for the whipped cream. You'll need about 3 pints of strawberries for this recipe.

Forelle Pears

So adorable! So darling! So precious! You might think I’m talking about a baby, but no…I’m going gaga over Forelle pears, the diminutive pears with the freckled, blushing cheeks.


Pretty and petite Forelle pears disappear in two bites each, three at most. So cute and dainty!


Pistachio Panna Cottas with Lemon-Cardamom Poached Forelle Pears
Printable Recipe

1 cup pistachios
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons gelatin
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
6 Forelle pears, ripe but firm
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the pistachios and ¼ cup of the sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. With the motor running, add the cream. Transfer to a small saucepan, heat to a bare simmer, and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Measure ½ cup of the milk into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over the gelatin. Stir the remaining 1 cup milk into the pistachio mixture. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among 6 dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Combine the remaining ¾ cup sugar, lemon zest, cardamom, and 1 ½ cups water in a small pot. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Peel the pears, cut them in half, and core them with a melon baller, leaving the stem end intact. Add the pears to the pot and drape them with a piece of cheesecloth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears to a plate and chill. Boil the poaching liquid another 12 to 14 minutes, or until thickened and slightly syrupy. Stir in the lemon juice and chill.

Divide the pears among the dessert cups, drizzle with the sauce, and serve immediately.

Serves 6. If Forelle pears are unavailable, use quartered Bosc or Bartlett pears. The cheesecloth will keep the pears completely submerged beneath the poaching liquid so that they cook evenly. Garnish with chopped pistachios if desired.

Dreamy Grapefruit

It's citrus season, and tangerines, lemons, and grapefruits are appearing not only in the markets, but also in my dreams. Thoughts of grapefruit with zabaglione came to me as I was drifting off to sleep one night. A dreamy flavor combination indeed.

Grapefruit Gratins with Zabaglione
Printable Recipe

Suprêmes from 2 grapefruits, preferably Ruby Red
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup Marsala

Divide the suprêmes along with their juices among 4 individual gratin dishes.


Combine the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened and pale yellow. Whisk in the Marsala. Place the bowl over a small pan of simmering water and heat, whisking constantly, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until warm and fluffy.


Divide among the gratin dishes. Brown the gratins with a culinary torch and serve immediately.

Serves 4. A cinch to prepare, these light and refreshing gratins would be the perfect finish to any brunch. Add a bit of grapefruit zest to the zabaglione along with the yolks and sugar if you want more grapefruit flavor. If you don’t have a culinary torch, you can brown the gratins under a preheated broiler. No matter how you do it, be careful to brown them only lightly as burnt eggs are unpleasant. Gratins may be assembled several hours in advance and kept uncovered in the refrigerator. Brown just before serving.

Learning What's Seasonal

The scariest part of learning to cook was memorizing what was in season when. The cookbooks said that any good cook should know, and I believed them. But fruits and vegetables came from the grocery store, and the grocery store in my neighborhood had the same stuff pretty much year round. The seasonality charts made my head spin. How hopeless.

It sounds so hilarious to me know—a silly college kid determined to learn to cook by reading recipes and “memorizing” seasonality charts. After all, study is what you’re supposed to do when you’re in college, right? Nobody ever tells you that experience, practice, and just paying attention to the rhythm of the world are really what’s important. I sometimes think about, actually chuckle about, the naïve would-be cook I once was. The appearance of Meyer lemons and pomegranates, both coming into season now, reminded me once again.


Meyer Lemon Verrines with Pomegranate
Printable Recipe

¾ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons gelatin
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated Meyer lemon zest
¾ cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons Limoncello
1/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
¼ cup pomegranate arils

Measure ¼ cup of the cream into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over 1 ¼ teaspoons of the gelatin. Combine the remaining ½ cup of cream, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Whisk in the buttermilk and chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among 3 dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Slowly sprinkle the remaining ¾ teaspoon of gelatin over the Limoncello. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among the dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Divide the pomegranate arils among the dessert cups and serve immediately.

Makes 3 servings. Read this if you’re curious about verrines. You will need about 2 large Meyer lemons for this recipe.

Glenora Grapes

Do you cook or bake with grapes? I never have. I don’t know why, but I guess I’ve never thought of them as an ingredient. OK, I’ve gone so far as to toss them into a salad, but that’s about it. To me, grapes were for snacking.

Thanks to my gardener, there’s a Glenora grapevine growing on the arbor over our patio table. It’s about 3 years old now, and it provides shade and a romantic atmosphere for our alfresco meals. And for the first time, it’s providing loads of gorgeous purple grapes.


Glenora grapes are juicy and intensely flavorful, like grape bubblegum with a hint of spice, and they have a most satisfying snap when you bite down on them. In fact, they’re so good, they’ve sparked an attitude adjustment in this cook—grapes deserve to be the star of a dish, not just the fruit group in a sack lunch. They are every bit as good as any berry and ought to be treated with the same reverence in the kitchen. Though I can hardly resist eating them out of hand, I’m inspired to transform them into dessert. I made a grape consommé (which the husband insists on calling grape juice), but there are still lots of grapes hanging on that vine. I wonder what else I should make with them…Do you have any suggestions for me? And don’t you just love being inspired by ingredients?


Red Grape Consommé with Lemon-Honey Sorbet
Printable Recipe

For the sorbet:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey, preferably orange blossom honey
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 2/3 cups water
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the consommé:
3 pounds stemmed red grapes
1 cup sugar

To serve:
1 cup blackberries

Make the sorbet:
Combine the sugar, honey, lemon zest, and water in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in the lemon juice. Chill over an ice bath until ice-cold. Transfer to an ice cream maker and churn until frozen. Transfer to a container and freeze for 4 to 6 hours before serving.

Make the consommé:
Combine the grapes and sugar in a large, heavy pot. Lightly crush the grapes using a potato masher. Heat to a bare simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool. Juice in a food mill using the finest disc. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and chill.

To serve:
Ladle the consommé into individual bowls. Add a scoop of the sorbet to each bowl and divide the blackberries among them. Serve immediately.

Yields about 3 ½ cups of sorbet and 1 quart of consommé, serving 8. I used leaves of lemon balm and jasmine blossoms for garnish in addition to the blackberries. The clarity of the grape consommé is, by far, best on the day it’s made.

Strawberry Picking and Red, White, and Bluish

Somehow the idea of strawberry picking in a fleece jacket seems all wrong. Strawberry picking slogging through muddy fields does not compute. The calendar said it was strawberry season, and the masses had converged upon the Sauvie Island strawberry fields, but I wasn’t feeling it. To me, strawberry picking is an activity that takes place on a warm, sunny day. An activity that takes place in shorts and tank tops and sandals and with plenty of sunscreen. I turned around empty handed and headed for home—I would wait another week.

The next weekend: still cloudy, still not feeling it. Lots of rain during the week would’ve diluted the sweetness of the strawberries anyway. I would wait impatiently yet another week.

And the next weekend: a few clouds and a few optimistic rays of sunshine. Starting to feel it. I made it half way out to Sauvie Island, and out of the blue, the skies opened up. The world did not want me to have u-pick strawberries, and it told me so with a torrential downpour, complete with flooded streets.

Now at this point, I should point out that I live for strawberry season. I look forward to it all year long. I’m in an area that, especially in good years, produces some of the most fragrant, sweetest, intoxicating strawberries I have ever known, and I am determined to take advantage of it. But I do not want to buy my strawberries at the store. They’re not the same. They come without the fresh air, the sun on your shoulders, the strain in your back, and the stained fingers and lips. Without the laughter and strawberry fight with your husband. They come without the magic.

But I gave in and headed to the market to buy some local strawberries. Their aroma lured me in, they looked good, they were only twice as expensive as u-pick. I was all ready to buy a couple pints, and then I tasted one. It was cold and barely sweet. I just couldn’t go through with it.

The clouds finally dissipated, and not a moment too soon—the strawberries were bearing their last fruit of the season, tiny berries no bigger than a thumbnail. The taste of strawberries still warm from the sun was definitely worth the wait!

We came home with an entire flat of strawberries. And between the two of us, we managed to polish of said flat in 4 days flat. My husband said the Vanilla Panna Cotta, Strawberry & Lavender Gelée Verrines I made looked like a collection of marbles.


Between bites, he proclaimed that they were perfect for the 4th of July since they were red, white, and bluish.

So here’s wishing everybody a happy Independence Day!


Vanilla Panna Cotta, Strawberry & Lavender Gelée Verrines
Printable Recipe

1 ½ cups milk
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon gelatin
1 ½ cups heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 ¼ cups water
2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 drops red food coloring
2 drops blue food coloring
1 pound strawberries, diced

Measure ½ cup of the milk into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over 2 ½ teaspoons of the gelatin. Combine the remaining 1 cup of milk, cream, and ¼ cup of the sugar in a small saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add both the pod and the seeds to the pan. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and discard the vanilla bean. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among 6 dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Measure ¾ cup of the water into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of gelatin. Combine the remaining 1 ½ cups of water, remaining ½ cup of sugar, and lavender in a small saucepan. Heat to a simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture, lemon juice, and food coloring and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Transfer to a 9-inch square cake pan. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Divide the strawberries among the dessert cups. Dip the bottom of the cake pan with the lavender gelée into hot water for a few seconds, wipe dry, and invert onto a cutting board. Dice the gelée and divide among the dessert cups. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 generous servings. Feel free to add sugar to taste to the strawberries if they aren’t very sweet.

Rhubarb and a Happy Mother's Day

Last week, Mom flew in all the way from Texas for an all-too-rare visit. Usually Dad comes too, but he stayed home this time. Although we missed him, this visit was just for the girls.

We had quite a week together, full of shopping, cooking, eating, and more shopping! We hit every store we could think of, some of them twice. It was a ball trying on dresses and shoes and snapping up great tableware bargains. Of course, for me, the best shopping trip was to the farmers market. I would rather squeeze the tomatoes than squeeze my feet into the trendiest shoes of the moment.

But the most fun we had together was in the kitchen. This time, we ate in more than we ate out, and we spent an entire day in the kitchen cooking our farmers market booty. Mom had never had rhubarb before, so I made a pretty dessert of Ginger Panna Cotta, Rhubarb Mousse & Rhubarb Gelée Verrines. I put her to work shaving asparagus into paper-thin slices with a vegetable peeler for a Shaved Asparagus Salad. She complained and complained that shaving asparagus was absurd, that I was enslaving her—Mom can be a quite drama queen that way, but all the asparagus was done within 15 minutes, and the salad turned out great. And just for the record, I’m never a drama queen like that. Never. I’m sure my husband would agree.

The only disappointing thing about Mom’s visit is that she couldn’t stay for Mother’s Day. It would have been really nice to celebrate her in person. Mom, I miss you already! Thanks for everything, Mom, thanks for being you, and may your Mother’s Day be as sweet as you are.

And here’s wishing a happy Mother’s Day to all moms!


Ginger Panna Cotta, Rhubarb Mousse & Rhubarb Gelée Verrines
Printable Recipe

1 ½ cups milk
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon gelatin
2 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound rhubarb, diced
2 ½ cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean
8 sprigs mint, for serving

Measure ½ cup of the milk into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over 2 ½ teaspoons of the gelatin. Combine the remaining 1 cup of milk, 1 ½ cups of the cream, ¼ cup of the sugar, and ginger in a small saucepan. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and vanilla extract and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among 8 dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Combine 2 cups of the water, the remaining 1 cup of sugar, rhubarb, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add both the pod and the seeds to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Let cool slightly, discard the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean, and puree in a food mill using a fine disc. Let cool to room temperature and divide evenly among 2 large bowls.

Measure ¼ cup of the water into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over 2 ½ teaspoons of the gelatin. Place the bowl of gelatin over a small pan of simmering water and heat until melted. Stir into ½ of the rhubarb puree. Whip the remaining 1 cup of cream to stiff peaks. Stir 1/3 of the cream into the rhubarb mixture, then fold in the remaining cream. Divide among the dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Measure the remaining ¼ cup of water into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over the remaining 2 teaspoons of gelatin. Place the bowl of gelatin over a small pan of simmering water and heat until melted. Stir into the remaining ½ of the rhubarb puree. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among the dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Top each with 1 of the mint sprigs and serve.

Makes 8 very generous servings. Can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Also good topped with bits of candied ginger.


This verrine recipe evolved from another dessert I like to make—ginger panna cottas topped with rhubarb compote. To make it, simply prepare the ginger panna cotta layer as directed in the first step of the recipe. Cook the rhubarb as directed and let cool to room temperature, but don’t puree it. Top the ginger panna cottas with this rhubarb compote and serve.

Verrines

Do you know the word verrine? I looked it up. It’s French for protective glass. And, for reasons that I don’t understand since I don’t speak French, it’s the word used to describe any appetizer or dessert that’s composed of various tasty components artfully layered into a glass. My first encounter with a verrine was on a trip to Paris, when I first laid eyes on Pierre Herme’s Émotion Ispahan. Ever since that moment, I’ve had nothing but verrines on the brain, I’ve been dreaming up verrine after verrine. Tahitian vanilla panna cotta, diced strawberries, and diced lavender gelée with a tuile. Caramel gelée, diced caramel-poached pears, lemon mousse, and a pear chip. Green tea gelée, apricot gelée, and crumbled French macarons. But now it’s time to stop dreaming and start making—I finally got just the perfect cups to do it!


Citrus & Caramel Verrines
Printable Recipe

¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon water
1 orange, cut into 1/8-inch slices
2 ½ teaspoons (1 envelope) gelatin
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¾ cup milk
¾ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated Meyer lemon zest
½ vanilla bean
Suprêmes from 1 orange
Suprêmes from 1 Meyer lemon
Suprêmes from 1 grapefruit
Suprêmes from 2 tangerines
1 tablespoon orange liqueur, optional

Preheat the oven to 250˚F. Combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of the water in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Dip the orange slices into the sugar syrup to coat and arrange them about an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 35 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the slices and bake another 35 to 40 minutes, or until dry but not brown. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Meanwhile, slowly sprinkle 1 ¼ teaspoons of the gelatin over the orange juice. Combine ½ cup of the sugar and 3 tablespoons of the water in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, brush down the sides of the pan with water, and boil for 5 to 6 minutes, or until caramelized. The sugar will be fragrant and a deep amber color when it is caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat and dip the bottom into an ice water bath for a second or two. Slowly stir in the remaining 1 ¼ cups of water. Return the pan to low heat and stir until smooth. Increase the heat to medium and heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide the mixture among 6 juice or dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Measure ¼ cup of the milk into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over the remaining 1 ¼ teaspoons of gelatin. Combine the remaining ½ cup of milk, remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, cream, orange zest, and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add both the pod and the seeds to the pan. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among the dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Toss together the suprêmes along with their juices and the orange liqueur, if desired, in a medium bowl. Divide among the dessert cups. Leave at room temperature for about an hour. Top each with 1 of the candied orange slices and serve.

Makes 6 servings. Can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. It’s best at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about an hour before serving, and top with the candied orange slices at the last minute. Juice cups with an 8-ounce capacity are just right for this dessert, and you will need about 3 oranges for this recipe.

Sweets for Your Sweet

Everybody knows that nothing says “I love you” like chocolate. But making a dreamy chocolate treat for your special someone is infinitely more romantic than buying a heart-shaped box. And what could be more dreamy than warm, silky chocolate fondue with a just a hint of chile to turn up the heat? Here’s wishing everyone a sweet Valentine’s Day.


Chocolate Fondue for Two with Strawberries
Printable Recipe

½ cup heavy cream
1/16 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or scant 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries

Combine the cream and chipotle in a small saucepan and heat to a bare simmer. Place the chocolate into a medium bowl, add the hot cream mixture and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a fondue pot and serve with the strawberries immediately.

Serves one couple. This recipe is quick and easy and takes only a couple of minutes to make. Dark chocolate makes for the most intensely flavored fondue, but you can substitute milk or white chocolate if you prefer. Be sure to give the fondue a stir every time you dip into it to keep the chocolate from scorching. If you don’t have a fondue pot, you can serve the fondue in a large ramekin or a small bowl, and it will stay fluid for about an hour. You can also try it with banana slices, tangerine segments, dried apricots, cookies, cubes of pound cake, pretzels, you name it—everything tastes great coated in chocolate. Even lips or other exposed skin, if you know what I mean.

Meyer Lemons

The Meyer lemons are coming! The Meyer lemons are coming! And if you look hard enough, you might even be able to find them now. I managed to find some, the first of the season. I went to four different markets before I found them…I just can’t help myself when a craving strikes…but I found them. The search was worth it too, these sweet and intensely aromatic lemons are a joy to cook with. Their floral fragrance is intoxicating. How I love Meyer lemons, they’re reason enough to look forward to winter.


Meyer Lemon & Blood Orange Gelée
Printable Recipe

½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated Meyer lemon zest
¾ cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon gelatin
Suprêmes from 3 blood oranges

Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and ¾ cups of water in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in the lemon juice. Measure 1/3 cup of water into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over the gelatin. Place the bowl of gelatin over a small pan of simmering water and heat until melted. Stir into the lemon mixture. Chill the lemon mixture over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. This will allow the bits of lemon zest to stay suspended in the mixture. Divide the suprêmes along with their juices among 6 ramekins or individual molds and then divide the lemon mixture among them. Refrigerate for about 4 hours, or until set.

Serve as is, or to unmold, dip the bottom of each ramekin or mold into hot water for a few seconds, wipe dry, and invert onto a dessert plate.

Serves 6. This is a light and refreshing dessert. It’s also super puckery and not for the faint of tart—ideal for serious lemon lovers. I like to serve it with Candied Citrus Peel and a drizzle of Blood Orange Syrup. For a gelée with a beautiful pink color and the perfect texture, add the juices from cutting the blood orange suprêmes, but reserve the juice squeezed from the membranes for another purpose. Can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. You will need about 6 large Meyer lemons for this recipe.

Serving of Fruit

Don’t think of it as dessert, think of it as a way to get one of your daily servings of fruit.

Pears Poached in Port
Printable Recipe

1 750-milliliter bottle ruby port
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 strips lemon zest
1 strip orange zest
1 vanilla bean
6 Bosc pears, ripe but firm
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the port, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest, and orange zest in a small nonreactive pot. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add both the pod and the seeds to the pot. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Peel the pears and core them through the blossom end with a melon baller, leaving the stem end intact. Add the pears to the pot and drape them with a piece of cheesecloth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears to a plate. Boil the poaching liquid another 14 to 16 minutes, or until thickened and slightly syrupy. Stir in the lemon juice, strain through a fine mesh sieve, and let cool slightly. Arrange the pears on individual plates, drizzle with the sauce, and serve immediately.

Serves 6. May be served warm or at room temperature. Perfect with gingersnap cookies. To obtain strips of zest from a lemon and an orange, simply use a vegetable peeler. The cheesecloth will keep the pears completely submerged beneath the poaching liquid so that they cook and color evenly. Leftover sauce, should you have any, is fantastic over ice cream.

Fresno

We just got back from visiting my mother-in-law in Fresno, California. It was no accident we planned our trip for July. July is stone fruit season in Fresno.

Of course, I wanted to go to a u-pick orchard. I thought it would be easy to find one. There are so many u-pick options in Oregon, but I guess Fresno’s not the same. Or maybe we just didn’t know where to look. I searched the internet while my mother-in-law phoned her friends and family for leads. They sent us to visit the jam lady in Reedley, about half an hour south of Fresno. “Turn right past the river and go to the house at the top of the hill,” they said. At least it was something to go on.

It was the last day of our trip. After a beautiful drive through citrus and stone fruit orchards, we found the jam lady at the Top of the Hill Farm. She invited us in, it was like she was expecting us. The old farm house was cluttered with antique cookware and jars of jam in all of the colors of the rainbow. The jam lady offered to take us to see the pomegranate jelly being made. A private tour! I love to see where and how my food is made, but I usually have to tell my husband to create a distraction while I sneak into the kitchen.

I tasted every flavor of her jam until my teeth hurt. I picked out the Santa Rosa Plum Jam, Yellow Peach Jam, Three Berry Jam, Apricot Jam, Pomegranate Jelly, and Meyer Lemon Marmalade to take home with me.


(My belly was so full of jam, I almost skipped lunch. Almost, but not quite.)

Then I asked the jam lady where to go for u-pick fruit. She walked us right across her driveway and into her orchard.


One stop shopping, how convenient! Before I knew it we had an enormous box full of soft and juicy white peaches, nectarines, and plums.

My mother-in-law mentioned making a cobbler, and the thought stuck with me.


Stone Fruit Cobbler
Printable Recipe

2 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into eighths
2 large nectarines, peeled, pitted, and cut into eighths
8 small plums, peeled, pitted, and quartered
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced, plus more for greasing the baking dish
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Combine the peaches, nectarines, plums, ¼ cup of the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and vanilla in a large bowl and toss to coat. Butter an 11×7-inch baking dish. Transfer the fruit mixture to the baking dish.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and remaining ½ cup of sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.


Add the cream and pulse until the dough just comes together.


Spread the crust mixture evenly over the fruit in the baking dish.


Bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling around the edges. Let cool slightly and serve.

Makes enough for 6 or 8. Perfect with vanilla ice cream.

Paris Sweets

We went to Paris in late summer. We hurried by Notre Dame on the way to lunch and passed the Louvre on our way to eat dinner.

Lunch was fabulous. We visited one foodie destination after another acquiring all of the components. We bought stinky cheese, saucisson sec, a fragrant Charentais melon (saucisson sec and melon, by the way, is an even happier marriage than prosciutto and melon), a slab of country pâté, a quarter of a loaf of Poilâne’s famous bread, a pint of tiny fraise des bois, a bottle of red wine, and, after waiting in a very long and slow-moving line, a selection of goodies from Pierre Hermé. We picnicked under the Eiffel Tower.

Of course, I had heard about Pierre Hermé’s reputation before: God to pastry chefs and pastry lovers everywhere. But I guess I’m the type of person who just has to see it, or should I say, taste it, to believe it. I just didn’t believe all of the hype. At first.

When we finally entered the shop, I found myself inside my wildest fantasy. It was like being in a jewelry shop, only instead of diamonds, the display cases were full of cakes and tarts and macarons! Dizzy with excitement by the time it was our turn to order, I had no idea of what to get. I was never any good at ordering, I want to taste everything. My husband resolutely asked for a Kouign-Amann. I pointed at a Tarte Citron, a Carrément Chocolat, an Émotion Ispahan, and a chocolate macaron.

It was love at first bite. The Kouign-Amann was light as a feather, with croissant-like layers of slightly salty pastry and a shatteringly thin caramel crust. We fought over the last bite. The chocolate macaron melted in the mouth. We should have ordered more than one, sharing is for the birds. The lemon tart was so puckery it tingled. The chocolate dessert was rich and intense and deeply satisfying, even for a chocolate lover who can’t be satisfied. And the Émotion Ispahan was simply the most delicious thing that has ever crossed my lips. A layer of litchi gelée, a layer of raspberry gelée so vibrant it almost seemed effervescent, and a layer of slightly sweetened rose-scented cream, all topped with a wafer of pink macaron and a single red rose petal, made for a perfect flavor combination. It was divine.

But sweeter still was the passing schoolboy who, just as we were digging into our Émotion Ispahan, called to us with a broad smile, “Bon appétit!”

I have searched for Pierre Hermé’s Émotion Ispahan recipe everywhere, but my hours of effort have been fruitless. So here’s my own recreation of that oh-so-special treat. The recipe may look long, but, take my word on it, it’s really quite easy to make. Bon appétit!

Memory of an Émotion Ispahan
Printable Recipe

1 20-ounce can litchis in syrup, drained
1 ¾ teaspoons gelatin
6 ounces raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Chambord, optional
1 ounce fragrant rose petals
½ cup heavy cream
1 to 2 drops red food coloring


Puree the litchis in a food mill using a fine disc.


Measure 2 tablespoons of water into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over 1 teaspoon of the gelatin.


Place the bowl of gelatin over a small pan of simmering water and heat until melted.


Stir into the litchi puree. Chill the litchi mixture over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. This will allow the bits of litchi to stay suspended in the mixture.


Divide the mixture among 4 juice or dessert cups. Refrigerate for about half an hour, or until set.

Reserve 12 of the raspberries. Puree the remaining raspberries in a food mill using the finest disc. If the puree has seeds, strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove them.


Stir in 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the Chambord, if desired. Measure 2 tablespoons of water into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over the remaining ¾ teaspoon of gelatin. Place the bowl of gelatin over a small pan of simmering water and heat until melted. Stir into the raspberry mixture. Arrange 3 of the reserved raspberries atop the litchi layer in each cup. Divide the raspberry mixture among the dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Meanwhile, reserve 4 of the rose petals. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the remaining rose petals and bring to a bare simmer, stirring constantly. It will seem like a lot of petals at first, but they will wilt down quickly. Immediately remove from the heat and let cool. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and chill.

Combine the cream and food coloring in a large bowl and whip to medium peaks. Add the rose syrup and whip to stiff peaks. Divide among the dessert cups. Top each with 1 of the reserved rose petals. Leave at room temperature for about an hour and serve.

Makes 4 servings. Can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. It’s best at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about an hour before serving. Juice cups with a 5 to 6-ounce capacity are just right for this dessert. Make sure the rose petals you are using haven’t been sprayed.