Sandwich Art: A Mom's Awesome School Lunch Project

Sandwich Art: A Mom's Awesome School Lunch Project:

Recently, I noticed a friend posting really cute photos on Facebook. But these weren't photos of her kids (who are also very cute); they were photos of the lunch she packed for her son each day. And, as you can see, they aren't ordinary sandwiches and Octavia is no ordinary mom! More

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Summer Gazpacho Recipe for Boston Globe

Summer Gazpacho Recipe for Boston Globe:

Summer Gazpacho Recipe

I had talked to you about this delicious summer gazpacho I had prepared a while ago. I had so much fun creating this recipe. Especially as I played with color, using yellow tomatoes and pepper for one batch, and the red variety for another batch. This summer soup is finished with a topping made of shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber.
Friends who came over to share it with us loved it. I hope you love it too!
It’s a recipe I wrote for the Boston Globe. You can find the recipe by following this link.



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Toasty Nuts Recipe

Toasty Nuts Recipe:

Toasty Nuts Recipe from the Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook

I love when a cookbook leaves me inspired. The soon-to-be released The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook is one of these brilliant books. Filled with delicious and healthy recipes with beautiful photographs. The best combination in my eyes.
I am sure you know Sara and Hugh Forte. The duo talent behind the Sprouted Kitchen food blog. Sara cooks healthy recipes filled with character while her husband Hugh photographs them artfully.
What a pair those two make!
I was one of the lucky ones to receive a preview of their scrumptious cookbook, and I loved it right away. I knew it was going to draw me to the stove to cook.
Since this past week was our last one to spend in France with my family, I really wanted to cook a recipe from their book while I was still there. I wanted to share it with my brother and his wife, more particularly, because they, and me and Sara, share the same love for whole foods and dishes that make someone feel good.

And that’s when my eyes landed on this Toasty Nuts recipe. I knew it was going to be what I’d make first for everyone because we all love roasted nuts.
The recipe is a winner.
It is extracted from the Snack section (other sections inside the book share recipes from breakfast, to salads and main courses, and treats).
We enjoyed it one night with a drink before we started dinner.
And then it was exactly what we loved during our travel back to the States from France yesterday.
“Encore des noix maman!” (more nuts, mum) Lulu exclaimed with her hand stretched towards me while we sat on the TGV train to Paris.
She kept asking for more.
I know you will too. They are the perfect snack to sneak inside a bag to enjoy throughout the day.
Lulu understood that very quickly.


And now that I am back in my kitchen, I know that next, I will be making Roasted Plum Tartines, Grilled Zucchini Roll-Ups, and Toasted Millet Salad with Arugula, Quick Pickled Onions, and Goat Cheese.
Congratulations Sara and Hugh, your book is just oh so lovely!

Toasty Nuts

Recipe from The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook by Sara and Hugh Forte (Ten Speed, August 2012)
You need:

• 1 egg white
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Grade 8 maple syrup
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used barely 1/4 teaspoon to be light on the spiciness since I knew Lulu would eat them)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups unsalted nuts mix (I used cashews, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and pecans)
• 2 tablespoons flaxseeds
• 3 tablespoons millet or quinoa (I used white quinoa)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Whisk in the maple syrup, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Stir in the nuts, flaxseeds, quinoa, and rosemary, making sure everything is coated completely.
• Spread the nuts on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer and bake until the nuts are browned and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.

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A summer of fruit tarts

A summer of fruit tarts:

Tarte aux quetsches

Spending time with my family in France this summer translated into baking a lot of fruit tarts. I can see this is a food habit deeply anchored in my upbringing. And at this time of year, we had gorgeous local quetsches and mirabelles to enjoy.
So we did.
Joyfully.
Plentifully.

Basket filled with mirabelles and Reine-Claude –

Tarte aux mirabelles

I fell in love with quetsches and mirabelles and Reine-Claude–all varieties of plums–many years ago in my grandfather’s and uncle’s orchards in northeastern France, when I was still a young girl. These local plums are a big part of what a French summer spent in Lorraine in late August means to me, when the fields have just been harvested, and hay balls and bundles of straw cover them.
Oh! the silly games my cousins and I used to have there in the fields and barns filled with hay. And how fun it was this time for me, to relive these moments with Lulu. When my high school friend R. and her twins came to visit us, we could not help but find a field.
And then play. Covered in hay.

The joy of playing in hay

My grand-father and many of my uncles on my father’s side were farmers. On their land, there were always quetschiers or mirabelliers (the fruit trees) that gave fruit in abundance every summer. At the peak of the season, the kitchen bubbled with activity behind the stove. My mother, grandmother, and aunts skillfully worked with the fruit to make jams, liqueurs, and fruits au sirop. It was a time when a freezer was rare, and they’d naturally prefer to preserve.
And then they also baked a lot of tarts with the fruit.

Tarte aux mirabelles

The chance that a fruit tart was going to be ready on the kitchen counter was high. I almost took it for granted that it was the way it should be. Waiting for unexpected guests to stop by and enjoy.
I felt lucky when I was one of them.

Mirabelliers in my home village

Quetsches

I’ve never found mirabelles in the US, but I’ve seen plums similar to quetsches. Here, they are sometimes called Italian plums, although I’ve seen many different names–which always confuses me in a way. Why two names for the same thing? I cannot help but wonder. They are in season right now, and I was delighted to find some at a local market near us.
So naturally, I followed our tradition.
And I baked a tarte aux quetsches.
To prolong the feeling of our time spent playing in the hay and enjoying picking the fruit right off the tree.

Tarte aux quetsches

For a 12-inch tart


At home, we prefer most of our fruit tarts lightly sprinkled with sugar, and hardly nothing else. My sister-in-law masters them beautifully. You can make this tart with mirabelles in the same way.
For the pastry:

• 70 g quinoa flour
• 30 g millet flour
• 100 g brown rice flour
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1.5 teaspoons xantham gum* (optional)
• 100 g butter, cold and diced
• 1 large egg yolk
• 5 (or more) tablespoons cold water

*helps with the binding from lack of gluten
For the fruit:

• 1 kg quetsches (called small Italian plums in the US)
• 50 g blond cane sugar + more to sprinkle on top
• 1 vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped out
• Zest of 1 organic lime, finely grated
• 30 g almond meal

Steps:

• In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flours, salt, and xantham gum (if using).
• Add the butter and work on medium speed until crumbles form.
• Continue by adding the egg yolk.
• Gradually add the water and work the pastry until it detaches from the bowl.
• Make a ball, dust it with flour, and cover with a towel in the fridge, for a few hours (or overnight.)
• Roll the pastry and garnish a 12-inch tart mold. Make small holes with a fork and place in the fridge, covered, for an hour minimum (or more).
• Preheat the oven to 430 F.
• Half the quetsches (or mirabelles) and remove the pit. Make a small slit at the top of the fruit without cutting each half completely.
• In a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla seeds, lime zest and almond meal.
• Sprinkle 3/4 of it on top of the pastry.
• Arrange the fruit on top, and add the rest of the sugar mixture.
• Bake the tart for 30 minutes, or until the crust is light brown in color, and the fruit is juicy.
• Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with 2 tablepoons sugar. Let completely cool.

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A Workshop in Sicily

A Workshop in Sicily:

Walking through Case Vecchie Grounds

After visiting Case Vecchie in Sicily earlier this year, and then meet Fabrizia, I knew I’d have to come back to the school.
The funny thing is that, without planning it, Fabrizia and I got along really well. It’s easy. She is simply delightful and warm, she cooks delicious foods; she loves to share stories and has a terrific laughter, and she also speaks French like a native.
I knew I had to love her.
Quickly, she and I started to dream about teaching a workshop together. One that would combine cooking Sicilian foods, styling and photographing food, and then visiting locals to learn about the flavors of this beautiful Mediterranean island. Sicilians are really welcoming!


So we exchanged ideas. And came up with the workshop that follows:
A 4-day combined food styling and photography workshop with cooking classes at Case Vecchie, and guided tours in Sicily, from March 15 to March 20, 2013.
I will be teaching the food styling and photography sessions while Fabrizia Lanza, founder and instructor at Anna Tasca Cooking School, will lead the cooking classes. And amongst it all, there will also be local visits to discover snapshots of the Sicilian culture (such as visiting a ricotta farm, traveling to Palermo to see the markets, enjoy St Joseph festivities–and more).

This is an excellent chance to see what your food and scenic inspiration looks like in print!
Some props will be provided–and a number of classic and innovative styles will be explored and compared. Bring your SLR camera! (and tripod, if you have one, and any additional props you’d like)—this class is an invaluable introduction for aspiring food photographers and stylists to start building a portfolio.
The cost for 5 nights (lodging with all meals and drinks included) and 4-day class is US$ 2,300. Air fare is not included. Most rooms are shared. Wifi is available in the main house of the school.
The class is limited to 12 students. See the day-to-day details of the workshop here.
To see more pictures of Case Vecchie and read the story I wrote during my visit this past March, click here.

Registration opens on September 12th, 2012 at 10 AM EST.
Practical things to know:
To register, email Fabrizia Lanza at info@annatascalanza.com (the first ones to contact Fabrizia are the first ones to secure a spot in the workshop).
To sign up: We require a 50% deposit to hold your space. The deposit will be applied toward the balance of the workshop. Final payment is due three weeks prior to workshop.
Cancellation Policy: Up to a month (30 days) prior to the workshop, the deposit will be refunded in full. For less than 30 day cancellations, the deposit is 100% non-refundable under any circumstance. Deposit can be applied toward future workshop within one year of initial payment. We reserve the right to cancel the workshop at any time (and in such case, the workshop fees already paid will be reimbursed.) Local visits are subject to change.
Payment Methods: Wire Transfer or PayPal.

*Note: PayPal and Bank Transfer are subject to an additional 15 Euro administration fee.
Food Allergies & Dietary Concerns: If there are any foods that you cannot eat or are allergic to, please notify us in advance so that we can make arrangements. There are a wide range of foods available at the cooking school and we are happy to accommodate any specific dietary needs.
We hope you’ll be there with us. If you have more questions about the daily workshop schedule, just email us.



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Fall Means

Fall Means:

Lila et Lulu

Pick apples with friends, share an impromptu picnic, and have our three-year old girls holding hands.
Feeling they are young and innocent.
And happy to feel alive.



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London 2012 Olympics (Update)

London 2012 Olympics (Update):

(NOTE: New images start at #56) The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad (and known informally as London 2012) are in full swing in London, United Kingdom. Around 10,500 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (the group responsible for organizing their people's participation in the games) will compete. Thousands and thousands of images will be made in London of the athletes and the spectators; the venues and the celebrations; the pomp and the circumstance. A search of current images in a wire database reveals images coming into the system at a rate of over 1,000 an hour during the hours of competition, resulting in a major picture editing challenge. A small sampling follows. -- Paula Nelson (55 photos total)

Kyla Ross of the U.S. performs on the balance beam during the women's gymnastics team final, July 31, 2012. (Dylan Martinez/Reuters)

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Independence days: Pakistan and India celebrate their 65th

Independence days: Pakistan and India celebrate their 65th:

The partition of India took place in 1947, ending 350 years of British rule and forming the self-governing countries of Pakistan and India. The Indian Independence Act was decided for Aug. 15, but Pakistan came into existence one day earlier on Aug. 14 so the British viceroy, Lord (Louis) Mountbatten, could attend both ceremonies in the two newly formed countries. Compiled here are images from this week's Independence Day celebrations and a slice of daily life from the two countries in the past few weeks. -- Lloyd Young (36 photos total)

Pakistani Rangers (black) and Indian Border Security Force personnel (brown) perform the flag off ceremony at India-Pakistan Wagah Border Post on Aug. 14. Pakistan celebrates Independence Day on August 14 and India on August 15. (Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images)

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