Julia Child - Buche de Noel

When I finished with Final exams about two weeks ago, I was exhausted. Nights of staying up late studying by myself and with friends had finally overtaken me. Ok, well, it was mostly studying. Some friends had organized "breaks" in which we did things like walk in the rain, watch old movies, head to the gym, and In need of something to help me stay awake while I packed up for Winter Break, I did a Google search for Julia Child's classic French Christmas dessert: Buche de Noel. Thrilled to find the total episode on Youtube, I was glued to the screen when I should have been packing up clothes or washing mugs or putting away textbooks... It was a treat and if you have a half hour to spare, enjoy this French classic... looks so good!

The Four Seasons - Part II

 Happy New Year! 

Here is the second and final part of the Four Seasons tour from last week. Seeing the pictures reminds me of all the hard work and dedication that it takes be successful not only at being a chef, but in any career. Although I am seriously considering pursuing the culinary arts at this point, the tour was a special treat to get an inside peek into the hotel and restaurant industry. 

Many thanks to Chef Gonzalez and my mom for a wonderful birthday event!

The Pastry Kitchen. Chef Gonzalez said that the hotel will serve gluten free desserts and pastries upon request.

One of the chefs preparing stacked cakes as a special gift for guests who are celebrating a birthday or anniversary.

The delicious details! Each was covered on the sides with tiny chocolate bits... something fun to try at home frosting cakes!

Foreground: fresh strawberries for a cheesecake dessert. The large bins in the background are for their dry ingredients, cornmeal, flour, sugar, etc.

Separating eggs... not sure what was going on here! So many options with egg whites!

Sous Chef Peter who runs the kitchens in the mornings. Chef Peter is cutting out dough to make saltines for lunch.

At the end of our tour... Chef Gonzalez is a very gracious and knowledgeable man, it was a pleasure to meet him!

One of the beautiful dining areas at the Four Seasons Hotel.

All photographs taken by Alison Linton.

Check out this super easy recipe!

Apple Bourekas from Steamy Kitchen!

Tonight, some of my family is going to a party at a friends house, and I thought this would be a simple recipe to make up something delicious and different to take along... I even have a box of filo dough thawing in my fridge! It's after Christmas and I am sure some people are open to a change from chocolate and cookies... not everyone, though!

Four Seasons - Part I

The Four Seasons Philadelphia.

The food line to the right is for room service only. Our tour of the kitchen was around 9:45am, so we were able to see some of the guest's breakfasts heading out. One plate was Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise sauce, garnished with chopped chives (I think). Cooking bacon was the strongest smell here!

The very end of a food line. I think this one was mostly for the Swan Lounge and breakfast. At the hotel, the food lines are separated into the different restaurants they serve, such as room service, the Fountain, and the Swan Lounge. Additionally, the lines are split into the Times they serve, breakfast and then lunch and dinner are together.

Chef preparing sandwiches for tea, which is served every afternoon at the hotel.

In one of the numerous refrigerators. Chef Gonzalez is explaining their standards for food and where they like to purchase food. While the Four Seasons has twelve raised beds on the roof of the hotel that provide fresh produce in the summer, in the winter, Chef Gonzalez likes to stay as local as possible. However, if a guest asks for something like strawberries, Chef Gonzalez will do his best to get whatever the customer requests.

Another food line! On the left in the picture is cheese-steak beef, thawing. One of the signature dishes at the Four Seasons are cheese-steak egg rolls. Instead of a filling of vegetables and or shrimp or chicken, the onions and beef of a cheese-steak are finely chopped and cooked together, then cheese is added to the mixture. The final product is rolled up in the traditional egg roll pastry, then fried and served. What a clever idea to showcase a pillar of Philadelphia cuisine in a new way!

A chef cutting American cheese for the filling of the cheese-steak egg rolls.

Another chef blanching pasta. Chef Gonzalez explained that the hotel either uses fresh pasta, made right in their kitchens, or frozen pasta for their hotel dining. For banquets, the hotel uses dried pasta. Coming in a later post: the banquet tour and a peek inside the pastry kitchen!

Birthday Treat!

Today I got a fabulous treat! My creative mom arranged a special birthday surprise for me: a meeting with the head chef of the Four Seasons Philadelphia!

Not only were we graciously welcomed by Rafael Gonzalez, but he personally took us on an extensive tour of the hotel/restaurant kitchen, food service areas, banquet rooms and explained the joys and challenges of being a chef. We spent nearly an hour meeting staff, observing the kitchen in action, peering into chilly refrigerators and asking questions about the hotel and the cuisine.

In the above photo, Chef Gonzalez is explaining the balance of staff for the different restaurants in the hotel (The Swan Lounge, the Fountain Restaurant, and room service). The plate heading out is for room service with Eggs Benedict. The smells were incredible!

In the next few days, I will add an update or two on life as well as a more complete report on my visit to the Four Seasons. Touring the kitchen was a perfect way to get an inside peek into one of the finest hotels in the region. The standards of excellence and service are evident in the beauty and friendliness of the hotel.

Remembering A Hero: Steve Jobs

The world lost a genius today - I was sorry to hear about the passing of Apple's Founder Steve Jobs. He proved that you can be successful without a college degree. He pioneered new technology and never settled for anything less than the best. His legacy of Apple computers created a legacy in my own family.

My grandfather started buying computers as early as the II SI (I think) and whenever he upgraded, we always got the old ones. As part of a large family, we appreciated my grandfather’s generosity, insight and advice on all techie things. It was my grandfather who recognized early on the importance of Apple computers and made sure we stayed current on the latest innovations. When the first grandchildren graduated high school in 2001, their present from Granddad and Grandma was an Apple laptop. As the most recent grad I love using my beautiful MacBook, in addition to my iPod Touch. My grandfather passed away suddenly in 2003. The Apple computer was a way to have a tangible connection to someone I loved very much.

I was just moving into my dorm at college when I found out Steve Jobs was stepping down. Today, I was deeply moved when I heard he had passed. I cried. We never know how much we love someone until they are gone. Both Steve and my grandfather have passed on, but I can still feel their presence in many ways. The world is a better place with Apple computers, but today we have lost one of our greatest innovators. Steve Jobs will be missed by many people, including me. New products from Apple aren't the same without the tall, lanky, silver-haired inventor in a black turtleneck. Steve Jobs was an icon and leader in his field. Imagine a world without Apple. I am grateful for the full and fruitful life of Steve Jobs. May God have mercy on his soul.

Happy 4th of July!

This weekend is already off to a great start. Today, my favorite tennis player, Novak Djokovic made it into the finals at the Wimbledon and became World #1!  Tomorrow is a celebration of my great-aunt's 80th birthday with lots of  fun and food (to start the day off, all the girls are going out for manicures and facials!). Sunday... Wimbledon.  Monday... the office is closed! 

Fireworks will light up the skies from the Atlantic to the Pacific - when you see them, think of the soldiers that are keeping us safe and protecting our great nation. Say a prayer for them, for their families, and for our leaders.

Wherever you are and wherever you go, may you have a glorious weekend celebrating Freedom!

God Bless America!

Image from Martha Stewart.

Zucchini Double Header

Take a look at these pictures I just took in my backyard...

 

I have never seen a double-headed zucchini flower. EVER. Once, last summer, I had a two-headed zinnia grow in my garden. But alas, I did not take pictures of the flower so it remains an urban legend. 

Note: this is not a developing zucchini "fruit" - it's merely one of the buds on the plant... can't wait to for the summer squash to ripen so I can make this.

Summertime...

It's a warm, bright summer day and I'm craving something sweet. Although I'm not allowing myself desserts right now, I've got a couple ideas on my mind for the ultimate mid-afternoon-on-a-Friday-in-June snack.

 - Strawberry Sorbet
Prepare fresh strawberries by washing them and removing the hulls. Crush two-thirds into a paste then add the remaining third that have been sliced. Add sugar to taste and mix evenly. Put into freezer-proof container and freeze until solid. Add fresh mint leaves for extra flavor when serving (or eat right out of the bowl).

- Brownie Sundae
Bake up a tray of your favorite brownies - but take them out of the oven just when the edges are cooked. Let it cool for 20 minutes. Spread your favorite flavor of ice cream (I recommend mint chocolate chip or coffee) evenly across the surface. Pop into freezer until the ice cream has hardened (if you can wait that long). Top with fudge sauce, honey roasted peanuts or whatever you're craving.

- Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Save time and throw your dough for a batch of chocolate chip cookies into an un-greased 10 inch pie pan. Bake until the top is slightly golden brown - the center should be gooey. Slice, er, spoon out portions and top with vanilla ice cream a la mode.

Hmmm. The strawberry sorbet isn't exactly a dessert... or is it?

Update on Life - September 2010

It's been too long...

Although I've been theoretically taking a "year off," these past nine months or so have been anything but a vacation. At the very beginning of my gap year I didn't have a job and had only one regular commitment (besides meals). Now, at the final stretch of summer before I pack up and leave for college, I have a full-time job and my "free-time" is filled with running errands, going to baseball games and swim meets, rehearsals, picnics with friends, and trying to stay out of trouble (which usually means staying out of the kitchen).

To give you a glimpse into what a gap year can look like, here is one snapshot from each month of year.

 
                                         September

From a Mother's Perspective...

(The following is a narrative composed by my mom about this past week's exciting events that started in the kitchen and culminated last night with the auction of the top five cakes from the contest)

Skippy's Goshen Country Fair Hershey's Cocoa Cake won first place on Thursday night.  She was all by herself in our kitchen and could actually focus without interruption.  The entry had to be an original cake, with recipe submitted... and it needed a name, so before she delivered it to the judges, one of the kids suggested Raspberry Patch (there were two round layers, split in half - one layer I think had raspberries and cream filling, the others were a ganache frosting)....but the top was covered with fresh raspberries, with fresh mint leaves from out front around the edge of the top.  The whole effect was really cool.

Friday Night at The Fair

The Winner of the bidding war with his pricey cake!

Our adorable puppy did not even place! The judges did seem partial to pugs...

The kids after an exciting night!

Goshen Country Fair 2010

You Can Almost Taste This...

Oh so yummy. The ganache did not slide off the cake (fortunately) though it was constantly in danger from the high temperature of our un-air conditioned kitchen and August humidity!

 Making sure that each raspberry is placed in the correct spot - I'm adjusting those that were too close together. The mint leaves were freshly picked from our organic vegetable/herbs garden.

I experimented with a light dusting of powdered sugar... after seeing it, I tried to remove what I could. Embellishments to this cake would have "gilded the lily" and not something I was looking for...

The Results Are In!

Yes folks, it's official... I won the 2010 Goshen Country Fair Hershey's Cocoa Baking Contest and will be heading to Harrisburg to enter the same cake (not actual cake, but the recipe I used) in the statewide contest against about 50 other tough competitors! First Prize in Harrisburg gets a check for $500... if Sarah Palin can pay for college by winning beauty contests, maybe I can earn money for school by winning baking contests...

Raspberry Patch Chocolate Cake

This is the recipe that I somewhat concocted for the Hershey's Cocoa Contest at our local Country Fair... judging is going on right now (Thursday night) and I am staying away for the time being! As I was walking my cake up to the entry booth, I received hungry stares and offers to taste test the dessert. A middle-school girl was almost visibly drooling when I heard her whisper to her friend "Oooo. That looks soooo good!" The road to the judging tent was fraught with uneven pavement, goats, running children and tussocks of grass - any of which could have tripped me and sent the lovely cake flying through the air and landing in a pile of musty straw. Fortunately, the cake was spared a fate like that!


Although I knew there would be more competitors tonight because of the extra prize of being able to compete at the State Farm Show this coming January, I was hoping not to see any other people bringing their best chocolate cakes in to be judged. When I reached the check-in desk, I got there the same time as a mother carrying a cake, with her two small children excitedly clinging to her skirt. They weren't the only ones there: among the crowds milling about were older women, seasoned veterans of many a fair, young mothers wiping beads of perspiration off their foreheads as they filled out the registration forms, and young children watching with bright eyes as the cakes were ceremoniously carried back to the judges table at the far end of the Agriculture tent (how did cakes ever end up here, I wonder?)

Grad Pics

Three Layer Carrot Cake with Lemon Butter Cream Frosting

Lovely flowers - some from friends, some from strangers, and some from shops!

Family picture...

Mini cheesecakes and one of the "main" floral arrangements... Gorgeous!

Graduation Ideas...

So... in less than a fortnight, I will be graduated! It'll take some effort to get everything thing done with excellence (the way I want it), but hopefully, nothing major will pop up and change our plans.

As is tradition in my family, we have a recital/graduation (with good old Pomp and Circumstance!) and then a party afterwards. Four sisters have gone before me. All but one has had chicken salad and croissants as the main course for the reception. All have gone to the same college.

I think it's time to break with tradition.

Not completely, however. I could never get away with that.

But, as a baker who despises store bought cakes (you know, from the super-grocery-store bakeries with enough butter cream icing to make you gag) I am hopefully going to BAKE MY OWN CAKE.

Not just one, but maybe two or three.

The "main" cake will be a large carrot cake with lemon cream cheese icing, (I can't decide to double or triple the recipe... should it be two layers, or three?, and then I will make two two-layer chocolate round cakes... and maybe a cheesecake with raspberries.

If I could, I would just have a dessert extravaganza instead of a buffet of chicken salad. I mean, wouldn't it be elegant to serve lovely desserts and strawberries with lemonade and tea?

Well, that's my humble opinion.

Cinnamon Rolls

Finally, a beautiful weekend for Easter! It seems that almost every year, there is a freeze just before Resurrection Sunday, that not only dampens our spirits and makes us bring out the winter coats again, but also kills the buds on all the beautiful flowering trees.

But this year, it is just the opposite! The forecast is predicting 70's and sunshine for Sunday, which means we shouldn't have to bundle up for the sunrise service in Rittenhouse Square. Daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips are in full bloom, along with magnolias, weeping cherry trees and forsythia... absolutely gorgeous!

You might think that with it being a holiday weekend, things would get a little more relaxed (especially with Spring break), but a certain conductor is helping us prepare for our 2nd concert at the Kimmel Center (Verizon Hall) next Sunday, and the music needs some work. So instead of giving us off tomorrow, we are starting a half hour early. But to bring some cheer to my friends, I decided to make some Cinnamon Rolls tonight as a treat for the break. (Our church is having a Good Friday concert tonight, but since I couldn't go, I am watching it online while the dough rises).

This recipe came in on a mom's email list, and it is one of the best! It is so easy but yet can be a show-stopper... especially if you make the Icing and spoon it on top while the rolls are still warm!

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough
1 Tbsp. dry-active yeast
1 cup warm whole milk

1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
4 cups flour

Filling
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar

Dissolve yeast in milk (make sure the milk is not too warm, or it will kill the yeast).

Add the rest of the ingredients - do not mix the eggs and the melted butter when it is hot, or the eggs will cook. Mix well and then knead into a ball. Let double in size (at least one hour in a warm place).

When ready, roll out to about 1/4 inch thick - it should be rectangular. Preheat oven to 400F.

Spread with filling... first butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar evenly over the dough. I usually add more butter as needed.

Roll dough up. Slice into 1 inch pieces, and place in a greased pan. Let rise again until doubled. Bake for 10 minutes (I find that they take about 12-15 minutes).

Icing for the Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 cup of butter, softened
2 Tbsp. whipping cream
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 oz. cream cheese
pinch of salt

Beat until fluffy.

Can it get any easier?

Enjoy! I'll post pictures later when the rolls are done... Happy Easter!

Blueberry Scones - America's Test Kitchen

We all have a little weakness for something... it could be indulging in 70% cocoa dark chocolate (a little too dark for me), an expensive steak, or even something as simple as a cup of tea! When I get the chance, I love brewing a quick pot of Earl Grey to share with a sister either before the start of a busy day, or while we unwind and discuss bits of news before bed (yes, we do talk a lot!). But one day, I am going to have a real tea - not just a grab and go, but sit down and have scones, fruit, and maybe even cake!

Here is an interesting video/recipe for Blueberry Scones... I like how they have lots of berries and the texture is light and fluffy, almost like a croissant...

America's Test Kitchen Blueberry Scones

Cheerio...

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Today I am very happy... my sweet oldest sister was in a second-hand shop, browsing through stacks of books when she came across Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Not just the original, but also the 2nd volume! She promptly bought the books and came home and surprised me with them. To say the least, I am thrilled!


Although I have no plans at present to attempt every recipe in those wonderful volumes (priceless treasures to me!), I am excited to have them as part of my growing cookbook collection. In order to use some of the recipes, I'll have to find a substitute for wine... any ideas?

Anyway, I am very excited and grateful to Susanna for thinking of me!

Bon appetit!