There Is Always Chocolate In The Summer

Summer is usually all about fruit for me. Peaches, apricots, cherries, melon, and a array of sweet and tart berries. I turn them into tarts, muffins, sorbets and ice cream... Sometimes even into savory dishes. But one can only stay away from chocolate for so long. I try, believe me -- with no result.







I spent a lot of time at home last week working on the finishing touches of the manuscript. "What is new?" you might be wondering. So does everyone else in my life.



"Maybe you should get some fresh air?" my mom tells me everyday over the phone. "Go for a walk and get some fresh air" I'm counting down the days when I get to do that with her.



One more week and I will be back home.







I have been revisiting some of the recipes in the book. Baking them over and over again and seeing that they work every time gives me a sense of peace. I can get very obsessive about details and when I think of a recipe that was tested a while ago, I tend to think "What if it doesn't work!". I panic. Then I jump into the kitchen.



Last week there were many chocolate recipes. I craved them. The intensity and richness.







I made my favorite dark chocolate and hazelnut cake. Very moist... almost the texture of a brownie. It works every time.



I also made chocolate pots de creme with raspberries and currants. You can find a similar recipe here. And with leftover chocolate tart dough, I made a chocolate, black and red raspberry, and currant galette.



I certainly got my fix.







In a few more days, I will be done. My manuscript will be in the hands of my editor and there will be a big sigh of relief (mine, of course). Then we will be off to the Basque Country for some quiet family time, food, and another Robin Food show.



But for now. I must return to my book.... with a slice of chocolate cake right next to me.

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There Is Always Chocolate In The Summer

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Pumpkin, Quinoa and Hazelnut Gnocchi and Some Chocolate Pot de Creme

Our farmers market finally started again. I cannot believe it has been six months already since we enjoyed our last farmers' market tomatoes, berries and more. Even after all these years, I still find it fascinating how when the rest of the country is going into almost hibernation, we are now enjoying being outside and our growing season begins once again.



It was about 6:30 on Sunday morning when J. came rushing in our room. "Can we go to the farmers' market park and get some doughnuts with the sprinkles on them?" It is one of the things we look forward to the most. Walk around, get fresh produce and eggs for the week, something to eat and then head across the street to the park.

We played hard indeed.



C. took the kids to a friend's house to give me some time to work and unwind. Sometimes, there is nothing better than an empty house and silence.

I put all my farmers' market goodies away, sat down and then felt a sudden urge to make gnocchi. It had been a long time.



I remembered my years in the pastry kitchen when our head chef would arrive early in the morning, before any of his cooks did, so he could make pasta in peace and quiet. Kneading, rolling, filling, folding... Not a word, just music and his pasta.

Perhaps the silence I found at home was really what inspired me to make these gnocchi. Little dumplings of roasted red kuri squash from the market with Robert and Paula's eggs, quinoa flour and hazelnuts. They were delicious and rich tossed in brown butter, fresh sage and toasted hazelnuts.



For dessert, these little pots of chocolate and hazelnut butter custard made with coconut milk and vanilla bean.

The perfect ending.

Red Kuri Squash, Quinoa and Hazelnut Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Sage and Toasted Hazelnuts

makes enough for 2 large or 4 small servings

1 lb (454 grams) roasted red kuri squash puree (1 medium red kuri squash)
olive oil and salt to roast the squash
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup (60 grams) quinoa flour
1/4 cup (30 grams) hazelnut flour
2 Tbs (20 grams) tapioca starch
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Dusting gluten free flour mix
3 Tbs butter, browned
2 Tbs frsh sage, finely chopped
2 Tbs toasted hazelnuts, chopped
Parmesan cheese, optional

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half into strips and place them on a baking sheet. Toss them with a little olive oil and salt. Roast them at 400F for about 30 minutes or until tender. Let them cool for a few minutes until cool enough to handle.

Puree the squash into a large bowl with a food mill or a potato ricer. This allows the puree to be light and fluffy and the dry ingredients are incorporated quickly without having to overwork the dough. Weigh 1 lb of puree.

Add the egg yolk, quinoa flour, hazelnut meal, tapioca starch, salt and nutmeg. Mix with a fork. It will be a sticky dough.

Dust a wooden board or your work surface with flour. Coat your hands with flour. Take a medium ball and roll it into a long log that is about 1/2" thick in diameter. Cut this log into 1- 1 1/2" pieces. Roll each piece on your fork to create indentations and drop it on a baking sheet lined with lightly floured parchment. Repeat until you have cut all the dough.

You can cook them on freeze them at this point. To freeze them, stick the baking sheet in the freezer and when the gnocchi are hard, put them in a freezer bag. If you decide to freeze them, do not thaw them out before cooking.

To cook them bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi in it. They are done when they float to the surface.

In the meantime, heat the butter in a large saute pan. Let the butter brown. Add the sage and toss the cooked gnocchi in it. Serve with toasted hazelnuts and parmesan.

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Pumpkin, Quinoa and Hazelnut Gnocchi and Some Chocolate Pot de Creme

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-quinoa-and-hazelnut-gnocchi-and.html

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Pixie Tangerine and Fennel Pots de Creme

A few days ago, as I was being interviewed by Raleigh's News Observer, I began thinking about inspiration. "What inspires you to cook?" is a question I get asked a lot. Right at that moment, I thought of these pixie tangerines we had just brought home days earlier. Anything this sweet, fragrant and beautiful to look at is always one of my biggest inspirations. I don't always know what I will be making with them and in my mind, that is part of the fun.



During my years in professional kitchens, menus were always strongly driven by seasons. Perhaps because I grew up close to nature and because we only ate what was in season, I cannot think of produce or cooking in any other way.

Every Sunday, my dad drove us to his parents farm in Zeberio. They grew most everything they ate and always had crates full of extras for us to take home. I remember the vivid smell of leeks that permeated my dad's car and lingered for days. Summer was vibrant with strawberries, summer squash, heirloom tomatoes, peas, figs... Winter was hearty with leeks, cabbage, red beans, potatoes... and a small orange tree that yielded fruit late into Spring. That's where my inspiration comes from.



"I feel like flan", I told my mom. Farmer Sal's eggs with their deep orange yolks were calling my name. We steeped cream and milk with the pixie tangerine zest, a bit of lemon zest, cinnamon and fennel seeds for this little pots de creme. Not quite flan, but we always seem to call any custard flan, whether it has caramel or not.

We spent the whole afternoon at home playing with M., baking, reading and eating this little custard jars.



I had bookmarked Tara's tangerine and almond cake recipe a few weeks before and this was the perfect time to make it. A flourless, super moist cake that I adapted to incorporate pistachios and a gluten-free crumb topping. Barely had any time to photograph them as they were our snack for the afternoon we spent strawberry picking.

And then... there's our little "txinbito", like we call her. "Jateko modukoa ama".



Pixie Tangerine and Fennel Pots de Creme

makes about 10 small ramekins

500 ml milk
500 ml heavy cream
Zest of 6 pixie tangerines or 3 regular ones
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
175 grams sugar

Heat the milk, heavy cream, zest, cinnamon and fennel seeds. Steep for about 10 minutes.

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Temper in the hot liquid. Strain through a fine sieve.

Pour the custard into ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking tray. Bring the tray to a preheated 300F oven. Pour hot water in the baking tray about 1" high. Bake the pots de creme until set. Time will vary depending on the size of the ramekin.

Let them cool and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. We seem to like them best at room temperature but that might be just us.

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Pixie Tangerine and Fennel Pots de Creme

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Butterscotch Pot de Creme, Gianduja Macarons and a Farewell

Today I said goodbye to my parents who have been with us for almost two months. Time flies, doesn't it? People ask me how I manage to find time to blog after just giving birth. Well, the answer is my parents. They have been incredible help during this transition time, trying to get adjusted to having M., still tending to J., managing small projects and continue blogging. I could have not done it without them.

As I was watching them walk away, I realized how having children has made me appreciate them much more. It might be just age and the process of growing up. I don't know why, but I do.



We had freezing temperatures in Florida all last week. It was actually wonderful as I love cold and sunny days. We stayed home, cooked and baked more than ever. We made arroz con leche two days in a row as it disappears faster than what we can make it.



I woke up at 2am one night, a bit restless and unable to fall back to sleep. I got out of bed, turned my laptop on and started browsing through Shauna's recipe index looking for some gluten-free dessert recipes to make. As soon as my eyes read butterscotch, I thought "that's it". The following morning, I pulled out the eggs, cream, muscovado and demerara sugar and made these butterscotch pot de creme inspired by this recipe.

Instead of caramelizing the top, we sprinkled some hazelnut praline crunch and accompanied it with gianduja macarons we had made a few days earlier.



Butterscotch Pot de Creme

makes about 8 6 oz ramekins

500 ml heavy cream
225 ml whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
1/2 tsp fleur de sel
160 grams muscovado sugar
80 grams demerara sugar
8 egg yolks

Place the heavy cream, whole milk, muscovado, fleur de sel and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Keep it hot.

In a separate medium saucepan, make a dry caramel with the demerara sugar. Sprinkle half of it on the bottom of the pan spacing it evenly. When it starts to melt, sprinkle in the rest of the sugar and let it melt and turn to a light caramel.

Deglaze the caramel with the hot cream mixture. Be careful because it will bubble up. Whisk to make sure there are no large chunks of undissolved caramel. If there are, keep the pot on the heat for a bit to melt them.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together and temper the hot caramel and cream mixture into them. Strain the custard through a fine sieve.

Pour the custard into the ramekins. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan and bring it to the oven that's been preheated to 300F. Pour hot water on the sheet pan to make a water bath. Bake until the center of the ramekins is set. Cool and refrigerate.

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Butterscotch Pot de Creme, Gianduja Macarons and a Farewell

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Simple Chocolate and Raspberry Pots de Creme

It has been a very busy couple of weeks and I feel I have not had enough time to answer all your comments and emails. I apologize for this and please bear with me. I have taken on a couple of new assignments that have left little time for any other recipe development or photography.

Even through all the coming and going, I did manage to bake some simple chocolate and raspberry pots de creme to fill my custard craving. The stress and the rainy weather always make me crave the simple things like bread and cheese, good soup and chocolate. Chocolate in anything.




My best friend Jill and her son Connor are also staying with us for the next few weeks so we have been really trying to spend as much time as we can with them while they are here.

Connor is on a gluten, dairy and soy free diet so unfortunately, he cannot taste many of the things I make. However, I did promise Jill I would teach her how to make pot de creme using alternative milks. We will be trying hemp milk soon and I hope I get to share those recipes with you.

In the meantime, here is this one. Hope you are having a great week.



Chocolate and Raspberry Pot de Creme

225 grams whole milk
225 grams heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
40 grams sugar
85 grams egg yolks
160 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
Raspberries, fresh or frozen

Bring the milk, cream, vanilla bean and half of the sugar to a boil. Pour this over the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate is competely melted.

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the other half of the sugar. Temper the hot chocolate mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Strain the custard through a fine sieve.

Place some raspberries into ramekins and pour the custard into them. Place the ramekins on a sheetpan and bring this to a preheated 300F oven.

Place the sheetpan in the oven and pour hot water in the sheetpan. Bake the pot de creme in the water bath until center is set. Refrigerate until completely cooled.

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Simple Chocolate and Raspberry Pots de Creme

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