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Yield: two 9 1/2 inch tarts
For the custard:
Hi Everyone,
We will be at Pikes Place tomorrow, February 13th, with a limited supply of those lovely Valentines aprons which are reversible, fun and oh so yummy.
See you there and a very Happy Valentine Day to all. Cook up something utterly delicious.
Bon Appétit.
Since we had that beer in the house we kept finding recipes that we could use it all up. Yeah finally! THIS was really fun and yummy. I love bread but have never made bread sticks, or at least it’s been awhile if I have. It’s so easy and perfect for the party plate. You can’t mess this one up. Well of course you can see mine are a little wonky, but so am I so they are perfect!
Thank you to Tessa of ‘Handle the Heat’ (http://www.handletheheat.com/cheesy-garlic-beer-breadsticks/) for this recipe. Please see hers, they are really yummy and professional looking.
Here’s all you do:
Cheesy Garlic Beer Breadsticks
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup room-temperature beer
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Marinara sauce, for serving or your favorite
Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook mix the flour, yeast, baking powder, salt, olive oil, and beer until well combined. Knead with dough hook until the dough is soft and smooth. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
Place a pizza stone in the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 450°F.
In a small bowl combine the butter and garlic with a fork. On a large sheet of parchment paper, stretch and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, taking 5-minute breaks between stretching if the dough is springing back. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with the cheeses.
Use the parchment paper to slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown. Let cool for 1 to 2 minutes before slicing into bread sticks. Serve hot with marinara sauce or hummus or your favorite toppings.
** (I personally cut the bread sticks before placing on the stone as I wanted the edges to crunch up a bit. If you do this step, be careful as the bread sticks will become very long and stretched out and wonky so use a spatula to keep them from becoming jump ropes. (Hmmm see how I know this??) ;-) And I didn’t want all that much cheese so I just sprinkled the Parmesan when they came out of the oven. I will do them properly next time. Dip and enjoy and check out Tessa’s site.
Bon Appétit.
Who knew you could use your leftover beer for waffles. (Does beer expire??) I was looking for some fancy Belgium Waffles to make but realized I didn’t have the time to make this really buttery sugary Snooty concoction and then stumbled upon this. Cheaters written all over it. Time savers dream. These were good. Not earth shattering, but good. If you’re in a pinch for time and have to have waffles give these a try. Thanks Sarah of the Sugar Hit!
Here’s all you do:
Beer Waffles
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup beer
- 1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
- 1 stick of butter or 1/2 cup
- 12 Tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
Mix dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center and combine eggs, milk, butter, beer. Mix 
well. Batter will be very lumpy, don’t worry it all cooks down. Meanwhile fire up that waffle iron and get it nice and hot – tsssssss. Pour just enough batter to slightly cover the bottom. This will expand and rise as it cooks so don’t over pour or you’ll be wiping up the counter tops.
Top with whatever kinds of topping you like. Confectioners sugar, syrup, jams and jellies, nachos (just kidding!). Makes 7 batches of my heart shaped waffles! Sweet.
Bon Appétit.
It’s BaaaaaaaaacK! Yes indeed, that very favorite Vintage Bicycle apron is back for a very limited time. I am going to let those in the know get first shot at it as many of you don’t live near Seattle and wouldn’t know it’s returned! It went so quickly last time it made my head spin!! Here are a couple of swatches for you to get a feel of the fabric. You can order from my website or just email me from here and I will send you a Pay Pal link.
The fabric is 100% cotton and has a nice weight to it. You all know I only prefer to work with Upholstery or Home Dec fabric so you can rest assure it has durability written all over it. I pipe the apron with a dark chocolate piping! Side pocket, ruffle ($55) and away you go. Also comes in Medium ($35) and Large ($40) both with 3 pockets.
Bon Appétit!
It is such a sad affair. RIP Charlie, rest in peace.
To freedom of expression, truth and peace on earth. May we see this in our lifetimes.
Signing off with a heavy heart.
Chanteuse Designs
It’s that time of year again and though I have been making this Pumpkin Bread for eons, discovered a new-er recipe from Mad About Maida. It’s an old post, but a good one. The only different thing I did was add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. I couldn’t find my tried and true old family recipe, but since I have made that at least a hundred times, this one looked almost identical. Hence I had to put the vanilla in!
It’s great with a cup of coffee or breakfast on the run.
Here’s all you do:
Pumpkin Bread Bundt
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 TBS. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1/2 tsp. powdered cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. salt
5 oz. (1 cup) raisins, dark, light or mixed
3 1/2 oz. (1 cup) walnuts, broken into medium sized pieces
2 cups pumpkin
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups safflower oil, corn oil, or other salad oil
4 eggs
Optional: Confectioners sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Butter or spray a tube or Bundt pan.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt.
In a mixer bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugar and oil. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add the teaspoon of vanilla. Lower the speed and add the sifted dry ingredients, beating until smooth. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Turn into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10-20 minutes before removing. You can eat as is and it is absolutely perfect. Or if you need a little ooomph for your guests, sprinkle with some confectioners sugar!
Bon Appétit.
Come see these rockin Octopus Aprons with the coolest tentacles and eyes!! Will scare your creepiest Halloween hooligans this year!!! Not just for Halloween either. Jacques Cousteau would’ve worn one I’m sure, he was totally cool!!
Found Only here at Pike Place Market!
Booo!
My darling neighbors brought me some beautiful plums. The best I think I have eaten in years and hand picked from a friend’s tree. I couldn’t wait to try this gorgeous Plum Almond Cake I found from “Cream Puffs in Venice” blog, darling food blog who got it from Domenica Marchetti’s , “Rustic Italian” cookbook. This is heavenly.
I couldn’t find the ring for my 9″ springform pan, so I had to use my 10″ and it’s thinner and took about 7 minutes less to bake. Also, I think I would sprinkle the almond topping on mid baking as mine fell in completely! Enjoy with great friends and neighbors. Did I mention it was heavenly? ;-)
Here’s all you do:
Ingredients
PLUM ALMOND CAKE
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) sunflower or vegetable oil, plus more for the pan
- 1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) almond meal or almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) half-and-half or whole milk
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 7 to 9 plums (any variety), halved and pitted but not peeled
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Directions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil an 8- or 9-inch springform pan. Dust the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
- 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, egg, half-and-half, lemon juice and zest, the 1 cup (8 ounces) sugar, and the almond extract. Whisk to blend thoroughly. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
- 3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the plum halves, cut side up, on top of the batter. In a bowl, combine the almonds, the 2 tablespoons sugar, and the butter and mix well. Dot the almond topping over the cake.
- 4. Bake the cake until the topping is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. (If using an 8-inch pan, you may need to bake it longer, being careful to cover the outer edges of the cake with a strip of foil if they begin to brown.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the ring from the pan and place the cake on a serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve warm or, if you can wait, at room temperature.
Bon Appétit.
#1 Pike Place Farmers Market (Seattle)
Sitting on the Puget Sound waterfront, the Pike Place Farmers Market has been around since 1907, when its first opening was considered “one of the greatest days in the history of Seattle” and was intended to connect locals with the farmers who were growing and producing their food.
Filled with the smell of fresh seafood, the market offers a diverse array of locally caught fish including salmon, Alaskan halibut, swordfish, tuna, crab, shrimp, lobster, and shellfish — all sold by producers who have been at the market for decades. While there’s plenty of fish, there’s plenty of everything else, as well. Here you’ll find rows of fruits and vegetables, as well as locally made and imported specialty food items for any dish you’re looking to make. And for those searching for unique, handmade gifts, there are clothes and accessories, bath and beauty products, toys, musical instruments, kitchenware, longboards crafted from sustainable hardwoods, and so much more to discover at the market.
The Daily Meal ranks the best farmers markets in America in its second annual list
Whether shopping for meats and dairy at a local grocery store or buying produce at a street vendor, we don’t always know how fresh the food we’re buying really is, if it’s been sprayed with pesticides, or if it contains genetically modified ingredients. Unless a food is labeled, it’s nearly impossible to tell. And even then, labels can be misleading.
As consumers who value health and the freshest ingredients, we want to be able to trust our suppliers in providing us with food that is healthy and also sustainable. We don’t want to worry about tainting ourselves and our families with poor-quality foods that could harm us in the long term.
That’s why we love our farmers markets. We rely on farmers and producers for fresh, locally grown and locally produced food that we buy at our community farmers markets. They provide us the best of the best-quality foods that are free of pesticides and genetically modified ingredients. And the best part is the food sold there is made by farmers and producers who love what they do and do it with a smile.
As more farmland is bulldozed and lost to urbanization, though, farmers markets are threatened, and we are at risk of losing our fresh, locally sourced food if local farmers can’t financially support their farms. To raise awareness of the loss of farmland and the threat it presents, the American Farmland Trust started the initiative I Love My Farmers Market Celebration to highlight the role that farmers play in our food system. Through the initiative, consumers can support their local farmers market by pledging to spend $10 at the next market, and the farmers markets with the most pledges are nationally recognized.
Farmers markets are a place where the community comes together to support each other and the sustainable practices farmers use to produce. Farmers are the backbones of our food supply, and we love meeting and getting to know the people who grow what we eat at our local farmers market.
Last year, The Daily Meal recognized the nation’s very best farmers markets in its list of the 101 Best Farmers Markets in America based on several criteria. There are plenty of qualities that we value in a good farmers market. Some important ones to consider are the quality and variety of products sold, how affordable products are, what kind of public endorsement and recognition the farmers market receives, where it’s located, and how often it’s open. We also value the atmosphere we experience at the market, how friendly and helpful the vendors are, and what kind of information is made available to us about the market and its vendors.
Since we love farmers markets so much, we wanted to know which were the best in the country. This year, we re-evaluated the list, adding a few new ones — including Dane County Farmers Market in Madison, Wis. and Alemany Farmers Market in San Francisco — that we may have overlooked and knocking off a few at the bottom of last year’s list (these include the Old Cheney Road Farmers Market in Lincoln, Neb., the Waverly Farmers Market in Waverly, N.C., the Greenfield Farmers Market in Greenfield, Mass., the Downtown Bradenton Farmers Market in Bradenton, Flo. and the Tuesday Farmers Market in Cheyenne, Wyoming). It was a close call, but we ranked the best farmers markets in each state based on three main criteria that we think are the most important qualities a farmers market should have: “What’s at the Market,” “Street Credibility,” and “When It’s Open.”
“What’s at the Market” considers the quality, number, and variety of products sold at the market, and the availability of each vendor’s background information. Because our peers’ opinions are always important, “Street Credibility” looks at what people are saying about the market, what kind of fan base it has on Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp, and any awards or recognition it’s been given. And finally, “When It’s Open,” takes into account how often the market is open weekly and year-round.
While ranking, we found out some very interesting facts about farmers markets around the country. For example, not only do many farmers markets on our list stay open all year long, but some, like Seattle’s Pike Place Farmers Market and Hawaii’s Hilo Farmers Market, are open 365 days a year. And did you know some of the best farmers markets are those that have been around for more than 100 years, including Pennsylvania’s Lancaster Central Market — which claims to be the county’s oldest continuously operating farmers market for more than 275 years. Another finding was that some states like Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wyoming have a very small number of farmers markets. And other states, like New Jersey and Kentucky have plenty of farmers markets, but those markets didn’t come close to qualifying as the best of the best.
Take a look at the rankings to see how your favorite farmers market fared, and let us know if we missed any of your favorites.
Find the Full Article here:
http://www.thedailymeal.com/101-best-farmers-markets-in-america-slideshow?slide=3
Haley Willard is The Daily Meal’s assistant editor. Follow her on Twitter @haleywillrd.
I love my pear tree. It’s over 100 years old and if it could only talk!! It’s pear season and we are having pear pie, pear sauce, and yummy pear pasta! Here’s all you do for Pear Butter, which I under cooked and just made sauce. Healthier. ;-)
Pear Butter
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- pinch of groud nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves
Directions
Stir all ingredients together in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 50 minutes, covering so that the lid is slightly open, and stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on the mixture so that the bottom does not burn. Once it has reduced slightly and thickened, remove from heat and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until smooth or your chosen consistency.
Transfer to canning jars or a heat-proof container, seal, and refrigerate until ready to use. Keep for up to a week.
*If your pear butter is too thin, feel free to run the mixture through a strainer to remove extra liquid. Alternately, let the mixture simmer on the stove longer to reduce more.
Bon Appétit!
Not one of my typical update posts, but I believe important. First still reeling from the loss of a very amazing human being who apparently took his life this week. So tragic, and sadly what we hoped would be so unnecessary. But my heart and thoughts go out to his wife and his family. I worked on three films he was in. Robin was brilliant. Utterly brilliant. And I am a push over for laughter. (PUSHOVER for a giggle, it’s so embarrassing!) The only person like Robin Williams who could make me Giggle constantly was my brother. Robin was terrific, gentle and no he did not know me but he certainly touched my life. I LOVE LAUGHTER! It is the ONLY medicine in life we truly need. God Speed Robin, and may God bless and keep you near. We are so saddened by his choice to leave. Too soon, too soon.
On another note this week, as a Puget Sound resident, for those of you who have heard about this diver, I want to concur that he is in fact absolutely accurate in his estimation of the seashore. We have noticed hardly ANY sea life and this is a TRAGEDY of epic proportions. Epic. Please, pay attention to the planet, she needs you. We need awake and aware human beings.
Signing off with a heavy heart.
It was only last year when I noticed I still was not reaching the South American continent with my website. Then, low and behold this year Brazil and Chile seems to have taken notice. Hmmm, much notice. Now, we here know that when that usually happens, as it does in the Bay Area and Los Angeles regularly, it’s only those wanna bee’s and knock off artists on my products. Eh, schmeh happens to us all and I certainly lose no sleep over it. As soon as they’re digging for gold, there will be a China or Hong Kong hit! Of course it’s always flattery.
So I wanted to let my customers know I have some new wonderful designs that you can only get at the Pike Place Producers Marketplace. A lot of my work doesn’t even get on the internet (wink wink) these days for a myriad of reasons, but so many of those folks that come to the market whom I design for don’t seem to mind. Touching my work is what it’s all about. At least for now. :-)
Recently I found a competitor who clearly knocked off one of my designs (Eh…and many of my nice touches) in a local shop in Seattle. Sadly for them, there was simply no comparison, none. Good things come from creative American Made in the Chanteuse Design line! And I gladly help design for my customers specific needs. :-)
See you at the market, only in Seattle.
Bon Appétit!
As you all know, I Adore marzipan so when I bought some beautiful figs and discovered this tart from Spoon Feast it was instant love! It’s easy to put together and is really elegant if I do say so myself. I had it cooled and warm from the oven. BOTH are incredible.
Here’s all you do:
Yield: two 9 1/2 inch tarts
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
Sift together the confectioners’ sugar, flour and salt into a bowl.
Place the butter into a food processor and process until smooth.
Scatter the flour mixture over the butter, add the egg and process just until the dough forms a mass; do not over mix.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least for an hour.
Line a greased 9 1/2 inch tart pan with half the dough and chill for 30 minutes. Keep the other half for another use.
For the frangipane:
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Place the sugar and the slivered almonds in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground; about 2 minutes.
Add the butter and process until combined.
Add the eggs and the almond extract and process until smooth; about 1 minute.
Add the flour and process until combined.
Use ¾ cup for this recipe. Extra frangipane can be frozen until another use. Use fresh frangipane within a week if kept refrigerated.
For the figs:
- 2 pints fresh figs, quartered.
Keep enough uncooked figs aside to ring the outside of the tart
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 vanilla bean, split & scraped
- sugar to taste*
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pan, add the vanilla seeds and beans and the quartered figs and sauté until they have a jam like consistency but retain their shape.
Use sugar to taste.* Often you don’t need it.
Cool the mixture.
For the custard:
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Cognac (or to taste)
Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a medium bowl, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the cream and cognac.
To assemble and finish this tart, you will need:
- One 9-1/2 inch tart shell made from sweet tart dough, unbaked
- 3/4 cup frangipane
- Quartered figs and sautéed figs, cooled
- Custard mixture
- Slivered almonds
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Spread an even layer of frangipane over the prepared tart pan. Bake for 14 minutes, until the frangipane layer is puffed but not set. Cool. Arrange some uncooked fig quarters around the edge of the tart Add the fig ‘jam’ mixture on the baked frangipane layer, inside of the fresh fig ring. Pour the custard mixture over the figs. Sprinkle the top with some slivered almonds. Bake for 50 minutes, until the custard is set and the pastry is golden brown.
Cool the tart completely on a wire rack before cutting and serving.
Um, yeah I sorta cheated on the directions, put them all in in the order suggested and baked for an hour. It was beautiful. Next time I will bake for 14 minutes, and then arrange and bake for another 50. Mine was stunning and so was the original. Just don’t wait. Summer is here with so many beautiful figs!
Bon Appétit!
Published time: May 21, 2014 16:37
Edited time: May 22, 2014 11:18
Despite the flood of corporate money poured into two small Oregon counties, local residents voted on Tuesday to ban genetically engineered crops from being planted within their borders.
Although Jackson County itself is home to less than 120,000 registered voters, the measure to ban genetically modified crops (GMOs) made headlines around the nation when it was revealed that large biotech companies like Monsanto were pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the area in order to affect the vote’s outcome.
As RT reported previously, Monsanto and five other corporations spent at least $455,000 in an attempt to defeat the initiative, and opponents of the GMO ban had gained an eight-to-one spending advantage as of April. According to the Associated Press, nearly $1 million of the $1.3 million spent during the campaign was used by opponents.
When the results were tallied, however, 66 percent of Jackson County residents voted in favor of the ban.
“We fought the most powerful and influential chemical companies in the world and we won,” local farmer and anti-GMO advocate Elise Higley told the Oregonian.
“It’s a great day for the people of Oregon who care about sustainability and healthy ecosystems,” added the group GMO Free Oregon on its Facebook page.
As noted by Reuters, the newly approved measure mandates that people “harvest, destroy or remove all genetically engineered plants” no later than 12 months after the ordinance goes into effect. The process of getting the proposal to a vote has taken about two years, and began over concerns that GMO crops planted by some farmers would drift onto other, non-GMO farms and contaminate them.
Opponents of the ban, however argue there is nothing wrong with GMO crops and that science has been unable to prove that they have negative consequences for health. Additionally, they claimed the measure would be too expensive to enforce.
“Regrettably ideology defeated sound science and common sense in Jackson County,” said Barry Bushue, of the Oregon Farm Bureau and spokesman for Good Neighbor Farmers, as quoted by the Oregonian.
“We respect the voice of the voters,” he added, “but remain convinced Measure 15-119 – the crop ban – is bad public policy. While this election is over, this debate is not. We will continue to fight to protect the rights of all farmers to choose for themselves how they farm.”
Meanwhile, a similar measure in Josephine County passed with 57 percent of the vote, despite the fact that a new Oregon law labeled the state itself as the only regulator of seeds. Jackson’s proposal had already qualified to be on the ballot then, so it was granted an exemption. The initiative in Josephine did not qualify for an exemption since it was proposed later, but residents went ahead with their own vote anyway and have decided to let the courts determine its legality.
The two votes in Oregon come as the debate over GMO crops and food labeling continues across the United States. Numerous states have considered slapping a marker on food products made with GMOs, but the results have been mixed despite nationwide polls showing Americans generally support the idea.
As RT reported earlier this month, Vermont will become the first state to require GMO labels on its food. That regulation is expected to go into effect in July 2016, but is sure to face legal challenges from opponents.
In other states, initial polling support for labeling cratered under what was reported to be heavy spending by the likes of DuPont and Monsanto. Both California and Washington state considered labels last year, but the proposals ultimately failed after millions of dollars of corporate spending entered the equation.
Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo (Kan.) has introduced a bill in Congress that would prohibit all states from implementing their own labeling laws, on the grounds that having each state create its own rules would result in “a patchwork” of requirements “that makes it enormously difficult to operate a food system.”
