We talked about 2010 and 2011, and tiramisu too
Snapshots.
In January, P. sold his company and started a new work adventure, which kept us home for the first months of the year. I continued to work on my cookbook--I promise, it will happen!-- and other cooking and photographic projects.
In February, my parents visited us and in March, Lulu learned to walk.
A new world started right there. For her to explore. For us too.
At the end of March, we traveled to the island of Tortola in the Caribbeans where we indulged in a relaxing vacation.
There was a lot of work involved too: the delightful collaboration to Fog Linen; writing for the Boston Globe; and shooting for Boston Magazine and The Improper Bostonian.
In March, too, La Tartine Gourmande was featured in the French TV documentary Envoyé Spécial la suite. I am still in awe that it happened for real.
In April, we started to think seriously about moving and finding a new house. We packed and sold ours. When we eventually found a new house to buy, we were scared and excited. It had a space for a potentially new kitchen and a large garden in the back.
In May, we traveled to France where we had a wonderful reunion with family and friends to celebrate Lulu's christening. There, Lulu ate her first cherries picked right from my father's cerisiers. My mother introduced her to the world of croissants, pains aux raisins, radishes, salade de carottes râpées, venison and rabbit.
The early summer was spent in our new house and France, between the beautiful island of Belle-Ile en mer in Brittany:
And my parents' house in Lorraine:
When September came, we moved out of our house once again, this time to start the long renovation of the kitchen. I traveled to New Hampshire to teach a food styling and photography class at Squam.
October was spent working on the final revisions of my cookbook manuscript while Lulu started to go to daycare a few days a week. I was relieved to see she loved meeting new faces. And was good at it.
Then, by the end of November, we finally moved back to our house, which left December for unpacking boxes, family visits and celebrating Lulu's second birthday. And amongst other food projects, I was able to work with super talented Francine Zaslow and Jo Packam.
I really thought that, in the midst of 2010's craziness, this could well have translated into less time for me to spend cooking in the kitchen. I dreaded that it might happen, in fact.
But it didn't. Thankfully.
There was always an incredible amount of dishes and food prepared out of the kitchens I visited. Whether it was in the spacious house we rented in Belle-Ile en mer; in my mother's or sister's-in law kitchens; in the small apartment where we temporarily lived for three months--and eventually in my new cooking space. Oh, it's such a happy space!
Creating food kept me together. Pushed me forward.
So there we are. Bonjour 2011 !.
I am still not sure what 2011 keeps for me this year. And frankly, I don't want to either know too much or make big plans. But instead, I want to live in the moment. Now. Enjoy Lulu's new discoveries of life. 2011 will be the year when she goes to la maternelle. It will be the year when we also hope to travel with her even more, to show her more of the world we love.
I am blessed to have a loving husband, an adorable girl in love with life, a great family, my work, my blog. And all of you who have stayed and come back patiently despite a year busier than I had anticipated.
I wish you all a fantastic new year. I hope it's filled with a lot of incredible things. Laughter. Food. Everything you hope for.
We finished 2010 with a tiramisu. I wanted to start 2011 with another one. Because that's a very good recipe in my opinion! But also because I've just discovered that Lulu really loves when I bake ladyfingers.
On Sunday, after we returned from the Children's museum and a lunch made of soup, salad and crusty bread at Flour's, she stood quietly on her tiptoes by the kitchen island to grab a few ladyfingers I had left to cool. When P. and I eventually took notice as she walked by us with one cookie in her mouth, she was smiling with pride.
As to us, we could not help but burst into laughter.
To a good start.
Tiramisu en verrines
- 3 egg whites
- 3.4 tablespoons (50 g) butter
- 3 tablespoons millet flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon blond cane sugar
- Black sesame seeds, to sprinkle
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and have a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper ready; set aside.
- In a bowl, beat the egg whites with the vanilla and flour and sugar. Add the melted butter. Let rest for 15 minutes.
- Using a small pastry brush, make 3-inch circles on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until golden in color. Remove from the oven and using a spatula, transfer the tuiles to a cooling rack. Repeat until you run out of ingredients. These can be stored for a week in an air-tight container.
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 1/3 cup (80 g) blond cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 7 oz (200 g) mascarpone, at room temperature
- Pinch of sea salt
- 3/4 cup prepared dark coffee
- 10 ladyfingers (I made a Gluten free version)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, to dust
- In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and continue to beat until the batter is light in color and doubles in volume.
- Beat in the mascarpone. Let cool slightly.
- Whip the egg whites firm with a pinch of salt and fold them in the egg batter.
- Have four small water glasses handy. Take 1 ladyfinger and dip it quickly in the coffee. Coat the bottom of the first glass with it, cutting it in pieces if necessary. Repeat with the other glasses.
- Cover the layer of ladyfinger with mascarpone cream and repeat another layer of ladyfingers (dipped in coffee) in each glass.
- Finish with the rest of the mascarpone cream. Cover each glass with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 5 hours (or overnight, which is what I always prefer to do).
- When ready to serve, dust each glass with cocoa powder and serve with the tuiles on the side.
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