I took a morning off from what seems to be constant busyness and enjoyed a cappuccino and pastries with a friend.  One of my all-time favorites is chouquettes, made from choux pastry dough that is piped into little mounds and topped with a large course-grained sugar.  I was first introduced to chouquettes in Paris by our friend Maria.  She would purchase a little bag full of them from a patisserie for snacking while we walked the city.  It's another one of those "when you can't be in Paris" treats that is easily made at home, but gives me the feel of being somewhere special. 
                 
                                        CHOUQUETTES
                  adapted from a recipe on Chocolate & Zucchini
• 50 g of unsalted butter
• 125 ml water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• pinch of salt
• 75 g flour
• 2 eggs
• chouquettes sugar or pearl sugar

1.  Combine the butter, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and pour all of the flour in at once.  Stir quickly with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
2.  Place the dough into the bowl of an electric mixer and let cool for 2 minutes.  Turn on the mixer and add the eggs, one by one, until totally incorporated.  You will have a nice, shiny dough.
3.  You can either drop small mounds of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, or use a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip.  You should have enough dough for approximately 25 chouquettes.  Make sure to leave space between the dough mounds so they have room to expand and puff up.  Take the coarse sugar and press grains gently onto the top of each chouquette.
4.  Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 425˚F oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375˚ and continue to bake for another 10 minutes.  You want the chouquettes to be golden brown and dry.  Take out of the oven and pierce each chouquette with a toothpick or wooden skewer to let the steam escape.

  We're packing up and getting out of town.  I wish I could say that we're heading to a warm and sunny destination, but it's only Iowa.  Now, it should be warmer there than it is in Minnesota, but honestly, we're not expecting a great difference in the temperatures; maybe 10 degrees, and that would only put us in the 50's.  It will, however, be a change of scenery and right now that sounds very good to us.
  I will be posting recipes throughout the week.  The lemon tart that is pictured here is fabulous.  It's always been a favorite of mine.  A buttery tart crust filled with a very lemony curd.  Melted white chocolate is drizzled onto the tart and a white chocolate rum sauce is served along the side.  This tart would be a very nice dessert for your Easter table.  Enjoy!

                  Lemon and White Chocolate Tart with Rum Sauce

Tart Dough:
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 8 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons ice water
Lemon Curd:
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice

• Rum sauce (recipe below)

1.  To make the dough, combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until butter is the size of peas.  Add the ice water slowly and pulse only until the dough just begins to come together.  Chill the dough for 2 hours.  Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface and line a 9 1/2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Chill the dough for 30 minutes, line with aluminum foil and dried rice or beans.  Bake in a 400˚F oven for 15 minutes.  Remove the foil and beans and continue to bake the tart shell until golden brown. Remove and cool on a rack.
2.  Meanwhile, make the lemon curd by combining the sugar and eggs; beat until completely blended, then stir in the lemon juice.  Cook the mixture in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring constantly until the curd thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.  Transfer the curd to a bowl and set aside to cool.  When both the filling and tart shell have cooled, fill the shell with the lemon curd.

Rum Sauce:
• 8 ounces white chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/8 cup dark rum

1.  Melt the white chocolate along with the heavy cream in the top of a double boiler over simmering heat.  Remove from the heat.  When cooled somewhat and thickened, drizzle some of the sauce over the lemon curd.  To the remaining white chocolate sauce, add the rum and combine.  Serve alongside slices of the lemon tart.

  Big cubes of poached salmon would be a delicious substitution for the chicken in this wonderful spring salad. 

                             MAPLE-MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 shallots, peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1.  Put all of the ingredients, except the oil, into a blender.  Blend on high.  Then pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream and process until thick.

                  CHICKEN, ASPARAGUS, and WILD RICE SALAD
         adapted (I believe) from a British House & Garden Magazine

• 1 pound asparagus, rinsed, trimmed, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 pound skinless, boneless poached chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch   pieces
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
• red leaf lettuce, washed and dried
• 1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1.  In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bright green and tender, but still slightly crisp.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain again.
2. Toss together the asparagus, wild rice, and poached chicken with the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Sprinkle with sea salt if needed.  Line a platter with the lettuce and mound the salad onto the lettuce.  Garnish with the toasted walnuts.

  Sometimes the most simple preparation is the most rewarding.  I feel  this is the case with asparagus dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette.  And when there are so few ingredients, you want each ingredient to sing. This asparagus dish is where you want to use the best olive oil in your pantry (my favorite is Nicholas Alziari for vinaigrettes),  a good balsamic, and only Parmigiano Reggiano -- no substitutions.  A sprinkling of Fleur de Sel doesn't hurt, either.
  Start with a bunch of fresh asparagus and trim the ends.  In a large sauté pan, bring water to a boil and add the asparagus spears.  Cook until done, about 3 minutes (It all depends on the size of the asparagus.  You still want some bite to them).  Drain and immediately roll up spears into a kitchen towel.  You can keep them wrapped like this at room temperature until you are ready to proceed with the recipe.  I sometimes will make the asparagus early in the day and keep them wrapped, but refrigerated until ready to use.  Mix equal amounts of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic, about 3 tablespoons of each.  Drizzle over the asparagus spears, sprinkle with salt and shave the Parmigiano Reggiano over the top.  You will want to have some really good bread with this to soak up this wonderful vinaigrette.  Enjoy Spring!

       I ate these alongside a platter of asparagus.  A very nice pairing.

                                        Tomato Gougère
                   adapted from Australia Vogue Entertaining, 1992

• 120g butter
• 300ml water
• a pinch of salt
• 150g flour
• 4 eggs
• 150g grated emmental cheese
• 1 cup drained, coarsely chopped sundried tomatoes
1.  Bring the butter and water to the boil.  Add the salt and flour all at once and stir over low heat until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
2.  Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition (I do this with my stand mixer.  Put the dough in the bowl for 2 minutes to cool slightly, then start adding the eggs, one by one).  Fold in 3/4 of the cheese and the dried tomatoes.
3.  Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and spoon mounds of the choux dough onto the paper, about 3-inches in diameter.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake in a preheated 350˚F oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until the gougère is well risen, golden and crisp.   Serve immediately.                              

   I made these dog biscuits for Pipi, piercing the little rounds with a chop stick, thinking they would look like a button.  Instead, I only see a pig's snout (or maybe, a Frenchie's?).  Oh well, the important thing is she seems to love them.

  Pipi was out of her store-bought biscuits, which she expects me to  place in her mouth several times throughout the day.  When a biscuit occasionally misses her mouth and falls to the floor, I get a disgusted look that clearly says, Hey, can we get this right?  Pick it up and try again!
  I was ready to make the pet-store-run to replenish her French Champagne tin, which holds her biscuits and sets on the floor next to her water dish, but had all of the ingredients (organic, of course) to make my own. 

  They actually go together very quickly and cost much less than what I usually pay.  Pipi highly recommends them.

                                     DOG BISCUITS

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 organic egg

  Combine the flour, baking powder and oatmeal.  Stir in the peanut butter, then add the milk, egg and butter.  Knead the dough together.  Add more flour, if necessary, to get a soft dough that is no longer sticky.  Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly-floured surface and cut out with your dog's favorite cookie cutter.  Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375˚F oven for 20 minutes.  Cool on a baking rack when out of the oven. 

  Do you ever question if what you are eating is dinner or dessert?  That was our dilemma with the Caramelized Pear and Roquefort tart I made.  The duo of sweet & savory in this tart allowed it to go either way. 

  I paired the tart with a salad of greens and a very vinegary shallot vinaigrette.  This combination of contrasts was, in my mind at least, perfect.   I poured myself a glass of Argentinian PASCUAL TOSO Malbec, and certainly had a smile on my face while savoring each and every bite.  My husband, on the other hand, thought it a bit strange eating this tart for dinner.  He chose instead, to eat something else I had stored in the refrigerator and saved the pear tart for dessert.  Whatever....  I think he really missed out on one great dinner.

                          Caramelized Pear and Roquefort Tart
               from The New York Times Magazine, December 1996

Crust:
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 4 teaspoons of water
Filling:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 7 to 8 medium-size firm pears, peeled, halved and cored
• 3 ounces Roquefort cheese
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup port
1.  To make the crust, put the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until ground (I add a some of the flour to the walnuts while processing. This helps to avoid the walnuts becoming a paste).  Add the flour, sugar and salt and pulse just to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until most of the butter is incorporated into the flour.  Add the yolk mixture and pulse until the dough begins to come together.  Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill.
2.  To make the filling, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add half the pears to the skillet and sauté until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes.  Remove the pears from the skillet and repeat with the remaining pears.  Set aside.
3.  Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Roll out the dough between large sheets of plastic wrap and fit it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  (This is a delicate tart dough.  If you begin having trouble with it, just stick it back in the refrigerator to chill.  You may end up with breaks and cracks in the dough, but just press scrap pieces of the dough into them and it will be fine).  Cover with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or rice.  Bake for 20 minutes.  remove the paper and weights and bake the crust until it is golden, about 7 to 10 minutes more.
4.  Arrange the pear halves in a circle over the dough, core side down and wider end toward the edge of the pan.  Fill in the center with more pears.  Crumble the cheese over and around the pears.
5.  Whisk together the half-and-half, sugar, egg yolks and flour.  Pour over the pears.  Bake until the custard is set, about 45 minutes.
6.  Meanwhile, simmer the port in a small saucepan until it is reduced to a syrup.  While the tart is still warm and just before serving, brush the port over the pears.  Cut into wedges and serve.

  After making the egg yolk-filled ravioli, I was left with two jars of egg whites.  The first thing that comes to mind, at least for me, is to make an Angel Food cake.  This cake is what I always requested on my birthdays.  The only difference was, my mother covered the cake in a fluffy cloud of seven-minute frosting.  I dusted this Angel Food cake with Confectioners' sugar and served it with freshly-whipped cream and fresh raspberries.  Take your time sifting small amounts of flour into the beaten egg whites, and fold the flour gently, but thoroughly.

                         OLD-FASHIONED ANGEL FOOD CAKE
                            adapted from Saveur Magazine

• 1 cup sifted cake flour
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
1.  Sift and measure the flour.  Sift three more times.
2.  Place into a large mixing bowl the egg whites, 2 tablespoons cold water, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt.  Start whipping the whites and when they become frothy, start adding the sugar, tablespoon by tablespoon, and beat until the whites are shiny and hold soft peaks. Watch closely.  You do not want to over beat the whites or they will become  stiff and dry.
3.  Sift the flour, about 3 tablespoons at a time, into the egg whites and fold gently until smooth.  Continue to sift and fold, until all of the flour has been incorporated into the egg whites.  Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and bake in a preheated 325˚F oven for  one hour.
4.  Invert the cake onto a bottle and cool completely before removing it from the pan.  Sprinkle with Confectioners' sugar.

I am still playing around with the orange sorbet I made the other day.  And I am still using it to top off a drink.  This time, instead of the classic cocktail of Campari and orange juice, I poured Campari into a glass  along with ice cold club soda and finished it off with scoops of homemade orange sorbet.  That was served with Double Chocolate Almond Biscotti... and that was our dessert.

                        DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ALMOND BISCOTTI
                           Gourmet Magazine, December 1994

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Confectioners' sugar
1.  Preheat the oven to 350˚F and butter and flour a large baking sheet, or cover with a sheet of parchment paper.
2.  In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl with an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and beat until combined well.  Stir in flour mixture to form a stiff dough.  Stir in the almonds and chocolate chips.
3.  On prepared baking sheet with floured hands, form dough into two slightly flattened logs, each 12-inches long and 2-inches wide, and dust with Confectioners' sugar.  Bake logs for 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch.  Cool biscotti on baking sheet 5 minutes.
4.  On a cutting board cut biscotti diagonally into 3/4-inch slices.  Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes.  Cool biscotti on a rack.  Biscotti keep in an airtight container one week, and frozen one month.

  A year ago I dined at Osteria Mozza in L.A. and had a ravioli filled with ricotta and a raw egg.  When I cut into the pasta, the egg yolk spilled out onto a pool of brown butter sauce.  It was fabulous.  I purchased fresh asparagus yesterday and also had some prosciutto.  I've been hungry for those two topped by fried or scrambled eggs.  Instead, I decided to recreate, somewhat, the Raviolo I had at Osterio Mozza. 

  I didn't have fresh, homemade pasta to work with, so instead, used the readily available won-ton wrappers.  I separated the egg yolk from the white and gently placed it atop a won-ton wrapper.  I then dipped my finger into cold water and ran it along the edges of the wrapper to moisten.  I placed the second won-ton wrapper on top and pressed it gently onto the first.  I then took a vintage "French Garnish Cutter", a gift from my friend Renate, and crimped the edges.  Dusted lightly with flour, the ravioli were covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for about an hour before cooking. 
  In the meantime, I trimmed the asparagus and dropped them into salted, boiling water for about 3 minutes.  Drained and rolled into a kitchen towel briefly, I then wrapped 5 spears at a time with a slice of prosciutto.  The asparagus bundles were covered with aluminum foil and kept in a warm oven while I proceeded with the ravioli.  I brought salted water to the boil in a 5-quart saucepan.  I reduced the flame a bit (you do not want to cook this pasta at a rolling boil), and gently slid each ravioli into the water.  There is a fine line between the ravioli being not-done and done.  You want the pasta to be cooked and the yolk to still be runny.  I probably had the ravioli in the water about 2 minutes, or until they rose to the top of the water.  I drizzled each serving with some French olive oil and grated Parmigiano over the top.
  It was a lovely first course to our dinner, on a day that felt like spring will actually arrive this year, and the cold, relentless winter is finally  behind us.
  And what about all of those egg whites?  I think today I will be making an old-fashioned angel-food cake with fresh raspberries and whipped cream.  Sounds good, doesn't it?