It is an unusual week for me and it feels rather odd.  I am not having Thanksgiving at my house.  Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday.  I love buying the groceries.  I love being in my kitchen for days.  And I love having friends and family to share in the feast.  But this year a very dear friend of ours has invited us to her home for dinner, and we accepted.  My friend extended the invitation long before we knew that my father would have a major surgery last month.  Being somewhere else for Thanksgiving is perfect timing.  I have just returned from another extended week with my father and am trying to accomplish many things at home.  I just don't think I could pull it off this year. 
       Since I don't have the pressure this week of preparing an entire Thanksgiving meal, I spent my day making a savory Leek & Goat Cheese Tart.  It's dinner tonight with the addition of a salad made of greens, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and Maytag blue cheese.  Glass of wine optional.

                    Leek & Goat Cheese Tart
                       adapted from a recipe in Wine Spectator Magazine

• 10-inch tart shell, placed in freezer for 15 minutes before baking
• 3 large leeks, white part only, sliced thinly and rinsed in a colander
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• black pepper
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1.  Preheat the oven to 400˚F.  Line the tart shell with aluminum foil, and weight down the foil with beans or rice.  Bake the shell for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375˚, remove beans and foil and return tart shell to oven.  Bake until crust is a pale, golden brown.  Remove from oven and set aside. 
2.  Melt the butter in a medium skillet and cook the leeks over moderate heat until soft; about 10 to 15 minutes.  Do not brown.  Transfer the leeks to the tart shell, spreading evenly over the crust.
3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Pour this mixture over the leeks and return the tart to the oven to finish baking for approximately 30 minutes or until the top surface is lightly browned.  Let the tart cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

    I wish I could tell you where I found this recipe for Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf on Greens, but I can't remember.  It is partially jotted down onto a piece of paper -- obviously I was in a hurry when I stumbled upon it.  I recently made it twice in the span of one week; good hot out-of-the-oven and good cold out-of-the-refrigerator the next day.

            Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf on Greens

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup parsley, chopped
• 7 ounces roasted peppers, 1/2-inch dice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cups lettuce greens

1.  Heat oven to 400˚F.
2.  Combine turkey, onion, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons mustard, parsley, roasted peppers, 3/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.  Shape mixture into a loaf and bake approximately 45 minutes.  Let rest 15 minutes.
3.  Make Vinaigrette:  In a small bowl, mix together white wine vinegar, olive oil and remaining 2 teaspoons Dijon.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss with lettuce greens.

    The majority of my visits to Paris have been in early June.  I have found that time of year to be perfect - not too hot; not too crowded.  But I have, on occasion, traveled to Paris in the fall and winter.  For someone who prefers walking to taking the metro, it becomes more challenging at those times of the year.  Fall and winter are, as expected, cooler and rainier, with fewer daylight hours to navigate the streets of Paris.  Another noticeable change is the restaurant menu.  On one October visit, I remember every café and bistro I entered had a chocolate cake with vanilla sauce on the dessert menu.  It was common to see chocolate cakes and large pitchers of crème anglaise atop small tables placed in the dining rooms amongst the clientale.   It is hard to pass up dessert when you have been staring at it the entire meal, imagining the entire time what it might taste like.  And, in my case, I also order it so I can compare it to my creations at home.

   It was my husband's birthday this past weekend and I made Fran Bigelow's Deep Chocolate Torte along with a Crème Anglaise Sauce - a reminder of fall in Paris.  This cake will go far.  It is dense and rich.  I suggest doubling the recipe for Crème Anglaise.  I like placing the slice of cake in a deep pool of the sauce.

                   Fran Bigelow's Deep Chocolate Torte
                         recipe printed in Saveur | November 2001

• 1 pound dark chocolate, preferably Cacao Barry Equateur (60 percent cacao) or Callebaut (56 percent cacao), finely chopped
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Cocoa for dusting

1.  Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water and allow to melt completely.
2.  Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Generously butter a 9-inch cake pan.  Cut a 9-inch round of waxed paper and press it over the bottom of the pan.
3.  Beat the eggs, sugar, and liqueur in a large heatproof mixing bowl.  Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring with a wooden spoon, until warm but not hot.  Remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat with the whisk attachment for 5 minutes.  Slowly stir in the melted chocolate. (Be patient with this step.  Slowly stir until fully incorporated).
4.  Whip the cream to soft peaks and gently fold into the chocolate mixture.  Carefully transfer the batter to the pan.
5.  Bake for 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the torte at least 2 to 4 inches from the side comes out clean.  The center should be just set; do not overbake.
6.  Let cool to room temperature, remove from the pan, and peel off the liner.  Dust with cocoa.

                                    Crème Anglaise
                        from French Tarts by Linda Dannenberg

• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  In a large saucepan, whisk together the yolks and the sugar.  In another saucepan, heat the milk and the vanilla extract over medium heat until hot but not boiling.  Pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a spoon.  Set over medium heat and stir constantly until the sauce thickens and coats the back of the spoon.  Do not let the sauce come to a boil or it will curdle.  Remove from the heat and place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.  Let cool, then refrigerate if not serving immediately.
               

  

   I served this tart alongside bowls of Cream of Carrot Soup.  A tasty, simple fall meal.

                            Pear and Gorgonzola Tart
                                     a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 9-inch tart shell, baked and slightly cooled
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 2 ounces Gorgonzola, or other good blue cheese
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 small pears, cored and sliced
• 2 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips

1.  Combine the cream cheese, Gorgonzola, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Using a hand blender, whip the cheeses together.
2.  In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-hi heat.  Add the pears and cool until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes.
3.  Gently spread the whipped cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of the slightly-cooled tart crust.  Place the pear slices over the cheese mixture.   Sprinkle the thin strips of prosciutto over the pears.

"When it Rains, it Pours"
    That's my life in a nutshell right now.  I've been with my father much of October and November during and after his surgery.  Right before I left last week for my father's home in Iowa, my computer crashed and needed to be replaced.  When I finally returned home, there was a gas leak in my laundry room.  Yes... "When it Rains, it Pours".

"Dull Women Have Immaculate Houses"
    Right now, judging from my surroundings, I am one dynamic, exciting, extraordinary human being.  And, instead of cleaning today, I put all of my energy into making this Pear Cake...

                                 Golden Pear Cake
                         a recipe from Cavallo Point Cooking School
                       published in Traditional Home | October 2009

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (divided)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 medium pears (1 1/2 pounds), cored, peeled, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
  Poire Williams Cream (recipe below)

1.  Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Place 1/4 cup butter in 9-inch cast iron or other oven-proof skillet.  Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.  Stir in brown sugar.  Cook and stir until sugar is melted and bubbly; remove from heat.  Set aside; cool.  Arrange pear slices in skillet.
2.  In small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  In large bowl beat remaining 1/2 cup butter with mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Beat in granulated sugar until combined.  Beat in vanilla.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.  The batter may appear curdled.  Spread batter evenly over pears. 
3.  Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until pick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack 5 minutes.  Loosen cake by running a sharp knife around the edge of the pan; invert onto a plate.  Serve with Poire Williams Cream or Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Poire Williams Cream:  Beat 1 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on medium speed until cream just thickens.  Add 1 tablespoon Poire Williams or other pear brandy and 2 teaspoons sugar.  Beat on high speed until soft peaks form. 

                           

   Eileen is still visiting her father in Iowa and taking care of him after his recent surgery but will return soon.  In the meantime, please visit Antique of the Week and read the Memorium of Richard Wright -- something even a non-antiquer will find fascinating!

   I haven't been home much recently to bake, but I did make this Fresh Apple Coffee Cake before I left for my father's last week.  I drizzled it with melted semi-sweet chocolate before eating.  Somehow the thought of pairing apples with chocolate seemed a little strange to me, but I actually liked it a lot - at least on this cake.  It's a dense, substantial cake, and great with a cup of hot coffee.


                        Fresh Apple Coffee Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups peeled, finely chopped apples
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup melted, unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
• additional unsalted butter for melting with chocolate

1.  Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan; set aside
2.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar with an electric mixer until well-combined.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
3.  Combine 2 2/3 cups flour, baking powder, soda and salt; add alternately to the beaten egg mixture with the buttermilk, beating until combined.  Fold in the chopped apples.
4.  In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans, 1/3 cup flour and cinnamon.  Mix in the 1/3 cup of melted butter.
5.  Place about 2 cups cake batter in the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the crumb mixture; repeat layers.  Bake in a 350˚F oven for about 70 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes before removing the cake from pan; cool on a wire rack. 
6.  Melt the 1/2 cup chocolate pieces with enough butter to give it a drizzling consistancy.  Drizzle over top of cake.

    My amazing, 89 year-old father has endured this past week, a successful 9-hour surgery for pancreatic cancer.  He is exceeding everyone's expectations.  His extremely gifted surgeon Neal Wilkinson at the University of Iowa Hospital, said my father is doing as well or better than his youngest patients have done during recovery after this surgery, and we are all expecting him to continue to improve as each day goes by.
    My hope is that my father is able to play golf every day next summer!  He deserves it after the year he's had.
    And if you're wondering, he was also an amazing baseball player in his younger days. "Buckshot" pitched to Babe Ruth - how cool is that?  

 I thought it strange that I had a craving for iceberg lettuce.  I rarely purchase it.  It may have been because I had all the makings for Roquefort Buttermilk Dressing in my refrigerator -- and once I get a vision inside my little head, there's no getting rid of it (just ask my family about that).  The only thing I did not have was a grilled steak.  That would have been a great follow-up to the chilled wedge of iceberg lettuce drizzled with creamy blue cheese and buttermilk dressing, and sprinkled with pieces of hot, smokey bacon. 


                 ROQUEFORT and BUTTERMILK DRESSING
                                            Gourmet | May 1996

• 1/3 cup well-shaken low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese
• additional blue cheese for sprinkling

   In a blender, blend dressing ingredients until smooth and season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle over wedges of iceberg lettuce and sprinkle with additional blue cheese and pieces of hot bacon.  This recipe makes enough dressing for 4 servings. 
                                    Oh... grill a steak, too.

    I was prepared to make a plum tart I had made many times before.  The recipe calls for almond paste which I had purchased and was ready to chop into small pieces. It would cover the crust and be the base for the plums.  But, at the last minute, I decided to return the almond paste to my pantry and instead grind sliced almonds that I store in my freezer.  Why I did that, I don't know; but I was perfectly happy with the end result. 
    I can't say that this plum tart is the most beautiful fruit tart I have ever made.  It's very basic and rather plain looking.  But the taste was just what I was after; topped with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, you've got one delicious dessert (or, how I finished off the remaining slice -- one delicious breakfast the next morning).

                          
                                        PLUM TART


Preheat Oven to 425˚F

• 1  9-inch round or rectangular tart pan with removable bottom, lined with almond tart pastry and kept chilled until ready to fill
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 3 to 4 plums, sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 cup currant jelly
• splash of brandy, if desired
• vanilla bean ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream for serving

1.  In the bowl of a food processor, finely grind the almonds along with 2 tablespoons of the sugar.  Evenly distribute the almond mixture over the top of the tart pastry.
2.  Place the sliced plums in an overlapping pattern on top of the almond mixture.  Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the plums.
3.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 425˚F for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375˚.  Bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden color.
4.  Meanwhile, heat the currant jelly in a small pan over a low flame.  Add a splash of brandy to the jelly if desired.  When melted and smooth brush the jelly mixture over the hot plum tart.  Cool slightly and serve with vanilla bean ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.