Rising and Falling

Today was the final inspection from the Health Department and we failed. Disappointing but totally normal for opening a new restaurant. Our next inspection is Monday at 11:30, which is putting us at a Wednesday opening. In the mean time, I'm busy making bread in my sun filled kitchen!

Rustic Wheat Bread
2 lbs. whole wheat flour
1 lb.  all-purpose flour
3T salt (maldons is my favorite)
3T active dry yeast
6C warm water

-I heat the water in a liquid measuring cup for EXACTLY 1 min (10 seconds per cup)
-Measure your yeast into a 6qt. plastic container and pour warm water on top
-Let sit for 5 min OR until dissolved
-Sift together both flour and salt, then add to yeast mixture
-Mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated
-Cover container with a lid but do not seal
-Set in a warm place to rise for 2 hours OR until doubled in bulk

-Once the bread has completed its first rise turn it onto a floured surface and cloak in flour
-Knead for 3-5 mins until dough is smooth and elastic
-Separate into 4 Large loaves or 6 Small loaves.
-Loaves can be frozen at this stage
-If not freezing Place shaped loaves on an oil cookie sheet.
-Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour)
-Score and place in oven for 20-25 min OR until the bread sounds hollow when you knock on it

Enjoy!

Health Department and Quiche

This morning sometime between 9am and 3pm the health department is doing its final walk through at the new bakery/bistro I am working at. Fingers crossed for approval please, so we can move forward in this incredible culinary journey!

Either way, I am training staff on prepping batters and doughs tonight. Whether it be in our commercial kitchen OR in the home kitchen of the owner. Some way or another pastry is being produced!

One would think that seeing first hand all of the difficulty and all of the red tape that has to be walked through to open a business would make be hesitant to want to start my own. However, my future Pittsburgh bakery dreams are raging through my busy little brain!

In other news.... I'm totally digging quiche right now! I love the versatility of them. Pastry crust, savory crust, potato crust! Filled with various sorts of veggies, meats, and cheeses! I love using chicken apple sausage with sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and goat cheese. OR fresh heirloom tomatoes with dijon mustard, herb de provence, and gruyere. When it comes to the custard base there are all sorts of varieties depending on how eggy you like your quiche. I'm a fan of the below recipe

Custard Base for Quiche 
3/4 C heavy cream
3 eggs
pinch salt
pinch pepper
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

When assembling a quiche. Line a 9" pie dish, removable bottom tart pan, or a spring form pan with desired crust and par-bake for 15 min.
Slightly cool crust and line with desired veggie OR meat filling (be sure to saute any veggies before filling crust)
Top filling with cheese, and pour custard base on top.
BAKE for 35-45 min OR until quiche is set.

Oh my! Oh My! Oh Red Velvet Cake!

So! I have begun a new culinary journey! I moved to Ventura with my sweet husband and took a job as the kitchen manager/pastry chef in a New Orleans style coffee/ bakery/ bistro called Rabalais' soon to open in Santa Paula. For those who are not familiar with those areas they are beautiful and mountainous. One of them is kissing the ocean and the other is caressed by endless orchards and fields of plentiful growing. I have been a busy bee testing recipes, making inventory lists and order guides, and doing various amounts of new business stuff. Not to mention, running to the beach, walking to the farmers market, and drinking coffee in the mornings. All in all...my line of work makes me a very lucky girl!

I think I'll make a tarte tatin...

The Holiday season knows how to weaken the toughest of pastry chefs. From the weekend before Thanksgiving to January 2nd it is pretty much a never ending story of sugar cookies and cupcakes. A solid month of 12 hour days, 7 working days a week, and a mandatory "hard and fast" attitude. I am still pretty wet behind the ears when it comes to commercial pastry production and I have to say, while I did make it out alive, I was not left unharmed...let's for the sake of ease, leave all of the emotional bruises out of it and just focus on the new community of burns and sexy scabbed over scars. The storm cloud colored circles that have seemed to sign a long term lease to live beneathe my eyes, and the many food related stains on my favorite comfy t-shirts. I complain here, but I am not ashamed to admit that I am a little proud of my Christmas Season battle wounds, the most impactful of which, is this cold I have raging through my sleepy sinuses.

Needless to say, the last few days at work have been recovery shifts. Finding comfort in the familiarity of daily pastry production; scones, cookies, muffins, chocolate cake, and keylime pie, and finding a way to end each day with a fun new task that reminds you how grateful you are to have a job that you love. As of late that task has been a Pear Tarte Tatin. There's something homey about cooking fruit in a cast iron skillet. The below recipe is modified from Thomas Kellar's "Bouchon"

Pear Tarte Tatin


Pate Brisee
2 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
8oz. cold cubed butter (1/2 Cup)
1t salt
1/4 Cup cold water

For Pastry: In a stand mixer mix together the drys then add in cold butter. Mix until small balls form, then stream in cold water. Continue to mix until dough comes together. Remove from mixer and seperate into two disks. Freeze one of these disks if you only plan on making one tarte tatin, leave the other to rest for 30 min. before rolling out into slightly larger than a 10" round circle. Fold in half and set aside.

For Filling: Peel, core, and halve 10 pears. Line the bottom of a cast iron skillet with 3/4 C Sugar and 2Tbs. cubed butter. Arrange the pears (core side up) in a circular pattern on top of the sugar and butter. Heat over a medium-hot flame until sugar turns a light amber color. Make sure to move the pears around in a clockwise direction to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan while the sugar caramelizes.

Once the sugar has reached the right color (slightly darker than above) remove the skillet from the heat and cover with the pastry, being careful to tuck the sides to the pastry along side and underneath the pears.

Place the skillet in a warm oven (350*) for 20-25 min, or until the top of the pastry has turned a very light golden brown.

Let the tart set for 30min. so the pears can soak up the juices, but not any longer or it will stick to the skillet.

Invert onto a serving platter and enjoy!!

Sunday morning muffins for a wet winter's day...

This recipes proves the beauty of a high butter ratio.

Cranberry Pecan Muffins:
3Cups All purpose flour
1Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 Cups brown sugar
1 1/4 Cups milk
2 eggs
1/2 C. Melted butter
2 1/2 Cups fresh cranberries halved
1 Cup chopped pecans

NOTE: I do not recommend using a stand mixer to mix this recipe. It is too easy to over mix. So,I mix everything by hand, old-school style...

- In a large mixing bowl sift together drys with a whisk
-fold in melted butter THEN fold in milk and whisked eggs
-mix until mostly smooth, batter will be slightly lumpy.
-fold in fruit and nut.
-divide into muffin cup, be generous with batter.
-top with streusel topping

Streusel Topping
375 grams brown sugar
375 grams all purpose flour
325 grams butter
18 grams cinnamon
10 grams salt

NOTE: you should use a stand mixer for mixing streusel

-cream butter and sugar
-scape down sides of bowl
-add sifted drys
-mix until small balls form

Top muffins with a generous amount of topping and bake at 350 for 15-20 min OR until a knive inseted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.


Eat the warm with coffee! In bed!

Enjoy!