The Cordial Cricket is an elegant stationery and gift shop located in Chester, Virginia. They had a birthday this past Saturday and Petites Bouchees was one of the sweet table providers. My partner in crime, Candy Valley Cake company supplied the cake pops.

I had fun making the cake stand above. If there is one thing I love it's beautiful paper and ribbons!

Macarons

I wish I took better pictures. I used my Iphone to take these pics, Hubby had the camera and couldn't stay until the table was set up.

The truth is, between cakes and pies or tarts, I prefer tarts and pies more. Except in the case of brownies which I don't consider a cake but more of a food of the gods - given a dessert choice, I'd gladly pass over a perfectly delicious cake if presented with good old-fashioned warm apple pie.

There's something about feeling the pie/tart dough taking shape between your fingers that is so oddly gratifying. Which is why I am so ready for the fall!

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to score the tastiest plums from Whole Foods. I immediately thought of turning them into tarts but I wanted to try a new frangipane recipe.

I found a pistachio frangipane recipe from Aran's blog, Canelle et Vanille and since I had some roasted shelled pistachios which I couldn't use for macarons (either I ordered wrong or I was sent the wrong item), they sounded perfect for these tarts.

I sliced the plums thicker than what these tarts normally use because I really like the plum flavor to be stronger. This might make your frangipane cream more wet which was what happened but everything was simply delicious and worth it.

Pistachio Frangipane from Canelle et Vanille

200 grams butter, softened
200 grams sugar
2 eggs
60 grams flour
200 grams pistachios, ground to a fine meal

Cream the butter and the sugar together. Add the egg. Scrape and mix well. Add the flour and the ground pistachios and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.

If you are only going to use a little bit of this, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months.

Bake the tarts at 375F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
 

I used my sweet tart shell from here.

I've been having blogger's block, lately. The truth is I've been doing a lot of experimental baking but I think because of these baking marathons, I've been too tired to document them in a meaningful way. Hopefully, I'd get over this funky mood because I so love writing about food!

Playing around with these miniature baking forms. Aren't they adorable?

Brownies too!

The advantage of brownies in smaller pans? You get more of those coveted crusty edges.

pecan-cocoa nib cookies

Richmond folks, if you are interested in variety-packs containing these petite morsels of delight {including macarons and other yummy goodies}, email me at:

veronica AT petitesbouchees DOT com

with the subject "Mini Assortment"

I will add you to a mailing list to let you know when these become available.

OR follow Petites Bouchees on Facebook or Twitter for updates.

Remember, the holidays will be here before you know it.

As much as I love them macarons, I have to eat real food sometimes. It’s not that I’m slammed with orders all the time but switching from a sweet to savory kitchen and back again can be tedious what with cleaning and sterilizing work areas. I try to bake early in the morning so the kitchen can be wiped clean and baking implements put away in time for dinner prep. But when I know I will be baking again early the next day or prepping later that evening, I lose the energy to prepare dinner and the hubby has to bring home some fast food.

Sometimes I do block away some days to nurture my "inner cook". I try not to have an order to bake on Sundays and hopefully I would be in the mood to try dishes I’ve been wanting to test out for some time.

One of these dishes is the Yakitori.

Chicken grilled to 80% before dipping into sauce

Richmond, VA is sadly behind the times when it comes to Japanese cuisine (and others too). We’re still stuck in hibachi and sushi and the same restaurants with the same fares keep opening shop.

The silver lining to all this? I learned how to cook and bake out of necessity. I learned how to bake because as a newbie in America, my former hairstylist raved about the Ghirardelli brownie mix at Costco. I love brownies! And together with chocolate cupcakes and apple pie - these were the “sweet” memories of my childhood. My huge excitement became a HUGE disappointment when those brownies came out of the oven: "This was no brownie!”

Grocery aisles stocked with cake-mix boxes and even high-end supermarkets scooping buttercream out of commercial tubs, remind me of this conversation a few weeks ago between a young dude and a middle-aged guy regarding my chocolate cupcake.

Young dude: “This is good! What flavor is this?”
Middle-aged guy: “That’s the taste of chocolate with real chocolate in it.”

Sad. I wonder how many people remember the taste of real chocolate in baked goods.

Anyway, I digress - back to the Yakitori.

Yakitori before it's final basting/dipping

Yakitori, literally means “grilled chicken” and are 6-inch sticks of chicken morsels grilled over live coals and basted with a sweet soy-based sauce.
Fine Yakitori shops have a sauce called Tare. This is a sauce that can be kept going indefinitely by adding fresh sauce to the original. Chicken juices enhance the flavor and this is usually kept from going sour by boiling and simmering after each use.

The best chicken part to use for Yakitori is the leg or thigh. Meat from this part is juicier than the chicken breast. You can also alternate green onions and the meat when skewering.

This recipe for Yakitori is from Japanese Cooking, A simple art by Shizuo Tsuji

The Tare

Yakitori Sauce

bone of 1 chicken leg
1 1/4 cups sake
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs. mirin
5 1/2 ounces (160 g) rock sugar
2 cups dark soy sauce
3 tbsps tamari sauce

To prepare:
Remove meat from bone. Grill or roast bone till crisp but not scorched. Combine other ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and stir well. Add grilled chicken bone. Simmer over low heat till reduced by 20 percent, stirring frequently till rock sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat, let come to room temperature and strain. Discard bone. Refrigerate tightly sealed in a bottle, or store in a dark cool place.
If you dip skewers into sauce during grilling instead of basting, you should reheat the sauce after every use and simmer for a few minutes to cook to moisture given off by the grilled foods. Allow to come to room temperature and strain before storing. If this is step is skipped, moisture from the grilled foods is liable to sour the sauce.

Cooking Notes:

The process is: grill without sauce till 80 percent cooked; dip skewers in sauce; grill again till completely cooked; dip in sauce again; grill again briefly.

The procedure appears tedious, threading the meat in tiny skewers and then grilling, dipping and then grilling again but the end-result is a gratifying soul-satisfying meal. Serve with Japanese salt and chili powder.
We tried this with beef but I think I should have used skirt steak instead of flank because the beef got too tough.

* I did not have rock sugar so I used part white sugar and brown sugar. Just adjust sweetness to taste.

Hopefully, my tare sauce will last me a couple of years.

Beef Yakitori

Planning your wedding shouldn't be stressful. So why do some brides end up  a nervous wreck on their wedding day. I think I was the most laid-back bride during the planning and day of my wedding. The one thing most important to me was that we would enjoy great food and we sure did!

I think with so much wedding information and ideas on the web and in magazines, the bride gets so confused and detached from the reality of planning her wedding and how her special day should be.

Enter Wedology 101 - where a panel of experts will answer your most pressing questions of being a bride.

As for me, I'm just here to make your wedding day sweeter with a display of my dessert table.

So if you or someone you know is getting married soon, join us at Wedology 101, this Sunday, August 15th!

The hot and humid weather has sequestered me indoors. I really hate being under the sun, you would think I was a vampire. But a person’s got to eat and I had to go grocery shopping.
Speaking of groceries, a big new Kroger just opened in our neighborhood and I was so excited to see what the buzz was all about. I probably shouldn’t have gone during the first week of opening. I was less than impressed because what I saw was more of the same mediocre stuff in copious quantities which really made my teeth grind. I also waited 5 minutes behind the seafood counter to buy shrimps but left empty-handed - I counted 4 staff that were “busy” doing other stuff like packing things into containers while ignoring me and the line that was forming behind me.
So much for my excitement about buying all my groceries in one place, I couldn’t find the brand of organic cream and milk I use - so I left. I’ll give them another try in a few more weeks.

So, Whole Foods, I guess I can’t quit you - but you are so bad for my wallet.

I wish organic didn’t always equate with pricey.

Anyway, I was keeping an eye out for when basil became abundant towards the end of summer so I can make basil ice cream and it so happened when I walked into Whole Foods  that I spotted a 4-oz container of organic basil by the tomatoes.

Some of you all might say “Ewwww!”, and I would have said the same too until I tasted fresh mint with chocolate here and now I’m more than willing to give herbs a chance in the land of sweets.
 

Meyer Lemon Curd and Berry Tart

I’ve been on a tart-making frenzy earlier this week. It’s not that I’m tired of the macarons but I felt we needed to be apart every now and then. Basil ice cream goes very well with this meyer lemon curd tart {what could be my favorite tart to eat and make}. I’ve decided to dress it quite a bit with some raspberries and blueberries and yes, it tastes sublime.

I also wanted to recreate this cherry clafoutis I had at Balthazar a few years back. Yes, those tarts still haunt my dreams. Judging from how the cherries looked after baking I think the cherries needed to be “compoted” a bit before adding to the tart.
 

Cherry - meyer lemon curd tart

Basil Ice Cream

from "The Sweet Life" by Kate Zuckerman

1.5 ounces basil leaves or 30 leaves
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
8 egg yolks
1 whole egg
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup skim milk powder

Special tools and pans

Fine-mesh strainer
Ice bath

Yield
1.5 quarts churned ice cream

Infuse the cream
Wash and dry the basil leaves. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the cream, milk, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Once the cream begins to boil, add the basil leaves, remove the pot from the heat, and set it aside for 10 minutes.

Make the creme anglaise
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, egg, salt, skim milk powder, and remaining sugar and briskly whisk for 1 minute. Using a ladle, slowly whisk some of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture to warm it. Gradually pour the warmed egg mixture into the hot cream, whisking constantly as you pour. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer and remove the basil leaves.

Chill the creme anglaise and churn it.
Place the basil creme anglaise (ice cream base) in the ice bath to cool completely. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill a minimum of 2 hours and up to 2 days before churning it in an ice cream machine. Churn the creme anglaise in an ice cream maker according to the machine manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream is finished once it has increased in volume and it holds the lines from the stirring mechanism and mounds like softly whipped cream. Transfer to the freezer for 4 hours to attain a scoopable consistency.

Storage.
This ice cream is best if you serve it 4 to 6 hours after churning, but will keep in the freezer for up to 1 week.
 

 For printable recipe.

Cooking Notes

You all must be wondering why there is skim milk powder in this recipe.
The control of ice crystal formation is an essential part of making ice cream. Large ice crystals that are discernible by the eye or tongue is undesirable to the overall taste and enjoyment of ice cream. Ingredients play a factor in lowering the freezing point of water. The first of this ingredients are the soluble ones such as salt and sugar. Another ingredient is dairy and eggs, their proteins get in the way of ice crystal formation when their proteins absorb water and form a gel. Skim milk powder is a convenient way to add more protein and is used in good quality commercial ice cream.

Fat, also coming from dairy and eggs, blocks ice crystals from growing in size and is essential in holding air pockets to lighten texture and increase volume. They are also natural emulsifiers that gives a creamy texture to ice cream. Too much cream though, might cause a grainy ice cream as the whipping blade of the ice cream maker might create a concentration of fat molecules to group together and create hard butterfat.

Go ahead, make some ice cream before the summer is over. Actually, I don’t mind making ice cream in the fall and winter - especially vanilla- so I can have it with a nice warm apple pie.

Can you tell I can’t wait for summer to be over.
 

Is it Wednesday already? I've been held hostage by macarons of late, around 600 hundred of them in the past two days and there will be more coming out of the oven in the weeks to come.

Which explains the lack of new recipes here lately. I'll be in a couple of bridal shows in the next few weeks, so if you know anyone who is getting married here in Richmond be sure to let them know about the following bridal seminars and showcases:

July 25th

"An Engagement"  at the Hilton Garden Inn, downtown

August 15th

"Wedology 101"  at the Wyndham Virgnia Crossings Resort

Thanks for all the suggestions for the dessert table! I'm already excited to test out some recipes that would make fabulous bite-size sweets. And yes, I'll not forget something fruity!

And the winners of the Crate and Barrel gift cards are:

Lady Wild  "The dessert table needs something with fresh fruit. Mini-pies,   dipped strawberries, etc."

Rouge Cook " Whenever I see dessert spreads, I always go for the cannolis, eclairs, tiramisu, anything with fresh berries, and anything chocolate."

Congratulations!

Peadee Fudge Pops

(please click on the pictures to activate the lightbox for more vivid display!)

I’ve hinted on a project that I have been working on for a few weeks now. Well, now it can be revealed. Petites Bouchees has ventured into the stylized dessert table business!
This idea has been percolating in my brain since last year, but it was only this year that I had the guts to go through with it.
Wedding professional consultant, Meghan Ely of OFDconsulting has been instrumental in connecting me with great vendors in the area, with whom I am so thrilled to be now working with on current and future projects.

Wedding Cake - Sweetest Thing Bakery

It’s so easy to get carried away with a first project, but I wanted to pay tribute to the lovely wallpaper I first laid eyes on in an adorable pastry shop in San Francisco called Miette. I couldn’t not include a candy station for which Miette is also known for and their macarons were the first ones I tried that got me hooked on these little Parisian confections.

Wallpaper Shortbread cookies

I was lucky that they made the wallpaper cookies that matched the backdrop (yes, I’m going to use the “wallpapered” structure somewhere in my house after this project) - whimsical hydrangeas and starburst floral patterns - so I mailordered them to make an appearance on my very first dessert table.

Peadee Pops by Flour and Iced

I won’t deny that this has been a learning experience - I think I’ve spent enough time at Michael’s and on the internet sourcing paper and crafting ideas to bring into the dessert table. Many times, I thought my head would burst thinking of all the little details that need to be done. Sometimes they just fall into place and sometimes you just have to accept that the tarts and buttermilk panna cottas have no room on your little (or big)scheme of things. It’s picking and choosing and always remembering that there is always that next dessert table.

A little candy station- I just adore the lollipops

Dainty cupcakes

And of course, how can we forget the macarons?

Rose Litchi Macarons

More macs

Thanks to:
Jenny West of the Sweetest Thing Bakery for the beautiful wedding cake
Krissy Salmon-White of Flour and Iced for the gorgeous peadee pops (aka cake pops)
Paper and Pigtails for the adorable labels
Roshan and Dale of Quarterman Photography for the cool pictures
 

Peadee Pop!

Now for the giveaway. I love Crate and Barrel (CB)! They always have such sensible and cool vessels that lend themselves to showcase your baked goodies perfectly. To celebrate the launch of my dessert tables, I am giving away two CB- $50.00 gift cards, just leave a comment between now and July 19, 2010 stating what you would like to see on a dessert table besides cupcakes and cake pops. I will pick 2 winners using the trusty random number generator. The winners will be announced on July 20th and email notifications will be sent to the winners and they should respond within a week or a new winner will be chosen. The winners will be required to provide a mailing address for the gift-card to be sent.This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

I have a couple of events coming up that will showcase my dessert tables. The first one coming up is called "An Engagement" which is a Bridal seminar and showcase to be held at the Downtown Hilton on July 25. See you future brides there!

Hubby had his camera phone, luckily they allowed him to take pictures inside the studio

A little over three weeks ago their producer sent me an email asking me if I would like to make macarons on their program, “Virginia this Morning”. There was a bit of hesitation on my part because I had this project that I’ve been focusing on and I had the New York Fancy Food show coming up.

But hey, live tv? Baking macarons? Why not? Right?

So I emailed her back and said yes. She said it was a 5-minute segment and I mentally calculated how long it would take me to whip the egg whites. Hmmn...that doesn’t leave me much time to pipe and fill macarons.

Anyway, it was the weekend before my appearance that I finally timed myself. It would take 1 and 1/2 minute to beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. I don’t think we would want to hear a mixer whirring that long for my allotted 5 minutes.

Then I had an idea. How about I whip the egg whites just before my part?
 

Looking serious as I whip the egg whites

The other pressing question that occurred to me was what to wear. I wanted to be comfortable and since television adds 5 pounds visually, I decided on an embellished grey shirt. I also wanted to put my hair up in a French twist, but you know what, that was wishful thinking anyway because the morning of the show...we (hubby and I) appeared to be running late.

So I barely had time to even dry my hair and put any make-up on. Oh well!

When we arrived at the studio, it was freezing inside (the temperature that day was predicted to hit over 100F). The facilitator asked me how long I needed to set up and I told her; including my plan of whipping the egg whites before my segment.

I also plated my macarons for what they call “the bump” which I think is like a teaser.

I am thankful to the hosts Greg McQuade And Cheryl Miller for putting me right at ease for my segment and the producer, Torri Strickland, for giving me the opportunity of making these adorable confections on live tv.
 

Piping filling

Anyway, enough of my babble. Here’s the video. Sorry, I don’t know how to embed code, my browser or blogging software doesn’t seem to allow me to.
My favorite part, was when Greg McQuade mentioned “Julia Child, going to Paris” when I told them that I took a two-day macaron stage in Paris. Julia Child was always an inspiration to me, not because she went to school in Paris but because she dared to start a new career when she was almost 40 years old and she has left a lasting legacy in our hearts and mind.

Fancy Food Show Exhibit 2010

Anyway, I just got back from the Fancy Food Show in New York. I took their one-day seminar about starting a business and I will never look at grocery store prices the same again. It was unfortunate they did not allow exhibitor’s booths to be photographed because it was indeed a foodie paradise. Products from all over the world were featured lavishly. There were good and bad products but I noticed that baked goods that were sold with a shelf life of more than a couple of weeks did not taste good at all.

Since I don’t have pictures, it’s no fun to discuss the fancy food show, so let’s move on to the two dining experiences that changed the attitude of the "Hungry" Hubby towards Asian food.

I apologize in advance for the blurry discolored photos. I wasn’t planning on blogging the experience and all I had at hand was my camera phone.

Momofuku! First in line.

Let’s start with Momofuku. I think David Chang’s famous joint needs no introduction. Everyone raves about his pork belly buns and outstanding ramen. And you know what, our experience lived up to the hype. The sauce and textures of HH’s sliced scallops were unbelievable and my pork belly buns were meant to be savored. HH’s fried chicken wings were as good as the book’s recipe (well maybe my sauce was a bit better ), but my ramen was a revelation! Ramen cooked to perfection, it had just the right bite, but I seriously loved every piece of pork, seaweed and egg in my noodle bowl.

Pork Belly buns

Momofuku ramen with, what else? Pork Belly!

I have to voice out this observation though. Those pork belly buns flew out the kitchen like hotcakes and it amazes me how people in NY appear less concerned about fat in their diet. And yes, looking at the folks in the restaurant that day you would wonder where the obesity problem in the U.S. was because these were fit, skinny people shoveling pork belly buns into their mouths as fast as the kitchen can make them.

Which brings me back to my lament of the porkchop situation in our RVA meat cases- mutilated and shaved off of that all important layer of fat.

Anyway, the only disappointment in our Momofuku meal was the strawberry ice cream dessert, it was ...nothing special.

But it was the following night’s dinner that had me singing Yakitori for the next few days.
Yakitori Totto is one of Thomas Keller’s favorite restaurants in New York. When I read Ruhlman’s experience way back in 2007, I was imagining a place I would truly enjoy but dangit!, 2010 is almost halfway through and I have not eaten there yet.

Well, I was determined that on this trip I would.

I dragged HH out of class early so we could be at the restaurant when it opened at 5:30 pm, otherwise it’ll be normally an hour wait. To work up an appetite we walked from the Javits center all the way to 52nd street. It's a very discreet looking restaurant located on the second floor and we almost couldn't find it because I had the address number wrong. I was close to tears (after all, I walked 1.5 miles in sticky heat) until HH spotted the sign.

Yakitori totto

We were first in line, but it didn’t take long for a line to form behind us. A guy behind us told us that he ate at Yakitori totto “the first time yesterday” and it was hands down the best yakitori in New York so now he is back for more.
HH couldn’t wait to order beer, but I quickly decided on what skewered fare I was going to have. Here was the rundown of what we ordered:

Kobe Beef Gyutan - Kobe beef tongue
Lamb Chop
Harami - skirt steak
Enoki mushroom wrapped in bacon
Asparagus wrapped in bacon
Hiza Nankotsu - soft knee bone (yep- cartilage and bone - it was delish!)
Negima - thigh and scallion
Kawa - skin
Sanagimo - gizzard
Berkshire pork belly
Reba - Liver
Negi Tori don - charcoal broiled chicken over rice with scallion and soft boiled egg
Daiginjyo tofu - premium pure tofu in hot pot (25 minute wait)

A blurry pic of the beef tongue, I loved it, HH did not

Negi Tori Don - this is my perfect rice bowl, it is served with a soft-cooked egg

Each skewer was roughly $3.00 except for the beef tongue which was $8.00 and the lamb which was $7.00.

As you all noticed, I didn't take much pictures for my food blogging took a backseat to the food disappearing quickly into my belly.

Verdict?

I’m speechless with how good it was. Simple flavors with a lasting impression. Keller got right when he said: You have some chicken, special tofu and some rice and egg. And it’s like, ‘god, I’m in heaven.” It’s just such simple food.

You feel that each skewer that was laid on your plate was made with such care and reverence, the flavors...OMG ...the flavors are so real...so pure...

I had to laugh when the menu said on top “ Yakitori served with okinawa salt. Yakitori sauce upon request.”

Yes, nothing was swimming in sauce.

Best of all, I’ve had HH convinced that Japanese food was more than just sushi or hibachi. There is this other realm which exist - the art of the Yakitori and I sure hope that RVA will soon catch up with this one.

Please enough sushi joints...