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Happy birthday. And, happy end of chemo. Something to really celebrate.
I love fruit and meringues.
Lately, I've been trying to perfect, well improve my Normandy tart. So it's a pâte sablée and the fruit sitting in a mix of 100g sugar beaten with 2 eggs, 100g powdered almonds, 100g cream. Bake 20 mins, sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake 20 more minutes.
this is a favorite and very easy:
Barefoot Contessa, Berries with White chocolate
- 2 half-pints raspberries
- 2 half-pints blueberries
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced thick
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 10 ounces good white chocolate (not chips), chopped
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Early in the day, spread the berries on a sheet pan in a single layer and place them in the freezer. (This prevents them from sticking together.) Once they’re frozen, store them in a freezer bag.
In a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, heat the cream, white chocolate, and vanilla just until the chocolate melts. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. Heat the mixture until it’s warm to the touch, about 110 degrees.
Place the frozen berries in one layer on 6 dessert plates and allow them to sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to defrost slightly. Pour the hot white chocolate evenly over the frozen berries and serve immediately.
Congratulations on making through chemo and Happy Birthday!
The purple / white fruit on the plate is called cainito. Botanical name: Chrysophyllum cainito. It grows in tropical and subtropical climates. In Jamaica, where this photo was taken, it's called star apple, and it's available in the early spring and mid autumn. The flavor is unique. Not totally sweet, but addictive once you've tried it.
The yellow stuff that looks like scrambled eggs is ackee, another fruit and the Jamaican national breakfast. The round fried thing is a dumpling.
Got me thinking. The French eat radishes and butter with bread and it's really good!
“…and have gotten myself addicted to tzatziki.”
YES…really good!
As a palate cleanser, this is my favorite cucumber salad to make:
The smallest setting on the paddle mandolin, or the thinnest you can slice, best if the slices are translucent. Let weep using whatever method works for you--samll Persians or Armenians barely weep, but are delicious this way. Enflish seem not to weep, but sprinkle a little vinegar to mak sure.
Dressing, good olive oil to taste (i.e., EVOO but you can thin it with regular or lite olive oil if it's too intense) and sharp red wine vinegar (I use Pompeian--my "good" red wine vinegar is too mellow for this), herbs and seasoning to suit. I tend to just use Fines Herbs or Herbs de Province or a similar blend, but you can put in whatever you think goes well. I don't use garlic just so not everything is soaked in garlic, but it goes very well otherwise.
Use a bowl or container with a tight cover. Mix the cucumbers well with the dressing, but just enough dressing to spread the herbs around--the cucumbers will weep more when they're exposed to the vinegar. Let settle for about 10 minutes (i.e., while you clean the kitchen) then invert the lidded bowl, and refrigerate overnight or at least a couple of hours.