Buche de Noel (Yule Log)

I love pies, cakes, and cookies at Christmastime.  But, I also like trying new things, and I wanted to bring a little bit of France with me home to Louisiana for the holidays.  The Buche de Noel is a traditional Christmas dessert in France, Belgium, French Canada, Lebanon, and Vietnam.  It is traditionally made from a sponge cake, and filled with chocolate buttercream frosting, rolled up to look like a log.

I wanted to make one a little more--interesting. I found a recipe that combined Nutella, whipped cream, and toasted almonds. I couldn't resist!

The toasted almonds really bring out the nuttiness of the Nutella, and compliment the Genoise cake splendidly.  The finished product is so festive and really adds a nice flair to any dining table set for Christmas dinner.  You can always enjoy a left over piece the next morning with coffee for holiday-only guilt-free breakfast ;)

This Yule Log recipe is particularly wintry since the whipped cream frosting symbolizes snow on the log.  Get creative and really create a winter wonderland! Enjoy!

Recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate_nut_yule_log

The genoise cake, ready to be baked (below).

The genoise cake, baked and coated with powder sugar. (above)

Roll the cake and let it cool. (below)

Once the cake is cooled, spread the Chocolate-Hazelnut frosting, and then roll again. (below)

Lastly, top with the whipped cream frosting and toasted almonds. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.  

Tortilla de Patates (Spanish Omelette/Spanish Tortilla)

What the Spanish call a "tortilla" is not the tortilla that we think about when referencing Mexican food.  This tortilla is actually an omelette with fried eggs and fried potatoes.  It can be served by the slice, and is found in pretty much every eatery/bar in Spain.


Recipe- Spanish Tortilla

• 10 ounces red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch pieces

• 8 large eggs
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Cook potatoes in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and cool.

2. Whisk eggs and next 5 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Mix in potatoes. Heat oil in large ovenproof nonstick skillet over high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add egg mixture; cook 3 minutes, occasionally stirring egg from sides of skillet. Place skillet in oven and bake eggs until set in center and no longer wet on top, about 20 minutes.

3. Remove tortilla from oven. Immediately place skillet on cold wet kitchen towel to prevent further cooking. Let stand 2 minutes. Run spatula around edge of skillet and under tortilla. Lift skillet and tilt, sliding tortilla onto platter. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cut into wedges.

Big City, Little Kitchen Cookin- EASY Quiche Lorraine

My roommate came home and said she was going to make a quiche lorraine for dinner (yes!)

She seriously whipped this thing up in about 10 minutes before putting it in our toaster oven.  You can make this simple dish in an entirely unequipped kitchen. You only need a stove (or hot plate), an oven (or toaster oven), and a cake pan/pie pan/ tart pan (or premade crust in a pan).

The difference between French recipes for quiche lorraine is that they use "creme fraiche" instead of heavy or light whipping cream.  Creme fraiche can be found in American grocery stores--it is often in the fine cheese section.  Creme fraiche is similar to sour cream--but don't think about substituting it with sour cream!

Ingredients: one sheet of pate (dough)
3 whole eggs
30 cl creme fraiche (1 and 1/4 cups and 1 teaspoon)
25 cl milk (1 cup and 1 tablespoon)
300 grams of bacon (about 12 ounces)
150 grams of shredded Emmental cheese (about 3/4 cups)
salt, pepper, nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 475 F for 10 minutes.
2. Press the sheet of pate into a large cake pan and use a fork to poke holes throughout.  Put it in the oven for 10 minutes. Take out and let cool on the counter.
3.  Cook the bacon in a skillet until it is crispy. Then, drain the oil off with a paper towel and cut into small pieces.
4. In a medium bowl, whip the eggs together with the creme fraiche.  Slowly add the milk while continuing to beat the mixture.
5. Add salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg.
6. Spread the cooked bacon and cheese evenly across the bottom of the pan.   Then, pour the egg mixture on top.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400. The quiche is ready when a knife inserted one inch deep comes out clean.

Big City, Little Kitchen Cookin- Blueberry Buckle

What is a buckle you may ask... A buckle is an old-fashioned single layer cake with a streusel-style topping.

I got this recipe from my friend Grace, after an afternoon of blueberry picking over four years ago.  I have made this countless times since because it is so simple.  This is a recipe that people either LOVE or LEARN TO LOVE.  If you don't like it the first time you try it, you probably will the second or third. And people who like it REALLY like it.

The top and the edges caramelize, so if you don't like sticky in your teeth--this isn't for you. I've also noticed that men seem to like this more than women.

I made it just yesterday in my NYC kitchen. No tools required! You don't even need a pan. I normally bake it in a 9 x 5 loaf pan, but I picked up an 8 x 8 disposable aluminum tray from the store (for 50 cents), and it worked just fine.

Recipe- Grace's Blueberry Buckle

1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream (mandatory- ice cream required to balance out the warmth and texture!)

Preheat the oven to 375.  Place the butter in the pan, and place in the oven until the butter melts completely.

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, milk, salt and vanilla extract. Then pour into the pan of melted butter and mix lightly. Drop the blueberries in.

Bake 45 minutes- 1 hour, or until the top is golden and it is cooked all the way through.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Farewell My Beautiful Kitchen

I always felt like my kitchen in Los Angeles inspired me to use it. It was so large and beautiful. I also invested in so many gadgets that make life easier for cooks.

Now I'm in a transitional period--in transitional housing. My pots and pans, sifters and strainers, zesters and mixers--have all been left behind in Los Angeles. I've grown accustomed to all of my handy tools!

Nevertheless, I'll be making dinner tonight! I'm going to make the healthy thai-soba noodles recipe. My only concern is not having anything to zest my limes on. Or measuring cups/spoons.  Guess I'll have to improvise! I'll just add lime juice to make up for the lack of lime zest.

So, I've been doing a LOT of eating out these days (which isn't a bad thing). You can follow me as I explore various foodie paradises--from L.A., to NYC, to New Orleans, to Paris, to Barcelona, and many, many more!  Check out my new blog: Foodie in France. (Http://foodieinfrance.wordpress.com).  I'll be chronicling my travels, so you can come along with me over the next 8 months!