Tag Archives: cardamom

Saffron Poached Pear Cakes

Posted on by February 12, 2015

These gorgeous little Saffron Poached Pear Cakes are the culmination of a lot of different ideas and inspirations. They started as a little inkling in the back of my mind when I was perusing cookbooks at Terrain last Christmas and came across Homemade Winter, by Yvette van Boven. The gorgeous photo of a pear cake on the cover stuck with me, even after I’d read the recipe and decided not to make it (white chocolate just isn’t my thing). Then, months later when paging through Jerusalem, I loved the recipe for Saffron Cardamom Poached Pears and was reminded of the image from Homemade. While the pears are absolutely a lovely dessert on their own, they also seemed perfect for sinking inside a moist, flavorful cake. I played around with different versions of cake that would work with but not overpower the strong yet subtle flavor of saffron and I think this cake strikes the perfect balance. The slightly floral aromatic qualities of the almond flour, orange zest and marmalade work well with the saffron and cardamom. There’s a lot going on, but it’s well balanced and the result is beautiful Saffron Poached Pear Cakes that are full of a golden … Continue reading →

Challah French Toast

Posted on by February 12, 2015

What’s the big deal with Challah French Toast? Why would I be so specific about the bread? There are few breads better suited to French toast than challah. It’s tender and rich and super willing to hold lots and lots of egg batter. To made it extra special, I load my batter with orange zest and even add a little extra sugar to created a brûléed custard effect that is reminiscent of crème brûlée. Then I smother it in fresh berries and maybe even some type of cream. Whipped cream when I’m in the mood to be decadent, yogurt when I’m trying to be a little healthy, or Coeur a la crème for when I’m going all out (or I have some leftover). And this time of year, when it’s cold and hearty breakfast feels justified (or anytime I ask Marc what he’d like me to make, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner) Challah French Toast hits the spot. Sometimes Marc even goes so far as to come home from work with a loaf of fresh challah, and then, I know it’s gonna be a French Toast weekend. Make this fabulous Challah French Toast and I bet you’ll not only … Continue reading →

Cardamom Panna Cotta with Berries

Posted on by February 12, 2015

This week, the local strawberries came to market in Philly, and that meant I wanted to buy them all, and not simply to make Cardamom Panna Cotta with Berries. I love these very special little berries that taste how all strawberries should taste. I think about these berries all year long, and then when the season hits, it’s on! I think of as many ways to eat them as possible aside from eating them on their own by the pint for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This Cardamom Panna Cotta with Berries came about as a perfect dessert to pair with my prized strawberries. Marc said, “Will you make dessert?” and the next thing I knew, we were enjoying Cardamom Panna Cotta with Berries. Ok, maybe it wasn’t quite that simple, but I knew I wanted something to enhance, but not distract from the special fruits. The tiny local strawberries were so beautiful and flavorful and definitely worth a special effort to showcase them. I had some leftover goat yogurt hanging around that needed to be used up. Once I decided to add cardamom- my favorite spice- rose water syrup begged to join the party. This dessert is really quick and … Continue reading →

Chilled Peach Soup

Posted on by April 27, 2015

This Chilled Peach Soup recipe is based on an appetizer I used to have at the Inn at Kristofer’s in Sister Bay, Wisconsin. The restaurant was one of my early exposures to fine dining. I’ve modified it a little to suit my taste, but it’s basically the same as what they used to serve in a martini glass. Of course, at the time, I thought this was the absolute height of sophistication. Even if you’re serving it in little plastic cups (I found square ones to dress it up a bit) you’ll find this is a great recipe for a large group. I tripled the recipe (and left it at one bottle of champagne) since I was cooking for a party of 30 and using it as an appetizer, but the quantity written here is the right amount for 4 – 6 people as a first course. Chilled Peach Soup cried out to be included on the Derby Party Menu and indeed it was perfect for a hot day celebrating a Southern tradition. As an extra reminder, this recipe is of course, best in late July and August when you have fresh local peaches, but it works quite well with frozen … Continue reading →