Guest Post from Amanda Carr!

I’m busy right now…really, really busy so when Amanda told me she had a recipe and pictures I jumped at the chance to have her do a guest post for me.

Most of you know that my oldest races BMX right?  Well Amanda races BMX too.  Only really, really well and travels all over the world doing it.  She is currently racing for Thailand but is still based out of her home town of Punta Gorda, FL.

This girl is a true athlete and follows an athletes diet to keep in the incredible shape she is in.  To learn more and to get updates from this amazing girl be sure to follow her on her social media accounts and look for her Tuesday evening Vlog that she puts out!

facebook.com/AmandaCarrBMX
instagram.com/AmandaCarrBMX
youtube.com/AmandaCarrBMX
twitter.com/AmandaCarrBMX

Workout Day Omelet!

Days when heavy lifting is on the menu for training, I usually begin with a medium/light meal. Omelets are usually a go to cause after about 30min-1 hour after I eat I don't have that woozy heavy stomach feeling (I hope you know what I'm talking about).

Anyways, the saying of "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" I kindaaaa follow it (when I have time) I mean let's be real I don't have the time EVERY DAY to make an omelet in the morning. So when I do have time I try to do it right, other days I'm in a rush and it's usually a couple pieces of raisin bread and I'm out the door! So for my omelet, nothing that requires anything that you shouldn't already have in the kitchen:

(I break this up into half before training and half after)

Ingredients:

 3 eggs
tiny bit of butter so nothing sticks
1/4 cup of green pepper (you can use any color you like obviously)
1/4 cup onions
1/4 cup tomatoes
1/4 cup celery
1/2 cup of lunch meat ham
1/4 cup shredded cheese, just to give it a little glue
sprinkle salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Crack the eggs into a glass mixing bowl and beat them until they turn a pale yellow color.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and let it melt.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then, grab your whisk and whisk like crazy. You're going to want to work up a sweat here. If you're not up for that, you can use an electric beater or stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whatever device you use, you're trying to beat as much air as possible into the eggs.
4. When the butter in the pan is hot enough to make a drop of water hiss, pour in the eggs. Don't stir! Let the eggs cook for up to a minute or until the bottom starts to set.
5. With a heat-resistant rubber spatula, gently push one edge of the egg into the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there's no liquid left.
6. Your eggs should now resemble a bright yellow pancake, which should easily slide around on the nonstick surface. If it sticks at all, loosen it with your spatula.
7. Now gently flip the egg pancake over, using your spatula to ease it over if necessary. Cook for another few seconds, or until there is no uncooked egg left.
8. Now is the time add the vegetables and meat. Spoon your filling across the center of the egg in straight line.
9. With your spatula, lift one edge of the egg and fold it across and over, so that the edges line up. Cook for another minute or so, but don't overcook. If necessary, you can flip the entire omelet over to cook the top for 30 seconds or so.

Thanks so much Amanda!!!

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Pecan Pie Muffins

And trust me on this.  They taste just like pecan pie.  Maybe not as ooey and gooey as pecan pie but the flavor is still there…And these are good.  Very, very, very good!

I had been looking for a simple recipe to make.  Something with minimal time invested, few ingredients and no mixer required.  I stumbled across these somehow and baked them up that day.  With only 5 ingredients how could I resist right?  Sadly they were gone that night…might have to double the next time!

Pecan Pie Muffins (Tastykitchen.com)
Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ⅔ cups melted and cooled butter
• 2 whole eggs, beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven 350 F.
Grease your muffin pan (whatever size) really, really well, or use the silicone cups. I grease my muffin cups with Crisco or lard. and it still wasn’t enough.  I had some stickage trouble.  Next time I will grease them with lard but also spray them with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and pecans. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together until smooth. Stir into the dry ingredients just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
Cups should be about 2/3 full. I was able to fill 8 muffin cups.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks when done.
Option: when you take them out of the oven, place a slice of butter on top and eat warm. You may also use walnuts instead of pecans.

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Toasted Pecan Pancakes

Anyone who follows me on Facebook or Twitter know that we travel quite a bit due to Kyra’s BMX races.  Those who don’t follow me now know. 
A couple of weeks ago we left the house Wednesday evening after Tony finished work and drove north towards Morristown, TN.  Not much happening in Morristown, TN other than a BMX race but we still managed to have a great time.  Other than the races the fun for us is the drive there…the drive home sucks.  Trust me on that!
So what does all of this have to do with pancakes? 
On our drive north the GPS took us through our old vacation destination of SC and NC mountains.  Just as the sun was coming up we passed a sign that said Cherokee, NC. 

This is where Tony and I started trout fishing about 20 years ago…

Funny thing is we had been talking about NC and our great vacations there just a week or so ago and were asking the kids if they even remembered being there.  Sadly hardly any memories at all.  One thing they do remember is the crazy Bear Park where you buy food and feed the bears (horrible for the bears but fun for the kids).  This is where we decided to go.  Unfortunately the bears seemed to be sleeping so we looked for a spot to have breakfast.  Luckily we found a place that was open (off season!).  Thanks Peter’s Pancakes and Waffles!!!  This where we had the toasted pecan pancakes.  Absolutely delicious.  I decided to try and recreate them. 
They were a hit…Kyra had 5 before she waved the white flag!!!

Toasted Pecan Pancakes
Ingredients
2 cup all pupose flour
1 Tbs sugar
6 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg
2 cup milk
4 Tbs vegetable or canola oil
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped (toasted in a skillet until fragrant and the oils have begun to be released)
Directions

• Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl (except pecans)
• Whisk all wet ingredients together
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well. You may have to add additional milk to make the mixture thinner.
• Lightly oil a pre-heated griddle or pan.
• Pour using a 1/4 cup measuring cup.
• Sprinkle with pecans.
• Cook on first side until you see bubbles on the surface. Flip and cook until the other side is browned.

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Bacon and Egg Breakfast Cups

I am ALWAYS on the lookout for a quick, healthy and easy breakfast to feed the girls.  Our mornings are sometimes a little (lol!) hectic and having some thing made ahead or that is fast makes it oh so much better.  Usually they get these really tasty breakfast sandwiches but when I saw these on Kristen’s blog (Dine and Dish) I knew I would have to try them.

They were a real hit.  I ended up changing it and using bacon that I cooked up the night before because I didn’t have any ham.  The kiddo’s loved them.  Lauren will eat 2 of these at a sitting.  Easy to make a dozen and heat them up over the next couple of days…

Bacon and Egg Breakfast Cups (Dine and Dish)
Ingredients:

• 12 eggs
• 1 cup chopped cooked bacon
• 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Spray a muffin pan generously with Pam cooking spray
3. Crack one egg into each hole of the muffin pan, using a fork to gently break the yolk.
4. Sprinkle each egg with bacon, salt, cracked black pepper and cheese.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Pop out of muffin tins and serve.

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MUSHROOM & CARAMELIZED ONION QUICHE

ONE FOR THE BOY


I hadn’t baked in several days. Or has it been weeks? The chill that has hijacked summer along with the damp seeping into the apartment uninvited has sapped my energy and my baking mojo seems to have withered and died a slow, numbing death. But deprivation seems to have woken something animal in my son, the one who complains of too much cake being shoved down his throat, the one who implores day after day that I leave him and his friends alone, to stop coming into his bedroom while they work bearing plate upon plate of baked goods. The one who always has unannounced (to me) plans for dinner, leaving me with too much on my hands and Tupperware containers full of uneaten scraps. He and Valentin, who has moved in for the month of June, spend their days in the back bedrooms working on end-of-the-school-year projects and various work assignments. They occasionally wander out of the darkness and into our half of the apartment looking for something to eat, often finding the cupboard – and refrigerator - bare. JP and I finally strapped on our safety helmets and buckled on our humor jackets, grabbed the stack of baskets and bags and made our way to the grocery store, ready to forage, hunt and gather what to feed a small family up and down the savage, untamed aisles of our local hypermarché, hoping to stave off hunger and save the young. But apparently it was not enough for the young cub. The same old same old provisions piled up around him and tumbled out a refrigerator door opened much too quickly: packs of ravioli and tortellini, cured meats and ham, cheeses and yogurts just weren’t enough to soothe the savage beast. He was bored and indignant! And with teeth bared, he spit out his displeasure at always either having too much or not enough or simply not what he craved! I was indeed a bad mother!


As the sun threatened to break through the clouds and illuminate the steely skies, as the wind died down just briefly enough to give us hope, something stirred deep down inside of me that put me back in the mood to bake. Or maybe it was a mother’s base instinct to nourish her offspring. I don’t know. But whatever it was grabbed me by the arm and yanked me into Clem’s bedroom where I asked, “What would you like me to bake?” My baby boy, my darling son looked at me, eyes quickly darting back and forth on the lookout for imminent danger, glancing up at me then down in embarrassment. “Mom,” he asked, “can you make something savory?”

"Please, sir, I want some more." from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

As the school year winds down and the students filter slowly out of town one by one, as the boys work diligently on their models and designs, they have indeed been eating dinner with us more and more often, actually getting a kick out of their evenings in. They have enjoyed both of JP’s lasagnas, engaging in and appreciating the lively conversation with the “old folks”, even doing the washing up when the meals were done. Well, almost. Scratching the old noggin, I searched my brain high and low for an idea, any idea, of what to make. A baker more than a cook, I scrolled through my usual repertoire of savory goodies, and a wonderful thought struck me! On our recent visit to an old friend of JP’s, his wife had prepared a fabulous rustic Mushroom Quiche, studded with smoked bacon, rich with cheese and browned to an invitingly golden crust. Her deep-dish quiche was succulent, flavorful and comforting; served with a crisp green salad, it made for the perfect meal eaten under the trees, in the waning sunlight in the cool of the garden. Clem always loved a good quiche, the gourmand in him reveling in the creamy cheesiness at once both homey and sumptuous. He has gobbled down my Zucchini Ricotta Feta Tart and adored my Clafoutis of Ratte Potatoes, Asparagus and Bleu d’Avergne. He loves a good old-fashioned Quiche Lorraine, which I make following my brother’s recipe. Tender, flakey crust, cheesy goodness (for the cheese fanatic that he is) thick with fresh cream and rich in eggs, a quiche is a wondrous thing, enough to sate a young cub yet served with a crisp garden salad a satisfying yet light meal for everyone. And I was determined to put this favorite back on the menu.

I decided to take the idea of a Mushroom Quiche yet replace the smoked bacon with golden caramelized onions and lots of them! Add to that a couple of healthy handfuls of nutty emmenthal or gruyère cheese and the whole dusted generously with freshly grated Parmesan. Needless to say, my Caramelized Onion-Mushroom Quiche was a hit with the guys who then happily heated up and enjoyed the last remaining slices for lunch the following day as well. Now what to make next….?



JP still threatens … tempts me with a weeklong bike trip up the historic and picturesque Nantes-Brest Canal. Purchases must be made: a bike for me, ponchos for the ever-possible downpour, saddlebags in which to pack our meager provisions and enough snacks to fill up at least one saddlebag (if he complains then none for him!). Preparations made while we wait for the return of pleasant, summery weather, if indeed our brief hint of summer has not already ceded her place to an early, overly ambitious autumn at the ready to muscle her way in and stay.


(Update: as you read this, I will be on the road! Nervous and excited but it should be a fun adventure! I hope to be keeping in touch via twitter, so make sure you are following @lifesafeast to hear all about what we are up to, what we are seeing, what we are eating and any exploits, happenings, encounters, ordeals and escapades we may have... and both young men have passed all their exams with flying colors!)

SAVORY CARAMELIZED ONION & MUSHROOM QUICHE

Short crust pastry for one 9- or 10-inch pie plate (recipe follows), prebaked

2 medium yellow onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
11 to 14 oz (300 to 400 g) white mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
2 – 3 Tbs (30 – 45 g) butter for sautéing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5 large eggs
1 ½ cups mixture of light or heavy cream and whole milk
¾ tsp salt
Generous grinding of black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
About ½ to 1 Tbs unsalted butter
About 1 cup grated gruyère, emmenthal or Swiss cheese (full-flavored & nutty)
2 – 3 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan

Prepare the Short Crust Pastry:

1 3/4 cups (245 g) flour
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
12 ½ Tbs (180 g) unsalted butter
6 Tbs cold water

Place the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter, tossing to coat with flour so they don’t stick together. Using the tips of your fingers and thumbs, rub the butter and flour together rapidly as if pushing the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly and it resembles damp sand. Do not overwork this mixture as the butter will melt and start to clump; it will be blended better later.

Add about 4 tablespoons of the cold water and blend vigorously with a fork. Add more water, as much as needed, onto the dry flour and continue to stir up from the bottom until all of the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough begins pulling together in a shaggy ball.

Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface. With the heel of one hand, rapidly smear and push the dough onto the surface and away from you, about a tablespoon of dough at a time, smearing it onto the work surface. This will complete the blending of the butter and the flour.

Scrape the dough up and gather it into a ball. Knead gently and briefly, just enough to make a smooth, homogenous ball of dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out easily, about 15 minutes.

Lightly butter a quiche or tart pan (if using the smaller diameter, make sure the sides of the pan are higher/deeper). I used a 9-inch wide x 2-inch deep (23 x 5 cm) tart pan.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured work surface to fit the pie tin. Gently lift and fit into the pie tin, lifting and pressing the dough into the corners. Crimp the edges and trim. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork before baking.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Remove the plastic and place a square of parchment or oven paper in the shell and weigh down with dried beans or pastry weights. Bake for 8 or 9 minutes then remove from the oven. Carefully (so as not to burn yourself) lift out the parchment and beans and return the shell to the oven for an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until pale and light golden brown. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack or wooden cutting board.


Lower the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).

Prepare the Quiche Filling:

Slice the onions thin and chop into large dice. Heat a skillet, melt about a tablespoon of butter and sauté the onions over medium-low to medium heat, stirring often, until golden and tender. If you like, add about half a teaspoon of sugar to the onions to help the caramelization process. Scrape the caramelized onions onto a plate or bowl and add another tablespoon butter to the skillet. When the butter is melted, add half the mushrooms, salt and pepper, then, stirring often, cook until sautéed and tender. Remove from the skillet and repeat with the rest of the butter and mushrooms.


Spread the caramelized onions in the prebaked shell then cover with the mushrooms. Cover evenly with the grated gruyère, emmenthal or Swiss cheese.


In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Whisk in the cream and milk along with the salt, pepper and nutmeg until well combined. Pour this over the vegetables in the tart shell. Sprinkle with as much or as little of the grated Parmesan as you like, dot with small bits of butter then bake for about 40 minutes or until slightly puffed, a deep golden and set.


Remove from the oven, allow to cool briefly then serve with a garden salad and a loaf of bread.

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BAKED CUSTARD TART

INTERLUDE

Ce toit tranquille, où marchent des colombes, Entre les pins palpite, entre les tombes, Midi le juste y compose de feux, La mer, la mer, toujours recommencée...

Paul Valéry, 1871-1945

This quiet roof, where dove-sails saunter by,
Between the pines, the tombs, throbs visibly.
Impartial noon patterns the sea in flame --
That sea forever starting and re-starting.

Our voices are snatched up and swallowed by the wind as it reaches in through the open windows, the drumming noise barely allowing the music to be heard. We’ve succeeded in escaping once again, just the two of us, and we revel in the escapade as we laughingly watch the paysage, the scenery flow by, the world a blur around us. We feel all alone, together here in the car as we roll south towards sunnier skies and warmer climes, singing loudly to the songs that flutter and sputter out of the radio, and we are never happier than when we are together by ourselves. My hand steals across the space between the seats that separates us and my fingertips brush against the back of his hand, feeling the warmth of his skin and his smile as he glances my way and gives me that special wink he has just for me. The road slips behind us as we try and leave our worries and concerns behind us as well.

We head south, first stop Bordeaux, that majestic, monumental city. Hand in hand, we stroll through this beautiful city the color of pewter and pearls and wonder at the fact that it is, in fact, smaller than Nantes. The wide turbulent river and stunning palaces lining the spacious squares in the guise of government buildings and apartment houses give this city the feel of one so much larger and of greater importance. We stood in awe at the beauty as the cars sped past and we dodged tramway cars as they trundled down the rails. As night fell and the darkness began to envelope us, the restaurants, bars and clubs lit up one by one, strung together by the laughter and babble of clients and passers by. The city comes alive at dusk as Nantes shuts down, Bordeaux bubbles and simmers with life as Nantes slumbers. Yet we stayed only one night as the itch to move, to widen the space between ourselves and home pulled us back out onto the road, our restlessness energized by the sun.


Next stop was Sète. Husband had a conference to attend in Montpellier yet we decided to stay in the seaside “Venice of the Langudoc”, Sète, a bustling port town peninsula on the Mediterranean Sea. Heavily influenced by both the Italians and Moroccans, their languages, cultures and gastronomies, the tiny center is dotted with both Halal butchers and pizza parlors while the main thoroughfares, narrow and packed with cars and people, line and weave along the waterways which themselves are studded with boats and fishing trawlers. A true fishing village in all its connotations, the buildings, now distorted with time, their elegantly decorative balconies rusted in the salty air, the once-bright yellows, pinks, blues and greens of the façades faded with sun and heat, lean towards the water as if searching for their fishermen. The ground level restaurants spill out into the street offering platters of seafood, stuffed mussels and other treasures from the sea, much to our delight! This is a predominantly poor town of immigration and fishing, the doorway to Morocco and back again, and her people’s struggles are shadowed wherever we roam, from the crowded, dingy streets to the faded beauty of her buildings, yet there is something so alive in the noise and activity, a vitality that comes from the water and gathers in the cafés and bars, a vibrancy warmed and nourished by the bright sun and brisk breeze off the water that gives Sète a certain intrigue and fascination.


Thursday, my man leaves me halfheartedly, nay, sadly as he stalks out of the hotel room, leaving his heart with me for the day. I gather my forces (I hate sightseeing on my own) and head to the Musée International des Arts Modestes, The International Museum of Modest Arts, art created from everyday objects, the ordinary infused with emotion, nostalgia and meaning. I then wander over to the town’s covered market which is much more impressive than I had imagined. I purchase the local gastronomic treasure, une Tielle, a very traditional tomato and octopus pie, poor man’s food to be carried to work on the boats to be eaten at lunch. Along with a cold drink and an apple, I wend my way up, up, up to the top of the city and the Fisherman Cemetery, awash in white, brilliant in the blazing sunlight. Tombs old and older, many cracked and askew, each one telling a story of a loved one lost, words engraved in stone, photos of the beloved staring at me from happier times. I wind my way up and up, climbing worn stone steps, letting the sun heat my skin and push away the memories, the thoughts of my own deceased and I come across a beautiful bench of elegant chocolate-hued wood stuck in the middle of all this crude white stone and it welcomes me as the land welcomes her sailors home. I settled in ready to lunch on my Tielle when I lifted my eyes and saw that I was sharing my meager meal with Sète’s own son, Paul Valéry. Poet and writer, his words, though chiseled into the tomb for safekeeping, flew out to me, touched my face, my heart than drifted out to sea.

O récompense après une pensée Qu’un long regard sur le calme des dieux.

When thought has had its hour, oh how rewarding
Are the long vistas of celestial calm!

(poem Le Cimetière Marin by Paul Valéry, translation by C. Day Lewis)

Our trip ended with a stop to see his sister and mother, two sleepy days in the country, then the long drive home. Back to the daily grind, the last days of his job, a son happier to greet us than we usually expect and a Boston Terrier with a cartoon grin spread across his tiny face.

Before leaving on holiday, I created this Baked Custard Tart. Leftover egg yolks on my hands, I knew that I had to do something fast and this was it. Infused with the delicate, subtle flavor of vanilla and Amaretto and the sprinkling of almonds adding a slightly nutty hint, this creamy, rich filling bakes up light and elegant, perfectly nestled in my own tender Sweet Pastry Crust. This is the perfect dessert to serve with spring and summer’s own fresh, fruity, sweet berries as I have with our own local strawberries. I decorated the cooled tart with a fine dusting of finely grated chocolate and topped it with strawberries drizzled with Verlaque’s Wild Flower Honey-Infused Balsamic Reduction (a goodie bag gift from South African Food & Wine Indaba). Fabulous! And while we were basking in the glory days of vacation, this wonderful tart kept Clem excellent company, a reward for his staying behind on Marty Duty, and he finished before I had even phoned home (to check up on Marty) the first time.


I am sharing this with Jeanne of Cook Sister! who is hosting this month’s Monthly Mingle (created by our lovely sister Meeta of What’s For Lunch Honey?). Count on Jeanne to Spice it up with a provocative theme: Topless Tarts! And it is!


BAKED CUSTARD TART

1 10-inch (23 cm) partially pre-baked Sweet Pastry Crust (recipe follows)

For the custard:
3 whole large eggs + 2 or 3 egg yolks (save the whites for macarons)
½ cup (100 g) sugar
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk or half and half (I used 1 cup heavy cream + 1 cup lowfat milk)
1/8 tsp salt
Dash ground nutmeg
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Amaretto (or replace with an extra ½ tsp vanilla extract)
1 to 2 Tbs slivered blanched almonds, optional
Fresh fruit, berries or strawberries to serve

Prepare the Sweet Pastry Pie Crust:

1 ¼ cup (175 g) flour
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
7 Tbs (100 grams) unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, lightly beaten

Combine flour and sugar in a mixing bowl or on a work surface. Using only your thumbs and fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the consistency of damp sand and there are no more large chunks of butter.

Using a fork, vigorously stir in the lightly beaten egg until all the dry ingredients are moistened and a dough starts to pull together

Gather the dough together into a ball and scrape onto a floured surface. Using the heel of one hand, smear the dough little by little away from you in quick, hard strokes in order to make sure that all of the butter is blended in well.

Scrape up the dough together, re-flour the surface lightly and work very briefly and quickly until you have a smooth, homogenous dough. Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes until it can be easily rolled out without sticking to your rolling pin.

Lightly butter a 10-inch x 1 ½-inch (23 cm) pie plate or dish (a 9-inch dish will work perfectly and give you a slightly deeper tart, just adjust baking time accordingly if needed).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a disc, dusting the surface of the dough as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Lift and turn the dough as you roll into a disc, keeping the table underneath the dough floured. When the disc is just larger than the pie plate, gently and lightly roll the dough around the rolling pin, lift the dough and unroll it on top of the prepared pie plate. Gently lift and press the edges of the dough into the pie plate, pressing together to “mend” any rips or holes. Trim the overhanging dough. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Remove the chilled Sweet Pastry Crust from the refrigerator and remove and discard the plastic wrap. Prick all over with a fork then line with a square of parchment paper and fill with pastry weights or dried beans. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, remove from the oven and, without burning yourself, remove the paper and beans and return the crust to the oven for an additional 5 minutes until set and matte and just beginning to turn golden around the edges.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C).

Prepare the Custard Filling while the Sweet Pastry Shell chills and bakes:

In a medium heatproof mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs, the yolks and the sugar until blended and smooth. Heat the milk or milk and cream over medium-low heat until it just reaches the boil (you will see tiny bubbles around the edges). Very gradually pour/whisk the hot milk into the eggs and sugar, whisking continuously so the eggs don’t cook, until all the hot liquid is blended in. Whisk in the salt, nutmeg, vanilla and Amaretto.

Pour the custard liquid into the hot/warm pastry shell and bake in the 325°F (165°C) oven – or better yet, place the pastry shell on the oven shelf/rack then pour the custard into the shell. This will help you avoid sloshing the custard as you lift and carry the pie dish to the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes then carefully sprinkle the slivered almonds – if using – over the top of the tart. Continue baking for an additional 15 minutes (bake for a total of 30 minutes) until the custard is set all the way to the center and just slightly puffed. If using a clear glass pie dish, you will see that the bottom of the crust is golden brown.


Remove the Baked Custard Tart from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool to room temperature before chilling. You can serve the Baked Custard Tart at room temperature or chilled, but store any uneaten Tart in the refrigerator. Serve with fresh fruit salad or berries.

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PISTACHIO PAVLOVA

With Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse and Vanilla Sauce

ROOT ROOT ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM

"Rugby is a game for barbarians played by gentlemen. Football is a game for gentlemen played by barbarians."

- attributed to Oscar Wilde

Europe is all a-flutter with the World Cup. Day in and day out, television sets, radios and computer screens everywhere are tuned in, news hours are devoted solely and completely to this grandest, loudest of all sports events. From the first coin toss and that first kick heard round the world, every European sits, watches, listens with bated breath, hands clasped, heart pounding. Prayers are interspersed with groans, grunts and choice expletives, the sweet taste of hope mingled with the jarring pungency of despair. Even Wimbledon, that most sacred and royal of tennis tournaments, has been forgotten, washed out, left in the dust of so many free kicks.


Of course we are speaking of the World Cup as in football. No, not American football, rather what Americans refer to as soccer. Now as my family and friends know, we are rugby people. Yes, we prefer rugby to soccer, the Gentlemen’s Sport over the Street Sport. And who doesn’t love watching those muscular men with the great thighs in skin-tight shorts and jerseys running around, clutching each other in wild embrace, hair swinging, weaving in and out as graceful as dancers with the final, beautiful dive chest first onto the green. Whew. Sorry, I sometimes get carried away.

So, where was I? Ah, the World Cup. This rare event has been punctuated by an even rarer event in our household, a visit from a friend who has come to stay. Clare and I sit side by side, day after day watching match after match, eating bowl after bowl of popcorn, sipping birch sap champagne (Sweden’s finest!) and root…root…rooting for the home team.

Nelly Kelly was sure some fan,
She would root just like any man,
Told the (referee) he was wrong,
All along, good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Nelly Kelly knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song.

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, (yellow cards and) you're out,
At the old ball game."

- Jack Norworth, 1908, 1927
(slight changes Life’s a Feast)

Truly caught up in the excitement of all of the drama, whipped up into a frenzy of patriotic fervor, Clare and I have spent every single day of her visit dashing between kitchen and living room, baking furiously and shouting at the players, shaking our fists, slapping hands to foreheads. But both she and I have one saving grace when it comes to the World Cup, our double lives: Clare is English and lives in Scandinavia while I am American living in France. We each have a choice of home teams, are swayed by such varied attachments that if one of our teams loses or gets sent home in disgrace we can simply switch our allegiance and still be loyal to a home team. The hullabaloo surrounding the French national football team has been making headlines and the repercussions of a continuous losing streak have been making waves throughout the country for so many years that supporting the Americans has been easy, especially after having watched how less thuggish the USA team has been playing in this World Cup, near perfect examples of sportsmanship and elegant football. Clare, on the other hand, has been vacillating between the English and any Scandinavian team who can gather together eleven blond men in shorts who can kick a ball. Watching England play has been a hair-pulling experience, yet they have indeed pulled through. We each heaved a huge sigh of relief as that first England-USA game ended in a draw, I can tell you that! No girl fighting necessary!


So while we are root…root…rooting for whichever home team feels the most like home (or has the better chance of winning) at the moment, we have been cooking and baking – poor Clare is suffering from food blog syndrome contagion: every waking moment is spent either at the market, the supermarket or in the kitchen cooking and baking when one is not sitting in front of a computer blogging said cooking and baking. In between the bouts of gorging on salty popcorn and nibbling on Swedish Dinkel crackers, we have been craving sweets. It started the day she arrived with a chocolate layer birthday cake (for son Clément) layered with whipped cream and raspberries and topped with chocolate buttercream, and was followed shortly after with luscious, amazing, perfect lemon ice cream (recipes will soon be revealed on Life’s a Feast). And then that time of the month rolled around, the Daring Bakers’ challenge, a multi-layered confection of chocolate, heavy cream, mascarpone and everything sweet.


The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard. I wanted to make a lighter flavored pavlova to offset the rich chocolate flavor of the mousse, so I chose a simple white pavlova in which I folded deep jade green pistachio nuts and added a dash of vanilla. I added cornstarch and vinegar to the meringue recipe as I usually do which gives the meringue a dry, crispy outer shell and a light, airy, marshmellow-like center. The pistachio meringue was perfect; just crispy on the outside without being crumbly or powdery, soft on the inside with the perfect marshmallow center, just chewy without being sticky and it truly melted on the tongue, leaving behind a wonderful delicate nutty taste. The chocolate mousse was creamy, smooth and very rich with an intense, not-too-sweet semisweet chocolate flavor. The Vanilla Sauce, made by folding crème anglaise, mascarpone and lightly whipped cream together, with a splash of nutty, warm Amaretto, was beautiful and the perfect balance with the chocolate mousse.


Thanks to Dawn, Lis and Ivonne for this wonderful event and delicious dessert!


PISTACHIO PAVLOVA with CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE MOUSSE
And a Crème Anglaise Vanilla Sauce

PISTACHIO PAVLOVA

3 large egg whites
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp vinegar (I used cider vinegar though you can use white wine vinegar)
½ tsp vanilla
1 ¾ oz (50 g) shelled pistachio nuts


Grind the pistachio nuts finely but with some small chunks.

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line one large baking sheet with parchment or oven paper.

In a clean large bowl (I prefer plastic), beat the egg whites on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase mixer speed to high and continue beating until foamy. Gradually add the sugar to the whites as you continue to whip the whites until very stiff peaks hold and the meringue is glossy and moist.


Blend the cornstarch, the vinegar and the vanilla until the cornstarch is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Pour this liquid over the whites and fold together. Add all of the ground pistachios except two tablespoons and fold into the meringue.

To make one large pavlova, trace an 8- or 9-inch (20- to 22 ½ cm) circle onto the parchment and scrape all of the meringue out into the center of the drawn circle. Using the back of a spoon or a metal spatula gently spread the meringue out until you have an even disc. You can make a slight well in the center if you like. For individual pavlovas, draw six or eight 4-inch (10-cm) circles on the parchment and divide the meringue evenly among the circles then gently spread the meringue until even and level. Again, make a slight well in the center of each meringue to hold the mousse. Do not overwork the meringue or it may deflate. Bear in mind the pavlovas spread and puff up a bit so leave a couple of inches between each shell.

If you like, you can hold back some of the meringue and, using a pastry bag and a star tip, pipe stars out onto your lined baking sheet to serve as cookies alongside the mousse.

Sprinkle the remaining chopped or ground pistachios on the surface of the pavlovas.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 250°F (120°C) and bake the pavlovas until the outside is dry and crisp. It should also be dry and crisp on the underside. Do not overcook if you want the pavlovas to be marshmallow-like on the inside as a pavlova should be! If the pavlovas begin to brown too quickly simply cover them loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. Remove them from the oven to cool on cooling racks.


CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
This is half of the recipe suggested by the Daring Bakers but I found it quite enough

¾ cup (190 ml) heavy cream, chilled
4 ½ oz (125 g) semisweet chocolate (Lindt 70%), chopped
6.6 fluid ounces (195 ml) mascarpone
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 Tbs Amaretto (can be replaced by 1 tsp vanilla)

Place ¼ cup (65 ml) of the heavy cream in a sauce over medium heat. When warm, add the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate is just melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. It will thicken slightly.

Place the mascarpone and the remaining cream in a large bowl. Add the nutmeg. Whip on low speed until the mascarpone is loose and smooth. Add the Amaretto and continue to beat on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. Do not overbeat or the mascarpone will break.

Mix about ¼ of the mascarpone mixture into the chocolate to lighten, then beat in the remainder until well incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

CRÈME ANGLAISE (for use in the Vanilla Sauce)
This is half the recipe suggested by the Daring Bakers, but again, I found it to be quite enough

½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
½ Tsp vanilla extract
3 large egg yolks
3 Tbs (38 g) sugar

Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until they turn pale yellow. Combine the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium high heat, bringing the mixture to the boil. Remove from the heat.

Pour about ¼ cup of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly so that you do not end up with scrambled eggs.

Pour the yolk mixture back into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and put the heat back on low.* Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to lightly cover the back of the spoon. Do not overcook.

Remove the mixture from the heat and strain into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 2 hours or overnight.

* If the cream curdles – which may happen if the heat is too high and the cream gets too hot – simply remove the pan from the heat and whisk in a few tablespoons of cold heavy cream. Whisk for a few minutes until it smooths and thickens a bit and then push through the sieve. Chill in the refrigerator over night. It will be thick and smooth enough to use in the Vanilla Sauce.

VANILLA SAUCE (Mascarpone Cream)
Again, this is half the recipe suggested by the Daring Bakers.

1 recipe Crème Anglaise (above)
¼ cup (65 ml) mascarpone
1 Tbs Amaretto (or 1 tsp vanilla)
¼ cup (65 ml) heavy cream

Slowly whip the mascarpone and the Amaretto into the chilled Crème Anglaise until thick and creamy. Put the cream in a bowl (preferably chilled) and beat with an electric mixer until very soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.

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