LEMON CHARLOTTE with A TASTE OF YELLOW

Lemon Mascarpone & Fromage Blanc Mousse in Lemon Sponge Cake


Those of us who write food blogs spend our days dealing with the light hearted and the festive, the pretty to look at and the delightful to eat, yet sometimes when we turn off the laptop and rejoin our friends and family we have to deal with the less than cheery, the sad and even the terrible. Sickness, death, we are all touched by it yet we rarely see it in the food blogosphere. We shield ourselves and our readers from the pain and the reality, we use our food blogs to paint a colorful picture of good food, good friends and loving family celebrations. No one really expects to visit a food blog and be faced by something so personal, so awful as illness. Yet we have all been touched by tragedy, faced illness and loss. These past five years or so, my husband, sons and I have faced more than our fair share. As anyone who knows me well, I am not a person to hide the turbulence, the raw emotions that grow dark inside of me. Life is a Feast and not everything that is served up is tasty and satisfying.

I am not the only food blogger who has taken the risk to write about our own or a loved one’s illness or death. For those if us who dare, who break the barriers of the expected, our blogs become a personal diary, a place where we actually feel safe to open ourselves up and share our innermost secrets with our readers who we have come to think of as friends. I find writing about sadness and fear, illness and death therapeutic, comforting, allowing me to think about it, talk about it, look at it straight on rather than pussyfooting around it or burying it deep down inside. Writing about it allows us to work through the thoughts, the fears and we end up walking through the dark tunnel and somehow coming out the other end to a brighter place; we find strength and courage in the sharing, and the words become part of the healing process.

Mark Rothko

I stumbled upon Barbara’s blog Winos and Foodies over a year ago and there is no other word to describe Barbara better than lovely. Her soft words and beautiful images inspire and make us smile, her mouthwatering food and recipes make us keep coming back for more. And her honesty and courage in her own personal battle against cancer have touched so many of us and helped us get through our own personal tragedies. After Barbara was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, she felt inspired by famed cyclist and multiple winner of Le Tour de France Lance Armstrong’s own struggle with cancer. She explains “For many of us diagnosed with cancer, Lance has become a hero in our own fight to overcome the disease.” What, you are wondering, does this have to do with food? October 2 is LiveSTRONG Day; in conjunction with Armstrong’s LiveSTRONG Foundation, some 1,500 events will be staged worldwide by both individuals and organizations, their part in the fight against cancer, a way to call the public’s attention to the cancer issues and increase awareness of the need for research and global solutions. One of these events is A Taste of Yellow, a food blogging event created and hosted each year by Barbara on her own blog, her way of supporting the Foundation. And A Taste of Yellow gives the food blogger the opportunity to participate in this worthy cause by doing what he or she does best: cook and bake!

Perhaps you have a cancer story to share.
Or you might like to honour a family member or friend touched by cancer by dedicating your heart to them.
-Barbara of Winos and Foodies

Food bloggers around the world were invited to prepare a dish or drink that contains a yellow food, the color of the LiveSTRONG bracelet and post their yellow dish today, October 2, LiveSTRONG Day. This year, the fourth year of A Taste of Yellow, Barbara decided to add her own personal twist to the event by asking everyone to incorporate hearts into their food either by creating a dish in a heart shape or decorating the dish with hearts. So take a stroll around your favorite food blogs this week and you will see an outburst of yellow love! Barbara will be posting a round up of all the Taste of Yellow entries next week. This will surely be an event to remember.


This is my second year participating in Barbara’s A Taste of Yellow event and I have created something very special: a Lemon Charlotte ringed in lemon yellow hearts. The beautiful Lemon Sponge Cake, light as air yet dense with lemon flavor, is baked in jellyroll pans allowing me to cut out the shapes I need to line ring molds as a base for this ethereal Charlotte. The shining star of my Charlotte is an incredibly light mousse cheesecake made of mascarpone and 0% fat fromage blanc (like a creamy smooth quark or sour cream), the perfect balance of sweetness and sharp, tangy, lively lemon. Chilled, this dessert only gets better everyday: we have been nibbling slices of it for 4 or 5 days now and it has only gotten better: the sponge remains perfect while the flavors meld together, still tangy and bright yet somehow mellower, smoother. A very special dessert to surprise and please while being so easy to make. And as it only gets better, this Lemon Charlotte is the perfect make-ahead dessert.


LEMON CHARLOTTE
Lemon Sponge Cake filled with Lemon Mascarpone Mousse


LEMON SPONGE CAKE
This fabulous Lemon Sponge gets added to my Sponge Cake repertoire hot on the heels of my Chocolate Sponge and my Vanilla Sponge. For the Charlotte, I’ve baked this in two jelly roll pans but this is perfect baked in a 10”-tube pan and served on its own. It is wonderfully light, fluffy and lemony!

6 eggs, separated
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ cup (250 g) sugar, divided
Juice of 1 lemon (about ¼ cup / 62 ml) + water to make ½ cup (125 ml) total liquid
1 ¼ cups (160 g) flour

Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Lightly butter 2 jellyroll (15 x 10 x 1-inch) pans/baking sheets, line with parchment paper and lightly butter the parchment. * Set aside.

Separate the eggs. Put the whites in a very clean bowl, preferably plastic or metal, add a drop or two of lemon juice and a few grains of salt (which help to stabilize the whites) and set aside.

Place the yolks and 1 cup (200 g) of the sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed for about 5 minutes until thick and creamy, pale and doubled in volume. Add the vanilla and the lemon zest and beat to combine.

With the mixer on low speed, beat the flour into the batter in three additions alternating with the lemon juice/water in two. Give the final mixture one good spin to make sure it is thick and blended.

With very clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy and starting to turn opaque. Continue beating while gradually adding the remaining ¼ cup (50 g) sugar until you have stiff peaks.

Using a spatula, gently fold in about a third of the whites into the cake batter to lighten it. Then gently fold in the rest of the whites in two additions until all the whites are folded in and it is well blended (no chunks of whites remaining).

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared jellyroll pans/baking sheets and gently spread until smooth and even. Bake each cake for about 15 minutes until the cake is golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and slide the parchment off of the hot pan and onto a table or work surface and allow to cool completely while you prepare the Lemon Mousse Cheesecake.

* Alternately, the batter can also be poured into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and baked for 55 – 60 minutes until risen, golden brown and completely set (test by pressing on the top of the cake near the center tube; it should feel rather like a marshmallow, not foamy).

LEMON MASCARPONE & FROMAGE BLANC MOUSSE CHEESECAKE
Simple to put together, light, ethereal yet sassy with tart, tangy, bright lemon flavor with just the perfect balance of sweetness. This only gets better! Keep chilled for up to 5 days.

1 cup (250 g) fromage frais or fromage blanc 0% fat
1 cup (250 g) mascarpone
2 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ tsp (6 g) powdered gelatin
2 lemons, juiced and zested
¼ cup (50 g) sugar

Begin by placing the gelatin with the juice of 2 lemons into small saucepan and allowing the gelatin to soften for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, slowly heat the lemon juice over low heat, stirring with a whisk, until the liquid gets hot and the gelatin melts/dissolves and completely disappears – do not let the liquid boil. This takes 3 – 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk or beat the fromage frais and the mascarpone together with the lemon zest, the sugar and the vanilla. Whisk in the lemon juice with the gelatin.

Using very clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold a third of the whites into the lemon/mascarpone mixture. Fold half of the remaining whites into the lemon mixture then the rest of the whites until all of the whites are folded in and no lumps remain. It should be smooth and very light and fluffy.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator until set just enough so it can be spooned into lined molds without running or oozing through the gaps. You can use the mousse immediately to fill dessert glasses, ramekins or other closed molds.

Once chilled and beginning to set without being too firm you can prepare your Charlottes: using your ring molds – any size: I used single, individual serving-sized molds, molds for two and molds to serve 4 and this recipe should fill one 8-inch dish or ring – cut out circles of cake to use as a base. Place each mold either on dessert plates or on a parchment lined baking sheet, which will fit in your refrigerator. Cut out pieces of cake to line the sides of your Charlotte – I used my heart-shaped cookie cutter, but you can cut out strips which then line the mold in one piece or any shape you like. Use them to line the sides of the mold sitting on top of the base cake. Fill the cake-lined mold with the Lemon Mousse Cheesecake filling all the way to the top. Once the molds are all filled, simply cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Or two.


By the next day the mousse/cheesecake is set and smooth and creamy but I found that after a further day in the fridge the flavor had become crisper, a deep lemon flavor with just the perfect balance of sweetness and the texture was one step closer to the perfect cheesecake texture albeit much lighter and creamier than a classic cheesecake. Perfect! Dust the top of the Charlotte with cocoa powder for an elegant finish.

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FLAN AUX MIRABELLES AND VEGETABLE TABOULÉ FOR TASTE OF YELLOW

KEEP IT YELLOW


We have all experienced a tragedy of some sort in our life, accident, illness, death, whether parent or child, sibling or friend, even ourself. Watching someone we love suffer leaves us feeling helpless, lost, our greatest desire wanting to reach out and help, wanting to ease their pain and suffering, change the course of time and events, make it all go away. The first experience I had with illness was at the tender age of 10, tiptoeing into the hospital room where my grandfather would live out his final weeks, this serious, intelligent, awe-inspiring man, wasting away from cancer. The air was heavy with sadness, yet the adults were laughing, joking, offering food as was – and is – the way of our family. Keep it light, make them laugh, ease the suffering for just a few minutes.

Michael, Sue, Andrew and I with Grandpa

My next experience, close up and personal, was in college; my darling, wonderful friend and roommate had been diagnosed with bone cancer when still a girl, yet she made the decision to never give up, never give in. She fought hard, following the rules, taking care of herself, working hard. I remember her telling me that after a long period of recession the cancer was back and had inched its way into her lungs, remember sitting with her while she received chemo; as tired as she was from the treatment, she joked, chattered away, made us laugh, tried to cheer us up, lighten our own burden of sadness and helplessness. She talked about her impending marriage, her college diploma, her plans.

And she survived. She won her battle and now, 25 years later, still married to the same wonderful man, she shows me pictures of her 3 gorgeous children, college age themselves. A truly happy ending.


Through these experiences and the others I have lived – and am living – through, my father’s illness and my brother’s, my father-in-law’s and a friend’s, I have learned that there are so many ways to help, as helpless as we often feel: a kind word to make them smile, a hug to let them know they are loved, a home-baked cake or a weekend visit, the telling of a story as we hold their hand, these are the things that we can offer.


And there are other ways to help in a much larger way, and Barbara, the wonderful foodie behind the blog Winos & Foodies and a cancer survivor herself, created and hosts the Livestrong (LiveSTRONG) Taste of Yellow Event for food bloggers around the globe. As Barbara explains it herself : "LiveSTRONG With A Taste Of Yellow is my way of supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation by raising awareness of cancer issues world wide. It is a way for all food and wine bloggers to share their stories. The happy and the sad, the struggles and the triumphs. If you are lucky and have not been touched by cancer you are still welcome to participate." Food bloggers are invited to prepare a dish or drink that contains a yellow food, the color of the Livestrong bracelet, and send the link over to Barbara’s blog by September 13 (tho I think she told me she extended the date, but check with her).


As my heart is torn out by my brother’s illness, I know that life goes on and if all of us chip in, join together, maybe we can make a difference through awareness and support, and we can pray and hope that research goes on, cures can be found, the weight on people’s shoulders can be lightened just a little by our actions. Thank you, Barbara, for your courage and your terrific work. I am proud to participate.

For Barbara’s Taste for Yellow event, I have prepared a complete yet very light meal for the waning days of summer: A mixed vegetable Taboulé served simply with hard-boiled eggs and a luscious Flan aux Mirabelles, an extremely quick, easy recipe for two.


TABOULE for as many or as few as you please

This is a “play it by ear” recipe, never the same twice. The traditional recipe has the dry semolina (couscous grains) soaked in the lemon juice, olive oil and the juice from chopped tomatoes over night. After many years of doing it this way, I decided that soaking the couscous grains in boiling water for 7 minutes and then flavoring the pre-cooked grains was quicker and gave the same delicious results. I also began, over the years, adding more and more vegetables, cheese, whatever I was in the mood for. The couscous is a blank backdrop that welcomes any combination. Here is what I did this time, making enough Taboulé for the 4 of us to eat over two days.


17 oz (500 g) medium-grain semolina for couscous prepared according to the package*
3 – 5 lemons
3 Tbs olive oil
20 – 25 fresh mint leaves, rinsed lightly if necessary, pat dry and chopped
1 yellow onion or the equivalent in small white onions
Ripe, juicy tomatoes
1 red pepper
2 small zucchini
1 jar artichokes in oil, drained
1 small can sweet corn, drained
Feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hard-boiled eggs, 1 per person or as desired


* using equal amounts water to couscous, bring the water to the boil with salt and either olive oil or butter, stir in the grains, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Allow to sit for 5 – 7 minutes, then fluff the grains up with a wooden spoon or fork.


Prepare the semolina grains for couscous according to the package. Place in a large mixing/serving bowl.

Roast, peel and coarsely chop the red pepper. Slice the zucchini, spread the slices on a baking sheet, brush lightly with olive oil and grill. Chop the grilled zucchini into bite-sized pieces.

Coarsely chop the tomatoes, as many as you like, reserving the juice. Chop the onions and the mint leaves.

Squeeze 3 of the lemons and add to the couscous with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste to see if it is lemony enough, adding more lemon juice until it reaches the flavor level that you like.

Add the prepared red pepper and grilled zucchini, the chopped tomatoes and the juice, the chopped onion, the corn and the artichokes, sliced smaller if you prefer, and the chopped fresh mint leaves. Lightly salt and give a generous grinding of black pepper. Stir until well combined.


I decided to add a small block of feta cheese for the tanginess and chopped it coarsely. Stir it in.


Taste and add more of anything you want: more lemon juice, more chopped mint, more tomatoes or other vegetables as you please. If I add greens, like fresh green beans, I blanch them first until crisp/tender.


Serve with the hard-boiled eggs.


FLAN AUX MIRABELLES for two

This is a wonderful recipe, so quick, easy and delicious, that is just for 2, but can easily be doubled. In the winter, I make this with prunes, first soaking the prunes in warm water for 30 minutes. In the summer, I often make this with fresh, ripe apricots, placing half an apricot (or two halves if small), cut side up, in the center of each ramekin before adding the flan batter. It would also be wonderful using any fresh berry.

1 large egg
1 oz (30 g) flour
1 Tbs + 1 tsp (20 g) sugar
7/8 cup (200 ml) low-fat milk
3 ½ oz (100 g) fruit *
Butter to grease the ramekins
Sugar or cinnamon sugar for the fruit, if desired, and for sprinkling on the flan


For Taste of Yellow, I wanted to use mirabelles, the tiny, sweet yellow plums, and decided to flash cook them with a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar, just lightly caramelizing them. I added a splash of water to the pan and stirred gently for just about a minute before removing them from the heat.


For the flan:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter 2 or 3 ramekins (with the addition of fruit and the shallowness of my ramekins, the recipe filled 3 ramekins).

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and the sugar until thick and creamy. Add the flour and whisk for a minute or two. It should be thick.


Heat the milk just until warm. Pour the warm milk slowly onto the egg mixture, whisking constantly.


Divide the fruit between the individual buttered ramekins (if using prunes, drain and pat the prunes fry first, removing the pits. Pour the flan batter over the fruit.


Bake the flan for 20 minutes. Carefully open the oven and pull out the rack (I placed the ramekins on a baking sheet) and sprinkle the top of each flan with sugar or cinnamon-sugar. Push back into the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown around the edges and set in the center.


Remove from the oven and allow to cool.


The flan are best eaten warm (not hot) or room temperature so they remain creamy.

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