LEMON CURD ICE CREAM WITH MERINGUE SWIRLS

SPRING ON VACATION

It was a sweltering day in May when I found this recipe. May, I repeat, for those of you who missed that word. This year, it seemed that spring had decided to take an extra long vacation and leave the climate duties to her companion summer. It was still May when we had our first over 30℃ (which is 86  degrees in fahrenheit) day in Tokyo, and it's been like this ever since. Although I love summer and I would say without hesitation that it is my favourite season, I also do enjoy the mild and beautiful days of spring and autumn — the best time of year to wear trench coats and other fashion items that are harder to incorporate during the harsher seasons. And though I shamelessly play favourites, the best part of living in Tokyo is that you are able to experience the change of seasons fully; the pale pink cherry blossoms when the earth comes back to life and everything starts to turn green again, the rainy season when you see hydrangeas and the pops of colourful umbrellas everywhere, the sweltering summer days when people enjoy the fireworks wearing "yukatas", the crisp autumn days when the leaves turn red and golden and there are no clouds against the bright blue skies, the cool evenings when you hear crickets chirping, the cold days when people all bundled up walk briskly and the fairy lights glimmer in the city, and finally the freezing and bleak days when people gather and have "nabe parties" and there are a few days of snow. I wanted the full experience this year too, and I wanted those pleasant spring days back, even if just to have a few more weeks to look forward to summer. But we are getting a little off track.

GALETTE DES ROIS AUX POMMES

A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

For the past two years that I have tentatively been blogging, there is something that I have really wanted to do. That is, to enjoy the events and festivities that appear on the calendar, and to bake and blog accordingly. If you are thinking that that sounds like a basic thing for any food blogger to do, you are probably right. So why not me?
"Because you are a worrier", says the voice in my head. "Because having a bake schedule will drive you crazy being the perfectionist you are. Do you want to be miserable throughout the whole year?"
The voice is persistent, trying to talk me out of following a schedule.
"It would be better for you to bake and cook as you please; to be spontaneous. Who wants to feature chocolate during Valentine's and bake cookies during Christmas? Bo-ring!"
And to be honest, I have given in to this voice for the past two years, skipping seasonal events and going against the majority of the food blogging world. No Valentine's or Christmas for this blog, no Easter, Mother's Day, Halloween or birthdays either. This blog would be spontaneous and free, giving no thought at all to all the festivities I was actually enjoying in real life, away from the blog. So spontaneous was I being that there were times when I did not blog at all for weeks.

NEW YEAR'S WISHES & FETTUCCINE WITH JAPANESE MUSHROOMS

Wishing you all a bright & beautiful 2015, filled with love, peace, happiness and dreams!

I feel it is best to leave things from the past year in the past year, but I couldn't resist bringing a recipe for fettuccine with Japanese mushrooms into the new one. Some of the mushrooms may be difficult to find, but there is no need to follow the recipe precisely — I highly recommend playing around a bit with the ingredients. Best served with a chilled glass of wine, or sparkling water if you are looking forward to taking a break from all the holiday drinking like me.

INDIVIDUAL TARTES TATIN

THE HAPPY ACCIDENT

Tarte tatin was the result of an accident. Or so I've read.
There are a few versions of the story but it is commonly said that Stéphanie Tatin, one of the two sisters that ran the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, was overworked one day and while trying to bake her specialty "tarte aux pommes", accidentally placed the apples and sugar in the pan before placing the pie crust first. In a rush, she threw the crust on top, baked the whole pan in the oven and turned it out on a plate upside down . . . and the rest is history. An accident turned one of the most famous french desserts of all time. "An accident in the kitchen story" surely does not get better than this. But that does not mean there aren't other good stories.

The storyline is a bit different but these tartes tatin was a result of an accident too: there were some figs trying to be caramelized and they collapsed. Luckily there was an apple.

As the Tatin sisters' story tells us, the kitchen is a place to learn that not all accidents are failures — quite the contrary, some of the most beautiful and delicious things can be a result of one. How odd to welcome these "accidents" when all my life I have been more than careful to avoid (m)any, going to great lengths at times. It is like looking at the world (or the kitchen) through a different pair of glasses, and improvisation and spontaneity and a few spills and crumbles here and there . . . it is all welcome. Accidents do not end as mere accidents but become happy accidents. Which brings us back to the tartes tatin.

VANILLA CARAMEL RIBBON ICE CREAM

FAREWELL SUMMERTIME

Every year, as I grow older, time seems to pass by quicker each and every year; hour by hour, day by day, month by month, and season by season. This summer was no exception — if not, it was the fastest I had felt a season slip away, and the hot languid days passed by in a hazy blur. How could that be?
But summer was here and I have memories to prove that I had a good one: buying a new pair of sunglasses at my favorite shop and having ice cream on the way back home, having long languid conversations with close friends over champagne and dinner, going to the aquarium — for the first time in a very long time — with a close friend and then later in the week helping her move out of town (I miss her already), grabbing drinks at a tiny beer cafe with Yu on a random weeknight, lunching with my dear friend in our high school neighborhood just for old times sake (she was wearing the best hawaiian print button down shirt over a long flowing skirt), going on a girls-only outing to Hakone with my grandmother, mother, and aunt . . . Even a trip to Disneyland with my brother and his girlfriend which is something I would not be up for during any other season.
But even with all these good memories (and more), I am still not quite ready to let go of summer. There are sweaters and coats displayed in the shop windows, and the days have been much cooler with grey clouds and the rain taking place of the harsh summer sun. There are no more cicadas crying in the trees, and when the wind blows it is no longer a summer breeze. Whether I like it or not, autumn is right around the corner — or maybe it is already here — but I am still holding on. Wearing my favorite pair of summer shorts/white shoes one last time, buying the last of peaches and plums at the grocery store, listening to Lana's Summertime Sadness, and making good use of my ice cream maker.

CLASSIC CRÈME CARAMEL

A HERO'S FAVORITE DESSERT

An extraordinary grandfather is a wonderful thing to have, and fortunately, I am one of the lucky grandchildren in this world to have one. A Grandfather N to be exact, whom my brother and I call J. He is, and will always be my hero; a role model, a mentor, maybe even a superstar that I will always look up to no matter how old I become. He is that wonderful.
On May 19th, J passed away. He had been ill for some time, and the last 7 months of his life were spent in a hospital room, close enough from his home but still away from it (which is a shame because he loved his home). He went peacefully in the sole company of my grandmother, his beloved wife to whom he had been married for 62 years. As you can probably imagine, the event left me devastated.
But today, I am not going to write about my heartbreaking sorrow. Nor am I going to write about all the wonderful memories I have of him. I am going to tell you about my beloved grandfather's beloved dessert.

J was a dessert lover. He had a sweet tooth, and dessert, along with 'ocha' (tea time) which is around 4 o'clock at my grandparents's house, was something he looked forward to immensely. I remember particular treats he was fond of; the most light and delicate cheesecake, a swiss roll filled with fluffy cream, (both from the 'depa-chika' of department stores he frequented), classic choux à la crème from a neighborhood pâtisserie, ice cream from the grocery store (he loved häagen-dazs), slices of fruit (cantaloupe was his favorite), and his go-to treat: crème caramel.
During J's 7 month stay at the hospital, everyone in our family took turns visiting him, with the exception of my grandmother who was there practically every single day. (Ah, true love, no?) We would talk to him, hold his hand, rub his feet, play his favorite music on the iPad and . . . deliver his crème caramel of the day. Being diagnosed with diabetes at the time, J was on a strict diet, but because he ate so little while he was in the hospital, he was given permission to have treats. Crème caramel was one of the few things he would eat even when he didn't have much of an appetite, and the pudding texture was ideal for his swallowing (he had aspiration pneumonia); hence began the daily delivery. It was the highlight of his day, the moment he had his first spoonful, giving me or whoever else was present a huge boyish grin.
I think about all the times in the past we had crème caramel together at the kitchen table back at his house. I don't think it was ever his "favorite" dessert. But you see, J is the kind of person to fall madly in love with a certain dessert requesting it over and over again, only to fall madly in love with a different dessert after a few months, sometimes a few weeks. His sweet tooth "affairs" come and go most of the time, but I could remember various times in between various affairs we had crème caramel together. Crème caramel is, and I am suspecting always has been, his female companion; the friend he goes back to and has nice conversations with when the affairs tire him out, the friend he is loyal to and never ditches no matter how long it takes for him to visit again. She is gentle and sweet and wholesome (well in a chic way — after all, creme caramel is French), and suits any occasion including the occasion you are sick in the hospital.

Less than a week before J passed away, I made this dessert with him in mind. He hadn't eaten in a while . . . maybe he wouldn't be able to ever again. I wish I had thought of making this earlier while he could still eat, but I was afraid of making him sicker — 'what if I give him food poisoning?' was a thought I couldn't shake. They turned out perfectly, an all too rare result for first time recipes, and I couldn't help but think that J must be sending good vibes to the little oven in my kitchen. He passed away the following Monday.

It has been two and a half months since that day and I have made crème caramel exactly three times since then. Each attempt has turned out perfectly. Of course I am thinking it is because of J, that he is still sending good vibes . . . good vibes from heaven. Which makes me think I will never fail at making crème caramel. The thought is enough to make me feel invincible — even if it is only for those few moments I am making this dessert — and it is a lovely feeling. It feels very much like love.

Thank you J, for being the extraordinary grandfather you are, for showing me to do the things you love to love the life you live, for loving me unconditionally, and for all the good vibes from heaven to my oven. You are indeed my hero.

* { crème caramel adapted from : Masahiko Hayashi via kyounoryouri (みんなのきょうの料理) — custard pudding (カスタードプリン) }
— click on the images above, or continue reading for the recipe

CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE & CHOUX À LA CRÈME

Once upon a time, I was not interested in crème pâtissière (pastry cream). I liked desserts which included this crème, but I had never given any thought to what a good crème should taste like, because I was far more interested in the shell, the crust, the vessel that surrounded it. But as any normal baker/food blogger/pastry addict should realize, one day it dawned on me that if I wanted to make all these amazing sweets with all my beloved crusts, I would have to learn to make the filling as well . . .

This is how my search for the perfect crème pâtissière began. And until I started the search, I didn't realize how picky I was. (Some pastry addict I am.) It seems, the pâtisserie I frequent (and sells the best choux à la crème in my opinion) uses the best classic crème pâtissière (again, in my opinion), so that was what I was looking for. And anything other than that tasted . . . well, wrong. So bracing myself for the journey, I dived head first into a sea of eggs, milk, and vanilla beans, and after quite a few egg cartons later, miraculously came up for air with the winner.
And trust me, one of the things that every pastry addict (or baker. or food blogger.) should have is a perfect crème pâtissière recipe. And even if you are none of the above, it's still good to have one, because you never know when you might want to seduce someone with a perfect chou à la crème. (Is there a better way to seduce someone than with a good sweet?)

This crème pâtissière (which is adapted from The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo) is a very classic version, and once you learn how easy it is to make, you'll want to try more than just choux à la crème; strawberry millefeuilles, strawberry tartlets, strawberry trifles . . . (I'm thinking spring is a lovely time for crème pâtissière) the possibilities are endless. Just make sure that you make enough because I tend to run out, especially when I'm making choux à la crème.

* { crème pâtissière adapted from : the little paris kitchen classic french recipes with a fresh and simple approach by rachel khoo }
— continue reading for the recipe for choux à la crème

LA CRUST | PÂTE À CHOUX

Beginner's luck; that's what I had for this particular recipe.
The first batch of puffs (or "choux") came out perfectly; puffed and golden brown, just like the choux à la crème that are sold at the patisserie I frequent. Too bad I messed up on the pastry cream AND ran out of eggs. Well, I didn't have any whipping cream either, so I guess it was for the best.
2 days later, I tried everything over and ended up making 3 batches of choux just to get them close to that first batch. The key to success seems to be how quickly you work to maintain the temperature of the dough, and how much egg you add at the end.
This was one of the recipes that made me realize all over again how very chemical baking is. I was once told by a very experienced food blogger that "cooking is all about taste and adding this and that through the process, while baking is all about chemistry and following the recipe precisely". Very wise words which I always keep in mind whilst baking.

p.s. recipe for choux à la crème to be posted soon . . . *

* { pâte à choux adapted from : sadaharu aoki, via NHKテレビテキスト 趣味DO楽 パティシエ青木定治とつくるあこがれのパリ菓子 — パータ‧シュー }
— click on the images above, or continue reading for the recipe

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY | BON APPÉTIT BOX № 2

The Valentine's version of the "Bon Appetit Box" is finally ready (and just in time for Valentine's Day!). So much effort has gone into this post, from the recipe testing to the photography editing to the recipe writing . . . The whole process took a lot of time, but I enjoyed the challenge and am relieved that I was able to complete it. At the moment, I am in a euphoric state and am ready to just relax and get away from my screen for a while. Hope you enjoy the recipes (even though I know you won't be able to use them for this Valentine's; next year, I promise I will get things up here earlier), and happy happy Valentine's Day!


LA BON APPÉTIT BOX {a valentine's version}
* french butter cookies
* valentine's cookies
* honey & lemon madeleines
* chocolate financiers


— continue reading for the recipes & more photographs of the Bon Appétit Box

VALENTINE'S COOKIES & ROMI-UNIE CONFITURE

Normally, Valentine's Day is not a big event in our household, mostly because my grandfather's birthday is only a few days before (and our whole family gathers to celebrate that), and also because a lot of chocolate is consumed at the end of January when the Salon Du Chocolat is held in Tokyo. But since Valentine's is not just about chocolates, and ever since I started this blog I am always looking for an excuse to try something new, I decided to plan a Valentine's post. And to be honest, it was supposed to be up by now (over the weekend to be exact), but partly because a snowy dark day prevented me from photographing the results (public excuse), and partly because I did not have the good grace to follow my baking agenda closely (truth), I am running late.

This post is part of the said Valentine's post. After looking at numerous photographs of pretty linzer cookies on the internet and in magazines, I decided I wanted to try them myself. I didn't want to use the traditional dough which contains nuts (usually hazelnuts or almonds), because I already had a different treat that includes almonds planned for the Valentine's post. But I did know what kind of jam I wanted to use for the filling — jam from a lovely shop called Romi-Unie Confiture.

Romi-Unie Confiture is a small cozy shop, on a quiet street in Kamakura, that specializes in handmade "confitures". There are a myriad of jams to choose from; every single one with a lovely name; most in French. My favorites are their "Anniversaire" (strawberry & raspberry), and "Claire" (kiwi fruit & apple) confitures, but I wouldn't really know because I have yet to try them all. For these Valentine's cookies, I wanted to use a raspberry jam, and after much consideration, I picked the "Paris" raspberry confiture with kirschwasser (cherry brandy), and the "Tartiner Framboise" chocolate spread with a hint of raspberry. The jams were so full of flavor, I decided to use an uncomplicated but delicious plain butter cookie dough which I (not so coincidentally) posted about previously. I know the jams I have written about here are impossible to buy unless you are in Japan, but any good quality jam would work. I recommend choosing something that is not overly sweet, because the cookie dough has enough sugar and a dusting of confectioner's sugar will be added on top. For those of you who do live in Japan, you can visit the shop, or buy online here.

* Romi-Unie Confiture
1-13-1 Ogigayatsu
Kamakura, Kanagawa
248-0011 Japan

* { valentine's cookies, cookies adapted from lionel poilâne, via dorie's website and paris sweets by dorie greenspan }
— continue reading for the recipe and assembly instructions

POILÂNE'S PUNITIONS | FRENCH BUTTER COOKIES

Poilâne's Punitions. I feel like I should just write "Need I say more?", post the recipe, and move on.
To be very honest, I did not know about this legendary boulangerie before reading about it in a magazine, right before a trip to Paris. The author recommending the place wrote about the three things she would always buy there: the "Punitions", the flour, and the salt. At the time, I was not into baking nor was I one to understand the quality of ingredients used in baked goods. But still, I was intrigued and made a trip to the Poilâne on rue du Cherche-Midi, and went to see for myself.
In the magazine photograph, the cookies looked plain and pale and exactly what a butter cookie should look like. Well, it turned out that the photograph was, in a way, telling exactly the truth. The Punitions were plain and pale and exactly what a butter cookie should taste like, but perfectly so. They were the ultimate butter cookies. The texture crisp, delicate, and crumbly, and most a beautiful shade of blond ("most" because due to the fact that they are handmade there are a few darker-toned ones which are even more beautiful), the sweetness understated, and the packaging very pretty. I didn't understand what made them so, but I did understand that they were perfect. Poilâne's Punitions left a very big impact on my tongue.

A while ago, I came across Dorie Greenspan's website and discovered that she had posted the recipe for Poilâne's Punitions (which she learned from Monsieur Lionel Poilâne himself). I was surprised that I had forgotten about these cookies (so much for my tongue's memory), and that I had not thought of looking for a good butter cookie recipe before. Well, better late than never; I am extremely happy that I found this recipe. I will admit, they probably do not taste quite as good as the Punitions sold in Poilâne. This is probably due to the fact that I am not using the exact same butter, flour, oven, etc., but they are still delicious and very easy to make. I recommend using a cookie cutter with scalloped-edges to make them as pretty as the original Punitions, and also to bake them a bit longer than the original recipe because I think the slightly darker ones are the best Punitions. And for those of you who were wondering, "punition" means "punishment" in French. If you are interested, you can learn why these cookies are called "Punitions" on Poilâne's website, here.

* note: if you plan to use a food processor to make the dough, read the recipe originally posted by Dorie Greenspan, here, to learn the perfect way

* { poilane's punitions adapted from lionel poilâne, via dorie's website and paris sweets by dorie greenspan }
— click on the images above, or continue reading for the recipe

CHAUSSONS AUX POMMES

This is a recipe that's post has been much delayed. It was first planned as an autumnal post, but here we are at the end of January.

There are many great boulangeries in Tokyo, and one of the hardest treats for me to resist when I'm in one is a "chausson aux pommes". It's like an individual apple pie, but better because the bottom turns out just as well baked and flaky as the top. (I always have trouble getting the base of apple pies to brown well.) "Chaussons" means "slippers" in French, making "chaussons aux pommes" translate to "apple slippers". This name, combined with the traditional leaf design created on the surface, makes me think that these treats have "cozy autumn" written all over them, but piping hot out of the oven they weren't bad at all on a cold winter day as well.

The traditional chaussons aux pommes uses a pâte feuilletée for the crust, but since I had leftover pâte feuilletée rapide from my previous post, I used that instead. (Well to be honest, I made the pâte feuilletée rapide specifically for these, so I suppose it wasn't "leftover" pastry dough.) It made the crust less puffier (flakier?), but they were still good and a huge hit with my family.

Be careful not to soak the chaussons when brushing with the egg wash, and if you're like me and like an extra crisp & crumble for your first bite, dust with confectioner's sugar twice while baking. I'm also thinking that these would be quite lovely served with vanilla ice cream; must try next time.

* { chaussons aux pommes, crust adapted from : 辻調グループ (tsuji group) — 速成パイ生地, filling adapted from : williams-sonoma — apple pie }
— click on the images above, or continue reading for the recipe

LA CRUST | PÂTE FEUILLETÉE RAPIDE

This year, I want to try a new series called "LA CRUST". I have always loved pastries, and as the title indicates, this series will focus on different pastries; "the crust" of baked treats. This is partly to make recipes that require pastry shorter and simpler, and partly because I believe crusts should have their own posts. (Pies and tarts are all about how good the crust is, no?)

In honor of post No.1 of this new attempt, I've picked the famed pâte feuilletée to try, but rather than the classic and very time-consuming version (we'll save that for another day), I tried a slightly easier (and albeit a little less puffier) but just as delicious version by the Tsuji Group. I've learned that everyone has different tricks and techniques for making beautiful pâte feuilletée, but the most important thing is to keep the butter cold. At all times. If you are looking for some good tips on rolling and folding the dough, I highly recommend this post by Magda of My Little Expat Kitchen. She explains everything in detail with photographs. I also recommend that you use the pastry up as soon as possible, because pâte feuilletée rapide does not puff as much as normal pâte feuilletée, and the longer you store it, the lower the puff will be.

Hopefully, I will be able to learn the different types and all the techniques necessary for pastry making through this new project. Let's just hope I don't end up gaining extra weight from eating too many pastries. Hmmm . . . *

* { pâte feuilletée rapide adapted from : 辻調グループ (tsuji group) -- 速成パイ生地 }
click on the images above for the recipe

LA GANACHE | A DETAILED HOW-TO

Ever since the holiday season started last year, I have been having too much chocolate. There were chocolate tartlets and the chocolate truffle stars, a chocolate cake and boxes of bon bon chocolats, chocolate bars from Dean & Deluca (which I braved on the weekend right before Christmas: not a very good idea), and old chocolate brownies saved from the freezer. There were even a few chocolate chip cookies if you can count that as chocolate. And not to mention that Valentines's Day is right around the corner, and I have more chocolate recipes lined up to try. Enough is enough, but I just wanted to share a detailed how-to for making chocolate ganache.
I have failed with chocolate so many times, crying over wasted (expensive) chocolate, and I know that it is one of the most frustrating experiences in the world. Hopefully, this detailed and very glossy version from Miette (which is one of the prettiest cookbooks/pastry shops ever) will save others from having to go through that kind of frustration.

* { la ganache adapted from : miette by meg ray with leslie jonath -- chocolate ganache }
click on the images above for the recipe