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commitment 

to

M A N I F E S T A T I O N

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shirt and necklace

for mom

in celebration of her

vibrant, youthful spirit

<< 60 years >>

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this one...

this one's a good one.

Lemon-Coco Tart with Buckwheat Crust 

I decided to get adventurous with my traditional standby Tartine lemon tart recipe. I completely adore Tartine's lemon tart and have made it time and time again. However, due to my obvious obsession with buckwheat as of late, I decided to mix things up a bit. I used the exact recipe from my Buckwheat Moon cookies as the crust for this birthday tart. I also experimented with the lemon cream recipe, using coconut oil instead of butter. (I think it turned out great!) Crust can be made ahead of time (I made mine the day before and covered tightly with plastic wrap) and so can the cream (stored in a container in the fridge). Once both components are made, the tart can be assembled quickly.

Buckwheat Crust

 

3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 c buckwheat flour

1/4 c walnut/almond/pistachio meal

1/2 c unsweetened finely shredded coconut, very finely minced
1/4 c extra-virgin coconut oil, softened
1/3 c fine-grain natural cane sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten

  

Whisk the flour, nut meal and shredded coconut together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, beat the coconut oil with the sugar and salt until it's smooth and looks a bit like a brown sugar frosting. Beat in the egg until everything is uniform in appearance. Add the flour mixture and stir just until incorporated. Turn the dough out onto the counter-top, knead it once or twice and gather it into a ball. Flatten the dough, wrap in plastic and and refrigerate for at least an hour. When you are ready to bake the crust, preheat the oven to 350F degrees. On a floured work surface roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick. If the dough cracks, let it sit and warm up for a couple more minutes. Roll into a circle, large enough to line the bottom and edges of a springform pan. Gently transfer the dough to the pan. (I had to do quite a bit of patching since the dough broke in a few spots, but don't worry--it still turns out great.) Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork. Place in oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

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dreamcatcher for Jess' birthday

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For my dear brother's quarter-of-a-century birthday he requested a gourmet raw dinner of my creation. I made several dishes from "Raw: The UNcook Book" by Juliano, all which were tasty. But as a non-raw-foodist, (but culinary devotee) I believe this recipe stood above and beyond the others and I am very excited to recreate it. It's perfect for hot summer weather as it is a chilled soup, and the coconut, chilies and lemongrass flavors invigorate and cool the palate.

<<< >>>

Tom Khai

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp minced ginger

2/3 c fresh mint, chopped

2/3 c fresh basil, chopped

2/3 c fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp chopped walnuts

2/3 c marinated portobellos (see recipe below)

2 Tbsp chives and/or green onions, chopped

3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 tsp fresh Thai chili, minced

1 Tbsp minced galanga

1 c fresh coconut meat, chopped

1 medium-sized avocado

2 Tbsp kaffir lime leaves, well minced

1 Tbsp lemongrass, well minced

4 c coconut water (from 2-3 coconuts)

2/3 c Nama Shoyu (i substituted about 1/2 c garbanzo miso paste)

2/3 c olive oil

In a serving bowl combine cherry tomatoes, garlic, ginger, mint, basil, cilantro, walnuts, mushrooms, chives and/or green onions, lime juice, Thai chili, and galanga. Stir and set aside. Grind the kaffir lime leaves in a coffee grinder or mince by hand. Set aside. Chop 1 c coconut meat by hand and put it in the blender. Just before you're ready to eat, add to the blender the galanga, avocado, lemongrass, coconut water, Nama Shoyu (or miso paste), olive oil, and curry chutney. Blend until the soup is creamy with no remaining chunks. Pour blender contents over ingredients in serving bowl, mix, and serve right away.

Marinated Portobellos

2 c diced portobello mushrooms

1 c Nama Shoyu (i substituted about 1/4 c garbanzo miso paste & 1/2 c water here)

1/4 c olive oil

Mix Nama Shoyu (or miso paste) with olive oil. In a bowl, soak mushrooms in this mixture for at least 10 minutes and up to 6 hours. Discard marinade.

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walking outside barefoot

collecting greens from the garden

 lupine and lavender in my room

(( invigorated by the season ))

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angel cards for Soph

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for Dad's 65th

birthday spaghetti with eggplant & chanterelles >> 

boil salted water in medium sized pot. in another larger pot, add 2 tsp dried chili flake & 2 tsp ground nutmeg. toast for 1-2 minutes, then add 2 Tbsp olive oil & one roughly chopped yellow onion. cover with lid and cook on med-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. add 1 small eggplant (diced) & 3 cloves minced garlic and continue cook for 5 minutes. add 3/4 package spaghetti to boiling water (i use Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta). to eggplant mixture, add about 3/4 lb sliced chanterelles, remove lid and cook for a few minutes (allow mushrooms to release their moisture and cook down). add a splash of sherry to deglaze pan, followed by a few tablespoons cream. when pasta is almost al dente, remove it from boiling water and transfer to large pot with other ingredients (along with a splash of pasta water). allow liquid to cook off, and remove from heat. add 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest, 1/4 c pinenuts, 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, & salt to taste. toss well and serve. serves 4.

birthday chiffon cake with cardamom-vanilla bean syrup and dark chocolate frosting >> 

i recently made Tartine's Basic Chiffon Cake recipe as a cake base for their Fromage Blanc Bavarian. however, the Bavarian recipe called for only 1/3 of the chiffon. i thoroughly wrapped the remainder of the cake and froze it for future use.

i removed it to defrost the morning i created this cake.

in a small saucepan, combine 1/4 c water, 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom, and 1/2 vanilla bean (pod and beans). heat over low until the sugar dissolves. remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. using a pastry brush, moisten the entire top surface of the chiffon cake evenly with the syrup. in a new saucepan, combine 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c heavy cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. add 2 1/2 ounces Scharffen Berger 99% cacao unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped and 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces. stir until melted. pour into a bowl and stir in 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. refrigerate frosting for at least 40 minutes, and once thicker, frost top and sides of cake. serve with Straus vanilla bean ice cream.

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 i spent my birthday morning

constructing this bit of decadence

Tartine's Fromage Blanc Bavarian

a bottle of bubbly

a birthday crown

a dear mother

& a cute boy

(( i'll take mornings like these anytime ))

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(birthday card for Steve)

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happy birthday, Sato

 

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 Tartine's lemon tart for Mom's birthday

(recipe below)

 

Sweet Tart Dough

by Tartine (for 9-inch tart shells or twelve 4-inch tartlet shells)

1 cup + 2 tbsp (9 oz/255 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (7 oz/200 grams) sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room tempterature
3 1/2 cups (17 1/2 oz/500 grams) all-purpose flour
 

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and salt and mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in 1 egg. Add the remaining egg and mix until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

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happy 59th, Mom

(swimming hole at Hidden Falls)

and playing in my favorite kitchen:

sweet corn soup with harissa yogurt and dill
escarole salad with fresh figs, pinenuts, parmigiano, fig vinaigrette
blue lake green beans with summer tomato sauce and tarragon
Tartine lemon tart with freshly whipped cream

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for Mom's birthday next week

(canvas and leather purse)

(hanging triangles card)

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canvas & leather tote bag

for Soph.

[  happy birthday, darling.  ]

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as we say,
let's make party.

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it

does

not

get

any

better

than

this.

 

i am on a carousel, around and around, up and down.  it is infinite.

little colored lights softly glow, whimsical music keeps me spinning, 

giggles pour out from my insides.  

this. is. it.

ps. have you smelled a bouquet of flowers from the sides, the top, and the bottom?

and: in the end, adorn yourself with luxurious functionality.

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happy birthday, mom.

i love you so.

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for Tim's 30th:

extra-long leather suspenders.

perhaps third time's the charm?

this time they are unlined (first pair was unlined with raw leather on the back, second pair was lined with cotton fabric).  but i tracked down the secret ingredient, which allowed me to keep the look of raw leather without all the shedding on the underside.