dream casa es su casa...

Ahh, my eternal dream of one day opening the world's loveliest bed & breakfast. Do you think it will come true? Hmm, I often wonder. While staying at a B&B here in Montreal, it got me wondering about many things actually. How it will look. How will it smell. And for heaven's sake, which country will I eventually call home!? The south of France, the rolling hills of Italy; maybe even Amsterdam or the Norwegian coast. But more than anything, I have been dying over what breakfast will actually be at this bed and breakfast. Here is what I have so far (my dream in pictures, because how the hell else can I share it right?)....

...in a far away land (like Versailles) there would be a beautiful stone cottage house close to the whispers of a lake and dancing woods where guests would feel like Marie Antoinette in their own extravagant fairytale come true

...inside the essence of a five star hotel with the personality of granny's living room would welcome guests, from the blushing pink silk curtains to the floral wallpapered bathrooms

...and even if the wind blows me to Italy, I would cook as if I were born French, with the intoxicating fragrances of my many croissants, breads and pastries being smelled throughout Europe

...and never a day shall pass without a tea party featuring a perfectly frosted pink cake, tea (re: sparkling cocktails) and good conversation among strangers who will be strangers no more

Would you visit my B&B?

get into my belly...

Still in Montreal. Still eating myself into obesity. Not regretting one moment at all. Just came back from supper where the indulgence du jour was terrine de foie gras with brioche and fruit jelly (because I really couldn't resist having it for the second time in a row...something so delicious needs a second opinion right? right?) followed closely by more rosé wine than I could handle and finally crab cakes with avocado puree. It was so good I could cry. No literally, I could. By that point I was more stuffed than a Christmas turkey at a Macy's Day Parade.

From what you might ask? Oh, well macarons of course!! This post is for my dear new reader Sal, who innocently thought I wouldn't find macarons. Its French-Canadian town for crying out loud, I was bound to find some (re: hold people hostage until they revealed locations) at some point. The very best taste-test passers ended up being Boutique Point G! I mean, this wouldn't be a true American in America's Paris without macarons my friends. So prepare to get hungry....

 

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cupcake a day...

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wake me up to confection...

I've just awaken to the most heavenly morning in a long while. Last night I indulged in a rose scented bubble bath (hot tub bath might I add) then played Leona Lewis on surround sound until I fell asleep, and now have returned to bed after a gluttonous breakfast filled with crepes, fresh squeezed orange juice and pain au chocolat. No, I didn't marry a French duke, I am simply staying at the most fabulous Bed and Breakfast in Montreal, Le Petit Prince. Trust me, I research until the cows come home, and this place is the best! If you ever do come, please choose this place as your lodging, you'll thank me later.

So I'm too shy to ask the gracious host for her personal recipes, but I promise I will grow some balls by tomorrow and get in the kitchen with her to learn some genuine French craft. Until then, here is a delightful little recipe for chocolate croissants. It won't be as good as the one I had this morning which was perfectly buttery yet light and sprinkled with a welcomed dose of confectioners sugar, but the fun is in the pudding (is that the saying?) and like all French recipes, this will take time and patience, but the reward is always worth the effort!

Pain Au Chocolat

adapted from The Secrets Of Baking

For the dough (detrempe):
1 c. whole milk, chilled (I actually used half and half)
1 T. dry active yeast
2 c. bread flour
1 c. all purpose flour
2 T. sugar
2 1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. cold unsalted butter (1 stick, or 1/4 pound)

For the butter block (beurrage):
1 1/2 c. cold unsalted butter (3 sticks, or 3/4 pound)
1/4 c. all purpose flour

For the filling:
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

For the egg wash:
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

Dough:
Combine the milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix until the yeast is dissolved. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, sugar, and salt. Add in the butter and work with your fingers until the butter is barely visable. This is kind of like making a pie dough, though you work it to the point where the mixture looks like sand.
Add the flour mixture into the yeast mixture and knead on low speed for 1 minute. Turn the speed up to medium and knead for another 3-5 minutes, until smooth and warm (70F- 75F). If it seems too dry, add 1 T. of water. Don't work the dough too much, you don't want too much elasticity.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, and form into a ball. Use a sharp knife to cut an X extending halfway through the dough. This will help you when you roll it out later. Wrap the dough airtight with plastic wrap, throw it on a sheet pan, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Butter Block:
Cut each stick of butter in half lengthwise. Sprinkle half of the flour on a piece of parchment paper. Place the butter on the floured parchment and sprinkle the top with the rest of the flour. Gently band the butter with a rolling pin to tenderize it, then form the butter into a 6 by 6 inch square, roughly 1 inch thick.

in montreal!

I've arrived! A little Earthquake tried to hold me back, but I broke through. Nothing is coming between me and my first American in Paris experience. Yes, this is what I am calling it...until I actually make it to Paris. I am an American in America's Paris. Don't judge (re: be jealous!). In case you missed my post below, I had to be spontaneously National Geographic about the whole thing and decided to take the Amtrak train to get here, as the Adirondack route was and still is part of Nat Geo's top 10 most scenic routes. And boy was it! Who knew NY beyond Manhattan was...well green! Rolling hills, lakes abound, and trees, trees, everywhere! I really felt I was roaming through Greece. I couldn't get my camera working before boarding, but don't get your panties in a bunch! I'll be returning home on the same train (couldn't get enough) so I will take pics then and do another post all about the delightful ride. And by the way, its only 60 bux a pop to get aboard! Recession resmession. That's what I call traveling light!


By the way, this train ride really gets one thinking about one's dream house. Seeing all the gorgeous real estate perched atop mountains in all their lakeview glory is enough to make you want to rob a bank and buy an island. So my newest decor scrapbook pages will start to include coveted garden landscapes, Victorian inspired architecture (a la San Francisco) and waterfront planning. But I hope to be realistic about the whole thing. I certainly don't want to be like Mrs. New Jersey Housewife over there who started the season off by touring her 2 acre dream house complete with marble floors throughout (yes, you're Italian, we get it!) and now ends season two bankrupt. Really, really? Did you need nine bedrooms and six bathrooms? Did you need a spiraling staircase made of gold? Ugh, be real people. Your dream doesn't have to be someone else's. We could all use a little humility when dreaming, no?

to paris with love, or at least gateau st. honore...

The infamous Le Saint Honore from esteemed Laduree bakery in Paris

Well, I am officially off to Montreal! Taking a beautiful train ride along the Adirondacks route. My first time for both the train and visiting Old MTL, so I am tres excited. My plan is to document the entire experience through my blog, but even more so to bring back amazingly delicious French recipes to try as soon as I touch back home (meaning, please vote for the crepes recipe in the post below!!). So here is a little teaser. A dear new friend went through allot of trouble teaching this exquisite french cake. I hope you enjoy!

Gateau St. Honore Pastry

recipe by Abi Porter for Dujour Magazine


Crème Pâtissière
To make things simple, you can make this the day before and keep it in the refrigerator.

1 cup milk
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 pinch salt (only if using unsalted butter)
1/2 tsp unsalted butter

Directions:
1. Whisk together egg yolks, 1/4 cup milk, sugar and vanilla. Mix in cornstarch and salt
2. Bring the remaining milk to a scald* in a saucepan. Pour the hot milk in small stream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly with a balloon whisk as you pour (very important). Once incorporated, pour everything back into the saucepan.
* To scald is to heat to just below the boiling point.
3. Whisk the mixture over medium heat until it thickens and firms up. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.
4. Pour the hot custard into a bowl and plunge the bottom of the bowl into another larger bowl of iced-water to cool, give it a whisk occasionally.
5. Once it reaches room temperature, scoop the crème pâtissière into a piping bag (twist the open end to seal up the custard). Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Choux pastry:
1 cup water
1/4 c unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs + 1 large egg (beaten lightly)

Directions:
1. Place the water, butter and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil. When the butter is completely melted, remove from the heat and add the flour all at once.
2. Mix rapidly with a spatula until fully combined.
3. Place the mixture on the stove over a low heat and dry mix for about 5-6 minutes. The dough should be soft and but not sticky. If there is a thin white film at the bottom of the pan, it means the dough is sufficiently dried.
4. Transfer to a bowl and spread to cool. Let the dough cool slightly.
5. Add the 3 eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next.
6. The dough should be smooth, shiny and as thick and heavy as mayonnaise. When your spatula is lifted, the dough should form a V shape. If the mixture looks right to you, stop here. If it is still too thick add the last egg a little at the time to control consistency. You do not want a mixture that is too runny, the choux puff will not hold its shape.
7. Preheat oven to 375 degree F Cover a large baking tray with parchment paper. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or simply make about a 1/2 inch snip in a large ziploc bag) with the dough.
8. Pipe the dough into balls - about 1 inch wide for the small puffs and 2 1/2 inches wide for the bottom puff (3 ½ inches for the bottom of the gateau st. honore). Press the tops down, making it completely level. If you don't press the tops down they will puff up too high.
10. Bake for about 35 minutes or until well puffed and golden. The drier, the crustier, the better - you want a cavernous, not soggy, center. Shut off the heat, leave the oven door slightly ajar, and let the puffs cool slowly. The puffs may collapse if they are cooled too fast.

Poured fondant
2 ½ cups sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup corn syrup

Directions:
1. Heat sugar, water and corn syrup over medium heat to the soft-ball stage (238°F; 114°C).
2.Pour into a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Wash the candy thermometer well and reinsert into the syrup. Let the syrup cool undisturbed in the workbowl to 140°F (60°C), about 30 minutes. Remove the thermometer.
3. Add any coloring or flavoring (vanilla, almond extract, etc.) and process 2 to 3 minutes, until the syrup completely converts from a glassy syrup to an opaque paste. Pour into a bowl until ready to use.

To assemble:

1. Make a small hole in the bottom of the puff (a knife or piping tip should do the trick) and fill with crème pâtissière. Dip the tops of the filled puffs into the poured fondant (if fondant has hardened, simply microwave to liquefy). Leave to dry until the fondant has hardened.
2. Place three small puffs on top of the bottom one.
3. Fit a pastry bag with a jumbo star tip. Fill with whipped cream and pipe figure eights between the three puffs (alternatively, dollop it on with a spoon. It tastes the same, we promise!)
4. Top with berries of your choice.

History 101: This authentic Saint Honore cake recipe was first published back in 1882. It is believed that Paris pastry chef Chiboust created the first Gateau Saint Honore in 1846, and it immediately came to symbolize the high standards in French pastry making. The Gateau St. Honore is also known as the "Ball Cake" because of the little caramel-covered pastry balls surrounding the top of the cake to form a crown-like decoration. The richly decorated cake is named for Saint Honore, the seventh-century Bishop of Amiens, and the French patron saint of pastry chefs and bakers. Its believed to be quite a difficult recipe when in actuality a beginner can master, but is worth all the effort!

never give up, never surrender...

French Mille Feuille Crêpes Cake

Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies

first ever successful cake...

So here's the deal. You'll never be able to wean me off my crackberry. You can barely get me to wear flats instead of heels. And for goodness sakes, I don't go anywhere without my lucky pen. But when it comes to my new baking adventures, I am in it to win it! (couldn't think of a better expression, sorry) That is why I have said no to Betty Crocker and hello to Dutch processed cocoa, very expensive organic flour, and all pink bake wear. After a very unsuccessful red velvet cupcakes experience this past weekend (seriously, why is that darn flavor so hard to master!?) I decided I could not live with myself until I redeemed my virginal baking skills. I stared at the minimal ingredients in my cupboard and said "bring it!". What could one make with no more than a few breakfast (yes, I really do eat chocolate chip pancakes and scrambled eggs almost daily) ingredients? Why a perfect chocolate cake of course! So after thorough research and a little adaptation, I was able to put together an incredibly easy cake. I know everyone says this, but seriously, this is the easiest cake you could ever make! And the secret ingredient is bread flour. Please do a small drum roll for my first ever successful cake...from scratch!

The Ultimate Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine
1/3 cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa
3/4 cup hot coffee
3/4 cup (4 1/8 ounces) bread flour
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for Frosting:
1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
Pinch table salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened and cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate , melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1.) Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your cake pan and set aside (use two cake pans for a layer cake).
2.) Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Note: I used a little less coffee for less of a dark chocolate taste.
3.) Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

4.) Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

5.) Divide batter evenly among cake pans.
6.) Bake for about 17 to 19 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7.) Cool cupcakes on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
8.) Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour. Frost as desired.
Note: I used a delicious peanut butter cream cheese buttercream frosting. if anyone wants the recipe just comment below.

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off to paris...

Oh don't even act like you really thought this post would be about me going to Paris..literally. That's not going to happen until at least a year from now when I start my study abroad program after indulging (being held hostage) in an overwhelming amount of French language lessons and requesting (begging for dear life) an approval letter from my French professor permitting me to go join the ranks of the most effortlessly chic, impossibly thin, and well cultured people known to man. Right, right? But until then, I'm off to read Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard. A book I spotted in NYC on my daily grind and knew it had to be mine after reading the back cover. The story of love with recipes? Oh yes..yes, yes and yes!! Julia Powell, eat your heart out...

xoxo
L

a batch for the oven...

Late this year (because I never write my new year's resolution list on December 31 like a normal person! hell, I'm busy still worrying about being the first to get dibs on Xmas leftovers..I mean let's be real) I decided to write my 2010 resolutions in a gorgeous new Keep Calm & Have A Cupcake journal that I bought at Barnes and Noble during a window shopping excursion there (window shopping as in no purchases, not buying something I had absolutely no need for but was cute nonetheless and was staring me down from that annoying yet lovable bin of buy-me-nows they have waiting for you by the exit). So with the empty pages glaring at me, I decided not to let this special little journal collect dust like all the others. I cracked that baby open to the first page and wrote my resolution goals as follows:

2010 New Year's Resolutions

haircut

test 3 salons to find permanent home for my head

test 3 gyms to find permanent one for body and potential future husband with 6-pack abs

Sephora & MAC makeup lessons so I can wake up looking like the Kim Kardashian

get accepted to graduate program in Paris

find 2 signature fragrances that aren't Chanel

collect all nail colors in pink shades to have like..a polish library

start indie non-profit

take classes (cooking, baking, business, anything!)

work on novel, cupcake company, and research future bed&breakfast business

end 2010 with $5000 more in savings acct

invest in genuine diamond stud earrings for a Breakfast @ Tiffany's moment

get health insurance...ha!

buy a bicycle (earth friendly, workout friendly, and can enjoy NYC scenery!)

last but not least, travel to 10 North American destinations

Feels great to get that out into the universe. Now I feel like I owe the cosmos if I don't accomplish everything. So off to work on my list..one day at a time! By the way, what was on your resolution list?

xoxo

L

catching up over tea and biscuits...

Ahh, its so refreshing to come back to my blog! I don't have many readers as of yet, so at least there was no disappointment whilst I went away to do other projects (finally getting accepted to study in France! working on becoming the next big publisher/editor. oh and living, just living is a project in itself!). But I am back, and for no other reason than purely to blog until I find myself. Because to be honest, I am obsessed with paper. I mean I can collect paper until the cows come home. New books, vintage books, magazines with insane exchange rate cover prices, stationery from Etsy, but most of all...adorable journals. I LOVE journals. Only problem- I cannot for the life of me get myself to routinely be a diary writer. I end up using journals for notes, doodles, and goal or to-do lists. Pssht, what's that all about! Poor journals...I never quite do them justice. But blogging? Ah blogging, now that I can do!

So I will blog until I find myself, because lately I have felt so out of place in my own skin. Does that happen to you? Working in fashion and arts, I've been two-faced admittedly. I try to look older, I try to seem more posh, I pretend to know more. When really, all I want is to be myself. And after last night (got invited to a boat party, emerged from a shower determined to be myself again...put on a tutu lace dress, big Marc Jacobs wannabe bow headband, rocked my new haircut, got a neon pink manicure and drenched myself in Raspberry Pomegranate shimmer lotion!) I feel like its okay to be me. Its okay to still be in my early twenties, not late twenties. For goodness sakes, why the heck should I want to age so quickly!? And its okay to be Jamaican-American with hair not quite like the models on the cover of Vogue. I love looking like chocolate after all! And its okay to not know everything yet, because the journey of learning is priceless and so dear to my heart. I get to be inspired by beautiful people with amazing talents. So I really hope you enjoy my new blogging efforts. Because maybe while I am finding myself, you will discover something you never knew about you.



xoxo
L

mis en place...

Ahh lovelies, I am back! Had to take a little break there for a moment to...well as my post title says (thanks Joy!) put some things in their place. One major thing being a little magazine I work on for eight, or what feels like eight days a week. I think that engine is revved up and the wheels are rolling on cruise control. So what better way to celebrate some newly found free time than to sit back and re-evaluate my dreams and goals. With the help and inspiration of Sheryl (whom I always owe a shout out as she never realizes how inspirational she is...you little humble doll you!) as well as a much needed retreat upstate, I have allot of catching up to do for my few readers. But I just had to check in and let you all know I finally mastered my first chocolate cake! Okay well not quite mastered (the ganache filling sank the middle of my base) but to me it was that triumph only a first-timer can be proud of. And when I say first I do mean homemade, from scratch, no store-bought crap allowed! Hopefully from here on out I won't ever buy a Betty Crocker box again. I promise pics and a full life update this weekend...but just had to say hi!