Soup, the perfect meal anytime. This corn soup is both beautiful and simple to prepare. Great for lunch or a light evening meal served with a salad and a glass of white wine. Chinese Corn Soup–everyday beauty all around us right here in our kitchens. Continue reading Chinese Corn Soup
From my curated Bijouxs Little Jewels recipe collection comes this Coffee-Cream Crunch Tiramisu. I have had the recipe in my file since I found it (1980’s? 1990’s?) A wonderful ‘cake’ constructed with ladyfingers, coffee buttercream and lavishly coated with toasted hazelnuts, a little jewel from the Collection.
Yes, there really is a Bijouxs Recipe Collection. Housed in a file box and binders containing recipes collected since I was 16 years old. Wow. I am so happy that I began the collection long ago. Nothing digital in those days, I resorted to ‘tear sheets’ from magazines, all filed by recipe category. Going through the file, each recipe takes me back to the time I collected it. Many recipes I have made, but there are hundreds I still hope to try. Most were collected from the top food and design magazines of the days, such as House & Garden, Saveur, Gourmet, W Magazine and other publications. My work as a designer led me to create Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen, photographing and sharing beautiful recipes for the home cook.
The history of this recipe goes way back, so far I don’t recall the exact date, but I can visualize the photos and recipes. I found the recipe clipped and pasted on a card in the file, thank goodness I did. This has been a go-to quick dessert. You can find ladyfingers at most supermarkets, which make this a cinch. The recipe is close to tiramisu, but not really. The ladyfingers are dipped in sweetened coffee, but the mascarpone cream is swapped out for a rich coffee buttercream. The toasted hazelnuts really add the texture. A friend suggested the nuts be chopped a little finer, that is your call. The original recipe was coated with rough chop hazelnuts, like my version pictured. Simple purchased ingredients, no baking, and make-ahead option make this a favorite dessert, right behind this cake.
Hard to believe but this recipe marks number 450! Crazy how fast the time has gone. I am very proud of keeping Bijouxs real. Real food prepared and photographed without all the styling. Keeping it real for over 10 years. I know there are now SOOOO many food blogs and recipes online. Thank you to those who have stayed with me and purchased my cookbooks. I hope that the recipes bring joy and beauty to the home cook.
“The peas are green! Spring has begun! Long live Venice!” The April 25th Venice tradition is for the Doge (the Chief Magistrate) to taste a spoonful of the city’s most famous dish, Risi e bisi, in public to annunciate the start the Feast of Saint Mark. Risi e bisi (Rice with Peas) marks the start of spring – join Bijouxs in celebrating this little jewel of dish. Continue reading Risi e bisi (Rice with Peas)
Yes, small victories count. Planting a small crop of lettuce provides salads for weeks, then sow more seeds and voila, lettuce appears. The simple Mesclun mixed variety is my favorite and produced this simply beautiful Victory Garden Salad a little jewel from the garden.
Celebrate, a small victory in my garden. As always, starting with the freshest most healthy ingredients are keys to a great salad. Now, residing in a tiny cottage in the central coast, life has changed. No more sprawling garden, space in my yard is a premium. I have three small areas to grow my garden favorites. Since space is so limited I have narrowed it down to a few of my favorites. First on my list is growing lettuce for salads, from which I create a multitude of dishes, much more than just salads. For years I have been growing mesclun greens mix.
Mesclun is a Provençal word that describes a mix of tender salad greens and many times includes herbs. The name comes from “mesclular” which is a mixture, which describes this mix of lettuce, also sold as spring mix. It is frequently served in restaurants and widely available in the supermarkets. However, growing your own lettuce is easy and very rewarding. When you feel like a salad just go out and clip some fresh greens, no waste and many of varieties are “cut and come again” meaning if you clip the leaves more new leaves appear. Almost anyone can have a small victory garden, you can grow this lettuce in a 12”inch pot, perfect for apartment dwellers. A volunteer nasturtium joined the party.
Spring mix greens are in every store now. They are very tender and must be handled with care. Also, they tend to have a short life in the refrigerator, another reason to grow your own greens. In looking for a salad recipe the first chef to really feature these greens was Alice Waters, from her I take my lead.
Gently wash greens and place in a salad spinner then roll them loosely in a clean kitchen towel and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. They are best used the same day, but can usually survive overnight, but not much longer.
My favorite dressing is French, made directly in a wooden salad bowl, then topped with the greens and brought to the table, ready to toss and serve. This dressing is my everyday dressing, my go-to in the kitchen. This real French dressing is simply made by place a small clove of garlic in a wooden salad bowl, with a pinch of salt and pepper and mashed into a paste using a wooden spoon. Dijon, red wine vinegar are added and mixed, then olive oil is whisked by hand until the dressing comes together. Voila, a perfect salad.
Grown your own Victory Garden Salad. Stay well.
A grilled cheese sandwich remains a classic little jewel in the kitchen, but a thick slice of brioche toast with melting cheddar cheese, topped with a sweet-savory apple mostarda is a new little jewel to savor.
There are many ‘toast’ recipes out there, you know the avocado kind. This toast version takes the favorite grilled cheese in a new direction. The inspiration for the flavors of this sandwich comes from apple pie topped with cheddar cheese, a classic. Here a buttery slice of brioche bread is topped with a tart goat cheddar, put under the broiler, then topped with sweet-savory apple mostarda, think chutney. A buttery-rich sandwich to love.
Mostarda is a typical condiment of Northern Italy, usually made by caramelizing fruit with sugar and mustard. These condiments are great accompanying roasts and on the cheese plate. The most famous mostarda recipe is the one from Cremona, made with figs and pears known as Mostarda di Mele, which is widely available online, and also combined with many types of fruits. I discovered a mostarda recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks and restaurants in L.A. Apples and rosemary lead the flavor profile, since I was gifted a bounty of apples a mostarda made sense. This condiment is delicious, versatile and simple to prepare.
After discovering I could make a wonderful tea sandwich loaf via the pro Nancy Silverton, I though I’d try her brioche, also in a favorite cookbook. I baked the brioche in my pullman pan that I used to bake her Tea Sandwich Loaf. The bread was lovely, although my oven has hot spots and uneven heating which makes it a challenge not to over-bake.
Whether you bake your own bread or pick up a wonderful loaf from the bakery, this sandwich topped with the Apple Mostarda is a little jewel. Stay well.
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