So, it's been a while. I was looking back on my blog the other day and I see I've posted a lot fewer recipes in the last two years then I normally would. I haven't stopped cooking and as a matter of fact I've been doing a lot more cooking, only I haven't been able to write about it - until now. I'm a screenwriter by trade. I work with my husband /writing partner Alan Berger 5 days a week. It's how we earn our living, that's what pays the bills. I cook most every day but my weekends were the time I devoted to The Colors of Indian Cooking. The weekends were when I'd turn my kitchen into a cooking lab/photo studio. I cook, Alan takes the pictures. Obviously, all that activity is NOT what happens on work days, but it's what I've been doing for the 9 years I've been writing this blog.
We've been very busy the last two years, partially because we just finished a TV pilot and series bible, but also because I've been under contract for the last two years working on developing the menu for the CocoaPlanet restaurant here in Sonoma. So, that's where I've been.
For two years my weekends were devoted to starters, mains, and a LOT of desserts. Everything had to be gluten free, (I've developed my own flour blends) many things vegan, and they also wanted a menu friendly to the lactose intolerant. So after a week of writing, rewriting, and notes for our writing work, every Saturday I'd cook and then we'd meet for recipe testing on whatever I was doing. If it worked it would go into the chefs book at the restaurant. Weekends were still consumed with cooking, only I wasn't publishing any of it. People were eating it.
Now, CocoaPlanet is moving to Arizona, so my time as a consultant for them here in Sonoma, is done. A lot of the pictures of what I've been cooking I've posted here, on twitter and instagram. I also have 2 big books of my recipes.
Now I'm trying to decide what exactly to do with all this stuff. Basically, I've got the makings of a cookbook...several cookbooks to be exact. I'm thinking gluten free desserts to start. For years my friends Paula Wolfert and Steve Sando have told me I should do a cookbook, but I thought I'd never have he time. Now I've accumulated a whole bunch of recipes and I am also more than a bit overwhelmed as to what to do. I think I really need to do something with all of this.
A few weeks back I made a white peach and lavender frangiapne tart. People asked for the recipe and now I'm finally getting around to publishing it.
White Peach and Lavender Frangiapane Tart
The Pastry
Here's What You Need:
1 and 1/4 cup of all purpose gluten free or regular flour , plus extra for dusting.
1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperture
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbs sugar
1 egg yolk
3 Tbs of ice water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Here's What to Do:
1. Mix your tart dough. In the bowl of a food processor pulse together 1 and 1/4 cups of gluten free tart flour mix, 3 Tbs sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, the lemon zest, and 7 tbs unsalted butter. Pulse these together until you have a fine meal-like blend.
1. Mix your tart dough. In the bowl of a food processor pulse together 1 and 1/4 cups of gluten free tart flour mix, 3 Tbs sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, the lemon zest, and 7 tbs unsalted butter. Pulse these together until you have a fine meal-like blend.
2. In a small bowl beat together: 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp fresh
lemon juice, 3 Tbs ice water.
3. Drizzle this mixture over the flour butter mixture in the food processor and pulse until it forms a dough. This happens pretty quickly.
4. Take the dough out and put it on a surface dusted with tapioca flour. Knead a couple of times, roll it into a ball and then flatten it into a disc.
5. When the dough is blended and formed into a disc, wrap it in saran wrap or waxed paper and let it firm up in the freezer for about 10 minutes before working with it.
You can also just keep it in the freezer to use later or roll it out and place it in well greased individual tart pans for later baking and filling.
If you are doing this:
1. Butter 5 small tart pans with removable bottoms - or just one large pan.
2. Cut your disc of chilled dough into five pieces. Or make one large tart.
3. Roll one out and shape it into a disc. Fit the dough into the tart pan. Trim away the excess dough. Do this with each tart pan.
4. Fit Saran Wrap into the pie crust. Poke holes into the crust through the Saran Wrap. Place the tart pans in the freezer to be filled and baked later.
Here's What To Do: (blind baking)
1. Take a big piece of tin foil. Take the pie crust out of the freezer. Remove the
Saran Wrap. Place the foil into the pie crust and up the sides.
2. Fill the pie shell with rice, beans or pie weights.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pop the tart pan onto a baking sheet and bake it in the oven for about 6 minutes.
4. Remove it. Take the foil and pie weights out the crust. Put the crust back in the over for another 6 minutes. Done. Now lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and let your blind baked crust cool a bit while you make the filling
3. Drizzle this mixture over the flour butter mixture in the food processor and pulse until it forms a dough. This happens pretty quickly.
4. Take the dough out and put it on a surface dusted with tapioca flour. Knead a couple of times, roll it into a ball and then flatten it into a disc.
5. When the dough is blended and formed into a disc, wrap it in saran wrap or waxed paper and let it firm up in the freezer for about 10 minutes before working with it.
You can also just keep it in the freezer to use later or roll it out and place it in well greased individual tart pans for later baking and filling.
If you are doing this:
1. Butter 5 small tart pans with removable bottoms - or just one large pan.
2. Cut your disc of chilled dough into five pieces. Or make one large tart.
3. Roll one out and shape it into a disc. Fit the dough into the tart pan. Trim away the excess dough. Do this with each tart pan.
4. Fit Saran Wrap into the pie crust. Poke holes into the crust through the Saran Wrap. Place the tart pans in the freezer to be filled and baked later.
Here's What To Do: (blind baking)
1. Take a big piece of tin foil. Take the pie crust out of the freezer. Remove the
Saran Wrap. Place the foil into the pie crust and up the sides.
2. Fill the pie shell with rice, beans or pie weights.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pop the tart pan onto a baking sheet and bake it in the oven for about 6 minutes.
4. Remove it. Take the foil and pie weights out the crust. Put the crust back in the over for another 6 minutes. Done. Now lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and let your blind baked crust cool a bit while you make the filling
The Filling:
Frangipane Cream
1/3 cup caster sugar
6 Tbs unsalted butter at room temperture
1/2 cup gluten free or regular flour
3/4 cup almond flour
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
Peaches:
4 ripe but firm white peaches
1 tsp crumbled lavender flowers
1 tsp lemon juice
Glaze:
1 Tbs water
3 Tbs peach jam
Here’s What to Do:
1/3 cup caster sugar
6 Tbs unsalted butter at room temperture
1/2 cup gluten free or regular flour
3/4 cup almond flour
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
Peaches:
4 ripe but firm white peaches
1 tsp crumbled lavender flowers
1 tsp lemon juice
Glaze:
1 Tbs water
3 Tbs peach jam
Here’s What to Do:
1. To make the filling, put all the frangipane cream ingredients into a food
processor and mix them together. You will get a thick yet still spreadable
paste.
2. To prepare the peaches slice them and drizzle them with a bit of lemon juice so they don't turn color.
Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees
2. To prepare the peaches slice them and drizzle them with a bit of lemon juice so they don't turn color.
3. Fill the tart with the frangipane cream. Spread it evenly. Arrange the peach slices in a row on the surface of the tart until it's filled.
4. Bake for another 40 to 45 minutes until the frangipane is set and the crust is nice and golden.
4. Bake for another 40 to 45 minutes until the frangipane is set and the crust is nice and golden.
There it is, and there's a lot more where that came from. The big question is how do I do this? Scripts I know, cookbooks are a new world for me. Stay tuned!
Coming up next back to the world of Indian food as my garden delivers a Summer menu follow along on Twitter @kathygori
