French Cake & Julia

 Gateau a l'orange

...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing."

~ Julia Child, My Life in France

I am remembering Julia Child on her birth date today.  Julia was my first cooking teacher.  As a very young girl, I loved watching The French Chef at my grandmother's house.  

One of my baking goals is to replicate the delicious gateau a l'orange that we enjoyed on our last trip to Paris at Mamie Gateaux.  And, thanks to Julia, I believe I can!

 Mamie Gateaux

66 rue du Cherche-Midi

Paris, France  75006

We came for the quiche and stayed for the cake!

I adored this adorable tea room and patisserie shop just a few blocks away from the Le Bon Marche and La Grande Epicerie de Paris on nearby rue de Serves.

 Maison Patisseries Menu

(The house pastries)

We arrived too late for the quiche so we enjoyed patisseries for a tea break lunch. 

That cake!

I loved the gateau a l'orange at Mamie Gateaux!

From my taste memory, I believe it is a simple orange sponge cake.  I found a recipe for Gateau A L'Orange in Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 on page 671.  I think this recipe will help me replicate the gateau (French cake) and I will add an orange glaze to it, like the one at Mamie Gateaux.  

And you can bet that on our next trip to Paris, we'll be having the quiche at Mamie Gateaux's and that oh so delicious, gateau a l'orange!  

Cherry Blossom Tea

 Sakura Tea Party

It's Cherry Blossom Festival time!

This year 2012, 

is a special year for the National Cherry Blossom Festival,

as it marks the 100-year anniversary 

of Japan's gift of 3,000 cherry trees to

Washington D.C..

Here in California, 

this weekend and next weekend is the 

45th Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival 

in San Francisco, CA.

Our festival is said to be the second largest festival

outside of Washington D.C. to celebrate the blooming of cherry blossoms,

a traditional custom in Japan known

as Hanami. 

 Sakuramochi

To celebrate Hanami,

I'm having a Sakura  (cherry blossom) Tea Party 

with Fleur de Geisha tea, that I purchased last year in Paris, 

along with Sakuramochi treats.

Sakuramochi is a sweet pink mochi (rice cake)

filled with a red bean paste center,
covered with a pickled sakura (cherry) leaf.  

In Japan,

they are a variety of wagashi,

which is traditional Japanese confectionery

which is often served with tea.

I did a bit of research and found out that

Sakuramochi is traditionally served on 

Hinamatsuri (Girl's Day in Japan) 

on March 3rd. 

 Fleur de Geisha

Fleur de Geisha
is one of my favorite green teas to drink in the spring.

It's a blend of Japanese green tea, 

delicately flavored with cherry blossom.  

This lovley blend by Les Palais Des The`s was

inspired by the Japanese Hanami tradition 

of cherry blossom viewing. 

I've purchased this tea

before in Paris

and couldn't wait to buy it again.  

Last year in Paris,

I purchased the boxed Fleur de Geisha tea,

 that comes in a pretty keepsake caddy.

I love that the tin caddy is covered with Washi paper,

decorated with the Sakura motif

traditionally found on the geishas kimonos.

 Le Palais Des The's

I love to shop at Le Palais Des The's 

 in the Le Marais at 

64 rue Vieille du Temple

Paris, France  75003

(In the photos:  Japanese blossom plate by Mino and vintage Spode Chelsea Wicker tea cup.)

Pix

 Pix Patisserie

Pix Patisserie is a kitschy-cute kind of place

with a Parisian cafe vibe.

On our recent trip to Portland, after an afternoon of shopping,

we stopped into Pix for a tea break

and what I like to call "macaron research"!

 Macarons

Pix is known for macarons. 

On our visit, my husband and I tried three flavors of macarons:

Bourbon, Fleur de Sel and Coconut Rum. 

Hands down, their Fleur de Sel was the best we've ever had!

As for macaron research...

Pix is always a fun stop for unusual macaron flavors. 

Pastry Chef/Owner, Cheryl Wakerhauser (a.k.a. Pix) and her team

create traditional French macarons only...
they kick them up a notch! 

They make unique macaron flavors such as:

Tawny Port, Chestnut Whiskey, Sesame Matcha,

Peanut Butter and Jelly and Apple Pie..

just to name a few.

Market Spice Tea

As for tea at Pix,

I was impressed with the tea quality

and table service.

Pix proudly serves Townshend's Tea Co. teas.  

 I enjoyed their Market Spice delivered to our table

 in an Art Deco silver tea pot.

My tea server raved about their teas

and told me  Earl Grey is their most popular tea. 

Naturally due to popularity it was out of stock. 

Pix Patisserie

There are two Pix locations in Portland.

We always visit the original Pix location.

It's a bit off the beaten path..

not touristy

and worth the effort to get there. 

Pix Patisserie

3402 SE Division St.

Portland, OR 97202

(503) 232-4407

I can't wait to go back and have a pot of Earl Grey tea

and do some more macaron research!

A Mad Tea Party

 Alice

I just returned from a Portland, Oregon get-away.

Portland is a groovy city. 

I expected to see a few yarn bombings...

but instead I found a wonderful wall mural of

A Mad Tea Party!

A Mad Tea Party

A Mad Tea Party wall mural on the side of:

Longfellows Books

1401 SE Division Street

Portland,  Oregon  97202

And yes,
Longfellows is a groovy used book store. 

A Cottage Tea

 Anne Hathaway's Cottage

I love English cottages, gardens and tea! 

I've been thinking a lot about England lately preparing for our trip "across the pond" next month.  Whenever we visit England, I try to take an afternoon tea break everyday. 

One year while visiting Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Stratford-Upon-Avon, I had my tea break at The Cottage Restaurant & Tea Gardens. 

 The Cottage Restaurant

& Tea Gardens

The Cottage Restaurant & Tea Gardens is a perfect place for a tea break.   I loved it's conservatory building and it's just a "hop and a skip" away from Anne Hathaway's Cottage. 

 A Welcoming Sign

This adorable "Open sign" caught me eye
and hearkened me in for a cream tea!

Freshly Baked Scones

Tea & scones
always taste better in England! 

Cream Tea Break

The Cottage Restaurant is a small family-run little place  
but huge on friendly hospitality and tasty scones!  It's a perfect stop for a cream tea break.

And...I loved that they had Liberty of London fabric table cloths!

If you visit Anne Hathaway's Cottage be sure to "take time for tea" and have a tea break at
The Cottage Restaurant & Tea Gardens.   The tea menu is available all day. 

Fleur de Geisha

 Fleur de Geisha

Hanami (flower viewing) is the Japanese custom of enjoying the beauty of  flowers. 

Every spring from the end of March to early May the Sakura (cherry blossoms) bloom all over Japan.  The Japanese people enjoy the tradition of hanami today by celebrating in parks and festivals with outdoor parties under the Sakura trees.

 Geisha Girls

Hanami is also celebrated in the United States. 

On March 27, 1912, Japan gave 3,000 Japanese cherry trees as a gift to the United States.  These trees were planted in Washington DC.  In 1965 another 3,800 gifted trees were planted there.  Japans' gift of the cherry blossom trees celebrates the enduring friendship between the people of Japan and the United States. 

Washington D.C. has had a Cherry Blossom Festival since 1935 to celebrate spring and the gift of the cherry blossom trees.  Today the festival has grown into a 2 week spring celebration known as the National Cherry Blossom Festival. 

 Le Palais des The`s

A wonderful way for to celebrate the arrival of spring and hanami is to drink

Fleur de Geisha tea by Le Palais des The`s.

Le Palais des The`s is tucked away in the le Marais in Paris. I discovered this wonderful tea purveyor while meandering the Marais on my last trip to Paris. 

My favorite tea discovery in their shop was Fleur de Geisha .  This tea is actually inspired by the Japanese tradition of Hanami viewing cherry trees in blossom.  Fleur de Geisha is a Sencha (green tea) delicately scented with cherry blossom. 

Fleur de Geisha

Fleur de Geisha is the perfect tea to celebrate the cherry blossom trees.

This special tea blend can be ordered online from Les Palais des The`s but I've decided to wait and pick mine up on my upcoming trip to Paris in May.

I hope you'll try this lovely taste of spring and take time for hanami. 

Special note:   I would like to express my heartfelt prayers to the people of Japan and their loved ones as they recover from their devastating earthquake and tsunami.  For ways to help the people of Japan, you can visit this website. 


(In the photos:  Large Washi tea canister available for purchase at The Tea Cupboard.)

The Tuck Box

 The Tuck Box

The Tuck Box is tucked away on one of my favorite streets in Carmel-by-the-Sea.  When you first set eyes on the storybook-style Tuck Box you'll think you have stumbled down a Cotswolds lane. 

The Tuck Box originally opened as a tea room by two British ladies in the early 1940's.  Sadly, today it's not at all like an old fashioned British tea room that you might expect from it's adorable Fairy tale-like setting.  I knew this though since I had lunched here before.  It's not really a tea room but more of a breakfast and lunch spot that serves tea and scones, too.

Last weekend while doing a bit of window shopping on Dolores Street, I decided to "pop" in The Tuck Box for tea and scones.

 Come in for Tea!

The inside of The Tuck Box is tiny and cozy and feels just like a charming little tea room should.  Its decor is rather simplistic but feels authentic with its chintz curtains and tea pot lined shelves.  While its interior is charming, The Tuck Box is really best known for its Fairy tale cottage architecture.

The Tuck Box is one of Carmel's most well-known Fairy tale cottages. 

The Tuck Box was built in 1926 by Hugh Comstock.  Comstock was neither an architect nor carpenter but in 1924 he built his wife a 300 sq ft doll house (cottage showroom)  to sell her hand-made Otsy-Totsys rag dolls that were overflowing from their home.

 From that little doll house, Comstock went on to build dozens of Fairy tale cottages in Carmel during the 1920's. The Tuck Box is perhaps his best known and most loved Carmel landmark. And, the best part is, you can have tea and scones there!

Time for Tea!

 Afternoon Tea & Scones

The Tuck Box Afternoon Tea consists of :

Scottish style scones,

A pot of Ceylon Black loose tea

Oallieberry, Orange Marmalade &

Whipped Creme 

Price $7.75

 Scones & Jam

Nothing beats a warm scone slathered with
home-made Oalliberry jam and whipped creme!

Tuck Box Scones

 Tuck Box scones are different than any type of scone I have ever had in England or America.  My server told me they are from the original Tuck Box recipe and are Northern Scottish style scones.  They are made in an 8" cast iron pan and then broiled off before serving.  I must say, they reminded me a bit more like my Mom's old-fashioned corn bread.  While I enjoyed them, I much prefer traditional English scones. 

I do recommend The Tuck Box as long as you are not expecting afternoon tea with cute little sandwiches and English style scones.  My advice is to take The Tuck Box for what it is:  an adorable historic cottage, serving good home-made food, Scottish style scones... in one of the most beautiful places in the world...Carmel-by-the-Sea!

The Tuck Box

Dolores (between Ocean & 7th Avenue)

Carmel-by-the-Sea

(831) 624-6365

Hours 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM

Be sure to visit my favorite places on Dolores Street:

Soiled Doves Bath House

Piccolo

Jan de luz

La Bicyclette

Antique Flea Markets

Antique Flea Markets

I love going to antique flea markets. My favorite antique flea market is Portobello Road in London and I love the puce (flea) markets in Paris! I also love the little antique market held twice a year in the historic town of Folsom, CA.

Here a few photos from the recent Folsom Peddlers Faire and the Portobello Road market in London. I thought it would be fun for you to see the difference between a tiny American style faire to the largest antique fair in the world! Enjoy!

Antique Peddler's Faire in historic Folsom, CA

Last Sunday was the Antique Peddlers Faire on Sutter Street in historic Folsom, CA. It draws a pretty loyal crowd and there is always something for every type of collector from vintage toys to English silver.

Time for Tea!
Tea accoutrements, tea strainers and toast racks.

This antique dealer is an English lady, naturally!

1950's and 1960's ladies head vintage vases.
A pretty "hot" collectible right now.

American Dolls.

Dolls always bring back child hood memories!

Portobello Road, London, England.

The World's largest antique market held every Saturday!
Draws a huge crowd of locals and tourists!

The Silver Lady's booth.

I love buying tea caddy spoons and strainers

from this nice English dealer.

Silver and more silver!

At Portobello Road, stacks of silver are everywhere!

I had never seen so much antique silver before!

English china from the Potteries, England.

Famous makers such as:

Wedgwood, Spode and Royal Albert.

Well, no matter what you collect it is always fun to be on a treasure hunt at antique faires. This coming Sunday, we are off to the charming town of Petaluma, CA for their antique fair in their historic district.

The hunt is always on!

Beets, Bouchon and the Napa Valley

A Day in the Napa Valley

If you're a "foodie", there is nothing like a day in the Napa Valley. I am lucky to live only an hour and a half drive away from this world-renown gourmet destination.

Yesterday I treated my oldest nephew Taylor (sous chef/culinary student) and me (foodie) to a day in the Napa Valley on a culinary field trip, of sorts. Here is a sampling of how we spent our day:

Red, Golden and Chiggia Beets

Since all great chefs start their day at the farmers market, we naturally began our day at the Napa Farmers Market. Our shopping mission was to find fresh beets. We found one vegetable stand that had three gorgeous varieties of beets: red, golden and chiggia. They were sold in bunches for $3.00 each.

We bought as many bunches of beets as our ice chest would hold. We are both going to roast our beets to use in French-style salads. Here's Taylor's recipe for roasting beets:

Taylor's Slow Roasted Beets

Trim all but 1 inch of the greens off the beets, then wash and pat dry.

Wrap each beet separately in aluminum foil, adding 1 T. of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 300 degrees F. for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until a knife inserts easily. Let cool slightly, then peel the cooked beets. Slice or cut the beets into wedges. Toss with a little olive oil, walnut oil or vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted beets are delicious in a mesclun salad with goat cheese, pecans and a French vinaigrette.

Whole Spice

Our next stop was the Oxbow Public Market across the street. The Oxbow Public Market is an indoor marketplace which opened earlier in the year. At the Oxbow Market stand we met the spice man, Shuli Madmone owner of Whole Spice.

Shuli was quite personable and generously shared his culinary knowledge with us. He gave us a wonderful Indian fish curry recipe to try with his basic (Indian) curry, brown mustard seeds and methi leaves. He told us both when cooking "no fear"!

Check out the Whole Spice website for inspiration, recipes and mail order for their exotic spices from all over the world.

The French Laundry

Yountville, Ca

Next it was time for lunch. No, we didn't dine at Thomas Keller's The French Laundry but I had to drive my nephew by to see it. It is rated as one of the world's top restaurants. I hear, dinner for two is about $500.00! Hmm...maybe Taylor can get a job there someday!

Bouchon

Yountville, Ca

Since most diners can't get a table or don't want to spend the beaucoup $$$$$ at The French Laundry, the next best thing is Thomas Keller's, more casual, Parisian style bistro Bouchon, just down the street.

Country Pate

Our 12:00 lunch reservation was at Bouchon. I love the Parisian ambiance of Bouchon. I ate here in the spring with my husband and couldn't wait to bring my nephew here. We began our bistro meal with a country pate starter and topped it off by a chocolate macaroon at the Bouchon Bakery next door! Almost as good as being in Paris!

Mariage Freres Tea

Next it was off to Dean and Deluca in St. Helena for some gourmet food shopping. Since I can't jet off to Paris this year, I was able to replenish my French tea stash here.

D & D has one of the largest inventories of Mariage Freres of French teas that I have found outside of Paris. They also carry Hediard and Kusmi French teas. Oui, they do mail order!

We had a great day in the Napa Valley and can't wait to go back and try a new restaurant. If our little culinary adventure has you craving a taste of the Napa Valley, you can always check out Thomas Keller's The French Laundry and Bouchon cookbooks.

Bon Appetit!

Newport, Oregon

Newport, Oregon

We just returned home from a week long vacation in Newport and Portland, Oregon. 

My husband is from the small mill town Toledo, which is 7 miles east from Newport and the Oregon coast.  Last month during the first California heat wave (100 degrees in May) , I told my husband "let's move to Oregon!" Well now that we have just returned from Oregon, I realize that I am definitely a California girl! I promise not to complain about the heat here ever again!

While I loved visiting Oregon, I just don't care for it's cool, damp, misty, rainy weather that occurs even in the summertime at the beach. My in laws told me that is why Oregon is so green and so beautiful. Yes, I agree, the Oregon coast is beautiful but I missed the sun!

The trip was for my husband to visit his family and celebrate his Dad's birthday. We also brought our 16 year old nephew Kevin with us. The guys enjoyed a lot of golf time. We did the typical touristy things. We visited the Newport Aquarium, beach combed at the beach, bought salt water taffy and ate lots and lots of seafood!

As for me, I guess it was a time for me to relax. The only problem is, I am not very good at relaxing. I would rather be shopping. Only problem was, there isn't much shopping in Newport, so I did a lot of knitting!

I did check out shopping in Ashland, OR on our drive up and down Highway 5. I loved its boutique lined Main Street and the fabulous yarn store, The Websters.  I want to go back and shop this town! I was told by a store clerk that a lot of people retire there from Marin County, CA. Perhaps that is why there was such a groovy vibe there?

We finished up our trip with a two day jaunt to Portland. My hubby loves books and wanted to take our nephew to Powell's Books. Powell's is the largest independent book store in America. While they shopped for books, I strolled the Pearl District checking out the yarn stores and upscale boutiques.

We had a great trip. When we pulled up to our nephew's home, I told him "it is nice to go on vacation but it is always so nice to come back home!"

And yes, we came back home to another heat wave!

l' exposition Marie-Antoinette

Marie-Antoinette 1755-1793

Queen of France

I miss Paris! Since I can't hop on a plane to Paris this year, I do my Paris exploring and shopping not on foot but on the Internet.

The other night I was looking at my favorite French patisserie site Laduree http://www.laduree.fr/ . I always like to see what flavors are new and what French delights I am missing out on. I believe, they make the best macaroons in Paris.

Oui, of course, there will a future post about Laduree!

Their web site is filled with beautiful photographs. Currently there is a photo of a green (trademark Laduree color) French coach filled with scrumptious macaroons and patisseries. The title says it is for the l'exposition Marie-Antoinette. (Laduree made all of the cakes and patisseries for the 2006 movie Marie-Antoinette by Sofia Coppola). Since the description was in French, I had to do some further research. Oui, Paris is paying tribute right now to Marie-Antoinette with an incredible exhibit.

The exhibit is at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais. If you are lucky enough to be going to Paris soon, it runs thru June 30, 2008. The exhibit brings together 300 works of art, furnishings and documents from all over the world. (Sadly many of her possessions were scattered during the French revolution). This is a pretty big event. The last French tribute of this magnitude was the Marie-Antoinette exhibit at Versailles back in 1955.

The last time we were in Paris...we saw Marie-Antoinette all over town. Movie posters where everywhere promoting Sofia Coppola's 2006 movie Marie-Antoinette. Since there was such a buzz about Marie-Antoinette all over France, it was the perfect time to go explore Versailles and see how the French royals lived.

Entrance to the Chateau Versailles

I had heard mixed reviews about giving up a day in your Paris vacation to go to Versailles. I am so glad that we did. Being an Interior Designer, I loved seeing the opulence and the decor at Versailles. It was truly fit for Kings and Queens.

Marie-Antoinette a' la rose by Madame Vigee-Lebrun,

her favorite court painter.

It is her most famous portrait.

Marie-Antoinette was not born French. She was the Austrian born Queen of Louis XVI. In 1774 when her husband became King, he gave her the Petite Trianon from his grandfather's estate. It was a small chateau on the ground of Versailles. It was her private retreat away from court life.

Petite Trianon

She had exquisite personal taste. She was given free rein to renovate her Petite Trianon. She commissioned new English style gardens for the grounds. She commissioned beautiful furnishings and was known as a patron of the arts.

She was such a natural French style maker and trendsetter. She was known to be a very lavish spender. She had the nickname of "Madame Deficit". No wonder I love her decorating!

She is undoubtedly France's most notorious Queen. In 1793, sadly her life ends by guillotine at the height of the French Revolution. Her crime is treason. She undoubtedly lives on to due to our fascination with her and her fabulous good taste.

So if you can't get to Paris to see her exhibit, here is a glimpse into her world at Petite Trianon at Versailles:

Sitting Room

Gilded furniture in the neoclassical mode. I just love the Aubusson rug!

La Chambre

Queen Marie-Antoinette's bedroom. Trelliswork furniture by G. Jacob made for this room in 1787. Still upholstered with it's original embroidered cotton damask (the original bed has vanished).

La Boudoir

Her boudoir was called the room of moving mirrors. The mirrors where mobile and could be placed in front of the windows to shut out the light.

I just love her decorating style. French is, after all, my favorite furniture style of choice!