Lacey (l) and Molly are just two of the many young people at The Gant in Aspen, where I live, who keep my life on-track. All of them are eager and willing food-testers. Both the girls liked the addition of mint to the apple jelly glaze. ” And Kiley (another Gant employee) doesn’t even like mint at all, Mrs Hirsch,” Molly told me. “She honestly cannot stand it, but she liked the minty flavor of the topping and thought it was really, really good.”
Yep, today’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice is a tart. To my thinking, however, there is nothing about this tasty dessert that looks tarty. As Dorie explained, “It’s so thin and crackly, you get to eat it out of hand.”
Have you ever met a tart that is “thin and crackly” ? What makes it so are multiple sheets of filo dough, each sheet carefully slathered with butter, piled in layers. This was my first experience with fragile, easily torn, uncooperative filo dough. Surprisingly, it was no problem.
Hold that thought……
As I was walking through the Cooper Street Mall in Aspen this afternoon, I spotted a one-to-two year old black bear, napping in a tree. This cub, in all probability, has been abandoned by his Mother who is more concerned right now about packing on 30 to 40 pounds of body fat to survive hibernation and give birth to the next generation of bears. This cub, who obviously cannot find enough food to eat, will probably not last through the winter.
Let’s talk Bear Business. Last week I returned to my home in Aspen to stay until Thanksgiving. This is a particularly lovely time of year because the fall color extravaganza is ending and there’s no snow in sight. Translation: no tourists. Although we love, adore, need and want tourists – we are a resort community, after all – every so often it’s nice to grab our town back.
This fall, more than ever, we are sharing our town with black bears. According to Colorado Parks & Wildlife, there are about 16,000 blackies in Colorado. Aspen is probably the epicenter of bear-human interaction in the state. This year, as the bears prepare for hibernation, needing 30 to 40 pounds of extra body fat for winter survival, they are more desperate than ever for food.
Colorado has been scorched by a summer of fires, the drought has destroyed the bears’ food supply and more homes are infringing into bear habitats. Serviceberry and chokecherry bushes as well as other natural food sources are being bulldozed under for development. Unable to find natural food sources, at night, these savvy and hungry bears wander into town, dismembering our crab apple trees and dumpster-diving into the ones that are unsecured. Although it’s against the law to leave dumpsters and garbage cans unsecured, every night five or six bears charge into downtown to scrounge for their daily rations. By day they sometimes hang in a tree, napping, in the heart of downtown Aspen.
An adult Colorado black bear can weigh anywhere from 150 pounds (a sow) to over 350-400 pounds (a male).
These guys even have their own Facebook page, Aspen Bears.
The little bear I saw this afternoon, dozing in a tree on the Cooper Street Mall, is probably an abandoned cub. It’s “survival of the fittest”, the mother’s harsh reality. She’s gone off to take care of herself.
Those of us who live here try to protect our bears. There are laws, strictly enforced, to make our county “bear-proof”. Once a bear, considered a nuisance, is tagged, the next naughty-bear report means euthanasia. As local writer Barry Petersen wrote, “ Most people in Aspen stay cool about it all, perhaps remembering that the houses and cars and streetlights are all late arrivals — that, in truth, it was the bears who for centuries have thought of this area as their home.”
The tart with its eight layers of buttered filo dough, almond cream and then, apples, ready to bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Thanks for allowing me a timeout for our wild animals. Now, let’s get back to the tart.
Luckily, this recipe for the Crispy, Crackly Apple-Almond Tart is here and I suspect if you try it, you’ll love it. I made the almond cream 2 days ahead and then brought it to room temperature before spreading it on the delicate filo dough. If you haven’t baked with filo before, it will not be difficult if you carefully follow the directions on the filo box and in Dorie’s recipe. I chose Braeburn apples to peel, slice and fan onto the tart base.
The tart, baked and glazed
Since I could not find apple jelly for the glaze, I used mint apple jelly and really enjoyed the additional slight minty tang. Although we ate this immediately, the tart can also be served at room temperature. Next time I might even dump a scoop of ice cream on top!
This week’s French Friday with Dorie recipe choice, Spice-Poached Pears
Let’s play JEOPARDY:
Answer: Dorie Greenspan’s Spice-Poached Pears, this week’s FFWD recipe.
Question: How do you thank a neighbor who is driving you to the airport…..at 4 A.M……on a Saturday!?!
Mise en Place, so few ingredients yield such a tasty treat
This week’s recipe, cooked fruit, seems so basic, so un-special, a “why bother?”. Dorie describes this compote as “the simplest of French family sweets, and the most comforting too.”
After making a batch, even if cooked fruit wasn’t my idea of a palate pleaser this week, it tasted heavenly and refreshing. (That’s why Dorie writes the books and I only cook from them.) I picked Bosc pears to poach for this recipe. Really, it’s your choice because all kinds of fruits – apples, pears, plums, apricots, peaches, cherries, prunes, figs, kumquats – to name a few, can be simmered to tasty perfection.
Putting the syrup ingredients together, ready to boil and simmer. This spicy syrup recipe is a Keeper.
What I suggest is to link to Dorie’s recipe here and use her basic syrup recipe to create all kinds of delightful dishes. The sweet and fruity ingredients in the syrup combined with the spices of star anise, cinnamon sticks and vanilla beans, provide a lovely, flavorful and warm bath in which the fruit can bask.
Although the French, according to Dorie, usually serve their compotes with little more than heavy cream, crème fraîche or plain yogurt, I prefer the more-is-better approach. Embellish pancakes, waffles or French toast by spooning this spicy fruit on top. Ladle it over pound and angel food cakes, rice pudding or ice cream. With the right fruit combo, this would be wonderful with ham or poultry. Be even more creative than I am. Poach your taste buds gently, allowing your culinary imagination to run wild.
Papa Pear said to Mama Pear and the little Pears, “Where’s my warm, syrupy bath. I need a soak?” After poaching the pears in the syrup, gently remove the pears to a bowl and continue boiling and reducing the syrup for an additional 10 to 15 minutes before again pouring it back over the fruit.
I made my spicy poached pears midweek, pleased that they’d become a special thank you-treat for my neighbor and friend, Ray, who is taking me to the airport Saturday morning. Although the Hot Now sign isn’t even on at our local Krispie Kreme shop by 4 A.M., Ray, ever the good guy, never complains and, especially not after today when I gave him a bowl of spice-poached pears. Memo to me: Next time, double the recipe.
For the next two weeks, I will be in South America, joining a Tauck Tours excursion which begins in Santiago, ending in Rio de Janeiro. After traveling alone for five years, I find there are some trips that are far easier and safer to do with others. (Or, so my children say………) Tauck seems to understand the independent traveler. I can often turn left when they go right.
Because the celebrations for Chilean Independence Day begin this weekend, I am arriving early to watch the colorful festivities. With the assistance of guide Liz Caskey, I’ll have the opportunity to visit La Vega and Mercado Central, Santiago’s largest markets, following her virtual tour to experience the local foodie scene. As far as the South American culinary culture is concerned, consider me clueless. I hope to change that as I taste my way through these countries.
My Posts the next two weeks will be sporadic and, with appreciation, I am handing off my FFWD administrative duties to Laurie and Betsy. Perhaps, just perhaps, I’ll even catch up with our Argentinean Dorista, Paula, when I am in Buenos Aires. Stay tuned, please…….
Project Dinner Table, a charity event last Saturday in Las Vegas, where 175 people gathered to eat together, family-style.
My dinner partners for the evening, Todd Harrington, Executive Chef at Central Michel Richard at Ceasar’s Palace, and his assistant. Thousands of dollars were raised to benefit Safe Nest and The Shade Tree, organizations dedicated to aiding abused women and to the eradication of domestic violence.
This week’s FFWD recipe is all about veggies: Eggplant Tartine with Tomatoes, Olives and Cucumber. A tartine is actually an open-faced sandwich with a spread on top. For today’s presentation, however, the bread has been banished and replaced by eggplant. The result is so delicious and tasty, you don’t realize the grain product is missing. Don’t ask. Don’t tell.
I’m especially pleased to be making a nutritious dish today because Less is More this week. Needing to eat Less this week because More is happening on Saturday night. I’ve returned to Nevada to attend my first Project Dinner Table charity event on Saturday. This exciting event benefits two organizations that have become dear to my heart lately: Safe Nest, a charity that promotes the eradication of domestic violence and The Shade Tree, a 24-hour shelter designed specifically to support abused women and children in Southern Nevada.
The purpose of PDT is to create meaningful and adventurous experiences around the dinner table, celebrating local food, community and philanthropy. That the dining table is loooooong, accommodating 175 people, six courses, and served pass-the-plate family style, brings Pop-Up Entertaining to an entirely new level. Oh, yes, this time it’s open-air, streets closed, a Main Street meets the Strip atmosphere. Hello, new experience.
The Chefs for this PDT, Executive Chef Royden Ellamar of Sensi at Bellagio and Executive Chef Edmund Wong of Bellagio, only raise the bar.
Executive Chef Ellamar of Sensi, Bellagio, Las Vegas PDT Photo
Executive Chef Wong of Bellagio, Las Vegas PDT Photo
What I have found, since moving to Henderson, is that local casino conglomerates are very philanthropic and generous locally. They can afford to be, of course. One-upmanship is the game name here. Now is Bellagio’s moment and I’m betting they’re up to the glitz-and-grits task. Their Horticulture department, in charge of decor, is already loading up citrus trees and potted fruit plants. No chandeliers necessary, stars will suffice. A feel-good moment for Las Vegas.
The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, a popular attraction on the Las Vegas Strip. Kudos to the hotel-casino’s reknown horticulture department. destination360.com photo
The tartine dovetails nicely with this upcoming gastronomic overload. Roast 1-inch thick eggplant slices for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Toss together a delicious salsa using tomatoes, celery, onion, garlic and green olives. The dressing is simply red wine vinegar and olive oil with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper added for seasoning. Throw some cucumber slices haphazardly over the top and you’ve got a lunch, snack or dinner.
Eggplant slices waiting for olive oil, salt and pepper, before basking in 350 degree temperatures for 45 minutes
Saturday evening will be an eye-opener for me, a charity function, Vegas-style. Since moving here, I’ve been so focused on my personal life and responsibilities, I’ve spent little time thinking about those less fortunate. For me, now, it’s a different world and I’m looking forward to using my considerable energy to help others, particularly women. A feel-good moment for me.
Eggplant Tartine with Tomatoes, Olives and Cucumbers
Minted Zucchini Tagliatelle with Cucumbers and Lemon, this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice
If you read my Blog, it’s a given that I have great friends and a spectacular daughter. You already understand that. What you may not know is that as far as relationships with me, it’s usually Go or No. Meaning, I’m the kind of woman you either flat-out like or flat-out don’t like. Nothing middle-of-the-road. Pretty clear-cut.
Ouch.
Let’s just admit that if it’s a popularity contest, I won’t win. However, credit me with being solid, fiercely loyal, unwavering and (fun)/ny. Always got your back. If you need to laugh, I’m your girl! Promise always to make you smile.
Who knew a mandoline could cause so much havoc?
That’s why this week’s FFWD recipe choice, Minted Zucchini Tagliatelle with Cucumbers and Lemon, almost sent me kicking the can down the road. Touch-and-Go. First, with a friend. Then, with a daughter.
I’d not seen my friend, Linda, who lives part-time in Aspen, for two years. Since she’d be heading South soon after my arrival back in Colorado, we needed to make a lunch date.“Why don’t you come to my condo for lunch,” I asked, during our first telephone conversation. “I’ll do the salad we’re making this week for French Fridays with Dorie.”
“Oh, that might be fine,” she replied, cautiously. “What is it?”
I explained that we were making a zucchini, onion and cucumber salad with pistachio oil dressing and mint flavoring. “That sounds interesting,” she said, sounding optimistic.
Then, I mentioned, “It will be the first time I’ve ever used a mandoline.”
“No,” she stated emphatically. “Let’s go out.”
Normally, Linda, a former Miss Savannah, is gracious, diplomatic and kind. However, hidden behind every Georgia Peach is an Iron Magnolia. Right? “No” meant “No”. As much as she wanted to support my blogging adventures, she did not trust me with my mandoline. I realized visions of all things unappetizing must have danced through her head. In the end, we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at “Above the Salt” in downtown Aspen.
The mandoline guard/gadget that allowed me to safely and carefully create 1/8th-inch-thick zucchini tagliatelle strips. It’s a process!!!
Soon after that, my daughter, Melissa, called. During our conversation she asked what I was cooking this week. Without thinking I described the salad, telling her I was using a mandoline for the first time. Five seconds of silence. Then, “Mom, don’t you have a potato peeler?”
Our conversation deteriorated quickly. Me, laughing, hysterically, insisting I’d be careful. Melissa, not laughing at all, insisting “my” careful might not be careful enough. “Mom, seriously, those blades are dangerous. You’re a writer. You need all your fingers.”
“Mom, I am not kidding, you’re still scattered these days and shouldn’t be using a sharp instrument.”
And then, the shot through my heart, “Well, I think you know, Mother, I won’t sleep a wink tonight.”
In the end, I used the mandoline to make beautiful 1/8th-inch-thick zucchini tagliatelle slices. I was very, very, very careful. Still, except for very, very, very special occasions, I will not be using my mandoline again. For the amateur cook, caution is prudent.
I must admit that, to me, this salad looked better than it tasted. I didn’t enjoy this dish.
After all the drama, I didn’t enjoy this salad, finding the zucchini, cucumber, onion combo rather pugnacious, battling each other for the primary taste position. The pistachio oil/lemon juice/salt dressing didn’t blend the veggies strong flavors together. Surprisingly, the mint seemed to grab the salad and play a more important role than was ever intended. Although handsome in appearance, this wasn’t a palate-pleaser for me.
If you want to try out your mandoline on this salad, you will find the recipe here. To see how other mandoline mavens fared this week, go here.
Peaches are plump, flavorful and at their peak now. It’s time for Peach Melba, our FFWD recipe for this week. Before I served it to others, I enjoyed my own personal taste test. Wow. Just, Wow.
Last Summer I ordered some lovely outdoor furniture, a settee, two large arm chairs and a table, for my back patio. When the UPS lady delivered it, in four lean and long boxes, I thought a mistake had been made. You know where I’m taking this story, don’t you?
My order arrived in pieces. Hundreds of bolts, screws, washers, doohickeys and thingumbobs in small plastic bags. There were sixteen flat brown wicker parts which looked familiar to what I had ordered. Oh, yes, included also, the hefty directions manual written in several different languages. It was all Greek to me. That was when I asked myself, “How far can I push the goodwill of my neighbors?” In the end, Ray and Dominick, my go-to guys who live nearby, spent an entire Saturday afternoon, stuck in my garage, putting together my new wicker furniture. Let me mention it was a 100-degree summer day in Nevada. Sweat poured off of them.
My Mitey Shopping Cart, waiting to be built.
So, you understand that when I had a teeny-weeny put-the-parts-together project before leaving for Colorado, I was hesitant to call on them. I had ordered a Mitey Shopping Cart to take with me to Aspen. I walk everywhere here and wanted to use the cart for the Farmers Market, grocery store, library, it’s just a handy thing to have. I had hoped it would arrive intact – no such luck. When I called Ray and he answered his phone, I was blunt. “Here’s the bribe,” I said, “I will trade you a Peach Melba for one Mitey Cart with wheels attached.”
“You’re on,” he replied.
As you’ve already guessed, Peach Melba is our French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice this week and was a perfect and tasty bargaining tool to use with those guys. It is drop-dead delicious. Peaches. Raspberries. Ice Cream. Whipped cream. Crème de cassis. Those are just the major ingredient players. The little guys, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla beans and toasted sliced almonds, also add to the makings of this dessert.
Glenn, another friend, Ray and Dominick (Lto R) presenting me with the finished project, a Mitey Cart with wheels. Time to bring on the Peach Melba.
While Peach Melba is not a difficult dessert to make, it is a multifaceted and timely process. It involves poaching, making two syrups, pureeing, straining seeds, toasting, and, if you wish, making your own ice cream and whipped cream. Since the late and great Auguste Escoffier , a French culinary icon, created the elegant Peach Melba for opera singer Nellis Melba, you’d expect the flavors to be complex and intense.
The good news is that Dorie’s recipe directions are, as usual, carefully and clearly written. We’re currently in the midst of peak peach season so I urge you to link to her recipe here and enjoy this yourself.
What I love about these guys is that they take their taste testing seriously. Before moving to Nevada, Ray and Dominick owned and operated a successful New York deli so they appreciate good food and are honest critics. As for Glenn, a wine connoisseur, he pulled all the various flavors from this dessert and tried to guess (correctly, I might add) the processes used to make them.
The taste testing trio – do you see how seriously they take their assignment? I adore this picture. As you can see, these are guys, so I traded the elegant cut-glass goblet for plain white bowls – it was really all about the dessert not the dish.
Not only was this a win-win situation for all of us, it was a wonderful farewell evening together with good friends before my departure to Colorado. Thanks, guys.
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is competing in Colorado this week. Tuesday the route was 130.5 miles, involving two 12,000 feet ascents over Cottonwood and Independence Pass, and ended in Aspen. This morning I watched as they headed back over Independence Pass, destined for Beaver Creek.
If you’re interested to see what my FFWD colleagues made this week, go here. Betcha it was peachy.
