Butternut Squash Tart for Thanksgiving

We were invited to a proper Canadian Thanksgiving feast this year ... some folks we met through our antenatal classes have had a Canadian friend visiting over the last week and she wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving ... and they invited us along.  I offered to bring the pumpkin pie (any excuse).  Unfortunately, life with a little monster means that sometimes plans have to be cancelled at the last minute.  After 2 very busy social days Lyra found it very difficult to nap at all yesterday morning and only finally closed her eyes after much protest 20 mins before we were supposed to leave the house for the party.  I could't face waking her up and getting ready and then walking to our friends' house ... so I had to cancel.  It was sad, but it is part of having a new-ish baby.  They understood ... 

And ... as they pointed out ... even though I was missing out on the turkey and trimmings at least I could still have pie! Thank goodness for that! I love pumpkin pie, I love the texture, I love the spices, I love the mountain of whipped cream plopped on top ... I love it all and while tinned pumpkin is becoming easier to find here in Edinburgh I still prefer to make it with butternut squash.  The flavour is slightly mellower, I think ... plus it is so easy (ok, not as easy as opening a tin...but still pretty easy).  

I like to buy a squash that is just over 1kg, I cut it in half length wise, scoop out the seeds, place it cut side down on a roasting tray and then roast untill super soft.  Then all I do is use a fork to scrape the flesh out of one half, mash it up a bit and let it cool while I get the rest of the filling/tart shell ready. 

I use a 2cm deep flan ring with a loose bottom and find that the flesh from half a squash is enough (it usually measures just over a cup of mashed squash).  It might not be a traditional pie plate, but I like the daintiness of the fluted edge when it comes out of the tin.  Yesterday I used shop bought pastry (did you read the bit about the new baby?) to make everything a bit easier, and it was.  

While the squash is cooling and the tart base is blind baking I mixed up 2 medium eggs, 50g of light brown sugar, 100ml evaporated milk, 60ml maple syrup (or golden), and some spices: 3/4tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp all spice, 1/4 tsp ginger, and a good grating of nutmeg...oh and pinch of salt.  Once the tart base was ready I blended the squash in with the rest of the filling, poured it into the base, topped with pastry maple leaves and baked at 150 for about 45 mins (until set).  

It really is so so so easy.  I've mashed up the other half of the squash and put it in the freezer for Christmas (if I can wait that long).  

Gobble Gobble Gobble 

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Beetroot Tart...Eating Cake Underground

I attended a brilliant event last night, hosted by the cake-tastic Edinburgh Cake Ladies deep down under the streets of Edinburgh at The Real Mary Kings Close, literally under the Royal Mile.  The event was aptly themed "Spooky Bakes" to compliment our totally creepy venue and the cake ladies certainly did not disappoint.  Being underground and historic and atmospheric and all that the lighting didn't really lend itself to fab photographs, but there was a professional photographer on hand and you can check out the totally gory bakes on the Cake Ladies blog and on the STV Gallery.

My own offering wasn't exactly spooky...but it was flipping scary! For some sadomasochistic reason I decided to make pastry rather than a cake and chose a tart I had never made not to mention tasted before.  How's that for suitably scary?

Before halloween I spied a link to a beetroot tart recipe on my twitter feed and thought that it would be perfect for this event...earthy, bright red and something totally different.

To me this tart is an alternative to pumpkin pie.  It has the same warming spices...mixed spice, pimento (all spice) and ginger but with the earthy flavour of the pureed beetroot. The filling itself is very light, not as heavy as some pumpkin pies can be and has a nice blend of savoury and sweet.

I called it an Exhumed Beetroot Tart for the night in an attempt to make it more frightening...but really it wasn't going to win the best costume prize (not that it is a competition at all).

I loved it, I loved the night and I loved the bakes I tasted.  The Edinburgh Cakes Ladies have done it again!

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Colorova Patisserie...hip pastries in Paris

I took a little jaunt over to Paris for a long weekend break this past weekend.  4 whole days of wandering the streets and stuffing my face with any pastries I could get my hot little hands on (these hands are made for eating...not making...pastry).  I was in heaven.  Armed with Amy Thomas's "Paris my Sweet" and recommendations from David Lebovitz's blog I couldn't go wrong.  Our days were planned around breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks to maximise the patisserie stops, I gorged myself on croissants, macarons and madeleines.  I devoured a perfectly formed Paris Brest.  I ohhed and ahhed my way around the 1st-11th arrondissements.  

My favourite stop was recommended by the lovely Rachel Khoo of Little Paris Kitchen fame, Colorova Patisserie a stone throws away from Au Bon Marche Department Store.  

We arrived around 2:30 looking forward to sitting down to a tart and a cup of tea.  The place was pretty full but the staff kindly sat us at a table for 4 (there were only 2 of us).  It was comfy and in full view of one of the two pastry counters! 

Everything was very clean, very stylised and very hip... three words...mint green SMEG.  Although it was the middle of the afternoon there was still a great variety of pastries to choose from, even though we seemed to be the only party only ordering sweets, and a large selection of Lov Teas to choose from (Scandinavian inspired Organic teas...very clean and very fresh).  

Most of our fellow diners seemed to be finishing lunch and from what I spied the savoury dishes looked perfectly put together.  We overheard customers reserving tables for Sunday brunch only to be told that the tables were fully booked.  

I had to restrain myself from devouring this small strawberry and pistachio tart (adorned with gold leaf) accompanied by a mint green tea.  The pastry was crisp and not too thick, slathered with a strawberry jam and topped with sweetened little strawberries and a flourish of pistachio cream.  

My mum chose the raspberry and mascarpone tart and a pot of Ginger and Lemon tea.  I have been assured that the pastry was equally as crisp and the filling totally exquisite.  

Colorova is a lovely patisserie and something completely different from the numerous patisseries found in more touristy areas.   If you are in Paris and thinking about checking it out, they offer pastries and cakes to carry out but I would recommend making a reservation and relaxing over tarts and tea for an hour or so.  

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it's the little things...coffee in the mall

In North America a good mall is a status symbol.  The better the mall...the bigger the names...the more people will come and spend their seemingly endless supply of disposable income.  When I was growing up in Toronto there were 2 main malls...the Eaton Centre downtown and Yorkdale uptown.  There were, of course, other smaller malls....many of which have grown into major malls in their own rights over the last decade or so...but for me the 2 big ones are the 2 main ones.  

During my short visit to Toronto my mum wanted to stop by the ever expanding Yorkdale to check out a few stores and to wander around "the new section" consisting of stores you have to provide evidence of your bank balance to enter...we were simply window shopping.  The day we planned to go we were up early so thought we'd venture over and put my mum's Starbucks gift card to good use before the shops opened. 

Only when we got there we found out that the Starbucks was actually IN the bookstore and therefore not open until the store was...onto plan B.  

The food court. 

Three words that just scream fast food, squealing teenagers and poor choice.  Not here. The Yorkdale food court has had a facelift...it is no longer called The Food Court, it is called Dine On 3...posh.  There is still the same fast food element selection but there are also a handful of sit down places, and...the gem...on it's own level...an illy coffee shop.  

Epressamente was exactly what we were looking for to pass the 45 mins or so we had until the shops opened.  The cafe is separate from the food court and has its own seating area, and although it wasn't busy at 8:30 in the morning it was a nice escape from the mall...secluded, sedate.  

The coffee is illy so you know it is going to be good.  My coffee of choice, of late, has been a flat white but seeing as the Aussie style hasn't made it across to North America yet, I settled for a latte...but I knew it was going to be more coffee than steamed milk.  

The breakfast special...a latte, cappuccino, or espresso with a pastry for $4.50 is a bargain considering a coffee alone is $4.00!! I know...$4.00 for a coffee, albeit a fine coffee.  The breakfast special was great, a huge selection of pastries to choose from and a really good coffee.  I savoured my raspberry scroll and latte equally and my mum enjoyed her regular croissant and cappuccino while we peered through the glass and watched the people below.  

An excellent coffee at the mall.  

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A Quiche

There is something satisfying about a quiche.  It looks delicate but can actually be a very substantial meal...oh and of course it is encased in pastry.  I love pastry.  

At the Edinburgh Cake Ladies event last month I tasted one of the best savoury tarts...ever.  Bacon, brie, tomatoes and rocket.  It was incredible, I could have easily devoured the entire thing.  I was polite, and minded my manners, and shared, and vowed to use the flavours in my own quiche...sometime.  

"Sometime" finally came yesterday.  My quiche does not do its inspiration justice.  Don't get me wrong, mine was so yummy (to the point where I gobbled a tester piece before taking a picture) but the original was to.die.for.  

I decided to try Dan Lepard's Mustard Pastry from S&S for the crust.  It was ok.  It was flakey and baked nicely, but it wasn't mustardy.  I halved the recipe though...so perhaps it was an oversight on my part.  The filling was sauteed red onion and bacon with halved cherry tomatoes and huge chunks of brie topped with a 3 egg and cream mixture. 

Very tasty and very substantial.  

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Fish Pie @home

I love pie...well I love pastry...but there is something so comforting about a piping hot meat (or fish) pie served up straight from the oven.  When I saw the horrible weather that was forecast for yesterday I just knew that it was going to be a pie day.  

Normally fish pies are topped with mashed potatoes but after I spied a recipe for a puff pastry topped fish pie in the new issue of delicious magazine I thought...I'll have me a big scoop of that! I made the creamy sauce from the magazine recipe...it was so easy, basically a white sauce with a dollop of cream cheese, chopped parsley and lemon zest.  Into that I added salmon, haddock and a handful of tiger prawns. Topped with a fancy puff pastry top and into the oven it went until puffed up and gorgeous.  

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Working up an Appetite!

Sunday was by far the most glorious day we have had in a few weeks.  I mean, it has been sunny and warm and all that jazz for the last week or so...but on Sunday I had David all to myself...finally!! No work, no family, no friends...just us us us!!  We went out early, picked up a couple of lattes for fuel and then trudged along the river for a FOUR MILE WALK!...just exploring the River Chelmer, the wildlife and the wilderness. 

I was so surprised to find a series of locks and a whole bunch of narrowboats just on my doorstep! Seriously, it was such a wonderful adventurous walk along the river, exploring our community...and I can't wait to venture a little bit further next time! The whole river walk is 12 miles ONE WAY from Chelmsford to Heybridge (on the sea!!)..so I doubt we will be able to do a there and back walk...but I would LOVE to make it out there sometime in the future!! We can totally rely on public transportation to get us back home, right???  The only down side to the walk was that the river totally runs through the middle of nowhere!! It doesn't run through the centre of any little town...so...no pubs to stop off at for refreshments/relief!!!

We totally worked up an appetite, which was all the better since I had planned on making a slow roast pork belly for Sunday Dinner.  I have been itching to try Jamie Oliver's Slow Roast Pork Belly with Fennel recipe from Cook with Jamie...and finally I got around to buying a piece of pork belly during the week.  Originally I had thought that I would be able to just pop it in the oven before we set out on our adventure...but it is actually a recipe that requires attention every hour (BAHHHH)...anyway...we had planned on being home with enough time to slow cook the pork in time for dinner, so I just had to wait until we returned from the walk to pop it in the oven.  The pork belly is rubbed with crushed fennel seeds and then slow roasted ONTOP of fennel bulbs with white wine....it smelt amazing...it tasted amazing...

Pork Belly has a surprisingly rich taste.  Cooked this way the meat is tender and juicy and the fat is crispy and made me feel so greedy and gluttonous...but oh so heavenly!!!  Needless to say...we waited a good 3 hours before serving up dessert. 

Now that I have tried to make my own pastry (and had a positive expereince) I have totally felt my confindence grow and so when I was home alone Saturday night I made this simple and totally tasty French Apple Tart from Raymond Blanc's latest tv series. He calls it Tart Maman Blanc because it is the tart his maman used to make for them.  It was simple, and best of all...the pastry doesn't have to be blind baked!!!  I am a total sucker for french flans...fruit and custard baked in a tart shell...and this did not disappoint!  

But the nicest thing...my mum made it too! In Toronto!  But she changed it up a bit!

Pastry making and Quiche...

Yesterday I finished work early so thought I would challenge myself at dinner time...take the time and try something totally new for me...Pastry! You might not believe me, but it is true...I have never really made (at least sucessfully) pastry...sweet or savoury! I knew I was finishing work early, so I was able to PLAN ahead and at least I knew in my head that I was going to attempt pastry and a quiche for supper...

After rushing around collecting bits and bobs for supper and the week from the grocery store (and having to go back for the flour, butter and lard)...I finally made it home and got down to pastry making! Well...for some flipping reason yesterday was the day that my kitchen decided to be hotter than you wold imagine! It has been cool verging on FREEZING for the last 4 months...and now...the day I want to make pastry...it is steaming!! PLUS my hands were hot!! GAHHHHHH!! Surprisingly, the pastry came together quite well, and it rolled out easily...blindbaked easily and in the end, was pretty satisfying!

The filling was a bit of a mash-up.  I took the wet proportions from a Raymond Blanc Quiche Lorraine recipe...5 EGGS/200ML HEAVY CREAM but added sauteed leeks and mushrooms to the cooked bacon lardons and sprinkled with Gouda cheese.  The egg seeped over the edge a bit (I wobbled a bit lifting it into the oven) making some of the pastry a bit spongey...but the majority of the pastry was WONDERFUL!

I am really proud of my first attempt at this easy meal and am already planning my next pastry adventure!!