text:
I-79 at Clendenin to see continued construction
CLENDENIN, W.Va. -- Commuters traveling Interstate 79 north of Charleston can expect to see several more months of construction.
"'Tis the season, brother," said West Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman Brent Walker.
Starting last winter, contractors began the lengthy process of replacing the superstructure and bridge decking on the northbound span of the McQueen Brothers Bridge just north of the Clendenin exit of I-79. Work crews on site Tuesday said the bridge is scheduled to reopen for traffic on June 15.
Replacement of the southbound span will then start.
"We'll tear that one out when we complete this one," Walker said. "We'll have about four months [of construction] on that one."
Meanwhile, paving crews are in the process of repaving a four-mile stretch of interstate just south of the Clendenin exit, between mile markers 15 and 19. Traffic going both directions has been reduced to one lane so road crews can mill off the old pavement. Crews also are installing trench drains that will be under the pavement when the road is resurfaced.
Walker said the drains are now standard when resurfacing roads. He said crews dig a long trench along the roadway and line it with fabric and rocks before paving over the drain.
"The water will make its way in there," he said.
Once the two lanes are repaved, work crews will mill and repave the remaining two lanes, Walker said.
"We should be doing that for about the next three months," he said. Both the bridge and repaving projects should be completed this fall.
The cost of the bridge replacement project is about $8.5 million, Walker said. Milling, adding the drains and repaving all four lanes of the interstate below Clendenin has a price tag of about $10.5 million.
Walker said an unusually mild winter and an early spring gave highways crews a head start on repair projects around the state.
"The weather so far has cooperated," he said. "We'll just keep our fingers crossed."
Reach Rusty Marks at email@example.com or 304-348-1215.


text:
News // Soundset
5.4.10 Official Soundset After Party!
Due to popular demand, we have confirmed the official Soundset after party at First Avenue in …Read More →
5.2.10 Video: Freeway & Jake One Premiere…
Coming off the success of their critically acclaimed album The Stimulus Package, Freeway & Jak…Read More →
4.30.10 Atmosphere headlines Soundset 2010
While Atmosphere may have been quiet the last few months they definitely haven't been idle. T…Read More →
4.27.10 Do you know who's playing at Sound…
Rhymesayers Entertainment and Rose Presents bring you the third annual Soundset…Read More →
4.19.10 2010 Soundset Slow & Low Custom Ca…
Just like the Soundset '09 Festival this year's Slow and Low Car Show promises to be bigger an…Read More →
4.17.10 Record Store Day at Fifth Element …
Come through and celebrate a special Soundset Festival x Record Store Day event today at Fifth…Read More →
4.12.10 Join the Soundset street team
It is officially Soundset Season once again! The line-up has been announced, tickets are on sa…Read More →
4.12.10 2010 Soundset B-Boy & DJ Tent
B-boy/DJ Tent Featuring The B-boy/Girl Battle At Soundset Finals. Live on the Turntables: 45 K…Read More →

subset: commoncrawl


text:
FourHourDay takes its lead from the all too human Jesus, Gandhi, and M.L. King, among others. The best life is one of material simplicity, village camaraderie, and reflective participation in the wonders of ongoing creation. However, we take our saints – and especially Gandhi – with a grain of salt. The practical demands of global survival and prosperity force us to become more than lilies of the field or hand spinners. Only with the mastery of advanced technologies can we bring every human being up to speed as a true collaborator. But "mastery" must mean more than mere technical expertise. Truly cooperative labor is the highest form of metaphysical contemplation. The four-hour day can't be measured in minutes or seconds.
Given this philosophical basis, the following essays make only two further assertions. One, capitalism is no longer worth the bother. And, two, no state of the modern era has ever come within spitting distance of true socialism. But we'll give it a try anyway.
Read on, McDuff.
The idea that we could extricate ourselves from the current financial disintegration by inventing and injecting trillions of dollars we don't have is stranger than strange. But we'll repeat with our dying breath that several precedents exist, and US participation in World War II is but one. The technical difficulties pale in comparison to the political and cultural barriers that confront us, yet we have not a single thing to lose in promoting the practical vision of a planet at peace with itself.
This essay is but overture and introduction that leaves out most of the juicy details. Embrace hope all ye who enter here.
(And the Delights of Synthetic Rubber)
We wild-eyed social visionaries occasionally require the tether of history, and no reality is more sobering than that of World War II. Yet amidst the carnage, there arose a remarkable institution of public finance. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation anticipated precisely the sort of investment structure that makes all future fantasies plausible.
docs/Jesus H. Jones.pdf
(And the Magical Mystery MEFO Bill)
Most people know something about the horrendous hyperinflation Germany experienced after the First World War. But few remember the man who cured it and then went on to bring his country to full employment in spite of global depression and a lunatic boss.
docs/Hjalmar Schacht.pdf
"Make no small plans, for small plans do not stir the blood."
This is an introductory essay written prior to the "Nutshell" effort. It's twice as long, three times as dense, and four times more incomprehensible. Read it at your own risk, then rewrite it yourself.
Download 266kb Acrobat pdf file


text:
Not one but two contenders for the fastest caramel apple eater at the Gravenstein Apple Fair on Saturday lost a tooth in their bid to take home the top prize.
Alas, only one person could be named champ, and 10-year-old Amitiel Ashley-Haran emerged bloody — and a little lighter in the tooth — but victorious.
"It had been loose for a while, and I knew it was going to come out soon," he said, clutching his blue first-place ribbon.
Gravenstein Apple Fair
"I was really excited when they said I was the winner," he said. "I've been in it three years and I've never won."
This weekend's celebration of all things Gravenstein apple marks the 40th anniversary of the fair and a marked change from last year's much-maligned push to make the event bigger.
Gone are the jumpy houses and the sprawling acreage of vendors. Back are the tents under the oak trees at Ragle Ranch Park and the opportunity to see aging farm equipment and sample all things apple: fritters, pie, cider, sauce and juice.
"It's been just great," said Cindy Kozlowski-Hayworth, president of Kozlowski Farms, one of the few remaining growers of Gravensteins, along with Lee Walker, Dutton Ranch, and Kendra and Paul Kolling of Nana Mae's Organics. "It's been brought back to how it started."
But after a number of years of disappointing returns, the event is not yet in the black.
The two-day fair is the main fundraiser for the nonprofit group Sonoma County Farm Trails, which promotes small farms and features about 150 members. Former executive director Bruce Shimizu stepped down in August after the new, larger fair format failed to generate wanted revenues and, in fact, lost money.
New Farm Trails executive director and fair manager Carmen Snyder said the group hopes to make $50,000 in profits this weekend, noting that still will not covering existing debt.


text:
Hollywood boasts a classic, nationally ranked championship golf course redesigned by Walter J. Travis in 1917 and restored by Rees Jones in 1998. We are nestled near the Jersey shore, in the town of Deal, located in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Hollywood Golf Club is a member-owned, family-friendly club established for its Members and their guests.
Enter the gates and feel the history. Play the course and understand the timeless quality of its classic design. Enter the clubhouse and feel the presence of the elegance of an earlier time. Since 1898 there has been a Hollywood Golf Club. Come visit and enjoy the warmth and charm as you experience the special ambience of Hollywood Golf Club. Click on the tabs above to learn more about our Club and its facilities.


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Michael Bauer, SF Chronicle
To make a reservation, please call (415) 777-1413 or reserve online.
LUNCH:Mon-Fri: 11:30am-2:30pm
BAR MENU:Daily: 2:30pm-5:30pm
DINNER:Sun-Wed: 5:30pm-10:00pmThu-Sat: 5:30pm-11:00pm
BRUNCH:Sat-Sun: 10:00am-2:30pm
1652 Stockton St. @ Filbert, in North Beach. (View map)
360 Jessie St. @ 5th, across from the old Mint. (View map)
500 Brannan Street San Francisco, CA 94107 (View on Google Maps)
Tel: (415) 777-1413 Fax: (415) 974-1922 firstname.lastname@example.com Contact us online


text:
Book your room at Hotel Drisco
Suite, City ViewMax Occupancy: 3 guests
Standard RoomMax Occupancy: 2 guests
Get an overview of this hotelHistoric San Francisco hotel in Pacific Heights, near Palace of Fine Arts
Located in Pacific Heights, this historic hotel is within 1 mi (2 km) of Russian Center of San Francisco and Palace of Fine Arts. University of San Francisco and Lombard Street are also within 3 mi (5 km).
Hotel Features
Along with a fitness center, this smoke-free hotel has coffee/tea in the lobby and 24-hour room service. Free continental breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and a free manager's reception are also provided. Other amenities include a business center, concierge services, and dry cleaning.
Room Amenities
Rooms provide conveniences like refrigerators and coffee makers, plus free WiFi and flat-screen TVs with cable channels. Guests will also find 24-hour room service, DVD players, and pillow menus.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Renovations & Closures
- Exterior
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
High-speed wireless Internet access is complimentary. This 3.5-star property offers access to a business center. Guests are offered a complimentary breakfast each morning and a complimentary manager's reception is offered on select days. This business-friendly hotel also offers a fitness center, coffee/tea in the lobby, and concierge services.
Hotel Drisco is a smoke-free property.
- 24-hour front desk
- Business center
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Free reception
- Concierge services
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Fitness facilities
- Free breakfast
- Free parking nearby
- Free WiFi
- Smoke-free property
- Free use of nearby fitness center
Family Friendly Amenities
- DVD player
- Free Wi-Fi
- Refrigerator
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free parking nearby
Room Amenities
- Bathrobes
- Cable TV service
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free bottled water
- Free newspaper
- Daily housekeeping
- Designer toiletries
- Desk
- DVD player
- Flat-panel TV
- Free local calls
- Free WiFi
- Hair dryer
- In-room safe
- Iron/ironing board
- Phone
- Pillow menu
- Premium TV channels
- Private bathroom
- Refrigerator
- Room service (24 hours)
- Shower/tub combination
- Slippers
- Turndown service
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary continental breakfast each morning. A complimentary manager's reception is offered on select days.
24-hour room service is available.
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-out time is Noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No rollaway/extra beds available
No cribs (infant beds) available


text: Well heck, I was cleaning the rear wheel on my Vintage Olmo after a ride and saw a crack had formed on my rear Nuovo Tipo hub. Now these are not rare or "overly" expensive but it may take a couple of weeks to find a new one at the right price. My question is is it safe to ride until then. I do have another wheel I could use, but I'd rather just leave this one on until I find the replacement hub and I'd like to run it by someone with more experience than me. Thanks


text:
Ecological Engineering 36 (2010) 1089–1092
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Ecological Engineering
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ecoleng
Evidence of plant hormone like substances in vermiwash: An ecologically safe
option of synthetic chemicals for sustainable farming
Surindra Suthar
Environmental Biology Laboratory, Post Graduate Department of Zoology, B.R.G. Govt. Girls College, Godara College Road, Sri Ganganagar 335001, Rajasthan, India
article info
Article history:
Received 16 January 2010
Received in revised form 12 March 2010
Accepted 22 April 2010
Eisenia fetida
Plant growth promoters
Organic farming
This study compiles the impact of vermiwash on seed germination, seedling growth and biochemistry of
Cyamopsis tertagonoloba and Trigonella foenum-graecum under lab conditions. A total of four experimental
solutions, i.e. 100% vermiwash, 50% vermiwash, 5% urea solution and distilled water, were used in this
study. The maximum germination was in 50% vermiwash, while plant growth parameters (root length,
shoot length, shoot/root ratio and leaves/plant) showed the optimum results in 100% vermiwash trial.
The highest level of chlorophyll in fresh leaves was in 100% vermiwash treatment. The seedlings with
100% vermiwash foliar spray showed the maximum level of total protein, total soluble sugars and starch
(p < 0.05) in their tissues. Thus, results clearly suggested that vermiwash may be an ecologically safe and
cost-effective alternative of synthetic plant growth promoters for sustainable farming practices.
© 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Several natural and artificial chemicals are available as plant
growth promoters. Plant growth promoters are not nutrients
but chemicals that in small amounts promote and influence the
growth, development, and differentiation of cells and tissues. These
chemicals (abscisic acid, auxins, cytokinins, ethylene, gibberellins,
polyamines etc.) determine the formation of flowers, stems, leaves,
the shedding of leaves, and the development and ripening of fruits,
plant longevity and even plant death. There is increasing demand
for naturally derived agro-chemicals for sustainable farming sys-
tems in the current organic era. Organic farming disallows the use
of synthetic agro-chemicals and is based on the principle of nature
harmony and eco-sustainability.
There is evidence that earthworms produce a considerable
amount of plant hormones in their body secretions. Earth-
worm processed material 'casts' contain several soil nutrients in
forms which are easily available to plants (Taylor et al., 2003;
Suthar and Singh, 2008; Suthar, 2008, 2009, 2010). A few plant
growth-promoting substances have also been reported in casts
(Krishnamoorthy and Vajranabhaian, 1986; Muscolo et al., 1999).
Krishnamoorthy and Vajranabhaian (1986) reported relatively
higher ranges of plant nutrients such as ammonia, urea, oxidis-
able organic matter and exchangeable forms of some essential plant
Tel.: +91 946 0121182; fax: +91 154 2475960.
E-mail address: sutharss
nutrients. They also reported plant hormones, e.g. cytokinins and
auxins in earthworm casts. Similarly, Muscolo et al. (1999) also
found an auxin-like effect of earthworm-worked humic substances
on cell growth and nitrogen metabolism in Daucus carota. The ver-
miwash may contain cytokinins, auxin, amino acid, and vitamins,
enzymes possibly derived from microbes associated with earth-
worms. After reviewing the current literature, it was found that no
comprehensive study is available concerning the impact of vermi-
wash on biochemical aspects of seedlings. A comprehensive study
is still needed to test the role of vermiwash on plant metabolic
processes and biochemical synthesis of protein, sugar, starch and
The aim of this study was to consider the impact of vermiwash
on seed germination and seedling growth of two cereals, Cyamop-
sis tertagonoloba and Trigonella foenum-graecum, under laboratory
conditions. The role of vermiwash in the biosynthesis of chloro-
phyll, sugar, protein and starch was also evaluated in this study.
2. Methods
2.1. Vermiwash preparation
Vermiwash was prepared by following method described by
Karuna et al. (1999). The separated earthworms were placed in a
large-sized plastic container for 15–20 min to clear the adhered
casting materials. After that, earthworms were carefully removed
from their casting material and than added to the glass beaker
containing 500 ml warm distilled water (temperature = 40
C). The
0925-8574/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


text:
Adrian FBLA donates to the Bates County Food Pantry
Adrian R-3's FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) student organzation donated $750 with funds raised from last year to the Bates County Food Pantry to help them purchase food for those in need in Bates County. Pictured from left to right are FBLA officers Austin Pitts, Brendin White, Zachary Lewis, Caitlin Kimminau, Shelby Shannon, Rian Lewis and Bates County Food Pantry representative Laura Shipley. FBLA's advisor is Angela Lewis. The Adrian FBLA has adopted this organization again for this school year and will be raising funds throughout the year to help feed those in need in Bates County.


text:
Adobe Tutorials
- Photoshop (2)
Skill level
- Beginner
- Design (2)
- Photography
More options
Shows how to produce the highest quality images with fantastic detail in the shortest amount of time, using a combination of Photoshop CS5, Adobe Bridge, and Camera Raw.
Covers image adjustment and manipulation, tonal and color correction, brush settings, cloning, healing, and other advanced tools.
"Your website has become a verb. I had a client tell me today that they were lynda.comming their way through learning new software. You've joined the ranks of Googling, Photoshopping, and Skyping!" —Jill W.
more from our members »


text:
Adopt Films acquires Bethlehem
Adopt Films has acquired all US rights to Yuval Adler's debut Bethlehem, nominated last month for 12 Israeli Academy Awards (Ophir Awards).
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text:
Frequently Asked Questions about Lien Releases
Q. What is a lien?
A lien is a claim on property to ensure payment of a debt. For example, when you borrow money to purchase a car, the lender files a lien on the vehicle with the state. This insures that in the case of default on the loan, the lender can take the car back. When the debt is fully repaid, a release of the lien is provided by the lender. It is very important that the release of lien is filed. The lien is then removed from the records and a clear title issued, showing the owner's free and clear title to the vehicle.
Q. Why wasn't the lien released by the bank when I paid it off years ago?
Lien release documents are typically sent to borrowers when the loan pays off. The borrower should then file the lien release with the appropriate agency. If the release is not filed, the lien will appear on a future title search.
Q. What types of property can have liens?
All types of houses, land, buildings, cars, boats, aircraft, business equipment, or lif insurance policies.
Q. How long will it take to get my release?
Because of the large volume of release requests we get, it may take up to 30 business days to obtain a release of lien so you may want to plan accordingly. Providing us with proof that the loan paid off (cancelled checks, paid-in-full notes, etc.) will reduce our processing time and may expedite our handling of your request.
Q. Why do I have to provide so much information? Don't you already have the records?
Records are usually kept for only a short length of time after a loan pays off. The information we ask you to provide is easily obtainable and absolutely necessary for us to prepare the release you need.
Back to How to Obtain a Lien Release


text:
- Photo Details
- Caption: Sd1105 Family, Friends and Fans Attend Funeral For "Jam Master Jay (Aka) Jason Mizell" at Greater Allen Cathedral on St. Albans, Queens in New York City Photo By:andrea Renault/Globe Photos, Inc
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Jason Mizell,
Jam Master Jay,
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Archival Pictures - Globe Photos - 85855
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- Dimensions: 2977x1737 px
- Photographer: Globe-Photos
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text: Abby Faulkner [ Mayor Kleis Takes Latest Town Hall Meeting to the Streets [AUDIO] By Abby Faulkner October 5, 2012 A brisk night in St. Cloud, but that didn't stop Mayor Dave Kleis from hosting his inaugural street-side Town Hall Meeting. Read More|Comment Category: Audio, Events, Political, St. Cloud News Tags: downtown, mayor kleis, St. Cloud, townhall meeting Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


text:
LAKELINE -- Just before 6 p.m. May 26, Eastlake police were called to the intersection of Lakeshore Boulevard and Stevens Boulevard in Lakeline. Eastlake police handle Lakeline incidents.
They found a running car with the driver passed out behind the wheel that had struck a parked car.
A witness said he watched the vehicle driving down Stevens where it stopped behind a parked car for a moment as if it were waiting for on coming traffic to pass.
There were no other vehicles traveling on Stevens at that time, according to the witness.
The car then started to move at a slow speed, clipping the parked vehicle. Then it drove up onto the curb and came to a stop at Lakeshore.
Police say the woman behind the wheel, a Lakeline resident, 50, was taken to Lake West Hospital and later charged and released on an unsecured bond at the hospital for OVI, driving under suspension and full time and attention.
Police noted that she also had four warrants with four different departments.


text:
November 26, 2015
The future of the hit reality show "Duck Dynasty" is now in question.
The family that stars on the series is threatening to walk off the program, after one of its members, Phil Robertson was put on an indefinite hiatus after making anti-gay comments to a national magazine.
The Duck Dynasty family is standing by patriarch, Phil Robertson suggesting the show can't go on without him.
A&E suspended Robertson indefinitely after he told GQ magazine that gays are sinners, and compared homosexuality to bestiality.
The family released a statement saying "we have had a successful working relationship with A&E but as a family we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm. We are in discussions with A&E to see what that means for the future of Duck Dynasty."
Executives here at A&E in New York are also getting pressure from fans who are calling for a boycott of not only the show, but also the network until Robertson's return.
Robertson will appear in the upcoming season which begins January 14th. That's because nine of the ten episodes have already been shot.
A&E told CBS News it has no comment about the Robertson family's statement.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Gooey Goodness - Daring Bakers' Cinnamon Rolls And Sticky Buns
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Are you ready for Fall yet? Well, you might with these Cinnamon and Sticky Buns, courtesy of the Daring Bakers, September edition. If I were you I would trust the numerous other Daring Bakers out there (over 100 by now), tempting you with pictures of gooey goodness and telling you how wonderful and soft these are. If anything, trust me: I have made them 4 times since the recipe was announced by Marce from Pip In The City, our hostess this month. Each month takes on a different aspect as far as the challenges and recipes are concerned. Sometimes, it is the challenge of coordinating schedules, sometimes it is trying to be creative with presentation or design, this time it was just difficult to keep them around long enough to share, let alone take pictures!
Everything about this recipe from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker´s Apprentice made me want to make it again and again. Lisa got us started on a comical note as poor lady was suffering tremendously from her back and made the buns within the first week of September while high on painkillers. I expect her post to draw tears from my eyes, but her experience seriously made me crave sticky buns and cinnamon rolls. I made my first batch a couple of days later, in the evening, with the intention to photograph them in the morning and bring some to the neighbors before. When I got up, my husband was long gone…so was my tray of walnut sticky buns when they should have been awaiting their photo shoot! I thought that by no, he would now the rules of baking/blogging: don't take any, don't give any, don't hide any until it has been photographed…nope! I got a sweet note form one of his students a few days later "Thank you Mrs. Tartelette, the sticky buns were delicious and it was great to start the day like this…" Well, I wish I had been there too!!
Now, you understand my challenge this month…but it deter me to make them again and again. I froze the cinnamon buns and proceeded to make the buns, this time with cranberries and pistachios. Probably my favorite combo of nuts/berries and it worked really well taste wise and packed a punch of visual appeal when I served them to my parents for brunch a couple of weeks ago. I changed the filling to cardamom instead of cinnamon a few times and it was jsut out of this world. We all loved the buttery goodness, (well, that's a given with one pound of butter in the caramel part), the moistness of the dough and all the cinnamon flavor we tasted with every bite. I found that there was more than enough cinnamon sugar (used inside the rolls and buns) as well as powdered sugar glaze for the rolls. Turned out B. adds glaze as he eats away so if our mate is anything like mine, who knows?!!
Cinnamon and Sticky Buns (from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice)
Days to Make: One (1)Active/Resting/Baking Time: 15 minutes to mix, 3 1/2 hours fermentation/shaping/proofing, 20 - 40 minutes to bakeRecipe Quantity: Eight(1) - twelve (12) large rolls or twelve (12) - sixteen (16) small rollsMaking the Dough
6 1/2 tablespoons (3.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 tablespoons (2.75 ounces) shortening or unsalted butter or margarine
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon extract OR 1 teaspoon grated zest of 1 lemon
3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast*
1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature OR 3 tablespoons powdered milk (DMS) and 1 cup water
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (6 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar plus 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or any other spices you want to use, cardamom, ginger, allspice, etc.)
White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns or caramel glaze for sticky buns (at the end of the recipe.)
Walnuts, pecans, or other nuts (for sticky buns.)
Raisins or other dried fruit, such as dried cranberries or dried cherries (for sticky buns, optional.)
*Instant yeast contains about 25% more living cells per spoonful than active dry yeast, regardless of the brand. Instant yeast is also called rapid-rise or fast-rising.
Making the Dough: Cream together the sugar, salt, and shortening or butter on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a large metal spoon and mixing bowl and do it by hand).
Note: if you are using powdered milk, cream the milk with the sugar, and add the water with the flour and yeast.
Whip in the egg and lemon extract/zest until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes (or knead by hand for 12 to 15 minutes), or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. You may have to add a little flour or water while mixing to achieve this texture. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Fermentation: Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
Form the Buns: Mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top with flour to keep it from sticking to the pin. Roll it into a rectangle about 2/3 inch thick and 14 inches wide by 12 inches long for larger buns, or 18 inches wide by 9 inches long for smaller buns. Don´t roll out the dough too thin, or the finished buns will be tough and chewy rather than soft and plump. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough and roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon-sugar spiral as you roll. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8 to 12 pieces each about 1 3/4 inches thick for larger buns, or 12 to 16 pieces each 1 1/4 inch thick for smaller buns.)
Prepare the Buns for Proofing:
For cinnamon buns: line 1 or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately 1/2 inch apart so that they aren´t touching but are close to one another.
For sticky buns: coat the bottom of 1 or more baking dishes or baking pans with sides at least 1 1/2 inches high with a 1/4 inch layer of the caramel glaze. Sprinkle on the nuts and raisins (if you are using raisins or dried fruit.) You do not need a lot of nuts and raisins, only a sprinkling. Lay the pieces of dough on top of the caramel glaze, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag.
Proof the Buns: Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another and have nearly doubled in size. You may also retard the shaped buns in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.
Bake the Buns:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the oven rack in the middle shelf for cinnamon buns but on the lowest shelf for sticky buns.
Bake the cinnamon buns for 20 to 30 minutes or the sticky buns 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If you are baking sticky buns, remember that they are really upside down (regular cinnamon buns are baked right side up), so the heat has to penetrate through the pan and into the glaze to caramelize it. The tops will become the bottoms, so they may appear dark and done, but the real key is whether the underside is fully baked. It takes practice to know just when to pull the buns out of the oven.
Cool the buns:
For cinnamon buns, cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes and then streak white fondant glaze across the tops, while the buns are warm but not too hot. Remove the buns from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Wait for at least 20 minutes before serving.
For the sticky buns, cool the buns in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove them by flipping them over into another pan. Carefully scoop any run-off glaze back over the buns with a spatula. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving.
Toppings for the Buns:
White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns:
Cinnamon buns are usually topped with a thick white glaze called fondant. There are many ways to make fondant glaze, but here is a delicious and simple version, enlivened by the addition of citrus flavor, either lemon or orange. You can also substitute vanilla extract or rum extract, or simply make the glaze without any flavorings.
Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange extract and 6 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk slowly and only as much as is needed to make a thick, smooth paste.
When the buns have cooled but are still warm, streak the glaze over them by dipping the tines of a fork or a whisk into the glaze and waving the fork or whisk over the tops. Or, form the streaks by dipping your fingers in the glaze and letting it drip off as you wave them over the tops of the buns. (Remember to wear latex gloves.)
Caramel glaze for sticky buns
Caramel glaze is essentially some combination of sugar and fat, cooked until it caramelizes. The trick is catching it just when the sugar melts and lightly caramelizes to a golden amber. Then it will cool to a soft, creamy caramel. If you wait too long and the glaze turns dark brown, it will cool to a hard, crack-your-teeth consistency. Most sticky bun glazes contain other ingredients to influence flavor and texture, such as corn syrup to keep the sugar from crystallizing and flavor extracts or oils, such as vanilla or lemon. This version makes the best sticky bun glaze of any I´ve tried. It was developed by my wife, Susan, for Brother Juniper´s Cafe in Forestville, California.
NOTE: you can substitute the corn syrup for any neutral flavor syrup, like cane syrup or gold syrup.
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature.
2. Cream together for 2 minutes on high speed with the paddle attachment. Add 1/2 cup corn syrup and 1 teaspoon lemon, orange or vanilla extract. Continue to cream for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
3. Use as much of this as you need to cover the bottom of the pan with a 1/4-inch layer. Refrigerate and save any excess for future use; it will keep for months in a sealed container.
I might make another batch before this coming week is over! Thanks Marce for picking up such a recipe. Thanks Lisa and Ivonne, founders of the Daring Bakers, for managing this wonderful group with such gusto and taste. Check the blogroll to read more sticky goodness!
I was lucky enough to photograph the buns and rolls on pictures framed by my mom. See, her talent is that she is a framing artist. My dad paints watercolors and that's how she got started, she took classes to be able to display his work. After many years, the class became more of a group of friends, challenging themselves with new techniques. Last year I ordered a set of prints from a French artist, Anne-Soline, 3 fairies and 3 dancers, and she brought them over this trip, double bubble-wrapped. They made it one piece, which enabled me to play around with the layout of the pictures.
Lemon Almond Blueberry Tarts
Thursday, September 27, 2007
I decided to make my tarts for Hay Hay It's Donna Day, created by Barbara of Winos and Foodies and hosted this month by Sarina of TriniGourmet this past tuesday. My day was pretty skimpy on training appointments so I figured I would have ample time to make these and a couple of other pastries for orders. I started with the dough right before I left for work, inspired by one that did the rounds of the French bloggsophere last year. A sort of easy and fast mock puff pastry, which originaly calls for "petits suisses" as a moisture source but I'll say "hot dang!" (because I love them) the day I find those here, so I subbed sour cream and everything worked out fine. Once back home, the dough got a little resting time on the countertop before being tooled out. Smooth as a baby's bottom and soft as a pillow I almost wished our rolling time would have to come to an end in a pie plate…Have you ever kneaded a bread dough or other that was so nice to you, so pliable that you wish you could do it forever?...Ok, if it wasn't official before, now you can definitely see how weird I can be about my doughs!
Anyway, I disgress…I was about to fill my mini pie pans when I heard kids' voices in the garage. Our neighbors' twins were down there figuring a way to get in the middle if the action with B. You bet, for two 7 year-old boys, our garage is like a treasure cave of trouble to get into with tools galore, boating equipment, golf clubs, crab and shrimp nests, etc….They are so bubbly, it sounded like there were 6 kids playing around. My dear husband sent them upstairs to get some water and a treat and that's when chaos ensued…I love baking with children, I think their take on things is honest and down to earth. They are also very creative and bring good ideas to the table when it comes to ease of preparation and decorations. If you are calm enough to understand that within 10 minutes your kitchen is going to be splaterred with flour, sugar and your utensils flying in every directions, then you are going to have a serious good time!
One of the boys looked at the shells filled with the almond filling coming out of the oven and started to blow on them so they would cool faster and they'd be able to fill them with the blueberry compote. They even suggested holding them over the AC vent for quicker cool down time, not practical but smart for sure!
Once filled with the blueberry compore, the twins proceeded to help me out with dotting the tarts with lemon curd cream. I believe they were quite proud to get about one cup in the pastry bag and not on their shoes. The dots were another story... The three photographed tarts are actually the ok looking ones, the others much ressemble the surfaces of Mars and the Moon, and I even recall one tart attempted to smile. They ate 3 mini ones right then on the spot, too happy to show my husband their blue tongues! Within the nest couple of days, the tarts kept disappearing at great speed, so much so that I think I only ate one... not fair!
The recipe given by Sarina to illustrate this month "Tarts" theme starts with a puff pastry and I wanted to keep with this idea but was pressed for time visiting with the parents so I tried this quick puff pastry I mentioned above. The filling is my "go-to" frangipane (almond cream) filling that I used last month with fresh figs. The blueberry compote is nothing else than cooked down fresh picked blueberries (there is a patch 15 minutes down the road), and the lemon curd is leftover from the Meyer lemon curd I made for a Ricotta Cake and that I had in the freezer. All the parts can come together over several days, so there is no feeling of waiting or rushing if you spread the work over 2-3 days. You can also keep everything unbaked for 3-4 days.
While talking to Veronica a couple of weeks ago about the Meyer lemons Mary had sent us, I was talking to her about possible uses and tart options for HHDD. As it happens when most cooks and bakers talk together the conversation quickly moved from "lemon and blueberry tarts" to "Meyer lemon curd, blueberry compote on frangipane cream in mini shells"...I can see how a simple Sunday dinner could turn into a New Year's Eve Party. I exagerate of course, but you get the point. Thanks Veronica for the tasty brainstorming!
Lemon Almond Blueberry Tarts:
Quick Puff Pastry:
180 gr. flour
180 gr. sour cream
90gr. butter
pinch of salt
Process all the ingredients in a food processor until the dough comes together. Remove and knead a couple of times until smooth. Roll out and fold in three like a business letter. Repeat a couple of times and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Roll the dough and fit into pie shells of different sorts or one large 12 inch one. Blind bake for 10 minutes at 350F. Let cool.
Frangipane Cream:
1/3 cup whole almonds (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 teaspoons rum or brandy
Finely grind almonds with sugar in processor. Add egg, butter and 2 teaspoons rum. Process until batter forms. Pour filling into crust. Bake for 15 minutes at 350F. Let cool completely.
Blueberry Filling:
1 pint fresh blueberries
zest and juice from one lime
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
2 Tb. cornstarch
In a heavy saucepan, combine all the ingredients and heat over medium until the blueberries release their juices and the whole mix start to thicken, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Lemon Curd Cream:
grated zest of 2 (Meyer) lemons
1 cup strained lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tb powdered gelatin set to bloom in 3 Tb water
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
Combine the zest, sugar, juice in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs until light.Beat some of the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook stirring constantly until it thickens up, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the gelatin in the microwave until dissolved, about 30 seconds. Remove the curd from the heat, let cool completely. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
Spoon the blueberry filling into the tart or divide evenly among the mini ones. Pour the lemon curd cream into a pastry bags and dot the blueberry filling with it.
The combinations of all the flavors is truly outstanding. Just plenty to make it sweet and just enough of a little pucker with the lemon.
Quince Tartlets And One Happy Tartelette
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
I am telling you I am truly spoiled. Right before my parents got here with suitcases full of pans, molds, chocolates, nut pastes, extracts and other baking ingredients, I received a box filled with quinces, freshly picked by Elle from Feeding My Enthusiasms. Back in June, I had a sudden craving for quinces and for some reason stores here carry them year round, regardless of the season and for the whopping price of $1.99 a quince (price does not change either!)...Ouch!! I was nostalgic enough of my mother's quince jelly that I caved in and bought one little quince and tried to make the most out of it. A couple of days later, Elle sent me an e-mail telling me that she would be happy to send me some from her own backyard as soon as they were in season. I let a little "yippee" of joy and started to wish for September already! Kept busy by other baking project I kind of put the mighty quince out of my mind, although tempted to sneak one in my apple basket at the store...Yes, I admit I sometimes planned an escape route for my beloved fruit, free of being set on the back of the exotic fruit stand because no one knew what it was or what to do with it.
My mother makes the best jams...really hands down the best, and I am not saying that because she is my mom. Her method is at the complete opposite of all the recipes you read about lately, where the fruits may be marinated for a while but cooked rather briefly. My mom cooks her jams until it is almost caramel fruit. Hours of foaming and skimming, followed by days of the greatest scented house on the block. What does this have to do with Elle's quinces? Well, one of my earliest food memories is of my mom perched high over a big copper jam and jelly pot, stirring quinces for hours on end, filling long stockings with the mixture and letting those drip until the coveted jelly is ready to be canned. The lengthy process, the pervading aroma, and to see the final product....my mother was a magician, a goddess, an artist (she really is but that's for another post)...and I was so lucky that someone thought about using all of earth's bounty and share it with the rest of her acquaintances, much like Elle when she remembered to send me the quinces. I aim to be as generous in sending "thank you's" and "how are you's", and trust me if it seems to take me forever to do so it has everything to do with the state of my pocket book and nothing with the gratitude of my heart.
Back to quinces and the tartlets.... You can't expect to serve a dessert with quince in 30 minutes. First reason being that raw the fruit is really tough and sour, then you would be missing on the deep amber colour you get after cooking it down. The natural high pectin content allows the fruit purees, jams or jellies to set very well on their own, require very little from you other than stirring...and stirring.
I had already used two of the quinces to make baked quinces, much like "baked apples" filled with nuts and cranberries. I originally thought about an quince tarte Tatin (upside down tart) but was afraid that the caramel would burn before the quinces had the chance to cook through. Instead I looked at the 8 remaining and decided to make "compote" with 4 of them and dice and slice the last 4 and caramelize them on the stove. The crust is inspired from an olive oil dough recipe found on a French blog I read daily, Eggs and Mouillettes, to which I added a pinch of cardamom...because I put this spice anywhere I can since I love it so much!
I have so many mini, medium and big tart shells, homemade (it is amazing what I have B. do with leftover Lowe's materials, as well as cardboard and foil!) bought and borrowed that I took the liberty to play around with shapes and sizes of both the tartlets and the fruit.
Quince Tartlets With Olive Oil and Cardamom Crust:
Makes 6 3.5-inch tartlets plus 2 4-inch tarts
For the crust:
200 gr. all purpose flour
50 gr. ground almonds
10 cl. cold water
10 cl. olive oil
1/2 tsp. round cardamom
75 gr. sugar
In a food processor, mix all the ingredients together and pulse until the dough comes together. Take the dough out of the mixer and knead a couple of times, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out shapes for your molds as desired.
For the quince compote:
4 medium sized quinces
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
Peel, core and dice the quinces. Put them in a heavy saucepan with the sugar and the water. Cook, covered over low heat until the fruit becomes all mushy and almost red, about an hour. Add more water if needed and watch that the fruit does not attach to the bottom of the pot.
Let cool to room temperature. When cooled, divide the mixture evenly among the shells.
For the caramelized quince:
4 medium sized quinces, peeled and cored
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter
Cut 2 of the quinces in small dices and slice the remaining two very thin.
Heat the butter and the sugar in a large heavy saute pan until the mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down and add 2 quinces that have been diced. Cook until soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and divide them evenly among the shells of your choice.
Cook the remaining quince slices in the same fashion, adding a little sugar and butter if necessary. Remove with a slotted spoon, layer them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and let cool a couple of minutes before you handle the slices to make the rose pattern on the tartlets.
Starting from the outside, layer the slices overlapping the edges slightly, working your way to the the middle of the tartlets. Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes until the pastry shells are cooked through.
Serve warm.
Thank you Elle! I spend the afternoon with mom in the kitchen again, except that this time I was the one doing the cooking and stirring! Ah, to be a kid again!!
Meyer Lemon Cake Roll - Coming Full Circle
Saturday, September 22, 2007
I have to warn you guys that you may have to wait longer than a couple of days in between my post for the next month. My parents are visiting from France and staying until the middle of October. I already employed mom tonight to help me out in the kitchen while I could work on a couple of pastry projects and dad is in charge of hopping in the car in case we need something last minute from the grocery store. They have been here so many times before (14) that within a couple of days they had found their marks. Mom even exclaimed as soon as she got in the house "it's good to be home", which made me beam with joy, of course. I hope you will understand if I don't post too often, we have a few things planned (dad is a General after all), but a lot will be left to the weather and the temperatures (pretty hot and muggy right now).
Where am I going with this paragraph, those pictures and that title? Well, when I received Mary's box of Meyer lemons, I was on the phone with mom and I had to spend the next 10 minutes explaining her about that group of wonderful people I knew and how we sometimes exchange much more than comments on our blogs, as well as trying to describe to her a Meyer lemon as I was cutting one open. She made me promise to save her some cake "or something"...Well between B., the neighbors and me, there was no cake left within a couple of days but there was plenty of lemons for another batch of curd. Since my parents were visiting, I decided to make my dad one of his favorites, a jelly roll cake, but with Pierre Herme's signature lemon cream inside instead of jam or preserves. My paternal grandmother passed away when I was 4 so I never got the chance to share baking time in the kitchen with her (unlike my "mamie Paulette"), but I have always heard about her "strawberry jelly roll cake" and the way my dad closes his eyes when he reminisces about it is a pretty good indication it had to be something!
Mary's lemons went a long away in satisfying both my family both native and French.
Now let's really talk business: that Herme's lemon cream...boy oh boy! Since I last made it, it must be on regular supply at the house, and we think as highly of it as we do Nutella. We put it on everything, mix it with everything. Some people, and I was too at first, are concerned, afraid, surprised at the amount of butter that goes into it, but let me tell you that it is absolutely worth and the magic of pastry is that you forget about how much there actually is once you put that spoon to your mouth....you're hooked...you want more... This time around though I reduced the amount of butter as I was adding gelatin for a firmer hold inside the cake roll.
For the cake itself, I used another one of Herme's recipe, from a book my mom brought me this trip and that I am already devouring (no pun intended). Nothing fancy about it, it is a plain sponge cake but I added grapefruit zest and a dash of almond extract, as I love the two together.
Meyer Lemon Cake Roll:
Serves 12
For the Cake:
50 gr. butter
3 eggs, separated
100 gr. flour (I used White Lilly all purpose, which is naturally soft, but you could use all purpose or cake)
2 Tb grapefruit zest
1 tsp pure almond extract
100 gr. powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
In a microwave safe container, melt the butter. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, almond extract and the sugar until pale and thick. Add the grapefruit zest.
With an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold the whites and the flour, alternating, in the yolk/sugar mixture. Add the butter fold until incorporated.
Spread the batter onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes, invert onto another sheet of parchment paper. Let cool. Fill the cake with the lemon cream and roll. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
For the Meyer Lemon Cream:
1 cup sugar
zest of 3 Meyer lemons
4 eggs
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tb gelatin, softened in 3 Tbs water
1 stick butter, cut into 1 inch pieces, softened
Make a water bath by putting a saucepan of water over heat to simmer and placing a metal bowl over, without the bottom touching the water. Rub the sugar and lemon zest with your fingers and add to the metal bowl. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice.
Cook the mixture over the water bath, whisking constantly until the cream reaches 180 degrees. It can take up to 10 minutes. Once the cream reaches 180 (your whisk will leave ribbon tracks in the cream),remove the cream off the heat and put it into a blender, with the gelatin. Pulse a couple of times, until the gelatin dissolves. Let the cream cool to 140. Add in the butter and process until perfectly smooth. Pour into a container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Goat Cheese And Fig Cake with Fig Mascarpone Verrine
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
There is something about blogging that is quite exceptional. I don't mean all the wonderful friendships, mail exchanges, meetings, packages and other benefits of creating strong bonds over the internet. There is something in the air it seems, whether we get inspired by the same author, recipe or share our discoveries of the "in" food item of the moment. It has been happening to me lately, I come home from the market with a fruit, type of chocolate or a load of yeast and flour. I turn on the computer, check out my favorite blogs, discover new ones through comments left here and elsewhere and find delicious pictures that incorporate exactly what I just brought back in my basket. What has put this sort of cosmic/kismet feeling over the top recently is when I just pulled out something from the oven, set it out to cool on the countertop, read a few blogs, waiting impatiently before things cool enough for me to take a bite, and found that someone has just posted about it…and I made it without even knowing. When it comes to seasonal produce I can understand but a specific item….makes you wonder what water bloggers are drinking…(insert Twilight Zone music here).
Let me illustrate that thought. I was slowly working my way through a giant bag of figs when my favorite Cream Puff, Ivonne announced she was hosting Sugar High Friday "The Beautiful Fig"…Uh, it's not like she is my neighbor and she is trying to help me go through my loot, but in this case her post was received with both a sigh of relief , "Yes! Something I have, and plenty of it!" and excitement "Yes! I have another excuse to make something fancier than jam on toast!".
I knew exactly what I wanted to bake. From the day I got Richard Leach's book last year, I have been wanting to make every single dessert in it. Not only are the pictures exceptional, but the quality of his work is outstanding. I want to push it as to say that I equate him to my sugar daddy Pierre Herme: talented, innovative and funky. I have had my eye on one particular page in the book where one simple item, the Black Mission fig, becomes three impressive creations. Had I had the luxury of time last week, I know I would have tried to put my spin on them but I had to rely on my own creativity to capture the essence of the pages before me and come up with my own interpretation.
The goat cheese cake is so easy to make and so fragrant, I want to make it every single Sunday brunch. It would be fantastic with egg dishes such as omelettes and Benedict but also perfect served as is with a good drizzle of maple syrup. It has a nice crumb, made with both semolina and all purpose flours, and don't be tempted to skip on the orange zest in it, it really enhances the flavor. The figs on top are simply sliced and drizzled with a little bit of local wild flower honey. Instead of paring the cake with fig sorbet and a fig flan as suggested by Leach, I went for something that would enhance the fresh figs instead of pulverizing them (nothing against sorbet) or cooking them. They were perfectly ripe and very tasty so I just made a little mascarpone cream and pomegranate and cardamom syrup and layered them in a "verrine", and the spice instantly puts it in another dimension. A bite of cake, a bite of cream and we were in heaven. It may seem like a lot of work, but you can make things over several days as I did: the cake was made early in the week then cut and frozen, the pomegranate sauce keeps easily for a week and the verrine comes together in five minutes top. Eating it took even less time!
Goat Cheese and Fig Cake with Fig Mascarpone Verrine in Pomegranate Syrup:
For the Cake (serves 8)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tb baking powder
½ tsp. grated orange zest
½ tsp. salt
4 egg whites
½ cup milk
1 cup fresh goat cheese
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
6 to 8 Black Mission Figs, sliced
¼ cup honey (your choice)
Preheat oven to 300F.
Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, orange zest and salt. In a small bowl, combine the egg whites, goat cheese and milk. Whisk until smooth, then add to the dry ingredients. Whisk in the melted butter. Pour the batter into a buttered and flour 9x9 inch baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until firm and lightly golden. Allow to cool. With a 4 inch cookie cutter, cut out 8 rounds, cover with fresh fig slices. Drizzle with the honey.
For the Pomegranate Cardamom Syrup:
In a saucepan set over medium heat, bring 4 cups of pomegranate juice to a boil with 3 whole cardamom pods, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. It will thicken as it reduces.
For the Fig and Mascarpone Verrine:
6-8 Black Mission figs, diced
1-11/2 cups pomegranate syrup
8 oz mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
½ cup heavy cream, kept cold
¼ cup sugar
Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks with the sugar and fold it in the mascarpone cheese.
In a 8 glasses, layer the cream, fresh figs, syrup twice, finishing with the figs and syrup. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To serve: pour a small pool of remaining pomegranate syrup on a large plate, set the goat cheese cake on top and serve it with the verrine on the side.
Ivonne, are you seduced yet?...
Plum Meyer Lemon Jam Coffee Cake
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Not to worry, this cake is only a mouthful in its pronounciation as it is actually neither dense nor dry, even after a few days parked in your fridge. I made it on friday morning before work and we left for the weekend (and a bad sunburn made me turn as red as a Strawberry Mirror Cake)to enjoy some alone time before my parents get here. When we got back tonight and wanted something to snack on after dinner, I pulled it out of the refrigerator and it was just as good as the first day.
I have a bad weakness for coffee cake and I am always on the lookout for a good recipe. I see one I like just about everyday but when Belinda from What's Cooking in a Southern Kitchen posted this one, my tastebuds got excited again. I wanted to use one of the 9 jars of Plum-Meyer Lemon jam I had made after the Ricotta Cake instead and beside keeping the proportions of solid to liquid the same, I departed from the recipe and made it my own according to what I had in the fridge. Coffee cakes are like good friends: strong and familiar, present and comforting.
You could use any combination of jam or marmelade that you want, but Sunny my market man gave me five pounds of Italian plums for only four dollars the other day and they got fast chopped up for jam! Since I wanted to use my Meyer lemons to their full capacity I kept the rinds of the ones used in the lemon curd for the ricotta cake and infused the jam with them. The flavor of the plum is now out of this world! For the topping I added finely ground almonds to enhance the plum flavor in the middle of the cake. Where the recipe called for cream cheese I opted for mascarpone cheese. I also substituted buttermilk and sour cream for the milk as I had ran out of bakig powder and only used baking soda for the leavining agent which only works if used with a sour ingredient. Since I sometimes have a difficult time putting my best English forward, go read Veronica's post about it, she said ten times better than I would!
I followed a basic jam making method from Christine Ferber (our French June Taylor): put together in a large pot (I use a big Dutch oven) same weight of fruit to sugar, juice and zest of 4 lemons (I used the rinds of mine) and a vanilla bean. Bring to a summer, turn off the heat, cover the top with parchement paper and refrigerate overnight. The next day, take off the parchement paper, bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook for 5-10 minutes. Skim the top foam if necessary. Laddle in sterilized jar, cover with the lids. Submerge the cans in boiling water for 10-25 minutes, remove and let cool. If the top pops while they are cooling, you have canned them properly, if not, refrigerate and use within the week.
The only problem with the cake? I think I already ate too much of it to have enough left to share with my parents...Well darn, I'll have to make more...hehehe!
Plum Meyer Lemon Jam Coffee Cake:
Serves 12 (in theory)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup finely ground almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tablespoons butter
8 oz mascarpone, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
10 oz. plum lemon jam (or other)
Combine first 4 ingredients; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle in a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan; set aside.
Beat mascarpone cheese, butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and baking soda, add to the mascarpone cheese mixture alternately with the buttermilk and sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spoon half of batter into prepared pan, spoon jam over batter, being careful not to allow the jam to touch the sides of the pan, top with the remaining batter.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for about an hour or until cake tests done. Cool in pan on a wire rack for ten minutes; remove from pan, and cool on wire rack.
Ricotta Cake With Meyer Lemon Curd
Thursday, September 13, 2007
I realize it could sound cliche or a little simple but this cake should really be called "Friendship Cake". It would not have been made, eaten and shared without the giving spirit of great friend:
Over the summer, Mary wrote several posts and shared recipes with Meyer lemons, each more tempting than the next. What started on my part as an innocent "I wish I could find Meyer lemons here" became a tortured "Mary, please send me some, I'll pay for shipping!". Believe me, I searched everywhere in town for the coveted lemon and nothing...people would even give me the odd "why is it so important?". Well, if you have been reading this blog for a while you know by now how much I love anything and everything lemon, sour, tart, tangy and if bloggers on the west coast keep waxing poetic about the fragrant Meyer lemon, then I need to know what one tastes like.
Well, the postman rang the doorbell the other day handing B. a pretty heavy box and he exclaimed "It's for you! From California"....Oh gosh, did I make a Recchiuti purchase in my sleep? Did I sleep walk to the computer and ordered Banana Cream Pie from Tartine?...No peeps...even better: Mary had sent me a box full of Meyer lemons! My eyes grew bigger, my tastebuds all awaken by the fragrance coming out from under the newpaper padding. I am aware that we all make food discoveries throughout our life but when you are of age to really enjoy what is under your nose, the experience is quite intoxicating. I have never had a lemon that tasted like a sour clementine with a faint smell of cardamom before. I am sure others will find that funny, but yes, I smell that spice everytime I bring one of those lemons to my nose...and it makes me happy!
I received Mary's gift on friday and I have already put them to good use, not only with this cake, but in a batch of plum jam where I used the rinds to flavor the preserve, in sauces, ice creams and other cakes...just to give you a preview of things to come.
I was craving my beloved yogurt cake sunday afternoon but I wanted to try another recipe, something of the same substance but that would allow me to use the Meyer lemons as well as other ingredients. I was thinking ricotta instead of yogurt, and before following my usual recipe I decided to browse the web. Boy am I glad I did! I think I spent over an hour on both Sigrid's blogs, looking at her magnificient photography and pretending to speak Italian fluently (!) and stumbled upon a recipe for a lemon ricotta cake from the sardinia region of Italy. Bingo! Fate!Kismet! or whatever else you find appropriate. I did not change much but reduce the sugar a bit. I also baked the cake in a rectangular pan and cut it in 5 long pieces, cut these in 3 separate layers and layered them with a light lemon curd filling(no butter in the cake or the curd). Perfect for an afternoon tea. I have to say that this is one of the desserts that never made it to the neighbors: I cut and froze slices so I could savour my precious loot for special times. You know, when you feel like bringing a friend closer to you although they are miles away, like tonight.
Mary, thank you. I truly hope that one day our paths do cross, in the kitchen and around a homemade meal. Yes folks, I have a wonderful friend, and I have never met her.
Ricotta and Lemon Cake, adapted from here:
300 gr flour
200 gr sugar
300 gr. ricotta
3 eggs, separated
1 lemon , zest and juice
2 tsp. baking powder
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta and sugar. Add the egg yolks, the lemon juice and zest, then the flour and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff and getly incorporate them to the egg/flour batter.
Butter and flour a 13x9 inch baking pan and pour in the batter. Bake for 40 minutes or when a toothpick inserted in the middle come out clean. Let cool completely.
Divide the cake in three lenghtwise and 5 crosswise. (you may have leftover slices...just eat them plain or with a touch of jam). In a large loaf cake pan line with plastic wrap, layer slices of cake and Meyer lemon curd. Refrigerate. Slice and eat when you are ready!
Meyer Lemon Curd Filling:
grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons
1cup strained lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 packet gelatin, dissolved in 1/3 cup of water
Combine the zest, sugar, juice in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs until light.Beat some of the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook stirring constantly until it thickens up, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the gelatin in the microwave until dissolved, about 30 seconds. Remove the curd from the heat, stir in the gelatin and whisk until well incorporated. Let cool to room temp and use to fill the cake.
Strain and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.
Update: I realize I forgot to tell you what I used on top of the cake. I took about /2 cup to 3/4 of mascarpone and mixed in some honey and iced the top with this. I have done similar cakes with sour cream or cream cheese instead, worked as well.
Tartine's Banana Cream Pie...With Caramel and Chocolate
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
I am nowhere close to Tartine Bakery in San Francisco and yet I get to have their Banana Cream Pie for dessert! Actually, it would be like going to Paris for a patisserie from my sugar daddy at that point! Except....one very generous blogger and friend, fellow Daring Baker, emailed Lisa and me one day saying she had an extra copy of Tartine and Balthazar and if we could decide which one we wanted she'd be happy to give them a new home. If I recall my email back was something along the line "I woul love the Tartine one, of it is okay with Lisa"..."please, please, please Lisa...." secretly crossing my fingers, hands and toes! As you can see I received the coveted one! Thank you Veronica...(and Lis!) I am enjoying it a lot and so is everyone else in the neighborhood!
It took me a while to decide what to make first. Really, all their pies look gorgeous, the cakes and cookies sound all so mouth watering and the pastries would make anybody drool (be right back, I forgot to wipe page 149 !).
Anyway, I had my in-laws over for dinner a couple of days ago and decided to end dinner with a very Southern treat, banana cream pie. I admit I am not a big fan of banana pudding, or pudding textures in general, except for my beloved pastry cream, but I wanted to make something that would show them my appreciation for all the wonderful things they have one for B. and me over the past 10 years. I looked online, I called my neighbor C., thinking that this good Southern girl would have a recipe for it somewhere...except that I had forgotten that C. is the one calling me for desserts so no luck there. I was started to think I would have to change my plan or come up with a botched up version of it, aka French banana cream pie - sacrilege!Nah! Can't have that! I started daydreaming barely noticing I had my elbow propped up on Tartine. I looked down at the cover and saw the cutest pie...oh could it be?! Maybe they have a great non-pudding recipe for it! Sure they do, page 54: Banana Cream Pie, with caramel and chocolate...
Allright, so it's not the speediest of pies to make, especially of you make individual ones, but you will be rewarded by a table of well fed, content, and well sugared guests. Just listen to this: flaky pie crust, layer of chocolate ganache, layer of caramel, pastry cream, bananas and if that was not enough a dollop of whipped cream! No pudding! No fake banana flavor!
I did change a couple of things (sorry, can't help myself), that in my opinion only worked in its favor. Instead of the bakery's caramel sauce, I used my beloved salted butter caramel sauce, and skipped the extra whipped cream on top as the pastry cream makes it rich enough and I think it would have masked the banana flavor. From what I can tell no one missed it...you know you did something right when there is pure sweet silence at the table!
Banana Cream Pie, with caramel and chocolate, adapted from Tartine.
Serves 8-12 (10 inch tart)
Flaky Pie Crust:
1 tsp / 5ml salt
2/3 cup/ 150ml very cold water
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons / 455 gr. flour
1 cup plus 5 tablespoons / 300 gr. chilled butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
In a small bowl, dissolve salt in water and keep cold.
To make dough with a food processor: put flour in the work bowl, scatter butter over flour, and pulse until the mixture forms large crumbs, but some of the butter is the size of peas. Add salted water and pulse for several seconds, until the dough comes together as a ball, but is not completely smooth (you should see some butter chunks).
On a floured surface, divide dough into two balls, shape into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
To fill a 10 inch tart pan, roll out one disk on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick, rolling from the center toward the edge in all directions, lifting and rotating the dough a quarter turn every few strokes. Cut out a circle 1½ inches larger than the tart pan and carefully transfer dough round to the pan (folding in half, if necessary), easing it into the bottom and sides and pressing into place, and trim the edge with a knife.Line with parchment paper and pie weights or dry beans.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Bake until the surface looks dry with no opaque areas left, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and remove parchment and weights or beans and return shell to oven for another few minutes. If the center starts to rise, gently pierce with a knife tip. Let cool completely.
Ganache Layer:
1 cup/ 250 ml heavy cream
3 oz/85 gr. bitter sweet chocolate
Set the chocolate into a bowl. Heat the heavy cream to boiling point and pour over the chocolate. Let stand a couple of minutes an gently stir until fully incorporated and glossy. Cool to room temperature. Pour over the cooled pastry shell and refrigerate.
Salted Butter Caramel Sauce:
240 gr. sugar
80 ml water
115 gr salted butter
150 ml heavy whipping cream
In a heavy saucepan set over low heat, combine the sugar and water and heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter. Let it come to a boil and cook until it reaches a golden caramel color. Remove from the heat and add the cream ( it will splatter and get crazy, but do not fear and trust the recipe). Whisk to combine and put back on the stove. Let it come to a boil again over low heat and cook 10-15 minutes until you reach a nice creamy consistency. Let cool to room temperature.Pour over the cooled chocolate ganache and refrigerate.
Pastry Cream:
2 cups/ 500ml whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, cut open down the middle, seeded
1/4 tsp of salt
4 tablespoons of cornstarch
1/2 cup/ 110gr. sugar
2 large eggs
4 Tb/ 55 gr. butter, cut in small cubes
Heat the milk, vanilla seeds and salt in a pan and put over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and eggs until smooth. Slowly add 1/2 of the milk mixture into the egg and whisk constantly to temper them. Add the remaining milk and return the whole thing to the saucepan. Cook until you get a thick consistency, whisking non-stop. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl, let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth . Cover the surface with plastic wrap, directly touching the cream, let cool completely.
Layer the pastry cream on top of the chocolate and caramel. Cut 2 ripe bananas in medium-thick slices (you know, not a mouthfull but not disintegrating when you pick it up), and arrange them over the cream, lightly pressing down. Decorate with chocolate shavings and if you really need it, some whipped cream.
Ok...there is something else that makes me beam with joy beside the pie: I will be wearing the 3rd Brownie Babe apron very soon! Go check Myriam's blogs for some seriously delicious brownies recipes. Wow! Just wow! There are so many incredible recipes I want to try soon, it is a great honor to be chosen among all these fine bakers. Ya'll went all out! I have to thank Guillemette and Loukoum for this one, I stumbled onto the Marbled Ricotta Cheesecake Brownies one day by accident and decide that my friends on this side of the pond ought to have the recipe too!
Dark Chocolate Financiers
Sunday, September 09, 2007
I can hear you read the title "No Helen! Not another Financier recipe....please!" I know, I know, I have made them plenty of time myself, I have also seen them successfully baked and talked about on other blogs, so why would I subject my house to the wonderful aromas of dark chocolate and almonds on a sunday afternoon? To help a reader in search of a good recipe, that's why... About a month ago, I received an email from A. asking me if I had a good recipe, easy enough for her to reproduce for dark chocolate financiers she had sampled at a local bakery and especially for a version in which the chocolate was not overpowering, but just "in the right amount".
First, I felt very flattered that a reader would come out and ask for help (everyday somebody new comes out of lurkdom, and that is always appreciated). Then I thought I had the perfect excuse to bake and sample many variations of one of my favorite mini cakes as I don't lack financiers recipes. I could not tackle this project right away as I was entertaining a guest last month (and I have to admit, myself at the same time) and we had already decided on a few items to bake together. I decided that this past week was the perfect time to try different chocolate financiers recipe and finally nailing the one that had the perfect balance of chocolate to pastry. I know that everybody's taste vary greatly in that regard but I think I have achieved success and hope that A. likes the outcome as much as we did.
I found a great recipe in a magazine I brought back from home this past Christmas and it was already adapted from Master Chocolatier Jean Paul Hevin. With such a source I felt confident to be steered in a good direction. Financiers are so easy to make, only the name makes them seem fancy. Not having the classic rectangular molds to make them (but they are on their way...thanks mom!), I used mini rectangular tart molds. Really people, do not hesitate making a recipe just because you do not have the "appropriate" or "classical" pans....what is more important?....Taste! Right!
I also made a hapy discovery while baking and sampling various recipes. Financiers are traditionally made with ground almonds and somehow in the middle of all that baking frenzy, I ran out....well, I found out that ground graham crackers make a suitable substitute, (in the same quantity) when you are in that predicament.
both in taste and flavor....who would have thought?! Anyway, on with the recipe...
Dark Chocolate Financiers, adapted from Jean Paul Hevin:
Makes 12-16 depending on your molds
150 gr. semisweet chocolate chips (or chopped block)
150 gr. heavy cream
55 gr. powdered sugar
60 gr. butter (melted)
40 gr. flour
40 gr. ground almonds
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 egg whites
It is best to do everything by hand as you can control the folding of all the various ingredients better, and really it requires only a minimum of elbow grease.
In a heavy bottom saucepan, heat the cream to boiling point, pour over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Gently stir to melt the chocolate and cream together until smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, flour, ground almonds, baking powder.
In a small bowl, beat the egg whites for a minute, just to break them up. Add them to the flour mixture carefully, before they are completely incorporated, add the melted butter. Finally, fold in the chocolate/cream mixture and fold until smooth.
Divide the batter into the molds (preferably coated with cooking spray or buttered), and bake at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven.
Let cool 5 minutes before you unmold them.
Well, the only issue I have with this recipe is that it does not make enough!!! So, A. I hope you get to try them soon and tell me what you think.
Baked Doughnuts...Baked Goodness
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
I know, it seems very strange to put "baked" and "doughnuts" in the same sentence and then expect you to believe me when I say they were good...but they were! But why would I turn a completely good fried piece of Americana into a baked good? Well, for once I was curious to try another recipe after my first success last year. I also have the same reason as last year for trying baked doughnuts yet again. My parents are coming to visit for a while and they love waking up to the scent of nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon....and my dad can't resist the attraction of a good doughnut. However, they both have health issues that I have to take ito consideration when baking and cooking (heart and diabetes). Thus, the reason why I wanted to make a healthier version, and made this other version as a test run.
Looking online you will find dozens of recipes for baked doughnuts but how would you know if they are any good? Well, first you can always send me an email and I will force myslef to help you out and make a few batches, just to be on the safe side. On a more serious note, among all the interesting recipes I found online, I recognized two bloggers I had already followed in marbled chocolate cake goodness so I felt confident they would not stir me in a bad direction. One thing neither of us will tell you is that they "are exactly like doughnuts". The obvious reason being that they are not frying involved and like my predecessors I went for the cinnamon sugar topping instead of a powdered sugar glaze....sounded lighter. The resulting treats were not as soft and buttery to the mouth as the ones you get at Krispy Kreme for example but they make a good substitute when the craving hits. They are a tad chewier and more like soft pillows of dough but they were quickly devoured by our guests sunday morning, which is always a good sign.
Baked Doughnuts, adapted from this recipe:
1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees (divided)
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour
A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Place 1/3 cup of the warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and sugar and set aside for five minutes or so to let it proof. Stir the butter into the remaining cup of warm milk and add it to the yeast mixture. With a fork, stir in the eggs, flour, nutmeg, and salt - just until the flour is incorporated. With the dough hook attachment of your mixer beat the dough for a few minutes at medium speed. Adjust the dough texture by adding flour a few tablepsoons at a time or more milk. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and eventually become supple and smooth. Turn it out onto a floured counter-top, knead a few times (the dough should be barely sticky), and shape into a ball.
Transfer the dough to a buttered (or oiled) bowl, cover, put in a warm place, and let rise for an hour or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and roll it out 1/2-inch thick on your floured countertop. With a 2-3 inch cookie cutter, stamp out circles in the dough . Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. If you cut the inner holes out any earlier, they become distorted when you attempt to move them. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise for another 45 minutes.
Bake in a 375 degree oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes - start checking around 8. While the doughnuts are baking, place the butter in a medium bowl. Place the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for just a minute or two. Dip each one in the melted butter and a quick toss in the sugar bowl. Eat immediately if not sooner.
Makes 1 1/2 - 2 dozen medium doughnuts.
- as Heidi suggests, it is best to do them the day you plan on eating them and not too early.
- remove them from the oven before you think they are done, they will continue to bake a little.
- make sure the holes in the middle are cut out pretty big as the donuts contine to rise as they bake and tend to swallow them back.
- you can make your dough, roll and cut out the donuts the night before and let them do their second rising in the fridge, covered. Set them out on the countertop an hour before baking so the yeast can wake up again....and you by the same time.
P.S: Last month I woke up to an early Christmas present: a nice lady named Tammy Wood emailed me with a beautiful collage of my pictures as a banner/header for my blog. She took pity on my attempts at spiffying the blog and "just made it one night"....Turns out she had come here via a common acquaintance, Aimee from Under The High Chair. I was beaming, fidgeting, amazed at her generosity. She is a professional who took the time to help me out, just because....! I quickly put it up and after much internal debate on my part I asked her if it were possible to change the pics to some of my favorites, which she promptly did upon her return from vacation. So peeps, look up, the images are different....I like both but this one is my favorite. Thank you Tammy...It is with people like you that humanity still goes round.
Walnuts Honey Tartelettes
Saturday, September 01, 2007
I made these to satisfy a craving and to help a family member in need of satisfying hers. I know, it is difficult but I feel I should sacrifice my thighs to help family and friends....! When Sophie came to visit this past month, we tried to make her sample as many local delicacies as possible. We could not get okra and hot sauce to pass her lips but she acquired a taste for tortilla chips, chow-chow, Moose Tracks ice cream, and pecan pies...Yummmm! Of course, as godmother extraordinaire I promised her I would hunt for a recipe in French, using ingredients easily available for her and I would make a batch for the blog so she could get an idea of things to come. While my tree is not quite ready to give me the pecans I needed to come up with a substitute.
I was happy to provide her with a recipe and teach her how to make them but we were faced with a couple of problems. It would be difficult for her to find pecans and corn syrup in France to duplicate the recipe. I admit that I rarely use corn syrup when I make mine and I usually substitute maple syrup or honey without a problem. I don't really have anything against corn syrup, I just don't understand the concept of an odorless and tasteless syrup when I can use more flavorful ones. Don't raise your arms up in the air people and scream "food snob", it is just my opinion, my palate, my tastebuds! The extra boost of flavor after that first bite is really something! As far as the pecans, I told her not to worry if she could not find them easily back home and that walnuts made a great substitute. Since I made them a couple of days ago, I have tried them again with pine nuts, pistachios, cashews and I am happy to report that each nut bring an new dimension to the tartelettes (or tassies as they are often called).
Since I found this recipe on a French blog, La Petite Cuisine, written by the lovelie Elodie, I will provide the measurements in grams but feel free to convert using this site. Like her, I usually use a shortbread crust for nut pies. They are already quite rich so why not continue with the idea and make them even richer?!
For the tart shells: (not provided by Elodie, but this is my go-to recipe)
2 eggs
75g butter, melted
100g light brown sugar
100g honey
I know I liked them a lot...I ate a obscene number of the mini ones but in an attempt to be completely fair for Sophie, I had B. and the neighbors try some and they all approved of the honey/walnuts combo. So go ahead dear and have fun!
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6 Adorable and Fun Rugs for Your Kid's RoomLiz Stanley
One of my favorite rooms to decorate and design are kids' rooms. They allow me to be a little more creative and braver than I otherwise might be in other rooms of the house. I can use more colors, more patterns, and get a little wild. Basically I can let my freak flag fly!
These rugs from Zugs are perfect for flying that freak flag. They are so bright and colorful and just downright fun. There are so many rugs out there that are cute and fun but are lower quality and tend to wear out a lot faster than one would like. But Zugs' rugs are all handmade and super high quality so they are made to last.
I love the designs on the rugs and I am pretty positive your kids will too. Here are six of my favorite kids' rugs from Zugs to help add some fun to your kids' spaces!
Kids' Rugs 1 of 7
Click through to see more fun rugs!
Sunny 2 of 7
This guy just makes me smile. I love this rug because it would be great in a lot of kid spaces. The basic primary colors are so bright and fun! It's perfect for kids.
Get it here for $149.49 from Zugs.
Rain Cloud 3 of 7
The rain cloud is in the same range of cuteness as the sun. It's pretty easy to tie in a rainbow to the rest of your kid's room, don't you think? I love it, but the cloud kind of looks a little crazy. Am I right?
Get it here for $149.49 from Zugs.
Monster 4 of 7
Alright. This monster rug is perfect. Even a girl would love this purple guy! I love the black and white teeth and eye too. It's a great balance for the purple and pink.
Get it here for $149.49 from Zugs.
Rainbow 5 of 7
Try and tell me this rug wouldn't put a huge smile on your kid's face day after day. It would be impossible to have a bad day with this around!
Get it here for $149.49 from Zugs.
Ghost 6 of 7
Doesn't this look like one of the ghosts from Pacman? I love it! It kind of makes me want to make a cherry-shaped rug for him to float next to.
Get it here for $149.49 from Zugs.
Splat 7 of 7
This is apparently what monster poo looks like. And I have to admit, I like it! The fun shapes and the great colors are bound to help turn your little one's room into something awesome.
Get it here for $149.49 from Zugs.
Read more of my babble posts right here.
Find my daily ideas for stylish and crafty living at my blog Say Yes to Hoboken.
Other posts of mine you may have missed:
10 Fun Crafts To Make With The Kids This Winter
8 Eye-Catching Side Tables For Your Home


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On Wednesday, sitting in the shade of trees in the blazing heat on the lawn of the soon to be shuttered boarding house at 372 Pine St., the remaining tenants worried about where they will go after the deadline to shutter the property, set by the Fall River Licensing Board for midnight Friday, takes effect.
Peter Rodriques said, through an interpreter, that he has nowhere to move and anticipates he will be homeless. Rodriques stood on crutches after a fall down a staircase in the dilapidated building. He said the fall broke his leg, and he required surgery to put five screws in his leg.
"After Friday, where will I go?" he said in Spanish.
Last week, the tenants in the rooming house owned by David Colville watched as city inspectors combed through the three-story boarding house and found a plethora of health code violations.
Tenant Thomas Hankins said he's lived in Colville's Pine Street property for seven years, and showed his arm — riddled with welts he said were caused by bed bug bites.
"This place has been going downhill all the way," Hankins said.
Asked why he didn't leave and find another home, Hankins said he felt stuck.
"I get $300 a month from Social Security and I'm 57, nobody wants to hire a 57-year-old," said Hankins, adding he has nowhere to live after Friday.
According to a number of tenants, Colville has collected some of his tenants' debit cards, which are attached to accounts where their Social Security payments are transferred.
Brenda Davila, who lives at another one of Colville's properties at 301 Quequechan St., said Colville has her debit card and PIN number, and when rent is due, he takes money from her account to cover the rent and delivers whatever money is left.
"I've been asking for months for him to give back my card, and he won't give it to me," Davila said.
Rodriques said Colville also had his debit card and PIN number and complained he paid rent of $435 for the month of July and hasn't gotten the money back from Colville due to the eviction.
Several tenants claim they have seen stacks of debit cards wrapped in a rubber band on the dashboard of his truck.
Ramon Medina, who is married to Davila and lives in the Pine Street apartment, had just gotten off the telephone with Colville who, he said, told him a worker would be arriving in 10 minutes to reimburse Medina's July rent payment. A half-hour later, nobody had arrived with Medina's money.
Mayor Will Flanagan said he's heard the rumors of Colville's questionable management practices, and while the city has no jurisdiction, he said he and his staff have discussed approaching outside agencies to look into the allegations.
Page 2 of 2 - Regarding the remaining tenants, Flanagan said Michael Dion, the executive director of the Community Development Agency, continues to work with residents to help find alternative housing.
Email Jo C. Goode at email@example.com.
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I have the same problem to, almost all voice prompts break up and the map flashes between day and night skin.
Hi..I have a problem with centrafuse XLE , the voice guides of navigation goes in jerks, i thought was a problem of processor too much small for the CF, but trying it on the house PC they give the same problem...
how I can resolve?
I have the same problem to, almost all voice prompts break up and the map flashes between day and night skin.
Life moves fast, so don't get left behind, buy a fast car!
i only get that problem when the other half is messsing with the setting when im driving.
normaly the voice prompt comes on then she might click a button and the voice cracks for a sec. i use i 1GHz laptop with 512 ram,
never had any trouble with the day/night skin though.
try a fresh install and remember to uninstall the previous install and delete the directory (but save stuff like favourites, etc..)
I have the voice jerkiness as well. Mine also affects my music playback, makes it skip about every 10 secs or so, even when voice prompts are not happening.
I have a 1.3ghz and 1gb ram. Did the priority method mentioned in another thread, still no go...
I have not had it stutter yet on my VIA M12000 in my car...
I have heard it stutter a little on an M1000 if a DVD is playing, or OBDII is connecting and reading sensor data, but with nothing major going on not really...
What is the music file format playing?
CENTRAFUSE http://www.centrafuse.com
01 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4x4 Installed
M10000/512Mb/20GB, Lilliput 7", Holux GM-210
mine it jumps already without music in play, with the cd inserted gets worse...
I have ear there are some procedures in order to improve, you know which are?


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Warlow explains how his sex powers will change True Blood
We got three of our favorite cast members from True Blood to spill the v-juice about what's happening on the last few episodes of this season. Plus watch the actor who plays Warlow making funny noises, defending Sookie's honor and being generally adorable in answering our Fairy Vampire sex questions. »


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November 27, 2015
The Doppler Radar on top of the Texas A&M's Oceanography and Meteorology Building has a new look to it after months of improvements, including a new paint job and improvements to the electronics inside the dish.
The upgrades enable A&M to assist the weather service with monitoring atmospheric conditions and also gives students a continuing tool in their studies of weather.
"To have a radar as a part of a school of meteorology is very important and to have the hands on for the students is really an irreplaceable experience," said Don Conlee, PhD., an Instructional Associate Professor for the Texas A&M Department of Atmospheric Sciences.
The repainting process alone took more than two months.
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IN PICTURES: Qeerroo in London Celebrates Olympics Victory of Oromiyaan Olympians
Aug 13 (Gadaa.com) On the conclusion of the 2012 London Olympics on August 12, the Qeerroo in London held a ceremony to celebrate the phenomenal achievements of Oromo Olympians. The ceremony was held in conjuction with the Men's Marathon event. Though Oromiyaa is a stateless country in the Horn of Africa – struggling for the right to self-determination and independence, Oromo Olympians have graced the Olympic Games over the years. From winning the first Olympic medal for black Africa (Abebe Bikila in Rome in 1960) to winning the first Olympic medal for Bahrain (Maryam Yusuf Jamal in London in 2012), Oromo Olympians have made history in long-distance athletics at the Games. With the realization of Oromiyaa's independence, Oromo Olympians will continue to grace Oromiyaa at the Olympic Games.
–More pictures at Gadaa.com


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Hi I found your script and was wanting to clarify an installation thing
I followed all your directions in the readme and then when it came to this part
Place the links from one of the flag files somewhere on your web page
what is the link and what am I linking to, where is the flags files?
Also in the lang folder should there be anything else other than a .htaccess file like some othere languages.
I have the latest download you posted on your site as well.
Thanks in advance.