In these crucial days of expecting baby I don’t always have time to blog but Gabe and I both have been trying to update our Twitter. If you are interested in following along with our labor/delivery check out my Twitter (or Gabe’s as he might be updating as I am laboring). You can see the latest updates on the left side of this blog or check out my Twitter homepage by clicking on the updates.

Thanks for caring! We appreciate all your thoughts and well wishes.

Husband and Sherry Thanksgiving 2005

My pity party morning began with a super yummy, gooey cinnamon roll. I washed that down with orange juice and donuts. Next on the menu I am planning on indulging in a super juicy, laden-ed with-special sauce- cheese burger, crinkle fries and possibly a milkshake.

Why all the festivities you ask? Well, I should be in sunny L.A. right now with my husband enjoying the very momentous occasion of Sherry Yard’s wedding but instead he is there photographing the event while I eat, nap and wonder if every ache and pain I feel is the contraction that will send me to the hospital to deliver baby #2.

So, as happy as I am that Gabe gets to enjoy watching Sherry get married and all the hoopla and wonderment that goes with that I still can stay back in rainy Washington and wallow for a little bit. But I will say that pity is a lot easier to swallow when it’s surrounded with sugar, cheese and anything in the ice cream family.

With all sincerity I wish Sherry and Edward the best of luck today and I could not be happier for the both of them. I am so thrilled that they have found each other and I just know that he is going to make her life all the more sweet! I love you Sherry!!

The almost finished garden project. You can see a few barely blooming starts on the lower right hand side. I managed to plant most of the rest of the garden on a rare sunny day a couple of days ago… after the snow had passed… finally!!

Two of our three chickens. We used to have four but sadly we lost one. Life on the farm is rough.

Still waiting to see if we have any roosters. I’m sure our neighbors will let us know as soon as they hear the early morning wake-up call.

A very preggo belly and chocolate cream pie complete with birthday candles and mini marshmallows.

“Pick-your-nose” birthday cups. I don’t think there is much more I can say.

I am!! I am counting the days.
Pregnancy is truly an amazing experience. The body knows exactly what to do and how to care for the precious baby inside a woman’s belly. The process is so perfectly designed that near the end a pregnant woman is so sick of being pregnant that they actually look forward to labor, which in and of itself is not the most pleasant experience, to say the least. I am at the end.

I think the best way to describe exactly what it is that I am feeling is by imagining a roller coaster. My hormones are taking me for a wild ride that is causing such inflections in emotions that my husband finds himself continually confused as to what it is that I am actually feeling or wanting.
One minute I am complaining about all my aches, pains and about that fact that I feel like a cow and how quickly people are to point out that I am truly quite large. (Yes I can still fit in a car and yes I am sure there is only one baby and no I can’t and have not tried stacking items on my belly).

I come home crying from the doctor’s office because there isn’t as much progress as I was hoping and yet when I really stop and think about the fact that in three (plus or minus) weeks there will be a newborn living in our home I panic. I have had over 9 months, 37 weeks or 260 days to have this fact feel like a reality and the faster it approaches the more nervous and frightened I get.
One moment I would give anything to have this baby outside of me and the very next I am so completely freaked out about having two children that I just hope that baby number two decides to stay in his dark, warm and cozy womb for a couple more months until I figure out logistically how to raise two children.

When both children are screaming who do I deal with first? While nursing baby number 2 (a.k.a. Roman) and number 1 (a.k.a. Baron) is being disobedient how do I discipline while continuing to feed Roman so he won’t start panicking? How do I get both children out of the car gracefully and while avoiding having Baron run into the street? Do two kids fit in one grocery cart or will I be the crazy lady trying to push two carts through the store?
That is the roller coaster of my emotions. I hope you enjoyed the ride.

While one is dealing with such emotional chaos I have found that Chocolate Cream Pie really helps ease the mind. Flaky and buttery pie crust + dark and intense chocolate pudding + unsweetened whipped cream piled high = a heavenly combination that enables the mind to become settled while the taste buds are entertained and awakened.
Now normally I do not recommend the habit of emotional eating but in such extreme circumstances such as the end of pregnancy all rules are thrown out the window and the pregnant woman is allowed whatever her heart (belly) desires.

Recipe for my favorite flaky and tender pie crust

Bake shell completely and with pie weights (if available). 350* about 20-25 minutes

Chocolate Pudding Filling

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

3 cups whole milk

5 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) chopped fine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon excellent quality coffee beans

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, cocoa powder and yolks in a 3-quart heavy saucepan until combined well, then add milk in a stream, whisking. Add coffee beans to liquid to steep. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking, 1 minute (filling will be thick).

Whisk in chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Force filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover surface of filling plastic wrap and cool completely, about 2 hours.

When both pudding and pie crust are completely cool fill pie shell with pudding. Cover pudding with a generous layer of unsweetened whipped cream. Top pie with dark chocolate shavings, mini marshmallows, chocolate cookie crumbs, m&m’s, fresh berries or anything else you desire.

Note: I really am open and looking for suggestions as to how to live out daily life while having two children. If anyone has some brilliant tips and hints please share. I would be so grateful!

First of all an update is in order. In my last post I talked about the nesting phase of pregnancy that I am now in. I told you about knowing where to draw the line in reference to my cabinets. Well dear readers, I am here to confess that this passed week I crossed that line. With the help of a kind friend and a crow bar I waddled up unto our counters and demolished our kitchen cabinets. Currently our kitchen wall is covered in a history of wall coverings and colors ranging from peach to blood red to a delightful wallpaper print that is reminiscent of the 60’s. My hope is that I can cover the formerly cabinet covered walls with Spackle in a texture that is similar to frosting on a cake. Which is both visually attractive (not to mention yummy looking) and will also help to cover up the multitude of oddities that are now adorning the walls.
My husband now for sure thinks that I am crazy – but can you blame him?

As for the garden, well I was finally able to start planting my seedlings as we layered the garden with peat moss and topsoil. I hope that that amendment to the soil will be enough to provide us with fresh and abundant produce this summer. I will post photos soon.
On another subject I am so honored to have been able to review a wonderful new baking book, The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy who is the chef and owner of Sweet Melissa Patisserie in New York City.
Melissa opened this acclaimed bakery ten years ago after gaining her experience at the French Culinary Institute and then working with some of the best in the industry. Her gorgeous and delicious pastries have been featured in numerous publications and she recently participated in a Food Network Challenge where she managed to win the grand prize for her beautiful “Edible Ornaments”.
I recently had the opportunity to ask Melissa a few questions about her career and her new book, The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. Thanks again to Melissa for being so open and willing to share with all of us. Her passion for pastry is evident in her enthusiasm and her incredibly tasty recipes.

Your book focuses primarily on classic “home-y” desserts and pastries done exceptionally well. What were some of your favorite homemade sweet treats that you remember from your childhood?
Well, my mom is a great baker, and she used to bake all kinds of homey treats for us as kids. The book is loaded with stories of my childhood and the baking that she and I did together. I loved writing the story about the Strawberry Shortcakes. Picking the berries from the patch and then running them home to make shortcakes is one of my first memories of “farm to table”. That experience has greatly influenced my style and baking approach.

Who was your baking inspiration when you were growing up? Who inspires you now?
My mom taught me to roll pie dough before I could recite the alphabet! She and I spent a lot of time baking together, because my older brothers would refuse to play with me, which would immediately put me in tears. To cheer me up, she’d whip out her Fanny Farmer, and we’d pick out something yummy to bake.
My family, my customers, and the seasons inspire me now. I know I can make anything lemon for my mom, and she’ll love it. My sister loves, loves, loves peaches. My customers always have special requests, and I love rising to the challenge of making them their favorite dessert, better than they’ve had it before. I get very excited with the changing of the seasons, and the different fruits that become available.

What are some of your favorite culinary books/references that you turn to for inspiration?
I am drawn to classic bakers with a style similar to mine. I love Dori Greenspan, Maida Heater, and Emily Luchetti. I think Martha Stewart is amazing, and I love her style as well. I still turn to Fanny Farmer and Marion Cunningham when I need an answer I can trust.

What dessert that you have created have you been most proud of?
I am very proud of my Butterscotch Pudding, because it really took a while to get it just right. It was part of a dessert menu that I was producing for a restaurant I loved and worked for long ago. When the restaurant was reviewed by Gael Greene of New York Magazine, I was very nervous while reading it as it was my first real review. She was tough on the restaurant, but then at the end, when it came time for the dessert critique, she said
“…only a masochist could pass up Melissa Murphy’s desserts. Prepare for cosmic conflict. If you choose Murphy’s marvelous butterscotch pudding, then you have to pass up that memorable cobbler or the hot fudge and peanut brittle sundae (unless you can induce your companions to share). Someone had better order the chocolate mud cake with bourbon hot fudge, too. And if you’d call ginger ice cream and a gingersnap in your root beer float sacrilegious, think again.” NYM 4/28/97.
I still make all of those desserts in my shop, and they are in my cookbook, The Sweet Melissa Baking Book, (which you can buy through my website, www.sweetmelissapatisserie.com ). That was one of the best days of my career, and I am very proud of that menu.

What one ingredient could you never live without?
Valrhona Cocoa Powder, it is the difference between good and unbelievable.
You have a very successful bakery and now a beautiful baking book, what is next for you? More books? Television? More Food Network Challenges?
I am currently renovating and expanding my original Court Street store. Thank goodness, because it is soo tiny! In the additional space, I am building a dessert and ice cream fountain, and I am going to make my own ice cream! I am so excited to do my Butterscotch Banana Sundaes with Salted Almonds, and Hot Fudge Peanut Brittle Sundaes for my customers. So at this moment I am focusing on that.
I am filming more podcastgo! baking videos (www.podcastgo.com) , in preparation for doing my own baking show. I really want to do a show, in the style of Barefoot Contessa, that revolves around all things baking and desserts. And yes- I would love to do another baking book!

Sounds like she is a very busy baker! I wish her the best of luck and I am so excited to see what comes of the potential show and new book. But first things first… let’s start with her first book.
I was intstantly drawn to Melissa’s baking style. She combines classic recipes that have an elegant touch. Her primary focus is on taste but also puts great care into making her desserts a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.
Of course after talking to Melissa I immediately set out to make the Butterscotch Pudding. The texture that comes from the careful process of gently baking these puddings is out of this world. They are so incredibly creamy without being overly “eggy”. There is nothing is worse than an “eggy” custard. The kind that has a slight rubbery mouth feel when you bite into it – you know what I am talking about? Well, rest assured that these puddings are pure silk. I have been on quite the Butterscotch kick lately and these satisfied that taste. They are sweet with a complexity that comes from the dark brown sugar. These little puddings can easily be given a caramelized sugar crust and converted into a Butterscotch Brulee.
Melissa’s Butterscotch Pudding
6 large egg yolks
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
1 tsp fine table salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Before you start:
Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 300*F. Place six 6-ounce ramekins in a 9×13 roasting pan.
1. In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks until smooth.
2. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the brown sugar, milk, and heavy cream and heat to scalding, or until the milk is steaming and tiny bubbles have formed along the edges. Do not boil. Stir frequently to dissolve the brown sugar. Remove from the heat.
3. While the cream mixture is heating, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stir together the granulated sugar and water. Increase the heat to high and boil the sugar. When the sugar starts to sputter, use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash down the sides of the pan. As soon as the sugar turns amber in color (like clover honey), remove from the heat and slowly and carefully pour in the hot cream while stirring to stop the cooking. (The caramel will bubble as you add the cream, so use a long wooden spoon or whisk to stir them.)
4. In a slow, steady stream, slowly and gently whisk the hot caramel mixture into the egg yolks. Stir in the salt and vanilla.
Strain the mixture into a clean pitcher and skim off any air bubbles with a spoon.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins. Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until just set. Begin checking after 45 minutes. When gently shaken, a pudding should no longer look liquidy; it will move as one mass (albeit somewhat jiggly) and register 150* - 155*F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove to a wire rack to cool to room temperature in the water bath.
6. Remove the ramekins from the pan. Refrigerate for several hours until chilled. Serve. For longer storage, one chilled, wrap each individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Serve chilled with freshly whipped cream. The puddings keep covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

The other recipe that I had to try was her scones. I like to think of myself as a scone connoisseur. So often I find scones to be too tough, too cakey, too sweet, too chewy, too “baking powdery” and just plain “blah”. Because of this quest for the perfect scone I pride myself on being a very good scone baker.
My ideal scone is more tender than Elvis singing his classic love ballad on the subject. They have a light crisp exterior, which lends itself to a slightly sweet and creamy interior. There is no off taste from the amount of baking powder that is added to these pastries and the additions are simple and perfectly distributed throughout.
Melissa’s recipe has the addition of oat flour, which you can purchase or make yourself by simply processing or grinding oats. This gave her scones a slightly nutty texture and a hearty taste. They were also very tender with a slight cakey texture. I, the self-proclaimed scone connoisseur, was quite pleased the end result.

Melissa’s Orange Scented Scones
8 tbl cold unsalted butter
½ cup oat flour or 2/3 cup whole oats (to be ground)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tbl sugar
2 tsp freshly grated orange zest
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
For the glaze:
2 tbl heavy cream
1 tbl sugar
Before you start:
Place a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350*. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
To make the scones:
1. Cut the cold butter into ½ inch pieces. Keep refrigerated.
2. If using the oat flour, place the flour in the bowl of a food processor. If using whole oats, place the oats in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to course flour. Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and zest, and pulse to combine. Add the chilled butter pieces and pulse until the size of medium peas. (At this point, the mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.)
3. In a medium blow, whisk together the heavy cream and egg until smooth. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture to combine; the dough should hold together. Don’t overmix.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a flattened round disk measuring 7 inches across. Using a sharp knife, cut the disk (pie style) into 6 even triangles. Place at least 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
5. For the glaze: Brush the scones with the heavy cream and sprinkle with the sugar.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack to cook.
Melissa says, for the additions, if you want fresh fruit fold 1 cup into the flour mixture. (Decrease the cream if the fruit is very juicy). For dried fruit add ½ cup to the cream mixture then proceed as directed.

The Sweet Melissa Baking Book is a wonderful addition to any baker’s library. It contains numerous classic recipes done impeccably well and some with a slight twist from the classic. The book highlights breakfast pastries, cookies, special occasion cakes, desserts using seasonal produce, specialty desserts (puddings, cheesecakes, etc.) and favorite gifts.
My only complaint about this book, and I may be biased, but I was a bit disappointed with the photos. I am a very visual person and usually devour the photos just as much as the recipes themselves. I would have loved to see more photos. I love to compare the final product of my baked good and compare that to an image so I can see if I followed the recipe correctly. For example, when I made the Butterscotch pudding I thought the color was slightly light but I followed the recipe to the “T”. If there had been an image of Melissa’s finished pudding then I would have been able to see if I should have caramelized the sugar a bit longer or if indeed this was the intended final result. This is a minor critique but I wanted to give an honest review and honestly this is the only critique I have of this new book.
A special thanks goes to Melissa for giving me the opportunity to review her wonderful new book and for allowing me to interview her.

There is something phenomenal that happens near the end of a pregnancy. Some call it nesting, my husband probably calls it “Ashley’s - crazy - hormonally - charged - let’s - get everything - done - RIGHT - NOW - time”

It truly is a remarkable thing. I feel as if I have no energy, let alone the fact that bending down below my waist is nearly impossible at this point. But when I get an idea in my head about what needs to happen and what I want done it has to be done NOW! Somehow a surge of energy comes over me and I am able to complete the task, with the amazing help of my husband of course.

For example… today alone I decided that 1. Our bedroom needed to be rearranged. So I suggested to my husband that we rotate the bed. He agreed with that idea but was quite surprised when I actually began to angle the bed. “You mean right now?” he says to me. “Yeah.” I say, seeing no problem with this. 2. I decided that I wanted a ‘pop’ of color in our breakfast nook. Out to the shed I go to choose a paint color from our limited but delightful selection. I grab a paint brush and begin the task.

Currently I am really resisting the urge to take a sledge hammer to our cabinets. I guess you have to draw the line somewhere but I have to be honest and say that I have come really close to crossing that line. Gabe is going to be off shooting for a few days - who knows what he is going to come home to.
The biggest example of this time of nesting is our yard. We have many wonderful projects happening, as you have seen in the photos from my last post. Each day we move closer and closer to being able to put seeds and seedlings into the earth. Today Baron and I sat on my beautifully crafted planter box which has a ledge all around the perimeter so that in the summertime, when our harvest is plentiful, we can sit and enjoy Sugar Snap Peas, Cherry Tomatoes and Purple Carrots right from the dirt. Does life get any better than that? I explained to Baron today that we will be able to pick the tomatoes off the vine and go inside to make a tomato tart with a peppery Arugula salad. He humors me and says “Okay!” in his I’m - excited - because - your - excited voice. He’ll understand soon enough and realize that momma isn’t as crazy as she sounds.

As crazy as I know that I am right now I do really value this time. It’s a time of great anticipation that coincides with an overwhelming sense of urgency. A lot gets accomplished during this period as I believe my pregnant body realizes that very soon  my time will be devoted to the care of a new life. We pregnant women naturally scurry around trying to complete unfinished tasks and tie up loose strings so that we can completely devote ourselves to the well-being of our babies. It truly is a beautiful phenomenon.

I am fortunate also that in both of my pregnancies this time of nesting has conveniently coincided with the season of Spring. Which in and of itself brings about feelings of anticipation, joy and the start of fresh produce. I naturally begin to crave foods that are just emerging from the earth during this time of year. Lately my body has been screaming for Rhubarb. I have always loved this unusual vegetable. The balance that is created with the tart and sweet flavors make me earn for Spring every year. As I child I would love to bite into a piece of tart Rhubarb pie that alone would make my mouth pucker but was always so nicely contrasted with either a scoop of perfectly sweet vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
My craving for Rhubarb was happily satisfied as I attended a class on Eggs taught by Molly of Orangette and her charming and very talented husband, Brandon. Molly created a delightful dessert that consisted of a very sweet Pavlova, which is a meringue based dessert that is crisp on the outside and slightly chewy and marshmallow-esque on the inside. Along side the Pavlova she served a Rhubarb compote and unsweetened whipped cream. It was pure heaven.

Even after that Rhubarb encounter I still want more. So I have now for you all a Rhubarb Shortcake recipe with the most buttery and tender shortcakes you have ever had. Serve with a very generous dollop of unsweetened whipped cream and you have an incredible dessert (or breakfast )

Shortcakes
adapted from Desserts by the Yard

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 ounces (1 stick) ice cold butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 large egg

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together to aerate and remove clumps. Add the very cold butter pieces to the flour. With your most useful kitchen tools, your hands, work the butter into the flour. You want the pieces to remain quite large. Break up the butter slightly then flatten with your fingers. The butter should resemble fat Nickels in the flour mixture.

In a small bowl combine egg, vanilla and heavy cream. Pour into dry ingredients. Mix until dough just comes together - in fact it won’t completely come together. It will still be slightly crumbly at some parts and sticky in others.

Remove the dough from the bowl and proceed as you would with puff pastry. With your palms flatten the dough into a 6×8 rectangle. Dust your surface with flour if the dough is sticking. Fold the dough as you would a business letter. If you feel any sticky areas on the dough give it a light dusting of flour. Turn the dough 90* and repeat the process. Collect any dough bits that may have escaped. Repeat one more time for a total of three folds. Return the dough to the original 6×8 rectangle and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze the dough for 30 minutes or stick in the refrigerator for 2 hours. The dough at this point can be refrigerated for one day or frozen for one week.

Pre-heat your oven to 400*. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

You can cut the dough into any shape you wish. Circles, squares, diamonds, triangles… anything! Brush your fancy dough shapes with more heavy cream and sprinkle Turbinado sugar on top. Bake for 15 minutes - turn your baking sheet at this point if your oven bakes unevenly. Bake for another 5-8 minutes or until they are beautifully golden brown.

Rhubarb Compote

juice and zest from one large orange

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed

1/2 cup organic sugar

2 cups rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup water

2 cups quartered strawberries (if in season)

1/4 teaspoon Rose Water (optional)

Combine first five ingredients. Cook until rhubarb is tender and desired consistency has been reached. I like to really cook it until rhubarb has fallen apart and the juices are nice and syrupy. You may have to add more water. If strawberries are in season fold them in at this point. You want the berries to remain in tact. Add the rose water here too.

Serve the warm shortcakes with warm compote and lightly whipped unsweetened cream or cream fraiche.

Here are a few pictures to show our progress. Hopefully very soon our pictures will show quite a bit more progress!

Our friend Garrett, the tree pruner, trying to bring some life back to this old apple tree.

The future garden spot.

The chicks.

The garden almost ready to be planted.

My little budding farmer putting on his froggy boots.

By the end of this week we hope to have the garden ready for planting and we will then work on fencing the yard and garden in.

It’s a lot of work but I keep on envisioning those lovely Summer nights, gazing out upon my garden to decide what’s for dinner.

It feels rather Spring-like around our house these days and I am loving it. I think I have come down with a severe case of “nesting” because I seem to have given a sudden boost in motivation to get things done in and around the house. It has been rather exciting and productive but I can not seem to rest until we get more and more accomplished and at the stage I am at in pregnancy much rest is required.

As I sit and write this post I hear four little chicks chirping and pecking in their little box home. A light keeps them cozy and warm as they are still quite tiny and vulnerable. Each day (actually a few times throughout the day) I peer in their home to see the progress of their feather growth. Gabe was gone a few days doing a shoot in Portland and came home surprised to see how much they have changed. I will post some photos soon (my photographer has been quite busy).

In our breakfast nook I have created a small greenhouse where I am starting a number of seeds to be added to my soon-to-be complete vegetable garden. For my birthday Gabe is making me a very spacious vegetable bed. Inside the garden will be a gravel path and a raised bed in the center with seating around it so when our garden is bountiful we can sit and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Fresh eggs and fresh produce…. I sense some tasty food coming this Summer.

Speaking of Eggs… once again we are welcoming Orangette in the kitchen. She and Brandon will be teaching us all about the glorious EGG!! One of the most nutritious foods on the planet. We’re going to make mayonnaise, souffle, and perfectly poached and hard boiled eggs.

In case you missed the last class.. here are the photos from it. 

While on vacation I was tagged for a Meme by the very lovely Aran from Cannelle et Vanille. Now that I am back getting settled into my non-vacation life I thought it was time for me to sit down and figure out what exactly is a Meme.
This particular meme asks me to divulge 5 facts about me. So let me think… five facts interesting or not beyond the fact that I like food and generally lean towards the sweeter side – because let’s face it, you don’t have to be a regular reader to realize that. But what don’t you know?

The best part of me

1. I have been the entertainment at many family functions performing my stupid human trick, which involves me sticking my entire fist into my mouth. Don’t ask me why this is so entertaining but for some reason my cousin cannot get enough of it. Last time I attempted this spectacle my jaw locked for a moment. I have since stopped my performance.

2. Now this one is really hard for me to admit but I feel as my loyal audience you deserve a right to know. Please do not think any less of me. I have a love affair with Peanut Buster Parfaits from Dairy Queen. I can not get enough of the delicious interplay between the salty crunch of the Spanish peanuts, the cold, silky-sweet “ice milk” and the layers of dark, warm fudge all devoured with that elongated petit red spoon. This intense love of PBPs comes most strongly during pregnancy.

3. My original career path was to be a high school art teacher. I have an art degree in studio arts and have only my student teaching to complete before I receive my certification. I spent a good chunk of my studies in Italy – which is where I believe I truly fell in love with food (and also where I got engaged).

4. I secretly have a desire to be a farmer. Well, I think more accurately is that I like the idea of being self-sufficient and completely sustainable. So what am I doing to accomplish this secret desire? Good question. First of all I am about to be the proud owner of three Bantam chickens. (More on this soon – I am getting the chickens tomorrow and my sweet brother and sister-in-law are building me a coop for my birthday) Come on, what is better than fresh eggs with yolks the color of Navel oranges? Secondly I am working on plans for my vegetable garden to be planted this spring. I will be starting out small as baby number two is coming in May. Finally, I have been successfully keeping a coffee plant alive for two months (and counting). Now would be a good time to start calling me Farmer Ashley.

5. In high school I was voted most likely to win a Grammy. I’m sorry to disappoint my alma mater but I don’t think that’s going to happen. ☺

Thanks to Aran for thinking of me.

Gabe, Baron and I along with my parents are enjoying a relaxing week on the beach of Mission Bay. I think of it as a sort of last hurrah before baby #2 arrives. Not to say that when he comes our lives are over, but rather life will become all the more hectic. Packing our already over-the-required-weight-limit bags and hopping on a plane is about to become a bit more of a chore. So we are relishing this time we have to spend with each other, our first-born and our family in beautiful Southern California.

In anticipation of this trip I of course set out to find the favored food finds of the locals. What makes San Diego unique from a food standpoint and where can I sample the best?
A couple things stood out among the extensive Internet research I did. First of all fish tacos are a must and the elusive California burrito, which is made up of carne asada and French fries and is legendary around these parts. We have yet to cross these food finds off of our vacation checklist but rest assured that I will not leave this state without sampling a hefty burrito stuffed full of juicy, marinated steak and crisp, fresh from the fryer fries.

The other must do item on my list, and I was very adamant about this one no matter how long the drive, was to visit a farm made famous for the beauty of its produce.
While working at Spago in Beverly Hills I can still remember the thrill and excitement the kitchen crew felt when produce was scheduled to arrive from this Southern California farm. The berries from this farm were minute in size but the flavor that inhabited your mouth with one bite was as big as the sun which gave them their sweetness.
Among the most memorable were the Frais du Bois. These wild strawberries are famous for their intense sweetness. Their little strawberry bodies contain an intense strawberry flavor that makes my favorite Washington berries bow down in admiration.

These little berries held a position of honor. They were treated with the same amount of care and respect as our famous diners. The moment these beauties were hand delivered into our kitchen they were plucked from the crowded berry basket and laid out side-by-side on an impeccably clean and soft towel lined sheet tray. Each berry was inspected for mold so we could quickly remove any damaged fruit to ensure that it would not contaminate any of its delicious friends.

During our time living in Los Angeles, Gabe and I had often talked about visiting this farm where these berries and other amazing produce originated. But my days were primarily spent working in the kitchen and later my days off were devoted to helping Sherry with her book she was then working on. So with great sadness we left our home in L.A. having never visited the produce Mecca.
Now you can better understand my pressing desire to make the pilgrimage to this highly respected birthplace of beautiful fruits and vegetables.
The farm itself was a scenic thirty-minute drive from our condo. With our GPS in hand we embarked on this journey not knowing what to expect except that this particular farm is not clearly marked. But as we drove around a bend in a beautiful country studded with prickly cactus and immaculate horse stables, I spotted rows and rows of varied goods. I recognized the humble stand from magazines and TV shows that have highlighted this farm.

My mouth watered and my mind raced with endless dinner possibilities as I perused the variety of fresh from the earth vegetables. We were probably asked three times if we needed any help before I finally began to commit to exactly what was going to make the cut. I wanted to take everything home.
The carrots were stacked pristinely in hues of oranges, reds and deep purples and sat next to the diminutive beets of red and gold.
The vast array of greens screamed to be turned into a lightly dressed salad and the large in flavor but small in stature brussels sprouts were calling my name (they also told me that they wanted to braise in cream – and who can argue with that).
My knowledge of citrus varietals was humbled as I picked up what I thought to be the most amazingly scented lemon – imagine my surprise when I was told that the yellow as the sun fruit that I held in my hand was actually a lime, and the lemons that I sought were actually the color of oranges.

Sadly the strawberries that I remember so fondly were small in numbers (literally, we bought the last three) but were still as tasty as I recall.
Three large bags full later we walked away from the farmstead eager to delve into this bounty.
I did very little to the vegetables as the artists who took the time, care and energy to create the perfect conditions to raise such gorgeous food had done the work for me. The carrots and beets were tossed in oil, salt and pepper and roasted until tender. The cauliflower was cut into quarter inch slices drizzled with oil, salted and roasted until crisp.

In olive oil and butter the minute brussels sprouts were sautéed until caramelized then, obeying their wishes, braised in heavy cream until fork tender.
We picked up some red and green butter lettuce, arugula and mustard greens and gave them a quick toss in a shallot mustard vinaigrette. The salad was topped with grilled chicken and steak.
The three strawberries were devoured before we got into the car and finally the citrus has found it’s way into a tasty batch of rosemary lemonade which we have been enjoying as we are now back at the condo once again overlooking the bay and enjoying the time we have left of this sunny vacation.
My sincere appreciation and respect goes out to all of those who take great pride in their life’s work to grow and produce food the way in which God intended us to enjoy it. I hope that through my cooking, baking and tools such as this blog I can encourage others to care enough about what they eat to value the work and dedication of those who have devoted their lives to gifting us with such bounty.

Shallot Mustard Vinaigrette
1 tsp good quality mustard
3 tsp minced shallot
½ tsp honey
2 Tbl White Balsamic Vinegar
2/3 c Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the first four ingredients then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may also add a squeeze of Meyer lemon if desired.