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December 21, 2007

SusieCakes comes to Calabasas

By Natalie Haughton
Daily News Food Editor

Brentwood bakery SusieCakes has just opened a second location in Calabasas. An old-fashioned bake shop, it specializes in an array of sentimental, classic All-American dessert favorites, including puddings, pies, brownies, bars, cookies, cakes, cupcakes and more. Among the holiday choices -- seen in the photo above -- are frosted, hand-decorated sugar cookies, a yule log, gingerbread houses and cookies and an eggnog cheesecake.

The shop also offers custom party and birthday cakes, and a selection of candles, cards and gift items. The from-scratch baked goods are made on the premises.

SusieCakes, 23653 Calabasas Road, Calabasas, is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Information: (818) 591-2223 or www.susiecakesla.com.

Below: A photo of the new SusieCakes in Calabasas:

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Cool stuff: What's new in the world of food

BY NATALIE HAUGHTON
Daily News Food Editor

GIFT FOR PEAR FANS
Organic Royal Riviera Pears, grown in Medford, Ore., are available from Harry & David through January and would make a great gift. They are so juicy, you can eat them with a spoon … and they taste delicious. The thin-skinned Comice pears can be eaten softened or hard. Once they arrive, keep refrigerated up to a week. A 5-pound box contains about 11 pears and is $36.95, excluding shipping; a 6-pound box is $41.95. Shipping costs vary. To order, go to www.harryanddavid.com or call (877) 322-1200.

SANTA TOTE
Designed to resemble Santa's red suit, this new nifty mini tote box from See's Candies is filled with lollipops, candy canes and a foil milk chocolate Santa. Good for stocking stuffers, kids of all ages or party favors. $5.75 each at See's Candies shops.

MORE HEAT AND SPICE
Idaho-based Cowgirl Chocolates, known for spicy-sweet creations, is offering some new products in time for holiday indulging. Among them are three caramel corns … Mild Chipotle Vanilla Granola, Pumpkin Spicy and Spicy Chocolate Triple Nut … along with Caramel Nut Clusters and Roasted Hazelnut Toffee. The caramel corns are the least spicy, followed by the toffee. The nut clusters, which feature caramel nut (pecans, almonds and cashews) clusters dipped in dark chocolate, are potent and HOT, flavored with habenero chiles (they are for volcano-palate customers, we were told). They are definitely not for the timid. The chocolate nut caramel corn had a bite, but it was the favorite of the three caramel corn choices. The toffee was interesting, but I prefer mine without heat and spice. Depending on the item, packages range from 4 ounces to 1 pound, nothing fancy and something fancy options, with prices from $8.95 to $26.95. To order or view the collection, go to www.cowgirlchocolates.com or call (888) 882-4098.

GLASS BEAR WITH MAPLE SYRUP
This 6-inch-tall clear glass bear, sporting a red knit hat, is filled with pure maple syrup U.S. grade A medium amber from Highland Sugar Works in Vermont would make a fun holiday food gift. Refrigerate after opening. A 16.9-fluid-ounce jar is $19.95 at Williams-Sonoma stores.

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EVERYTHING GOES BETTER WITH CHOCOLATE: with recipes and book recommendations

By Natalie Haughton
Daily News Food Editor

Chocolate never goes out of season.

And the holidays are just the time to explore the explosion of premium chocolates, with more flavors than ever for baking and just plain indulging.

With a bunch of recently released, fashionable chocolate cookbooks, you can jazz up holiday festivities in the sweetest way … with enticing cookies, cakes, candies, pies and more.

Marcel Desaulniers, author and chef of "I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas" (Wiley; $29.95), can help you impress family and friends with a collection of more than 70 delectable, colorful creations. This is the 10th cookbook from Desaulniers, co-owner of The Trellis Restaurant in Williamsburg, Va., for the last 27 years, where he was also executive chef until five years ago. "This is the first book that is dessert-related that doesn't have one of my mother's recipes in it," says the sweets guru. "She is 89 and still bakes."

Unlike his six previous books centered on chocolate or desserts, recipes in this volume are "simple and straightforward but still loaded with 'WOW!' " he says, and some can be frozen and shipped. All were tested in a home kitchen with top-quality ingredients and equipment available in local stores.

While many pastry chefs temper chocolate (a melting and cooling technique used to stabilize chocolate to make it shiny), and Desaulniers has included a quick method in some of his previous cookbooks, the process is not used in this recipe compilation.

"Tempering, even for someone who has a culinary education, is not the easiest thing in world."

Desaulniers recommends melting chocolate in the microwave.

"For years, I wouldn't allow a microwave oven in my home, even though my wife begged for one; she doesn't cook, only makes popcorn. I melted chocolate in a double boiler."

Eventually he relented, and now he is a fan of microwaving, at least for this task.

"It is the best, quickest and safest method," he said.

Common directions call for using a glass bowl, uncovered, on medium power. But to be safe, because microwave ovens vary, he errs on the side of using lower power settings.

The book calls for mostly semisweet along with some unsweetened chocolate. "For almost all recipes, semisweet is best. It's a benchmark item most people are familiar with. I love bittersweet, personally, but for the most part you can interchange it with semisweet.

"Everyone's (each company's) chocolate tastes different. There are myriad chocolates one can invest money in, but if a recipe has lots of ingredients such as cream, butter, eggs, etc., a simpler straightforward chocolate is fine."

When buying chocolate, make sure it is real chocolate, he stresses. "Reading the ingredient list on the package is key," Desaulniers says. "The item that needs to be in chocolate is cocoa butter." If palm kernel oil or coconut oil is on the label, it's not real chocolate.

"Lindt Chocolate Passion: Lindt's Maitres Chocolatiers Share Their Recipes and Techniques" (Lindt & Sprungli USA; $35), also offers many luxurious chocolate possibilities. New Hampshire-based Lindt master chocolatier Ann Czaja has been with the company three years, including a year and a half in Switzerland. She contributed several recipes to the 75 in the book along with eight other Lindt master chocolatiers around the world. The book, with beautiful color photographs, was an outgrowth of "people asking the company if they could cook, bake with and melt Lindt chocolate bars," she says.

Each recipe, tested with home, not commercial, equipment, was designed to be user-friendly, unintimidating and readily reproduced by home cooks, Czaja says. Bittersweet, milk, white and the Lindt Origins line of chocolates are used in the recipes, with the emphasis on bittersweet.

She recommends storing chocolate in a cool, dry place, at temperatures of 60 to 68 degrees and humidity of about 50 percent. Otherwise store chocolate in the refrigerator, wrapped and sealed in an airtight bag. "If the chocolate has been opened, make sure it is wrapped in foil and placed in an airtight bag," she advises. Before using, allow it to come to room temperature slowly to prevent condensation on the surface. "Never re-refrigerate chocolate once it has reached room temperature."

If chocolate develops gray surface streaks (caused by the cocoa butter rising to the surface), it's safe to eat, but not recommended for baking.

Although Czaja also prefers to melt chocolate in the microwave oven, she cautions cooks who use a double boiler to make sure the water is just barely simmering so the steam will not condense and drip into the chocolate, causing it to seize up.

"If you are going to enjoy chocolate, make sure it is premium," she says. "Life is too short for ordinary chocolate."

RECIPES

Trellis pastry chef Heather Lenhardt, a Johnson and Wales University graduate, shared the recipe for her mom's irresistible toffee:

MRS. LENHARDT’S CHOCOLATE ALMOND TOFFEE
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 cups sliced or slivered almonds or coarsely chopped whole blanched almonds, toasted
4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, melted

Combine sugar, butter, water and corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and melt butter. Bring to a boil, stirring only once or twice to prevent sticking and burning (frequent stirring causes the toffee to crystallize), and continue to cook until mixture reaches a temperature of 360 degrees F and becomes dark caramel in color, about 12 minutes. Use a digital thermometer for an accurate temperature reading of the mixture.

Remove from heat and wait about 10 seconds for bubbles in mixture to dissipate, then use a heat-resistant silicone spatula to fold in 1 cup almonds. Pour mixture into a baking sheet with sides, and use spatula to spread mixture evenly. Cool toffee at room temperature 10 minutes, then refrigerate 20 minutes.

Remove toffee from refrigerator. Use an offset spatula to spread melted chocolate over surface of toffee, then sprinkle with remaining 1 cup almond pieces. Refrigerate toffee about 30 minutes, until hard, then break into pieces. Store in a tightly sealed plastic container at room temperature 2 to 3 weeks (shininess of chocolate will diminish over time). Makes 2 1/2 pounds.
From "I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas," by Marcel Desaulniers.

WHITE CHOCOLATE BARK WITH PISTACHIOS AND DRIED CRANBERRIES
Red cranberries and green pistachios embedded in white chocolate make this bark especially festive for the winter holidays.
4 bars (3.5 ounces EACH) white chocolate (Lindt Swiss Classic), chopped
1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Temper white chocolate (or melt in microwave … see editor's note below). Add pistachios and dried cranberries; stir to combine. Spread to thickness desired on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate 5 to 10 minutes, remove, and let set in a cool place. Store in an airtight container, in a cool place. Break up prior to serving or giving as a gift. Makes about 1 pound bark.

Editor's note: This bark can be made WITHOUT tempering the white chocolate. Melt it in a glass bowl, uncovered, in a microwave oven on 50 percent power, starting with 1 minute, then stirring and adding 20 to 30 second increments until completely melted. Watch carefully. Once melted, proceed as directed in recipe above.
From "Lindt Chocolate Passion: Lindt's Maitres Chocolatiers Share Their Recipes and Techniques," by Lindt & Sprungli (USA).

OATMEAL SABLE
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 2/3 cups flour
3/4 cup oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 bar (3.5 ounces) white chocolate, chopped
1/2 bar (3.5 ounces) milk chocolate, melted, to decorate

Cream butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add flour, oats and baking powder and mix until combined. Stir in chopped white chocolate. Roll dough into a log shape, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

To bake, cut cookies approximately 1/4-inch thick and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown slightly at edges. Cool on a wire rack. When cookies are completely cooled, drizzle with melted milk chocolate. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
From "Lindt Chocolate Passion: Lindt's Maitres Chocolatiers Share Their Recipes and Techniques," by Lindt & Sprungli (USA).

GOLLY POLLY'S DOODLES
Polly Conway, who served a four-month externship at The Trellis while a student at The Culinary Institute of America, developed these.

DOUGH:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces and softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

FILLING:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar

To make the Dough, line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt onto a large piece of parchment or wax paper.

Place soft butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup peanut butter in bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low 1 minute, then on medium 1 minute more. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl and paddle. Mix on medium-high 1 minute. Scrape down again. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium 30 seconds; scrape down again once incorporated. Turn mixer to low and gradually add dry ingredients; mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and use a rubber spatula or your hands to finish mixing ingredients until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate dough (not more than 20 minutes or it will be difficult to shape) while making filling.

To make the Filling, place 1/4 cup peanut butter and powdered sugar in a clean bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low 20 seconds, then beat on medium 10 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Divide into 17 level teaspoons onto a piece of parchment or wax paper. Roll each portion into a smooth, round ball.

Using 1 heaping tablespoon or 1 level #50 ice-cream scoop, portion 17 pieces of dough. Roll each portion of dough into a smooth round ball, then flatten each ball in palm of your hand into a 3-inch-diameter circle. Using your thumb, make a small indentation in center of dough. Place a filling ball in indentation, then fold dough around filling and roll it into a smooth, round ball. Roll balls in remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar to lightly coat.

Place Doodles on prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart widthwise and 2 inches apart lengthwise. Bake on the center rack of a preheated 375-degree oven 6 minutes (that time is right!), until barely firm. (Overbaking will cause these cookies to become hard.) Remove cookies from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Store in a tightly sealed plastic container at room temperature 7 to 10 days or in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Makes 17 (1 1/2-inch) round cookies.
From "I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas," by Marcel Desaulniers.

BETH'S MOCHA MADNESS COOKIES
The inspiration for this cookie came our way thanks to Beth Armstrong of Marlborough, Mass.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces and softened
1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, melted
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder, dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 ounces dark chocolate–covered espresso beans, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

For garnish: 4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, melted

Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt onto a large piece of parchment or wax paper. Place butter and brown sugar in bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on medium 2 minutes, then stop and scrape down sides of bowl and paddle. Mix again on medium 2 minutes, then scrape down again. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix on medium until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down again. Add 3 ounces melted chocolate and beat on medium 15 seconds, until incorporated. Turn mixer to lowest speed and gradually add dry ingredients; mix until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add dissolved espresso and vanilla and mix on low until thoroughly combined. Remove bowl from mixer, add espresso beans and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Using 3 slightly heaping tablespoons or 1 level #20 ice-cream scoop, portion 10 or 11 cookies on each baking sheet, spaced about 5 inches apart widthwise and 2 inches apart lengthwise. Bake baking sheets on top and center racks of a preheated 325-degree 12 minutes, switching the sheets between top and center racks and rotating each sheet 180 degrees halfway through the baking. Remove from the oven and cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining cookie dough, as necessary, once the baking sheets cool (hold the dough at room temperature).

For garnish, use a teaspoon to drizzle thin lines of melted chocolate in a zigzag fashion over tops of cool cookies. Refrigerate for a few minutes to set chocolate before serving. Store cookies in a tightly sealed plastic container at room temperature 5 to 6 days or in refrigerator 7 to 10 days (bring the cookies to room temperature before eating). Makes 32 (3-inch) cookies.
From "I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas," by Marcel Desaulniers.

MORE CHOCOLATE BOOKS

"The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook: Recipes and History from America's Premier Chocolate Maker" (Ten Speed Press; $18.95).
The more than 80 recipes in this volume with lots of glorious full-page color photos range from simple to complex. Included are ideas for everyday indulging as well as special celebrations. Some come from chocolate masters at Ghirardelli and fans of the chocolate as well as San Francisco Bay Area pastry chefs. Recipes call for a variety of different chocolates and products available at grocery and mass merchandise stores, from chips and bars to cocoa and flavored (raspberry, caramel) chocolate squares. Numerous tempting cookies, bars, cupcakes, tortes, pies, tarts, candies, breads and drinks are in here, as well as a special section on hosting a chocolate tasting party.

"Enlightened Chocolate," by Camilla V. Saulsbury (Cumberland House; $22.95).
This book, with several mini color photos in the front, features 200 mostly easy recipes with dark chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder. Both sweet and savory creations are included along with nutritional information for each. Braised Cauliflower and Cabernet-Chocolate BBQ Sauce anyone? Chocolate French Toast, Chocolate Whiskey Pie and Chocolate Truffle Tart sound better. Suit yourself. "Eat more chocolate … it's good for you," writes the author.

"Green & Black's Chocolate Recipes: From the Cacao Pod to Cookies, Desserts and Savory Dishes," written and compiled by Caroline Jeremy (Kyle Books; $19.95).
Green & Black's, a British company that has been producing organic chocolates since 1991, now sells its wares at Target. This volume, an update of a book first published in England in 2004, includes more than 100 sweet and savory recipes and is sprinkled with beautiful color photographs throughout. It has 20 new recipes from U.S. chefs and food experts, among them Rick Bayless, Emily Luchetti, David Libovitz and Elizabeth Karmel. All recipes use U.S. measurements.

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December 13, 2007

A tasteful holiday: Natalie Haughton's top food gifts for 2007

By Natalie Haughton
Daily News Food Editor

A food gift is always welcome during the holiday season … to share with family and friends, use as party fare or even indulge in alone. The best part for the gift-giver is that food items are fast and easy to pick up at the last minute .

You get more bang for your buck as no shipping fees are involved and you can see what you're getting. There are plenty of options at varying price points and many come prewrapped (or ask the store to wrap your selections to save time).

MINI ICED GINGERBREAD COOKIES
These darling miniature gingerbread Christmas cookies from Isobel & Co., are made in Canada with molasses, butter, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. They come in shapes of Christmas trees, stars, mittens, gingerbread men and snowmen and are colorfully decorated with royal icing in red, green, white, yellow, orange and black. They taste delicious and would be a good hostess gift, a fun addition to cookie platters, great to leave for Santa or a terrific stuffing stuffer. A 7.6-ounce cellophane bag tied with a red satin ribbon is $19.50 at Williams-Sonoma stores.

FRESH ROSEMARY TREE
For a stylish, small table-top holiday tree (about 14 to 16 inches in height), pick up this tender rosemary shrub topped off with a mini gold bow. It's aromatic and can be used as a table decoration, in holiday cooking (lamb, roast meats, fish, poultry, breads, potatoes) and beyond. After Christmas, plant in your garden and it will keep on giving throughout the year. $8.49 at Trader Joe's stores in the flower section.

COFFEE AND COOKIES
For coffee lovers on your list, consider a festive colorful gift package with Holiday Blend Coffee (8 ounces), two chocolate-covered candy cane graham crackers and two peppermint biscotti. They are all wrapped up and tied with a red ribbon. $16.95 at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores. A similar package is available for tea lovers.

CHOCOLATE SNOWMAN
A cute 7-inch-tall milk chocolate snowman, trimmed with a red chocolate collar, bow, button nose and hat brim, is an ideal stocking stuffer or table decoration. In a clear bag from Godiva Chocolatier, it's $15 for 8 ounces. At Godiva Boutiques at The Oaks, Thousand Oaks, Westfield Topanga, Canoga Park, Westfield Century City, Beverly Center, Glendale Galleria or other locations.

A WHOLE LOT OF LOLLIPOPS
For those See's Candies pop fans on your gift list, pick up the attractive Christmas tree-shaped box filled with a big bunch of butterscotch, chocolate, cafe latte and vanilla flavor lollipops. Great for any occasion, there are about 30 pops to a 1-pound 5-ounce box for $18.75. At local See's Candies shops.

DIPPING OILS
Dipping fresh, crusty rustic bread slices in a variety of oils is an interesting way to add flavor. Package up a duo … a bottle of Olivier Napa Valley Parmesan Dipping and Drizzling Extra Virgin Olive Oil (with toasted Parmesan cheese, garlic and herbs) and Olivier Napa Valley Pesto Dipping and Drizzling Extra Virgin Olive Oil (with basil, garlic and lemon) for a welcome gift. The oils can also be brushed or sprinkled on pan-grilled chicken, fish, meats or grilled vegetables or tossed with pasta for a change of pace. Made with California extra-virgin olive oil, the products come in 7.6-fluid-ounce glass bottles for $14.50 each. Other flavors are also available, including Blue Cheese, Greek or Fall Harvest. At Williams-Sonoma stores.

FRANGO MINT CHOCOLATES
For Chicago transplants or those who are partial to Frango Mints, the candies made famous by the former Marshall Field's are now available at Macy's stores in all kinds of configurations and various size boxes. A small Christmas tree box of 3 ounces of Frango Mint Chocolates is $12. A plush, soft brown moose with a green Santa cap and holding a 1.4-ounce mini box of Frango Mints is $15. Both available at Macy's stores throughout Southern California.

COCKTAIL MIX SAMPLER
A fanciful gift for guys, an entertainer or a party hostess is a carton of four different fruit-infused liquid mixes that are simply blended with vodka (sold separately) for flavorful cocktails. Included are apple martini mix (with Granny Smith apple juice), cosmopolitan mix (with cranberry juice), tangerine mix (with tangerine juice) and lemon drop mix (with Meyer lemon juice). Each 12-fluid-ounce bottle of mix makes six drinks when combined with liquor. (Directions instruct to shake a cocktail shaker filled two-thirds with ice cubes with one part mix and one part vodka; strain off ice and serve in a martini glass.) You might also try the mixes with champagne and other liquors, if desired. $36 per four-pack at Williams-Sonoma stores.

SHORTBREAD IN GIFT TIN
This partridge in a pear tree metal box is filled with wonderfully tender and tasty triangular, rectangular and round pieces of old-fashioned buttery shortbread. A 17.6-ounce container is $25 at Crabtree & Evelyn stores.

A SLEIGH FULL OF GOODIES
This metal sleigh is filled with a variety of treats including a .52-ounce box of Pirouline Chocolate Flavor Lined Wafer Rolls; a 5-ounce box of Caramel Whirls World's Finest Chocolate (smooth caramel center surrounded by creamy milk chocolate); a 2.6-ounce box of Walkers Chocolate Covered Toffee; a 1.25-ounce envelope of Luxe Cafe Dark Chocolate Orange Hot Cocoa; a 9-ounce package of Starbright Candy (chocolate mint-flavored hard candies); and an .85-ounce box of Lindt Lindor Truffles (milk and dark chocolate). Recycle the sleigh as a table centerpiece or decoration once the goodies are gone. Net weight is 1 pound, 3.22 ounces. $50 at Macy's.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED SEA SALT CARAMELS
Chocolate coated salted caramels continue in popularity and are as trendy as ever these days. Trader Joe's is offering salt caramels made in Ireland and enrobed in dark Belgian chocolate. Unlike some of their counterparts (with harder caramels), these buttery caramels are soft and tend to ooze out of the thick chocolate coating on the first bite. We like them best right out of the fridge as the caramel has set up a bit and is not as runny. Rich and indulgent. $4.99 per 6.3-ounce box (of 12) at Trader Joe's.

GLASS BEAR FILLED WITH MAPLE SYRUP
This 6-inch-tall clear glass bear, sporting a red knit hat, is filled with pure maple syrup U.S. grade A medium amber from Highland Sugar Works in Vermont. Refrigerate after opening. A 16.9-fluid-ounce jar is $19.95 at Williams-Sonoma stores.

LIMITED EDITION CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
An indulgent box of Limited Edition Godiva Truffles is packed with two each of Gingerbread in Milk Chocolate, Eggnog in Dark Chocolate and Maple Walnut in White Chocolate truffles. The 6-piece 3.75-ounce box is $13.50. At Godiva Boutiques.

CHRISTMAS JOLLY JELLY BEANS
Jolly Jelly Beans come in assorted Christmas colors and flavors. Green and red are apple flavored; white jelly beans are coconut flavored. A 10-ounce package is $9.50 at Williams-Sonoma stores.

Note: All items, except those from Trader Joe's, were from stores in the The Oaks, Thousand Oaks, but are available at the chains' other locations.

natalie.haughton@dailynews.com

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Cool stuff: Holiday cookbook recommendations

By Natalie Haughton
Daily News Food Editor

"Recipe of the Week: Cookies, 52 Easy Recipes for Year-Round Baking," by Sally Sampson (Wiley; $16.95), offers an assortment of stylish, irresistible creations. Several include color photos that make you want to bake. Tempting-sounding are Espresso Shortbread, German Chocolate Cookies, Cocoa Toffee Chunk Cookies and Almond Butter Oat Cookies to name a few.

"Mediterranean Harvest," by Martha Rose Shulman (Rodale; $39.95), features more than 500 vegetarian recipes from Spain, France, Italy, the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa and is a good addition for those desiring to eat vegetarian style. Her recipes, which use fresh seasonal produce and intriguing herbs and spices, will appeal to a wide range of cooks and diners. The author of more than 25 books, Shulman, who resides in L.A., includes cooking tips, a glossary of Mediterranean pantry staples and vivid descriptions of recipes and where they came from.

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December 7, 2007

Cool stuff du jour -- what's new in food

By Natalie Haughton
Daily News food editor

FABULOUS CHOCOLATE
Here's a unique gift for your chocolate-loving friends. San Francisco-based CocoaBella Chocolates is offering a World's Greatest Box of Chocolates featuring 18 or 38 pieces of chocolate from 15 different chocolatiers and six different countries. Owner Michael Freeman, who travels the world searching for the best chocolates, put together the box. Among pieces included are those from Christopher Elbow (United States), Michel Cluizel (France), Mary Chocolatier (Belgium), Knipschildt (United States), Amedei (Italy), Laderach (Switzerland) and more. The 18- and 38-piece boxes are $30 and $55 each respectively. Really helpful is that the box arrives with a legend inside with a color photo of each chocolate piece, the name of it, the contents and the chocolatier's name.

If you're in San Francisco, stop by the two shops (Union Street and Westfield San Francisco Centre on Market Street) to select from 200 chocolates in the case from 18 chocolate makers. Order the box noted above or create your own online at www.cocoabella.com, or call (415) 931-6213.

NAPKINS WITH MESSAGES
Happy Napkins offers two-ply folded white dinner napkins with printed feel-good messages on them that reassure, console, thank, express love or just say hi. Originally created for school-age children by a working mom who wanted to deliver a loving message to her kids in the middle of the day, they are great for gatherings of family and friends and such. Each set of 12 napkins has a different message (i.e. "When I count my blessings I count you twice," "You are one of life's best presents") and retails for around $3. Purchase online at www.happynapkins.com.

Special Lindt
Lindt is offering a variety of chocolate specialties for the holiday season. Among them are Dark Holiday Spice and 70 percent Cherry & Chili bars, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Lindor Truffles (in various packages including an ornament or box), a Santa Claus or Gold Reindeer in dark, milk or white chocolates. Look for the products at Target stores. Prices vary.

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December 5, 2007

More dessert books recommended by Natalie Haughton

(This list of notable dessert books ran in the LA.com section of the Daily News with Natalie Haughton's story on Spago pastry chef Sherry Yard)

"Indulge: 100 Perfect Desserts" by Claire Clark (Whitecap Books Ltd.; $40)
Clark, head pastry chef at the French Laundry in Yountville, celebrates a career in baking that spans three decades in this, her first book. The recipes are her treasured favorites from her last 25 years as a pastry cook … and run the gamut from those of her childhood to some from top-rated London restaurants and hotels where she's worked. She's loved to bake since her youth, growing up in the suburbs of London. The ingredient amounts are in grams/ounces so if you don't have a scale, this may not be the book for you. Also, many have very lengthy directions.

"Pure Dessert: True Flavors, Inspiring Ingredients and Simple Recipes" by Alice Medrich (Artisan; $35)
The former owner of Cocolat, a dessert shop in Berkeley in the '70s, Medrich has been sharing desserts and teaching for 30 years. ``Pure desserts are for busy people who love food and care about what they eat, for people who are curious and open to new tastes, and for those who appreciate the details that make the difference between a good dessert and a great one,'' says Medrich. Included are 150 recipes (several look easy and doable), many with beautiful color photos that make you want to rush into the kitchen.

"Elizabeth Falkner's Demolition Desserts: Recipes From Citizen Cake" (Ten Speed Press; $35)
Falkner, owner of Citizen Cake, Citizen Cupcake and Orson in San Francisco, who's been called a "rock star of the pastry world," defies tradition and shares her cutting-edge desserts, including cookies, brownies, cupcakes and plated sweet creations, in this volume filled with gorgeous color photographs. All recipes have been adapted for the home kitchen.

"The Art of the Dessert" by Ann Amernick with Margie Litman (Wiley; $40)
Formerly an assistant pastry chef at the White House, Amernick is currently executive pastry chef and co-owner of Palena restaurant in Washington, D.C. Her signature style combines stylish special-occasion baking with a homemade touch in the 100 recipes in this book with 16 color photographs. Many appear complicated or have several components, but she shares her baking tricks in the first chapter.

"A Passion for Baking" by Marcy Goldman (Oxmoor House; $29.95)
This book overflows with more than 200 baked items … desserts, breads, cookies and such … from Goldman, a professional pastry chef and passionate home baker, who inspires home cooks to celebrate, nourish and have fun. Recipes run the gamut from easy to more time-consuming, and ingredient lists range from short to lengthy.

"The Pastry Queen Christmas, Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style" by Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman (Ten Speed Press; $32.50)
Native Texan and proprietor of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe along with Rather restaurant in Fredericksburg, Texas, Rathershares 95 recipes for more than just desserts in this volume. Among the show-off desserts from this pastry chef are Glazed Chocolate Pave, Chocolate Cookie Crusted Eggnog Cheesecake and Aunt Milbry's Fruitcake.

-- Natalie Haughton

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Sherry Yard -- an unlikely master of pastry

Above, Sherry Yard shows how it's done at Spago in Beverly Hills. Photo by Michael Owen Baker/Los Angeles Daily News

BY NATALIE HAUGHTON, Food Editor

It's the year for dessert cookbooks written by pastry chefs.

To be part of the world of these dessert mavens, open their books (see accompanying list), start baking and indulge. Designed for amateurs as well as professionals, you'll find a wealth of dazzling treats that will impress guests and friends this holiday season and beyond.

In "Desserts by the Yard: From Brooklyn to Beverly Hills … Recipes From the Sweetest Life Ever"' (Houghton Mifflin; $35.95), Los Angeles' top pastry queen and dessert superstar Sherry Yard, the executive pastry chef for Wolfgang Puck Worldwide (including Spago, Cut, Chinois and other fine dining establishments throughout the country), includes 150 recipes. They range from the homey sweets of her youth to exquisite Oscar party masterpieces.

"The whole book is all one big memory of my life and desserts," says Yard. "My first book taught people how to bake, and this one has all my secret recipes." Many she has made over the years have been revised and updated. "Years ago, pastries used to be too sweet. I've cut down on the sugar."

Several are simple and easy and can be duplicated with success by any home cook. For starters, try the mini No-Bake Cheesecakes, Cafe Glace or Quintessential Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Yard shares fun reads about stints in the pastry line at the Rainbow Room in New York, as a pastry assistant at New York's Montrachet, pastry chef at Campton Place Hotel in San Francisco and Catahoula in Calistoga before landing at Spago in 1994. The book is also filled with stories about her travel escapades and baking for the rich and famous.

"We bake 250 desserts, minimum, a day at Spago Beverly Hills … and that's close to 75,0000 to 90,000 desserts a year," she notes, adding that the most popular are Kaiserschmarren, a 12-layer Flourless Chocolate Dobos Torte, Apple Strudel and a Lemon Souffle Tart.

Yard's love affair with desserts began in her childhood years, growing up in Brooklyn. For special occasions, the family (her parents and three sisters) ordered bakery cakes.

"I have almost no memory of homemade desserts since my mother didn't bake and did not like to cook. We rarely even had dessert other than store-bought cookies."

But the favorite desserts of her youth, she recalls, included toasted almond ice cream bars from the Good Humor truck, Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies, chocolate-covered cherries and blackout cake … all re-created in some form in the book.

"If I had a choice of a hamburger or a piece of cake on the table, I would go for a piece of cake first," says the enthusiastic 43-year-old, with a laugh. "I could live on pastries alone … and bread. I love ice cream (stracciatella), fruit desserts."

But what is Sherry Yard's recipe for such resounding success?

"I wanted to be a great pastry chef. But getting here was not easy," she says

She left home without much money and followed her dream. There were financial challenges, living far away from her family on the East Coast, and working long, exhausting hours. But it paid off and has brought her numerous awards, rewards, fame and good fortune.

"I think I am a dessert chef, not a pastry chef per se, because I consider every part of the meal which leads up to the dessert. I create a balance in the meal."

Most fun about her job is "licking the bowls and beaters clean, which I still do."

The worst and best parts relate to her wardrobe. "You never have to worry about what to wear … it's always the same thing … a uniform. Your form of expression is in the food."

For home cooks, she passes out a few tips. Measure ingredients out in advance … and make components of desserts (i.e. tart shells) ahead. "Don't be afraid to give your pastry and cookies color (when baking)." Use a slightly hotter oven, if necessary. Use good-quality chocolate … Scharffen Berger, Callebaut, Valrhona or Guittard.

"We double sift (the flour) no matter what at the restaurant. For home cooks, it doesn't take that much effort to do, but whisk it if you don't have a sifter."

These days, you'll find Yard traveling 20 percent of the time overseeing the pastries at various Puck restaurant locations throughout the United States … including Chicago; Detroit; Las Vegas; Washington, D.C.; Maui and more.

She recently returned from the newly opened Spago at the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Vail, Colo. "It was most challenging because at 8,000 feet up, every recipe needed to be reformulated … all leavening decreased and baking temperatures increased."

When it comes to food, "Never deny yourself anything," she says. Yard is a stickler for the freshest, best-quality in-season fruits, chocolate and other ingredients.

"You taste with your eyes first, so presentation should always be lush."

RECIPES

Recipes are from "Desserts by the Yard: From Brooklyn to Beverly Hills … Recipes From the Sweetest Life Ever," by Sherry Yard:

NO-BAKE CHEESECAKES
Yard has refined these by making the little crusts out of vanilla cookie crumbs instead of whole vanilla wafers like her mother did.

12 vanilla wafer cookies
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
12 ripe strawberries, hulled and halved OR quartered (depending on the size) OR fraises des bois

Pulse cookies in a food processor until you have crumbs. Line the cups of 2 mini muffin pans with paper liners and spoon a layer of cookie crumbs into the bottom of each.

In bowl of a stand mixer, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in sour cream and lemon juice until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Spoon or pipe filling into cups, dividing evenly. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, until set, or overnight. Before serving, top each cheesecake with a strawberry piece or two. Makes 24 mini cheesecakes.

SOUR CREAM TART ROYALE
At lunchtime, the 65th floor of the Rainbow Room became the Rockefeller Center Club, a private members-only club. Executives from the building, much of which was occupied by NBC, loved this tart, topped with fresh fruit. Red currants are my favorite.

2 large eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (10-inch) tart shell made with Pâte Sucrée (below), prebaked
1 pint red currants OR raspberries

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted withthe whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, gently beat eggs until broken up. Beat in sugar until well combined.Beat in sour cream, then slowly add cream, beating until smooth.Line prebaked tartshell with red currants or raspberries. Pour custard over the top. Let stand for a minute, then lightly tap pan against your work surface to eliminate air pockets.

Bake on rack in middle of a preheated 325-degree oven35 to 40 minutes, until the custard is set (the top should not brown). Remove from ovenand cool on a rack. (The tart can be refrigerated at this point, if desired, up to 1 day, tightly wrapped.) Serve chilled or at room temperature. Makes 1 (10-inch) tart.

PATE SUCREE (SWEET PASTRY): Combine 2 1/2 cups all-purposeflour and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on low speed 1 minute. Add 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter,cut into 1/2-inch pieces, and beat on medium-low speed until butter pieces are barely visible, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cold largeegg yolks and beat on medium-low speed just until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. Turn machine to low and stream in 2 tablespoons very cold heavy whipping cream. Stop machine and scrape down sides of bowl and paddle. Continue to beat on low speed 1 minute.

Remove dough from bowl and divide into 2 equal pieces. Place each one on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disc about 1/2-inch thick. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hoursor overnight.

Place one piece of dough at a time in a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Work the dough on medium-low speed just until pliable. If you don't have a stand mixer, soften dough by pounding it with a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out each piece with a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface to a 12-inch-wide, 1/4-inch-thick circle. Place between pieces of parchment paper, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. Alternatively, line lightly sprayed pie or tart pans with dough and wrap tightly. (The dough can be stored inrefrigerator up to 3 days or in freezer for to 3 months.)

To blind-bake (prebake), lightly spray 2 (9- or 10-inch) pie or tart pans with nonstick pan spray and line with dough. Prick bottom of pastry shell a few times with a fork. Line pastry with parchment paper or large coffee filters. Fill lined shell to rim with dried beans, uncooked riceor pie weights and gently press the ``faux filling'' into the corners. Bake on a rack in the lower third of a preheated 350-degree oven 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, carefully remove weights using a dry measure and transfer to a container. Gently pull up on the liner. If it sticks, return the covered pastry shell to the oven for another 3 minutes, or until you can easily lift off liner. Bake another 10 minutes, or until pastry is a deep golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack. Makes 2 (9- or 10-inch) tart or pie crusts.

CAFE GLACE

1 pint vanilla bean ice cream, homemade OR store-bought, slightly softened
1/2 cup cold brewed espresso
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to medium-stiff peaks
1 tablespoon finely shaved chocolate OR thin chocolate curls
Rolled wafer cookies (such as Pepperidge Farm Pirouette) for garnish

Place the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl and the beaters of a hand mixer, and 6 (4-ounce) or 4 (6-ounce) cups or glasses in the freezer 30 minutes. Spoon ice cream into ice-cold mixer bowl and add espresso. Using beater, blend at low speed until smooth. Spoon into frozen cups or glasses, top with whipped cream, and sprinkle on chocolate shavings or curls. Serve immediately or place in freezer up to 4 hours. Served garnished with cookies. Makes 4 to 6.

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Table Talk emerges from the ashes

Come back when you're hungry.

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