Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

It was six months since I met my little great nephew and niece in Germany for the first time. Marly Jane at 8 months is already walking and Haydn is talking a blue streak but he does have his calm and quite moments!

Departure to Tuscany: What was projected to be a short hop from Frankfurt, turned out to be a day and night-long adventure due to a ground workers strike in Florence. We were rerouted to Bologna where a bus was supposed to take us to Florence but no one at the airport knew anything about any bus. There were 20 of us in the same predicament and by the time we got to Florence the airport was closed and our car rental Sixt didn’t wait for us.

Digging deep into my high school Italian, opera, art history (as in pieta) and phrases from the God Father part 1, 2 and 3, I managed to persuade the police to call a nearby hotel and find us a reservation. When he told me there would be collazione I thought this meant that the hotel would ‘collect’ us by taxi ma non, it means breakfast is included! (see what I mean about my Italian.) But nowhere more than Italy will people sympathize with a stranger who is struggling to communicate in tormented fragmented phrases.

Next morning we collected our car and managed to wind up almost in Rome due to a combination of construction and Elliott’s disbelief in my navigation. (We now own a GPS!)

Continue reading "Germany-Tuscany Part 2" »

From the kitchen of Rose on 11.24.07 at 1:09 PM in Travel Adventures
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It seems these days, especially in Fall, that when I go away for 10 days it takes at least 30 to catch up! I took so many wonderful photos of our trip to Tuscany in October that I couldn't decide which to post so I posted nothing! But luckily Ruth (of the magnificent white faced ibis photo a few postings back) make this montage of photos which captures the spirit and mood of our stay. three bottle men (i always thought it should be three bottle boys but it was an allusion to something in literature) is the name of our wine group.

The sunset photo was taken the day (or should I say twilight) of our arrival and Elliott proclaimed it to be the most spectacular he had ever seen.

The group photo with the chef was taken at Arnolfo, in nearby Colle Val d'Elsa Alto, where we had an exquisite lunch.

The man with the white beard is Elliott if you haven't already guessed.

Continue reading "Tuscany" »

From the kitchen of Rose on 11.17.07 at 9:05 PM in Travel Adventures
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after leaving normandy, i had only the afternoon and next morning in paris before departing for frankfurt. after a few bouts of phone tag clotilde dusoulier (of the wonderful chocolate & zucchini blog) and i made a date to meet at an ice cream parlor near where i was staying in the 7th arrondisement. i felt as though i knew clotilde but i’m sure millions of others who view her blog feel the same way. as fellow blog hosts and cookbook authors, however, we found we had much in common and endless things to exchange. she complimented me on my french (nothing pleases me more) and i complimented her on the unique charm of her voice on the blog and congratulated her on her upcoming first book. she is even more delightful in person than on her blog! we walked over to a nearby chocolate shop that she is writing about in her next book. the background in the photo is not wall paper—it’s antique chocolate molds. then we visited a cheese shop which also sold goat’s milk butter which i read about in her blog a few weeks later! it’s wonderful to have found another special friend in paris!

Continue reading "April in Paris and New Family Reunion—Vacation Part 3" »

From the kitchen of Rose on 06.09.07 at 10:40 PM in Travel Adventures
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Maison Brossollets à Reveillon

my friend max brossollet is publisher of the scientific american in france, called pour la science, and he reads what he publishes. despite his great appreciation for technology (they even cook by induction in their paris apt.) they claim they will never have a computer so i can assume they will not be reading this blog. therefore i can confide that though i know they love me, they always find some little thing to criticize. last visit it was my running shoes so i made sure to bring more conventional walking shoes this time. max told me he now accepts that running shoes are the fashion. so this visit’s reproach was my lack of capitalization in the blog posting article i printed out for him on their friend the molecular gastronomist hervé this. my dear friend nadège brossollet was especially horrified when she saw her name without capitalization. at least this time i finally got the spelling right (i managed to fail at this in both mentions in two of my cookbooks).

Continue reading "Normandy Chez Mes Amies Les Brossollets-Vacation Part 2" »

From the kitchen of Rose on 06.01.07 at 10:38 PM in Travel Adventures
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after several years of thinking about little more than the book and the blog, what a departure it was to take off to france with no computer or manuscript! and after months of little sleep, to meet the deadline of book submission, i felt as if i were sleep walking until i arrived chez my friends the chouards in a little village of st. méard de gurçon. actually i fell asleep in the tgv to libourne until i heard an enchanting little voice calling to me: “cou cou madame!” i opened my eyes to a 4 year old little girl with blond curls and blue eyes wide with daring at speaking to a stranger—a sleeping stranger at that. (i had noticed early that her father was working on a computer and answered her in polite don’t bother me monosyllables when she cried out “regard papa, le chateau!”—which was probably responsible for her daring approach.) i asked her if she lived in the town where the train was approaching and since no answer seemed forthcoming i fell back to sleep. moments later came the response: “oui”! i fell back to sleep secure in the knowledge that i was home at last to one of my favorite places on earth where children are more often than not especially charming.

Continue reading "Spring in the Dordogne Vacation Part 1" »

From the kitchen of Rose on 05.26.07 at 10:36 PM in Travel Adventures
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Deer Valley

I’m two vacation reports behind! so before launching into last month’s trip spent with friends in the Dordogne and Normandy and then my nephew and family in Germany I must first post some great photos and a sensational hamburger recipe from our annual March ski trip to our beloved Deer Valley Resort in Utah.

Julie Wilson, directory of food and beverage at the Deer Valley Resorts, told me they were the best burgers she had ever tasted. This was so true I had a second order the lunch before our return flight to NY. along with an equally exemplary “Blue Mojito” containing lime, rum, and blueberries. Recipe for the burgers appears below.

Continue reading "Deer Valley Bliss" »

From the kitchen of Rose on 05.12.07 at 2:15 PM in Travel Adventures
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It worked out perfectly to escape from April showers into May flowers two weeks early. When I arrived in the Dordogne the day after the huge storm in the Northeast, everything was in flower. The ground was covered with these tiny daisies and the fields with golden culvas from which the ubiquitous cooking oil arrachide is made. They seemed to capture the sunlight. May in France and Germany began two weeks earlier than in New York.

I'm eager to catch up on postings as there have been many highlights this past month, the trip to France where I had the great pleasure of meeting Clotilde Dusoulier whose terrific blog, Chocolate & Zucchini, is linked to mine, meeting my nephew's new family in Germany, and this coming Monday the Oscar's of the food world—the 20th anniversary of the James Beard Awards which will be held at Lincoln Center. Stay tuned!

P.S. Three days before leaving for France I turned in the manuscript for the new book—815 pages weighing in at under 1 ounce on a CD. (My editor at Food Arts, Jim Poris, tells people I weigh everything—even air! Actually the weight of air is known as altitude.). Here's the presentation:

From the kitchen of Rose on 05.05.07 at 10:24 PM in Travel Adventures
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Bread for Elliott

My friend Lisa Yockelson is always telling me how lucky my husband is that I cook dinner every night. We’re both lucky because it’s a wonderful way to live. It’s healthy and nurturing on many levels. And it takes no longer than it would to go out, sit in a restaurant, wait for the food to come, and then get home.

When we were married, almost 31 years ago, Elliott had been widowed for 9 years and was very independent as a sole parent and provider. In all these years he has never asked me to do so much as sew a button on a shirt and I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology!

So it was very pleasing that he put in a request for me to leave him two breads in the freezer for the two weeks that I’ll be away in France/Germany. I asked him which ones he would like and here is the result of his request—already sliced and sitting in the freezer. The famous No Kneader and the challah. I’m not leaving 'til Monday but he’s already started on the challah. (Believe me I’ve been tempted to steal a piece or two and managed to restrict myself to one little one under the pretext that I had to see exactly how it came out. One of the most perfect ones I’ve ever made!)

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to leave him for more than a few days so it helps to leave behind what feels like a piece of myself. Bread is just that way.

From the kitchen of Rose on 04.11.07 at 9:08 AM in Travel Adventures
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Happy 80/81 Birthday Dear Chef Bocuse

When I read today’s tribute to Paul Bocuse in the New York Times, which mentioned how his name is known all over the world, it made me think of a very funny and delightful story which proved the reverse in his very own backyard!

About 16 years ago, I invited my brother to visit my friends the Daquin’s in Auch (Gascony). The plan was to continue on to Lyon where I wanted to read the Bernachon’s the introduction I had written to the revision/translation of their book “A Passion for Chocolate,” and then enjoy dinner chez their Bocuse in-laws .

The weather was bad the day of our departure and the inter-airplanes were delayed in their departure. I knew we would have to make a later reservation at the restaurant and dashed for the phone. A long line had already formed and I, at the head of it, was responsible for holding it up significantly. This is because when I called Lyon information, to my absolute astonishment, the operator had no idea who Paul Bocuse was and couldn’t find the number for the restaurant. Finally the gentleman behind me in outraged and indignant disgust asked for the phone and nearly screamed into it: “Madame—this woman has come all the way from America to eat at this chef’s restaurant and VOUS, you—a French woman living in the same town as this restaurant has never even heard of it. For shame!” Clearly national pride was at stake here. No one on the line objected to our taking the time to deal with this issue--if anything, there was a murmur of assent. Somehow the operator was motivated to come up with the number, I made the reservation for an hour and a half later, and had my second memorable meal Chez Bocuse with an unforgettable story to tell on the side.

I've had many reasons to be thankful for my ability to speak French--but never more than to have been able to enjoy this rare and amusing exchange!

From the kitchen of Rose on 02.14.07 at 2:43 PM in Travel Adventures
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I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but almost did. October 17, 2006 Elliott was recovering from hip replacement surgery and not driving and I was recovering from sympathy back pains with four bulging discs. There was no way either of us could drive to New Jersey. But the ever gracious and generous Knowles sent a car for us so we got to participate in this unforgettable event that I’ve been wanting to post but have been waiting for some very special photos and for the courage to do it full justice.

My connection to the Manor goes a long way back to when my then 92 year old grandmother had her wedding ceremony there. (She married a younger man of 89!) It was a very intimate celebration so I wasn’t actually included, but only a few years later I had the good fortune to meet the owner of The Manor Harry Knowles, the family patriarch of the 6 generation restaurant family, at an event of the Chaine de Rotisseurs. And when the Cake Bible was published over 18 years ago, it was Harry who hosted the first press party for it at the Manor. By the time the Pie and Pastry Bible was published I had celebrated several more of my book publication parties at the Manor. And the incomparable Mary Jane Frankel, who is responsible for all the publicity including their publication “Manorisms,” always did a fantastic job rounding up all the local press and organizing the events.

At our first dinner at The Manor Elliott and I enjoyed a tour of the kitchens and we were both awed by this Utopia that addressed every possible comfort and indulgence not just for the guests but also for the staff. I had never before nor since seen a kitchen that had carpeting to make it easier underfoot. When I asked Harry how they maintained it he said “we just tear it up and replace it whenever necessary. It’s worth it because it makes the staff happy.” The pastry chef had a separate air-conditioned kitchen all to himself (believe me this is not the usual case—pastry chefs are usually relegated to the bowls of the restaurant where it is the most hot or an equally hot corner of the kitchen.) We learned that the Manor even has it’s own metal shop which produces and repairs all the copper cookware. And Elliott rejoiced over the substantial dining room chairs with arms which add so much to comfort for dining pleasure.

Continue reading "The Manor’s 50th Anniversary Celebration" »

From the kitchen of Rose on 12.18.06 at 8:42 AM in Travel Adventures
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This is a photo I will always cherish of my new editor Pam Chirls's family's first visit to my house in Hope. They asked for a cake baking lesson and here are the proud results of their just having unmolded a chocolate cake baked in Lékué silicone molds designed with children in mind (though I adore the cute shapes as well).

Since cakes baked in silicone need to cool completely before unmolding, it makes it ideal for kids as it eliminates the danger of burns from hot pans!

Allix and twin Julia are in the back and Isabelle is the one holding the little loaf cake. We also had a cake tasting of Gateau Breton and they were all amazingly helpful comparing the salt version with the no salt.

The best part is that after taking the cakes home, they cherished every crumb making the little cakes last several days and now want to bake their own. This is what every lesson hopes to inspire!

But I suspect that what they'll remember best of all is the big black bear we encountered on a drive through the back roads. Happily we were all in the car at the time. We wanted to take a photo but he moved far too quickly and all we saw was as Allix remarked "his butt," to which I added: "yes—his bear butt."

From the kitchen of Rose on 08.29.06 at 1:28 PM in Travel Adventures
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This is the view of the Delaware River and the Gap as seen from atop the old trestle bridge spanning the Delaware between Columbia, NJ and Portland Pa. Most of the bridges between NJ and PA up here are closed due to flooding. I've never seen the Delaware so high, cresting way over the banks, or so quickly flowing/raging it’s way to the ocean. I’ve always wanted to climb the trestle aqueduct bridge and finally here was my excuse!

From the kitchen of Rose on 07.03.06 at 3:14 PM in Travel Adventures
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People often ask if I love to travel since I seem to be doing more and more of it these days. The real answer is that I am torn between the adventure/discovery of visiting other places and the comfort of being home. There never seems to be enough time to synthesize all the experiences from each trip. And I’m never happier than when sitting on the back porch in Hope (as I am doing now) listening to the birds and watching the spring-time new bright green leaves dancing in the breezy sunlight.

But just two weeks ago, I attended the annual Swiss press luncheon, this year at 11 Madison, and it rekindled my wanderlust all over again. I’ve loved the idea of Switzerland since childhood: Heidi and the alps stirred a longing in this New York skyscraper-landscaped child’s heart. I don’t remember when chocolate entered the picture but once it did, the result was at least eight “research” trips to this glorious country. I’ve enjoyed hiking through the alps, visiting the Jung Fraujoch, eating the entire contents of a wooden trencher filled with the best triple creme I’ve ever experienced, in the mountains of Gruyere. I’ve eaten chocolate in every canton of Switzerland, tasted the fabulous buttery Engandine Nut Torte in the Engandine Valley near Klosters, drunk amazing white and red wines including Dezaley, and Rubro, Merlot de Ticino; eaten white and black truffles in the same meal, weighed out on an antique balance scale before shaving over the pasta, and astonishingly tender but flavorful wild boar from the forests outside of Berne. In short, I’ve had a secret love affair with Switzerland for many years now and I’m ready to come clean and share some of the joy.

I’ve been proclaiming from the rooftops tops that as soon as I return from Slohomish to visit the family in June I’m staying put until Fall. But that was before I was tempted by photos of the Glacier Express (see www.graubuenden.ch) which travels 7 1/2 hours over 91 bridges from the high Alpine regions of St. Moritz, Davos, Zermott, with unparalleled views of the Matterhorn, past the fortresses and castles of the Domleschg, through the Rhine Gorge--the Swiss Grand Canyon and then to source of the Rhine River. Count me in—or should I say on! I have just one problem: The moment I’m in a moving object I tend to fall asleep. I just have to find out if this spectacular scenery will prove the exception.

While watching slides of the beautiful regions of Switzerland we were treated to a lovely lunch prepared by the newly arrived executive Swiss Chef Daniel Humm. It was appropriately light but exquisitely flavorful. The first course was tiny index-finger-sized columns of roasted beets, follwed by moist and deilicious Atlantic wild halibut with hon shimeji mushrooms and tiny new asparagus in a vin jaune sauce. And the Passion fruit meringue tart with macademia pralines and toasted coconut ice cream, prepared by the very talented pastry chef Nicole Kaplan was among the most exquisite desserts I’ve ever tasted anywhere.

From the kitchen of Rose on 05.10.06 at 4:35 PM in Travel Adventures
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I’ve finally discovered why writing a negative review is so much easier than the reverse. There’s a certain drama to it. I don’t like sounding negative but I like still less feeling negative. So here goes—at least on the positive side I’ll get it out of my system and perhaps you will be forewarned of what to expect should you chose to plan a trip to this area:

I really was expecting to enjoy the experience. Last time in the Bahamas—about 10 years ago—it was a lot of fun but then we didn’t stay in a humongous amusement park type of hotel like the Atlantis (it should have stayed mythically submerged under seas), nor was it Spring break, nor was the weather stormy every single day making swimming in the ocean impossible. This didn’t seem to stop people from crowding around the many swimming pools but I suspect they were using extra towels to keep warm as there never seemed to be any available by the time my husband was finished with his morning seminars and ready to give the pool experience a chance. There weren’t enough lounge chairs either—not that I like lying around a crowded pool. I guess I was hoping for a secluded beach with the shade of a palm tree and gentle breezes transporting me into a dreamy state, rather than the gales of wailing wind and rain that made me start thinking tsunami one night. The security alarm going off for 10 minutes in the middle of the night for no explained reason didn’t help to assuage my sense of panic and unease.

Our room had a splendid view of the raging ocean and hypnotically staring out to sea was my favorite and most relaxing part of the trip. Unfortunately wireless internet access was available only in the library ($10 for 24 hours no less). Other than the room, this was the one place that was mostly quiet. Everywhere else I don’t think I’ve ever heard this many screaming kids at one time.

[Read about the rest of Rose's trip on the full post page.]

Continue reading "It’s Batter in the Bahamas!" »

From the kitchen of Rose on 04.24.06 at 4:23 PM in Travel Adventures
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on the recent visit to seattle, for the iacp conference, i had the pleasure of having dinner with my family who live in nearby slohomish. my stepson chose a new restaurant called the crow and we were joined by my dear friend elizabeth karmel (her new book: "taming the flame"--john wiley). all four of us grownups chose the halibut that turned out to be moist and flavorful--in fact the best halibut i've ever tasted. the grandchildren had their usual spaghetti with butter and cheese. but they did ask to smell the cabernet cork. here's evidence:

From the kitchen of Rose on 04.19.06 at 3:27 PM in Travel Adventures
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