The San Frenchiscan - Cooking blog

January 22, 2012

Right after the New Year, there is a tradition in France to enjoy some “Galette des Rois” (literally “the flat pastry cake of the Kings”), to celebrate de festival of Epiphany. This cake, contain a small bean (aka “feve”) inside, and the person who find it get to wear a paper crown.

So since we are right in the season of Epiphany, I’m sharing with you my recipe of this cake.

If you buy the puff pastry (which I highly recommend) it’s become a relatively easy cake to make. I like enjoying it with a bit of hazelnut spread. Yum :-)

Cedric’s “Galette des Rois”
Make 8-10 servings

Ingredients

- 125 g of butter
- 140 g of finely ground almonds
- 125 g of sugar
- 2 9 inches frozen puff pasty
- 3 eggs
- a pinch of sea salt
- 1 drop of almond extract
- 1 table spoon confectioner’s sugar

Main cookwares and baking utensils

- 1 9 inches baking pan
- 1 medium size non reactive bowl
- 1 16 inches pizza pan

Preparing the batter

- Melt the butter in a bowl
- In the bowl, mix together the almonds, sugar and salt.
- Stir with a whisk and then add the butter. Mix until smooth.
- Add the almond extract and 2 eggs.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Assembling the cake

- Preheat the oven at 360 degrees Fahrenheit
- Remove the puff pastry from the freezer. Usually you need to let it thawn for about 10 minutes (or following the package instructions if different)
- Mix the egg yolk with one table spoon of water until smooth.
- Place one puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper on top of your baking pan
- Spread about 1/3 of the egg yolk mixter to cover the outter rim (width: ~ 1 inch) of the puff pastry. Make sure not to go over the edge of the dough or it will prevent the cake to rise correctly.
- Add the mixture in the middle of the dough, leaving the outter rim clear.
- (Optional) Add your bean/”feve” somewhere inside the spread (avoid the center)
- Put the second puff pastry on top of the first one and make sure the edge are stick together.
- Take a knife and draw a pattern (flower, sun…) that you like on your cake. This will add a nice finish to your creation
- Brush the remaining egg yolk mixture on the of the cake, again make sure not to cover the edge of the cake, or it will prevent it to rise correctly.

Cooking the King cake

- Bake for 35 minutes
- 1 minute before it’s done, mix together 1 table spoon of boiling water with 1 table spood of confectioner’s sugar, then take the cake out from the over and spread the mixture on top of the cake.
- Put the cake back for a few minutes. Finally turn on the broil of your oven and put the tostada on the upper rack, until you get the finish you like.

Cedric’s tips

- Since puff pastry take a lot of time to make at home, I do recommend that you get it from your favorite supermarket. I got mine at Whole Foods for about $10 (“French Picnic”).
- This cake hold very well in the freezer.

Serving suggestions

- For the best result, always save this cake warm
- I do recommend to pair this cake with some Dry Apple cider.

Bon appétit!
Cédric

1 week ago

June 9, 2011

During a trip to Arizona this month I enjoyed a nice day at a Spa in Scottsdale. For lunch I’ve tried the Tostada item that was feature by their Cafe. This totally inspire me to give it a shot at home.

I think this is a great, easy to make and very well balanced. I’ve adapted the recipe to make it high in fibers, colorful and loaded with proteins.

Cedric’s “Spa” Tostada
Make 2 servings

Ingredients

- 2 whole wheat tortillas
- 1/2 can of black beans
- 1/2 box of mushroms
- 1/2 white onions
- Two handful of peppers (red, yellow, orange or even green!)
- Two handful of sweet corns
- Two handful of shredded mozzarella cheese
- salt & olive oil

Main cookwares and baking utensils

- 1 frying pan
- 1 small bowl
- 1 16 inches pizza pan

Preparation

- Preheat the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit
- Open the can of black beans. Remove water from the can.

Cooking the toppings

- In the frying pan, poor some olive oil and warm it up. When the olive oil is hot, add the slices onions, a bit a salf and cook the only slowly, until caramelized.
- Wash the mushrooms and slices them
- Add the mushrooms to the frying plan. Keep cooking everything slowing.
- Reserve the mixture in a small bowl.

Prepping the tostada

- Brush lightly both side of the tostada with olive oil
- Put the tostada at the bottom of the frying pan.
- Add an handful of corn, half the peppers and an handful of cheese.
- Keep on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to the pizza pan.
- Repete the steps above to build the second tostada

Cooking the tostada

- Bake for 5 minutes, then turn on the broil of your oven and put the tostada on the upper rack, until cheese is completely melted.

Cedric’s tips

- This recipe work well with frozen toppings, such as corns and peppers.

Serving suggestions

- Tostada go well with a side mixt green salad with a light vinaigrette. Perfect for the summer, isn’t it?

Bon appétit!
Cédric

7 months ago

May 8, 2011

Gateau Breton is a traditional butter cake which is crisp like a pastry around the outside edge. It is a popular cake from Bretagne region (a.k.a French Brittany).

I took inspiration for this recipe from one of my cooking book. The recipe below is less rich as the original recipe since it has little sugar and half of the butter. Moreover I’ve added almonds.

Cedric’s Gateau Breton
Make 9-12 servings

Ingredients

- 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
- 3/4 cup of superfine sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 2 sticks + 2 tablespoons of butter
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon of dark rum (or water)
- 1 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 3 table spoons of all-purpose flour
- 1 whole egg

Main cookwares and baking utensils

- 2 large bowl
- 1 9x2 (inches) non stick fluted tart pan
- 1 whisker

Preparation

- Preheat the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit
- Prepare the fluted tart pan by spreading butter (or baking spray) at the bottom.

Making the batter

Toast and grind the almonds by spreading them evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 5-10minutes. Ensure even toasting on both side and avoid over-browning. Remove from the oven and process the almonds with 1/4 cup of sugar.

Making the batter

- Mix remaining sugar and butter.
- Add the yolks one at a time.
- Add the almonds mixture, dark rhum, vanilla and mix until all ingredients are moistened.
- Add the flour in successive parts.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. It will rise about 3/4 inch above the top during baking.
- Glaze the top of the cake with the beaten egg
- Use the times of a fork to make a crosshatch of three long lines in two directions.

Baking the cake

- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes before unmolding and cool completely before serving.

Cedric’s tips

- To make sure you won’t have any trouble unfolding the cake, either go for a tart pan with removable bottom or be generous when spreading butter on the bottom of the pan.

Serving suggestions

- This cake go perfectly well by itself.
- When the cake become too dry (usually when keeping it more than a few days), I like having it with some Nutella. Total indulgence!

Bon appétit!
Cédric

8 months ago

April 15, 2011

I love Nutella! Especially spread on a piece of french bread that is still hot from the toaster and all crusty on the outside, soft on the inside and warm enough to gently melt the nutella.

So today I wanted to share something about my love for this yummy chocolate spread with a marble cake recipe you will hopefully appreciate as much as I do. Btw, it is relatively very easy to make ;)

Cedric’s Vanilla/Nutella marble cake
Make 8 servings

Ingredients

- 125 g of plain yogurt
- 175 g of sugar
- 210 g of flour
- 100 g of canola oil
- 85 g of Nutella
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar (~8 g)
- 15g of baking powder (or 1 pack of French “Levure alsacienne”)

Main cookwares and baking utensils

- 2 large bowl
- 1 8 inch pan
- 1 whisker

Preparation

- Preheat the oven at 380 degrees Fahrenheit
- Prepare the baking pan by spreading some baking spray (or butter) at the bottom.

Making the batter

- In one large bowl, mix the eggs
- Add the sugar, then the flour, the yeast and the salt.
- While keep mixing add the yogurt and then the oil.
- Divide half of the batter into the other bowl and mix it with the Nutella.

Baking the cake

- Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Cedric’s tips

- Watch this cake very carefully! If it cooked for too long it won’t be moist and will dry within a couple of days.

Serving suggestions

- This cake goes well with any kind of ice-cream. Vanilla is a classic option.

Bon appétit!
Cédric

9 months ago

March 20, 2011

“Mardi Gras” (Fat Tuesday) is a very popular Christian tradition in France that occurs between the month of February and March usually. During Mardi Gras people enjoy a very specific kind of doughnuts called Bugnes.

So to celebrate this tradition I am sharing with you the recipe as well as the technique to make those yummy pastries essentially made from sugar, fat and eggs.

Cedric’s Bugnes

Make 35-50 doughnuts

Ingredients

- 500 g of flour
- 500 g of sugar
- 100 g of butter
- 4 eggs
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar (~8 g)
- 8g of baking powder (or 1/2 packet of French “Levure alsacienne”)
- one bottle of canola oil

Main cookwares and baking utensils

- 1 large bowl
- 1 rolling pin
- 1 frying pan
- 1 serving dish

Making the dough

1) Beat the eggs in the bowl. Add melted butter, sugars and yeast.
2) Add the flour little by little until you get a dough that don’t stick and that you easily spread.

Making the doughnuts

3) With the rolling pin, take a slice of the dough and spread it to form a rectangle on a flat, floured surface.
4) Cut out stripes about 1 1/2” to 2” wide. Dive the strips into rectangles, approximately 4”
5) Twist the rectangles as follows:
a) With a knife, make a 1 1/2” long slit in the center of each rectangle, lengthwise
b) Take one of the rectangle’s small sides through the hole to shape some kind of bow. Great, this is one Bugne!

Cooking the doughnuts

6) Heat oil in a frying pan (oil should be about 1 1/2” deep) until boiling hot
7) Place a couple of Bugnes at a time in the oil. Be very careful! and make sure the doughnuts won’t touch each others.
8) After a few seconds, the Bugnes should come back up to the surface. Flip then once and after a few extra seconds, take them off the frying pan and place them into your final serving dish
9) Sprinkle icing sugar on top of the Bugnes once they have cooled.

Cedric’s tips

- If you don’t have vanilla sugar, you can substitute it with a few drops of vanilla extract in the batter, or even brown sugar.
- My mum loved orange flavor but I didn’t. So if you are like my her, feel free to add 1 table spoon of orange blossom water to the batter to give to your Bugnes this extra taste :-)

Bon appétit!
Cédric

10 months ago

February 14, 2011

As a French I like food and especially the one that my mom was used to cook when I was a kid. Those dishes were the yummiest I ever had in a my childhood.

Among her secrete receipe, quiche was one of my favorite. Quiche is a classic dish of French cuisine and here is my version of it, slightly adapted from her version.

Cedric’s Quiche
Make 6-7 servings

Ingredients

(for the dough)
- 150 g of flour
- 150 g of butter
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup of water

(for the batter)
- 3 eggs
- 2 table spoon of flour
- 1 cup of milk
- salt and pepper

(for the content of the quiche)
- 6 slices of breast turkey
- 2 zucchinis
- 8 oz of mushrooms

Main cookwares and baking utensils

- 1 large bowl
- 1 small bowl
- 1 rolling pin
- 1 11 inches pan

Preparing the dough

1) Beat one egg in the large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and the melted butter. Mix together. Add the flour. Mix ingredients together until getting the dough. Save in the fridge.

Tip: if the dough is too dry, add some water. If the dough is too sticky, add more water.

2) With the rolling pin, roll the dough on a flat surface to make a round shape. Add flour onto the dough if it become to sticky. Transfer the dough in the pan and adjust it to fit the pan.

3) Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cooking the toppings

Cut the zucchini, mushrooms and turkey in small pieces.
Heat some olive oil in the bottom of a skillet and add in the following order: zucchini, mushrooms and then the turkey. Cook for about 5 minutes between each addition. Save as as side

Making the batter

In a small bowl, beat 3 eggs Add two tablespoon of flour. Beat the mixture between each addition. Add a pinch of salt.

Assembling the quiche

Spread zucchinis, mushrooms and turkey at the bottom of the quiche. Spread the batter previously made on top on the toppings. Add about one cup of milk to cover everything

Baking the quiche

1) Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean

Serving suggestions

- This quiche goes well along with a simple salad.

Bon appétit!
Cédric

11 months ago

January 6, 2011

I’ve stopped by Mel’s dinner the other day after - as it was a late night and I was badly craving some food. I haven’t been in that chain for a long time since I’ve move in California so their menu look almost brand new to me. As I was browsing through their options, I’ve remembered having a good experience in another dinner with some Rye bread sandwich. So without too much hesitation I’ve ordered their Patty Melt.

O-M-G! The sandwich was awesome! It was so good that I wanted to make my own at home asap. So here is my updated version of the “Mel’s dinner” Patty Melt!

Cedric’s Patty Melt
Make 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

- 8 slices of turkey breast
- 8 slices of multi-seed bread (actually any kind of sliced bread should work fine)
- 8 slices of pre-sliced mozzarella cheese
- 1 onion
- butter, virgin olive oil, salt & pepper

Main cookwares and baking utensils

- 1 meat pan (non-stick)
- 1 medium cooking pan

Preparing the onions

- Heat a pan over medium-high heat with a bit of virgin olive oil at the bottom - Slice the onions and cook them until they got a slightly caramelized color
- Reserve

Making the sandwich

- Take 2 slices of bread and spread butter on once side of each slice - Heat the pan to medium temperature with nothing on it and once warm enough put each slice of bread on top of it, the buttery side facing the bottom of the meat pan.
- Add on top of one slice of bread the 2 slices of cheese and on the other slice the 2 slices of turkey.
- Add a few tablespoons of onions on top of the turkey.  - Cook for about 5 minutes (until the cheese start to melt)
- Then assemble the sandwich by putting the slide with the cheese on top of the other slice
- Cook until the bread start becoming crispy (for about another 5-10 minutes)
- During the process makes sure the pan is not too warmed otherwise you will burn the bread.
- Voila!

Note: Finding the optimal temperature of the meat pan might be too more tricky part of this recipe.

Serving suggestions
- Those sandwiches go along well with a nice salad.

Bon appétit!
Cédric

1 year ago

December 20, 2010

Note: The blog took a long (and unexpected) break in 2010, as this year got pretty busy for me. I did not got detoured from the kitchen but hopefully the lack of time took me away from this blog.

For this last month of 2010, just a week away from the holiday, I though about making another Christmassy dessert. This weekend I was craving chocolate. So I came back to something basic that I’ve tried a couple of time since I move in California but that actually never turned out the way I wanted. I’m talking about a marble cake.

Marble Velvet cake
Make 12-14 servings

Ingredients

- 85 grams of dark chocolate (~ 50-60% cacao)
- 6 large eggs yolks
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
- 300 grams (3 cups) of flour
- 300 grams (1.5 cups) of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 stick and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Main cookwares and baking ustencils

- An electric mixer (or a kitchen aid robot)
- A 9”” round baking pan about of about 4” deep
- 3 medium size bowls

Preparation

- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Prepare the baking pan by spreading some baking spray (or butter) at the bottom.

Step A: melt the chocolate

Put the chocolate sqares in a bowl and make them melt using a microwave. For me I’m putting in in the microwave on HIGH for 50 secs. Then I’m stirring them a bit and put them for another 40 secs before stirring them until completely melted.

Step B: mix the liquid ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks, 1/4 of the sour cream and the vanilla just until lightly combined.

Step C: make the batter

Melt the butter. (again the microwave is your friend!)
In another bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then add the butter and the remaining sour cream. Mix everything using the mixer for about a minute. Then add the egg mixture in three parts, beating on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition.
Remove 1/3 of the batter (350 grams) to a 3rd bowl and stir in the melted chocolate until uniform in color.
Spoon 1/3 of the remaining batter into the prepared pan. Top with dollops of half the chocolate batter. Top with another 1/3 of the plain batter and then with dollops of the remaining chocolate. Spread evenly and top with the remaining 1/3 of the plain batter, spreading it evenly over the top.
Using a tablespoon, marbleize the cake. The technique is the following: dip in the tablespoon, without touching the bottom or sides, and lift up and over in a folding motion, like the roll of a wave. Repeat this 6-8 times, going all around the pan. Then smooth the surface evenly.

Step D: Baking the cake

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean.
Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestions
- This dessert goes well along with a scoop of ice-cream.

Bon appétit!
Cédric

1 year ago

December 10, 2009

I think for most of us, December = Christmas. Since this is a blog written by a French cook (still amateur though :D), I think it will make sense to share with my readers another part of the french culture.

Today’s post will introduce you to the Buche de Noel (probably best knows as: Christmas Log in the US).

The Buche de Noel is the most popular dessert for Christmas in France. It is all about chocolate, celebration time and of course it is pretty good and tasty ;)

Even if this recipe is a bit long to prepare and require a few ustentils and a bit of practice, it worth the time! Your guest will definitely ask for more… so be prepared ;)

Cedric’s “Buche de Noel”
Make 12-16 servings

Ingredients
- 250 grams of butter
- 200 grams of chocolate (72% of cocoa is a must!)
- 8 eggs
- 150 grams of flour
- 150 grams of sugar

Main cookwares and baking ustencils
-    A baking sheet
-    A towel (to roll the cake)
- An electric mixer (for the egg whites)
-    A platter

Preparation

Preheat the oven at 400 °F.

Step A: making the chocolate paste

1. Combine the butter and chocolate in a bowl and melt them. You can use a micro wave.
2. Add two eggs yolks, mixed everything.
3. Save the chocolate paste in the fridge until Step C.

Step B: preparing the cooking pan

1. Take 6 eggs.
2. Divide the egg yolks from the whites.
3. Whisk the egg whites until they for stiff peaks.
4. Mix the yolks with the sugar and the butter.
5. Mix (carefully!) the egg whites with the previous dough.

Step C: Preparing the baking sheet

1. Spread the butter on the baking sheet, especially the edges.
2. Spread the dough of Step B into the baking sheet.
3. Put the baking sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the cake become golden.

Step D: Assembling the log

1. Turn the cake out of the pan.
2. Roll it in the tower once.
3. Unroll it and spread the chocolate paste (step A) on one side of the cake.
4. Roll the cake again but without the towel.
5. Slide the side of the roll and put once of them on the top of the roll.
6. Spread the rest of the chocolate paste to cover the cake completely with chocolate.

Serving suggestion
- This dessert goes along well with tangerine (or mandarine) for Christmas.
- For a very Christmassy look, spread sugar powder on top of the cake
- For an even more Christmassy look, add some small decorative figures on the cake.

Bon appétit!
Cédric

2 years ago

November 18, 2009

For the month of November I wanted to share with you a pizza recipe that is easy to prep, yummy and pretty well balanced.

Cedric’s “Veggie Pizza”
Make 6 servings

Ingredients
- 1 pizza crust (I like the 365 Organic Pizza Crust from Whole Foods)
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 pound of broccoli
- 2/3 pound of mushroom
- 2 zucchinis
- Mozzarella cheese
- Tomato paste
- Salt

Main cookware and baking ustencils
- 1 16 inches pizza pan
- 1 frying pan
- 1 saucepan

Preparation

Take out the crust from the freezer (if applicable).
Pre heat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Step A: the veggies

1. Poor water and salt in a saucepan. Bring to boil.
2. Slice then add the broccoli, reduce the heat and let them cook and become tender for 8-10 minutes.
3. Drain the broccoli and reserve them in a bowl.
4. Peel, slice and chopped the onion.
5. In the frying pan, poor some olive oil and warm it up. When the olive oil is hot, add the onion, a bit of salt and cook the onion m slowly (meaning on medium heat) until golden.
6. Wash the mushrooms and slice it.
7. Add the mushrooms to the frying pan. Keep cooking them slowly with the onions.
8. Wash, peel and slice the zucchinis.
9. Add the zucchinis to the frying pan. Keep cooking them slowly with the rest of the preparation until soft.

Step B: assembling the pizza

1. Spread a bit a olive oil on the crust.
2. Cover the crust with the tomato paste.
3. Spread the content of the frying span into the crust.
4. Add the broccoli.
5. Spread the cheese on top of the toppings.
6. Put in the over for about 13-15 minutes (check the cooking instruction of your crust if you are not using the one I’ve recommend). Make sure the cheese keep is texture and doesn’t burn.

Serving suggestion
- This pizza goes well along with a salad.

Cedric’s tip
- You can make the pizza very crispy if you keep in for 1 to 2 minutes in the oven, on the upper rack while turning the broil on. Make sure to watch it carefully as you don’t want the pizza to burn with the broiler.
- If you bake this pizza for your own, slice it, keep in warm in the oven and just take one slice at a time :-)

Bon appétit!
Cédric

2 years ago

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