A Grand Day In Paris

A group of us decided to go see the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Grand Palais in Paris, and then have dinner at Le Grand Colbert....it would be a Grand day! The metro ride to the Champs-Elysee-Clemenceau stop was quick and upon exiting I wondered if going to the museum on such a beautiful day was the best thing to do. But...committed, as we entered the reflective entry, I was drawn in. I have never been a big Andy Warhol fan, but am interested in all art, and how the art evolved with the artist, current events of the time and history. I lived in NYC when Andy Warhol was a mainstay of the "Studio 54" disco crowd and saw his Pop Art portraits of the rich and famous continually turned out. Warhol once remarked that he wanted all his portraits to fit together and make one big painting called "Portraits of Society". Looking at them in this exhibit brings his vision to light. Most know Warhol from his Campbell Soup Can painting. The Pop Art movement had it's west coast debut with this exhibit, and he continued with this style in his portraits. The Marilyn Monroe


and Jackie Kennedy portraits

are probably the most notable. Portraits are a page in history and artists styles are a reflection of the mood of the time. In many ways his style was the Grand Daddy of Photoshop. Paris' Grand Palais added weight and grandeur to this exhibit. After absorbing it all, we descended the marble stairway to leave, and the palatial windows framed the view as yet another work of art. Once back outside in the late afternoon sun, we shopped a little and then walked down the Rue de Rivoli to have a glass of wine at Cafe Marly, overlooking the Pyramids of the Louvre. It is an outdoor resting spot for many that is away from street traffic and has a view that changes with the light and the people of the world. We had a 7:30 reservation for dinner, which is early for Parisians, but perfect for us. The short walk to Le Grand Colbert, took us through the gardens of the Palais Royal with it's blooming roses and pruned tree lined path. Le Grand Colbert had a starring role in the movie, "Something's Gotta Give", with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves. It is a classic French brasserie with a warm, romantic elegance and service that was friendly and very attentive, even as the restaurant filled up....and did I mention the cute waiters? Sorry, no pics, you'll have to imagine! After appetizers of smoked salmon with a delicate herb goat cheese, and frogs legs, we dined on gigot of lamb with potato dauphinois, roast duck and carpaccio of beef. All were delicious except the tasteless frogs legs...give those legs back to the frogs! The chef owes them an apology. I dipped my crusty roll into the best part....the remaining garlic flavored oil. All in all, hardly a crumb was left and feeling just a little too satisfied to order dessert, we decided to walk back and have gelato in the Latin Quarter. That brought us back past the Louvre as the late setting evening sun was coming through the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and spotlighting the museum with light and shadow. Oh those French, the masters of architecture...you know they planned it that way! Crossing the Seine to the Saturday night activities in the Latin Quarter, we ordered gelato at our regular spot. As the flower shaped creations started to drip in the warm evening air, we eagerly munched away before a picture was taken. Some things just can't wait. And yes, it was indeed a Grand Day in Paris.

Written and photographed by Diane.

The Lure Of The Sea and Lobster Rolls

Yesterday morning had that summery feel to it. The temperature was warm and the air was slightly moist with the salt of the sea and had the scent of the emerging surf. I went for a walk (with my camera, of course!) and ran into Joe, a local fisherman. He leads a Thoreau like life by the sea. In between fishing and lobstering and keeping an eye on the dock, he makes lobster trap coffee tables that are works of art. We chatted for a while by the landing and then he got into his dingy and rowed out to his lobster boat Bertha, to start his day. I then wandered over to a friends house and still having the thought of lobsters wafting through my head, we made a plan to get some from Joe and make lobster rolls. I had the easy job of getting the rolls and my friend would arrange to get the lobsters from Joe. Since we are too squeamish, chicken, or want to step away from that "dropping live lobsters into boiling water" part of the process, Joe cooked them for us, too. What a man! Sunday morning he walked over with a pot full of bright, orange red cooked lobsters(I still felt guilty looking at those accusing eyes). Five of us donned aprons, and armed with lobster crackers and picks we filled a pretty good sized bowl with sweet tender lobster meat. The traditional New England Lobster Roll is lobster meat mixed with just a little mayonnaise and stuffed inside a top cut, hot dog bun that has been toasted in butter. Breaking away from the traditional boring hot dog bun, I used brioche buns that are a little richer, without overpowering the lobster. We took a vote and also added a squeeze of lemon and some fresh tarragon picked straight from the herb garden. We were careful not to gussy it up too much and deviate from it's natural simplicity. Less is more here. The old adage that "many hands make light work" was true, as we were soon spooning the lobster into the toasted rolls. After the platter was full, we sat down to my friend's table overlooking the sea and local boats, and whiled away the afternoon dining, chatting and reflecting on how blessed we all are.
Written and photographed by Diane.

Pretty in Pink Peony Cake

Every year when peonies come into their fragrant glory, a friend brings by an armload full of some of the most beautiful varieties from his farm. Each one has its own personality and color, and all have a sweet and feminine aroma that fills the air. Like a summery floral chintz, they make me happy to just look at them. This year I wanted to thank him and his wife by making a cake. I just happened to be making cupcakes for my neighbors high school graduation party and so I split the recipe, making a small 6 inch cake and 2 dozen mini cupcakes. My graduating neighbor loves chocolate nut toffee crunch (she's very smart...move her to the top of the class!), so I crushed some and mixed it into chocolate ganache and added it to the filling of the cake. The little cupcakes had their chocolate treasure hidden under a slice on top and were crowned with a meringue frosting. As you bite into the lightly sweet cloud of meringue frosting, the cake is tender and moist. And with the chocolate toffee ganache surprise in the center, you'll need a chair to sink into as you lick your spoon clean. The combination works so well together, that after the last taste, you'll be left dreaming for more. Sweet Dreams!For the cake batter, I used Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake recipe poured into a 6x3 inch round pan and the rest into a lined mini cupcake tin. After the cake was baked and cooled, I cut it in half horizontally and put in on a serving plate. I then put a layer of ganache on top of the lower layer and spread it into a generous filling.Then I added the top layer and frosted with the Meringue Frosting. Just like a prom date awaiting her corsage, a pretty pink peony from my friends garden was the only decoration needed.
Chocolate Toffee Crunch Ganache

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 3-4 ounces crushed chocolate toffee/nut candy, such as Heath Bar.
I used Trader Joe's, Dark Chocolate Roasted Pistachio Toffee.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the optional candy until coarsely chopped and remove. Break up the chocolate into the bowl of the food processor and process until fine. Heat the cream until just before the boiling point, and pour into the feed tube while processing. Process until just smooth and creamy, and then add the vanilla and pulse a few times to blend. Pour into a medium bowl and let come to room temperature and then fold in the crushed candy mixture. Refrigerate until it thickens enough to spread. If made ahead of time, let come to room temperature before using.

Makes about 2 cups.

Store at room temperature 1 day, 1 week refrigerated and 3 months frozen.

Written and photographed by Diane.

Hershey's Chocolate Cake recipe (pdf)
Meringue Frosting recipe (pdf)
Chocolate Toffee Crunch Ganache recipe (pdf)

Watermelon Feta Summer Salad With Basil

I bought a seedless watermelon last week that has turned into the gift that keeps on giving. We've eaten slices on the patio on warm afternoons, had chunks of the sweet rosy fruit as snacks and had small bowls of it with breakfast. Today I made a salad of watermelon, feta cheese and thin sliced red onion. Wanting a little more with it, I made a green salad of arugula dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and topped it with the watermelon salad mixture. I went out to my herb garden and snipped some fresh basil leaves to slice and scatter on top. It was light, refreshing and healthy...the perfect summer combination. The saltiness of the feta and sweetness of the watermelon lead the chorus of this delightful combo.

Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil and Red Onion

3 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup feta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 slices red onion, thinly sliced
4 handfuls baby arugula
15 large basil leaves, thinly sliced

For the vinaigrette:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Whisk the balsamic vinegar into the olive oil until emulsified, and set aside.Arrange the arugula onto 4 separate plates. Top with the watermelon, feta cheese, red onion slices and sliced basil. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salads, garnish with basil sprigs and serve.

Serves 4. Written and photographed by Diane.

Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil and Red Onion recipe (pdf)

Cherry Oat Scones With Almond Glaze

When Pam (the other stew), came last month with her daughter to look at some Boston colleges, I tried to make their quick visit comfortable. The weather was unseasonably warm, well actually hot, so we had the luxury of having breakfast on the patio. Not bad for April in Boston. I thought I'd take Pam's Maple Oat Scone recipe and change it somewhat by using honey instead of maple syrup and adding dried cherries. Since almonds and cherries seem to be a match made in cherry heaven, I made an almond glaze to go on top. They were really very good, but as I've made them a few times again, I realized how small changes affect the overall taste. The next time I made them, I made the circle of dough 9 inches instead of 7. That made them too dry. The wetness of the dough also seems to be fickle. Maybe one egg is a little bigger than another or maybe the air is really damp...or maybe the moon must be in your seventh house and Jupiter aligned with Mars...I don't know. I do know that too much flour added and overworking the dough will make the scones heavier. I also toasted the oats a little too much one time and didn't like the flavor. Don't be scared away though...these are tips to the process of getting it just right. A lighter scone is achieved with a stickier dough and getting the perfect balance comes with adding more or less flour, as you go. I make them totally in the food processor, so they really are a snap to make and "nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the oven!"

Cherry Oat Scones

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/3-1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup oat bran flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup dried and pitted tart Montmorency cherries

*you may substitute all purpose flour, if you can't find oat bran flour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread oats on a sheet pan and toast in the oven until fragrant and lightly colored, about 5-8 minutes. Make sure they don't brown.Set aside to cool. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the toasted oats.

Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Whisk the milk, honey and egg together until well blended and set aside. Place the flour, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Add the butter to the bowl and pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Add the milk, honey and egg mixture and pulse to blend. Add the toasted oats (leaving out reserved 3 tablespoons), and pulse until just mixed. At this point, add just a little flour at a time if the dough is too sticky to handle, or more milk if too dry. Add the cherries and pulse 1-2 times just to mix in.

Dust a work surface with the reserved oats and flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and pat dough into a 7 inch round disc. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer them to the parchment lined baking sheet and separate slightly. Bake until golden, but not brown, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack and then drizzle on the Almond Glaze. Serve warm.

Serves 8.

These are best eaten the day they are made. If storing, place in an airtight container or freeze.

Almond Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1-2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Add almond extract to the powdered sugar. Add milk a little at a time until a the glaze becomes thin enough to spoon, but not runny. Add almonds and drizzle onto scones.


Served warm from the oven, they are a cheery cherry way to start your morning!
Written and photographed by Diane.

Cherry Oat Scone with Almond Glaze recipe (pdf)