Daylily Tarragon Chicken Salad

As I was looking at my daughter's vacation pictures from Cambodia on Facebook, my friend Debbie (another stew) called with a great idea. She just had a luncheon of lobster salad nestled inside colorful day lilies. She scooped up the lobster with the daylily petals, eating lobster salad and petal together. This sounded like a pretty and pretty unusual presentation. I did some research here and found that daylilies are not only edible, but have a long history in Chinese medicine and cuisine. I have a daylily bed with a wide variation in color and blooming time. I love the pinks, corals and purple all combined together, but today I was inspired by the golden and deep orange of the Cambodian Buddhist Monk's robe. The common orange daylily looked exotic as it enshrined the Tarragon Chicken Salad I made to go in it. It made me think of my daughter as she lives half way around the world, teaching art and learning about other cultures. Wanderlust seems to run in the family! Use your imagination and be inspired by your own daylilies and life to make this platter of happiness.
Tarragon Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into 1/4 inch cube
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup champagne grapes (you may use larger grapes, just cut them in half)

In a medium bowl, mix chicken, mayonnaise, and tarragon together. Salt and pepper to taste and fold in the grapes.

Serves 4.

To use a daylily to fill with chicken salad, remove the stamen and pistil. Lightly rinse the flower and shake any excess water out, before filling.

Tarragon Chicken Salad recipe (pdf)

Thanks Debbie and Sam for the inspiration!

Happy Birthday, Julia!

As a young wife and mother I began cooking meals on a regular basis. My earlier vagabond traveling lifestyle allowed for experimentation in many food fads. However, my Julia Child cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” traveled from the east coast to the west coast and back again. Along with a few other treasures packed in cardboard boxes, it was jammed into my yellow VW bug for the journey. Once settled into our stable household, it became a regular source for my cooking. My young daughter loved cheese souffle, quiche with ham and leeks and Boeuf Bourguignon. My son preferred chocolate mousse and classic roasted chicken with herb de Provence to any more complex French concoctions. The first flourless chocolate cake I made came from Julia Child. And Steak Diane...well, it had my name all over it! I watched Julia Child on PBS as she came to us from 15 miles away through the airwaves. It was real and alive with her singsong voice and exuberant ways. She drop kicked perfection out of the door, and invited in fun with her rich butter and cream filled meals.

In honor of her birthday, I thought I’d make her Chocolate Mousse. I knew I’d have plenty of teenage boy's mouths willing to celebrate her day. In many French restaurants, Chocolate Mousse is often served alongside a Mother Bowl to spoon this light confection from. I think next time I’ll have to make a larger bowl!

Chocolate Mousse
(Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck)

4 egg yolks
¾ cups superfine sugar
¼ cup orange liqueur

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 tablespoons strong coffee
6 ounces softened unsalted butter
Optional: ¼ cup orange zest, very finely grated

4 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

In a 3 qt. mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is thick, pale yellow, and falls back upon itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon. Beat in the orange liqueur. Then set mixing bowl over a pan of not-quite-simmering water and continue beating for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is foamy and too hot for your finger. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Then beat over cold water for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is cool and again forms the ribbon. It will have the consistency of mayonnaise.

Melt the chocolate with coffee over hot water. Remove from heat and beat in the butter a bit at a time, to make smooth a cream. Beat the chocolate into the egg yolks and sugar, then beat in the optional orange zest.

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed. Add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir one fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, and then fold in the rest, being careful not to deflate the mixture. Turn into dessert cups and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Bring to room temperature before serving. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Makes about 5 cups, serving 6-8 people.

Happy Birthday, Julia! Thanks for the memories.
Chocolate Mousse recipe (pdf)

Back at home...Mushroom Cheese Crepes

Crepes are such a versatile food with their velvety suppleness. They can be street food, an every day meal or dressed up for a formal occasion, all depending on the filling and topping. On chilly days in Paris, I love to get a freshly made, hot crepe as I walk around. It warms the hands and the tummy. In the summer, it is quick dining al fresco. And sometimes after a meal I don't have room for a large dessert, but during the walk back to the hotel, a dark chocolate or Nutella crepe fills in the gap. The performance of the street crepe maker as they swirl the batter to the hot edges of the pan and add each requested ingredient, is just as fulfilling as the crepe itself. One of my favorite savory crepes, that you can't get on the street, is filled with buttery gruyère cheese and an assortment of sauteed mushrooms. Adding a brandy cream sauce and some fresh thyme makes it just that much richer and more special. I made this for lunch the other day with a small green salad and still had a few leftover crepes for dessert....the sweet rendition will be left for another time, though. For now, the savory.....

Mushroom Cheese Crepes

Crepe Batter

1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
pinch of salt
Butter, for the pan

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour to rest. The batter will keep for up to 2 days.

Heat a medium crepe pan or non-stick pan over medium heat. Add just enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook until the crepe starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and is lightly brown on the underside. Turn over using a spatula, and cook until lightly brown on the other side. Put on a plate to cool and then you may stack them. Continue making the crepes until all of the batter is gone. Crepes can be made in advance and either refrigerated or frozen, before filling.

Mushroom Cheese Crepe Filling

8 ounces sliced Baby Bella mushrooms*
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brandy
3 tablespoons light cream**
sea salt and pepper to taste

1 1/3 cups shredded gruyère cheese

*you may use any assortment of mushrooms you like. I used a combination of Baby Bella, shitaki, chanterelle, dried portabella (soaked in water) and blue foot mushrooms.** If you want more cream sauce, just add another 3 tablespoons cream.

In a medium saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute mushrooms, shallots, and thyme until the mushrooms are cooked and the shallot is translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the brandy and cream and continue stirring until the cream is hot. Salt and pepper to taste.

Take a crepe and reheat in crepe pan. Add 1/3 cup shredded gruyère cheese on crepe and one fourth of the warm mushroom mixture. Heat until cheese melts. Fold into thirds, remove from pan and serve. Serves 4.

Mushroom Cheese Crepe recipe (pdf)

Books, Shakespeare And Lunch

Looking for old or used books the old fashioned way can wear out a lot of shoe leather, but is way more interesting than computer searches. Hoping to discover a series of Ansel Adams photography books while in Paris, brought me to several bookshops I regularly go to. It was a long shot, but all about the journey. First I needed a little lunch for the way. Walking through Paris' Latin Quarter, there are many choices. A crêpe made to order and filled with warm, melted Gruyere cheese is a favorite. It is street food at it's finest. Now, I could get down to business in this lively quartier. The area of students and universities, gets its name from the Latin language speaking students from the Middle Ages. There is still a learning atmosphere with bookstores that cater to the international student. I first stopped at the bookshop, Gilbert Jeune, with no luck at finding my books. Walking along the Seine and past les bookinistes stalls, I looked quickly at what was displayed beyond the postcards. There was a lot of photography, but no Ansel Adams books to be seen. Whoa.....so much for French fashion here! And why are the photographer and journalists signs posted with the toillette sign??? Onward I went to reach Shakespeare and Company, the English speaking bookshop with roots back to the original owner, Sylvia Beach. The store was often visited by Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, George Antheil, Man Ray, James Joyce, and the Beat Poets of the 50's. I have been coming here for years and have often gone to the Sunday poetry readings and tea in the upstairs room. The bookshop welcomes young writers and students, and offers a place to study and even sleep if needed. (I think I am too much of a germ freak to do that!) You're just expected to give back by working a little in the store. I don't think anyone has ever been on the organizing shift, though! There is a place to stop, sit and read in every dusty nook, cranny and eave of this bohemian store. I was tempted to drag that comfy green chair over to the open window and sit a spell. Even though there were no Ansel Adams books (I think!) among stacks and stacks of books here, the ongoing dedication to the learned soul permeates from every creak in the ancient floor. Ah...if walls (and books) could talk!

Summer Pudding...Drunken and Stoned

My friend Babby, has nurtured an herb, flower and berry farm for many years. She sells her small crops at the local farmer's market and I was lucky enough to get her last container of redcurrants this past week. Now at mid season, her surplus is winding down. It has been a passion of hers for years. I've never used redcurrants, but Babby had a copy of a Summer Pudding recipe that she highly recommended. Of course I had to tweak it, but making sure not to deviate from what the English might do. Traditional English Summer Pudding calls for tart currants and sweet berries and can also include stone fruit, such as cherries. Since I literally cannot eat enough cherries when they are in season, I added them into the pudding. To kick up the currant flavor I put in a splash of Crème de Cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur. So...drunken and stoned it became! This is such an easy do ahead dessert with minimal cooking. It is also versatile and makes an elegant or casual presentation, depending on the feel of your menu. It is heavenly served with very lightly sweetened whipped cream, or crème fraîche and an extra splash of Crème de Cassis on top (if the kids aren't around!).

Summer Pudding

1/2 cup red currants*
1 1/2 cup raspberries*
1 1/2 cup blackberries*
1/2 cup cherries*
1/3-1/2 cup sugar, to taste
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon Crème de Cassis
about 6-8 thinly sliced brioche, challah or golden white bread, crusts removed

*You may use any combination of berries and stone fruit that are in season or that you prefer. Red fruits produce the rich red juice that is needed.

You'll need a buttered 4 cup pudding basin or dome shaped bowl and a saucer that just smaller than the top of the bowl.

Separate the currants from their stalks by holding the tip of each stalk firmly between finger and thumb and sliding it between the prongs of a fork, pushing the fork downwards, so pulling off the berries as it goes. Lightly rinse all fruits and place with the sugar, lemon zest and Crème de Cassis in a non-aluminum saucepan. Cook over medium heat until juices begin to run, and the sugar melts. This will be about 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and pour through a sieve, saving the juices.Cut 2 circles from the bread, one to fit the bottom of the bowl and one to fit the top. Cut the remaining slices into triangles. Quickly dip both sides of the smaller circle of bread into the juices and put into the bottom of the bowl. Continue lining the bowl with the triangles, dipping into the juices as you go. Overlap and press bread to seal as you go, leaving no gaps. Add the fruit into the bread lined bowl and drizzle juice along the sides to ensure that all bread is soaked. Top with the juice soaked larger circle, and put the small saucer on top to press down. Place a weight, such as a large can on top of the saucer. Refrigerate overnight or at least 12 hours.

Reserve remaining juice to serve with the pudding.

To serve, run a thin knife or spatula along the sides to loosen and invert onto a serving plate. Garnish with mint and flowers. Cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche and reserved juices.

Serves 4-6.

Written and photographed by Diane.

Summer Pudding recipe (pdf)