This Page

has been moved to new address

I can't believe I forgot my camera.

Sorry for inconvenience...

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
/* Primary layout */ body { margin: 0; padding: 0; border: 0; text-align: left; color: #554; background: #692 url(http://www.blogblog.com/moto_son/outerwrap.gif) top center repeat-y; font: Trebuchet;serif } img { border: 0; display: block; } /* Wrapper */ #wrapper { margin: 0 auto; padding: 0; border: 0; width: 692px; text-align: seft; background: #fff url(http://www.blogblog.com/moto_son/innerwrap.gif) top right repeat-y; font-size:80%; } /* Header */ #blog-header { color: #ffe; background: #8b2 url(http://www.blogblog.com/moto_son/headbotborder.gif) bottom left repeat-x; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0 0 15px 0; border: 0; } #blog-header h1 { font-size: 24px; text-align: left; padding: 15px 20px 0 20px; margin: 0; background-image: url(http://www.blogblog.com/moto_son/topper.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-position: top left; } #blog-header p { font-size: 110%; text-align: left; padding: 3px 20px 10px 20px; margin: 0; line-height:140%; } /* Inner layout */ #content { padding: 0 20px; } #main { width: 400px; float: left; } #sidebar { width: 226px; float: right; } /* Bottom layout */ Blogroll Me! #footer { clear: left; margin: 0; padding: 0 20px; border: 0; text-align: left; border-top: 1px solid #f9f9f9; background-color: #fdfdfd; } #footer p { text-align: left; margin: 0; padding: 10px 0; font-size: x-small; background-color: transparent; color: #999; } /* Default links */ a:link, a:visited { font-weight : bold; text-decoration : none; color: #692; background: transparent; } a:hover { font-weight : bold; text-decoration : underline; color: #8b2; background: transparent; } a:active { font-weight : bold; text-decoration : none; color: #692; background: transparent; } /* Typography */ #main p, #sidebar p { line-height: 140%; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 1em; } .post-body { line-height: 140%; } h2, h3, h4, h5 { margin: 25px 0 0 0; padding: 0; } h2 { font-size: large; } h3.post-title { margin-top: 5px; font-size: medium; } ul { margin: 0 0 25px 0; } li { line-height: 160%; } #sidebar ul { padding-left: 10px; padding-top: 3px; } #sidebar ul li { list-style: disc url(http://www.blogblog.com/moto_son/diamond.gif) inside; vertical-align: top; padding: 0; margin: 0; } dl.profile-datablock { margin: 3px 0 5px 0; } dl.profile-datablock dd { line-height: 140%; } .profile-img {display:inline;} .profile-img img { float:left; margin:0 10px 5px 0; border:4px solid #8b2; } #comments { border: 0; border-top: 1px dashed #eed; margin: 10px 0 0 0; padding: 0; } #comments h3 { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: -10px; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px; } #comments dl dt { font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; margin-top: 35px; padding: 1px 0 0 18px; background: transparent url(http://www.blogblog.com/moto_son/commentbug.gif) top left no-repeat; color: #998; } #comments dl dd { padding: 0; margin: 0; } .deleted-comment { font-style:italic; color:gray; } .comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}

greenbanner

07 December 2005

I can't believe I forgot my camera.


David takes my photo!, originally uploaded by shaunaforce.

Okay, I'm so in love with David Lebovitz now. The man is hilarious, like David Sedaris hilarious, with a thousand tiny asides that made me squeak with laughter in the middle of his chocolate cooking class, sometimes too loudly. And then, oh my god, he knows how to cook everything with chocolate, including recipes without flour, just for me. Can you imagine how handy he would be to have around the house?

I'm in love.

Okay, okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. But seriously, you didn't meet the man. It's not just that he was the pastry chef at Chez Panisse for twelve years. (And even though I have never been there, someday, in my dreams, when I'm celebrating something really, really special, I'll fly down to Berkeley to eat at the restaurant, and smile hard all evening.) And it's not just that he wrote these gorgeous cookbooks full of spectacular desserts, especially Ripe for Dessert, which has juicy possiblities for those of us who can't eat gluten. And it's not even that he makes part of his living by giving chocolate tours of Paris. Sigh. It's just that he's so damned cool.

In the middle of his fabulous chocolate cooking class at Sur La Table on Monday, David pointed to me, then said, "Do you mind if I do this?" Well of course not. And then, like the mensch he is, David declared for everyone in the audience, "I'd like to point out the Gluten-free Girl. Shauna and I met online." Pause. Another beat. "We're going to be married on Sunday!" Oh goody! I get to marry David Lebovitz.

Seriously, though, it really moved me that he made a point of talking about food substitutions and working with those of us who can't eat gluten. Actually, it impressed me that many of the recipes he made that night didn't require any gluten at all: spiced nuts with fleur de sel (just omit the pretzels, if you can't eat gluten); Parisian hot chocolate (my oh my); and Gateau Bastille, which involved lots of tiny pieces of prunes, bittersweet chocolate, and heavy cream, but no flour. Yum.

But best of all, because I was in the audience, David sweetly decided to make chocolate financiers without any flour. Instead of the one tablespoon of flour that the recipe originaly called for, he just used another tablespoon of Dutch-processed, unsweetened cocoa powder. And let me tell you, they were fantastic. He told us that in Paris, people eat these tiny little chocolate perfections as a late-afternoon snack. Just a few rich, chocolate bites, with no hint of cloying, tides everyone over until dinner. That's an afternoon tradition I could sustain.

One of the best parts of the three-hour class was David's running patter of food facts and fabulous stories of chocolate. I scribbled notes as quickly as I could--and with a pen that had been in a cold car for too long, so it exploded blue splots all over my fingers--learning something every few moments. Here are a few choice facts for you:

--Stock up on almonds, right now, because the price is about to skyrocket.

--In spite of all our best hopes that we could chocolate as a way to health, the higher-quality chocolate actually has fewer antioxidants than the lower-quality ones you don't really want to eat.

--However, the tradition of putting little chocolates on hotel pillows started because people believed there was something in chocolate that helped to prevent tooth decay. And recent studies have shown it might be true!

--If you cook for yourself, without ever using processed or packaged foods (and certainly avoiding fast foods), you'll only eat about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt per day. This is certainly not too much.

--Italian hazelnuts taste the best.

--Sift your dry ingredients when you are baking. "You don't have to sift. You also don't have to wear shoes, but I recommend it."

--Don't try to melt chocolate chips for recipes. They don't contain as much cocoa butter, so they simply won't melt.

--Brown sugar is just white sugar with syrup on it. Therefore, it's no better for you.

--Making vanilla extract is the most labor-intensive process in the world.

--Clabber Girl baking powder contains aluminum, and thus will make your baked goods taste tinny. Use Rumford instead.

But mostly, I loved what he said about stocking your kitchen. "It's okay to spend a little money on yourself." As he melted butter and stirred up recipes, David said he's always surprised when people ask him how restaurants make everything taste so good. Is it magic recipes? No, it's simply that they use the best ingredients. "If you cook with better ingredients, you'll change your life." I've certainly see that come true in my life this year. I recommend that everyone do the same.

So I had a wonderful time, savoring little bites, laughing with Dorothy by my side, and talking with David before and after the class. Once again, I'm amazed by this food blogging world. Here I am, just writing out my enthusiasms, and suddenly I'm in a room with David Lebovitz, listening to our wedding announcement.

But I can't believe that I forgot to bring my camera with me. I bring my tiny Nikon with me everywhere there might be food. When did I become such a dumbkopf? So I wanted to show you luscious close-ups of all the foods he made for us, and a photo of the man himself. Instead, I have to share that picture of me holding the Gateaux Bastille with Creme Anglaise, which David took on his camera, grinning, goofy gaping, happy as can be.

p.s. Sam in San Francisco is claiming that David proposed to her in the cooking class there. But dear, I have to say, I met him first. And you have Fred. He'll just have to be mine.

chocolate financier

Gluten-free Chocolate Financiers, courtesy of David Lebovitz

These can be made in Fleximolds and are meant to be bite-sized snacks, eaten often in the late afternoon in Paris.

6 tablespoons (3 oz/90 gr) unsalted butter
1 cup sliced almonds
4 tablespoons Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup egg whites
1/4 teaspoon best-quality almond extract

Preheat the oven to 425°. Lightly butter the financier molds, mini-muffin tins, or Flexipans, placed on a sturdy baking sheet.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set it aside until room temperature.

In a food processor or blender, grind the almond with the cocoa, salt, and powdered sugar. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Stir the egg whites in the ground almond mixture, then gradually stir in the melted butter until incorporated and smooth.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling them 3/4 full.

Bake for ten to fifteen minutes, until slightly puffed and springy to the touch. Remove from oven and cool completely before removing from molds.

Once cooled, financiers can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Makes about 15, one-inch financiers.

13 Comments:

At 9:06 PM, Blogger David said...

I've been exposed as a two-timer...I have to decide between you and Sam...? Oy!

 
At 5:03 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a smile! I had to smile in return.

 
At 6:09 AM, Blogger Alanna Kellogg said...

Off topic: But did you see Friday's front-page story on celiac disease in the Wall Street? Might be interesting to you ... and oh man now I'm feeling nervous, in case that's not what you're dealing with and so I'm suggesting totally stupid. Please forgive if that's the case! AK

 
At 7:50 AM, Blogger Sam said...

Actually darling - Imet him first, in Paris, and the fact he proposed to me after you suggests he wasn't at all serious when sending you such amoorous overtones. But as you mention, I have Fred and he's a keeper, so why would I trade him in for someone I'd have to share?

it's funny

 
At 1:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think a man who knows his chocolate is worth sharing! A week with you, a week with Sam... just remember to have him stock up your cookie jar before he goes, with plenty of chocolate financiers! They look so good, and when I read how he made them gluten-free just for you, I felt my heart melt into a big gloppy puddle. Now I think I'm in love too - am I going to have to fight you both for him?

 
At 12:57 PM, Blogger Elise said...

Dang, this man gets around! Well, at least he has very good taste.
:-)

 
At 1:39 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I live in Paris and am so fortunate to count David as a friend. Your ode to him is just perfect. And since he doesn't yet do his cooking class thing, per se, here, I am thrilled to get your notes. Am printing them NOW!

 
At 9:13 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting that recipe! It looks fabulous. And you look so happy! :)

 
At 9:30 AM, Blogger Pim said...

Just cool it the two of you!

You both well know that David will always come back to me. That's what he always does, that David.

cheers,
Pim

 
At 6:19 PM, Blogger laura capello said...

I've never heard of French financiers or financiers molds. Are you talking about a Madeleine pan?

Thanks!

 
At 5:47 PM, Blogger I Know Toni said...

I just made these and they are GREAT. I used a muffin tin and just made them into 12 instead of 15. YUMMY!!!

 
At 1:34 PM, Blogger lollya said...

I'm pretty sure I'm making these tonight. Yes, indeed I have to. I found them in your book but the v. next day after reading the last page lent it to my friend who has just been served the celiac card. Good thing this recipe is online or I might of had to chase her down. Thanks for writing a book that I could identify with. I added you as a resource on my own site, hope that's okay. lollya

lollya.blogspot.com

 
At 8:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love the ingredients in this recipe -- all things that I might normally have in my kitchen. Thank you, and thank you for sharing everything.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home