Sunday Polo, Concert in the Park, and Cherry Plum Crumb Tart

Cherry Plum Crumb Tart, Cherry Plum Crumb Tart, Cherry Plum Crumb Tart...say that three times!

I'm just about a week late on this one, but it came in handy when I needed to put something together Sunday morning for Sunday evening's Concert in the Park. I had to leave home by noon to make it to the Aloha Sunday polo match with my photography group, so I was up early and scrambling to get this baked. It never would have happened without the sweet tart dough I happened to have left over in the freezer, or the cherries and plums I purchased the day before. I did have to to run out and get almond flour, but then it all came together easily...

I was lazy and pressed the dough into the tart pan, pricked it all over with a fork, and threw it in the freezer while I made the crumb topping. While the tart crust was baking, I made the almond filling, and pitted the cherries and plums. Dorie's recipe is for a cherry tart, but I had some cute little plums and decided to mix the cherries and plums. Because I was in a rush, I didn't even allow the crust to cool. I spread the filling into the crust, pressed the plum halves and cherries into the filling, baked the tart for 40 minutes, sprinkled the crumb topping over the top, baked for another 30 minutes, put it on a rack to cool, and raced out the door to the polo match. When I returned home at 4:30, I wrapped the cooled tart in plastic wrap, threw it in the picnic basket, and raced over to the park!

It was very crumbly, due to the buttery, flaky crust and crumble topping, so I just broke it into rustic shaped pieces and started handing out small plates to those who were sitting around me. I don't know how I managed to escape with a small piece to go with my coffee this morning, but I did! I served it room temperature at the concert, and chilled with my coffee, but I bet it would be perfect served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as well. This one is a keeper.

 A quick photo taken at the concert...

Cherry Plum Crumb Tart

The Company Men at Coronado Concert in the Park

A few photos from the polo match...

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Tuesdays with Dorie is an online cooking group where anyone can bake along. The group bakes from two books – Baking with Julia and Baking Chez Moi. I occasionally bake along with the Baking Chez Moi group. The group bakes two recipes per month (voted on by the members in advance) and posts on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. We are asked to refrain from including the actual recipe in our posts, to promote the publishing industry and encourage others to buy the cookbooks.

See more Cherry Crumb Tarts here.

Apricot-Blueberry Galette for Tuesdays with Dorie

I was bad. I strayed a bit from the Apricot-Raspberry Tart we were supposed to make this week out of Baking Chez Moi. I couldn't help it. The Blueberry-Pecan Galette on the cover of this month's Bon Appétit was so enticing, with its rustic, free form shape and golden brown, sugar sprinkled crust. I strayed even more by using Thomas Keller's pâte sucrée from Bouchon Bakery, which he uses for a stunning plum tart with almond cream.

The pâte sucrée is made with all-purpose and almond flours, powdered sugar, vanilla bean, butter, and 56 grams of eggs. His recipes are so precise, but one large egg was right on the money. This dough is wonderfully silky and easy to work with, and there was no pre-baking required.

Of course, I had to play around with an old copper pan, and the fresh apricots and blueberries. I could only find a few basil leaves to add some greenery, but they did not go into my galette.

Apricots and Blueberries

Apricot-Blueberry Galette

I apologize, Dorie. Sometimes I feel the need to wander, experiment, and give a little love to some of my cooking magazines and other cookbooks hanging around. However, I did take a peek at several of the Apricot-Raspberry Tarts posted this morning, here, and must say they are gorgeous! Maybe I'll get back on track for the next recipe...

*** 

Tuesdays with Dorie is an online cooking group where anyone can bake along. The group bakes from two books – Baking with Julia and Baking Chez Moi. I occasionally bake along with the Baking Chez Moi group. The group bakes two recipes per month (voted on by the members in advance) and posts on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. We are asked to refrain from including the actual recipe in our posts, to promote the publishing industry and encourage others to buy the cookbooks.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Brown Sugar Cake from Baking Chez Moi

I'm late being late!

I missed making and posting this Rhubarb Upside-Down Brown Sugar Cake on May 26, because I couldn't find any rhubarb. Periodically, we are granted a "rewind" where we can make up a recipe we missed. For some reason, I was thinking today was the day to post my rewind, but it was actually last Tuesday.

When I stopped at the store on the way home from work last evening, I spotted a few stalks of rhubarb nestled by the strawberries. I grabbed the best looking ones and a box of organic strawberries, knowing I had the rest of the ingredients at home. By the time I was finished baking the cake, I was too tired to think about dinner. I needed to taste the cake so I could write a quick post…and that took care of dinner. A small slice also went well with coffee this morning. Now, please get this cake out of my house and away from my mouth!

Dorie recommends peeling the stalks to remove the fibrous strings, but that also removes most of the color. With younger, thinner stalks, I don't think it's necessary, but mine were kind of thick. After that, you cut the stalks into one-inch pieces, toss them in some sugar, and allow some of the juice to drain out. The rhubarb is briefly sautéed in butter and more sugar until slightly caramelized and arranged on the bottom of a buttered cake pan. The batter, made with eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, melted butter, flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt, is poured over the top and the cake is baked for about 30 minutes. After inverting the cake onto a plate, you can brush some melted currant jelly over the top to fill in some of the cracks and make it glossy. I used a drizzle of warm homemade salted caramel.

I think most people know rhubarb and strawberries are a classic combination, but my Flavor Bible also gives high marks to caramel. A dollop of whipped cream finishes it off and balances the tartness from the rhubarb.

Finally, for all the men out there, remember these words of wisdom from The Joker…"Never rub another man's rhubarb!"

*** 

Tuesdays with Dorie is an online cooking group where anyone can bake along. The group bakes from two books – Baking with Julia and Baking Chez Moi. I occasionally bake along with the Baking Chez Moi group. The group bakes two recipes per month (voted on by the members in advance) and posts on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. We are asked to refrain from including the actual recipe in our posts, to promote the publishing industry and encourage others to buy the cookbooks.

Baking Chez Moi - Roasted Peach Shortcakes Franco-American Style

If you haven't been to Coronado's Sunday Concerts in the Park, or experienced a festive Fourth of July on the island, you're definitely missing out! I am fortunate to have experienced both for several years and never grow tired of the community spirit and camaraderie.  Although I whine quite a bit about lugging everything to the park for our gourmet spread, and coming home to a disaster in my kitchen, those few hours relaxing with friends and family make it all meaningful.

This past Sunday was Father's Day, but it was also National Peaches and Cream Day! Our Baking Chez Moi recipe was Strawberry Shortcakes Franco-American Style, but I put a little twist on it for our culinary theme of "Peaches."

Biscuits à la cuillère, or ladyfingers, provide the French component in the form of soft and light cakes. I made ladyfingers once before for a Daring Baker's Challenge, but it's been a long time and I forgot how easy they are to make. Once the ladyfingers are baked, roasted peaches, bourbon-spiked whipped cream, and a dusting of powdered sugar complete this summer dessert.

Roasted Peach Shortcakes

I assembled the shortcakes at the park, which did add extra lugging of dishes, forks, separate containers for the ladyfingers and roasted peaches, my pastry bag, and an ice chest to keep the whipped cream cold, but I'm very happy with my Costco Foldable Wagon. I can load everything in the Jeep, drive over to mom's place, park in her extra parking space, unfold the wagon, load it up with food, strap on the roll up table and a few chairs, and walk across the street to Spreckels Park.

Here are a few more dishes from our peachy menu...Enjoy your week!

Holli's Peach-Stuffed Pork Loin with Peach Chipotle Sauce

Nina's charcuterie and cheese platter with Ghost Pepper +Peach Preserve

Pam's Curried Chicken and Peach Salad

Mom's Spinach, Grilled Peaches and Pecan Salad

Kai's Peachy Ceviche

***

Tuesdays with Dorie is an online cooking group where anyone can bake along. The group bakes from two books – Baking with Julia and Baking Chez Moi. I occasionally bake along with the Baking Chez Moi group. The group bakes two recipes per month (voted on by the members in advance) and posts on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. We are asked to refrain from including the actual recipe in our posts, to promote the publishing industry and encourage others to buy the cookbooks.

Baking Chez Moi - Chocolate-Cherry Brownies

Simmer dried cherries in red wine until plump.

Melt dark chocolate with butter.

Mix in sugar, eggs, and flour.
Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Gently fold in drunken cherries.

Toss in finely chopped chocolate.

Pour luscious batter into pan and bake.

Cool, chill, cut into squares.

Serve with red wine.

Fall in love.

Go to bed.

Sweet dreams.

***

Tuesdays with Dorie is an online cooking group where anyone can bake along. The group bakes from two books – Baking with Julia and Baking Chez Moi. I occasionally bake along with the Baking Chez Moi group. The group bakes two recipes per month (voted on by the members in advance) and posts on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. We are asked to refrain from including the actual recipe in our posts, to promote the publishing industry and encourage others to buy the cookbooks.

Check out all the other decadent brownies here.

Baking Chez Moi: Lemon Lavender Madeleines

No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses, something isolated, detached, with no suggestion of its origin.

 And at once the vicissitudes of life had become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory – this new sensation having had on me the effect which love has of filling me with a precious essence; or rather this essence was not in me it was me...Whence did it come? What did it mean? How could I seize and apprehend it?

... And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray (because on those mornings I did not go out before mass), when I went to say good morning to her in her bedroom, my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or tisane. The sight of the little madeleine had recalled nothing to my mind before I tasted it. And all from my cup of tea.

—Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time

I realize my petite muffins are not true madeleines - little French butter cakes that look more like cookies - because they were not baked in a special "madeleine" pan with distinctive shell-shaped depressions. However, I just didn't need another special pan that I would probably use once or twice and never again. I already had one of those in my collection, an ornate mini muffin pan, destined to be used once or twice and never again…and it worked just fine.

Reading about the historical origins of madeleines was more interesting than baking and eating them. I wasn't necessary disappointed in the final product, but it has been pretty tough topping that incredible Marquise au Chocolat last month. I'm sure the best madeleines are those found in Paris! They are just one of those treats that require the whole Parisian experience to truly enjoy.

Madeleines appear to be simple to make, but the goal is to produce a unique little cake that is browned and crispy on the outside, and spongy and soft on the inside. It must also sport a cute little bump on its back.

To achieve the classic bump, the batter is chilled for an hour before pouring it into the molds of the pan, and then the entire pan is chilled for another hour. Additionally, while the oven preheats, a baking sheet is placed on the rack to get nice and hot. When ready to bake, the cold madeleine pan is placed on top of the hot baking sheet for baking. My little muffins formed domes on their backs with this technique.

David Lebovitz agrees double-resting the batter twice is the key to achieving the characteristic hump or bump. Check out the hump on these beauties from Blé sucré bakery.

Dorie's recipe in Baking Chez Moi is for classic lemon-scented madeleines, dusted with powdered sugar. If you wish to partake in another step, you can add a lemon glaze.

"But the icing on the cake (or should I say the icing on the Madeleine?) is the light citrusy glaze that moistens and elevates these Madeleines from being something ordinary to being the moist, yet delicately-dainty little cakes that makes writers rhapsodize about." - David Lebovitz

The only addition I made to Dorie's recipe was adding a half teaspoon of dried lavender to the sugar and lemon zest mixture. For the finish, I opted for a simple dusting of powdered sugar.

Madeleines are traditionally paired with afternoon tea, but morning coffee worked fine for me. They are also best served the day they are made, or they start to loose the crispness on the outside.

Muffeleines?

Tuesdays with Dorie is an online cooking group where anyone can bake along. We bake with two books – Baking with Julia and Baking Chez Moi. I bake along with the Baking Chez Moi group. We bake two recipes per month (voted on by the members in advance) and post on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. We are asked to refrain from including the actual recipe in our posts, to promote the publishing industry and encourage others to buy the cookbooks.

Baking Chez Moi: Not-So-Pink Grapefruit Tart

The second recipe of the month from Baking Chez Moi is a Pink Grapefruit Tart that can be found at Hugo & Victor Pâtisserie in Paris. Other than being petite, mine looks nothing like Hugues Pouget's tart. Dorie's version is a full size tart, with picture perfect pink and yellow grapefruit segments beautifully spiraled around the top of the tart. Mine looks nothing like Dorie's.

My original plan was to make the tart on Sunday, expecting to be back from my Houston business trip Saturday night. However, thanks to an incompetent fuel truck driver at Spirit airlines, who decided to ram into the baggage compartment door of the airplane, I ended up spending 15 hours in the airport waiting for the next flight at noon on Sunday. Trust me, you don't want to hear about the hotel vouchers we finally received at 5:00 AM…vouchers the hotel ultimately refused to accept, or the meal vouchers the airport restaurants wouldn't accept. Heck, the flight attendants on the flight back home wouldn't even accept their own meal voucher and the whole fiasco ended costing me another $13 for a double vodka to put myself to sleep and out of my misery. I assure you I will never make the mistake of flying Spirit, and I strongly suggest you do the same. Stuff happens, but the customer service was atrocious.

To top it off, some time during those sleepless and annoying hours, I managed to pick up a nasty cold and have been home sick the past two days. Knowing I would be stuck at home a few days, I decided to try this tart. I started it yesterday, but ran out of steam after making the Sweet Tart Dough, lemon-almond cream, and grapefruit crémeux. I was able to finish off my tarts this morning with baking and assembling.

I decided to make three 4" tartlets rather than one large tart. I could have easily made four with thinner crusts. After the crust is baked and cooled, a layer of chilled lemon-almond cream is spread over the bottom and the crusts are returned to the oven to bake for a few minutes until the cream is set. After the tart cools, the chilled grapefruit crémeux is whisked until soft and smooth, and spread over the lemon-almond cream in the tart shell. Finally, grapefruit segments are attractively arranged on the top of the crémeux and the tart returned to the refrigerator for another two to eight hours before serving.

As indicated, the top of the tart is supposed to be garnished with grapefruit segments. The grapefruit crémeux is also supposed to have a pink hue from Campari. My grapefruit segments came out all raggedy looking (I think my grapefruits were too small) and there was no way the segments were going to add any element of beauty to my tarts. The market didn't have Campari; hence the lack of pink in my  crémeux. I ended up using the grapefruit juice from my raggedy grapefruit to make a grapefruit caramel sauce. That's the puddle under the tart. However, I took the caramel a bit too far on the stove, so it ended up being more like a puddle of chewy caramel.

Would I make this again? Probably. I loved the crust and the grapefruit crémeux. I'm not so sure the lemon-almond cream adds much. I used a pretty thick layer and didn't really taste it. The texture and flavor of the grapefruit segments would definitely enhance the tart, but my segments just didn't make the cut this time.

***

Tuesdays with Dorie is an online cooking group where anyone can bake along. We bake with two books – Baking with Julia and Baking Chez Moi. I am baking along with the Baking Chez Moi group, which bakes two recipes per month and posts on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. We are asked to refrain from including the actual recipe in our posts, to promote the publishing industry and encourage others to buy the cookbooks.

For the Love of Chocolate - Tuesdays with Dorie, Baking Chez Moi

All you need is love.

But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

- Charles M. Schulz

Marquise au Chocolat is a rich, soft, velvety, heavenly, creamy, and incredible dark chocolate mousse that is frozen in a loaf pan, sliced, and traditionally served over creme anglaise. Of course, Dorie provides creative variations for add-ins, molding and garnishing, like adding a crust of crushed cookies, freezing in individual ramekins, and/or serving with whipped cream, but there are endless ways to be creative with this dessert! 

I kept mine simple and elegant with a light dusting of cocoa powder, fresh berries, a few sprigs of mint, and whipped cream.

My Marquise au Chocolat was waiting for me when I arrived home from work last evening, having been made the night before. I couldn't wait to have dessert before dinner, but I had to whip up some whipped cream, slice, plate, garnish and photograph first!

The loaf pan is lined with plastic wrap before the mousse goes in, wrapped tightly in more plastic wrap, and then placed in the freezer until frozen. Dorie suggests using dental floss to cleanly slice it, which I tried, but my mousse was still too firm. As you can see, I got impatient and used a knife. My dusting of cocoa powder was more to cover up the crinkled exterior from the plastic wrap impression, but I think it added a nice touch.

I don't think it's a coincidence the Tuesdays with Dorie members voted to make this dessert just days before Valentine's Day. I'm sure it will be a heavenly ending to a romantic dinner for two!

***

Tuesdays with Dorie is an online cooking group where anyone can bake along. We bake with two books – Baking with Julia and Baking Chez Moi. I am baking along with the Baking Chez Moi group, which bakes two recipes per month and posts on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. We are asked to refrain from including the actual recipe in our posts, to promote the publishing industry and encourage others to buy the cookbooks.

Baking Chez Moi - Granola Energy Bars

I'm glad I made these Granola Energy Bars and our second recipe for January, Brown Butter and Vanilla Bean Weekend Cake, a few weeks ago, or this post may have fallen by the wayside...

Last week was irritating to say the least, with flooding in my bedroom, a backed up kitchen sink, and Trapper battling yet another health issue. Things settled down by Friday, and I had a great time photographing a Tuscan Peasant cooking class taught by cookbook author Pamela Sheldon Johns on Saturday, and a relaxing, rainy Sunday editing photos and getting some things done around the house.

The original plan for this batch of granola bars was to fly FedEx to TN for the start of baseball season and long days, but that didn't happen with all the chaos. Instead, I was able to snack on a few during the week, and passed out the rest to a few friends and coworkers. I plan on making another batch this week and getting them mailed!

I've made granola bars before, but never with brown rice syrup, which is used as the binding agent in these. The remaining ingredients include old-fashioned oats, nuts and seeds of your choice, dried fruit of your choice, shredded coconut, salt, butter and vanilla extract. I used dried apricots and cherries, almonds, sunflower seeds, and pepitas.

The oats, nuts and seeds are toasted...

and mixed with the dried fruit, coconut and salt. The brown rice syrup and butter are melted, vanilla added, and then the hot mixture is poured into the bowl and mixed until the granola is evenly moistened.

The sticky granola is firmly pressed into a parchment lined pan, baked, pressed down again, allowed to cool, and cut into bars.

The bars keep well for a week, and are great with morning coffee or tea, or anytime throughout the day when you need a snack.

Tuesdays with Dorie is an online cooking group where anyone can bake along. We bake with two books – Baking with Julia and Baking Chez Moi. I am baking along with the Baking Chez Moi group, which bakes two recipes per month and posts on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. We are asked to refrain from including the actual recipe in our posts, to promote the publishing industry and encourage others to buy the cookbooks.



Two other great cookbooks by Dorie...

Wishing Yule All a Happy New Year!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...the day after. The temperature on our morning walk was 46 degrees! That's pretty nippy for these parts, and it may get even colder. The National Weather Service reported San Diego may experience a very cold weather system next week, with a mix of rain and snow levels down to as low as 2000 feet. I would love to take Trapper up to our local mountains for a romp in the snow!

I had a quiet Christmas Eve and Christmas Day here in Coronado with family, but I was able to fly up to Northern CA this past weekend and spend some holiday time with TN at his parents' house - yes, my TN man is a CA boy. Our flights landed about the same time Friday night and we spent the next three days hanging out, visiting with his parents and a few friends, watching football (including my Chargers beating his 49ers!), driving around seeing where he grew up, and cooking dinners together. TN was head chef for Saturday night's filet mignon, twice baked potatoes, and roasted asparagus, and he was my sous for Sunday's lasagna, Caeser salad, and garlic bread.

I packed fresh lasagna sheets from Assenti's Pasta in my bag, along with homemade cookies and fudge (see below), and a Christmas stocking filled with various San Diego treats and favorites reminiscent of memories during our first year...a Coronado golf cap in SF Giants colors (his other team), taffy from Fuzziwig's in Coronado, Just Chili California hot sauce (I introduced him to Brigantine's fish tacos this year), Jerky's Gourmet jerky in craft beer and chipotle tequila flavors, Eclipse artisan chocolate bars in sea salt nib and peanut butter toffee flavors, whisky-infused salumi, David sunflower seeds in Ranch flavor, Sports Illustrated issue featuring Sportsman of the Year Madison Bumgarner, and a few other treats.

TN has been adding charms to the charm bracelet he gave me a year ago that represent a little bit of him, a little bit of me, and some of the things we've shared. For Christmas, he gave me dog bone and Chargers' helmet charms...not that I'm a diehard Chargers' fan, but we were able to go to a San Diego home game together this season.

I spent most of Christmas Day preparing dinner and dessert for the evening. I jumped on board for the latest Tuesdays with Dorie (Baking Chez Moi) Gingerbread Büche de Noël. We were permitted to post late if we chose to make this for Christmas. I've always wanted to make one of these Yule logs, but some of the more elaborate ones are quite intimidating. Dorie's variation involves quite a few steps, which took me most of the morning, but it wasn't difficult. Her version also omits cutting off one end and setting it atop the cake, to resemble a chopped off branch, and the little meringue mushrooms.

However, the gingerbread sponge cake, with cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar, didn't taste a whole lot like gingerbread to us, and it was a bit dry. The cream cheese filling didn't impress me either - whipped cream cheese, butter, and chopped praline. My favorite part of this Büche de Noël was the snowy-white, meringue-marshmallow frosting. I used a cake decorating frosting tool in an attempt to make the frosting resemble the texture of a log.

I'm happy I made this for Christmas, because it does make a beautiful presentation and I can say I've made a Yule log. Next time, I won't be so shy about trying a more traditional and elaborate version. The recipe for Gingerbread Büche de Noël can be found on NPR, here, or on page 86 of Baking Chez Moi.

I didn't realize, until after dinner, that my entrée, Sylvie's Turkey Breast Ballotine, and my dessert complemented each other quite nicely (both French roulades - one savory and one sweet). This photo was taken when I made this the first time for Thanksgiving in 2011. Last night, I added mashed potatoes to soak up the amazing apple cider gravy. You can find the recipe on my blog, here.

Since I didn't get around to doing a blog post on my fudge, I'll include it here. This dark chocolate fudge took a fraction of the time to make in comparison to the Büche de Noël, and was more up my alley with its crunchy bourbon sugar topping. I used Armagnac in place of bourbon, because that's what I had in the house.

The recipe for Bon Appetit's Chocolate Fudge with Bourbon Sugar can be found here.

It's time to go enjoy my Friday off...maybe a nice long walk on the beach. I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays, and Trapper and I wish you a very Happy New Year!

I'm Back..Cranberry Crackle Tart

Yes, it's been a LONG time since I've done a blog post...four months tomorrow, to be exact. Sometimes, you just need a break, and I also needed some time to think about where I want to go and what I'm trying to accomplish with my blog these days! The answer: What it's always been - a creative outlet to share recipes, stories, photos, and a little bit of my life in Coronado!

When I first started blogging regularly in 2009, I enjoyed sharing our summer Concert in the Park culinary themed picnics and I was involved in various online cooking challenges (Fine Cooking, The Daring Cooks, The Daring Bakers). I was in a full-time relationship where I enjoyed entertaining, cooking for the two of us, and cooking together. That all gave me blogging material. While I still enjoy cooking and working on my culinary and photography skills, the Concert in the Park themed picnics have fizzled out a bit, it's not always fun cooking alone and/or for one, and I have been able to spend more of my time photographing other chefs' food rather than my own.

For the past year, I've been involved with a wonderful man who lives in TN. For the past six months, I've been settling into my new job. Unfortunately, Trapper has been through some serious medical issues this past year and I've been dealing with those and trying to spend more time with him.

With that said, I do miss cooking, blogging, and sharing bits and pieces of my life, and I am going to make a serious effort to get back on track! However, if I do go missing again, please visit There's a Newf in My Soup Facebook page, where I do post a lot of photo albums from various events, share some of the things I cook but never get around to blogging, and try to keep Trapper's fans happy with photos of him.

My photography has been going extremely well and I've been photographing for local restaurants and at quite a few wine dinners and food and wine events. Last week, I photographed six events for the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival - mostly food shots for all the dinners, as well as hanging out in the kitchen photographing the chefs cooking and plating, and then in the judging tent for the Chef of the Fest competition at the Grand Tasting. I was able to taste some of the food and take a sip or two of wine here and there throughout the week-long festival.

If I had to choose a favorite event, Comer Conmigo: Dinner, Tequila at Chef/Owner Chad White's Común Kitchen & Tavern would be the one. This was a six-course dinner with paired tequila and wines that blended "Baja comfort food with eclectic style and borderless creativity." Every dish burst with incredible flavor and color, like this octopus, cauliflower puree and green mango salad. I also photographed an intimate, exclusive 10-course wine dinner, Celebrity Chef Dinner & Auction and Fish Taco TKO at Stone Brewery.

In addition to food and event photography, I joined a new photography social club. A few weeks ago, 12 of us were granted full access press passes to the Del Mar races, which now has a short, second meet during the month of November in addition to the summer meet. We were invited to photograph morning workout, wander through the barns, hang out in the inner circle of the paddock, sit up in the press box for a race, and stand right on the rail for the races. I've always been a horse lover and racing fan, so this was the ultimate experience. I'm definitely looking forward to future photography outings with this group.

...I had to look back at Newf in My Soup's Facebook page to see what else I've been up to these past four months!

I dressed up as a witch and photographed the Coronado Witches' Tea. This is now a Coronado tradition that started 15 years ago with a handful of women dressing up as witches to celebrate Becky's October birthday. It has turned into the Halloween event of the year, with over 150 witchy women this year, dressed to impress! Mode of transportation and itinerary for the afternoon are surprises. You show up at The Brigantine and await your adventure. This year, we traveled by two luxury buses to Jsix for cocktails, San Diego Wine & Culinary Event Center for lunch, and then back over the bridge to McP's Irish Pub for dancing and more "tea"...

A few photo ops in front of the Hotel Del before boarding our luxury buses

Wall of Chocolate Lava Cakes, kept warm by candles, at San Diego Wine & Culinary Event Center

Witchy Selfies

Letting loose at McP's

I participated in Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk for my second year, when walkers around the world gather in various towns for a two-hour photo walk, all on the same day. The winning photo from each town goes in the mix for the Top 10 and Grand Prize. I was honored again this year with Coronado's winning photo.

Sunset Paddle

A group of close friends gathered for a girls'  day in Temecula to celebrate Kelley's birthday with wine tasting, horseback riding in the vineyards, lunch, and more wine tasting. Too much fun on that trip!

Birthday Girl

Another fun day trip, but a very LONG day, was with Club Tengo Hambe for a Valle de Guadalupe Wine + Baja Cookout. I was uneasy about traveling down to Mexico, but our tour guides were wonderful and showed us a fantastic time.

Unfortunately, like I mentioned earlier, I've been through some scares with Trapper this past year, and almost lost him twice - once to a massive fever/infection, and then to bloat/GDV. He made it through the GDV surgery, but had a very slow recovery before his Coronado vet diagnosed with Addison's Disease, to go with his epilepsy. Poor boy has to take so many medications now and I worry about leaving him alone. He'll be celebrating his third birthday in December, and I'm so thankful he's been with me the past three years to help me through the changes in my life.

Morning Walk to Tartine for coffee and a peanut butter dog biscuit

Okay! Now that I've shared a little of what's been going on with me these past few months, it's time to get to the subject of this blog post...my first experience cooking from Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook, Baking Chez Moi. I did pretty well cooking through the first half of Around My French Table with French Fridays with Dorie, but then I fell off the wagon. That book is almost done now, and most of the group is joining Tuesdays with Dorie, a group that has been cooking from Baking with Julia and is just now starting Baking Chez Moi. I'm a bit reluctant to start baking with this group, mainly because I'm not sure I want sweets around that often, but I do need help with my baking skills and I can always share the sweets with friends, mom, the boys at work, and TN. I also like the fact that Tuesdays with Dorie bakes from Baking Chez Moi twice a month, rather than weekly, with posts on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month, and we can bake as often as we'd like.

Because this week's recipe was perfect for Thanksgiving, we didn't have to post on Tuesday and could post late if we made the tart for Thanksgiving. I actually made two of the desserts from Baking Chez Moi for Thanksgiving, this week's Cranberry Crackle Tart and the Petite Apple Croustades with Creme Anglaise.

Cranberry Crackle Tart - the one piece left over from Thanksgiving!

Both desserts were very different and very good. This tart was fairly easy...the Apple Croustades, requiring patience with phyllo dough, not so much!

The tart has a nice crackly top

This Cranberry Crackle Tart is very unique. For the crust, you have a choice between Sweet Tart Dough or Galette Dough. The Sweet Tart Dough recipe needs confectioners' sugar and an egg yolk, whereas the Galette Dough uses granulated sugar and ice water. Since I was out of eggs at that point, I make the Galette Dough. After the crust is pre-baked, you spread a layer of jam over the bottom (I used raspberry). The filling is whipped egg whites, sugar, a pinch of salt, and fresh cranberries. After slowly baking for an hour at 300 degrees, the tart comes out of the oven with a crackle finish, but the meringue inside is soft and marshmallowy. The fresh cranberries cook fine in an hour, and provide a nice tartness with the sweetness of the meringue and jam.

The tartness of the cranberries is offset by the sweet meringue and jam

Newf Notes: I'm not sure why Dorie suggests using a pie dish rather than a tart pan. She also instructs to trim the dough to about one-third down from the rim of the dish. With pre-baking, the crust shrinks and comes down even more, not leaving much of an edge. The recipe also calls for only two egg whites. I just didn't see how two egg whites would whip up enough meringue to fill up the crust. I made an adjustment and doubled the egg whites (and sugar).  I used a little extra jam, and reserved a few extra cranberries to place on top of the meringue before baking, for added color. I extended the baking time just slightly, waiting for the top of the meringue to turn golden and crack. I think this recipe would work fine in a tart pan and I did like the added volume and height with the extra egg whites. The flavors and textures were great! It was a nice addition to the Thanksgiving dessert spread! Normally, we don't share the recipes in French Fridays with Dorie or Tuesdays with Dorie. However, Dorie has posted this recipe on her blog, here. You can also go check out how some of the other TWD bakers did with their tarts, here.

A huge thank you to Kai and Hillari for hosting Thanksgiving this year and bringing together family and friends for a wonderful dinner we all helped to create.

Kai carving the turkey while Max tries to be patient, and Bryan checks his messages

Trapper helped with the Brussels Sprouts!