Our farmers market finally started again. I cannot believe it has been six months already since we enjoyed our last farmers' market tomatoes, berries and more. Even after all these years, I still find it fascinating how when the rest of the country is going into almost hibernation, we are now enjoying being outside and our growing season begins once again.
It was about 6:30 on Sunday morning when J. came rushing in our room. "Can we go to the farmers' market park and get some doughnuts with the sprinkles on them?" It is one of the things we look forward to the most. Walk around, get fresh produce and eggs for the week, something to eat and then head across the street to the park.
We played hard indeed.
C. took the kids to a friend's house to give me some time to work and unwind. Sometimes, there is nothing better than an empty house and silence.
I put all my farmers' market goodies away, sat down and then felt a sudden urge to make gnocchi. It had been a long time. 
I remembered my years in the pastry kitchen when our head chef would arrive early in the morning, before any of his cooks did, so he could make pasta in peace and quiet. Kneading, rolling, filling, folding... Not a word, just music and his pasta.
Perhaps the silence I found at home was really what inspired me to make these gnocchi. Little dumplings of roasted red kuri squash from the market with Robert and Paula's eggs, quinoa flour and hazelnuts. They were delicious and rich tossed in brown butter, fresh sage and toasted hazelnuts.
For dessert, these little pots of chocolate and hazelnut butter custard made with coconut milk and vanilla bean.
The perfect ending.
Red Kuri Squash, Quinoa and Hazelnut Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Sage and Toasted Hazelnuts
makes enough for 2 large or 4 small servings
1 lb (454 grams) roasted red kuri squash puree (1 medium red kuri squash)
olive oil and salt to roast the squash
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup (60 grams) quinoa flour
1/4 cup (30 grams) hazelnut flour
2 Tbs (20 grams) tapioca starch
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Dusting gluten free flour mix
3 Tbs butter, browned
2 Tbs frsh sage, finely chopped
2 Tbs toasted hazelnuts, chopped
Parmesan cheese, optional
Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half into strips and place them on a baking sheet. Toss them with a little olive oil and salt. Roast them at 400F for about 30 minutes or until tender. Let them cool for a few minutes until cool enough to handle.
Puree the squash into a large bowl with a food mill or a potato ricer. This allows the puree to be light and fluffy and the dry ingredients are incorporated quickly without having to overwork the dough. Weigh 1 lb of puree.
Add the egg yolk, quinoa flour, hazelnut meal, tapioca starch, salt and nutmeg. Mix with a fork. It will be a sticky dough.
Dust a wooden board or your work surface with flour. Coat your hands with flour. Take a medium ball and roll it into a long log that is about 1/2" thick in diameter. Cut this log into 1- 1 1/2" pieces. Roll each piece on your fork to create indentations and drop it on a baking sheet lined with lightly floured parchment. Repeat until you have cut all the dough.
You can cook them on freeze them at this point. To freeze them, stick the baking sheet in the freezer and when the gnocchi are hard, put them in a freezer bag. If you decide to freeze them, do not thaw them out before cooking.
To cook them bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi in it. They are done when they float to the surface.
In the meantime, heat the butter in a large saute pan. Let the butter brown. Add the sage and toss the cooked gnocchi in it. Serve with toasted hazelnuts and parmesan.
10.26.2010
Pumpkin, Quinoa and Hazelnut Gnocchi and Some Chocolate Pot de Creme
10.21.2010
Lara's Gluten Free Maple Glazed Doughnuts
If you follow this blog, you know we love doughnuts in our house. Pumpkin hazelnut, cherry blossom and coconut are just some of the doughnuts that I have documented here and there are many more that have not made it to these pages.
So you can imagine how anxiously I have been waiting for my friend Lara's new doughnut book. I'm not exaggerating if I say it sat in my pre-order Amazon shopping cart for almost a year. Yes, that excited.
Lara needs little introduction as she is one of the veterans in the food blogging community. Cook & Eat, Still Life With, Spare Room... All blogs that have really influenced me since the beginning. I met Lara last year in Boston and we have stayed in touch all these months. I visited her amazing studio in Seattle over the summer and just caught up with her in San Francisco once again.
I can never rave enough about her as she is, not only one of my favorite photographers, but also a pool of endless information, ready to share and help out anytime I have a question.
This is a fun book filled with beautiful photographs (of course!), a ton of recipes for all kinds of doughnuts, glazes and fillings. Chocolate peanut butter, strawberry shortcake, red velvet, chai, cocoa nib... Is your mouth watering yet? There are even vegan and gluten free recipes, which is what I baked for this post. Gluten-free raised doughnuts with maple and toasted hazelnut glaze. Amazing.
I had J's best friend over for a play date yesterday and this is what she thought of the doughnuts. Happy face. Just like Lara's video. 
Please visit other fellow bloggers in this doughnut blog tour to see their creations. We are having fun for sure!
Oct 12—CakeSpy
Oct 13—Wasabi Prime
Oct 17—The Sophisticated Gourmet
Oct 22—Use Real Butter
Oct 25—Cream Puffs in Venice
Thanks Lara for letting us share these recipes!
Gluten Free Raised Doughnuts
from Lara Ferroni's "Doughnuts" cookbook
reprinted with permission from Lara Ferroni
makes 8 to 14 doughnuts
1/3 cup (50 grams) chia flour or brown rice flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups (215 to 290 grams) Gluten Free baking Mix for Doughnuts
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp guar gum
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 Tbs (11 grams) active dry yeast, divided
1/4 cup whole milk, heated to 110F
1/4 cup lukewarm water
3 Tbs (45 grams) superfine sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs ( 1 oz) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
vegetable oil for frying
1. Whisk together the flour, gluten free baking mix, xanthan gum, guar gum and baking powder and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, dissolve 1 Tbs of yeast with the milk. Add 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and stir to create a paste. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the remaining yeast and the water. Add the flour paste with sugar and salt. Mix until smooth. Beat in the eggs, egg white, vanilla and vinegar. Turn off the mixer and add 1/2 cup of the flour mixture. Mix completely and knead on medium for 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix to combine. Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl. It will be soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can't roll it out. You may have flour left over.
4. Cover the bowl and let it rest in warm spot for 20 minutes. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. With a doughnut or cookie cutter, cut out 3 inch diameter rounds with a 1 inch diameter hole.
5. Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured non-terry dish towel. Place the doughnuts at least 1 inch apart and cover with plastic wrap. let it sit in a warm spot for 20 to 30 minutes until nicely rounded on top.
6. While doughnuts are proofing, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 340F. With a metal spatula, carefully place th doughnuts in the oil. Don't overfill the pot. Fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place on a wire rack and let cool slightly before glazing.
Gluten Free Baking Mix for Doughnuts
1 cup (175 grams) potato starch
1/4 cup (100 grams) potato flour or sweet sorghum
1/2 cup (60 grams) tapioca flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) sweet rice flour
Maple Glaze
1 1/2 cups (150 grams) confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs milk or water
Mix all ingredients to make a pourable glaze.
10.16.2010
The Smells of Pears, Hazelnuts, Brown Butter and Vanilla Bean
It was some time last week. Early morning. I woke up and headed outside to water my plants when suddenly, I realized... autumn had arrived. It was sunny, yet cool and brisk, just like those perfect Florida winter days. I opened all the windows for the first time in weeks. The best feeling in the world.
It took me a few days to really come down from the high of BlogHer Food and I have really been lying low.
San Francisco was wonderful. I really didn't have much of a chance to socialize as I had M. with me and late night parties were just not going on the agenda for us this time. But it was great to spend time with dear friends (old and new), eat some fantastic chilaquiles and sing lots of monkey songs with this little girl.
And so this week, with the cool breeze coming in, I wanted to fill the house with smells of autumn. Sweet, toasty and nutty smells of brown butter, toasted hazelnuts, cinnamon sugar coated cakes... All those wonderful smells I'm sure you know too.
First, pears and raspberries with a hazelnut and oat crumble topping, because it's one of the easiest desserts to make.
And then, pear, hazelnut and brown butter cakes. In fact, I'm just enjoying the last one of the cakes while I type this.
Can you smell them yet?
Oh and one more wonderful act of kindness... A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this blog by prop stylist Paula Walters. We started talking, one thing led to another and the next thing I know, there are some wonderful vintage cooling racks in the mail for me. Awesomeness. Thank you Paula!
Pear, Hazelnut and Brown Butter Cakes
makes a dozen mini bundtcakes
1 cup (125 grams) superfine brown rice flour
1/2 cup (50 grams) hazelnut flour
2 Tbs (20 grams) tapioca starch
1/8 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
10 Tbs (140 grams) unsalted butter, browned
1/3 cup (85 grams) brown sugar
1/3 cup (100 grams) maple syrup
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
2 eggs
2 pears, grated
1 cup (200 grams) superfine sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Place the butter in a small saucepan and cook it until the milk solids start to turn brown on the bottom of the pan and smells nutty. Strain it and let it cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the first seven ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla bean. Add the cooled brown butter and whisk. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Fold in the grated pears.
Divide the batter in the mini bundt pan mold. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes.
Let them cool for a couple of minutes in the pan. Remove the cakes from the pan and toss them in the cinnamon sugar.
10.12.2010
GOOP and My First TV Appearance
I was on a plane to San Francisco last Thursday when my phone was bombarded with emails, text messages, tweets and phone calls. Gwyneth Paltrow's weekly newsletter on GOOP came out and she had listed Cannelle Et Vanille as one of her favorite food blogs, along with Matt Bites, David Lebovitz, Smitten Kitchen, What Katie Ate, Oh Joy Eats, Pictures and Pancakes, Orangette, Tastespotting and Stay At Stove Dad. What an honor. It's Gwyneth Paltrow after all and I was on her radar. Wow. Thank you.
And then, today, my first television appearance on Basque cooking show Robin Food aired. Again. Thank you.
We filmed the show in August when I went home on vacation. The set is located right outside one of the most prestigious restaurant kitchens in the Basque Country. Three Michelin star chef Martin Berasategui is executive producer of the show. He was funny and kind and introduced me to his staff right before we began filming the show.
I was nervous as can be, but Robin Food's host David de Jorge made me feel welcomed and at ease. We chatted and laughed before the show and then I felt like I had known him for years. We had so much fun during the show and I think it shows.
We cooked honeydew, cucumber soup with serrano ham crackers and my favorite quinoa milk pudding with wild berries. It was thanks to their team led by chef de cuisine Joseba Lezama that everything went smooth and as planned.
You can watch the entire show on their website. It's in Spanish, but I hope you enjoy it!
Eskerrik asko eta Viva Rusia!
10.05.2010
Friends I Can Rely On and BlogHer Food'10
Sometimes it's hard to explain all the little obstacles that come along with being an ex-pat. Having to leave all friends and family behind, all contacts and all resources to start a new life somewhere else. I came into this country with two suitcases, one filed with clothes, the other with books and CDs. All my possessions, or so I thought at that time.
I suppose those were indeed all my possessions, my material ones, but there is always something else in one's life beyond the material. A support system is the thing that perhaps I underestimated the most when I left my home. Don't get me wrong, I came here for love and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world, but now I realize how much more difficult life can be without that support system, which is built through years of belonging in one place.
The people you know to call when you need something specific, the friends that will watch your kids when you need to run to the doctor, the ones that know someone who knows someone... 
You might be wondering why I'm mentioning this to you now. Well, I suppose having children changes everything. The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" has never felt so true to me. Having people we can rely on and trust becomes a necessity. You see, I am leaving for San Francisco this Thursday to attend BlogHer Food '10. I am utterly excited to be there, catch up with dear friends and connect with new ones. (Perhaps you might even be there this weekend and if so, please come by and say hello!).
But there is a lot of planning that goes on with leaving for so many days. Making sure the kids are looked after, maintaining a routine, being fed... Yes, kids require a lot and this trip was no different.
It was my friend Karen who came to the rescue this week. Sometimes when I most need it, she comes to my rescue always with a smile and pure generosity. I couldn't ask for a better friend who I can trust and rely on. Always. And she never asks for anything in return. That is what I'm talking about.
My way of paying her back is always through food. I don't think I have ever met a person so grateful for everything I make. It makes me happy to see her enjoy all my experiments or even my everyday staples, like a simple lentil soup. So of course, I cooked and baked for her to show her my appreciation.
A plate full of quinoa spaghetti with roasted golden baby beets, red kuri squash, bacon, garlic and chilis. So simple, but so much flavor.
For dessert, these black plum, almond and chocolate cakes. Gluten free and so moist. Almost like a brownie.
She was happy and that made my day.
If you attending BlogHer Food '10, I will see you there. Can't wait.
Roasted Golden Baby Beet, Squash and Bacon Quinoa Spaghetti
makes 2 servings
2 bunches of baby golden beets, peeled
1/2 medium red kuri squash, peeled and sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 slices of bacon, sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbs red chili flakes
8 oz quinoa spaghetti (or any kind you like)
Beet greens or spinach
Toss the beets and red kuri squash with the olive oil and salt. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 20-30 minutes or until tender.
Place the bacon in a pan and start browning it. Add the garlic when it starts to get some color and the red pepper flakes. Set aside.
In the meantime, cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water. Reserve a little bit of the cooking liquid and drain. Toss the pasta with the bacon, garlic and roasted vegetables. Add a little bit of the cooking liquid if needed. Serve with some beet leaves or spinach.
Plum, Almond and Chocolate Cakes
makes 6 4" cakes
2 eggs
1/2 cup (100 grams) cane sugar
1/2 cup or 1 stick (110 grams) butter or non-hydrogenated shortening
2 oz (55 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (120 grams) almond flour
1/4 cup (40 grams) superfine brown rice flour
2 Tbs (20 grams) cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 black plums, sliced
Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set this over a water bath to melt. Let it cool slightly.
Sift the dry ingredients together.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and the sugar. Add the melted chocolate and butter and whisk. Add the sifted dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
Spray molds with cooking spray. Divide the batter between the molds and top with the slices of plum.
Bake at 375F for about 20-25 minutes or until center cooked.
