The Growing Season

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It may be a shock to some of you to know that our growing season is actually coming to its peak. Despite some freezing temperatures earlier this month, we have had fairly mild weather that has allowed for crops to grow and flourish. Our farmers market is full of tomatoes, peppers and strawberries.

“Would you want some of our candy beets? They are ready to be harvested”, emailed my friend Lena on Friday night. “Sure!”.

I was excited to show my mom the beautiful little garden that Lena’s boys have put together this year. It was full of beets, peas, greens and squash. The tomatoes were still a bit green, but I brought home a bag full of candy beets and pea shoots.

These kids really blow me away with how they are dedicated to looking after this garden and so knowledgeable at such a young age. Impressive. It reminds me of how lucky I feel to have grown up surrounded by nature and agriculture the way I did. It has showed me so much.

Speaking of where I grew up, El sent me a link to a recent show about the Basque Country. You could take a look if you would like to know more about where I come from.

Sunday morning, my mom, M. and I headed to the farmers market where we found beautiful local ingredients that will go into recipes for the cookbook.

We arrived home hungry and anxious to eat some of the gorgeous tomatoes. I roasted them with some olive oil, thyme, chili flakes and sea salt. Made a quick pesto, toasted breadcrumbs with olive oil and garlic and tossed it all with quinoa pasta. So fresh and ready under 20 minutes. My kind of meal.

For dessert, chocolate and raspberry financiers. A good Sunday lunch indeed.

Chocolate and Raspberry Financiers

Makes 12 financiers

1/2 cup (110 grams) unsalted butter
4 egg whites
1/2 cup (105 grams) coconut palm sugar
1 cup (100 grams) almond meal
2 Tbs (15 grams) cocoa powder
4 oz (110 grams) raspberries, fresh or frozen

In a small saucepan, heat the butter until foamy and the milk solids start to brown on the bottom of the pan. It will smell like roasting nuts; about 5 minutes. Strain the brown butter into a clean bowl and cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, almond meal and cocoa powder. Add the cooled brown butter and whisk until all is incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Line a muffin pan with baking papers, place the batter in a piping bag with a round tip and pipe it into cups. Fill a little bit less than half way. Press raspberries into the batter. Bake at 350F for about 18-20 minutes.


Posted under:  financier, gluten free, winter
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Salmon, Fennel and Parsnip Stew for Two

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Before I tell you all about this recipe and what I have been up to these days, I must thank all of you for the kind comments and wonderful feedback regarding my upcoming book. I greatly appreciate the support and knowing that you will be there in 2012 excited to see it.

Thank you.

As you might suspect, it has been quite busy around here. I spend most of my mornings cooking, styling and shooting recipes for the book. There are always thousands of ideas floating around in my head and it is not always easy to narrow down to those that will make it into the manuscript. So for now, I am testing away and editing later.

I start my days early. Buckwheat porridge, eggs and hot tea are my usual. I help J. get ready for school and start thinking of the recipes for the day. I have a wonderful girl that is helping me with M. in the mornings while I work. It would be impossible otherwise. She is in her discovery phase (aren’t they always?) and lens caps, reflectors and tripods seem to be her favorite toys.

One of the highlights of my day is when M. and I sit down for lunch. She runs to the table, tries to climb up on to her high chair and grabs her spoon. Ready to eat. She takes after me.

This time it was salmon stew made with leeks, fennel, parsnips and a touch of coconut milk. M. ate it with a smile on her face. Pieces of salmon with one hand and parsnips with the other. I had picked up some microgreens at the farmers markets days before and added some to mine. I love the sweet and bright flavor of the purple shiso. It really complemented the soup.

The salmon came as a gift from the kind people of Norwegian Salmon whose campaign had been running on my blog. It really was a delicious soup.

I also wanted to tell you about the trip M. and I took last weekend to see my friend Nadia in New England. It was a winter wonderland. The snow, the farm, the cows, the chickens, the horses…. I loved spending time with her and it was beautiful to see M. bond with her. Nadia posted some photos of our weekend in her blog.

We also had an amazing lunch at Bea’s house. She cooked a delicious meal for us. Soup, crab, apple and fennel slaw verrine, salmon with watercress pilaf and asparagus and my favorite, pistachio financiers and chocolate cake, which I ended up having for breakfast the next day. It was beautiful to watch M. and Lulu laugh and play together. Fun girls.

Thank you Nadia and Bea for your hospitality. I will be eternally grateful.

And to top it all off, my parents arrived this weekend.

I’m in heaven.

Salmon, Fennel, Parsnip and Coconut Stew

Makes enough for 2 people

2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 leek, washed and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 fennel bulb, diced
2 parsnips, scrubbed and diced
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
8 oz salmon, cut into chiunks
Microgreens as garnish (optional)

In a medium pan, heat the olive oil and cook the leek, garlic and fennel for about 5 minutes until tender. Do not let it get brown. Add the diced parsnips, vegetable broth, coconut milk, salt and pepper.

Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes until parsnips are tender. Add the salmon, cover and let it simmer for another 3 minutes or so, until it turns light pink. Adjust seasoning.

Serve with microgreens, if desired.


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The Cannelle Et Vanille Cookbook

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Hello dear readers.

In the past few months I have been working hard on a very special project that I have been dying to tell you about. And finally, today, I can share it with you.

Yes, you guessed it, I am working on the first Cannelle Et Vanille cookbook. There. I said it. Even though I have been cooking and photographing every day, it still seems a bit surreal. I have to pinch myself every once in a while. But it is true. It is happening. There is still lots of work ahead for me, but the cookbook will be published by Little, Brown and Company in the fall of 2012.

The book will be filled with naturally gluten free small plates and sweet treats. I see it as a continuation of this blog, which is after all the reflection of my cooking and lifestyle philosophies. Divided by seasons, as it’s only natural for me, it will be inspired by the produce, smells, colors and feelings that each season evokes.

I will have to show you all my moleskine notebooks, papers, sticky notes, emails to myself… all full of recipes, stories and inspiration.

In months to come, I will be busy cooking, photographing, writing and of course, still watching after my two little ones. They are always my unconditional supporters and recipe testers. Luckily, my parents are also coming to stay with us for a few weeks while I fully dive into the manuscript. It will be a hectic time indeed.

In between, I will definitely find time for this little blog that makes me so happy. I love the instant feedback and spontaneity.

And finally, I have to thank you, dear readers, because none of this would have been possible without you, who have been coming week after week, showing your support and appreciation.

Thank you.


Posted under:  Uncategorized


Greens, Roasted Beets and Afternoon Gelato

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Like many of you, I spend a few days cleansing at the beginning of every new year. Cleansing my house, my clutter, my mind and my body. There are several large trash bags filled with toys and unnecessary things waiting to be donated. This makes me feel both better and guilty. Better because I cannot function surrounded by clutter, yet guilty because it highlights how wasteful we can manage to be. I am striving for a more austere year in the material realm. I will let you know how that goes. Something tells me I will be challenged.

But back to cleansing my body.

Perhaps what I call cleansing is really not a strict cleansing diet as many experts would define it. I don’t limit my foods to juices. Maybe I should, but since I am a pretty healthy eater as is, I just try to eliminate certain extras, like red meat, dairy, sugar or too many grains. My skin is actually the first organ to notice. It feels good.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean everyone around me is on board.

Last week I was feeling particularly good about my choices after a roasted beet, greens, pistachio and chia seed salad lunch. Had a blood orange for dessert followed by a cup of ginger tea. Then the phone rang. “Is it ok if we stop over for a bit?”, asked J. “Of course!”.

And there I was five minutes later, faced with a pint of toasted almond gelato. I pulled out some crumble from the freezer, baked it and made everyone a nice bowl of blood orange segments, topped with almond crumble and toasted almond gelato. And what can I say, not what I had intended, but a great way to spend the afternoon nonetheless.

Roasted Beet, Greens, Pistachio and Chia Seed Salad

makes 1 serving

1/2 lb. baby beets, golden and red
2 cups mixed greens (romaine, spinach, watercress, beet greens)
1/2 medium spring onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs unsalted pistachios, chopped
1 Tbs chia seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp grainy mustard
2 tsp hazelnut oil
1 Tbs olive oil

Trim the tops of the baby beets. Wash them and toss them on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake them in a 400F oven for about 30 minutes or until tender. Let them cool a bit and then peel them. The skin should come right off.

Mix the greens, sliced beets, onion and pistachios in a bowl.

Make the vinaigrette by whisking the chia seeds, salt, mustard, hazelnut oil and olive oil together. Pour over the salad and toss.


Ingredients:  , ,


My Comfort Food

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It was a few days ago when Penny asked me to list the three ingredients that I always have handy. “Lentils, eggs and some sort of green”. I love all legumes. Love. Particularly lentils. Funny thing as one of my earliest childhood memories revolves around my mom sitting in front of me and a plate of lentils that I wouldn’t finish.

It has now became a staple in my weekly repertoire of meals. There are variations depending on what vegetables I have that day, but there is usually some chorizo in it.

“Can I have brown soup for lunch?”, J. asks. He has turned into a particular picky eater this year, but lentil soup or “brown soup” as he calls it is still one of his favorites with grilled cheese sandwich triangles.

It is one of my favorite leftover foods too. A drizzle of olive oil and some bread and I’m set.

This time of year, I cook hearty soups to keep us energized and warm. The abundance of root vegetables is perfect for this recipe. Lentils, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes… Anything goes.

So this is the recipe I chose for a PBS parents piece on favorite family meals that keep us connected to our childhood and roots. You can read the entire story here. Thank you Alice!

Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup

Makes 8 servings

3 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 turnip, diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
¼ red kuri squash, peeled and diced
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 chorizo, sliced
1 qt chicken stock
2 cups water
1 cup French lentils or any other kind you like
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
5 springs of thyme

Rinse the lentils and cover them with water. Let them soak for about 4 hours. It’s not completely necessary but I find that they cook faster and are better for digestion.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery and cook them for about 5 minutes. We don’t want to caramelize them, just sweat them.

Add the tomato paste, chorizo and rest of vegetable and cook them for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, water, thyme, lentils, pepper and salt. Stir and bring this to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot and let the lentils cook for about 45 minutes until tender. Adjust seasoning to your taste and serve with your favorite gluten-free (or not) bread, cheese toast or plain.


Posted under:  basque, gluten free, savories, soups
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