Elegant Holidays Design - {White and Green}

Today is the last day of the year... I can't believe that 2012 is already gone. I went to the flower market this morning and found some beautiful Akito roses that I used last year to create a Japanese Christmas design. I also bough some princess pine, so elegant to me. With a bunch of 25 roses, I had enough to create 2 simples, but elegant arrangements to celebrate the New Year's Eve.

The first design is a low, compact round design arranged in a clear vase. I like to conceal the low clear vase with 2 leaves of green tee. The second one is done in a taller vase for a more dramatic effect. To facilitate the execution of the design, I usually create a grid with 6 pieces of clear floral tape, which then create 9 areas for the stems insertion.

{Materials}
1 low or tall vase
12 - 18 Akito roses
1 bunch white wax
1 bunch Princess Pine
2 green tee leaves* {optional - to conceal the low vase}
Raffia

{Joyeux Noel .... Merry Christmas .... Merii Kurisumasu}

I wish you all a wonderful Chritsmas

Chocolate Almond Rochers

For the holidays, I decided to bake some sweet treats that I recently learned during a Black Market Bakery's candies workshop. Earlier this week, I posted about the best homemade sticky buns, a recipe that I also learned during a workshop there. Today, it is a much more simple recipe: Chocolate Almond Rochers. They are delicious and can be stored for a couple of weeks in a airtight container. So it is a very good option to mail as a gift. {... and it is what I did}

I decided to do 2 different batches: one with semi-sweet chocolate, and an another one with milk chocolate. It is very important to choose a very high quality chocolate, or the rochers will not taste that good. If I was in France, I would be using Puyricard chocolate. Being here in California, I chose the brand Guittard.

Tempering the chocolate is another important factor for the final look of the rocher {but not its taste}. Indeed, to achieve the desired high gloss and hard brittle texture, tempering the chocolate is required. Being curious in nature, I decided to make the test by preparing an additional 2 batches without tempering the chocolate ... the different was stunning. Tempering is not difficult, but requires precision {a.k.a. a good candy thermometer} and patience.



Chocolate Almond Rochers
(Recipe for 30 rochers - courtesy of Black Market Bakery)

350g silvered almond
350g dark, semi-sweet or milk high quality chocolate
35g egg white
65g powdered sugar

Preparing the rochers

Toss almonds, egg whites and powdered sugar in a bowl, and then spread onto a parchment lined sheet pans. Toast in the oven at 150°C or 300°F. Turn the mixture several times during baking to ensure an even color. Let cool. Toss almonds in a sieve to get rid of the finest particles. Use the largest pieces only.

Temper the chocolate and have it ready. Combine 1/2 of the chocolate with 1/2 of the toasted almonds, and toss together. Working quickly spoon out little mounds onto parchment paper, the size of a truffle. Repeat the procedure until all the mixture is used. Make sure that the mounds are not flat but high.


Tempering chocolate - Melt, cool and rewarm
Melt 2/3 of the chocolate you are working with. The other 1/3 will stay in a large block {the seed}. Melt the chocolate over a barely simmering pot of water. Use smaller chunks which melt more evenly. Stir often to distribute the heat. The melted chocolate needs to reach 48°C or 118° F to melt all the fat crystals. Take the chocolate off the heat.

Now, put in the large block of unmelted chocolate that is the "seed". Slowly cool the chocolate mass to 27°C or 80°F by stirring gently. The block of chocolate will melt somewhat, but once you get the temperature down to 27°C or 80°F, fish the remainder of the block out.

Now very gently, rewarm the chocolate to approx. 31°C or 88°F over a simmering water bath. If the chocolate gets above 32°C or 90°F, you must start the tempering process again. To check if your chocolate is "in temper", dip a knife into the chocolate and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. The chocolate on the knife should be firm and glossy. If it is not temper properly, it will not set up, look gummy and may have "bloom {gray splotches of cocoa butter}.

Contemporary Holidays design - {Oriental vibe}

Inspired by some amazing wide head roses and oriental pine that I found at the market, I have designed a contemporary arrangement with an oriental vibe. I chose to design in the same hurricane I used last year because I simply love the visual effect. Like a mini ecosystem in its own, protected from the the outside world...

This design is rather simple. Insert first a support like a small box in the bottom of the hurricane on which the floral foam will rest. Then fill the bottom with some synthetic snow, making sure the support is covered. Insert the rose stems into the wet orb at a 45 degree angle. Make sure you have a sharp cut, leaving about a 3" stem. Insert the orb inside the hurricane, making sure it is stable on its support. If you need to transport the arrangement, you can either tape the foam to the support before inserting the stems, or insert 2 picks crosswise. Finally, add your winter greenery and ornament if you choose to.

{Materials}
1 tall hurricane / terrarium
1 3" Oasis orb
12 - 15 large open roses
1 small bag of synthetic snow
1 tall holidays green branch
1 holidays ornament* (optional)
* I have spray-painted a glass clear ornament using Design Master products: Antique gold and Cranberry.

Homemade sticky buns and pineapple jam ... {Resistance is futile}

There is no secret to the fact that I love baking and I love learning even more. Every time I have an opportunity to follow a workshop given by some talented chefs such as at L'institut Gastronomique Riviera, I literally jump on the occasion with a lot of anticipation. I found a great place here in Orange County where I live, which is called Black Market Bakery. The owner Chef Rachel Klemek is a fabulous baker who offers cooking classes when the shop is closed.

So far, I have taken 2 classes, one of them being on danishes and croissants. During the class, I learned that the danish dough is the secret ingredient to the perfect sticky buns. And indeed, it is ... Every single person that tasted that sticky bun recipe told me this is the best they every had ... Off course, a lot of butter always help -)



"Rolling in" the danish dough can be intimidating. But in fact, it is quite an easy process. Off course, taking a class where a chef is making a demo is the best way to go. There are also a lot of videos on Youtube which can greatly inspire you.

Instead of using the traditional {honey - maple - butter} filling, I chose to use a homemade pineapple and vanilla jam. That idea was totally inspired by Tito's Downtown Cafe & Bakery, a really neat bakery in panama City, FL. We always go to Panama City on Labour Day weekend, and this last September, we tried this new bakery and its pineapple sticky buns that was straight out of the oven. A subtle explosion of flavors. I decided I had to tried this at home.




Homemade sticky buns with a pineapple jam
(Recipe for 24 servings - You can use 1/3 of the dough and freeze the rest for later use - Recipe courtesy of Black Market Bakery)

Danish dough
300g milk
30g dry yeast (Double for fresh yeast) 7 egg yolks
100g sugar
15g salt
85 soft unsalted butter
750g bread flour

450g cold unsalted butter
50g all purpose flour

Filling and finishing
50g Sugar
5g Cinnamon
Heavy cream

Preparing the Danish dough

Pour the milk, yeast and egg yolk into the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, If making by hand, pour these items into a large bowl. Next add the bread flour, sugar, salt and soft butter.

Turn the mixer on low speed {or knead by hand} and mix the dough until it starts to come together. At this point you may turn the mixer up to medium low and continue to "knead " the dough until it starts to become smooth and elastic. If the dough is over mixed at this point, the gluten may be too tight to fold butter in. Set the dough aside on a floured sheet pan, cover with plastic, and let it rest.


Preparing the "Roll in"
Use the same mixer bowl {now fitted with the paddle attachmentc. Put the cold water and the flour {The last 2 ingredients} into the bowl. Mix on medium high speed until the butter absorbs all the flour and has no lumps. Do no let the butter get warm.

Roll the butter to a 1" thick rectangle, Use lots of flour when rolling the butter so it doesn't stick to the table. You can always dust the flour off later. {You also have the option to roll it inside two wax papers.}

If the butter seems warm, place it on a sheet pan & let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Once the butter and dough are ready {They should both be cool, firm and pliable}, roll the dough to 1/2 sheet pan size. The butter should be half the size of the dough.

Place the butter onto half of the dough. Dust the extra flour and fold the dough over the butter. Seal the edges by smashing them down {This is the "Lock in"} then turn 90 degrees and roll 3X the size. Mentally divide the dough into thirds. Now fold one third over the center third. Fold the other third over the center two. Third is the first fold.



Poke one finger into the dough, cover and set aside in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

Pull the dough out, turn the dough 90 degrees so the folded edges are at the top and bottom. Roll again to 3X and do the 3 fold again. Poke two fingers into the edge of the dough. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.

Finally pull the dough out, rotate it 90 degrees and do the last fold. At this point the dough should be wrapped well and placed in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Transfer the dough from the freezer to the refrigerator before using. {I like to leave the dough overnight in the freezer then let it thaw out in the fridge the next morning}.

Preparing the sticky buns

Spread the pineapple jam in a pie dish. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the danish dough to rectangles. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and roll the dough into a tight log. Cut small segments and place them in the pie dish. It doesn't matter if the segments are not all equal in size. I like my sticky buns to look "Home-made" ... imperfect in look! Leave enough space between them since the dough will be proofing. Cover with a plastic wrap and let proof for a couple of hour {or more, until they double in size}.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F - 190°C. Brush the buns with heavy cream and bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until golden.

Pineapple jam
(Yield 750ml)

1.5 kg finely chopped peeled cored fresh pineapple
400g sugar
1 small lemon
175ml water
1 Vanilla bean

In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combined pineapple, lemon and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Boil, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and skim off foam.

The jam is ready to be used at this point. You can keep it in the fridge for 2 weeks, or process them in a water bath for 15 minutes in safe & clean preserve jars.
{For more info on preserving, I recommend the Complete Book of Home Preserving from Ball}.

Organic holidays design ideas

With the holidays just around the corner, I have been inspired to create some easy and organic designs with flowers that caught my attention at the market. I went for a green and organic theme, wrapping my containers with light green felt and wool.

The flowers I bought were, a bunch of white alstroemerias completely striped and hand-tied in a bouquet, a dozen of sweet Avalanche roses, some green hypericum to add a holidays accent, as well as amaryllis in stems and in bulb. I also found a nice green wreath made of boxwood.



To keep the theme going, I stayed within the same color palette {White and Green}, and cover all the containers with the same material. This allowed me to use different types of flowers but still have coherence in my design. All these designs could be organized on the same buffet or dinning table without any problem.



A simple wreath can become a gorgeous centerpiece on a large piece of furniture, simply by adding a tall glass hurricane.



I love mixing cut amaryllis with amaryllis in pot, which add interestedness to the overall design. You can also put the bulb in a specially designed vase and have the roots growing in water. As a general rule of design, odd numbers is more attractive that even numbers, that's why I chose 3 stems of amaryllis.

Nature's Wisdom

{You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true}
 Richard Bach

Textured Fall design

To kick off the fall season, I designed two textured arrangements. I was inspired after going to a floral design show organized by my local flower wholesaler {OC Wholesale Flowers}. It has been a long time since I have create arrangements because of some health trouble I went trough. But now, everything is starting to clearing out ... so I'm so excited and grateful.

The first design I made is a hand-tied bouquet featuring white hydrangeas, wheat, black millet, broomcorn, red ti leaves, and Cotinus {aka Smoke bush}. I love playing with contrast in color and texture.



The second arrangement was made as a candle centerpiece in a clear round container. I have added wax flowers, spray roses, variegated as well as more textured materials such as pencil cattails, bark,s loofah, and reindeer moss to give it a rustic look. The end result looked kind of interesting to me.

Happy Summer!!

Lavenders from Provence

I hope you all have a wonderfull month of July. I'm spending 5 weeks in Provence, and take a lot of pictures for my coming articles in L'esprit Sud Magazine.
Happy Summer!!

Sandra

Les Georges de Pennafort - A generous table only a stone's throw away from the Gulf of Saint Tropez

Right outside the beautiful village of Callas, in a red canyon called "Les Georges de Pennafort" well known for its hiking trails, is where you would least expect to find a gourmet restaurant shining a Michelin star. Well, you would be delighted to know that hidden at the foot of this Petit Colorado, such culinary institution does exist within the walls of a blue-shuttered Provençal bastide. Framed by a jewel-case of greenness, and with no habitation within a mile, L'hostellerie Les Georges de Pennafort is quiet heaven for gourmets with a good fork, and a breath of fresh air from the intense nearby St Tropez.

The restaurant has been here for a very long time and was really known only among locals. I used to go there as a kid with my grandparents to celebrate big events. I have many good memories associated with this place. At that time, the food was not gastronomical by any means, but it was the "Bon vivant" type of food that marks your imagination as a child.

Eventually, the owners retired. The restaurant and its small 16 rooms hotel which never really established a name in the culinary world, seemed to be predestinated to a dark future ... until 1995, when the talented Philippe Da Silva (who was then Executive chef at Le Chiberta, a 2 Michelin stars restaurant in Paris) and his wife Martine, felt in love with the 19th century bastide. They decided to buy it and within the first year of operation, the restaurant won a Michelin star it never lost. After some important remodels that added a well deserved touch of modernism, they succeed in placing Les Georges de Pennafort on the map. Today, people come from far, by car or helicopter (Yes, there’s a helipad.), to have a taste of Da Silva cuisine incognito.

The main dinning room elegantly appointed


Flower arrangements made by Philippe Da Silva himself. Every week, he goes to the main wholesale flower market in Nice (M.I.N. Fleurs) to buy all the flowers for the restaurant


The cover of the menu was designed by Ronald Searle, a british artist and satirical cartoonist who recently passed away (Dec. 2011)

The patio is the perfect place for a summer lunch or dinner

You cannot be on a diet when you come eat at Les Georges de Pennafort. Like a feast from another century, everything here comes in abundance and it is not unusual for people to still be lunching at 4pm. When you order two dishes, you generally receive two extra ones. The only reason behind that generosity is that the chef wants you to taste everything he has created in his Provencal kitchen. In an era where everybody tend to watch and stress about what they eat, a little bit of decadence is quite refreshing...

Chef Da Silva is very careful about the product he serves. He prefers to use noble products such as lobsters from Brittany, veal from Corrèze, vegetables and herbs from small local farmers when not from his own garden. Every morning, he will drive an hour to go to the farmer market in Nice (Cours Saleya in the old city), and source himself the best.

The wine list is also impressive and offers a good choice of award-winning Var vintages, including Château Saint Julien. The cellar evaluated at 800 000€*, comprises a collection of Pétrus starting at 1 600€ for the 1997 vintage, and of Château Cheval Blanc (Saint-Émilion).
*Published in a 2010 article.

Garrus rosé, the most expensive rosé in the world from the nearby winery Le Chateau d'Esclans - 130€


Some little delicacies are helping us reading through the menu


Mini baguette à l'huile d'olive, romarin et Fleur de Sel (Olive oil, rosemary and Fleur de sel mini baguette)



Mise en bouche: Gaspacho à la tomate et au homard (Tomato and Lobster Gazpacho)

During my last visit in August 2012, we ordered the 80€ menu which normally comprises 7 courses. Off course, we did receive more, which was a pleasure for me as a foodie and photographer. I can definitely tell that cooking is a real passion for chef Da Silva, and he loves to share it.

Needless to say, Les Georges de Pennafort is a real Maison Bourgeois, a house where you are treated like royalties but in a very welcoming and unpretentious way. Although Da Silva have been trained by the biggest name in the industry: Claude Girard (Les Santons de Grimaud), Louis Outhier (L'oasis - La Napoule), Roger Vergé (Le Moulin de Mougins), Charles Barrier (Tours), and even completed his training in pâtisserie and chocolaterie at Lenôtre, you always feel like you are invited at a friend sumptuous dinner party.

This is certainly the intention Da Silva had when he envisioned his restaurant. Born in the nearby village of Cogolin, his childhood has deeply marked the type of chef he would become:

“... I’ve always loved the southern cuisine de grand-mère, like potato salad with olive oil, or vegetable pistou soup ... When I was a kid, the entire village used to go to the baker’s to cook their Sunday chicken or pork in the wood oven. Meals were always festive.
Today, what is most important to me is to use the very best local products. We don’t try for sophistication here—it’s all about flavor.”

Every dish reflected Chef Da Silva philosophy: bringing the best to the table. Foie gras, truffles from Périgord or d’Aups (around 400 kilos per year!), wild mushrooms and fishes... The type of cuisine is Neo-Classic as the chef likes to add his personal touch to the traditional cuisine of the Var region. My all time favorite dish has to be the Foie gras and parmegiano raviolis. California is banning the use and commerce of Foie Gras starting July 1rst 2012, so I can't wait to be back there for another round.

Salade de homard, truffe d'été et tomates confites (Lobster salad with summer truffle and tomato confits) - 67€


Compressé de volaille et foie gras. (Poultry and foie gras compressé) - item not in the menu (inspiration from the chef)


Raviolis de foie gras et parmesan (Foie gras and parmegiano raviolis) - 39€


Les raviolis de foie gras et parmesan is one of the restaurant speciality. You must try it!


Saint Pierre, fondue aux poireaux et truffe d'été (John Dory served with a leek and summer truffle fondue) - 45€


Turbot braisé au champagne et girolles (Braised turbot with a champagne and girolles sauce) - 54€


Bar poêlé aux cèpes, sauce au porto (Pan-seared seabass with a Porto and porcini sauce) - 54€


Langoustines poêlées aux cèpes (Pan-seared langoustines with porcinis) - 54€


Trou normand: Granité au citron vert (Lime granite)


Côte de veau aux légumes printaniers (Veal chop with vegetable printaniers) - 45€


Pigeonneau rôti aux épices (Spices roasted pigeon) - 50€


Le plateau de fromages frais et affinés (Cheese cart) - 15€


Artisan bread rolls freshly baked in the kitchen


Chateau de LaMarque, Haut Medoc 2005", the perfect companion to fine cheeses - 13€ a glass

The desserts are also quite unforgettable. During the hot months of summer, Chef Da Silva and his chef pâtissier propose an assortment of desserts mainly based on ice cream and sorbets. What a better way to end a sumptuous lunch.

To my opinion, when you look at the definition of "Joie de Vivre" in the dictionary, you should read Hostellerie Les Georges de Pennafort.

Pré dessert: Gelée aux prunes, émulsion miel et glace cannelle (Prune jelly with a honey emulsion and cinnamon ice cream)


Les desserts


Baguette meringuée au deux citrons (Meringue baguette - lemons two ways) - 15.50€


Baguette meringuée au deux citrons (Meringue baguette - lemons two ways) - 15.50€


Dessert: Dôme glacé à la pêche et amande - 15.50€


Mignardises


Mignardises


Espresso

For more information

Hostellerie Les Georges de Pennafort

83830 Callas
Tel: +33 (0)4 94 76 66 51
Fax: +33 (0)4 94 76 67 23
Closed annually: Mid January to Mid March
Website and email

Restaurant: Open for Lunch and Dinner except for lunch on Monday and Wesdnay. Menus: 65€, 80€ and 145€, Lunch Menu (Tuesday - Friday) 49€, and a la carte.

Hotel: 16 rooms and suites are available with all inclusive packages. The cheery, comfortable rooms, some with outdoor terraces, are decked out in a pretty Provençal decor, with flowered bedspreads in traditional boutis quilting, and gleaming marble bathrooms. The latest addition is the small spa, with a fitness room, a Moroccan-style hammam steam bath and a wide range of treatments, from purifying anti-age facials with Thalgo beauty products to a body scrub with sea salt, sugar and Mediterranean fruit. There’s also a newly revamped outdoor swimming pool with a wooden deck looking onto the gorge, and a perfect pond replete with ducks and swans.

Interactive map

Check out our interactive map of Provence to see where I took all the pictures featured in this article.