Vegan Bakers Article in Mix Magazine!

It's a little too early to write about this wonderful article..I am drinking my tea and getting ready to go bake for the fabulous Dovetail Bakery (Morgan is in the article too!), so I will have to write more about this when I'm more awake. In the meantime you can read the article here at Mix Magazine

oh, just a cherry clafoutis at the gas station

My moment to myself...

I pantomimed and broken frenched myself through buying sore throat medicine from the pharmacie in our little village. There was pointing to my throat and fake coughing involved.

I gestured and broken french myself through mailing 2 letters and buying stamps at the post. She thought I wanted to buy American stamps from her, so we obviously had a hard time.

And I found this woman, deceased, at the tiny cemetery in town. She looked like an amazing woman....

The cemetery was incredible and old. It actually felt like the most peace I had felt in weeks. No one to have messy french with, no one to bicker with. Just me "excuse-moi" ing myself through the headstones.

Oh man the bell in town just rang! It's 1 am....bonsoir!
miss you all and send me emails. I am home and friend-sick!

being a tourist

In Paris it is easier to blend in a little, but now we are in the smallest of towns. And we wander through these twisty streets in a gaggle, oohing and ahhing to ourselves, taking pictures of these little doorways and blue painted shutters. It feels crazy to be such an outsider of a place. It's like it might as well be a disneyland village. Everything is as cute and perfect as it should be in a small provencial village.
But regardless, I love it here. There is a church bell that rings on the hour and on the half an hour, and there is just so much beautiful stone work everywhere. and the cats...they just sit on these little ledges meowing at you. I haven't figured out yet what the french say to the cats. I make a clicking sound to them, like the one I make for basil, but they ignore me. There must be another call. But last night when we came back, a cute little thing was sleeping on my bed. It dashed off out the window, but the foot of my bed was warm and I tried to pretend it was Basil.
I keep trying to wander off on my own, but so far it is impossible. I am hoping here I will be able to sneak some time to sit in the square, eat apples and write letters for a little while.
Last night at dinner I was the only link to our young waiter. It was funny and he had enough patience to put up with us. We kept giving each other the "I don't know..?!" look, for my family, for each others slow versions of our respective languages, and for my vegetarianism in a seafood village. no fruit de la mer, no poisson, and a shrug of apology from me.
Today we go to a vineyard at 9 am. So much drinking.....

some photos

the radishes

the courtyard

the view from the kitchen

and....my new boots!

off to eat and drink more! miss you all!

yes, a fig the size of my fist...

Last night I believe I ate what must have been at least 5 cups of cream between them in the most delicious pumpkin soup and a small plate of warm leeks. I then cooed to a black and white cat that was strutting around the restaurant trying to get attention by ignoring everyone. We then proceeded to get ice cream. Well actually I surprisingly did not get ice cream, but smoked a much needed cigarette, which at the time was much more satisfying then more cream if you can believe it. We walked by the river and looked like tourists ohhing and ahhing at every building and admiring the beauty of them all.
This morning I ate a fig the size of my fist, fresh baguette with smoked salt butter, prune yogurt, an egg with an orange yolk, coffee, and a fresh madeleine....
It was as delicious as it sounds. I may not return, the figs are so good and the baguettes are so crunchy..

many heures later....

I have no idea at which time this occured but at some ungodly hour of the night that exists in the middle of the sky far above everything, my aunt carolyn and father michael snuck into economy coach and whispered, " come on, come on hurry, there's a seat next to us. grab your bag!" To which I resonably responded, "Are you guys drunk?"
So we quickly snuck me into business class where I compleletely reclined my seat into a bed and watched horribly unfunny movies and some funny ones and slept for what I am sure was an hour. It was blissful and extravagent. We spent a few hours in Germany at the airport, and now I am exhausted in a beautiful Parisian apartment trying to convince myself that I should change my clothes even though they are starting to feel like the most comfortable and stylish thing I have ever worn. But three day in a row....in Paris? I don't know. I have already had wine and the homeowners have my favorite soap. Needless to say it is wonderful.
I have already had a deer in the headlights french moment, but I am hoping that once I am rested my courage will come back and all that qubecbecois and Wej's spanishfrench will come back to me...

The "I'm going to France" Last Thrusday Sale!

I am going on a very exciting trip to France in a week and while I plan on doing a lot of "research" eating, I thought I would bake a very french last thursday to raise a little extra pastry and baguette eating money. So if you've been missing peach tatins or want to try apple galettes with cinnamon pastry cream come down to Alberta between 18th and 19th to pick up a little something or to sit and people watch with me before I leave.

le menu pour la soiree
lemon madeleines
pistachio macarons
ginger cakelettes with italian plums
apple galettes with cinnamon pastry cream
small peach tatins
chocolate chip cookies with almond paste
vegan trail mix cookies
vegan lemon pound cake with blueberries

Merci et au revoir!

Plum Ginger Cake

Butter

After much procrastination, and a genuine fear of what was happening to that whipping cream I bought weeks ago, I buckled down and made the most butter I have made so far. 4 1/2 quarts of cream! I mixed in some Halen mon Gold salt, a very special smoked salt that Elizabeth got me as a present. A 400 years old oak tree fell on the property of the company that makes this salt on the Welsh Coast, so they took their sea salt and smoked it over this oak tree and created this wonderful flaky amber colored salt. It is really good on vanilla ice cream, and in the butter it creates a very subtle smoked flavor.

If you live in Portland and want butter, let me know. $8/pound

Last Thursday

Morgan of Dovetail Bakery, and I will be selling some wonderful baked goods this evening at Last Thursday on Alberta St. between 18th & 19th, in front of the Alberta Street Accupunture Clinic.
On the menu this evening :
lemon and chocolate madeleines,
chocolate & vanilla marble cakelettes
almond apricot tartelettes - vegan
chocolate pink pepper cookies - vegan
chocolate chip with almond paste
trail mix cookies - vegan
vanilla sugar cookies with lemon icing or vanilla icing with sprinkles
oh and Oliver will be there....

See you tonight!

Preparing for Market

Today Morgan & I are going to check out a Farmers Market in Forest Grove to see if it looks like it's worth driving 45 minutes to sell cookies and scones. I'm really excited that we are doing this together, it just makes the whole process less intense and scary.

We are also preparing to be in Last Thursday on Alberta St. on June 27. We will be in front of the Alberta Accupunture Clinic, where we all pretty much go to soothe our sore wrists and backs. The Clinic is between 18th & 19th and Morgan and I will have lots of vegan and regular treats, and I am pretty sure I am going to bring my adorable dog to help bribe people to our table.

Chocolate Chip with Almond Paste

the intro

Well after a sunny visit to California I have returned to overcast & cold Portland re-inspired depsite the miserable summer. I ate many burritos and pastries, sat in the sun, and had a memorable and surreal weekend with friends in Los Angeles.
And now I'm back in the kitchen, looking for special orders & creating new stuff!

I currently have: Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almond Paste,
Vegan Trail Mix Cookies,
Blueberry Muffins, and
Trail Mix Muffins
at Blend Coffeehouse at 2710 N. Killingsworth at Greenly in North Portland.
Fresh stuff gets delivered every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

Morgan of Dovetail Bakery and I plan to be at Last Thursday on Alberta this month, so I update on that also.

I would love to make things for your next party or special event. Most stuff is available vegan and feel free to contact me with special requests!