Anouk Bakery

works with rice

2010-07-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Big Bread no. 4

2010-05-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

5 foot loaf for open engagement dinner at pnca
dinner was made by leif and the photos are his too!

2010-03-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

2010-02-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

computerbroke....

2009-10-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

wokeupat4am....firstbluster

Risky Business

2009-07-14T08:12:00.001-07:00

The Biggest

2009-06-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

On my drive from the kitchen to Ned Ludd, the resturant where I was meeting Tricia, her family, Morgan of Dovetail fame/my friend and boss, and folks who own Ned Ludd, and my Buddhist nun friend Chodon, it suddenly occured to me that I needed the lime green instant read thermometer that my dad gave me for the holidays. He asks me all the time if I've used it yet, and I always sheepishly say no. I'm not a thermometer kind of person, I use my senses to bake. I smell when the cookies are almost done, I push the cakes in gently to see if they spring back, and I knock on the bread's crust to listen for hollowness. But this was different, this was no ordinary loaf of bread. How much knocking could I do? How could I be sure that it was done in the inside? And then it just hit me! The instant read thermometer! It saved the day, really. I knew that, as soon as I saw that the temperature inside the giant bread was 210, I thanked my dad for such a perfect tool, the best thermometer out there, and surprisingly the only thing that truly made me feel like this crazy experiment was going to work.
Fifteen pounds of flour, water, salt, yeast, starter and a lot of waiting. A lot of test loaves that couldn't be baked 5 feet long, and one late night the night before the big day sanding the giant peel with Erik while he meticulously carved the handle and cleaned up my not so perfect sanding job. I was so impressed with Erik's work. I wanted a peel that wasn't made out of plywood, and he made me this beautiful handcrafted tool that I will keep for the rest of my life, and curse it every time I move houses, but that's not for a while...It gave me a boost in confidence to have such a beautiful work of art at my side.
So I mixed the dough at Dovetail, drove it over to Ned Ludd, met everyone and started shaping the dough. Simple. Tricia, Chodon, and I stretched it out and then shaped it into a giant batard. On the count of three we moved it like a injured person in the hospital onto the giant peel from the work table. We floured a million towels and covered it up. I then rolled up every towel I had including bath towels and surrounded the loaf with little buffers to mimic a rising basket so the loaf woudn't flatten out. And then we waited. We drank coffee and ate cardamom coffeecake that Tricia made and some blueberry muffins I made. We chatted, I nervously checked on the bread every so often, made sure the towels weren't slipping and the loaf was ok. Everyone kept asking me if it was done rising yet, and even though the hour had past, I felt like it wasn't ready. I figured my intuntion has gotten me this far, why mess with it now.
When it was finally ready we gathered everyone together and lifted the peel, some folks at the handle some holding the main part. The thing was heavy! We slid it into the oven, which at this point I realized was built for tall men and not me at 5 feet 3 inches, and even though I was on my tippy toes I still couldn't quite get a good height for yanking the peel out from under the bread. I counted to three and we all pulled back and tried to slide the peel from under the bread. It worked ok, to be honest. We got the bread off, but not completely in the oven! To my horror we had to push the butt of the bread into the oven so we could close to door! But not bad for the first attempt, no!?

That is most of the drama of it all..The bread baked for about and hour and it was beautiful. We've done it one other time and my friend Jac made some videos of the process. This bread was made at Tastebud thanks to Mark, who owns Tastebud and who I buy delicious pizza from every Saturday, and Katie who let us ambush her while she worked, took us in stride and hopefully had a fun time hanging out with all of us!

Copain / Coping

2009-05-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

Coping
We painted the kitchen lavender...Not purple not pink, somewhere in between. It was one of those excitedly discussed ideas over our new greenish farmhouse kitchen table. An idea that could have been a "good at the time idea", but actually it has worked out quite well. It makes the room inviting and it blends into all the old reused wood in the kitchen. Everyday we look at each other excitedly and say "our kitchen is purple!!!", like we can't believe we actually did it.

This month has really been tough, exciting though. The moving came at a pretty bad time, but I am trying to sort what is important to do now, and what can wait until June. Tomorrow is the baby shower I am helping throw. I am stocked up on bubbly fruit waters: Blood Orange, Pink Grapefruit, Lemonade, Limeade. I have two bottles of Prosecco and a lot of streamers. Now all I need are desserts.
Today I am making a gluttonous amount of vegan treats:
Trail Mix Cookies
Chocolate Chip with Almond Paste
Claire's Cocoa Cookies - chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper
Sugar Cookies with Meyer Lemon Icing
Wheat Free Chocolate Ginger Cakelettes
Lemon Poppyseed Cakelettes
and the grand finale
Meyer Lemon Curd & Rhubarb Marionberry Tart

Copain

(photo by Alexandre Bettler/bread by Flourpower city bakery in London)

The other project I have been working on is a 5 foot long loaf of bread for Tricia's art final. It's been really fun and a little nerve wracking trying to practice something I can't actually practice. I can make 3 foot long loaves in the oven at Dovetail, but I can't actually make the 5 foot loaf until the day of at Ned Ludd. They have kindly let us use their oven, a 5 foot longish wood fire oven in North East Portland, and so until the day of the baking next week all I can do is practice 3 foot long loaves and hope everything will work out. In the meantime I have been talking to every bread baker I can find. I sat at the bar and chatted with the St. Honore bread bakers and explained to their bemused and curious faces about the 5 foot loaf. They gave me tips that Mark of Tastebud later thought were possibly not good for the wood fire oven. Its been confusing, but I love asking people's opinions. People love the 5 foot loaf! They just love the idea of it. They want to talk about it and impart their wisdom, and bakers can't help but tell you their opinions, can they.
I just keep telling myself, "It's just bread..Flour, yeast, salt and water...it's just bread"

Go here to read more about the project and please come to the opening at 7 pm on May 24th at 1241 NW Johnson Street in Portland.

Moving

2009-05-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

It happened faster then we could really be ready for, even though we are the ones creating this situation. We found a new house before we had even given notice on the old one, and so now we are paying double rent and living in chaos. We are so excited about our new house that we have been frantic to get out of the old one..packing food in shopping bags without going through it, throwing everything in boxes. My desk is still set up at the old house, looking untouched and just how I left it, while everything around it is a mess. The bookshelf awkwardly on its side in the middle of the room, the untidy and mysterious creatures living under the couch, cruelly exposed to the light of day, stay in their places refusing to move..a dirty summer window fan, a stinky sleeping bag, dust bunnies, and a print goco machine huddled together. The new house has a L shaped wrap around porch, a place to get baguettes a block away, a small commercial gas stove, a claw foot tub, and a beautiful garden. The fridge is covered in old plank wood so it disappears in to the room. There are things to fix of course...The kitchen is a horrible orange, things are dusty and grimy, many things need to be painted (see butterfly table below...we did not do this I swear)

May looks like a busy month. I have a baby shower to plan, a house to unpack, new sweets to make, last Thursdays, and a 5 foot long loaf of bread to bake. Yes, 5 Feet! More on that later... off to the Farmers Market.. I have pizza to eat and elicit coffee to sip.

Sore Legs and Dreams of Rhubarb

2009-03-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

The weather can't make up it's mind, it's warm then it's rainy. Overcast and then the sun peeks out just a bit. It makes this California girl homesick. Well that and my wonderful friend Sarah Jane coming to visit for her spring break! We wandered the first farmers market of the season, SJ and I laughed at how little food there was, her once again feeling grateful and lucky to live in such sunny part of the country. But I said, you won't feel that joy when the food starts coming! When there is more then root vegetables, apples, and onions. I bought some handmade butter, talked to the wife of the goat cheese maker about butter making, and we wandered back home in the rain of course, to make birthday cake for her.

Oh yeah, then we got some big ass friendship tattoos on our legs. It is the three of bottle/cups, the tarot card associated with friendlove and deep friendship. Claire, SJ, and I are all water signs astrologically speaking, and the cups/bottles suite is all about water and emotions. There are sprig of lavender around it cos you know I love some lavender in the summer, and a big moon. I have left the banner blank so far because I am not sure what I want it to say yet. SJ got "Together we're home" which I like a lot, but I also like the idea of all of ours saying something different. So far "Never a wife" , " Fuck Ya!" (in honour of Shon's unicorn tattoo), and "Hella" are in the running. Of course all of these are awesome and terrible in their own ways, hence why the banner is blank!

Meanwhile my mind has been wandering back to the markets in Nice. In my dreams sometimes I am still wandering the 8 block maze of farmers market and flower stalls in the south of France. The bread and gooey cheese and the huge figs. The most beautiful carrots I ever saw; I bought them even though we were leaving on the plane the next morning and I wouldn't have been able to finish them in time. I just wanted to look at them and eat as many as I could. I brought them on the plane with me and snuck glances of them every chance I got.

And so as I am dreaming of Nice and waiting for spring and our markets to have abundance again, I scribble notes to myself in my book....blood orange and olive oil cake, orange yogurt cake with little wisps of rhubarb on top, meyer lemon curd tart with rhubarb, that tart from the gourmet magazine, peach tatins....

Eggs

2009-03-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

Every so often I get these wonderful fresh eggs for trade from my friend Eric. Aren't they beautiful?!

A day off

2009-02-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

Even though it's my day off, I can't seem to stop baking. I mean it's not a bad life, waking up and thinking, "hmm, I need to test that cake recipe. Should it be chocolate ginger? Chocolate pink pepper? Chocolate orange? maybe chocolate hazelnut..." Well let's just try it all!

Well the chocolate ginger and chocolate orange are my favorite so far. I think I might try chocolate coconut later......

Roasted Apple Tart

2009-02-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

Oh, lets all thank Elizabeth for this recipe. Apples roasted with a little sugar and then blended. Topped with thin apple slices and baked until browned. So simple. I can't wait for her return so we can bake more.

Moi et Oliver partage un croissant

2009-02-13T13:30:00.001-08:00

Vegan Bakers Article in Mix Magazine!

2008-11-23T07:19:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-10T01:55:00.000-07:00

My moment to myself...

2008-10-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-05T22:53:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-03T10:08:00.001-07:00

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...

2008-10-02T01:59:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-10-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-15T17:53:00.001-07:00

Butter

2008-07-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

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!