The Éclair

When Mike was a wee lad in Hawaii, his father worked as a truck driver for a local bakery. He frequently brought home left over goodies for the fam. They were predominantly cakes and donuts, the standard issue fare. Subtle in the background, however, is a faint memory of Mike's first éclair. It stuck with him because anytime we've been to a pastry shop, they are the first thing he scopes out.

This past September, while we were in Portugal, there were tons of pastelarias.  He tried several éclairs in hopes of rekindling the magic. Unfortunately, we were in the wrong spot to enjoy French cuisine. Portugal is famous for their custard and it is reflected in their renditions of other European desserts. Every éclair we bought was filled with custard instead of the traditional pastry cream. Not going to lie... he was pretty disappointed. The éclair would have to wait another day.

I decided that day would be this Valentine's Day. We tried to do the whole cute, secretive thing but it was impossible- we're on the same wave length. So, we shook hands and agreed that he would make dinner and I would help, while I made dessert and he would help. We rolled up our sleeves and attacked.

The first attempt at the pasty cream bombed. It was more akin to soup in consistency. It is recommended to make the pastry cream a day ahead to give it time to cool down.  It seemed like a gamble to try again with the same recipe on such short notice. I did a little research and it felt like a million factors could have contributed to the soup-like result. After watching a very helpful tutorial on The Joy of Baking, I decided to give their version a shot.

To quote Mike, the end result was "fantastic." The choux pastry (the body of the éclair) was puffy and light perfection. We both marveled at how the middle hollows out while baking to create a secret compartment for the filling. The pastry cream was thick, slightly sweet, and had a hint of vanilla. I was naughty and added half a vanilla bean to the mix. Plus, it firmed up quite nicely in less than an hour. The ganache topping is thick and easy to manipulate with a beautiful sheen. I'm a little nutty and try to avoid using corn syrup whenever possible so I substituted with honey. All together, it was a killah éclair!

A note for the other newbies out there, I have found three different ways to pipe in the pasty cream. The first is by simply slicing the choux pastry in half, piping in the cream, and placing the top back on like a sandwich. The second method involved poking holes at each end or the bottom and piping the cream through these make-shift portals. The third method, which was my favorite, is to slice open the top like a zipper, gently pipe in the cream, and then seal/hide the incision with the ganache. The choice is yours! 

The recipe can be found on The Joy of Baking! I highly recommend watching their instructional video. It helps you to understand what to look for as you bake. This resource is a God-send for anyone (like me) who has never made an éclair before. Happy belated Valentine's day!

PS. Thanks my wonderful sous-chef and master chicken masala maker! I love you, husbun!

Finally! Dinner Rolls!

The two tiny words hit with the strength of a tidal wave: dinner rolls. It was the response that I had been dreading.  Every holiday/celebration, I offer to make something for the festivities. It's just the way that I was raised: when you go to another person's home, you must bring food or flowers. Needless to say, it didn't phase me the first time Mike's mom requested dinner rolls. It's a yeast-based bread- my favorite! After making dozens of cinnamon rolls and other sweet breads, this should be a walk in the park.... right? 

And so started what I dubbed, "The Sullivan Curse." Since that fateful Thanksgiving in 2011, I have been an all-star master of destruction to the poor dinner roll. They've been burnt; didn't rise; left in the fridge too long; ruined yeast. It's been one demise after another, creating a dinner roll graveyard.

This year, I was determined. My research was thorough and I settled on a recipe that promised to bring the moon and the stars. I made them a day early to give some leeway should the Curse strike. And strike it did... the first attempt didn't rise- they were much more akin to hockey pucks. I had one last chance: Christmas Day. 

During my final throw with destiny... I reread the recipe again and again, searching for a clue. My gaze hung on the yeast measurement. 1 TABLESPOON of yeast. Not one PACKET which holds a mere 2 1/4 teaspoons. My jaw hit the kitchen counter realizing this major oversight from the night prior. Let's give it one more go, shall we?

*trumpet sounds* I am proud announce that the Curse has been lifted!! This time, the dinner rolls came out banger! They were delicious, light, and fluffy- exactly as promised. They're versatile in their simplicity. Eat them straight up with jam for breakfast or keep it savory with a sprinkle of sea salt and rosemary for dinner.

Thank you Emma Christensen of The Kitchn for this fantastic recipe! The post even has lovely step-by-step guidance. Be sure to check it out!

2013 Holiday Happiness

December is long gone, but that doesn't mean one can't reminiscence! We spent the holiday surrounded by loved ones and amazing food. These people have set an incredibly high standard; I think I'll have a nervous break down when we decide to host for a holiday! This is literally what Christmas Eve has looked like since I could remember... 

Piles of Portuguese grub stacked to the ceiling. Seafood as far as the eye can see. Ride wine and espresso being passed out to everyone in a binge coma. Desserts covered in sugar and cinnamon. It's a beautiful thing. 

There were a few non-traditional things at the table and the MVP award goes to Susana's "Gingerbread Cookies." I've NEVER cared for gingerbread cookies but hot damn these were fantastic. I loved how they weren't overpowering or super sweet. They were so good, I thought that she purchased them at a fancy bakery. Post to follow on our rendition of this tasty treat!

After the festivities, we made our way in the cover of night to Mike's parent's house. The differing traditions have worked perfectly! I grew up celebrating the Eve, he grew up celebrating Christmas Day. No fuss, no muss with the families. This is only a single example, but it never ceases to amaze me how our different worlds merged together so perfectly.

This Christmas was a milestone because it was my first as a wife and daughter-in-law. Mike and I are both big family people; if my mom and brother didn't like someone that I brought home- they were shown the door. My mother thinks the world of him and I must admit, my in-laws make me feel like a really chubby, happy kitten. Now I know how Autumn feels! It's always a warm greeting, plenty of hugs, and delicious food. Mega jackpot.

Another milestone this year was the hubby's grandparents drove in all the way from Texas. Yes, they drove. Talk about hardcore. I didn't get to meet them until the day of the wedding and even that was a few fleeting seconds among the chaos. Growing up, I didn't have many opportunities to get know my own grandparents as they were in New York. We're a huge family with lots of commotion and they always had their hands full. Being able to talk to these two people as family and my new grandparents.... is difficult to explain. In a good way. I was a sucker for both of them instantly.

We spent the day cooking and relaxing. It was totally low key and what the doctor ordered. I got to experience some American cooking, like Texan caviar and an addictive cheese ball. Heck yah baby, black eyed peas, sweet potato, and ham. Some pecans got burnt before being added to the casserole. On a hunch, they were put on back steps for the local wildlife. It quickly turned into a squirrel frenzy. 

It's a creative crowd, so I made wreaths out of rosemary for table settings and grandma used cranberries as a decorative base to the candle center piece. For the directions on how to make these smell-good placeholders, check out Spoon Fork and Bacon's post here! If you don't have a home garden, plan early. I was running around stores trying to find enough rosemary and ended up looking like a crazy person swiping (and getting caught) the last two sprigs from a neighbor's front door garden. Eh heh.



As I was writing this post , we started to discuss what a wonderful world it would be if we could keep the cheery spirit of December year-round. People tend to be a little nicer, the office a little less stressful. I guess it's just to make sure that we appreciate the time off with family all the more and heck, every season has it's beauty and fun.

It's long over due, but happy holidays everybody!

Love,

Michele