Seasonal Fruit Desserts: From Orchard, Farm, and Market Deborah Madison (Broadway Books, $32.50) This is a gorgeously photographed book, a celebration of exceptional fruit and recipes that coax the best from them. Madison has long written about farmer’s markets and local produce and wants the cook to use the best and freshest ingredients available. But, she is not a fussy cook and produces simple, beautiful, soul-satisfying dishes. This book is no exception. As she says in her 'Ten Hints,' "Have fun and don’t worry." She encourages us to stray from the recipes and make them our own and to "enjoy this sweet adventure." Like Regan Daley, Madison begins her book with a good introduction to ingredients and basic techniques. She continues with a section showing us how to take the fruits at their peak of ripeness and offering simple ideas of how to let their flavor shine. This is followed by a chapter on fruit in syrup like Pineapple and Kiwi in Basil Syrup and White Peaches in Lemon Verbena and Lavender Syrup. The succeeding chapters are on roasted and sautéed fruit; pies and tarts; dried fruits, nuts and preserves; puddings and gelées; and sauces. She even has a chapter of 'Five Cakes to Go with Fruit.' These recipes are sensational. I have made four of the five—Olive Oil Cake, Orange Chiffon Cake, Almond Corn Flour Cake, and the Brown Sugar, Ginger Cream Cake—and they have all been delicious. A standard summer dessert in my house is a simple cake with fruit and whipped cream so I am very excited about adding these to my repertoire. And there are some wonderful winter recipes for citrus and dried fruits including a beautiful white chocolate and coconut bark with pistachios, lavender and rose petals, and tangerine zest. What a great gift that will be! Besides the usual pastry doughs, Madison has a recipe for something called a Silky Tart Dough—somewhat between a cake dough and a clafouti batter. It is so simple and quick that there is no excuse for not whipping it up and making a tart with summer berries or stone fruits like peaches or apricots. I made it with blueberries and apricots and it was lovely. Though she says to serve it slightly warm, I found the flavors more intense when it was room temperature and allowed to sit a bit. Try it both ways and decide for yourself. Huckleberry or Blueberry Cream Tart (makes one 9-inch tart, serving 8) This tart is especially handsome baked in a square or rectangular tart pan. Silky tart dough (see below) 2 cups fresh huckleberries or blueberries 1 tablespoon arrowroot or 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons maple sugar, demerara sugar, or other unrefined sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon grated lemon or lime zest ¾ cup crème fraîche or sour cream 1 small egg or 1 large egg yolk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 pinches freshly grated nutmeg Confectioners’ sugar 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly butter a 9-inch round, square, or similar-size rectangular tart pan. Make the dough (see recipe below), line the tart pan with it, and set it on a sheet pan. 2. Pick any stems off the berries, then toss them with the arrowroot or flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. 3. Beat the crème fraîche or sour cream with the egg, vanilla, and nutmeg. Scatter the fruit over the batter, then pour the custart mixture over the fruit. Bake until the custard has set, about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool briefly so that you can serve it slightly warm, the edges dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Silky Tart Dough (makes one 9-10-inch round or square tart) 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature 1/3 cup sugar (organic preferred) ¼ teaspoon salt 3 eggs at room temperature ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Grated zest of 1 orange or tangerine 1 cup all purpose flour 1. Butter a 9-inch round or square tart pan. Beat the butter with the sugar and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again until smooth. Add the flavorings, then the flour, mixing just to combine. Using a wide rubber spatula, scrape up the batter from the bottom, incorporating any stray bits of flour. 2. Scrape the batter into the tart pan. Using an offset spatula, spread it out pushing the edges up the sides to make a rough rim. It needn’t be very high—just enough to hold the custard. If the batter is extremely soft, refrigerate for 10 minutes, then finish shaping the sides. Copyright © 2010 by Deborah Madison

In the Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Baker's Companion Regan Daley (Artisan, $24.95) Regan Daley wants you to bake but she wants you to be an informed baker as well as a successful baker. Her book, a recipient of the IACP Book of the Year Cookbook Award, is full of recipes for cakes, tarts, quick and sweet yeast breads, cookies, custards, mousses and even ice cream. She has a detailed guide to 700 ingredients including clear descriptions of the differences such as the confusing coconut cream, cream of coconut, and creamed coconut. (There is even powdered coconut cream---also called coconut cream powder). Who knew?! She also has a good section on substitutions so that you are not stymied when you get that midnight inspiration to whip up a dessert and don’t want to venture out. Daley is here to guide you through all this in clear, enthusiastic prose and great recipes. Cindy and I have tried a number of the recipes and find her descriptions very enticing and the instructions clear and thorough. The Honey-Poached Apricot Cornmeal Crunch Cake, is a blissful marriage of the warm and nutty taste of corn with cinnamon-tinged, honey-bathed apricots. Her Honey and Spice Madeleines are divine, especially warm. They would be delightful with tea or a bowl of seasonal fruit. I have also tried her brownies, though I sneaked in some chocolate mint from the garden. Moist and concentrated in flavor. Cindy did the Black Chocolate Espresso Cake with Bittersweet Glaze and garnished it with fresh raspberries. It too is intense and moist, rich with chocolate and coffee flavor. Don’t eat this before going to bed unless you use decaffeinated espresso. This recipe makes a big cake so it is perfect for a dinner party. Most recently, I tried the Pecan Toffee Coffee Cake, which is fabulous. (The recipe follows.) It uses English toffee bits like Heath Bar bits or Skor Bar bits. The only meddling that I did was replace one-half cup of the flour with King Arthur’s white wheat flour (this is a white whole wheat) and use finely ground espresso instead of espresso powder, which I did not have. It does not seem to have affected the rise or crumb in the least. This really is a splendid recipe and we ate the yummy leftovers for several days. Pecan Toffee Coffee Cake Serves 12-15 Filling: ½ cup tightly packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 2 teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans ¾ c (half of a 225-gram package) English toffee pieces for baking Cake Batter: 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ¾ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 ¼ cups tightly packed light brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs, at room temperature 2 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 ¾ cups full-fat sour cream ¾ cup (or the other half of the package) English toffee pieces for baking 3 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted, for decoration 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube or Kugelhopf Bundt pan and tap out excess flour. Prepare the filling: in a bowl of a food processor or clean coffee or spice mill, combine the brown and granulated sugars with the espresso powder. Pulse several times to grind the mixture quite finely and transfer to a small bowl. Add the sifted cocoa and spices and mix with a fork until well blended. Add the nuts and toffee pieces and stir to combine. Set aside. 2. Prepare cake batter: sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a medium-sized bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Cream on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or about 5 minutes by hand, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, beating in vanilla with the last egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically to make sure the mixture gets evenly blended. 3. Add the flour mixture to the batter in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just to blend after each addition and be careful not to overbeat at this point, or the crumb of the cake will be tough, not delicate and fine. When the last of the flour has been incorporated, fold in the toffee bits. 4. Spoon about 1/3 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a teaspoon, spread the batter evenly over the bottom and make a little moat all the way around in the center to cradle the filling. Spoon ½ the filling into the groove, taking care not to have any of the filling touch the center tube or the sides of the pan or it could scorch making a graceful unmoulding very difficult! Smooth the filling down a bit, then add another 1/3 of the batter. Again, spread the batter over the filling and up the sides of the pan, creating another moat. Fill this groove with the last of the filling and cover it with the remaining batter. Using the spoon or rubber spatula, spread the batter smoothly and evenly, making sure it goes right to the edges of the pan, blanketing any exposed filling. The two layers of filling must be well-separated by batter or the resulting cake will have an unpleasantly sugary and crunchy center. Rap the pan on the counter once or twice to remove any trapped air bubbles. 5. Place pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 50-65 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and the center springs back when lightly touched. A wooden skewer inserted about 2 inches into the center of the ring should come out clean, except for any stray toffee that it may have speared. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 5 to 7 minutes, then invert cake onto another rack and leave to cool completely. This cake must be absolutely cool before you attempt to slice it or you’ll end up with one pile of cake and another of nutty toffee! The cake keeps very well for 2 or 3 days, well wrapped at room temperature. To serve, sift the icing sugar over the top. Copyright © 2001, 2010 by Regan Daley

Ad Hoc at Home Thomas Keller (Artisan, 9781579653774, $50.00) November 2 Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller is a beautiful and accessible cookbook, full of both expert and practical advice. Beautifully designed, the book is filled with gorgeous photographs and very inviting recipes. It is for the cook who is comfortable in the kitchen and has a certain confidence in his or her approach to cooking. I will be cooking a dinner for a group of friends on Saturday, November 21 using a selection of Keller’s recipe from this book. I am having a very difficult time deciding what to cook, as there are so many great sounding recipes (many more than I can cook for one evening). For example, I can’t wait to try the Curried Cauliflower-Chickpea and the Farro-Black Rice Salads, the Potato Pavé, the Scallion Potato Cakes, and many of the “staples” in the Lifesavers chapter. To help narrow my choices for this dinner, I have set up some parameters: use local ingredients as much as possible and, since we will be a party of eleven, choose more seasonal and economical ingredients (even though duck is a favorite). Although we have a source for local beef, I would have to order a whole quarter of a cow to get short ribs so that is out. I can get chickens from my neighbor so have decided to do the Pan-roasted Chicken with Sweet Sausage and Peppers. I can get locally made sausage and can probably use my own roasted peppers from this summer’s garden though I think it would be better to start fresh and use Keller’s roasting technique. I have to try the scrumptious sounding Leek Bread Pudding and fortunately have lots of leeks in the garden. From the farmer’s market I should be able to get radishes, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, chard, lettuce, and pears. The menu: Candied Pecans and Spiced Mixed Nuts Sweet Onion Tapenade (using my own purple onions) Breadsticks Pan-roasted Chicken with Sweet Sausage and Peppers Leek Bread Pudding Butter-braised Radishes, Kohlrabi, and Brussels Sprouts Rainbow Chard with Raisins, Pine Nuts, and Serrano Ham (I may have to use prosciutto) Salad of Mixed Greens Cheese Pear Upside-Down Cake with Whipped Cream Tuesday, November 17 (four days before) I have been checking out sources for the ingredients I will need. The only vegetable that I may not be able to get locally is the kohlrabi. It was available a few weeks ago at the West Chester Farmer’s Market but there was none this past Saturday. I picked up pears today from a local farm so that they would be ripe for the weekend. I also found some pequillo peppers from Argentina but I think I will ask my sister to bring the Spanish ones down from NYC when she comes on Friday. Today, I made the brioche dough, which is chilling in the refrigerator overnight. I also made the soffrito, multiplying the recipe by three so that I will have some on hand for other uses. In fact, I am using some tonight to make a rice, farro cake with eggs, goat cheese, locatelli romano, and smoky pimenton. Wednesday, November18 (three days before) This morning before going to work, I baked the two loaves of brioche and put them in the freezer until Friday. Thursday, November 19, 2009 (two days before) I picked up the Brussels sprouts, sweet sausage and prosciutto (instead of Serrano ham which I have not readily been able to find). I could have asked my sister Katherine to bring some but decided against it. When I got home from work at 9:30 PM, I made the sweet onion tapenade. How scrumptious! This is a great recipe, a perfect blend of onion sweetness with the edge of tangy, salty olives and anchovy. November 20, 2009 (the day before) My sister Kitty has arrived from NYC laden with goodies. Besides the piquillo peppers and piment d’Espelette, she brought bags of beautiful bread from Grand Daisy on Sullivan Street including the wonderful oversized filone, perfect for my crowd. Tonight, we cubed the brioche to dry overnight, made the two nut recipes, the pepperonata rustica, the wine-steeped golden raisins and the brine for the chicken. I also made a stock from the chicken trimmings. November 21, 2009 (the big day) I was up at 6 to put the chicken in the brine. Kitty and I then went to the Farmer’s Market to pick up 60 pounds of Gold Rush apples that I had ordered and the remaining ingredients for the dinner—Rainbow Chard, Brussels sprouts, and radishes. The Farmer’s Market in West Chester is a lovely one with devoted and enthusiastic vendors and customers alike. This Saturday was particularly busy as it was the Saturday before Thanksgiving so there was a huge line for turkeys and other holiday meats. I bought regular red radishes but then discovered watermelon radishes at the Chinese vegetable stand. They are very large, like a big turnip with a pale green skin. When you cut them open, the flesh is a rich, deep pink just like a watermelon. The flavor is sweet and mild. I bought one to mix with the others. The colors will be sensational. After the market, we took a walk in Longwood Gardens before diving into the day’s preparations. I started with the breadsticks—very easy and quick. We then moved on to preparing the radishes, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts. I forgot how delicious kohlrabi is. All you have to do is blanch it. It has a naturally nutty, buttery taste that is irresistible. We then prepared the chard, cooking the stems and leaves separately. I know that I should not have cooked them ahead but there was no way I would be able to do everything at the last minute and at least make an appearance as a hostess. We toasted the pine nuts and the brioche cubes and cooked the leeks. (Confession: I used four cups instead of two since I did not want to put half a leek in the frig. Since the leeks cook down so much, I think that it will be fine.) I felt I should make the cake to free up the oven though I suppose I could have cooked it during dinner but this seemed too much to worry about at the last minute. I multiplied the recipe by half again and added a bit of lemon zest to the batter. I used a heavy 10-inch Williams-Sonoma cake pan with a nonstick finish since I did not have a silicone pan. It worked fine and came out of the pan beautifully though it was a bit paler than I might have wished. I could have used the Microtorch to brown it slightly but was too rushed. I made the salad dressing, got the table linens and candles for Katharine so that she could set the table. Late in the afternoon, I sautéed the chicken and sausages. I started to feel a bit frantic. Since I approximately doubled the recipe, everything didn’t fit in my sauté pan so I used a heavy duty cast aluminum roasting pan to assemble everything, heating it on top of the stove on two burners once I had added the peppers, and then putting it in the oven with a loose foil tent. My pepperonata was a bit too soupy and I think that I was at fault in adding the juices from the roasting pan. My plan was to free up the oven by 6:30 or 6:45 for the bread pudding so that it would be done by 8:00 PM or a bit after. I assembled the leek bread pudding waiting to pour the cream/egg mixture over it until fifteen minutes before baking. I then finished up the chard, holding the sautéed prosciutto until the last minute. Contrary to the recipe, I mixed the room temperature Brussels sprouts, radishes, and kohlrabi together in a big bowl to hold until finishing. We washed glasses, set up the hors d’oeuvres in the living room and ran to get dressed. By 7:15, all guests had arrived with only one minor accident. Our very tall friend Andrew decided to surprise us by plunging into the window well. All we could see was his very surprised face and raised arm carrying a potted orchid. No injuries to either, thank God. Finally. . .the Dinner Everyone loves the hors d’oeuvres. About 7:50, I go into the kitchen to finish up the various dishes, cut the bread and set up the kitchen for serving. I heat the stock and butter for the sprouts et al and reheat the chard quickly. We begin serving at 8:10-8:15. Many “oohs and ahs” as people serve themselves. The colors of the braised vegetables are spectacular, pinks and a gorgeous array of greens. The chard too is beautiful. Everyone sits down, wine is poured and we toast Thomas Keller for the opportunity. Concentrated tasting commences followed by lively conversation. Everything is delicious but the favorites are the bread pudding and the two vegetable dishes. These last two demonstrate how a simple but inspired treatment can enhance the best on ingredients. The wine infused raisins add a touch of acid and mysterious spice to the chard and the champagne vinegar gives a subtle but sprightly edge to the sprouts. The leek bread pudding is the most luxurious of comfort foods and would make a great vegetarian main course. However, we can’t imagine it with fewer leeks. A contented pause, then salad, followed by the cheeses, which were • Kunik (a white, mold-ripened cheese produced by Nettle Meadow in Warrensburg, New York from a mix of goat’s milk and Jersey cream) • Morbier (semisoft cow’s milk cheese from the Franche-Comte regions of France made of two layers of creamy paste separated by a thin layer of ash) • Robiola Bosina (soft mild, creamy cheese from the Langhe region of northern Italy made from a blend of sheep and cow milk) Another contented pause. . .and then dessert! Pear Upside Down Cake with very slightly sweetened whipped cream. Lovely! Thank you, Thomas Keller. Another toast. It has been an evening of taste thrills and joyful conviviality. I look forward to many more tastes and cooking experiences from this cookbook. Hmmm. Maybe tomorrow. Sunday, November 22 Well, I had to make the brownies since I had both good quality cocoa powder and some great cooking chocolate that I had bought again via my sister at chocolate convention. They were sublime. . .SUBLIME!!!! Monday, November 23 I took most of the remainder of the brownies to work today. Everyone who tasted then swooned in ecstasy. Revelatory! Julia Loving Chester County Book & Music Company West Chester, Pennsylvania