Dimanche (That Means Sunday)

Posted on April 22, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

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Welcome to this edition of Dimanche (That Means Sunday), a roundup of things that caught my eye this past week.

It’s finally starting to feel like spring in St. Louis, and all I can say is, THANK GOODNESS. There were a few snow episodes the past two weeks and all I wanted to do was hide under a blanket and not come out until the spring weather hit.

Luckily, I didn’t need to do that for long. It warmed up and I took some leisurely strolls around town this week to admire the spring flowers. I snapped the above picture at Tower Grove Park, one of my favorite spots for spring flower watching.

I also had a bit of rough week so I tried to take extra care of myself. I got overexcited once it started getting nice outside and I ran five miles two days in a row. My body did not respond well, to say the least. I ended up taking a few days off to recover.

Today, I went to yoga class for the first time in a while. I thought it would help loosen me up and I was right. I skip yoga a lot because I don’t have a membership anymore but I really shouldn’t. Every time I go, I remember how much I love it and how good my body feels afterward. It will cure what ails you, along with ice cream, tea, and repeat episodes of “The West Wing.”

ANYWAY. I hope wherever this week takes you, you find some meaningful detours along the way. I have a couple cooking projects planned for this week but other than that, it should be relatively low key. I’m looking forward to more spring weather, walks through the park, and time spent outdoors.

Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

I was very excited when I heard that Josh Charles, a well-known chef in St. Louis, will helm Winslow’s Home. Josh is one of my favorite chefs in town. He gave me good career advice when I moved back to St. Louis a couple years ago and I’ll always be grateful for it. Now, he’s working at one of my favorite restaurants. I can’t wait to stop by soon and get a pastry and one of my favorite dishes in town, a breakfast burrito with tomatillo salsa.

I’m going to go on another Drake tangent…You’ve been warned. I read an article this week in Slate about how Drake’s latest banger, “Nice for What,” replaced his last popular jam, “God’s Plan,” at the top of the Billboard chart. Personally, I think “God’s Plan” is a better song but I can see why “Nice for What” clinched the top spot. Check out the Slate piece for more insight into the songs and why they’ve become so popular.

Sometimes, I think lunchtime dining options in downtown St. Louis are limited. I was happy to see earlier this week that Good Buddy’s will open this summer. The shop plans to carry homemade soups and sandwiches and cater to the lunchtime crowd. I wrote about the business in my latest story for St. Louis Magazine.

Speaking of lunchtime options in St. Louis…Squatter’s Café is one of my favorite lunch spots in town. I don’t get there as often as I’d like because it’s farther from my office and I’m trying to get better about eating out all the time. Still, I admire the work Rob Connoley and his sous chef Justin Bell are doing. You can read more about Justin in this Q&A in Feast Magazine. I love his shoutout to KNEAD bakery’s doughnuts.

I thought I’d been to every restaurant in St. Louis but apparently, I was wrong. I found out Friday when I stopped by Seedz Café in Demun. The restaurant serves vegan and vegetarian food. Next door, there’s an adorable shop, Seedz Provisions, that made me feel like I was in Los Angeles again. I ordered a chaga chai at the recommendation of the cashier and it was divine. I also got a vegan banana chocolate chip walnut muffin, because why not?

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Last night, I surprised my boyfriend with pastries from La Patisserie Chouquette. The bakery is one of my favorites in town. They always have the most exquisite, inventive French pastries. I feel like I’m back in France when I eat one. I got a few including a pistachio orange creation, a religieuse with strawberry cream, and a raspberry almond cake that was so good, I didn’t want to share it.

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Last but certainly not least, I stopped by Fiddlehead Fern Café’s bluegrass brunch this morning and listened to some tunes from The Mighty Pines. If you haven’t already heard the band’s songs, you should check them out on Spotify. They’ll also be touring around St. Louis and the west this summer, so you can see them live if you’re in the area.

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Enjoy your week! Here’s a song to get you started.

 

 

 

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Baby Shower Cupcakes

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Baby Shower Cupcakes
I made these cupcakes last night for my friend Mark. He and his wife are about to have their first baby so we decided to throw him a surprise baby shower at work.

It was kind of awkward because when he walked into a meeting this morning, we had everything waiting for him in the corner but no one said anything. So I just yelled out, “Congrats!” He looked at me like I had four heads but then he saw the gifts and cupcakes, and all was right with the world.

It’s been a while since I’ve made cupcakes. Usually I go the cookie route, mostly because I like cookies more than cupcakes. But a baby shower practically screams cupcakes. They’re cute, relatively easy, and there’s lots of opportunity for decoration.

I made buttercream frosting and I divided it in half. Then, I mixed red food coloring into half the icing and blue food coloring into the other. Words to the wise: You’ll need less red food coloring than blue food coloring. A couple drops of red food coloring turned the icing a shade of baby pink. I had to use three or four drops to get the icing a baby blue color.

I sprinkled the tops of the cupcakes with shimmery sprinkles but you could use another kind. I thought about using small pearl sprinkles. Maybe they even make baby-themed ones, but I didn’t want to take it that far. I’m still new to the whole baby shower thing.

The cupcakes are a hit. We had fire drill right after the meeting this morning and a bunch of people told me they grabbed one on the run. I’m happy that they prioritized.

Here’s a song that reminds me of these cupcakes, and, I guess, babies. Stevie Wonder wrote it about his daughter.

Baby Shower Cupcakes

Ingredients

for the cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

for the buttercream frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tbsp whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.

Add half the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Then add the milk and mix until incorporated. Then mix in the rest of the flour. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a stick inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.

Allow the cupcakes to cool for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the buttercream frosting. Combine the butter and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until light and fluffy. Then mix in two cups of powdered sugar until it’s fully incorporated. Mix in the rest of the powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until the buttercream is smooth and light. Beat in the milk and vanilla extract and continue to mix until the frosting is smooth.

Use a spatula to divide the buttercream in half. Put one half in a bowl and leave the other in the bowl of the stand mixer. Place two drops of red food coloring in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat until it’s light pink. Transfer the icing to an icing bag or a plastic bag with the corner cut off (that’s what I used). Ice half the cupcakes.

Then place the reserved icing in another stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment and beat in four drops of blue food coloring. Repeat the icing process.

Top the cupcakes with sprinkles. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for three days this way. Enjoy!

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Dimanche (That Means Sunday)

Posted on April 15, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

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Welcome to this edition of Dimanche (That Means Sunday), a roundup of things that caught my eye this past week.

This week was the first one that’s felt like spring, so naturally I spent most of it outside. I went on a run Wednesday through Forest Park and halfway through, I saw the heron in the above photo. It was my first heron sighting of the season. I also saw another one across the prairie but I didn’t want to walk to get a photo of it because technically, the prairie is being renovated. So I just admired it from afar.

Friday, I had the chance to spend time with my friends Martin and Lynn Weber from Edelbrand Pure Distilling at their farm in Marthasville, MO (more on that below). We had a great time even though we encountered a nasty storm on the way home from dinner Friday night. We made tiramisu, talked, ate good food, and I played with their dog. It was relaxing to get away from the city for a while and spend time with good friends.

Speaking of good friends, I got to see my best friend today for lunch. Rachel lives in D.C. so I don’t get to see her as often now. Whenever she’s in town we meet up for lunch or dinner. I’m glad I got to see her and catch up.

WARNING: This might get a little gushy. Being with Lynn, Martin, and Rachel reminded me of the importance of carving out time for good friends. I usually do this anyway, but sometimes it’s easy to start prioritizing work and putting relationships on the back burner. I try to find a balance. I always feel so much better after spending time with people I care about, so it makes sense to try to do it as often as possible.

Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

I’ve been following this story about how Philly cheesesteak made it into a symphony at Carnegie Hall and it’s WILD. The composer, who has already penned symphonies about other cities, decided to concentrate on sounds unique to Philadelphia for his latest symphony. I liked the part of this story in The New York Times where he says that while he was recording the cheesesteak, he got close enough to the meat to singe his hair.

Junot Díaz is one of my favorite authors but I didn’t know much about his personal history until recently. Then I read this story in The New Yorker last week and cried at my desk. Díaz writes about childhood trauma and how it’s impacted his life, especially his romantic relationships. The story is powerful, heart-wrenching, and raw. I’d highly recommend reading it, even though you might feel like stopping at some points because it’s so intense.

On a lighter note… Food & Wine released their top restaurants of 2018 recently. The list includes eateries in Houston, D.C., and New York. I really like what Chef Justin Yu said about sandwiches in the article. Yu, who helms Better Luck Tomorrow in Houston, said that a sandwich can only be something between two fully-detached pieces of bread. In other words, hot dogs and falafel don’t count. I couldn’t agree more.

Can we talk about the new Drake song? I can’t stop talking about it. Some music writers said it’s Drake’s response to the #MeToo movement, and this seems right. After all, most of the lyrics praise women and talk about how they have to put up with so much nonsense from men (i.e., “nice for what?”). Aside from its sociocultural implications, though, the song is an artistic gem. I read some nice things about it in this Pitchfork review.

As I mentioned earlier, I spent some time with my friends Lynn and Martin Friday and Saturday and we had a blast. Lynn and I made tiramisu from scratch, something I’ve only attempted once before and to less-than-satisfactory results. Our tiramisu was delicious. We ended up having slices Friday because we couldn’t wait for it to set overnight. I’ll share the recipe with you later this week.

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In other food-related news… I tracked down Balkan Treat Box last Monday during lunch. It’s a rare treat because they don’t always come close to where I work. I got the chicken döner and it was on. point. I wish I could eat there every day, but I’ll have to settle for when they’re on the road.

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Last but certainly not least, I stopped by The Clover & The Bee in Webster Groves for breakfast earlier this week when I had a half-day at work. I love spending time there writing and drinking coffee. The interiors are very whimsical and everyone sitting in the café is generally in a good mood. You can check out their menu here.

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Enjoy your week! Here’s a song to get you started.

 

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Snickerdoodle Cookies

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

snickerdoodle cookies
One of my favorite movie quotes comes from (I shudder to admit) “27 Dresses.” The main character, a cynical wedding reporter, said: “Love is patient, love is kind, love is slowly losing your mind.” That got a big laugh out of me and my college roommate when we watched it together.

I guess love *is* losing your mind because it makes you do things you wouldn’t normally do. For me, that means coming home after running five miles for the first time in months and making these snickerdoodle cookies. I was out of breath, sore, and tired, but I didn’t let that stop me.

I made them for my boyfriend because he mentioned offhand that they were his favorite kind. I’ve always liked snickerdoodles but I rarely eat them and I’d never made them. For me, they were the cookie equivalent of a turkey sandwich: Satisfying, flavorful, but not as exciting as, say, prosciutto and Gruyère.

I was wrong. Snickerdoodles are actually the cookie equivalent of spies. They’re very subtle as you make them. The dough has a sugar cookie vibe. It comes together relatively quickly and it doesn’t require many ingredients.

Then, you roll balls of dough in cinnamon and sugar and they take on a new life. The cinnamon/sugar mix does two things: It adds spice AND texture to the cookies. They’re slightly grainy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. They melt in your mouth. I’m tearing up a little just writing about it.

The only weird ingredient in the cookies is cream of tartar. When I saw that in the recipe, I was kind of grossed out because cream of tartar sounds like something you’d serve with lobster. HOWEVER, it’s not that at all. It’s a powder that you use sometimes in baked goods to activate baking soda. I’m not a scientist but I’d imagine that it has something to do with why these cookies are so soft and chewy.

These cookies are delicious on their own but they’re also good in ice cream sandwiches. I put a scoop of toffee ice cream between a couple of them last night for dessert.

So the moral of this story is, take a chance on a cookie that you’ve never made and rarely eat. Do it under the guise of doing something nice for your boyfriend/girlfriend/significant other because it will only help you in the end.

Here’s a song to get you started and to take you into the weekend.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and place them in the refrigerator (this will come in handy later).

Mix the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract at medium speed until well mixed. Add the flour mixture and beat on a low speed until fully incorporated.

Place plastic wrap over the bowl with the dough and place it in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon/sugar mixture for the outside. Combine the two ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Once the dough is chilled, use a cookie scoop, ice cream scoop, or tablespoon to scoop out pieces of dough. Gently roll them into balls and dredge them in the cinnamon/sugar mixture until they’re evenly coated. Place them on the chilled cookie sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the sheet immediately after baking and allow them to cool on a rack.

The cookies will keep for a few days in an airtight container. Enjoy!

 

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Cinnamon Porridge with Maple Fried Banana

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Cinnamon Oatmeal with Maple Fried Bananas
I’m so happy because SPRING IS HERE. I’m a little premature shouting that out because apparently, we’re in for some cold weather this weekend. But at least for the time being, I’m celebrating.

On one of the last cold days this week I made cinnamon porridge with maple fried bananas. I can think of nothing more comforting for those weird spring days when it’s waaay too cold and it feels more like the beginning of winter. I needed something spicy, warming, and sweet, and this fit the bill.

Frying bananas is easier than you’d think, but it’s still a process. To make these bananas, I melted some coconut oil in a skillet and then I whisked in some maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Then I put the bananas in the skillet with the cut side facing up. I like to do this because then, you give the backs of the banana a chance to fry first and then the cut side (or the pretty side) will have a better chance of cooking evenly. It’s kind of like making pancakes: The first one is almost always a dud.

The porridge is simple to make, too. You combine rolled oats, a pinch of cinnamon, a splash of maple syrup, a pinch of salt, and some almond milk in a saucepan and allow it to come to boil. Then, you reduce the heat and cook it, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the consistency you like. I like my porridge on the thicker side, so I cook it until it gets very dense (or until I can’t wait any longer).

I topped this oatmeal with the fried bananas, blueberries, a scoop of almond butter, hemp seeds, and sliced almonds, but feel free to get creative. I bet cacao nibs, walnuts, and raspberries would also be delicious.

In other news, Drake just dropped a new single and I’m in love. Every time I think I love Drake the most I can love him, he does something to make me love him even more. The song, “Nice For What,” is essentially an anthem to women everywhere and the struggles they face. As one writer said recently, it’s Drake’s response to the #MeToo movement.

I know there are some haters who probably say that Drake is just looking for some pats on the back and adoration from fans, and hey, maybe he is. But I applaud any artist who comes forward in a positive moment in women’s history and responds in an affirming way. Plus, I love Drake. Have I mentioned that?

Here’s the song, for your listening pleasure. I may or may not have listened to it twenty times on repeat yesterday.

Cinnamon Porridge with Maple Fried Banana

Ingredients

for the oats:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup regular almond milk (not unsweetened)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
blueberries, sliced almonds, almond butter, and hemp seeds for topping

for the banana:
1 large banana (cut into quarters)
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup
pinch of salt

Directions

Combine the oats, almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan on high heat. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the oats, stirring occasionally, until they reach your desired consistency.

Meanwhile, make the banana. Heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat and once it’s melted, add the maple syrup and salt. Add the banana, cut side up, and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Pour the oats into a bowl and top with the banana, blueberries, sliced almonds, a scoop of almond butter, and hemp seeds. Enjoy!

 

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Roasted Brown Butter Radish Toast

Posted on April 10, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Brown Butter Radishes
I had A LOT of leftover radishes from when I made farro salad Saturday night, so I did what any sensible person would do: I roasted them.

I’ve always wanted to roast radishes but I never have. I think it’s because in general, I get sick of radishes. I buy a bunch, slice half of them into a salad on onto a piece of toast, and then I either forget about them or I decide I’ve had enough. A good, fresh radish from the farmers’ market doesn’t need much. It’s delicious on its own. But the grocery store kind can get kind of boring.

Which brings me to these roasted brown butter radishes. I decided to improvise a recipe. I set the oven to 450 degrees, I tossed some radish halves in olive oil, and I laid them sliced-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then I sprinkled some salt on top.

While they were roasting, I browned butter to put on top of them when they were done. Browning butter is an art, one that I’m still mastering. There’s the freak out point when you’re pretty sure you’re going to burn the butter and you feel like stopping, but I’d urge you to keep going. As long as you read the cues, you probably won’t screw it up.

First, the butter will melt. Once it’s liquid, it will start crackling a little, When the crackling subsides, it will start to brown. You’ll want to watch it to make sure it doesn’t cook too quickly. Once it turns a nice, golden brown color and there are little browned bits floating around, you’ll know that your work is done.

I put a poached egg on this toast, because why not. I’d also recommend using the best bread you can find. Toast is a simple thing but it shines when you have good, hearty bread. I used a piece of multigrain bread from Companion, a local bakery, and it was perfect.

Here’s a song to get you started on your roasted radish journey.

Roasted Brown Butter Radish Toast

Ingredients

1/2 a bunch of radishes, tops removed and sliced in half
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
juice from half a lemon
poached egg, goat cheese, and a piece of toast for serving
ground black pepper and more sea salt for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Wash the radishes and make sure that all the grit is rubbed off. Toss them in a small bowl with olive oil. Spread them on the prepared baking sheet, cut side down, and sprinkle with salt.

Roast the radishes for about 15 minutes, or until they softened but still crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, make the brown butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it melts, it will begin to foam. Then it will crackle a little. Swirl the butter around occasionally. Once it’s golden brown and there are dark brown flecks, remove the saucepan from heat and pour the butter into a small bowl to cool slightly.

Toss the radishes in the brown butter. Add the juice from half a lemon and toss again.

Spread the radishes on a piece of good, crusty bread, and top with a poached egg, goat cheese, and a sprinkle of ground black pepper and salt. Enjoy!

 

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Farro Salad with Arugula and Chickpeas

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Farro Salad
I usually go out for dinner at least one night during the weekend but this weekend, I cooked the whole time. It’s okay, though, because this farro salad with radish and parm was worth it.

I made the salad Saturday night for me and my boyfriend. We both felt like we should eat more vegetables because he’s been traveling a lot and I’ve been eating chocolate chip cookies for two weeks straight. This salad was the perfect solution.

You can get creative with toppings but I like the mix of flavor and texture components in this dish. You have crunchy radish and sliced almonds, slightly tender, chewy farro, sweet grape tomatoes, spicy arugula, fragrant basil, and salty parm. There’s a lot going on in the salad but it all works together to create a delicious and filling dish.

I added canned chickpeas in at the last minute because I thought the salad would benefit from some extra protein. White beans would also work well.

If you have some extra time and you feel like taking it to the next level, I’d recommend tossing the chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasting them in the oven for about 20 minutes. I think the salad would taste even better with crunchy chickpeas.

I sort of improvised on dressing so I didn’t include a recipe for it below. All I did was squeeze juice from one lemon on top of the salad and drizzle on olive oil. I sprinkled the salad with salt and pepper and I drizzled about a capful of balsamic vinegar on at the end. I think it’s good to have a subtle dressing with this salad because there’s so much going on with it already.

Some salad ends up looking and tasting like a swamp on day two, but that’s not the case with this dish. If you put the leftovers in tupperware or an airtight container and stick them in the fridge, they’ll still be good for lunch the next day. In fact, it almost tasted better because the apple flavor in the farro had time to marinate.

Here’s a song to play while you’re making this salad. It came on in the car this morning and it reminded me how much I love it.

Farro Salad with Arugula and Chickpeas

Ingredients

1 cup quick-cooking farro (I used the Whole Foods brand)
1 cup apple cider
2 bay leaves
5 oz fresh arugula (or more if you’re feeding a lot of people)
2 oz fresh basil leaves, torn
1 container grape tomatoes, sliced
2 oz sliced almonds
1/2 bundle of radishes, sliced thin
1 14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed
shaved parm, salt, and pepper for topping
juice of one lemon, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil for dressing

Directions

First, make the farro. Combine the farro, two cups of water, bay leaves, and one cup of apple cider in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until most of the water has dissolved. Let the pot sit with the lid on for about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, drain the farro if there’s any water remaining, and place the farro in a bowl. Allow it to come to room temperature while you make the rest of the salad.

Toss the arugula and basil in a large bowl. Add the sliced tomatoes, almonds, radish, and chickpeas. Toss again and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Squeeze the juice of one lemon on top and a couple drizzles of olive oil. Then drizzle on a capful of balsamic vinegar.

Serve with shaved parm and more salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

 

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Dimanche (That Means Sunday)

Posted on April 8, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

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Welcome to this edition of Dimanche (That Means Sunday), a roundup of things that caught my eye this past week.

It’s still winter weather in St. Louis and I’m still over it. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, though. The weather is supposed to get warmer later this week. I’m holding out for Thursday, when it’s supposed to be in the high 60s and at least partly sunny.

Meanwhile, I’ve been doing lots of things to distract myself from the less-than-ideal weather. I’ve been reading a lot and writing lyrics. I also started watching reruns of “The West Wing,” which for some reason I never watched when it was actually on TV. I’m not going to lie: I mostly watch it to pretend that the administration in the show is the one that’s currently in office. It’s cheaper than multiple therapy sessions though, so I allow myself the luxury of delusion.

Whatever you are doing to distract yourself from a long winter and even longer dystopian presidency, I hope you’re enjoying it. I would recommend many cups of tea and coffee, lots of reading material, good TV, and, of course, delicious food.

Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

More and more restaurateurs are calling on Hollywood set designers to create interiors for their spaces. This article in Bloomberg reads as elitist and obnoxious in parts, but it’s also interesting. At one point a set designer compares a restaurant to a theater preview with “hundreds of scripts acted out in the dining room.” For larger spaces with lots of moving parts, this seems to ring true.

I lived in Chicago for a while during and after grad school, so I experienced the perks and downfalls of the CTA. I came across a story in Reader earlier this week about a community organizer in the city who is floating the idea of making the CTA free, or at least more affordable for people who need discounts to ride it. I know it won’t happen soon but it’s fun to think about. A similar system is already in the works in Paris, as the article points out.

When I lived in France, I used to love stopping by my local boulangerie and picking up a freshly baked baguette. I don’t get to enjoy this luxury often enough in the U.S. I went Saturday to Union Loafers, one of my favorite bakeries in town, to pick up a baguette for dinner that night. It was fragrant and still warm in my hand as I carried it out of the store. I ate a piece on the sidewalk, as one should.

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Speaking of France… I really enjoyed this story in The New York Times about a bakery in Paris that’s serving a new French/Middle Eastern pastry. Maison Aleph makes 1001 Feuilles, or a layered pastry that’s a hybrid of a mille-feuille and baklava. It sounds divine. I want to try it in Paris but I can’t make the trip now. Luckily, the article includes a recipe for the pastry so I’m going to make it at home soon.

Earlier this week I wrote about two brothers in St. Louis who started their own gourmet duck company. Davi and Josh Reznick are so kind and charming, and their business, DUCKCHAR, is an inspiration to anyone who loves food. Davi tried Moulard duck while he lived in France but he couldn’t find it when he came back to the U.S. He and Josh had always wanted to start a business together so they decided to invest in duck. You can read more about their journey in my latest story for St. Louis Magazine.

If you find yourself sitting at your desk Monday morning wishing that you were eight hours closer to going home, you should check out this article. The LA Times published a piece on California zoo babies and I’m in love. I spent waaay too much time staring at pictures of Sumatran orangutans.

Last but certainly not least, Emmanuel Macron is speaking franglais and a lot of people in France are upset about it. I speak as much franglais as the next person, but apparently Macron is using it too ostentatiously. You can read more about the situation in this op-ed in The Guardian.

Enjoy your week! Here’s a song to get you started. It’s an old favorite.

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Double Chocolate Cookies

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Double Chocolate Cookies
A word about these cookies: ……

Sorry that was me trying to find words. It’s difficult when something is as delicious as these cookies are.

I made these for my boyfriend because he said that I never make anything for him and only him. He’s not wrong. Whenever I make cookies or cake, I usually have a couple, save a few for my family, and then I bring the rest in to work. A colleague came by my office the other day and thanked me for bringing things in.

“If I baked as often as you, I wouldn’t share it,” he said.

I share what I make partly because I don’t want to be the one eating all of it, and partly because it makes me happy to see people enjoy what I’ve made. It feels like I’m moving one step closer to my dream of opening my own bakery.

These double chocolate cookies are very, VERY rich. They have dutch-process cocoa powder, lots of sugar, butter, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. They remind me a lot of one of my favorite cookies in the world: The double chocolate chip cookie at Levain Bakery in New York.

Whenever I’m in the city, I stop by to get one. My friend Allison, being the good friend she is, went with me to get one in the pouring rain the last time I was visiting. Levain cookies are huge and dense, more like small cakes than cookies. I’ve seen people split them but I could never be so generous.

The trick to making Levain-like cookies is chilling the dough overnight in the refrigerator. I’ve talked to my chef friends about why bakeries do this and the response is varied.

Some say it’s because it gives the dough time to firm up, which creates more compact cookies later. There’s nothing worse than when a cookie flattens out in the oven.

Another one of my friends said that chilling the dough is just the bakery’s way of prepping a bunch of cookies at once. You don’t *really* need to chill the dough, but it helps when you want to make a number of uniform cookies later. Whatever the reason, I’d recommend doing it.

To make these double chocolate chip cookies, you take an ice cream scoop and get enough dough to form golfball-sized rounded lumps. They should be about three ounces, but if you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can just eyeball it.

Then you place five balls on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Make sure you space them far apart because they will spread a bit in the oven.

The smell when these cookies are baking is HEAVENLY. Picture a brownie, a flourless chocolate cake, and melted chocolate, all dancing through the air in waves, and you’ll land somewhere close to these cookies. I’m tearing up a little just thinking about it.

These are some of the best cookies I’ve ever made. I know I always say that, but it’s true. They are slightly crispy around the edges, soft and chewy in the center, and somehow, despite how dense they are, they still melt in your mouth. If you eat one after it’s had a few minutes to cool, the chocolate chips are still melty. It’s one of life’s sweetest pleasures.

ANYWAY. I’d recommend making these cookies as soon as possible, if not to get a pesky boyfriend off your back then to satisfy your own sweet cravings. If I’m going to be honest, I made them for myself as much as for him.

Here’s a song to get you started. Gemini Rising has some good jams.

Double Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
10 Tbso unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.

In the bowl of a stand-mixer, mix together the room temperature butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Then mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, stopping and pushing down the batter from the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

Set the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix on low speed until just incorporated.

Place saran wrap over the dough and put it in the refrigerator overnight. The dough is best after its had a chance to sit in the fridge for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an ice cream scoop, form the dough into 3-ounce round balls, a little large than golfballs.

Place the five balls on each cookie sheet. Place the sheets in the oven and bake for about 18 minutes, or until the cookies are just set but still soft in the middle.

Place the sheets of parchment paper with the cookies on cooling racks. Allow the cookies to come to room temperature. Store them in an airtight container. Enjoy!

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Carrot Cake Bread

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Carrot Cake Bread
I don’t know how I missed this, but carrot cake is an Easter thing. I mean, I don’t celebrate Easter so I guess it’s not *that* much of a surprise that I didn’t know. But when I started seeing carrot cake everywhere this weekend, I put two and two together.

I love carrot cake anytime of year but I crave it most when it’s cold. Maybe it’s the reassuring blend of ground spices. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s slightly healthy. In the winter, I tend to eat more unhealthy because some of my favorite produce isn’t available.

Whatever it is, when temperatures drop below freezing, I need carrot cake in my life. Yesterday, the weather in St. Louis went from a cold spring day to a winter apocalypse. There was ice coming down from the sky that I’ve never seen before. I’m not exaggerating.

To make myself feel better and distract myself from the impending gloom, I made this carrot cake bread. It came together quickly and it made my house smell like the best scented candle. I stood over the loaf for a couple minutes after it came out the oven. It made me feel the same way I would standing under a heat lamp, but better because it smelled good and I could eat it.

I thought about adding some ingredients to the bread such as golden raisins or pineapple. Carrot cake is a good canvas for additions. Shredded coconut would also be delicious mixed in the batter.

Still, I think this loaf speaks for itself. You could add things to it or you could just enjoy it as is. I brought some into work but I also saved a slice for myself to have with tea later this morning. I need some Monday motivation.

In other news, Kacey Musgraves’ new album is really good. I already talked about it a little yesterday in Dimanche, but I wanted to devote more space to it here.

I read an article Friday where the writer gave the album a mostly good review, but also complained about it being jarring. The songs are different than Musgraves’ earlier work, more whimsical and eccentric, the writer said, so it took some adjusting.

I don’t know what album they were listening to but the one I heard is nothing short of a masterpiece. Yeah, it’s different in tone and content than some of Musgraves’ earlier work. But at the end of the day, can you really call yourself an artist if you don’t evolve? The answer to that question is, no. I applaud Musgraves for her bold departure from earlier work and her commitment to creating music that isn’t meant to please everyone. We have enough artists like that already.

Here’s another one of my favorite songs from the album.

Carrot Cake Bread

Ingredients

6 oz unsalted butter, melted and browned to just over 1/2 cup of butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 whole milk
1 1/4 cup grated carrots

Directions

Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan.

Melted the butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat. The butter will crackle and then it will go silent, which means that it’s browning. Swirl it in the pan as it cooks. Once it turns a golden brown color and smells nutty, remove the butter from the heat and pour it into a small bowl to use later. Make sure you watch the butter as it cooks: It can burn easily.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir together the eggs, vanilla extract, milk, carrots, and cooled butter in a medium bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once and fold them together until they’re just mixed. Make sure you get the extra flour that tends to hide at the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix.

Place a sheet of parchment paper in the middle of the loaf pan to make it easier to remove the bread later. Scoop the batter into the pan.

Bake for about an hour, or until a pick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then invert the loaf and allow it come to room temperature on a wire rack.

Tightly wrap the leftovers in saran wrap to make sure the bread doesn’t dry out. Enjoy!

 

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