The Dog liked It !

Lemon Mousse with Almond Cookie

My kitchen is under a lemon invasion ! Lemons show up left and right. Big, fat, juicy lemons. Enough lemon tarts already, I am ready to move on. So I decided to experiment and the dog happily volunteered :)

I have had in mind for a while to make fruit mousse, either as a dessert or a filler for a cake. It's pretty common to find such fillings in cakes in french patisserie. I did a bit of research on french baking sites on lemon mousse. I know how to make a chocolate mousse and I wanted a similar recipe but with lemons instead. I actually found one pretty close, but with limes instead. The basic idea is to make a simple lemon curd and fold that with beaten egg whites. Very simple and quick to execute.

I had to adjust the measurements a bit since I was using big lemons instead of limes. The end results was a very lemony mousse. I have to underline it, it is a very strong lemon taste. For lemon afficionados only ! Cut back the number of lemons for a softer flavor.

I find the strong lemon taste appealing, personally. It helps with digestion after a big meal, like a lemon sorbet would, but with less sugar. I added some almond cookies to the mousse. They help counterbalance the sourness, and they are great to use as spoons !

The dog loved both. Two paws up ! And a wagging tail :)

Below is the recipe I used. Again, it is a strong lemon flavor. Adjust accordingly.

The mousse does not keep well for long. After a day in the fridge, it starts losing its consistency. It is best eaten the same day.

Lemon Mousse:

• 3 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 4 lemons
• 2 tbs corn starch

Collect zeste and juice from the lemons. Split the juice in half, put one half into a small cooking pan and mix the other half with the egg yolks and the corn starch. Bring the lemon juice in the pan to a boil, then add the eggy cream and cook on medium for 2-3 minutes. It will thicken quickly. Let it cool on the side.
Beat the eggs until firm. Add the sugar the zeste and beat for another 30 seconds.
Add the thick cream to the whites and fold crefully until blended.
Refrigerate for at least 4h.


Almond cookies:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 4 oz of soft butter

Mix eggs, sugar and extract, then add flour and almond flour. Work it with your fingers until you get a "sandy" consistency. Add the soft butter cut in pieces, and work them in with your fingers. You should be able to shape the dough into a ball without sticking to your hands (add more flour if it does). Place the dough in small cookie shapes on a non-stick pan (I use a high temperature silicon pad). Bake at 350F for 15-30 minutes, depending on how brown you want them.


Trick alert !!!
You know your whites are ready when you can flip the container and they don't slide out.

Lemons falling out of your tree?

That's certainly what's happening in my neighborhood lately. Is it a record citrus season ? I seem to see lemons and oranges everywhere. Even kids selling them on the side of the road.

I don't have a lemon tree. No need, when I can simply walk around the neighborhood and collect them on the ground !

I love lemons, more so than oranges, because one of my favorite dessert is the lemon tart. Give me lemons and I'll make a tart ! Ah ah, alright it's a bit weak. But seriously, that's how I get rid of all those lemons crowding my fridge.

I've done it enough I don't need a recipe anymore. I grab my ingredients and start mixing. Most times I end up with a different version. Today, I got a softer crust by adding sugar to it, which I think is an improvement. I also skipped the meringue on top (extra work) and avoided using butter, ending with a soft and light custard. I like it ! I added pine nuts and almond slivers on top for decoration. Below is the recipe. Enjoy !

Lemon Tart with Pine Nuts and Almonds

Lemon Tart Recipe

For the crust:

In a bowl mix 2 egg yolks and 8 tbs of sugar to a froth. Add 1.5 cup of flour and mix with your hand until you get a fine "sandy" texture. Add a soft stick of butter cut in small pieces, and mix with your hand. Roll the dough into a ball and put aside.

For the lemon custard:

In a bowl mix 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 tbs of flour. Add the zest and juice of 2 medium size lemons, followed by 3/4 cup of half and half. Mix everything to obtain a thick cream.

Roll the dough into a medium size pan. Thickness depends on your taste. Personally I keep it thin (no more than 1/4 of an inch). Pinch the dough on the side of the pan to prevent slumping. Pour the cream, and bake at 380F for 30 minutes. Let it cool a bit before decorating the top. Here I brushed some apricot jam (diluted with water) and sprinkled pine nuts and almond slivers.

"Gerald Passedat: Inventing Cuisine"

With the crafts fair behind me, I was finally able to sit down and watch "Gerald Passedat: Inventing Cuisine", which I obtained from Netflix. I had no idea what was in store for me, besides the ecstatic review of my friend ("I loved it, I loved it, I loved it!"), the small blurb on the DVD jacket, and a length time of 71 minutes. So I nestled on the couch with the dog and a glass of Pinot Noir and pressed Play !
As it turned out "Inventing Cuisine" is a French series on several French Chefs, also including Michel Troigros, Michel Bras, Michel Guerard, and Pierre Gagnaire. The DVD offers a french version with no subtitles and an english version.
Frankly I was initially a bit disappointed. It's not until the middle of the film that the chef's creative process is demonstrated. Too much time is spent on the man himself in his environment and making general (and uninteresting) comments on life. I didn't care much seeing footage of the Chef getting a lapdance at a stripclub ! Once you watch past the first half then the story gets interesting. Basically Gerald is closing is restaurant for two months for remodeling and giving it a new direction with novel dishes. His vision is based on the Mediterranean Sea, choosing seafood dishes that will represent the different sea layers, namely the surface, the deep, and the in-between. And that was fascinating ! How he managed to recreate his vision with food, arranging, coloring, deconstructing. You can tell the man is totally in control of his art. The film ended too soon, I wanted to see more ! Oh well...
Don't miss the extras ! You'll see footage of three recipes in action. Quite instructive. I like his recipe for licorice twin tarts. Very tempted to try it out !
In the end, I recommend the movie. Be patient for the real "meat" of the documentary. In the meantime you can savor images of Marseilles and its blue waters and white rocks.

Life is taking a little detour...

This is what happens when you have too many passions in your life. Try as you may to keep them all in the air, sometimes one will take over for a little bit. Sadly it is not cooking this week. In fact my kitchen has seen little action lately, for I am prepping for my first pottery show of the year ! I am excited ! But so much to do ! It's a big organization issue, and on top, deciding how to display my wares is stressing me out. So I started by buying a new car, with some cargo room, on Sunday. And tonight I am taking a break from the display nightmare. The big show is Saturday March 6. The craft fair is part of the Ocean Beach Kite Festival. Wish me luck !

I do hope I can squeeze in a little cooking though, in a way. A friend of mine recommended a French film on the Marseilles-based master chef Gerald Passedat, "Gerald Passedat: Inventing Cuisine". The story centers around the chef's approach to creating dishes. Probably over an hour of salivating in front of the screen if you ask me ! But I am really looking forward to it.