Portland's Answer to Holiday Fruitcakes

I usually don't write here about foods that I don't make myself ('cause I like to tell you how to make it) or that you can get yourself (from a restaurant, food cart, etcetera).  Fortunately for me, (but most of all YOU) the wine cake that I'm going to tell you about is available for order for the holiday season.  (Though you need to act fast as it needs 4-6 weeks to age to perfection).

Denise's Mother's Infamous Wine Cake

We have all been either the unfortunate recipient or the guilty giver of the unwanted fruitcake as a holiday gift. Fruitcakes were not always such an unpopular gift.  In fact, the tradition had to start somewhere!  But over the last few decades, the fruitcake has become the butt of jokes and generally despised both as a confection and as a gift.

Portlanders will be very happy to learn, as I was, that there's a new player in town.  The Wine Cake.  Need I say more?  I mean, really, how Pacific-Northwest does it get?  The slice I tasted had a distinct flavor that layered notes of a fine vintage and warm cinnamon onto a light, yet incredibly moist base of (sigh) cake.  Each bite featured a complexity of flavors and textures including a sugary crumb topping with a slight crunch to it and a ribbon of something (could it be red wine??) that both perplexed me and threw me into a delirium.

Now, for the good news.  This is the perfect holiday treat to bring to parties, potlucks, as hostess gifts, or even as a classier fruitcake substitute (AKA "gift.")  This is a cake you can feel good about giving.  Each loaf costs $12.99, or you can order 2 for $23.00.  Place your order by emailing Denise at dcrume@hotmail.com by calling her at 503-807-8503.  Remember, the cakes need to age 4-6 weeks, so order early!! I know I will....

More Macarons

This last weekend I attended a lovely wedding, and almost fell over when I saw the "wedding cake."  So, speaking of macarons.........

I only regret that I had to skip out before these were distributed, so until after the honeymoon.....I won't know what flavors they were!!!!!  Below is a list of flavors I want to taste ASAP (in no particular order).

• Rose Macaron (!)
• Coconut Rum Macaron
• Coconut Curry Macaron (!)
• Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil Macaron
• Sesame Matcha Macaron
• Lemon Basil Macaron (!)

A letter:

Dear Pix Patisserie,

we need a lavender-flavored macaron.  Asap.

Much Love,

Carolina Selva

Andy's Salted Caramel Macarons at Pix Patisserie

Okay, so these macarons don't necessarily belong to Andy, but being that he recommended I try them, I figured I'd give him the credit.  I had the salted caramel macarons from Pix Patisserie on my "must" list since Andy posted a comment on my blog. I had planned a mom-daughter date with my 7-year-old girl, and since she'd never been to Pix, I thought it was a great opportunity.  We parked right in front, and I saw her eyes go BIG when she glanced at the storefront and caught a glimpse of the desserts in the window case.  She looked over at me and I nodded slowly......"oh yeah." (Think back to the old Twix commercials).

The Royale

We walked in and took our time looking at all the options in the dessert case.  She read the titles of the desserts to me and I read off the descriptions.  I knew what I was having - two (because 1 is TOTALLY not enough) Salted Caramel Macarons, but Sasha took her time choosing hers. She finally settled on the Royale (a mound of chocolate mousse that blankets chunks of hazelnut praline on a thin pastry base and covered in a smooth chocolate shell).  My girl, being very generous, offered me a taste.  I couldn't believe my mouth - the silky texture of the mousse countered the crispiness of the hazelnut praline just perfectly.  It was rich and decadent like only Pix can pull off.

I ordered the macarons, which are technically called "Fleur de Sel Macarons" and an espresso.  Now, call me traditional, but I was expecting something like a mound of sweet coconut.  What I got was totally different and blew my mind.  (I later learned that traditional French macaroons such as these are made with ground almond instead of coconut). The macarons were silver-dollar shaped discs of a meringue-like cookie (studded with French sea salt according to Pix's Web site), joined together in the middle by a dollop of something insane that had the consistency of a cross between whipped whole cream and mousse (it is actually salted caramel buttercream).  The textures and flavors are almost indescribable, and I was left almost dizzy with delight at the discovery of these.  I let Sasha taste one, then polished them off.  I decided that we needed to get a couple more to take home so Rob could taste them.  Unfortunately, only one made it home safely to him. Better luck next time.

I Scream for Ice Cream

So.....this month's Portland Monthly magazine features an article entitled "Cold Fusion" which reviews (supposedly) the best licks in town - when it comes to ice cream.  This got me thinking about my fascination with exotic ice cream flavors and some of the best ones I've tried and made.  When I lived alone in a small apartment in San Francisco's Mission district, I had the good and bad luck of being directly across the street from an Indian ice cream parlor.  To say that the flavors were exotic is an understatement.  Kulfi, Cardamom, Mango, real Pistachio..... (sigh).  My favorite was Rose ice cream.  It was creamy, perfumey, girly and just plain delicious all in one taste.  I have yet to even ATTEMPT to recreate this flavor experience.

I have, on the other hand, successfully recreated my own version of an Indian Cardamom ice cream, which is insanely delicious as well as easy to make thanks to the little ice-cream machine I borrowed/stole-2-years-ago from my sister Sabrina.

I will share the recipe for this delight shortly, but first, let me tell you about some other ice cream flavors I consider to be exceptional for one reason or another.  (Also, please know that I've had ice cream in Bariloche and Buenos Aires and that my perspective is somewhat skewed as a result).

#1. Basil ice-cream at Pix Patisserie.  Now. It's been a while since I had this particular delight.  At least a year and a half, yet the very experience is burned in my memory as a sensation I will never release.  The creaminess of the ice cream along with the very fresh, very real basil flavor were a complete shock to my unsuspecting taste buds.  I have not successfully been able to recreate the recipe for basil ice cream on my own. :o(

#2. Fior di Latte.  My brother works for a major airline and is able to fly anywhere in the world pretty much free of charge.  I know, poor guy.  He recently visited Switzerland and came back raving about an ice cream flavor that blended the cold, creamy texture of a dessert we all love with the sweet, scalded milk flavor of our (not TOO distant) childhoods.  I'm not sure where he got the recipe (Google is practically no help as I recently discovered) but we made this when I visited him in San Francisco this last January and it ROCKED MY WORLD.  I have been trying to figure it out on my own in the last couple of weeks but can't seem to get the consistency just right.  I refuse to give up, so stay tuned.

#3. Lavender Lemon.  Okay, so this one is a complete fantasy and a flavor inspired by a pancake mix I picked up in Maui this last May.  I recently tried to concoct this type of ice cream (well, in this case it was frozen yogurt) by using some fresh lavender flowers, but the flavor never quite took.  Denise thinks that using lavender honey or creating a lavender syrup may help the flavor to infuse more.  On my to-do list.

#4. Finally....the recipe for Carol's Cardamom Ice Cream.....keep it close to your heart:

Ingredients

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Cups Half &Half

1 TBSP Honey

½ Cup Brown Sugar

½ Cup Sugar

1 ½  TSP Cardamom

1 ½ TSP Cinnamon

1 ¼ TSP Vanilla Extract

2 TSP Lemon Juice

1 Pinch of Salt

Instructions

*Blend all ingredients together and freeze according to your ice cream maker instructions.