Welcome to hard labor, Orlando.

The timing couldn't be more perfect! Orlando comes on the scene at the very moment I decide to undergo an expansion in my catering business: home baked goods as the norm.

I bought myself quite a large free standing freezer and readied it to be packed full with all sorts of muffins, cakes and cookies for easy access. When catering for smaller functions, it isn't always possible or smart business to bake one batch of brownies to serve as the dessert after a lunch break, as well as it is not cost effective to order one dozen from my local baker. Solution: freezing a ton before hand.

I thought involving Orlando would be a great way to break the ice, get her in the kitchen, show her what goes where and see her in action. Poor thing, I almost killed her. It was her first exposure to "quantity". Oh sure, the quality was there too but if I was going to plug that energy sucking machine into the wall, it was going to have to be worth it. I'd be damned if we didn't have enough baked goods to feed an army of photographers, their assistants and those hungry hair and make-up types. So we toiled about 8 hours away.




It was also about experimenting... what freezes well and what doesn't. We decided on carrot cake, lemon bars, mixed berry cheesecake bars, two types of scones and brownies. We managed to do everything except the brownies. I challenged Orlando to a "Brownie-Off" ( I'm sure to get my booty kicked) and this needs time and maybe a judge or two.








We had fun. Since we both are into taking photos of food and the entire process, we were jumping between stirring the mix and aiming the camera. It was a dizzying combination that had us doing lots of laughing.

More or less, I had Orlando over for a play date. (and the freezer project is on it's way...)

Her name is Orlando.

I have to introduce you to someone... her name is Orlando. She is 16 years old and is very interested in baking, to put it mildly. She came to me by way of her Mother, a contact I had made quite a few years back- the accomplished Sophie Lovell.

Out of the blue one day I received an email from Sophie telling me that her daughter would like to get some experience in the cooking/catering department and would like to spend the summer helping out around Feast. I did what anyone would do and immediately checked out this youngsters Facebook page. I was sold.

16 years old? It was hard to believe. The photos she had taken of her creations were better than most I've seen... and the creations! Let's not overlook those: sweetly decorated tiny cookies, creamy, billowy, playful cakes, cupcakes of perfection! This and more is on her group page, Projekt Puderzucker. One can see the girl is obsessed with baking, photography, cookbooks.. and friends. There are little clues everywhere that Orlando shows love for those she loves with her baking.

Around this time I got a request for a "special cake" by a client, one that looks a lot like the cake in the main photo of this blog. I don't need to tell you again of my frail baking abilities so I of course needed a professional. Or not? Orlando... could she?

Well, as you can see here, Orlando rose to the occasion- above and beyond, in my opinion. I'd like to mention that this is the first cake the girl had ever done in this fashion. And it was tasty too. I am again reminded that a good challenge helps us breakdown our own barriers, giving way to wondrous possibilities.

Orlando, a baking prodigy? The proof is in the pudding, cake, cookie....

You say holiday, I say vacation.

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I was raised calling it vacation. We would pack up our station wagon with the faux wood panel siding and vacate to somewhere that took days to get to. All six of us piled in and we had our unofficial assigned places. Mine was in the very back with the flip-up, booth style seats that faced each other. A bonus was the electric rear window that lowered for some fresh exhaust as we motored along. Thanks to all the summer football camps that my Dad worked at across the country, we managed to visit quite a few States, even if a lot of it was seen from the inside of the wagon.

These days, don't ask me how, I've begun to call it holiday. That's what all the Brits and Euros call it and it just rubbed off I guess. Madonna called it a holiday way back when and she is American and also from Michigan so I have to wonder how it happened to her? I still make myself say vacation from time to time: never forget where you came from.

The point is, I got out of Berlin for one whole week and it was lovely. I went to my little, cheap, on the beach, pre-season Ibiza hideaway. I brought my own coffee because theirs isn't so good and I basically did nothing all week except bed to beach to bed again. A much needed respite away from event planning and cooking.

If I lived in Arizona I'd definitely get pulled over for proof of citizenship because I am now nice and brown. I guess I would be pulled over pre- tan as well, for that matter. I digress... anyway, I spent many hours in the sun catching up on some reading. There was the terrible book I bought at Tegel before boarding, the entire April issue of Vanity Fair, two of my favorite food mags and one of those miniature versions of Elle for good measure.

It's those two food magazines that I want to tell you about. They get delivered to me (a huge treat in itself) and when I'm busy they often are neglected, sometimes only a quick leaf through. BUT when I'm on... vacation... they are savored front to back.

La Cucina Italiana, a subscription that my Mom gives me yearly, keeps me connected to the real stuff. These recipes are authentic. The features about Italy are informative and capture that Italian magic. I believe the magazine got a makeover a couple of years ago and is really beautifully laid out with nice photography and without any pretension. I get a lot of inspiration from this magazine and so should you.

The other is Cook's Illustrated. I have to admit, I was slow on the uptake with this magazine, the majority of it is in black and white, for god's sake. Finally, by unseen forces that are working for the greatest good, I was given a subscription from a close friend's Mother. As a self taught cook, I cannot tell you how helpful it is. Everything You Wanted to Know About Cooking but Were Afraid to Ask... a better title in my opinion. In this May & June edition alone you get the low down on the three types of Miso, a trick for perfectly charred, seared tuna steaks,three ways to skin a clove of garlic, the recipe for the ultimate chocolate cupcake (and believe me, they wouldn't throw that term around loosely), the perfect boiled egg, how to "map" your broiler, a vinegar fly trap and a delicious sounding empanada recipe that is explained in so much detail, even an Arizona State Trooper couldn't get it wrong. (couldn't resist)



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Me and my Mother,1971. Somewhere on the way to California.
Photo: Alberto Fracassa

Hey! A recipe!

My first recipe for the blog... a magnanimous moment. You will find a few here and there but I am holding firm on this not becoming one of "those" recipe blogs. I hereby promise to only post the ones that I have no doubt will change your life.

Cream Drop Biscuits: so easy and crazy good. They can be savory or sweet- your every wish is their command. They are the biscuits I use for my Biscuits and Gravy on my brunch menu (picture in Brunch a la carte post) and I also use them for my strawberry shortcake dessert as well. They are heavenly dipped in greek yogurt and honey and try stirring in some cheddar and chives into the batter- kicks a cheese pretzel's ass . A dozen make a great gift if you are invited for breakfast somewhere, just make sure there's some good butter and raspberry jam around and you'll be a star.

Did I mention that they are really easy to make?

Cream Drop Biscuits

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups chilled heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F/220°C

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add cream, then stir just until a dough forms.
Drop heaping 1/4 cups of batter* (for larger biscuits) about 1 inch apart on an ungreased large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until tops are pale golden and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

* Sometimes I like to make smaller biscuits so I use about 1 heaping table spoon. They cook faster so keep an eye!

The Neighborhood

I recently took a walk with my new camera and enjoyed a day off. Neukölln seems to be bursting at the seams with promise these days but I'm proud to say that I have been a resident for the last nine and a half years- the first eight on Boddinstr. I try to ignore the hype and stay focused on the things that drew me here in the first place: the diverse culture, the working class, the not so perfectly kept buildings, the Turkish markets, the One Euro stores, the people.

Secrets Revealed: Cooking with Essential Oils

Sometime ago I was approached by a couple of hungry entrepreneurs who asked if I would test out their new product line: essential cooking oils by Quintessenzia . I was to use them in my kitchen and give them feedback on all thoughts and outcomes of my tinkering.

I was curious and so I started to add a drop here, a few drops there to the dishes I was preparing . They were a peculiar bunch, these strange oils- too much, too many, had my taste buds completely confused BUT just the right amount: absolutely amazing. It took time to get to know them, just like any worthwhile relationship, I guess.

This is where I find it hard to express through words just how essential oils effect food. I've been told that I sound like a new age weirdo when I free associate on what they do to the sense of taste. Sorry but it's true, cooking with these oils is like cooking in the fourth dimension. They ever so subtly (or not) elevate the flavor of a dish in such a way that seems to elevate the entire eating experience on a whole. See? I'm doing it again...

The funny thing is, once you get acquainted with these oils, they are so easy to use. They have saved the blah sauce, the so-so salad dressing, the neither here nor there soup- many, many times in my kitchen and all in a matter of moments.

You have to try them yourself. There is really no other way to communicate how great they are in words so I'll stop attempting to.

Here are a couple ways to check them out:

For the next two Little Dish evenings at Feast (Friday, March 19th and Friday the 26th) I will feature at least one essential oil in all little dishes on the menu.

Also...

I will be teaching the cooking course "Cooking with Essential Oils - Elevating Food with Aroma" at the one and only Goldhahn and Sampson in Prenzlauerberg. Goldhahn and Sampson is, by far, the best food and condiment store/cookbook store/fine wines and spirits store/cooking school- in all of Berlin. Come and actually cook with these oils, with me, up close and personal!
Sign up now and get a free tasting menu at one of the special Essential Oil Little Dish evenings. That's right, free!

http://goldhahnundsampson.de/shop/products/de/Kochkurse/Cooking-with-essential-oils--Thursday-April-1-2010-at-19-h.html?XTCsid=7d9bc67ac2f08136c826b5549c1ecf55

The company that produces these oils is Quintessenzia. They have searched the world over to find thee best organic producers of these oils and then bring them back here, to Berlin, where they are mixed together with an organic soy oil and then finally bottled.

To buy online and for more info:
http://www.quintessenzia.com/

Do we pursue our dreams or do they pursue us?

For me, it's a nagging thing- a thought, an idea, an image, a reference- it keeps reappearing until I act. This is how the interior of Feast came to be or I guess, how Feast came to be at all. It may seem cliche to be inspired by a classical artist and if so, then please call me cliche because I swear the ghost of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio took hold of my aesthetic.

It first started from a book given to me by a dear friend which had Caravaggio's "Boy with a Basket of Fruit" on the cover. It's lusciousness, it's vibrant bursts of color mixed with dark shadows, it's not so subtle mingling of sex and food- it captured my attention and held it. I kept "running into it" and everytime I did, I had to study it in great depth. Not knowing much about Caravaggio, I read about his life and all of it's controversy. From what I gather, he was a difficult man, to say the least. The only things truly known about Caravaggio are from public records and quite frankly, his rap sheet. He liked picking fights and this fact got him into considerable trouble. It was recorded that he started a brawl at a local Roman tavern over some artichokes... my kinda man.

I then followed this little obsession to the 1986 movie "Caravaggio" by Dereck Jarman staring, among others, a stunning young Tilda Swinton. Jarman's sets were gorgeous, often mixing the odd contemporary prop in with early 1600 AD period props, making me do double takes throughout the film. The walls looked like they had been steeped in many humid Roman summer evenings. I wanted my walls to look like that. And I also wanted heavy wooden tables and benches, just like the ones Caravaggio must have sat at when he sent the artichokes flying.

I found a local artist here in Berlin who knew a technique for the walls and she taught me the basics (which came in handy because she quit the project before completion). I finished them myself with, as they say, blood, sweat and tears. I also found a few angels who crafted the tables by hand.

During the renovations of Feast, I made a pilgrimage to the Galleria Borghese in Rome where a number of Caravaggio's works are housed. For a person who normally gets extremely sleepy twenty minutes inside the doors of a museum, the Borghese Gallery is completely digestible as it is no bigger than a large villa. Also, the pieces inside seem to be a concentrated collection of all things unbelievably beautiful. Anyway, I found my way to where the Caravaggios were and there it was... the Boy with a Basket of Fruit. As I stood two feet away from it, close enough to see the delicate brush strokes that Caravaggio himself had made, feelings of complete gratefulness and awe came over me. I was grateful to have been inspired by this image to begin to realize my dream and I was in total awe of it's own exceptional and utter beauty. My eyes filled with tears to the last possible point before running over and at the same time I was smiling the biggest smile ever, maybe I was even making some funny sounds, I'm not sure. People passing must have thought I was a total loon but I didn't care.