TWD: Popovers

Last week was Julia Child's 100th birthday. When I heard about it I thought I should probably do something to celebrate but I wasn't sure what. I didn't feel like baking anything. Or cook anything. Hmmm...what to do...

YES!!!! I decided to...EAT.

So, the night before, I decided for her big 1 O O, I would have lunch at her favorite taco place in town, La Super Rica Tacqueria. Yeah, I couldn't wait. I pictured myself sitting there with my taco in hand and raising it up, and saying, "I agree Julia, these are excellent tacos." And then I would picture her wink at me and say, "yes." Because she would totally wink.

Sadly, it never happened. When I went by to check out how long the line was (there's always a line), I saw they were closed. Closed on Wednesdays. Sigh....

So, I decided I would get a crepe at the crepe shop. Yeah! Perfect!
Closed on Wednesdays. Sigh....

I ended up eating something super healthy that didn't contain any butter. Yeah, I know, pretty whack. Wiggity whack.

Luckily, that night, my husband made thon à la provençal from Julia's MAFC cookbook. It totally made my day. It was soooooo good. We used our tomatoes from our garden and fresh tuna from the local fishermen. It was so good, we had it another night with popovers.

I love the fact the popovers are just made up of soft insides and crispy outsides. Though, with the tuna, it was a little too eggy for such a savory dish. I actually enjoyed them more when I had them with strawberries and whipped cream. The eggy flavor seemed mesh well with the sweetness.

I made a smaller batch of popovers for breakfast one morning. Those were really tasty. Especially since I added a cube of Scharfe Maxx in each cup before baking. Each popover cavern was encrusted with soft cheese. Way to start the day.

Though my lunch adventure didn't work out, I still think Julia would be happy to know so many people are enjoying her work. Yeah....And I'll just have to go to Super Rica sometime this year and celebrate her 100th. Woo who!

For the recipe, check out Paula's blog, Vintage Kitchen Notes, or Amy's blog, Bake with Amy. They were this week's hosts!

Note: 1 less egg for savory dishes. Keep the same amount of eggs for sweet dishes. Maybe more salt.

TWD: Berry Galette

Berry Galette. Ohhhhh Berry Galette...how much you sadden me. With your sugared fruit filling and flaky free formed crust, how can you be so.......so uneventful?

I guess it's my fault. I'm not a big fan of baked raspberries. I thought I should add some to see if I still felt that way. Yup. I do. The crust wasn't that tasty either. The flavor just wasn't there and the texture was so-so.

I tried to spruce it up a bit by pan frying it. It definitely heighten the buttery goodness from the crust, but it still wasn't fantastic. Yup. Definitely, not a a keeper for me.

My filling was composed of blueberries and raspberries. This week's hosts both did different combinations with strawberries. Maybe I should've tried strawberries. Hmmm...oh well. Check out Lisa's blog, Tomato Thymes in the Kitchen, and Andrea's blog, The Kitchen Lioness. They are this week's hosts.

TWD: Blueberry Nectarine Pie

Sigh...so sad. Such a tasty pie, but what an unattractive serving...I just can't seem to serve it without uglying it up. I usually slice and serve my pies with a knife and fork, but obviously that just doesn't cut it (Hahaha I'm so funny). I definitely need to get a pie server! Ackk!!

Even though, the slices are quite sad looking, the sweet fruit filling and the salty, buttery crust really hits the spot on those days where you just want to kick back and watch some TV. Pie is awesome.

I've never had blueberry pie before, so I can't compare. I asked my husband for thoughts about the pie. He thought it was good and enjoyed the nectarines. The best part for him was how the filling wasn't completely macerated and the fact that you could actually taste the fruit. Neat!

If you would like to make this pie, check out Liz's blog, That Skinny Chick can bake, or Hilary's blog, manchego's kitchen.

Note: Used Alton Brown's pie crust recipe. Yum.

TWD: Semolina Bread

This week with TWD...Semolina Bread! 

For some reason, I was really productive the day I made this bread. I woke up at 5:50 am, stood straight up, went to the kitchen and started the bread making process. While I was waiting for the first rise and the second rise, I made apple butter, which I have to say, was totally awesome in flavor content. I also scrubbed my car mats, did loads of dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and did other household chores. I have no idea what was up with me. Whatever it was, it felt great! Woo who!

When baking the bread, it smelled fantastic in the kitchen. The room had a beautiful sweet bread aroma that reminded me of my time working at a bakery. I was a cashier/cookie maker/cookie eater.
I had a hard time slashing the bread. My super sharp knife kept getting caught on the sticky dough. Maybe there's a trick to slashing dough? If anyone knows one, I would like to hear about it and try it out!

I enjoyed eating this bread toasted. It had a nutty taste that reminded me of popcorn and toasted walnuts. It especially tasted like popcorn when I slathered melted butter and sprinkled sea salt on it. That was definitely the best way to eat it. Though, I did thoroughly enjoy it with the newly made apple butter as well.
When it wasn't toasted, it had a subtle tangy flavor that reminded me of buttermilk, which I'm not sure why.

If would like to enjoy making and eating your own popcorn bread, check out Anna's blog, Keep it Luce, or Renee's blog, The Way to My Family's Heart. They are this week's hosts!