I am officially a Canele fan. There has not been one item on their menu that I tried and did not love. And *shhh* don’t tell anyone but the outlet at Shaw seems to be perpetually having the “50% off 2nd main course” offer. Awesomeness! With that kind of food and price, I marvel that the place still has toe-wriggling space.

Last week, my brother and I trundled past the cozy little joint and on a spur of generosity, I decided to treat us both to an indulgent lunch. I recommended him the Marinara Baked Rice while I tried the Field Mushroom Tomato Cream Pasta with Grated Parmesan, which I ended up loooving, by the way. There was just something about the simple mix of ingredients that is unpretentious, bursting with flavour, and simply works. Yummers.

Then we shared a piece of Barcelona cake and suddenly, it was a beautiful day!

My brother is now a convert too. Scorn be to dull, mediocre and overpriced food, the likes of Swensen’s et al.

Une magnifique boite de…12 canelés Baillardran !

Ok, j’ai été un peu aidée… mais si peu ! Le canelé est une de mes gourmandises préférées et franchement, ceux-là sont du pur bonheur, du plaisir à l’état pur ! Des grains de vanille qui croquent sous la dent au moelleux du gâteau, de la saveur de rhum au fond de caramel à peine déposé, c’est un vrai régal. Il parait que cet “artisan” est le plus réputé de la région bordelaise et ça ne m’étonnerait pas du tout en effet (à découvrir si vous passez dans le coin, parce que vu les frais de port…)

Bon, ok, j’ai aussi terminé…

Découpé en tranches, Zep

Que j’ai beaucoup aimé… je ne vais pas faire un bref/plus/moins, le support étant des plus minces, je vais juste vous donner mes préférences dans cette BD qui reprend les idées personnelles du dessinateur, avec beaucoup d’humour, de tendresse, de réalité… j’ai un petit faible pour la présentation de chaque chapitre avec sa tranche de zep fumé (oui, moi je préfère la viande fumée, et alors ?), ainsi que pour sa toute première planche, dans laquelle on passe un super moment à identifier chaque personnage, ainsi que dans deux ou trois sujets qui m’ont touchée (“horreur” notamment, car je partage à 100% ce qu’il y raconte !), fait rire (les pouvoirs extraordinaires !!!), troublée (my generation) et franchement, que j’ai beaucoup apprécié, dans l’ensemble (larmes, cartes…). A lire, vraiment.

According to good ole Wikepedia, ” A canele’ is a small french pastry with a soft and tender custard center and dark thick carmelized crust.  It is a specialty of France.

Canelé: 3219 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles

We did it guys.  We were chefs for the day–or evening, rather–at Canelé in Atwater Village for their rotating Friends Cook feature.  What an experience.  Neither one of us has spent any time in a restaurant kitchen, so the entire event was full of interesting and slightly nerve-racking moments.  Of course, not only the preparation, but also the presentation of a meal to a restaurant’s frequent patrons is just as daunting.  We were lucky to learn just what it’s like to work with trained chefs, cooks and waitresses, not to mention prepare meals for refined eaters.

Omelet with caramelized onions and mushrooms.

We’d already given everyone a short rundown on the occasion through a previous post, so several people knew we’d be working the kitchen after Labor Day weekend.  You were all so encouraging and excited for us, which was great to hear.  Believe it or not, we’d never eaten at Canelé before our debut, so we took a ride over to the restaurant for a quick Saturday morning brunch.  It would be a chance to take a peek at the kitchen, meet Chef Corina Weibel and general manager Jane Choi and ask any last questions about how everything would happen.  We definitely had a lot.  Corina wasn’t at the restaurant yet when we arrived, but Jane just happened to be the person to welcome us at the door. When she heard that we were the folks up to bat for Friends Cook, she was genuinely pleased to meet us. Jane tried to reassure us that there was nothing to worry about and everything would go as planned.  We had so many little questions about the meal itself, but those were questions only Corina could answer. We’d have to just sit and settle with our food until she arrived.

Cured salmon sandwich with crème fraîche on pumperknickel.

Brunch was delicious.  We both tried something different and tasted the other’s meal. It was agreed that Canelé does a great brunch.  The omelet was tender and flavorful as well as packed with fresh veggies.  The open faced salmon sandwich was very fresh and light, brightly highlighted with caperberries and a lemony fennel salad.  Funny enough, Diana from Diana Takes a Bite tweeted that she’d be there for brunch as well, so it was great to see her again so soon after our recent LA food bloggers happy hour.  (She ordered the famous French toast with fig compote and marscarpone, which is next on our list to try.)  Diana came to our table and chatted with us, fully expressing her best wishes for our adventure.  We promised to give as many details as possible when it was all over.  Just as we finished the meal and proceeded to head out the door, Corina walked in. We’d met previously at the Extravaganza for the Senses, and of course we had communicated by email throughout the weeks, but this would be our last opportunity to talk face to face before the big day. She told us to wear something comfortable–clothes and shoes–and just be ready to cook. No need to stress about the menu. Easy enough. By the time we left brunch, we felt ready to tackle the dinner crowd.

Open kitchen facing the diners! Looky looky.

Before we knew it, a couple of days went by, and it was Tuesday the 8th–our day of reckoning! Following the weekend’s brunch, the one thing that seemed like the most intimidating aspect was the open, narrow kitchen. As you can see, there’s nowhere to hide. There were no white doors to slide behind, so it was clear we’d have to face the crowd no matter what. Plus, it’s a skinny space, so sliding by cooks with hot pans and sharp knives could prove to be disastrous for clumsy kids like us. Squeezing back there with several other cooks would be tight quarters for sure.

If you're ready to cook, squeeze by the pots, pans and sink to get into the kitchen.

We arrived at 2:00 pm that afternoon to find the first two folks who would be working the line with us that night–Gregory and David. The look on our eyes must’ve said we were fish out of water, so Gregory was quick to take charge and ease nerves by offering glasses of cold water and black aprons. He told us Corina would be in momentarily, so we chatted to pass the time. We got a little background on his culinary training in Pasadena, and he provided an interesting picture of what his experience was when he was a student. We continued to talk until Corina arrived a few minutes later. Then, it was time to work. She welcomed us and let us know that our chicken thighs for the pot pie were on the way, so after a quick run through, we could get started on everything else before they were delivered. She went to the back to put on her apron, gave us bar towels to tuck into our aprons, and then we reviewed the menu.

First course: Sweet Apple and Bacon Puffs with Pomegranate Glaze

Second course: Tarragon Chicken and Grape Pot Pie with Arugula Salad

Third course: Almond and Coconut Cream Fruit Cakes

Amir's zesting lemons for the pot pie crust. The juice will be used for the arugula salad.

With the chicken on its way to the restaurant, we decided that working on the pot pie filling, crust and prepping the bacon and apple puffs would be the way to go.  But first, a tour of the premises.  Chef Corina guided us towards the back where we’d find the rest rooms, an office, the pastry room and food storage facilities, as well as the dishwashing area.  A huge fridge full of organic fruits, vegetables and herbs was the initial stop.  We loaded our arms with tarragon, parsley, grapes, carrots, celery, onions, lemons and fennel fronds.  Back to the line we went where we prepped a large tin of mirepoix and cut up grapes and herbs for the pot pie filling, zested lemons for the crust and peeled and cut apples for the puffs.  It was during all this prep that B.J., another line cook for the evening, arrived.  We were in his designated spot!  You see, with a small kitchen space, the evening of Friends Cook can be a bit dicey for the seasoned chefs who have to deal with a novice or two in their space.  Too bad for B.J. Lucky for us, everyone at Canelé was too nice beyond reason to give us their best Gordon Ramsey and send us cowering out of the kitchen.  We got lucky. Lucky because B.J. was super nice and watching him whip up dish after dish throughout the night was really impressive, but all of that would come later. We told him to let us know anytime we were in his way and also to fill us in on any tips that would make the job easier. His first lesson? The most efficient way to cut an onion. A bit of knowledge to tuck away!

Sliding the pot pie back into the fridge to chill before rolling out the top crust.

Once all the veggies were chopped, we split up and took different posts.  Amir stayed on the line with Corina to handle chicken, pie filling and apples, while Chrystal traveled to the pastry room to work on the pie crust.  Once the two dozen chicken thighs arrived, it was time to get them in the oven stat! Having an extra set of hands–experienced hands mind you–was immensely reassuring and helpful, as Corina cooked the apples in the brown sugar and spices while Amir dealt with searing the chicken.  Imagine cooking food on several over-sized pans all at once on top of the biggest stove you’ve ever seen in your life and each burner is set to high heat, shooting out flames at full blast. We’re sweating just writing about it.  As intense as it sounds, the whole experience was actually energizing rather than nail-biting.  Maybe it was the support of the other chefs with their head nods and friendly grins. Who knows, but standing over the roaring flames of the stove clenching tongs exhilarating.  The reality of what we had gotten ourselves into was now clear and without a doubtreal…and it was exciting!

Once the chicken thighs were browned and the veggies had softened, everything went straight into the oven to bake.  While the chicken was doing its thing (and Chrystal was churning for her life making the dough), Amir rolled raw bacon slices around each slice of apple and chunk of blue cheese. That would be 100 apple slices to be exact.  Corina rolled out a few as well in between finishing off the pie filling and organizing the rest of the kitchen for the nightly dinner menu.  She’s quite a multi-tasker! Next up was cutting the puff pastry dough, de-boning and shredding the chicken, and reducing the pomegranate glaze.  The minutes flew by, as we ticked closer to dinner time. Finally, the filling was done, and it tasted heavenly. In order to speed up the cooling process, Chef Corina suggested we drop the filling in a large pan and set it over ice.

Pie crust was a beautiful success, despite Chrystal's fret session during the early afternoon.

At the same time Amir and Corina worked the line, Chrystal was in the pastry room. Before we’d even arrived, Corina made the executive decision to have the cake started, so that it would have proper time to cool and set for the evening. Pastry chef Megan was just finishing the final touches on our cake recipe, and as she slid the tray into the fridge to set, Chrystal sidled up to the table to make the crust. If you’ve never made pie crust in a warm room with cold butter, you should try it. Maybe you’ll feel the panic in your heart that Chrystal felt as her first batch of pastry dough turned to mush in the food processor. It literally looked like creamed butter, shortening and flour, which is not a good look for pie crust. Choosing to leave the gadgets aside, she went back to her tried and true hand incorporation method, popping the dough into the fridge to quick chill every couple of minutes. Because the room’s warmth and crumbling dough by hand made it harder for the dough to set up, she decided to half the amount of cold water in the crust. At that point, all we could do was hope that wouldn’t ruin the crust. Obviously a pot pie has to have an amazing crust, and this was not the best time to make changes to a recipe, but you gotta do what you gotta do. We hoped that they would taste just as good as they usually did, which is not what you want to have in mind so close to serving time. It was an ordeal for sure, but after an hour (yes, an hour) of work, Chrystal had five cast iron pans of bottom crust chilling and extra dough in the fridge just waiting to be rolled out for the top layer once the filling was ready and cooled.

Chef Corina suggested serving the puffs over parsley and more blue cheese. Smart!

Downside of a super flakey pie crust? It falls apart on the plate! Keeping our pie presentable proved to be tricky all night long.

Time was slowly inching towards 5:00 pm, and we had to get at least two pies baked. We rolled out top crusts, poured in the filling, sealed the layers, brushed a bit of egg wash on top and slid the pies into the 550 degree oven. Yes, 550 degrees. Hot! One thing we learned is that the kitchen is truly an inferno, and when you’re literally standing less than two feet away from a blasting oven–whether it is open or closed–you will feel toasty. And you may get burnt! Unfortunately, Amir did sustain a battle wound in the form of a two inch burn on his arm. Note to selves: Mind all heat blasting surfaces and orifices at all times.

This was probably the best version of our favorite flourless/butterless cake ever!

As the first pies baked, the servers–Ashley, Anna and Laura–and hostess Marta for the evening filed in, and Corina gave us all a short tutorial on how to cut and plate the evening’s dessert for our menu. Most likely we wouldn’t have to worry about that part, but she wanted to be sure we knew how it would look. The servers handled the dessert orders for the evening. We also did not have to plate the appetizer course. That happened on another part of the line headed up by Gregory. He had our bacon and apple puffs looking mighty fine! We stayed on our end of the line nestled between David and B.J. who were busy all night preparing fish, pasta, duck and beef dishes. There were four dishes that were continuously flying out to patrons: Bistro Steak with Pommes Anna and Creamed Spinach, Boeuf Bourguignon with Buttered Noodles, Duck Confit with Red Rice, Plum Sauce and Almonds and Salt Roasted Branzino with Caperberries and Parsley Celery Salad. It is without a doubt that we must return to try each of these. It was more than evident that they were favorites.

The evening flew by in a flash. The first set of diners to come in at 5:30 was a family of four or five, and we were shocked to hear that one of them ordered from our menu. We didn’t even know them! Within the first 30 to 45 minutes, we’d placed five orders for our menu, and none of the people were our friends. That is a good thing of course! We definitely had several friends come through that evening, and we love each and every one of them for it. It just felt great to know that people we didn’t know were going to take a chance on us, and lucky for us, they liked it. We had a few people come up to us during their meal, and after they were done eating, to say that they loved the meal. One of them was Charles, a food blogger who runs 100 Miles, which is an interesting space to share his memories, recipes and travel experiences as they relate to food and sustainable living. Good read for sure.

If you’re curious what people really liked, we can say that by far, the pot pie and cake took home the top mentions from the crowd. Everyone loves pot pie. It screams ‘home’, and we’re just sliding into the fall season, so it’s the best time to eat them. We’ll have to make it again and share the recipe because we know you’ll just die when you eat it! We think the bacon puffs took people by surprise because they do combine really bold flavors–salty bacon, sweet apples and pomegranate glaze and strong cheese. Corina did not have gorgonzola cheese in house, which is what we’ve used before, so she suggested a variety of blue cheese. We actually liked how it worked, but perhaps blue cheese is too strong for some people. To us, it was a nice substitution. We even had a friend who does not like blue cheese say that the appetizer was a delicious surprise to her. By the end of the night, we’d placed somewhere between 25 and 30 orders from our menu, so it was definitely a success in our book.

We're all smiles after talking to a few friends who came to eat.

Throughout this whole process we were happy and honestly stunned to see the efforts the staff and Corina made to maintain the integrity of our recipes. We were asked repeatedly if everything looked, tasted, smelled and felt as planned. Suggestions were made when necessary, but they were exactly that–suggestions. Never did we feel belittled, nor were we told how we should do something. The menu was our own, and in that respect, we felt like it was a little slice of time to shine. It was comforting to see every person there, staff and customers, genuinely invested and interested in our experience. We learned countless things that day, but a few highlights stand out more than others. We learned better ways to hold our knifes. We know that salt, lemon juice and olive oil make an easy and tasty salad dressing. We have stashed away a new recipe to cook whole fish–head and all–in a salt bake. We saw that a slab of butter really does make all the difference. We’ve reaffirmed that teamwork is key. We’ve once again confirmed that you don’t have to be a real chef to cook like one.

At the end of the night, we were done. Done!

Our shift ended around 9:30 pm when Chef Corina said we should take a seat and have dinner.  We took a seat at a booth and ate the same meal we’d help serve to people earlier in the night.  We were tired.  Oh so tired.  You could read it in our faces. At the same time, we were definitely happy to have had the opportunity to work behind the line and see how things operate in a true restaurant kitchen.  Our biggest thanks go out to Chef Corina, Jane, David, B.J., Gregory, Megan, Ashley, Anna, Marta, Laura and Cesar for their guidance and patience.  And letting us become a chef for a day!

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Some things may no be worthy of a post of their own but are still good eats so here are a few extras from my recent trip to London. First up is a great bagel place in north London. Oddly when I was in NYC I never got round to having a bagel so have no comparison to make except what i’ve eaten in the UK. Beigel Bake is Brick Lane and definitely beats out everything else i’ve had so far. It was chewy with a hint of sweetness and was cheap too at just 30p. We went in the morning so the place wasn’t busy but it opens 24hrs a day and apparently gets lines out the door in late evening. 

I had fancied making a visit to Paul A Young chocolates whilst I was in the city but never got around to it, as it wasnt exactly near to where we were going to be. We decided to get dinner from Whole Foods one night and whilst we there I of course had a look in the chocolate section. I noticed they sold chocolates from the Notting Hill shop “Melt”, which is where Rachel of Bespoke Chocolates in New York did her training, so I thought it was worth a try. We got 2 salted caramels and a PB+J and champagne and they were all excellent if a little expensive.

I was wondering around Soho a little lost and hot and was in need of something cold when I realised I was near Flat White a good little coffee shop selling top quality stuff so popped in to grab an iced coffee. Unfortunately I didn’t exactly get great service it felt a little cool and standoffish (is that a real word?). The coffee was good though. It was £3 (again not exactly cheap) but it did come with a welcome surprise, a serving of ice cream which cooled and sweetened the drink, and it definitely hit the spot.

Now to get to one of my favourite foodie places in London. Its almost a cliche that I should love it but I dont care. Borough Market may not be a secret, may be very busy, set prices at a premium, but I love it. Its a market that sells everything, well maybe not but it sells a huge variety of produce – cheeses, meats, chocolate, baked goods, coffee, fruit and vegetables and plenty more just like a great market should. Its just off London Bridge and has become a massive hit with tourists. It is apparently one of the worlds largest food markets and it history stretches back to at least 1014 so I suppose you could say its well established. Enough of the history though lets get to the food. This visit was more of a pass through so didnt really explore too much but hit up a couple of regular spots.

Our first purchase was 2 brownies for £3, for both, so not a bad deal especially considering the size which is fairly generous. “Flour Power” has a couple of stalls in the market and is a very popular stop. I know people say its not possible to have a cakey and fudgy brownie but Flour Power’s does seem to manage to tow the middle line between the two and its very good, deep and chocolatey, definitely recommended. 

Like the brownie this isn’t exactly an original choice but when somethings good its good no matter how popular. My favoutie coffee in the city is served at Monmouth Coffee and thankfully they have a shop and stall at the market. Service is fast and friendly and the coffee is excellent. I got a cappuccino and my brother got an espresso. Mine was a great way to start the day off, not too bitter with the creaminess of the full fat milk but my brother found the espresso too strong so you know where to go if you like it strong.

The last thing I have pictures of this time around is the mini Canele I purchased on impulse as we were leaving. Im not sure of the sellers name or where in the market they are but I hadn’t had a Canele since I was about 9 when I had been on holiday in the Bordeaux area of France, so had fond memories and just had to have one. It was pretty good with a nice caramelised crust and a soft custardy centre. I would  have like it more if it had been full size as it would have been softer in the middle but it was still a wonderful reminder of a great holiday. There are plenty of other things to see and eat whilst your there, you could spend a day getting lost and eating your way around. It has a reputation as a foodie destination for a reason and I love visiting.

Beigel Bake, 159 Brick Lane, London – map

Melt Chocolates 59 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, London – map – also available at Whole Foods in Kensington 

Flat White, 17 Berwick Street, Soho, London – map

Borough Market, off Borough High Street, London – map

One of my favourite restaurants in LA is Canelé. It’s not too expensive, and not too pretentious.  Whilst the food is interesting and eclectic, it’s not an overwhelmingly hip venue – despite its location in trendy Atwater, adjacent to super-cool Silver Lake.  They do a wonderful brandade.

On certain Tuesday evenings, they have ‘a friend cooks’ evening, when someone who’s not a professional chef takes the reins; the ‘friend’ designs the menu (based on their own specialities) and then leads the other cooks in the kitchen for that evening.  There’s a ‘new friend cooks’ evening coming up on 30 June.  The menu looks good.

i coincidently happen to be a little (some might beg to differ) difficult to bottle only when the rest of the three bedrooms in this house are occupied. now that everyone is away, i’ve been home by midnight (or earlier). contrary to popular belief, i actually do not enjoy coming home to an empty house and a wash basin with 3 days worth of dirty dishes. but i have life’s littlest pleasures to send my spirits sky rocketing to the next solar system. k bedek, but you get my drift.

i’ve been a little self obsessed lately. only because i can’t be arsed to be behind the camera anymore. Heh.

Ξεχωριστή καμπάνια της JWT Singapore για τα ζαχαροπλαστεία Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie. Φαινομενικά αθώα παιδάκια αποδεικνύονται διαβολικά, όπως η δεσποινίς-voodoo που έχει πάρει τις βελόνες της μαμάς και έχει κάνει την κούκλα να περάσει του βελονισμού τα πάθη. To tag: “Equally sweet. Equally dark” συμπληρώνει το concept άψογα.

Gerry from Artisan du Chocolat was a pastry chef before going wonkers on chocolate, and he keeps his stash of pastry molds up high above one of the walk-ins.  Imagine the delight when I found old skool copper canele molds up there!

Now, at Pages on Shaftesbury avenue in London, these molds cost an upwards of 6 pounds a piece, crazy high prices for molds, which makes it an investment outside my budget.  However, these babies were mine for a weekend of chocolatey fun.

So what exactly is a good canele?  There is a long and informative discussion on the EG Forums here about Caneles and such.  One could read a 9 page epic on how to make a canele, or one can just lift the recipe from Frederic Bau’s book Au Coeur des Saveurs and follow the (Rather scant) instructions.

Well, from what I gather, and apologies for any mistakes, but this is what supposedly defines a canele:

1. Crunchy caramelised crust
2. Soft custardy centre

Alright, its 2 simple conditions that need to be met….or is it?  Last year in Paris, I purchased a canele from Fauchon, and it did not really leave a lasting impression, though I had been looking forward to trying an authentic one.

Unfortunately, this was not the case, as I cannot even recall how it tasted or felt in the mouth, meaning that it was not a life changing, shave-your-head-and-climb-up-a-mountain-to-be-near-god kinda moment.  There is more than meets the eye to this deceptive little temptress.  The only taste that lingered on was the taste of curiosity at what made this thing so famous in the first place?

So there I was, back in London for the weekend with 8 canele molds and no idea how to get beeswax for the molds short of a Sainsbury wax candle guaranteed to give the stomach lining that showroom car shine.  You see, beeswax was traditionally used to get that nice, hard and thin crackling of a shell, but its a pain in the ass to use and natural beeswax is hard to find.  I have since then found that natural beeswax can be found a few steps from where I live in London….at Atlantis art supplies at Whitechapel.

Secondly, I had no aged rum nor the money to buy a whole bottle just for a few caneles.  Kirsch went in instead so sue me, I am on slightly above minimum wage here and bananas flambe is NOT on any future menus, though rum is a smashing addition to crepe batter (Thanks to J., who showed me how the French do French Crepes, the best I’ve ever had!)

So, with a few substitutions mainly chocolate related (100% chocolate added for more Oooommmph), the extremely liquid batter (Do not whisk vigorously to mix!) was set aside to rest till sunday.  This is of utmost importance as it gives a chance for all the micro bubbles get the hell outta the mixture.  I will try this one day, but a pastry shop short on time could probably age the mixture for 4 hours for flavour and vacuum the excess air out.

After at least 30 hours of resting, the amount of foam that rises to the surface was shocking.  Had there not been any resting time, the mixture would’ve risen in the oven, making a complete mess and ruining the texture if it survived.

I had no beeswax, so in went some baker’s grease and the mixture into a really hot oven, hotter than the temperature in the book, which seemed rather dodgy.  So, after an initial blast at 220 degrees celsius and a finishing at 190 degrees celsius, here’s how the insides look.

It was nice and custardy, with a rich, deep chocolate flavour full of regret for what may have been had rum been added.   How was the exterior crunch you may ask?   Well, it sucked.  There was no glass-like crunch, but a ‘tart-shell’ kinda crunch that gave way to a slight leatheriness that was not the best of textures. Thankfully, the beautiful custardy insides quickly stole the show.

However, the recipe and flavours were spot on and tasting this texturally sub-par canele filled me with optimism for when these molds would once again cross my path in London, where they will get the proper, traditional Brazilian treatment.

I shall torture you no more with these scintillating words and instead sell my soul in a faint hope of generating SO MUCH TRAFFIC from recipe seekers that I can get a book deal and get paid to travel, eat and write about it instead of slaving around in the kitchen making chocolates whilst getting carpel tunnel syndrome.  One can dream right?

Chocolate Canneles – Adapted from Frederic Bau’s Book, Au Coeur des Saveurs

• 1000g Milk
• 2 each Vanilla beans
• 180g Valrhona Guanaja 70% Chocolate
• 20g  Michel Cluizel Noir Infiniti 99%* Chocolate
• 450g Powdered Sugar (Use brown powdered sugar if you can find it)
• 170g All Purpose Flour
• 15g Valrhona Cocoa Powder
• 200g Eggs
• 80g Egg Yolks
• 40g Dark Rum (Don’t be a cheap-ass like me, use a good one!)

*If you cannot find Noir Infiniti or a 100% chocolate, use 26g Guanaja and reduce powdered sugar to 444g.  Not exactly the same, but good enough!  This recipe is only as good as the chocolate you use, using Cadburys or Hersheys will guarantee you BAD results. 

1. Boil milk and butter with scraped vanilla beans and the pods, cover and chill overnight for full flavour infusion
2. Bring milk to the boil again and pour over the finely chopped chocolate, let sit for 2mins and emulsify until smooth, homogenous and shiny
3. Sift the flour, sugar and cocoa butter and with a whisk, VERY gently combine it with the eggs and yolks
4. Ensure the milk mixture is warm, and mix in the egg+flour mixture GENTLY, trying not to whisk in too much air.
5. Add the rum
6. Cover and let sit for at least 24 hours, 48 hours is the best as all the air bubbles will rise to the top.  Air bubbles are your enemy!
7. Before baking, gently stir the mixture to distribute everything evenly again
8. Grease the molds with oil or butter, or if you have wax, melt it and paint it onto the molds
9. Alternatively, use silicon molds for canneles, financiers, madelines, cupcakes, whatever!
10. Fill molds to 5mm of the tops
11. Bake at 220 degrees for 10 mins and lower to 190 degrees and continue baking for 25 to 35 mins more, depending on the size of your molds
12. They should by nicely browned and pop out of the molds without much violence

S-U-G-A-R, Weotta love sugar… our bodies need it, our taste buds crave it and some of us can’t get enough of it. Lucky for us, San Francisco offers a lot of fantastic ways to get it… top-notch ice cream parlors, nationally acclaimed bakeries, and purely sinful chocolatiers… we have it all.

Where to start? How about breakfast at Tartine? This bakery has a line from the minute it opens to the minute it closes, and rightfully so… they just do a fantastic job on basically everything. For breakfast, try their delightful double pain au chocalat or the subtly sweet, yet perfectly flaky frangipane croissant. And for those of you with the need something a little sweeter get one of their creamy éclairs… it really is no wonder this little gem won a James Beard award.

Ok, now that you are on your first sugar high of the day take a nice stroll through the Castro and up the Haight to Cole Valley. Nestled in the heart of Cole Valley you will find your next stop, Boulange de Cole Valley. By the time you get there you should be about ready for your second rush of the day and excited for a little something sweet to get you going. How about a canele? This pastry is really something you must experience.  For those of you who have been to the south of France you know what I mean, and to find it in SF is really quite a treat. O yes, you should get a few of their delicate almond macaroons as well. These colorful, petite, tasty sandwiches of butter cream are just the thing to keep you buzzing through your afternoon.

At this point you are probably bouncing off the walls, but what day of sweets would be complete without every kid’s favorite, ice cream? Some of our favorite places are Mitchell’s in the Mission and Bi-rite Creamery next to Dolores Park. Both quite different… At Mitchell’s you get the down home, old-school feeling we all crave from our childhoods… you will seriously feel like you are a kid again.  But since you are an adult, you should try one of their more mature flavors like Kahlua mocha cream and rum raisin. Bi-rite, on-the-other-hand, screams San Francisco foodie nouveau with artisanal flavors like salted caramel, balsamic strawberry and lavender… all produced from the finest of cows, of course. O ya, they have homemade ice cream sandwiches… now there is unforgettable for you… get one!

What day of sweet indulgence would be complete without chocolate? So, to complete your day get a mellow cup of sipping chocolate at Bittersweet Café on Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights. Now, sipping chocolate shouldn’t be confused with hot cocoa… very different stuff. Sipping chocolate is way richer, decadent, and really warms the soul. If you have never tried it before get Bittersweet’s signature drink, the Bittersweet; it is basically melted bittersweet chocolate… can you say sinful satisfaction?

There you have it, a taste of SF’s sweetest sensations… Weotta get our sweet tooth on… one more thing… don’t forget to brush your teeth.

met up with best fren last sunday to do some vday shopping. i got an ideal gift for dear edward. i finished the final bits n pieces. sent out the parcel on tuesday. queued an hr at the post office just to purchase the parcel box and paid 90 bucks for the postage. i was aiming to keep it at 1.5kg but i overshot to 1.58. so they made me pay for the 2kg postage since the increment was by 0.5kg. darn. shldve topped it up. wad a waste. 0.42kg of air. owells. catching up was wonderful. we spent so much time talking, we almost didnt have time to grab the presents. we were both craving for western food but there was nothing appealing in taka and wisma so we headed to paragon for spageddies. prob becuz i was too hungry, the pasta was soo good. hahahahaha! the pizza wldve been a lot better if they were more generous with the salmon.

after dinner, we left room for dessert. canele has such pretty pastries. who can resist? their macaroon tasted much better than the one at vivocity. and the chocolate cakes were all sooo chocolatey. *melts* ordering 1 each was simply not enough. u will wanna grab everything there is. heh!

got home pretty late and was super shagged. since weekends are the only 2 free days i’ve in a week, i realise u cant plant 2 meet up over the weekend cuz it’s too packed. part of the vday post is in so stay tuned!

Storefront

Located at Robertson Walk, Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie serves a wide range of freshly baked bread, pastries and chocolates – perfect for people with sweet tooth like Rachel.

Their head pastry chef, Pang Kok Keong, confesses to having an extremely sweet tooth himself. He is an ex-member of the Singapore National Culinary Team and is the guy behind the unique creations offered at Canelé, from its bread, pastries, cakes, chocolates to confectioneries.

Busy getting ready for Christmas

Open kitchen

Pastry, cake and chocolate counter

Restaurant interior

From another view

The menu

We went there on a lazy Sunday afternoon together with Mark and Meiyen for desert after a heavy lunch. As we were already quite full, between us, we ordered just two deserts to share – a Nougatine Crepe (a house favourite) for Rachel and I; a Flourless Chocolate Cake for Mark and Meiyen.

Chef making our crepe

Decorating with caramel

Adding the ice-cream

Tada! The final creation

The crepe we ordered came with four dollops of chantilly cream, one scoop of nougatine ice-cream, filo pastry and dusting of sugar – beautiful to look at, and admittedly great in taste (even for a self-professed non-fan of sweet food like yours truly).

Flourless Chocolate Cake

The cake was very rich in flavour and it was almost like eating chunks of chocolate bar whole, except the texture was soft.

From our few visits there, the desert menu at Canelé never disappoint. I have never tried their main course though. Not too sure if those are good. Do drop me a note here if you have tried them before.

Address:
11 Unity Street, #01-09
Robertson Walk
Singapore 237995

Email : pang@lesamis.com.sg
Tel : (65) 6738-8145
Fax : (65) 6738-8146

Opening Hours:
Monday to Wednesday : 10 am – 8 pm
Thursday to Saturday : 10 am – 11 pm
Sunday : 10 am – 6 pm

Technorati Tags: Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie, canele, robertson walk, nougatine crepe, flourless chocolate cake, pang kok keong, sweet tooth, unity street, singapore desert, singapore pastry, gourmet chocolate, desert restaurant