Originally self-published in 1997, this recipe gift book was released by Sasquatch Books in 2010.
For award-winning cut-paper artist Nikki McClure, the perfect day would likely start off with one of her husband Jay T’s homemade waffles. It would be topped with fresh fruit — foraged or farm market blackberries or neat slices of late summer nectarines. Or he might make his giant blueberry pancakes — pancakes that fill the whole pan, flipped with a giant spatula. Mmmm!
These nourishing, homemade mornings are an important part of Nikki’s inspiring, free-spirited lifestyle that’s marked by weekly visits to the farmers market, cooking, eating and playing outdoors with her son Finn, foraging for fruit, afternoon swims, astute observations of her rural environment, and hours of meditative work in her studio, where she captures the essence of bird, leaf, branch, sky, the turning of the seasons, and a myriad of other everyday wonders in her amazingly beautiful, intricate papercuts.
Nikki’s studio: working on her next book, HOW TO BE A CAT
Open the pages of Julie Paschkis’s charming new picture book, Apple Cake (Harcourt, 2012), and you’ll instantly fall in love.
That’s because Julie’s “Recipe for Love” contains the perfect ingredients: a dashing, ardent suitor named Alfonso, a beautiful, kind and brilliant bookworm named Ida, a sprinkling of magic, flights of fancy, and an irresistibly delicious made-from-the-heart cake.
Alfonso loves Ida but she never notices him despite his flamboyant bouquets and serenades:
So clever Alfonso makes Ida a special cake using butter from the sun, sugar scraped from a cloud, an egg from the highest tippy top nest, flour stars, and salt ladled from the sea. He stirs the batter by diving into the bowl himself, adds three wishes, and cooks the cake over fiery dragon’s breath. And Ida — nose-always-in-a-book Ida — smells the apple cake, takes a peek and finally looks at Alfonso!
Do you fancy a cream-filled lady lock, a rich chocolatey buckeye, a peanut butter blossom?
No need to toil in your kitchen beating butter, sugar, eggs, and flour into submission or raid your neighborhood bakery. Just invite yourself to a Pittsburgh wedding!
Those in-the-know will tell you that a well laden Cookie Table is absolutely de rigueur in the Steel City, where skyscrapers tickle the clouds and arched yellow bridges invite exciting adventures on both sides of the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela Rivers.
I’m happy to report that since I attended my first Pittsburgh wedding about two weeks ago, I am now officially in-the-know. Just call me “Crumbs.”
Dear Eater, I can honestly say that although I’d been aware of MTAOFC for years and years — knew it was a classic, groundbreaking masterwork and veritable Bible for American cooks interested in French cuisine — it wasn’t until I made my first recipe from Volume One, La Reine de Saba (Queen of Sheba Chocolate and Almond Cake), that I truly realized what a culinary masterpiece it truly is. That the words, “master” and “art” are part of the title says it all. More on the magical cake in a bit.
Julia with co-authors Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle by Paul Child (courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University).
Fruit tart with raspberries, blueberries, kiwi and mango.
Isn’t it a beauty?
My half-sister Sylvia, who is a passionate foodie and chef extraordinaire, recently made this gorgeous fruit tart for her grandson’s birthday. Doesn’t it perfectly capture the essence of summer — all its colors and sweetness with its bounty of fresh fruit that’s ours just for the taking?
Of course when I saw it, I just had to ask for the recipe, which she graciously agreed to share with us. Next time you visit your farmer’s market or grocery store, look for a colorful selection of fruit to make your own tart. This is a nice dessert to celebrate Independence Day or to take to any picnic or cookout, sure to impress all your friends and guests.
Sylvia: To make the fruit tart, bake the crust until golden brown and pour enough of the cream filling to line it well (it doesn’t have to be too thick). Arrange any selection of fruit that appeals to you on top of the cream layer, just keeping in mind contrasting color and design. To finish it off and give it that polished, professional look, melt some currant jelly and brush it carefully onto the tops of the fruit. Bon Appétit!
***
11″ TART SHELL
1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 1-1/2 sticks butter 1 T sugar 1/8 T salt
1. In food processor, combine flour, butter, sugar and salt and process until the mix resembles coarse meal.
2. Add one at a time, 3-4 tablespoons of cold water and process until mix resembles small peas. Do not mix until it forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly just until dough comes together. Flatten into a 6-inch dish and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or longer.
3. Roll dough into 15-inch disk. Press dough against the fluted side of the pan and trim off any excess. Prick the bottom, cover with plastic, and freeze for about 30 minutes before baking.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add pie weights and bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is almost dry. Remove foil and weights and bake for 5-8 minutes longer or until the crust is lightly browned.
***
VANILLA CREAM FILLING
(for 8″ pie or 11″ fruit tart)
½ cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ tsp. salt 2 cups milk 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon vanilla
1. Stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt in a sauce pan.
2. Blend egg yolks and milk together and gradually stir into sugar mixture.
3. Cook over medium heat , stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens.
4. Boil and stir for one minute.
5. Remove from heat, blend in butter and vanilla.
6. For fruit tart, pour into bowl and cover with waxed paper or parchment.
7. Refrigerate until at room temperature.
***
Thank you so much, Syl! I’m still hoping you’ll adopt me, so I can pretend it’s my birthday all the time and I can eat treats like this every day ☺.
These nourishing, homemade mornings are an important part of Nikki’s inspiring, free-spirited lifestyle that’s marked by weekly visits to the farmers market, cooking, eating and playing outdoors with her son Finn, foraging for fruit, afternoon swims, astute observations of her rural environment, and hours of meditative work in her studio, where she captures the essence of bird, leaf, branch, sky, the turning of the seasons, and a myriad of other everyday wonders in her amazingly beautiful, intricate papercuts.
Paul Child in Noël Riley Fitch’s biography, 
Jama's Alphabet Soup 