Sheryl Julian, the Globe's Food Editor, writes regularly for the Food section.
Devra First is the Globe's food reporter and restaurant critic. Her
reviews appear weekly in Calendar.
Ann Cortissoz is on the staff of the Globe and writes the First Draft beer column for the Food section.
Stephen Meuse writes about wine for the Globe's Food section. His column on
Plonk ($12 and under wines) appears on the last Wednesday of the month.
 Ask a question or share an idea or recipe with The Boston Globe food
staff.
 Week of:
November 4
Week of:
October 28
Week of:
October 21
Week of:
October 14
Week of:
October 7
Week of:
September 30
 
For Boston Globe restaurant reviews and food news and recipes, visit Boston.com's Food section.
|
« Let's bring it back | Main | Over-the-hill gang? » Monday, July 16, 2007I should have my head examinedSaturday night, about 45 minutes before a dozen guests walked in the door, I decided that I had time to make Campton Shortcuts, which are very rich biscuits from Sherry Yard's new book, "Desserts by the Yard." It's not out yet. The publisher, Houghton Mifflin, sent me advance galleys. Yard has been Wolfgang Puck's pastry chef for a dozen years. I couldn't put this book down. Still, I didn't have a second to spare on Saturday, making dinner for my annual Bastille Day crowd. Dessert would be fresh blueberries and nectarines bathed in a pool of creme Anglaise (vanilla custard sauce), dredged with sugar, and run under the broiler. A fine ending to any meal. Everything was done. Table set. A handsome ratatouille tian ready to go into the oven for baking:
It's a variation of this, inspired by the animated film Ratatouille. But the "shortcuts" were calling. The dough is made with heavy cream and eggs. I doubled the recipe. The idea was to fold the dough puff-pastry style. And because it's messy, Yard has a great tip of using parchment paper to help fold. The kitchen was very warm, the dough was a mess, my husband informed me that he had told one group to come 30 minutes before I had told everyone else to come (!). And then suddenly after the third "turn," the dough came together.
As instructed, I threw the finished dough in the freezer, got out a baking sheet for later, and dashed upstairs to powder my nose. When it was time to bake -- with a houseful of guests -- I stopped following Yard's instructions, and didn't cut beautiful triangles. I meant to brush them with egg wash and coat them with sugar, which she suggests, but alas, forgot. They're fabulous! I resisted the urge to make them all over again on Sunday. But I'll make them again soon and follow the recipe to the letter. The shortcuts are rich, flaky, buttery, and feathery. Thank you, Sherry Yard.
Posted by Sheryl Julian at 11:23 AM
|
