The Glass is Half Full

Strawberry short cake in a glass

 

What’s up with the parsley?

Opened in 2006, the pastry shop, Cacahouete- Paris is located in my fav city Meguro district in Tokyo, Japan. The owner and  pastry Chef Jerome Quesnel is from France. He studied under the renowned chef Christophe Michalak at the first class Plaza Atene Hotel restaurant in Paris as a su chef and he has numerous awards and achievements. Impressive isn’t it?  He being only 32 years old, makes it even more remarkable. I love his innovative ideas and beautiful cake designs. The shop was hiring staff not too long ago but I‘m sure I’m not qualified for the job. At my age, I’m not eager to do dishes and besides, the commute is impossibly long.

I thought his truffle style dessert is simple and obtainable. I had to stopped by three markets in my search for strawberries though. I understood that strawberry season was over and my husband has high standard for strawberry as well as peaches so he will frown for sure if I make it using bland flavored strawberries. Oh whatever, I ‘m doing it for my blog not for you, I mean AND for you, my sweetheart, うふっ(ha,ha).

Ingredients for strawberry puree

• Strawberries- About 40g for each glass cup You need more strawberries for assembly.

1. Put washed, stemmed  and quartered strawberries in blender or small food processer.
2. Puree until juice-like stage.
3. Add sugar or honey if the taste is not sweet enough. Perhaps 1 or 2 teaspoon .
4. Add a couple drops of red food coloring if you like- I did.
5. Pour in glasses (I used 4 inch high and 4 inch diameter glasses) and freeze for about 40 minutes – shouldn’t be frozen solid.

Ingredients for cake - makes 1 sheet cake/ enough for 6 glasses.

• 4 egg white
• Sugar 125g
• 4 egg yolk - scramble in small bowl
• Cake flour 120g-sifted

1. Heat oven to 360 F. 15x11 rimmed sheet pan line with parchment paper.
2. Put all egg whites in a electric mixing bowl, mix for 30 second on medium speed.
3. Start adding sugar in three parts. Each time make sure that sugar is dissolved. Adjust speed to high and back down to medium to make stiff meringue.
4. Remove bowl from electric mixer stand. Add egg yolk.
5. Using spatula, scrape up from bottom and with a cutting motion blend white and egg yolk.
6. Sprinkle flour on the egg mixture. Fold in carefully so as not to disturb meringue too much
7. Pour batter in  the prepared rimmed cooking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Chantilly cream

• Heavy cream 400g
• Granulated sugar 30g

1. Whip heavy cream  and sugar to very soft peaks.

Assembly

Need sliced strawberries ( 2 for each glass), 4-5 Quartered strawberries mixed with honey(optional).2 different color straws.

1. Take the cups with the puree out of the freezer. Cut out circles from the sheet cake the same size as the glasses and make small hole in the middle – donut shape. Put on top of partially frozen puree.
2. Stick the strawberry upright in the side of glass.
3. Insert straws through hole and pipe or spoon in the Chantilly cream.
4. Decorate top with more strawberry and honey mix.

Drink juice thru straw first then use a spoon to eat the rest.

Off season strawberries go bad quickly. I used the rest of strawberries for strawberry croissant french toast. Mascarpone cheese mixed up with little bit of honey as spread, sliced strawberries then whole thing soaked in French toast egg mixture. Melt butter in heated skillet and toast it. It was great yet loaded with fat. I made a salad too so as to not feel terribly awful.

My husband brought in a hanging tomato plant from outside to try to protect it from the cold elements. It is still alive thanks to the heat lamp.He did same thing last year but it didn’t last long. Our granddaughter (then 4) ate the one turning color. Her voice echoed in the high ceiling garage. “It’s red! It’s red!”,,,,I see,,, you know color. Sigh.

This one is a Japanese tomato variety called ‘Odoriko’ direct translation is dancing girl. Small but intense red and flavorful.

Although Autumn is gorgeous around here, it makes me a little melancholic.