Miscellaneous

It sure has been a long time since I have shared any biking to bakery adventures. There were the holidays, the rain, the cold, the rain… However, this does not mean that I have not been indulging in tasty baked goods. What follows are a few highlights from the last few months.

In early November I took my mom to The Daisy to celebrate her birthday. We were greeted by the warm staff and did not hesitate to order my favorite dish: the house smoked trout dip. This came with pickled vegetables and The Daisy’s own superb toasted sourdough bread. Because I have yet to taste a superior version, I ordered The Daisy’s French fries which were–as always–outstanding. In addition we shared a puff pastry square filled with cheese, sweet potato, and herbs. For dessert we enjoyed a slice of tender orange olive oil cake, the perfect ending to our meal. As you can see in the photo below, we were content.

My mom and I at The Daisy

Thanksgiving was memorable, but not in a grand, turkey-on-a-platter-and-warm-smiles-all-around way. My husband and I were hosting my parents and our neighbors, Mark, Begoña, and their son, Marc, on our patio. Shortly before laying out the meal, my mom was in my kitchen, making a green salad, while I set the table. My husband was on the couch and announced, just as our neighbors arrived, that he had “tested positive for Covid.” AARRHHHGGGHHHH!!! Sure, he hadn’t felt 100% for a few days, but we had chalked it up to a cold since he kept testing negative. After uttering some unprintable words, I suggested my parents also take tests: Don had been at their house the night before giving them computer lessons. Searching for tests in our hall closet coincided with the ringing of the doorbell and the arrival of our neighbors, a gorgeous charcuterie platter in hand. I ungraciously grabbed the plate and shooed them out the door, saying I would contact them shortly.

Thanksgiving on my patio with Marc and Begoña

With Mark in my kitchen

My parents ended up testing positive as well so I quickly loaded up a plate of food for them and sent them on their way. I made another plate for my husband and gently pushed him up the stairs where he could isolate. Then I called our neighbors and rushed them through our house and outside to our patio. The four of us enjoyed a fine meal which ended with my simple apple galette. What a day!

Apple galette

In December Begoña and I decided to make a bûche de Noël. I described my experience working at C’est Si Bon, a French bakery, in a past blog post. Growing up I had enjoyed that version many times but had never considered making one myself. Begoña is a very adventurous and accomplished baker, and since she was game to make one together, I decided we should do it.

We chose a recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, because the directions were very detailed and Sally herself appears in a step-by-step video making the bûche. Nevertheless, we did encounter some challenges. For one, making the petite meringue mushrooms was not easy. Rather, making the meringue initially was quite straightforward. What tripped us up was “gluing” the stems to the caps the next day with ganache as they had become quite soft and sticky overnight. In the end, we just placed a few atop the bûche, sans stems.

Bûche de Noël

Rolling the cake up was not too difficult, especially since I merely gave directions while Begoña did the actual work. Since our cake was rather thick, it became unwieldy when attempting to roll it up with the fluffy hazelnut filling. Ultimately, we had an amusing time covering all the flaws with the delicious, rich ganache, and we both thought the sugared rosemary and cranberries were attractive. The cake was very good, but not extraordinary. Would I make one again? Unlikely.

My younger daughter, Camille, during her long winter break, told me she wanted to host a “fancy tea.” Begoña is always up for tea, and we invited my mom. One plate on the tiered stand held dainty cucumber and herb cream cheese sandwiches as well as tuna ones. The plate below featured savory curried chicken sandwiches made by Begoña. On the bottom tier were brownies and miniature fruit tarts containing apricot and berry jam. I am all for having such a tea party at least once a month, and ours was especially cozy on that rainy day.

Fancy tea with my mom, Begoña, and Camille

In February Camille and I headed to The Duchess in Ojai with our friend, Kathleen. We were all charmed by the Duchess’ decor and were mesmerized by all of the breads, sweets, and savory items on display along the counter leading up to the cashier. In the end, Kathleen and I chose the Burma Rice Bowl for our lunch, made up of lentils, pickled onions, and herbs over rice. Camille enjoyed her Burmese Fried Chicken Sando, a very tall sandwich seasoned with bright herbs such as lemongrass and cilantro. Of course the highlight of the meal for me was a perfectly soft yellow layer cake, frosted and filled with a luscious vanilla buttercream and decorated with fresh berries. I could hardly contain my eagerness to tuck into this cake, as you can see by my poised fork in the photo below.

Cake at The Duchess

The BIG news is the arrival of Oat Bakery in Old Town Goleta, a quick and easy bike commute from my house. FINALLY! Knowing I can be spreading butter on a freshly baked Oat bun within ten minutes of leaving my driveway is a thrill. Thus far I have savored a large slice of Oat’s focaccia as well as a punchy chicory salad. My husband enjoyed Oat’s sandwich made with paper thin slices of Spanish ham and cheese. I am very keen on the can of iced tea flavored with bergamot. I have only been to Oat via car but am sure to return many times in the future on my bike.

Oat Bakery chicory salad, roll, and focaccia

I hope that you relished many flavorful meals during the holidays and wish you happiness and health in 2023. I am looking forward to an upcoming day in San Luis Obispo with my food-loving friend, Heather. Stay tuned!