Who doesn’t like fruit desserts? Obviously the French do, and who could blame them – can you say, ‘tarte tatin’, ‘galette’, and ‘clafoutis’, to name a few? Yes, indeed, and let’s not forget one more: sweet and creamy, say it is so, buttery almond ‘frangipane’ tart.
‘Berry’ interested in yet another baking adventure, this summer beckons a frangipane tart using summer’s best of seasonal fruits. Following Food and Wine Magazine’s take on a raspberry frangipane recipe, I choose to forgo the ruby jewels – this time – and swap them for peaches. Easy to follow, instructions are pretty straightforward. But to my fellow baking enthusiasts, take note: the ingredient list for the shell forgets – perhaps, ‘accidentally’ – to indicate the need for one egg yolk though, to be fair, it does outline this particular ‘necessity’ in the phrased steps. Averting any and all confusion, now you know!
As for the peaches, I suppose I could blanch and peel some fresh stone fruit. Wanting to enjoy the remaining days of summer, however, why bother? Honestly, I use a can of – conveniently sweet – already peeled and halved canned peaches, leaving me to slice and tastefully arrange these beauties in a neat row and spiral floral display. Before embellishing the tart with fruit, here’s a helpful heads up: the rich almond mixture may spill over the shell – and that’s not uncommon – but, frangipane is too good to waste. Clearly wanting to avoid loss of golden almond cream, you can choose to spread the filling over the blind-baked ‘pâte sucrée’ – sugar pastry – first, and then proceed to arrange the fruit. Truth be told, that’s what I did, and I yielded a fully intact tart with barely any spillage of frangipane. So, yes, I did ignore the recipe’s suggested order of fruit then batter process, but it worked for me – sorry not sorry, Food and Wine Magazine!
F.Y.I.: if you also find yourself with an abundance of fruit from the farmer’s market – or love to bake and share, like ‘moi’ – you can definitely double up on the recipe items to make two tarts. In this case, I use twice the amount of wet and dry ingredients in addition to two large tins of canned peaches – one can will suffice per tart – as well as two tart pans. Worth a mention, I used square and round pans with the removable bottoms, but found the round nonstick pan to release the completely baked and cooled pastry more easily than the ‘stickler’ square. Evidently, the baking struggle is real and lesson learned: instructed to do so or not, always line with parchment – done and done!
Content with the overall outcome, this sweet frangipane dessert is visually stunning and tastes equally fine. The buttery pastry slightly crumbles but still manages to hold the delicate custard-like almond and segmented ‘peach body’ center of fruit, pretty well. Successfully made, I’m feeling peachy keen about this recipe. Best part is: the same shell and batter can be used with various fruits to make all sorts of short crust frangipane treats – the possibilities are endless! So, there it is! You can have summer’s best and a portion of your daily dose of essential vitamins, all thanks to ‘tarte frangipane à la pêche’.
Copyright © DISHFUL, 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Like many, this Coronavirus-induced quarantine has inspired me to bake some homemade comfort. Loving all things chocolate, I thought I would give chocolate babka a go. A mission definitely possible, it almost wasn’t so. Again, like the masses, many had the same idea in mind leaving grocery shelves void of yeast, of all things. Though it took a few visits, I’m happy to say I got my hands on a jar of this very necessary ingredient for the making of the best chocolaty bread indulgence, courtesy of Eastern European baking tradition.
Ingredients measured and ready to use, I followed Food & Wine Magazine’s 
Engulfed by live-streamed media, how can anyone not be affected by the horrific reality of Paris’ beloved Notre-Dame Cathedral? I, like much of the world, knowingly have been moved. Feeling nothing short of shock, disbelief and utter heartbreak, I can’t even imagine how witnesses on-scene had felt, watching everything from the envelope of smoke hovering this national treasure to the final fall of the iconic towering spire, too aflame to withstand the heat.
In great thanks to over 400 firefighters, however, good news is: the fire has been put out, much of the ornate exterior structure still stands, and the global community is stronger than before, ready to co-operate, rebuild and revitalize ‘Our Lady, Notre-Dame.’ 
Wanting not to dwell on the devastation that is still all too real, the Francophile – in me – would love to share glimpses of the beauty of this gothic-inspired edifice, as I had once seen through my camera lens. Documenting my travels with images, as many do, I’m happy to have captured Parisian landmarks including the aforementioned heritage site. Clearly, this truth is evident more so now than before, and is undoubtedly worth revisiting in timeless photographs.
Heading left and right – separate days, mind you – 1323 Columbus Avenue and 2801 Leavenworth Street is where you’ll find the aforementioned ‘wake-up’ worthy venues. Spotlighting the Waterfront Bakery, here you’ll find a taste of ‘joie de vivre,’ in a quaint Parisian-inspired p
Singing praises to both chefs, “Aw, shucks!” Indeed, these oysters are made right! At the Bourbon House, oysters are the prime starter to the contrastingly rich main course. Modestly seasoned and perfectly broiled, oysters are fresh tasting and made vibrant with a splash of zingy lemon. Far from overbearing, a couple of these buttered mollusks are enough to keep you satisfied in anticipation of signature entr
Moving on to another great, Galatoire’s 33, this is the place for your choice of oysters prepared 
Having a little bit of this and that, I have no complaints whatsoever. Take the crab ‘au gratins’, for instance, this bubbly hot dish comes fully-loaded with lumps of crab meat embedded in a creamy cheese sauce. And, for those after lighter fare, salads like the lobster chop are made extraordinary by ingredients like beets, avocado and, of course, the Maine shelled star.
Cooking up variations of delicious, Galatoire’s 33 undeniably uses fresh product for an ultimate seafood experience. Fortunate to have tasted oysters, crab cake, lobster, and then some, find no Little Miss Crabby here. But if you’re not into seafood, meaty offerings like burgers and steaks run plenty, too. Whatever your appetite’s desire, then, Galatoire’s 33 reigns top in quality and variety. That’s all! 
