Desserts – A Musician's Travels

Knodels and Pappardella- From Munich to Bolzano: Part 2

Munich and Salzburg:

It’s been a busy fall; I have been meaning to complete an entry about summer travels, but time flies! Here finally, is the belated second part of the Knodels and Papardella blog!

After my travel buddy Carol and I choose our destination, one of my favorite parts of the planning process is researching the local food and restaurants; I make reservations and the rest of the itinerary easily falls into place!

The ambitious plan for our most recent trip was to visit Munich, Salzburg, Ljubliana in Slovenia, Trieste and Bolzano. We flew into Munich on Condor (a smaller German airline). We entered an upgrade lottery and lucked out-we were moved up to Business Class and the seats to us in the middle were also empty!

We arrived early morning in Munich on a hot sunny June day; being too early to check into the Hotel Torbrau, we left our bags and spent the day walking slowly around the city, enjoying our surroundings while trying to ignore our growing jetlag.

That evening, our first dinner reservation on the trip was at Wirthaus in der Au, famous for a popular German dumpling specialty called Knodel.

The restaurant is located in the neighborhood Au, an artsy and leafy residential area that was once a working class quarter. It is outside the heart of the old town of Munich and next to the Isar River.

We were delighted to see a Knodel food truck painted with the title, “The Heavenly Knodel- Mobil” parked outside the restaurant!

We sat outdoors on a leafy patio and the food was wonderful; a creative modern take on traditional German food.

We started with a colorful appetizer plate that included bread, local cheeses and assorted dips.

We ordered a trio of Knodels and they were just as advertised on the food truck; heavenly- hearty, flavorful and at the same time light and not at all doughy.

We shared a delicious dish of pan seared brook trout and somehow managed to find room for dessert; a traditional German apple pancake with a berry compote and creme anglaise.

After this wonderful feast we returned to our hotel and fell into a blissful sleep!

***********************************

The next day, we enjoyed breakfast on the balcony of our hotel and then spent the day visiting art museums. We walked through the bustling town to the beautiful Alte Pinakothek that was built in 1868.

Here is a description of the museum from their website:

A world-class gallery: the Alte Pinakothek (Old Pinakothek) in Munich is home to an outstanding collection of European paintings, stretching from the 14th to the 18th century.

Many of the 700 pieces on display represent high points in the history of art, including Albrecht Dürer’s epochal “Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight Years Old Wearing a Coat with Fur Collar” from 1500. As the owner of the painting “Madonna of the Carnation” (which was painted in around 1473), the Alte Pinakothek is the only German museum to have its very own Leonardo da Vinci.

Visitors can also see pieces by Raphael, Titian, El Greco, Rubens, Rembrandt and Boucher. Albert Altdorfer’s painting “The Battle of Alexander at Issus”, which is on show in the Pinakothek, is one of the first paintings to come from the Wittelsbach family’s original collection.

My friend Carol is an amazingly talented visual artist, so it was a special treat to visit the Alte Pinakothek with her- she became my personal art guide! We decided to concentrate on a few paintings and I asked Carol to tell me anything that came to mind as we enjoyed the artwork. We first chose Albert Durer’s famous self portrait, “Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight Years Old Wearing a Coat with a Fur Collar”.

*Albrecht Durer- “Self Portrait at 28 Years Old”*

Carol mentioned that this painting could be considered a breakthrough in the way Durer depicted emotional realism and psychological depth. We were transfixed by the expressiveness of the eyes.

We were also mesmerized by the exquisite detail in Jan Bruegel’s painting “Large Bouquet of Flowers”.

*Jan Bruegel-“Large Bouquet of Flowers”*

We arrived in Salzburg on an atmospheric day; cool and cloudy.

We checked into our beautiful and elegant five star Bristol Hotel across the street from the Mozart Wohnhaus (family residence)! We had decided to give ourselves one special hotel treat!

Before we headed out to see explore the town, we could not resist a few minutes of hilarity in the elegantly mirrored bathroom!

Just a few blocks from out hotel was the Mozart Geburtshaus (Birth house).

We were thrilled to walk in the small ancient musty rooms decorated with manuscripts, instruments and paintings; a display case held the tiny violin that Mozart played as a young child!

That evening, our dinner reservation was at Maxim im Weiherwirt, a beautiful upscale restaurant with creative and lighter Austrian cuisine. It was located in a town about 15 minutes from Salzburg, across from the Leopoldskroner Weiher lake. Distant mountains and the Leopold Castle are perched on a nearby hillside.

We started our dinner with a simple salad made with delicate local lettuces and tomatoes dressed with a light vinaigrette.

We enjoyed the salads with frosty classes of Austrian beer and freshly baked bread.

I ordered spring pea soup that was a rich treat; creamy and garnished with chives and crispy bits of guanciale topped with an egg that I stirred into the piping hot soup- delicious!

Carol enjoyed grilled pork loin with mixed grains and glazed carrots in a light wine sauce.

Sauteed trout served over peas and greens and topped with toasted couscous was light and delicious.

We had a bit of room left to share light and airy Rhubarb Pana Cotta with fresh strawberries and creme fraiche.

We lingered over dessert as the sun started to set over the lake.

A warm light glowed from the restaurant window as we took a leisurely after dinner stroll around the lake.

The next morning we awoke to a beautiful sunny day and enjoyed the opulent breakfast buffet at our hotel.

We took one last walk around town and discovered the Mirabellgarten that includes the Troll Garten with adorable and captivating tiny statues that date from the Renaissance.

As we walked around admiring the small statues, I noticed several ancient stalwart trees standing guard with troll like features begging to be included as “Trees of the Week“!

“TREES OF THE WEEK FROM SALZBURG”!

“*We’ve been in the Troll Garden for a Very Long Time!*“

Then we were off to our next destination to Lbjuliana in Slovenia.

Part Three of the blog- Trieste and Bolzano will come soon!

I hope this blog is an antidote to our crazy world and that it brings you pleasure and a bit of a respite for you!

Knodels and Pappardella- From Munich to Bolzano: Part 1

The plan was to write blog entries in the order of my recent trip to Europe: Munich, Salzburg, Ljublijana, Trieste and Bolzano.

Last week, on a overcast and stormy day I was inspired to try to recreate a healthy version of a rich Slovenian dessert, Pretmurska Gibanica that we enjoyed in Ljublijana. It is layered with fillings of apple, poppy seed, farmers cheese and walnuts. The rainy afternoon flew by as I researched recipes and then assembled and baked the delicacy. I’m happy to report there was success and am excited to share the recipe for the resulting dessert.

We were fortunate to discover the non-touristy, small beautiful Central European city of Ljublijana (pronounced “Loobliana”).

We drove from Salzburg to Slovenia; as we entered Ljublijana, we were met by stark Soviet era high rises devoid of any charm. Heading towards the center of the city, the architecture changed dramatically; the old narrow streets were charming with many streets for pedestrians only.

Our hotel, The Grand Hotel Union was just a few blocks from the center of the old city with lovely views of the town. Best of all, our room was upgraded to a huge suite with high windows at no extra cost!

The Ljublijana River flows through center of the old city with many small bridges.

One of most famous bridges is the Dragon Bridge, protected by fierce looking dragons on all sides.

The quaint streets were lined with cafes, restaurants, wine shops, bakeries and unusual specialty shops. One lovely shop sold liquors and brandies that were distilled in Croatia; the owner proudly showed us on a map the location of their family’s distillery.

Although there were not as many tourists as in Salzburg, there were still shops that specialized in “tchotchkes”- like this shop that sold only rubber ducks!

We had dinner at an excellent restaurant called JAZ that was recently opened by the three star Michelin chef Ana Roz. Tucked away on a hard to find side street, the restaurant was excellent- warm, welcoming and creative; a blend of Italian food with Slovenian and Central European influences.

We started with a glass of chilled Slovenian orange wine (white wine where the grape skins are not removed immediately) and a basket of crusty bread with herbed salted butter.

We shared several entrees, the first a dish of bread pasta (the server explained that the pasta is made from semolina and leftover breadcrumbs.)

The beautifully presented dish was constructed with a tarragon puree, red pepper sauce, poppy seed puree and fresh ricotta cheese. The server suggested stirring everything together before we dug in.

If you will excuse the musical metaphor, this was truly a contrapuntal texture of flavors; an intricate fugue of flavors perfectly intertwined!

The next course was a light and delicious dish of Vitello Tonnato, (tender thin slices of boiled veal with a tuna and anchovy sauce). The dish was adorned by olive oil, fresh oregano, herbs and fat flavorful capers.

Our last course was grilled fish nestled on a pea puree with local organic greens, fish roe and tiny pieces of sweet strawberry; beautiful as a still life painting.

Thankfully we had left a tiny bit of room for a show stopping Slovenian dessert; Kobarid Struklji, a traditional dumpling filled with ground walnuts, raisins and breadcrumbs, served with a buttery caramel sauce!

Before the trip, I had read about another traditional Slovenian dessert, a layered cake with poppy seed, apple, walnut and cheese. I asked our server about it and she told us we great pride that one must be certified to sell Prekmurska in stores. She kindly looked up a few places that sold it and wrote the names down for us on a slip of paper.

The next morning, we thought it would be fun to search out one of the bakeries that sold Prekmurska. We asked the clerk at the hotel desk for directions and he told us excitedly that they served the cake at the hotel and would we like to have a piece? We purchased a fat slice for a late morning picnic and set off for one more walk around the town before we headed off on our next destination to Trieste in Italy.

It was a hot day and we soon searched out a shady spot. We sat at the foot of a small fountain and took out our treat to share. It was cool and not too sweet- almost a second breakfast.

A group of tourists from Italy soon gathered next to the fountain and we listened to an Italian tour guide talk about the fountain. Although we did not understand a word, the happy sounds of the people in the group chattering in Italian made us excited for the next part of our trip in Italy!

Here is my recipe for Prekmurska Gibanica. I based it on a recipe that I found online from the Slovenian Kitchen blog. Their blog has the following description of the cake:

“Prekmurska gibanica originates from Prekmurje, which literally means ‘across the Mura river (region)’, and is the most renowned traditional Slovenian pastry. The name comes from güba, which in the dialect means a fold – implying that it is a type of cake that is folded.“

I wanted to make a cake that used only small amounts of coconut sugar, no cream and whole wheat flour in the pastry crust. I also added chopped golden raisons in the walnut layer. This is a project cake, but not too difficult. It makes a large cake, but it can be easily divided and frozen.

Prekmurska gibanica– Traditional Slovenian Layer Cake

1 package phyllo dough (completely defrosted)

Pastry Crust:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup whole grain spelt four

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter

3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening (I like the organic Spectrum brand)

3 or more tablespoons ice water

Make the pastry crust:

In the bowl of a food processor combine flours, salt, coconut sugar, butter and shortening until just combined.

Add the ice water and vanilla and process until a ball shape forms. You may need to add more water a tablespoon at a time.

Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. When you want to make the cake, bring the dough back to room temperature.

Poppy Seed Layer

8 ounces poppy seeds
2 cups milk (you can also use almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter– I used Country Crock Plant Butter with Avocado Oil
1/4 cup coconut sugar– you can use more, for a sweeter flavor).
3 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Walnut Layer

450 g ground walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisons (cut into small pieces if large)
1/4 cup coconut sugar

Farmer’s Cheese Layer

16 ounces farmer’s cheese (can be replaced by ricotta– if you use ricotta, make sure it is well drained).
1 egg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon

Apple Layer

4 apples
1 tsp cinnamon
zest of 1 lemon

8 ounces low fat sour cream– I added 1/4 cup maple syrup and the zest from 1/2 lemon

Poppy Seed Layer

For the filling, place poppy seeds, sugar, milk and butter in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Cook at medium heat, stirring occasionally until the poppy seeds are cooked and the mixture thickens slightly- this will take about 15 minutes. Add cornstarch slurry and cook until mixture thickens. It will thicken more as it cools.
Add vanilla extract.
Cover and place in fridge.

Walnut Layer

Grind walnuts in food processor- add cinnamon, coconut sugar and golden raisons.

Farmer’s Cheese Layer

Mix all the ingredients for the farmer’s cheese layer together.

Apple Layer

Core the apples, peel them, and grate them. I placed my apples in the food processor and pulsed them for a few seconds- very quick!! Mix the grated apples with cinnamon, and the zest of 1 lemon.

Make Prekmurska gibanica:

Once all the fillings, base dough and phyllo dough are ready, you can start building the gibanica.
First, butter a large rectangular baking pan.
On a floured surface, roll out the pastry crust into a rectangular shape. Place the dough on the bottom of the baking pan.
On the top of the base dough, put one layer of phyllo pastry, spread sour cream over it, and another layer of phyllo dough.
Put half of the poppy seed filling on top of that.
The poppy seeds are then covered with another layer of phyllo dough, sour cream, and phyllo dough.
Over that spread half the farmer’s cheese filling.
The third filling is then walnuts, followed by apples. Each filling is covered with phyllo dough, sour cream, and another phyllo dough layer.
Repeat the procedure with the fillings in the same order and complete with a layer of phyllo dough, sour cream, and one final phyllo dough layer.
On top of the final phyllo dough layer, spread sour cream generously. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon.
Bake in a preheated oven at (355 Fahrenheit) for 1 hour. If top starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil until done. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

ENJOY!!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

*“I Feel Like I have a Hole in My Head!”*

HAPPY SUMMER!!

Blueberry, Strawberry & Yogurt Cream Tart-A Cooling Summer Dessert!

I am back from an amazing eight day whirlwind trip with my travel buddy Carol to Munich, Salzburg, Ljubjiana in Slovenia, Trieste and Bolzano! With many wonderful art and food adventures, I am just starting to sort through pictures; a few blog entries are soon to come.

In the meantime, here is a short blog from closer to home with a cooling recipe for a no-bake blueberry and strawberry tart to beat the heat!

On one of the hottest days last week, we found a cool shady picnic spot with a heavenly breeze at the Bryant Homestead in Cummington, Massachusetts.

In the distance was a sunny field dotted with wildflowers. I ventured briefly into the hot sunny meadow and discovered that it was filled with beautiful “Devil’s Paintbrush” wildflowers.

On the way home, we stopped off at The Old Creamery Coop for cold drinks; jars of organic blueberry spread with no added sugar were for sale. I imagined that this would be good for a fruit tart with the jam spread on the bottom of the crust.

Usually at this time of the year, I look forward to picking sweet succulent organic strawberries at the Thompson Finch Farm in Ancramdale, New York. It was much to hot to think about venturing out into the sun. Luckily, the kind people at Thompson Finch offered to head out very early in the morning to beat the heat to pick berries, with a very generous price of one dollar more a pound. I quickly accepted their offer and drove out to the farm in the early evening to pick up my order. Almost back home with a heaping 10 pound box of berries that perfumed our car with their sweet fragrance, a family of red foxes was crossing the main road. Cars stopped in both directions and we were treated to the fox parents, one in front and the other in the back slowly shepherding three furry adorable fox pups safely across. It was a lovely end to a hot summer day in the country!

Now, with strawberries in hand, my tart idea was complete. I pre -baked an olive oil crust; you could also use a purchased graham cracker crust. I made a filling with whole milk Greek yogurt, vanilla and maple syrup. I heaped this into the crust spread with the blueberry jam and topped it with fresh blueberries and the sweetest strawberries imaginable; very easy to make, cooling and rich tasting!

ENJOY!

No-Bake Blueberry and Strawberry Tart

Filling:

1 1/2 cups whole milk Greek yoogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup maple syrup (or to taste)

Whisk together ingredients and place in refrigerator while preparing crust

Topping:

2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and patted dry on paper towel

1 cup or more fresh strawberries, washed and patted dry on paper towel

Cut strawberries in half if small or slice if larger

For Bottom of Pie Crust:

Organic Blueberry Jam to- best if just sweetened with fruit juice

Olive Oil Crust:

3/4 cup whole grain spelt flour

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (I used Spectrum Organic-All Vegetable Shortening).

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons non-fat yogurt

3 tablespoons ice water (more if necessary)

Make Pastry Crust:

Combine flours and salt in the bowl of a food processor.

Add olive oil, shortening, yogurt and ice water.

Process until the mixture forms a ball. You may need to add a bit more ice water, add 1 tablespoon at a time.

Wrap ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let gluten in the dough relax.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

Bring dough to room temperature and roll out into a large thin circle.

Place dough in a pie tin and line the pie tin with a sheet of parchment paper.

Prick dough on bottoms and sides with a fork.

Place coffee beans or pie weights over the paper and bake in the oven about 10 minutes. This is called “baking blind” and helps to prevent the crust from shrinking away from the sides.

After 10 minutes, carefully remove the paper and weights and continue baking the crust about 15-20 minutes more until it is lightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before filling.

To Assemble Pie:

Spread pie crust with about 2-3 tablespoons blueberry jam.

Spoon in yogurt filling.

Heap berries on top- can be eaten immediately or refrigerated for a few hours before serving.

ENJOY!!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”

HAPPY SUMMER!!

A Leaf in a Pond and a Peanut Butter Cookie Treat!

On a cool and cloudy day, we took a short walk at the Joffe Nature Sanctuary in New Marlborough, Massachusetts. My eye caught a lone maple leaf floating gently on the shallow marsh pond.

As we strolled on the trail that loops around the idyllic marsh, we composed haikus about the leaf. Here is what we came up with (mostly my husband Paul’s invention!)

Leaves in the pond-light

Life dances around us, bright

Time flows, a grace note

At the end of the loop, we returned to the pond to check out our lone maple leaf- it was now joined by four leaves; the sun had broken through the clouds. The light had changed the image dramatically.

That afternoon, the cool weather put me in the mood for baking and I thought of the vegan peanut butter cookies from the cozy Woodstar Cafe in Northhampton, MA. Those cookies and iced chai were my special treat during Covid and one of my best mood elevators. After eating many of these treats, I decided to try to concoct my own version and originally published it in a blog post in December 2021: “Hemlock Heaven and Bear Swamp”. The ingredients are healthy and include almond flour, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, chunky peanut butter, vanilla and maple syrup. You can also add chunks of dark chocolate. They are chewy, delicious and slightly addictive. I hope you enjoy making these!

EASY One Bowl Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Pre-heat oven to 350

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

Ingredients:

1 cup crunchy peanut butter* see note

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup ground flax seed

handful chia seeds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup soy milk of mixture is too dry.

To make cookies:

In a medium sized bowl, mix together peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Combine well with a large spoon.

Add almond flour, ground flax seed and baking powder. Mix well, the batter will be stiff, but not dry.

If the mixture is too crumbly, add about 1/4 cup soy milk.

I like to get my hands into the batter and form the dough into a large ball. It should feel like the consistency of play dough!

Form batter into small balls- I made 15, but you could make fewer larger cookies.

Press gently with a fork to make a criss cross pattern.

Bake in middle of oven for about 1o minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are light brown- the cookies will still feel quite soft.

Note* I used peanut butter that was salted. If you use an unsalted brand, add about 1/2 teaspoon salt to the batter.

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”

HAPPY SPRING!!

A Chocolate Treat for a Snowy Day!

A thick blanket of snow fell overnight and as I write this blog, ice is decorating pine needles and branches of the trees. We made a decision to stay cozily inside with a warm fire in the woodstove.

All week long, I had been craving chocolate desserts, wanting to dive into a slab of fudgy rich chocolate cake slathered in ganache. I remembered an easy one dish vegan chocolate cake filled with chocolate pudding that I featured in a February 2022 post. It was easy to make, tasted completely decadent and best of all was made with stevia, coconut sugar and with no eggs or butter.

This is what I made today and we just finished big slices that were decorated with fresh raspberries and toasted pecans. It was fudgy, moist and tasted very rich. We enjoyed it with 2 mugs of frothy decaf Cafe au Lait- a perfect guilt free treat for a snowy day!

Snowy Day Chocolate Pudding Vegan Chocolate Cake

Cake Ingredients:

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup coconut sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar*- see note
1 cup water

To Make Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and line one 8×10 cake pan with greased wax or parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 25-30 minutes. Do not overbake, the cake should remain soft and fudgy. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Remove cake from pan, peel off wax paper and place on rack to cool.

Chocolate Pudding Filling– adapted from Chocolate Cake by Michele Urvater

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup coconut sugar or monk fruit ( this makes a very bittersweet pudding, feel free to add up to 1/2 to 3/4 sweetener.)

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond or soy milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 ounces dark chocolate chopped (I used Equal Exchange Extremely Dark chocolate, but you could semi or bittersweet chocolate for a sweeter taste)

To make the pudding:

In a small mixing bowl, with a fork or small whisk, combine the cornstarch with 1/2 cup of the milk.

In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the remaining 1 cup milk to a simmer with the sugar, stirring occasionally so the milk does not boil over. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Whisk the cornstarch and milk in the bowl again to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved, and add this to the hot milk and sugar mixture. Return the saucepan to the heat and bring to a simmer until the mixture thickens, whisking constantly. Remove from the hear and add chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts into the mixture. Stir in almond extract. Put pudding in a bowl and refrigerate until cold.

To fill the cake:

Carefully slice cake with a serrated bread knife in half and place one piece on a plate. Spread half of pudding mixture and place other half on top.

Spread remaining pudding on top and decorate with raspberries and toasted pecans. This would also be nice to decorate with sliced strawberries and chocolate chips.

* I was curious to find out why vinegar was called for in the recipe. For the kitchen science geeks, it turns out that vinegar reacts with baking soda to create a chemical reaction that makes the crumb of the cake light and tender!

ENJOY!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”

STAY WARM!

“Frosty Winter Walks-Apricot/Chocolate Rugelach and Festive Fruit Tart”!

*Christmas at Thousand Acre Swamp-New Marlborough, MA*

The New Year is upon us; the last few weeks have been a happy blur of visits with dear friends and family. We have enjoyed wonderful meals together for both Christmas and Hanukah. This blog will feature a festive fruit tart that we served for Christmas and delicious chocolate and apricot rugelach that our daughter Lev made to celebrate Hanukah. Luckily we were able to go on a few hikes to work off the rich food!

One day, we walked at a a favorite place; Thousand Acre Swamp in New Marlborough, Massachusetts with serene trails that wind through pine forests and overlook a beautiful swamp.

Delicate princess pines peeked demurely through a light cover of snow.

Another day we enjoyed a late leisurely breakfast at the newly reopened Roadside Diner in Monterey, MA. The diner is operated by Gould Farm, a therapeutic community. Just down the road is the lovely 1.5 mile Diane’s Trail that winds through Gould Farm, along a wetland habitat and the Rawson Brook.

*Diane’s Trail, Gould Farm- Monterey, MA*

As we walked alongside the marsh, sunlight sparkled on the ice.

We trekked over a wooden bridge and saw what we thought was a large bird’s nest, made from branches lining the sides of the brook.

A bit further on, we came upon another branch sculpture that was definitely made by people or a large creative bird!

Back out of the cold, we returned home to our baking projects.

We planned a small Hanukah party and our daughter Lev, who is an excellent baker, offered to make rugelach. For those not familiar with this delicacy, the pastry can be traced back to medieval times in Eastern Europe within the Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Poland.

Various fillings of nuts, chocolate, apricot and raspberry jams are encased in a delicate cream cheese based pastry. Lev even made a sugar free version for my husband, using dried apricots and chopped Lily’s Stevia chocolate.

Apricot and Chocolate Rugelach (Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com)

Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

Fillings:

½ cup plus 4 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup apricot preserves

1/2 cup toasted walnuts (or toasted pecans!)

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots (for sugar free version)

2 ounces finely chopped Lily’s Stevia Dark Chocolate (for sugar free version)

For Chocolate filling:

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted with 1 tablespoon bitter, mixed with enough cinnamon sugar to make a paste similar to Nutella.

1/4 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped. Pecans are also great!

Milk for brushing cookies

Special equipment: parchment paper; a small offset spatula

Preparation

Step 1:Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined well. Add flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Gather dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, then flatten (in wrap) into a roughly 7×5″ rectangle. Chill until firm, 8 to 24 hours.

Step 2:Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of 1–1½”-deep large shallow baking pan with parchment paper.

Step 3:Cut dough into 4 pieces. Chill 3 pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap, and roll out remaining piece into a 12×8″ rectangle on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment, then transfer to a tray and chill while rolling out remaining dough in same manner, transferring each to another sheet of parchment and stacking on tray.

Step 4:Whisk ½ cup sugar with cinnamon.

Step 5:Arrange 1 dough rectangle on work surface with a long side nearest you. For Apricot Rugelach: Spread ¼ cup preserves evenly over dough with offset spatula and a rounded ¼ cup walnuts over jam, then sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar. For Chocolate Rugelach, melt 2 ounces chocolate and mix with enough cinnamon sugar to make a coarse paste, similar to Nutella in texture. Spread evenly over dough and then sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped walnuts on top.

Step 6:Using parchment as an aid, roll up dough tightly into a log. Place, seam side down, in lined baking pan, then pinch ends closed and tuck underneath. Make 3 more logs in same manner and arrange 1″ apart in pan. Brush logs with milk and sprinkle each with 1 tsp. of remaining granulated sugar. With a sharp large knife, make ¾”-deep cuts crosswise in dough (not all the way through) at 1″ intervals. (If dough is too soft to cut, refrigerate until firmer, 20–30 minutes.)

Step 7:Bake until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to warm on baking sheet set atop wire rack, about 30 minutes, then transfer logs to a cutting board and slice cookies all the way through.

ENJOY!!

I created this fruit tart for my husband. There is only a small amount of coconut sugar (very low glycemic index) in the pastry filling and no sugar in the fruit. It is light and refreshing; totally guilt free!

Festive Fruit Tart

Pastry Filling:

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 tablespoons coconut sugar (more if sweeter taste is desired)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pastry Crust:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup whole grain spelt four

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter

3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening (I like the organic Spectrum brand)

3 or more tablespoons ice water

Fruit Topping:

1 large ripe kiwi- cut into think slices

1 /2 raspberries

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup blackberries

Make the Pastry Filling:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/2 cup of the almond milk.

In a small sauce pan over low heat, bring the almond milk to a simmer with the coconut sugar.

Whisk in the remaining almond milk and stir constantly until the mixture thickens slightly. It will become much thicker after it cools.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Refrigerate a few hours until very cold and the mixture has thickened. This can be made a day in advance.

Make the pastry crust:

In the bowl of a food processor combine flours, salt, butter and shortening until just combined.

Add the ice water and process until a ball shape forms. You may need to add more water a tablespoon at a time.

Refrigerate at least one hour.

Bring pastry dough to room temperature.

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees Farenheit

On a floured surface, roll the dough out and place into a pie dish. Trim and crimp edges. The crust will be completely baked and cooled before filling.

Prick the crust all over lightly with a fork and line the crust with a large sheet of parchment paper. Add pie weights (I use old coffee beans) to crust and bake in oven about 10 minutes. Carefully remove parchment paper and pie weights; continue to bake crust until it is lightly browned all over. If the edges seem to be browning too quickly, cover the edges with a small amount of foil. The crust will bake aprox. 15-20 minutes more.

Cool completely and then add cold pastry filling. Decorate with fruit and serve!

ENJOY!!

AND: Here is the first 2025 “Tree of the Week”!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Soothing Sounds and a Foodie’s Delight from Portland, Oregon!

It was the day after the election and the members of the Hevreh Ensemble were in a state of disbelief as we embarked on a short tour to Portland, Oregon. The plane headed west into the sunset; what better time for a little escape and to bring our music to others!

A week of concerts were planned with the first at one of my favorite radio stations, All Classical Portland. We were warmly welcomed by our host Christa Wessel and a lovely staff of helpful engineers.

We presented concerts for Congregation Beth El of Portland and for the Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. The performances were inspirational and well received; connections we made with the audience members created a sorely needed healing and soothing balm for all.

I was especially excited because Portland has a growing reputation as a foodie city. A few weeks earlier, I had read an article in the New York Times; “The 25 Best New Restaurants in Portland“. We were able to make reservations at the Korean restaurant Han Oak and the award winning Thai restaurant Lang Baan.

I had done some research on the bakery scene in Portland; the other members of the Hevreh Ensemble know me well and were excellent participants in the planned food adventures!

There were many choices to write about, but a few standouts were the Korean restaurant Han Oak, the Orange & Blossom Bakery and the Portland Farmers Market.

After our first concert for All Classical Portland, we headed off to an evening dinner at Han Oak. Our Uber driver dropped us off in a residential area and we almost missed the entrance; the eccentric and festively decorated restaurant was tucked away in the backyard of a small business.

The restaurant is owned by chef Peter Cho and his wife and partner, Sun Young Park; the food was creative and delicious. The current menu, with a $65 prix fixe was well worth the price! We started with 4 small appetizers that were replenished as often as we wanted throughout the meal.

They included homemade Napa cabbage and daikon kimchi made by the chef’s mother, pear and seasonal mustard greens with silken tofu miso dressing, fried eggplant with lemon ssam jabg (Korean soybean paste), garlic chives and scallions and smashed potato salad with eggs, garlic chives, celery, carrot and shredded gim (seaweed). Along with icy Korean beer, this could have been a complete meal!

Our next course was Roast Beef Soo Yook- delicate and tender rare roast beef with seared green and purple cabbage and charred corn vinaigrette in a rich bone broth, simmered for 15 hours.

The next course was billed as a “Gimbap Party”. We were presented with platters of barbequed meats and vegetables along with seaweed, rice paper and seasoned rice. My favorite was a bowl of hamachi (a delicate Japanese fish that is often found in the Northwest) cured with citrus and yuzu soy and served over chojang-mayo (a spice Korean sauce) and scallions. We had great fun creating or own seaweed and rice rolls.

*Himachi with citrus, gochu-mayo, yuzu soy and scallion*

Surprisingly, after all of this food, we still had room for a delicious dessert that the table shared: caramelized custard poached pears with sweetened puffed rice, vanilla whip and misugaru sauce ( a Korean beverage made from a traditional grain powder). At this point, I jokingly told the group, that the real reason we had traveled to Portland was actually for the food!

*Caramelized custard poached pears with sweetened puffed rice, vanilla whip and misugaru*

The next day, group members Laurie and Jeff had to tend to repairs on a Bass Clarinet that had encountered an unfortunate fall after our concert for All Classical Portland.

With a free afternoon before our evening concert, our guest keyboardist Renee and I headed out for a bakery adventure. I had read about an excellent bakery called Orange & Blossom. This turned out to a be a wise choice. The moment we entered the small cozy store, we were mesmerized by the wonderful assortment of beautifully presented baked goods.

The description on the bakery’s website says: “rooted in the seasons, inspired by our travels, local farms and west coast roots.” The cases were filled with enticing pastries that had an autumnal theme.

We ordered a pot of tea, a sandwich and assorted pastries for lunch. It was hard to choose but we ended up with a delicious sandwich with home made foccaccia that was filled with beet hummus, pickled vegetables, frisee and spread with garlic cashew cream cheese.

We shared a slice of pumpkin maple cake made with kabocha squash, maple butter cream and roasted peptitas, an unbelievably rich peanut cup filled with squash and peanut butter AND a rosemary orange scone.

Thinking we had probably ordered too much, I am sorry to say that we did not try the pear chai Manitozzi (Rome’s most iconic brioche bun).

We did buy an unusual and incredible brownie made with milled buckwheat, dark chocolate ganache and cocoa nibs for the airplane ride home!

On Saturday, we had a free day with an evening concert at the Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. I am so glad that we had the chance to visit the famous Portland Farmers Market. After a long walk from our hotel, we finally saw the colorful booths poking through the trees located at Portland State University.

There were countless stands of beautiful organic fruits and vegetables along with stands ranging from cheeses, organic meat and seafood along with artisanal breads and pastries.

Street musicians played at various locations throughout the market.

I strolled by stand after stand of beautiful pastries; I bought a tiny bittersweet chocolate macaron. Popping it into my mouth, it was full of flavor-perfect!

I passed by a stand of fresh chestnuts and could not resist buying a quart. The owner of the stand was very engaging and described a fool proof method to peel the shells easily. He said to cut almost all of the way through the shell with a heavy cleaver and then steam the chestnuts about 10 minutes.

I took my chestnuts that I purchased at the farmers market home. Tucked away safely in my suitcase, I was looking forward to making our Thanksgiving turkey with a sour dough stuffing that included braised chestnuts.

Our last concert at the Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education was in commemoration for the anniversary of Kristalnacht (Night of Breaking Glass) that occurred in Germany in November 1938 in a wave of antisemitic violence that swept through the country. The concert was a profound moving experience for all.

On the flight home, while the other passengers were eating their allotment of a tiny bag of peanuts, we broke out our chocolate ganache buckwheat brownie.

The rich nutty flavor of the buckwheat blended beautifully with the fudgy chocolate texture of the brownie. The end of a lovely trip!

For Thanksgiving this year, I made sour dough stuffing with braised chestnuts. I prepared the chestnuts using the method the person at the farm stand recommended and it worked like a breeze! For a few recalcitrant chestnuts, I steamed them for about 3-4 minutes more and the shells and skins slipped easily off!

AND, there were lovely scraps for all of the critters in our woods!

I tasted a braised chestnut and it was sweet, tender and earthy- they made a delicious stuffing that would also be good for a Christmas roast goose or chicken!

ENJOY!!

Sour Dough Stuffing with Braised Chestnuts, Mushrooms and Pecans

Ingredients:

Large bowl of dried sourdough bread cubes (from about 2 loaves of bread)

1 medium onion finely chopped

3 celery stalks with leaves finely chopped

6-8 button mushrooms chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme (more if desired)

1 teaspoon dried sage (more if desired)

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

braised chestnut mixture

1 cup toasted pecans broken into small pieces

2 cups chicken stock (more if needed)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients Braised Chestnuts:

10-15 chestnuts peeled

1 large shallot finely diced

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon dried thyme

freshly ground pepper to taste

To Make Stuffing:

Braise Chestnuts:

Melt butter in a small saucepan.

Saute shallots until softened, add chestnuts and cover with chicken stock.

Add dried thyme and freshly ground pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Set aside while you prepare the rest of the stuffing. (Can be refrigerated for up to 2 days).

Prepare Stuffing:

Ina large saucepan, heat olive oil and added chopped onions. Cook until softened. Add celery and mushrooms. Cook until softened and mushrooms release their liquid.

Add dried thyme and sage and freshly ground pepper. Wait to add salt until stuffing is prepared.

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and add the onion and braised chestnut mixture. Stir and add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. It will take a while for the bread to absorb the liquid. Let mixture sit for a few minutes and gradually add rest of stock. You can always add more if needed. The mixture should be slightly softened. You should be able to squeeze clumps with your hands when ready to bake.

Let cool completely before stuffing turkey. After stuffing turkey, place rest of stuffing in a baking dish, cover and bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes, remove cover and bake about 10 minutes more to create a delicious crusty topping and corners!

AND: Here is the “TREE OF THE WEEK” from Portland, Oregon!

BEST WISHES FOR A PEACEFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!

Late Summer Sounds at Chesterwood with The Salisbury Four and Vegan Raspberry Spelt Scones!

What a pleasure it was to perform a concert at the end of August with my group, The Salisbury Four at Chesterwood, located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. For many years we have presented an annual Holiday concert for the Salisbury Association in Salisbury, Connecticut.

Chesterwood was the home, studio and gardens of America’s foremost public monument sculptor Daniel Chester French who lived from 1850-1931. French is most famous as the sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial. The concert was held in the artist’s spacious studio that had high vaulted ceilings It was thrilling to sit next to studies of Lincoln’s hands and of the Lincoln sculpture!

The studio opens up onto a lovely peaceful garden and the large wrap around porch overlooks Monument Mountain in Great Barrington, Massachusetts!

Our repertoire for lute, recorder, voices, historical harp and Baroque dance has expanded to include a new summer themed program; with our recent concert titled: “Fortune, Love and Time”. We are so fortunate that one of our singers, Zahra Brown, is also a gifted dancer and is a specialist in Baroque dance. Enjoy this short video of our warmup rehearsal!

The other Salisbury Four members are all food lovers and are talented cooks and bakers. When we rehearse at our singer and harpist Marcia Young’s apartment, she always has a wide assortment of unusual teas at the ready and often a freshly baked goody such as a lemon drizzle cake. Another person once brought a rich chocolate babka.

I often make spelt raspberry scones that are super easy to make with a nutty delicious flavor and they also happen be healthy! I planned to bring a plate to the concert and our lutenist Christopher Morrongiello mentioned that he was thinking about the scones a bit obsessively on his long ride up from Long Island!

I have been using this vegan recipe for spelt scones from Erin McKennas’s Baby Cakes cookbook for several years; the dough for the scones, without the sweeteners also make a great topping for either savory potpies or fruit cobblers. I substitute coconut sugar for the agave syrup used in the original recipe.

Spelt Raspberry Scones

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup whole grain spelt flour

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup hot water

To Make Scones:

In a large bowl, combine flours, salt, cinnamon baking powder. Mix well.

Add oil, vanilla and hot water, stir to combine and knead mixture gently a few times with your hands. Lightly stir in raspberries. You could also use blueberries or add chopped walnuts.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pat dough into 10-12 mounds.

Bake aprox. 12-15 minutes until light brown.

ENJOY!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

HAPPY FALL!!

Fjords, Ferries, Tunnels and Mountains: Norway Part 2

NORWAY- PART 2:

We spent one more jam packed day in Bergen; a highlight was the Kode Art Museum which houses one of the largest Munch collections in the world. We discovered evocative works of art by the Norwegian Modernist painter Nikolai Astrup that depicted pastoral mountain scenes.

*“Barren Mountain”- Nikolai Astrup (1905)*

*“Evening with fruit trees in bloom”- Nicolai Astrup*

We took a fun ride on a funicular to the top of Bergen and were treated to a bird’s eye view of the city and harbor.

And, of course at the top, I had to pose next to a touristy and kitschy troll!

Afterwards, we treated ourselves to cups of bittersweet hot chocolate at Fjak, an organic chocolate shop.

It was located on the same charming side street where we had dinner reservations that night at Les Mathis, an excellent small French bistro.

We enjoyed pan seared cat fish with a caper vinaigrette and pickled vegetables served over greens along with a bowl of roasted potatoes. A wonderful day!

The next morning, we picked up our rental car. As we left Bergen, ahead of us were rugged mountains and the roads quickly became steep and narrow; the next part of our adventure began!

Fearless hang gliders were soaring down the side of a mountain!

Countless tunnels cut through ranges of dramatic and imposing mountains. One tunnel was over 20 miles long!

We were headed to the tiny harbor town of Solvorn on the innermost part of the Sognefjorden; about a 5 hour ride from Bergen.

The scenery was so breathtaking; it was hard to not stop the car every few miles to take pictures!

The road would abruptly end with signs for a ferry crossing.

At one crossing, while waiting to board the boat, I noticed a German license plate and van called a Burstner; I ventured out and had great fun practicing my German with the owner!

Solvorn is an exquisitely beautiful town on the innermost branch of a long fjord with breathtaking views in any direction.

Our destination in Solvorn was the historic Walaker Hotel; the oldest hotel in Norway, it has been operated by the same family since 1690.

From the window of our small cozy bedroom, there was a view of the harbor.

The room also included a four course dinner. Before the feast, we took a small walk to the harbor.

Just down the road was a lovely little cafe with a deck that extended out over the water.

We ordered two icy glasses of local organic blueberry nectar; we had arrived in heaven!

It was time to return to the hotel for dinner.

We were warmly escorted to our table in the charming small dining room and presented with an appetizer plate that included reindeer sausage, local cheeses, Norwegian crackers and a cream fraiche spread that was delicately flavored with nutmeg. Along with a glass of white wine, this would have been a delicious small supper!

The first course was a creamy but light carrot soup garnished with toasted coconut, scallions and a basil puree.

This was followed by poached cod with a delicate paprika sauce.

We were starting to be quite full, but somehow managed to find room to enjoy tender and succulent duck breast with potatoes Anna and a brightly flavored lingonberry sauce.

And of course, we were able to happily devour a dessert of warm chocolate souffles served with local strawberries and creme anglaise!

By this time, it was 10:00 at night and still light outside. Between the excellent courses, we had the luxury of talking to our heart’s content!

The next morning was misty and cloudy; stunningly atmospheric and beautiful!

After enjoying the plentiful breakfast buffet with homemade jam, it was time to move on to our next destinations; to Balestrade located in another small harbor village on the Sognefjorden, to Stalheim, perched high in the mountains and then back to Bergen with a visit to Troldhaugen, the Grieg home.

STAY TUNED for Norway: Part 3

AND: Of course, here is the “Tree of the Week”!

*“I feel like I may have a hole in my head!”*

Norway: Grieg and Bergen- Part 1

As we made our descent into Bergen, the sky was cloudy and overcast; a rainbow appeared in the sky seeming to welcome us to our Norway adventure!

I was accompanied by my intrepid traveling companion Carol. The plan was to spend three days exploring Bergen on foot and then go on an expedition by car, driving on narrow winding roads with spectacular views of the mountains and fjords. And, of course this included many memorable meals!

A convenient bus from the airport dropped us off right in the middle of the bustling Bergen harbor a few blocks from the Clarion Hotel that was located on a cozy side street.

After settling in and taking a short nap to shake off some of our jetlag, we set out on a walk around the neighborhood and were delighted by medieval side streets and tiny doorways.

It was time for our first dinner reservation at the historic Enhjorningen (Unicorn Fish) Restaurant. We entered the medieval era building and climbed up a winding staircase.

The door opened up into a cozy and atmospheric restaurant with ancient wooden walls and beams.

Our quaint table looked out over the water and the food was also excellent!

We started with an artfully arranged salad with fresh local cherry tomatoes and feta.

We each ordered beautifully prepared fish entrees with monkfish and salmon that were accompanied with carrot puree, roasted baby potatoes, pickled vegetables and broccolini.

For dessert we shared an excellent blueberry tart with a crisp cookie crust top and brown cheese ice cream. After I tried Norwegian brown cheese at other meals, I recognized the nutty, sweet caramel flavor- a perfect ending to our first dinner!

We strolled back slowly to our hotel. From our room we enjoyed a view of the harbor with a bright sky at 10:30 PM. We quickly fell into a deep sleep!

The next morning we dug eagerly into a sumptuous breakfast buffet that included smoked fish, fresh crusty whole grain breads and rolls, home made jams, fresh fruit and yogurt.

We headed out to find the Bergen Public Library which houses the Grieg archives, including the original manuscripts for many of his compositions.

Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen in 1843. Widely recognized as one of the major Romantic composers, his compositions incorporated many Norwegian folk melodies. Before our trip, I had been in contact with the archive department at the University of Bergen to find out how to access Grieg’s manuscripts. I was told that the manuscripts were housed at the Bergen Public Library and that no appointment was required.

On the way, we took a stroll through the bustling fish market, which displayed an enormous variety of fish, seafood and delicacies.

We found the library that was housed in an old stone building not far from the Kode Art Museum.

At the front desk, we asked the librarian to direct us to the Grieg Archives. She seemed a bit surprised and called another colleague on the phone. After a few minutes, another librarian appeared and said that we needed to make an appointment and that it would not be possible to view the manuscripts. I am a person who does not take “no for an answer” easily. I politely stood my ground; she finally relented and asked if we would wait a few minutes while she collected folders of music. While we were waiting, I noticed a thick book of photographs detailing the history of Bergen. I found several compelling photos.

The librarian returned with several thick folders and asked us to follow her into a room that was decorated with Grieg memorabilia.

She locked the door and asked that we not touch the pages- pictures were fine! The librarian’s demeanor softened and with great pride, one by one, she slowly turned the pages of music.

She also showed us pages of Norwegian folk melodies that were collected by Frants Beyer, a close friend of Grieg’s. Beyer is well known for collecting the folk songs that were the inspiration for Grieg’s opus 66- Nineteen Norwegian Folk Tunes.

We ended our visit having a lovely conversation with the librarian and as we left, thanked her for an inspirational and thrilling morning!

Stay tuned for Norway: Part 2 with more sites, art and food from Bergen!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”:

HAPPY SUMMER!