Meet the Pastry Panda

I have been working with Lubu to develop a custom mascot for this blog.  Check out what they were able to create for me below!  They were extremely easy to work with and provided great suggestions along the way to help me personalize my order.

Bakery Nouveau

Bakery Nouveau is another local bakery that specializes in French pastries and baked goods.  Located in the West Seattle neighborhood, Nouveau offers many of the same items as Honoré Artisan Bakery.  Much of what I could find online about Nouveau compares it to other french bakeries in Seattle, such as Honoré and Café Besalu.  So, of course, I used that as an excuse to venture out to West Seattle to do my own comparison :p

With it's warm colors, wood paneling and mood lighting, Nouveau seems to be a great, cozy spot to enjoy a cup of coffee and a sweet treat.  However, after waiting in line for a few minutes, I began to realize that things weren't what they seemed.  It was actually a bit chaotic...almost like a beehive.  Behind the counter are employees scrambling back and forth, filling orders.  Meanwhile, the customers are trying to keep up with the employees as they yell out more items to add to their order.   This store might be a bit too busy for its own good.  Either that, or they could use some restructuring of the way customers are assisted and how they line up.  They're also hindered in that they only have one espresso machine.  So, many customers are subjected to two waits-- one for the pastries, and the other, for their caffeine fix.  These long waits led to people pooling around the espresso machine and grabbing other people's drinks in error.

Personally, I had a couple of things go wrong.  First, we were charged for an extra item.  This was immediately corrected after we brought it to their attention.  Plus, we ordered quite a few items, so it greatly increased the chance that we would not be rung up correctly.  The second mishap was on our drink order.  We ordered an iced Chai and a drip coffee.  The Chai was ready shortly after we paid for our items.  The drip coffee, on the other hand, never made its way out.  Apparently, they ran out of drip, but we were not informed until we approached them about our missing drink.  As a substitute, they made us an Americano.

Overall, the drinks were average and the pastries tended to be on the sweeter side.  I think I'll have to give them another try on a less busy day.  I'll most likely get their baked breads, which I have now learned are what they are better known for.  For now, the upper hand goes to Honoré and Besalu.

Macarons (from top to bottom): Passion Fruit, Blood Orange, Salted Caramel

Twice-baked Hazelnut Croissant

Cherry and Pistachio Cake

Sweets of Seasons Past v2.0

Here are some more homemade sweets that I've made in the past  :)





Lemon Panna Cotta with Lemon Marmalade

Lemon Panna Cotta with Lemon Marmalade:  My first attempt at making panna cotta and my first time working with gelatin.  Flavor-wise this was a great combination with the panna cotta being creamy and sweet, while the marmalade was bright and slightly tart.  The components can be eaten together as a dessert(my preference), or they can be eaten separately.   Surprisingly, this was much easier to make and it took much less time to prep than I anticipated.  The one thing that was disappointing to me was the firmness of the panna cotta.  I think it should have been slightly firmer so that it could sit properly when plated, but I think this can be easily corrected by adding a bit more gelatin.



Peach Cheesecake with Gingersnap crust and Peach Preserves glaze

Peach Cheesecake with Gingersnap crust and Peach Preserve glaze:  First off, I have to say that I'm not a fan of cheesecake.  There's something about the way cream cheese reacting with heat that makes it taste sour to me.  Anyway, all of my friends love cheesecake.  So, for a potluck that we had, I made this and a couple of other desserts.  Sadly, I think this was a complete failure :(  The crust was over baked and hard.  The cream cheese filling was too moist.  And the peaches turned out to be under ripe.  Luckily, I had my other desserts to fall back on and those were a great hit with everyone.  The one plus out of this experience is that I was able to bake a cheesecake without any cracks on the top, a common problem for cheesecakes. 





Meyer Lemon Semifreddo with Toasted Almonds and Summer Berries

Meyer Lemon Semifreddo with Toasted Almonds and Summer Berries:  This dessert is quite the crowd-pleaser!  Sweet and slightly tart, the semifreddo is topped with toasted almonds and ripe summer berries to round out the flavors.  I tend to receive the most encouraging compliments for this dish, which are very much appreciated!  It has been said to be "better than anything I've ever tasted in a restaurant" and to be of "restaurant quality."  These comments were very surprising, especially since one of the people who made one of these comments is someone that has traveled to many countries and has dined in some of the finest restaurants.  I take each comment with high regard, too.  They are humbling and warm my heart, reminding me of why I love to cook:  I cook with love; and when I share food that I've cooked, I'm sharing my love.  So, when I receive such positive feedback, it gives me tremendous amounts of encouragement to further pursue pastries and baking. 





Prosecco-Raspberry Gelée

Prosecco-Raspberry Gelée:  A delicious treat, especially during the warmer months of late spring through summer.  This follows a simple recipe that only requires 5 ingredients (most of which I had on hand) with an optional 6th ingredient, orange-flower water.  I made mine without the orange-flower water since I did not have it on hand and I did not want to make a trip out to a specialty store or finer grocery store, like Whole Foods.  The only ingredient I had to buy was raspberries, which were bountiful at my local farmers' market.  For the next time, I would try to select less ripe/firmer berries.  The raspberries are macerated, so overripe or too soft berries will break up and become mush very easily.  This has no effect on the flavor, but it does leave your gelée with a very red appearance.  Plus, whole berries look better than broken up bits of red fruit, right? 




Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Frosting



Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Frosting:  Mashed potatoes are incorporated into the dough of these rolls to give a moist, pillowy-soft texture.  Surprisingly, these stay soft for at least several days and the taste of the rolls is not compromised, considering the amount of potatoes that are added.  I made these while I had a couple of friends from out of town staying with us.  So, I took advantage of having some extra palates around to help me taste test the two different fillings that I made for the rolls.  One filling was fairly traditional: brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and flour.  The second, consisted of the same ingredients, but with less butter and the addition of nutmeg.  Both fillings were good and paired well with the vanilla frosting.  Overall, the winner was the more traditional filling.  Everyone seemed to agree that the addition of nutmeg reminded them of the holidays and would be better suited as a seasonal filling during the colder months of late fall and winter.  



Honoré Artisan Bakery

This is by far my favorite bakery/pastry shop in the Seattle area.  Looking at the Yelp reviews, I'm not the only one with this sentiment.  Tucked away in the Ballard neighborhood, most people only know of this delightful place because of the word-of-mouth raves or by happening upon it by chance.  I've only been here a few times, but I must say that I am further impressed by them each time I go.  I think I've been lucky in that I've never had to wait in line (others have noted that the line can be extremely long), but they do have a constant flow of customers.  Never have the display cases been empty, nor have I experienced any sort of bad customer service.  Instead, I've noticed that the kitchen is constantly at work, rolling out new pastries and baked goods for the display cases.  It's a good thing their kitchen is so efficient because I've witnessed them put out a new item, only for it to be sold out within 20-30 minutes.  Also, the cashier is extremely courteous, inviting, and helpful.  She never rushes you to order and has a great knack for keeping a good flow of conversation and suggestions so that those in line behind you don't get peeved that you're taking more time than the regulars would to complete a transaction.  I also have to mention that everything they serve looks insanely delicious.  I have trouble picking out what I want each time!  Macarons, tarts, pies, croissants, quiches...the list goes on :)  My favorite thing to get there is their Kouign-amann (a sweet, buttery roll with flaky layers and a salted caramel glaze).  Their macarons are also the best I've had in Seattle!  Their honey-poached pear almond frangipane is also really good and it has inspired to me to make some of my own in the very near future ;)

This is definitely a bakery I would not mind working at or having the opportunity to shadow their chefs/bakers.  Humble and comfortable, they offer high-quality goods without the pretentious atmosphere or high costs.

Ballard Honey-poached Pear Almond Frangipane



Macarons (clockwise from top left): salted caramel, hazelnut, pistachio, lavender, passion fruit, and spicy chocolate



NW Chocolate Festival

I just found out about the Northwest Chocolate Festival.  The event runs the weekend of October 22nd from 10AM-6PM each day.  Ticket prices range from $20 to $85, depending on whether you want a single day pass, weekend pass, or VIP weekend pass.  Tickets can be purchased here.  It looks quite promising with tastings, demos, and some education.  There's also a chocolate party on the night of Oct. 22nd, which includes a dessert showcase, a dessert competition, a costume contest, and, of course, cocktails.  The chocolate party looks like a lot of fun, but it's an additional $40.

Sweets of Seasons Past

Here are some of the desserts and sweets that I have made in the past.  In the future, I hope to do individual posts for the things that I cook.








Cranberry Rice Krispies Tuxedo Chocolate Bars

Cranberry Rice Krispies Tuxedo Chocolate Bars:  I made these for an office holiday cookies & sweets exchange that I organized last year.  They received a lot of praise, but I think I should have served them at a warmer temperature so that it would have been easier to bite through.  A co-worker packed some to take home and told me it goes great with a cup of coffee.

  



Banana Cream Pie with Hazelnut Whipped Cream and Hazelnut Brittle

Banana Cream Pie with Hazelnut Whipped Cream and Hazelnut Brittle:  I've made this several times now as it has become a favorite among my friends  :)  The first time I made this, it was with a vanilla wafer crust.  I thought the crust was a bit plain, so since then I have been using a graham cracker crust.  Unfortunately, I have yet to perfect the graham cracker crust...I've had it come out with too strong of a cinnamon taste, too hard, or too soggy.  I've been able to adjust the flavor of the crust, but now I need to work on the texture and firmness.

Cornflake Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cornflake Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies:  Another favorite and highly requested item.  This cookie has been said to be 'like crack.'  I'm not sure why, but that makes me smile every time.  I think this cookie is a perfect balance of sweet and salty with a great buttery, caramel flavor.  Definitely my absolute favorite cookie.  I first had this in New York City at Milk Bar, a part of David Chang's Momofuku empire.  After having a freshly baked one in NYC, I knew I had to try making this for myself.  So, I went on the hunt and found a copycat recipe online.  I eventually found one with the help of a friend from high school, who also knew of the cookie.  I made some adjustments to the recipe over time, until the flavor brought me back to walking around the city with a cookie in my hand.  Now, I can make my own 'crack'  :p






Lemongrass Bars with Toasted Coconut Shortbread Crust

Lemongrass Bars with Toasted Coconut Shortbread Crust:  A treat with some great hidden flavors!  Most people see this and think it's just a lemon bar; but when they bite into it, they're surprised by a hint of a mystery flavor that they just can't seem to put a finger on-- the lemongrass.  The toasted coconut shortbread also compliments the lemongrass flavor really well.  My first attempt at making this failed on the lemongrass flavor as it was masked by all of the lemon juice.  Since then, I have adjusted the recipe to include more lemongrass.  The only thing that I need to work on is the white, foamy crust that forms on top of the bars.  I've been able to cover up this flaw by dusting some powdered sugar over the tops, but I think this can easily be remedied by straining the mixture before pouring it into my baking pan.









Toasted Coconut and Almond Toffee Chews

Toasted Coconut and Almond Toffee Chews:  I made these as a little welcome home treat, and surprisingly, the recipe does not call for too many ingredients.  I actually just looked up a recipe in one of my cookbooks that called for ingredients that I already had.  I ended up finding a recipe that allowed me to use up my leftover shredded coconut and almond slices.  Baking and pastries can become a bit of an expensive hobby, especially with the prices of things like spices, fruits, and dairy products.  So, I love it when I can cook something without having to go out and buy ingredients or tools.









The Walrus and the Carpenter

Photo courtesy of the Walrus and the Carpenter

Located in the newly renovated Kolstrand building in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, The Walrus and the Carpenter is a seafood restaurant that primarily focuses on regional oysters.  It's a bit of a hidden gem.  Literally.  Tucked away in the back corner of the building, The Walrus and the Carpenter is only accessible through a hallway entrance or the parking lot in the back.  Lone for a small sign (pictured above), the restaurant space is hidden from view.  Being a rustic and cozy space, seating is very limited; but when the weather cooperates, the number of seatings practically doubles with the open patio space.  Windows looking out to the patio section and a shared wall of windows with the neighboring Staple and Fancy Mercantile help keep the small space bright and open.

After being featured in several major press publications (GQ, Bon Appetit, NY Times) as one of the top ten new restaurants in the nation, Walrus has been near the top of my list of restaurants to visit, especially since I went to New Orleans in May, where I got hooked on oysters.  After three failed attempts due to long waits (reservations are not taken), I finally succeeded in tasting the gastronomical wonders of this elusive restaurant.  During the peak of oyster season in the winter, they feature roughly two dozen varieties of oysters.  On the night that I went, they only had 6 to choose from.  I didn't get a chance to jot down all the varieties they had that night, but the ones I did get to taste were: Penn Cove Select, Baywater Sweet, and Barron Point.  Each of these oysters is from a different region of the NW and each had its own distinct flavor.  The Penn Cove Select oysters were my favorite out of the three with its sweet flavor.  The Barron Point oysters were good, but my least favorite due to its musky aftertaste.  In addition to oysters, I also had a scallop crudo, smoked trout, bruléed peaches with crème, and bay leaf panna cotta with wild blackberries.  I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the scallop dish (we were too hungry and the food looked to good), but below are pics of everything else that we ate.

From left to right: Penn Cove Select, Baywater Sweet, Barron Point

Smoked Trout with pickled onions, lentils, walnuts, and crème fraiche

Bruléed Rama Farm Peaches with cream and basil



Bay Leaf Panna Cotta with Wild Blackberries