On Rue Tatin Quotes

“Sea Salt I always use hand-harvested sea salt from Guérande, on the southwestern coast of Brittany. It comes in three varieties: coarse gray salt, which is used primarily in cooking and roasting; fine gray sea salt, which is used primarily at table; and pure white fleur de sel, which is used on certain delicate foods where its flavor and crunch will be appreciated. Fleur de sel is rare. Unlike the gray sea salts of Guérande, which are formed through carefully controlled evaporation, fleur de sel forms on top of the shallow water in the salt marshes only when the east wind blows. Then, its crystals sparkle and the paludières go into the marshes with their rakes and gently scrape the fleur de sel from the water—the men won’t do it, for they claim they aren’t careful enough.”
― Susan Herrmann Loomis, On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town

“MAMIE JACQUELINE’S CHOCOLATE CAKE G ÂTEAU AU CHOCOLAT DE MAMIE JACQUELINE One of Joe’s friends, Florian, accompanies us on vacation from time to time and his grandmother often sends along a little treat for us all. This cake was an offering once and we tucked into it the minute we arrived at our destination. It was tender and delicious. When we returned, I asked Mamy Jacqueline for her recipe and she scoffed, “Oh, that simple little cake?” When I pressed she rattled off the ingredients by heart. A surefire success whenever I make it, you need only serve it simply sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar. 3/4 cup/100g cake flour Sea salt 7 ounces/200g bitter chocolate, such as Lindt 70% 8 tablespoons/125g unsalted butter, softened 1 cup/200g sugar 4 large eggs, separated Confectioners’ sugar 1. Butter and flour a 91/2-inch/24-cm round cake pan. Preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C/gas 5. 2. Sift the flour and a generous pinch of salt onto a piece of parchment paper. 3. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over medium-high heat. Transfer the chocolate to a medium-size bowl and whisk in the butter until the mixture is smooth. Vigorously whisk in all but 1 tablespoon of the sugar, then add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture 1 tablespoon at a time until combined. 4. In a large bowl whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are foamy and begin to thicken. Add the remaining tablespoon of sugar and continue whisking until they form soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then turn it into the prepared baking pan and bake in the center of the oven until the cake springs back, 20 to 25 minutes. 5. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool to lukewarm in the pan, then turn it out onto a rack to cool thoroughly. To serve, sprinkle it with confectioners’ sugar. 6 TO 8 SERVINGS SIX                 Mornings in Louviers LOUVIERS IS MAGIC in the mornings.”
― Susan Herrmann Loomis, On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town

“At the start and toward the end of the season it simply isn’t, but it still feels wonderful. It wakes you up to your toes yet your heart stays warm and beats fast, a reminder of all that is good and wonderful in life.”
― Susan Herrmann Loomis, On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town