Favorite Things...

I'm going to start a monthly post of favorite things. Just to let you know what I've been investigating, reading, keeping my eye on or simply drooling over.

AGAVE NECTAR- this can be used as a sugar substitute to granulated or castor sugar. It has the consistency of honey, sweeter than sugar and a hint of a buttery flavor. Know as the rich mans sugar, this stuff isn't cheap. Neither is it readily available but most likely you can find it hiding in the shelves of your health food store. But for those special treats or just out of curiosity it's one of those things to try at least once

JEFF WALL- A Vancouver photograph whose exhibited world wide. He creates these elaborate scenes with a cast and perfect placement and his prints have a somewhat cinematographic feel it them. Very crisp colors and images that can be pondered endlessly. Check out some of his work through a Google image search and while your there search for some of his essay writings on modern artists.

INTO THE WILD-by Jon Krakauer- A great book about a young vagabond whose endless search for a deeper meaning ended tragically in the less ventured Stampede Trail of Alaska. I don't want to reveal too much about it but I devoured it in a weekend, it's one of those reads. I hear it's soon becoming a movie so I'll keep my eyes open.

COPPER BUNDT PANS- I don't know where this obsession came from but for the last month or two, whenever I'm treasure hunting I make sure to double check their cooking supplies. I hope to one day amass enough to cover my kitchen wall. I was at a flea market last weekend and acquired six of them. All of them were a smaller mold so I hope to get my bake on with some petite fours.

And this is the tart I had to present in class the other day. School is becoming overwhelming lately. With the gingerbread contest, a presentation on vegan baking, mid-term on the close horizon and another special project I've been working on that I hope to inform you soon of. But back to the tart. We had to assemble a fruit tart and as usually I got a little anal with my color combinations but this is what I came up with: Poached Pear with Figs & Coronation Grapes floating on some Creme D'Amande, a little pie crust and a bucket of Apricot Glaze