Big Book Weekend at Rockridge Market Hall
November 2: Pastry chef, author and Tartine Bakery co-founder Elisabeth Prueitt signs copies of Tartine: A Classic Revisited. The book has been updated and expanded with 67 new recipes, including the most-requested recipe in Tartine history: the Tartine Morning Bun. Have your books signed and enjoy tastings of Cranberry Upside-Down Cake and Gougères (choux pastries flavored with cheese). Info: here
Read more about Tartine here: https://studio-bba.com/project/tartine-inner-sunset/
Tasting, Conversation, and Book Signing with Elizabeth Prueitt
Tartine: A Classic Revisited
Saturday November 2, 2–4pm
Rockridge Market Hall
5655 College Ave., Oakland
November 3: Meet chef and author Alison Roman, a columnist for the New York Times Food Section and Bon Appétit. Have your books signed and enjoy ingredient tastings (anchovies and more) and special prizes. Info: here
Tasting, Conversation, and Book Signing with Alison Roman
Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over
Sunday, November 3, 2–4pm
Rockridge Market Hall
5655 College Ave, Oakland
Kristina’s Bookshelf
Beloved and New Recipes from a Favorite Bakery
Tartine: A Classic Revisited
68 All-New Recipes + 55 Updated Favorites
By Elisabeth Prueitt, Chad Robertson
(Chronicle Books, 2019)
East Bay readers probably know that Tartine, the much-loved San Francisco bakery co-founded by Elisabeth Prueitt and her husband Chad Robertson, now has an East Bay outpost in Berkeley’s Graduate Hotel on Durant Avenue. This reissue of one of Prueitt and Robertson’s early cookbooks, first published in 2006, will be welcomed by cooks who want to try some of the bakery’s favorite sweet and savory items at home. Those familiar with the original edition will appreciate the 67 new recipes in this edition, which include combinations with less sugar, gluten-free options, and ingredients like matcha, einkorn, teff, rye, and buckwheat.
Tartine: A Classic Revisited has 122 wonderful recipes, including the bakery’s most requested, the Morning Bun, with its crispy orange, cinnamon exterior and warm, chewy inside. Familiar baked goods are made special with unexpected additions like a Pecan Maple Pie with sliced kumquats, pecan halves, and a dollop of whipped cream. Many recipes, like Sweet Potato Tea Cake with Meringue and a Honey Spice Cake made with almond and oat flour, will fill your kitchen with the scents of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Rustic fruit galettes, dense with colorful, seasonal fruit, can be managed easily at home. The finished baked goods and pastries are beautiful and artful, many adorned with flowers, berries, or brambles. My only wish is that every recipe were accompanied by a photograph to inspire cooks in final presentation.
Dishes That Impress, Without the Fuss
Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over
By Alison Roman
(Clarkson Potter, 2019)
Alison Roman wants cooks to know they can have friends to dinner and feed them delicious, satisfying meals without the stress the words “dinner party” and “entertaining” may suggest. Roman writes for the New York Times and Bon Appetit, where she’s known for creative, flavorful dishes that are managed easily by most cooks. Her latest cookbook may be fancy and unfussy in terms of preparation and effort, but the end results are very special, with dishes like Labne with Sizzled Scallions and Chile; Lemony White Beans and Escarole with Anchovy and Parmesan; Citrus Chicken Rested in Herbs; and Sour Cherry and Sesame Galette. Loads of photos provide helpful instruction and inspiration, and there are tips for hosting meals for groups.
Edible East Bay’s book editor Kristina Sepetys is eager to share her ideas and book recommendations with our readers.
CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
Reprinted from Tartine Revisited by Elizabeth Prueitt with permission by Chronicle Books, 2019. (Photo courtesy of (c) Gentl + Hyers)
Our baker Carolyn has transformed what is usually a sweet summertime cake made with peaches or pineapple into a beautiful winter version using caramel-coated cranberries, which turn out of their baking mold perfectly juicy and glazed, ready to serve. The cake is tender and moist, and ideal with tart fruit.
Yields 1 10- X 5-inch loaf; 8-10 servings
FRUIT LAYER
2 3⁄4 cups (275 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
CARAMEL
3⁄4 cup (135 grams) brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter
CAKE
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1⁄3 cups (265 grams) granulated sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup + 3 tablespoons (280 grams) crème fraîche
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter a 10- X 5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on each side.
To prepare the fruit layer, combine the cranberries, brown sugar, and orange zest in a bowl and gently mix with your hands or a rubber spatula to coat the cranberries and evenly distribute the sugar and zest. With a spoon, transfer the fruit from the bowl to the prepared pan, keeping in mind that there will be more fruit than the bottom of the pan can accommodate. The cranberries will shrink during baking so the fruit settles into an even layer.
To prepare the caramel, stir together the brown sugar and butter in a small, heavy saucepan; bring the mixture just to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring to combine with a rubber spatula, so the sugar doesn’t burn before the butter is fully melted. When the caramel has softened and begun to boil, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately pour the caramel evenly over the fruit mixture in the loaf pan and set aside to cool and set without agitating the mixture.
To make the cake, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the granulated sugar and salt and stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, crème fraîche, and vanilla extract.
Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until the mixture is sandy and the butter can no longer be seen. Add the egg mixture, and then beat thoroughly on medium speed until the batter is smooth, about 1 minute, stopping the mixer halfway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Pour the cake batter on top of the fruit and caramel in the prepared pan and smooth to the edges with an offset spatula. Give the pan a few hard raps on the counter to knock out any air bubbles from the batter.
Bake the cake until it has risen and become a deep golden-brown color, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. It might require more time. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. To unmold, run a small, thin knife around the sides to detach any hardened bits of caramel from the cake pan. Place an inverted serving dish onto the surface of the cake, and, using a towel or oven mitts, flip the cake pan and dish and carefully slide the pan from the cake. Gently peel off the parchment and allow the cake to continue cooling at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. The cake will keep, covered at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
