From St. Barths to St. Honore

What can I say? It’s an untraditional lent.

Good thing it’s not my Christianity that’s being assessed these days. But in all fairness this experience is based upon indulgence and emersion so the thought of giving up sweets, sugar, or alcohol while in the thick of culinary school seems frankly counterproductive. I assure you that there are no brownie points for abstinence around here.

In fact the French have an saying “Faites le beurre” which serves the same idiomatic purpose as the English saying “bring home the bacon,”



but is literally translated: “make or bring the butter.” I bet that I bring home enough butter these days to feed the entire block, so thank goodness my husband’s doing his job as the breadwinner.

And in an effort to provide the moral foundation for our family, as any proper French wife apparently should, I give you a bit of Christian culinary history behind this devilishly delicious dessert.



The Gateau St Honore was created in France and named in honor of Saint Honore, the patron saint of pastry chefs and all bakers. In the 7th Century, St Honore was the Bishop of Amien, a cathedral whose impressive height and stature is recognized round the world. So I find it wonderful that we top this cake with a whimsical spun sugar tower.



I like to think we are honoring the beauty of our Saint’s beautiful contribution to history and culture.



A St Honore Cake is composed of a puff pastry base, with pate a choux ring that lifts up the 11 profiterole cream puffs that top the cake.



The center of the cake as well as each cream puff is filled with Cream Diplomat, a pastry cream based filling that gives a wonderful hit of Grand Marnier flavor to each bite. The Crème Diplomat is then piped across the cake using, appropriately, the St Honore piping nozzle.



The 11 profiterole puffs (meant to honor the 11 true apostles, excluding Judas) are secured with caramelized sugar and toped with roasted almonds. But the real show stopping element in this glorious gateau is clearly the spun sugar nest that carries crystalized violets high above the pastry base.



This cake is a beautiful ode to the sparkling brilliance of spring- I can almost hear the birds chirping with approval at the sight of this sugary shell.

It makes wonder whether the chicken, the egg, or the cake came first….

Disclaimer: do not leave by open window


Darcy Jones

A Monday of Meats

There is nothing quite like waking up to a morning of marinated meat… maybe it’s an acquired taste.

In any event, we began the exceptionally cold winter week with a bang: Beef Bourguignon. After 24hrs marinating in red wine our trimmed beef shoulder was tantalizingly tender. After a quick sizzling sear, we sank the meat into a sea of veal stock and set it to stew in the oven for a good hour.



A quick sauté of bacon and mushrooms later, the braised beef is basted in it’s own sauce and adorned with steamed potatoes and parsley-sourdough crisps.


Just a light lunch.

Round Two: A Roasted Roast Beef

Positively Primal.
The primary cut of roast beef could send any of us into a meat comma. This preparation of simply seasoned and seared beef is like crack for carnivores. My result is a little overcooked by French standards, but as for my own: Brilliantly Bien!



My dish after our brilliant 3-star Michelin French chef got a hold of it:



Isn’t it amazing how presentation can take something from passable to truly palatable.

And then there’s the way my husband chooses to plate his meal:



Weather it’s rustic or refined, you gotta love a man’s approach to meat.


Darcy Jones