The Licks of Love

It's been a week of celebration here in London.

Valentine's Day is upon us, and in my own world this week also marks one year since my now husband and I got engaged. It's hard to believe that that afternoon was just one year ago, as sitting here this Sunday, about the same time as I was last February, I am again unpacking boxes. Last year it was unwrapping the first of my things from my old apartment, and this year it's undoing the last of our essentials to make the transatlantic journey.

Whether I take the notion 'with each year, a new adventure' all too literally, or I'm just fated to a nomadic existence, I'm not sure. But I do know that choosing to leap and not look back has always been the right decision. Sounds rather impulsive? Maybe for some, but when you find courage in your convictions that old fork in the road seems to fade into one long straightaway and you find yourself trying to control a led foot.

But today I am clearly just pussyfooting around:

Beaming from our breakfast in bed



and enraptured by my red velvet roses,


I decided that in honor of the day of decadence I would keep up this Sunday of sweets. My gift to you, The Gateau Alhambra:





Named after a similar cake produced at the famous Alhambra Palace Hotel in granada this cake is filled with nothing but dense chocolate (and yes, the marzipan rose is a personal milestone).



And to finish off the evening my Plush Passion Fruit Palmiers:



I like to think of them as the palate cleanser no?



Here's to a life worth loving.



Darcy Jones

Craving Consomee and Cupid

Another perfect match? Cold and Consomee of course.

It's day two of soups and I am finding the liquid diet fad suddenly slurpingly appealing...
And with these two Savory Soups, you do not have to wonder why.



Onion Gratinee, commonly known to all of us as French Onion Soup, is quite possibly the epitome of Savory in my mind. There is nothing more satisfying than soft sweet and sour onions in a sea of salty syrup. And to reach this bed of soup stock you must succeed in sinking the surface of baked cheese baguette boats. It's a food-lover's equivalent of Battleship really, and for me it's the ultimate Gourmand Game.



But for the adults among us, homemade beef stock Beef Consomee seems to go hand in hand with any great sporting event. Often referred to as 'aiming fluid' when paired with vodka in a Bullshot, Beef Consomee is packed with remarkable amounts of flavor despite it's complete clarity and lack of fat.



The art of deception if fully realized in this rather involved recipe, and I just love the whimsical touch of fresh herb crepes chiffonade that swim about the center like savory seaweed. If you asked me what my constant craving is I might have to call on this consomee.



Alison's Consomee that seemed to be channeling the universal constant...

(Yes, her crepe-chiffonade formed the symbol Pi)

And if an ocean of onions and a carafe of consomee wasn't enough to quench my thirst, a little gift from Cupid served to satisfy all my Valentine's Day cravings...


Flowers From my Valentine :)


Darcy Jones

Et Voila! A Valentines Veloute

Love is in the air across London, but you’ll find nothing but lust in my kitchen this week. On the menu: Veloute, Consomee, Poulet Princess, Madelines, Cake au Citron, and the Gateau Alhambra

Sounds rather exotic doesn’t it? As a matter of fact these classic French recipes are indeed perfect winter weather warm retreats. And I cannot think of a better-suited couple than snow and soup.



So today we prepared a passion-laced pair of potages fit for the current February freeze. The Julienne D’Arblay, or Potato Leek, and the Mushroom Veloute, or Cream of Mushroom, are both staples of soup-cuisine.





Soft, silky, smooth and simply seductive, these dishes were originally constructed by the royal kitchen of Louis XIV of France. The pureed potages were personal favorites of the King’s mistresses, and befitting to both soup and seductress, Louis had the recipes named for his favorite femme-foodies.



These provocative potages will give you splendid spoonfuls of sinful flavor, and both soups surely live up to their steamy story.


Darcy Jones

Puff Pastry Payoff

Practice makes perfect, and third time was indeed lucky: my puff pastry produced!



My gift to you just in time for Valentine’s Day: Practically Perfect Palmiers.

Second out of the oven came the plush puff-pastry Tart aux Fruits.


This parade of fresh fruit a top a Grand Marnier laced crème patissiere leaves you wanting nothing, well maybe more of the same.


On the eve of the SuperBowl, it was a night of sweet surrender and succulent success.




Darcy Jones