Ricotta Maple + Sand Pear Cake

Last week I got wind that a new fruit, one that I hadn't heard of before and one that was new to the late summer growing season in northern Florida, was available at a farm not too far from where I live. Sand pears. I had no idea of their shape, taste, texture or origin. But after months of not much growing around these hot and humid parts, I was ready for this freshly bearing fruit to hit my cutting board and knife. "Make sure you eat at least one as they are", said Brian upon my collection of the pears from Down To Earth Farm.  "They're hard, but they are ripe and sweet. And their texture is much like sand."

It was also within the same week that I had picked up the pears, that I went to Pizza Night at Community Loaves - the organic sourdough bakery that I very much love and talk about, probably a little too often. The lovely ladies there had recently made their own ricotta cheese. Their freshly made ricotta featured as a topping on their non vegan pizza option that evening. It was so deliciously creamy and apparently not at all hard to make. "Just whole milk and lemons" said Sarah, as she kindly cleared away our crumb free pizza plates. 

So I had Sand Pears and the ingredients to make ricotta. I rode my bike down to my favourite natural food store especially, to pick up some whole fat, deliciously creamy, non homogenized milk from a local farm to make the cheese. It was thoughtfully stored in a half gallon glass bottle, ready to be used, washed and then refilled on return. It put a little extra push into my pedal on my ride home. Both of these ingredients were pure Portlandia - as local and as sustainable as they come. This is the real stuff that I love and live for. I was happy. And it was time to make a cake.

Ricotta so beautifully pairs with pear. I was fixed on making a cake with these two harmonious flavours because I wanted so badly to eat this cake down by the river. We would sit in the afternoon sun, enjoy a cup of tea from the flask and enjoy the end of summer in applaud of the new pear season and the success of making my first home made cheese. 

I still would like to do that one day. Have a cake picnic by the river. Unfortunately this time it was a little too wet. The September rain had arrived. So instead, we enjoyed a moody afternoon and a slice of cake by our favourite window in our home.

It's so sad to think that soon enough, this home will no longer be ours. The local farms and stores will be far, far away. And instead of pear cake in September, listening to the late summer rain, there will be cherry blossoms and rhubarb and spring sun on the beach. Time is flying by. Soon we will be south of Sydney and our American life will be left far behind. That's the way it goes I suppose - like changing seasons and fruiting trees, things come and things go. 

There will be plenty more seasons and much newness to taste. I'm just struggling a little knowing that soon this season will have to be left behind. So, here's to enjoying sand pears, home made ricotta and the seasons, even as they pass, just as they are.

Ricotta Maple + Sand Pear Cake

prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 40 minutes 
total time: 50 minutes
yields: 8 hearty servings

1 cup fresh, home made full-fat ricotta (see recipe below)
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup maple syrup 
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 tbs whey (or milk)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 small sand pears peeled, cored and quartered

Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350° F, and grease and flour a 23cm / 9-inch spring form cake tin .

Place the ricotta, oil, maple syrup, and lemon zest in a large bowl and whisk together. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking in between each addition. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and gently mix together to combine. Pour the batter into the cake pan.

Place the pears gently on top of the batter, cut side down, to form a rounded pattern.  

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes then serve warm or at room temperature. 
 

Homemade Ricotta

prep time: 5 minutues
cook time: 25 minutes - 1hr 20 minutes (depending on how you like your cheese) 
yields: approx 2 cups

1.8 liters / 1/2 gallon non homogenized milk (homogenized milk will work fine too)
1/3 cup lemon juice from 1 1/2 to 2 lemons
1 teaspoon salt, optional
Instant read thermometer or candy thermometer
Cheese cloth

Pour the milk into a medium size saucepan. Gradually warm the milk over medium heat until it reaches 95°C / 200°F:  The milk will get foamy and start to steam; remove it from heat if it starts to boil.

Remove the milk from the heat and pour in the lemon juice. Stir gently to combine.

Let the saucepan of milk sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. After this time, the milk should have separated into clumps of milky white curds and thin, watery, yellow-colored whey.

Place a strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with cheese cloth. Gently pour the curds and the whey through the strainer.

Let the ricotta drain for 10 to 60 minutes, depending on how wet or dry you prefer your ricotta. If the ricotta becomes too dry, you can also stir some of the whey back in before using or storing it.

Fresh ricotta can be used right away or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

Recipe adapted from here.

Creative Humans - Ariel Dearie

It has been an absolute pleasure of mine as I've been travelling around the States, to meet some of the most talented people in this countries current creative scene. I imagined that I would meet some pretty amazing people and become inspired by their work, but never did I imagine how incredibly nice, welcoming and genuinely lovely they could be. Ariel Dearie made me ever so grateful for this. She is indeed one talented, incredibly nice, welcoming and genuinely lovely lady.  

Despite having only met her this one time, Ariel has managed to have left the most sweetest impression on me and my insight into the florist world. Her floral design is beautiful (take a peek at her instagram feed!) and her success as a creative business woman is an inspiring feat on its own. Stepping into her Brooklyn studio was dreamy. There were plants and vines draping from the roof and across the shelves, vases, earns and pots were stacked, waiting to be made beautiful by Ariel's delicious flower creations. We sat on a floral antique chaise and chatted over iced tea (her chai version was much nicer than mine, so she kindly swapped), watered the studio plants and then, as if the tea and her time wasn't generous enough, Ariel poured me some of her hand made bath salts from her Royal Botanical line, to take home with me on the plane.

The studio, the chat, the plants, Ariel's generosity - it was all scented with reasons as to why I began this little project in the first place. Meeting creatives like Ariel, and being able to share their talents and story is important to me. Not only is it inspiring and insightful to photograph and then share the creative space of a talented persons life, but it is also an absolute pleasure. And it's just an extra special part when those talented creatives turn out to be as sweet and welcoming as Ariel. 

What projects are you currently working on?
We have lots of exciting things in the works!  Currently, we are working on a new Royal Botanicals perfume. We did flowers for some really special weddings this summer including one that was inspired by the Mountain Dreams Tarot Deck. Also, for the past couple of weeks we've been doing flowers for a new batman show called Gotham.

Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
A lot of my inspiration comes from New Orleans, where I'm from. I also find that flowers are so incredibly perfect already, so I usually just try to emphasize their most exquisite traits.

Why a florist?
When I started, it was a way to work with nature while still living in NYC. Also, while I know it's not changing the world, I wanted to do something that would bring joy to other people.

Do you listen to music while you work? If so, would you be so kind to share some of your favourite artists?
Yes. In the morning usually Donovan or Penny & the Quarters radio on Pandora. In the afternoon, usually Jimmy Cliff radio.

Do you have a morning ritual?
I usually listen to NPR in the morning. If I don't have to rush off to the flower market at 6am, then I try to go for a swim or a bike ride before starting work.

What's your idea of a perfect Friday night?
Dinner on our rooftop.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Bali.

Best piece of advice you've ever given or been given?
Stay positive. Even if you are feeling grumpy or pessimistic, try to think positively and your brain will go along with you.

What's for dinner?
Seafood, hopefully.

The best part about being a creative?
I feel really lucky to call this a job. It's really great to live in a city that can support so many creative fields.

The worst part?
Can't really think of a bad thing about it.

Day or night?  Day
Old or new?  Old
City or Country?  Both
Coffee or Tea?  Both

What do you enjoy most about living in Brooklyn, NY?
Bike rides, outdoor activities, amazing restaurants, amazing people.


Thoughts for the future:
Really excited to develop the perfume. Also, my boyfriend and I have been looking to buy a house upstate. I'd love a garden and maybe even a green house or orangerie. Who knows!

The Art of Tea

Ever since I was a child, tea has been an essential, constant daily ritual in my life. Memories of hearing my parents call out to 'put the kettle on' and having tea with almost every meal and every moment in between, was as pedestrian as it came for us.  It was the tea drinking moments that allowed us to stop, to slow down, to take a moment. Quite often it would be as a family. Never would we make a cup of tea only for ourselves without checking to see if anyone else wanted one as well. It was dad's only drink. Strong, with a good spoon of honey and just a drop of milk. My mum and I shared the same taste, a little less strong a lot more milk and no added sweetness. My Grandma drank it black. Rather weak, with a drop of water so that she could drink it faster and with bigger gulps (she wasn't all that delicate, my dear Grandma). Everyone knew how everyone preferred their cup. 

As I grew older, I began to develop a strong interest towards the art of making, serving and drinking tea. The types, the flavour, the history, the beauty. I believe it to be deserving of plenty of attention and detail - and that it is indeed an art form. You see, making the perfect cup of tea and appreciating the potential of this age old tradition is important to me. I like the ritual of selecting beautiful leaf blends. I like boiling the water pouring it over the leaves and watching it steep. I love nothing more than sitting down to a generous pot in the morning, taking time to sit and slowly start the day. I believe that tea is deserving of this detail, of ritual, purity and of time. 

Over the years as my interest in cafe hunting and dwelling has increased, I have made it my mission to find the perfectly served, perfectly presented cup . Those who know me well know that I take my tea seriously, and that ordering in a cafe can take a lot to impress. Call it an obsession - even snobbish if you will.  But to me it is no less obsessive than a coffee connoisseur making it their mission to find the perfectly roasted bean or espresso pour. Absolutely excusable.  Recently, I have been carefully considering the criteria in which I determine the perfect cup. As it turns out, there are four basic parts to my personal tea judgement and I would love to share them with you. There is always more to talk about - milk or tea in the cup first? Favourite blends of tea? Organic? Fair Trade? For now, I've decided just to share the basics. The fundamentals of preparing and presenting my idea of the perfect cup of tea. So, here it is.

1. The Pot - The perfect cup of tea isn't just a cup. That's the first fundamental rule. Ordered tea should, without question, come in a tea pot. One of the most enjoyable things about drinking tea is the act of pouring the tea into the cup. It's not only the audible, tactile and visual part that makes this step so alluring, it's knowing that after one cup is poured, you still have another, if not two more to enjoy. It makes me happy knowing that when I sit down to tea, I will be enjoying at least two or three cups. If not four or five if I am lingering awhile and have the option of a hot water top up. So a pot of tea is imperative. 

2. Loose Leaf - Second to the tea pot rule, is the type of leaf that you are making the tea from. It is crucial that the tea be a high quality, loose leaf blend. Let's not even bother with tea bags here. Unless, of course you are using one of those cleverly crafted silk tea bags that still manage to keep a nice amount of space inside the bag for the tea to breathe, and the leaves are indeed kept full shape and high quality. But still, if you are to enjoy the full benefits of a proper cup of tea, loose leaf really is the way to go. The leaves come as they are when they are dried. For black tea, they should be long and lean. For green tea, the same. In herbal tea, flowers and fruit should still be identifiable and the colour should still be vibrant and fresh. Really good cafes will let you smell the teas first. A truly beautiful experience of indulging in loose leaf tea. 

3. The Brewing Process - There are some cafes out there who take brewing times of tea as gospel. They will brew your chosen tea for the recommended time and bring the tea out to you, having already disposed of the leaves. Some people like this. I'm not so much a fan. I believe that everyone likes their tea brewed to different strengths. Personally, the time suggested for brewing tea is much to long for me which ends up leaving an overly strong, not so enjoyable cup. I do believe, however, that you can over brew tea. Which is why I have the perfect solution! The perfect cup of tea should come with the leaves inside a removable infuser, which allows you to then remove your tea leaves once your tea has reached the perfect, personal brew time. For even more bonus points, the tea should come with a little timer - to ensure risk of over brewing the tea is avoided. Easy. Everyone is happy.

4. Presentation - Finally, the perfect cup of tea will be thoughtfully presented. There should be a tea pot, as mentioned above, a tea cup and saucer (not a mug, unless it is Japanese tea), a reasonably sized small jug for milk and well presented optional sweeters - eg, demerara sugar, honey etc. The more original the presentation, the better. I personally enjoy hand crafted, minimal ceramics or a beautiful fine rimmed china tea cup.

I have been pleasantly surprised during my travels in the past by tea that has completely obliterated the above criteria, all the while leaving me more than content with the experience. Take Sweden for example. Very rarely do they serve tea in pots. But it will always be loose leaf in a removable single served infuser and always be served in over sized, rather comforting mugs. So, the need to pour more cups is taken away, but the freshness of the loose leaf is not. Turkey is another example. I had no idea how important tea was to the Turkish people. Visiting Istanbul soon educated me on that. Tea is always served in a single, rather small sized cup. It is pre-brewed, quite strong and exceptionally bitter. That's the way they like it. And, despite all of my above pre-requisites above, I did too. I think it was a cultural exception. The tiny tea cups are made of glass, are the cutest hourglass shape and come sat on a traditional painted saucer. Although they are only three mouth fulls big, they are constantly being refilled. Most likely it will be from a happy Turkish man who is pleased to have you at his cafe and quick to announce that sharing a cup of Turkish tea with a stranger, instantly makes you life long friends. If that's not a forgivable serving of a cup of tea, then what is?

At the end of the day, tea is tea. And despite all of my above preferences, the brewing and serving of tea is a personal and cultural experience and differs from one person and from one country to the next.

There is one consistent unwavering factor, however, in the drinking and serving of tea. It invites a moment and a pause in the day. It is an opportunity to stop, to sip and to slow down. However this is done and however it is presented, it is always soothing, always intentional and always very welcome. 

my perfect cup of tea

steep time: 2-3 minutes
yields: 1 serving 

good quality, loose leaf orange pekoe tea
organic milk in a small ceramic or glass jug
filtered water
ceramic/glass/enamel tea pot  
mesh infuser
stove top kettle

Bring fresh, filtered water to boil in the stove top kettle.

While on to boil, prepare the tea. Place a suitable amount of loose leaf tea into infuser. For a 2 cup pot, 1 teaspoon is sufficient. Double the amount for a four cup, and so on.* Be careful not to over crowd the infuser. Tea leaves need room to expand as they infuse, in order to release their maximum amount of flavour. 

Place mesh infuser into tea pot and cover with the freshly boiled water. Allow to infuse for 2-3 minutes. Once desired strength has been met, remove the infuser from the pot. Leaving the infuser in for too long will turn the tea bitter and result in an undesired, over brewed flavour.

Pour a small amount of milk into the bottom of the tea cup**. 

Pour tea over milk to fill the cup.

Enjoy on it's own, or with a sweet treat or two. 

Repeat and enjoy until pot is empty.

*I enjoy my tea most at a medium strength, so any more leaves than this, especially good quality leaves, becomes wasteful. 

**I like the milk to be poured first, and my tea rather milky. 

Creative Humans - Alice Gao

Meeting Alice Gao in New York City was something of a dream. To me, she is a bit of a superhero. Her photography and blog has always been on my very high admiration list and I have often thought that I would like to be like her when I grow up. Gush I might, but I have to say that meeting her in person only heightened my keenness towards her. We met on 10th and 2nd, at Third Rail Coffee. The hour that was to follow went all too fast - probably because I was far too excited. There was green tea, talk of Alice's Chinese history (quite the inspiring immigration story), snap chatting and the very cute, featured fox umbrella. She was oh so kind and incredibly generous with her time. It's a lovely feeling to meet your super hero. Especially when they are even nicer than you had imagined them to be. I honestly believe one day we will be best friends...

I still can't quite believe that it happened. Alice Gao. New York. Goodness gracious me!!

What projects are you currently working on?

I've definitely been keeping myself busy with the new site I launched with my friend Kristy -- A Standard of Living. I'm also wrapping up a female chefs cookbook that should be out in Spring 2015. Besides that, I'm working with some new clients on fun shoots.

Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?

This city, traveling, slants of light and shadow, and my favorite books.

Why a photographer?
I'm not sure I'd be happy doing anything else.

Do you listen to music while you work? If so, would you be so kind to share some of your favourite artists?

I could really go either way, which is shocking to some people who definitely need music while they work. I'm terrible when it comes to music -- in that I'm not super picky about what I listen to. When I need to get through tedious work, I often listen to Bon Iver because it soothes me.

Do you have a morning ritual?

Yes! I am a total disaster if I don't make my daily pourover coffee. It's not so much the caffeine that I need as it is the routine and ritual of it all. Even if I have an early morning coffee meeting, I still need to make the first cup at home. Other than that, I don't care for what else happens in the morning.

What's your idea of a perfect Friday night?

Ooh that depends, but I think having a small handful of friends over for wine or cocktails and catching up all night sounds pretty nice to me.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

The Bolivia salt flats is always high on my list. 

Best piece of advice you've ever given or been given?

I think I'm too cynical to take most advice seriously hah. There was once a fortune cookie I kept that said, "The harder you work, the luckier you get." I like that.

What's for dinner?

Probably something super simple -- this summer, I've lived off rice and green market vegetables (tons of squash, fairytale eggplants, tomatoes, etc.).

The best part about being a creative?

All of the freedom it allows. And there's no real "limit" to what you can do and accomplish.

The worst part?

I can't say there really is a worst part. Maybe it's that I can never really shut off and my work takes over my life often. It's hard to remember to recharge and not overcrowd my plate.


Day or night? Night
Old or new? Old
City or Country? City
Coffee or Tea? Coffee (but I'm an equal opportunity drinker)

What do you enjoy most about living in NYC?

Well, everything. You can't slack off here. The city pushes you and it can destroy you if you let it. Or it can be the best challenge of your life.

Thoughts for the future:
Right now I'm taking it a day at a time, though I do hope there are greater travels in my future and an all-glass lake house somewhere...