11.13.2009

Game Day

In the midst of a new store opening, one can imagine the energy, the excitement, the exhaustion that comes along with it. We are in the home stretch before opening our new location in Noe Valley. Yesterday, the construction walls in front of the store came down, revealing the first lavender boulange. The smiling staff has been training all week and every day, new furniture or equipment arrives to get us closer to our Tuesday opening date. So what do you think the highest point of tension in the last weekend before a new store opening might be? Well, this time around, it is the World cup play-off match between Ireland and France.

To appreciate this completely, we’ll need to rewind a bit. As you are certainly aware, the whole of La Boulange is made up of Frenchmen and Francophiles who are clearly rooting for the red and blue. But among us is one lone Irishman, Adrian, who manages our kitchen operations, and over the past few weeks, he’s done a fair share of smack-talking leading into this match. There is a soccer ball in the office above our pine street store that is kicked around regularly and the opposing fans rib each other incessantly. From an outsider’s perspective, I’ve been trying to learn a bit about all of this soccer stuff, and from doing my research, asking other citizens of the world who follow the sport, and listening to the verbal battle in the office, the gist of the situation is this: Whoever wins this match tomorrow, as well as the second leg in Paris on Tuesday, will get to go to South Africa in 2010 to play in the World Cup. And the smack-talking story behind that is that the French team is the better team that did not win enough matches to make it into the World cup based purely on their season, so they must now play in a play-off, and since there are some French heavy-hitters on the FIFA board, they decided to “seed” the teams, ensuring that a “beatable” team, like the Irish, would be put against them, hopefully ensuring victory. I asked my non-French, non-Irish soccer source point blank, “so who’s going to win?”

His response without even pausing to consider, “the French…they’re very good.”

And so, although the Irish are the clear underdogs in tomorrow’s game, if they are anything like Adrian, they might just be scrappy enough to do some damage, or (dare I say it?) even pull off a win…

We’ll be working furiously on the final touches in Noe, no doubt checking in online on the score. And there is a bar just down the block, The Dubliner, where Adrian can celebrate with like-minded individuals (or drown his sorrows) depending on the outcome. Vive la France!

11.04.2009

Sliding into Autumn...now we're cooking.





It’s November 4th….which means if you have a sweet tooth like me, then you have already polished off all traces of Halloween candy in fun sized packages. I never have understood the power people possess, who are able to make it last until Christmas or even longer. Strange. But now, with All Hallow’s Eve under our belt, the holiday season is officially kicking off. Bloomingdale’s has had their glittery Christmas trees on display for a couple of weeks now and Union Square will be decked out in no time, no doubt.

With all of this holiday fuss underway, I am sitting in a Boulange, channeling Thanksgiving with a slice of pumpkin crème fraîche tart, appreciating the little autumn chill that crept in this morning after a string of sunny San Francisco days of Indian summer. Although we are French, we absolutely feel thankful each year that we are here in San Francisco and relish making a few traditional items for the holiday table, with our personal embellishments, of course. They are all available for the tasting now, and if you are like me, life seems to spiral into busier and busier days as the holidays approach. My secret? Order early.

Pumpkin and Crème Fraîche Tart
(makes one 9 inch tart)




1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) solid pack pumpkin puree
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 extra large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 chilled, unbaked deep 9-inch tart shell
¼ cup crème fraîche for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Add the eggs, then whisk in the heavy cream until well combined. Pour the filling into the chilled tart shell. Dollop on the crème fraîche and , using a knife, swirl into an attractive design on top of the pumpkin filling.
2. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool completely on a wire rack before removing from the pan. The tart is best at room temperature the day it is baked, but it can be kept, covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.