11.15.2010

Getting ready to be festive...



This week I received an evite to a holiday party. I flipped to my calendar quickly, thinking…this host is on the ball…it’s so early! What? No…the party is less than three weeks away? Yes, it is already that time. I’m not sure how that’s possible. Baseball season just ended…that’s a summer sport, right?

Nevertheless, the holidays are among us and the entertaining portion of the year has begun. And if you are anything like me, then you have a full schedule of work and play already. Forget the time needed to figure out what you are going to wear to so and so’s ugly Christmas sweater party (good thing I saved mine from last year), or to plan, shop for and cook for your own party. Office pot-lucks, secret santa, travel plans, Thanksgiving…there are only 40 days of shopping left! Less, if you celebrate Channukah (Oy)!

Enter: Catering. La Boulange Catering, even better.

We’ve updated our menu, the cute little book got a face-lift, and our party food did, too! Still just as easy to order online, still delivered to my home. Woot! So, I go online to check out what is new and necessary for my upcoming holiday-time par-tay. My menu will be:

mini croque monsieurs, gooey and cheesy and delicious

brioche tea sandwiches

savory puff pastry canapé (think caramelized onion and bacon, oh my!)

and

parmesan palmiers

I’ll just need to pick a few sweet treats from the list and this little gathering is all wrapped up (in cute packaging). And like I said, delivered in the boulange blue bus. Which gives me a little bit more time to figure out just what Christmas ornament “represents me best.” There are prizes involved, people.

11.03.2010

Pumpkin Power



The presence of pumpkins has been getting stronger for the last month. They are versatile little things! Used for décor as a spooky porch light, or as a centerpiece, or tucked into a corner. They can be carved, seeds roasted, made into soups, or seasonal side dishes. Just earlier this week I saw one with a wig on, pretending to be Tim Lincecum. But, our favorite application of the pumpkin has to be, without question, the pumpkin tart. We all know our pants are going to fit a little bit tighter beginning in November, when our Thanksgiving products come out, and we’ve been rubbing our hands together in anticipation for weeks. Well, for the tart…not for the tight pants.

And since we love ours so much, (I think it’s the decadent swirl of crème fraiche that makes it special) we want to share the recipe with you! This delectable treat along with a pecan tart, cranberry and currant baguettes, a wreath made of epi baguette and new spice or chocolate shortbread cookies are all part of the Thanksgiving Holiday line-up, which you can order for your holiday table and pick up, even on Thanksgiving day. We’ll be there til 2. In fact, if you order by the 10th, we're giving you 15% off!


Tarte a la citrouille et a la crème fraiche

Pumpkin tart with crème fraiche

Filling:

1 ¼ cups (10 oz) solid pack pumpkin puree

½ cup plus 2T firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 extra-large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 chilled, unbaked deep 9-inch tart shell

¼ cup crème fraiche, for garnish

Makes one 9-inch tart

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make the filling: in large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Add the eggs, then whisk in the heavy cream until well combined. Pour the filling into the chilled tart shell. Dollop on the crème fraiche and, using a knife, swirl into an attractive design on top of the filling.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool completely before removing from pan. Best served at room temperature.

10.27.2010

Feeling Giant


We like to consider ourselves a worldly bunch. We travel to far off lands (like Danville and Novato) and we enjoy cuisines and beverages from all parts of the world (think Moroccan lamb stew, French wine and Belgian beer). We also pay tribute to globally cultural type things like the Actor’s Conservatory Theatre and the de Young museum’s current exhibition of masterpieces from the Musee d’Orsay. But this week, we are most excited about the worldly event happening in our backyard. The San Francisco Giants have landed a spot in the World Series, and you can bet that if we can get away, we’ll be parked under a plasma screen, biting our nails like the rest of you, watching it all happen.

So, San Francisco, grab something snazzy and rock the orange this week, learn some key phrases like “Fear the Beard” and GO GIANTS!

7.12.2010

Two Wheels Will Get You There

Forget planes, trains and automobiles…one thing San Franciscans have figured out is that biking it is one of the best ways to get around the city. Between circling for parking and traffic, my cyclist friends usually beat me to the destination, plus they don’t get tickets and they have zero emissions. And then there’s that whole cool one pant leg rolled up look they get to sport. The only thing that might be better than riding the wiggle through San Francisco would be watching the pros do it through the French countryside…in the Tour de France.

Already well underway, this race through the mother country will cover a span of 3,642 kilometers (that’s 2,263 miles to you and me) and will test the strength and endurance of the best cyclists in the world. And you thought cycling up Filbert street was tough.

So, in honor of the Tour de France and all of our own cyclists right here in the bay…we’re offering a couple of sweet incentives for fueling up! On weekday mornings through July 16th, get a free latte when you purchase our breakfast special, the Country Egg Sandwich, and then the following week, Monday through Friday, through the end of the race, pick up one of our grab and go baguette sandwiches and we’ll give you a bag of our house-seasoned chips (both are a cinch to pack in your backpack). We’ll remind you on twitter, but all you have to do is show us your helmet to take part. Vive le Tour!

6.15.2010

An Artful Meal

Our private showing of the de Young’s Birth of Impressionism exhibit this Saturday was a perfect start to our weekend. Over 100 people joined us at the de Young for a Boulange breakfast in their beautiful room overlooking the music concourse, followed by a viewing of the exhibit. Thank you to the de Young staff for making this special opportunity possible and thank you to all of our loyal customers for spending their Saturday morning with us!

6.09.2010

Let the sunshine in!

It’s June! Which gives San Francisco license to begin to pretend like summer is upon us. The parks are nice and full on sunny days and we’re all wearing shorter sleeves and sandals. We, of course, all have our coats tucked into our bags for when the fog starts to roll in, but for all intensive purposes, summer is creeping in.

And one of our favorite things about summer is all of the delicious produce and cool fresh flavors that compliment the season so well. Outdoor picnics, entertaining and simply the inspiration to cook, make projects like the lemon tart a fun and fabulous hit with all of us. We’ve decided to post the recipe below so you can try your hand in it as well. So let the sunshine in.

TARTE au CITRON

Lemon Tart

1 pre baked shallow 9 inch Pate Sucree tart shell

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, strained

1 Tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

½ cup plus 1 Tablespoon heavy cream

Makes one 9-inch Tart

  1. Place the pre baked tart shell on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Set aside. In a medium, stainless steel saucepan, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cream over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a heat- resistant flexible spatula to avoid scorching, until slightly thickened, 8 to 12 minutes. Do not let the custard get so hot that it bubbles, as this will curdle the filling. The filling should lightly coat the spatula when it’s done. If not using right away, transfer to a small bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard. The custard can be kept, covered and refrigerated, up to 5 days. If chilled, bring the filling to room temperature before proceeding.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325. Pour the filling into the tart shell to within ½ inch of the top, and smooth the surface.
  3. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until just set. To test, gently jostle the baking sheet-the edges will be set but the very center will move softly like a bowl of gelatin. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set the tart completely. Just before serving, remove the side of the pan and transfer the tart to a serving platter.

5.10.2010

The Hour is Happy

Actually three of them are, at three of our stores, every weekday. And we’re waiving our flag about it.

So anytime you see the French flag posted outside of our Polk, Noe or Fillmore stores, then you can get happy too, because inside you’ll find $5 glasses of wine, $3.50 bottles of Kronenburg (yum) and cheese plates for $8. Plus, we’ve got a whole new punch card for Happy Hour partakers. If you come in and buy a happy hour beverage, you get a punch. Once you have nine, we’re buying your tenth. Go ahead, you can smile.

So come check it out, Monday through Friday, 3pm-6pm and put a little something in your stomach to start the night off right. We’ll be very Happy to see you.

La Boulange de Polk (at Polk and Green)

La Boulange de Noe (24th and Sanchez)

La Boulange de Fillmore (Fillmore between Pine and California)

5.08.2010

Mom


“Thanks, Mom!” Uttered often in acceptance speeches, while holding a statuette.


“Hi, Mom!” Mouthed emphatically in the background behind reporters in crowded, on-location news spots.

“MOM!” Shouted from the top of the stairs, before the words, “do you know where my blue sweater is?!?”

“mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom….” Said by five year olds in department stores, until they are answered, with a usually patient, “what?”

Of all of the many applications of this beloved palindrome, our favorite is, “I love you, Mom.” And so for all of the moms out there who just plain rock, thanks for being fabulously patient and kind…..even after that time when we played with a ball inside and it broke that vase…

Seriously, you’re the butter on our baguette.

4.27.2010

How do YOU think Green?

After almost of month of Earth Day awareness and thinking green, we are wondering what other folks are doing in this sunny, seven by seven city we love, to protect the planet and tread lightly. We’ve been posting our own planet preservation techniques, and thought it might be fun to hear from you about your favorite ways to think green.

Pick up a postcard in one of our stores and write down seven ways that you “think green” and pass it back to the staff. We’ll collect them all and the best postcard we get this week will win you four tickets to the San Francisco zoo, where we weeded and worked on our April volunteer project. Don’t worry…we did all of the dirty work already, so you get to just chill with the chimps and pass by the penguins.

4.22.2010

Coffee, anyone?

As previously noted, we take our coffee very seriously around here. I mean, drinking a bowl full of anything takes some commitment…and it absolutely has to taste good. Enter our roaster, Equator Coffees. We love these guys because not only do they roast some seriously delicious beans, but they provide perk with some purpose. They are an eco-conscious, organic bunch of folks who also like to “think green.”

And since this month is all about thinking green, we’re teaming up to offer a special evening of coffee. David Pohl, Head Roaster and Associate Green Coffee buyer at Equator will guide us through a comparative tasting of single region coffees including those featured in our La Boulange French Roast. David will cover topics such as Equator's coffee sourcing philosophy, the flavor characteristics of different coffee processing methods and tips for brewing an excellent cup of coffee at home.

On Thursday, April 29th at 7pm at La Boulange de Hayes, join us! Treats will be provided as well! Space is limited to 30 people, please email emily@laboulangebakery.com to sign up.

4.09.2010

We're Thinking Green


There are a few things that April has notoriety for:

Easter…that bunny is donezo.

Tax Day…for better or for worse.

April Showers…we’re really enjoying the sun, personally.

Earth Day… and here's where we get really excited. We love “thinking green” and work hard to make it a part of our daily routine. We've decided, in honor of Earth Day, to make the whole month a celebration at La Boulange and invite all of you to “think green” with us. We’re doing a green volunteer project at the zoo this weekend, getting our hands dirty with the horticulturists, while working with plant life in the different habitats. We’re hosting an organic coffee class and cupping with our super enviro-concious friends at Equator Estate Coffees & Teas. And our stores are decked out and stocked with fun “think green” action for kids and kids-at-heart. Check out our site to see details on all of the fun things we have going on all month www.laboulangebakery.com.

And we aren’t the only ones that are thinking green this month. San Francisco and its surroundings are full of all sorts of carbon-light action. A couple that we found include a wine tasting of organic and biodynamic wines at the Mandarin Oriental, a potting class for kids or a container garden workshop from the super stylish folks at Anthropologie, a line-up of Earthy good programming from KQED, and an awesome renewal day put on by California Parks for thousands of us to help together.

Are you green with envy yet? How will you be thinking green this month?


3.27.2010

Some Bunny is Coming

Is anyone else wondering what happened to March? Spring is upon us and we’re feeling thoroughly spoiled on sunshine, and Easter will be here any minute. And although this holiday is celebrated differently from person to person, the universal truth, let’s face it: we are in this for the food.

We’re not ashamed…..the second we sink our teeth into a hot cross bun filled with dried fruit and iced with sugary goodness, our taste buds are reborn and we know that all must be right in the world. Between those, and springy lemon tarts and a bunny cookie that can only be described as giant, we have all of the traditional standbys covered.


And if you feel like shunning tradition a little…if you are over the bunnies and past the plastic grass…a chocolate hen will nestle nicely with the pastel eggs in your basket.
So get excited…because there is no better feeling than the discovery of a basketful of sweet surprises hidden inside eggs left just for you, by a bunny…

2.26.2010

BINGO!

Forget what you’ve heard… or what you remember… about Bingo. No blue hair, or balmy Floridian breeze. No eyeing your neighbor’s card suspiciously, wondering who will be the first to yell that silly word victoriously? Who will get the prize? This is Bingo brought to San Francisco standards. Its takes some smarts, its tech-savvy and every bingo wins a little something.

La Boulange Bingo takes our followers through the city and tests their trivia talents. And there are some sweet rewards to take home if you earn a bingo. (Think signed cookbooks for all bingos and a chance to win a Napa getaway.) So, if you are not following us on twitter, then perhaps this is a good time to start. We will be tweeting a trivia question daily (subjects range from San Francisco, Baking, France, and La Boulange) and players will visit a sequence of Boulanges to answer the question and earn a sticker for a square on their bingo card. Once you’ve visited the right combination of stores to fill a line on your card, then BINGO!

Find the full details by following the BINGO link on our website http://www.laboulangebakery.com/ (Rules will be posted as of March 1st and the game will last the entire month of March.)

And click here to follow us on twitter @laboulange

Study up! And leave your daubers at home.

2.22.2010

DIY



Secret to Happiness? Never be afraid to eat more chocolate.


One of our friends was feeling inspired to bake at home and chose our chocolate gateau as her project. Her final pic looked so delicious we just had to share...and thought in case someone else got the itch to take it on, we'd post the recipe as well:



GATEAU FONDANT au CHOCOLAT
(Bittersweet Chocolate Cake)


12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (approximately 2 cups)
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 extra-large eggs, separated
2 extra-large egg whites
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup chocolate ganache

Makes one 10-inch cake


1. Preheat the oven to 325. Spray a 10-inch spring form pan with vegetable oil spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large, heat-resistant bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks to break them up, and then whisk into the chocolate mixture. Set aside.

3. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt on a medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the sugar. Continue to whip to medium-firm peaks- the peaks will droop slightly when you lift up the whisk. Stir the egg whites, rather vigorously, into the warm chocolate mixture, until there are no white streaks visible. You need to be gentle, as this cake is best without a lot of air incorporated into it. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smooth it out, and pour the ganache on top. Using a spoon, or your fingers, marble the ganache into the batter.

4. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center of the cake no longer looks shiny. The cake will be puffed up and wobbly in the center but set on the edges. It’s a soft cake that will firm up as it cools. Cool the cake completely, on a wire rack, before removing the side from the pan.

5. To slice the cake (easiest when it is chilled) , run a long knife under hot water, then wipe it off with a towel, and cut the cake into 12 slices. The cake can be kept 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days if refrigerated.


from American Boulangerie, Pascal Rigo

2.15.2010

Green is the New Blog

Green…the color of luck, the color of money, green with envy, a green thumb, Kermit the Frog, the sexy green m&m….all great reasons to be fond of being green, but we’re talking about the idea of lightening our carbon footprint, putting things in the right container (Blue? Green? Black?) and in general, using less…using only what we need...and prolonging the life of the planet.

In an attempt to carbon tip-toe, and hopefully set the example, we are upping the ante by becoming “green certified.” Our Cole Valley and Noe Valley stores have already passed the test. This title requires a little work up front and a process of approval, but once our stores come out on the other side, they are basically biodegradable. Not really, but close. We already recycle or compost almost everything. Our paper products and to-go containers are all ready for a green or blue bin, our light bulbs burn less energy, our toilets flush with less water, plastic to-go bags are a thing of the past. Behind the scenes, our checklists are laminated so they get wiped clean and used again and all of our cleaning products are environmentally friendly. Soon, the rest of our stores will be green certified, too.

When all is said and done, we hope that folks will see our efforts, appreciate and think about their own footprint, and pay it forward with their own habits, or look for other businesses that are making the same strides.

2.02.2010

Go Long



So, with Superbowl Sunday fast approaching, we couldn’t help but try and think of ways to franco-fy what is probably one of the most American days of the year. “Football,” with players padded from head to foot, and as much commercial airtime as there is actual game-play, it’s tricky for ze French to wrap their brains around. However, it is also a day centered around getting together with friends and enjoying some good food and drink, which we can certainly get behind.

Enter….Le Superbowl…(let’s say it together….luh……soo-pearh.…bowl) Tres Bien! So we took our baguettes, made one loooong sandwich, and paired it with our house-seasoned chips and some Dame Blanche (petite cream puffs filled with whipped cream), which, let’s face it.........are a touchdown in anyone’s book.

So, whether it will be the Saints or the Colts for the win (we’re not choosing sides), we intend to be well fed and content watching the festivities in South Florida on a big screen somewhere. And like all of you, I’m sure, hoping that The Who does not suffer from any wardrobe malfunction.

1.27.2010

It Just Takes One

One voice, one idea, one person to start something good, and to build the momentum it takes to make something happen. And then one calls another one, and pretty soon, you’ve got eleven…Boulanges that is…coming together to do something big.

When Callie, one of our employees, approached me and told me she was thinking about the situation in Haiti and really wished there was something she could do to help, she had the idea that she could donate a day’s worth of her tips to help in the relief efforts. And then thought, what if the whole team donated a day of their tips? And then what if all of the teams at all of the Boulanges donated a day of their tips….that would be something. So I told her to ask her team….see what they say, and I would help by putting feelers out to the other stores and I’d let her know what kind of feedback I got. I was touched by Callie’s idea and overwhelmed by our staff. I sent an email to managers at each of our stores and throughout the day received calls, texts and replies that yes! The staff was totally into it.

So now we pick a day and go for it….what day should we pick? A day where we’re busy and get a lot of tips! Sunday! Who should we donate to? After a little research, we’ve decided to contribute to Doctors without Borders. Callie likes them because they have been in Haiti for 19 years and know the systems and have some roots established and they need the funds to keep doing the work that is needed so much now that crisis has struck. And to add a little fuel to the fire, La Boulange is going to match what the staff earns that day.

So when you are on your Sunday stroll, recovering from a Saturday in San Francisco, come on in and know that whatever you give the staff that day in thanks for their smile and service, will be doubled and shipped, on the double, to a great cause.

1.06.2010

The Twelfth Night...

Most of us have slipped back into the daily grind of things at this point. The new year has started, and everyone has turned over a new leaf…if you need evidence of this, just go to any gym at 5:30 and wait your turn for the elliptical with the rest of us. But for Frenchies and Francophiles alike, today, the Epiphany, is the official close to the holiday season. Traditionally, the Epiphany is intended to celebrate the "shining forth" or revelation of God to mankind in human form, in the person of Jesus. The feast is also called Twelfth Day, as it is the twelfth day after Christmas, or Three Kings Day, because as the story goes, it is the day the three kings visited the baby Jesus. And to celebrate this, many tables this evening will be completed by the Galette des Rois, a golden crown of puff pastry filled with almond cream. A tiny feve, or trinket, will be secretly placed inside and the lucky family member who finds this prize will be crowned “king for a day.” And think of all of the fun that this implies. So if you aren’t quite ready to accept the new year and need one more reason to celebrate, or if you just want to try your chances to win the right to rule the roost, and claim control of the remote, then you know where to go to get your very own Galette.