Recipe: Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Cake with Creme Fraiche Whipped Cream

This chocolate cake was simply amazing! We used the recipe from the Williams Sonoma Christmas cookbook. The cake is both dense and fluffy, and not too sweet. The whipped cream is made with creme fraiche and left slight runny (see recipe below).
Creme Fraiche Whipped Cream
-1 C heavy whipping cream
-1/2 C creme fraiche
-1/2 C powdered sugar
-1 tsp vanilla

Make this when ready to serve the cake. Whip cream and creme fraiche together until it holds its shape, but not too firm. Whip in powdered sugar and vanilla. Scoop onto individual cake slices once plated. Sooo good!

Feature in NYU Art History & Architecture Alumni News!

Check out my recent feature in NYU's Art History alumni news!

http://nyuarthistory.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/alumni-news-fall-2013/

Stephanie Swinton (B.A. Art History/Urban Design and Architecture Studies ’02); French (minor); Steinhardt, Visual Culture: Costume Studies ’06) graduated in 2012 with Honors with her MBA in International Luxury Brand Management from ESSEC Business School, in Paris, France, where she was the L’Oreal Luxe scholarship recipient.  “I am now a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society, recognizing business excellence,” Stephanie writes.  “After spending the summer in France and Switzerland, I am currently working as a consultant between NYC and LA for companies in Luxury and the Arts. I published a book of my Paris black & white photographs and exhibited several of my France ‘Doorway Details’ series color photographs in a group show in California.”  Additionally, as a result of the appreciation for wine that she developed during her undergraduate studies abroad in Paris, Stephanie was able to participate in the picking and bottling of wine for a local Californian winery this fall.  Stephanie invites NYU students and alumni to follow her adventures on her blog, How to be Fabulous.

Happy Holidays from San Diego!!

Happy Holidays and best wishes for the New Year! Hope everyone is happy and well. :)

-Photo: Switzerland, Montreux - Summer 2013

Sunset on the Beach - La Jolla, California

It is great to be back in sunny Southern California for the winter holidays! I love walking along the beach and enjoying the sunset - La Jolla is a favorite spot!


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Location:La Jolla, CA

Recipe: Fabulous Thanksgiving Pies!

Here are the recipes for the fabulous desserts we made this year for Thanksgiving - Pumpkin & Cornmeal Cake with Orange Syrup, Cranberry-Apple Crumble, Pecan Chocolate Tarte and of course Pumpkin Pie!


Pie Crust!

-The key I think is not making the dough too wet. Pinch some of the dough together even when it looks loose and if it sticks to itself it is OK. I also put a lot of flour on the work surface and on top of the dough so it wouldn't stick. To transfer to the pie pan, I rolled it around the rolling pin then unrolled on top of the pan.

-We chilled the disks in the fridge for 1 hour, wrapped in plastic wrap, before rolling out fully and filling.

http://www.marthastewart.com/283515/basic-pie-dough

Pumpkin & Cornmeal Cake with Orange Syrup

-I poured the orange syrup over the whole cake rather than waiting to put on individual slices

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/pumpkin-cornmeal-cake-orange-syrup.aspx

Cranberry-Apple Crumble

-I used chopped almonds rather than pecans.

-I added extra butter as the crumble texture was too flour-y.

-I used 2 tart apples and 2 sweeter (Gala?) apples.

-We cut fresh cranberries into quarters.

-I added ground nutmeg, ginger and cloves.

-I used more sugar with the apples than what the recipe called for.

http://www.marthastewart.com/332796/apple-cranberry-crumble

Pecan-Chocolate Tarte

-I used the basic pie crust recipe above, not the one in this recipe.

-I used vanilla extract rather than the whole bean.

-The key here is we added 1 tablespoon each heavy cream and creme fraiche directly to the batter!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pecan-and-Chocolate-Tart-with-Bourbon-Whipped-Creme-Fraiche-51123160

Pumpkin Pie

-I used the recipe on the side of the large can of pumpkin!

-FYI In all of these recipes, I stirred/mixed/whipped etc. everything by hand, but I am sure you can also use the machines as the recipes suggest!

CA + NYC - Fashionable Halloween

Great to see a bunch of people from Los Angeles out in NYC for Halloween! Following some art events we finished Halloween with a fashion party down on the Lower East Side. The party hosts have a cool line of t-shirts focused on fashion capitals such as LA/NYC/Paris.

Le Beau
Purchase t-shirts online at www.wearelebeau.co

Rivington 151
151 Rivington St, New York, NY (bt. Suffolk & Clinton)
www.rivington151.com
$5 Happy Hour specials with cool cocktails until 10pm daily!

Halloween Art Parties - ROX NYC & Wallplay

I am always in the mood for checking out new art at gallery openings so why not on Halloween? The NYC Halloween parade means the west side of Manhattan gets pretty crazy so we headed over to the Lower East Side to check out a few art events. ROX & Wallplay had a fun opening with 4 floors of art, music, film screenings, bubbly, complete with a rooftop view! The gallery hosts were super friendly and knowledgable about all the art, so it was a great visit.

Note: I really want the series of "Self-portrait" mirrors made of colorful resin - so playful! I think they would look great lined up in a hallway. Of course we were immediately inspired to take "selfies" with our iPhones!

ROX NYC
86 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002 (corner of Orchard)
www.roxnyc.com

Wallplay
118 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002 (corner Delancey)
www.wallplay.com

Recipe: Farmer's Market Tomato Salad

A simple salad inspired by my recent visit to the NYC Union Square Farmer's Market.

Small tomatoes
Wax beans
Cilantro
Olive oil
Salt

Chop and toss together with the salt and olive oil!


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Location:NYC

Upcoming group show - My France photographs

Several of my France photographs have been selected for inclusion in a group show!

Brandon Art Gallery
105 N Main Avenue
Fallbrook, CA 92028
www.fallbrookbrandongallery.org

Opening reception:
Saturday, October 5, 2013, 5-8pm


http://stephanieswinton.tumblr.com/post/62347831358/excited-the-2-photographs-on-the-right-were

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Summer nights on the Harbor in Stamford

Summer nights in Stamford are great when you go to Thursday nights at the Beer Garden on the Harbor! Live music and free appetizers, along with a great view of the sunset over the water & sailboats make it even more appealing!





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Location:Stamford, CT, United States

Rainy Summer Day

It's another rainy day on the East Coast! No tennis today!


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Tulips & Spring Time

A few weeks ago when the sun first came out, there were colorful tulips everywhere in Manhattan and Connecticut! I always love this time each year, seeing all the vibrant colors of the densely arranged flowers, and knowing warmer weather should be on its way. This picture was taken outside of a church in Stamford. I was struck by the contrast between the red of the flowers, and the white of the statue and the building behind it.

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Location:Tulips & Spring Time

Rainy NYC Springtime with Art

What a rainy day in NYC! I waited inside for the rain to die down a bit, and had a view of the Phillips Gallery in midtown. Which reminded me of the need to go gallery hopping in the city soon and check out some new art!


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Pretty Cherry Blossoms!

A few weeks ago, the cherry blossoms were in bloom in Connecticut! While I have previously enjoyed seeing these lovely pink blooms in Central Park, at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, and in Washington DC, it was just as charming to find these colorful trees near a friend's house in Connecticut this year.



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Recipe: Pesto Mozarella Stacks

Easy version of a caprese salad! These are easy to serve as they are stacked, and really tasty with the pesto rather than plain basil leaves!

-1 ball fresh Mozarella, in round slices
-2 large tomatoes, in round slices
-pesto
-salt, pepper

Arrange tomato slices on a platter. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a spoonful of pesto on each slice. Top each tomato with a slice of cheese. Place another spoonful of pesto on the top of each.


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Wine & Vines in New Jersey

My friend's family is from Portugal, where many of them were also winemakers. When they came to New Jersey, they brought the tradition of growing grapes and making wine with them. Here is an example of grapes grown overhead, to provide shade throughout the summer, when the leaves are all grown in. Once the grapes are growing, you can either pick and eat them, or make wine!


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Flamingo Hunt

We spent the weekend in New Jersey to celebrate Mother's Day, with my good friend's family.

We heard there had been a major plastic pink flamingo dump the night before, so went to find them. We adopted a couple we found laying on the ground at a local school!


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Location:New Jersey

Recipe: Egg White "Tortillas"

This is a great and easy recipe that is perfect for Mexican dishes calling for tortillas, such as enchiladas. They are also great for making omelettes or crepes. Experiment with different fillings like cheese and sautéed vegetables.

1 1/2 C egg whites
1/3 C heavy cream
Salt, Pepper
Olive oil

Whisk egg whites and cream, add some salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in non-stick frying pan, on medium heat. Use a ladle to pour in enough of the egg white mixture to coat the pan in a thin layer. Cook until set, flip to cook other side. Fill and enjoy!


This recipe will make about 8 tortillas.
Inspired by the Primal Blueprint cookbook which you can get here.

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Recipe: The Best Fondue

Inspired by entertaining fondue outings last year in France and Switzerland, I decided to try to make this tasty and fun meal at home. It turns out to be very easy! This recipe can serve 6-8 people - perfect for a fondue party!

1 lb each: Gruyere, Emmental, Raclette cheeses (rinds removed, cut into chunks)
1/2 bottle white wine (dry French - could be a white Bordeaux)
Juice of 1 lemon - in a small bowl, mixed with 2 TB corn starch
Pepper, nutmeg - freshly ground
2 TB kirsch
2 TB creme fraiche
2 baguettes - sliced in rounds, then 1/4s

Boil wine in fondue pot, add cheese while mixing together. This step should be done over the stovetop. (Stir diagonally, not in a circle - to avoid creating a ball of cheese.) Add lemon juice mixture.

Add some pepper and nutmeg and stir. Add kirsch and stir. Stir in creme fraiche just at the end. Transfer the fondue pot to the table for serving.

Voila! Serve with a variety of cured sliced meats, sausages, cornichons, other pickled vegetables, and grape tomatoes. Bread will look great in a basket. Select a dry white French wine to accompany - have fun trying a few different types!

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