September Monthly Round Up

LIFE LATELY: In early September, I went for a long stroll around Lake Geneva. I can’t express enough how much nature enriches my life. I adore writing posts about landscapes and strolls and I will continue to write about /photograph such things.

Villa Bartholoni at the Mon Repos Park overlooking Lake Geneva

Promenade du Lac by Lake Geneva

Fountain in the Jardin Anglais

Lake Geneva public beach in Eaux-Vives (Baby Plage). During the summer I loved taking a dip in the lake and sunbathing here. Swimming in this vivid water where the surrounding mountains are reflected is magical. This beach, composed of small pebbles, is an invitation to relax in the heart of Geneva.

That bank holiday weekend, the beach was empty, except for this courageous baby who came to wet his feet and this young man who came to sunbathe.

The Statue of La Bise by the sculptor Alfred Henri König, located on the Quai Gustave-Ador in Eaux-Vives.

BEAUTY PRODUCTS: I have renewed my stock of lipsticks; I picked up these two shades at The Body Shop “Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick Mauritius Dahlia 017” and “Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick Hahiti Hibiscus”.

I am fond of this season’s hottest lip colour trend. The creamy Matte Lip Liquid provides intense colour and a soft matte finish. The liquid lipstick is long-lasting, lightweight and lusciously soft.

PASTRY SHOP: Boulangerie des Bains (65, Rue des Bains). I am ashamed to say it, but I went past this bakery several times without ever stopping... it is while reading the newspaper that I learnt that Pierre and Jean (the pastry chefs) had twice won the prestigious Swiss Bakery Trophy which is the largest and most important contest of the bakery/confectionery industry in Switzerland.

I went there to pick up some cakes, I chose Blue (cherry almond mousse) and Red (fruit of the woods mousse) for our dessert at home. What a beautiful discovery!!!

BOOKS: When I need to unwind after a stressful day, I love to go to my local library to check their new book acquisitions and book releases. That day, I borrowed two books “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” by Mordecai Richler and “The Swans of Fifth Avenue” by Melanie Hausser (I will review this book soon).

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: I re-read a fantastic book on the Tsar’s Family and Grigori Rasputi “Rasputin’s Daughter” by Robert Alexander. I really liked this book (first read in 2006) which I find has extraordinary depth and suspense. If you are a big fan of historical fiction and historical novels, you will love this book. This novel takes us into those turbulent days in the wake of the Russian Revolution, the strong relationship of the Romanovs with Rasputin, Rasputin’s family life and his final days. This is a captivating narrative about intrigue and conspiracy that reveals the shocking truth of Maria’s father’s end and the identity of those who participated in it.

RESTAURANTS: With lots of “escapades”, restaurant reviews have been a little forgotten these past months. But I had a few yummy meals in some lovely restaurants. I especially liked “Wine & Beef Fusterie”, a trendy restaurant in the heart of Geneva. As someone who is incredibly passionate about brasserie food, this was a perfect choice for an end of summer night out.

Before dinner at “Wine & Beef”, while waiting for Sweetheart, I went for an aperitif at “Thimothy Oulton & Lounge” which has an “oh so British” style and feel. Valter, the manager, spoiled me with lots of attention (a great welcome) and, while sipping a Cosmopolitan long drink I read a few pages of The Swans of Fifth Avenue! “Thimothy Oulton & Lounge” (42, rue du Rhône) is the perfect place to end a wonderful evening date with live music…

GENEVA BY NIGHT: That day the Jet d’Eau was dressed in pink in solidarity with breast cancer sufferers.

So what’s next? It is Sweetheart’s birthday soon and I’m looking forward to it. Apart from that, I actually don’t have anything else planned... at least at the time I am writing this post!!

Carac (Swiss chocolate cake)

Today, I want to share with you a typical Swiss cake - the Carac. It is a delicious shortbread pastry tart filled with chocolate ganache, enjoyed by young and old alike.

Its fascinating name is written as either “carac”, “karak”. It is unclear why it is so called, perhaps it could come from a “superior quality cocoa” produced in the vicinity of Caracas...

I made these at the end of May. This recipe is very easy - anyone can make it. I hope it will seduce you too:

Ingredients (serves 8, each tart weighs 50g):

16 mini tart shells of shortbread pastry (size 6-7 cm)

400 g of 70% cacao dark chocolate.

100 g butter

100ml cream

For glaze:

120 g icing sugar

3 tbsp water

Green food colouring

Preparation:

Heat the butter and the cream slowly in a saucepan, until the butter melts.

Add the dark chocolate in pieces, and let it melt until you get a cream.

Pour the mixture into the tartlets leaving 5 mm for the glazing.

Keep a small amount of the chocolate cream for the small chocolate pellet in the middle of the carac.

Allow to harden in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Prepare the glaze by mixing the icing sugar and 3 tbsp of water. Add a few drops of the food colouring (the colour should be light green).

Then cover the carac with a thin layer of the glaze.

Add a small drop of chocolate cream in the middle of the carac.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Note: You can make your tart shells with homemade shortbread pastry (380g flour, 250g softened butter, 125g sugar, 1 tsp vanilla sugar all mixed together. Leave the dough to rest, then bake at 180ºC for 20 minutes).

* Shortbread pastry: this pastry is used for sweet tarts and pies only. It’s very crumbly and buttery.

Another birthday celebration

Towards the end of August, I celebrated my birthday for the second time. As written in previous posts, I adore birthdays - they are like small, magical vacations....

That Saturday, we spent the morning, having a lovely breakfast and then went to the thermal baths – Les Bains de Lavey, before driving back to our secluded location in Heidi’s Country.

In the evening it was time to celebrate my birthday. I decided to have a barbecue. I had made a marvellous Nordic Potato Salad and Mint Lamb (recipes from a cookbook). The lamb was cooked to perfection by Sweetheart - juicy and tender with amazing flavours…

For birthday cake, I picked the regional speciality Galette Valaisanne from our local  bakery.  This is a typically Valaisan tart, made of shortbread pastry, extremely rich and tasty, stuffed with apricot or raspberry jam.

I wore a maxi floral pattern dress, sandals and simple jewellery, like this diamond cross with white gold chain.

It was a great night, a relaxing evening. All in all, I just enjoyed being surrounded by everything I cherish the most.

I wish you all a lovely week.

In the Forest by Edna O’Brien (2002)

My thoughts: Lately, I have been trying to get through a big pile of books on my bookshelves, but sometimes I put aside my resolutions. That happened when I saw a book at the local library that pleased me enormously - In the Forest by Edna O’Brien.

When I first read a novel by the great Irish writer, Edna O’Brien, I immediately fell in love with her writing style. I found Edna O’Brien’s writing poetic, elegant, refined, enchanting and mesmerising.

In the Forest is based on a true story that took place in County Clare, Ireland in 1994.

The novel tells the story of Eily Ryan, a beautiful, bohemian and naïve woman and her son, Maddie, a vivid, sweet boy. Both were found dead in Cloosh Wood. The murderer is Michen O’Keane, nicknamed the Kinderschreck by a German man from whom he stole a gun. He had had an awful childhood, filled with abuse, rape and rejection. As a young adult, Michen had mainly known life in orphanages, prison and the woods.

This novel is a story of horror and sorrow, written in one long flashback, broken up into named chapters. Right from the beginning, we know that Eily, her son Maddie and Father John Fitzgerald are going to be murdered, but we don’t know the circumstances under which these murders will occur. This makes the whole story thrilling and full of suspense. When the tragedy happens, we feel horror and sadness...I had to put the book down until the next day because I felt extremely moved and anguished. The next day I finished it.

In the Forest is a very dark and yet beautifully written book. This is the second O’Brien novel that I have read. The first was “The Little Red Chairs”.

My Birithday Cake

This is the chocolate cake I made for my birthday party. I was very specific about what I wanted my cake to look like. I wanted a chocolate & berries cake with a chocolate ganache. I made one from the “The Australian Women’s Weekly” cookbook - it has awesome cakes. I adapted it by completely covering the cake with a thick chocolate ganache. Then I decorated it with blackberries, currants and strawberries. I must admit that I am truly proud of this cake which was extraordinarily delicious, probably the most delicious chocolate cake I have tasted in ages.

Chocolate ganache and raspberry cake adapted from the “The Australian Women’s Weekly” 

Ingredients:

35g cocoa powder

80ml hot water

150g dark eating chocolate, chopped

150g butter, chopped

300g firmly packed brown sugar

125g almond meal

4 eggs, separated

240g fresh raspberries (I used 200g blackberries, 150g strawberries, 50g currants)

Chocolate ganache

200g dark eating chocolate, chopped

160ml thickened cream (I used 180ml and 2g gelatine in sheets)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a deep 22cm diameter cake pan (I used 18cm); line base and side with baking paper.

Blend cocoa powder with the hot water in a small bowl until smooth.

Combine chocolate and butter in medium heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water; stir until melted. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa mixture, sugar, almond meal and egg yolks.

Beat egg whites in clean small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; fold into chocolate mixture in two batches. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake in moderately slow oven about 1 ¼ hours. Stand cake in pan 15 minutes, before turning onto wire rack to cool.

Chocolate ganache: Combine chocolate and cream in small saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. I soaked the 2g gelatine in sheets in cold water then I added the well-drained gelatine to the ganache. I mixed well with a spoon so that it melts well.

Afterwards, I covered the entire cake with the ganache and once the ganache set, I decorated the cake with the three types of berries. I thought it looked more festive.

Serves 12

Tip: This cake can be made up to three days ahead; store in an airtight container. Top with berries and chocolate ganache on the day of serving.