GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAFY

. . . the way the early morning light glimmers off the faceted crystals of a chandelier, the warm slant of sunlight on a perfect reading corner and a bouquet of coral-coloured roses, fresh baguettes for brunch and an early evening glass of rosé -- the days are much longer now and the bright mornings are filled with the music of a million birds -- it's summertime, summertime, and every moment feels like a luxury . . .


{images: 1 - sara's scrapbook; 2 - design by michael penney, photography by angus fergusson via michael penny style; 3 - maryke; 4 - bon; 5 - insotel prestige hotels & resorts}

. . . absolutely adore baguettes on a sunday morning, but had never considered making them, and while it may be a little too ambitious for me, if you are good in the kitchen, then perhaps . . .


HOMEMADE FRENCH BAGUETTES, makes four 16-inch baguettes
{adapted from artisan breads every day, peter reinhart}

{ingredients}
* 5 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
* 2 tsp salt, or 1 tbsp coarse kosher salt
* 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
* 2 cups lukewarm water (about 95 degrees)

prep day: combine all ingredients in bowl of mixer, set with paddle attachment, and mix on lowest speed for 1 minute until well blended and smooth. dough should form a coarse, shaggy ball. let rest, uncovered for 5 minutes. switch to dough hook and mix on medium-low speed for 2 minutes. dough should be smooth, supple, and tacky but not sticky.

knead dough by hand on lightly floured work surface for 1 minute, then transfer to a large clean, lightly oiled bowl. cover with plastic wrap and immediately refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days.

baking day: remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours prior to baking. gently transfer to lightly floured work surface, taking care to degas it as little as possible. divide dough into 10-ounce pieces for baguettes.

form baguettes: pat each piece of divided dough into a thick rectangle. fold the bottom half to the center and seal the seam. fold the top half to the center and once again seal the seam. roll the top half of the dough over the seam to create a new seam on the bottom of the loaf. rock loaf back and forth to extend it to desire length, 6-12 inches. let rest for 5-10 minutes. repeat the same folding process: bottom to center, top to center, and pinch to create a seam. with seam side underneath, gently rock loaf back and forth, with hands moving out toward and increasing pressure at the ends, to slightly taper the loaf until baguette is the length of baguette pan (or baking sheet).

mist top of dough with spray oil, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and proof at room temperature (preferably in a couche, or improvise on a clean linen towel, dusted with flour – leaving 3 inches between loaves so fabric can be bunched up to create “walls” for support while proofing; you could also place the prepared towel and loaves on a baguette pan to further aid in keeping its shape, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until increased to 1 1/2 times its original size.

prepare for hearth baking: about 45 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees. place a sheet pan, which will serve as the steam pan, with a 1-inch rim on shelf under which baguettes will be baked. remove plastic wrap from the dough 15 minutes prior to baking. gently roll dough onto baguette pan. just prior to baking, score the dough 1/2 inch deep with a serrated knife or razor. transfer loaves to the oven, pour 1 cup hot water into the steam pan. always use an oven mitt and wear long sleeves when adding water to the hot steam pan to prevent steam burns. it’s also advisable to cover the oven window with a dry dish towel to prevent backsplash from hitting the window and cracking it – but remember to remove the towel before closing oven door! using a watering can with a long spout when pouring the water into the steam pan provides control and distance from the hot steam.

bake for 12 minutes, then rotate pan and bake for another 15-25 minutes, until the crust is rich golden brown, the loaves sound hollow when thumped, and the internal temperature is about 200 degrees in the center. cool on wire rack for at least 35 minutes before slicing or serving. best eaten the same day, or heated briefly in the oven the next day if crust loses its crispness.

bonne chance! xo

{p.s} recent table for two features:
* crab bruschetta
* rose martini

{second image & recipe from kiss my spatula}

. . . with utterly delectable recipes such as lobster lobster mac 'n cheese, ginger-champagne pancakes with champagne-poached pears, apricot pistachio chocolate mousse tartlets, rosemary pancakes with poached pears, chocolate ricotta and lemon poppyseed pound cake and chocolate & lemon mascarpone cupcakes{!}, desserts for breakfast, by bay area graduate student, stephanie, will have your inner martha whipping up deliriously beautiful concoctions in no time, or at least inspired to do so . . . unless, of course, you're like me and have an astonishing lack of culinary skills, and, like carrie, might as well keep sweaters in your oven . . .
















{above: kiwi & pineapple sorbets}

{p.s.} a few things on this sunny thursday afternoon:
* previous table for two: katie quinn davies
* special thanks to felicity for another lovely link xo
* also, in case you may have missed the tweets, a brand new page...

{all images © stephanie s. 2009-2010 for desserts for breakfast}

. . . has only been a little while since our last breakfast in paris, but any time away from paris is far too long and while we may not be having our croissants and café au lait in the jardin du luxembourg this beautiful summer morning, we will be packing our weekend carryalls for a little time away . . .

{p.s.} don' you just adore the rhinestone detail against the wicker?

{one last thing:} weekend wishes & links to follow xo

{images:1 - taverne agency via living art interiors; 2 - heather bullard via everything fabulous; 3 - oliveaux}

. . . few things are lovelier than the chance to give back, and so, quite adore the market bag from california-based apolis activism: produced by saidpur enterprise, a non-profit in bangladesh, the market bag is handcrafted by from locally grown golden jute and vegetable tanned leather reinforced with antique nickel rivets, and finished with a waterproof lining and an interior pocket, perfect for summer saturday mornings picking up bouquets and baguettes . . .

{images: apolis activism via commerce with a conscience; this project employs 75 women in bangledesh}