I'd lived in Seattle for years before I realized there was a little gem of a restaurant tucked in between the butcher and the tea shop in Pike Place Market.  I don't remember what finally prompted me to take a look - I think it was a benefit event - but once I found this little hidden spot it became a favorite. 

 

Maximilien is a French café staffed by mainly French expats, it seems.  I seem to spend most of my time there in the upstairs bar with the lovely view of the sound and on out to West Seattle.   I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I'd never realized that they also have a rooftop deck that is perfect for summer weather happy hours.  Between the time it took me to find them in the first place and our normal Seattle weather that keeps us indoors so many months of the year, I should have suspected there might be more to the story.  But now I've learned and I'm so glad I have. 

 

 

 

 

 

Seattle is lacking, I think, in places with outdoor seating that take advantage of the gorgeous west view.  In my head I know that an investment of that sort in a city that sees so few days suitable for outdoor dining is an extravagance, but my heart still hopes for them every time the skies are clear and the temperatures rise into the 60s.  So it was with great surprise and pleasure I realized I'd been missing an opportunity.

 

A friend and I arrived at Happy Hour on Friday night.  If you go, make sure you get there by 5:00 pm as the outdoor seating fills quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunbrellas dot the deck in a jaunty asymmetrical pattern.  Every table has a view but those just along the outer wall or one row back definitely have the advantage.  The Happy Hour has eight items priced at $2.95 or you can get all eight for a flat $20 - now that's a nice deal.  Servings are small but still generous enough that a couple make a meal.  We ordered three items between the two of us and didn't finish everything.  There are also specials on drinks.  The best deals are the wine, I think.  I ordered a couple of the French Martinis which are tasty but during Happy Hour seem to be a little short on the vodka. 

 

In addition to Happy Hour the deck is open for lunch and dinner. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After my brunch I found myself with quite a few remaining strawberries.  Some had been sliced and sugared for drinks but many were still gorgeous whole berries.  I knew, however, that I would not be able to eat them all before they started going bad.  I thought about making jam but I still have quite a lot left from last year and I also have my heart set on making cherry jam this year so I didn't need any more jam.  I also thought about freezing them whole for future use but decided that didn't really appeal to me at this time.  And then it came to me - syrup -  gorgeous strawberry syrup.  

 

Making syrup is a lot like making jam but you don't need to cook it down as much or use pectin, natural or packaged.  I've made syrup in the past but couldn't find my recipe and an Internet search turned up very few real options, surprisingly.  So I just created my own.  The one concern I have with this recipe is that I am not positive that the amount of sugar I used is enough to keep the syrup from growing lovely, little green mold at a future date.  So I know this recipe is great for short term use but I'm not sure how long it will last, even if canned.  Please keep that in mind if you follow this recipe. 

 

In the short-term, though, this is a really fresh, berrilicisous syrup perfect on everything from waffles and pancakes to that evening bowl of ice-cream.  This recipe makes about 8 cups, feel free to reduce the ingredients to make a smaller batch.  And adjust the sugar to your taste but I wouldn't reduce the amount only add to it. 

 

About 8 hallacks (pints) of strawberries, stemmed and sliced

3 cups of sugar

7 Tbsp of orange juice

Vanilla Bean (optional), sliced in half

 

Blend or mash the berries until all pieces of berry are gone.  Pour the liquid through a strainer to remove any larger seeds that are remaining.  You should have seven cups of strawberry puree remaining. 

 

Add the puree, sugar, orange juice and (if desired) the vanilla beans (scraped from the pod) and pod to a large pot.  Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil and all the sugar has dissolved.  If you want a thicker syrup you may boil it down a little.  Just remember as it cools it will thicken.  Also, the shorter amount of time that you boil the mixture the more you'll retain the fresh berry flavor. 

 

Remove from the heat and scrape any foam that has accumulated off the syrup.  Dispose of the foam. 

 

If you are going to try to can this recipe, ladle the hot syrup into hot jars and process as you would for jam.  Or, let the syrup cool and pour into jars or bottles to be stored in the refrigerator. 

 

I love how the cold berry syrup contrasts with hot, buttery pancakes or waffles!  Little yin-yang bites of flavor.... 

 

 

 

 

 

For the last several years I've held a Summer/Spring brunch just for the ladies.  Although Pacific Northwest weather is not known for reliably sunny days at this time of year I lucked out again this year.  Actually it wasn't sunny per se, but it was dry and warm enough to be outside. 

 

My friends started arriving at 10:00.  As they came in I sent them out to the deck where I'd set up tables with coffee, tea and an assortment of sparkling beverages including sparkling wine, sparkling lemonade, Pellegrino and, not sparkling but festive, rosé.   Everyone gathered on the deck greeting those they knew and meeting those they did not. 

 

About 10:30 a couple friends helped me get all the serving dishes on the table and then everyone took a seat.  The next couple of hours were spent eating and chatting and laughing.  It was a pretty prefect Sunday morning. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's finally time.  Fresh, local strawberries are arriving in abundance in local markets.  How I love local, spring strawberries!  You can use them in all the traditional ways and this recipe is a nice little twist.  I picked it up several years ago when I attended a class taught by Greg Atkinson.  It's always a winner when I bring it to parties.  The crust is really more of a shortbread cookie - I've often thought of eating it all on it's own it's so good.  It's topped with pastry cream and then you finish it with whatever fruit is in season or readily available. 

 

adapted from Entertaining in the Northwest Style by Greg Atkinson 

 

·         Almond Pastry

·         Vanilla Pastry Cream

·         An assortment of fruit like raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, peaches, nectarine, champagne grapes, blueberries, etc

Prepare the Almond Pastry ahead of time and keep it at room temperature.  Prepare the Vanilla Pastry Cream and keep it refrigerated. 

No more than 2 hours before serving assemble the tart.  Spread the pastry cream on the pastry.  (It will be a little stiff so I always give it a good stir to loosen it a bit before spreading.) Arrange the fruit in rows (the long way) on the tart.  Cut tart into 6-2” pieces and serve.

Almond Pastry

¼ cup butter, softened

½ package (3.5 oz) almond paste

2 Tbsp sugar

1 medium egg white

1 cup flour

¼ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Beat butter, almond paste and sugar on medium speed in a mixer or by hand until smooth and creamy.  Add the egg white and beat until smooth.  Reduce speed and add flour and salt, beating just until combined. 

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and form it into a log.  Flatten the log into a rectangle and then roll out to 6”x12”. 

Carefully transfer to the baking sheet.  (I like to slide the parchment or silicone mat under it and then lift onto the sheet.)  Prick all over with a fork.

Bake until the pastry is brown around the edges and slightly puffed, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool completely on pan then carefully move to the serving tray. 

Top with pastry cream and fruit. 

Vanilla Pastry Cream

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

½ tsp salt

1 whole egg, plus 1 yolk

1 cup whole milk

½ vanilla bean, split and scraped

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Put the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a heavy saucepan.  Whisk in the egg and extra yolk.  When the mixture is smooth, whisk in the milk and vanilla bean.

Cook the custard over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.  Whisk rapidly to prevent lumps.  When the custard is the consistency of sour cream (this happens pretty quickly) transfer it to a mixing bowl immediately.  Remove the bean pod, and then stir in the butter and vanilla extract.  Chill the custard completely before using it as a filling. 

Here are a couple other photos of versions I've made in past years.  The first photo is a double tart.  I used extra pastry cream to hide the seam, where the candles are, and added a bit more fruit later to hold the candles up better.