Are you having a fun summer? It's absolutely my favorite time of year... I love the clothes and the weather and generally I find most people's attitudes and disposition a bit sunnier as well. Don't get me wrong I like like all of the seasons but I prefer to just visit the cold and windy ones briefly and preferably attired in ski clothing shushing down a mountain or snuggled in front of a roaring fire sipping something delicious.
Now that we are well into summer when I'm out walking or running errands my thoughts have been drifting to the winter holidays... really... because I usually make something for the gifts of the party we attend on 24, December and I'm torn between setting up the sewing machine or baking something (which is what I usually do) I was thinking about making some batik images based on one of David Hockney's swimming pool images...
and then taking the fabric and turning it into something else... Seems like I have time but I usually like to get these projects going by the end of summer or at least have a plan.
Speaking of The Four Seasons... the quintessential restaurant in The Seagram Building served it's last souffle this past weekend... I'm glad I was able to go back one last time for lunch I only wish it had been during the holidays but c'est la vie! It was probably one of the most elegant and spectacular restaurants in the world... I loved the decor and design as much as I enjoyed the crowd and meal... it really was where I started to appreciate the concept of seasonal variations in cuisine and embrace simplicity and originality of food pared with the perfect wines... the attention to details in terms of presentation and service were was made the place great. All this being said you may think I'm a regular patron... I'm not but I used to live with someone in the 70's and early 80's who was and he conducted many power lunches there. Truth be told over the years I've only eaten there about two dozen times and only a few meals at night... The Four Seasons had two splendid entrances leading to The Bar Room usually referred to as The Grill Room, The Bar and The Pool Room. Over the years I've had lunch along side...Ile Nastase, Ingrid Bergman, Olivia Newton John, Stephen Sondheim, Gregory Peck and Ethel Merman. In the 70's the proprietors were Tom Margittai and Paul Kovi who really revitalized it and breathed new life into The Four Seasons and attracted a younger clientele. Julian Niccolini and Alex von Bidder have been at the helm for the last 21 years and I've heard they plan to open a new venue next year nearby on Park Avenue. It's truly the end of an era... but it's important to remember that sometimes endings are cleverly disguised as new beginnings.
I just loved the place, the people and the food... because it was elegant and so were the other patrons for the most part and the meals were always sublime... but the magic of it was it evolved and changed with the seasons and from day into night. For the last several years my agent and I have had a standing date there for lunch around the winter holidays to recap the year and plan for the future... it has been one of the highlights of the holidays for me and I guess now we need to start making new plans or we are going to be at loose ends come December.
When my then partner in crime was a regular Mr. Margittai and Mr. Kovi used to give a delicious gift basket in December that had the most sumptuous selection of candies, truffles and an amazing fruit cake... of which I have the recipe for both... So If I don't find some inspiration with the batik and sewing idea I do have the truffles and/or fruitcake to fall back on.
The Four Seasons Christmas Fruitcake
1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound sugar
20 eggs
2 pounds bread flour
3 pounds candied fruit (oranges, lemons, angelica, red and green cherries) chopped
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup rum
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
zest of two lemons
2 cups roughly chopped walnuts
Topping
Confectioners' sugar
3 pounds marzipan
Simple Syrup
Granulated Sugar
Melted semisweet chocolate
Grease and lightly flour five 8X4X21/2 inch loaf pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and slowly add the sugar and keep beating until fluffy, add the eggs three at a time (I do it in a measuring cup) and beat well after each addition. When half the eggs have been added beat in 1/2 pound of flour and then add the remaining eggs three at a time.
Add about one cup of the candied fruit and toss to coat, add the remaining flour to the mixing bowl, split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the batter. stir in the remaining ingredients (except the fruit and nuts). Blend well and then add the fruit and nuts and stir to mix. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and tap them against the work surface to settle the batter and remove any trapped air. Smooth the top. Place the pans on a cookie sheet and bake for an hour and 15 minutes.. Let cool completely. If the tops are rounded trim them so they are flat.
Sprinkle your work surface with confectioners' sugar and divide the marzipan into five parts and roll each into a 1/4" thick rectangle... add more confectioners' sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Trim the marzipan to an even 8X14-inch rectangle.
Brush the marzipan with simple syrup and place the cooled fruitcake on the marzipan and roll it up to coat the cake except for the short ends. Place granulated sugar on wax paper and brush the top and sides of the marzipan with simple syrup and then dip in the granulated sugar to coat.
With a knife make a crosshatch design on top. With the melted chocolate decorate the sides with a row of chocolate using a pastry bag and then make leaves or or holiday shapes on the top, and repeat with the remaining four cakes.
I suspect the many people who say they don't like fruitcake have never had one that was homemade because this cake is alway a crowd pleaser.
If you would like the recipe for the Chocolate Truffles make sure you come back next week. Enjoy summer and have fun and remember to drink a lot of water.
