Alice Waters. Chez Panisse. Slow Food.
Living as we do in the era of fast and faster food–you know flamin’ cheetos and deep fried oreos–how good it is to slow down and reflect upon what we eat, when we eat it, and to appreciate the people and places that grow our food!
Alice Waters has dedicated her adult life to just that–joining the celebration of food with a sustainable model for preserving the land: “I was thinking about a philosophy of food that’s been around since the beginning of civilization: You buy what’s in the market, you eat what’s locally in season, you share it with family and friends, and you take care of the land.”
Along the way, Waters has amassed quite a few awards. The James Beard Foundation recognized her as “The Best Chef in America” in 1992 and also recognized Chez Panisse as “The Best Restaurant in America.” President Obama recognized her with a National Humanities Award for “celebrating the bond between the ethical and the edible.” And on and on…and on.
Waters has just published a new book, We are What We Eat: A Slow Food Manifesto. In her book, she argues for a new culinary paradigm for America, one where America turns its back on the fast food values of uniformity, convenience, cheapness and speed and, instead, embraces beauty, seasonality, stewardship and simplicity: “Growing up in New Jersey, I remember taking in the changing seasons in awe. Our family would go for drives to see the trees changing colors in the fall and flowers coming up in the spring, and look for ripe tomatoes and corn in summer. Paying attention to these things gives you a sense of meaning in life. We’ve deadened ourselves to this, which is another horrible crime of fast food culture. It’s taken away our ability to find meaning in everyday life. We’re looking on our phones for feelings that can’t be found there. A kiss on the cheek? Or touching a beautiful fabric? These feelings are found in the real world. We need to get back to the understanding that beauty can be found by taking in the endless wonder of nature—and also in small actions, like lighting candles on your dinner table.”
This Almond Torte is a Chez Panisse recipe from Lindsey Remolif Shere’s acclaimed cookbook, Chez Panisse Desserts. Shere was a pastry chef at Chez Panisse.
So…put down your phone (Yes. I’m speaking to you.), don your chef’s apron, and find a little beauty in this Almond Torte. Here is the recipe.
Almond Torte
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 C. sugar
- 7/8 C. soft almond paste
- 1 C. softened unsalted butter
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 1/8 t. almond extract (optional)
- 6 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 C. flour
- 1 1/2 t. baking powder
- 1/4 t. salt
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
- Amarena Cherries for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and prepare a 9-inch springform pan by buttering it liberally and lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Step 2 Break up the almond paste with your fingers and process it with the sugar in a food processor. Move the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Step 3 Beat the butter and the vanilla extract (and optional almond extract) into the sugar/almond paste mixture and then continue beating until the mixture is creamed and is light and airy. Add the whole eggs (one at a time) and mix after each addition until you have thoroughly incorporated the eggs into your batter.
- Step 4 Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) and mix just until thoroughly combined.
- Step 5 Spoon the batter into your prepared springform pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the top of the cake comes out clean and the center of the cake, when pressed, feels firm but springy. This should take between 1 and 1 1/4 hours. Remove the baked cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before releasing the sides of the springform pan.
- Step 6 Garnish with powdered sugar and/or amarena cherries and enjoy.
This recipe is adapted from Chez Panisse Desserts. The cookbook is available through your local bookstore and through Amazon here.
