Pastry Queen stays rather busy with book, new eatery

Oct 10, 2007 11:10:11

IN THE KITCHEN Local celeb chef Rebecca Rather whisks into action Pastry Queen has a new book, new restaurant, new recipes By Kitty Crider Wednesday, October 10, 2007 The Pastry Queen's life is spinning faster than her Hobart mixer. She has a second cookbook out, "The Pastry Queen Christmas" ($32.50, Ten Speed Press) with Alison Oresman. And she is putting the final touches on a second eatery, Rebecca's Table. The Pastry Queen is Rebecca Rather, chef-owner of Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe in Fredericksburg. It's been seven years since this talented woman, known for her decadent desserts with flair, moved from Austin to the Hill Country town to rear her daughter, ride her horses and bake her tempting scones, cookies, cakes and tarts. Book signings Oct. 15: Gardens, Austin Oct. 20: Der Kuchen Laden, Fredericksburg Nov. 4: Texas Book Festival, Austin Nov. 10: Villa Texas, Fredericksburg Nov. 12: Lake Austin Spa, Austin Nov. 12: Central Market Cooking School, Austin Dec. 6: Sweet Charity Gift Boutique, Austin Dec. 9: BookPeople, Austin Dec. 16: Barnes & Noble Westlake, Austin Dec. 17: Lake Austin Spa, Austin In this small-town setting, she has flourished. Her customers have become her friends. The town has become her village. Her bakery at 249 Main St. has more than doubled, added a cafe and been written up nationally. Among the accolades, Nick Malgieri, renowned pastry chef, teacher and author, named hers one of the top 10 bakeries in the nation in USA Today. "Not bad for a self-taught baker who was once so broke she had to trade desserts for haircuts," Rather writes in her new book. Its cover showcases a giant fresh coconut cake, photographed by former Austinite Laurie Smith. The cake is towering but not overly garnished. That's not her style. Luscious impact is — from her famous "big-haired" key lime tarts with curly meringue as over-the-top as some Texas women's hair to decorated pig cookies with holly around their necks. Her success has been her baking — at Tony's in Houston, where she was executive pastry chef; at corporate Schlotzsky's, where she developed a new line of desserts for the chain; at her own shop in Austin, then Fredericksburg. But she is going beyond that now. Her new cookbook, which will be featured at the Texas Book Festival in early November, includes appetizers, entrees, drinks and sides, as well as some desserts including her famous earthquake cake. Her new restaurant, scheduled to open this month in the old Cuvee location at 342 W. Main St. in Fredericksburg, will serve dinner only, with desserts, of course, from the bakery. Isn't a dinner-only restaurant a big departure for her? Not really, she says. "We do a huge lunch business at the cafe, over 150." Rebecca's Table will offer simple, farm-fresh cuisine, she says of the 50-seat restaurant with a wine cellar and full bar. It will be open evenings Tuesday through Saturday and the menu will be mostly local — produce, lamb, venison, quail. The menu will change often, and this fall it will include a number of the recipes from her new book. "The Pastry Queen Christmas" cookbook differs from her first book in that the photos seem to focus on Fredericksburg almost as much as the food. From the annual Christmas parade down Main Street to Santa races, she introduces the people she has come to love and feed. "I care about these people and the town and the kids and what is happening," she says in a phone interview. In the book, she thanks the community: "No one complained once when I served Cajun Roast Turkey and Corn Bread Dressing as a lunch special during the dog days of August." She writes about attending the same church as the late Lady Bird Johnson in nearby Stonewall and about meeting her personal chef at the grocery. They share recipes. The new book has a country Christmas feel, with strung cranberries, margaritas in Mason jars, a Sunday House German gingerbread house. Photos of locals riding longhorns down the street, Rather on her beloved horse Junior, kids with cookies. "I wanted to show the Christmas spirit in the town and how much it is about community. People want to believe that this exists in a world of war and terrorism. They want to believe that it can exist in Small Town, Texas. And it does." In a cookbook, too. kcrider@statesman.com; 445-3656 Green olive beef tenderloin My mother often made this on Christmas Eve and I always loved it, but she never gave me the recipe. When I started writing this book, I knew I had to re-create it from memory. The olives were all my mind could conjure up, plus a little salt, pepper and olive oil, so that's where I started. The olive-topped tenderloin emerged from the oven. I cut into it and took a cautious bite. It was perfect. — Rebecca Rather 3 lbs. beef tenderloin, trimmed 1/4 cup olive oil 1 Tbsp. kosher salt 2 tsp. freshly ground pepper 2 cups large pimiento-stuffed green olives, halved 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive juice from the green olives Coat the tenderloin with olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Sear the tenderloin in an extra-large saute pan for about 1 minute on each side, or until it is nicely browned. Place the tenderloin in a roasting pan. Spread the olives across the top of the meat and pour the olive juice evenly over everything. Roast for 9 minutes (3 minutes per pound), then turn off the oven and leave the roast undisturbed for 45 minutes (for medium-rare). Do not open the oven door during this time. Remove from the oven and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Carve and serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings. TIP: Let the roast stay in the oven for 1 hour if you prefer your meat medium or medium-well. RATHER SWEET VARIATION:Although this roast is wonderful as is, I often serve it with a simple homemade horseradish sauce: In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup prepared horseradish (or more to taste), and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. Pass the sauce in a serving dish as an accompaniment. — 'The Pastry Queen Christmas' PANNA COTTA PARFAITS WITH HIBISCUS-BERRY COMPOTE I first learned about panna cotta, the wonderful dessert from Italy's Piedmont region, when I worked as the executive pastry chef for restaurateur Tony Vallone in Houston. I loved it for several reasons. For one thing, it's so versatile you can change it up in infinite ways — with a touch of chocolate or caramel sauce, a sprinkling of fresh berries or vanilla bean paste. You can add rum, brandy or any liqueur. Heavy cream is its main ingredient, but sour cream, creme fraiche, buttermilk, mascarpone, or even yogurt can be added in small amounts to make the dessert richer or tangier. — Rebecca Rather 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1/2 cup milk 2 cups heavy whipping cream 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/2 cup sour cream 2 Tbsp. cognac (optional) Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk in a measuring cup. Let the mixture soften (without stirring) for 5 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine cream and vanilla beans and heat over medium-low heat just until barely steaming, not boiling or simmering. Whisk in the powdered sugar and heat until warm. Whisk in the gelatin mixture, then the sour cream. Remove from the heat and stir in the cognac. Pour the panna cotta into individual glasses. Let cool, then refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. COMPOTE 6 hibiscus teabags, or 4 heaping tablespoons dried hibiscus 2 cups boiling water 1 cup granulated sugar 2 cups mixed dried cranberries, cherries, and blueberries To make the compote: Put the teabags or dried hibiscus in a medium saucepan and pour the boiling water over. Let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags or strain out the hibiscus. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the dried fruit. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 2 hours. Spoon compote in the center of each chilled panna cotta and serve. (You can cover the entire top of the panna cotta or let a bit of panna cotta show around the edges of the fruit.) You will have extra sauce, a minor blessing, as it is fabulous on ice cream or frozen yogurt, pound cake, or pancakes. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 1 month. Makes 6 servings. — 'The Pastry Queen Christmas'