Michelle Fattore stands behind her fresh from the oven Raisin Bread (while wearing one of my Bringing Sexy Back to the Kitchen aprons).

I first met my good pal, Michelle Fattore, back in our culinary school days. Since then we have enjoyed many culinary co-pursuits, most significantly during our time together as fellow facilitators at Barb Finley’s wonderful Project Chef program. Here we spent 3 months helping to teach elementary school children how to Cook Healthy Edible Food. Since then, Michelle has remained active on the culinary scene. After completing Northwest Culinary Academy’s Pastry Program, she dove straight into the restaurant industry with her usual sparkly enthusiasm. It was Vancouver’s Pear Tree that provided her with her first serious industry experience. Here she honed her skills as the restaurant’s garde manger and pastry maker. Chef / owner Scott Jaeger’s thoughtful menus consistently feature top quality local ingredients. Michelle says that her experience working with Jaeger brought with it a great appreciation for his inspiring and creative menu development.

Michelle’s next food related adventure took her to Vancouver’s Tea Room. Locally owned and operated, The Tea Room retails its products from a single West Broadway location, and additionally operates as an international wholesaler to five star hotel restaurants. When it became evident that the out-of-house baked goods being served at the shop were not up to the top quality of the teas for sale, an opportunity presented itself for Michelle to step in and create a unique and delicious offering of products that would compliment the teas.

I have always been a big fan of Michelle’s unique creations. She is imaginative with her recipes and truly cares about producing beautiful food for others to enjoy. The line of baked goods she now features not only match the quality of the tea, but also serve as a complimentary backdrop to the teas themselves. Scones are the biggest seller, but her cookies, squares, breads and caramels are just as worthy of a tea-side nibble. Here is a list of what she had on offer when I dropped by the shop last week:

Scones: White Chocolate & Citrus, Pear & Ginger, Chunky Monkey, Cheddar & Herb
Cookies: Shortbread, Ginger Sparkle Cookies, Oatmeal Currant Cookies, Salted Chocolate Peppermint Sablee
Brioche, Raisin Bread
Date Cake with Vanilla Toffee Sauce
Pecan Butter Tart Squares
Handmade Lavender Caramels

On the weekends she brings in more….items such as bread pudding and wild yam cookies.

Michelle was kind enough to share her recipe for Salted Chocolate Mint Sablee, a classic French cookie from Britanny. This is actually a form of ‘refrigerator cookie’, meaning that they are made from stiff dough that has been chilled before baking. Dough stored in the fridge can be kept on hand for longer periods of time and then baked fresh, when desired. Refrigerator cookie dough can also be baked into any shape.

Salted Chocolate Peppermint Sablee Cookies

¾ cup + 2 tbsp of butter, softened
6 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp organic peppermint leaves
1 egg (for egg wash)
1 tbsp sea salt + 2 tbsp sugar mixed together

Cream sugar and butter together till light and fluffy.

In separate bowl beat eggs until frothy. Add eggs a bit at a time to butter and sugar ensuring that eggs are well incorporated each time.

In another separate bowl sift together all dry ingredients and then add to wet. Pour out the dough onto lightly floured surface and shape into 2 blocks. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (you can freeze one if it is too much). Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper into a square that is 4-5mm thick. Cut into squares that are 10cm by 10cm, place on cookie sheet and return to fridge for another 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 375*. Brush with egg wash and dust with sugar salt mix. Bake 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with more mix, trim squares and cut into triangles. Cool on wire rack.

I clearly remember doing a workshop excercise which required me to identify who in my life I considered to be the most creative. Immediately, my friend Gitte came to mind. The glamour and style she draws from her skills and experience as a makeup artist combined with a fantastic eye, an abundantly creative spirit, and a consistent joie de vivre all make for a stylishly crafty gal who, in turn, makes living a full, artfully expressive and adventurous life look delightfully fun (and effortless). On the day of my last visit she was sporting a t-shirt that read I (heart) LIFE, was in the process of making hand cut leather tiaras (see above) and had just completed painting her sun deck bright pink (also see above).

I have been a huge fan of her photographs for years. In the last few weeks, a montage of her food photos have found themselves adorning her kitchen cupboards, documenting good eats she has enjoyed on recent travel adventures to Thailand, Mexico, and L.A., as well as here at home in Vancouver. Gitte explains that having these images in plain view inspires her when feeling peckish, encouraging her to take those extra few minutes to prepare something fresh, healthy and tasty……as opposed to her earlier habit of reaching for chips or crackers. She now keeps her kitchen well stocked with a constant supply of fresh avocados, greens, garlic, chiles and cashews, as well as orange mint, lemon balm and chives which come from her own indoor herb garden. She also keeps some good tequila on hand….for balance.

A simple dish of green mango, beef, lime, garlic and mint proved to be Gitte’s ‘culinary highlight’ and most inspiring food photo during a recent trip to Thailand (at ‘Fruit’ Restaurant in the mainland village of Pai) Gitte Photo.

Mango Crepes. Gitte Photo.

Fresh caught fish poached in a spicy broth, served in a shack at Railey Beach, Thailand. Fellow diners included construction workers, rock climbers and a few flies. Gitte Photo.

Cupboards in Gitte’s kitchen serve as both a photo gallery and culinary inspiration. Gitte photos.