Paradise reclaimed

blackberrysouffle

By the gate of our garden, alongside the little road that leads to the house, there is a wild patch of land that we seldom visit. It’s filled with thorns and thistles, ferns and more distressingly, snakes. The dogs like to go there to hunt for rabbits or mice and once we found Sky, a fox terrier bitch, under the trunk of a dead tree in this wild spot, deep into labor – we were just in time. We call this mystical place Eden, because of the snakes I suppose. In Eden there are sometimes blackberries and we can pick them from the safety of our garden without having to enter. We only take the ones on the higher branches in case the lower ones have been soiled by foxes or other animals. Gaïa, my youngest is absolutely crazy about blackberries and has stained so many dresses with her sticky little fingers. At least the stains are of a lovely color. It’s a case of endless frustration for her that she’s not allowed to pick the lower berries and as Eden doesn’t have so many berries they were soon gone. She found that even more frustrating.

makingsouffle

A mind of a two-year old is endlessly fascinating and we noticed that Gaïa, who usually is just glued to me, starting venturing about, trying to get out of the garden. The dogs have a route and Gaïa found it. She was drawn to the forest as if her mind was telling her that even if the berries here were gone, there must be more elsewhere. About ten days ago she was particularly insistent, so Oddur and I took her on a little walk, to satisfy her curiosity. I was hopeful and brought a basket, if not for blackberries then perhaps a few cèpes? We didn’t go very far, only a few hundred meters, and we didn’t find much of anything. Gaïa just couldn’t understand it, she had been so certain. It was a lovely walk though and the dogs enjoyed it more than anyone. I love to walk amongst the dogs when the evening sun hits the forest and their enthusiastic running surrounds us with a cloud of powdery earth.
Hudson felt sorry for his sister, he knows what it’s like to want things badly. He always wants something and he usually gets it. This time would be no different, he was on the case. His father encouraged him, “I’m sure there must be a few more in the garden, you just have to look”, he said in a serious tone meaning that Hudson should not give up easily. And Hudson looked and found. He found an enormous amount to be exact. He brought back a whole bowl. He said there were more and he was right. About ten bowls worth. He had found them in the opposite end of the garden, as far away from Eden as possible. In the wettest part of the garden, which turns to a lake in winter. I’m sure they weren’t there last year, or maybe they were, who knows.

blackberries2

This story, if it’s even a story, reminds me of a novel by the Icelandic Nobel laureate Halldór Laxness. A farmer goes looking for a promised land and paradise but doesn’t succeed and returns home where he finds everything he was looking for. The book is called Paradise Reclaimed (Paradísarheimt) and is a reminder that the things we are looking for are very often just under our noses. Paradise is a state of mind or in this case a whole lot of blackberries.

blackberries

The question was, what to do with all the blackberries? It’s still summer (yes, don’t argue with me on that) so ice-cream seemed ideal. I love a good soufflé so that was an option too. A simple soufflé with blackberry ice cream, or a blackberry soufflé with vanilla ice-cream. In the end I made it all with blackberries. The ice-cream and soufflé took a bit of time so I had to come up with something quick for the main course. I was inspired by my walk in the forest and that’s what I wanted, flavors of the forest. Luckily I had just bought some figs and girolles and had some shortcrust pastry ready to be used. I love Rocamadour cheese (a lovely creamy goat’s cheese and small in size) and thought it would be a great match with Bayonne ham and a succulent slice of fig. So I made a cheese pastry with all these ingredients, or should I say a fromage en croûte, surrounded by delicious girolles en persillade (sautéed with butter, parsley and garlic). This dish is just like a walk in the woods.

Talking of paradise, my husband has just found his. For him, paradise is a dog called Humfri. Or more precisely Glendraterra Humfri Bogart. He had seen a photo of this dog when he was 4 months old and I don’t think he’s let a day pass since without mentioning him. He says it’s the most beautiful Smooth Fox Terrier in the world and therefore the most beautiful dog in the world. Not a small title. His previous owners, a lovely couple called Jenny and Roger of the Glendraterra kennel in England, were finally ready to let him go. He’s an English Champion and has star quality in spades, just like the Humphrey he’s named after. A true terrier, full of energy with a keen interest in the ladies. He’s already been to Paris and Bordeaux and is settling into life in Médoc.

awalkinthewoods

blackberrysouffle2

The other night at dinner my husband was telling the kids that a hundred years from now the families of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be sitting like us, having dinner and they too will have a dog like Humfri under the table – his descendants. I think that’s a lovely thought.

Maybe they’ll be having one of my recipes?

forestflavors

Rocamadour en-croûte with figs, Bayonne ham and girolles en persillade (cheese pastry with Bayonne ham and figs)
(serves 4)

4 little rocamadour cheese, 35 g each (You can use any of your favourite cheese, I would recommend camembert or a rich creamy goat’s cheese)
2 slices Bayonne ham
4 figs
300 g/ 2/3 pounds pâte brisée (shortcrust pastry)
250 g/ 1/2 pound girolles mushrooms
1 egg, for glazing
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp parsley, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, minced
Sea-salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven 425°F/210°C

Roll out the pâte brisée and cut into circles (4&1/2 inches/ 11 cm wide). Slice fig into 4 slices.
Place ½ slice Bayonne ham, then the cheese, then a slice of fig, leaving ½ inch of edge.
Brush the edges with water and place another circle on top. Seal the edges firmly. Decorate as you wish (little leaves for me).
Brush with a glaze of beaten egg and place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden.

Meanwhile, prepare the girolles mushrooms.

Slice the remaining figs in small quarters. In a sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter on a medium heat. Cook the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes, season with salt & pepper. Add the minced garlic, figs and cook for 1 more minutes, then add the chopped parsley and cook for 30 more seconds.

Place the pastry in the center of the plate, and scatter the mushrooms around. Serve immediately.

blackberryicecream

Blackberry ice-cream
(serves 8-10)

400 g/ 2 cups blackberries
75 g/ 6 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
250 ml/ 1 cup heavy cream

Rinse blackberries and drain. In a saucepan, place blackberries, sugar, 2 tablespoons water and lemon juice. Cook for 10-15 minutes on a medium to low heat, stirring frequently. Pass half of the mixture through a sieve so remove pips (or all of the mixture if you don’t like pips). Set aside and leave to cool completely. Then place in the refrigerator for a least 1 hour.
Combine blackberries mixture with the heavy cream. Switch your ice-cream maker on, pour in cream mixture. Churn in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.
Transfer ice-cream to an air-tight container and place in the freezer for a few hours or overnight.

blackberrysouffle3

Blackberries soufflé
(serves 4 medium ramekins)

2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
65 g/ 1/3 cup  + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
400 g/ 2 cups blackberries (keep about 20 aside to freeze for garnishing)
2 tbsp orange blossom water
½ tbsp cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 210°C/ 425°F
Butter the ramekins and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place in the refrigerator until usage.
In a saucepan, cook blackberries with 2 tbsp sugar for 5 minutes on a medium heat. Mash blackberries with a fork and pass through a sieve. Add 2 tbsp orange blossom water. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time and set aside until cooled.
Whisk egg whites till they hold soft peaks, gradually adding ½ tbsp cornstarch and 60 g sugar.
Fold in the blackberries mixture to the egg whites. Fill the ramekins to the brim with the mixture and level off the surface with a spatula.
Place ramekins on a baking tray in the center of the oven and bake at 210° C/ 425°F for 11-14 minutes (depending on oven strength), or until well-risen and golden.
Sprinkle with icing sugar, place a few frozen blackberries on top of soufflés and serve immediately.

humfri

147 thoughts on “Paradise reclaimed

    1. Vous etes tres jolie Mimi and I spend hours looking at this exquisite site that you have created. You inspire me to cook! I can’t wait for your cookbook and hope it wil be available in Aux Etats Unis. Merci Beaucoup for creating such a beautiful piece of art work on this site. I look forward to see what you share next. Bon Appetit!

  1. Reading your blog is like listening to a fairy tale. The words and pictures are beautiful, whimsical, there is a moral to the tale, it has a happy ending and I am left feeling satisfied.

    Now about those recipes….I think I need to find some blackberries. Those were always my favorite when I went to my grandmother’s. I can still taste her blackberry cobbler when I think about it and she has been gone for more than 50 years.

  2. Ack, I was about to argue with you and then I realised that it is still summer…lol. Today I had fog horns int he harbour first thing this morning, (since I’m back in Vancouver). In England we had such a dry warm summer that I didn’t get very many blackberries; just enough for a couple of crumbles. Here the blackberries are still going strong and so I think I’ll take this Sunday to collect some. I love your idea of passing down recipes as well as puppies. Last year I translated a few favourite family recipes from my grandmother’s Czech cookbook into English and bound them for a Christmas prezzy for my middle daughter. She loved the little book.

    1. Hello Veronica! Still summer 🙂 I just love how you are giving the translated recipes to your daughter – that is the sweetest gift, to be cherished forever! Happy blackberry picking! Mimi x

  3. Hi mimi!
    Amazing post! This reminds me so much of picking blackberries from the wetlands near my house, I was thrown back when you mentioned Giai’s stained clothes because at one point all my white shirts had the smears of purple on them 🙂 and might I say that photo with the sun streaming down on you and Giai is absolutely majestic. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Kind regards from Australia,
    Morris Tang

    1. Hi Morris! Thanks so much for saying hi 🙂 Picking blackberries is so much fun, especially when little Gaïa eats nearly half of them (and ends up looking like a stain monster!) Best, mimi x

  4. Thank you for your beautiful pictures, stories & inspiration. I have made some of your recipes & I follow you on Istagram. I too am a lover of terriers & have a JRT, a cousin of the fox terrier, named Dart. You give me such joy.

  5. Hello Mimi 🙂 I am intrigued by your daily stories and beautiful photos, and being an aspiring photographer myself, i was wondering what type of camera your husband shoots with? I am very into cooking and baking as well, and it is always a pleasure to make your delicious dishes! I look forward to your reply:)

    1. Hello again! At the moment me and my mother are making your chicken filled with creme fraiche, and can’t wait to taste it once more:) your photos as well inspire me to do food photography, every time i cook or bake:) thank you so much!

      1. Hello Mimi! I am having chicken tonight too – a roast spring chicken with mustard, a recipe I am testing for my new book. I hope you will enjoy the crème fraîche chicken:) To answer your question, my husband uses a Canon EOS 5D camera. I am so glad you enjoy the blog, and that it inspires you do food photography! All the best Mimi x

  6. Hi, this is a wonderful post, and gathers 2 of my favorite foods : blackberries and girolles.. A shame I have goat cheese but just used the girolles and figs.. or I would have cooked instantly this dish.. On the to do list! and thanks for the insights on Icelandic book, will also try to find it,

    1. Bonsoir Dao! Thanks for saying hi! So glad you enjoye dthe post – it’s so enjoyable to cook seasonal treats, and we are certainly spoilt for choice in September. Enjoy the recipes! Mimi x

  7. I was so happy to see you had a post… its like a special treat when you do… the beautiful rich photos… and the food… and your beautiful life… just thought I would say i love your blog!!!

    thank you for such a sweet treat to the senses… and the glimpse into such a wonderful place 🙂
    Sharon…
    BasquePebble at Etsy

    1. Oh well thank you Sharon! I am so grateful you enjoy the blog and the photography – my husband (he’s the photographer) and I share the same passions. Enjoy the recipes! Best, Mimi x

  8. Hi Mimi, beautiful post, interesting story and amazing photos. Love the Blackberry ice-cream recipe wiill pick some berries from the garden and make it, thank you so much Mimi always trying your delcious recipes for my family and friends. Love xx

    1. Hello dear Rowaida!

      Loving all the seasonal fruits you aer posting on IG! You must be having a wonderful time 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind comment! Loving this month of September – lots of exciting things ahead – can’t wait to share with you. Hope your princess is starting a good season too. Mimi x

  9. Hello, Mimi. Your husband calls that dog the most beautiful in the world, and I say that your blog is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. In all possible meanings.
    All the best to your and your loved ones!

  10. Mimi,
    Wonderful storytelling and the recipes…what can I say but lovely.
    I was wondering what size cast iron pot you use for your suffle? I love the presentation, but don’t want to get pots that are too large.
    Thank you!

        1. The size doesn’t really matter, you can really make this soufflé in any size/ramekins. If you use slightly larger ones, I think you’ll make 3 soufflés instead. Mine are mini pot/’cassolettes’. If you double the recipe’s ingredients, I think you’ll end up with 6 soufflés in a standard cheese soufflé ramekin. Mimi x

  11. Just beautiful the thought that the things we are looking for are very often just under our noses. Paradise is a state of mind…. I couldn’t agree more.
    As always I enjoyed so much reading about the story and the recipes, very inspiring indeed. I just need to find some blackberries for the soufflé!!

  12. Hello Mimi! Such a lovely story! What a treasure to have your own personal garden of Eden! I never realized why we don’t eat the berries from the bottom of the bush! (Can you tell I’m a city girl?!) Thank you for enlightening me!!

    Your sweet girl reminds me of my Eva, who picks raspberries at her grandmother’s house (even the ones on the bottom!) with such relish that it’s a joy just to watch her. And, yes, I always try to match her clothes to the colour of the food ;). What a lovely place to raise children! I’m hoping to visit rural France soon (the village of Vianne, after which my daughter is named, to be specific). And your blog only fuels my anticipation! Have a very lovely day! -Rebecca

    1. Bonsoir Rebecca!
      Seeing small children pick berries is the cutest thing ever – it’s just so iconic with their stains and all 🙂
      How lovely to hear you will be visiting France! How exciting 🙂 Bonne soirée, Mimix

  13. What I would give to spend a day with you! Last week, my husband and I made a pork and cranberry pie to celebrate our first year in our home. It looks just like what you made. It was so much fun to spend the whole day picking out ingredients at the market and slowly making dinner, listening to music with a glass of wine. Is that what your day is like? 🙂 I need more of it.

    1. Ah, music, wine, food, cooking – all the necessities for a good life 🙂 I always feel so grateful when I get quality produce, especially when they come from our garden! I am so looking forward to picking the king of all mushrooms, the cèpes! And congratulatiosn on your 1 year anniversary in your home – it sounds like bliss! All the best, Mimi x

  14. Mimi, beautiful blog. As to whether the blackberries may or may not have been there last year, they may have just been canes with no fruit. Blackberries send up canes in the first year, and then they fruit in the second year. If you see a patch that looks like blackberries without fruit, keep an eye on them the next year! First-year canes usually have 5-7 leaflets, while second-year (fruiting) canes typically have 3 leaflets. This isn’t always the case, but it can help to identify whether any brambles you find will fruit this year or not. Happy berry hunting!

  15. I agree with you: it’s still Summer and there’s no point for discussion. Many blogs are already saying goodbye to summer, but here in Porto the weather has been lovely and summery and I’m not ready to say goodbye to it yet. Even though Autumm is my favorite season.
    Yesterday I went picking blackberries too and this morning had a wonderful smoothie, together with raspeberries and strawberries. I think I’ll give it a go at you icecream, to pacify this heat 🙂

    1. Hello there! Ah – so happy you share the same thoughts as me. I am not letting summer go, not just yet. Like you, I think fall is the most interesting of all seasons, especially when it comes to produce, but summer is all about letting your hair down and feeling nice and easy, right :)?
      Enjoy the recipes! Best, Mimix

  16. Bonjour ma chere Mimi.
    I just noticed this story has a category named “The Good Life”……and indeed it is . Eden is there, just ready to be claimed outside our doors…… and you’ve found yours. Bisous xx Anita

    1. Bonsoir from Médoc ma chère! Whenever I write a post, I get to choose the category, the good life, life in Médoc, Feast etc.. It’s one of my favourite parts before clicking ‘Share’, just like labelling a jar before storage 🙂 I surprised my mother-in-law one morning and made her blackberry soufflé for breakfast, good idea, non? Wishing you a lovely week Anita! Bisous, Mimix

  17. Mimi, everything about your blog is beautiful! You, your family, the food, your husband’s photography and of course your stories. I crave your post like crazy. Seriously, I’m addicted to your blog. Thank you for creating such an inviting space for me to curl up to. xoxo

  18. Another enchanting post. I follow so many Northern Hemisphere blogs that I forget what season I am in. Summer is coming, here in Australia and Blackberries . Thank you for the recipes, i can’t wait to try them and looking forward to the book, so I will have all your recipes at hand, instead of scribbled off the blog.

  19. Hi Mimi
    Your beautiful story has taken me straight back to my childhood. My mum would send me out in the morning with a container to collect blackberries for a pie.
    Many many hours later I would come back home with just a few in the container, but a big belly full of wonderful blackberries. My mum new the better of me and our blackberry pie always turned into apple and blackberry, with far more apple than blackberry.
    Thank you for your wonderful stories, photos and recipes.

  20. such an inspiring post! This weekend, I was “à la campaigne” with firends, picking many “fruits rouges” and having them even without washing 🙂 Being a city girl, I can’t appreciate enough to live in a country house! I am longing for another getaway soon to spend more days in the nature. x Betül

  21. Lovely post as always Mimi. I especially loved the stories in this one though, and the reference to the Icelandic Paradise Lost reference. Beautiful photos and words. I have to say, though, the best was that last sentence about how your family and this food will continue for years and years and years – beautiful. x

  22. Hi Mimi, what a lovely post! The pictures are nice, as always, and I like your blackberry receipts. The colour of the icecream is so nice! I also made raspberry ice cream 2 weeks ago. It’s amazing how the colour looks like after I finished it. Have a nice week and I’m looking forward to your next post! Nadine

  23. These stories tell us, your recipes and photographs are simply exquisite.
    A few days ago I prepared some blackberry jam jars for winter breakfast. These recipes show us today are amazing and I can not wait to perform them. Mimi thank you very much to you and your family for all that you share with us.

  24. What a lovely post and beautiful photos as usual!
    Going blackberry picking with my mother and younger brother as a little child in France is one of my best memories.
    I am sure your children will remember those beautiful moments for a long time (and the delicious food they get to eat!).

  25. Bonjour from Greece!
    “Paradise reclaimed” is also the theme of the Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, is it not? Thanks for the lovely story as well as the lovely recipes.

  26. Mimi, it would take too long and too many words to tell you, but just know that your words today touched a spot deep in my soul and I thank you.

  27. Ooh, the soufflés look amazing! I’ve never attempted making soufflé before, but you make it sound so easy that I’m extremely tempted.

  28. Lovely story (yes, I do think it is a story!) I especially adore the part about legacy and passing things on to the next generation whether it be a patch of garden, a recipe, or a story about hunting for blackberries in Eden.

  29. Bonjour Mimi, Thank you for all the lovely inspiration in honor of food, family and making a beautiful life! Your heart shines through in each writing and recipe.

    Cheers

  30. Waiting for your post, is strengthening my patience – thank you! Beauty always takes time as it is captured and claimed in Paradise.

    A Monday morning “summer” kitchen, inspiration, especially the figs, a new author to read and little, 2 year old fingers dying her blackberry dress.

  31. How wonderful! Your darling children will never forget the keen delight of finding the secret berry patch and then you creating a divine dessert ( so beautiful depicted in the Post). I also remember as a child growing up in Germany, walking along the mountain paths picking blackberries with my family. I think we ate them all before any baking could take place.
    I grow my own blackberries now.

  32. Two year-olds are certainly fascinating creatures…maybe a little impish with a clear mission in mind. Reminds me of our Isabella who is now two! The blackberry soufflé looks delightful!

  33. Mimi!,,I just opened my Bon Appetite magazine that came in the mail and there you are!!!!So, exciting for me!It is ten pages beautiful!!
    But why did I not get your last post!!!I went on to find your email and I didNOT get this blackberry post that looks amazing.I need to go back and read it!!

    1. Hello Contessa! Are you counting the days till Paris? 🙂 WordPress did a recent update of of my site (whatever it was, it was some update – I am not a techno lady!) so I have a feeling it has disrupted a thing or two. So it’s best you click that ‘Follow’ button again to receive latest posts:) I hope you enjoyed the Bon Appétit feature – we were very excited to see it! I am going to Cap Ferret tomorrow – it’s going to be a hot summery day! Can’t wait! Mimi x

      1. I did INDEED click that “FOLLOW” button again!Word PRESS……..I have that too for my little site!Say NO MORE!Nor am I a TECHNO LADY!
        Yes, Paris is arriving and I am so looking forward to the trip, but first I go to VENICE to wander and snap photos and wander some more and have a really good cafe!Trying to get a tour of the Opera House now!I have a thing about vintage velvet Opera coats and Opera houses!
        XXXX

        1. Hip hip hurray – you are back on board with the ‘follow’ button! I can’t wait to hear about your adventures in Paris – make sure to have a little meal at Allard in the 6th – loved it during my last trip – this bistrot has recently been taken over by Ducasse – it so so good! Un coup de coeur! Mimi x

  34. I stop by your site every couple of weeks to see your latest adventures.

    Your words capture the wonderful parts of country living, the food markets, and the beautiful results of your cooking.

    Your husband’s pictures show a great visual story!

    Each, equally important to capture the moments.

    I baked your cherry clafoutis recipe yesterday. Bellissimo! I’m told my father eat half of it between dessert after dinner and breakfast the next morning.

    I hope you are able to take each of your posts and put them in a book for your children and future grandchildren. They will love it!

  35. I love your stories because they awaken that part of me that is attuned to myth and magic. And I love your recipes because they are simple and good – definitely the sort that will be passed down.

    1. Thank you Paige – I love that you say they are simple and good – it is my target to transmit good recipes that work! It is so rewarding to share a good meal with loved ones and friends. Merci! Mimi x

  36. Mimi, your blog is one of my daily must-reads. It is always so inspiring and takes my breath away! I don’t think we have any blackberries left in Québec City now, but I’m sure that I can find them at the market nonetheless – can’t wait to try your soufflé! Have a beautiful day and merci beaucoup pour votre (ton?) inspiration et pour les belles extraits dans votre vie!

    1. Merci Lynn! How lovely to hear your comment. You can make this soufflé with other berries too, like raspberries (or frozen). I hope you will enjoy the recipe – thank you for dropping by! Mimi x

  37. With just a few days of summer left, this post made me both nostalgic and hopeful. But just when I thought I could never have a need for another kitchen gadget you go and prove that I should definitely go and get an ice cream maker!

    You’re slice of life is so beautifully shown here. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. xoxo

    1. Hi Kristine! I am a very old-fashioned girl when it comes to the kitchen – I pretty much do everything by hand – kneading bread, toasting bread (we haven’t replaced the toaster for ages – the toaster got toasted so every single toast gets grilled by pan or oven!). I only got an ice-cream maker this spring, and I felt a bit like cheating but it’s been so much fun and wonderful – I mean, ice-cream in 25 minutes? Yes please! Mimi x

  38. Mimi Thorisson, you are dream! This forest feast is perfect. I pinned the cheese pastry and the blackberry souffle on my Pinterest! Looking forward to making them while thinking of your walk in the forest. I love your dress! And all your dogs!

  39. i have now only just found your speechlessly beautiful blog … the photography is so unreal, and it’s all edited together so beautifully, telling a lovely story. i liked that thought too, of your children’s grandchildren and great grandchildren enjoying dinner with a descendent of Humfri under the table. recipes look wonderful, too. so happy to have found Manger!

  40. No Figs here in Australia so I substituted apple for the cheese pastry and ham dish and it was delicious. I am enjoying following your adventures and cooking with your lovely family. Rosalie

  41. I have shown dogs professionally for many years and have bred many Best in Show dogs. Your Humfri does, indeed, have a perfect head & ear! He is a beautiful dog and I am sure his heart is as true as he is handsome.

    1. Humfri thanks you for the compliment! He is a very lovely dog, he’s really showy and poses all the time. But he’s also a very nice dog, easy to take places and lovely with the kids. We only got him recently so we’ve had to break him in gently with the other dogs but it’s all going very well. I agree with my husband,he’s just about as perfect a Smooth Fox Terrier as you can find. We can’t take any credit for that though, his breeders from England, Glendraterra is the kennel name, have such amazing smooths. Hopefully we can continue that work. Mimix

  42. Each post more inspiring than the last…..can’t wait for your book Mimi. Thank you once again for sharing the enchantment and always tantalising recipes with us. Much love, Imen x

  43. MIMI! I just saw the article in Bon Appétit magazine with your and your lovely family. Congratulations! And this is a luscious post, making the best use of blackberries I can think of! Enjoy yet another creative season of the good life. Anita

  44. Bonjour / Hi, I just discovered your blog. Quelle fraîcheur. J’aimerais ravoir 30 ans ! I don’t know if you are French or American but I would certainly like to read you in French. Je suis Québécoise et ma langue est le français. Great photos and you and your family look so sweet…. recipes included 🙂

    1. Bonjour Joanne! Merci pour votre gentil commentaire si encourageant. Je suis Française mais j’ai toujours écris ce blog en Anglais (mon mari est Islandais et nous parlons Anglais ensemble, avec les enfants je garde ma langue maternelle, le français). Et oui, je devrais vraiment m’y metttre et écrire en Français – peut-être une résolution pour 2014. Par contre, j’ai une émission culinaire en Français de télévison qui ‘s’appelle ‘La table de Mimi’ et elle sortira ce 28 Novembre sur la chaîne Cuisine+/ Canal+. N’hésitez pas à m’écrire si vous voulez une recette spécifique, je serais ravie de vous la traduire! Bonne journée, Mimi x

      1. Merci pour votre réponse. C’est une attention très appréciée que de répondre à chaque personne. Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it and I look forward to follow your new tv show in november.

  45. Stunning Mimi… Your posts just get more and more enticing and the photography more and more beautiful… Those berries are just too scrumptious for words… Have a wonderful weekend… xv

    1. Bonsoir Vicki! Thanks for being ever-so-kind! I am so touched by your comment. We’ve been all around the region lately, I am so looking forward to share with everyone. I hope you are having a beautiful week-end – it feels like summer allover again – how wonderful! Mimi x

  46. Mimi,

    The Blackberries Souffle was amazing. I made four little ramekins full for my fiance and I to share. This was his first time having a souffle and he was in paradise.

    There was too much black berry juice as it sank to the bottom but it was a sweet soup at the end of the souffle.

    Thank you for the lovely recipe and if you have any suggestions as to how much blackberry juice is the right amount I’m all ears.

    1. Bonsoir Jessica! How lovely to hear you tried the blackberries soufflés! It’s important to beat the egg white still soft peaks, and to fold the blackberry purée gently so the egg whites don’t lose to much of their density. Then of course, there’s the oven issue, perhaps you should try to cook them a tad longer? Ovens are all so different 🙂 I hope this helps! Have a wonderful week-end! Mimi x

  47. Beautiful blog; I just discovered it and will check back again. I have a question, though. I’ve never heard of someone not picking the lower berries because they might be dirty. Isn’t it possible to just rinse them off? If a fox has sprayed them beyond edibility, I daresay you could tell with a sniff, no? I hate to think of good berries going to waste!

    1. Hi Dinah,
      You are right of course, I am sure you can rinse the berries. I stick to the no lower berries rules because of our kids (they pick and eat simultaneously!), and I’d rather not take any risks. Where we live is really in the ‘wild’ and there are adventurous foxes roaming around, plus we do have quite a few dogs… Bon week-end, Mimi x

  48. Beautiful!
    You know what I’m craving now apart from those gorgeous berries… A little wild patch near my home where I can go for long walk….
    Just so pretty this post is… Love!

  49. Mimi, I need help! First, I love this blog. I was at the grocery store just yesterday, flipping through the latest bonappetit, and there you were! So, I bought it. 🙂 Now, my souffle was a disaster! I’m sure I started out wrong as I’ve never had one before, so I didn’t know what it should look like. I don’t imagine that blackberry soup is just right. 🙁 I had so much blackberry concoction, I could have poured a glass to drink. Would you tell me, what should the consistency of the berries be, before they are folded in? I had such lovely peaks! When i folded, it turned into melted blackberry ice cream. I’ve just got to try again! Also, do you have any tricks for helping the souffles to not fall when you bring them out of the oven? My lovely tops only stayed aloft for five minutes! Merci beaucoup! J’aime vos belles photos et recettes!

    1. Hello Candice! First of all, I just wanted to thank you for being so kind! Now, let me try and help you. I have a few questions… were the blackberries fresh or frozen (if frozen you could end up with more watery mixture)? the blackberry mixture should be thick and syrupy, and after straining it through a sieve, you should get just the right amount for the soufflés. Did the mixture cool down properly? If it is too warm, it will ‘melt’ the egg whites and destroy all the air bubbles you whisked. The folding part is always delicate, the idea is to fold in the mixture, as if you were lifting a sheet of egg each time. Then, there is the oven issue. All ovens have different settings, power strength etc. I would continue and test (soufflés are a bit like meringues, you need to try a few times before getting it right!). I do hope this will work out – I would love to hear from you 🙂 ps: 5 minutes is pretty good for a soufflé to stand! no worries there – these delicate desserts are too be eaten instantly 🙂

      1. Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! The blackberries were fresh (maybe they were just too juicy :D), and I did try to make the soufflé again, but I just couldn’t get the berries to be syrupy! I ended up cooking the syrup again, after straining it with the sieve, and adding the cornstarch to the syrup while it heated the second time. It thickened a little, but I still needed to use just a portion of the mixture. The soufflé was wonderful! So light and airy, and delightful! As a bonus, I used the rest of the blackberry mixture to make pancakes. 🙂 I’d like to give it one more try, though round 2 was quite delicious! Thanks again! 🙂

  50. Hello,
    I loved your blog. Would like to know if I can receive your posts by email. Let me know please.
    Thank you,
    Sonie

  51. Hello,
    I loved your blog. I would like to know if it would be possible to receive your posts by email. That’s the only way I will be able to get them.
    Thank you,
    Sonie

  52. beautiful, beautiful, beautiful post. just planting blackberry bushes, and thanks to your post, i’m thinking of planting them in a more moist location of the yard than i had originally. fingers crossed! much admiration to you from across the pond.

  53. This is a stunning post, Mimi. I love the blackberries and the imagery of the foraging in the woods are just remarkable.

    Congrats on your beautiful article in Bon Appetit about throwing a French dinner party… it is well done, the recipes are amazing and I cannot wait to try them out here at our casa.

    You and your family are a wonderful inspiration on life, food and family… things that represent me as well.

    Ciao e grazie tante,

    Annette

  54. Oh oh, this is yummy ~ girolle mushrooms sound good ~ gorgeous walk in the woods there, I LOVE that felt hat and the color is luscious, just LOVE it….wonderful color ~ I am a hat girl too….XO

  55. Hoping by clicking on “Notify me…” I will be able to receive your new posts by email. That’s the only way I can get them. Thank you,
    Sonie

  56. Hello again, Mimi!
    Could you please tell me the difference between creme fraiche, heavy cream and double cream? I only know the first! Yikes!!!

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