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Fig-Almond Tart from Marinus Restaurant at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, California

Fig-Almond Tart from Marinus Restaurant at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, California
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Andrew made this recipe not once but twice and it was big hit.

He encouraged me to post it.  But for the life of me, I could not find it. I must have used every search word combination I could think of.  The truly pathetic thing is that Andrew keeps a log of everything he bakes. But that log was at the beach and we are in city most weekends this time of year.  I finally trekked out there on Monte’s Ham business and Eureka!  I found it listed in Andrew’s blue book.  Finally, I could post this wonderfully moist tart with its cake-like interior. Finally I could share its secret: Frangipane, a classic French pasty filling of almonds, eggs, butter and sugar.  At last I could give you a look at its beautiful fresh figs atop this perfect piece of pastry.  Or could I…

Marinus at Bernardus Lodge, Home of the Fig-Almond Tart
Did Pastry Chef Ben Spungin
beat up on Bon Appetit for stealing his recipe?
         Since I now knew that the recipe was from July’s Bon Appetit, I could go to www.epicurious.com and there it would be.  Which is exactly what I did.  Except for whatever reason, Bon Appetit didn’t include it in its recipe base.  It just isn’t there. Perhaps the RSVP (Reader’s Favorite Restaurant Recipes) editor had run amok with the creator of this lovely dish.  Perhaps Ben Spungin, Pastry Chef at Marinus had come after them with his rolling pin.  Regardless, by getting down on all fours, I was able to pull Bon Appetit’s July 2011 edition out from its resting place on the bottom shelf of our cookbook library.  Andrew is so good at reporting he’d even put the page number in his little book.  Turning, as instructed, to page 16, I gasped.  There was no page 16. It had been torn from the magazine.  I thought this is it.
         Then it occurred to me that in addition to the hundred or so hardcover baking books we keep, there’s also a looseleaf binder for those recipes that have been torn from the Times or found somewhere outside the 8 food magazines we subscribe to.  Finally, tucked into the binder, I found the recipe.   And because our market is still full of fresh figs, I wanted to share it with you.  After all, I went to a lot of trouble to find it.  Here it is:
 


2 thoughts on “Fig-Almond Tart from Marinus Restaurant at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, California”

  • First of all, you are forgiven for becoming a hoarder and possibly losing this recipe. Secondly, thank goodness for Andrew's blue book.. You two are just so neat, I can totally see this whole searching scenario.. The Tart, well, I now understand why the frenzy.. Beautiful, and thanks for the extra effort, this did indeed need to be put up on MY RSVP list..

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