cooking

Bouchon – Lessons in Baking

Well hello there! It’s been a very long time since I have blogged. A lot has happened in the time I’ve been away. Here is an abbreviated rundown of some of those things: I joined Weight Watchers, I’ve lost 55 pounds, I’ve become a yoga instructor and I had surgery on my left shoulder which has left me somewhat incapacitated. My life is not too complicated, what a blessing.

Because of the Weight Watchers, I have had to curtail some of my baking and cooking activities and focus on eating healthier. As you might imagine, this has been a bit of a challenge. I still have an occasional baked good or sweet treat but nothing compared to my former lifestyle. Alas, it’s worth it to feel healthier and to have confidence in my appearance again.

My sweet mother-in-law was gracious enough to send me an early birthday present. For several years now I have had Thomas Keller’s bistro cookbooks on my Wish List. Knowing full well that I did not in actuality “need” them but my 50th birthday is looming and well, I wanted them.

You can purchase these yourself at: Amazon.com or BarnesNoble.com

I like to think I know my way around a kitchen but … these recipes are written for professional chefs. The recipes are complicated with ingredients that are not always readily available at your local Kroger. Mostly, they are time consuming.  So much so that I am taking three days to make a Quiche Lorraine. It’s a true education into how professional chefs prepare food at Michelin starred restaurants; which in today’s fast paced world is nothing like how the average person cooks at home. Nevertheless, I am resolved to conquer them. Well, maybe not all of them but I’m going to give it an honest effort.

All of this to say, this weekend shall be consumed with cooking and baking for my dear, dear husband’s 50th birthday. Since my husband is more of an introvert than extrovert and prefers to hide out in our house for the entire weekend (if you could hear my voice right now you would hear some serious attitude) I shall be cooking and baking to make his day special.

What’s on the menu you ask? Quiche Lorraine, German chocolate cake, New York strip, macaroni and cheese, and beer. I began this endeavor on Friday afternoon by preparing an Onion Confit, a Bouquet Garni, and a basic pie crust. I also made mango/avocado salsa, pork chops and salt roasted fingerling potatoes because we had to eat dinner too. Needless to say, I was in the kitchen all freaking day. It was fun and EXHAUSTING!

Onion Confit? What the heck? It sounds French and fancy. It’s not. Onion confit consists of evenly sliced onions (eight cups), 1/4 cup of water, and four ounces of butter. All of which is cooked at very low temperature for two plus hours and stirred every half hour. Simple enough but a commitment. Also, it’s covered with a parchment lid. Huh? It took three tries to create this. Something I’m certain my craftier friends would have done in one attempt.

Also, Bouquet Garni? It sounds so fancy. It’s fresh herbs wrapped in leeks. Simple enough. I grow the herbs in my garden and I can get leeks. The end result is amazing. The onions are so naturally sweet and the herbs make them even more fragrant. It was so worth the effort.

That’s as far as I got. The pie dough is in the fridge and next I’ll put together the custard and cake. First, I need a springform pan. I could have sworn I had one. I guess I’ll be making a trip to the local bakery supply store aka: Bed Bath Beyond. Ugh.

 

Breaking out the birthday present from THE best mother-in-law . . . ever and Experimenting with Curry …

. . .  can be dangerous. I love the complexity of curry. It seems counter intuitive that so many spices put together into one mixture could produce such amazing flavors. It works thankfully. Curry is definitely a divisive spice. You either love it or hate it. My hubby likes curry, thankfully. My hubby is also patient with my experiments. I have made my own curries in the past but it’s time consuming and I didn’t have that kind of ambition or time last night so I broke out my favorite, “Sun Brand” Madras Curry Powder. This is my favorite blend.It’s layered with heat and sweetness.

This is my favorite blend. It's layered with heat and sweetness.

I rubbed in over my chicken breast and let it marinate like that for an hour or so. I put a tablespoon of it and a tablespoon of mango chutney into goat cheese to use as a spread on the chicken. I wish I’d had some dates to stuff it in but that’s a thought for the future, huh? I also made some whole grain Jasmine rice (my favorite) which I browned with shallots and garlic then cooked in chicken stock and low-fat coconut milk along with raisins and okra and yep … curry powder. The end result was quite tasty but my fella did not like the raisins (or now grapes as he called them). Hindsight is 20/20 right? I should have added them at the end of the cooking process. Oh well, LESSON learned.

My fantastic Mother-in-Law, Sue, sent me a Cuisinart Griddler for my birthday. I used it to make banana/whole wheat pancakes this weekend. It worked pretty well for pancakes but it didn’t seem to heat to evenly on the flat side. I gave it another try last night to grill the chicken.  I have to say, it worked pretty good. The chicken was scallopini’d so it only took a minute to cook it and since it’s non-stick there was no fat to speak of. I’m not sure how well it will work with a fat burger patty, guess I’ll have to try that out too sometime.  

cuisinart-griddler

So, the end result was very tasty. Simple too.

Curried chicken & rice with okra and raisins. Mmmm

Curried chicken & rice with okra and raisins. Mmmm

Is it sacrilegious . . .

. . . to not serve Green Bean Casserole on Thanksgiving? It is the perennial side dish for the holidays. You don’t eat it any other time of the year and yet it’s kind of old and boring isn’t it? Don’t get me wrong, I love me some green bean casserole, but admit it, what we really love are the French Fried Onions, yum. Green beans don’t get that kind of love on their own. The rest of the year you eat them steamed or sautéed but never swimming in soup and onions.  Green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and sweet potato smothered in marshmallows (eewww… who invented that mess?) those are the dishes that are only served between November and December, I’m not wanting to have them now. I might like to re-invent the soupy mixture from scratch. The thought of buying a can of Cream of Mushroom soup  is gross. It’s so easy to make béchamel sauce and healthier too. Perhaps I’ll tackle that challenge, hmmm . . . perhaps. 

I’ve been searching my Cook’s Illustrated back issues, cookbooks and websites for new and interesting ideas to serve on Thanksgiving. Mine will be small and intimate with just three of us to feed. Since Thanksgiving is an “event” and deserves special attention directed to it. I’m excited about putting together a concerted effort and meal for the day. The question is … what?

The sweet potato has had a renaissance over the last few years. I eat them regularly in a lot of different ways: mashed, french fried, hashed, baked and chips. They’re so healthy and naturally sweet it’s like a tasty treat you don’t have to feel guilty about eating. I found a recipe on Pinterest for Hasselback Sweet Potatoes. Doesn’t this look amazing? Clicking on the picture will take you to the blogger with the recipe for this amazing treat!

Maybe not Thanksgiving but soon!

What I’m wanting to do is make something memorable. My family has never been one with long-standing traditions. Growing up Thanksgiving was always at Granny’s. Now that she’s gone, I’ve moved away and my sister is now single we have to start new traditions. I’m sad not to see my parents and it’s hard to make it feel like a holiday when all the things I’m used to are no where to be found. It’s a new day though and D and I must forge new family traditions. Thankfully, my sister will be here and we can share time down our mutually changed lives. We are blessed.

There are a few things that will happen. My birthday is November 21, the day before Thanksgiving. I want cake. Red Velvet Cake to be exact. I haven’t made one in years and think it will be the dessert of the weekend. Derek wants Lemon Meringue Pie so that will be on the menu too. Sweets are easy.

D loves onion rolls so I’ll make those. The recipe I use was found in an issue of Real Simple magazine a year or so ago. I’ve made them several times and they are light, airy, packed with flavor and simply . . . DELICIOUS! Click on the picture for the recipe.

So, we have the unhealthy choices nailed down. The big question is what’s for dinner? I’m thinking Gumbo sounds good. It’s hearty, earthy and packed with goodies and flavor. If not gumbo then perhaps Surf and Turf. I kind of think a Chicken Pot Pie with phyllo pastry crust sounds pretty amazing too. There are so many choices and ways to go. That’s what I love about cooking and food. A thousand variations and combinations to meet all culinary dreams. What will you serve?

Kicking it old school …

. . . cooking up a Pot Roast. It’s the American go-to meal for Sunday dinner. Right? Growing up it seemed as if we had pot roast every weekend after church. I hated going to church and therefore dreaded going home to a pot roast afterwards. Association can ruin even the tastiest of treats, huh?

Well, I grew up and stopped eating so much pot roast and as I started to learn to cook for myself, became eager to learn how to cook everything. This was before the Food Network and Internet and really before food snobbery was even heard of. My best resources then were Mama and “The Joy of Cooking”.

Essential for every cooks library.

Mama got me started and showed me how to do it all. What she didn’t know “Joy” did. I suppose I would be remiss if I excluded Martha from the mix but she’s become more infamous than anything. I’m not to proud to say she taught me a few great things; Pie crust, red velvet cake and corn-shrimp chowder. She even inspired me to make my own headboard. But that’s another story, today we’re talking pot roast.

Who inspires me today? America’s Test Kitchen, Ruth Reichl and Anthony Bourdain. Chiefly all the cooks at American’s Test Kitchen. I have subscribed to their magazine “Cook’s Illustrated” for over ten years (thanks to my Mama). I have two of their latest cookbooks and when I can find it on TV I’m glued to their show. They know how to make everything. If they don’t they keep trying until they get an end product they guarantee will be good. I just bought their latest “The Science of Good Cooking”. I’m going to work my way through all of their recipes. I love their magazine because it’s not about selling you stuff you don’t need. There are no advertisements (praise Jesus)! It’s loaded with tips from real cooks (meaning those of us at home who love to do it). They test products and tell you which of them are great, good and to be avoided.

So today I cooked a roast following their recipe for slow cooked-to-tender roast beef. It was in the oven for three plus hours at 225 degrees. It turned out rare and so very tasty. My D nearly ate the whole thing. I should have taken a picture but I forgot and honestly … roast beef is not pretty. I suppose I should have staged it to look pretty but I was so hungry and distracted I just couldn’t get it done. So . . . here is a pretty picture from my honeymoon instead . . .

Paris . . . where every meal was amazing!

I’m just no good . . .

. . . at cooking fish. I don’t know why? I either over cook it, undercook it, over-season it or under-season it. Once, I did manage to cook fresh catfish. I used a Ruth Reichl recipe for blackened catfish. It was amazing. That was two and a half years ago. I blame it on the fact that it’s so hard to buy fresh fish in Kentucky. Oh sure, I could drive 50+ miles to Louisville to Whole Foods but that’s a lot of expense to go to and my husband just wouldn’t understand. So, I keep trying. I will not let this get the best of me. If you have any tips or great recipes please, help a girl out, would ya?

I have managed to conquer shrimp and scallops. I attribute that to the very short cooking times. It’s really easy to see when it’s properly cooked. It’s almost fool proof really.

So, chicken it is. We eat a lot of chicken. The challenge before me though is how to make it differently every time. If D had his way we’d eat it fried every time. Obviously that’s not doable. I’m so tired of chicken.

Oh man, this is one boring post. Sorry about that.

Did I tell you about all of the clams and mussels we ate in Italy? I’m telling you they were amazing. We had them on pizza, as au gratin, with pasta and by themselves happily steamed. There is a reason fresh is best. I can’t bring myself to buy clams or mussels here for just that reason. Fruits de la Mer was everywhere and we ordered it as often as we could.

fruits de la mer – photo from Flickr

I need to get off of my tuckus and be inventive in the kitchen. Right now all I’m thinking about it not eating sugar and white stuff until my birthday. I have eleven days to go. It’s been hard and I’ve not been entirely successful but I shall persevere.

Oh the food in Italy!

If you’ve read my earlier posts you may remember that my beautiful husband took me to Paris and Italy for our honeymoon. We spent eight glorious days in arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Amalfi, Italy – View from our hotel balcony. AMAZING!

See. What did I tell you?

One of my favorite parts of the trip, of course, was the food. Oh . . . the food.

Well, aside from getting food poisoning on the plane and throwing up four of the eight hour flight to Paris. There is nothing more romantic than holding both hands over your mouth while frantically looking for a bathroom in the Paris airport. If you’ve been there you’ll know that THERE ARE NO PUBLIC BATHROOMS in the airport and therefore you will have to toss your cookies up into the recycle bin while sympathetic tourists and employees stare aghast at your misery. Let me tell you that a cab ride in Paris with a stomach turning circles is NOT a good time. My first day in Europe was sadly marred by a tummy revolution but I would not let that spoil my attitude. I was in Paris after all. If one has to be vomitus, Paris is not a bad place to do it.

After a long nap and a long walk exploring the streets of Paris we found a bistro to have our first meal. I ordered a penne with gorgonzola sauce. WOW. There are no words to describe how very good it was.

a Paris bistro

Miraculous maybe.

The meal which stands out most for me was a mushroom risotto I had in Firenze. It’s flavors were layered and rich. The serving was huge and I honestly could have eaten more.  The trattoria was called Il Porcospino (the porcupine).

Il Porcospino Trattoria

It’s in a building older than the US. The restaurant is situated in S.Lorenzo neighbourhood, in front of Cappelle Medicee and is on the ground floor of Benci Palace built in the XVI century. It was beautiful!

We ate outside on the sidewalk and were seated next to (not surprisingly) Americans who were preparing to move there. They knew the wait staff and it was so much fun. We talked and drank to much and honestly had one of the best dates we’ve ever had. Here we would have the first Lemoncello of our trip.  We are converts. Yum.

So, the point to this blog was to tell you about my attempt to make risotto. Trader Joe’s had a box of Arborio rice with a recipe. I should have followed Cook’s Illustrated’s recipe.  It was good but lacked the depth and richness of Il Porcospino’s.

What I learned about the food in Europe. Ingredients matter. Fresh is best. Oh my goodness, yes.

I am not a fan of fall.

I realize this is an unusual sentiment. All over Facebook and Pinterest everyone is proclaiming their love of fall and all of it’s trappings. For me it’s just a reminder that cold is coming, the leaves are dying and we’re in for seven to nine months of brown. It reminds of school starting and, sad to say,  I never liked going back to school because summer was too much fun. It reminds me that winter is coming and bringing the cold. I truly dislike being cold.

I will grant that there are some good things associated with fall. I love bonfires, the fireplace and the one week of beautiful fall foliage. I do love the food associated with fall like the squash: pumpkin, butternut, acorn and spaghetti! I love the soups: beef stew, chili and chowder. I love baking pies and breads. It’s all wonderful comfort food that warms the body and spirit. I’ve posted most of my great soup recipes and pies. I suppose it’s time to branch out and try something new. My mother bakes a pear pie every year from her pear harvest. It’s delicate and sweet and a true treat.

I think next spring I’ll plant some fruit trees. Having just come from the Amalfi Coast in Italy I’m inspired to grow even more.

I took this photo while on my honeymoon in Amalfi, Italy. This is just one of the multitude of groves dotting the mountainous countryside.

Kentucky isn’t ideal for lemons but I can certainly plant an apple, cherry or peach tree. I get so frustrated going to the market to buy fresh peaches only to come home and they are bland and mushy. What a treat it would be to pick fresh peaches every summer and fall.

The olive trees grow wild all over the country too. I would have loved to pick a bunch to bring home but I haven’t the first idea of how they make them edible. We did see a couple men harvesting them outside our hotel. That was really fun.

I also must tell you about my amazing husband. He spoiled me rotten by even taking me to Europe. He then managed to add to the spoiling by buying me a belt, two handbags, two pairs of shoes and two bottles of aged balsamic vinegar, one is 12 years old and the other is 20 years old. If I work up the courage to open and eat them I’ll let you know.