Happy Bastille Day: Dinner (And the 150th Post!)

Yesterday's night's multi-course affair was the conclusion of a day inspired by the foods and flavors of France. I spent about 2 1/2 hours in the kitchen, preparing and cooking and plating. Mike and I also shared the meal with Jacob and Kari, increasing our table from two to four. The extra mouths were welcome as I was positive that Mike wouldn't be entirely appreciative of the haughtiness and flavors of some of the foods, but he was a good sport throughout the meal.

The meal began with an entree of parmesan and parsley gougeres. Gougeres are made with a pate a choux dough. For those of you that didn't study French (including myself), "choux" means cabbage and is meant to describe the way that the dough puffs up into little balls that are airy and light and more pop-able than pringles.

The next course was a soup course. I made leek and artichoke soup for Jacob, Kari and myself, while Mike had a tomato soup, made with ample amounts of butter and campari tomatoes.

For the palate cleanser before the main course, I juiced some limes and removed the inside, blended it with ice and a bit of agave nectar, then refilled the lime and froze them. The result was somewhat like an icier lime limonata. Everyone seemed to enjoy the presentation.

Next came the plat principal. I was originally planning on doing the pasta course followed by the main course, but I decided to combine the two. This course consisted of a lemon capellini with lemon zest and parmesan cheese, poulet saute aux herbes de provence (herbes de provence traditionally consists of savory, fennel, thyme and basil, among other herbs) atop a dijon-y, hollandaise-y sauce made from homemade yogurt, egg yolk, lemon juice, butter and the pan sauces from roasting the chicken. The side dish was a braised endive

The course is sadly missing the lemon slices that had been roasting in the toaster oven as we were enjoying our palate cleansers. My first culinary fail of the night.

But we persisted on with the salad course. I made a salad of mesclun greens with dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and gorgonzola cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette of 3 parts oil to 1 part balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon of dijon mustard and salt and pepper. I think the salad was Kari's favorite part of the meal. The cheese course was combined with this course. We had brie cheese and butter and slices of homemade wheat bread.

The dessert course I was planning on making was crepes with chocolate and whipped cream. Unfortunately, last night our tiny kitchen was the setting for 3 separate dinner parties. So we had a simple dessert of chocolate squares and Trader Joe's gummy tummies.

Coffee was also left out because of the kitchen and it was just too hot.

All in all it was a success, and I'm looking forward to more national holidays so I can plan a day of menus.

Shoutouts to Kari and Jacob for sitting through my experiments in flavor and texture, disguised as classically-influenced courses. And a big thanks to Mike for being the most disinterestedly interested sous chef

Happy Bastille Day: Lunch, and Presenting, the Dinner Menu

I'm happy to say that today my blog shot past 500 views, all since May 29th, shortly after a reevaluation of theme and direction. And on that note, I continue with my Bastille Day posts.

Lunch was simple, partly because I wanted to begin compensating for what will be a lavish dinner, but also because I was forced to cut my lunch short due to work responsibilities. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the asparagus-pea soup that I made earlier in the week, along with some toasted, homemade bread and butter. All savored at the table, rather than eaten mindlessly in front of the TV.

But for the finale, the dinner menu, as of 4:11 pm.

Entrée: Parmesan Cheese and Leek Gougeres
Soup Course: Leek and Artichoke Soup, Tomato Soup
Palate Cleanser: Limonata
Pasta Course: Lemon Capellini
Plat Principal: Poulet Sauté aux Herbs de Provence (or a modified Poulet Provençal) with Braised Endive
Salad Course: Mesclun Greens with Dried Cranberries, Walnuts and a Red Wine Vinaigrette
Cheese Course: Roasted Figs stuffed with Gorgonzola Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Brie Tart
Dessert Course: Chocolate Crepes with Whipped Cream and Roasted Coconut
Finale: Coffee

Happy Bastille Day: Breakfast

Happy Bastille Day, everyone. I'm not one to celebrate national holidays that belong to other countries, but given that this is a food blog and France is the culinary mecca of our world, I thought it only appropriate to honor the storming of the Bastille and the excessive use of the guillotine by planning a French Cuisine-themed menu. That is a menu to cover the entire day.

Let's start with breakfast:

I finally bought My dad bought me a cast iron set (like a dutch oven, with a deeper pot on the bottom and a lid that is also a larger, shallower pot) on the drive back home from Chesapeake, at a Cracker Barrel of all places. But it was real cast iron for an unreal price and it was too good not to buy. (My dad gave himself some cast iron gifts, as well, so I didn't feel too guilty). For some reasons why you need cast iron, read here.

The first thing  I cooked was a loaf of bread, followed by calzones. Then I thought to myself, this shallow pan would be perfect for making crepes. so I woke up early, mixed together a batter, washed some fruit, and made sure Mike woke up in time for his first Bastille Day meal of the day.

Needless to say, he made it.

Basic Crepe Batter

As you know, the foundation of many of my basic recipes are based on the ratios found in Michael Ruhlman's book, Ratio. This way I don't have to search for a recipe every time I want to cook something. Rather, the basic ratio is memorized and I can add flavor and seasoning as I see fit. 

The ratio for a crepe batter is 2:2:1, liquid:egg:flour. (This is where a kitchen scale comes in handy, but it's not essential, just more accurate and is better than having measuring cups and bowls dispersed in a tiny kitchen, or any kitchen for that matter.) If you want 3 medium size crepes, I suggest 2 eggs (an egg is ~2 oz, 1 oz yolk, 1 oz white), 4 oz liquid (I used water, you can use milk as well), and 2 oz flour (I used all purpose, whole wheat flour would be nice, too). It is a very thin batter, thinner than pancake batter. To give it more flavor, add a teaspoon of vanilla, as well as a dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg.

I then let it soak for 30 minutes to saturate the flour with the liquid, give it one more stir, heat up the cast iron pan over medium heat, melt some butter, then make some crepes. 

I used a measuring spoon to pour the batter over the hot griddle, starting in the center and then slowing moving out in a circle. Let the crepes firm up before flipping over, that way you don't have to worry about batter dripping everywhere and you get a nice brown color on the crepe.

We filled our crepes with fresh blackberries and blueberries and kiwi, topped with homemade whipped cream and blueberry preserves that I made last night. Next time the plan is sliced strawberries and chocolate. Hopefully I'll remember to make a pot of French Roast coffee and then it will really be on.

The third crepe was wrapped up for Mike to take to work, along with some cheese and blueberries. Whether or not he wraps the cheese or the blueberries in the crepe is beyond my power, but that is about as French as he is going to get during lunch.

Looking forward to dinner, though. I'm planning a multi-course affair. And for a little teaser, some of the prep work I did for dinner this morning.

Leeks

Springtime Favorites: Pea and Asparagus Soup

While we are hardly in spring anymore, particularly in DC, this soup shines most brightly at Springtime, when crops are delivering the season's high of sweet peas and tender asparagus. I had some asparagus in my freezer that I'd been planning on roasting. But given that I've been in a soup making kick, I yielded myself to inspiration upon seeing a package of petite peas from Trader Joe's next to the asparagus. And the ad hoc addition of a rind of Parmesan cheese that was bound for the trash added a creamy, yet subtle flavor that invoked a bit of Fall (my favorite season), in my opinion. I made enough soup to yield about 1 serving (maybe 1 1/2 or 2 if you're really trying to cut back, but it's vegetable soup so it's good for you). Feel free to double or triple these ingredients to yield enough for a dinner for two, or a couple of mid week lunches.

Asparagus and Pea Soup
Serves 1-2

Ingredients:
1 T unsalted butter
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely sliced or diced
2 t rice vinegar
1 T olive oil
1 C chicken stock
6 oz (petite) peas
6 oz asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
rind of Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/4 C heavy cream (optional)

Method:
Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent.

Turn up the heat to high to brown the onion and garlic. When browned, add the vinegar, lower the heat to medium then add the olive oil and chicken stock.

Add the peas, asparagus and Parmesan cheese rind and cook over medium heat for 20-30 minutes.

Remove the rind. Add the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender and puree. If you are planning on freezing the soup for later, do not add the heavy cream until before eating. Otherwise, add the cream and blend for another 30 seconds.

For a thinner, silkier soup, pour the mixture through a sieve or strainer. (You don't have to reserve the mash that is left behind, but I figured the 1/2 cup that was left over plus the 1/2 cup of artichoke-mushroom soup that I still had and some homemade bread would make for a good lunch today.)

Serve, garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche (literally fresh cream) or greek yogurt or your homemade yogurt (more on that later), topped with grated Parmesan cheese or maybe some basil chiffonade (thin slices of basil). Anything to make it pretty, because as we know, appetizing food and satisfaction are about presentation as much they are about flavor.

National Public Toilet Map - Trip Planning 2.0

National Public Toilet Map (of Australia) - Provided by the Department of Health and Ageing of the Australian Government.

Now this isn't necessarily related to food (at least not in a disgusting sense), but what I want to know is why there has been no national public toilet map implemented in the states.

My family recently took a road trip to Chesapeake, VA. They picked me up in DC and then drove me all the way back to NJ. Usually my dad is the one who is making us stop at every rest stop, but on this trip I had the bladder of a pregnant woman.

Perhaps now wasn't the time for me to make a conscious effort to increase the amount of water I drink during the course of a day. But, on the other hand, wouldn't my family have been a little less annoyed if the government allowed us a means to build in these bathroom trips into our trip planner? Then again, I'm pretty sure there is an (iPhone) app for that.

Artichoke-Mushroom Soup: Comfort, Even In The Summer Heat

After several days of record-breaking heat, it is finally rainy and cool down here in DC, and the perfect weather for soup. I've had some sliced baby bella mushrooms sitting in my fridge begging me not to let them go bad. The artichoke hearts I picked up from Trader Joe's the weekend before seemed to be the best pairing, and with a dollop of heavy cream right before I finished cooking, I had a great comfort meal, to get me through the dreary weather that pops up every so often during the summer. I imagine it could even been good at room temperature.

This meal took about 40 minutes of cook time, including prep work, so it's quick and comforting, and the smell that permeates throughout the house is wonderful and homey.

Artichoke-Mushrooms Soup

Ingredients:
1 T unsalted butter
1 small white onion, brunoise (finely diced)
1 shallot, diced
1 T fruity olive oil (Trader Joe's President Olive Oil/California Estate Bottled or Whole Foods 365 are great value olive oils and not watered down with peanut or canola oils)
1 T rice vinegar
2-3 C chicken stock (adjust to whether you want a thinner or a thicker soup; use your own chicken stock (2 lb chicken bones + vegetables + water to cover bones) for a more robust and homestyle flavor)
6 oz artichoke hearts (if frozen, boil in water), coarsely chopped (~1 1/4 cup)
6 oz mushroom, coarsely chopped (~1 cup)
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t thyme
1/4 C heavy cream
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium, then add the onion and shallot. Let it sweat in the buter for 5-10 minutes, add the olive oil and raise the heat to medium-high. When the onion and shallot begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, scrape off with a spatula, deglaze with the rice vinegar, then add the chicken stock.

2. Lower the temperature to medium, then add the artichoke hearts and mushroom. Bring to a boil then let it simmer for 25 minutes.

3. Add the cayenne pepper, nutmeg and thyme and let the soup rest for a minute. Then add it to a blender or use an immersion blender and puree it to your desired thickness.

4. Ad the heavy cream and blend for another 30 seconds. Pour into a bowl and enjoy it however you like.

I topped mine with chopped walnuts, adding texture and more nutty flavor, and parmesan cheese, which melted beautifully in the middle of the bowl. Remember, you want your food to look as good as it tastes, because presentation is almost as important to the taste of the food as the actual flavor.

Enjoy!

P.S. The soup also has a natural parter in a mesclun green salad with a bit of tomato (sweetness and
acidity) and a rice vinegar vinaigrette (3:1 olive oil:rice vinegar + 1 t dijon mustard + salt and pepper).

Let Them Have Soul, Ben L'oncle Soul

I've been reading French Women Don't Get Fat, deceptively titled to make you think it's a diet book. Rather it's a relatively transparent attempt to awaken the francophile hidden deep within all Americans. It's actually quite refreshing, given the bastardizing of bouef a la bourguignonne, a traditional french beef dish, by Julie and Julia, quite similar to the bastardizing of argyle sweaters during Fall 2009 (I'm taking to you Tar-jay!), but I digress.

Needless to say the francophile has been awakened in me, to the point that I've searched beyond the deep history of provencal food and haute cuisine that has put France in the center of the culinary map. That lead me to Ben L'oncle Soul. When I first read the name I thought it was some kind of French copyright infringement on Uncle Ben's rice, with the "Soul" added for good measure. But instead, it turned out to be a soulful Frenchman churning out covers of "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes and "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley like no one's business. And on top of all of that, dude doesn't even speak English, at the very least, not very well.

I can speak to his talent only to a limited extent. But here is Ben L'oncle Soul, performing a cover of Seven Nation Army. In this case, hearing is believing.

10 Reasons to Get a Cast Iron Pot, as told by Macheesmo

This has been the longest gap in my posts since March and this one will not even be, entirely, in my own words. I've been gathering content to do a list of essential kitchen-ware for college students and young adults. One item that I think is particularly important is a cast iron pan. Ironically enough, I don't own one myself. I think that finding one, and then subsequently seasoning it, is a rather intimate process and so I've been taking my time with it. But these 10 reasons may be enough to convince myself, and all of you, to get a move on it. (That is if you don't own one already.

from Macheesmo

Ten Reasons for Cast Iron


"Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about kitchen equipment.  This is based on some emails I’ve been getting asking for recommendations on cookware and also on my huge influx of quality kitchen gear I’ve received via wedding presents.

Over the years I’ve amassed a pretty fair collection of pots, pans, gizmos, and gadgetsand to be completely honest, I use almost all of them fairly regularly.  But there’s one piece of kitchen equipment that I use more than any other.

It’s one of the very first things I recommend people spend their hard earned money on if they’re trying to get a kitchen started.

The piece of equipment, of course, is a cast iron skillet.

10 Reasons to Own a Cast Iron Skillet

1) Made of Iron. This thing is sturdy.  You can drop it and it won’t be damaged.  You don’t have to worry about scratching it or discoloring it (it’s black already you see).  It’s possible that it can rust, but you can easily clean it.  Cast iron skillets will take any and all abuse and still last forever.  In fact, your skillet will probably outlast even you.

2) It Can Take The Heat. Most cookware comes with heat warnings.  Even most stainless steel cookware isn’t supposed to go over 450/500 degrees in an oven.  Cast iron?  I mean… yea… eventually it’ll melt.  But seriously you can cook on an open campfire with this thing.  Try that with a nonstick pan.  Oh wait.  Don’t.  I don’t want any lawsuits."

To read more, go to Macheesmo

Shrimp, Chicken and (Soy) Chorizo Paella

I tear up in the kitchen, leaving a ton of dishes in my wake. So tonight, I figured the solution would be a one pot meal. I just purchased some soy chorizo from Trader Joe's, not necessarily for the nutritional benefits, but because a package of D'Artagnan chorizo would run me $11, as opposed to the $2 I spent on the healthier, meatless version. From there, paella was on my mind. Despite the lack of saffron, I figured I could (somewhat) make up for this with some cayenne pepper and paprika. I can not understate the amazingness that is saffron threads, though, and s, if you have the means and accessibility to saffron, then use it.

My paella still came out well. I can provide an approximation of the recipe (one that really just exists in my mind). But the pictures are the best part.

Shrimp, Chicken and (Soy) Chorizo Paella

Ingredients:

3 chicken thighs

handful of frozen shrimp, tail removed

1/2 package of soy chorizo
2 cups cooked rice, or 1 cup uncooked rice (preferably arborio or another short grain rice, but I used long grain white rice this time)
1/2 cup chicken broth, or 2 cups if using uncooked rice
2 cloves garlic, sliced paper thin
1 anchovy fillet, diced
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes (or a can of diced tomatoes)
1/2 spanish onion, brunoised (small dice)
1 T olive oil/bacon grease/animal fat
2 bay leaves
Saffron
Cayenne Pepper
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Parsley

Method:

Add the olive oil/bacon grease/animal fat to a large pot/dutch oven/cast iron pan and sear the chicken thighs, then remove. Add the garlic to the pot. When fragrant, add the diced anchovy and onion and cook until the onions are translucent. Crush the grape tomatoes and add them to the pot. Lower the heat and allow to stew and caramelize.

If using uncooked rice, add 2 cups of the rice and 4 cups of chicken broth to the pot. If using cooked rice, add 1/2 cup chicken broth and 2 bay leaves and saffron to the pot and let simmer for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken meat off the bone, dice up and add to the pot, along with the soy chorizo (removed from the casing). After 10 minutes of simmering, add the cooked rice and mix well. Add cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper to taste.

Top with shrimp and parsley, cover and let the heat from the paella warm the shrimp.

Dessert for Snack: Panna Cotta with Nectarine Puree and Cherries

I finally got my new phone in the mail yesterday. This means that I have a much improved camera to share my creations with. My most recent one is a snack I finished not even 5 minutes ago.

If you look back you will see a post that I made on a lower fat panna cotta (using 2% milk and butter, as opposed to heavy cream). While I tend to be one who prefers eating (a smaller portion of) full fat foods, I had a gallon of 2% milk and lots of butter and no heavy cream, so this creation was one born out of necessity than any nutritional motives.

Here, my panna cotta is featured with a nectarine puree (3 nectarines and a spoon ful of greek yogurt which will be featured in a pastry tonight or tomorrow morning. I also used up the rest of the cherries and a bit of whipped cream to dress up the plate even more. My plating could use some work, but that is something that I'll work on.

For now, enjoy!