game on:
super snacks for Super Bowl
True, the extent of my involvement in the Super Bowl is feeding people. I may not know who is playing or what is the score, but I do know if the food is a hit; what passed appetizers are incomplete; and which ones made it home. Read the rest of this entry »
goût de luxe:
caviar taste. legume budget. perfect.
Goût de luxe means “luxurious taste” or “taste of luxury.” Sometimes you want to indulge your taste for luxury without paying the monetary price typically associated with it. So what is easy to do that tastes expensive, but isn’t? Beluga lentils and that is why a Beluga lentil hors-d’oeuvre is this week’s simple pleasure.
Lentils are a legume (which is a fruit with edible seeds in a pod). Other legumes include soybeans, green beans, fava beans, garbanzo beans, and peanuts. Legumes are full of dietary protein and fiber (both soluble and insoluble) and are often used as a meat substitute. Legumes are not only good for your health but a delight for your budget (compare one pound of organic aged beef which can cost around $22-24 per pound with a pound of heirloom beans for about $3-4).
When we think of lentils, generally most people think of the dark green Puy lentils from Velay, France (which admittedly are wonderful). These green lentils are commonly prepared creamy-style or served in a salad (often with roasted red beets). However, lentils come in a variety of sizes and colors, including red, orange, ivory, canary yellow, various shades of green and brown, and black. The green, brown, and black varieties retain their shape better then the orange, red and canary colored varieties. The orange, red and canary colored lentils are often found in Indian cuisine and take on a very creamy consistency when simmered. Lentils (eaten out of the pod) do not need to be rehydrated and take only 20-30 minutes to simmer.
Beluga lentils look exactly like the famous caviar for which they are named. They are shiny, dark black, small, and round. Beluga lentils are delicate and mild-flavored. They can be prepared al dente or simmered longer for a creamier texture. They are wonderful additions to soups and salads and they pair well with fleshy white fish (i.e., Sea Bass or Cod) as well as with pork and game (including two of my favorites: wild boar and crispy pork belly). Beluga lentils are also good puréed.
This Beluga lentil hors -d’oeuvre is true to the caviar theme. Beluga caviar is typically served with sour cream on top of halved boiled new potatoes (and accompanied by a bottle of ice-cold vodka encased in ice). Here, instead of sour cream, we use crème fraîche with freshly grated horseradish. Instead of potatoes or toast points, we use thinly sliced raw turnips. Instead of water or vegetable stock (which is the typical fare in which to simmer lentils), we use white wine and fish stock, keeping with the caviar theme and giving the lentils a slightly salty, seafood boost.
This hors -d’oeuvre takes about 20 minutes active time. It can be prepared in advance and tastes best when it has chilled overnight. The crème fraîche and the turnips can also be prepared in advance.
So fancy, here is to your luxurious — budget and health conscious — taste. The chilled vodka is optional.
Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !
LM
a paper crown
For Christians January 6 signifies l’épiphanie (the Epiphany). The Epiphany is the twelfth day after the birth of Jesus; the day the three Magi found the baby in Bethlehem and bestowed upon him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. In France, the Epiphany is celebrated with la galette des rois (also known as the “twelfth night cake” or simply “king cake”).
La galette des rois consists of two layers of puff pastry with a frangipane (almond cream) filling. It is garnished with a paper gold crown. What makes the cake special; however, is the trinket, la fève (a fava or broad bean), that is hidden inside. Tradition dictates that the person who’s slice contains la fève is crowned king or queen for the day and gets to wear the crown. To ensure that the distribution of la fève is completely random, the youngest person present goes under the table and calls out the order of the cake recipients. An extra piece of the cake is sliced, “la part du pauvre“ (the poor man’s share), should anyone of lesser financial means happen to stop by the house. Today the tradition of la galette des rois extends beyond the religious context and the cake is sold and enjoyed in January generally, not just on January 6.
For me, la galette de rois, takes a very personal significance as well. Three years ago to the day an ICU nurse gave me her crown (she had found la fève). I still have it and the crown reminds me of how fleeting and precious life is. This year my New Year’s resolution is the same that is has been for the last two years: to eat a piece of la galette des rois because I know that the ability to look down at the crown on the cake and enjoy a piece with those you love is like finding la fève every day.
This week’s simple pleasure is la galette des rois. It is very simple to make and a fun tradition. The active recipe time is about 20 minutes. Nuts are decisive: you either like them in dessert or you do not. If you like almonds, you will love this cake. However, if you are a person who is not crazy about almonds, you can replace the almond extract with vanilla extract or another extract such as orange. You can also minimize the almond flavor by adding melted chocolate to the almond cream or mixing in a little strawberry jam with rose water. However, do not add too much moisture (maxiumum of 2-3 ounces) or you will have soggy puff pastry. With respect to the crown, you can buy the gold crowns at speciality stores or on the internet; however, you can easily make one of your own.
Forget the diet. This week let’s all eat a piece of cake. Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !
LM
gingerbread dolls
The holidays are a time when parents take multi-tasking to all new levels. I have children myself so I am no exception. In fact, I became very aware of my parental multi-tasking when during a lunchtime run I simultaneously collected mulberry tree trimmings for garland and table decor, planned dinner menus and organized their execution in my head while at the same time listened to Selena Gomez (just to stay current on the music my children are listening to). A woman, walking her dog, stared at me and her gaze made me conscious of how absurd I looked running with my large collection of mulberry branches in each hand, singing Selena Gomez songs. The explanation “I’m a mom” immediately spilled from my mouth and she laughed. She understood. It is the final push before winter break and parents are scrambling to get everything done for the holidays before the children are home needing projects to do. I have an answer to both (at least for one afternoon): gingerbread dolls. An edible version of paper dolls, this project gives you your gingerbread for the holidays and the kids a project too.
While you can buy gingerbread kits in the stores, I have yet to find one that actually tastes good. These gingerbread cookies are chewy and moist, crisp around the edges, spicy, but not too much, and hold their shape for decorating. The recipe is simple and written with children in mind. Instead of creaming the eggs and the butter, this basically uses a one step method (you can use a stand alone mixer or a food processor) which makes it not only easy for children but “child-proofs” the tendency to over-cream the sugar and butter, which causes the cookies to spread. I have included two recipes: one written for adults (below); and the second written (with pictures) that a beginning reader can follow.
Once the cookies are made, rolled fondant is used to make the clothes. Fondant can be purchased online and at cake supply stores and well as craft stores. You can purchase it in a variety of colors but white can be easily colored by adding food coloring. Although there is a fondant rolling pin it is not necessary for this project. If the fondant is sticking simply use a little powdered sugar on your hands and rolling pin. A pie cutter, a dull knife, kitchen scissors (or even a plastic play-dough cutter) can be used to tailor the clothing. Spices, sprinkles and candies make nice accessories but let your child’s imagination be their guide. Use royal icing (recipe posted) to adhere the clothing to the cookies or if the fondant dries the clothes will come off of the cookie (which can be good too if your cookie is a fashionista and wants to change her clothes).
A couple of notes on the ingredients. This recipe uses both dark muscovado sugar and dark brown sugar. Muscovado is unrefined sugar made from sugarcane juice which has a high molasses content. It is a wonderfully spicy, moist and aromatic. It adds a richness to the cookies that dark brown sugar alone cannot give you. It also has small, dark bits of molasses-sugar which adds character in appearance and taste (all gingerbread should have freckles as well as laugh-lines). You can crush them for a more uniform look but the small bits do not affect the cookie adversely unless they are too big. Do not use muscovado sugar exclusively for cookies or they will be too spicy. You can eliminate it and use only dark brown sugar; however, do not use light brown sugar or the cookies will be plain and uninteresting (in taste and appearance).
Make sure your butter is room temperature (which means it is pliable but not too soft). Cut it into chunks because you want to make sure it is incorporated with the other ingredients.
Molasses is the ingredient which gives gingerbread its character. Molasses is the liquid byproduct of boiling sugarcane until the sucrose crystalizes to create granulated sugar. There are three grades of molasses and the difference lies in which boiling (the first, the second, or the third) produced the molasses. All grades can be sulphured or unsulphured. Light molasses is produced from the first boiling, dark molasses from the second, and blackstrap from the third boiling. The molasses I recommend using for these cookies is Grandma’s original unsulphured molasses (yes, the very same one our parents used when we were kids). I have tried several, the organic ones, the darker molasses, and blackstrap, and while I use these others for spice cakes, they are too spicy for cookies.
Lastly, under-bake the cookies to achieve a chewy consistency. When small cracks in the cookies begin to form, take the cookies out of the oven and let the carry-over heat from the baking pan continue to bake the cookies for about 2-3 minutes. Then place the cookies on a metal rack to cool. If you want crisp cookies, bake them longer, roll them flatter, and/or reduce the oven temperature slightly. Store the cookies in an air-tight container for freshness and they should last a few days (assuming they are not eaten before then).
Simple. Delicious. Project!
Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !
LM
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