papillons au Roquefort
(blue cheese butterflies)
makes 12 (or more depending upon size of bread)
what you need:
1 small wedge of Papillon Roquefort (or other quality blue cheese)
1 small loaf of quality raisin and nut bread
6 teaspoons good honey (and as needed) Read the rest of this entry »
goodbyes, cherished moments and setting fire to the rain:
my family pot-au-feu
It rained on Mulholland as I ran to Adele’s song “Set Fire to the Rain.” Impeccable timing and the idea of setting fire to the chilly weather compelled me to run straight to the kitchen to make pot-au-feu (pot of fire). I had no idea then that it would take on the significance that it now has. In the holiday spirit of sharing, this week I share with you my family recipe for pot-au-feu. Read the rest of this entry »
Pas de Deux: douillons aux pommes (apples in nightdresses)
Like many people this time of year, one of the traditions in my family is to attend a performance of The Nutcracker. In sum, it is a story of a young girl, Clara, who is given a nutcracker as a Christmas gift. The nutcracker turns into a Prince who takes Clara to the Kingdom of Sweets where the Sugarplum Fairy and various treats (Spanish Chocolate, Peppermint Candy, etc.) perform for Clara (still in her nightdress) and the Prince. At the end, the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier perform the Grand Pas de Deux (“steps of two”). As I watched the Pas de Deux, I thought of … food. The combination of a kingdom filled with dancing culinary specialities, Clara’s nightdress, and the “deux” (the collaboration of two) reminded me of the French classic dessert douillons aux pommes (apples in nightdresses). Inspired by the ballet, douiillons aux pommes is this week’s simple pleasure. Read the rest of this entry »
sugar and spice . . . it is all nice:
pain d’épice (with ginger and honey cream cheese spread)
Nothing gets us into the holiday spirit more than our sense of smell. While the decorations and songs are festive, it is the smell of roasted chestnuts, mulled wine, and baked treats that transport us to memories of family meals, gatherings around a fire, and baking holiday cookies. For many people, the smell of gingerbread is synonymous with the holidays. Filling your home with a little holiday sugar and spice this season was the inspiration for this week’s simple pleasure: pain d’épice (with ginger and honey cream cheese spread). Read the rest of this entry »
look what the wind blew in: souffléd herb and chèvre omelette
(a great way to lighten up post-Thanksgiving)
This week I bought my youngest daughter Les œufs verts au jambon (Dr. Seuss’s classic Green Eggs and Ham, in French). As we read it, I could hear the wind howling outside and I thought of a friend’s comment about feeling like an anchor after the consumption of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and gravy. So what does a chef think of while reading green eggs and ham, listening to the wind, and obsessing on “lighter”, leaner foods? Whisked egg whites with a little green and the inspiration for this week’s simple pleasure: souffléd herb and chèvre omelette.
“I don’t just like it . . I love it !”
pumpkin spice madeleines
It is Thanksgiving. You are in the kitchen trying to get the meal ready and the kids, big ones and the little ones, are hungry. When is dinner? Sometimes it is nice to have a little snack on hand to keep hungry tummies at bay (and busy hands out of the kitchen) while you finish preparing the meal. Here it is and it could not be more simple or satisfying: pumpkin spice madeleines. Read the rest of this entry »
gobble, gobble, gone: perfectly roasted turkey
There are several occupational hazards to being a chef. One hazard is the repetitive slumping over counters and stovetops which sometimes sends me to the chiropractor, as it did again this week. Looking at my crooked frame, he asked me what I did to get myself in this mess. “I am a chef,” I replied. “That is funny,” he said, “I was just going to say that it smells like Thanksgiving in here.” Just then I got a whiff of my own hair which smelled like . . . well, roasted turkey. Occupational hazard number two: smelling like the food you are cooking.
The turkey smell made me think of the first time I cooked a Thanksgiving turkey. I was in college, wanting to demonstrate my culinary and domestic enthusiasm for my boyfriend and his parents. I am paraphrasing, but I believe it was Thomas Edison who said that that he had not failed but he “found 10,000 ways that [wouldn’t] work.” That Thanksgiving produced many turkey discoveries.
My first discovery was that purchasing a 22 pound turkey for 6 people is just too much turkey. My second discovery was that it takes a long time for a 22 pound turkey to thaw. I could not get it brined in time for the planned meal, nor could I defrost it fast enough. This massive, flightless poultry-iceburg was too large for my tiny apartment kitchen sink and I was forced to defrost it under cold, running water in the bathtub (of course I left it in plastic wrapping but the whole thing, image and all, was just wrong). However, this turkey’s Calgon moment was not the last of the trouble this bird would cause me for when it was time to pull it from the oven, the heavy bird tipped in the roasting pan, the pan fell forward, the turkey landed on the open oven door and turkey sucs, the grease, and the roasting liquid gushed all over the oven, the oven door, and the kitchen floor. Major mishap for me but manna from Heaven for my Yorkshire terrier who jumped in the lake of turkey juice lapping it up, and then ran throughout the apartment tracking her greasy paws on the 80’s white (white!) carpet, and bouncing on the furniture to allude capture.
It was a culinary and housekeeping disaster: apartment a greasy mess; gravy nonexistent; dog vomiting from the rich turkey sucs; and overcooked, mushy or dry side dishes (as my attention was focused on salvaging the turkey and cleaning up the mess). I laugh about it now and I also know that I am not alone. Everyone has a turkey gone bad story. Overcooked. Undercooked. Turkey frozen in the middle. Turkey on fire. After over twenty years of practice, culinary school, and teaching others, I have discovered many ways that do not work and things that do. Making sure your Thanksgiving turkey turns out just right was the inspiration for this week’s simple pleasure: perfectly roasted turkey.
perfectly roasted turkey
stats:
approximate 2 ¾ – 3 hours roasting time
serves 8
what you need:
Those who took the “be a 10” challenge (October 6, 2011 post) received 6 Thanksgiving side dish recipes for their $10 donation. It is not too late. If you would like to receive recipes for:
wild mushroom and brioche stuffing with chestnuts and fresh sage
duck, duck, tart:
duck and kale savory tartlet with black chanterelles, fresh sage and thyme
“Duck, duck, goose…” On a recent return from France I sat next to a man from Toulouse and our conversation began by discussing ducks and geese, although in the culinary-sense, not related to the childhood game. It was an natural topic of conversation because Toulouse is well-known for its ducks and geese and boasts regional specialities such as foie gras, cassoulet, and garbure. The temperature has finally caught up with the calendar and everyone is craving comfort food. My transatlantic conversation (and the fact that it is duck season) inspired this week’s simple pleasure: duck and kale savory tartlets with black chanterelles, fresh sage, and thyme. Comfort food, redefined. Read the rest of this entry »
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