Banlieue Blog

Weeknight Paella

2012-01-26T15:24:00.001-05:00


The Sofrito

After the Holidays, I usually scour the grocery to see what is on sale. At my local Kroger, I found some frozen packages of BEAUTIFUL shrimp. I scooped up two packages and threw them in the freezer waiting for a perfect dinner inspiration.

Looking through the freezer a few nights ago I spied those shrimp, some frozen (sorry my friends in France) mussels.....as well as some random chicken pieces. You know where this is heading, right? Paella!
But where did my favorite recipe go? I have been making this for years, I got if off the Weber Grill site. Now that the dinner was planned the recipe was no where to be found. I started searching on the web.....no luck. I typed in the gent who presented the recipe, Mr. Jamie Purvaiance. Still no luck, only a link where I could buy his book.
I finally stumbled on WeberNation, right where I left it when I lived in France. Now I'm cookin'!

The finished dish

If you do take a look at the little video, you will notice he prepares the Paella on the Weber. We have done this many times. Winter in Kentucky, a mild winter it is right now....still didn't tempt me outdoors to the BBQ. I made it on the hob and I must say, it was a great success! Moral to the story, shop the sales at the grocery and get a bit more organized with those old recipe files and links!

Brick...in the house!

2012-01-24T09:10:00.004-05:00

One product I have been missing since moving back to the states has been Brick pastry. I have shopped all specialty markets, made trips up to Jungle Jim's, the foodie paradise in Cincy, to no avail!

I had just found Puy Lentils on Amazon and decided to give them another gander. Low & Behold, they were available from a place that imports. I'm always surprised that the world gets a little smaller thanks to the Internet! Two packages of 10 Bricks to an order, long shelf life. But, very expensive. I still decided that I wanted to relive some of those fantastic recipes that I had collected from my years in France, and bought them. They arrived, and the family was very happy!

I really didn't have a recipe when I made Sunday lunch. It was a concoction of what was leftover in the fridge. So, mushrooms, cooked chicken, green onions and some cheddar cheese went into the Brick. So paper thin, just like I remembered! It is a real pleasure to work with this pastry. Rolled them up, brushed with olive oil and they baked up very quick. Some of you might ask if you can sub Filo pastry for the Brick, and yes, of course you can.

I had some Haloumi cheese in the fridge, fried that up with a little olive oil. Served with a little baby spinach and fresh strawberries and Sunday lunch was served. Thanks Amazon!

Anybody out there?

2012-01-22T11:22:00.002-05:00

I know it has been a long time since I last blogged! Moving, full-time job, well, it just took the wind out of my creative sail. Armed with a new oven, lots of time and a new camera, I am starting to feel the urge to get back into some sharing.
More than likely, I need to update my 'look'.....but for now, just checking to see if anybody is 'out there'.

United Nations Cheesecake

2009-06-18T08:26:00.008-04:00

A Birthday cake was needed! I just recived a new issue of Good Food direct from England......inside was a mini-edition of Olive Magazine. It was filled with some interesting recipes, including a lovely Chocolate Swirled Cheesecake from non other than Chef Gordon Ramsay. The bête noire, who was getting some press 'down under'!

The ingredients included Double Cream(hard to come by in the US), Creme Fraiche, and some high cocoa chocolate (brought over from France)! I set off to Lexington to Whole Foods.....just to see! I knew they carried Creme Fraiche! What a surprise to find Double Cream, and boy-oh-boy.....this was thick and delicious! The recipe called for Digestive Biscuits, but I had Chocolate Graham crackers on hand and thought I would substitute!

Now you see why I call this the United Nations Cheesecake! A real combo of ingredients. The beauty of this recipe is it is non-bake.......so no cracking and fiddly baking. I combined and swirled and then we celebrated a birthday and fought over the last crumb. Creamy, smooth, a hint of lemon and that wonderful rich chocolate. Even the crust set off the taste of the cheesecake!

Gourmet 1988!

2009-05-13T15:01:00.008-04:00

I used to save old magazines with recipes that I thought I might cook. Then the pile got huge. My super organized hubby suggested that I rip the recipe or article that I liked out and place it in a book. Well, that was too organized for me at that time, so I had a box filled with recipes. No, not a pretty box with flowers or cute cooking things, it was a packing box. Then, I got the organizational bug, hmmmmmm, maybe 10 years later, and put all those recipes in a book. I even have a special room in our new house to peruse my books of recipes now.

Needless to say, I haven't cooked each and every recipe, but the urge does strike to try one out, and I have been saving a Quiche Recipe that caught my eye from Gourmet Magazine, circa 1988. I was living in France at the time and running after a 1 year old boy. Not a lot of time to devote to cooking, but I knew I'd get back to it later in life!

I made a Flavored Dough as the base for my quiche. A parmesean and garlic powder blend. I gotta' say, this was very tasty and filled the kitchen with a good aroma while blind-baking.

The recipe was called, Crab and Saga Blue Quiche, Savoir Fare. Sounds good, huh?
I bought some Saga Blue cheese, couldn't find any crab though and wasn't going to make the trek to Lexington to find some good Crab meat. BUT, I did find some Florida Rock Shrimp that looked like it might go just fine. Wow......this was the best quiche I have made in a long time.

Moral to the story, save those old recipes and enjoy a cup of morning coffee or evening glass of wine, look through your pile of recipes and plan that next meal!

Baking Frenzy

2009-04-19T09:02:00.007-04:00

Easter has come and gone, but there are still some leftover crumbs! About a week before the holiday, I start thinking of what Bread I'll be making! I thought about Croissant, but I got lazy! A typical Easter Bread for our family is the Brioche. Buttery, tender crumb and can have several applications to a batch of dough. I found some more Plugra at Liquor Barn (of all places!!), my local Kroger had fresh yeast and I was on my way.

During my years in France (ahhhh, but a thought away) I have attended many cooking classes, hands-on and demo's! My first Cordon Bleu was a Saturday morning hands-on class. It was lots of fun, my two buddies AA and Barb were loads of laughs, but the dough was already made for us. We were just shaping and baking. A 'taste' into the world of baking, really! I knew I wanted MORE! A 5-day intensive class came a few years later and this recipe is from that exciting class! I also did a last minute, before my move class at Le Notre which was a delight!

The 'old man' hooked up the 220v outlet for me and I am in business with all my Euro gadgets! This yummy looking dough is full of butter and will rest/ferment in the fridge for a few days if you'd like. This dough rose beautifully in the fridge and easy to pull out and shape up for Easter Breakfast & days beyond.

Yummy!

Check my flickr site on the side, for some other sites of Spring in Kentucky!

Garlic Fougasse!

2009-04-04T17:32:00.006-04:00

Having a well-stocked freezer is a good thing! But, let me be honest......my freezer is the black hole of well intentioned, but long forgotten goodies!

I love to make Pizza Dough, those who know me, know this to be a fact. It also brings me pleasure to know that pizza dough is in the freezer to be thawed at a whim!

So, the reason for this post is developing right now, a lovely pasta I was making for dinner needed some fresh bread! I haven't found a Boulangerie here in my town yet!!! (I never will!)
So, the dough from the freezer called my name and it soon was on it's way to becoming a garlic fougasse! I shaped the dough, brushed with garlic butter and fresh herbs and let it rise in my big ol' American oven.

The result was tender and delicious!

Lasagna for 'the house'

2009-03-15T18:28:00.006-04:00

What house? The White House? The Frat House?.......oh yeah, our house! Here in the Blue Grass!
Spring Break comes early for the schools in the north, and we had a wonderful week with our bearded-baby. He insisted on cooking for us one night, his specialty!! Scaled down for a family of 3, not a Frat House of 80 dudes!

I must say, our trip to the new favorite store Meijer in Hamburg netted some good items. I did influence my son (insisted) that he try some Italian Sausage to his mix. He relented! Other than that he did follow the 'house' recipe.

I also had some 1-step lasagna sheets on hand that I thought we should use up. I must say, the conoction had some great tastes! He raided my spice cabinet for many of my powders and salts and added some fresh garlic to his sauce.

We were delighted with his results, and are enjoying another serving (plus some for the freezer) tonight. The
'bearded-baby' is back 'up North' and Max is a little depressed right now. As all parents will join me in this thought.......we can't wait till the next visit home!

Mom!!!!! What happened to the pie?

2009-03-08T11:20:00.007-04:00

Spring Break......and I start to get into my recipes that please a 21 year old. Pie....who doesn't like pie??
Chocolate cream pie, did you say? Whipped cream, choco shavings?

Everybody likes pie, like I said......even black and white dogs. Seems like, while I was on Skype with my bearded-baby, a black and white dog helped himself to some pie.

This caused great rushing around and phone calls to the vet, but Max was ok and I lopped off half the pie and all was well and good! yes, we ate the rest of the pie!

Great flaky butter crust, made with Plugra, the equivalent to my precious French butter!

By the goodness of Grace

2009-03-02T11:00:00.011-05:00

As I hang on to the coat tails of Technology, trying to keep up with my son, every once in a while I find a gadget that is easy to use and wonder why it took so long for me to find this thing.
It is called the Grace WI-FI Internet Radio. and it is awesome!

Of course I can't really take the credit for finding this gem of a tool......it was my 'bearded baby' who said that he just found an 'app' for his I-Phone, he said he was streaming some old radio stations that we used to listen to in France.
That got me to thinking that I can stream from my computer! Next was a little internet search of a gadget that might let me carry my music from room to room. You'll find several radio's like Squeezebox, but I needed to economize and found Grace! As you can see, CNET gave it a great little review. The 'bearded baby' gave it his blessing and off to Best Buy I did go.

Easy to set-up, easy to use....and now I'm streaming my favorite jazz stations like FIP-FM and TSF. Oh-La-La!

FIP's programming is an eclectic mix of musical genres: chanson, rock, world music, classical music, film music, jazz and more, but connected with a theme. FIP is one of the few stations with this type of programming in the world.
TSF Jazz has a wonderful selection of all jazz, classics from the 30's & 40's. Both stations have disk jockeys who speak slow enough for my poor French! That way I'll always know the weather and the next National Strike date! Oh.....those were the days!

A few nights with........Phil

2009-02-28T17:32:00.003-05:00

I feel like I've been invited to a secret society! He is a local cult figure! You open a newspaper and his name pops up, you read a local magazine and there his name is again. Phil is his name! I fortunately, was added to his eMail list and got to come to some classes. They are held in a lovely 'home' that has been turned into a fantastic showroom. He cooks on an AGA that has been produced for the American market. A roaring gas stove-top is at his command. Then he bakes in a dreamy Wolf oven. Yes, one can dream!

One of the things I really enjoy about Phil's classes are that you come away learning a lot! Yep, I've been to quite a few classes in my years, but his recipes are delicious and pretty easy to prepare.....in other words, they are perfect weeknight fare! BUT, also perfect for stress free entertaining!

I've been to his Egg class, he had so many tricks and tips. A Casserole class netted some real keepers, I even sent that batch of recipes up to 'the bearded baby' when he cooks for his Frat House! We have had a Tapas night and I brought 'the old man' along for this latest class of Brisket (2 ways)!
I did bring my son along to a class during his holiday break and Phil could not have been more generous! The 'bearded baby' mentioned that he cooks for his Frat House from time to time and Phil promised some recipes to cook for a crowd!

You pretty much can't walk away from the class, you are rolling down I-75 towards home! The food and drink flow and you usually get a take-home plate for the loved one who had to stay home!

Phil is a joy to watch and you can tell that he has run his own kitchen! His knife skills are awesome......and the guy can muli-task like no one else! He is a pro. He is also very down to earth. I have learned where to shop here in Lexington for good products! You'll be surprised to learn where he frequents and even where he purchases some of his equipment.

I really shouldn't brag too much about him or his next session of classes could be full!

Popovers!

2009-02-12T13:44:00.002-05:00

Did I ever tell you the story about my Thanksgiving Popovers? No?
Let me make this short and sweet. I usually like to do a 'fresh' bread or roll along side of my 'bird'. Got to thinking about Popovers and thought I could make a batch and bake them off in a muffin tin. Well, those babies did NOT 'pop'! They could have been used as lethal weapons to get rid of any Kentucky critter or evil doer that was passing by. They didn't even make good bird food and our birds eat everything! The birdies turned up their beaks at my offering!

A recent trip to Williams Sonoma, I came home with yet another new baking pan. The mighty popover pan! There are some times when I like living back in the U.S.
Searching through the internet, the worlds biggest cookbook,......I found a recipe that looked pretty good. Sometimes tho, when I look for a recipe I have to find one that fits the ingredients that I have on hand. This recipe called for 2 eggs and I had 3! There ya' go! It also called for some Gruyère cheese, had it in the fridge, I can find a decent one in my Kroger store. Everything was looking good so far.

Looking at the photos above, you can see they rose mighty high and were darned tasty! I'm happy with my purchase and just need to find a place to stash my new piece of cooking equipment!

Lamb Sliders

2009-02-04T16:08:00.007-05:00

Well, Super Bowl Sunday came and went, and to be honest, we went to a movie! I'm just not a big fan of Football. I do, however, enjoy the food that seems to be on the menu during those games!
While we were snowed in, watching the Early Show, I caught a great snippet on Super Bowl food and Sliders!
Still in comfort food mode, I needed some meat and potatoes! Inspired by the cool way of fashioning a burger I was ready to give it a try. Not only did the guy come up with cutting the burger into
a square, a la White Castle's.......he put cheese in the mixture as well.

Let's get to the point. Ground Lamb, green onions, Worcestershire Sauce, Tahini Paste and cilantro. (I could have put some cheese in, but didn't with the lamb) It didn't get any better than that and the result was a very juicy burger. I seared them in my cast iron, then finished them off (not too long) in the oven. Served with roasted sweet potatoes with 'our' special dipping sauce and we had a easy weeknight meal.

The Great Winter Storm!

2009-02-01T08:54:00.003-05:00

I'm back.....
And we survived the Great Storm of '09! We didn't lose power, only Internet and Cable. Compared to many, many others, this just wasn't bad. We had a local Starbucks to log in and enjoyed a coffee or a dinner at the bookstore cafe' called Bronte' Bistro . You can log in, eat a nice little meal and buy books, all centered around a lovely fireplace!

This brings us to the build up for the storm. It has been a while since I faced a full-on Winter Storm. The warnings were out, we had the kerosene heater filled and ready. I had a freezer filled with items just in case we couldn't get out. It did snow, but it was just a preview of coming attractions, so we headed out to the local WalMart whle we could still get out. I wanted to lay-in some real comfort food items. I made a soup last year and it was pretty good. I wanted to make it again, with changes!

This soup can make you feel like you can handle any storm (plus leftovers!). Healthy swiss chard and kale, a bit of beef broth mixed with the chicken (just had both on hand!). A can of fire-roasted tomatoes and a rind of Parmesan cheese. I served it with cornbread and we felt cozy. The changes in the recipe were noted and I wonder what I'll add next year. But for now, I dream of spring! Next project will be saving some of our trees that were savaged by the ice.
Heartbreaking. Again, I think we didn't have it too bad, really!

Kouglof in Kentucky

2008-04-03T15:03:00.011-04:00

As I start to test recipes from France, here in Kentucky, I have to smile when there is success! I took my last French pastry class at Le Notre in October, right before all 'heck' broke loose! I usually try to make the pastry we learn in class at home, just to 'sink' the technique I just paid to learn. With a pending house hunting trip in November, the only thing I had time for was a trip to MORA to buy the special earthenware molds that the chef recommended.

I was so pleased to unpack these lovely molds, and found them in the same condition, just like I picked them up from the shelf at MORA. I got my recipe out, prepped and weighed the ingredients. I knew that I might need a few tries at this recipe, just to nail it.......but, it did work ok.

I will need another try with the recipe. My dough didn't rise in the mold to a real height like they did in class. I wonder if my yeast wasn't fresh enough, or I needed to do the rise with a little warm water near by. I use warm water in a cold oven for the final rise of my Croissants, so this method might work better next time.

The dough however was very easy and supple to work with. Not the usual sticky mess that a traditional brioche dough is. You don't need an overnight, cold proof like you do with normal brioche in this recipe.
My baking in Kentucky continues as spring very slowly approaches! I have finally found some fresh herbs for planting, now, I'm making 'it' home.

Le Creuset (of America)

2008-03-30T12:23:00.008-04:00

Satisfaction: Guaranteed! Lifetime Warranty!
Do you see that written and smirk? Think to your self, yeah RIGHT! Do you keep your receipt, just in case?

Well, my precious blue dutch oven, bought about 30 years ago and used, at least once a week, started to get chips in the bottom of the pan. I thought, lifetime warranty, well, I'll give it a try. In October, while still living in France, I wanted to buy my bearded baby his
first Le Creuset pot. I love going up to the (real) factory store, and my time in France was running out.

I threw my dutch oven in the trunk, thinking that they might be able to do a repair, or....better yet, exchange for a sparkling new one. The lady in the store told me that I should not use the pan anymore, the raw cast iron would leach out into our foods. And, she informed me, no, they don't honor the lifetime warranty if I bought my pot in the USA. So, I bought a new one. The Caribbean Blue took my eye, and I bought my son a blue one.

I decided to pack up my chipped pan in our move and bring her back to America to see if Le Creuset of America would honor the warranty. The lady on the phone told me that I needed a number to include on the packing. I sent it UPS.....didn't cost much, I included a letter and I certainly didn't have the receipt from 30 years ago. No big deal! They determine if the problem was theirs or if I caused the problem. If I caused the problem, I would be offered a discount on another pot, if I wanted. Well......time would tell what they thought!

Well, look what came in the mail. A GORGEOUS brand new dutch oven. Not only is the pan worth it's weight (yep, they are heavy) in enameled gold! The company stands up for the product!

Now, I'm not 'dissing' the French Factory Store, they are very helpful and informative. They try to have the pot in the color you are looking for if you call in advance......the prices are well worth the 2 1/2 hour drive north of Paris! I'm just happy that at the end of the day, satisfaction guarantee, and Lifetime Warranty do mean, just that. Now I can have two dutch ovens bubbling away on my hob!

A trip to the farm......

2008-03-22T13:38:00.005-04:00

Trying to have a little fun in between unpacking, shopping and a daily trip to Lowes, the old man and I signed up for another cooking class! We stumbled on this little place in Midway called, The Honest Farm, one Sunday afternoon.
We walked inside to find a very charming, quaint, big open space. There were some farm veggies to buy, a cold display with homemade yummies like chicken salads, pot pies.....homemade cookies etc. Interesting decor, with a big pot of coffee and tea at the ready.
It seemed like a natural thing to sit down on the great little bistro tables and have a 'cuppa' and a bite of something sweet. The table cloths were wonderful antique cloths that I love and have bought myself on trips 'back home' when we lived in France.
When we got home, I did an internet search on the owner and found that she was a cookbook author, magazine editor, and farmer. What a FIND!! She said she gave cooking classes, and I figured that this was a must on my 'to do' list.

(click on the photo for a great view)

Susie prepared a fantastic brisket, kofta and a wonderful rhubarb upside-down cake. There was also an asperge and egg salad dressed with a simple Vinaigrette. I have to admit, I never liked rhubarb and have avoided it at all costs. Even pulling it out of my garden in France! But, after tasting this cake, I might start to experiment with it! Plus the cake itself was indeed a winner! The class is BYOB and we drink out of Ball Jars......it just adds to the charm. We learned so much, as Susie is very passionate and has great stories to share, along with the cooking demo. There was a copious tasting, I'd call dinner, after the demo. I can't wait till Spring comes and she gets her farm planted and we can start eating fresh veggies!

Basic Food for Dinner

2008-03-11T17:36:00.008-04:00

I found some ground lamb at the grocery......although, I'm having a hard time finding cuts of lamb other than chops (the search for a good butcher is on). The blizzard has passed and we shoveled the snow off the WeberQ. I wanted to cook up an old favorite, Goat Cheese Stuffed Lamb burgers. I had the Goat Cheese already in the fridge. I just needed a 'side' to go with the burgers and green salad.

Enter: Culinary in the Desert and Joe!

Sometimes you just need to take a look at the other blogs and see what 'those guys' are eating! Joe always has something wonderful to chose from, he updates daily! His Four Cheese Mac-n-Cauliflower Cheese looked great, and gave me another excuse to feed the 'Bearded Baby' some veggies!

Bubbling hot from the oven, I knew this was a winner. Check out the link to the recipe at Joe's Blog!

(there is another lamb patty that goes on top of the goat cheese!)

The lamb burgers were great, even with the Goat Cheese (I'm not complaining about American products, I swear!!). The Red Pepper Mayo is another great recipe from a BBQ class I used to teach. This will stay fresh in the fridge for about a week.

The lesson for today......check out the blogs for some great dinner ideas!

The Urge to Bake

2008-03-09T10:52:00.008-04:00

Since I'm just about unpacked and feeling as settled as can be right now......I have had the urge to get back into the kitchen and see if I still 'have it'!
I really haven't done any baking since leaving France, and if you remember I took a couple of classes at Le Notre right before we started packing.
I always think I'll remember each and every thing that the chef tells us (during the class), and I don't always write things down. Well, I got my notes out for the Macaron class and 'damn'.....I didn't remember each and every thing after all. I continued on with each step and 'it' came back. From the triple baking trays, to the twist and turn, and the 2 hour wait before you garnish with ganche!
Note to self: Write everything down, keep your camera next to your station during each class!
I was pleased and relieved that I can still bake in KY.

(click on the photo for a better view)

I found some fresh yeast at my local Kroger that produced a lovely pizza and a 'garlic flat bread'.
I still love Roberto Donna's recipe! My cannele's turned out delish! And my trusty Simac Ice Cream Maker churned out some great coconut ice cream for a 20 year old on spring break. If I can still fit into my yoga clothes, I've got to get started again.
Best wishes from Kentucky!

ps

2008-02-25T20:57:00.002-05:00

for those of you who aren't luck enough to have 'an old man' in tow......he is the one who makes everything happen for me! the mounting of the painting........all the electrical work.....
lucky me!

Have Oven, Will Travel!

2008-02-25T14:13:00.009-05:00

I'm starting to get settled, here in Kentucky. We survived a Tornado Warning and high winds while they were unloading our 'precious' stuff. Snow and ice hit our little 'burb, then the sun comes out and you want to start planting! Welcome back to the 'states'! I did order and receive our 'weather alert radio'. Although I'm not looking forward to any middle of the night sirens again, the basement floor is COLD!

(All my favorite French products, painting by Melissa Werpy. painting attached to my pantry door!)

When we heard that we were going to move in a very quick fashion, I did try to get rid of my convection oven. I just assumed that all houses in the states came with 2 ovens. WRONG, a regular oven & a microwave oven were found in the houses we looked at. Suddenly it looked like my Metro brand oven was going to take a voyage across the ocean! Of course, my dough machine, juicer, big-fat-fryer, and professional crepe maker got included in the shipment.

I decided to do a little relaxing = baking yesterday. I mixed up a batch of Cannele batter. I wanted to see how Pierre Herme would do in Kentucky! Having rested the batter till this morning, I baked off a batch.....bah oui!!! The ladies look luscious. Somewhere, someone described a Cannele as a portable Creme Brulee. Look at that creamy center with a crisp outer-shell.
The French oven worked and I think Pierre is giving me 'thumbs-up' right now!

I've unpacked my Kougloff molds and have yeast in hand.......look out!! Where did I pack my scale.....oh well!!

Hey Ya'll!

2008-01-27T14:18:00.000-05:00

I'm channeling Paula Deen since moving to Kentucky.

Well, I've been in the U.S. for a good 3 weeks.....there are surprises, good and bad. I won't dwell on the bad, ok! We are still waiting for our 'stuff'.......living in limbo, even with a nice view just isn't cutting it anymore!

Having lived in an 'expat' community for a long time, you learn that as 'the new gal', you've got to get out and get your feet wet. Sign up for groups, seek out exercise classes.....find the next cooking class! Well, the mecca of all things culinary is as far as 'the mall'. Williams-Sonoma! I've been super curious about their offerings of cooking demonstrations, so I signed 'the old man' and myself up for the Super Bowl Snack demo.

A full house surrounded our chef/instructor. A place setting, cold drinks and pans were heating on 'the hob'. She did a great job, we grazed while she set out to create the next snack. It was a fun evening. Let's not forget about the 10% reduction you get while attending a class. I had to buy some Alziari Olive Oil.......oh the memories.

Since then, we took a drive to Midway, I met a very interesting young woman and promise to blog about her soon!

Life through Fresh Eyes!

2007-12-24T03:17:00.001-05:00

You already know this, for a fact! I Love Paris! Paris has been our home for the past 23 years! It gets under your skin......you become a part of it! I've even laid claim to monuments and places! But.......in September, we learned it was time to move on.

Where? Why? When?

We will be moving on December 31st......very symbolic, don't you think? Starting the new year in our new home? You will find me in Lexington Ky now. Why Kentucky? Gosh, it was a bit like throwing the dart towards the map and seeing where it landed, remember the Cher movie, Mermaids? Kentucky has all the towns, like Paris, Winchester, Frankfort, even Versailles that sounded familiar!!!! Rolling hills, horses, deer!

Now you might understand my silence these past few months. It is a very emotional experience to pick up 'sticks' and move on. Let alone orchestrate and organize an international move. I promise to update this blog more often......I mean you've got to read about my Reverse Culture Shock!! Discover where I'll be shopping and how I get on with the day-to-day of life in the US.

Someone told me that I will be looking at life with Fresh Eyes.......I think I've been away long enough that this will be a new adventure. This gal logged much International Experience and I believe she might be right. I'm going to take her advice and try to see my new life with Fresh Eyes.

Happy Holidays to all my friends & readers!

See you on the 'other side'.

Les Kouglofs et Brioches

2007-10-30T02:53:00.000-04:00

Continuing with a passion, I was off to LeNotre yesterday. A rainy, cold day is perfect to be captive learning about dough! Safe in the warm kitchen, watching the rain and gazing at the Grand Palais, pencil in hand and camera at the ready. The Kouglof has been a guilty pleasure of mine for years. I do my grocery shopping at Monoprix, get my veggies and fruit at the special fruit stand and finish off my shopping trip with a mini-kouglof, from Le Notre, for the ride home.

Shifting into second gear while driving home and wiping sugary syrup from your chin is a challenge, but well worth it! I've been wanting to learn the secret of a LeNotre Kouglof for years and now is the time!

As you know, baking is all about chemistry. Well.......so is a cooking class! I've taught hands-on in my home for a few years now. I understand the 'chemistry' of a class. You've got shy ladies, new ladies, know-it-all's. It is up to the instructor to bring the class together, create a fun atmosphere for learning and when they leave, they feel like they've experienced something special. I always hope that they feel like they can tackle what I taught. I'm not complaining about this particular class I took, I learned the technique that was taught. The class was flat, if that makes any sense!

Armed with my recipes and yet another planned shopping trip to MORA for molds, I am still thrilled with the opportunity to learn the art of French Viennoiserie!

Les Macarons Monday

2007-10-26T09:26:00.000-04:00

There are times when I have to pinch myself. How lucky can I get? Times when you just don't take things for granted!

I'm talking about last Monday, when I attended a class at LeNotre.

We learned so many tricks and techniques, I couldn't write fast enough! I had a fun group, a French woman who lived in Miami translated all the fine points that I would have lost. The chef was great and even passed on more recipes for us to take home. I couldn't wait to try my hand at home.

The last time I attended a class at LeNotre, I didn't come home and make the pastry and now, I've lost all the secrets and wouldn't want to attempt it till I go to another class. The class was Puff Pastry Inversee'. A tough technique.

After this class, I gathered the ingredients and made the Macarons and I was darned proud of the results.

Take a look at the single Macaron, that is mine!

Enjoy the photos!

Let Them Eat Cake!

2007-10-08T11:44:00.001-04:00

I'm sure by now, any faithful reader, my mom and son included, have stopped checking my blog. If you have thought that I got lost, yes, in a way, I have. When I blog.....I share my 'joy'. That 'joyful' feeling has been way-laid of late. Explanations excluded, ok.

Lets talk about an idea I had last June, it came to fruition a week ago. And boy, was it fun to see it develop and execute! It was also received with excited feedback. It was called the Let Them Eat Cake Picnic!

I've been working with a gal out of Texas for a couple of years now. She runs a tour biz for ladies and it has been great watching her business grow! I got involved by teaching a cooking class for her clients. The successful format is a Hands-On Crepe class. This is a non-stop crepe fest with everybody flipping crepes and eating non-stop. I recently added a Professional Crepe machine and now they have a chance to test their skills on the Krampouz, just like the crepe makers on every street in Paris! The ladies seem to enjoy it and many times they are buying a crepe pan from Dehilleron.

The picnic idea grew out of the fact that the ladies take a tour of Versailles. They usually stop at the market and pick up some sandwiches and Cheryl would pull out a bottle of wine and a tablecloth out of her backpack.
I thought that it might be fun for them to have a real picnic. I would provide a boxed lunch, they would have the opportunity to sample a real quiche, chocolate mousse and my famous business-card sugar cookies!

Living about 10 minutes from the Petite Hamlet I thought I could drop off the lunches, let the ladies enjoy the food and wine and then they could continue on with the tour. I'd pick up the trash and meet them the next day for the Crepe Class. Yep, this was a great plan.

The Culinary gods were smiling down on me the morning of the picnic and the food came together without a hitch. We packed up the boxes and dropped them off in front of the Grand Trianon, I discovered that we could not set-up a picnic inside of the Hamlet or the grounds inside the Trianon. Not to worry, there were plenty of places to set up with ambiance. Friday, Saturday and Sundays there is Baroque Music piped in throughout the grounds and, even you, Can Eat Cake with the ghosts at Versailles!

From Lake to Table

2007-08-06T08:40:00.000-04:00

Long time-no blog! It has been so long, that I had to go through the tutorial to remind me how to do this (not really, but it sounded good). I have no excuses for the passed time.

We spent a week in the UK, I've been hitting my favorite cooking shops, Dinghams and Lakeland. I've also brought back some mature cheddar and my precious little red chillies for the freezer. I hit the Buy 2 get 1 Free sales that dot WH Smith and Waterstones. That is what kept me occupied for a while, but my guys got busy with their fly rods. Take a look at the July prize winner! 'Bearded Baby' was thrilled till somebody beat him out by 1 ounce!!

He was still listed as one of the winners, and invited to a fish-off later in the year. The 'old man' caught his share as well. I've never seen the 'bearded baby' so proud!!

We usually bring a fish back to the hotel and ask the chef cook one of the trout for us. We decided to give them the 3 regular sized trout, one for us and the rest to put on the menu. The big daddy was given to a friend (although it was his wife who had to clean and prep the fish for the freezer). I love how they presented the fish for the evening meal on the menu.

The chef did a great job on our fish dinner. I can't remember tasting a fish that was so fresh! Lovely and juicy and a great little dill sauce napped on the side. This meal is etched in our memory for a long time to come!

Summer is passing quickly. I hope you are having a great one!

Rollin' on two wheels!

2007-06-23T02:41:00.001-04:00

Last Sunday, the clouds and rain lifted for us to enjoy a spectacular 'Paris' day! U.S. Fathers Day, my son and I treated the 'old man' to a ride on the Segway! We've known about the tour for a few years now, but as always, time gets away and the weather turns to winter and who wants to ride around in the cold?? Not me!

Treat yourself to an exhilarating ride through Paris with City Segway Tours! We met our guide at the South Pilar of the Eiffel. The lines were incredibly long on this sunny morning! After getting checked out on the Segway, we hit the streets. Key word, we tried hard not to hit the street. Once we got our confidence, I discovered my Segway didn't have the speed governor hooked up and when I found a patch of sidewalk free of pedestrians, I sped forward! Whee!

Our tour ended about 2 hours later. I must admit, we weren't really listening to our guide but were enjoying manipulating the machine!

We only had two small incidents to speak of, and laugh at! There was a meeting with a speed-bump, which we now call The Extreme Segway Incident! And then there was my almost running over a poor 'water seller' at the gates of the Tuileries! No one was harmed, but the poor guy was happy when I got my machine back in control and left the scene for him to sell bottles of water to tourists!

We hated when we were heading back at the end of the tour, it was so much fun!

A Special Day!

2007-06-13T14:23:00.001-04:00

click photo for closer view

Inquiring minds need to know!

Tour Guide at the Branly

2007-06-06T12:51:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when you 'live' in a city, you just get busy with the day to day and forget to get out and smell the roses.
Even in Paris!!
When you live here as long as I have you start to live life and take this incredible city for granted. When I drive into Paris, I see the Eiffel come into view, and it still does take my breath away. I've often told my son that the tower is 'his' landmark, since he was born here. More often than naught, I'm jockeying traffic running to and from an errand and just forgetting that there might be something new 'in town'.

I have driven by the Musee Branly for years. I've been going to the same guy to get my haircut since I've moved to France and glanced over at the building that was going up to and from his shop. I remember when the garden was planted in the facade of the building, my interest was really piqued! The opening of the museum came and went and the Musee Branly went on my 'to do' list. It is a long list.

Now that 'bearded baby' is back in town, I do like to blast some booty out of the chairs for a family day 'in town'. Next time you visit, you MUST spend some time at this place. It is such a beautiful museum, so modern, well lit, very comfortable. I can imagine cold rainy days spent exploring, there is so much to see. They have a great web-site and I noticed that they have two restaurants. One downstairs and the other upstairs called the Ombres. Well, it was time to splurge and start the summer out right. I got reservations (a must), but not a window seat. No matter, every seat has a view and it is magnificent!

The service was very pleasant and served correctly! Food was great as well! We had the 37euro menu which was good value. I absolutely fell in love with the china. They did serve wine in the trendy Riedel stemless "O" glasses. But the china was Raynaud, from the Thomas Keller collection. Don't you just love those espresso cups? So cool!

I'm sure no matter where you are living there is something that you have not taken the time to visit. It is time to blast your booty up and get out. I need to get the guide books back out and re-appreciate this glorious city I am lucky enough to reside in!

Lunch - To Go!

2007-06-03T02:11:00.000-04:00

Blogging Events are fun! I have participated in a few. I had big idea's for this one, but my photo focus skills were off, and then life events take over and quick trips to the US needed to be made.

Lindy of Toast fame got a great idea for an event. Home-Made Take Out food! She was nice enough to extend the deadline, she had life events of her own to deal with!
Although I don't work (formally), we love to picnic, and my son will be going to work this summer! I happen to think that wraps make a wonderful take along lunch! Filled with flavored mayo or pesto, this becomes a delicious and healthy lunch. Wrapped up in a flour tortilla or some rice paper, the sky is the limit!

Another way to make a take-along hand held lunch is to wrap a filling up in pastry! I just happened to have some puff-pastry in the fridge. NO, not my home made puff dough. The plumber was working on a major problem in our rent house and I needed to create something quick for the family while he was out of the kitchen. Turns out the plumber loves to cook as well, and he watched me put together this 'on the fly' creation!

I had some of my favorite Sacla red pepper mozzarella pesto spread.
I had some Mozzarella slices (new to the grocery store!). Ham & rocket leaves got thrown on for a bit of green. This got wrapped up packet style, scored and baked.

The puff pastry is a bit fragile, but it was wolfed down with three thumbs up! I hate to say, but there was none left for the plumber to sample when he got back after his lunch break!

Thinking of packing this to go? Let this cool before you place in a ziplock or better yet, a Tupperware container. This will be delicious room temp and I bet your friends will be asking you to make more to share next time!

My Angel Baby

2007-05-29T14:32:00.001-04:00

Baby Angel Food Cake Pans......who would've thought they'd cause such commotion packed in a carry-on bag? I've told you before about the TSA guys, who love to search my bags.....I went ahead and bought the special locks so they could unlock and feel free to roam!

Having just returned from a quick trip to the US.....I did manage to get a little shopping done. I found these cute little cake pans and thought they'd be perfect for summer 'puddings'! You know the drill, fresh fruit, a little coulis splashed about. Along with some whipped cream added in for the cellulite factor. I bought 8 pans.

Since this was a quick trip, we did not take our normal (big) suitcases where I usually throw in a duffel bag or two just in case I buy too much. A couple of last minute purchases later and I had run out of room. The cake pans got thrown into the carry-on bag.

You have to really think ahead these days as to what goes in the carry-on bag. Gone are the days when I'd throw in a package of Italian Sausage to bring across the ocean, sausage might be in the dangerous category these days!
I remember one Thanksgiving, many-many years ago when my Dad was alive, he wanted to a Butterball Turkey for our Thanksgiving meal during his visit to France. Well, the rock-hard frozen Turkey in the carry-on bag got dropped. No squished toes, no broken tiles.....but good for a big laugh, we cooked up that bird and my dad was a happy man. (not that anything is wrong with a French bird!)

Ok, back to my cake molds, we were online in security, I had already been asked to remove my jean jacket, which I kept saying was a shirt and 'they really didn't want me to take off my shirt'!! Then I noticed that after I went through, the line had stopped. A group of men had formed around the x-ray of my bag. I just couldn't remember what could be causing such concern, then they called for 'BAG CHECK'. Yikes!
They opened my bag and immediately pulled out my cake molds, I explained that I was going to be cooking mini-angel food cakes for my son who was flying back from college. Then we started sharing angel food cake recipes!! During the next stop, I decided to tell security in advance that those weird looking things that they would be looking at were cake molds.....I sailed through this time.

All in all, the mold made it back, I found some ancient Cream of Tarter in my spice rack and my little bearded angel had cake!

Guess who is Home?

2007-05-16T13:26:00.000-04:00

Home-baked twisted loaf and a healthy dinner of pork filet mignon and roasted fresh vegetables greet a jet lag'd young man!

His first year of college was a great success! And I'm a happy mom that my son is home for the summer!

Expect to see more posts from me!

Flower Class Memories!

2007-05-03T02:12:00.000-04:00

In March, I hosted a Hands-On Wreath Making Class. What fun! Selfishly, I get to see how something is done, then I get to cook for an appreciative bunch.
There was a lot of creativity from the gals. Lunch was a little starter of shrimp and a terrific Green Goddess sauce, Baked Risotto and a sticky toffee 'pud' with homemade ice cream!!
Everyone took home a Spring Wreath. A great start to Spring!

The Profiterole Project

2007-05-02T11:35:00.000-04:00

Way back when, in February of 1987, shortly after we started life in Paris, I took my first Cordon Bleu class. Did you know that the CB was located on 24, rue de Champ-de-Mars back then?

The menu was Bisque de Langoustines, Pintade aux Choux and Profiteroles Glaces with sauce Chocolat Chaud. The Bisque was a bit too complicated for me to tackle, back then. I didn't really appreciate a good Pintade, back than either! But I did indeed love a Profiterole dripping in a warmed Chocolate Sauce!

I bought my Phillips Ice Cream Maker a few weeks before, to make an Orange Sorbet I had sampled with a Chocolate Cake at the CB. This simple machine got more use, and it is still in service today, although I bought a Simac machine back in 2003, a machine I love!

My Choux pastry was a bit loose. I veered from my original CB
recipe. I made the water, butter and flour mix on the stove,
then brought the Kitchen Aid into service to incorporate the eggs.
Yep, I'll try this recipe again. Practice makes perfect!

Just another bit of trivia.....the last time I made this complete recipe was for the 'boss'. Before 'the old man' took over the yoke of the airplane. The recipe worked without a hitch and I thought I was a pretty good cook back then.

Join us for dessert?

Can we have dessert tonight?

2007-04-27T10:36:00.000-04:00

When the 'old man' asked for dessert to be served after dinner one afternoon, I decided to prepare a recipe I've been drooling over from the May issue of Delicious Magazine.

The recipe was a Ricotta and Orange Tart. What really interested me was the use of an Orange flavored pastry. Yum! I've blogged about flavored pastry before. I even teach hands-on classes on Pastry dough. I just love my dough, as you know!

Although you really can't see, there is orange zest and some orange juice in this lovely dough.

.
The dough handled very nicely under the rolling pin. And to my delight, not much shrinkage

This doesn't look like the photo in the magazine......but it did make the 'old man' smile!

Such a light and lovely result. Not heavy after the meal. I will make this one again!

Spring Day-Spring Roll

2007-04-21T06:41:00.000-04:00

Actually it was my son who first worked with rice paper. He took an after school activity class on cooking. The middle-school Science Teacher was hosting at the time. She was teaching the kids Moo Shu Duck. I was impressed and the 'bearded baby' was excited to tell me all about the recipe while we drove home. (this was years ago!)

I've been thinking about items for a healthy lunch. Lunch is where I fall down on the job. There are things in the fridge for lunch, but this is a meal I might skip or just graze the fridge for lunch.
I bought some rice paper, shrimps and prepared to find a recipe. As luck would have it, I turned to Diva Cooking. I knew these gals would come up with something delicious with a modern twist. Check this book out, lots of fun!

Daikon, carrots and rocket, plus the proverbial shrimp filled the wrapper. The sauce was great, a 'take' on a Satay sauce.......this could have been thinned down a little, (speak for yourself, you say??). The thick sauce was too much for the delicate flavors of the Spring Roll, but has potential for other dishes! Next time I'll find a little soy based dipping sauce.

I'm sure the Rice Paper will last forever and be great for summer lunches.

Yes Son, that is Tofu

2007-04-13T07:04:00.000-04:00

If you close your eyes you might think that you are on vacation in paradise! The weather has been that divine lately in Paris. The garden is in bloom and my geraniums are in and survived that cold snap. The herbs are full & ready to be chopped. Can you tell that my dad was a local weather man on TV? Weather was important in our house, it pretty much buttered our bread!

Ok, back to food!! I recently attended the first session of a 4-session cooking class/lecture. This was given by a gal who I have known in the expat community for many, many years. To be honest, she and I are poles apart in our cooking ways. But, again, to be honest, she is doing something right!

I went to her class out of curiosity, and tempted by the prospect of healthy cooking. I wanted to take 'bits' from the class, you know, a little of this and a little of that! I wanted to inflict some 'extreme health' into my cream and butter filled diet! There is a balance, isn't there!

Once I told my family that I was going to this class, they asked if we were giving up meat now!! Lets face it, they were scared! My son from his dorm room in the U.S. had many questions!

Yes, that is Tofu to the left.......Kombu (kelp) and dried shrimp. When Mary started her Miso Soup I didn't think I could eat it. Seaweed and dried up shrimp.....rubbery white cubes??? I do like Miso though!

She made 'her' version which included some Chinese Cabbage. I must say, it was delicious! I felt inspired to make some changes after I left the class. I ran off to the local 'BIO' store for some provisions. Then off to MIDO the Japanese/Korean store, where I now take a written list instead of asking where things are. My accent speaking french to two Japanese girls just doesn't cut it. They take my list and cruise the tiny store.....I write the check and hit the Autoroute homebound!

So.....armed with whole-brown rice, whole wheat pasta and good intentions we are going to eat differently......babysteps---not Boot Camp!!

Paella - On the Weber

2007-04-10T13:47:00.000-04:00

Who can complain about the weather this past week, and it just seems to be getting better and better! Past Easter memories are rainy & very cool ......colored eggs get left for the dog to find because it was just too cold to hunt! Our old dog, T-Bone, just loved to find and eat those eggs left behind.

Tradionally, we do a lamb of some kind, but now that the nest is empty I thought I should plan something different. Way back when, when I first started my blog, it started off with a New Year Eve Paella prepared by my two favorite men!

Paella is a dish to be planned and prepared with the people you love. The twist was, this was cooked out on the grill....inspired by Weber.com. I've been dying to try this method.

We dug out and dusted off the old pan, shopped for the shrimp, mussels, chorizo etc. We were good to go. The forecast was perfect.

The cooking of the Paella went off without a hitch! Our little neighborhood was just filled with the lovely aroma. The 'old man' said that this was a must for the 'bearded baby' when he comes home from college! I'm already planning the menus for the summer!

Rich, Buttery Brioche!

2007-04-09T02:24:00.000-04:00

Fresh yeast in the fridge? Then let me dig out a recipe! I haven't made Brioche dough in a while! Sweet, buttery and perfect for the Easter season.
My Tete's aren't perfect.....but they were delicious and tender! The other half of the dough turned into a giant Cinnamon pull-apart roll. It didn't sit on the warming rack long before it was pulled apart and eaten!

The exciting news is that I signed up for a class at Le Notre this week. Guess what I'll be learning! Yep, Brioche. Can't wait......check the blog for a post.

PS......Can I play proud mom? The 'bearded baby' just sent photos of the Easter dinner he made for the kids in the hall, who didn't go home for the holiday weekend! Home-made Vegetarian Lasagna....WOW! Check his results!

Got a Buzz?

2007-03-24T11:03:00.000-04:00

I'm talkin' about Caffeine here, folks!

We have owned a Nespresso Coffee maker for a few years now. I bought it as a Christmas gift for the 'old man'. Since he works at home, when he is home, I thought he'd enjoy coming downstairs for a quick coffee. We've been pleased and have just learned to warm our cup in advance before making the coffee. I didn't buy the most expensive model, which could be the problem!

I can't say enough about Nespresso's on-line ordering service either. I was on-line yesterday afternoon about 3:00 and I had my capsules in the mailbox by 10:00 this morning. WOW, that is service!

They introduced the Aeroccino last year, I watched the demo and was sold! This little gadget is so cool.....I tried to order one in 110v for my mom in the 'states' and they hadn't tackled the US market yet. I just saw on Amazon that they are making them and promptly shipped one off to mom! She is going to love the thick, frothy milk that it makes! This stuff stands up like whipped cream in your cup and will make any Barista jealous!

This can't be Spring!

2007-03-20T08:21:00.000-04:00

Imagine waking up to snow & a blinking orange light on your modem! This is no way to greet the day before spring! I've been bragging about putting in my geraniums and herbs in early....I guess the 'frogs' read the almanac! I hope my plants are strong!
Then the blinking orange modem light, well, this means I slam down 2 cups of strong coffee before dazzling some young techie with my linguistic skills! Needless to say, the dude hung up on me! I guess he doesn't drink coffee! Sometimes I dazzle and sometimes I don't!

Of course I have lived here long enough to know that if at first you don't
succeed......hit redial! I now have a new-generation modem on it's way, fingers crossed this old one will limp along!

Before this whole snow and modem thing happened, I hosted the Paris Cooking Gals in my home, remember when it was warm and sunny last week? I worked with 2 other girls and we came up with a menu that everyone helps to prepare. One of the girls wanted to do Moroccan food.....low and behold I taught a Moroccan Food class a few years back. I just happen to have a couple/three tajines and a 'brazier' to do the outdoor version on. This was going to be fun!
Paris is a real melting pot of culture, you can find most ingredients or unusual & authentic cooking vessels if you are willing to explore! Right up the street from the Flea Market of Clignancourt, you'll find the African and North African section. It is best if I'm not the driver because my driving skills are distracted by all the great shops and people watching.
On the rue de la Charbonniere you'll find a fantastic little shop with all the spices and Tajines that you might need! The prices are dirt cheap and the fellows that work in there are extremely nice! In other words, you don't need to spend a heap of money on a Le Crueset Tajine (unless you want too, of course). You almost feel like you are in 'the souk' if only the weather was a little warmer!

This was the aubergine, tomato, garlic and cilantro Tajine (Harissa to taste!). Part of the Mezze that we served. During the final stage of cooking you throw in some chopped feta cheese and devour with some Pita Crisps.

Now, lets close our eyes and wish for Spring. Tomorrow, ok!

Here's to your Health!

2007-03-17T08:31:00.000-04:00

Take a look at those lentils! Bright orange and so good for you! I've had those babies in my larder for a while, in fact it was getting close to the 'sell-by' date! I had to find an interesting recipe for them and low and behold, I found one in an old 'Olive' magazine.
The recipe was simple, but I needed to embellish (what's new!). The recipe called for baby spinach and chickpeas. Well, I went digging and found some white beans and a quick trip to the farm netted some lovely Chard.

The mix cooked down a bit more and the lentils lost that bright color, but I was feeling rather smug in that powerful combination! I think that Greek Yogurt might have taken the edge off my smug healthy feeling, but it tasted great paired up with some grilled lamb chops!

Grandpa's Pan

2007-03-03T08:05:00.000-05:00

I'm in possession of Grandpa's Pan. My mom flew over with it a few years back. My first piece of cooking equipment from Gramps was a Corn Stick Pan. What is so important about these two treasured items are that Gramps made these pans!

Grandpa had to quit school at 6th grade. He needed to help out at home. Eventually he owned a foundry. A pretty rough life indeed. He made a set of pans for me when I was a little girl. I wish I still had those today!
This pan was modeled after a Le Creuset pan that my Grandma had. My mom still has this pan, a very pale blue color, no lid. Grandma broke the lid and was about to throw out the pan when Gramps said he would take it to work and make a replacement lid. Guess he made a pan too!

This pan is known in my family, as the 'Chicken Fryer'! I do use it to fry chicken, but also to make an old family favorite, Swiss Steak! Below you'll find a cut of beef known as the Bavette, a nice stringy piece that should make a good Swiss Steak. The tool was bought at Target this past summer. You know how I love to peruse the aisles and find new toys to bring back to France! You run this little tool up and down a piece of meat to tenderize it.

I would really love to be a fly on the wall while the TSA guys open up my bag and wonder what the heck I have packed this time!

I slow cooked these pieces of beef, starting with the 'trilogy' and some tomato sauce. Threw in some wine, for good measure, herbs from the garden. Really turned out nice. I grew up with this served with Mashed Potatoes, but the 'old man' had a yen for pasta.

Guess who is coming home for 'spring break'?? Yip-eee!!!

Purchased on a Whim

2007-02-27T08:07:00.000-05:00

I've been eyeing some of the speciality flours that the Ferme de Gally have in stock lately. On busy Saturday mornings, they even have a bread machine plugged in making batches of bread to show off this new selection of flour.
I don't own a bread machine and thought this flour was a specific brand just for the bread machine. I finally had time and dug deep in my purse for my reading specs and read the instructions.......low and behold.....this stuff is for regular bakers and bread machine enthusiasts alike!
The brand is Moulins de Versailles.......I figure I would give it a try. Check out the web-site! Not to far from the 'homestead' I wonder if they give tours and perhaps even a demo. I know a whole bunch of 'bread heads' that might be interested, if not about flour, just improving their French!

The result is a delicious bread, but heavy! I mean heavy in weight! It takes two hands to lift the sucker. The recipe on the pack tells you to use a sachet of the SAF brand of dry yeast, since I don't use dried yeast I played with fresh. I'll have to check the amount because the loaf didn't rise. The 'crumb' is nice and you can see the seeds. All in all, worth the 2euro splurge and definitely worth another try!

~side note.....check out the web site for SAF, WOW....lots of recipes and tips. The recipe of the month (Feb) features Focaccia on the grill. Great new find for me!

Hints of Spring

2007-02-19T10:04:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was glorious! Little hints that spring is approaching were all over! Bulbs have suddenly bloomed. I even went to the garden center to buy my pansies! I know that I'm really pushing the season, but they are so pretty and lift memories of the grey days. Even the birds are back singing loudly on my morning walk. It really feels spring-like.

Of course, we were in the mood to grill! I thought a simple butterflied (spatchcocked) chicken that was marinated in fresh lemon juice, olive oil and herbs was a great way to celebrate the weather! The result was a juicy and moist bird, even on that blazing inferno of a fire!

My neighbors even decided to have their Sunday lunch out on the patio! I think everybody was feeling good this past weekend!

Having said all of that, my son just sent me pictures of the latest
snowfall from around the campus! He did say he was looking
forward to winter! Click on that photo to enjoy the snow!

Croissant Crazy!

2007-02-11T10:14:00.000-05:00

Right about now I have had it with Croissant Dough! Yeah, I know I can go on and on about dough and how it takes me to a quiet-zen-like-place. But I just finished with my Hands-On Croissant Dough class. It went pretty good, actually. And I think there will be a few who will carry on and make them at home. One gal, in particular, called with pride after she took her dough home and made a savory version. Those kind of comments are more than I can hope for in a class like that!
The prep involves making lots of dough for the students to shape and bake. 'PlayDough', so to speak!!

This photo is a great(dark) example of a yeasted-laminated dough and the many layers. There are approximately, 943, but who is counting!!

Toblerone Croissants & Almond Croissant waiting to tempt the students!

A good couple of days work, and two batches of dough left in the fridge......Trust Me.....I won't be making Croissants for a long time. Call me if you are looking to play with some of my extra dough! I'll deliver in the Paris area!! hehe!

The 'Smoker' & The Times

2007-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well, Well, Well!
I have been touting my Stovetop Smoker for a couple of years now. I thought it was a great tool for those expats who live in the city center of Paris and can't grill out anymore!
I've even taught a couple of classes through the years extolling the wonders! You might remember my Tea-Smoked Duck post back in September?

I was perusing the NYTimes Dining & Wine section and there was a great article on the Smoker, along with some fantastic recipes I can't wait to try! I urge you city-folks, order your Stove Top Smoker today!

Stuffed Pizza

2007-01-20T10:15:00.000-05:00

Now that the holiday season is long gone.......although tell that to my neighborhood! They still have Christmas lights on! I wonder what the cut off date is for taking lights down.
Anyway, we are trying to get back to our empty nest again. It is lonely, to say the least.
I am cooking, but not as enthusiastically! The 'old man' and myself weren't much into the mood for going out, so I thought I'd whip up a pizza dough. Pizza.....it really isn't cooking dinner is it? I threw the dough together in my sleep and boy did it turn out lovely! Sometimes when you turn on the 'auto-pilot', and something turns out great, that is the day you wish you had invited friends over OR were teaching a class!!

I wanted to experiment a little and remember I had bookmarked a blog entry a while ago for stuffed pizza. Interesting idea, huh! A take on a deep dish pizza with a lid!

I coaxed the dough into the springform pan, had some spinach on hand, there was some feta ready to use, cheddar and a mozzarella ball. I threw this concoction into the pan and topped it with a thin piece of dough. Baked for about 35 minutes and well, it was very good. Check out in this link for a look at the mini version. They are so cute, plus the stuffing ideas are endless! It is a fun way of cooking up a pizza!

The Dinner Countdown

2007-01-11T10:21:00.000-05:00

Just what is on the list of meals that a kid heading back to college has requested?
Well, last night was his favorite meal at the local 'Italian'.....the night before it was a duplicate meal served soon after his arrival.
I had bought a couple of Cuisse de Dinde (turkey leg & thigh) after reading Mark Bittman's article on November 22 in the NYTimes. He was suggesting if you were sick of roasted turkey for Turkey Day you might want to Confit certain parts of the bird. I've always seen those thigh and legs sold in the grocery and wondered what the French might be doing with those......now I had a great reason to buy. I had also seen an article in Chow, last year, cooking Turkey two ways.
Mr. Bittman recommends using Olive Oil....I did this when my son first arrived in France for this holiday break. I was just cooking from on the fly, really.......thought I would put the confit together with some Pasta and the 'all important' broccoli. I wanted to get some vegetables down the kid!! I made a quick 'white sauce' added more 'veg' and some cheese.......and there you have dinner! He loved it.

You cover the turkey with oil and simmer gently.

This repeat was on his request list......another confit pasta bake. This time I used goose fat, and really, the result was better tasting!

Tonight is lamb with a reduction sauce. Tomorrow is Enchiladas......oh no.......then he goes back to college.

Remember my Croissant dough..well, I had some leftover and wanted to experiment. On to a quickie lunch. I'm getting ready to teach my Hands-On Croissant class and I think this might be a winner to serve for lunch along with a nice green salad. I love teaching a hands-on class, you get to interact, joke and tease and hopefully the student goes home with a new passion or skill!

I had a well ripened Camembert ready to use, some salami, my Cranberry dipping sauce, lets see, some honey and pine nuts.

***Learn from my mistake, I rushed the 'rise' by heating the oven a bit and placing a hot water pan on the oven floor. I didn't get the rise I was looking for, and I won't do that again. I did, however get a taste that was very delicious and worthy of my class! The cheese melted into the dough, the cranberry sauce brought a tart bite along for the ride, the rest just added to the flavor to make it a perfect lunch/brunch dish. I think you can add just about whatever you have on-hand in the fridge. You might like to grate a little cheese from the Alps on top (thanks Mary!).

So now I'm wondering, can a mom tag along on a Spring Break trip??? Hmmm, guess not!

Dough Therapy

2007-01-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

What do you do when the tension of the day starts to nip at your heels? Do you plop down with a pint of Ben & Jerry's and watch Dr. Phil? Do you draw a hot bath and lock the door? Do you head to the mall and spend lots of your husband's money?

Here is what I do, I head to my flour bin and start making dough. Not just any dough, a dough that is labor intensive, one that can take two days of loving care! As soon as I bring the flour, water, salt and yeast together........let it rest for 1 hour I start my transformation. I'm relaxed, I'm happy! I have shear pleasure beneath my rolling pin, I bring the dough up to my nose and I
smile again! That is all it takes for me! After 4 turns, I'm back to my old happy self! Therapy.

You know that the dough will talk to you, don't you? It will tell you when you are impatient and rushing the process. It tell you when you are taking a shortcut that you shouldn't do. Looking down at my dough I watch the shaggy flour and water become beautiful and silky.

This bursting bag of dough greets me in the morning. You know that I can't let my son take off for college without at least one batch of Croissant Dough! I'm going to make him some Pain au Chocolate this morning!

The minute I open this ziplock bag I'm going to be hit with a wonderful yeasty smell!

The dough is shaped and the little batons of Chocolate are rolled up snug. Now they go into a cold oven in which I put a pan of hot water. They now rise for about 2 hours.

They look good! The family was happy and now my son can leave soon. Except we are on the last few days 'meal countdown'. He has given me a list of what he wants for dinner each night before he goes back.

More to come........

History at my fingertip!

2007-01-05T09:43:00.000-05:00

A wonderful side benefit of living in France is you can read a historical novel and then gallop off to look at what you are reading about. And if your kid is studying WW1, you can head off to see the battlefields. It is a wonderful opportunity to wake up a History Buff. So much to see!

I wanted a book to take me through the Holiday Season....this will include lunch at the newly renovated Angelina's and a family browse through W.H. Smith's. I found a book in the history section called, Courtesan: A Novel. A mix of history and fiction. I have been enjoying the book and thought a family field trip might be in order.

One of the many Chateau's mentioned in the book was Fontainebleau. I couldn't remember the last time we had made a visit there. In other words, time to go back!
It isn't a far drive, combined with lunch at a place I found on the 'net' and a quick visit to Vaux le Vicomte, this plan sounded like a perfect day for me! Plus, 'Vaux' was decorated for Christmas for the first time and the display was on it's last day! A great thing about the visit to Vaux are the kitchens, they have done a great job in recreating what it might have been like in those days!

click on the photo for a bigger view

This was a great way to wrap up the holiday season, and I've got one week left to enjoy and pamper my 'bearded baby'! The time does fly!

Scorched Ego, Singed Pride

2006-12-31T03:23:00.000-05:00

My two favorite shadows enjoying a foggy evening in the City of Lights!

As we get ready to start a brand new year, and I celebrate the start of my third year of blogging, I think I should share a little story with you!

Here you find the makings of our traditional Christmas Eve dinner- Lobster Fettuccini! Fit for a King!

This menu was requested from afar, and when 'he' arrived, he asked in the car on the drive home, 'Did you get the Truffle yet??'

All was well, on Christmas Eve, we were going to unwrap, then eat, then drive into Paris to see the 'Lights'! The presents were opened and the 'boys' were upstairs playing with their new toys, The Samsung K5. Dinner was almost ready and I warmed up the cognac, turned off the vent-a-hood.....lit the cognac......are you starting to get a feeling of where this is going?

The cognac was burning beautifully and I proceeded to pour it on top of the tails.......wow, it was really burning now!! I put the lid on to stop the inferno. I noticed a bright light out of the corner of my eye......yep, the filter in the vent-a-hood was blazing brightly and dripping burning black pieces into my pasta. Being married to a pilot we keep 3 fire extinguishers placed throughout the house with one being in the kitchen. I was hoping the fire would just go out, but the pilot took command and extinguished the fire.

I think we should call the fire department even though the fire was out. This is an old house, I'm not sure about the wiring etc. I called the Pompier, and tell them that the fire is out, but please come without the sirens and without the lights!---I was embarrassed enough already!

A few minutes later there is a van at the gate, no lights, whew! I invite them in, only to discover it is the police, just checking on things before the fire department arrive. They see no fire and the Policeman compliments me on my kitchen decor, I feel as though I should offer them a drink and invite them for dinner!!

Next to arrive is the Fire Department.......not one truck, but TWO large trucks arrive with their blue lights flashing.....this is guaranteed to bring the neighbors out on the street. The Chief also detemines the fire is out, no need to worry.....enjoy the rest of the evening.

I'm feeling pretty awful, and the guys are still hungry. Thank God for leftovers and fire extinguishers!

Happy New Year........I think it is going to be a great one!

Dear Alton Brown,

2006-12-21T08:06:00.000-05:00

Thanks for sharing this recipe!!

We are zooming into Christmas and fast. The menu has been chosen, shopping has begun. A few old standbys and a couple new items will appear this year. Discussion to follow!
There is an old standby for Christmas morning I like to serve while opening presents, but it wasn't always my best work. Cinnamon Rolls! Sometimes they were a bit dry and no amount of frosting would make that dough moist.

But thanks to Mr. Alton Brown, I found a new version. The Overnight Cinnamon Roll. Yes, this recipe talked to me the moment I glanced at it. Overnight dough, I love it, I usually let my pizza dough ferment overnight in the fridge, I let my Croissant Dough rest overnight as well. The second item in his list of ingredients was Buttermilk.....yum.......that tells me that the dough will be tender.

The dough was a breeze to mix. After it had risen for 2 hours and I was rolling the dough out, it was lovely to work with, I could tell that this 'might be the one' I've been looking for all of these years. It was smooth, silky and smelled delicious, even before it was baked!
In the morning when ready to cook, you give the cinnamon rolls a humid proof in your oven. Then heat the oven up, and bake. It is a winner!

Continuing in the experimental mode of cooking this week, I did alter Mr. Brown's recipe a tad. I thought I might put a little French spin on the rolls. I had a little can of Chestnut Spread in the cupboard, I spread that on the dough and covered the spread with chopped Pecans.
The next time I make these I will also add some Glacé Chestnuts along with the Pecans. These could be the French answer to Cinnabuns!! C'mon, lets think of a name!!

Flavored Pastry Inspiration

2006-12-17T07:10:00.000-05:00

Do you like to experiment in the kitchen? I do! I had a seat mate on a flight back to Paris who liked to cook. He quizzed me about what I cook to Impress a Guest. I had to answer that I just don't cook like that anymore. When people come over I'm usually inspired to try something new, and feeling confident in my friendships, I know the telephone number of our little Pizza place if the meal falls flat!

I taught a class in Pastry Making a few years ago. This was a hands-on class and one of my favorite classes to teach, btw. I just recently received an eMail along with some photos from a gal who took that class.......it got me excited to get my hands back in the dough again! I've blogged about my Tapenade Pastry and my Chocolate Dough......and with Clay arriving in the early morning, I love to serve up a Tart for lunch. You can make them in advance and rewarm gently to welcome a loved one back to France!

I decided to try something new, and create a new flavor for my Flavored Pastry. This brand of Pesto called Sacla has some great flavor combos, and the little jars can be added to most sauces, you can top a pizza, slap on a wrap sandwich, they are great to keep in your cupboard! I replaced the little jar of Tapenade with this olive and tomato pesto, thinking it would be a great flavored dough for my tart.

click on the photo for a larger look

You can see the color and the little bits of black olive that dot the dough. It was a pleasure to roll out and when blind baked it filled the house of lovely smells of the Mediterranean. Try it!

Do you see my new toy? The Matfer nylon rolling pin! First mentioned by "Martha" who was working with Maury Rubin of City Bakery fame, then I saw it mentioned again in Chow's Gift Guide. Nice weight and the dough just glides beneath it!

This Caramalized Onion and Spinach tart with a Marscapone Bleu Cheese is rich and delish! I think the dough recipe is a keeper!

And as someone sleeps away the jet-lag, my house is filled with love and lots of cooking!

Guess who is coming for Christmas?

2006-12-16T02:48:00.000-05:00

I've got just a few more days to prepare! Crowded stores, people fighting for a parking place can not change my mood! I smile, and believe it or not, 'they' smile back....despite themselves!

Colleges are breaking for Christmas, and my 'bearded baby' is boarding an airplane soon! He has already requested 'certain' foods.......and I'm cooking like crazy right now!

Above is my apple chutney. This goes with a multitude of foods......from a perfectly ripened Camembert, mix the chutney with some goat cheese & stuff a chicken breast with this mix, just think of the possibilities! Simmering right next to the Chutney is Alton Brown's Tart Cranberry Dipping Sauce. This is not just a dipping sauce at our house, it is a Holiday Condiment, paired with terrines, cheese, Turkey etc. Again, the possibilities are endless!

Below are the finished products in a few cute 'baby' spice jars, perfect for a special friend!

I made Delia's Turkey Terrine this year to keep in the fridge for guests and a hungry college boy. It marinated for a night and now will sit in a water-bath cooking gently.

And to think, I've got a few more days to keep on cooking! Check back to see what is on the menu! Yep, I'm thinking Croissant Dough again!!

Thai Style Moules

2006-12-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

On a cold blustery evening this steaming pot of mussels hit the spot! I must tell you that the 'old man' was doubting this dinner. He just was unsure about coconut milk and the Thai Curry Paste. After he finished his first bowl and went for seconds then on to thirds, I knew I had a hit on my hands.

A simple combo of shallots, grated ginger and minced garlic started out just right. The aroma of the aromatics filled the kitchen and the 'doubting Thomas' was making appreciative noises from in front of the fire place. Although he still wasn't convinced.

Then the Thai Red Curry Paste was added as well as some chopped cilantro. Finally the Coconut Milk rounded out the pot and the moules were dumped in.

A crusty baguette was on hand to sop of the broth. And guess what the 'old man' said......"I'm not sure I can go back to our old style of cooking mussels"! That made me smile!

Choucroute Garni

2006-12-08T10:09:00.000-05:00

Sauerkraut and sausages.....in a convenience package? This is the second time that I've blogged about Convenience Cooking in France.
You know there are just times when you are starving, but really don't want to cook. These were sitting in the fridge just waiting for an evening like that!
These little pre-packaged gems have a fairly long shelf life, they are vacuumed sealed. And darn it.......they are good!

I was at my local Auchan, the guys were stocking several differnent brands of Choucroute. I asked which one was the best, they gave me a choice. I choose this brand. Plenty of sauerkraut and lots of 'garni'. A frankfurter, a smoked sausage, 2 bacon slices, some ham slices and a lone potato fit into this meal for one.

I usually pour a little white wine in a baking dish and add the 'lot', then throw the dish in the oven. I love to boil some potatoes for mashing and dinner is served.

A warming meal on a blustery evening! Pass the mashed potatoes, please!

Confiture de Vin

2006-12-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

Wine and sugar??? Have I gone off the deep end?

What does a nice bottle of dessert wine and a sack of Confisuc have in common? What better way to begin the Holiday Season than with a batch of wine jelly! I was invited to join a Cooking Group this year. A fantastic bunch of ladies.....we run the gammit of skill levels, from the novice cook to a shy British gal who I think has many culinary tricks up her sleeve.
We meet once a month in the spirit of creating, sharing and EATING! Plus, there is a bit of imbibing and groovin' to the best of 80's funk!

December is my group's turn to come up with a theme, we also buy the food and host the ladies. Our theme is Hors d'oeurves, this idea came from our Swedish gal or resident Ikea expert.

The jelly really compliments the Foie Gras (am I still allowed to talk about this, it isn't banned here in France!) on a slice of Homemade Pain de Mie. You could also use the jelly to finish off a sauce that might need a little extra something! Just don't spread it on your morning toast!

The recipe is simple, just bring the wine to a boil and flame! (try to remember where you put the fire extinguisher). Add some spices and and Confisuc...after a 20 minute simmer and you'll have Wine Jelly!

I'm using little spice jars for my jelly. They will sit at each place setting with a little Santa Decoration! The color of the jelly is just beautiful!

Time to Deck your Halls!

Creating Memories!

2006-11-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

Back from a quick visit with my son in college. It was a marathon visit--- shopping (the sales), movies (5 in 7 days), hockey games---celebrating a birthday......and....Thanksgiving!

The college started to empty out on Tuesday afternoon. I watched moms in velour track suits assist their student carrying large hampers filled with dirty clothes. There were a handful of kids that were taking off for home late, so the dining hall was open. My son invited me to join him for dinner. I was looking forward to this experience.....I read an article in CNN about the trend for some colleges to cook from local suppliers and his college was mentioned. My expectations were high, needless to say. I ordered the nightly special which included a selection of veg. I choose broccoli, one of my favorite vegetables. I ate the meal, it was tasty, then tried the broccoli.....it was horrible! This did not taste of any vegetable I ever met. If you wanted kids to get turned-on by broccoli, this was not the way to do it!

After dinner he joined me in the hotel.....thoughts of Thanksgiving food and where to go filled my head. I really don't like restaurants for a Holiday meal.....I had some recommendations, but I remembered that there was a full kitchen on his floor and I thought voila! An empty kitchen on a holiday needed to be filled with love and food! This was also a great opportunity to teach my son how to roast a 'bird'. Not a Turkey, but a Cornish Hen and some much needed vegetables!

The Hall appeared to be empty, just like the college, it is strange to be in an institution usually buzzing with life, but that afternoon wonderful smells filled that kitchen. Even though it was silent, we gabbed and ate.....and it was one of the best holidays I have spent!

Despite the plastic and paper.....no wine.....we supped heartily and I enjoyed teaching my bearded baby another notch in his culinary repertoire.

Ciabatta Bread

2006-11-18T07:14:00.000-05:00

Yup, more bread! Biga in action.....look at those gluten strands as this wet, unruly dough gets dumped on the table! With some gentle handling it gets slipped onto the baking sheet.....
After baking, it looks just like 'grandma's' slippers'.

This bread makes fantastic garlic bread!

Cold Weather Grilling

2006-11-11T03:29:00.000-05:00

Normal fall weather here in France. Frosty-n- foggy mornings sometimes turn into a clear sunny day. Straight from back-to-back cooking class.....Gastropub Class......the 'old man' decided, late yesterday afternoon, to cook dinner for me!

Fall Table Setting for the Gastropub Class

He suggested Grilled Steak, big baked potatoes and a vegetable from the Ferme de Gally. I agreed to let him cook! Actually, his menu sounded great!
We stopped at the Ferme and found some beautiful bulbous Fennel (I was taking over this part of dinner). I thought they'd be great par-boiled till just tender and finished in a quick butter saute'......lookin' good, huh?

Then after stopping at the Ferme, we stopped at the butcher in the 'old' part of town. You will never leave your butcher or vegetable stand in France without a recipe or wise words of wisdom. I asked the young butcher for a suggestion for the BBQ Grill. Yes simple question, really! The butcher pointed outside and said 'you can't BBQ in the winter'!!!!
The 'old man' countered with 'We BBQ ALL winter long'....

Once this fact was settled, he picked out a nice steak, cut to our desired thickness and then he shared a quick grilling tip. The French like their steak on the bleu side.....
We smiled and left the shop holding the door open for a little old lady. I'm sure our butcher will be telling her all about the crazy Americans who just left the shop!

Grilling by the light of the moon.....and the small spotlight courtesy Target. It sheds just enough light to grill all winter long!

Pain au Lait

2006-10-30T02:09:00.000-05:00

Pain au Lait.....Milk Bread! In between raking leaves I decided to get a bread dough going. Pain au Lait is an 'enriched dough', made nice and tender with milk and eggs.......a poor cousin to a Brioche Dough.

You get culinary inspiration from different places, the fall colors made me think about upcoming holidays. I decided to embellish this enriched dough by adding some raisins and pumpkin pie spice and a little more cinnamon! Are you getting the feeling?

You can just tell that this dough is going to be good! A little on the sticky side, the fresh yeast aroma just brings a smile to your face! The 'Pointage' or 1st rise is for an hour, then shaping and a proof for about 45 minutes, then off to the oven!

Look at the pile of leaves I left a certain 'someone' to finish!! I know there is a boy in college that wishes he were here to help!!

My decor is a little on the lame side (pardon the pun, bakers!)......but, all in all a great Bread is being enjoyed each morning as toast!

I'm in love...shhhhhhh!

2006-10-26T07:59:00.000-04:00

I'm in love again!
With a new gadget.....you know how it is.......finding an excuse to drag it out one more time. I wonder how long the love-affair will last till it retires on the shelf, only to gather dust, all but forgotten.

Anyway, my new Pressure Cooker is getting lots of use. Paris has moved into fall weather, the pile of leaves in my back garden are telling me that! The temperature however, is still mild and I have not had a chance to break in the fireplace yet this season.
Comfort food is on the menu and nothing says comfort to me like a big bowl of Beef Stew. OR Girl Scout Stew as my dad called it when we were kids. Stew has ALL the food groups that I liked.......beef, carrots, potatoes and gravy.......yes, gravy was a food group in my family!

In just 20 minutes, my German born pressure cooker had cooked a really tough cut of beef and turned it into a tender, succulent piece of beef.

I gave the beef the squeeze test. This sophisticated culinary technique was taught to me by Chef Serge while I attended cooking school in Chantilly! He would bend down on one knee, ceremoniously open the oven door, grab a hunk of meat out of the bubbling liquid and squeeze it. He did this with a smile on his face, even though you knew he was probably burning his fingers. If he nodded and smiled this meant that I achieved the proper 'cuisson', if he shook his head, this meant I had to cook it a bit longer.

Next on the menu was some Buttermilk Biscuits.......the recipe I used produced a tender biscuit but not a flaky one.

Really, the biscuits turned out good and a lovely dinner was wolfed down.

My love affair continues....I've got some dried flageolet and smoked sausages that need to be cooked! Beans and a pressure cooker are a good marriage! Every marriage needs a good bean!

Not your Mom's Pressure Cooker

2006-10-05T08:28:00.000-04:00

A friend told me about Les 6 Jours des BHV.....and who doesn't like a sale?? I headed off to the kitchen department....surprised?? Guess what I found......a Pressure Cooker. The price was right, and being a consciences shopper, I came home and did some internet research.
To my delight, this pressure cooker was a top choice of Cooks Illustrated. It was mentioned in the Williams Sonoma online catalogue as their only stove top model. I realized though that WMF had come out with a newer model, but I didn't find too much difference not to warrant the savings.

I do remember horror stories from my Grandma, classic stories about explosions and food dripping from the ceiling. I also remember the horrible noise and the little thing-ie dancing around letting the steam out. Needless to say I read the instructions with respect!!!!!!! I did a test drive with some water, just to see how the darn thing worked. This suggestion came from a great little web-site called Miss Vickie.

Next came some real food, Pinto Beans that made it past the TSA inspectors at DFW, you know, when they x-ray your luggage. They seem to always open my bags, but they do leave a polite 'calling card'.

I thought these beans might be a great way to start to experiment with my new toy. Nothing fancy, and nothing romantic about beans!!! After about 25 minutes I had a tender and creamy bean. WOW.....my black eyed peas have a new way to be cooked on New Years Day this year. The next experiment will be some braised artichokes, I had some in a restaurant a few years ago and they were perfectly cooked. I've tried to duplicate but they were always on the tough side. I found a recipe I'm going to give a spin! Someone told me the best chicken stock is made from a pressure cooker. We'll see!!

A Fall Repast

2006-10-02T05:21:00.000-04:00

Looking outside today really brings that fall feel! Just yesterday and not a day sooner, the Ferme de Gally started displaying their pumpkins. I'm really in the mood to decorate the garden with some lovely Mums and Gordes and a pumpkin!

Last week, before my classes, 'the old man' and I took off to the Ferme in search of Butternut Squash.....didn't find any, but we did find some awesome Sweet Corn! We picked my favorite zucchini flowers with a tiny little zuc, no bigger than your thumb.......and we picked some Feves. The end of the season, for sure!
These gorgeous flowers got stuffed with some ricotta, spinach and some other cheeses and.......surprise.....got 'nuked' in the microwave till tender. Try it......they were wonderful. You won't believe that I only paid a whopping 2 euro for those flowers! A steal.

After being in the fields picking, we came home famished for lunch. I happened to have some crepe batter in the fridge, leftover from my class with Cheryl and her ladies from the U.S.
Perfect for a little lunch on the patio before Fall really sets in and then we are inside with a roaring fire!

I do love Autumn!

As Good as it Looks!

2006-09-20T09:51:00.000-04:00

I'm closing in on my Grilling/Smoking class! Trying to nail the recipes so they are perfect for the ladies! Funny though, the ladies don't mind when I botch things up, they like a good botch-up, makes them feel good. But really, I don't try to plan on a flop. In fact, the only flopping I like to do is after class.....flopping down on the couch with a cup of tea!

This Miso Marinated Plank'd Salmon was delicious! Rich, deep flavors.......the salmon was juicy. No flames, in fact this was the second 'go-round' on the plank. The instructions say you can reuse them, and low and behold I was able to with no problems.

I will probably share a comment with the ladies that Dr. Biggles wrote last year when I blogged about plank'd food.......he said it reminded him of his grandma's cedar closet!!!
I think the ladies will like that comment!

I love it when things fall together and I can look forward to a good class! I even heard that the weather looks good for next week!! There is a chance we can eat out in the garden!

Keep your fingers crossed! I know Max will be on his best behavior to meet all of the ladies! How can they resist!

Fresh Goodness

2006-09-18T08:16:00.000-04:00

More from the Wagamama cookbook.....
This time lots of freshness, add some Hoisen Sauce and Mirin. Toss with shrimp and noodles!
Yes, that is fresh spinach from a bag. I'm keeping my ears open, haven't heard about e coli on this side of the pond.

I'm inspired with this cookbook and I love the little Japanese market, MIDO on Rue St. Charles where you can find all the goodies you need!

Dinner in the garden, Indian Summer!

Rediscovering France --- Pierrefonds

2006-09-11T04:37:00.000-04:00

Many years ago when we moved to France, we used to take the 'D' roads (the little yellow roads on the Michelin map) . We would meander through the countryside and find little antique shops and great little places for lunch. Or, in the spring would would pack up a picnic and head out.
I can remember one cold but sunny Sunday, about 19 years ago, we found a huge surprise. Pierrefonds!

An incredible site! Right out of nowhere! A fortified castle that is in the most picturesque setting!

I'll never forget when we moved to France. The 'old man' picked me up at CDG and drove north to our new home. He drove me past the Chateau de Chantilly right up the street from our little apartment. You can imagine how excited I was! Of course when you are in your late 20's and life is simple, all I wanted to do was tour around and explore! I wanted to learn French way back then, till I realized you had to study. hmmmmmmm, that is another story!!!

Now we have some time to rediscover our past haunts, we made our way out that way again on Sunday. The weather was perfect and the crowds were not too bad! Years ago they told us that they would eventually open the crypt under the castle. To our surprise it was open yesterday. Very eerie, mood lighting and sound effects!

After our tour of the castle we made our way to the little bistro by the lake for lunch. Yes, 19 years ago we ate there, although the fireplace was roaring on a brisk autumn day, and the meat was cooking on the open fire. Yesterday was as perfect as a day gets, I can't wait for the next Chateau to rediscover!

Tea-Smoked Duck

2006-09-07T11:55:00.000-04:00

Getting back into the kitchen after 'vacation' has been pretty easy. Grocery shopping, however, proved to be a learning experience. I headed off, list in hand, to my local Auchan. Enjoyed touring up and down and left with sacks of groceries totaling 150euro. You realize that there are just two people in the house now. I'm not sure who I thought I was buying for, but when I head back again, I'll really use my brain cell(s) instead of just picking up items and throwing them in the cart! I'm not sure what army I was going to feed!

My first cooking class is coming up. I'm doing a Grilling/Smoking Class. Many times when trying to create an interesting class, I pick out some recipes that sound good to me, I enjoy predicting a new trend or new method of cooking. Then, I start the testing/tasting process long after the description of the class goes to print! Now is the time to get started cooking!

I love this part of giving a class. Developing, testing and re-testing, then, writing up the recipe.
Right now, I'm working on the Tea-Smoked Duck. I used a Citrus Tea to infuse a 'smokey flavor'. The result was good, but I think I can do better!

I will retest this recipe using another tea. I just found a wonderful smelling 'orange' tea from Hediard. I think this combo will be a winner!

I decided to pair the duck with a fresh salsa. Avocado, melon, jalapeno, cilantro, onions & lime juice. A teeny tiny but oh-so-spicy red chili was thrown in the mix. Fresh & delicious. The recipe I'm using smokes the duck first, then you crisp the skin up before serving. The duck was served 'rosy' in the traditional way. Too rare for you?.......Just cook a little longer when crisping up the skin. I'll let you know what happens with the re-test this weekend.

Convenience Cooking in France

2006-09-03T09:28:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm back home in the suburbs of Paris. When I boarded the plane I had this nagging feeling, like I was forgetting something.
Oh yeah, my son!
He is safe and sound in college, with all the little items that Bed Bath & Beyond had on it's shelf for a college kid! Now I'm dealing with the empty nest and learning how to make conversation with my husband again! Not to worry, so far it is going ok!

While we were in the UK, I got a chance to eat at a place I've been dying to try! Wagamama! I wanted to eat there just because I like to say the name! Try it, you can't say it without smiling!
I was able to pick up their cookbooks (they have two out) and have cooked 3 great recipes!
This one is an Oven Steamed Moules recipe.

Remember, I just got back from the states, the land of Convenience! And trust me, I ate my share of fast food.......and have the surplus weight to prove it.
I had Chicken Fried Steak from the Black Eyed Pea. I ate at Taco Bueno......oh yum! Dunkin Doughnuts, Pizza Uno, for the Pizza Bianco.....the list goes on! (my trainer moved back to the U.S., so there is no body to scold me, but me!) Can you Bloggers and Foodies ever forgive me for eating this way??

Below is a French item of Convenience.......Ready to Cook Moules! Just rinse, season and cook. Vacuum packed, all mussels closed and alive!

Really, they were not bad.

Since I already had the Sake and light Soy Sauce & ginger, I was just about ready to go. A quick trip for a carrot and a couple of leek and a fresh bulb of garlic and dinner was on its way!
I usually steam my moules on the cook top, so this recipe not only intrigued me because of the amount of vegetables it used, but because you cooked them in the oven.

Look at the results, perfectly cooked and still juicy. The vegetables were tender crisp, and lots of sauce to mop up with bread!

Check out their cookbook......I've prepared a Pork breaded with Panko and served with some delicious vegetables and a wonderful dipping sauce. I also made the Yaki Soba, easy and tasty!
I can't wait to try the Gyoza.
I've become such a fan of Wagamama!

Lessons, Part Deux

2006-08-10T11:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Crepes Day at our house! Clay changed the menu to Chicken Divan Crepes instead of seafood! I thought long and hard about how a teenager in a dorm room would do Crepes!
There is a kitchen on his floor, but do they have a scale (to scale the flour), do they even have flour? butter? milk? Who knows!
I decided what a Freshman College Male (who wants to do a little cooking) might benefit from packaged items. When he gets his own place, then I'll teach a 'white sauce' and the joys of poaching a chicken breast etc.

Just some of the packaged items and the traveling Tefal Crepe Pan! (this can be used for grilled cheese, omelets! A good buy!)

A simple matter of measuring out some milk and giving a nice whisk!

Then learning the 'all important' Flipping Action!

Next he made the filling with some Grape-Vine Smoked Chicken, steamed broccoli and sliced mushrooms. He prepared the package of Bechamel Sauce (it really didn't taste bad) which he enriched with some Cheddar. I suggested he go the the salad bar at the local grocery and buy some of the vegetables already prepared and cleaned. He can also buy a deli-chicken. I'm trying to teach 'easy' but 'fresh' are important!!

Again, the kid enjoyed the experience of cooking! Perhaps I should have suggested Culinary School instead!

My next post in a few weeks should be all about cooking for 2 lonely parents.

Last Minute Lessons!

2006-08-08T14:05:00.000-04:00

This week is packing up for college week for my son. I admit to being a bit, hmmmm, tense! Tension combined with a pending sense of loss....Couple that with excitement (for him) and fear (did I teach him everything he needs to know?)......well you get the picture! Walk on eggshells, please!

Yesterday the 'bearded baby' clomped down the stairs, cookbooks in hand. A few years back we visited the Librairie Gourmand on rue Dante and Clay picked up a nice selection of cookbooks in French! He asked me if I could teach him a few recipes before he left for college. Of course I said yes, lets make a list! I was so touched that he wanted to learn! I guess it is because I told him once that girls love a guy that can cook!!
He picked out a Fruit de Mer Crepe recipe and a lovely Poulet Stroganoff to try.

I remember my friend/mentor told a story that her daughter while in college in the states became the Crepe Diva of her dorm! Food, it is always a great reason to gather! I thought about giving Clay my 'black steel' but it really isn't seasoned perfectly yet, I thought again....good 'ol Teflon. Off to BHV so he can pack up a pan to take to college with him!

Tonight he prepared the Chicken and it was lovely! This was a simple recipe, but he learned the important lesson of Mise en Place! Once he had all the items washed, chopped and measured...he was good to go! Rice and salad to accompany! Dinner al fresco!

I'm proud of that kid! Tomorrow, Crepes!

At least Max is calm and cool! And very polite with his crossed legs!

Chillin' with Fruit Soup

2006-07-18T08:55:00.000-04:00

Paris is HOT right now. I know you think you are suffering in the U.S., but you can shuffle from AC unit to AC unit. My car has AC and the living room has a little room unit. The rest of our house you can fry eggs on most surfaces! Even poor Max is too hot to wiggle his tail.

Thinking about dinner in this kind of heat needs special inspiration. I was checking out the internet in the cool air of the morning and found a post in the Chicago Sun Times. The article that caught my eye was called, Keeping Cool. Yes, I clicked on the link. Nectarine-cantaloupe Soup. Wow......this sounded delicious!

I was just at the Ferme de Gally and bought some huge nectarines, and last Sunday I bought some of this fantastic honey from the Galleries Gourmand. So far, so good. Cinnamon, nutmeg & vanilla!

I have to tell you that when I told the hubby what I was making Fruit Soup, he scrunched up his nose and said, 'Sounds like dessert, not soup'.......I just told him he was going to like it!
Fresh melon chunks, freshly squeezed OJ.....whizz up and chill.

Garnished with blueberries and mint and served super cold, this is a real winner! I'm also thinking of taking the leftovers and throwing it into my ice cream maker, I think this will make some dynamite sorbet.

Stay Cool!

Who is in the Kitchen?

2006-07-15T02:57:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Bastille Day. We get our own private 'airshow' before the big parade on the 'Champs'! Out this way, there is a military airport and 2 days before the parade the planes start to practice. Back in the 'old days' the drone of these old engines would bring my son running into the back garden shouting 'airplanes'! You see the 'look to the sky gene' gets passed on from father to son. Even the 'old pilot' will run to the back garden -to this day- and look to the sky when the planes are flying in formation!

So, before our private airshow began, the pilot announced he would like to prepare our lunch! This menu would consist of a Scallop and fennel salad. We had the ingredients and I said, PLEASE, COOK!

He started the fennel by boiling till tender. Then he sliced it and browned it up on the Le Crueset. He then reduced the fennel liquid and added a star anise! Next step was to saute the scallops and make the butter sauce with the fennel reduction. Is this sounding good or what??

Here is the end result! Topped with some mache!

Hey, I think he is welcome back to the kitchen anytime!

Alive and Kickin'

2006-07-09T11:02:00.000-04:00

It's the eve of the big game! My normally quiet neighborhood is buzzing! Bleu-Blanc-Rouge is appearing everywhere. Homemade flags are posted on front doors, kids are kicking soccer balls, flags are waving from second story windows.
Wednesday evening my neighbors partied till way past polite! We had our doors wide open and turned off the sound of our TV to listen to them sing and chant. Tonight should be no different. Our dinner will be over in time for the game! We are rooting for the home team!

Last night I started a biga for a Ciabatta. Yes, nothing new......but the recipe is new. I usually turn to Bread by Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno for good results. I wanted to try out a Paul Hollywood recipe from his book 100 Great Breads. Paul always uses fresh yeast and when you watch him on UKTV he makes everything look easy and doable!
The first photo is of the biga after 4 hours. The second is the dough after an overnight ferment in the fridge. Look at that boy bubble!!

The dough was very easy to handle compared to the dough from Bread. Very easy to shape and
place on the baking tray. Both Ciabatta cooked up nice. I'll show you the crumb when I slice some for dinner. I'm thinking garlic bread on the grill......all the better to munch before the game.

Go Bleu!

The back of the Pantry

2006-06-22T11:07:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it is necessary to dig around and see just what is living in the dark parts of your pantry. I tend to hoard, for those 'just in case days'. Even after 20 years of Paris life I still need to have certain American products around..

A small selection of Campbells Soups (Cream of Tomato, for those after-flu days)
I have broth and stocks (for those lazy cooking days)
Reynolds Wrap (french foil is just too flimsy!)
A small can of Crisco (fried chicken-n- country gravy!)

Here is the problem, when you are a 'hoarder' those precious items stay in the pantry long after the shelf life, I've found soup from 1998 (is that still good?)!! I have started a 'list', I've got one for the freezer and have started one for my precious items. Best intentions! Think of Golen, from Lord of the Rings, holding up 'His Precious'!

On this cool day in Paris, I decided to take a gander in my dried fruit and nut basket to see what I could throw into a batch of Biscotti. As mentioned before, I'm not a cookie baker and Biscotti seems to fill the need to replace those multiple failed cookie attempts. So far I haven't flubbed a batch. With a base recipe you can add whatever you find in the pantry!

Look what I found today. Some lovely dried cranberries, some dried bananas that have been enrobed with honey & Pistachios!

Such a tasty combination. Join me for a cup of tea on this cool afternoon -- Or are you too busy cleaning out your pantry!!

My lazy summer days have begun, although the chirping bird noises are being drowned out with World Cup games and yelling family members! Oh well! Sorry, Team USA.

A Day for Fathers

2006-06-18T04:17:00.000-04:00

When I need recipe inspiration I turn to the 'net'. 24 hours a day I can find exciting ideas to play with. This morning, however, I turned to an old friend. My Joy of Cooking!
This was my culinary bible when I first left home at 19. A gift from my mom. It traveled to Dallas with me, where I really wasn't much of a cook, up to Long Island then down to Florida. From Florida the pages were turning a lovely brown and the cover was long gone, but my copy of Joy of Cooking got packed up in the shipment and headed across the ocean to Paris. Sometimes you forget about those basic wonderful recipes and this morning I wanted to cook waffles for my husband on Fathers Day. Several recipes to choose from, I picked a Sour Cream Waffle, although I replaced the Sour Cream with Creme Fraiche!

Crispy on the outside, light as air on the inside, they were delicious! Of course I didn't plan in advance and had no Maple Syrup..........so another base recipe with improv thrown in and we had a lovely apple-brown sugar sauce to compliment the waffles.

This day also makes me think of my dad. He did have his favorite meals to cook. He loved to make Sunday Breakfast for us, I always complained about the way he cooked bacon. Dad would throw the whole pound of bacon in the frying pan, not separating the slices. He would fry till crisp (too crisp for me) and this would accompany eggs, pancakes or whatever he was in the mood to make that morning! Wishing Dad was here today, to throw some lean French bacon in a pan, I wouldn't complain today!
Happy Fathers Day all!

For Your Eyes Only!

2006-06-17T02:17:00.000-04:00

This has been a grueling week of luncheons! Somehow, I have to find a balance to all the eating and drinking in the middle of the day!
Below you see a springform pan filled with chocolate! No balance in there, trust me!

Now we've moved on to the dinner party season! More eating and drinking, just later in the day!

I've been asked to bring dessert. Perusing through my files I found a great, easy looking dessert. Outrageous Chocolate Marquise Cake! This looks like the ticket to please. The recipe is from a talented gal who lived in Paris for a while and is now back in Canada. She demo'd this recipe when she came back to Paris just to do a cooking class!
What you don't see is a chocolate sponge on the base, that has been brushed ever so gently, with Kahula! Yeah......this is great!

But......Houston, I think I have a problem. This cake isn't going to release from the springform pan without a fight. A warmed knife at the ready, armed with creme Anglais and another dessert (Banofee Pie)......I hope my host will be happy! Would you be happy to see me at your front door??

pssssst......if you see my trainer, tell her you just saw me 'jogging the hill', ok?

Graduation Day Brunch

2006-06-13T03:01:00.000-04:00

Sunday was Graduation Day. 86 degrees and full-sun were in the forecast! Thankfully, Saturday morning found me at the mall panic-buying a dress fit for the heat, without TOO much skin showing (you know what I mean!)! My elegant black and white suit would have left me melting. Hey, it was perfect for the weather a few weeks ago for elegance. Now all I can think about is being COOL!

Emotions in check, I also found the time Saturday after panic-shopping to do a bit of relaxing with some dough! I've been wanting to try Barbara's recipe for English Muffins since she posted it a year ago! Her version had the dough in a cool-ferment. Her muffins have nooks and crannies!
My version had no nooks, no crannies....but tasted pretty good. Fresh yeast in the fridge and I was on my way to relaxation.

I didn't have time to let the dough have that overnight ferment, I wanted to make them on Saturday, ready for Sunday morning!

So, what do you prepare your 'bearded baby' for brunch?

Oeufs Cocotte a la Duxelles!

Baked egg with mushroom duxelles, creme fraiche & a nice mimosa & melon make it a balanced start of the days celebrations!

Sunday was a fresh 'start' for many of us.

Bisous!
It was a perfect day!

Beer-Can Chicken

2006-06-01T01:09:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to stop a rolling freight train dead in its tracks with my bare hands. It just won't stop, so I'm giving up and giving in. I'm going to stop dreading and start enjoying!
What am I talking about? It is graduation time, my 6ft tall, bearded baby is going to graduate from High School. I know I'll shed some tears......but darn-it, he has grown into a fine young man, and insisting that he is more than ready to spread his wings......so be it!

Listen, don't let anybody tell you that this 'life event' is easy, it isn't!

Now on to the other joy in my life, food&cooking! Lets talk about chicken on the grill. Comfort food, really! The trick when grilling or roasting is to make sure your bird is moist. Beer-Can chicken does the trick and works a treat. I know this recipe has been blogged about and re-blogged. But, you gotta' love it! Above are all the makings for this meal.....smoked salt (from my mentor/friend) and a French beer! If you have problems thinking about this beer, cola or a lemon lime mix will be fine. I'm sure you can find something worthy!

There he sits, so regal.....so roasted! Moist and delicious! This bird is fit for any graduating senior or senior citizen alike! Now all that is left for me to do is run out and buy some waterproof mascara and pray for sun! Wish me luck, I'll get through this!

Focaccia.......Love this version!

2006-05-20T05:21:00.000-04:00

You know my on-going love affair with all things yeasted, right? I have a recipe for Focaccia, I've blogged about this before. It was a Baguette Recipe that I shaped into a Focaccia. It had pretty good crumb, good taste, but really didn't hold up longer than a day.
Surfing around the blogs, I found Coconut and Lime! A great little blog, take a gander.

She posted a Olive & Artichoke Focaccia recipe. The recipe looked pretty easy, no biga, no overnight ferment. I had some fresh yeast in the fridge (surprised?) and thought I'd give her version a whirl!
Of course I had some artichokes from my favorite Sunday morning stop; Galleries Gourmand. I made up the dough, let it rise, pushed it out into the pan. Then let it rise again, right before sticking it in the oven I thinly sliced the artichokes and stuck in some rosemary sprigs. Any expat lady who has attended my cooking class knows that I HATE the taste and smell of rosemary. Yet, it does grow very well in my herb garden.

Really pretty! I knew this was going to be good.

The great thing about this bread is the next day, it makes a terrific sandwich bread! Yes, this one is a keeper!

Quick.....Thai Curried Salmon for dinner!

2006-05-17T06:17:00.000-04:00

Dinner sometimes consists of what has been stashed in the freezer and in the bottom of the crisper drawer in the fridge, usually something that doesn't look like a science experiment!. Last night about 6:00, I realized a teenager was hungry! But I was in middle of making Biscotti and talking on the phone at the same time.....you know this was a stretch for me, multi-tasking! My dad always told me I couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time!

Throwing in a third task (dinner prep) is just something us mothers do.....I opened the freezer and pulled out a couple of salmon filets. I had a recipe I've been wanting to try and decided tonight is the night!

A little saute'd shallot, a wine reduction, throw in some red curry paste with some coconut milk....fish sauce and lime juice......you know the drill, salty, sweet, sour and spicy and a Thai Salmon en Papillotes was born. Throw in a little brown rice to score brownie points with my trainer and thinly sliced Mange Tout for that vegetable point on the Food Pyramid!
Tasty! Served up on a Gien plate.......even better!

More than a Mouthful

2006-05-11T06:40:00.000-04:00

Nevermind!
This recipe comes from a Food & Wine magazine loaned to me by a friend! A 'grilling issue'. She must have seen my burning plank post and decided I needed some tips, tout suit, for next September cooking classes! I perused the recipes- a good issue- by the way, and found this little burger waiting for me to try!

I had a bag of Scallops in the freezer from Picard, the local frozen food store......had some frozen corn buried as well! Don't turn your nose up at these frosty ingredients, this was an easy preparation dinner, ok!!

You wiz everything in the food processor and leave to firm up in the fridge. Should I tell my trainer about this method of firming up?? Knowing Ms. K......she'll just smile sweetly at my joke and make me do another 12 reps of something that I hate!! We have a close relationship!

Now, let me tell you, I had my doubts that these little fat-free marvels would hold together on the grill, but they did, and they were wonderful! They were fat-free until I stuck a couple strips of bacon on the burger and then made a delightful combo of mayo, sambal Oelek, a big squirt of Sriracha Chili Sauce and a squeeze of Sweet Chili Sauce. MMMMMMMM......my version of secret sauce.

What this burger lacks in visual appeal it gives a big bang for the buck in taste! From start to finish the burgers don't look appetizing, but the taste....wow.....the taste. This is worth a try!

Poppin' Fresh!

2006-04-21T05:28:00.000-04:00

Lets begin with the end result, Goats Cheese & Speck stuffed Croissants baking in the oven and oozing out some goodness!
(yes, I think I discovered the secret to my oven and cooking these guys!)

My dough has been living in the back fridge for a little over the time that I recommend. I usually think 3 days is long enough for a puff pastry dough to stay in the fridge, and this is a yeasted puff dough (croissant dough). I made the Pain au Chocolate on Monday, this dough was reaching its limit.
But 9:00 a.m., the sun was shining and I was thinking already about a little lunch on the patio! I had bought some speck ham stuffed with goats cheese, this comes in tubs from Monoprix, plus I had some Salami and Edam on hand.......Are you getting hungry yet?

The dough was rolled thin, a little 'wet' from condensation of the back fridge, but a dusting of flour soaked up the dampness. The dough was behaving very well, rolling out perfectly, nice and thin! I ran my 'cutter' over the dough and had a bunch of croissants waiting to be stuffed!

I stretched the dough, just like you are supposed to, between your thumb and forefinger, then laid the cheese and ham on top. Rolled up, brushed with egg-wash and gave them a good 'push' for 1 hour in my cool oven that had a pan of hot water underneath!

Just a little cheese leakage, but these 'bad boys' were delish. A quick brunch on the patio, alfresco, with my teenaged son and then off to an afternoon movie.
I love Spring!

Easter Weekend

2006-04-17T05:13:00.000-04:00

A few signs of spring in the 'hood'! Slow but sure the cold is giving way to a bit warmer weather!
I've packed away my long-underwear for my morning walks and I'm seeing flowering buds that will soon turn into lovely cherries in my garden. I won't hold my breath, Easter Morning was a typical one, rain! You can't organize an Easter Egg Hunt for an 18 year old, so I greeted the morning with a power-walk with Max. Max would have been happy to hunt for eggs, I remember old T-Bone would find week old eggs in the garden that we missed! Mmmmmm, the smell of eggs rotting in the garden were a real treat to an Old Lab!

Easter Sunday I made a batch of Croissant Dough, to be turned into Pain au Chocolate! A two day event that concluded this morning! See the progress below!

I think the dough could have used another half hour of proofing, but the results weren't bad. Plus I was out of eggs for the egg wash. Oh well! I have the other half waiting in the fridge for another try!

Burn Baby Burn!

2006-04-13T03:16:00.000-04:00

This photo gives meaning to the phrase 'flame broiled'.

Let me back-track in my story! My 'mentor/friend' has put the word out that I should start thinking about what we will be cooking for the Fall Lineup. My grilling classes seem to be a good seller.......Unless a student stops in to read this blog post!

I bought some Cedar Planks over the summer while in the states. We love grilled salmon and this method seems like an ideal way to impart some smoky flavor while keeping the salmon moist. I dug out the recipe on the package and double checked what Steve Rachlin said about plank'd food and was good to go!

You soak the plank for 2 hours, then Steve said to put it on the grill to heat up. I noticed that my plank immediately warped! Hmmmmm, well, this was an experiment!

The recipe I was using could not have been simpler, salt and pepper the salmon and sprinkle some brown sugar on top.

Smoky & Sweet!

You might notice that I have a battalion of grills! I have inherited, at very good prices, one large Weber Kettle from a dear friend who moved to Chicago. The gas grill you see was another good buy from a dear friend who moved back to California.

I wasn't a fan of gas, but I do admit, great for fish and quick Sunday lunches.......Yes......Even grilled pizza works great on this old gal!

I wasn't too worried about the smoke, the Pompier weren't called in.
I did, however, need that spray bottle of water that Steve recommends!
You are only supposed to leave the salmon in for 10 minutes, but in about 8 minutes I was Up in Smoke, and nothing like those old Cheech & Chong movies. (check top photo)

Without the water bottle, my reusable plank was in cinders!

So, it is back to the drawing board for another try. The result was
delicious, but I'm sure I had the gas grill too hot, and needed that
spray bottle of water. Live & Learn and grateful for 'a next time'!

Crème Brûlée---The best kept secret

2006-03-30T07:03:00.000-05:00

Crème Brûlée, burnt cream, this is one of the easiest recipes to impress dinner guests! So sinful, so delicious!

Trust me, there is no section in the Food Pyamid for crème brûlée, if there was, everybody would be eating the FP way!

Company was coming last night and this is one easy recipe to prepare in the morning, right after your workout!

The recipe I use is from an ancient Southern Living magazine......works great where ever in the world you are located. What can be wrong with cream, egg yolks and sugar? You must cook this in a 100c oven and if you even see the slightest quiver of a bubble you turn down the oven.

The manly blow torch is not necessary, but dang, it looks cool!
This recipe is So Good!

Bird Seed & Cardboard

2006-03-25T12:24:00.000-05:00

There comes a time in your life, usually very close to a birthday that ends in ZERO, when you start to reflect on things. A quick trip for some new workout clothes, I discovered, in a very unforgiving mirror that 'foxy turned into frumpy' and something needed to be done. I won't hit 50 till November mind you, but action is in order & NOW!

Enter: The Personal Trainer!

Phase 1: The Assessment. This is where she takes a look at your eating habits. I had to log a 3-day food diary, no secrets! I had to fill out a health background, she even looked at my blood work. This chick is serious. She takes a look at your gait, your spine and hips.....even your knees and feet! She is now, rather acquainted with me. The only thing I know about her is that she has a killer-bod for an over-50, and she is very much a 'pro'.

Once she informed me I needed to eat more food and I was probably going to rebel and yell, the hubby and I took a trip to the local BIO (healthfood) store in Le Pecq. This was strange territory for me. Looking around at the many selections of cardboard and bird-seed. The bio vegetables didn't look too much different from what I was already buying, to be honest. Just the price tag looked higher.

Next session: the Physical Assessment. Hmmmmmm......well....... even though I walk and workout pretty much daily, I'm not in good shape. My 'core' is weak. All the more reason to have hired her. I'm not going to try to lose weight, just learn to eat healthier and she will kick-up my workout program. I'm ready!

The food program is nothing more than the famous food Pyramid! You know, 5 from this column, 3 from that column. It is all commen sense, but I just really had not plugged it in to our food life at home!

I've replaced my precious toast and butter for Muesli/Yogurt/Fresh Fruit.
Surprisingly, the Meusli was good and really didn't taste like I was eating sawdust! Oh those Preconceived Notions!

Lifestyle changes, hardwork.......we'll see! It can only get better.......but what about my full-fat cream & butter?? Everything in moderation, right?

I'm Back!

2006-03-23T12:43:00.000-05:00

Blogger finally got what ever was troubling them resolved, and now I've got much to blog about!
Thanks for checking in with me while I rode the storm out.

Stay tuned!

The Drive-Thru Bakery!

2006-03-09T05:49:00.000-05:00

Just when you think you've seen it all...

....you run straight into a Drive-Thru Boulangerie!

You've really got to wonder how a 'drive-thru' bakery can make a success in a tradition-steeped country like France. The French have a Boulangerie in every town, perhaps even two! On any Sunday morning you'll find the line of hungry people waiting for their turn to buy their daily bread. The line will snake out the door and spill out onto the sidewalk. The keyword is Patience, you see, everyone gets their turn.

click on the photo to enlarge

I honestly don't know how business is for this place. There was nobody else driving in, but me. As I drove into the drive-thru line, I was reminded of Disneyland Paris and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. That ride is corny, but we love it! The artwork on the walls of this place was interesting, to say the least!

I guess when you live here long enough, you really do see it all!

Le Creuset, The Factory Store

2006-02-26T05:59:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back, the kids had their Ski vacation Week. My son wanted to build an Electric Guitar during this school holiday, he asked a music teacher at school where to find parts, and the teacher said that Place Pigalle was the best place to buy bits and bobs for this project.

I felt like this part of town was a great adventure for father & son. So off they went! Nestled in between the Sex Shops, Peep Shows and Sushi Bars are lots of music shops! Daylight hours in Pigalle is a different kettle of fish then night time hours. Daylight finds little old ladies with their rolling grocery carts just back from the market, mom and kids running to and from errands, all very tame and mundane!

What does this have to do with cooking?? Well, during that vacation week, I thought we might venture out for a family road trip. Everytime I suggested this exciting idea, it was met with 'I need more parts for the guitar". The week came and went........with no additional mileage built-up on the car, until yesterday.......

.......I didn't ask but I gave the family a ETD (estimated time of departure) of 8:00a.m. We were heading north to the town of Fresnoy le Grand. Yep, another factory store! A little over 2 hours and 20 minutes and you'll find the sleepy town devoted to all things Enameled Cast Iron!

That little tiny building is the factory store. Stuffed with discount prices, plus fin de series steals! This place gets crowded! I'm supposed to take a bunch of expat ladies up there before the school year is over. I now understand why it was suggested I only take about 15. Think of a can of packed sardines and you can imagine this store, 15 ladies with hot credit cards in their hands! You can eMail in advance and order make sure they have a piece in the color you want, serviceconso@lecreuset.fr. The lady that works in the shop was terribly helpful, although didn't speak English. I use the point, grunt and smile method of speaking French, this usually works well!

Honestly, I've known about this store for many years but never really wanted more 'Creuset'. I certainly didn't think the prices would be any cheaper than those Factory Outlet Stores that line the Interstate Highways in the U.S. I was WRONG!!

Look at the stash!

They had examples from each market, UK & U.S., but mainly featured the French line. I found a wonderful square griddle pan. I can already tell that I'll love this pan. Plus it was in a cool Indigo color!

The 'guys' insisted that I buy these little mini-cocottes! Perfect for individual servings! I just had to try them out last night, filled with Baked Polenta with a good Cheddar mixed in. These were fun! I always like to add a bit of whimsy at my table, and these little guys were too cute to pass up! I am picturing using them for many things---Mac-N-Cheese, Pot Pies and Deep-Dish mini Apple Pie!

Semolina Bread

2006-02-24T04:29:00.000-05:00

I've gotten out of my bread making mode, and it is high time to start up again. I've been busy making brownies and filling my freezer with batches of 'gourmet-style' brownies from a vintage Gourmet Mag, circa 1997! The brownies were gobbled up this past week by the High School Seniors! They are an appreciative bunch of kids, with excellent manners!

Now it is time to get back into the bread dough! I made a Semolina Bread, nice and dense. This bread makes good toast as well as Bruschetta base.

An 'age old question'

2006-02-22T07:57:00.000-05:00

What's for dinner tonight, Mom?

That question is brought up during breakfast....sometimes because the 'loved one' has a special request or craving.
I'm always thinking about what to have for dinner and to find an answer, I headed into the 'cookbook room'. I found a negleted copy of River Cafe Two Easy which I bought this summer. I don't want Rose and Ruth to wonder why this book was gathering dust, so I started pouring through the pages to find something that tempted my taste buds.

I found Slow-Roasted Pork in Milk, read a bit further and realized I had most ingredients already. So far, so good! I had lots of garlic, lemon for the 'peel', my Sage bush was still producing some decent leaves.......Yeah, this was sounding like it could be dinner!

Then I remembered that Biggles had already blogged about a similar recipe. Actually, his roast looked really delicious, nice and browned. He did complain about his sauce, but I had my secret weapon, Cream Fraiche. This 'pot of delicious' stays in my fridge, always ready to enrich any bland sauce!

Dinner was accompanied by a roasted asparagus and seared Little Gem Salad! Topped with shavings of Parmesan Cheese. (you know that I served mashed potatoes too)
Weeknight dinner, one night down! Now.........what about tomorrow??

Zucchini Flowers

2006-02-15T08:16:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure where these zucchini flowers were grown, I just grabbed up the boite and threw them in my basket! Aren't they beautiful??

They were just big and fresh and were screaming SPRING on this grey rainy day.

I planned on dipping them into a tempura batter and giving them a good fry.

I also spied some raw shrimp, another 'find' for my basket. You don't always find fresh raw shrimp, you find frozen raw shrimp. We had some zucchini in the crisper drawer, I had some red peppers to add to the pot of oil!

A dipping sauce of rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil and I knew the family would be happy. The last time I tried Tempura, I was the only cook with one wok, things got soggy, the family wasn't happy......So......this time I enlisted 'the hubby' and the deep fat fryer. With two chefs manning two pans of oil, we cooked up dinner fast and crisp.

Lunch in Gien

2006-02-07T11:50:00.000-05:00

I know it wasn't too long ago that Clay and I went down to Gien, but my friend Cheryl was in town and I thought she would enjoy a trip down to the factory store. With a little lunch on the Loire River included in the trip down.

Lunch at Le Poulard, where every plat is served on a different Gien plate.....the bubbles say it all!

Stove Top Smoking

2006-02-03T00:49:00.000-05:00

I bought my Cameron Stove Top Smoker a few years back. I even taught a class featuring a Smoked Duck Breast, surprisingly, a few ladies bought the smoker. I thought that the ladies who lived 'in' Paris and can not use a grill might find this a good compromise.
The directions and recipes that came with the smoker lacked a little of the finishing touches. I like the smoky flavor, but I also like a crisp skin. The instructions never were clear on how to achieve that!

I stopped by 101 Cookbooks and found a post on The Stove Top Smoker, even found a link to Amazon and yet another cookbook. This cook book filled in ALL of the blanks. Everything! I just did a filet of tuna, finishing it off in a pan for a nice seared effect. The inside was beautifully rare and there was a delicious smoked taste.

When I first got my smoker I tried to make some Smoked Mozzarella. This was after a friend, visiting from Dallas, brought me a smoked mozzarella from the Dallas Mozzarella Company. The little round ball of cheese was $9.00, dang, I figured I could do the job myself with my new toy. The end result was a puddle of cheese, I tried again using a foil cup, another puddle!

Armed with my new cookbook and a recipe this time, I tried again!

After 8 minutes of smoking (above), the bottom photo shows the finished product.

This time it worked 'a treat'! I discovered the secret and there were no smoky puddles of cheese! A mild smoked flavor, creamy texture inside. This is perfect for a roasted asperge salad, or I'll try again this weekend on a pizza.

The photos are not really inspiring, sorry. Two white blobs might not make your mouth water.....Just imagine the taste, ok!

Banoffee Pie

2006-01-29T07:14:00.000-05:00

The first time I ate Banoffee Pie was in the UK in a charming little gastro-pub this past summer. I started looking for a recipe and kept reading about dark colored toffee filling. The Pie I ate had a lovely 'blonde' toffee. How'd they do that?

I sent 'the hubby' on the task of begging for the recipe from the owner of the pub last week. She was delighted to share the recipe with him, who can turn down a pilot?

Now I know the secret to the blonde toffee. The recipe was so easy!

Digestive biscuits/graham cracker crumbs and melted butter make the crust. I always had a little trouble laying-in a crumb crust. Thick in some places and thin in others, till I saw a chef on TV using a glass (duh, why didn't I think of that?) That little trick enabled a nice deep sided crust and an even bottom. Listen, you don't want an uneven bottom!
Next, melt butter and sugar, but don't color....Then add a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk, stir for about 20 minutes until nice and thick.
Dump it into the chilled crust......And there you have it. Top with sliced bananas, add some whipped cream.
Don't forget the chocolate curls, I forgot 'em. Sorry!

"Simple Food" served on a Happy Plate

2006-01-24T06:22:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl, I didn't eat eggs! I remember when Dad used to take us out to Frisch's Big Boy for breakfast, he'd order his usual American Breakfast; eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, toast & coffee. My sisters and I would be allowed the special privilage of ordering Hamburgers and French Fries! What a treat, we always felt like we were getting away with something ordering lunch food at Breakfast time!

So, what is up with the egg, vinegar and All-Clad? Yep, perfect poached eggs!
It was much later in life that I discovered the joy of eggs in the morning! I love a toasted English muffin smothered with ketchup (don't gag!), bacon and a fried egg on top! Only some of my family members think this is wonderful.

Today, I was feeling like I needed a little extra care for breakfast and wanted a simple poached egg on a muffin. I used to poach eggs in the little egg poacher, you know where an egg is formed into a perfect-Stepford Wife- shape and ends up to be overcooked......or I have used the microwave egg poacher, that egg turns out like rubber everytime!

I've found that the Brits do the best egg poaching in my travels, wherever we are in the UK I find a perfect poached egg. There is an art to it. Do you want to hear it?
You boil the water (yes, you can do this!!), then add a tablespoon of vinegar. When the water boils, you make a vortex and drop your egg in.
The photo is an action shot attempt, you might have to really stare into the screen for the full effect!

Served below on a Happy Plate! That is part of the morning experience, breakfast must be served on my vintage Villeroy & Boch 'Provence' plate!

Don't you feel happy too?

Turning over a new leaf

2006-01-18T11:42:00.000-05:00

Anyone who visits this blog can guess, I love to cook!
Cooking = Extra Pounds
It isn't just me either. Its the 'family unit' who is having trouble buttoning up their jeans!

Thought I'd try something new last night for dinner. Grilled salad! Mom, you have cracked-up, came the comments from the couch! Yeah, I know! Strange as it sounds, it really was delish! You need to try this one, for sure.

I found a new web site, The Cooking Guy, go check this guy out! He is really funny, and has some great ideas. Plus he has little Quicktime Videos that you can take a look at.
He did his salad on the gas grill, due to the rain yesterday I opted for the good ol' Le Creuset grill pan.
It is nothing more than some Little Gem lettuce cut in half. Brush with olive oil and placed on the hot grill pan. I had a couple strips of bacon done really crisp. To finish the plate, I added some of my 50 year old Balsamic vinegar, some Parmesan shavings and a little more olive oil. It was SO good!
The Little Gem lettuces are from Spain and these were extra large, but the Little Gems you can find already packed at the local supermarket, 6 to a package, would work just fine too.

Can't wait for a drier day to try this one out on the grill! You know me, I grill out all winter, much to the curious stares of my neighbors!
Jeans are feeling loose already.....well, not exactly!