Beard
Kissing don't last; cookery do! ~George Meredith
The belly rules the mind. ~Spanish Proverb
A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a
tart who looks at her watch. ~James
Sex
is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn. ~Garrison Keillor
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Eat
It's said that pictures
are worth a thousand words, but here, they are worth a thousand
calories. Be warned: these fattening photos are sure to have your
mouth watering. Recipes included; Gym membership not.
Grilled Key West Black Tip Shark
1/2 c lime juice
1/2 c orange juice
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 T chopped hot peppers
2 T hot Sauce
2 x cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. fresh skinned black tip cut into 1” cubes
Bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water
Combine marinade ingredients. Add fish; cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove fish from marinade, reserving marinade and skewer on bamboo.
Grill fish over hot coals or gas accordingly 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting frequently with marinade.
Order Up!
Planning a trip to New York, San Francisco or Chicago? This is a must read before you make those restaurant reservations. What’s hot, what’s not and who’s in the weeds?
www.Eater.com
Foodie "Chicken Soup for the Soul"
Any self proclaimed foodie that does not know about EGullet should be spanked. This is the Holy Grail for serious eaters, food worshippers and arm chair chefs. Absolutely addictive and really great people too.
www.EGullet.org
 Recipes Galore!!
Can’t find Grandma’s favorite recipe for corn bread, byranni or curried goat? Both of these websites have oodles of advice, reader comments, photos and thousands of international recipes for all levels of skilled cooks
www.allrecipes.com
www.recipezaar.com
 The
Vixens of Paris
You see them everywhere on every corner, teasing you, taunting you,
temptress floozies with too much frou -frou for a Sunday afternoon. Yet
I am
helpless, seduced by their haughty charms, and find them totally
irresistible.
The café society of Paris may linger over a Pastis or tutti frutti
colored drink for hours, but for me total abandonment comes in the form
of a decadent Coupe Glacee
Choose your café wisely and
this dreamy concoction may even be made with Berthillion ice cream. The
beautifully stacked parfaits and sundaes come with macerated fruits of
the season, mounds of whipped cream and adorned with architectural
sweetness.
While some may enjoy people watching I am glazing at the trays being
delivered and plotting my future choices. Always on the lookout, a
glance to the next café and who will provide the most satisfying
afternoon delight.
Laura’s Cassoulet
To really make a fine cassoulet you must first travel to a small village
in the Southwest of France.
It takes several days to prepare, an ancient fortress to reside and
several trips to the market in different Dordogne villages. .
First a trip the Issigeac market to buy duck carcass, leeks, carrots and
herbs.
While in Issigeac be sure to eat a chocolate éclair from the patisserie
for good luck.
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The Stock
Roast the vegetables and duck in the oven until deep brown and
place in large pot covered with water. Simmer for at least 3 hrs
then strain.
The Meats
The butcher in St Cyprien has the best duck confit. Select
several legs, one for each person.
The butcher in Monpazier has excellent homemade Toulouse
sausages and a personal favorite
Chipolatas if you get to his store early. They sell out fast.
The Monpazier market on Thursdays has a small stall in the
center of the village with a fine selection of garlic sausages,
roast goose and smoked slab of pork. I like all these in my
cassoulet.
Sauté the Toulouse and chipolatas sausages until lightly brown
with slices of the smoked pork. Carefully remove the skin from
the duck confit and set aside. Separate the roast goose into
large pieces and slice the garlic sausage.
The Beans
Soak small white beans overnight in water and drain.
From the butcher ask for scraps of lamb, veal, pork and thick
slabs of bacon.
Brown the meats in a hot skillet then transfer to a large pot.
Brown onions and garlic
And add to the pot with the meats and deglaze the pan with one
half bottle dry white wine. Add the socked beans, a tablespoon
of tomato paste, black pepper, thyme, bay and the duck stock to
cover. Simmer slowly till the beans are nearly tender. Cool over
night for the flavors to blend. |
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Assembly
(drinking a fine Cahors helps with this process)
Layer the beans in a large earthen ware pot with the meats. If
necessary add more duck stock and correct seasoning for salt and
pepper... Prepare fresh crumbs for day old baguettes and toss
with chopped parsley and minced garlic.
Place the reserved duck skin on top of the cassoulet and
sprinkle with the breadcrumb mix. Bake slowly until hot bubbly
and the irresistible aroma fills the air.
No matter how many times I have made cassoulet at home for the
holidays making it in Dordogne is incomparable. And well worth
the journey.
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Raspberry Ganache Tart
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Crust
1 cup ground pecans, lightly toasted
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
Zest of one lemon
Dash salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
1 egg yolk
1 whole egg
1 tablespoon brandy
Filling
1 pound (457 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
3 Tbs softened butter |
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Blend together pecans, flour, sugar, zest and spices. Cut in butter
until the texture of coarse meal.
Stir together yolk, egg and liqueur and blend into dough until it just
comes together. Shape dough into a disc, wrap and chill for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to
just greater than ¼-inch thick and line 10" tart pan with removable
bottom with pastry. Dock pastry with a fork and line with parchment
paper, weighted down with beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes,
until golden brown around the edges. Remove and allow cooling.
Place chocolate in a large bowl and bring the cream to a simmer in a
heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Pour cream over chocolate and cover with plastic film.
Let stand for fifteen minutes then gently whisk until chocolate is
smooth. Stir in butter .
Chill ganache till firm then whip in electric mixture- whip until light
and fluffy. Pour whipped ganache into tart shell and refrigerate until
set.
Decorate with fresh raspberries, shaved chocolate and whip cream
rosettes.
Tuna Ceviche with Passion
Fruit & Lime
A simple,
elegant first course with a surprise twist.
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Serves 8
1 #
fresh sushi grade tuna cut into 1 inch cubes
A chayote diced into small ½ inch cubes
Vinaigrette
1/2c cup passion fruit juice (available from Latin markets)
1/3 c. fresh lime
2 T hot sauce
¼ c. light olive oil
Salt to taste |
Mix all ingredients for vinaigrette and pour over tuna to
lightly coat. Place in wine glass and chill until serving.
Can be made I hrs. ahead. |
The Surprise
Wearing plastic gloves,
finely minced 3 habaneno peppers, 2 Tbs chopped cilantro, and 1 Tb of
minced red pepper. Lightly butter a small round of bread and toast in a
small mini muffin pan to make a little cup.
For serving place the hot pepper mixture into the cup and carefully
place on top off the Ceviche. The diner may choose to add the hot
surprise to their Ceviche or not.
On French Cheese
Like fine French wine, cheese making is taken very seriously and quality
is controlled by the government in much the same way.
Appellation d’ Origine Controlee or AOC label grantees the place of
origin, types of milk used, region, methods, and length of affinage or
curing.
The exact amount of mold and sometimes “past it’s prime” appearance are
all strictly governed by this important mark of perfection. Beauty truly
is in the eye of the beholder of many of the 350 or more exquisite
French cheeses.
And while the AOC requirement are granted to a mere 36 producers anyone
fortunate enough to find a small “fermier” product or “artisanal”
delicacy might actually be quite famous yet the producer only has a
handful of animals.
To us the more than 80 types of Chevre is the epitome of indulgence and
accentuates all the wonders of French cheese making. A favorite from
Dordogne is Cabecou de Rocamadour and along with some of the finest
regional artisanal cheeses and the spicy Bleu d. Auvergnes can be found
in the market cheese stalls
From fresh and mild, to moldy and robust, covered in ash, herbs, leaves
and straw discovering these amazing fromage are pure joy. And what a
better way than with the holy trinity of bread and wine!
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