Today was a little lazy and a little crazy. Jim mowed the lawn and cleaned the furnace filters. I had to pay bills. But the good news is Jim really likes the pasta sauce I made last week while he was away. He is a big hater of tomato sauce on pizza or pasta. I added carrots, celery and sweet onions along with my home grown basil to the tomatoes to make the sauce, just look back to see the recipe. I served it with whole wheat angel hair pasta and Aidells chicken meatballs. Those of you not familiar with Aidell, he is the husband of Nancy Oakes the owner of Boulevard in SF, CA. He makes lots of healthy sausages and now has branched into meatballs. Jim cannot lie about liking or disliking food. If he doesn’t like it his cheeks puff out while eating. No cheek puffing tonight. So for this family this recipe that I made up is a keeper. We had an Alamos Malbec, available at Costco with the dinner. I have to say that I also liked the sauce. Go to Expermenting with Tomato Sauce. This morning I made biscuits and gravy. I experimented with the gravy. Jim ate it, I fed mine to Max. He liked it also. You win some and you loose some.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Jim's late birthday dinner
Jim is back so it is time to start cooking again. We are having grilled Tuna. I have dry rubbed it in citrus pepper after coating it with EVOO. With this I am serving roasted new potatoes that I coated in basil EVOO, salt and pepper then roasted at 450 degrees for 40 minutes. I am going to stir fry patty pan and baby zucchini squash. I started the pan with EVOO and water in it. When it came to a boil, I added the squash and let the water cook away. I then stir fried the veggies in the remaining oil. This all went quick and they were perfectly done. We bought dessert at Wegmans. There were two stars tonight. The tuna was fabulous. It was sushi grade so for a 1½” steak we grilled it for only 6 minutes. It was perfect. Overdone tuna is shoe leather. Jim always serves red wine with tuna. We had a 1995 Charles Wetmore Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Wente Vineyards. Jim purchased a case in 1998 when we lived in CA. I understand that there are 2 left. I suggest he might want to hide them if he goes away for a week again. This wine was divine.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Expermenting with pasta sauce
Jim’s still away but it was a rainy day so I made more basil pasta sauce. I did not use the recipe I blogged about the last time. I was going to but I read other sauces and decided to do a little experimenting as Jim is always so negative about tomato sauces. Here is what I used and I think it tastes pretty good. Of course I have not tried it with pasta yet. I picked a ton of basil the other day as I was sure we were going to have a frost. It was over 80 today and extremely humid.
Ingredients:
¼ C Basil EVOO
½ white onion, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
2 carrots chopped
5 large garlic cloves, rough chop
5 celery stalks, 3 from the middle with the leaves
4 cans of diced tomatoes
6 cups of loosely packed basil leaves all stems removed
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. I heated the EVOO and added all the vegetables to soften but not brown. When they were soft, added the basil leaves and softened them.
2. Next I added the tomatoes and salt and pepper. Probably a t each. I simmered it for 2 hours.
3. Using an immersion blender I emulsified the contents and let it cool. I tasted and added 1 ½ t more salt.
The tomato taste is definitely softened by all the vegetables. I will have to report the results and how I use it after he returns. It is now cooling completely so I can pack it for the freezer.
Ingredients:
¼ C Basil EVOO
½ white onion, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
2 carrots chopped
5 large garlic cloves, rough chop
5 celery stalks, 3 from the middle with the leaves
4 cans of diced tomatoes
6 cups of loosely packed basil leaves all stems removed
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. I heated the EVOO and added all the vegetables to soften but not brown. When they were soft, added the basil leaves and softened them.
2. Next I added the tomatoes and salt and pepper. Probably a t each. I simmered it for 2 hours.
3. Using an immersion blender I emulsified the contents and let it cool. I tasted and added 1 ½ t more salt.
The tomato taste is definitely softened by all the vegetables. I will have to report the results and how I use it after he returns. It is now cooling completely so I can pack it for the freezer.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Chocolate Cheerios
Some of you are going to be totally grossed out by my title. I have posted special breakfasts and really enjoy them. But day to day I have tried almost all cereals on earth, even the “healthy” ones and just give up. Jim has a Wolferman Mufffin almost everyday with his cheerios. I am also not fond of milk. Last night we were at Costco to look at something for Jim’s birthday. While walking through the store I saw Chocolate Cheerios. They are to die for! They are only 10 calories more than regular cheerios and I could eat them breakfast, lunch and dinner. Today I had them with Greek yoghurt and a banana. Tomorrow I will try milk. I’ve tried other flavored cheerios, health cereals and almost all on the shelf, these are the best. It is worth 10 calories to get me to eat breakfast. The only thing better is a great croissant and tea, but this is so easy. As Jim is leaving for reunions in IL and OR tomorrow, we went to the Iron Bridge Wine Company for dinner to use my birthday dinner coupon. They were serving local fare tonight and the beets and goat cheese I had were wonderful. I have a list of their suppliers and will be contacting them. It may seem early to you, but I will be working on T-day dinner this week while Jim is gone and probably eating out of the freezer or out. My friend Sally and her family will be here for dinner. Cortnery, her daughter, is wanting to learn to cook and has volunteered as sous chef. Keep cooking!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Lamb Chops
Tonight was an easy dinner. Tasted good and took no time to prepare. We had grilled lamb chops. I sprinkled them with Mignonette pepper from Penzeys. I saw great green beans at the farmer’s market this weekend. I put them in the microwave with Viansa Caprese Pepper & citrus Blend from Viansa and Sciabica’s Lemon EVOO. I cut up French bread and that was it for dinner.
Jim served a 1994 Fenestra Cabernet Sauvignon. Fenestra was our neighbor in Pleasanton, CA. The owner was the winemaker and based on tonight a very unrecognized prince of the industry.
Don’t look for a blog tomorrow. We are having leftover Eggplant Parmesan.
Jim served a 1994 Fenestra Cabernet Sauvignon. Fenestra was our neighbor in Pleasanton, CA. The owner was the winemaker and based on tonight a very unrecognized prince of the industry.
Don’t look for a blog tomorrow. We are having leftover Eggplant Parmesan.
Wedding in Tuscany
Not being especially knowledgeable with my computer I have been trying for weeks to show you this incredible wedding dinner. I could not get the photos to print as they were imbedded in an email from Mary. I printed, cut and pasted and then scanned. Jim and I first met Carl and Mary when Jim joined GE in 1967. Both couples have lived all over working for this company that changes names like clothing and they are now settled back in PA. This fall their daughter was married in the Pellegrino castle in Italy. The wedding was fabulous as you can only imagine being married in a castle in Tuscany to be, but look at the dinner!
The photo in the upper left is the castle. The upper right is the wedding table all set for the feast. The bride designed the table with all organic plants and vegetables, cabbages of all colors, eggplants, peas, etc. You can see the eggplant place cards in the photo of the Tomato Soup in the martini glass. Cocktail time was in the castle bar. The “cheesecake” was the centerpiece and cut up and served along with an antipasto bar and served hors d’oerves. Next came the soup (center bottom with a small cherry size mozzarella cheese and petals of fresh basil. Under the table setting is the pasta course, Fagottino filled porcini mushrooms and ricotta cheese with truffles. The main course was wild boar in balsamic vinegar sauce with zucchini flan and roasted potatoes. Finally the wedding cake is at the lower right with the bride and groom. This cake was assembled in front of the guests by two chefs and was described to me as a giant cannoli.
Mary (the Mom) is a follower and a great cook in her own right. In fact she is my co-author for the eggplant recipe I just posted. If been told that Carl (the Dad) is very happy that he only had one daughter. Carl, It sure looks like it was worth every penny.
The photo in the upper left is the castle. The upper right is the wedding table all set for the feast. The bride designed the table with all organic plants and vegetables, cabbages of all colors, eggplants, peas, etc. You can see the eggplant place cards in the photo of the Tomato Soup in the martini glass. Cocktail time was in the castle bar. The “cheesecake” was the centerpiece and cut up and served along with an antipasto bar and served hors d’oerves. Next came the soup (center bottom with a small cherry size mozzarella cheese and petals of fresh basil. Under the table setting is the pasta course, Fagottino filled porcini mushrooms and ricotta cheese with truffles. The main course was wild boar in balsamic vinegar sauce with zucchini flan and roasted potatoes. Finally the wedding cake is at the lower right with the bride and groom. This cake was assembled in front of the guests by two chefs and was described to me as a giant cannoli.
Mary (the Mom) is a follower and a great cook in her own right. In fact she is my co-author for the eggplant recipe I just posted. If been told that Carl (the Dad) is very happy that he only had one daughter. Carl, It sure looks like it was worth every penny.
Original Eggplant Recipe with help from my friends
Jim went to Hobart for this past weekend for a cross country honors event. I decided that I wanted Eggplant Parmesan. Jim claims to hate eggplant. So I pulled out all my Italian cookbooks and only found two, neither of which appealed to me. Then I looked In my Jane Grigson’s Vegetable book and this one sounded better. But then I thought of my friend Mary who follows my site, but writes her comments independently to me by email. She sent me her recipe all of which she keeps in her head, no measurements. By the time I had done all this and bought all the ingredients, plus went to a crafts show, I decided to wait for Jim’s return. The one thing that stuck out from Mary was that she said that when her vegetarian children are not around, she uses a meat sauce instead of Marinara. I thought this might make Jim happier. In the Grigson’s book she warned to use only Italian Mozzarella not the Danish imitation. So I bought Italian Mozzarella. I called another friend Joan to see if she wanted to go to a farmer’s market with me. I still had to get eggplant and I wanted good tomatoes, a Halloween pumpkin stand that I had seen the week before, etc. I was discussing my recipe research with Joan when she told me what she does to cut the oil. She bakes the eggplant with a spray of canola oil. I thought great, no fry mess to clean up and better for you. So what follows is an original recipe from Linda, Mary and Joan, with a little help from Jane Grigson’s cookbook.
Ingredients:
3# of eggplant sliced lengthwise in about ½” pieces. I did not peel per Mary’s suggestion, but if may have helped Jim not to ID the eggplant.
Kosher Salt
2 eggs
Breadcrumbs, fresh or Panko, about 2 cups
2 balls of Mozzarella Cheese
1 pt. Parmesan, less or more depending on taste
3-4 cups of Marinara or Bolognese Sauce, depending on Meat or meatless
½ large onion
IT Italian seasoning,
Canola oil, spray
EVOO
1. After slicing the eggplant, sprinkle and place in a colander to drain, 45 min. to an hour. Rinse the eggplant and dry with paper towels.
2. I used real bread that I put in the food processor with parmesan cheese and Penzeys Italian spice. I beat the two eggs with about 1T water like I was making an omelet. Then I lined two shallow baking pans with non-stick aluminum foil and sprayed with canola oil. . Heat the oven to 375. I used my convection setting for this step. I dipped in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs and placed in the pans. Then I lightly drizzled with EVOO. I baked on each side for 20 minutes each. They looked gorgeous. Reduce the heat to 350.
3. To make it more palatable for Jim I chose to go the Bolognese route. Earlier this year you can find the red sauce with basil that I made. I thawed it and cooked up lean ground beef and Italian sausage with ½ a large onion. After the meat was fully cooked, I drained all the grease out and added it back to the pan on low with my tomato sauce.
4. For the assembly I sliced the mozzarella with my cheese slicer to make it all even. Put some of the sauce in the bottom. Next a layer of eggplant followed by mozzarella and parmesan. I had 3 layers of eggplant. I ended with red sauce on top and sprinkled with the remaining parmesan.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. Uncover and let rest about 15 minutes.
The verdict
Jim said he liked it as he could not taste the eggplant and it wasn't tough. I think I would have preferred to have left out the meat as I couldn’t really taste the eggplant. Depending on your hungry boys, I’d say this easily serves 6-8. It is a long process and if you are making your meat sauce from scratch, you better start early.
Ingredients:
3# of eggplant sliced lengthwise in about ½” pieces. I did not peel per Mary’s suggestion, but if may have helped Jim not to ID the eggplant.
Kosher Salt
2 eggs
Breadcrumbs, fresh or Panko, about 2 cups
2 balls of Mozzarella Cheese
1 pt. Parmesan, less or more depending on taste
3-4 cups of Marinara or Bolognese Sauce, depending on Meat or meatless
½ large onion
IT Italian seasoning,
Canola oil, spray
EVOO
1. After slicing the eggplant, sprinkle and place in a colander to drain, 45 min. to an hour. Rinse the eggplant and dry with paper towels.
2. I used real bread that I put in the food processor with parmesan cheese and Penzeys Italian spice. I beat the two eggs with about 1T water like I was making an omelet. Then I lined two shallow baking pans with non-stick aluminum foil and sprayed with canola oil. . Heat the oven to 375. I used my convection setting for this step. I dipped in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs and placed in the pans. Then I lightly drizzled with EVOO. I baked on each side for 20 minutes each. They looked gorgeous. Reduce the heat to 350.
3. To make it more palatable for Jim I chose to go the Bolognese route. Earlier this year you can find the red sauce with basil that I made. I thawed it and cooked up lean ground beef and Italian sausage with ½ a large onion. After the meat was fully cooked, I drained all the grease out and added it back to the pan on low with my tomato sauce.
4. For the assembly I sliced the mozzarella with my cheese slicer to make it all even. Put some of the sauce in the bottom. Next a layer of eggplant followed by mozzarella and parmesan. I had 3 layers of eggplant. I ended with red sauce on top and sprinkled with the remaining parmesan.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. Uncover and let rest about 15 minutes.
The verdict
Jim said he liked it as he could not taste the eggplant and it wasn't tough. I think I would have preferred to have left out the meat as I couldn’t really taste the eggplant. Depending on your hungry boys, I’d say this easily serves 6-8. It is a long process and if you are making your meat sauce from scratch, you better start early.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Mediterranean Fish Tacos
Jim liked the Mediterranean Tacos better than the Baja Light, until he went to clean up. Last night tacos were a breeze to make and the cleanup was almost nonexistent. Tonight we had double frying and even the salad was much more involved. However, it was very good. I know the word fry turns a lot of people off. This is the first fried dish and I have been doing this blog since January. When I fry I use my electric wok. It works great as it is wide and you can set the exact temperature. Also there is a rack that goes half way around that allows you to put the finished food on it to drip before you put it on paper to go in the oven. So on to these tacos. I am going to start with the fixings as you need to get this ready first.
The Fixings
Lemon Aioli (I made half)
Stir 1C mayo, 2t minced garlic and 2-3 T lemon juice
Fried Caper and Orange Slaw
Heat 2T EVOO in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/4C capers, patted dry, and sauté until pale golden, 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Peel quarter, and slice 2 oranges. In a bowl, combine oranges, 1/2C slivered red onion, 1/8 t cayenne, 2 t lemon juice, 1T EVOO and 1/8 t kosher salt. Just before serving, stir in 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce, ½ C small mint leaves and capers.
This was a great accompaniment. The fried capers tasted like popcorn to me. It was however preparation intensive. Speaking of preparation intensive……..
Seafood and Tortillas
12-114 corn tortillas, (5-6”) warmed. I started by putting the tortillas in my warming drawer on 3, covered by aluminum foil. Again as is was only Jim and I we used half
1 ½ # calamari tubes and tentacles
½ C all-purpose flour and rice flour
¼ t cayenne
1 t kosher salt
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees or turn your warming drawer on high. Cut calamari tubes into ½” rings, pat calamari mostly dry. Mix flours, cayenne, and salt in a baggie.
2. Heat 1 ½” oil to 380 degrees. I recommend an electric wok or an electric fry pan. Easier to keep the temperature correct. Toss ¼ of the calamari at a time in flour to coat, shaking off excess. I put it all in the bag at once and tossed. Take it out of the bag with a slotted spoon, shake off excess flour and place in the oil. I did it in 4 batches. Cook 2-3 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to a paper towel lined baking sheet.
3. To serve smear each tortilla with about 1T aioli, then fill with calamari and slaw.
There are two more in the article. I am definitely interested in the Golden State. The other is Japanese. Maybe to see if anyone is reading and using this blog, I will do them all and then ask for your favorites.
The Fixings
Lemon Aioli (I made half)
Stir 1C mayo, 2t minced garlic and 2-3 T lemon juice
Fried Caper and Orange Slaw
Heat 2T EVOO in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/4C capers, patted dry, and sauté until pale golden, 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Peel quarter, and slice 2 oranges. In a bowl, combine oranges, 1/2C slivered red onion, 1/8 t cayenne, 2 t lemon juice, 1T EVOO and 1/8 t kosher salt. Just before serving, stir in 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce, ½ C small mint leaves and capers.
This was a great accompaniment. The fried capers tasted like popcorn to me. It was however preparation intensive. Speaking of preparation intensive……..
Seafood and Tortillas
12-114 corn tortillas, (5-6”) warmed. I started by putting the tortillas in my warming drawer on 3, covered by aluminum foil. Again as is was only Jim and I we used half
1 ½ # calamari tubes and tentacles
½ C all-purpose flour and rice flour
¼ t cayenne
1 t kosher salt
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees or turn your warming drawer on high. Cut calamari tubes into ½” rings, pat calamari mostly dry. Mix flours, cayenne, and salt in a baggie.
2. Heat 1 ½” oil to 380 degrees. I recommend an electric wok or an electric fry pan. Easier to keep the temperature correct. Toss ¼ of the calamari at a time in flour to coat, shaking off excess. I put it all in the bag at once and tossed. Take it out of the bag with a slotted spoon, shake off excess flour and place in the oil. I did it in 4 batches. Cook 2-3 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to a paper towel lined baking sheet.
3. To serve smear each tortilla with about 1T aioli, then fill with calamari and slaw.
There are two more in the article. I am definitely interested in the Golden State. The other is Japanese. Maybe to see if anyone is reading and using this blog, I will do them all and then ask for your favorites.
Fish Tacos
Sunset Magazine did a fish taco article. I love fish tacos. I never liked tacos until I tasted a fish one. Last night I made Baja Light. Tonight, I will be making Mediterranean.
1T ancho chile powder
2t dried Mexican oregano
¼ t each of kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 # boned, skinned Pacific cod
1T EVOO
12 to 14 corn tortillas (5-6”) warmed on the grill
1 Heat grill to high. Combine seasonings in a small bowl. Set fish on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub all over with oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Oil cooking grate, using tongs and a wad of oiled paper towels.
2 Grill fish, covered, turning once, until just cooked through, 4-6 minutes total. Break fish into large chunks. Fill tortillas with slaw and fish. Serve with tartar sauce.
The Fixings
Cabbage and Cilantro Slaw
3T lime juice
2T Vegetable oil
1/4t red chile flakes
¼ t kosher salt
10 oz. bag of finely shredded cabbage
1/2C fresh cilantro
Put the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Blend. Add the slaw and cilantro and combine.
Light Chipotle Tartar Sauce
2T canned chipotle chilies, seeded, deveined and rinsed
1C plain low-fat Greek Yogurt
1/4C sweet pickle relish
¼ C chopped onion
Put all in blender. Blend until all is chopped. Actually I had sweet pickles and I put them in whole with a piece of onion and the blender did the work.
Jim complained that his lips were burning the entire meal. I did not find it that hot, just plain good heat. As it was just Jim and I, I cut the fish to a pound and used 6 tortillas. The slaw I made all and cut the sauce in half. We had slaw and sauce left over.
1T ancho chile powder
2t dried Mexican oregano
¼ t each of kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 # boned, skinned Pacific cod
1T EVOO
12 to 14 corn tortillas (5-6”) warmed on the grill
1 Heat grill to high. Combine seasonings in a small bowl. Set fish on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub all over with oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Oil cooking grate, using tongs and a wad of oiled paper towels.
2 Grill fish, covered, turning once, until just cooked through, 4-6 minutes total. Break fish into large chunks. Fill tortillas with slaw and fish. Serve with tartar sauce.
The Fixings
Cabbage and Cilantro Slaw
3T lime juice
2T Vegetable oil
1/4t red chile flakes
¼ t kosher salt
10 oz. bag of finely shredded cabbage
1/2C fresh cilantro
Put the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Blend. Add the slaw and cilantro and combine.
Light Chipotle Tartar Sauce
2T canned chipotle chilies, seeded, deveined and rinsed
1C plain low-fat Greek Yogurt
1/4C sweet pickle relish
¼ C chopped onion
Put all in blender. Blend until all is chopped. Actually I had sweet pickles and I put them in whole with a piece of onion and the blender did the work.
Jim complained that his lips were burning the entire meal. I did not find it that hot, just plain good heat. As it was just Jim and I, I cut the fish to a pound and used 6 tortillas. The slaw I made all and cut the sauce in half. We had slaw and sauce left over.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
End of Summer
Last night was supposed to be the end of the heat so I made our last summer meal.
Blueberry and Prosiutto Salad. Serves 4 /15 minutes. from Sunset Magazine
8 slices prosciutto (4 oz.)
1/4C EVOO, divided
1T Champagne vinegar
1T honey
½ t kosher salt
4.5 oz. lightly packed mixed baby greens
1 C blueberries
6 oz. fresh goat cheese, divided into 4 portions
1. Lay 2 slices prosciutto on each of 4 dinner plates. In a large bowl, whisk together 3T EVOO, vinegar, honey and salt. Add greens and blueberries and toss genly to coat. Arrange salad on each of the 4 plates.
2. Heat remaining 1T EVOO in a small nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Put cheese in pan leaving 1 inch between portions. Cook until warm and starting to brown on the bottom about 4 minutes. Use a wide spatula to transfer cheese to the top of each salad.
For dinner I added left over pumpkin soup. This would be a lovely starter for a company dinner. Looks gorgeous on the plate.
Blueberry and Prosiutto Salad. Serves 4 /15 minutes. from Sunset Magazine
8 slices prosciutto (4 oz.)
1/4C EVOO, divided
1T Champagne vinegar
1T honey
½ t kosher salt
4.5 oz. lightly packed mixed baby greens
1 C blueberries
6 oz. fresh goat cheese, divided into 4 portions
1. Lay 2 slices prosciutto on each of 4 dinner plates. In a large bowl, whisk together 3T EVOO, vinegar, honey and salt. Add greens and blueberries and toss genly to coat. Arrange salad on each of the 4 plates.
2. Heat remaining 1T EVOO in a small nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Put cheese in pan leaving 1 inch between portions. Cook until warm and starting to brown on the bottom about 4 minutes. Use a wide spatula to transfer cheese to the top of each salad.
For dinner I added left over pumpkin soup. This would be a lovely starter for a company dinner. Looks gorgeous on the plate.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
10-10-10
I spent all day Saturday cooking. First it was dog food day and then on to us. We were to play golf on Sunday and then our friends would join us for Sunday supper. I thought I would make a planned dinner of Slow-Cooked Beef Minestrone, which I assumed would be soup and easy to cook while playing golf. This recipe came from Wegmans monthly magazine. It says makes 14 cups, which I will now interpret as 10 servings. I also thought Minestrone soup, which it might have been if I had not goofed. Mine trued out more like a beef pasta dish. It tasted great and I have 3 double servings left over. It tasted good and worked well for the day.
Slow-Cooked Beef Minestrone
1 pkg.(1.6#) Boneless Beef Chuck roast, cut in 1” cubes
Flour
2 T EVOO
1 16 oz pkg. Cleaned and cooked Minestrone soup vegetables.(carrots, potato, zucchini, leek, celery, onion, cabbage)
Salt and pepper
32 oz beef stock
14.5 oz can Italian-Style diced tomatoes
24 oz. Italian seasoned tomato sauce
½ C dry Italian soup pasta ( added too much which is why mine was too thick)
14.5 oz. garbanzo beans
6 oz baby spinach
1. Dust beef with pan-searing flour; pat off excess.
2. Heat oil in large brazing pan on M-H heat until oil if fairly smokes. Add beef; sear 10 min. until all sides are paper-bag brown.
3. Transfer beef to slow cooker and add vegetables to pan with beef drippings, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring 3 minutes add to slow cooker.
4. Add stock, tomatoes, and sauce to slow cooker. Cover and cook 10 hours on low.
5. Add dry pasta and beans 45 minutes before the end of cooking. (I started it overnight and added the pasta and beans in the am. I should never do anything in the am.)
6. Add spinach to slow cooker; stir to blend well about 2 minutes.
This meal would have been perfect except I added too much pasta. It still tasted divine. I served it with whole wheat garlic bread from the frozen food section of the grocery store, also very good. Jim served Bradford Mountain Sonoma County Zinfandel, 2002.
For dessert I served Apple pie, kind of as described by Lidia on page 101 of Oct. 2010 of Bon Appetite. I did not make the breadcrumb hazelnut crust. I used Pillsbury readymade in the chilled section of the grocery store. I did sprinkle the apples with ground walnuts. I followed her recipe for the filling as it was different from my regular pie and I liked this filling, but not as much as mine.
2# granny smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into ½” wedges (I will not use Granny Smith as I hate the taste. I usually use Golden delicious, but I have lately found Honey crisp to be equally as good.)
2# Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored, cut into ½” wedges
½ C sugar
1 C apple cider (the recipe says hard cider; I use the Williams Sonoma concentrate. It is delicious. Buy it now and you can keep it all winter and use in oatmeal.)
Arrange the apple slices in a large heavy skillet. Sprinkle with sugar and add apple cider. Cook 10 minutes covered and then uncover for 10 minutes until juices evaporate. Turn the apples frequently. Do not panic and use fewer apples. They get smaller and are perfect for the 7” Pillsbury crust. I put nuts on the bottom and then the apples and sprinkled more on top. Put on the top crust and crimp the edges. Bake about 40 minutes on 400 degrees.
I like adding the apple cider. The whole pie is less sweet. Good dinner even with the mistakes.
Slow-Cooked Beef Minestrone
1 pkg.(1.6#) Boneless Beef Chuck roast, cut in 1” cubes
Flour
2 T EVOO
1 16 oz pkg. Cleaned and cooked Minestrone soup vegetables.(carrots, potato, zucchini, leek, celery, onion, cabbage)
Salt and pepper
32 oz beef stock
14.5 oz can Italian-Style diced tomatoes
24 oz. Italian seasoned tomato sauce
½ C dry Italian soup pasta ( added too much which is why mine was too thick)
14.5 oz. garbanzo beans
6 oz baby spinach
1. Dust beef with pan-searing flour; pat off excess.
2. Heat oil in large brazing pan on M-H heat until oil if fairly smokes. Add beef; sear 10 min. until all sides are paper-bag brown.
3. Transfer beef to slow cooker and add vegetables to pan with beef drippings, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring 3 minutes add to slow cooker.
4. Add stock, tomatoes, and sauce to slow cooker. Cover and cook 10 hours on low.
5. Add dry pasta and beans 45 minutes before the end of cooking. (I started it overnight and added the pasta and beans in the am. I should never do anything in the am.)
6. Add spinach to slow cooker; stir to blend well about 2 minutes.
This meal would have been perfect except I added too much pasta. It still tasted divine. I served it with whole wheat garlic bread from the frozen food section of the grocery store, also very good. Jim served Bradford Mountain Sonoma County Zinfandel, 2002.
For dessert I served Apple pie, kind of as described by Lidia on page 101 of Oct. 2010 of Bon Appetite. I did not make the breadcrumb hazelnut crust. I used Pillsbury readymade in the chilled section of the grocery store. I did sprinkle the apples with ground walnuts. I followed her recipe for the filling as it was different from my regular pie and I liked this filling, but not as much as mine.
2# granny smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into ½” wedges (I will not use Granny Smith as I hate the taste. I usually use Golden delicious, but I have lately found Honey crisp to be equally as good.)
2# Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored, cut into ½” wedges
½ C sugar
1 C apple cider (the recipe says hard cider; I use the Williams Sonoma concentrate. It is delicious. Buy it now and you can keep it all winter and use in oatmeal.)
Arrange the apple slices in a large heavy skillet. Sprinkle with sugar and add apple cider. Cook 10 minutes covered and then uncover for 10 minutes until juices evaporate. Turn the apples frequently. Do not panic and use fewer apples. They get smaller and are perfect for the 7” Pillsbury crust. I put nuts on the bottom and then the apples and sprinkled more on top. Put on the top crust and crimp the edges. Bake about 40 minutes on 400 degrees.
I like adding the apple cider. The whole pie is less sweet. Good dinner even with the mistakes.
Friday, October 8, 2010
She finally cooked!
Tonight’s diner is once again from Mere Poulard’s cookbook that I bought in France. For a first course I started with Creamy Pumpkin and Chervil Soup. Serves 4-8, you can freeze leftovers.
Ingredients:
1 Pumpkin 3.3#
Note: Look for pie pumpkins, do not buy a carving one. I measured the amount this pumpkin produced and it is 4 cups if you want to use canned pumpkin. The color will be different as fresh pumpkin is more light orange than that in a can.
2 shallots
2 onions
1 leek
2T butter
17 oz chicken stock
1 qt. whole milk
1 large potato
1 T cream
1t sugar
1 bunch of chervil
Freshly ground salt and pepper
Beaufort cheese shavings
• The directions start with peel the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds and fiber, cutting the flesh in large chunks. None of my peelers would even scratch the peeling. I remembered from making a pumpkin pie from scratch that I baked the pumpkin and then scraped out the flesh. Jim cut the pumpkin in to four chunks with great difficulty and I microwaved the pieces. It worked perfectly. Even though I’m against the canned pumpkin as Jim said it will save fingers and hands.
• Peel and chop all the onions. Melt the butter in a 4-5 Qt pan and then lightly fry the onions. Add the pumpkin. (Recipe says to sweat for 5 minutes, but cooking in the microwave eliminates this step.) Add a teaspoon of sugar and season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile peel and roughly chop the potato and add to the pan with the mild and chicken stock. Cover and cook on low for an hour.
• I used my emersion blender to liquefy and did not put the soup through a sieve.
• Add a spoonful of cream before serving and garnish with cheese shaving and chervil leaves.
Note: I could not find fresh chervil or Beaufort cheese. Wegman’s suggested Gruyere and I sprinkled with dried chervil.
I ate one bowl and Jim ate two. I have at least 6 bowls left over. I would say the 4 to 6 is a full meal not a starter. This soup is wonderful and would be great to serve at a Thanksgiving buffet in Espresso cup size. Any more than that and nothing else would be eaten.
The main course was Scallop and Mushroom Pie. It also says 6-8 servings. There are 4 servings left and Jim ate 2 servings the size of 3 and I ate one. This is one of these recipes that really explaines why Julia Child had to spend so much time translating. Although this is in English, whoever did the translation had some problems. It was excellent, but I will do the recipe and then tell you what I would do the next time.
Ingredients:
1.1 # puff pastry
12 Scallops with Roe (Good luck finding this. I bought the extra large scallops based on what I saw there, but I think regular sea, not bay, would be fine.)
2.8 oz butter
2 shallots
1 bunch herbs (What herbs you ask? That is all it said. I bought a mix called seafood. I left the lemon grass whole and just saved Jim from eating it.)
9 oz field mushrooms ( I used baby bella and also Ceps. We had them in France and they were devine. They were also $13 per pound so I bought them as a treat to round out the 9 oz of mushrooms. I did not chop them so we knew we were eating something special.
2.8 oz crème fraiche
3 egg yolks
Freshly ground salt and pepper
• Roll out half the pastry and use to line a flat tin, and then chill. Note: I used a sheet pan with sides as I was correct in thinking it would leak from the pastry.
• Sweat the 2 chopped shallots in the butter. Add the fresh herbs and chopped mushrooms; simmer for a few minutes and then drain. (Note: Not much to drain. More later on this) Mix 2 of the egg yolks with the crème fraiche and add to the mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Cool.
• Slice the scallops in half horizontally and season with salt and pepper.
• Pour half the mushrooms in the cooled pastry and top with the scallops. Top with the remaining mushroom mixture and the second pastry. Place the second half of the pastry on top and crimp and seal the edges. Make a hole in the center and use the third egg yolk to glaze the top crust.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Let rest a little before serving.
As scallops cook they let off a lot of liquid. Although the dish was delicious the bottom crust was not crisp. I am wondering if it would be just as good in individual ramekins with just the crust on top, or maybe put an oven liner below the pie and let the liquid run off. I imagine it would be easy to cut this recipe in half. Jim and I will be eating it for lunch for the next few days as I do not think it would freeze.
Ingredients:
1 Pumpkin 3.3#
Note: Look for pie pumpkins, do not buy a carving one. I measured the amount this pumpkin produced and it is 4 cups if you want to use canned pumpkin. The color will be different as fresh pumpkin is more light orange than that in a can.
2 shallots
2 onions
1 leek
2T butter
17 oz chicken stock
1 qt. whole milk
1 large potato
1 T cream
1t sugar
1 bunch of chervil
Freshly ground salt and pepper
Beaufort cheese shavings
• The directions start with peel the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds and fiber, cutting the flesh in large chunks. None of my peelers would even scratch the peeling. I remembered from making a pumpkin pie from scratch that I baked the pumpkin and then scraped out the flesh. Jim cut the pumpkin in to four chunks with great difficulty and I microwaved the pieces. It worked perfectly. Even though I’m against the canned pumpkin as Jim said it will save fingers and hands.
• Peel and chop all the onions. Melt the butter in a 4-5 Qt pan and then lightly fry the onions. Add the pumpkin. (Recipe says to sweat for 5 minutes, but cooking in the microwave eliminates this step.) Add a teaspoon of sugar and season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile peel and roughly chop the potato and add to the pan with the mild and chicken stock. Cover and cook on low for an hour.
• I used my emersion blender to liquefy and did not put the soup through a sieve.
• Add a spoonful of cream before serving and garnish with cheese shaving and chervil leaves.
Note: I could not find fresh chervil or Beaufort cheese. Wegman’s suggested Gruyere and I sprinkled with dried chervil.
I ate one bowl and Jim ate two. I have at least 6 bowls left over. I would say the 4 to 6 is a full meal not a starter. This soup is wonderful and would be great to serve at a Thanksgiving buffet in Espresso cup size. Any more than that and nothing else would be eaten.
The main course was Scallop and Mushroom Pie. It also says 6-8 servings. There are 4 servings left and Jim ate 2 servings the size of 3 and I ate one. This is one of these recipes that really explaines why Julia Child had to spend so much time translating. Although this is in English, whoever did the translation had some problems. It was excellent, but I will do the recipe and then tell you what I would do the next time.
Ingredients:
1.1 # puff pastry
12 Scallops with Roe (Good luck finding this. I bought the extra large scallops based on what I saw there, but I think regular sea, not bay, would be fine.)
2.8 oz butter
2 shallots
1 bunch herbs (What herbs you ask? That is all it said. I bought a mix called seafood. I left the lemon grass whole and just saved Jim from eating it.)
9 oz field mushrooms ( I used baby bella and also Ceps. We had them in France and they were devine. They were also $13 per pound so I bought them as a treat to round out the 9 oz of mushrooms. I did not chop them so we knew we were eating something special.
2.8 oz crème fraiche
3 egg yolks
Freshly ground salt and pepper
• Roll out half the pastry and use to line a flat tin, and then chill. Note: I used a sheet pan with sides as I was correct in thinking it would leak from the pastry.
• Sweat the 2 chopped shallots in the butter. Add the fresh herbs and chopped mushrooms; simmer for a few minutes and then drain. (Note: Not much to drain. More later on this) Mix 2 of the egg yolks with the crème fraiche and add to the mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Cool.
• Slice the scallops in half horizontally and season with salt and pepper.
• Pour half the mushrooms in the cooled pastry and top with the scallops. Top with the remaining mushroom mixture and the second pastry. Place the second half of the pastry on top and crimp and seal the edges. Make a hole in the center and use the third egg yolk to glaze the top crust.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Let rest a little before serving.
As scallops cook they let off a lot of liquid. Although the dish was delicious the bottom crust was not crisp. I am wondering if it would be just as good in individual ramekins with just the crust on top, or maybe put an oven liner below the pie and let the liquid run off. I imagine it would be easy to cut this recipe in half. Jim and I will be eating it for lunch for the next few days as I do not think it would freeze.
Le Grand Vefour, the meal of a lifetime!
You may all be tired of my trip by now, but this was a once in a lifetime meal and I guarantee that Jim will never take me back. Le Grand Vefour is one of the top restaurants in Paris. So far I have eaten at 3. My first was Tallaillevent and the second was Tour d’Argent. Tour d’Argent still remains my favorite do to the view and the pressed duck. Le Grand Vefour is one of the oldest, opened in 1784. It is very decorative with mirrors and porcelain panels. The service is impeccable from the minute you step from your cab. Dinner does not start until 8:00 PM and they are not open on weekends. It is the meal of a lifetime.
Before I get into the extraordinary evening, I’d like to discuss what I feel is a problem with a Zagat Guide. No one is rated higher than a 28 for food décor and service. I think these three need to be broken into 3 categories. Then there is the cost category. Very Expensive or 81 Euros is the top price. This is considered the price of dinner with one drink and tip. That means for means for 2 of us 162 Euros. We had lunches in Bistros and Brasseries that were more than that. They did make a note in the write up here raising it to 157 Euros. My main course alone was 105 Euros and the menu is a la carte. I am talking the 2010/2011 guide. Depending where you are from the Euro will be worth different amounts, but 81 is way out of line for top restaurants. But enough about that, you certainly do not go to these establishments with budget and thrift on your mind.
We started the evening with a glass of Taittinger Champagne. For my first course I ordered Caviar Oscietre a l la cullere with blinis and crème. The caviar was by far the best I have ever had. I was not overwhelmed by their blini. Jim had Cuisses de grenouilles enrobes et croustillantes, jus a la tomate acidule, mélange d’herbes fines. Translation, frog legs with ketchup. I was pleased that they somehow made the legs look like small chicken legs instead of like Barbie Doll legs. The center had what looked like a porcelain cup, but it was eatable and Jim said the whole dish was absolutely delicious. Next came an amuse of carrot consume and a small piece of delicious chicken. For my main course I chose a Classiques, Pigeon Prince Rainier III. It was totally deboned stuffed and with a whole truffle in the middle the size of a golf ball. One the plate was Ceps and other cooked mushrooms with a smear of basil sauce on the bottom. The sauce and the accompanying vegetables were worth any price. Jim had Filet d’Agneau a la sarriette mitonnee de tomates vertes, compresse de tomates et petit pois, lamb with vegetables. The tomato part was a rectangle, probably a moussee with 3 peas on top. He ate a lot of lamb while we were in France and said this was definitely the best. Jim had the cheese course. I skipped it as I had ordered dessert. Jim ordered Framboises rehaussees au gimgembre dans de fines feuilles au chocolat. I again ordered from the Classiques, Palet noisette et chocolat au lait, glace au caramel brun et prise de sel de Guerande. Dessert was endless, first came a small tile with 4 small bites, a macaroon cookie, lemon tart, chocolate tart and a cream puff followed by a mousse with foam on top, followed by our actual ordered dessert. Mine was intense chocolate. It started with a round chocolate mousse cake. On top was a chocolate tower filled with mousse and a lace cookie and ice cream. Jim’s was a raspberry cranberry creation that had cookies, chocolate and sorbet. This was followed with jellied sugar candies, marshmallows and coconut nugget and 4 kinds of chocolate. Jim had coffee and I had tea. I had the sugar jitters by the time we left. The wine Jim chose was a burgundy, Morey St. Denis, 2006 Tres Giranrd.
This was a grand end to a really great trip and something I will never forget. As we were early, we asked to have our photo taken and that is the photo that I am posting today.
Before I get into the extraordinary evening, I’d like to discuss what I feel is a problem with a Zagat Guide. No one is rated higher than a 28 for food décor and service. I think these three need to be broken into 3 categories. Then there is the cost category. Very Expensive or 81 Euros is the top price. This is considered the price of dinner with one drink and tip. That means for means for 2 of us 162 Euros. We had lunches in Bistros and Brasseries that were more than that. They did make a note in the write up here raising it to 157 Euros. My main course alone was 105 Euros and the menu is a la carte. I am talking the 2010/2011 guide. Depending where you are from the Euro will be worth different amounts, but 81 is way out of line for top restaurants. But enough about that, you certainly do not go to these establishments with budget and thrift on your mind.
We started the evening with a glass of Taittinger Champagne. For my first course I ordered Caviar Oscietre a l la cullere with blinis and crème. The caviar was by far the best I have ever had. I was not overwhelmed by their blini. Jim had Cuisses de grenouilles enrobes et croustillantes, jus a la tomate acidule, mélange d’herbes fines. Translation, frog legs with ketchup. I was pleased that they somehow made the legs look like small chicken legs instead of like Barbie Doll legs. The center had what looked like a porcelain cup, but it was eatable and Jim said the whole dish was absolutely delicious. Next came an amuse of carrot consume and a small piece of delicious chicken. For my main course I chose a Classiques, Pigeon Prince Rainier III. It was totally deboned stuffed and with a whole truffle in the middle the size of a golf ball. One the plate was Ceps and other cooked mushrooms with a smear of basil sauce on the bottom. The sauce and the accompanying vegetables were worth any price. Jim had Filet d’Agneau a la sarriette mitonnee de tomates vertes, compresse de tomates et petit pois, lamb with vegetables. The tomato part was a rectangle, probably a moussee with 3 peas on top. He ate a lot of lamb while we were in France and said this was definitely the best. Jim had the cheese course. I skipped it as I had ordered dessert. Jim ordered Framboises rehaussees au gimgembre dans de fines feuilles au chocolat. I again ordered from the Classiques, Palet noisette et chocolat au lait, glace au caramel brun et prise de sel de Guerande. Dessert was endless, first came a small tile with 4 small bites, a macaroon cookie, lemon tart, chocolate tart and a cream puff followed by a mousse with foam on top, followed by our actual ordered dessert. Mine was intense chocolate. It started with a round chocolate mousse cake. On top was a chocolate tower filled with mousse and a lace cookie and ice cream. Jim’s was a raspberry cranberry creation that had cookies, chocolate and sorbet. This was followed with jellied sugar candies, marshmallows and coconut nugget and 4 kinds of chocolate. Jim had coffee and I had tea. I had the sugar jitters by the time we left. The wine Jim chose was a burgundy, Morey St. Denis, 2006 Tres Giranrd.
This was a grand end to a really great trip and something I will never forget. As we were early, we asked to have our photo taken and that is the photo that I am posting today.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Almost the end of a fabulous vacation
Still in Paris and figured out how to use the red bus. Just like DC, two day pass and you can get on and off at multiple sites. The bus talks in 8 different languages. Our first trip we did the entire loop without getting off. Then we decided that lunch in the Trocadero are would be great. We ate at a place called Le Malakoff. We ordered a plate of cheeses and salad. Jim also ordered fries. The salad was just a vinaigrette dressing, but I have been telling Jim that the vinaigrette tastes better here. The owner spoke very good English. I explained my dilemma and he went into the chef to find out the recipe. The secret is raw egg yolk. It is the same as any, mustard, oil, he used balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. So it has to be the raw egg. Not sure I trust our eggs enough to try. If I could find farm fresh eggs from an organic farmer, I will do it.
This evening we are going to La Fontaine De Mars. Jane, Bryce and I found this bistro and apparently so did our President and his wife when they went to Paris. I had Cassaulot. I thought the one I made was better and wish I had ordered the blood sausage that I had the last time. Jim had a country pate appetizer and duck for his main course. His dessert was a chocolate soufflé. I had Armagnac ice cream. After dinner we walked to the Eiffel tower so Jim could see the flashing lights that have been added since his last time in Paris.
As you are probably getting tired of my blogging about France I will go on to lunch the next day. We took our red bus again to the Champs- Elysees. We had lunch in a place called Chez Clement. The decoration was delightful with copper pots, lids and spoons. Found out later it is a chain and Zagat doesn’t love it. I did. I started out with eggs w/mayo. Kind of like our stuffed eggs, but they do it easier. They just cut the egg in half, and then mix all the herbs and mustard in the mayo and using a pastry cone put this mixture decoratively on top. Jim had a soup that came with cheese and a delicious spread that was mostly garlic. The waiter said it it was mixed with paprika, but my guess was turrmic or curry, too yellow. He followed this with roasted chicken with frites. I had a stew of chicken with mushrooms, tarragon and large wide pasta noodles. The sauce was butter and cream. On the bus again and saw many sites. Dinner is not until 8:00 PM and we are fitting in the whole city, plus looking for a toy to bring to Max. I finally found a stuffed Eiffel tower that said Paris by Notre Dame. Today’s photo is Chez Clement with the copper pots.Can you see the ceiling full of pots in the retaurant entrance?
This evening we are going to La Fontaine De Mars. Jane, Bryce and I found this bistro and apparently so did our President and his wife when they went to Paris. I had Cassaulot. I thought the one I made was better and wish I had ordered the blood sausage that I had the last time. Jim had a country pate appetizer and duck for his main course. His dessert was a chocolate soufflé. I had Armagnac ice cream. After dinner we walked to the Eiffel tower so Jim could see the flashing lights that have been added since his last time in Paris.
As you are probably getting tired of my blogging about France I will go on to lunch the next day. We took our red bus again to the Champs- Elysees. We had lunch in a place called Chez Clement. The decoration was delightful with copper pots, lids and spoons. Found out later it is a chain and Zagat doesn’t love it. I did. I started out with eggs w/mayo. Kind of like our stuffed eggs, but they do it easier. They just cut the egg in half, and then mix all the herbs and mustard in the mayo and using a pastry cone put this mixture decoratively on top. Jim had a soup that came with cheese and a delicious spread that was mostly garlic. The waiter said it it was mixed with paprika, but my guess was turrmic or curry, too yellow. He followed this with roasted chicken with frites. I had a stew of chicken with mushrooms, tarragon and large wide pasta noodles. The sauce was butter and cream. On the bus again and saw many sites. Dinner is not until 8:00 PM and we are fitting in the whole city, plus looking for a toy to bring to Max. I finally found a stuffed Eiffel tower that said Paris by Notre Dame. Today’s photo is Chez Clement with the copper pots.Can you see the ceiling full of pots in the retaurant entrance?
Monday, October 4, 2010
Paris
Our first day in Paris we had wonderful croissants for our morning wakeup. I had tea and Jim had café au lait. We then went to Place De Madeline to shop and lunch. A trip through Faucheon’s left me $100 poorer, but with many items to enjoy at home. They make the best macaroon cookies and you pay dearly for them. Next we went across the square for lunch. We had very good Croque Madame and Monsieur’s. We sat next to an Egyptian woman from Boston and her architect father who now lives in Paris as did her sister. She described her sister as a fashionista. When she arrived she did not disappoint. Paris is all legs and short skirts. She wore it well. After lunch we visited the Mustard Store and I got my mustard crock refilled. We took a tea break and I bought Jim an éclair with Mona Lisa’s eyes all in chocolate on top. That is the picture of the day. We came back to the hotel and deposited our packages and then visited all those wonderful kitchen and modern furniture shops in the area. This evening we have reservations at VIN sur VIN near the Eiffel Tower. If you can only have one dinner splurge in life, this is the place. Each course comes to the table looking like art and tasting like heaven. After starting with a glass of champagne, Jim had a first course of crab. I had a mushroom and crepe dish. Next they brought an amuse of pumpkin. Jim’s main course was veal fillet that had shallots flavored with ginger and orange, bok choy all wrapped in a thin potato. It was surrounded by carrot sauce with green dots. I had duck with three accompaniments that looked like a painter’s palette. One was cabbage; the next was pate on a crouton and finally a warm fig. Jim had a dessert of raspberries in a meringue shell with mint ice cream. This restaurant holds about 14 people. The owners do all the serving and there is only the chef and an assistant in the kitchen. They have owned the restaurant for 20 years and there chef has been with them for 12. The food is absolutely the best I’ve tasted since Felidia in NYC.
Versailles and on to Paris
Here we are in Versailles. We looked for two restaurants recommended by PW. One seemed to have disappeared and the other Jim pronounced a dump. We ate at a delightful place called Au chapeau Gris near the palace. It was established in 1874 as a place where drivers could get a drink while the horses were re-shod. The story is that many a man forgot his hat after an afternoon of drinking. I had as a starter game and mushroom pate. This was accompanied with a wonderful raspberry onion jelly. Jim had melon and ham. The ham was close to our Smithfield hams, very salty. Jim chose a Chateau Pineraie Chahor 2005 for our meal. Jim had duck leg and thigh with a corn potato pancake. I had veal kidney with pasta. The pasta was divine and the kidney was properly soaked and prepared.
Next we visited the Palace. It has been very much restored since our first visit in the 1970’s. After checking in and returning the car the concierge at the hotel directed us to a street of lively cafes. We chose the Café de Paris. We shared mussels for an appetizer. Jim had steak and frites and I had duck pate lasagna. It was very unusual. It was tons of ground meat wrapped in one large noodle. It had a sweet sauce and white raisins. We shared Profiteroles’ for dessert. Great end to a first day in Paris. Walking back to the hotel, we found a street filled with kitchen design stores. See Jim’s duck below.
We are still in IN, with all the reunion events ended. Sunday Jim played golf with his brothers and then last night my brother made the ribs I reported on from the Wegman’s cooking magazine.
Next we visited the Palace. It has been very much restored since our first visit in the 1970’s. After checking in and returning the car the concierge at the hotel directed us to a street of lively cafes. We chose the Café de Paris. We shared mussels for an appetizer. Jim had steak and frites and I had duck pate lasagna. It was very unusual. It was tons of ground meat wrapped in one large noodle. It had a sweet sauce and white raisins. We shared Profiteroles’ for dessert. Great end to a first day in Paris. Walking back to the hotel, we found a street filled with kitchen design stores. See Jim’s duck below.
We are still in IN, with all the reunion events ended. Sunday Jim played golf with his brothers and then last night my brother made the ribs I reported on from the Wegman’s cooking magazine.
Jim enjoying his duck and wine at Au Chapeau Gris
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