This is Gourmet-7/22/09

The best part of this "Month of Gourmet" project is those nights were dinner is delicious, everything looks great, and cleanup is minimal. Tonight was one of those nights. I only made two dishes from July's Gourmet but both were outstanding. I made Linguine with Mussels and Fresh Herbs on page 48 as a main. Some may notice I made a major substitution to the recipe. There were no mussels at the store so I substituted clams and the dish still worked great. It was simple to make, looked impressive, and the herb and wine sauce flavored the dish well. I'm realizing shellfish are a sure fire way to impress because most American cooks are less familiar with using them and therefor think cooking with them is difficult.
The dessert recipe was equally impressive. I made the Almond Praline Semifreddo with Grappa-Poached Apricots that was originally listed in the "Sail On Home" menu but I'd repositioned because of timing. I've never made a semifreddo and was a little nervous because I was heading out to the zoo with Eyrleigh and some friends at 9:30 this morning. All it took was a little organization before hand, mostly an extension cord so I could use the beater over the stove. (My stove top is on an island in the middle of the kitchen and there is no outlet there.) I finished with plenty of time to get ready for the zoo. I boiled the apricots with French brandy instead of the Italian variation grappa, because I had brandy on hand. This dessert was probably one of the best I've made in this Gourmet project. The almond praline gave a wonderful crunch to the light and tasty semifreddo and the apricots added a tart sweetness. Excellent dish that would fit well on any classy restaurant menu.

Linguine with Mussels and Herbs-A

Almond Praline Semifreddo with Grappa-Poached Apricots-A

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