Weeknight Euro-2/24/10

A good friend of mine has a deep love for all things Hungarian and tonight's meal reminded me of her (Hi Stac!). What a simple but delightful set of recipes to transport you to Central Europe. Okay, none of the recipes were classic European recipes themselves but the use of red cabbage, caraway seeds, and hazelnuts and chocolate combined for an easy dinner with some really great flavors.

The Caraway Chicken Breasts with Sweet-and-Sour Red Cabbage took just over half an hour and simply cooked with spices and bacon. The cabbage was equally simple with broth, vinegar, and a bit of sugar. I paired this meal with the Milk Chocolate-Caramel Tart with Hazelnuts and Espresso. This fancy dessert was really quite simple, though it took awhile to make and chill. Each section was made separately and then layered and chilled. Richard was hooked and I thought it was almost like a Rolo in dessert form. Yum!

Caraway Chicken Breasts with Sweet-and-Sour Red Cabbage-A-

Milk Chocolate-Caramel Tart with Hazelnuts and Espresso-A

Mama Said-2/22/10

Some nights just go better than others. A bit like life, there are just days like that. Sometimes these recipes go great and I'm pleased as punch. Sometimes things are okay, and I can live with that. Some days things are just salty or a little bit bland, and yes, this was one of those days. I'm not really a meat and potatoes kind of girl and though I'm skipping the lamb recipe in the article "Meat and Potatoes" in this month's Bon Appetit, I am almost done making the five other recipes and I'm almost done with meat and potatoes. No wonder America has an obesity problem. Eating meat and potatoes just once a week makes me feel like a blob. Tonight's Ham, Artichoke, and Potato Gratin was not only fatty but super salty, probably courtesy of the ham. Neither Richard nor I enjoyed this dish very much. I used Gruyere instead of Comte cheese because of availability and without a real knowledge of Comte cheese, I can't say whether this would have helped. Gruyere was listed as substitute for Comte online so I have to assume they are close in flavor and saltiness.

I've been stalling a bit about making tonight's dessert. I had already decided to skip making the other recipe that used buckwheat crepes, the Buckwheat Galettes with Salmon, Capers, and Dill because of both time and desire (just doesn't sound good!) but I did want to make at least one recipe with the crepes. I made the Buckwheat Crepes with Pears and Creme Fraiche on page 58. To be fair, this dish was not bad. The flavor of the pears was subtle but pleasantly sweet and the buckwheat crepes had an earthy but not unpleasant flavor. It's just that this is not what I look for in a dessert. These crepes might have been better at breakfast. And as the picture shows, they were no raging beauties.

Ham, Artichoke, and Potato Gratin-D

Buckwheat Crepes with Pears and Creme Fraiche-B (as breakfast)

A Random Collection-2/20/10

The three recipes I'm going to review in this post from this month's Bon Appetit were not made in the same night. That's a good thing. That would be a very strange meal. It's a bit tough to find time each night to write about the recipes I've made from this month's Bon Appetit. Since each of these recipes was made alone, that would have made 3 rather short, rather dull blog posts. Now you get one longer, duller one. Ok, I admit, I'm not very inspired tonight but I want to get this done so I don't get behind. Several months ago, when I was still blogging about Gourmet's recipes, I got over a week behind and it took like 4 hours one night to catch up. Don't want to do that again but I do want to make as many recipes from February as I can. Looks like I'll be able to do all but 5.

The first recipe I made for tonight's blog post struck me as a bit strange. The recipe wasn't strange but the fact that I made it 8 months previously without making it was. I see potato gnocchi on every upscale restaurant menu and just made it the other night for the very first time. It's much easier than it looks. I imagined slaving for hours over these perfect little noodles and they really took very little time to make right. I might make the dumplings a bit smaller next time but all that will take is a few more rolls of the dough rope.

The Potato Gnocchi with Pork and Wild Mushroom Ragu was a yummy dish but I found it a bit heavy and very fatty. I will admit that I was not paying attention and just wrote pork ribs while making my list. I ended up simply cooking the ribs on the bone and then peeling the meat off the bone at the end. It fell off easily and I'm sure the bones added to the rich flavor of the ragu. I can't tell you if this made the dish more fatty than if I had used boneless pork ribs like the recipe called for.

Last night, I used the last of the buckwheat soba noodles from another recipe to make the Udon with Mushroom Broth, Cabbage, and Yams. Like many Japanese inspired dishes, this soup was as much about the aesthetics as the flavor. The picture in Bon Appetit showed a bowl just bursting with vegetables and tofu and low and behold, my picture did that justice. This was a wonderful healthy soup and the variety of textures and flavors from the additional vegetables made it very flavorful for a vegetarian soup. It didn't take long to make the broth and the use of one pot of water for the vegetables was very kitchen friendly.

The final recipe you see I made this morning and was a bit frustrating to say the least. The Red Bean and Sausage Cakes with Poached Eggs and Cilantro Salsa were a bit of a mess. Maybe it's me but I can't get "cakes" made of fish or veggies to hold together. Maybe the skillet isn't hot enough or too hot, but these things always fall apart before they cook and look really dark on the outside before the center is even hot. Thankfully, the sausage was pre-cooked so I didn't have to worry about sickening my family. The cakes weren't bad, poached eggs are always good and I'm getting better at making them but I won't be trying this one again. I actually made the Chai-Spiced Hot Chocolate to go along with the sausage cakes but the picture just looked like a regular old mug of hot cocoa so I didn't bother to add it. I liked the chai-chocolate mix and despite the rather mundane appearance of the drink, I would like to make it again. It was easy and the flavor was unique and delicious. I'm a bit of a Starbucks Chai freak so I count myself an expert:)!

Potato Gnocchi with Pork and Wild Mushroom Ragu-B-

Potato Gnocchi-A

Udon with Mushroom Broth, Cabbage, and Yams-A

Red Bean and Sausage Cakes with Poached Eggs and Cilantro Salsa-C-

Chai-Spiced Hot Chocolate-A

Wednesday Night Glam-2/17/10

When I write out my menu for the month, I try to avoid putting recipes on the weekends. Weekends are very unpredictable. I never know exactly what we'll be doing and want to leave room for spontaneity. Saturdays are Richard's long training days for triathlon and Sundays are church and small group. I don't want the schedule of our day to be dictated by what we have for dinner. So this month, I've made Wednesdays our glamorous meal day. Thankfully, tonight's meal could be made quickly (with a make-ahead last night) because I took Eyrleigh to a playdate at 3:00 and didn't get home until 5:30.
The main dish, the Beef Tenderloin Medallions with Potato "Risotto", was a very easy dish. The "risotto" was really diced potato and tasted as creamy as the real thing. The steak was rubbed with thyme, salt, and pepper and grilled. I will certainly try the potato trick again, even if I have real risotto in the cabinet. This way was faster and did not require constant stirring, something difficult with a needy 2-year-old whining after her nap.
The dessert was the real glamorous part of the meal. Last night I quickly put together the mousse to chill overnight. This recipe made a relatively small amount of mousse so I knew it would be rich. The three other components of the dish were pretty easy to put together tonight. The chocolate ganache and reduced port cut some of the intense sweetness of the mousse and the tang of the whipped creme fraiche was refreshing. This was a simple dessert but had wonderful complexity of flavor. I would order this dish at an expensive restaurant. Humm, do you think anyone would pay to come eat this at my house? Ahhh, heck, you could come for free!

Beef Tenderloin Medallions with Potato "Risotto"-B+
Milk Chocolate Mousse with Port Ganache and Whipped Creme Fraiche-A

Still Surprised-2/16/10

When I got the idea last February to make every recipe in the current issue of one of my favorite cooking magazines, I knew that doing every recipe would be difficult. Some recipes have unique ingredients that are difficult to find and sometimes rather pricey. But I felt it was important to try to make every recipe. I knew this would mean making recipes I would not otherwise make, recipes that used ingredients I didn't like or seemed strange. Tonight, I made a recipe from Bon Appetit that didn't strike me as particularly exciting. I wouldn't say there was an ingredient I didn't like in the Egg-Topped Soba Noodles with Asparagus and Prosciutto. I just didn't think this dish would be as good as it was. This dish was good, really good!

The buckwheat soba noodles were flavorful and had great texture. I'll be honest, I thought they might be gritty and they weren't at all. The Parmesan and prosciutto gave a rich saltiness and the asparagus gave a fresh crunch. The fried egg was a wonderful topping bringing the dish together and making it filling. Richard said it best when he said he could eat this dish once a week. A great surprise!

I added an appetizer when I made this menu because I was afraid the soba dish wouldn't be enough. Obviously it was, but the Coconut Shrimp I made with it was pretty good too. The recipe was easy and the shrimp retained its flavor. The coconut panko breading was light and crunchy. The only thing that I thought would improve this dish would be a dip suggestion. There was no suggestion but I think hoisin sauce or another soy based sauce would have been a great addition to this recipe.

Egg-Topped Soba Noodles with Asparagus and Prosciutto-A

Coconut Shrimp-B+

Oh Canada!-2/14/10

Friday night was the Opening Ceremonies for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. I must confess, I'm an Olympics junkie. Growing up, my family did not have a television. I remember spending summer nights at my friend's homes, watching the Olympics until all hours of the night. Then, when I was 20, I was able to attend the Barcelona Olympic Games. What an amazing experience! If you can make it to any Olympics, go. If you are American and can attend an Olympics in another country, be prepared to see the Olympics in a completely different light. Watching on television we see primarily American athletes, many of whom are among the top athletes at the Games and are expected to compete for medals. The eye-opening part of attending the Games elsewhere is that the citizens of the host country are just as proud of their athletes, regardless of their medal hopes. While I was in Barcelona, a Spanish biker won silver and the television covered him for the next several hours, doing everything short of take a shower. The American stars of that Olympics were treated much like everyone else by the local media. It was a refreshing reminder that the United States is not, as we often think, the center of the world.

Tonight I veered from my Bon Appetit based monthly menu and scanned around on the Internet for a meal that would represent the home country of Canada. I didn't find a ready made menu that looked very authentic, just lots of high end recipes from Canadian chefs. So I found some fun recipes with Canadian ingredients and had a little fun with it.

My appetizer used Canadian bacon and a traditional French cheese, Brie, as a nod to Francophone Quebec. I found the recipe for Brie and Canadian Bacon Appetizer at the dorothylane.com website, a high end grocery store in Ohio. Honestly, the recipe didn't really work. The brown sugar/ pecan mixture was too thick to melt in the time allotted while the bacon overcooked making it incredibly chewy. The appetizer would have been better with the whole appetizer heated together. The baguette crispy, the cheese melted, and just a frosting of the brown sugar/pecan mixture, that would have been much better. Oh well, you live and learn.

The Maple-Glazed Squash and Green Beans with Walnuts was a creative and yummy side dish.

The contrasting orange and green looked great and the soy-maple glaze was subtly sweet. I found this recipe on recipezaar.com as it was recommended for Canadian Thanksgiving. In all fairness, it would work for American Thanksgiving just as well.

The main dish, the Potato Crusted Salmon, was also from recipezaar and was created by a Canadian chef, Michael Smith. The horseradish-potato crust was good but did not brown up in the time allotted. Richard and I both liked the dish but did not find it spectacular.

The final dish, Apple and Maple Bread Pudding was a Bon Appetit recipe from last month. This was an excellent bread pudding with the apple retaining a nice crunch and the maple syrup adding a flavorful sweetness. The addition of a little syrup while serving the dessert added a nice alternative to ice cream. This was a fun and easy menu that showed off some key ingredients from a wonderful country.

Brie and Canadian Bacon Appetizer-D

Maple-Glazed Squash and Green Beans with Walnuts-B+

Potato Crusted Salmon-B

Apple and Maple Bread Pudding-A

Photography School, Here She Comes-2/11/10

I read an article a few months back about the rise of "helicopter" parenting. These parents hover over their children, never allowing them to experiment and learn because of a paralyzing fear that their children may fail. These parents often over involve these children in activities of their own choosing, ignoring the personal desires and innate gifts of their child. One of my greatest hopes as a parent is to never do that to my daughter. So it is with a sense of humor that I show off my 2-year old's first attempt at photographic greatness. She loves to play with the camera and though the batteries die on an almost daily basis, I let her. She's never pushed hard enough on the button before but today she took the above picture and another close up of her teeth. I thought I'd spare us that picture.

Tonight's meal made up for the fatty pork ribs and chocolate cake of last night. I made the Barley Soup with Greens, Fennel, Lemon, and Dill, a soup I nicknamed the "Super Food" soup. An impressive amount of the ingredients in this soup are listed as super foods, high in antioxidants and low in calories. Despite this promise, this soup was pretty bland flavor wise. The feta cheese helped give a bit of zip but the overwhelming amount of greens made the soup a bit "grassy". Eyrleigh was not a fan, as anything leafy and green classifies as salad and is quickly removed from her plate. Oh well, maybe she is not perfect.
Soup alone makes a rather thin meal so I also made the Cheddar, Bacon, and Fresh Chive Biscuits from this month's Bon Appetit. These biscuits were very good and baked up beautifully. The three added ingredients blended in well and made these a good biscuit for breakfast as well with a little ham or gravy.

Barley Soup with Greens, Fennel, Lemon, and Dill-C
Cheddar, Bacon, and Fresh Chive Biscuits-A

Will You Be My Valentine?-2/11/10

This may come as no surprise to some but I am not a hopeless romantic. I don't like romance novels or even novels with more than a little romance. (Sorry, Twilight fans, way too much for me!) Kissing in public makes me uncomfortable, even at my wedding, and I'd rather Richard help by doing the dishes than give me chocolates any day of the year. But even I like Valentine's Day. Making Valentine's cards (I've always made my own) and decorating food with hearts is creative fun and I'm all about the creative fun. Richard and I will probably go out to eat on the 14th so I did my hearts a little early. My uncle from Chattanooga came into town for the night before heading to Raleigh to see my cousin and gave me the perfect excuse to make a Valentine dinner. Richard had been begging for the cover recipe in this month's Bon Appetit so in the spirit of love, I obliged. The Grilled Cheese and Short Rib Sandwiches with Pickled Caramelized Onions and Arugula were a bit labor intensive but had enough glamour to be a dinner "sandwich". The short ribs were tender but very fatty, a treat good in moderation. The pickled caramelized onions were a good foil for the fattiness of the meat and gave a bit of pucker to the sandwich. The bitter arugula was also a good match and paired well with the rich melty Jack cheese. The effort made this a dish I will probably not make again but they were good.

For dessert, I adjusted one of the milk chocolate recipes. The "Top Tier" Devil's Food Cake with Sour Cream-Fudge Frosting called for smaller 5-inch cake pans. I don't have 5-inch cake pans and the last thing I need is another kitchen toy. Flavor is not affected by pan size so I used my traditional cake pan and instead of 4 layers, I just had two. I didn't buy organic roses but I think the cute hearts Eyrleigh and I put on top works just as well. This cake was very good and very rich. The frosting spread on very smoothly and firmed up well. A great cake for Valentine's Day!

Grilled Cheese and Short Rib Sandwiches with Pickled Caramelized Onions and Arugula-B

"Top Tier" Devil's Food Cake with Sour Cream-Fudge Frosting-A

"Super" Party of Three-2/7/10

Becoming parents has changed the nature of many activities. The Super Bowl is not excluded from this. Before Eyrleigh, we went to friends...or hosted our own Super Bowl parties. These parties lasted lasted late and involved a lot of snacks and beer and sitting on the couch watching t.v. Tonight's Super Bowl festivities were a bit more low key. We'd turned down an invite to our friend's Super Bowl party because it conflicted with Eyrleigh's bedtime and they live over 1/2 an hour away. The three of us watched the first half snuggling on the couch and eating some yummy snacks. Then Eyrleigh went to bed, she's not a big fan of The Who anyway, and Richard and I put a trailer hitch on his car. Just another quiet night at home.




All the snacks I made tonight came from this month's issue of Bon Appetit magazine Super Snacks article. I made eight of ten recipes for just the three of us. Got a few leftovers if you want some. The highlight was the Boubon-Glazed Chicken Drumettes with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce. I've never heard of drumettes being sold by themselves so I just used regular wings. The marinade was great. I did cut the amount of hot sauce in half since Eyrleigh was eating with us. Baking the wings instead of frying them made them healthier and kept them moist. The Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce was pretty simple and was a good compliment to the wings.
Popcorn is a great snack food for watching t.v. I've got to say I wasn't that impressed by the Spicy Popcorn with Piment D'Espelette and Marcona Almonds. The popcorn was mixed with hot paprika and salt and tasted pretty much like any old popcorn. More paprika and more salt may have helped but the flavor was still not complex enough to be "wow". The almonds didn't mix in with popcorn particularly well and sank to the bottom of the bowl. I had sprung for the more expensive Marcona almonds but I didn't notice a big flavor difference with blanched traditional almonds.

Bon Appetit's version of the classic snack food chips and salsa was much more successful in my opinion. The Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa was a really flavorful version of the usually red salsa. The tomatillos were tangy and fresh and paired well with the creamy avocados. I used my food processor to simplify the chopping process and that worked well. I would definitely make this salsa again, for any occasion.

The next snack was a combination I'd heard of but never tried. The Pancetta-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Manchego Cheese and Mint had a promising combination of flavors. Sweet, salty, fresh, and meaty all came together on paper. Sadly, the actual taste was overwhelmingly salty and didn't work. I really didn't like this snack. There was just too much going on and the salt ended up being the only flavor left in your mouth.



I'm more of a spinach dip kind of girl but the Chipotle Onion Dip with Garlic Pita Chips was pretty good. I made the pita chips earlier this afternoon and I wish I'd waited. They were a bit soft by the time we ate them this evening. The onion dip was simple in flavor. I didn't really taste the chipotle and again felt the recipe could have called for a bit more without it being overpowering.

The final snack I made was one of my favorites and the leftovers will be enjoyed until they are finished. (The remaining dates have already been disposed of.) The Caramelized Cashews with Cayenne had the right mix of sweet and spicy. Even Eyrleigh had some trouble keeping her hands off them (see the photo).

Tonight I found a few recipes that are keepers for the future and a few that will removed from the repertoire pretty quickly. One of these years, I'll be able to host the perfect Super Bowl party for way more than three people!

Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Drumettes-A
Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce-B

Spicy Popcorn with Piment D'Espelette

and Macona Almonds-C

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa-A

Pancetta-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with

Manchego Cheese and Mint-D

Chipotle Onion Dip with Garlic Pita Chips-B

Caramelized Cashews with Cayenne-A

More Dumpelings, Please!-2/5/10

I mentioned in an earlier post that Eyrleigh is not the best eater, particularly in the evening. Over the last two days, I've started getting cocky. She absolutely loved last night's Shepherd's Pie and then tonight, she asked for more dinner for the very first time. She loved the dumplings in tonight's Mushroom and Leek Soup with Parsley Dumplings. I had made the Light Vegetable Broth earlier in the day and used that as the base for this vegetarian soup. The mushrooms gave the soup a filling, earthy flavor. The leeks were mild and were a bit overpowered by the mushrooms. The dumplings were the best part. They were easy to make and puffed up beautifully. They were not doughy at all, a fault of many dumplings. I wish I'd made a few more dumplings. They were gone long before the soup was.
The Rustic Pear-Cranberry Tart we enjoyed for dessert was probably one of the easiest, best desserts I've made for this project. This recipe used refrigerated pizza dough to simplify the crust. The filling was simple and the right mix of the sweet pears and tart cranberries. Richard just raved about this one and I'll be putting this one in the repertoire for a quick delicious dessert. I did make one creative substitution that worked just fine. I didn't have red current jelly but I did find some prickly pear cactus jelly. Right color, right flavor, just a different plant. Eyrleigh didn't ask for more dessert but I think by that time, she really was full.

Light Vegetable Broth-B

Mushroom and Leek Soup with Parsley

Dumplings-B+
Rustic Pear-Cranberry Tart-A

Comfort Food for a Rainy Day-2/4/10

In the last two months, over 17 inches of rain have fell from the skies here in my part of Georgia. That's a lot of rain on top of the over 20 inches of rain we had in the fall. Even the ants think it's too much and have entered my house in droves. We finally had to call the exterminator Monday when they got into the pantry and I flipped out. Today's menu was the perfect antidote for another cold, rainy day.
The Bison and Red Wine Sheperd's Pie in this month's Bon Appetit is a luxe version of a comfort food favorite. This dish looked wonderful and tasted great but the three hour prep time not realistic for a weekday meal (if you don't work from home). I used boneless beef instead of bison. The meat was wonderfully tender and the sauce was thick and rich. Any extra would make a delicious gravy for just about anything. The egg garnish baked up beautifully and added flavor to the potato crust. I loved the use of parsnips and turnips instead of more potatoes in the beef sections. Eyrleigh loved the whole dish and ate wonderfully, something that doesn't always happen at dinner.
I wanted to add a winter salad to bring some crunch and freshness to a pretty heavy meal. The Celery Root and Apple Salad with Hazelnut Vinaigrette was a great fit. I made a few changes that worked pretty well. I never did find celery root so I used stalk celery. I didn't find hazelnut oil but I did have truffle oil that was a good substitute. The Parmesan shavings were a great flavor addition giving a little saltiness to the salad.



Bison and Red Wine Sheperd's Pie-A-
Celery Root and Apple Salad with Hazelnut Vinaigrette-B+

Kid Friendly for a Friendly Kid-2/3/10

In February of 2008, Bon Appetit changed the name of their Quick Menu column to be more attractive to the modern family. Just one month after redesigning the cover of the magazine to look more modern, the Family Style column was aimed at the busy cook who wanted to give their family a healthy gourmet meal. The photos in this section show kids, pretty young kids, enjoying some really yummy food that bears little resemblance to chicken nuggets and peanut butter and jelly. I think Eyrleigh would be a great model for one of these photos. Look at this kid loving up her dinner!

This month's Family Style menu is kid friendly Indian food. Using a mild level of spice and an all-time favorite side of rice, Eyrleigh was more than convinced that this menu was made for her. The main dish, Easy Chicken Masala, was as advertised. Last night I spent 5 minutes putting together the overnight marinade. Today all I did was spread the chicken out on a baking sheet and bake it. The Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots were equally simple. I put the oil, cumin seeds, and salt in a covered bowl with the cut carrots, shook it, and spread those out on another sheet. The Cool Cucmber Raita was also make-ahead of sorts but putting yogurt in a strainer hardly counts as work.

The chicken was moist and has wonderful flavor and the marinade made the skin crisp up beautifully. I rarely eat the skin on chicken but this was delicious. The carrots were sweet and lightly spiced, almost like an introduction to cumin for kids. They were wonderfully soft with just a little resistance when baked for 37 minutes. The riata was a little sour for Eyrleigh but I really loved it and dipped both the chicken and carrots in it.

This kid-friendly menu came with a suggested recipe for the left-overs. The Indian Chicken Wrap with Cucumber Riata used shredded chicken from the night before to make a wrap. I even had mango chutney that the recipe recommended as a dressing. I discovered that I'm not a huge fan of mango chutney but the wrap was a good use of the leftovers.

Easy Chicken Masala- B+

Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots-B+

Cool Cucumber Riata-B

Do Groundhogs Like Salmon?-2/2/10

I wish there was a little more to Groundhog Day than hearing a weather prognostication. How about a traditional dish? Some silly ritual you can perform at home? Anything? Sadly, there are none of these things for Groundhog Day so I made dinner from Bon Appetit magazine and enjoyed a relaxing cup of tea with some delicious Madeleines. I think that works as a new and fitting Groundhog Day tradition.
Dinner was fast and easy, it should be, it came from the Fast Easy Fresh section of Bon Appetit. One thing I've learned while cooking from cooking magazines is the structure of the magazine always includes a section with quick easy recipes that appeal to the busy cook. I've never done an official survey but I bet the largest percentage of recipes made from a cooking magazine come from this section. Most people don't have hours to put a meal together and these recipes come together quickly and still taste great.
The Balsamic-Glazed Salmon with Spinach, Olives, and Golden Raisins was a good mix of the taste spectrum. Raisins were sweetness, olives for saltiness, vinegar as sourness, and spinach for a bitter edge. The salmon itself supplied the savoriness or umami. On an interesting side note, umami translates from the Japanese to "meatiness" and in most evidenced by the presence of certain amino acids in food. One of the most common examples of this flavor is MSG, the much maligned component of many foods, most notably Asian ones. I really liked the dish but pouring the glaze on at the end didn't look particularly pretty. The balsamic vinegar looks really dark and didn't cover the whole fish well. Oh well, it tasted good.
Today I also made a recipe from the reader's requests. A reader raved about the Madeleines with Lavender Honey they had at the Hotel D'Europe in Provence. Sadly, I couldn't find lavender honey on short notice but I did find some orange blossom honey at Whole Foods that worked really well. These were some of the lightest cookies I've ever made. They are almost like mini-cakes. Eyrleigh loves them and Richard and I have been using them as post-workout food.

Balsamic Glazed Salmon with Spinach, Olives, and Golden Raisins-B
Madeleines with Lavender Honey-A

Back in the Saddle-2/1/10

A year ago this month, I began a fun little project that soon became much bigger and more meaningful than I really intended. I decided to make every recipe in Gourmet magazine for the month of February. Well, for 8 months, I made virtually every recipe in Gourmet magazine and learned a lot about cooking, and even a little about myself. This February, there is no Gourmet. The magazine ceased publication two months ago. I also took four months off from regular blogging for various reasons, and though I did still cook, most of it was not very exciting.
I've decided to do this project again because I love trying new things and making cooking an adventure, not a chore. I'll change the magazine, admit I want to be a little less intense, and write out a menu for a month of recipes. This time, I'll use Bon Appetit, the sister magazine to Gourmet, and now the last one standing. As for intensity, I've already cut one recipe from the February menu, the Tofu Dengaki on page 103, because of the cost of its unique ingredients. If cost or time becomes an issue, I will (call me on this one, Richard) cut out a recipe and not slavishly try to do every single one. (See the crazy previous posts where I hunted down cocktail recipes in Las Vegas!). I'm excited to write a menu, plan meals, and fuss about the presentation again, even if just for Eyrleigh and Richard's entertainment most nights.
I got started right off the bat with a menu article in February's Bon Appetit, "Brighten Up", on page 74. Georgia's been pretty cold and rainy for the last several months so I liked the idea of a menu that didn't scream winter comfort food. The menu began with a starter of Piquillo Pepper and Sardine Tartines. I've never been the biggest fan of canned sardines and Richard's downright skeptical but we both reached for an extra one after we ate the two on our plate. It had the familiar sardine taste at the back but the sweet pepper and the salty capers as well as the onion and garlic rub mellowed out the strong "fishy" taste.
The main dish was Chicken Schnitzel with Frisee-Apple Salad. Let me start by saying if you think a store bought container of bread crumbs could sub in for making fresh, you will want to rethink that. I had enough fresh breadcrumbs (from the rest of the baguette used for the tartines) to coat 4 of the cutlets but ran out and used store bought for the last two. What a world of difference! I guess I've never seen the difference so markedly before because I've never compared the results of fresh breadcrumbs versus store bought in the same meal. The schnitzels with fresh breadcrumbs were crunchy on the outside, fried to a golden brown, and the chicken was moist. Those I used store bought on overcooked quickly and the chicken inside also overcooked in half the time.
The chicken was accompanied with a Frisee-Apple Salad. I don't know what store sells frisee by itself but it's not Whole Foods or another local grocery store. I settled for a baby greens blend that included minute amounts of frisee. The salad was good with some great crunchy elements. The dressing was light and citrusy.
The dessert was a Cream Tart with Oranges, Honey, and Toasted Almond Crust. The crust and cream custard were made separately and simply put together to chill. The flavor was light and the oranges and honey were a delicious topping. Gotta say though, taking the orange segments out of their skins is a huge pain and leftover tart will be eaten sans orange segments. The crust was really good, almost like an almond cookie. This is a simple menu, appropriate for a few friends, and doesn't take much time.

Piquillo Pepper and Sardine Tartines-C+
Chicken Schnitzel-B+
Frisee Apple Salad-B
Cream Tart with Oranges, Honey, and Toasted Almond Crust-B+