Baguettes

Oh, the elusive quality baguette in this U.S. of A.  I have very strong feelings about this so please excuse me if this rant sounds harsh.  I love the U.S. and I know how fortunate I am to be born in a country that provides the multitude of opportunities and the feeling of security and freedom that so many other people around the world do not have.  Many amazing things have come from our shores from the assembly line to the iPhone.  

So, in this great country I ask you, why can we not find a decent baguette in any grocery store, corner market, or bakery?  Why?  WHY???  You can go to Paris and pick up a perfect baguette on almost any street corner like we can pick up a Big Mac on almost any corner in the U.S.  That is so sad.  P.S. That baguette will be warm 99% of the time no matter what time of day you buy it.  Morning, afternoon, night, it will be warm if not piping hot like it just came out of the oven.  Incredible.  Why doesn't Starbucks offer warm baguettes? They offer warm everything else.  Why have they not figured this out?  They are Starbucks!  They can do anything.  I would say the same about McDonald's but I'm too afraid that they would pump the baguette full of corn syrup and every other bad chemical on earth in order to make a profit.

So, given my above outlined baguette struggles (I know, I live a tough life), I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I had a little more sympathy and understanding for bakeries after my first attempt and complete failure at making my own baguettes.  Total disaster.  Then I came across the Cook's Illustrated latest recipe for making great baguettes and once again, they have provided us with the recipe to beat all recipes.  I had to add more flour (about 1/3 cup of unbleached white flour) to my batch than their recipe recommended because my dough was refusing to pull from the sides of the mixing bowl.  I would highly recommend watching the video that accompanies their recipe, it helps.  I watched that video a few times before I started mixing anything.  This recipe also takes a few days, much patience, and some special tools.  If you are as fanatical about baguettes as I am, this is all totally worth it.  Crunch on the outside and and warm bread with many holes on the inside.  They were as close to an authentic french baguette as I have ever tasted on American land.  

Lime in the Coconut Madeleines

I had an epiphany today. I realized that I make food the way I live my life. I can never just stick with the recipe, I always have to add a little something extra.

When I was growing up, when other kids ordered chocolate or vanilla ice cream, I ordered Rocky Road. One time I got in trouble and my teacher made me write out a bunch of sentences that were on the chalk board and I wrote them all in chalk on my blue-lined notebook paper. I was amused, she most certainly was not. While everyone else took "straight jobs" or went off to grad school after college, I went to work on the campaign trail which entailed living out of my car and filing taxes in eight states in one year. As I write this, I think to myself, what kind of deranged nut am I?

Good news is that I have come to terms with being a little bit off-kilter. I have also come to terms with the abundance of freckles on my face, my thighs (ok, not completely but I am getting better), my nose that always looks off-center in pictures and the refusal of the scale needle to move to the left instead of the right. I would never want to look as perfect and therefore as boring as Holly.

Salade Niçoise

I have been wanting to make this salad forever and could never find an excuse or occasion to do so. Hard boiled eggs, tuna steak and olives all have the potential to put off a picky eater/dinner guest. I like to avoid sticky situations so I have shied away from this dish and making it for myself seemed a little too indulgent. Ok, fine, it's a lot of work for just little ol' me and I can get one heck of a stand-in at the Nordstrom Cafe which is located 10 minutes from my place. They make theirs with salmon instead of tuna and the results are also fantastic. On a side note, the Nordstrom Cafe is an awesome lunch spot and you can head over to the shoe department to drain your wallet after you eat that fabulous lunch.

So, about the taste. I absolutely love dishes that have flavors that are interesting when they come together. Some examples are raspberry and chocolate, goat cheese and honey, chocolate and cinnamon, balsamic and strawberry...you get the idea. This salad has those same interesting qualities with the dill, basil and parsley playing wonderfully with the vinegar, wine and dijon mustard as the dressing. Add in the salty olives, seared tuna steak, sweet tomatoes and meaty eggs and you have one hearty dish. Enjoy!


Recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten

Ingredients:

1 (1-inch-thick) fresh tuna steak
extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound French string beans (haricots verts), stems removed and blanched
1 recipe French Potato Salad, recipe follows
2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in 1/2
4 to 5 good black olives, pitted
1 bunch watercress or arugula

For the vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 tablespoons good olive oil

Method:

To grill the tuna, get a charcoal or stove-top cast iron grill very hot. Brush the fish with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill each side for only 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. The center should be raw, like sushi, or the tuna will be tough and dry. Arrange the tuna, haricots verts, potato salad, tomatoes, eggs, olives, watercress, on a large flat platter.

For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Drizzle some over the fish and vegetables and serve the rest in a pitcher on the side.

French Potato Salad:

1 pound small white boiling potatoes
1 pound small red boiling potatoes
2 tablespoons good dry white wine
2 tablespoons chicken stock
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 tablespoons good olive oil
1/3 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. As soon as you can handle them, cut in 1/2 (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gougères (Cheese Puffs)

If I may be so bold, I would like to dispel what seems to be a common myth, that Champagne is for special occasions only. Au contraire! Life is a celebration everyday and although I am not saying one should drink Champagne when they get up in the morning to celebrate the sun rising, I do fully advocate drinking it just as much if not more than you would any other bottle of wine. In my mind, we only live once and the thought of relegating such a fabulous drink to weddings and New Year's is depressing! Buy it with reckless abandon and drink to celebrate that you are living a life that offers so many amazing pleasures and opportunities to consume delicious food and drink, hear the sweet laughter of children, feel the satisfaction of fulfilling work and to experience the divine bliss of being in love. On a side note, these are the basic themes of this blog because they are what I appreciate most in this crazy world.

Now that you have bought out Binny's, may I suggest a wonderful appetizer to accompany that fabulous bubbly you have sitting next to you. I believe that it is common knowledge that Champagne and salty and/or greasy food is about the best food/drink combination ever! On my trips to Paris, I love to do as the French do and order Champagne with an omelet or steak frites, sit in a sidewalk cafe and watch the beautiful people walk by which, in Paris, there is no shortage. When I am not moonlighting in the city of light, I love to make Gougères which, just as a side note, I cannot pronounce despite my best efforts. For those as verbally challenged as I am, feel free to refer to these little treats as cheese puffs. The combination of salt, butter and cheese would go well with just about any drink but have it with Champagne and the combination is addictive. Enjoy! AJ

Recipe adapted from the Christmas Card sent from The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, VA.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup whole milk
3 1/2 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ounce Swiss cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)
1 ounce gruyere cheese, grated (about 1/4 cups)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Line 1 baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, black pepper and nutmeg and stir with a fork or whisk to combine.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, milk, butter and salt. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.

Add the dry ingredients to the milk mixture and return to low heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Allow it to cool for 5-7 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, beat the eggs into the dough until they are fully combined. (This will be quick but please beat rigorously). Fold in both of the grated cheeses.

Place the dough in a pastry bag and pipe the dough into small balls, about the diameter of a quarter, 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be frozen and reheated in the microwave or oven.

Coeur a la Crème

What a babe! Yes my darlings, there is my Valentine, 36 pounds of cute and cuddly with a big spoon full of la Crème in his mouth. Before everyone flips and says, my God, you gave that child an entire plate full of cream cheese and whip cream? Um, no, it was for the photo and I siphoned off a piece for him once the pictures were taken. I am sure everyone can guess what happened at that point, yep, pure, unadulterated rage at taking away the entire plate. Good times.

So, on topic here. I have been meaning to make this dessert forever and I finally got off my toucas, got the heart shape mold and did it just in time for Valentine's Day. I love any kind of food that has a wow presentation factor and in that respect, this certianly fits the bill. Side note here to not be afraid of drizzling some chocolate and caramel on top of this delightful treat.

As far as the taste and feel of the this dessert goes, I absolutely love that it has a light quality to it. I am a sucker for cheesecake but the drawback is that it is quite heavy and you almost have to have a dinner of salad for a dessert like cheesecake. The Coeur a la Crème is excellent in that the cream cheese is whipped with heavy cream thereby creating enough air to give it a light feel. The taste is delicate with a hint of lemon but also has a deep flavor with the punch of vanilla and tang of cream cheese. A truly elegant dessert that is a wonderful end to any dinner. The only word that can properly describe the taste is délicieux! Bon Appétit!


Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
Fresh raspberries for serving

Method

Place the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7-inch sieve with cheesecloth so the ends drape over the sides and suspend it over a bowl, making sure that there is space between the bottom of the sieve and the bottom of the bowl for the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate. Serve with raspberries and sauce if desired.

Raspberry Sauce:

1 half-pint fresh raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup seedless raspberry jam

Place raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and orange liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

Beouf Bourguignon (Beef Stew)

Leave it to the French to come up with the most elegant and refined beef stew imaginable. That really is all that Beouf or Beef Bourguignon is; beef stew with a sophisticated taste. True there is a good amount of alcohol that is used in this dish as opposed to American beef stew which probably gives it that “refined” taste. I have to say though, what a difference a little alcohol makes!

I have made different versions of this dish over the years and I prefer Ina Garten’s version over Julia Child’s. Garten puts in Cognac, which, I think really elevates the flavor. However, Garten’s recipe calls for a slice of sourdough bread rubbed with garlic instead of the typical noodles to accompany the dish and I personally think the noodles are better. That said, if you get a big piece of French bread to dip into the amazing sauce, you will not be able to stop eating, it is that good. So, without further rambling, here is the recipe that will make you weak in the knees and wanting to catch the next plane to France. Enjoy!

Recipe from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten.

Recipe:

1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces of good bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

hot plain noodles
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

For each serving, spoon the stew over a bed of hot plain noodles and sprinkle with parsley.