CROQUEMBOUCHE: Cream Puffs, Sour Lemon Cream filling and Caramel recipes Not required but nice to have: Copper caramel saucepan Pastry bag decorating Set Croquembouche form NOTE: Make three batches of this cream puff recipe to provide an ample supply to build an impressive croquembouche. Freeze extra cream puffs for profiteroles with ice cream and chocolate … [Read more...]
PHEASANT UNDER GLASS
As I high tail it out of the city by the bay, I'm leaving behind the morel-laden lusciousness of my Pheasant Under Glass recipe. They like fancy mushrooms out here (freshly foraged, of course), the odd fowl (wish I could name-drop a Petaluma farmer lovingly raising some obscure heritage breed, but I can't. Can you?), and the town does share my penchant … [Read more...]
SABLEUSE AUX FRUITS
Though this recipe for sableuse runs the risk of being filed under "Coals to Newcastle," it is decadent sophistication on a dessert plate, so heck, why not present it under the Culinarium dateline? For those not yet following along, the Culinarium is House Beautiful's first-ever SF Design Center culinary event with a … [Read more...]
LEMON CREPES
Location: Seattle. Occasion: International Food Blogger Conference Most Delicious Thing: Tough call, but certainly the Lemon Crepes from Anita's Crepes food cart are right up there. This recipe for Lemon Crepes is a real winner and happily, not too tough to turn out. Anita, steady at the helm of her portable cart while an eager and … [Read more...]
SOLE VERONIQUE: AN ORIGINAL GOURMET RECIPE
It seems like Sole Véronique had its heyday then drifted off into the land of culinary outcasts. I know I've never ordered this original gourmet classic -- fish and grapes? Sounds weird. But the name -- how elegant. How enigmatic. Just who was this Véronique, whose muse was she to inspire this … [Read more...]
LONG ISLAND BOUILLABAISSE: A CHOICE MEAL
Even though Bouillabaisse fits the criteria of Spectacularly Delicious -- proper name, special equipment (food mill), and unusual taste and presentation (break out that soup tureen!), I didn't put this at the top of my list as a choice meal. Seemed like there were enough bouillabaisse recipes already out there until I found this recipe for long island … [Read more...]
HOMARD A LA DAVID LETTERMAN – A CHOICE MEAL
As promised, here's another doozy from Le Bec-Fin Recipes by George Perrier, a true choice meal for the discerning palate. The intro to this dish says the lobster recipe was created for the chef's first appearance on the Letterman show, which must have been pre-heart attack Dave, as the recipe calls for a prodigious amount of butter. One of the best … [Read more...]
ORIGNAL GOURMET: BRAIDED SALMON AND SOLE
Used bookstores are treasure troves of spectacularly delicious recipes. This original gourmet stunner is from Le Bec-Fin Recipes, by Georges Perrier. A million years ago I was at a fancy catered lunch with some chefs flown in from who-knows-where. The only memorable thing about that meal was a braid of different kinds of fish. So you can imagine my … [Read more...]
ÎLE FLOTTANTE
It's been a snowy winter and recently, looking at the pristine heaps surrounding our house, thoughts lazily drifted to oeufs a la neige. Knowing it's a close relative to île flottante, I dug out the cookbooks and poked around the Web to see what the differences are. There doesn't seem to a complete consensus. Both are meringue … [Read more...]
BOEUF BOURGUIGNON: UNDER PRESSURE
Growing up we took Mom's cooking for granted. Three squares a day -- hot breakfasts, bagged lunches, afternoon snacks. The whole family sat down to dinner six nights a week, always a complete salad-meat-starch-veg-dessert menu. Saturdays were special with casual fare like "make your own taco night" or homemade pizza, plus we … [Read more...]