this is what Philippe is making in the kitchen right now...

I have plumbed the internet, and found two recipes, neither of which reflects the fantastic and odd creation I made this morning for our breakfast, loosely based on a recipe from a Paris cooking school I attended last year. This was good enough to remind myself what worked, and what I'd change.

Philippe also loved it, and suggested it could be dinner or an appetizer.

Oeufs en Meurette at Epicurious.com

Sauce meurette is one of the grand classics of French country cooking, a dark concentrated essence of red wine, stock, and vegetables. You would expect it to be paired with the equally powerful flavors of meat or poultry, but no — meurette is unique in accompanying fish, or poached eggs, as here. For extra flavor, I like to poach the eggs in the wine, which is then used for the sauce; they emerge an odd purple hue, but this is later concealed by the glossy brown sauce. For poaching, it's well worth looking for farm-fresh eggs as they hold their shape better than store-bought eggs.

Oeufs en meurette is a favorite restaurant dish, not least because it can be prepared ahead and assembled to order. However, most regrettably, it is not a dish to make in a hurry. All the elements can be prepared in advance, but the full glory of oeufs en meurette is ruined by trying to cut corners.

Wine for Cooking For six months in the year, we live in northern Burgundy, where the local pinot noirs are inexpensive and appropriately light for this dish. Equally good for meurette would be a pinot from the northern end of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Avoid the "blockbuster" type of heavy pinots that come from the hotter climes of California and Australia.

Wine to Drink To do justice to the richly flavored sauce, let's move up to something grander. A premier cru red from one of the villages in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune would do nicely, as would one of the more refined pinots from California's Carneros district.

via chocolateandzucchini.com

She tells a sweet story of a childhood recipe forgotten...

Until last week, that is, when I bought a package of Boursin -- a soft garlic and herb cheese -- the lid of which offered a simple recipe for oeuf cocotte, baked in the oven. And that's what we had for dinner the other day, to deliciously simple and satisfying results. /blockquote>

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Posted by christina at 09:23 AM | Comments (0)

This is definitely a "must try" for the next time my sister comes by. Or even before, as Philippe loves lentils.

Vegetarian Lentil Burgers Recipe
September 9, 2007 | by Heidi of 101 cookbooks

For those of you who are fans of the chickpea-based veggie burger I did in Super Natural Cooking, you might want to try this vegetarian lentil burger recipe - it's a twist on the one from my book. This version is a tasty, hearty lentil "burger" slathered with saffron yogurt and stuffed with avocado, lettuce, and onions. As I mentioned in SNC I finally figured out how to make a veggie burger that I actually enjoy - but it took an ah-ha moment for me to get there.

I've always felt that when you put a veggie burger patty on a bun you end up with a burger experience that is too dry and bready. It finally dawned on me to turn the patty into the bun by splitting it in half and then stuffing that with all sorts of deliciousness - avocados, greens, tomatoes, onions, spreads, whatever. This lentil burger uses the same approach.

I'd bet caramelized onions would add another dimension of depth and flavor either on (or in) these, if you have a bit of extra time on your hands. How about chopped cilantro? Or a bit of crumbled goat cheese, you all know I like lemon zest in just about everything, or chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chives, finely chopped walnuts, a bit of corn....not all at once of course, but feel free to spike the lentil mix with a few extras if you are feeling adventurous.

Party option: Do round, ultra-mini patties and serve them with a selection of dips, use double-pronged toothpicks for easy dipping. There is a garlic, cilantro yogurt dip in my book that would be delicious, also the red pepper and walnut-based muhammara featured here.

The saffron yogurt that I mentioned up above is one of my favorite condiments lately. I came home from the CIA Worlds of Flavor: Spain conference late last year with a drawer full of saffron and saffron spice blends, so I've been using it in all sorts of ways. I particularly like saffron yogurt with black lentils and use this combination in various ways in my day-to-day cooking. To make the saffron yogurt place a tablespoon of scalding hot (or boiling) water in a cup, add a tiny pinch of saffron threads to the hot water (about 10 threads). Wait about five minutes, then stir in about a 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. Fage 2% Greek yogurt is thicker and a good consistency for a burger spread if you can find it....the vibrant yellow color is stunning, and I never cease to be delighted by it. A dollop of this can transform a plate.

A recipe for roasted chicken comes from Daniel Boulud, renowned chef and owner of New York's highly rated restaurant Daniel. Whether you're having guests for a dinner party or just looking for a great home-cooked meal for your family, this is quintessential fall food, Boulud says. He points out how whole-grain mustard adds a gentle crunch and piquant flavor to the creamy butter and fresh herbs. This dish is comfort food at its finest, he says.

Eggplant with Miso Sauce and Spinach

NPR.org, September 25, 2007 · I like the contrast that the spinach provides here, but you could just as easily simplify the recipe and turn this into a side dish by making just the eggplant with the addictive sauce. This recipe is adapted from Cooking One on One by John Ash (Clarkson Potter 2004).

Recipe - Dilled Crab Salad on Artichoke Bottoms

Dilled Crab Salad on Artichoke Bottoms

Dill is the perfect herb for any picnic, we believe. The fresh brightness it adds to cold dishes refreshes in the summer months and helps cool the body. For this crab salad, we prefer not to use mayonnaise, and instead allow the dill and crab to stand on their own. The hint of sweet vinegar makes for a puckery taste, and serving it in artichoke bottoms makes it an easy yet somewhat elegant picnic hors d’oeuvre.

A traditional dish in our house, I've translated the recipe from the french via babelfish-- entertaining!

We never add butter, though I'm all for it, nor do we use garlic.

Also from the Chronical's retrospective, Cioppino. While I prefer Maryellen Moose's (printed in a long-lost copy of their weekend magazine) this one shows promise.

One of several recipes my husband referred to when he made cassoulet. That said, my friend Landy just throws beans, mustard. herb du provence, duck confit, a sausage and some ham into a pot, tops with breeadcrumbs and bakes, and it's pretty convincing.

Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops Greek Style: The Splendid Table Recipe Box

Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops Greek Style

Excerpted from How to Cook Meat. Copyright 2002 by Christopher Schlesinger and John Willoughby. Published by William Morrow.

Serves 4

Shoulder chops are actually our favorite type of lamb chop. They aren't the most tender, and they certainly have a little gnarl and fat in them, but they have truly great lamb flavor, and we like all the little pieces of different muscles in them. Plus, they are far less expensive than other types of lamb chops and, after all, they are right next to the first rib chop. They are usually rather thin, so make sure you have a hot fire so they get some good sear on the outside before they have a chance to overcook on the inside.

Lamb and grilling are a classic combination in Greek cookery. So we like to grill up some shoulder lamb chops over a hot fire, then serve them very simply with that quintessential Greek flavoring combination of fresh oregano, fresh lemon juice, really good olive oil, and just a touch of garlic.

* Four 10- to 12-ounce lamb shoulder blade chops, 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch thick
* Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh oregano
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1/2 lemon

1. Build a fire in your grill.

2. Dry the chops with paper towels and sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. When the fire has died down and the coals are hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill surface for 1 to 2 seconds), place the chops on the grill and cook until well seared, 3 to 4 minutes per side. To check for doneness, nick, peek, and cheat: Make a 1/4-inch cut in the thickest part of the meat; it should be slightly less done than you like it. When the chops are done, remove them from the grill, cover them loosely with foil, and let them rest for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, oregano, and garlic and mix well.

4. Spoon the garlic mixture over the lamb chops, squeeze the lemon on top of them, and serve hot.

The following is a fine recipe for quiche, which I ignore almost completely: still it is a good way to remember quantities, more or less. I prefer it with half as much or no milk (never skip the cream!) and I put what ever is in the fridge in it, reducing mushrooms, bits of double smoked bacon, sweet onions... I never prebake, I never prefreeze. and it's always damn good.

This is a recipe for pate brisee I found on epicurious that passes nicely for the french one Philippe's mother taught me. However, despite what they say, I think it's flakerier if you do it the slow by hand way. Perhaps it's because I get tired of making the butter very fine, and end up folding the dough quite a bit, as if it were puff pastry. Anyhow, it's good even if you are lazy and follow the instructions.

An IM with Landy about Pork Tenderloin:

[20:55] christina: I made it tonight, it was faboo. i butterflied it again, pounded it flat, spread trader joe's cheese/pesto/sundried tomato torta on it, rolled it, tied it off. Browned it in 50/50 in a dutch oven, and set it to roast at 400 for 20 minutes.
[20:55] christina: but first I sauteed onions, mushrooms, and rehydrated wild mushrooms together, and poured those on top
[20:56] christina: and then, I removed the pork and mushrooms to a hot plate, and added a bit of the mushroom hydrating liqud to the pan drippings, and some matre'd butter, and boiled it to a sauce
[20:56] christina: really really good

I make this often; the pork tenderloin is a versatile piece of meat! It's from Jacques Pepin's Fast Food My Way

It's impressive, it tastes good, and it works every time. Check out the recipe slideshow, on the official website.

I tend to call this fishbread.... it's very very good and not hard despite looking impressive. From Pepin's Celebrates book

When I'm lazy, I just prepare bread and crumbs, as he says, then make herb butter of just butter, parsley and shallots. Layer chopped salmon, scallops and shrimp with butter and bread crumbs, and bake. I think it would work with just fish as well, or just shellfish.

I had some turkey tenders I needed to use, so I threw together this dish, and it rocked...

Which part of the turkey is the tender? The breast?

Landy just shot over his recipe for crabcakes-- wanted to make sure I got it for future use....

I think I'll make Nick Stellino's Family Kitchen - Lasagnette with Curried Shrimp and Scallops for my sister tomorrow...

beercan chicken, no beer can


Originally uploaded by Box and Arrow.

It's too hot to roast a chicken inside the house, so I thought I'd try this variation from our usual butterflied chicken on the grill. Very south beach friendly!

This is Landy's recipe for duck confit. Is it south beach friendly? An interesting question. I'd argue that with some nice lightly dressed mache on the side, it would be legal.

Philippe cooked this dish when he came home late. It was very fast and definitely fits into the definition of gourmet south beach!

We are back on South Beach diet, after our New Year's revels. So this should be the first of a series of recipes I will tentatively label "South Beach Gourmet" series.... Philippe and I love the south beach diet because it allows you to eat well while loosing weight. Although we do not eat the recipes in the book, because we love food way too much to use the prepackaged stuff recommended. I know they are for mom and pop America, but that's not really our bag... we're California meets France, and we want organic products and elegant combinations.

Crab cakes is a really easy recipe, unless you do it the way we did... we bought four live crabs, and then Philippe killed and shelled them. that's a project. But we learned 1 crab per person works out to one crab = 3 crabcakes = one person full (with a green salad).

It's Dungeness crab season right now in California, which means really good really cheap crab-- 2.99 a pound at the Mountain View Chinese grocery! Of course, one could buy just the meat-- but quality gets harder to assure then.

Philippe adapted this recipe from several, removing breadcrumbs and flour dredging-- which turned out to be quite unnecessary.

My father writes, "We had this recipe tonight -- very good, and different from any other pasta recipe I remember having, which is always a plus. It's from the Marin I-J, from a cookbook by Marie Simmons."

or maybe this. They are both south-beach diet friendly, too.

found on America's Test Kitchen

I'll bew cooking Chicken Provençal with Saffron, Orange, and Basil sunday night. Report to come....

EPICURIOUS: RECIPE: SAUTEED PORK TENDERLOIN AND PEARS IN MUSTARD-PORT SAUCE

Made it, though used ruby and not tawney, and twice as much good dijon since we had no coarse grain-- really tender meat, really good dish.

Something soup sounds like one of my recipes:

"Put a soup pot over a low fire, and chuck in a really rather unreasonably large quantity of unsalted butter. "

I remember when I was in Dijon going to Philippe's friend Jean Claud's house. Jean Claude's wife, Anne, was Briton, and when their kids squawked she pulled a bowl of batter from the fridge and quickly made a couple crepes to feed them.

To me this seemed terrible right. Terribly nice. Returning home, I tried to find a crepe pan, but they are all heavy and none are non-stick. Crepes are considered gourmet food, and thus the pans are expensive and not suited to everyday life. I made a pile of crepes on the odd day but it was always a hassle.

Then last year Philippe and I visited France again, and stayed with relatives. His aunt took me to Gifi, a discount sort of we-sell-everything shop. There we found dirt cheap lightweight nonstick crepe pans. Upon returning home, I put the pans to work.

Now every single saturday morning starts with crepes.

For awhile the model for me was to cook the entire bowl of batter, and keep the crepes in the fridge. Crepes reheat beautifully, so it works well. But now I have the bowl of batter in teh fridge, and I can quickly pour out a crepe and eat it hot from the skillet and it keeps me from squawking too.

I could use Anne's recipes, but I find Julia Child's recipe work well for me. Here is how I make it each saturday morning (and now sometimes other times when I'm hungry)

Well, here's today's big adventure: Braised Short Ribs

Seafood Bread, Recipe of the Month April-May 2002

yum....

This turned out to be the best risotto I've ever made. truely magical in its rich deliciousnes

It would seem like cooking a chicken completely buried in salt would result in a salty chicken. oh no! the salt solidifies into a crust and does *not* penetrate the chicken. Instead you have the most tender delicate moist chicken ever.. and healthy too!

This technique can be used on whole fish as well.

1 clove garlic
1 sprig fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves preserves in salt, or dried and blanched
1 chicken, about 3 pounds
about 2 pounds coarse salt (I use rock salt)

"Look what I brought for you," quipped my vegetarian roommate as he pulled groceries out of the Trader Joe's bag. I took the black-plastic shrink-wrapped package and turned it over. On the label was a line drawing of a buffalo, done in red. 100% buffalo meat, read the package, one pound.

I came home a bit late last night from work with Philippe, thinking we would defrost something. Looking in the fridge, I noticed we had sausage we had bought on my birthday trip, and realized we had a lot of bell peppers. Well, that led to reconstructing an old family recipe (sorry, dad, but I made it up from memory, then messed with it!)

I have printed this recipe just as it appeared when I clipped it from the San Francisco Examiner's food section. however, it makes a good blueprint for any ragout. I've made it many many times, and it is always fantastic.
It can be made without bacon as a vegan dish, and seasonal veggies, such as zucchini, tomato, red and green peppers can be added, as can potatoes for a heartier version.
The important thing being that everything be cut to more or less the same size. Mint cant be replaced with another leafy herb, such as basil. I like to throw a little white wine into the mixture. Enjoy!

So Andi calls me up after I put up this site and demands to know where the quiche recipe is. right here, m'dear, right here....

one year i had a series of diner parties monthly. this ended when i moved into a studio. perhaps someday it will be revived. In any case, i did all the cooking for the first one-- later ones were done pot-luck style. The main dish was a paella, and it was incrediably delicious... and a nightmarish amount of work. I'm still seeking an easier yet still tasty paella recipe.. but until there, here is the one that worked for me.

There was a time when I would have to say goodbye to my not-yet-husband before he returned to France after a visit. While he is a great cook, he never could cook meat quite right. I would cook a filet for him, and I used this method. it was always perfect (by perfect I mean rare) and the juices amazing. It gave me geat please to make something special to sit in him memory as he flew over the ocean. I recommend it served with simple green beans (haricot vert, or blue lake) with a bit of butter melted on it, and mashed potatoes with a cup of creme fraise folded in.

Here it is, a recipe I found on the Wine Lovers' Discussion Group, which is equally delicious as it is difficult to match wine with. It was offerend up by Eden Stone, and her recipe has never let me down.. it blows people out of the water again and again.

Her tomato roasting technique i've used for other things, such as in salads, as a base for tomatosoup and sauce-- anytime tomatos aren't at their best, you can roast them and it's like eating at the height of tomato season.

one of philippe's friends back in france is Anne, who is one hellofa cook. She makes two kinds of crepes: sarrazin for savory crepes and froment for sweet crepes.

One the problems with translation of her recipes is that common mesurements are soup spoon, coffee spoon and a glass. The spoons I figure I can get in teh neighborhood with, but there are a lot of different size glasses in this world. My best understanding is that a glass is about two cups -- the size of a drinking glass found in motels.