Cucina Testa Rossa

4th Annual Most Beautiful Easter Eggs Ever

Our wonderful tradition continues! This year we cranked out five dozen eggs. I know the Easter Bunny will be proud when he hops on by this year. Here are step by step instructions, our past efforts, and the original inspiration. Happy Easter!

Kings and Coup d'Etats

 
...the Pawnshop kings that is! A last minute email from two of my favorite guys on the planet that they were coming to town was reason enough to drop everything, moving boxes be damned, and throw a dinner. I was going to wait until I had unpacked everything, finished decorating, furnished the guest room etc before I had anyone over but life is too short! What the heck, what's a few moving boxes between friends?  So Friday 4pm shop, 4:30pm hide boxes, 5:30pm short ribs in the oven, 6pm shower, 6:30pm decide to 86 first course, 6:45pm make appetizers, 7pm guests arrive. Wet hair and all, it came together for a magical, unforgettable evening of great friends old and new, good food, flowing wine, a lot of belly laughs and soul-touching, feet stomping music.

* Aperitif *

~ Domaine Carneros Taittinger Late Disgorged Brut Rose 2005
~ Paul Dethune a Ambonnay Grand Cru Champagne
~ Le Noble, Cuvee Intense Brut Champagne

> Frittata Squares
> Cumin Spiced Pecans

* Diner *

 

~ Miner Simpson Vineyard Syrah 2004
~ Ridge Lytton Springs 2008
~ Ridge Ponzo Vineyard Zinfandel 2005
~ Ridge Carmichael Zinfandel 2005
~ Ridge Jimsomare Zinfandel 2005

(10 bottles for 10 people, not bad :) the Miner was disappointing, not as deep and rich as I'd remembered, so we quickly dispatched with that and broke out the Ridge, can never go wrong there!)

> Chipotle-Acho-Chocolate-Cabernet Braised Short Ribs
> Polenta & Gremolata



> Glazed Heirloom Carrots with Thyme





* Digestif *

> Arugula Strawberry Blue Cheese Salad
> Fig Balsamic Meyer Lemon Zest Vinaigrette

* Dessert *

> Chocolate Bark with Pistachios, Cranberries & Apricots

 

and the * Coup d'Etat *

~ 1875 Cucamonga Vineyard Port

 

There was only about a cup left so I poured off a few precious drops to each of us and we savored it for the rest of the evening.

It always amazes me, though by now I don't know why it still does, how the last minute, throw-it-together, what's-the-easiest-thing-I-can-make-in-2-hours-cuz-I-haven't-showered-and-guests-are-arriving meals are always the best. The ones I agonize over for weeks are usually riddled with various and sundry culinary disasters.

However, I think I am going to have to hang up my apron because this night will remain unsurpassed and anything else I do will pale in comparison. A huge hug of a thank you to Joel & Scott for filling my home with your beautiful music and for making it such a heart warming, unforgettable evening.

Click here and here to hear a few of the songs they played.

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Chipotle-Ancho-Chocolate-Cabernet Braised Short Ribs with Polenta and Gremolata



The basis of this recipe comes from Mario Batali's Babbo Cookbook though I took more liberties with it than sailors on leave so bear with me... I also don't measure and I'm sure I'll for get something so really bear with me here...

• Enough short ribs for 12 people (no idea how much, i think about 2 large ribs per person, ask your butcher though, that's what I did)
• Ancho chili powder
• Chipotle chili powder
• Sharfenberger bittersweet powdered chocolate
• 1 large yellow onion, rough chopped
• 2 carrots, rough chopped
• 10 shallots, cut in half, peeled
• 1/2 head garlic chopped
• Mexican chipotle chili chocolate
• 1 bottle Crushpad Bailout Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Heat oven to 400F. Sprinkle meaty sides of short ribs with sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, ancho chili powder, chipotle chili powder and powdered chocolate. In a large roasting pan over medium high heat, swirl in olive oil and sear on *all* sides then set aside on a deep plate to catch the juices.

Deglaze the roasting pan with a small amount of the red wine and scrape up the bottom and sides with a flat wooden spoon. Add in the garlic and onions until translucent and garlic is starting to brown slightly. Add carrots and shallots and cook for a few minutes. Add the chocolate and stir to get the melting chocolate distributed evenly.

Add the seared ribs back into the roasting pan meaty side down along with the juices and all the red wine. Cover it tightly with foil, put it in the oven, turn the oven down to 350F and roast for an hour. After an hour, turn the meat, recover tightly with foil and finish cooking for another hour.

While the ribs are cooking, make the Gremolata and prep the polenta

• 1/2 head garlic, finely chopped
• handful of parsley finely chopped
• zest of 2 meyer lemons

Chop each item finely, then chop together. Place in a small (glass) bowl, cover and set aside until ready to serve.

For the Polenta... (I doubled this)

• 3 cups water
• 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits
• chunk of Parmigiano, grated finely on a microplane
• 1/2 cup half & half (Land o'Lakes fat free - can't tell the diff!)

I set the pot of salted water on the lowest possible burner about 30 minutes before I need to start cooking the polenta so that when I need to start, the water will already be hot and will then boil quickly. Once the water is boiling, whisk in the polenta stirring constantly, about 20 minutes. Add in the cream stirring to incorporate completely, then take it off the heat and stir in the cheese. Time this, so it's done right about when you want to serve dinner.

Now back to the ribs....

When the meat is done, take the meat out - it should fall off the bone - and set aside in a deep dish. Remove the bones and discard (compost, save them for stock or do whatever you do with bones...). Strain the juice, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan and then pour into a gravy separator. I'm not a big fan of gadgets but this is a must. The ribs render a lot of fat and you don't want it in your delicious sauce.

To serve...

Put 1-2 heaping serving spoonfuls of polenta into a large deep bowl, place a few pieces of meat on top, pour on the sauce and top with a teaspoon of Gremolata. Add wine, friends, and music and you not only have a delicious meal but a delicious evening! Bon Appetit!

To me, this is what life's all about! :) or to quote one of Scott and Joel's songs they just wrote and treated us to: "...It won't be pretty and it goes fast, Every day the future becomes the past, Life is for living, Oh life is for Living...!"

3rd Annual Most Beautiful Easter Eggs Ever

Click here for step by step instructions and pictures of our eggs from last year. This year we cranked out six dozen eggs in just a few hours. We were so disappointed the Tweety Bird tie didn't come through but we've learned over the years that light colors don't transfer and the darker the color, the better the egg turns out. The detail that comes through though is amazing. I think the Easter Bunny would be proud :) Try it and let us know how yours turns out!

400 Truffles

La Traviata Truffles ~ grand marnier & orange zest

For the past week I've been up to my elbows in chocolate and chocolate powder making 400 truffles for the SF Opera's Bravo! Club Kick-off Party at the Kim Vo Salon in SF.

I'm not a pastry chef at all, actually quite pastrily-imparied especially if you ask the chefs at Pierre Herme in Paris, but that's another story. For some reason I've been able to conquer my truffle fear if for no other reason than a potted plant could make them, and if I can make them, anyone can... I polled a couple of different resources and combined a few recipes including Alton Brown's and Jacques Torres's and came up with this basic recipe. I changed it up a bit for the different flavors and named each truffle after an Opera.

La Boheme Truffles ~ simply bittersweet

* 10 oz 70% Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate (I use their 9.7 oz box for this recipe, just rounding up for ease)
* 2 tbsp unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1 tbsp light corn syrup
* 1/4 cup brandy (or other liquour)
* 1/4 cup chocolate powder for rolling the truffles

1. Chop up the chocolate and butter into small pieces so it will melt quickly and evenly, and place in a glass bowl.
2. In a pot, heat the cream, corn syrup and liquid just to a low boil, and set aside for a few minutes to cool.
3. Pour the hot liquid into the bowl with the chocolate and butter and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk gently to mix the chocolate and liquid. Once it's combined don't let any liquid get in the chocolate or it will break. If it gets too hot it will break as well. If that happens, add a small amount of chilled heavy cream and whisk until the chocolate comes back together. You can also use an immersion blender for this. (Breaking is when the fat separates from the chocolate and becomes grainy and oily.)
4. Pour the chocolate ganache into a pan, cover and chill for at least a few hours, ideally overnight.
5. Take a low flat soup bowl and put a 1/4 cup of chocolate powder in it. Tap the bowl so the powder is level.
6. Take out the chocolate and, using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop, scoop the chocolate into small balls, roll them in your hands to even them out and drop them in the chocolate powder. Roll them around to coat and place on a tray with parchment paper. Chill until an hour before you are ready to serve, allowing them to come to room temperature.

And that's it! For the flavored truffles, I added/substituted the following:

* La Traviata ~ 1/4 cup grand marnier + the zest of 4 oranges

* Don Carlos ~ 1/4 Patron tequila + the zest of 4 limes + a sprinkling of fleur de sel on the top of each truffle (my favorite!)

* Semiramide ~ steep the cream in 1/4 cup earl grey tea + 1/4 cup brandy

* Fra Diavolo ~ 1 cup toasted coconut + a few shakes of cayenne. add a few shakes of cinnamon to the chocolate powder for rolling

* Orphee aux Enfers ~ bacon! 1 pkg of thick cut pepper bacon baked with a little maple syrup spread on top. break off as much fat as you can, crumble the remaining bacon and stir into melted chocolate

I was a little skeptical about the bacon ones, not sure how they'd go over but of all the flavors, I think that one was the biggest hit! I did of course have to taste each one...multiple times...all in the name of quality control :) hence the chocolate coma... Bon appetit!

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A very kind note appeared in my inbox the next morning. It made my day:

"Hi Laura! Where to begin??.....I'll start with YUM YUM YUM!!!!!......beyond a treat to have your participation and donation to last night's Gala Kick-off party! I am sorry we didn't get to connect, but every 5-words I heard throughout the night included 'bacon' 'cayenne' or 'i've consumed 10'!.....simply out of this world! .....thank you, thank you..." ~ Marie T. Carr, President BRAVO! 2010

Thank YOU Marie for the opportunity to do what I love to do and all for a wonderful organization!

Liberté, égalité, fraternité! Joyeux quatorze juillet!

You say frittata, I say fridge-tata

what ever is in the fridge, goes in the frittata! today's bounty: sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, red peppers & shallots



some crumbled goat cheese sprinkled in :)



et voila! bon appetit!

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The most beautiful Easter eggs ever!

Silk dyed Easter eggs

Last year I stumbled on this incredible way to dye Easter eggs and it blows away the ol' PAAS box version. It's not for the faint of heart. It takes a while and at least one trip to Goodwill or raiding your dad's closet for old ties but so worth it. Old scarves, boxers, ties, anything 100% silk will work and the brighter and darker the silk, the better the eggs turn out.

Step 1. Gather (buy, steal...) silk ties, scarves, boxers, etc... you'll need to unravel the seams and spread out the silk.

Step 2. Cut the silk into squares and wrap them INSIDE OUT around the eggs as tight as you can without crushing them. Secure with a twistie or kitchen twine.

Step 3. Cut 100% white cotton (sheet, pillow case, cheese cloth) into squares and wrap each egg again and secure tightly.

Step 4. Gently place eggs in one layer standing up in a pot, cover with water plus a 1/2 inch, add 1/4 cup white vinegar. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Step 5. Take eggs out gently and set on paper towels to cool.

Step 6. The Unveil! Unwrap the eggs and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub with vegetable oil to make them shiny and the colors come alive.

The Easter Bunny would be proud! :) I know we were!

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!

Red grape clusters dangling from cafes, wine shops, and awnings across France, a sure sign that it's Beaujolais Nouveau time again. The ubiquitous Georges Deboeuf label and Cafe de la Comedie at the Louvre/Place Colette.

Thursday, November 19, the third Thursday of November, is the official release date of this festive, fruity red wine that celebrates the end of the harvest and gives a preview of this year’s vintage.

According to French law, Beaujolais Nouveau, made from 100 percent Gamay grapes, is released at one minute past midnight on every third Thursday of November. This decades-old tradition is celebrated worldwide with creative “Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivé!” events, heralding the wine’s arrival.
 
This year is truly a reason to celebrate. Georges Duboeuf, who single-handedly created this phenomenon, has proclaimed this year’s harvest as “the best of the last 50 years.”

Caveat: This is a re-re-regift from the past few years with the date below updated....

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! The New Beaujolais has arrived! In a rare display of marketing acumen, a practice normally scorned and reviled throughout French vineyards, the Beaujolais producers created not only an event but a tradition that has now permeated even the smallest wine shops around the world. What began as a local celebration of the yearly release is now a global phenomenon, with French decree that the release of Beaujolais Nouveau is to be no earlier than midnight on the third Thursday of November.

So tomorrow at 12:01 a.m. November 19, 2009, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau will begin their journey to all corners of the world via Fedex, La Poste, Vespas, wheelbarrows, rickshaws, camels, and any other mode of transportation imaginable. With over 120 million bottles produced, over half will be consumed almost immediately. And with the increasingly elaborate methods of wine production, it’s remarkable that barely a month earlier the wine was still encased in grapes. A quick harvest, swift fermentation and even faster bottling, badda-bing-badda-boom!, it is ready to ship on the third Thursday of every November! The Gamay grapes are pressed within a few days of picking, thus eliminating the astringent tannins normally attributed to red wines, so Beaujolais is much lighter, fruity and tres easy to drink. To me it tastes like Kool-Aid but then again my wine knowledge would fit in a thimble...so enjoy! Cheers!

You say tomahto, I say tomayto, roasted heirloom tomato soup that is!

You say tomahto, I say tomayto, roasted heirloom tomato soup that is! Yes, more tomato stories! Sorry, please indulge me here... I am going heirloom tomato crazy these days. The tomatoes are so gorgeous right now, I can't pass a tomato without wanting to squeeze it. They are my siren calling from the depths of the ocean, taunting me to make with them everything imaginable from savory to sweet and back again. The past few weeks I've been living on one of the many tomato tart attempts in my fridge from my last culinary adventure and last night I just had to make that soup again. If nothing else then to see those gorgeous colors and color combinations and designs only found from the tap of Mother Nature's wand.

A friend from the hi-tech trenches who I hadn't seen in years came over for dinner so out came the tomatoes. I went with three tried and true recipes and two new ones from a fellow cook on the Cannes Film Festival trip a few years back. Brian is the cutest guy on the planet, not to mention a total rock star chef, and a week or so ago he sent me a salmon recipe that looked so good, I had to make it as soon as possible. So with Connee coming over, I knew she’d be game to be my culinary guinea pig for a night. We hadn't seen each other in six years and a lot of life had happened in those six years so a time to celebrate the fact that we keep on keepin' on in spite of life's speed bumps (that more often feel like 2x4s) and rekindling a friendship after many years. Starting with bubbles was a given. Cheers!

Domaine Carneros by Taittinger 2005 Brut Sparkling Wine

Spanish Marcona Almonds
Torta de Aceite Olive Oil Crisp Bread, sugared with almonds

Domaine Charles Audoin 2008 Marsannay Rosé

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup

Apricot Chili Smoked Salmon
Herbed Quinoa

Brie Stuffed with Dried Cherries, Blueberries, Apricots
Mixed Greens with Lemon-Orange Vinaigrette

Vanilla-Banana Grand Marnier Flambée

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Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup
For 8 people (this gives 2 large ladles per person)

5 pounds heirloom tomatoes, all different colors
20 sprigs thyme, leave removed, stems discarded
1 handful basil leaves
1/2 head garlic, individual cloves, peeled
1/4 cup *good* olive oil
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp fresh ground pepper

1. Cut the heirlooms into wedges, put into a roasting pan with high sides. Tomatoes shouldn't come up higher than 2/3 up the side of the pan because lots of juice will come out and you don't want all that goodness spilling over the sides.

2. Add thyme leaves, basil, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, pepper. Stir to combine.
3. Roast in 400F oven for 60 minutes
4. Blend with an immersion blender, or ladle in batches into a blender.
5. Taste for seasoning. Add salt & pepper if needed.
6. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil, thyme sprig

Note: Other garnishes: rustic croutons, dried tomato slice...
Basil is optional. The first time I made it, I didn't use basil and it was delicious.
This can be made ahead and reheated gently to serve.

Brian's Apricot Chili Smoked Salmon & Herbed Quinoa
Serves 4

1 cedar plank
1-1/2 to 2 lb filet salmon (get a piece from the thick side)
2-3 tbsp apricot preserves (I use Bonne Maman)
1/2-1" fresh ginger root, grated (use an amount that fits your taste. fresh ginger is very strong.)
a few shakes of red chili flakes
... and because I can’t leave a good thing well enough alone ...
1 tiny pinch of cayenne (this made it a bit too strong for me but if you like hot, go for it)

Now this recipe is meant for a grill but not having one, I thought "if you can cook it on a grill, you should be able to cook it in an oven" so away I blindly went…

1. Soak cedar plank for at least an hour submerged in water
2. Preheat oven to 350F
3. Mix apricot preserves, ginger, chili flakes
4. Place cedar plank in oven for 3 minutes
5. Take out the plank, place salmon on plank and slather with apricot mix
6. Cook for 15 minutes
7. Place plank on a serving platter and serve.

Note: the apricot mixture can be made ahead and chilled until ready to use.

Quinoa is another one I've never made, had it numerous times in restaurants but never made it. But I have on occasion been able to follow directions so off I went sending prayers to the quinoa gods that it didn't turn into a pile of glue.

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed twice
1 tbsp butter
1 can vegetable broth
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
10 sprigs of thyme leaves
1 small handful of parley leaves, finely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced

1. toast quinoa in butter
2. add vegetable broth and bring to a boil
3. lower to a simmer and cook until done
4. stir in shallot, garlic, and herbs
5. add lemon juice
6. add salt & pepper to taste

Plate a large serving spoon of quinoa on a plate, then top with a piece of the salmon and serve. Bon appetit!

Note: The quinoa can be made ahead but wait until you serve it to add the herbs as they should be fresh and just chopped to maximize freshness and look. Also the garlic gets much stronger the next day and can take over the dish.

Stuffed Brie with Mixed Greens
Serves 4

I first saw this dish at a small local bistro in Paris, La Beurre Noisette. There were no tourists, only local Parisians and the stray American expat (moi). The wedge of brie was so beautiful and it was plated with a small mixed green salad. Five years later, I can still picture it and remember how beautiful I thought I was.

1 small 8 oz wheel of brie (this is much easier to do with a round of brie as opposed to a wedge).
1/2 cup dried fruits (cherries, cranberries, blueberries, apricots. If using apricots, cut in half or quarters depending on size)
hot water and a little wine or liquour

Note: try to keep the container in tact that the brie came in. often they come in a thin wooden packaging. Keep this as it makes it much easier to work with.

1. place brie in freezer just until firm, about 15 minutes
2. placed dried fruits in a bowl and fill to just cover fruit with 1/2 hot water and 1/2 wine (or rum or other liquour), let soak for 15 minutes
3. take brie out of freezer, unwrap, keep container and cut brie in half across the equator
4. place the bottom half back in the container
5. drain the fruit, squeezing out excess water and spread across the brie to cover completely
6. plate top half of brie back over the fruit and press down gently
7. place in fridge to firm.

To serve:
When you serve the first coarse, take the brie out of the fridge and set aside, letting it come to room temp.
When you clear the dinner plates, place the brie (in the container, on an oven proof plate) in a very low oven, 150F, for 5 minutes to make it a bit oozy.
Cut into 4 wedges and serve with a small mixed green salad tossed in a light vinaigrette

Lemon-Orange Vinaigrette

1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 orange
pinch of sea salt
generous pinch fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

1. in a deep bowl, place all ingredients, except olive oil, and combine with a whish
2. slowly whisk in olive oil
3. place a tablespoon of dressing in the bottom of a clean bowl and add greens.
4. toss to coat adding dressing a little at a time until it's dressed to your liking but keep it light so you can enjoy the cheese, not overpower it.

Vanilla-Banana Grand Marnier Flambée
Serves 4

1 pint haagen dazs vanilla frozen yogurt
2 bananas, cut into 1/4" slices
1-2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
splash Grand Marnier
Optional: raspberries, chocolate shavings

1. melt butter in deep pan with sloped edges on medium high heat
2. add bananas and toss immediately
3. add brown sugar and toss immediately
4. let it begin to caramelize, 2-3 minutes
5. add splash of Grand Marnier and flambée. Flambéing is optional of course, if you aren't comfortable with flames shooting from your pan :) You can opt for the less flammable approach and let the alcohol cook off swirling the pan until it does.
6. Optional: when done caramelizing the bananas, take off the heat and stir in some raspberries and chocolate. It will melt right away so have the fro-yo already in the glass ready to go and serve immediately.
7. Scoop 2 small or one large scoop of fro-yo into a martini glass (or other dish) and spoon the bananas flambée over the top.

And there you have it! :) A delicious meal, easy to prepare, much that can be done ahead of time so you can spend time relaxing with your guests and not stressed out in the kitchen.

The musical notes of two of my favorite bands swirled around us all evening: PawnShop kings & Rocco DeLuca & the Burden. Both a combination of "stomping rock, swampy blues" and angelic gospel with vocals, music and lyrics that grab you by the lapels and reach down to the depths of your soul. From the PawnShop kings' loves songs inspired by their wives to Rocco's sliding Dobro guitar riffs, every song, every riff, leaves me in awe.

So gather your friends, share your life, your stories (cuz everyone has one!), your selves with those around you allowing good food and wine to draw you around a table and celebrate, if nothing else, that we all just keep on keepin' on.

Cheers and a resounding Julia Child rendition of Bon Appetit!

Friends Cook at Canelé & Tomato Tart Angst

Last week, I had the honor of guest chefing at Canelé, a jewel of a restaurant that shines on a nondescript street in Atwater Village next to Silverlake and Los Feliz in LA. Corina Weibel, a former commodities trader in Zurich and New York, leads the kitchen with a serious calmness, a laser focus, and a sense of humor that keeps everyone on track, relaxed yet firing out food, and remarkably smiling even at the busiest, craziest of moments. There was no yelling, no swearing, no angst (except from me and my tomato tart but more about that later...), and no attitude. Forgot to prep the Niçoise? No worries, 86 it.

Years cooking at our very own Cypress Club and LA's renowned Campanile and Lucques have made Corina a formidable chef who executes each and every day with a graciousness rarely seen in this industry. I trust we'll be reading more and more about her in the near future. Atwater Village should name a street or something after Corina to keep her there. Everything is made from scratch from the stocks to the brandade, from the salsa verde to the caramelized canelés served at the end of every meal. These cooks crank out the most delicious, gorgeous food, they have fun doing it, and it emanates throughout the restaurant. The front of the house is a well oiled machine led by Jane Choi who honed her management skills at New York’s Balthazar and Pastis, two of my favorite restaurants and stomping grounds during cooking school.

Every few weeks on a Tuesday night they host "Friends Cook" featuring a different chef with a unique prix fixe menu. After a few iterations and thanks to the gorgeous heirloom tomatoes I stumbled upon a few weeks earlier at the Silverlake farmer’s market, we decided to feature an all heirloom tomato menu.

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup - tomatoes roasted with thyme, basil, olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Poisson en Pappiotte - Halibut poached in white wine and heirloom baby tomatoes over a bed of risotto and wilted spinach

Heirloom Tomato Tart - puff pastry with goat cheese filling, topped with tomato chutney and roasted heirloom tomatoes

The tomato soup was easy. Roast the tomatoes and blend. Done. The fish, even easier, having made it a few hundred times before. But the tart... That tart! I agonized over that tart. Agonized, I tell you! I had never actually made one but it sounded easy enough. A tart crust, some filling and tomatoes. How hard could it be? Well however hard it could be, I made it harder.

I scoured the Internet, put the word out to my chef friends, cooked the recipe at least 6 times in several different variations, and the night before my dinner at Canelé, I had tart nightmares. Nightmares that no one would order my menu and nightmares that people would hate the tart and send it back in a huff of disgust. It is really a "foodie" (as much as I hate that word) dessert – more savory than sweet with cumin and mustard seed – and I worried that only the most adventurous of palates would appreciate it much less enjoy it. Agonized indeed! As unnecessary as all that angst ultimately was, I believe that a healthy dose of fear and excitement can drive the creative juices past the tilt line and result in something truly exceptional and I think this was one such case.

This patchwork of a tart was genuinely a collaborative effort. The filling hailed from Paula Lambert's Goat Cheese Tart recipe, the chutney from Jerry DiVecchio's Sunset Magazine that she spent a few hours searching for and to my amazement found in the hundreds if not thousands of Sunset magazines and books in her office, puff pastry from Canelé chef Corina Weibel, the tomatoes from my Silverlake farmer's market heirloom tomato epiphany a few weeks before, and some delicious inspiration from Chef Diane Anthonissen in Paris. Collaborative, to say the least. So much so that I named it the 5-Chef Canelé Tomato Tart!

When I sat down to type out the entire recipe for my friend Jenn who trekked up from Newport Beach to attend the Canelé dinner, I realized that I’d left the photocopy of the chutney recipe that Jerry handed me at Canelé in Los Angeles... and I was in San Francisco. Damn! And I knew Jerry was out of town so on the internet I surfed. The first few searches for Tomato Lemon Chutney were fruitless, pun intended. When I put quotes around “Tomato Lemon Chutney”, two lonely little links appeared, one taking me to a blog post of Jerry’s exact recipe from her 1987 Sunset Christmas Treasury book. Thank you Hammster, whoever you are, for just by chance opening *that* book to *that* recipe and then blogging about it! You saved me!

Now there are 4 separate and moving parts to this tart, each one critical in and of itself – puff pastry crust, goat cheese filling, tomato-lemon chutney, and roasted tomatoes. I recommend cooking in the order below to optimize your time and keep it moving. It might seem daunting at first but if you cook in this order, it should go pretty quickly and if you have someone helping you, then 3 snaps up, before you know it you’ve got yourself a tart :) If you don’t have much time, if you work late and the kids are screaming, then make the chutney and filling ahead of time (up to 3 days) at your leisure – I know...what’s that?! – and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.

I cooked this tart the following evening for my friends Victor and Alain who I stayed with and who – thank God because I was exhausted! - live just a few minutes from Canelé. We had neither the time nor the inclination to make the chutney but it was still delicious without it. I simply lifted the tart out from the pie plate with the corners of the parchment paper lining, plopped it down in the center of the table, and everyone helped themselves. Bon appetit!

Timing

1. blind bake puff pastry
2. make chutney
3. make filling
4. roast tomatoes
5. when pastry is cool, add filling and bake
6. when tart is cool, spread a thin layer of chutney on top
7. when tomatoes have cooled a bit, top the chutney with roasted tomatoes
8. pour glass of champagne and toast to the heirloom tomato gods

Tart Crust - Puff Pastry

Preheat the oven to 350F. For this recipe at home I used pre-made puff pastry I purchased at Safeway. It was fine, especially since there was no way on God’s green global-warming earth that I was going to spend two days making it from scratch like we did in cooking school, but I digress... If it comes folded, let it warm up enough to unfold and mold into the pie plate without breaking. Or if it comes in a rectangle or square you can simply bake them on a flat baking sheet as we did at Canelé, making long thin tarts that were sliced crosswise. Do what ever you prefer and what ever is easier for you. It's all about ease!

Now Paula Lambert's tart recipe calls for the traditional flour-butter-sugar crust (or pâte brisée) which I’m sure would be delicious but since the filling, chutney and roasted tomatoes are all so rich, Corina suggested a lighter, flakier crust and I was more than happy to oblige. Your call...

Back to the recipe... Blind bake the puff pastry for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden brown. Blind baking is baking a crust with nothing in it so that when you add the filling and bake the crust isn’t soggy. For puff pastry, poke it all over with a fork so it doesn’t poof up and hit the top of the oven. It will still poof up a bit, just gently tap it down with your hand in a towel or oven mitt. Set aside the crust and let cool. Keep the oven on, you’ll need it for the tart and tomatoes coming up...

Tomato Lemon Chutney

- 2 lemons
- 1 can (about 1lb) whole or diced tomatoes (not puréed!)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small dried hot red chile
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup raisins (Corina found golden raisins – they were so much prettier and made for a lighter color chutney than with my version using the dark raisins)
- 1/2 cup sugar

1. Zest lemons, set zest aside.
2. Juice the lemons. Blend lemon juice with tomatoes and their liquid pulsing just until blended, do not puree! You want some tomato chunks in the chutney for texture – we're not making tomato sauce!
3. In a pot, combine oil, chile, lemon zest, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and nutmeg. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring. When seeds begin to pop, add tomato-lemon juice mixture, raisins and sugar.
4. Boil gently, uncovered, until mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency (about 20 minutes), stirring often. When done, transfer to a container or bowl and let cool. Put in the fridge or optimally in an ice bath to cool it quickly. (If not using immediately, cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)

Goat Cheese Filling

- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) fresh soft goat cheese
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. Mix goat cheese, crème fraîche, sugar, egg, and flour together in a bowl.
2. Pour this mixture into the cooled tart crust or set it aside until the crust is cooled.
3. Place in a 350F oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until just set. Set aside and let cool.

Roasted Tomatoes

- 4 large heirloom tomatoes, preferably different colors
- sugar
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper

1. Cut the tomatoes into wedges – think of a Roma tomato cut into quarters – that’s the size of wedges you want.
2. Lay out on a sheet pan, skin side down, on parchment paper or a silicon mat
3. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt & pepper
4. Sprinkle a bit more liberally with sugar
5. Roast at 350°F for 20-30 minutes (depends on your oven) until they are starting to caramelize around the edges. Check them often. You don’t want them to disintegrate and not be able to move them to the tart.
6. Set aside and let cool.

So... by now the puff pastry should have blind baked, cooled and been baked again with the goat cheese filling.

When the baked tart and the chutney have both cooled, gently spread a thin layer of the chutney on top of the tart.

If the tomato wedges have cooled a bit, use a pastry or offset or very thin spatula (I used my fish spatula – I use it for everything!) to gently move the tomato wedges from the sheet pan to the tart. If you have different color tomatoes, alternate them when laying them on top of the tart. Smoosh them down very gently so they fill out the tart. You can set them in stripes or in a circle, however you prefer. But remember, we eat with our eyes first so the prettier you can make it, the better it will taste before your guests even take their first bite :)

Now we can't forget the wine! Corina recommended the Piero Costantini, Villa Dei Preti, Frascati Superiore 2006. Works for me!

Cheers! Bon appetit!

ps: and if you're in my 'hood, please stop by, I have 5 tomato tarts in my fridge!

___________________________

Resources:

Canelé
3219 Glendale Blvd, LA
323-666-7133
http://www.canele-la.com/

Sunset Magazine Recipes

Jerry DiVecchio's New Children’s Cookbook, You’ve Got Recipes

Diane Anthonissen's Paris Blog

Paula Lambert's Goat Cheese Tart recipe

Silverlake Farmer's Market

And if you haven’t had your fill of tomatoes yet, then here’s a link to
Epicurious' Healthy Recipes for Tomatoes

Fête de la Musique

Every year on the summer solstice, the entire country of France is illuminated with music. Created in 1982, this celebration honors anyone and everyone with a love of music and a shred of musical talent. Everyone takes to the streets, the concert halls, the churches and museums, the cafés and bars...and any free corner to play, sing and dance just because they love it. One year, 300 saxaphones poured forth at the top of Montmartre. It was the most glorious sound you've ever heard... one of pure joy!

The Minister of Culture at the time, Jack Lang, proclaimed: "Let the music be everywhere, but the concert nowhere." This musical celebration has spread to more than 100 countries throughout Europe and all over the world...always on the 21st of June, the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.

One summer I celebrated Fête de la Musique with my friends E & D on their barge in a little town called Montchanin in Burgundy. The entire town turned out for it, complete with bonfire, traditional dancing, and accordians! Pics and vignette are here. My first year in France, in a small town Chateau de Thierry in Champagne, we were treated to "Eye of the Tiger" by a local band playing in the Town Hall square :)

Another summer, I only had to walk a few feet out my front door et voila! Music poured from the streets all around and in Place Monge. You could almost see the musical notes floating and swirling up into the sky like a lost balloon.

This year Fête de la Musique wound its way 6,000 miles west to San Francisco and on June 18th at Mission Rock, Tété and Eric John Kaiser will continue this fabulous French tradition! Ne le manques pas! Hope to see you there!

Some links for more info:
France's Official Fête de la Musique Web Site
Follow it on Twitter
Become a fan on Facebook
Check out Tété
Dont miss Eric John Kaiser
Buy Tickets
At Place Monge
In Montchanin

Napa Valley Wine Auction at the Mondavi Winery

At the Napa Valley Wine Auction at the Mondavi Winery... lots of wine and lots of food!

Peanut butter bliss cupcake was indeed pure bliss!

I was in Mill Valley last weekend checking out Tyler Florence's new shop when our stomachs started growling. My friend E suggested we check out the cupcake shop around the corner. Now I don't have much of a sweet tooth, I'll do a face plant into a bag of Salt & Vinegar dirty chips or a plate of Gordon Biersch garlic fries any day without batting a salt-caked eye, but it's not too hard for me to pass on desserts - not to mention that fact that I can't bake to save my savory soul - but these little sugary devils definitely stopped me in my tracks. The store, darling. The cupcakes, delicious!

The owner (I can't remember her name, sorry! and I was too busy stuffing my face with cupcake to write it down...) gets up every morning at 2am to start baking these beauties! I had the Peanut Butter Bliss cupcake - dark chocolate cake, topped with a few swirls of peanut butter butter cream icing kissed on top with a Reese's peanut butter cup. Oh and did I mention there was peanut butter butter cream filling?! Bliss indeed. Signing off fat and happy in Mill Valley :)

FROSTING bake shop
7 E. Blithedale Ave
Mill Valley, CA 94941
415 888 8027
www.frostingbakeshop.com

Black Bean Soup continued...

As a quick follow up to my previous Black Bean Soup post a while ago, I made this the other evening and this time, with no pine nuts on hand, I sauteed about eight 1/4" banana slices til golden brown (a tad too long obviously, like the above mentioned pine nuts...) then placed them on top of the soup.

And what wine to drink, you ask? I couldn't answer it myself so I asked Master Sommelier, professionally trained French chef, author, speaker, writer, mom and all around genius wine guru Andrea Robinson and she recommended a Rhone or a Rioja. For the Rhone, I of course jump up and down and shout for Domaine Rouge-Bleu from St. Cecile des Vignes but then again I am a bit biased :)

So from the top...

Ingredients:

* 1 can of Progresso black beans, drained
* 1/4 cup water or broth
* sea salt, fresh ground pepper
* herbes de provence
* 1 T plain yogurt (see note below)
* 1/2 banana, 1/4" thick slices
* optional: brown rice

1. In a pot, combine 1 can Progresso black beans, 1/4 of that can of water or a 1/4 can broth or whatever you have on hand, pinch sea salt, a few grinds of fresh ground pepper, a few pinches of herbes de provence. Bring to a boil then simmer low for a few minutes to combine flavors. This should take about 5-7 minutes depending on your stove.

2. While the soup is cooking, make brown rice. I use Success boil-in-a-bag brown rice. This is of course optional (as is everything!) but it adds texture and a heartiness to the soup.

3. Cut 8 - 1/4" sliced of banana. Saute on each side til golden brown (not burned like I did above!).

4. When the soup is done, puree it in the pot with an immersion (aka stick) blender. Don't dirty the blender or cuisinart if you don't have to. One less big thing to wash.

5. Put a scoop of brown rice in the bottom of a bowl. Ladel the black bean soup over it. Add a dollop of plain yogurt, swirl it around with the tip of a paring knife. Top with the sauteed bananas.

Et voila! In literally 10 minutes you can have a delicious soup. The bananas add a sweetness, the yogurt a tang, both great contrasts/complements to the earthy soup. Simple, fast, healthy and pretty darn good if I do say so myself :)

Bon appetit!

note: If you don't have any yogurt on hand, then a squeeze of a wedge of lime will give it that tangy kick!

Let's Get Our Grill On With Bobby Flay!

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who clicked, watched, rated, commented - I appreciate it so much but I didn't get selected for the show. I'm pretty bummed but it was really fun to do and I got back in touch with a bunch of friends from college and many people I hadn't talked to in a long time so all good. I think I'm going to be doing a lot more GF grilling so check back for more recipes. Thanks again!!! Bon appetit, Laura

Super Spicy Super Steelers Super Bowl Chili

Sorry I've been MIA, it's so much easier to pop a note on my facebook than format pics, try to formulate complete sentences, use proper grammar, etc. Yes, officially lazy but I have a few minutes before I head over to my friends J&J for dinner so I thought I'd shoot this off before tomorrow morning.

My friend Doug called this recipe wimpy since I didn't have any scotch bonnets in it but if you are a heat fiend, go ahead and fire away. I prefer not to sear my taste buds off :)

This recipe I adapted from Jacques Pepin's Chili con Carne with Lettuce & Cheese, featured in his latest book More Fast Food My Way. He adapted it from a recipe given to him by the warden at San Quentin Prison in the 60s. I kid you not. And like my childhood inability to color within the lines, I am unable to follow a recipe without a tweak here or there ;) Picture little girl in red pigtails, hands on hips, shouting "you're not the boss of me!" Yep that about sums it up. Anyways, on to the chili...

Post Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich aka The Fridge Sandwich

or Fridge-wich if you want to get clever...just don't call it a "sammie" pleeeze! I can't take credit however. I absconded the name from none other than the inimitable Jacques Pépin. On his current show More Fast Food My Way, we made a vegetable soup that he nicknamed Fridge Soup. In a nutshell, pun intended, whatever leftover vegetables were in the fridge went into the pot. C'est tout! That's it! And such was the case with my sandwich. I did my daily dance - open the fridge, then open the freezer, then to the cupboard, chomped down a few Wheat Thins, then back to the fridge repeating a few times - before finally settling on some turkey, a hard-boiled egg, a handful of cornichons, half a green apple - all chopped and into the bowl. Next to the stove I have some olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and herbs de provence. A tablespoon of mayo, 2 of dijon mustard, a few shakes of raspberry vinegar for a kick. I mixed it all together and spooned it over a thick toasted slice of Acme olive bread and called it a day :) Bon appetit!

Here's more information on the show and companion book:
YouTube: Fridge Soup show
KQED series: Jacques Pépin's More Fast Food My Way
Series companion book: Jacques Pépin's More Fast Food My Way

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Amen to that! :) This picture always reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Kramer sunbathes in butter :) And here's some cocktail trivia for you on the history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It's actually very heartwarming and I'll take any good news I can get these days.

Bon Appetit and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you all! May we all have much to be grateful for... I know I do! Meilleurs voeux de San Francisco ~ Best wishes from San Francisco. Laura

What the hell am I going to cook for dinner? Black Bean Soup!

You'd think a professionally trained French cook wouldn't have to agonize over what to cook for dinner?! Au contraire mon frere. I do it every night. I open the fridge. Then I open the freezer. Then I open the cupboards. Then I go back to the fridge and rotate through at least 3 times. My nightly ritual unless something is sitting there on the 2nd shelf greeting me when I open the door. I'd prefer to shop every day or ever 2 days like I did back when I lived you-know-where but I don't have my farmers market across the street 3 days a week, and nor do I have my baker, butcher and fishmonger a block away, but I digress... So what to do on a week night when Heroes is about to come on and no time, patience, nor ingredients to make a full on meal. One of my many tried and true standbys is black bean soup and it's about as easy as it gets.

• 1 can black beans (I love Progresso black beans)
• 1/2 can (1 cup) chicken broth
• plain yogurt
• pine nuts, toasted (or a tad burned as i did tonight - still trying to figure out my electric stove. yes electric! ugh)

1. drain can of beans - no need to save the liquid, it's gross imho.
2. put beans in a pot on medium high heat and add the broth. bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes (or longer if you want a thicker consistency)
3. turn off the heat. blend with an immersion blender or puree in a blender or cuisinart
4. garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and some toasted (not burned!) pine nuts

Bon appetit! Just in time for Heroes :)

What the hell am I going to cook for Thanksgiving?!

My kitchen counter strewn with stacks of magazines and cookbooks that haunt me every time I walk by them. Now I know I could simply look at the post just below this one for a plethora of great Thanksgiving meal ideas but you see I've already MADE all those. I need something NEW or I wouldn't have anything to write about much less lose out on the opportunity for a culinary challenge. I usually regret those around 2am the night before as I start stressing out about burning the turkey beyond recognition or forgetting a major ingredient...like the turkey! I'll let you know what I come up with as soon as I do... which will probably be somewhere around 3pm on Thursday! Stay tuned...

Thanksgiving Round-up Re-gift

Hey Everyone - My apologies for once again taking the lazy route this year but haven't been able to get my act together. Quelle surprise! So yes, I am committing that heinous act of re-gifting. Now before you judge me and hurl culinary insults my way, my friend's sister gave her used potholders one Christmas, I kid you not!, so re-gifting a few recipes can be all that bad... Here are some Thanksgiving ideas from the past few years. Don't miss the spice bread and foie gras stuffed chapon recipe and please don't torque the turkey like I did 2 years ago... Happy Thanksgiving and Bon Appetit! Laura

[November 2007] Putting together a menu is always the hardest part for me - I struggle, agonize, bemoan my fate - so if you don't want to suffer the same, here are some ideas from the Ghosts of Thanksgiving Past...

How *Not* to Cook a Turkey 12/2/06

Thanksgiving in Paris, Trois Fois (Three Times) 11/27/05

Thanksgiving Recipes v4.0 ~ Stuffed! 11/20/06

Thanksgiving Recipes v3.0 ~ Michael Chiarello 11/19/06

Thanksgiving Recipes v2.0 ~ Deja Vu 11/18/06

Thanksgiving Recipes v1.0 ~ Williams-Sonoma 11/17/06

And this year, I'm in San Francisco cooking with my Paris flatmates. Here's the menu below... Whether it actually ends up being this will be wholely determined by how much champagne we consume while cooking and if certain people went out the night before and decided to clean the oven at 4am...but I digress... We decided on a capon since I torqued the turkey last year. Cross your fingers and toes and wings and thighs for me!
thanksgiving 2008
chez john et pierre
----
rose champagne
smoked salmon on brioche with lemon creme fraiche
toasts with arugula, proscuitto, chevre
----
burgundy pinot noir
chapon stuffed with foie gras, sauteed trumpet mushrooms, cognac
cornbread stuffing with dried cranberries, apricots
roasted asparagus sliced fennel, beets, oranges with a raspberry vinaigrette
----
sauterne (or maybe back to champagne?)
pears poached in red wine on creme anglaise drizzled with chocolate

Bon appetit! L

Cold Soup for a HOT HOT HOT Day

Indian Summer indeed! Global warming is alive and well when it's pushing 100 degrees in San Francisco in September. Not wanting to make anything that involved getting near a stove, I called my friends J & J and asked if I could come over to their uber swanky and, this is key, air conditioned kitchen and whip something up for us for dinner. When I woke up yesterday morning and it was already 82 degrees, all I could think about was cold gazpacho soup with some thick crunchy crusty bread.

I asked J various questions. Do you have a Cuisinart? No. Do you have a blender? Hold on. J, do we have a blender? No. Do you have a stick blender? Yes. Is it charged? Hold on. No. Ok, Plan B. I'll run to the store, I'll bring my stick blender, and you chill the tomatoes. An hour or so of chopping later, accompanied by a glass of champagne, we dined on some darn good gazpacho soup, much to my amazement, relief and delight. J and I high-fived :) I hadn't made it in literally years, maybe a decade (?!?!), so I was quite nervous but thanks to some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and a lot of love, it was a hit. I showed some restraint in the chopped garlic area - vampires, be damned - but had I not, it would have overpowered, so go with 2 cloves, not the 4 that I originally intended. One jalepeno and we were sufficiently spicy. I'm a huge spice wimp so I err on the conservative side here. (Note: it was even spicier the next day!)

J served the soup with a crisp rose, Domaine de Beaurenard, from the Cotes du Rhone and we toasted (our one minimal use of the oven) some thick country bread and rubbed it with a garlic clove and the cut half of a roma tomato as they do in Spain. A little garnish of basil chiffonade and we were good to go...

1 large can (20-something oz) whole peeled + 3 - 14 oz cans Progresso diced tomatoes + juice
2-3 heirloom tomatoes (diced, save juice and add to bowl)
1 basket small orange baby tomatoes (cut in half across the equator)
1/4 - 1/2 cup white wine or champagne vinegar (depending on consistency & taste)
1 red pepper (cut out ribs, seeds & dice)
1 yellow pepper (cut out ribs, seeds & dice)
1 jalepeno pepper (cut out ribs, seeds & dice)
1 avocado (half for the soup, half diced for the garnish)
2 large shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ribs celery, diced
1 english cucumber (cut off most of the green, leave a little for color, scoop out seeds, dice)
juice of 1 lime
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
10 or so large basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade for garnish
sea salt, fresh ground pepper

save a tablespoon or two of each of the baby tomatoes, red pepper, yellow pepper, cucumber, celery, half the avocado, and 1/2 tbsp of diced jalepeno for the garnish. put everything but the avocado in a small bowl, add a swirl of olive oil, some sea salt, fresh ground pepper and stir to combine. add the avocado and give it a quick stir gently. set aside.

if using a stick blender, combine all the vegetables in a large glass (or non-reactive) bowl along with half the vinegar and blend. I like mine a bit chunky, not super smooth, so I blended in pulses moving the stick blender along the outside of the bowl. If using a cuisinart, just pour it all in and pulse til you get the consistency you'd like. add more liquid (vinegar, stock, water depending on your taste) if you want a thinner consistency. taste and add lime juice if you think it needs a kick. taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as you'd like.

mine didn't not come out a bright red as you might imagine because I added the avocado but I like the creamy consistency it gives the soup. I topped each bowl with a tbsp or two of the vegetable brunoise (dice) garnish, a few ribbons of basil, a drizzle of good olive oil and a few drops of really good balsamic vinegar.

bon appetit and stay cool!

Dog Days of Summer...

Woof!

COOKBOOK: The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine ~The French Culinary Institute

I could have saved $40,000 and 6 months, endless cuts and burns, bad hair days, bruised egos, fashion disasters, gas that could peel the paint off the side of a barn, and having cats follow me home because I smelled like a mackerel!

As y'all know, I attended the full time 6-month culinary program at the FCI a few years ago (and yes I experienced all of the above... in abundance!) so when I saw this book come out, I had to buy it. Like James Peterson's Sauces, this book too could ballast a boat - all 500 pages! - but it is also a veritable treasure chest, a culinary Fort Knox if you will, of all things cooking. If Techniques is the only cookbook you ever purchase, you'd be set.

Techniques is almost verbatim our first quarter (6 week) curriculum. Really! Word for word, gram for gram, ingredient for ingredient. I even pulled out my notebook and compared the Sauces section. Exactly the same. Our first quarter was spent learning these 250 techniques. (Before I went to cooking school I burned water! I still do, just less often...) We then spent the next 3 quarters refining and practicing and expanding on all these techniques. So if you don't want to sacrifice 6 months and $40,000 and the above mentioned humiliations to attend cooking school, then buy this book and cook every recipe over and over and you will become an excellent cook. If you master all the skills and techniques in the book, you can walk into any kitchen (even in France!) and hold your own as this is the foundation of classic cooking and the language of the kitchen.

Hints and tips from the Deans and Chef Instructors pepper the book in every technique with tidbits such as "...cook beans at a constant low temperature and cool them in their cooking liquid. ~ Dean Alain Sailhac" or "Do not cover a chicken after roasting or it will steam and make the meat taste reheated." ~Dean Jacques Pepin". It's like getting a personal cooking lesson from some of the world's the greatest chefs. A few that I'm not sure made it into the book that will I will never for include, "If you have time to lean, you have time to clean ~Chef Henri Viain" and "What you put in the pot, you get out of the pot. ~Chef Pascal Beric" and God love them both for their dedication to their students.

Techniques teaches the 250 classic foundation techniques including stocks, sauces, soups, salads, eggs, potatoes, poultry, beef, veal, lamb, pork, fish, shellfish, marinades, stuffings, organ meats (my least favorite day in cooking school!), pastry dough, creams & custards, crepes, brioche, frozen desserts, meringues, mousses, and soufflés (my favorite day in cooking school! :) As I browsed through the book, 6 months of my life flashed before my eyes, intermittently cringing while remembering slicing off the tip of my thumb on the mandoline or burning my wrist on the convection oven and laughing out loud picturing the over-whipped genoise, splattered pommes anna, and over salted poulet roti grandmere dubbed "inedible" by the chefs.

Many if not all of the recipes in my humble little blog, such as the ones here and here, are based on the foundation I learned in cooking school. Techniques also explains in great detail terms in a kitchen, names of equipment and pots and pans (and the difference between stainless steel and aluminum, cast iron, non-stick and the benefits and pit falls of each), food safety, knifes and knife skills, and professional kitchen management.

If you want to become an great home chef or are considering or about to attend cooking school, I implore you to devour (pun intended) this book. If you learn all the techniques, or at least become familiar with them, then you will be leaps and bounds ahead of the game. Bon courage et bon appetit!

CDG to SFO in 37 Hours....

Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe ~ Paris, December 2007

Copied from an email I sent my flatmates in Paris a few days after arriving back in San Francisco....

"...I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever fly through Washington DC/Dulles again. Ever, ever, ever! Did I say ever? NEVER!

To start, we were late leaving CDG because of a SUSPICIOUS BLUE BAG left in the terminal. Good thing I got there early because it took me almost and hour and a half to get to the gate. The airport was mobbed with people of all shapes and sizes and colors in various forms of ornate ethnic clothes, some bright, some subdued, all in need of washing. The line to check in at the gate was about 5 people deep and a veritable mosh pit. Why is it that the check in desk at Lufthansa is always calm, serene, and orderly while chaos reigns at United? Anyways, after answering various and inane questions about the whereabouts of my luggage and the content within, I made it to the check-in counter and was helped by an absolutely delightful, kind woman. WHEW! I had upgraded the night before, as you know, to Washington but was wait listed from Washington to SFO however she said, "It looked very good".

Giddily anticipating my complimentary business class cocktail, I then proceeded to the longest passport control line I'd ever seen. It snaked along the wall nearly the entire circumference of the airport. While waiting in line for nearly an HOUR, we kept hearing announcements asking the owner of a SUSPICIOUS BLUE BAG left in the terminal to come get it. I kept hearing it as I marched through passport control and as I was headed to the gate I heard a BOOM! They BLEW UP THE BAG! They didn't remove it, inspect it, x-ray it nor seal it. No. They BLEW IT UP! In the terminal! I ran for the Red Carpet Club, slammed back a glass of champagne and headed for the gate...

Click below to continue reading this explosive travel tale -->

Who needs a chimney? Not Santa!

Santa taking a different route into a home in Orange, France near Avignon.

City of Lights

Hotel Plaza Athenee ~ Paris, December 2007

8th Grade Reunion...

29 years later! When I told people I was going to my 8th grade reunion, they looked at me like I was crazy but there was no way I was going to miss it. Two friends (above) who were boarding students flew from Mexico City for the reunion so I was going to be there come hell or high water. Fortunately it didn't take that :) I'd post a "before" picture of us but I had acne, braces - those big ugly silver ones that went all the way around your teeth - and a Dorothy Hammill haircut.... enough said!

Baby got back....

don't watch this while eating thanksgiving dinner or you'll have cranberry coming out your nose :)

Thanksgiving Recipe Round-up

Hi Everyone! Grab your apron (or cocktail as the case may be!) and let's get cooking! Putting together a menu is always the hardest part for me - I struggle and agonize and moan and questions my existence - so if you don't want to suffer the same fate, here are some ideas from the Ghosts of Thanksgiving Past...

How *Not* to Cook a Turkey 12/2/06
Thanksgiving in Paris, Trois Fois (Three Times) 11/27/05
Thanksgiving Recipes v4.0 ~ Stuffed! 11/20/06
Thanksgiving Recipes v3.0 ~ Michael Chiarello 11/19/06
Thanksgiving Recipes v2.0 ~ Deja Vu 11/18/06
Thanksgiving Recipes v1.0 ~ Williams-Sonoma 11/17/06

And this year, I'm back in San Francisco cooking with my Paris flatmates, my absolutely favorite thing to do in the whole world. Here's the menu below... Whether it actually ends up being this will be wholely determined by home much champagne we consume while cooking and if certain people went out the night before and decided to clean the over at 4am...but I digress... We decided on a capon since I torqued the turkey last year. Cross your fingers and toes and wings and thighs for me!

thanksgiving 2008
chez john et pierre
----
rose champagne
smoked salmon on brioche with lemon creme fraiche
toasts with arugula, proscuitto, chevre
----
burgundy pinot noir
chapon stuffed with foie gras, sauteed trumpet mushrooms, cognac
cornbread stuffing with dried cranberries, apricots
roasted asparagus sliced fennel, beets, oranges with a raspberry vinaigrette
----
sauterne (or maybe back to champagne?)
pears poached in red wine on creme anglaise drizzled with chocolate

Bon appetit! L

Heureux Mercis Donnant ~ Happy Thanksgiving!

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

National Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards Finalist!!!

I was stunned to see an email in my inbox that read: "You are an Indie Excellence Book Award Finalist!" Spam most likely was my first thought. Then....yikes! Moi? My humble little livre (book), My Keyboard for a Cutting Board ~ Adventures in a French Kitchen v1.0, made it to the finals! Oooh la la! Never mind I lost out to the Junior Leaguers.... "I'm just happy to be nominated", to quote Susan Lucci. Click here to see the press release and listing of finalists and winners.

And for more information on my book, click here.

Spring in Paris!

Hi Everyone! Thank you all for being so patient with me the past few months. I had emergency surgery so have been out of touch for a while but am recovering well, in spite of a setback here and there, but I promise I will get y'all up to speed on the past few months.

It is absolutely GLORIOUS here in Paris. I don't remember a spring this spectacular in the past 3 years. Today it was 80F degrees and each day has been more beautiful than the last. The entire city is a-bloom, an exploding rainbow of petals and leaves and everyone is outside soaking up, embracing, clutching the sunshine. This picture of Notre Dame I took on Easter Sunday walking home along the Seine after Easter mass at the American Cathedral. It was one of those days that makes you glad to be alive.

Happy Spring! :)

La Vue de Ma Fenêtre ~ Sonoma Valley

This is one place I don't mind getting lost! Every turn you take is more beautiful than the next with the cherry trees in full bloom and brilliant sun searing the sky azure blue. (Click on the picture to enlarge it.)

Apologies for being so very lame in posting. I have taken a lot of pictures so will post when I can come up for air. Off to LA tomorrow, then back to Paris on Tuesday. Whew!

San Francisco, Open your Golden Gate...

San Francisco, Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, and the East Bay

I know, I know, I'm sorry! I promised that I wouldn't post any more photos from planes, trains and automobiles but I couldn't resist this one. Click on it to make it bigger. As we were coming in to land, the pilot tilted the wings and announced "Welcome to San Francisco." The whole plane gasped. It was such a sudden and stunning view - couldn't ask for a better welcome!