Tilapia is one of those fish that even those who don't like fish, tend to like. This sauteed variation uses a buttery lemon sauce with almonds to dress it up. Next to it? Ratatouille! I could eat this all by itself with a loaf of good French bread every day, all day! Made it the same night and hubby was delighted. I definitely want to make it again soon. No, this is not the fancy prepared version from the Disney movie but I can bet it tastes just as good as what the critic sampled!
-
LA CREME BRULEE
Creamy creme brulee with a little cigarette cookie on the side. Luscious! I would love to have had some melted chocolate to dip those cookies into, made some crushed pistachios too. No matter, this was delicious.
Le Menu August 13, 2008
LA SALADE DE TOMATES
LA VINAIGRETTE AU BALSAMIC
No, no picture. Nothing exciting to see here. Move along.
-
LE MEDAILLON DE PORC POELE
JUS A LA SAUGE
LA POMME PONT-NEUF
A nice medallion of pork with a pan sauce using sage leaves. Sage is a wonderful compliment to pork, adding just the right savory flavor. And a little goes a long way. The fries are basically steak fries that are named after a bridge in France. If you look at the fries on their side the look like little "bridges". These are cooked the same way as the pomme frites but take longer for obvious reasons.
-
LES MADELEINES
Remember how I said to check behind team mates to see what they're doing? This is one of those times where I should have but didn't. And it's possible it wasn't their fault but... The molds were prepared with shortening and powdered sugar. These cookies would have tasted great except for the flavor of SHORTENING that was pronounced on them. Ah well. I'll want to try this at home one day, I just need to price molds.
LES FRAISES AU VIN ROUGE
LA GLACE A LA VANILLE
This was pretty when it was first plated. Ice cream with a warm sauce of strawberries, simple syrup, and red wine. Understanding how food stylists would have done this dish for a photo shoot fascinates me.
Le Menu August 15, 2008 (Nothing the day before because we had a field trip)
LES FONDS D'ARTICHAUTS A LA GRECQUE
Boy you waste a lot of artichokes to make this appetizer. Delicious yes, but would be very expensive. Mushrooms were apparently the original vegetable used here but carrots and other vegetables would also work. Make a day or two ahead and prepare to get rave reviews.
-
LE POULET SAUTE MARENGO
LA POMME DARPHIN
The hash brown potatoes are definitely a favorite though cutting them with the mandoline is a pain. As for the Chicken Marengo, this is a dish who's history shows what ingenuity and pressure can do for someone. Talk about a mish-mash of ingredients: chicken, shrimp or crayfish, and a over easy egg on top. WHAT?!? We skipped the seafood part, and I didn't put the egg on mine. Apparently Napoleon was delighted though and the dish became famous. To me this was an early "Iron Chef" creation.
-
LE PITHIVIER
The original French King cake. Puff pastry filled with the an almond paste. This would have had a little plastic figure hidden in it much like the version served in New Orleans for Mardi Gras (where do you think they got the idea). I hated to cut this one it was so pretty. Glad I did because it was delicious!
Le Menu for August 6, 2008
LA SALADE CAESAR
Yes, I made Caesar salad dressing. We used pasteurized eggs and anchovies packed in oil. It was really, really good. I doubt I'd make this much at home from scratch because I don't have much use for the anchovies... yet. I can't believe that the anchovies were actually kind of tasty. We'll see where this leads.
-
L’ESCALOPE DE VEAU VIENNOISE
LE GRATIN DAUPHINOIS
LES HARICOT VERTS A L'ANGLAISE
-
LA SALADE DE FRUITS FRAIS
LES PALMIERS
LES BISCOTTIS
Palmiers, sometimes called Elephant Ears is another dessert that is great when you have leftover puff pastry and don't want to toss it out. I have to be careful or I'll eat far too many of those darn cookies. The biscotti was easy to make (why do they charge so much for them again?) much to my friends at Combattitude and my husband but I just can't get much into them. The fruit salad is the most elegant version I've ever seen or eaten. Perfect for when you have a mess of fruit and need to do something with it before it goes bad.
Le Menu for August 7, 2008
LES GNOCCHIS A LA ROMAINE
LA SAUCE TOMATE AU FENOUIL
OK, there are 3 types of gnocchi. The one everybody knows made from potatoes, this one made using semolina, and a third using the same Pate Au Choux from the desserts I made earlier, but boiled. This version reminds me of a lasagna-like dish using polenta. We sauteed butternut squash and placed that between the layers and then made a fennel flavored sauce. Incredible. Bryan's new favorite pasta dish and most appreciated when served to my friends at Combattitude.
-
LA TRUITE SAUTEE GRENOBLOISE
LES BROCCOLIS A L’ANGLAISE
LES ENDIVES BRAISEES
This time we sauteed trout and served it with braised endives and broccoli. Unfortunately this shot isn't as nice as what I served because we about ran out of the endives and broccoli. No matter, it was tasty.
-
LA TARTELETTE AU CITRON MERINGUEE
I still need to work on dealing with pie dough quickly. It tasted great but getting the dough thin enough and into the form was a PAIN IN THE BUTT! The lemon curd we made is zingy which I like. Then we did a simply meringue on top. Did you know there are 3 types of meringue? French - the kind everybody makes from egg whites and sugar, Swiss which has been warmed up a bit to melt the sugar and start to cook the egg whites a touch. Italian is egg whites mixed with sugar cooked to the soft ball stage. We're talking HOT! This is the same stuff that you mix with butter and flavorings once it's cooled down to get buttercream frosting.
Le Menu August 8, 2008
LES RAVIOLIS DE CREVETTES
LA SAUCE A LA CRÈME ET BASILIC
This is the dish that made me want to buy a pasta machine. Haven't yet but I still want one. The raviolis are filled with minced shrimp and butter then dressed with creamy sauce (similar to an Alfredo) with basil. My team mate and I made pigs of ourselves on this one.
-
LES OEUFS BROUILLES PORTUGAISE
LES POMMES FRITES
No, this is not a normal plating but we needed to get the techniques in somehow. The french fries are properly cooked twice. The first blanches/cooks the inside, the second crisps up the outside. Lesson learned, don't leave french fries around or people will walk by and sneak of with them! The eggs are scrambled until you get little curds and it's still a little wet. Not the way I like them but the technique to get the texture was worth learning.
-
LA MERINGUE AUX FRUITS ROUGES
Take the meringue we'd piped a few days ago, cook it at low heat until they're dried out. Layer them with berries. Drizzle with a berry coulis (sauce) and whipped cream. I'd love to see this served to some little girls having a tea party. =)
And I thought the Boeuf Bourguignon was simply good! Think of this as the same thing with chicken substituted for the beef. Yummy. I would later make this at home and I don't think Bryan could have looked more delighted!
Le Menu July 31, 2008
LE GASPACHO ANDALOUS
This is one sexy dish. Perfect for a Summer lunch or a start to a sultry meal. I have to agree with the person who said it reminded them of a Bloody Mary in a bowl. Just alchohol free. LOL! The garnish and little croutons we made really add that extra punch to the finish. This was made recently to share with some of my friends at Combattitude. Most finished it right then and there in the studio!
-
LA COTE DE PORC POELEE
LA SAUCE CHARCUTIERE
LA POMME PUREE
A nicely cooked bone in pork chop, served with a pan sauce finished with a few slivers of cornichons (non-sweet gherkins), served with the creamiest mashed potatoes ever. We used a ricer to get the potatoes nice and smooth, heavy cream that had been reduced to make it extra rich, and of course butter. WOW!
-
LE MILLE FEUILLE
I present to you, the Napolean. This improperly referred to dessert isn't French at all but Italian. The name just got confused when it came here. I don't think Mom will care as long as I make plenty of them for her.
Le Menu August 1, 2008
THAI EGG ROLLS
It helps to learn these from a person who's actually from Thailand. So good. So simple. So easy to eat too many! I've made them twice more at home and look forward to making them for a party. The do freeze very well.
-
LE SAUTE DE PORC AUX HARICOTS BLANC
This is not your canned pork n' beans, no siree! Savory white beans served with an incredible pork stew on top. Why do we not eat more things like this in restaurants, I just don't know. Hearty, this will be perfect as the weather starts to turn cooler.
-
LA TARTE TATIN
Upside down, caramel apple pie. The perfect dessert when you have leftover puff pastry. The fact that it can be reheated just tickles me completely! There are several stories as to how this dessert came to be. One story says it came about because the cook forgot to put the bottom crust in the pan. Another story says the apple pie fell on the floor and this was the only way to salvage it. I don't care, it's just delicious. I really need to make some puff pastry to use at home soon. I recently saw a recipe that uses pears that I'm now curious to try. Oh, and Chef Somchet has a hard time pronouncing my name so she's nicknamed me "Tarte Tatin". Close enough. =)
