Success: Blood Orange Sorbet by David Lebovitz

I know, I know, dead of winter, nice and cold (and very wet in California) but I had a tree full of Blood Oranges and they needed to be used.  So while I am making this, and yes I did try some, I am planning on serving it down the road on a warmer, sunnier day.  Of citrus sorbets like this are better eaten hot, er I mean cold off the press, but just not today.

David Lebovitz has a sweet life.  He worked at Chez Panisse in Berkeley with Alice Waters for a while before heading off to Paris to find love.  He has been there about ten years, writes a GREAT blog and some wonderful cookbooks as he eats his way across France.  I like his dessert recipes and his writing style is fun.  Sorbet is an easy one, but since I am also writing a blog and have been neglectful lately due to some deadlines, I decided to follow his recipe for Blood Orange Sorbet

As you can see I had a lot of oranges, about 6 pounds.

After much hand juicing, I do not own an electric one (hint-hint), I ended up with about 3 cups of juice and very wrinkled hands.  The house smelled great though.

Now I should have saved the rinds and made the candied rind, but laziness and a Chimay Beer caused me to toss them.

Once again I have to praise my Kitchen Aid mixer and Freezer Bowl, make life so easy for Ice Cream and Sorbet making.

Someone asked where I found the pint sized containers, Smart and Final carries them.

OK, I need to resist, but next week we will have a sunny dry day, I am sure of it!

Blood Orange Sorbet by David Lebovitz

1. Juice your blood oranges. The measure the juice.

2. For each 1 cup (250ml) of juice, figure 1/4 cup (50g) of granulated sugar to be added.

For example: Use 1/2 cup (100g) sugar for 2 cups juice (500ml).

3. Put the sugar in a small, non-reactive saucepan. Add just enough juice to saturate it very well. Heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved.

4. Stir the sugar back into the reserved blood orange juice.

5. Chill thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker

SUCCESS!

Success: Domaine Saint Luc's Cake aux Olives by Patrica Wells

I just adore Patrica Wells.  I have been following her career since the late 1980s and have used two of her books as if they were my bible (Food Lovers Companion to Paris and FLC to France). These books not only have restaurant recommendations and food history but also recipes from the areas and restaurants she frequents.  Call me jealous, I would love her job, to visit all areas of France, eat and then write about it!  She is my rockstar of all rockstars.  She is the only author whom I have collected all of her books and read from them often.

She also offers courses and in fact some friends from Seattle were able to join her in Provence for one such course.  They sat down to a lunch seated next to Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) who is apparently a good friend of Patricia Wells.  They said that Ina was warm, charming and funny, but that Patricia was a bit stiff.  They made it clear that she was not rude, mean or nasty, just that she was not as warm as they expected.  Oh well, warm, cold or in between, I think she is AMAZING and so are her books!

So I had some friends over the other day and needed an easy first course.  So after much reading I decided to try Patricia's savory olive cake, titled: "Domaine Saint Luc's Cake aux Olives"

The recipe called for Nyon's olives, which as I am currently in California, I did not have available to me.  Nyon's are small black shiny olives from the south of France.  They are mildly salty and slightly bitter.  I was going to just pick up some black olives from Trader Joes, when I found some Cerignola olives at Whole Foods.  Cerignola olives are giant green Spanish olives.  Mild in flavor and slightly salty.

From Well's book, The Paris Cookbook, I decided to serve it sliced using the tomato sauce that she references from the same book.  Simple clean and easy.  I made the cake the night before and served it at room temperature on top of the heated tomato sauce.

Now I must tell you, the cake as it came out of the oven was HEAVEN!  Slightly salty but light and fluffy.  When I served it the next day I was worried that it might firm too much and loose the light fluffiness.  I was surprised that it did not, all of my guests commented on how light it was.  However, they also commented that it was a wee bit too salty.  I think this is because of the olives I used.  If I had used the Nyon's or even the basic black olives from Trader Joe's it might have been just perfect.  I did make the dish again for Michael and he loved it, we like salt.


Domaine Saint Luc's Cake aux Olives
8 servings
from The Paris Cookbook by Patricia Wells
4 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces (1 cup) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Swiss Gruyère cheese
1 scant cup black Nyons olives, pitted and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
About 1 cup homemade Tomato Sauce (optional)
1. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan (preferably nonstick) and set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and stir to blend. Slowly add the eggs, whisking to incorporate. Whisk in the milk, cheese, olives and oil. Set aside for 2 hours to allow flour to absorb the liquids (making for a lighter cake).
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
4. Stir the batter to blend once again. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place in the center of the oven and bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature, sliced and cut into cubes. Or to serve as a first course, slice and serve with tomato sauce.


Tomato Sauce by Patricia Wells
Makes about 3 Cups
1/4 Cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 Small white onion minced
3 Cloves garlic minced
Healthy pinch Sea Salt
1-3/4 pounds Crushed tomatoes in puree
Several springs of parsley, bay leaves and celery leaves
1. In a large unheated saucepan, combine the oil, onion, garlic and salt and stir to coat with oil.
2. Cook over moderate heat just until the garlic turns golden but does not brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. If using whole canned tomatoes, place a food mill over the skillet and puree the tomatoes directly into it.
4. Crushed tomatoes can be added directly from the can.
5. Add the herb bundle, stir to blend, and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes.
6. For a thicker sauce, for pizzas and toppings, cook for 5 minutes more.
7. Salt and pepper for seasoning as needed.
8. Remove and discard the herb bundle.


SUCCESS!

Success: Sweet Potato and Gruyère Soufflé Gourmet Magazine 1992

So tonight I am back from a great trip in Seattle.  I came back to an empty fridge with the exception of a wedge of Gruyere and a stack of sweet potatoes.  I have seen one of these on Martha but I am a huge fan of the now defunct Gourmet Magazine so to honor the work they did I decided to make this one.

The recipe was pretty easy to follow as long as you read through it and do a nice mise en place and get your self all ready so you do not have to stop to butter this, shred that, measure this, etc., etc.  My Souffle bowl is not 1.5 Qt so I did not fill it full, that meant that it did not rise above the line, next time I will fill it to the top.

Here is the recipe from Epicurious:

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 cup coarsely grated Gruyère (about 3 ounces)

2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)

4 large eggs, separated

preparation

Butter a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish and dust it with 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. In a large heavy saucepan cook the onion and the garlic with salt and pepper to taste in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, stir in the flour, and cook the roux, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a stream, whisking, and simmer the mixture, whisking, until it is thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the Gruyère, whisking until the cheese is melted, and whisk in the sweet potatoes and the egg yolks, 1 at a time. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, whisk one fourth of them into the sweet potato mixture to lighten it, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over it, and bake the soufflé in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it is puffed and golden. Serve the soufflé immediately.

Serves 4-6

 

I served this dish as a side to a roasted pork loin wrapped in bacon and a salad of arugula and red onion in a light vinaigrette.  It was light and fluffy, the sweet potato taste came through as did the Gruyere.  I might suggest a bit less Parmesan, maybe a 1/8 of a cup on top.  But all done, this dish ROCKED!

SUCCESS!

Success: Chicken Pot Pie by Ina Garten (aka: the Barefoot Contessa)

So happy that this turned out as good as it did.  I am a HUGE fan of the Barefoot Contessa and watch her show all the time.  
I have not purchased one of her cookbooks, but I download her recipes often and have had mostly positive results.  
Occasionally there is a step missing (Caramels with Sel).  
This was not the case with the chicken pot pie, it is easy and amazing.

I did a test run the night before as I planned to serve this for lunch the next day.  I followed the recipe and it was perfect.  
Now for my lunch run I did take a few shortcuts that I can admit....  
I bought market baked chicken so I could cut that step out.  
You need them freshly cooked to keep them moist and you must trust that the butcher you use knows how to bake a chicken!  
I mixed half breast meat half thigh meat which I think made it juicier.  
I also used store bought puff pastry which saved some time and was great.  
I just added the chicken mix, hot into a bowl, then covered it with puff pastry and an egg wash on both sides of the pastry (top and bottom).  
Then I put the whole thing in a 400 F oven for 20 minutes, PERFECT!


Guests commented on the whole onions and the moist chicken meat.  A real crowd pleaser.  Will be doing this again soon!


Ingredients
3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.


In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.


For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.


SUCCESS!

Success: Quick Pickled Radishes by Tyler Florence

So for my first test I wanted to try something easy and what could be easier that refrigerator pickles?  I had some radishes come ripe in the garden so it was a good time to try this.

I like Tyler Florence, I watch his show every Saturday morning at 9am and I was lucky enough to meet him once at an event, nice guy, really down to earth.


I am happy to report that this recipe was easy to follow and turned out just like he said.

Ingredients

• 4 bunches radishes, washed and spit down the middle with a little stem (about 1/2-inch) still attached

Pickling mix:

• 1 quart champagne vinegar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup pickling spices
• 2 cloves smashed garlic
• 2 stems fresh wild fennel (optional if you don't have it, or use 2 tablespoons dried fennel seed)

Directions

Take a large deep dish and lay the radishes out in it. In a large pot add the pickling ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour the boiling mix over the radishes in each dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap immediately and set aside. Once cooled to room temperature, strain and serve.

So I did one thing differently.  Instead of covering them tightly with plastic wrap I put them straight into jars, so I could gift two and keep one.


I must say I tried them today and they are good, a bit sweet but the heat comes through like a radish should.  I wanted more of a spicy Mexican pickled radish but, I am happily going to eat these guys, the're good.

SUCCESS!