My food blog

Zucchini Carpaccio

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 11:03:55 -0700

This is quickest recipe I have ever made. It rally takes about 5 minutes.
I had a couple fresh Zucchini I had bought at the farmers market and decided to just slice them thinly with the mandolin. Don’t try this with a knife unless your knife skills are as good as a sushi chef.
Then get creative by placing the thin slice of zucchini on a plate, top with salt, pepper a beautiful virgin olive oil, shave some Reggiano and some fresh chopped parsley. Here you have it!

This dish is a perfect side to a grilled meat or just as an appetizer.

Bon Appétit !

Salade de Fraises au vin

Sat, 5 Sep 2009 10:54:11 -0700

I love this quick dessert, that always impress my guests and is the perfect topping for vanilla ice cream or a lemon cake.

Cut up your strawberries in quarters, add a cup of red wine, a couple spoon of sugar, fresh rosemary, a vanilla bean and orange zest. I use a vegetable peeler to cut the outer of the orange, but you can use lemon too.

Mix all the ingredients and let sit in the fridge for a couple hours. Make sure that you go back to the bowl once in a while to mix it again. The wine will slightly cook the strawberries.

I was raised with this recipe, my mother used to make this all the time during the summer. Yes, even if their is red wine in it!
I added the rosemary and the zest as my personal inspiration because I love the flavors of red wine and rosemary.

Bon Appétit !

Grilled asparagus and Radicchio pasta salad

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 10:37:47 -0700

The Italian in me has once in a while a craving for pasta, but when it’s warm outside a plater of bolognese is the last thing on my mind. This pasta salad is a fresh and delicious alternative.

In a bowl, make a vinaigrette with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt pepper and a bit of dijon mustard. Add thinly sliced red onions, and fresh chopped basil.
Cook you pasta al dente and cool them off by running them under cold water.
Grill your asparagus and radicchio, rub them in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper before putting them on the grill. Cut them in small pieces and add to the bowl with the pasta. Mix well and top with shaved Reggiano.
This is such a simple recipe and perfect for a last minute dinner.

I served it with some grilled sardines seasoned with Maldon salt and Pan con Tomate, a grilled slice of bread rubbed with a garlic clove and a fresh tomato.

Bon Appétit !

I am no tarte!

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 11:14:31 -0700

Of course I love cooking, but at times being in the kitchen after a long day at work, I feel uninspired.
This is a tarte recipe I have been making for many years, it always saved me from last minute picnics and dinners.
This is very easy and can be used with many different ingredients.
Here you have a zucchini and goat cheese tarte and a tomato artichoke heart and goat cheese tarte.

The dough is a frozen puff pastry sheet found in most food store. I would recommend anyone out there to always keep a pack of those in your freezer at all time. Though, making your own puff pastry is always the best, the one you can find commercially are of good quality and the best helper in a kitchen.

Once you have rubbed your tarte pan with butter, add a couple spoon of flour and by moving around the mold, coat the whole pan with flour, discard the extra flour when done.
Lay you puff pastry dough on the bottom and poke the bottom with a fork to prevent the dough from raising.
Place on the dough, anything you like. I like (cooked) zucchini and goat cheese, but you can try leek, broccoli, what about bacon and peas, potatoes and brie or smoked salmon and asparagus? Make sure all vegetable are cooked, except for tomatoes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, salt pepper, 1/2 cup of heavy cream (creme fraiche, or sour cream will do too) and add 2 tablespoon of flour. Sift the flour to avoid lumps. And top your tarte with the mixture and put your tarte in pre-heated oven at 400°. Cook until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Served with a side of salad, it is one of my favorite simple dinner.

Bon Appétit !

Couscous

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:43:13 -0700

I woke up a morning and had this visceral need to eat a Couscous. It’s about the couscous but also the meat, the mix of spices and vegetables. Something to me that smells like home cooking and fills your stomach and your heart with this unforgettable comforting warmth.

I know in America when you talk about Couscous people look at you and asks themselves: “what’s so great about those grains?”
When I talk about Couscous, I talk not only about the grain, but the vegetable stew and meats that comes with it. In France we would call it a Couscous Royal when served with 3 types of meat (including Merguez)

The best Couscous I ever had was at a friends house few years ago, when I was still living in Paris. His parents were Moroccans and going to his house was always a treat. Of course, very similar to an Italian mother, his mother would always feed you whatever was cooking on the stove and if you were lucky enough you would be there for her famous Couscous.

I had to make Couscous, it can’t be that complicated!
I started remembering the smell, the texture of this wonderful dish and started writing down a list of ingredients for my shopping list.

Ingredients:
4 stalks of celery
3 carrots
1 onion
1 eggplant
2 turnips
1 green bell pepper
5 ripe tomatoes
1 can of chick peas (fresh one are better but will require more cooking time)
Parsley
Zucchini
Garlic
Raisins
Chicken broth
Harissa

3 Chicken legs (separate drumstick from thigh)
4 bone in lamb cutlets
I would use merguez for this dish but have lost my sausage maker to a move, so I left them out for this time. I make merguez with a mix of 1/2 lamb, 1/2 beef, paprika, harissa, sumac, garlic and shallots.

As far as the spice, the best would be to find Ras El Hanout which is a combination of 20-30 different spices used a lot in Northern African cooking. There are about as many different Ras El Hanout in Maghreb than cheeses in France. I couldn’t find any here in San Francisco, so I made my own blend of spices and recommend you do the same. It’s about mixing what you like and make sure it’s to your taste.

My spices (all in powder form or use a spice blender):
Cinnamon
Clove
Allspices
Caraway
Ginger
Cardamom
Nutmeg
Paprika
Turmeric
Saffron
Coriander
Cayenne Pepper
Sumac
and of course salt and pepper

I started by searing all my meat in my favorite stew pot with a bit of olive oil and then set them aside.
In the same pot I sauteed my onions thickly sliced and added the spices, let them bloom for a minute and deglaze the pan with chicken stock (you can use lamb stock too, I had some home-made chicken stock available, that’s what I used)
Then return the meat to the pot and add all your ingredients, except the Zucchini and the eggplant that I will add only at the end so they don’t get too moochy. Cover and let seamer until the meat is really tender and almost fall of the bone.
Then add your zucchini and eggplant, finish to cook for about 15 minutes.

Note: I cut my vegetables in 2” length, it looks better on the plate. As far as the spiciness of the dish, I make it pretty mild and serve it with a side of Harissa, letting my guest spicy it to their taste. I like it “I am crying it’s so hot”

All I could find in San Francisco is pre-cooked Couscous, which I don’t like because the grain really stick together a lot. I would soak the Couscous in chicken stock and then rub the grain in my hand with some oil or butter to separate and finish them by steaming them until nice and fluff.  Here I just cooked the Pre-cooked couscous in a bit of chicken stock.

Don’t be scared by the list of ingredients, this is not complicated dish to make and it’s so good. If you are looking for comfort food this is the best!
Tell me, when is the last time you said to your friends “come over I am making Moroccan style Couscous?”

Bon Appétit !

Quick tarte aux pommes

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 20:22:55 -0700

I always been good with cooking but for some reason never found a real passion for dessert. Don’t misunderstand me I love a good dessert but I find myself always intimidated with la patisserie. I am not sure why, I guess it requires a bit more discipline, things have to be measured and exact most of the time, when I cook, it seems I always throw things together and make them work.

This dessert is for the people like me who are not patissier at heart but want to make something quick to please their guest.
This is a simple as can be, a great recipe to do with your children or in few minutes if you have last minute guests coming over for dinner.

As you know already, I always have a stash of frozen puff pastry dough in my freezer. Convenient and quick, it’s something I would recommend for everyone to have.
Of course if you prefer to make your own puff pastry dough, it’s even better.

I start by making a compote, with 2 apples peeled and cored, and cook them on a medium heat with a bit of sugar and vanilla. You want the apples to get soft enough so you can break them apart with a fork making a thick apple sauce. If the sauce is too watery, just cook it a little longer to allow the extra-water to evaporate. Set aside and let cool off.

On a cookie sheet, I like to use a silicon sheet myself. You can find those in any good store nowadays.
Lay you small circle of dough that you have cut with a cookie cutter. I use a 3” 1/2 cookie cutter. Score the dough with a fork on the center so the dough won’t raise in the center.
Spread them with the apple compote, just a little layer is enough and layer on top some thinly sliced apples. I prefer to use a mandolin to get a very thin slice.
And jut put in the oven until golden brow, this shouldn’t take more than a few minutes in a 400° oven.

In a sauce pan, melt a couple table spoon of orange (or any other flavor) marmalade or jam. With a pastry brush lightly cover the apple pies with the melted marmalade. It will give a nice shiny gloss to your pies.

Your tartes aux pommes are ready to serve. This great for picnics or if you want something light for dessert. Dress them as you with with fresh fruit, or just a bit of powder sugar.

Bon Appétit !

Dinner with a Mexican flavor

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 20:46:46 -0700

Today, I spent the day unpacking boxes. I moved to a new apartment, not so far from my friends house. When after a whole day of intense labor my friend called me to invite me over for dinner it felt like someone was actually giving me the keys to heaven.

As I walked in already the smells of cooked bean with bacon filled my nostril like a breath of fresh air. I hadn’t time to eat that day and sitting down in front of this plate made my day.

My friend had simply marinated some chicken breast and pan fried them to a nice golden brown, finishing the cooking by deglazing the pan with some white wine.
He had also made a salad of roasted bell peppers and poblanos, with fresh corn in a cilantro and lime juice dressing. It was really good. So simple but the flavors worked so well together, the poblanos bringing a very gentle heat to the salad.

This meal comforting, the beans giving a nice earthy touch. The salade was fresh and delicious. The chicken was great!

This is my kind of meal and I am so glad I have such good friends to share they cooking talents with me!

Bon Appétit !

Clam chowder

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 20:24:43 -0700

As the weather in San Francisco as become a little fussy and our evenings are tuck into a thick fog, I had a need for something warm and comforting. I did my first shot at a clam chowder.

My favorite clam chowder was shared with some friends while on a road trip up the coast. We arrived starving in Crescent City and we found this diner who made clam chowder fresh every day. It was the best I ever had and I asked for the trick and the waitress looked at me and said: leeks!

Today on my first attempted at making a clam chowder, I first tried to think what I liked about it: thick, creamy, with a strong clam taste.

So here I started by sautéing 1/2 onion and 2 carrots brunoise (small dice) in a bit of butter, as the carrot became a bit tender I added my leeks, a bay leaf, salt and pepper and chopped garlic.

At the same time, I am steaming in a bit of white wine some baby clams I had found at the farmers market from Point Reyes oyster farm, $5 for 2 lbs!

Once the clams were all opened I drained them and saved the juice, filtered it for any sand or shells and added it to my pot. I added my diced potatoes as well as a little bit of vegetable stock just to cover. And cooked over medium heat.
Once my potatoes were almost done, I started a béchamel with some butter and instead of using milk I used heavy cream. When my béchamel was thick enough I added it to my soup and added the de-shelled clams. Seasoned it one more time.

A sprinkle of parsley on top, this was love in a plate! Served with a nice slice of Garlic bread, I am in heaven...

Bon Appétit!

A name change!

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 18:12:30 -0700

Hello everyone!

I had to make the painful decision to change my blog’s name. Lately, I have been seeing a lot of “One Bite At A Time” everywhere.

I hope you enjoy the new name and I feel this one is closer to what this blog represents.

Joie de table, meaning the pleasure of the table, will take you on a journey with me around the different tables I like to sit and enjoy a meal.

Bon Appétit!

Isabelle

Les Gastronomes du dimanche

Sun, 31 May 2009 18:44:58 -0700

This Sunday Les Gastronomes Du Dimanche had their second reunion. It is a hands-on convivial class I teach through the Alliance Française de San Francisco.

As always, I tried to keep the menu simple enough that my students can replicate it at home without having a nervous breakdown. This is a very simple menu.

We started by making a Terrine de saumon fumé, a smoke salmon terrine with a side of mache salad.
Then, I was asked for at the previous class to make a lapin a la moutarde, so I did.
And finished our meal with a Tarte Tatin.

We had a lot of fun in the kitchen and I was very impressed by everyone, even though cutting a rabbit in pieces can be challenging the first time.

Next month, I am planning on a summer filled menu so I hope to see you all next month.

To your kitchen Gastronomes!

Picnic

Sun, 24 May 2009 19:56:46 -0700

What do people do in San Francisco on a cold Sunday afternoon? We don’t let a little fog ruin our fun and another good reason to eat!!

We call all our friend and we go to Duboce park for a gourmet picnic. And when it gets too cold, then we drink a little bit more or get closer to each other.

It was actually my favorite as the park are not over crowded and with a good sweater, it was the perfect picnic.

I had prepared a Salade Niçoise. Using red leaf lettuce, slice tomatoes, bell peppers, cooked potatoes, green beans, hard boiled quail eggs, some homemade Tuna confit and niçoise olive, all that dressed in a vinaigrette. it was perfect.

I have a friend who made pain bagna, adding some greens to the recipe, it was delicious.

We washed all this down with sangria made with a lot of cognac. That kept us warm!

PS: Sorry if I don’t have the rest of the pictures, I think I got a bit tipsy and forgot all about it.

Bon Appétit

TERRINE DE SAUMON FUMÉ

Sun, 24 May 2009 19:29:43 -0700

I started making this recipe a while back. I can’t remember where I found it but I have a lot of fun with it every time. It’s very versatile an so easy to make.
Perfect for parties, picnic or even as an appetizer, the layers of salmon mouse and caviar wrapped in smoke salmon will always make happy people.

Ingredients:
2lbs smoked salmon
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup of heavy cream
parsley
chive
dill
lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

Extra: caviar, fish eggs (here I used Tobiko), asparagus...

Take a terrine mold and start by covering the inside with some plastic wrap. Then take your nicest slices of smoke salmon and lay them into the mold to cover the entire surface. It’s important to keep aside a few slice to cover the top of the terrine once it’s full.

In a food processor we’re going to make the mousse. Just put the rest of the smoke salmon, and mix until finely chopped. Then, slowly add the clarified butter and keep on mixing. To clarify butter just melt it in a sauce pan, when the butter is all melted you will notice a thin white layer on top of the butter, you need to remove it with a spoon, leaving you with only the fat, the yellow liquid.
Once the butter is added, add the cream and mix to a very creamy texture.
Taste it and add seasoning to your taste, I like to add pepper and lemon, the smoke salmon is usually salty enough.
Transfer the mousse to a bowl and add 1 cup of the chopped herbs and mix it to combine.

Going back to your mold, spread a nice layer of the mousse, then a layer of caviar or any fish eggs, you can also use cooked vegetable like asparagus. Top with another layer of mouse. I usually do only two layers but if you want more just feel free!

When your terrine is fool, fold back the smoke salmon on top, adding the extra slice to cover everything.

Then just refrigerate for about 30 minutes before you cut it, it will make it easier. Unmold it and serve it as is, or with a salad.

Note: the mousse is great to serve on toast if you are having a party, it makes great amuse bouches!

Bon Appétit

homemade tuna confit

Sat, 23 May 2009 20:00:48 -0700

There is nothing easier than to make your own Tuna confit.
Why buy a can of something filled with salt and emptied of flavor, when in a few minutes you can make your own?

Most tuna confit recipes are made on a stove top, I like to make mine in the oven, I close the door and come back 30 minutes later. Simple!

Take some tuna steak, season it and place in a terrine. Add flavoring: I used a crushed clove of garlic, a bay leaf and fresh thyme, but be creative! Try it with orange zest and pepper flakes, or ginger and lemongrass.

Place it in the oven at 300°, at least it’s what mine read. You want the oil to form little bubbles but not to fry the fish. If it bubbles more that champagne then the oil is too hot. If you are not sure just start at a lower temperature and you can always bring it up.

In 20-30 minute time your Tuna will be cooked. Let if cool off and then, put it in a salad, or in a sandwich, maybe it’s the best time to make tuna salad?
It will be so tender and flavorful, you will never buy a tuna can ever in your life!

Bon Appétit!

Summer BBQ

Sun, 17 May 2009 19:19:13 -0700

On this Sunday afternoon as the summer is showing its colors in the San Francisco sky, it was time for us to show its colors on our table.
A friend invited us for a BBQ, a last minute casual gathering with good friends.
I love this time of the year, I am such a BBQ girl, I think everything taste better cooked on a BBQ!

My friend had gone to his local mexican produce shop around the corner and found beautiful vegetables: Eggplant, bell pepper, some spring onions, scallion and Asparagus. We ended up grilling pretty much everything we found!
We had some ground lamb meat, corn and focaccia bread.

I whipped up quickly a tapenade, by putting black olives, anchovies, garlic and capers in a food processor, added a bit of olive oil, pepper and blended until I had a good consistency but not too smooth. You still want some chunk of olive in there. I think I like my tapenade not to thin, but spreadable on a toast.

For the rest, I think you can figure it out on your own, just olive oil, salt and pepper and on the grill. It’s a great way to roast the bell peppers!

For the Lamb burger I brushed the olive oil from the tapenade on the focaccia bread and grilled it for a bit. Topped it with an aioli, a couple slice of grilled eggplant, the burger, grilled red onions and on my top part of the bread I had spread the tapenade and put a nice slice of roasted bell pepper. I called that my Mediterranean burger!

With a side of grilled spring onion and asparagus and a nice glass of wine, that did hit the spot!

Bon Appétit!

Quick quiche

Tue, 12 May 2009 18:47:42 -0700

The picnic season is coming and this is a really simple recipe to make a wonderful quiche in a few minutes.
I had a leftover sheet of puff pastry in my freezer and some bacon and mushroom around the fridge just begging to be turned into something delicious.

I love this recipe because it’s a great way to use up leftover and you can replace the bacon and mushroom by anything you want, spinach, asparagus, dill and smoke salmon, Zucchini and goat cheese, roasted pell peppers and chorizo or potatoes, rosemary and brie... Anyway, you got the idea, it’s very versatile, so create your own!

In a pan, I first rendered my bacon. Actually this is lardon, thick cubes of bacon. But anything will do, if you have chorizo or ham it’s even better!
When the bacon is almost crisp, I add an onions chopped, then some minced garlic and mushrooms and sauté it all together until the mushrooms are cooked. Season to your taste, be careful as bacon can be already very salty, I added some herbes de provence just because I love the taste of it. Set a side to cool.

On a flat surface stretch your pastry sheet to fit the pie mold you have. Make sure you score bottom part of your dough with a fork. When you are working with puff pastry that will prevent the dough to rise in the middle of your pie. You can use other dough of course, this one is my favorite, first because I think it make the quiche a lot lighter and second because I always have a sheet or two in my freezer.

In a mixing bowl break 4 eggs, whisk in about 1/4 cup of heavy cream, and about 2 tablespoon of sifted flour. When the mixture is homogenized. Season it with a bit of salt and pepper. I like to add a bit of flour to my mixture as I have notice it make the quiche less eggy and a bit lighter.

Place the bacon/mushroom mixture in the bottom of your pie and cover with the egg batter and top with some Beaufort (or any other gruyere cheese).

Put your quiche in a 400° pre-heated oven and bake until nice and golden brown. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.

I served mine with a mache salad, it’s perfect for brunch, dinner or a picnic. If you have a party and you want to invest the time you can make mini-quiche that will impress everyone!

Bon Appétit!

SPQR

Sun, 10 May 2009 18:04:23 -0700

You know how I have how been raving about A16! Nate Appleman opened a couple years ago A16’s little sister SPQR. Faithful to his recipe of using the best local ingredients, in-house-made pasta and all animal parts, Chef Appleman give us a wonderful neighborhood gem focused on Roman cuisine.
On this Sunday early afternoon, the restaurant was nicely buzzing, Executive Sous-chef Huw Thornton was at the pass expediting and also convivially greeting the patrons.
As usual, we sat at the bar keeping a tight eye on the kitchen, where the magic happens!

Just a look at the Antipasti and I wanted to order everything, thanks to SPQR to offer a $21 for 3 antipasti, this made my choice much easier.
We started with the Fennel, radishes, chick pea salad, topped with tuna confit and bread crumbs enough to give the salad an extra crunch. This was light and fresh, a great way to start our meal, the Tuna was excellent! A recipe that I have made mine since and took home. It’s the perfect side to any grilled meat and perfect for the up-coming picnic season!
Then we shared the Zuppa with porcini mushroom bread dumplings. I loved the texture of the dumplings, the broth was rich and so flavorful.
Of course, if I see animal parts on the the menu, I have to have it. Yes, I am weird this way. I do believe it takes a great chef to treat these animal parts and make them supreme dishes. We had the beef tongue with pickled horseradish crema. It’s was splendid. And followed with the pork heart with cumin, black pepper and lemon. You have to try this dish, if you have never have heart before, get over it and you will discover something really amazing. Chapeau to the chef!!

We also share the Asparagus with spring onion, green garlic and grated egg. A perfect side dish.
And finished with the Potato an sausage Frico with fried chile and two eggs. This was definitely a brunch item that you can’t ignore.

We left the restaurant happy, a smile on our face. This is a great place for anyone in search of true rustic Italian food. SPQR is open for lunch and dinners and would recommend it for both. It’s small size, make it more romantic if you are on a date.

Summary: I haven’t yet found a dish I didn’t like on SPQR’s menu! Everything is fresh and seasonal and it just breath Italy. There wine list is quite interesting too.
I will highly recommend it. Bill for 2$: $104 (with a lot of food and wine)

ZarÉ At Fly Trap

Fri, 8 May 2009 14:46:51 -0700

As hard it is to give a bad review, I find it even harder today to write a review on Zaré at Fly trap. I guess I am scared to not do justice to the amazing experience I had there on Friday night.

I do apologies for the pictures that do not reflect the quality of the food, I had to use the flash and most of the colors got faded away.

The BF and I were on a date, happy to have found a moment together. We were seated immediately and there started our dinning journey.
We had a couple cocktail to work up our appetite but as soon as a plate caught the corner of my eyes, I knew we were in for a treat.

On our menu:
Amuse bouche of Smoked Salmon
Pistachio meatballs
Cucumber “linguini” with smoked trout
Baby octopus and calamari
Cinnamon braised lamb tongue
Smoked pheasant salad
Spice roasted bone marrow
Single bone short rib
Side of brussels sprouts
Profiterole
and I can remember the name of the last dessert but I’ll will call it Zaré’s greek yogurt with honey.

I was impressed by every and each dishes that was served that night. First because you can find Chef Zaré in his food, his influence, his style and his origins. The food is simple yet very subtle. Starting from that pistachio meatball. It was so moist, the pomegranate glaze added just a hint of acidity to the dish. The cucumber “linguini” was so fresh. The cucumber were thinly julienned giving it the aspect of pasta. Dressed with a very delicate creamy dressing and topped with smoked trout and roe. This was a beautiful dish. I am actually stealing this idea and you’ll see it probably very often on my table during the summer.
The baby octopus and calamari were perfectly cooked laid on a bed of frisée, topped with roasted red and yellow peppers. Again, such a simple dish, but so flavorful. The salad was superbly dressed.
Next, was the lamb tongue and yes I can see you wondering what is wrong with me. But if you have not tried this dish yet, you have to go right now to Fly Trap! Trust me, this is the best lamb tongue I have ever had. It was so tender, almost falling apart. The acidity from the apples chutney as well as the spices brought this dish to another level. It was just brilliant.
The pheasant salad was delicious, dressed with a pomegranate vinaigrette.
Then of course, the bone marrow, served with a bergamot preserve, persian pickles and toast. It was so good, this was definitely a foodgasm for me.
At that point I am in food heaven. I have a smile form ear to ear and like a child opening her presents on christmas I am just impatiently waiting for the next course.
The short rib with the saffron risotto was again such a simple dish, the meat was amazingly cooked, and though at this point I couldn’t eat anymore as I though my pants were going to rip apart, the creaminess of the risotto got me coming back to the plate again and again.

As a desert I would definitely recommend the greek yogurt, dish that I can’t remember the name! It is so smooth and set in with a bit of gelatin giving it almost the texture of a pana cotta. This was again, absolutely delicious and surprising as most of the dishes we had that night. You expect something very simple and it is in so many way but the creativity of Chef Zaré gives it a unexpected twist, creating an unforgettable dish!
The texture was just phenomenal!

I, of course, can write hours about this meal, and will still be talking about it in months. I found Chef Hoss Zaré very inspiring, in his kitchen as well as in his food or in his restaurant were you can see him at times mingling with his guests.

One thing I haven’t talk about was the service. I have to say that the service was excellent, from the young delightful waitress to the bus boys, every one had a smile and were so pleasant, it made the experience even better.

Summary: If you haven’t find your way to Zaré at Fly Trap, it is time! Not only you will be charmed by the place but you will be amazed by the service and the food. I highly recommend this restaurant and can’t wait to go back myself!

BouchÉ À la reine

Mon, 4 May 2009 20:11:15 -0700

If your French you have probably grown up with this. Les Bouchés à la reine are one of those old French recipe that you can still find in pretty much every traiteur in France.
This puff pastry cup is filled with a chicken and vegetables in a béchamel. It’s a bit the French version of a chicken pot pie.
I hadn’t made this recipe in a long time and working this weekend with puff pastry, it got me thinking about les bouchés à la reine.

This version is made with chicken but you can substitute it for seafood, clams, scallops are the most commun.

Start by cooking two chicken breast in a pan. You want to get some color on the meat but you want to keep it almost pink in the middle. Take them out of the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add a mirepoix (1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, 1/2 onion) cook on a medium heat until they are fork tender. Add some salt and pepper, a 1/2 cup of white wine and let the wine reduce.
Then add 1 1/2 cup of mushroom, today I only found some brown mushroom but any will do. I love using morels for this dish!
Add a cup of chicken stock, a handful of fresh peas and let reduce.

Most people would start the béchamel in the same pan, but I find easier to do it aside, as I can get the right consistency.
I made my béchamel with butter, flower and heavy cream for this recipe. I like the consistency to be on the thick side so it doesn’t make the puff pastry soggy as I serve it.

Add the chicken diced back to the pan and add the béchamel on top and mix over a low heat. The chicken should just finish cooking for a couple minutes. I have noticed that adding it at the last minute will keep the meat moist.

For the puff pastry cup, you want to use 2 sheets on top of one another. Make sure you rub the dough with some water to have them stick to one another. Then use a cookie cutter and carve 4 circles. Using a smaller cookie cutter you want to mark the top of the dough, as seen on the picture, but don’t push it all the way. This will allow the top to separate and will make it easier for you to cut it off. Brush with an egg wash, sprinkle with a bit of herbes de provence and put them in the oven at 420° until golden brown.
Then with scissors remove the top and cut the inside if there is extra dough in the center leaving more room for the filling.

Add some fresh chopped parsley and garlic to the Bechamel/chicken mixture and fill in your bouché à la reine. Top with a little gruyere and broil for few seconds.

Serve with a nice salad.

Bon Appétit!

Tarte Tatin

Sat, 2 May 2009 19:02:47 -0700

This upside down apple tart got its name from two sisters, Stephanie and Caroline Tatin. It is told that one of the sister wanting to make an apple tart forgot the crust and decide to put it on top.
This is one of the easiest desert to make and a perfect end to a dinner.

Ingredients:
8 apples
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of sugar
a handful of raspberry
Flavoring, I put some rosemary and vanilla in mine, as well as a bit of cognac. Feel free to follow your heart on this one, I am sure orange zest, or cinnamon would be great too.
Puff pastry dough. I used the store-bought one. Of course if you want to make your own dough it will be even better. I have found that puff pastry is my favorite and getting a bit lazy on a Saturday afternoon, the one I had in my freezer would do!

First melt the butter and the sugar and your flavoring on a medium heat. Let it caramelize until it starts turning brown. Remove the pan from the heat.
Place your apples, make sure you peel them and remove the core, and line them up on their side. Since the apples will shrink while cooking make sure you pack up the pan very tight. Cook on a medium heat for about 20-30 or until the apples are fork tender. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes.

Pre-heat your oven at 400°.

Cut a circular shape in your dough about 1 inch bigger than your pan. I added a handful of raspberry to fill in the holes, I have been told that using dried fruits like apricots is very good too!
Place the dough on top of your apples making sure you are tucking in the dough on the side. The dough will shrink a bit in the oven. You want to make 3 little holes in your dough to let the steam evaporate.
Put your pan in the oven and bake until the dough is nice and golden brown.

Pull your Tarte Tatin out of the oven and let it cool off.
I usually flip it just before I am going to serve it. I have noticed that the juices from the fruits soften the crust a bit much if you flip it in advance. Just garnish it with some fresh fruits, or just serve it as is.

Bon Appétit!

Note: if you have leftover dough, just cut it with a small cookie cutter and brush them with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with a teaspoon of water) and you’ll have some petit fours. Cut the top of with scissors and fill them with creamy cheese, or anything you want, you’ll see it’s amazing: Morel sauce, smoked salmon mouse, goat cheese and figs... tell me what’s in yours!

Nopales salad

Fri, 1 May 2009 20:48:22 -0700

With cinco de mayo around the corner on this Friday night I felt like eating something with the color of Mexico.

I found some beautiful Nopales. There are so cheap and so delicious. A nice salad would be perfect.

Ingredients:
Nopales
2 red bell peppers
5 radishes
4 tomatoes
1/2 red onion
1 ear of corn
garlic
cilantro
limes

I made a dressing with lime juice and olive oil, salt and pepper and a bit of garlic and chopped cilantro.

Then roasted the bell peppers on top of the stove, if you have another source of open flame it’s better, but your gas stove will work too! I usually roast them until the entire skin is black and stick them in a plastic bag to cool off. Make sure the plastic bag is tightly closed, it will act like a steamer and will make it easier for you to peel of the skin off.

Clean the nopales and scrap the needle off with your knife. Rub them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and set them on the grill until fork tender.

Chop the tomatoes and the onion. Slice the radishes thinly and by running your knife along the corn remove the kernel. Add your skinned and sliced bell peppers as well as your sliced Nopales. Mix and serve.

I serve this salad with some grill lamb marinated in lime and cilantro. It was a perfect!

Bon Appétit!