Orangette: Bouchons au Thon (Tuna Corks)

Need something cute for your ladies brunch?  This is it.  I promise they're delicious.  And they take almost no time at all to prepare.  You can serve them with a beautiful green salad, although I must admit that they are perfect with a big squirt of ketchup on top.

Bouchons au Thon (Tuna Corks)
Adapted from Orangette

1 (6.4-ounce) pouch albacore tuna in water, drained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
5 tablespoons crème fraîche
3 large eggs
1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
4 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup minced green onion

Preheat the oven to 325°F, and spray 8 wells of a muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, break up the tuna with a fork, smashing it to a rough paste. Add the tomato paste, crème fraîche, eggs, gruyère, salt,  cayenne pepper, garlic, parsley, basil, and onion, and mix well. The batter should be relatively smooth.

Spoon the batter evenly into 8 wells of the muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, until set and golden around the edges.

Serves 4 as a light meal with side dishes

Taimeiken: Omuraisu (Japanese Rice Omelet)

The Japanese have some very interesting ideas about food.  Take this omelet for instance.  Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but they put rice in the omelet.  And ketchup.  Ketchup is apparently the coolest thing ever.  And somehow it all just works.  Plus, you get to use up that leftover takeout white rice.

Omuraisu (Japanese Rice Omelet)
Adapted from Taimeiken restaurant in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo

4 green onions, finely chopped
1 large white button mushroom cap, chopped
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided use
2½ tablespoons ketchup
½ cup cooked and cooled short- or medium-grain white rice
2 teaspoons sake or white wine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs

Melt 2 teaspoons of butter in a small frying pan.  Saute the onion for a few minutes, then add the mushroom, and then finally the bacon.  When the onions in the pan become semi-transparent, season with the ketchup.  Add the cooked rice, sake, and a dash of salt and pepper.  Saute until done, then turn off the heat and leave in the frying pan.

Break the eggs into a bowl, beat lightly, then add a little salt and pepper.  Heat a 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, and melt the remaining 2 teaspoons of butter.  Pour in the egg mixture.  Spread it around quickly with 3 broad strokes while moving the frying pan back and forth.  When the egg is half done, place the rice mixture on it, a little on the far side of center.  Take the frying pan off the heat, then tip the pan a little to make the half of the thin omelet near you flip over the rice mixture.  Raise one side of the frying pan a little, and tap the handle to roll the omelet, gradually wrapping the rice inside the omelet.  Keep tapping until the edges of the omelet come to the top, then change the position of your hands on the frying pan handle and tip the omelet onto a plate so that the edges are tucked underneath.  Decorate with a squiggle of ketchup.

Makes 1 omelet

Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Fricassée de Poulet à l’Ancienne (Old-Fashioned Chicken Fricassee with Wine-Flavored Cream Sauce, Onions, and Mushrooms)

Recently I find myself reading quite a bit about Julia Child, and I'm actually quite fascinated by the fact 1) she married late (maybe there's still hope!), and 2) that she basically didn't learn how to cook until she was in her 30's. Now, I like to think that I know how to cook, and I'm not quite 30 yet, but that also means I have plenty of time to become exceptional at what I do, and that's always encouraging.  The first thing I did was to rush to the local library and procure a copy of her masterpiece.  I sat in the library, reading the cookbook, much to the dismay of my fellow patrons, who I'm sure were giving me she's-actually-READING-a-cookbook looks.

While the recipe took over an hour to finish, and about a bizillion pots, by the time it was finished, I was wiping the drool off my chin. And you know what? Julia was right. It was the richest, chickeniest chicken I think I may ever have eaten. It was tender and concentrated and heavenly.  So now I'm in a quandry. If that recipe turned out so magnificently, wouldn't all the others? And shouldn't I try them??

Fricassée de Poulet à l’Ancienne (Old-Fashioned Chicken Fricassee with Wine-Flavored Cream Sauce, Onions, and Mushrooms)
From Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck

2½ to 3 pounds of cut-up frying chicken
1 thinly sliced onion, carrot, and celery stalk
4 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups boiling white chicken stock, white stock, or canned chicken bouillon
1 cup dry white wine or ⅔ cup dry white vermouth
A small herb bouquet: 2 parsley sprigs, ⅓ bay leaf, and ⅛ teaspoon thyme tied in washed cheesecloth
16 to 20 Oignons Glacés à Blanc (White-Braised Onions)
Champignons à Blanc (Stewed Mushrooms)
2 egg yolks
½ cup whipping cream
Drops of lemon juice
Pinch of nutmeg
1 to 2 tablespoons softened butter
Sprigs of fresh parsley

Dry the chicken thoroughly in a towel.

Cook the onion, carrot, and celery slowly in the butter in a Dutch oven for about 5 minutes, or until they are almost tender but not browned.  Push them to one side.  Raise the heat slightly, and add the chicken.  Turn it every minute for 3 to 4 minutes until the meat has stiffened slightly, without coloring to more than a light golden yellow.  Lower the heat, cover, and cook very slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.  It should swell slightly, stiffen more, but not deepen in color.

Sprinkle salt, pepper, and flour on all sides of the chicken, turning and rolling each piece to coat the flour with the cooking butter.  Cover and continue cooking slowly for 4 minutes, turning it once.  Remove from heat and pour in the boiling liquid, shaking the pot to blend the liquid and flour.  Add the wine, the herb bouquet, and more stock, or water, so the liquid just covers the chicken.  Bring to the simmer.  Taste for seasoning, and salt lightly if necessary.  Cover and maintain at a slow simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.  The chicken is done when the drumsticks are tender if pinched and the chicken juices run clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork.  When done, remove the chicken to a side dish.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.  Add their cooking juices to the chicken cooking sauce in the next step.

Simmer the cooking liquid in the pot for 2 to 3 minutes, skimming off fat.  Then raise heat and boil rapidly, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces and thickens enough to coat a spoon nicely.  Correct seasoning.  You should have 2 to 2½ cups.

Blend the egg yolks and cream in a mixing bowl with a wire whisk.  Continue beating, and add the hot sauce by small tablespoonfuls until about a cupful has gone in.  Beat in the rest of the sauce in a thin stream.  Pour the sauce back into the pot, or into an enameled or stainless steel saucepan (do not use aluminum).  Set over moderately high heat and, stirring constantly, reach all over the bottom and sides of the pot, until the sauce comes to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute, stirring.  Correct seasoning, adding drops of lemon juice to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.  Strain the sauce through a fine sieve.

Arrange the chicken, and the onion and mushroom garniture, in the pot.  Pour the sauce over it.  Set the pot over moderate heat and bring to the simmer.  Cover and simmer very slowly for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is hot through, basting it frequently with the sauce.

Off heat and just before serving, tilt pot, add enrichment butter, and baste the chicken with the sauce until the butter has absorbed into it.  Serve the chicken from the pot; or arrange it with the onions and mushrooms on a hot platter, surrounded with rice or noodles, and covered with the sauce.  Decorate with sprigs of fresh parsley.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Oignons Glacés à Blanc (White-Braised Onions)
18 to 24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter
½ cup white stock, canned chicken broth, dry white wine, or water
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
A small herb bouquet: 2 parsley sprigs, ⅛ teaspoon thyme, and ⅓ bay leaf tied in cheesecloth

Place the onions in a heavy skillet with the liquid, butter, seasonings, and herb bouquet.  Cover and simmer very slowly, rolling the onions in the saucepan from time to time, for 40 to 50 minutes.  The onions should not color, and should be perfectly tender yet retain their shape.  If all the liquid evaporates during the cooking, add more by spoonfuls as necessary.  Remove herb bouquet.

Champignons à Blanc (Stewed Mushrooms)
½ pound fresh mushrooms
⅔ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

Trim and wash the mushrooms.  Bring the water, salt, lemon juice, and butter to the boil in a 6-cup saucepan.  Add the mushrooms and toss to cover them with the liquid.  Cover and boil moderately fast, tossing frequently, for 5 minutes.  Set aside until ready to use.

Cooking Light: Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

Christmas never really seems like Christmas unless there's some peppermint in something. And since I live in Texas, Christmas also means ice cream cake. Yes, while the rest of the country, except perhaps Florida, is wrapped in a blanket of snow, my family happily eats ice cream cake at the end of December.

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake
From Cooking Light magazine, December 2005

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
¾ cup boiling water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups low-fat peppermint ice cream, softened
3 cups frozen whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
8 peppermint candies, crushed (such as Starlite mints)
Preheat oven to 350°F.  Coat two (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.  Line bottom of each pan with wax paper.

Combine cocoa, water, and butter, stirring with a whisk until blended.  Cool.

Combine sugars in a large bowl, stirring well until blended.  Add eggs; beat 2 minutes or until light and creamy.  Add cocoa mixture, and beat for 1 minute.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually add flour mixture to bowl; beat for 1 minute or until blended.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Remove from pans.  Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for 2 hours or until slightly frozen.

Spread ice cream in an 8-inch round cake pan lined with plastic wrap.  Cover and freeze for 4 hours or until firm.

To assemble cake, place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a cake pedestal.  Remove ice cream layer from freezer; remove plastic wrap.  Place ice cream layer, bottom side up, on top of cake layer.  Top with remaining cake layer.

Combine whipped topping and peppermint extract, and stir until blended.  Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.  Sprinkle with crushed peppermints.  Freeze until ready to serve.  Let cake stand at room temperature 10 minutes before slicing.

Southern Living: Light Fruitcake

When I was growing up, I always thought fruitcake was this nasty brick full of dyed fruits that people sent you when they didn't like you very much.  I mean, the fruitcake is definitely the butt of a ridiculous amount of mockery, and it's hard not to absorb that as a child.  So I never ate a bite of fruitcake growing up.  It wasn't until I actually knew someone who wanted me to make them one and was willing to vouch for its deliciousness that I dared to try it.  And you know what?  It's actually pretty good, provided you use actual dried fruit and not neon-colored chemistry experiments.  And like any good recipe, you can use whatever fruit you like (I'm thinking maybe some dried mango or papaya? cranberries instead of cherries?), as long as you try to stick to the general vicinity of the recipe.

Note:  I actually made half of this recipe and cooked it up in a 9x5-inch loaf pan.  The baking time was about half.  So, if you don't have an army of fruitcake lovers hovering at the kitchen door, this is an option.  I eyeballed the half an egg.  Grease the pan really well so the cake doesn't stick.

Light Fruitcake
Adapted from Southern Living: 1990 Annual Recipes

1½ cups unsalted butter, softened

1½ cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond extract

7 large eggs, separated

3 cups all-purpose flour

1½ pounds diced candied pineapple (about 3 cups)

1 pound dried tart cherries (about 2 cups)

¼ pound diced candied orange peel (about ½ cup)

½ pound golden raisins (about 1½ cups)

3 cups pecan halves

1 cup black walnuts, coarsely chopped

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup brandy

Additional brandy

Make a liner for a 10-inch tube-pan by drawing a circle with an 18-inch diameter on a piece of brown paper. Cut out circle; set pan in center, and draw around base of pan and inside tube. Fold circle into eighths, having the drawn lines on the outside. Cut off tip end of circle along inside drawn line. Unfold paper; cut along folds to the outside drawn line. From another piece of brown paper, cut another circle with a 10-inch diameter; grease and set aside. Place the 18-inch liner in pan; grease and set aside.

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Stir in flavorings. Beat egg yolks; alternately add yolks and 3 cups flour to creamed mixture. Combine candied pineapple, cherries, citron, golden raisins, pecans, and walnuts in a bowl; dredge with ½ cup flour, stirring to coat well. Stir mixture into batter. Beat egg whites (at room temperature) until stiff peaks form; fold into butter. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Cover pan with 10-inch brown paper circle, greased side down.

Bake at 250°F for about 4 hours or until cake tests done. Remove from oven. Take off paper cover, and slowly pour ¼ cup brandy evenly over cake; cool completely on wire rack. Remove cake from pan; peel paper liner from cake. Wrap cake in brandy-soaked cheesecloth. Store in an airtight container in a cool place up to 3 weeks; pour a small amount of brandy over cake each week.

Makes one 10-inch cake

Giada de Laurentiis: Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

These may be my favorite things ever.  And who thought you could love Brussels sprouts this much?  I know they can be stinky and bitter, but when slowly cooked in chicken stock and pancetta, something magical happens.  I've even gotten Brussels sprouts haters to rethink their positions with this one.

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
From Giada de Laurentiis

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup chicken broth

Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until beginning to crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and sauté until heated through and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 3 minutes. Serve.

Makes 4 servings

Bon Appétit: Tom Colicchio's Herb-Butter Turkey

This year I decided to do something new with my turkey.  I saw a delicious-looking recipe that involved a lot of butter and a lot of herbs.  Didn't sound like it could possibly go wrong.  That much butter is never wrong.  And it certainly wasn't.  The turkey was incredibly moist and had a wonderful flavor.  It does take quite a bit of coddling, but I think in this case it ends up being worth it.

Tom Colicchio's Herb-Butter Turkey
Adapted from Bon Appétit magazine, November 2005

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme plus 15 fresh thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon plus 5 large fresh tarragon sprigs
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary plus 5 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage plus 5 fresh sage sprigs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14- to 16-pound) turkey

4 cups chicken broth

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Mix ½ cup butter and all minced herbs in small bowl; season herb butter with salt and pepper. Transfer 2 generous tablespoons to another small bowl and reserve for gravy; let stand at room temperature.

Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 425°F. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Starting at neck end, slide hand between skin and breast meat to loosen skin. Rub 4 tablespoons herb butter over breast meat under skin. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Sprinkle main cavity generously with salt and pepper. Place 4 tablespoons plain butter and all fresh herb sprigs in main cavity. Tuck wing tips under. Tie legs together loosely. Rub remaining herb butter over outside of turkey. Sprinkle turkey generously with salt and pepper.

Place turkey in oven and roast 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Roast turkey 30 minutes; pour 1 cup broth over and add 1 tablespoon plain butter to roasting pan. Roast turkey 30 minutes; baste with pan juices, then pour 1 cup broth over and add 1 tablespoon butter to pan. Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, basting with pan juices and adding 1 cup broth and 1 tablespoon butter to pan every 45 minutes, about 1 hour 45 minutes longer. Transfer turkey to platter; let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees).

Strain pan juices into bowl. Melt reserved 2 tablespoons herb butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat; add flour and whisk constantly until roux is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Gradually add pan juices; increase heat and whisk constantly until gravy thickens, boils, and is smooth. Reduce heat to medium; boil gently until gravy is reduced to 4½ cups, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper.

Allrecipes: Pear Pie with Crumb Topping

This year for Thanksgiving I decided to make my pear pie again. I absolutely love this pie, probably even more than apple pie. And since fall is such a good time for pears, it works out well. I choose green Anjou pears for the pie, and I think they worked really well this time around, staying slightly firm even after cooking.

Pear Pie with Crumb Topping

Adapted from allrecipes.com

½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
1 dash ground nutmeg
6 cups thinly sliced peeled pears (about 8 pears)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell

Topping:
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup cold unsalted butter

Combine filling ingredients; spoon into pastry shell. The pie will appear very full. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes. For topping, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling. Bake 40 minutes longer. Cover edges with foil if necessary.

Julia Child: Sole Meunière

This recipe almost seems too simple to be true.  The fish is just quickly fried in butter with some lemon and parsley at the end.  And this is also the dish transcendental dish that gave us the Julia Child we all know and love.  Is it truly perfection?  For all of its simplicity, I'm going to have to say yes.  Everything is so perfectly balanced: just slightly crisp fish, rich butter, tart lemon.

Sole Meunière
Adapted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child

4 to 6 skinless, boneless fillets Dover sole

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
About 4 tablespoons clarified butter
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Dry the fish, trim and flatten it. Lay it out on a sheet of wax paper.

Dust the fillets lightly on each side with salt and pepper. The moment before sauteing, rapidly drop each into the flour to coat both sides, and shake off the excess. Set the frying pan over high heat and film with ⅟16-inch of clarified butter. When the butter is very hot, but not browning, rapidly lay in as many fillets as will fit easily, leaving a little space between each. Sauté a minute or two on one side, turn carefully so as not to break the fillet, and sauté a minute or two on the other side. The fish is done when just springy rather than squashy to the touch of your finger. Immediately remove from the pan to warm plates or a platter. (Or, if you are sauteing in 2 batches, keep the first warm for the few minutes necessary in a 200ºF oven.

Sprinkle each fillet with parsley. Wipe the frying pan clean, set over high heat, and add the fresh butter, heat until bubbling and pour over fillets - the parsley will bubble up nicely. Decorate with lemon wedges, and serve at once.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Simply Recipes: Bayerisches Sauerkraut (Bavarian Sauerkraut) and Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat (Swabian-Style German Potato Salad)

Since the local Oktoberfest celebration is a little bit expensive, and a lot unappetizing, I decided that this year we should celebrate at home with better food and less money out of pocket. The traditional fare was a must, so I scoured the internet for some decent recipes, mostly trying to find a replica of the amazing sauerkraut I've had at this little German restaurant down near Ft. Hood, TX. I think the main difference is cooking the sauerkraut with juniper berries, so that's what I concentrated on. I also managed to dig up a pretty decent recipe for hot potato salad that turned out rather scrumptious, so two thumbs up. I visited Kuby's down near Southern Methodist University to get some fresh sausages, both weisswurst and bratwurst, along with a jar of cooked red cabbage and German mustard.

Bayerisches Sauerkraut (Bavarian Sauerkraut)

Adapted from Simply Recipes

1 (16-ounce) jar sauerkraut

1 cup white wine, such as Riesling

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup peeled and chopped apple

10 juniper berries

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Place sauerkraut in a pot.  Add wine, onion, apple, juniper berries, caraway seeds, salt, pepper, and oil. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the onions are soft.

Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat (Swabian-Style German Potato Salad)
From cooks.com

4 large potatoes

4 slices applewood smoked bacon
½ cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

⅓ cup water

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon or whole grain mustard

Slice potatoes thinly, leaving peel on for rustic look. Boil in a large pot of water until nearly tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain.

Chop bacon into small pieces. In a large skillet, cook bacon until nearly done. Add onions, and sauté until soft. Sprinkle flour in skillet, and stir to incorporate flour into fat. Sprinkle with sugar, and add water, vinegar, and mustard. Cook until sauce thickens. You may need to adjust the levels of vinegar, mustard, and sugar until the right taste is achieved. Add potatoes and heat just until warm. Serve hot.