Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Potage Crème de Cresson (Cream of Watercress Soup)

My mom was a little wary of this soup, as we have never had watercress. I know it's some fancy herb they add to salads at overpriced restaurants, but I've never actually eaten it. I managed to find some at the specialty market, but I couldn't make the soup until a week after I had bought the watercress. By that point, half the watercress was yellow or turning to slime, so I was afraid I'd have to trash the stuff and start over. Luckily I was able to rescue just enough tender green leaves to complete the soup.

Potage Crème de Cresson (Cream of Watercress Soup)
From Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck

⅓ cup minced green onions, or yellow onions
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 to 4 packed cups of fresh watercress leaves and tender stems, washed and dried in a towel
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5½ cups boiling white stock or canned chicken broth
2 large egg yolks
½ cup whipping cream
1 to 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

Cook the onions slowly in the butter in a covered saucepan for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender and translucent but not browned.  Stir in the watercress and salt, cover, and cook slowly for about 5 minutes or until the leaves are tender and wilted. Sprinkle in the flour and stir over moderate heat for 3 minutes.  Off heat, beat in the boiling stock. Simmer for 5 minutes, then puree through a food mill.  Return to saucepan and correct seasoning.

Blend the yolks and cream in a mixing bowl. Beat a cupful of hot soup into them by driblets. Gradually beat in the rest of the soup in a thin stream. Return soup to saucepan and stir over moderate heat for a minute or two to poach the egg yolks, but do not bring the soup to a simmer. Off heat, stir in the enrichment butter a tablespoon at a time.

Makes 6 servings

Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Potage Veloute Aux Champignons (Cream of Mushroom Soup)

I have to admit, this is probably my favorite soup. I love mushrooms with a passion that is probably unhealthy. And nothing can be better than mushrooms in a creamy broth. Except maybe more mushrooms.  Since Julia didn't specify what type of mushrooms to use, I'm assuming that American housewives used regular white button mushrooms in the 60's.

The soup is earthy and incredibly rich. This one can definitely be a meal in itself, with a chunk of good bread on the side. I've noticed that most of Julia's soup recipes serve six to eight people, but I think it's really maybe four modern servings. Yes, we are gluttons now, but who can help it with soups like this?

Potage Veloute Aux Champignons (Cream of Mushroom Soup)
From Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck

¼ cup minced onions
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups boiling white stock or chicken stock; or canned chicken broth and 2 parsley sprigs, ⅓ bay leaf, and ⅛ teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
The chopped stems from ¾ to 1 pound fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
The thinly sliced caps from ¾ to 1 pound fresh mushrooms
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 large egg yolks
½ to ¾ cup whipping cream
1 to 3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

Cook the onions slowly in the butter for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are tender but not browned.  Add the flour and stir over moderate heat for 3 minutes without browning.  Off heat, beat in the boiling stock or broth and blend it thoroughly with the flour.  Season to taste.  Stir in the mushroom stems, and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes or more, skimming occasionally.  Strain, pressing juices out of mushroom stems.  Return the soup to the pan.

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a separate saucepan.  When it is foaming, toss in the mushroom caps, salt, and lemon juice.  Cover and cook slowly for 5 minutes.  Pour the mushroom caps and their cooking juices into the strained soup base.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

Beat the egg yolks and cream in a mixing bowl. Then beat in hot soup by spoonfuls until a cup has been added. Gradually stir in the rest. Correct seasoning.  Return the soup to the pan and stir over moderate heat for a minute or two to poach the egg yolks, but do not let the soup come near the simmer. Off heat, stir in the butter by tablespoons.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Cocolat: Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

I have this problem.  See, I can never keep myself from buying a cookbook if it is full of pictures of chocolate cakes.  It's like a disease.  I HAVE to have the cookbook if it causes drool to spill down my chin.  And then I inevitably spend more time drooling over it than actually cooking from it.

I made an effort to break the cycle.  Well, at least break the cycle of not using my cookbooks to cook from.  This recipe came from a rather luscious chocolate cookbook from none other than Alice Medrich, and the resulting practically-flourless cake was absolutely divine.

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
From Cocolat by Alice Medrich

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs, separated
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup (2 ounces) ground toasted hazelnuts
¼ cup (1 ounce) all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze
12 plain hazelnuts, chopped, for decoration

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Line the bottom of an 8x3-inch round cake pan or springform pan with a circle of parchment or waxed paper.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a small bowl placed in a barely simmering water bath on low heat, stirring occasionally until completely melted.  Remove from heat.  Or, microwave on MEDIUM (50%) for about 2 minutes.  Stir until smooth and completely melted.

Beat egg yolks with ½ cup of sugar until pale and thick.  Stir in warm chocolate mixture, ground nuts, and flour.  Set aside.

Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until soft peaks form.  Gradually sprinkle in remaining ¼ cup sugar, beating at high speed until stiff but not dry.  Fold one-fourth of whites into chocolate batter to lighten it.  Quickly fold in remaining whites.  Turn mixture into prepared pan and smooth top if necessary.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or wooden skewer plunged into center of torte shows moist crumbs.

Cool torte completely in pan on a rack.  It will have risen and then fallen in the center, leaving a higher rim of cake around the sides and possibly some cracking.  Level and unmold torte onto an 8-inch corrugated cake circle.  Torte may be completed to this point, wrapped and kept at room temperature up to 3 days in advance.  Or freeze for up to 3 months.  Let come to room temperature before glazing.

Glaze with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze.  Decorate with chopped hazelnuts.  Do not refrigerate.

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Place chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a small bowl.  Melt gently in a water bath over low heat, stirring frequently until almost completely melted.  Do not overheat the glaze; there is no need to warm it above 120°F.  Remove glaze from the water bath and set aside to finish melting, stirring once or twice until glaze is perfectly smooth.  Or, melt in a microwave on MEDIUM (50%) for about 2 minutes.  Stir mixture gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until completely smooth; do not whisk or beat.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée (Onion Soup Gratinéed with Cheese)

I was really excited to try this recipe. Who wouldn't be? French onion soup is everywhere, most of it bad, so I wanted to try the authentic article.  I did veer away from Julia's recipe in just one respect. When making the bread and cheese crouton toppers for the individual soups, I used Gruyére cheese instead of Swiss or Parmesan. I seem to remember reading somewhere that it's really good on onion soup, and plus, doesn't it still count as a Swiss cheese?

The result of my efforts was an incredibly rich and hearty soup, perfect for a winter's day. The onion were sweet, and the beef broth (yes, I used canned!) had picked up all the flavors, including the liquors. I was very impressed, and I think I'm ruined for this soup anywhere else.

Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée (Onion Soup Gratinéed with Cheese)
Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck

1½ pounds or about 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar (helps the onions brown)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts boiling brown stock, canned beef bouillon, or 1 quart of boiling water and 1 quart of stock or bouillon
½ cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons cognac
Rounds of hard-toasted French bread
1½ cups grated Swiss, or Swiss and Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter

Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in a covered 4-quart saucepan for 15 minutes.  Uncover, raise heat to moderate, and stir in the salt and sugar.  Cook for 30 to 40 minutes stirring frequently, until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.

Off heat, blend in the boiling liquid.  Add the wine, and season to taste.  Simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally.  Correct seasoning.

Just before serving, stir in the cognac.  Preheat oven to 325°F.

Bring the soup to the boil and pour into soup pots.  Float the rounds of toast on top of the soup, and spread the grated cheese over it.  Sprinkle with the oil or butter.  Bake for 20 minutes in the oven, then set for a minute or two under a preheated broiler to brown the top slightly.  Serve immediately.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Vegetarian Times: Veggie Tamale Pie

I've been toying with the idea of vegetarianism.  I even went so far as to subscribe to a vegetarian cooking magazine.  To be honest, I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to commit for any length of time to giving up meat, but it certainly doesn't hurt to try and get some extra vegetables into your diet.  I deliberately picked a recipe that had tons of spices in it, because my one big fear is that eating vegetarian means eating without flavor, and that is certainly not going to happen, in this lifetime or any other.  This little tamale pie was actually pretty good, and I got a nice dose of zucchini that otherwise wouldn't have been part of the dish.

Veggie Tamale Pie
From Vegetarian Times magazine, January 2010

Topping
½ cup dry polenta or corn grits
¼ cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Filling
1½ teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
1 medium onion, diced (1 cup)
1 small zucchini, diced (½ cup)
½ medium red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced (½ cup)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican, if available)
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14½-ounce) can tomato purée

½ cup frozen corn kernels
2 teaspoons brown rice flour

To make topping: Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Stir in polenta, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often. Stir in cheese. Set aside.

To make filling: Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook 5 minutes more.

Stir in beans, tomato purée, and corn. Mix rice flour with ¼ cup cold water; stir into zucchini mixture. Cook 3 minutes, or until mixture thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread filling into 8-inch square baking pan. Spread topping over filling. 

Place casserole on baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes, or until filling bubbles and top is golden. Let stand before serving.

Frozen cooking instructions: Preheat oven to 375°F. Cover casserole with foil, and place on baking sheet. Bake 90 minutes. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking.

Makes 6 servings

Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup)

I decided to start trying some more recipes from the good old Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and since I’m not a big fan of soup, I figured I would start there.  Hey, if anyone is going to convince me to eat soup, it’s Julia.  Well, the soup was delicious, creamy and comforting in all its simplicity. And even though I have never had this soup before, it seemed somehow homey, like something you've had as a child.  Delicious.

Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup)
From Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck

3 to 4 cups or 1 pound peeled potatoes, sliced or diced
3 cups or 1 pound thinly sliced leeks including the tender green
2 quarts of water
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 to 6 tablespoons whipping cream or 2 to 3 tablespoons softened butter
2 to 3 tablespoons minced parsley or chives

Either simmer the vegetables, water, and salt together, partially covered, for 40 to 50 minutes until the vegetables are tender; or cook under 15 pounds pressure for 5 minutes, release pressure, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork, or pass the soup through a food mill.  Correct seasoning.  Off heat and just before serving, stir in the cream or butter by spoonfuls.  Decorate with the herbs.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Williams-Sonoma Collection: Christmas: Gratinéed Leeks

When you're cooking for Thanksgiving, nothing really beats something smothered in cheese.  So I knew as soon as I saw this particular recipe that I needed to somehow work it into our dinner plans.  I think the only way this could have been improved was with a little bath of cream before the cheese took over.  Oh, and unless I just had really difficult, tough leeks, they needed quite a bit longer than 30 minutes to braise.  Consider yourself warned.

Gratinéed Leeks
From Williams-Sonoma Collection: Christmas by Carolyn Miller

6 large leeks, about 4 pounds total weight, trimmed to 8 inches long and halved lengthwise, then crosswise
1 cup chicken stock or prepared low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup dry white vermouth
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
½ cup shredded Gruyére cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Butter a 2-quart flameproof gratin dish.

Hold each leek under cold running water and rinse between the leaves to remove all the dirt; drain well.

Lay the leeks, cut side up, in the prepared dish.  Pour the stock and vermouth over them.  Season with kosher salt and white pepper.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the leeks are tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

Preheat the broiler.  Uncover the dish and sprinkle the Gruyére and then the Parmesan evenly over the leeks.  Dot with the butter.  Place the dish under the broiler 3 to 4 inches from the heat source and broil until the top is golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Serve warm.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Fine Cooking: Cranberry Sauce with Caramelized Onions

I am searching for cranberry nirvana.  I need something homemade and delicious and not a jelly roll from a can.  Why should everything else on Thanksgiving be homemade but the cranberry sauce?  It's a required part of the meal.  I am going to require that it be made from scratch from now on.  Which probably means I will be responsible for making it every year from now on.  This isn't a bad candidate.

Cranberry Sauce with Caramelized Onions
From Fine Cooking magazine, October/November 2009

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into medium dice
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One (12-ounce) bag fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 cup granulated sugar

In a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, cloves, a pinch of salt, and a grind or two of pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden-brown and very soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium high, and cook the onions, stirring often, until deep caramel-brown, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the cranberries, sugar, a pinch of salt, and ½ cup water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for 1 minute, then cover, turn off the heat, and let cool to room temperature.

Makes 2½ to 3 cups

Gennie's Bishop Grill: Peanut Butter Pie

After reading a blog entry over at Homesick Texan about peanut butter pie, I definitely wanted to try some. Only problem? The recipe she used came from a now-defunct eatery in Oak Cliff, Texas, called Gennie's Bishop Grill. Luckily for me, I was still able to find a copy of their self-published recipe booklet on Amazon. For a price, of course.

The pie was delicious. It's basically a peanut butter pudding inside a pie shell. Then you whip up some thick whipped cream for the top. It's a diner pie specialty, and it's sooooo good.

Peanut Butter Pie
From Gennie's Bishop Grill

3 large egg yolks
Pinch of sea salt
2½ cups whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup smooth peanut butter
Blind-baked pie shell
1 cup whipped cream
½ cup roasted peanuts

Combine egg yolks, salt, and milk.  Mix well.  Place in heavy saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until warm.  Combine sugar and flour; gradually add milk mixture, stirring constantly until thickened.  Boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla and peanut butter.  Let cool slightly.

Pour filling into cooled pie shell.  Chill thoroughly.  Garnish with whipped cream and roasted peanuts.

Unforgettable Desserts: Caramelized Banana Cream Tart in Pecan Crust

As part of my cookbook testing, I made this delicious banana tart. It's a pecan crust, caramelized bananas, vanilla pastry cream, fresh banana, whipped cream, and caramelized pecans. This was one of those all-day projects.  Cookbook testing...it's a rough job, but someone's got to do it.

The final result was amazingly delicious and over-the-top rich. It was worth every minute of prep time. Only problem? The fresh bananas on top of the pastry cream start browning after the initial serving. By the next day, they were turning. This is definitely a one night only dessert, but it sure is a stunner!

Caramelized Banana Cream Tart in Pecan Crust
From Unforgettable Desserts by Dede Wilson

Caramelized Pecans
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water
½ cup pecan halves

Crust
2½ cups pecan halves
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

Caramelized Filling
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 large, ripe but firm bananas

Pastry Cream
2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened and cut into tiny pieces

Topping
1 large, ripe but firm banana
1½ cups chilled heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the caramelized pecans, line a jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil; smooth out any wrinkles.  Coat lightly with flavorless vegetable oil using a pastry brush.

Put the sugar and water in a very small saucepan and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until it turns light amber in color.  Immediately remove from the heat.  Quickly drop the pecan halves into the caramel one at a time and use two forks to help them submerge and become coated with caramel.  Use the forks to remove the nuts from the caramel, allow the excess to drip off, and place them right side up on the prepared pan.  Repeat with the remaining nuts; do not allow the nuts to touch one another on the foil. Allow nuts to cool completely and harden at room temperature. Store up to 3 days ahead in airtight container.

For the crust, position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Coat a 10-inch loose-bottomed fluted tart pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

Place nuts and sugar in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade and process until very finely ground.  Pulse in melted butter until well blended. Pat into prepared pan, creating an even layer across bottom and up sides.  Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. The crust might look puffy. Use the back of a soup spoon to press the crust down and back into shape along the pan’s sides and bottom. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes more or until very lightly colored. Cool completely on a rack. Store at room temperature up to 1 day ahead, loosely covered with foil.

For the caramelized banana filling, prepare the filling and topping the day of serving. At least 4 hours before serving, stir the sugar and water together in nonstick skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until it turns a light to medium golden amber. Meanwhile, peel bananas. Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately slice the bananas into ½-inch rounds right into the skillet. Toss well with caramel. Immediately scrape into prepared crust and set aside.

For the pastry cream, place the milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer; remove from heat.  Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl until very smooth. Reheat the milk if it has become tepid.

Drizzle about ¼ of the warm milk over the egg mixture, whisking gently. Add the remaining warm milk and whisk to combine. Immediately pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and cook over a medium-low heat just until it begins to simmer and bubbles appear. Whisk constantly to prevent scorching, cooking for about 1 minute. The pastry cream should be thick enough to mound when dropped from a spoon, but still satiny. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and butter. Allow to cool slightly. Scrape warm (not hot) pastry cream over the bananas and spread until smooth using a small offset spatula. Let the pastry cream cool, then refrigerate at least 6 hours or until firm enough to slice. After it chills, you may cover it with a piece of plastic wrap pressed onto the surface for up to 4 hours.

For the topping, up to 2 hours before serving, peel and cut the banana in half crosswise then slice lengthwise into thin slices. Place these along the edge of the tart, using the curve of the fruit to follow the shape of the pie. There should be one ring of banana slices going around the entire pie along the edge. Beat cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Pile the whipped cream attractively on top of the pie. The pie may be served immediately or refrigerated for up to 2 hours. Sprinkle the caramelized pecans on top right before serving.