Mexican Hot Chocolate Tart - Published

This totally rocks! I just need to adjust the cinnamon so that it comes out more in the flavour.
If anyone else is like me, little changes just briefly mentioned are easily forgotten. I'm including the pie crust recipe because in my second attempt I forgot to put in the cinnamon!!! So I'm adding the crust recipe in with the filling.

Jan 11 2015 - I used crème fraîche instead of cream and it appears to make a lighter filling, a little fluffy. 3/4 of a tsp of cinnamon appears to be the correct amount. I also used white wheat flour made from our new Vittorio flour mill and it made a very light and delicious crust, but very fragile.

March 1 2015 - Uploaded to La Mouffette Gourmande

Crust
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons + cold water

NOTE: The pastry needs time to cool in the refrigerator not once, but twice, for about 15 minutes each time, and then another 15 minutes to pre-bake in the oven, a total of about 45 minutes.

1. Put the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and pinch with your fingers to create a crumb texture (it's like playing in sand).
2. Make a well in the middle, and pour in the vanilla and water. Quickly work in the flour to create dough. Do not over-mix. 
3. Pat into a thick disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 15 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough, line the tart shell, and chill another 15 minutes. 
5. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
6. Bake the shell for about 15 minutes or until the crust is ever-so-lightly browned.

Filling
6 oz (170g) 70% chocolate, chopped fine

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne

3 egg yolks

Cocoa powder for dusting

1. Heat the oven to 325F.
2. Bring the cream and milk to a very slow boil in a saucepan.
3. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and the chopped chocolate, stirring to melt the chocolate completely.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the yolk, sugar and cayenne until yolk turns a pale yellow.
5. Very slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Do this slowly; this is to gradually increase the temperature of the egg and avoid making scrambled eggs with the hot liquid.
6. Strain the mixture into the baked tart shell.
7. Bake about 35 - 40 minutes or until set. The pie will puff up a bit when it is cooked, and will settle again as it cools.
8. Let it cool completely, which can take a few hours.
9. Only once it is completely cooled, dust with cocoa powder. If you dust it before this, the surface will still be hot and damp and the powder will just get wet.
10. Delicious accompanied by a fresh sprig of currants or other tart fruit.

Test 2 - Popovers

Now I'm questioning the added pat of butter in the bottom. I was putting in 1/4 tsp in each muffin cup, but what happens if I butter the tins and don't preheat them?


2 Tbsps. butter, melted
1 cup milk, warmed slightly

4 eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

More butter for buttering the tins (about 1/4 cup)

1. Place oven rack at second-from-bottom level. 
2. Pre-heat the oven to 425F.
3. Melt the butter and allow to cool a bit.
4. Warm the milk a bit (microwave for 30 secs) to prevent the butter from congealing.
5. Whisk together the butter and warm milk, add the eggs and, when uniform, add the flour and salt; continue to whisk until it's a lovely smooth consistency.
6. Butter each muffin cup in the tin.
7. With a 1/4 cup measure, distribute the batter among the tins (I use a muffin tin with 12 cups) and pop into the oven. 
8. Bake for 25 minutes; then bake for another 10 minutes at 325F. Serve immediately with butter and jam or, stuff into the middle a square of chocolate - it will melt.

Untested - Sole Meunière

This seems like the most reasonable base for the recipe.
4 filets of sole, about 4 ounces each

1/2 cup flour

4 + 2 tablespoons butter divided

juice and zest of three lemons

about 1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

additional lemon, to serve

Salt and cracked pepper, to taste

1. Dredge the filets in flour until well-coated.
2. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet over a medium flame until the butter begins to foam and brown.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, then place the floured filets of sole into the hot butter and fry on each side about two minutes.
4. Remove the fish from the skillet and plate them.
5. Heat additional two tablespoons butter in the skillet until melted, then add lemon zest, lemon juice and minced parsley to the skillet whisking together to combine for about one minute.
6. Pour sauce over the fish, season with salt and pepper and garnish with lemon wedges.

Untested - Greek Fillet of Sole

1 lb. sole fillets, cut in half crosswise

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsps fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsps olive oil

1/2 Tbsp butter

1. Combine half of lemon slices, wine, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish to marinate the fish at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Whisk together the egg, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another shallow dish. Stir together bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl.
3. Dip the fish pieces in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in bread-crumb mixture, shaking off excess. Transfer to a sheet of wax paper, arranging fish in 1 layer.
4. Heat the oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking (the butter should just stop frothing), then fry 2 pieces of fish, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Serve the fish decorated with the remaining lemon slices.

Untested - Lemon Sole

Two 4 oz skinless sole or flounder fillets

Salt and black pepper

1/4 cup flour

1 + 3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons water

1 tsp flat-leaf parsley, minced

1 tsp fresh thyme, minced

1. Preheat a non-stick skillets over medium-low heat for a few minutes.
2. Meanwhile wash, and completely dry the fillets with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. If the fillets taper down to a very thin tail, fold the tail back to make a more uniformly shaped fillet.
3. Dredge the fillets in the flour and shake off any excess.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon of butter to each skillet. When the butter stops foaming, add fillets to the pan, rounded-side down.
5. Gently shake the pan occasionally, until the fish is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, flip the fillets with a spatula, and let them finish cooking in the residual heat of the pan, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the fillets to warm plates and keep them warm.
6. Add the lemon juice and water to the pan. While moving the skillet in a circular motion, gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, until it's melted and a smooth, creamy sauce is formed. Stir in the parsley and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon some of the sauce over each fillet and serve immediately.

Testing - Red Wine Cranberry Sauce

2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 package fresh or frozen cranberries (about 12 oz.)

1. In a saucepan over moderate heat, combine the sugar, red wine and cinnamon; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the wine is reduced slightly.
2. Add the cranberries. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries are soft and the sauce has thickened.
3. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Untested - Pear and Blue Cheese Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. halved fresh Brussels sprouts

Pinch of salt and pepper

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

½ cup blue cheese crumbles

2 pears, sliced and chopped

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add Brussels sprouts, cut-side down, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Without stirring, cook, covered, for about 7 minutes.
3. Uncover and add walnuts and pears, stirring to reveal the caramelized Brussels sprouts. Continue cooking for about 3 more minutes.
4. Take off of heat and add blue cheese crumbles.

Untested - Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Blue Cheese and Bacon

½ lb. Brussels sprouts

2 strips of bacon

½ cup chicken stock

¼ cup blue cheese crumbles

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 sprigs of thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook bacon until crispy and set aside
2. Wash and cut the brussel sprouts in half
3. Re-heat the pan with the bacon drippings on medium high heat, add brussel sprouts to pan, cut side down
4. Flip brussel sprouts once they’ve turned golden brown, about 6 minutes
5. Add chicken stock and cook uncovered until the stock is all soaked into the sprouts, about 10-12 minutes
6. While the sprouts are cooking, cook balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan over medium high heat until reduced by half, 6-8 minutes
7. Crumble the bacon.
8. Toss together the cooked brussel sprouts, bacon, blue cheese crumbles, thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl.
9. Dish sprouts onto a plate, drizzle the balsamic reduction over the sprouts.

Untested - Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Blue Cheese

1 lb brussels sprouts, stems removed, halved

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

4 oz bacon or pancetta, chopped

2 tbsp blue cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a large bowl, combine brussels sprouts, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Toss to coat.
3. Arrange Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook bacon (or pancetta) over medium heat, until crispy.
5. When Brussels sprouts are cooked through, remove from the oven, add the bacon (pancetta) and toss to combine.Top with crumbled blue cheese.

Untested - Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced or quartered
1 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices double smoked bacon (omit for vegetarian)
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Toss the brussels sprouts in the oil along with the garlic, salt and pepper, place in in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes, mixing them up half way through.
2. Meanwhile cook the bacon until crispy and drain on paper towels before crumbling.
3. Sprinkle on the parmesan and return to the oven until it melts, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Toss the brussels sprouts with the bacon and lemon zest, and lemon juice and enjoy!

Tip: Make a few hours ahead and rewarm in the oven for a few minutes before serving.

Untested - Quick Puff Pastry

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/quick_puff_pastry.php


Makes 1lb/500g

1 cup cold butter

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup cold water

1. Cut butter into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes; set aside 3/4 cup (175 mL) in refrigerator. In food processor, blend flour with salt. Sprinkle remaining butter over top; pulse until indistinguishable, about 10 seconds. Sprinkle with reserved butter; pulse 4 or 5 times to cut into pea-size pieces.
2. Pour water evenly over mixture (not through feed tube). Pulse 6 to 8 times until loose ragged dough forms (do not let form ball). Transfer to floured waxed paper; gather and press into rectangle. Dust with flour; top with waxed paper. Roll out into 15- x 12-inch (38 x 30 cm) rectangle.
3. Remove top paper. Starting at long edge and using bottom paper to lift pastry, fold over one-third; fold opposite long edge over top, bringing flush with edge of first fold to make 15- x 4-inch (38 x 10 cm) rectangle. Starting from 1 short end, roll up firmly; flatten into 5-inch (12 cm) square. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

Marinated Eggs - PUBLISHED

I made this once as part of a picnic I put together for some friends, and they went nuts for it. I made it again for an office potluck and people went wild for it. I think I'm onto something good.
1 - You can halve the recipe for the marinade and still cover 6 eggs, but half (or three quarters) of the pleasure in eating this is the marinade itself! If you want any leftover to plop more eggs in for a second go, make the full recipe. However, don't re-use the marinade too often because the parsley is fresh and will start to go off.
2 - I think this is ready for the main blog. One more test to make sure I can reproduce it!

6 hardboiled eggs
2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup finely chopped parsley

1 head of garlic, peeled and minced

6 anchovies, minced 

1. Boil the eggs to the hard-boiled stage (see Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs). Allow the to cool completely.
2. Put the cooled hardboiled eggs in a jar with a lid.
3. Beat the tomato paste and oil together, then the garlic and anchovies, and finally the parsley. Pour the concoction over the eggs.
4. Screw on the lid and refrigerate overnight.
5. Eat the eggs with the oil, preferably with some crusty bread. It's best to let the concoction come up to room temperature if the oil has congealed in the refrigerator overnight, and to let the aroma blossom as it should when you serve it. Excellent with crusty bread.
6. Best when eaten within 2 days.

Testing - Creamed Brussels Sprouts Gratin

I ended up leaving it too long in the oven, so the cheese on top got a little over done, but the Brussels sprouts got all soft, which I typically don't like, but in this instance it went really well with the creaminess of the dish.

1/2 lb bacon

2 tbsps butter

2 1/2 lb brussels sprouts

1 minced small onion

2 cups cream

salt and pepper

6 oz grated Gruyere

1. Cook the bacon down in butter until it browned bits start to form on the bottom of the pan.
2. Add the sprouts (when buying or harvesting sprouts, try to choose small, tight, dense heads, the smaller the better. If they're the size of a quarter, you can leave them whole. Anything bigger, cut in half or quarters.
3. So here, should I stir-fry the sprouts for about 5 minutes, or just enough to scrape up the browned bits of bacon at the bottom of the pan? Although it's ok if the sprouts brown, it's just not necessary since the bacon will be all the browning flavour you'll need.
4. Add the minced shallot, and stir until it's just softened and aromatic, about 1 minute. Turn down the heat and take the pan off the element to cool things down before adding the cream. This will prevent scalding the cream.
5. Add the cream to the cooled pan and reintroduce to the heat source. Scrape up all remaining browned bits. Bring it to a slow boil and then reduce the temperature for a slow simmer.
6. Allow the cream to slowly reduce to about half it's original volume, and the Brussels sprouts are softened. The loose cream will have turned into, well, a creamy sauce. Add the salt and pepper.
7. You could stop here, and serve immediately.
8. Or you could add a layer of Gruyère. At this stage you can opt to cover up the casserole and refrigerate it, to finish baking later.
9. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425F, adjusting the rack to the centre position, and bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese on top is melted and spotted with brown.

(Sort of) Aligot - PUBLISHED

Aligot is a dish created by the monks of Aubrac, France. The traditional cheese is a "Tome d'Aubrac". I still have to experience this cheese, but from online references, it appears that Gruyère cheese is a suitable substitute. I like my Gruyère! Apart from the cheese substitution, this is a completely bastardized version - I use about a third of the cheese in traditional versions, which makes for cheesy mashed potatoes, but oh, so good!

NOTE: Substituting with Swiss cheese does not produce as good a product. Gruyere is the appropriate substitute for the tome.

2 lbs potatoes (preferably old potatoes, which are best for mashing)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup crème fraîche (for mildness) or Greek yoghurt (for a little tang)
2/3 cup Gruyère, about 2 oz. (or 2 cups for traditional version)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed

1. Peel and boil the potatoes for 12 minutes. If you have a vegetable mill, run the potatoes through this, or press with a spoon through a sieve (you can add the butter and crème fraîche and do an initial mash to make the potatoes more liquid, which helps with this part if you're doing it by hand).
2. (If you haven't already) Add the butter and crème fraîche.
3. Cut the cheese in thin slices (or grate).
4. Put the potato mixture back in a pan and add a bit of the cheese at-a-time, mixing always in a clockwise motion. The cheese will start to melt.
5. Meantime, add the salt, pepper and pressed garlic.
6. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese has completely melted.
7. (If using the traditional volume of cheese, cook until the mixture stretches in a thick rope when you lift the spoon out of the pan - this is the sign that it's ready. Do not overheat or heat too long as this effect will cease.)

The Day After

If you have leftovers, add an egg or two depending on how much you have, and shape into patties to fry up on the stove.

Untested - Tourtière

0 - A)Try using Panko instead of soda crackers B)Try my savory pie crust as the crust C) figure the recipe for 1 or 2 pies instead of 6 D) Try using a blend of veg used for making a mirepoix (ie: equal parts carrot, onion and celery) to increase the aromatics E) Vérifie avec Maman si les épices qu'elle m'a donné sont ses épices originales ou récentes.

Makes 6 pies

4½ lbs ground pork
1½ lbs ground beef
2 cups finely chopped onion
1½ cups water
1½ tsp nutmeg or allspice
3/4 tsp mace
3 tsps ground clove
4 large potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 cup dry bread crumbs (or crumbled soda biscuits)
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together the meats, onion and water. In a wide pan, such as a lasagna dish, spread out the mixture. Bake, mixing often to break up the ground meat as much as possible. After 1 hour, add salt and pepper, mix, and bake another ½ hour. 
2. Allow to cool and remove as much accumulated fat as possible. 
3. Thoroughly mix in the mashed potatoes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the pie dough. Divide evenly and sprinkle the bread crumbs on the bottom of each pie crust base.
5. When the potato has been mixed into the meat preparation, increase the oven temperature to 425F. Divide the meat preparation evenly between the 6 pies.
6. Cover with pie dough and poke air vents on top.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 350F for another 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden.
8. NOTE: If freezing pies, reheat and crisp the crust, preheat the oven to 400F. Put in the pie(s) frozen and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350F and bake an additional 40 minutes.

La recette orginiale, comme reçu de Maman:

4½ livres de porc pour 1½ livres de bœuf = 6 tourtières
1/3 de tasse oignon par livre de viande
¼ de tasse d’eau par livre de viande
Cuire au four à 350 degrés F pour 1½ à 2 heures (surveille bien et mélange pendant la cuisson pour défaire la viande en petits grumeaux. Je fais cuire moins longtemps, environ 30 minutes si je me souviens bien).
Environ ½ heure avant la fin de la cuisson, ajouter sel et poivre au goût et :
¼  c. à thé noix de muscade  (ou allspice) par livre de viande
1/8 c. à thé macis (ou coriandre) par livre de viande
½  c. à thé clou girofle par livre de viande
(J’ai changé les épices pour répondre aux exigences des régimes des dernières années)
Ajouter 4 grosses patates pour 6 livres de viande pour absorber le gras. Refroidir et dégraisser. Préparer l’abaisse de pâte en mettant des biscuits soda en miettes au fond de l’abaisse et ensuite sur le dessus de la viande avant de mettre la pâte du dessus.
Faire cuire 15 minutes à 425 degrés F suivi de 350 degrés F pour 25 à 30 minutes.« Les tourtières congelées deviennent délicieusement croustillantes si elles sont mises au four 25 minutes à 400 degrés F, puis à 350 degrés F pendant 40 minutes. » tiré du Livre de recettes Châtelaine, 2ième édition Janvier 1969.
(Recette combinée de Ghisèle Noël de Tilly-Maurice, Marie-Thérèse Lambert-Noël de Tilly, Maria Ladouceur-Maurice et Marielle Maurice-Laurin)
Pour substituer poulet ou dinde au porc : 3 lbs de bœuf à 1½ à 2 lbs. de poulet ou dinde hachée.
Petits faits historiques : la recette de ma mère ne comprenait que du porc et les épices notées, pas de bœuf ni de patates. J’ai ajouté le bœuf et les patates d’après la recette de Mémère et Marielle. Je ne sais pas au juste ce que Marielle a contribué dans la recette, juste que Mémère m’avait dit que c’était une recette de Marielle aussi.

Testing - Braised Steak with Mushroom Wine Sauce

We tried the eye of round steaks. What a difficult cut of meat to prepare! I will try with another cut of beef next time... sort of anything would be better.

16 oz steaks, (trying Boneless Blade Steak)
2 Tb + 2 Tb olive oil
2 yellow onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
3/4 pound chanterelles (or 1 lb button mushrooms)
¼ cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chopped thyme (or 1/4 tsp dry thyme)
1 cup dry red wine
1 can beef broth
½ cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, to serve

1. Heat a large skillet with a lid to medium heat.  Add oil.  Sauté onions and garlic until browned.  Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms release some juices.  Remove from pan.  
2. Mix flour with salt and pepper and dredge steaks in flour, shaking off excess.  Heat remaining oil in the pan to medium high.  Brown steaks on both sides. 
3. Add onion-mushroom mixture, thyme, merlot, and beef broth.  Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for one hour, or until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. 
4. When meat is done, add whipping cream, stir, and cook uncovered until sauce thickens slightly.  Season again with salt and pepper, stir in fresh rosemary, and serve.
5. This dish is good with wide egg noodles. Could also try with any potato dish, or rice.

Spaghetti Frittata - PUBLISHED

This is good, but a bit challenging. I've tried the 10" stainless steel pan but it stuck and flipping it was a mess. I tried the non-stick deep pan but it made it too thick and flipping it was a mess. What next, short of buying a 10" non-stick pan?

1 - Would chunky pasta work?
2 - Yes, chunky pasta works quite nicely.
3 - I made it in a large non-stick pan with chunky pasta, and the egg didn't cover the noodles. I think it has to be 10" or less for the egg to puff up and cover. Let's see, next time.
4 - Yes an 8" pan is better. AND using fresh pasta instead of reconstituted is just amazingly better!
5 - I flipped it onto a plate once it was perfectly cooked and served lkke that - it made an attractive dome of lightly browned goodness.

8 ounces/4 cups cooked spaghetti pasta (preferably fresh)
2 strips bacon cut into lardons
3 onions, chopped
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup milk or crème fraîche
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + 1/4 cup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tsps chopped fresh thyme or basil (or 1/4 tsp dried sage)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided

1. Heat an 8" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and when it just starts to sizzle, lower the temperature and add the onion. Cook stirring occasionally until the bacon just starts to brown and the onion is mostly caramelized (this can take a while). Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Whisk together the eggs, egg whites and dairy in a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper. Add the onion mixture (if it's still hot simply add a little at a time and stir constantly to avoid the hot onions cooking the eggs into clumps). Add the pasta. Mix it up well to evenly distribute the onions, bacon and herbs.
4. Oil the pan, pour in the frittata mixture and place over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes. Sprinkle over it the additional 1/4 cup Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes or until the custard has set.
5. Put under the broiler until the top starts to brown and bubble. 
6. Serve immediately.

1. Heat oil in an 10 8" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and when it just starts to render its oil lower the temperature to medium-low and add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon just starts to brown and the onion is mostly caramelized (this can take a while) golden. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Whisk together eggs, egg whites, and dairy in a large bowl. Stir in the onions, Parmesan, parsley, thyme herbs, salt, and pepper. Add the onion mixture (if it's still hot, simply add a little at a time and stir the eggs constantly to avoid creating a clump of cooked egg). Add the spaghetti pasta. Mix it up well to evenly distribute the onions, bacon and herbs.
4. Oil the pan, pour in the frittata mixture and place over medium heat for about Pour in the egg mixture and distribute evenly. Cook until the underside is golden, moving the pan around on the burner to ensure even cooking, about 6-7 minutes. Sprinkle the additional 1/4 cup Parmesan on top, then put it in the a 350°F oven for 20 minutes or until the custard has set.
5. Invert a large platter over the skillet, grasp the platter and skillet with oven mitts and carefully turn over. 
6. Lift off the skillet and add some more oil. 
7. Slide the frittata back into the skillet (what was the bottom and already browned should now be on top) and cook until the bottom (which was the top) is golden. 
8. Put under the broiler until the top starts to brown and bubble. (Optional: once perfectly cooked, loosen the edges and carefully flip upside-down onto a plate.)

Testing - Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Sage Butter

This was very tasty, but there are two things about it that I'd like to improve:
1 - I think it would be better in skin-on boneless chicken breasts
2 - It was a tad too salty - what kind of prosciutto would be best and how much salt? Or, conversely, could I do without the prosciutto wrap and add some bacon fat in the sauce?

Part 1 - The sage butter
12 fresh sage leaves
3½ oz. butter, softened
4 tsps. wholegrain mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. For the sage butter, chop the sage leaves finely.
3. Place the butter in a bowl, add the chopped sage leaves and mustard, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix together well.

Part 2 - The stuffed chicken
4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless (Try Skin-on/Bone-in)
8 slices prosciutto (what kind?)
1 tsp. olive oil

1. For the chicken, using a sharp knife, slice into the side of each chicken breast to form a pocket.
2. Spoon a quarter of the butter mixture into each pocket and fold to enclose. (maybe tie with kitchen twine if not using the prosciutto?) If you have any of the flavoured butter left over you can roll it into a sausage shape, freeze and use (within a month) in another dish.
3. Place two prosciutto slices on a clean board so that they overlap slightly. Wrap one of the chicken breasts in the slices and roll to enclose. Repeat with the remaining prosciutto slices and chicken breasts.
4. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. When hot, add the wrapped chicken breasts.
5. Cook over a medium heat until the prosciutto  skin? is lightly golden, about two minutes.
6. Turn the breasts over and brown the other side for another two minutes.
7. Using tongs or a fish slice, place the chicken breasts onto a baking tray and place into the preheated oven. Retain the cooking juices in the pan, as these will be used to make the sauce.
8. Cook the chicken breasts for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through (internal temperature of 160-165F or the chicken will feel firm to the touch and the juices will run clear when it's pierced in the thickest part).
9. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and put the breasts to one side to rest for ten minutes. Keep warm.

Part 3 - The sauce
1 Tbsp. bacon fat
4½fl oz. white wine
1 garlic clove
1 fresh sage leaf
salt (be careful and measure) and freshly ground black pepper

1. While the chicken is resting, make the sauce. Heat the retained cooking juices in the pan the chicken breasts were cooked in and the bacon fat, then add the white wine. Crush the garlic clove and add to the pan. Add a sage leaf.
2. Turn up the heat and cook, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for a couple minutes until the sauce is reduced. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve, slice each breast into five slices on the diagonal, then pour the mustardy, buttery sauce over. Serve with mashed potato.

Cheddar and Beer Fondue - Published

jan 11 2015 - Not very successful this second time. The result was very watery, and no matter the amount of cheese added, it remained watery. I suspect two things that may have been factors - the cheddar was of inferior quality, and; the ratio of beer is incorrect. I've altered the initial quantity of beer from 12 fl oz, to 6 fl oz, with the goal of measuring how much more beer should be added to obtain the correct consistency. The flavour was good.

2 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic
6 fluid oz beer (hold another 6 fl oz of beer aside to add if too thick, and record how much more is added)
8 oz cheddar
8 oz Gruyere
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
pinch cayenne
pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

1. Rub the bottom of the cook pot with the garlic. Melt the butter in it, then add the beer and warm it up without bringing it to a boil, over medium heat.
2. Meanwhile combine the cheeses in a bowl with the flour.
3. Reduce the heat under the beer to a gentle simmer and add the cheese in handfuls, stirring constantly until all the cheese has gone in and melted
4. Stir in the spices. Transfer the fondue to a warm fondue pot.
5. If the sauce is too thick, add beer.If it's too soft, add cheese

Serving Suggestions:
         - with lightly boiled cauliflower (2-3 minutes in salted water)
and/or
         - boiled baby potatoes
and/or
         - boiled German sausage slices like wursts or franks
and/or
         - pickles, pickled onions
and/or
         - cubed bread (a Boule is particularly delicious)

Italian sausage pasta - Test 1

1- The sauce for this dish is interesting, but we both felt there was way too much bell peppers. The "original" (because I rarely follow recipes to the letter anymore) asked for a trio of different coloured sweet peppers and next time I will try just one, chopped up instead of julienned. I rarely cook with sweet peppers because generally I feel like they're just used as a filler when more veg are required.
As for the sauce, the white wine added a really interesting glossy and tasty dimension, so that was a win.
2- It looks like there is too much salt, but it really didn't taste like it did, possibly offsetting the sweetness brought about by the wine and peppers. Although, having decreased the amount of peppers, I've decreased by a half tsp the amount of salt.
The instructions were a bit more complicated than necessary. I took a page from my Italian sausage and chard soup recipe and eliminated a step, creating a lovely fond for extra flavour, I think.

3- It was very much appreciated. I now seriously doubt the egg noodles, it gives it a bit of a Hamburger Helper aura. I want to try with just spaghetti, or maybe chunky pasta. Oh, and 12oz was fine!

1 + 3 Tbsps olive oil 
4 1 lb spicy Italian sausage meat links, casings removed
1 large onion (10oz/285g) thinly sliced
1 ½ tsp salt
Sprig of thyme, leafed and minced
2 sprigs of oregano, leafed and minced
1 sprig of rosemary, leafed and minced
(try adding a bay leaf)
½ tsp cracked black pepper
1 red bell pepper, cored and minced
4 cloves of garlic, pressed
½ cup white wine
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned, divided use
8 (trying 12oz) ounces wide egg noodles (or papardelle), dry weight

12 oz spaghetti(ni)

1. Heat a few teaspoons of oil in a pan and crumble the sausage into it. When it starts to sizzle, add the onions and cook until extra moisture from the sausage has evaporated and everything starts to brown. You will already notice the bottom of your pan starting to get coated with a brown fond. Add more oil if you think it needs it.
2. Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt and pepper; stir, then add the minced bell peppers. Sauté for about 2 minutes or until the peppers start to soften.
3. Add the garlic and cook about a minute. Add the wine and stir to lift the fond, which should be dark brown-to-black by now. Keep cooking until the wine reduces to almost nothing. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices.
4. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the tomatoes cook, then turn off the heat; to finish the sauce, drizzle in about 2-3 good tablespoons of olive oil and stir. Add the chopped parsley and half of the basil; stir, and keep warm while you prepare the noodles.
5. To serve, garnish with some of the remaining basil and some Parmesan, if desired.

Testing - Herbed Hot Pasta

Tried this once with the cherry tomatoes and although the flavours were great, we felt that the skins of the tomatoes were too tough. Then tried it with very ripe tomatoes, chopped and it turned a bit gooey - good but not stellar. Maybe I could use briefly cooked roma tomatoes so that they hold their shape?

 

1 pound uncooked pasta
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pints fresh cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) chèvre cheese, crumbled

1. Put pasta on to cook.
2. Meanwhile, sauté  the tomatoes and garlic over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the chives and the thyme and sauté 1 minute more or until tomatoes are slightly charred and skins are just beginning to burst.
4. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Briefly cook over high heat, about 1 minute.
5. Drain the cooked pasta. Place in a large bowl and drizzle some more olive oil over it, then add the basil, oregano, salt and pepper; toss well to combine.
6. Add tomato mixture and parsley to pasta; this time toss gently to avoid breaking the tomatoes. Sprinkle the crumbled chèvre on top.

Poulet à la bière avec herbes de Provence - Published

This was delicious, and I've successfully reproduced it twice.

I should also document the beers I use.

1 chicken cut into pieces
2 cups stout or dark beer
3 carrots, cut into cut into chunks
2 potatoes, cut into chunks
1 white onion, cut into thick slices
2 teaspoons Herbe de Provence
1 teaspoon sea salt
Pepper
2 stems fresh thyme
2 stems fresh oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Massage the chicken pieces with olive oil and cover with herbes de Provence and salt.
2. Arrange the onions, carrots, and potatoes in a baking dish and lightly season with more herbes de Provence and salt&pepper. Place the chicken amongst the vegetables with the stems of fresh thyme and oregano tucked in between.
3. Pour in the beer - don't worry about it washing off the herbs, the olive oil should make them stick. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 450F. 
4. Remove the lid and continue baking for 15 minutes to let the chicken brown on top.
5. The chicken will be ready when the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 165°F. You could also service with rice or quinoa pilaf.

Pasta with Hot Italian Sausage, Kale, Garlic, and Red Pepper Flakes - PUBLISHED

This is a good way of eating kale - the sausage has a strong enough flavor and is robust enough in texture to balance the kale.
1- We ate it with mâche and avocado salad with balsamic chocolate dressing. Ben mixed the avocado and chocolate dressing with this dish and felt it really elevated the dish. THEREFORE, this is a good dish accompanied by avocado slices drizzled with balsamic chocolate dressing.
2 - Served to Ben and Shawn, on its own, and they both felt it was a good balance of flavours and textures.

12 oz hot Italian sausage
8 oz. kale leaves, massaged and thinly sliced
6 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 T olive oil
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 cups chicken stock
1 pkg. (13.25 oz.)  Rotini pasta (or use your favorite chunky pasta)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan; squeeze sausage out of casings and crumble into the pan, cooking until the sausage is nicely browned. Turn the heat down.
2. Meanwhile, wash and massage the kale and cut into thin slices.
3. Add the garlic and hot pepper flakes and cook for about a minute, then add the kale. Cook until the kale is all wilted, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from browning.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
4. Now, start the water for the pasta and bring to a boil. The kale needs lots of time to soften while cooking. NOTE: Save 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
5. Add the cooked pasta to the sausage/kale mixture, adding as much pasta cooking water as you think you need for it to be moist enough.  Add the Parmesan cheese and serve hot, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese.

Italian sausage and kale gratin - PUBLISHED

A very good first attempt. Very rich, cold-weather kind of dish, with flavours strong enough to balance the coarseness of the kale. Hot or mild Italian sausage works.
2 - Still delicious. I wonder if a bit of salt would help bring out more flavour? It's already so flavourful, unctuous and sweet that you barely notice there's anything so healthy as kale in it!
3 - I don't think salt adds anything to the dish. I've rewritten parts of the recipe to make it clearer to me. Moving it to the 3rd testing stage because it was that good!

4 - Very good. Only a few specifications in terms of instructions - I made my own Italian sausage mix, and added too much lard, so I should have removed some of the fat in the pan before moving to the next step. The finished dish oozed fat! I also used 6oz of feta cheese instead since it was on hand, and it was very good.

Some olive oil
1 pound fresh mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 bunches (about 1 pound) kale, stemmed and torn into large pieces
1/2 cup + 3 Tbsps butter, melted
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
8 oz fresh goat cheese or feta
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs (such as a combination of parsley, oregano and basil)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large stainless steel sauté pan, heat the oil and cook the sausage, breaking it up. Cook until browned (usually when the moisture has evaporated). Remove any excess fat.
3. Add the wine scraping up the fond. Continue to cook until the wine reduces and is mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. 
4. Decrease the heat and stir in the kale, one handful at a time. Mix in the kale and cook until it begins to wilt and turn a bright green. Don't worry about overcooking the kale; it is impossible, unless you burn it! Remove from heat and set the pan aside.
5. Meanwhile, dump the bread crumbs in a medium sized bowl.
6. Melt all the butter in a saucepan. When melted, put 3 Tbsps of it into the breadcrumb bowl.
7. Into the remaining butter, whisk in the flour; continue wisking until starting to brown. Add the milk, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a sauce.
8. Add the crumbled goat cheese to the roux and continue to whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
9. Pour the sauce into the sausage and kale and let sit 5 minutes to allow any more fond to lift. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to scrape up the fond and mix the sauce evenly in the sausage and kale.
10. Spoon the mixture into a shallow, 2-quart gratin dish.
11. To the breadcrumb and butter, add parmesan and minced fresh herbs. Mix thoroughly, then evenly distribute over the kale and sausage to form the topping.
12. Bake the gratin until the topping is golden-brown and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes (briefly broil at this point if not browned enough).

• Cool slightly before serving with crusty bread if eating as a main dish.

Testing - Chickpea and Zucchini curry

2 tbsp oil for frying
1 onion, thin sliced
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chilli flakes (or a fresh chilli, finely chopped)
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled + crushed or finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup veg stock
400ml tin coconut milk
1/4 cup red lentils
1 cinnamon stick
400g tin chickpeas, drained (or 2 cups cooked)
3 zucchini, cubed
4 tomatoes, quartered (remove seeds if you prefer)
handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

1. In a large pan, heat the oil and add the onion. Gently fry for 10 mins, until soft and translucent. Add the mustard seeds, cumin, chilli, ginger, garlic, turmeric and ground coriander. Fry for a couple more mins. Add the tomato paste, the veg stock, coconut milk, cinnamon stick and red lentils. Simmer until lentils are starting to soften.
2. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 mins. Add the chickpeas, courgettes, tomatoes and continue to cook for 12-15 mins, until the courgettes are tender. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the fresh coriander to serve.

Untested - Roast Chicken with Lemon and Sage (Marinade)

http://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/recipes-cookbooks/recipes/a445/herb-roasted-chicken-recipe-1010/

1 (3- to 3 1/2-pound) whole chicken, patted dry with paper towels
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 bunch of fresh sage leaves (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise (for whole chicken only), optional
3 celery stalks, cut crosswise into thirds (for whole chicken only), optional
1 large onion, peeled and cut into large chunks (for whole chicken only), optional

1. Put the chicken in a large bowl. Add the oil, lemon, and sage; toss well. Cover tightly and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 24 hours.
2. The next day, let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 450 degrees.
3. Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with the seasoning. Remove the lemon slices and sage from the marinade and stuff them inside the chicken cavity. Scatter the carrots, celery, and onion, if using, over the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour just enough water into the pan to cover the bottom. Arrange the chicken, breast-side up, on top of the vegetables, if desired, or place the chicken on a roasting rack over the vegetables.
4. Transfer the pan to the center oven rack; roast for 20 minutes. Baste with the pan juices, and continue roasting, basting once or twice, for 25 minutes more (if the chicken is not golden-brown all over at this point, continue to cook for 10 more minutes).
5. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Finish roasting, without basting, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Let the chicken stand for five minutes before carving. Serve with the pan juices and vegetables, if desired.

Untested - Planter's Punch

3 ounces Coruba dark Jamaican rum (if you can't find Coruba, substitute another dark, heavy rum)
1 ounce simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, mixed until dissolved)
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
3 dashes Angostura bitters

1. Combine ingredients in a tall glass and fill with crushed ice. Swizzle with a bar spoon until a frost forms on the outside of the glass. The ice will settle as you do this; add more crushed ice to fill, garnish with a mint sprig.

Testing - Coconut Rice Pudding

I didn't have any raisins so I decided to try with coconut.

1 - The flavour was great, but in this version I've increase the cooking time by 20 minutes, and also the amount of milk x2 - it was far too dry!
2 - Got nervous about the quantity of rice and added a half cup. It was too much. Stick to 1 1/2 cup. Also, cooked with lid on for 35 minutes, then lid off. THEN added a tsp of white sugar on top and put under the broiler until it started to brown around the edges, sort of like a brulé. Nice!

Butter (for greasing)
1+1/2 cups cooked rice
1/3 cup fine shred coconut
2 eggs
3 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp - 1 Tbsp vanilla
Extra milk (optional)

1. Place rice and coconut in a greased 1-qt. casserole. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar and nutmeg; pour over rice.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 
3. Sprinkle 1 tsp of white sugar on top and put under the broiler until it starts to brown around the edges.
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool (it's much better cool than hot). 
5. Optional: Pour milk over each serving.

Testing - Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

This recipe asked for blue cheese, and I had some Leicester Blue on hand. The overall feeling was that it was the wrong cheese to match with the dish. I'll have to try a different kind of blue cheese.

 

2lbs  cubed peeled butternut squash in 3/4-inches
1 Large thinly sliced onion
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Butter
1 1/2oz Panko
4 tsps olive oil, divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Steam the cubed butternut squash, covered, for about 10 minutes or until tender.
3. In a small bowl toss Panko with 2 tsp olive oil to coat.
4. Heat the remaining 2 tsps oil in a large pan and saute the onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cooked butternut squash, the chopped sage, salt, and black pepper, and toss gently to combine. Spoon the squash mixture into a buttered baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the crumbled cheese evenly over the squash mixture, followed by the Panko. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crumbs are golden brown.

Test 1 - Apple Dumplings

The first time I made this we used large apples, and there wasn't enough dough to cover all 4, although it was very good. The second time I made it, the delicious apple-pie-ness of it was still there, but I didn't seal the dough properly and some of it fell off the apple, releasing most of the delicious juices. I still have to figure out how to properly seal the crust. I think I may be leaving it too thick and have to try to stretch the dough to make it cover the apple, and then while cooking it shrinks and the seams come apart...
1-I'm trying patience. I wet the edges of the dough where it joins at the top, pinched it tight to the apple, cut off the excess and re-wet where it looked like it wasn't sealed and re-pinched then put it in the refrigerator for 45 mins to an hour! I figure it'll give the seal time to settle. Fingers crossed! Results: it seems to have worked!

4 small apples, cored and peeled
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Optional: a few dried raisins or candied ginger cut up small
1 batch Cookie Pie Crust
1 egg yolk

1. Peel and core 4 small apples.
2. In a small bowl combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
3. Roll out the dough to make 4 equal sized sheets of ??? inches.
4. Place the apple in the middle of the dough, stuff the butter mixture into the core, and fold the dough over the apple, wetting the dough to seal it.
5. Brush with egg yolk and bake in a 375F oven for 30-35 min.
6. Take them out of the oven and allow them to rest for 10-15 minutes.
7. Like apple pie, it's good cold or warm.

Summer Squash Gratinée - PUBLISHED

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/zucchini_summer_squash_gratin.aspx

1- Delicious! I just want to simplify the instructions, but this is a winner right out of the gate. And excellent dinner with good bread.
2 - Continues to be delicious. Simplified the instructions for phase 3.
3 - Just great. Publishing is next.

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 medium onions (14 oz. total), thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/4 lb. ripe red tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 lb. (about 2 small) zucchini or other green summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices on the bias
3/4 lb. (about 2 small) yellow summer squash or golden zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices on the bias
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. coarse salt
1-1/4 cups freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Sauté the onions in the oil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden (about 20 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Spread the onions and garlic evenly in the bottom of an oiled 2-qt. shallow gratin dish.
3. Heat the oven to 375°F. 
4. Put the tomato slices on a shallow plate to drain for a few minutes and then discard any collected juices. 
5. In a bowl toss the zucchini and squash slices with the second batch of olive oil, the thyme and the salt. 
6. Reserve half of the cheese for the top of the gratin. 
7. Starting at one end of the baking dish, lay a row of slightly overlapping tomato slices across the width of the dish and sprinkle with a little of the cheese, then lay a row of zucchini overlapping the tomatoes, sprinkle with cheese. Repeat, until the dish is full.
8. Season lightly with pepper. Drizzle with some more olive oil and sprinkle over the reserved cheese. 
9. Cook until well-browned all over and the juices have bubbled for a while and reduced considerably, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 min. before serving.

Testing - Lentils, Sausage and Kale in Red Wine

How to make kale palatable? As someone said, better to have fewer vitamins in the kale you eat than not have any vitamins at all because you don't eat the kale.
NOTES
1 - first attempt = tasted like healthfood trying to masquerade as fine food. Kind of bland.
2 - re-heated it, but first fried a piece of bacon cut up into lardons until just crisp and dumped the rest into the pan. I think this is the answer. Could also:
TRY - smoked sausage

TRY - 4 slices bacon, cut up into lardons

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 12oz of mild sausage
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
Pinch of crushed red pepper, or to taste
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 cup du Puy lentils
12 cups chopped kale leaves, tough stems removed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Start by massaging the kale - I just rub them between my palms as if I was rolling a cigar. This will break down the fiber in the leaves and make them more tender.
2. Fry up the lardons in a large skillet until just crispy and 1 teaspoon oil. Add sausages and cook until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool to make it easy to handle.
3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and onion to the hot pan and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the water and the wine and bring it to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add the lentils, and scatter the kale on top; simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. DO NOT STIR.
4. Add the sage and salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and kale are tender, about 10 minutes more. Slice the sausage and stir into the pan along with pepper. Cover and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Testing - Creamy Squash, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Pasta

1 - I altered the recipe before even trying it! But it was good, and requires some tweaking. I did not use the walnuts which was a mistake - it needs it. I also want to add some sage to add what we feel is a missing flavour. Oh, and I didn't get the bit about adding flour to the egg yolk, so I'll be adding it in the previous step to get it to brown and absorb flavour, first.
2 - The changes I made worked very nicely, but there is still something missing. I'm adding some sage and a little more cheese.

4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut  (I used Turban) winter squash (about 1 1/3lbs)
2 + 1 tsp olive oil
1/4 + 1/4tsp salt
1/4 +1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
8 oz uncooked chunky pasta
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp flour
2 tsps minced fresh sage
1/2 + 1/2 cup milk, divided
2 large egg yolks
3 2 oz Cambozola blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Toast the walnuts and set aside.
3. Combine squash, 2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender, stirring once.
4. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain pasta; keep warm.
5. Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a pan and sauté onion and garlic until just starting to soften. Add the flour and sage. Mix until the flour covers the onion and garlic.
6. Reduce the heat and continue to sauté for a few minutes, allowing the pan to cool a bit before stirring in 1/2 cup milk, the remaining 1/4 teaspoons of salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat source.
7. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, the flour and the yolks. Slowly add the egg mixture to the pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add the cheese and cook 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.
8. Combine the squash, pasta, and sauce; toss gently to coat. 
9. Before serving, sprinkle with cheese and the toasted walnuts.

Testing - Grilled Chicken Fajitas Platter

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/grilled-chicken-fajitas-platter-recipe.html

1 - this was good as it was, but I'm trying to move away from specific chicken pieces. This is a good candidate to try using chicken leftovers.

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling

2 lbs of shredded leftover chicken 4 boneless chicken breasts, skinned (about 2 pounds?)

4 scallions

1 onion, in 1/2 inch slices

1 red bell pepper, seeded and in 1/2 inch slices

8 6-inch soft flour tortillas

Guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and grated cheddar cheese for serving

1. With a couple of forks, shred the cooked chicken into ragged thin strips along the grain of the muscle tissue.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, coriander, cumin, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon plastic bag. Pour half of the lime mixture over the chicken; turn to coat. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
3. Cover the shredded chicken with the lime mixture and set aside.
4. Arrange the scallions, onions, green peppers and red peppers on a large rimmed baking sheet. Pour the remaining lime mixture over these and mix turn to coat everything.
5. Preheat the grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the lime mixture. Sprinkle the skin side of the chicken with half the salt and pepper. To one side of the pan, place the chicken, skin-side down. Sprinkle the rest of the salt and pepper on the exposed side. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 7 minutes each side. Set aside and allow to rest about 10 minutes. Then, with a couple of forks, shred the chicken into ragged thin strips along the grain of the muscle tissue.
6. Meanwhile on the other side of the pan, Add the onions and grill for about 5 minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables and grill for an additional 10 minutes, until the veg are tender and starting to slightly char. Add the shredded chicken and cook until heated through.
7. Serve with warmed flour tortillas, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and grated cheddar.

Untested - Spicy Chickpea Stew with Roasted Cauliflower

Servings?

4 cups cooked chickpeas - drained and rinsed, or soak 2 cups dry overnight and boil until tender 

2 heads cauliflower 

1/2 cup olive oil 

2 medium white onions, diced 

8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 

1 tablespoon ground cumin 

2 tablespoons turmeric 

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

2 tablespoons fennel seeds 

Anywhere from 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons cayenne depending on your heat preference 

1 preserved lemon, minced (or juice from 2 fresh lemons and zest from 1) 

Kosher salt 

2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper 

Flat leaf parsley or cilantro to garnish 

Optional: dry harissa, zatar or other spice power to garnish

1. Cut the cauliflower into moderate sized florets, and cube the stalks. Toss with 1/4 c. olive oil and a little salt, and roast at 400ºF (using convection if available) until quite tender and starting to caramelize.
2. In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil over a medium high flame. Add the onion and fry until translucent. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, cinammon, fennel seeds, and cayenne and stir rapidly. When the spices are fragrant (maybe 30 seconds), add the chickpeas and some water and turn down to a simmer.
3. When the cauliflower is done, add it to the pot, along with the lemon.
4. Start with 1 T. kosher salt, and keep adding until it tastes right. Add more water if needed to achieve a stew-like consistency. Simmer awhile longer so that some of the chickpeas dissolve a little. Be sure not to let them scorch!
5. At the end, add the black pepper and do a final check on the salt, spices, and acid. Serve over couscous, garnished with the parsley or cilantro. Dust the plate with the dry harissa or zatar if using. Pass a yogurt based sauce (with cucumber or mint or dill) and a hot sauce (preferably wet harissa).

Test 1 - Herbed balsamic chicken with blue cheese

1 - Along with my other chicken recipes, I'm translating them from whatever chicken parts it was to a whole chicken cut into pieces. I got as far as Test 1 with the skinless and boneless breasts. If the skin is a distraction, no problem, next time I'll remove it and use it to make gelatine.

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 chicken cut into 8 pieces

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons Herbe de Provence
2 to 3 ounces blue cheese

1. Mix vinegar, olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp pepper in a bowl or plastic bag to marinade the chicken for a half hour.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Mix together the remaining salt and pepper with the herbes de Provence.
3. At the end of the half hour, pour the marinade with the chicken in an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle the chicken with the herbes de Provence mixture and bake for 20 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, take the chicken out and put the cheese an top - return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
5. Once chicken is cooked (internal temperature should read 160F or juices run clear, set aside and dump the remaining marinade in an skillet and boil down to a sauce the consistency of cream.
6. Before serving, spoon the sauce prettily over the chicken.

Test 1 - Chicken and Lentil Stew

This is a good, simple meal, but I feel like the chicken gets overcooked. I changed the ending of the story. Previously the tale culminated in adding the cooked chicken and bringing it back to a simmer, then cooking for 1-2 minutes. I removed the simmering, figuring the that spinach would wilt enough in a couple of minutes just sitting in the hot lentil broth; this appears to fix the problem.
TO TRY: from http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/592678
- Step 1 is to cut 3 strips of bacon into lardons and render the fat in the olive oil to cook the chicken etc. in. There should be a total of 4 Tbsps. of oil/fat used in the recipe.
- omit coriander and replace with Bay leaf and a sprig of thyme
- omit chicken broth and replace with Apple cider
- Rethink - with these alterations, the lemon juice and fresh dill may be out of place. To determine.
2.0 HEY! How about using leftover chicken?


1+ Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast, diced OR 8 oz. leftover chicken
1 carrot, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. coriander, crushed
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup Du Puy lentils
1 oz. spinach, chopped (or baby)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring once or twice until it's no longer pink in the middle, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. Add a bit more oil if you think it needs it, and heat over medium-low heat. Add the carrot, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in the broth and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Add the cooked chicken, spinach and lemon juice and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the dill.

Testing - Roasted apple, cheese and shallot pithivier

1 - How exciting! I made this recipe with a few poorly chosen substitutions (onions instead of shallots, medium cheddar instead of blue cheese), but the crust was my biggest and most pleasing surprise. I had some leftover dough from a couple of previous crusts in the freezer, all folded up into a couple of little balls. I thawed them in the refrigerator and re-rolled them while refrigerator cold, and the crust came out all golden and puffed, almost like puff pastry, but in my mind much better. I will have to try this method of treating the crust again!
- could try using a very sharp cheddar or Lancashire.

3-4 Tbsps olive oil
5 eating apples (1kg), cored, quartered and sliced about 1/4" thick
2 large shallots, peeled and sliced about 1/4" thick
fresh thyme sprigs
3-4 oz blue cheese (or cheddar), crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 thyme sprigs
plain flour (for rolling out the pastry)
18 oz butter puff pastry or 2 recipes of pie crust
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
2. Combine the apples and shallots with roughly 3-4 Tbsps of olive oil. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, a generous grinding of black pepper and the thyme sprigs. Plop onto a cookie sheet and spread out the mixture. Roast for about 20 to 30 minutes, turning the mixture occasionally, until the shallots are soft and start to brown. Set aside to cool.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to about 1/4" thick and wide enough to cover the base of a pie plate. Roll out the rest of the dough in preparation.
4. Lay out 1/3 of the apple and onion mixture in the bottom of the pie shell. Add 1 oz of the crumbled cheese and season with black pepper. Repeat until all of the apple/onion mix and cheese is used up.
5. Brush the pastry margin with a little of the beaten egg.
6. Lay the second sheet of dough over the top and press down on the edges with your fingers to seal the filling in.
7. Go around a second time and properly pinch the edges to make sure they're sealed and uniform (as much for the practicality as for the aesthetics).
8. Brush with the remaining beaten egg and set aside in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking.
9. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
10. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. 

Zucchini and lemon spaghetti - Test 1

1 - Ben made this and it turned out pretty bland. The ingredients look right, but something is definitely missing. He didn't use the feta because we didn't have any in the house. (2014)

2 - Made it last night with the full complement of cheeses. Ben liked it a lot. I didn't. I'm going to keep it and try it again, because my taster may have been off.

3 - I liked it better, and it's a good way of using zucchini and is relatively quick to make. Not a favorite but a good summer dish. I removed the word 'optional' for the cheeses. They are absolutely required.

 

8 oz. dried spaghetti 

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. fresh sage, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tbsp. grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving 

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled 

zest of 1/2 lemon

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Cook the pasta. When the pasta is al dente, drain it in a colander, drizzle with a little olive oil and mix to lightly coat. Set aside.
2. In the same saucepan, put in the 3 Tbsps of olive oil and heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini and sauté for 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and herbs and mix well. 
4. Sauté for a couple more minutes, to allow all the flavors to come together and the zucchini to cook through.
5. Return the cooked spaghetti to the pan and heat through, then mix in the cheese and lemon zest. Season with salt (you may not need much since the feta cheese is salty) and a good grind of black pepper. 
6. Serve, with a little more grated Parmesan sprinkled over, if you wish.

DuPuy Lentil Soup - Published

I like this soup, but it wasn't quite right, so far. I've made it a couple of times, and I think I have it right this time - looking forward to making it again!
Update: I think this is it! On to the proving stage!

2-3 Tbsps rendered bacon fat
3 onions, chopped
2 Bay laurel leaves
2 tsps. ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup DuPuy lentils
5 cups water
2 tsps. red wine vinegar (what about white wine vinegar?)
1 Tbsp beef broth concentrate
1/2 tsp salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
Hot sauce, to taste

1. In a large casserole heat oil over medium heat and cook onion, Bay leaves and cumin until the onion is tender. (Cooking the onions over low heat allows for the sweetness of the onion to come through). Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the lentils, the water, vinegar and beef broth concentrate and bring to a boil. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 50-60 minutes, or until the lentils are completely soft.
3. Optional: you can blend about a quarter of the soup to make it thicker.
4. If the soup is too thick, you can thin it by adding boiling water.
5. Serve with ground black pepper on top and, if desired, a few drops of hot sauce.

Untested - Fresh Spinach Mushroom Frittata

2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Melt butter in an oven proof skillet.
2. Add garlic, onions and mushrooms cooking until onions are translucent.
3. Add spinach, sautee for 2 minutes.
4. Beat eggs, salt& pepper together.
5. Pour over mixture in skillet, stirring to combine.
6. Cook eggs for about 4 minutes, eggs will be almost but not quite set still moist on top.
7. Sprinkle with cheese and put in oven.
8. Broil 6" from heat for 3-4 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is lightly browned.

Italian Sausage Stew with Potatoes and Cabbage - PUBLISHED

http://threemanycooks.com/recipes/meaty-mains/roast-italian-sausages-with-potatoes-and-cabbage/

The sauce is very nice, but I have to figure out how to do a few things:
1 - make sure all the veg end up cooked at the same time
2 - have enough of the marinade to coat the cabbage (I soaked everything in batches and the cabbage was last)
3 - I didn't slice the garlic and it didn't cook properly
4 - I added ½ tsp salt and 21 turns of the pepper mill
I used a lasagne dish and layered everything, with the cabbage on top. The cabbage didn't cook properly and had totally charred leaves. The onions cooked more slowly than the potato. I think I need a larger dish or smaller quantities of ingredients.
NOTE: I will halve the recipe next time
5 - I used the clay pot to layer the food, and it worked wonderfully. However, it took much longer. I will first cook it covered, then uncover it to get some browning. Also, there was no need for chicken broth to make things saucier as there was plenty of liquid in the bottom of the pot. What I may do is add chicken broth concentrate to enhance the flavour a bit. RETHINKING - actually Iˋd like to re-do this as-is since there is likely nothing wrong with a little extra sauce. It's likely that cooking it in the clay pot prevents evaporation due to the rounded sides.
6 - Freaking awesome. I used baby fingerling potatoes (La Ratte) and cut up a little Charmant cabbage. Cooked it in the Corning ware bread pot.

1/4 cup olive oil + more for drizzling
1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 to 1 1/4 pound fingerling baby potatoes, or larger but cut into chunks
1 onion (or 2 small onions), cut into quarters (don't cut the basal thing)
1lb cabbage, cut into wedges (don't cut out the heart to keep the leaves together)
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1½ pounds sweet Italian sausage, cut into chunks

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425F. 
2. In a large bowl whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, carraway, salt and pepper until emulsified.
3. Throw in the potatoes and onions and toss until covered. 
4. Layer the cabbage at the bottom of a deep baking dish (Corning ware 4L (?) works well). 
5. Drizzle with some olive oil (optional). 
6. Pour in the chicken broth.
7. Layer the coated potatoes and onions on top. Nestle in the bay leaves among the veg.
8. Sprinkle the sliced garlic over all.
9. To get the rest of the sauce out of the bowl, throw in the sausage chunks and toss. Put the sausage on top of the veg mix and pour over any extra marinade. 
10. Cook, covered, for about 45 minutes. Uncover and cook until light golden brown and fully cooked, about 20 minutes. 

Du Puy Lentil Tomato and Harissa Stew - Testing

Quick and easy, this thick, hearty and nourishing French lentil and tomato stew is seasoned with harissa, the classic and distinctive fiery chilli, garlic and cumin condiment from North Africa

1 - The flavours are really nice! Changes are afoot, though! See below for eliminated soaking, and longer period uncovered, along with serving suggestions.

2 - I increased the quantity by half, and while it was quick and tasty, I felt like it was maybe overly acidic. Really, the only thing, but it makes me wonder about any umami I could add to balance it a bit.

3 - I keep having to double recipes since there are more people in the house and I forget to change the calculation for some ingredients. Anyway, I've double the quantity for this recipe, and it feeds 4 people. Also, it tasted acidic again, so I added just 1/4 tsp sugar and it seemed to balance it.

4 servings

1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 tsps ground coriander
2 tsps ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/3 cup Du Puy lentils
6 medium tomatoes, chopped (approx 36oz)
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 cup water
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1 Tbsps + 1 tsp harissa, or to taste

OPTIONAL - a little sugar if it tastes too acidic (I added 1/4 tsp last time and it worked a treat)

1. Rinse the lentils and soak for 2 hours in enough water to cover. Drain before cooking.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a low medium heat to poach the onion. When hot, toss in the shallot or onion and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, stir for 30 to 60 seconds, a minute then add the coriander, cumin and thyme; stir to coat the vegetables.
3. Add the lentils, tomatoes and turmeric, and pour in 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 40 minutes.
4. Stir in the paprika, salt and harissa, taste for seasoning, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until the water is reduced and the mixture is a thick stew.
5. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice or a crusty bread.

Lentil Soup with Bacon - Test 2

This is really just a variation on another winter vegetable lentil soup, and I include it because variations are often nice.

1 - A very serviceable soup. I put it on the Test 1 list because I got no negative comments, although I wonder if something could elevate it, still. Perhaps some fruit vinegar? Cheese is an easy go-to...

2 - This was very good. 

3 slices bacon, cut into lardons
1 Tbsp oil or fat
Mirepoid
- 1 medium yellow onion, in small cubes
-  (optional) 1 stalk celery, in small cubes
- 2 medium carrots, in small cubes
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup French lentils (lentilles duPuy)
a couple sprig of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
A few Tbsps chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

1. Render the fat from the bacon in a large pot over medium-low heat, until the bacon is crisp, 4-5 minutes. Remove the bacon and set aside.
2. Add the oil, onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the carrots and garlic, stirring constantly, and cook 1 minute more.
4. Add the diced tomatoes (with their juices), chicken broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, 50-60 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
5. Purée the soup just a little, to thicken the broth slightly, either with an immersion blender, or a cup or two in a blender. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Celerie gratiné - Publish

Celery isn't one of my go-to vegetables. I usually only need a stalk or two and then it sits in refrigerator until it turns into a putrid liquid. Not really. Well, maybe once. Anyway, this recipe is a great way of using up the rest of the celery before it transforms. I made this twice and the salt ratio seems to work. Attempt no.3 required to confirm the test phase is over.

1 bunch celery, including leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups milk
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup chopped chives or 3 chopped scallions
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

1. In a skillet combine the celery and salt. Add water just enough to cover. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is completely gone. The celery should be  totally cooked. Dump into a plate and set aside.
2. In the hot skillet, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour, nutmeg and pepper, whisking until it starts to turn brown. Add the milk and whisk until it's smooth, then add the celery and cook until the sauce becomes creamy and thick. Taste and season with salt.
3. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, chives and parsley. At this point, either leave the celery mix in the skillet or dump it into a gratin dish or casserole. Sprinkle the cheesy breadcrumbs on top.
4. Set the oven to broil. Put the dish in the oven and broil until the top is golden.

Testing - Vert-Vert Cake

One of the first posts on this blog, I think, I was excited about a cookbook called Monet's Table, containing recipes from Giverny. I've made a few, and even fewer actually work like they're supposed to. I think this recipe is the worst one. I scoured the Internet to find someone who successfully made it to no avail; all the comments I found complained that it came out as hard as a puck. It makes sense to me that there may have been details which were second nature to Alice Hoschedé that may not have been written in her notes, and not improved upon by the publishers of this book. I caved and used baking powder to save my ingredients, and it tasted nice, but I wasn't satisfied! The following is my attempt at creating an authentic-seeming version, trying to guess the parts that were missed in the book. I'm purposely omitting baking powder and soda, trying to imitate an authentic French cake recipe. Now I wonder if it isn't just a flavoured sponge cake...

To Make the Sponge:

NOTE: try adding more pistachio and bigger chunks of it.

4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour, sifted
2 Tbsp ground pistachio
4 Tbsp kirsch
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Grated rind of 1 lemon

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF. Cut a circle of parchment paper and line the bottom of a spring-form pan; butter and flour the pan.
2. Grind the pistachios to make the flour (in a food processor or if you're hardcore, in a mortar and pestle).
3. In a mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 of the sugar and continue whipping until stiff and glossy, about 30 secs more. Transfer to another mixing bowl and set aside.
4. Over a a bain-marie (if you don't have a specialty pot for this, use a bowl over a pot of simmering water, without letting the bowl touch the water), whisk the yolks and sugar until they have tripled in volume and become thick, pale and ribbony. Take the yolk mixture off the heat and pour into a mixer bowl. 
5. Over the yolk mixture scatter the pistachio flour, along with the kirsch and butter. Very slowly, sprinkle in the flour and lemon rind until just combined, then whisk super fast for 20-30 seconds.
6. Stir a spoonful of the egg whites into the yolk batter to loosen it, then very gently fold in the remainder. Pour into a spring-form pan.
7. Bake in the oven about 30-40 minutes.

Sources for the Sponge:

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/walnut-cake/9044/

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/strawberries-and-cream-sponge-cake/12679/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/lemon-sponge-cake-with-glazed-strawberries-recipe.html

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/bakingdesserts/r/Sponge-Cake.htm

Pistachio Cream - This is a variation of my pastry cream recipe.

NOTE - try increasing the amount of pistachio flour.

1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup pistachio flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp kirsch

Put the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and bring just to a boil and set aside to cool.
Beat the yolks with the sugar until pale. Beat in the flour and pistachio flour. Pull the vanilla bean from the milk and whisk the milk gradually into the egg mixture. Pour back into the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook one minute. Remove from the heat. Strain into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool.
When chilled, stream the cream and kirsch in and mix with whisk until smooth.

Source for the Pistachio Icing?
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/laura-calder/almond-meringue-cake-with-peaches.html

Icing - this is totally not the icing in the recipe. It will come, but in the meantime I've made this really great lemon icing!

1 cup softened salted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
The grated rind of one lemon
The juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cups icing sugar, sifted after measuring

Beat the butter until creamy (almost white).
With the beaters going slowly, add the vanilla, the lemon rind and the lemon juice; beat until very smooth.
Add the icing sugar.
Beat on high until smooth and pale, almost white.

Testing - Curried Zucchini and Swiss Chard - PUBLISHED

1 - OK, I may have gone overboard on the instructions. Honestly, this is a super easy recipe, deceptively flavorful and satisfying. The success of the dish hinges on how the zucchini is prepared. It needs to be in paper-thin slices, and cooked enough to be tender but not cooked enough so that it turns to mush. I've tended to undercook it, but the few times I've managed to get the right amount of doneness, the zucchini becomes buttery and flavorful with a bit of an al-dente bite to it.

2 - After years (this is 2021) since I last made this, I finally grow my own garden again and have loads of veg to cook with. Hooray. And the instructions are confusing! I little streamlining. However, it was delicious. The timing I provide though is really useful. The trick really is to keep the squash just underdone.

Serves 2 lumberjacks and 4 delicate ladies

1 cup basmati rice

1 bunch of swiss chard (16oz)
2 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced (10-12 oz)
a fistful of fresh chives (equivalent to 3 green onions), minced
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1+1 Tbsp butter
1+12 Tbsp mild oil
Salt and pepper, to taste.
a squeeze of lemon

1. Start cooking the basmati rice (put dry rice in a hot saucepan, dry roast about 5 minutes stirring often, add 2 cups + a splash of water and a pinch of salt, cook about 20 minutes).
2. Remove the stems and the large center veins of the Swiss chard. Slice the stems very thin and keep separate. Fold the leaves together and slice very thin and set aside.
3. In a large sauté pan heat half the butter and oil over medium-to-low heat. Add the thinly sliced stems and sauté about 4-5 minutes, until starting to go tender. 
4. Add the chives and cook about 1 minute more. Gradually add the leaf strips a handful at-a-time and cook until tender (about 4-5 minutes more). Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
5. In the hot pan, melt the remaining butter and oil. Add the curry powder and warm it through to bring out its flavor, about 1 minute or until it becomes very fragrant.
6. Add the zucchini and sauté for about 3-5 minutes (the thinner they are, the faster they'll cook). Essentially, stop when they're all covered with the curry but still have a bit of bite. If you let it cook too long they'll turn to mush. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Your rice should be ready now. On a platter, spread the rice, arrange the chard on top, and top the chard with the zucchini. Apply a generous squeeze of lemon on top.

Testing - Oeufs en cocotte

My sister very thoughtfully sent me a list of Julia Child's favourite recipes, and this was one of them. When I described it to Ben he was doubtful that it would be any good, but kept it to himself. When he ate it, he wolfed it down and was honestly shocked at how good this simple dish was. We've been having it at least once every weekend, ever since.

NOTE: my challenge is to find the ideal temperature to cook the eggs so that they are soft, yet cooked.

1 cup + 1 Tbsp crème fraîche
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1 tsp packed fresh herb, minced (dill is excellent and classic, thyme or basil is good)
4 eggs

1. Lightly butter 4 ramekins.
2. Fill half-way with water an oven-proof dish such as a lasagna dish and put in the oven. Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
3. Mix together the crème fraîche, salt, pepper and fresh herb.
4. Divide the creamy mix in half and divide the first half evenly between the four ramekins. Crack an egg into each ramekin so that it rests on top of the cream.
5. Pop each ramekin into the hot water dish in the oven. They should be evenly spaced and not touching each other.
6. Bake for about 11 minutes.
7. Take out of the oven and immediately remove from the hot water bath or the eggs will continue to cook.
8. Serve with toast cut into strips.

Fresh Vegetable Rice Paper Spring Rolls - Testing

https://cookieandkate.com/fresh-spring-rolls-recipe/#tasty-recipes-34271-jump-target

1 - The sauce totally rocks! The wraps, they need work. - the mint was too strong (too much? chop super fine? or left whole?) - the chives were the wrong texture (chop super fine?), they're unlike green onion tails. I was distracted by the textures, and Ben by the strong mint
2 - I don't know where the original recipe came from. I kept the sauce and replaced the spring rolls instructions.

3 - The sauce continues to be good. (This time I did not have hoisin sauce so I substituted with 2Tbsps. teriyaki sauce, 1.5 Tbsps. red wine vinegar and a pinch of Chinese 5 Spice). The filling is quite good but I wonder about adding something else, like a strip of pickled ginger, or Ben was suggesting tofu or scrambled egg. What are Asian scrambled eggs like?

Spring Rolls

2 oz bean thread noodles (cellophane noodles) OR rice vermicelli 

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

¼ tsp fine sea salt

1 cup torn butter lettuce, ribs removed

1 cup very thinly sliced red cabbage

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks or sliced into strips with a julienne peeler

2 Persian (mini) cucumbers or 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced or sliced into strips with a julienne peeler

2 medium jalapeños, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced

¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh mint

8 sheets rice paper (spring roll wrappers)

1. To make the spring rolls: Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the noodles just until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, rinse them under cool water, and return them to the pot. Off the heat, toss the noodles with the sesame oil and salt, and set aside.
2. Fill a shallow pan (a pie pan or 9″ round cake pan works great) with an inch of water. Fold a lint-free tea towel in half and place it next to the dish. Make sure your prepared fillings are within reach. Combine the green onion, cilantro and mint in a small bowl, and stir.
3. Place one rice paper in the water and let it rest for about 20 seconds, give or take. You’ll learn to go by feel here—wait until the sheet is pliable but not super floppy. Carefully lay it flat on the towel.
4. Leaving about 1 inch of open rice paper around the edges, cover the lower third of the paper with a few pieces of butter lettuce, followed by a small handful of rice noodles, some cabbage, and a few strips of carrot, cucumber and jalapeño. Sprinkle generously with the herb mix.
5. Fold the lower edge up over the fillings, rolling upward just until the filling is compactly enclosed. Fold over the short sides like you would to make a burrito. Lastly, roll it up. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
6. When you're done preparing the rolls, sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.

Sauce
½ cup natural creamy peanut butter
½ cup warm water
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsps. soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
½ tsp Asian hot sauce 
3 tbsps. hoisin sauce
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
1 medium garlic clove, pressed

1. Just put everything in a bowl and whisk until it's smooth. 
2. Whatever chopped peanuts left over from sprinkling over the wraps, you can add to the sauce.

Testing - Teurgoule (Rice pudding from Normandy)

I love these kinds of recipes, because the history and method of preparation are intertwined. There are several slow-cook recipes that come from a time when each village had a communal oven where each household would bring their bread for the day to be baked. Once the bread was baked, the oven was still hot so, instead of wasting all that energy and making the most of the fuel used to heat it, people would put in slow-cooking dishes, seal up the oven and come back at the end of the day. This is one such recipe. Crazy easy, too. Now the trick is to get it just right.
This is a very slow cooking recipe - 4-7 hours. How, in the name of all that is reasonable, is it possible that such a recipe, traditional to boot, takes so long? It turns out to be fascinating and absolutely reasonable. Well, that is, if you cook with a wood-fired bread oven. To use as much of the energy created from the wood fire, after baking the bread, the still-hot oven was loaded with other dishes and sealed up, the original slow-cooker for, as the temperature very slowly decreased, the food would cook. This rice pudding is such a recipe, where today, we have to burn energy continuously in our modern ranges to get the same effect.

One of the effects of baking over such a long period of time is that a dark crust of dehydrated milk will form on the surface of the dish. Trust me, it does not taste good, but it`s by no means dangerous for you to try some for yourself to see - goodness knows that, because of all the warnings I got, I absolutely had to try a bit, and was able to confirm that everybody who tried it before me and warned me not to eat it, were absolutely correct. HOWEVER, the dessert inside had reduced into a sweet, unctuous pudding, the rice having completely melted into the sweetened milk.

I first saw this in Anne Willian's Look&Cook French Country Cooking book, where the recipe instructs one to reach under the crust with a spoon to stir every half hour. Please do not do this. Since, traditionally, this was sealed in a hot woodfired bread oven for several hours, there was no way to unseal the oven and loose all that heat every half hour just to stir. And it is really hard to do without disturbing the crust AND give it a good stir. It's one or the other. I'm still working out the ratios, but the tiny amount of rice, which I distrusted until I tried it, is absolutely essential. The milk reduces while cooking, and too much rice would create a dry, sweet rice, possibly burnt. Although I haven't tried, I also suspect that using a long grain rice like Basmati would not create as pleasing an effect, either (although I will likely try it, just to see!).

All of this blah-blah for a relatively simple recipe:

1/3 cup round rice
5 cups whole milk (or cream?)
1/3 cup sugar (or 1/4 cup?)
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1. In an oven-proof bowl, mix in together the rice, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Make sure the bowl is bigger than the volume of the ingredients to make sure there is no boiling over.
2. Pour in the milk (no need to mix).
3. Place in the oven and turn on at a temperature of 300F.
4. Bake for 4 hours (I haven't tried longer. I suspect I'd have to reduce the temperature if I did).