Recipes

Garden Party Italian Style 2 comments

Our cousin invited us and two other couples back from dinner to help polish off all the leftovers. Here you see our cousin’s husband and their German friends.

June 8, 2015, posted by Michelle – Le Monsieur and I just returned from a weekend in Italy. Gina and I have an Italian cousin who lives in the small town where our great-grandmother was born. The town is in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy and it’s just a 4½ hour drive from Lyon. For several years our cousin has hosted a party at her house on the first Saturday in June. She’s a great cook and she does all the cooking herself while her husband gets the garden and the house ready for guests. I found some similar recipes online for a few of the dishes she made and provided links. She served copious amounts of:

Cauliflower with Anchovy Sauce
Green Bean Salad
Risotto Cakes with Ham and Peas
Cold Farro Soup with White Beans
Vegetable Quiche
Cherry Tomatoes in Oil and Vinegar
Peperonata
Zucchini and Eggplant Casserole
Celery with Gorgonzola Cheese Dip
Thinly Sliced Roast Beef
Salami
Prosciutto
Artichokes in Olive Oil (more about these below)
Breads and Grissini
Mascarpone and Ricotta with Cherries
Pineapple with Rum Sauce
Chocolate Mousse
Apple Cake

…and an obscene amount of wine! You can see why there were enough leftovers to feed six people for dinner.

I mentioned above that I would tell you more about the artichokes in olive oil. You could never tell from the very ordinary, humble looking jar of them below that they are in the process of becoming a very lucrative enterprise. A couple from Tuscany brought a few jars to the party. They make their own olive oil and grow the artichokes and noticed that friends and neighbors liked them so much they started asking for a few jars. The couple decided to try to sell them to shops and as of now they have orders for 14,000 jars! The artichokes are slightly firm but not tough and the oil is divine. Maybe you’ll start seeing these at a store near you soon.

Do you have a “specialty” that everyone always asks you to make? Are you hosting any casual summer parties? Let us know! Just click on the title of this post to open the comment form and leave us your thoughts.

Friday Night Fun

June 7, 2015, posted by Gina – My family went to a new restaurant last night and as you can see the atmosphere was great and the menu had a farm fresh vibe.

Our waiter recommended the poutine for an appetizer and even though we were unfamiliar with what poutine is exactly, we decided to try it. We were not disappointed, just look at that cast iron skillet of goodness:

Once home, I investigated this epicurean mystery and discovered that poutine is a Quebec (or French Canadian) staple of homemade french fries with white cheddar cheese curls and beef gravy. The version we enjoyed was a combination of french fries topped with black-eyed pea chili, sharp cheddar cheese and gremolata (a chopped herb condiment made of lemon zest, garlic and parsley).

My husband and son ordered a wedge salad. The chef took a little creative license and put a twist on this by using romaine lettuce instead of the traditional iceberg. The lettuce was topped with Asher blue (a naturally rinded cheese made in the US), country ham instead of the traditional bacon, spring onions, radishes and a buttermilk dressing that was smooth, creamy and full of flavor. While looking at this bowl of freshness, I decided that the next time I make salad it will be this one and making fresh dressing is what takes a salad from so-so to fabulous. Here is my recipe for buttermilk dressing:

GINA’S BUTTERMILK DRESSING
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 green onions, chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients. Let sit in refrigerator a few hours or overnight to allow the flavors to come together.

My entrée was a great combination of braised southern peas (black-eyed peas, field peas and butter beans), summer squash and sorghum grilled chicken breast. An interesting fact about sorghum is that it looks very similar to corn while growing in the field. This grain is best known for producing sweet sorghum syrup and is mostly grown in Kentucky and Tennessee but can also be found in Minnesota, Mississippi and Texas.

Back to my entrée, the sorghum flavored the entire dish giving the broth a slight sweetness that contrasted with the other savory flavors. The chicken had a sweet-smokey grilled flavor that put this main dish staple over the top.

My husband and son both ordered the catfish. I was fortunate enough to steal a bite or two and it was light and crispy with plenty of flavor. It was resting on a bed of mashed potatoes drizzled with a creamy tartar and hot sauce.

I was so full that dessert seemed out of the question until our waiter recommended the homemade banana pudding. I did not order dessert but I will confess that my spoon did take a couple of dips into my husband’s bowl. Fresh whipped cream, banana pudding, vanilla wafers, toasted macadamia nuts, strawberries and blueberries made a beautiful presentation.

Sitting in the middle of our table was this unpretentious crystal vase with three mini zinnias. This was just enough to make me smile. We enjoyed everything from the atmosphere and our fantastic waiter to the food that was creative and delicious. We will make a return visit.

Bridal Luncheon 1 comment

May 22, 2015, posted by Gina -Last weekend several hostesses, including yours truly, gave a bridal luncheon for a very special young lady (see more about the table settings HERE). She requested spaghetti as the main dish but after much thought we decided baked ziti would be a better alternative, if only because it’s a little easier to eat!

We set up a champagne bar with St. Germaine liquor, orange juice and cranberry-raspberry juice, orange slices, fresh raspberries, and sugar cubes (think Moonstruck). The ladies absolutely loved the champagne and being outside on the screened-in porch on such a beautiful spring day.

Fresh baked olive bread and cream cheese topped with an amazing brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and pecan sauce served as the appetizers.

After appetizers everyone gathered inside for a few words of congratulations to the bride and a prayer of thanks before lunch.

The lunch menu:
Crunchy Romaine Salad
Baked Ziti
Sassy Green Beans
Fruit Salad
French bread
Strawberry Cake (the Bride’s favorite)

If you’d like to leave a comment, please click on the title of this post and the comment form will appear at the bottom of the post. We’d like to hear from you!

Eat Your Flowers 1 comment

May 12, 2015, posted by Michelle – I have a cousin who lives next door to me, relatively speaking. She lives in Northern Italy and it’s just a five hour drive from Lyon. She’s a great cook and she has a huge vegetable garden (perhaps there’s a connection there?). I love visiting her anytime but especially in the summer so I can help her and her husband enjoy all those fresh veggies. Last summer she made a delicious lunch of things from the garden including some fried squash blossoms.

Apart from having the squash blossoms and eating a salad or two with a few flower petals sprinkled on them, I don’t really know much about using edible flowers. Yesterday I was in Monoprix, my favorite French grocery store, and saw these pretty edible flowers in the produce section: pansies, pink and white carnations and marigold. I found some recipes online that call for edible flowers that sound really nice like lavender honey cake, cold chocolate soup with cardamom and chocolate covered pansies and hibiscus, raspberry and vanilla mousse. Now that I know where to get the flowers, I may try to use them in some recipes. I’m having some ladies over for lunch next week which seems like the perfect occasion to make some flower accented dessert.

Can you find edible flowers where you live? Have you ever eaten any? Do you have any edible flower recipes you’d like to share? To leave comments just click on the title of this post and the comment form will appear at the end of the post.

Cookbook Club: Cinco de Mayo on the Water

May 6, 2015, posted by Gina – Yesterday, my Cookbook Club met for a Cinco de Mayo lunch. We are currently working our way through the Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks and you’ll find links for each recipe throughout this post. The hostess set up her boat house so that we could enjoy the day right on the water. It was quite a beautiful sunny day, not too hot, with a slight, pleasant breeze. Idyllic!

We started the festivities with margaritas and what I can only describe as the BEST GUACAMOLE I have ever had. For a start, the super fresh avocados and tomatoes had everything to do with setting it apart. It had a bit of a kick from the 8 dashes of Tabasco sauce and lemon juice, rather than lime juice, brightened it up. Combine all that with some minced red onions and garlic and you have the perfect guacamole.

After enjoying the appetizer, we served GAZPACHO topped with homemade parmesean croutons, ROASTED CHICKEN, ORZO with ROASTED VEGETABLES and ZUCCHINI with PARMESEAN. My favorite dish was the orzo with roasted vegetables; the dressing, the feta and the pine nuts married so well with the vegetables.

Gazpacho

Roasted Chicken

For dessert we had FROZEN KEY LIME PIE and CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE. The pie had a great flavor although I think I prefer a regular key lime pie. The ganache on the cake was delicious and while the cake was good, there are other chocolate cakes I like better.

Chocolate Ganache Cake with Sugared Flowers

The tables were set with brightly colored plates and napkins and pots of zinnias for centerpieces. The setting, the perfect weather, a delicious lunch and great company made this a very enjoyable day. Do you do anything special for Cinco de Mayo? Maybe you prepare an authentic meal or just head to your favorite Mexican restaurant for margaritas? Do you have a favorite spot on a lake or river where you can get away? We’d like to hear from you, so if you’d like to leave a comment, click on the title of this post and a comment form with unfurl for you at the end of the post.

Fresh Peas and a Word About Truffle Oil

May 6, 2015, posted by Michelle – This past Sunday at the farmers market I loaded up on a bunch of fresh peas while they are available (the season is just a few short weeks). Behold the sweet, brilliant green beauties:

I concocted a simple salad of peas and new potatoes with chives, dill and mayonnaise that was light and delicious.

Fresh Pea and New Potato Salad

1/2 lb. fresh peas, shelled
5 – 6 small new potatoes, halved
2 tsp. fresh dill, minced
2 tsp. fresh chives, minced
3 tsp mayonnaise (honestly, this is guess – you can add as much or as little mayo as you like)

Boil the potatoes about 15 minutes then add the peas and continue to boil together for another 5 – 7 minutes or until the peas are just tender. Strain in a colander and then transfer the peas and potatoes to a mixing bowl. Allow to cool a bit (15 minutes or so). Mix in the mayo and herbs and add salt and pepper to taste.

Now about apparently evil and disgusting truffle oil… My significant other (when I mention him from now on I’ll refer to him as Le Monsieur) came home from a business trip to Italy with several packages of truffle flavored pasta that, unfortunately, didn’t have much of a truffle taste. I thought maybe adding a little truffle oil would bring out the truffle flavor of the pasta. I had never used truffle oil before and so I did a little research to find out about it. Wow. It seems like everyone from Martha Stewart to Anthony Bourdain HATES and VILIFIES truffle oil. The reason is because 99% of commercially produced truffle oil has no truffles in it and chemically reproduces a one dimensional, overbearing truffle-like taste. The ingredients of this synthetic truffle oil include phrasing like “truffle essence” or “truffle aroma”. Read THIS ARTICLE to find out more about truffles, truffle oil and marketing manipulation. You can decide for yourself if truffle oil is a travesty or not.

Bacon, Muenster and Green Onion Quiche

April 16, 2015, posted by Gina – I co-hosted a prayer group meeting today and each month the hosts make something for brunch. When our Cookbook Club first started one of the first things we made was this quiche and everyone loved it. It’s been a while since I made it only because I had foolishly forgotten about it! I changed the original recipe which, I think, makes it easier and more cost efficient. Judging by the number of ladies who asked me for the recipe today, I can say this is a hit. Enjoy!

Bacon, Muenster and Green Onion Quiche

1 refrigerated pie crust
6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon
1 bunch green onions chopped & sautéed in bacon drippings until
tender
8 oz. muenster cheese, shredded
3 eggs
1½ cup half & half
½ teaspoon salt
A sprinkle of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375°

Place the pie crust in a pie pan. Whisk eggs and half and half together. Add cheese, onions and bacon, salt and
nutmeg. Whisk until combined. Pour into pie shell and bake for 40 minutes or until quiche is set.

Bacon Tomato Tartlets and Onion Dip

April 15, 2015, posted by Gina – Recently, I participated in a membership drive for the Ronald McDonald House Red Shoe Society. The event was a Wine & Cheese party but, far from a simple cheese board with fruit and crackers on the side, the table was packed with delicious dishes. I made bacon tomato tartlets and onion dip and I’d like to share these simple recipes with you.

Bacon Tomato Tartlets

1 – 10 oz can Rotel, drained
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 – 3 oz package real bacon bits
3 – 1.9 oz packages mini phyllo shells

Preheat oven to 350°
Combine the Rotel, cheese, mayo and bacon bits. Fill the phyllo shells with the mixture and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

The onion dip is quasi-homemade in that you have to blend two ingredients together. That being said, it’s not entirely whipped up from scratch but neither is it straight from a jar. I ran across a really cute article in Bon Appétit magazine that had four people blind taste test Alton Brown’s French Onion Dip and Lay’s French Onion Dip from a jar. The panel consisted of a Health Nut, a Foodie, a Dude and a Kid. Read the article and see the results HERE.

Onion Dip

8 oz sour cream
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix

French Farmers Market 1 comment

It’s the moment for asparagus and both the green and white varieties are abundant.

April 12, 2015, posted by Michelle – Just about every Sunday morning we go to the farmers market along the Saône river in downtown Lyon. One of the great things about Lyon is that there are farmers markets all over town every day. In my neighborhood there’s a mini farmers market every Tuesday morning just 50 feet from where I live. But with over one hundred vendors nothing compares to the quarter mile of gastronomic paradise that is the Sunday market. The selection is huge, the quality supreme and the setting idyllic, especially on sunny Sundays. There’s plenty of local produce, cheese (oh, the cheese!), pastries, breads, herbs, honey, wine, fruit juices, ciders, seafood, meat, chicken, sausages, nuts, olives and flowers but also Italian, North African, Chinese and Latin American specialties.

Sacred to the Lyonnais, Saucisson Sec, Dry Sausage

We have our favorite vendors to be sure; the lady who drives to Turin, Italy every weekend and returns with fresh pastas and parmesean, the cheese guy who has the disposition of a pitbull but his cheese is so good you gladly put up with him, Chez Carlos, the Chilean food truck that sells divine homemade empanadas with hot sauce, the herb people who sell big bunches of fresh herbs for almost nothing, the chicken producer we visit each week sells the tastiest chicken and we grab a bunch of fresh flowers from a sweet mother and daughter team.

The market is a big social scene as well and the terraces of the two riverside cafés are packed, even in cold weather. Their specialty is fresh oysters and each week the oyster guy is out there shucking them as fast as he can as a steady stream of oysters and white wine make their way to almost every table. From these tables you have the perfect view of the market, the river and the two beautiful cathedrals and Renaissance buildings of Vieux-Lyon on the other side.

Do you have a favorite farmers market? Are there certain foods you’ll only buy from a local farmer? We’d like to hear about your market days so if you’d like to leave a comment, click on the title of this post and the comment form will appear at the end of the post.

Cooking Class 1 comment

April 2, 2015, posted by Michelle – Today I had the pleasure of doing one of my favorite things here in Lyon, the French capital of gastronomy, and that is cooking. I have attended some cooking classes at a small place downtown and have learned some pretty useful tips and techniques while adding a few great meals to my repertoire. Their focus is not on classical French cuisine, though they do offer classes based on French cooking, but you’re as likely to find Asian, Latin American, Italian, etc. inspired courses.

Today we made Pavé de Boeuf poêlé with Avocat et Salsa de Mangue et Tomates / Seared Sirloin with Avocado and Mango-Tomato Salsa. It was delicious, the beef was tender and the salsa’s light, citrusy flavors married well with it. Along with the recipe I’ll share some of the tips and advice the chef gave to us.

Seared Sirloin with Avocado and Mango-Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

Sirloin, eight 6oz pieces
4 avocados, peeled and mashed
2 shallots, minced
2 small red onions, minced
2 mangos, peeled and diced
4 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 limes, zest and juice
½ cup chopped basil
½ cup chopped chives
3 pinches piment d’espelette or cayenne pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Sauté pan that can go from stove-top to oven

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°

For the salsa: Mix the tomato, mango, red onions, basil and chives. Add piment d’espelette or cayenne, 2 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste.

For the avocado: Peel and mash the avocado with a fork. Zest the limes and then add the zest and juice of the limes to the avocado and mix. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the shallots and balsamic vinegar and sauté one minute on medium heat. Add the avocado to the pan and gently mix with the shallots and balsamic vinegar. Do not overmix. Remove from heat after one minute. You can shape the avocado mixture into a “quenelle” which is basically an oval shape achieved by passing the mixture back and forth a few times between two tablespoons.

The Chef forming the avocado mixture into a quenelle shape.

For the sirloin: Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a hot sauté pan then put in the beef and brown on all sides ( 2 minutes per side). Remove the pan from the heat and transfer it to the oven. Continue cooking the beef in the oven for 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with two spoonfuls of the avocado mixture and the salsa. Serves 8.

Chef’s Tips and Tools:

Use a ceramic knife to chop herbs and fruits. They do not impart any flavor and unlike metal knives they do not lead to browning. He specifically referred to using a ceramic knife to chop basil which is fragile and can turn black when cut with a metal blade.

Add freshly ground pepper to the meat only after it is cooked as the pepper will burn during cooking.

After zesting the limes, roll them back and forth on a hard surface to get more juice out of them.

We garnished these plates with a little Cream of Balsamic

He removed the pit from the mango using a mango pitter, makes dealing with dicing so much easier.

Mango pitter – worth it if you regularly use mango or are bothered by that pesky pit!