Claudine, Oui c'est Francais

From the Kennedy Kitchen

On the one year anniversary since the loss of Teddy Kennedy I thought I would revist a dish I made that was favorite of his family. This is a fantastic book, filled with lots of great dishes!



 

 

I got this book a year ago when I found it on Amazon. "In the Kitchen with the Kennedy's" is filled with two of my favorite things, a cookbook and it is about the Kennedy's. It was written by the personal chef of Rose Kennedy for 12 years. Chef Neil Connolly did everything from private dinners, family weddings and a reception for the Bolshoi Ballet.  Filled with storys and pictures of the Kennedys and their amazing homes in Hyanis Port makes it more then just a cookbook. The book is broken up into courses with wonderful regional items such as clam chowder, crab cakes, Oysters Kennedy and Mediterranean-Style Halibut with Clams and Mussels that I made for dinner tonight. 

Found on page 78 when I saw this amazing looking dish I just had to make it. A very easy and fast recipe but not inexpensive. But it was well worth it, I will keep this in mind for the next beach trip to make it down there as well. Email me if you would like the recipe, I can't seem to find it online and since it is copywritten I didn't want to post it.

Halibut with Clams and Mussels on the pretty Martha Stewart Loraine plates....

Bon Appetit!

Tour du Limousin: Clafoutis au bacon et au gruyere

Since 1968 the Tour du Limousin has run in mid August through the mostly rural region of France, the Limousin.  This year on Tuesday August 17^th the four day tour starts in the famous city of Limoges and then will return to finish the tour there on Friday, August 20^th.  Sitting in the heart of France surrounded by the mountains of the Massif Central and north of the Midi-Pyrenees and Aquitaine and Auvergne Limousin covers just 3% of the area of France and is the second least populous region of France only behind Corsica. The landscape of Limousin is covered with oak and chestnut trees and rivers that include the Dordogne, Creuse and Cher.  Named after the Gallic tribe Lemovici that was conquered by the Romans in 49 B.C.  The area became part of the Aquitaine in 27 B.C. and in 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet who was crowned King Henry II of England in 1154 the Aquitaine fell under the control of the English and remained until early 13^th century. During the Hundred Years War it was lost to the English again but in 1370 it was returned to the French and In 1607 the French King Henry IV united the region to France once and for all.

The first stage of the Tour du Limousin has been the shortest for most of the past twenty years but this year it will be the longest at 120 miles.  It starts out rather easy for the first 30 or so miles and passes through the small village of Saint-Pardoux. Named after Pardoux a peasant’s son who set fire to an old chestnut tree causing it to fall on him and causing him to lose his sight. He became a hermit and found solace in God, it wasn’t long before people started coming to him looking for cures to their problems as it was spreading that he had a gift to heal people. In 670 the Count of Limoges was setting up a monastery in Gueret and asked Pardoux to be the priest. He died in October 737

Near the Vallee de la Creuse and the Foret de Chabrieres is the town of Gueret.  The count of Lantaire founded a monastery here in the 8^th century, located at the base of the Grandcher hill. Gueret became the capital of the county of La March in 1514 and has been the administrative center ever since. The nearby Foret de Chabrieres has an animal park where you can see wolves as well be there for feeding time at 4pm. I think I would maybe avoid the feeding time, but I am pretty sure that they must have a fence between you and the wolves.

The finishing town of Boussac sits on the right bank of the Petite Creuse a tributary of the River Creuse and in the northern most edge of the Limousin region. Overlooking the town and River Creuse is the Chateau de Boussac. First built in the 15^th century it went through some renovations in the 16^th and 17^th but by the end of the 18^th century it was set to be demolished. In April of 1794 it was set to be dismantled by a contractor for $13,000 and began to tear down the towers and gates, filled the ditches surrounding and left only the main building.  In 1837 it was sold to the department by the Countess of Ribereix. In 1965 it was purchased by a private couple the Blondeau’s who began to restore it back to its stately form.  

In the guard room of the Chateau the famous tapestries “The Lady and the Unicorn” or La Dame a la licorne. Woven in Flanders and made of wool and silk between 1484 and 1500. Five of the six tapestries depict each of the five senses; sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, but each one has a unicorn, lion and noble lady on them. They were discovered within the Chateau in 1841 and were moved to the Musee de Cluny of Paris in 1882 where they still are today. The images have been reproduced many times over the years and can even be seen in the Harry Potter films in the Gryffindor common room.

One of the most famous dishes in Limousin is the Clafoutis. A dessert that is normally made with cherries and then a pudding like batter pored over and baked. We will get to that later in the Tour but first I we will have a savory version. I found one online and altered the cheese a bit and added more bacon. It is basically a crustless quiche and was fantastic. Great for a brunch or lunch or pair it with a salad for a light dinner.

Clafoutis au bacon et au gruyere

4 eggs

¾ cup whipping cream

½ cup ricotta

7-8 slices bacon cut into ½ pieces

½ gruyere cheese, grated

¼ cup flour

½ cup milk

Salt and pepper

 

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F

In a sauté pan cook the bacon until browned and crispy, drain on paper towel and let cool. Add the grated gruyere and set aside.

In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs, whipping cream and ricotta until smooth and ricotta is incorporated. Add the flour and whisk until combined. Pour in the milk and continue to whisk until smooth, season with salt and pepper.

In a 9 inch pie plate arrange the bacon and cheese so evenly distributed and pour in egg mixture slowly.

Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes until puffy and golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes so it is easier to cut and serve.

Bon Appétit!

Joyeux Anniversaire Julia Child

A very very happy birthday to Julia Child, she would have been 98 years old on Sunday, August 15th. Julia passed away just 2 days before her birthday on August 13, 2004 and I remember waking up the next day to the news.

 There are those people that have been a part of your life for so long that you haven't actually met in person that have always been there and when they pass there is great sadness that comes along with it. Julia Child was always a "real" person that was not so untouchable and anybody could relate to her. Even if you are cooking a gourmet French meal and it doesn't come out of the pan just right, you can fix it and don't worry nobody will know. She was able to bring everyday people to the love of cooking and French food at a time when the housewives of the United States were moving to shortcuts and canned and frozen meals.

 Today its not that much different, there are people like Sandra Lee and Rachel Ray out there telling you that you can't make a good home cooked meal without the shortcuts and dumbing down the food. But you can! I changed Julia's most famous dish, Boeuf Bourguignon just a tiny bit and found a way to make it even faster. In honor of Julia, make it this weekend and raise a glass to her and say BON APPETIT! 

Boeuf Bourguignon jeuner acheminet (fast forward)

Adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck (Alfred A. Knopf, 1961)

Time: About 3 hours (normally 5 to 6 hours)

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon or 6 or 7 strips of bacon

3 ½ tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 sliced carrot

1 sliced onion

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups full-bodied, young red wine (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)

2 ½ to 3 ½ cups brown beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

½ teaspoon thyme

A crumbled bay leaf

18 to 24 small white onions

3 ½ tablespoons butter

Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)

1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms.

1. Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks ¼-inch thick and 1 ½ inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 ½ quarts water. Drain and dry.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

3. Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

4. Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

5. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust). Remove casserole and turn oven down to 375 degrees.

6. Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind and small onions. Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 2 hours. Turn up the heat to 415 degrees and continue to cook until the meat is tender and a fork pierces it easily about 45 minutes to an hour more.

7. While the beef is cooking, prepare the mushrooms. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet. Add mushrooms and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible8. Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms. Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

9. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top. Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 ½ cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Hope you all did something to celebrate this grand dame of the culinary world.

and as Julia would say Bon Appetit!

You can see a few more of my Julia French Food pics on the CookingChannel.com special online feature

Paris-Correze stage 2 Salmon en Croute

The Paris-Correze race second and final stage ends today, August 5^th in the Correze town of Chaumeil. Correze is department of the Limousin region that is more known for its town of Limoges than any other town. Limoges brings to mind one thing with me, tiny boxes and china. It is the white Kaolin clay found in the 18^th century in Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche just outside of Limoges that is used as the base of Limoges china. Limoges porcelain has a recipe of 50% Kaolin clay, 25% feldspar and 25% quartz and gives it the extreme whiteness and translucence and what gave Limoges its high prestige and value it has earned.  Limoges also has a history of making another piece of art, enamels and cloisonné’s.  Created by soldering thin pieces of metal to a base to outline a design and normally done on gold which worked better then on copper. Painted enamels are created by painting directly on the enamel that covers a copper plate.  The Musee Municipal de l’Eveche-Musee de l’Email has examples of Limoges enamels dating back to the 12^th century.

The start town of Malemort-sur-Correze is better known for its battle than anything else. On April 21, 1177 the Battle of Malelmort was fought between the army of Richard the Lion-hearted and the townspeople of Malemort-sur-Correze. William of Cambrai and his mercenaries the Brabancon were killed and the army of Lobar the Wolf and Viscount of Turenne attacked the nearby town of Segur and demolished it.

The finishing town of Chaumeil is a very small town of less than two hundred people that is the capital of les Monedieres. The Monedieres Massif (mountains) extends to the River Correze and the edge of the Montagne Limousine. The riders would have passed through the Cirque de Freysselines, the natural amphitheatre that sits within the small village of Freysselines. Before they can reach the finish the will need to pass through La Croix-sous-l’Arbre and a slight climb up the small hill of Col des Geants before reaching Chaumeil. The slate roofs and granite houses that surround the 15^th century church make a perfect finish for a summer two day stage race through the center of France.

The many rivers of the area have over time been known for their salmon; unfortunately today that is not the case. With riverbeds that have dried up or become more shallow the supply is not what it used to be. One of the best things about living in the northwest is that we have plenty of salmon and is hands down one of my favorite foods and could eat it every day. I was inspired by an Anne Willan recipe for Tourte de Saumon to make a Salmon en Croute but a bit different and very simple compared to hers. Anne’s recipe called for making a mousse with half of the salmon and I was pretty sure that was not going to go over very well so I simplified it and it can be made any night of the week.

Salmon en Croute

Puff Pastry (you can find it in your freezer section; Pepperidge Farms makes a great one)

3 Tablespoons butter

1 pound mushrooms

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 pound salmon, skin and bones removed

Herb Sauce

½ cup butter cut into small cubes

1 tablespoon water

Juice of ½ lemon

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chopped dill

In a large sauté pan melt butter and add cleaned and dice the mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until browned and liquid has evaporated; add chopped garlic and mix to combine, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and strain to get any remaining liquid out and let it cool slightly.

For the Salmon, if the skin is on when you purchase it the easiest and cleanest way to remove it is in a hot pan. You can use the same pan that you cooked the mushrooms in, just place the salmon in, skin side down and leave it for 30 seconds. Take it out and place on a cutting board flesh side down. Using the edge of a fork the skin will easily scrape right off.

Roll out a sheet of the puff pastry large enough to envelop the salmon, about 12 x16. In the center of the sheet place the mushrooms and then top with the salmon. Season with salt and pepper and fold the sides around. You can seal any overlapping edges with some egg wash, this will keep it together. When it is all folded brush with more egg wash and then place in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, place the salmon in on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and cook for 40 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned.

During the last 10 minutes of cooking start the sauce. In a small saucepan add water, lemon juice and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Gradually add butter cubes and whisk to combine until fully melted and smooth. This will thicken the sauce at the same time, but be careful not to add the butter in all at once. Stir in chopped dill and more lemon juice if desired. Serve over hot salmon and enjoy!

Bon Appétit!

 

Paris-Correze stage 1: Asperges Et Champignons a la Creme D'Estagon

The Paris-Correze cycling race has been running through the Centre region of France for ten years now. First imagined by French cycling great Laurent Fignon and Correze native Max Mamers as one of the first races in more than twenty years created to highlight national and international riders both established and up and coming.  The two day cycling race starts outside of Paris in Contres of the Loir et Cher department. There are many races that have Paris in the title, Paris-Nice, Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Tours and although you might think it would start in Paris most do not. Some of these races start close to Paris or at least in the same region, Contres is actual over 200 miles from Paris and in the Centre region.

Laurent Fignon one of the two organizers is a past Tour de France winner wining in 1983 and 1984 but then suffered injuries over the years until 1989 when it came down to the wire at the very last stage where he ended up finishing 2^nd in the closest finish ever losing first by only eight seconds. Fignon continued to race until 1993 before retiring and recently made news again when he announced in the spring of 2009 that he was suffering from intestinal cancer.

It seems a bit of a stretch to call the race Paris-Correze when the start city isn’t even in the same region as Paris. Contres sits in the Loir-et-Cher of the Centre region that sits, guess where, in the center of France. But this is where we are so let’s just go with it. Contres dates back to the Middle Ages and was said to have been formed by cattle farmers out of view of the local rulers but in a perfect position between the provinces of Marche, Poitou and Berry. Floating in and out of prosperity Contres would hit a big roadblock in 1629 when the plague would sweep through and kill a third of the residents.

The first stage follows along and through the Parc Naturel Regional de la Brenne that covers 646 square miles. Located in the Indre department it is split down the center by the Creuse River with the River Anglin running in the southern half. The southern half is known as La Petite Brenne, along with La Brenne it sits in what use to be the provinces of Touraine and Berry.

Along the route sits one of the "Plus Beaux Villages de France" or the most beautiful villages in France and while I would think pretty much every single village of France could have that distinction but this a real thing. In 1982 a group of people got together to create an official distinction to be given to towns and villages of France. There was a criteria that they must meet, and it wasn’t a swimsuit compitition. Each village had to have more than 2,000 people and have at least two protected sites. It could be artistic, picturesque or historic. Since it began there have been 152 villages named and today the route goes right through one. The medieval village of Saint-Benoît-du-Sault sits on a rocky hill overlooking the Portefeuille River was once within the area known as Gaul and Roman Aquitania. During the 10^th century the Benedictine monks of Sacierges-Saint-Martin moved into the village and set up a priory.  Walls were built around the village to protect the priory and church and in the 15^th century another wall was added to protect the rest of the town. The 10^th Chateau de Brosse just outside of the village was built by the de Brosse family but today all that remains is ruins sitting amongst trees and green grass but still a sight to see.   The cobbled streets with Mideval structure and winding paths make it truly one of the “most beautiful villages of France”

The stage finishes after 128 miles in the town of Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat in the Haute-Vienne department of the Limousin sitting on a hill looking down onto the River Vienne. The town was named after Saint Leonard of Noblac who died in 559. A Frankish noble of the court of Clovis I and converted to Christianity on Christmas 496 by Saint Remigius the Bishop of Reims. He was given the rite to release prisoners that he found worthy of the act and this would how he would become saint. He moved into the Limousin forest and lived a life of a hermit but people were drawn to him and he had many followers.  The Queen of the Franks was with child and Leonard prayed for her and her child to be born safely and a boy. For his help the Queen gave him royal land just outside of Limoges, the village of Noblac. He would go on to set up the abbey in Noblac and the town was soon to follow.  The town of Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of its connection to the route of Santiago that was the road that pious pilgrims used to cross into Spain. The Romanesque church Saint Leonard de Noblat dates back to the 11^th century and is topped with a graceful bell tower. Within the walls the Saint has his final resting place surrounded by the walls and town that bears his name.  

The first stage started on the edge of the Loire region and and since the Tour de France 2010 didn’t go through there I was excited to do something from the “garden of France” The Loire valley has such mild temperatures and very sandy soil makes for a wonderful place for growing fine vegetables such as asparagus. One of my favorite French cookbooks is Anne Willan’s Country Cooking of France. Not only is it filled with fantastic recipes it is pages of absolutely stunning pictures and text. I made Asperges Et Champignons a la Creme D'Estagon, or Asparagus with Mushrooms in a Tarragon Cream from this amazing book and changed it a tiny bit. It was very fast to make, but having all your ingredients ready to go or Mis en Place, makes it much easier once the sauce is being made. Although the sauce looks rich and heavy, it was very light. It has lemon juice in it as well so it had a wonderful light taste of lemon

Small bunch of fresh tarragon

Salt and pepper

1 pd asparagus, green or white

2 tablespoons butter

5 ounces cremini mushrooms cleaned and thinly sliced

Fresh lemon juice

1 shallot finely chopped

2 tablespoons flour

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

In a medium sauce sauté pan bring water to a boil and add chopped leaves of tarragon and bring to a boil. If your asparagus is of the fat variety use a vegetable peeler to trim down the edges, it will make for a tenderer stalk. If they are the very skinny asparagus, no need to trim. Trim the ends off so they are all the same length (just for the sake of beauty) Drop the asparagus into the boiling water and depending on size cook until tender, anywhere from 4 to 8 minutes. You can test it by piercing the fat end with the tip of a sharp knife; it should go in with some resistance. Remove from the water and set aside, cover with foil to keep warm while the mushrooms are prepared.

In saucepan melt butter, add mushrooms, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Uncover and add shallots and stir until liquid from the mushrooms is evaporated. Using one cup of the asparagus cooking liquid whisk in flour and then pour into mushrooms and bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Add cream and stir until incorporated and warmed up, add chopped tarragon and check for seasoning. To serve plate the asparagus and pour the mushrooms over and enjoy

Bon Appétit!

 

 

Happy Birthday Martha

I made this two years ago and since August 3rd is Martha's birthday I thought I would share it again. Of course I  needed to make her a cake... But not just any cake, a self portrait. I have a cake decorating book by Kate Sullivan that has some great, very creative cakes in it. One is a Elvis portrait cake, but in the back of the book there is a Martha cake that she had made for the New York Times some years back. I have been wanting to do it since I got the book and what would be more perfect then the divine Miss Martha's birthday....

It started with a picture of Martha covered with Wax paper and then outlined with Royal Icing

I then made more royal icing and filled in the picture. I did dots as Kate Sullivan suggested for everything but Martha's hair which I piped so it looked more like hair

It was a little scary as I went along until it was finished. The skin color was a little too pinkish, but it worked. I was not happy with the nose and kept messing around with it, which I should have stopped. But I was suprised how much it does look like her, although the mouth is a little wierd....

I did the easier method with leaving it on the wax paper and then setting it on the cake, instead of risking the move from the paper to the cake. When it is time to slice it we will just have to pick Martha up. I then did a Martha green basket weave around the edges of the cake and then finished it with pink flowers and leaves.

Happy Birthday Martha!