Category: cooking

La cuisine chez nous, II

On By Terry ChristophersonIn cooking, Food and drink4 Comments

Started my day a bit off, but then, on the way to the Intermarché, Tricia reminded me that she was making pasta for lunch, it completely brightened my day; food is so important to us and our frame of mind. So now, thoroughly rejuvenated, I am writing while she is creating one of the best comfort foods in my life. I know we will be in Italy in eleven days – after stops in Paris, Lyon, and Geneva – yet her pasta is what has my attention today.

These last few weeks in Normandie we have eaten well, see my blog “La cuisine chez nous”. Since that post I wanted to report on the state of la cuisine chez nous.

We have gone out to Le Bistrot St Julien, it remains our favorite in the area. We also went to Auberge de la Source, another of the places we like, in fact it seems we rarely go anyplace else. The entree, a basted egg in a camembert sauce with bits of andoulette, was stunning.

We have both admitted that when we are home we would rather eat at Chez Nous, and eat we did. Tricia did the shepherd’s pie that I wrote about on my last post, since then she has posted the recipe, give it a try. For a Sunday lunch I made compte gougères for and entree, then Mushroom Bourgogne with polenta for the mains.

One of my other contributions was broccoli and compte on puff pastry. This one is defiantly a do again, unless of course our friend Dave is near, he calls broccoli “sticks of death”, not his favorite veggie.

Tricia followed this with another of the comfort foods she does so well, sole meuniere. She has never posted the recipe but since it is a classic French dish you can certainly find it with an online search. It is one of those dishes that can seem intimidating, but there are simple versions. The caper sauce is what makes the dish, so rice pilaf was the perfect accompaniment.

Saturday I made crab cakes for the main,

Yesterday for Sunday lunch Tricia made salmon chowder which I had with spicy coleslaw. I made parmesan shortbreads for the entree- the only entree easier than the compte gougères which I made earlier. Someday I must post the recipe as they are always a hit with guests, and easy to take when visiting. To complete the meal I made Parmesan toasts, and a roquefort salad.

When I started writing Tricia was making pasta. Most often our pastas are vegetarian, Tricia loves a lot of veggies, thankfully I do as well. We cook some pretty hardy meals with vegetables, nothing wimpy about them at all. Here is the finished dish.

So it has been a good few weeks here in Torchamp, we head out on Thursday for the train in Flers which will take us to Paris and then onward. Lots of trains on this trip, one through the alps between Geneva and Milan that I am particularly looking forward to.

We are grateful that we live in a place where travel is easy and much more affordable than in the US. Yet we have always traveled, even just day trips driving around the Pacific Northwest, or here in Normandie. The important thing for aging joints and healthy attitudes is to keep moving, I even read just this morning that moving reduces the chance of dementia. Some days I can’t remember much of anything, so we need to keep moving, and we will.

I hope your journeys are a joy, short or long. And look for good food along the way.

La cuisine chez nous

On By Terry ChristophersonIn cooking, Food and drink, Trips and travel4 Comments

We got back home on Tuesday, 6 February, which means for us it is time for cuisiner chez nous, cooking at our place. We love restaurants yet we miss cooking ourselves so we don’t eat out a lot between voyages. Here are a few of the highlights from the last two weeks.

Tricia started notre aventure culinaire with vegetarian shepherds pie. I love that you can have something so hearty without meat, which I eat plenty of when we travel. Watch her blog in the upcoming weeks as she assures me she will be posting her recipe soon.

We have a few favorites that are quick and easy. The pre-made pizza dough here in France is so good and so quick that it makes a regular appearance on the menu. Since confession is good for the soul I will also admit that we love the frozen fish and chips that we can bake in the oven; I of course make the mayonnaise myself which is better than store bought, and so easy to make. Some other favorites are Tricia’s pasta, and we both like paninis.

For our first Sunday lunch, our regular tradition, I made grilled salmon with braised lentils. The dish was inspired by something we had in Paris, and it turned out quite well. It was accompanied by grilled vegetables in the style of Peñiscola. I may post the salmon and lentils recipe in the future.

Here are the veggies, served on the tres cool slate plater from Mukilteo, a gift from our friends Claudine and JJ.

Yesterday we had nachos, which are a bit of a challenge here in France, at least rural France – you just don’t find refried beans here, so I tried making them. All I can do is quote Ina, “How good is that!” Refried beans are now added to mayonnaise as something I will never buy again as they are too easy to make and so much better than any pre-made.

Saturday I made cauliflower soup, another of our favorites and so easy. Topped off with Parmesan cheese toasts and a Roquefort salad, with a glass of Cotes de Rhône it was perfect.

We do like food, so I better finish this up as we are heading to The Citadel in Granville, one of our favorite restaurants. It is just 90 minutes away near Le Mont-Saint-Michel, so we have views of that to add to our trip on this sunny day.

I hope you are eating well and following Tricia’s maxim of cooking good food for the people you love.

Chez Moi, Often the Best Place in Town

On By Terry ChristophersonIn cooking, Food and drink, Trips and travel6 Comments

Often the best eatery is Chez Moi, our place. As much as we love eating out, some of our best meals are when we cook. We never have those discussions some people have about whose turn it is to cook or do the dishes. We both love to cook and neither of us mind the dishes.

Recently, after watching an episode of Ina Garten, I adapted one of her dishes for us, shrimp with fennel. I would never have dreamt of pairing shrimp and fennel, but wow, it was amazing.

I sautéed diced fennel in olive oil with a bit of garlic and red pepper flakes. Then sautéed the peeled shrimp, added a splash of French sparkling wine, and a handful of parsley from our garden. To quote Ina, “How easy is that?” Then served it with fresh, local, brocoli that was steamed and topped with a bit of butter and salt.

Spring means asparagus, We don’t eat asparagus the rest of the year because it is just not worth eating; fresh local asparagus is such a treat. At the risk of offending my French friends, I do proclaim that Washington, USA grown asparagus is superior, but the stalks from France are quite nice.

One of the wonderful conveniences at the Supermarché are the premade doughs and crusts. They come in a package rolled around paper. To use you simply unroll the dough onto your baking sheet and you are set. For this tart I used puff pastry dough.

The first layer was crème fraîche. Then asparagus, leek, and sliced zucchini. It was seasoned with a bit of salt and red pepper flakes. (Yes, I do put a bit of red pepper flakes on most everything. Not enough to make it spicy, but even a bit enhances the flavor better than black pepper.) I topped it off with grated Parmesan cheese and baked.

In March 2022 we were in Paris on our way home from Faro, Portugal. We stayed for a few days at a newer hotel in the Montparnasse area, The Drawing House. A great place to stay if you want to try something with a real art vibe. It was late so we just ate in the hotel. Tricia had curried squash soup, which inspired her to do her own version at Chez Moi.

She topped it with mini-croutons, and a drizzle of olive oil. From my totally biased objectivity it was better than at the restaurant. Some slices of baguette and a glass of vin blanc made the perfect meal.

Cooking and eating has been an integral part of our life for as long as I remember. It is our hobby. Food brings us joy, which, when we get the opportunity, we love to share with friends and family.

Polenta Florentine

On By Terry ChristophersonIn cooking1 Comment

This is a quick, low calorie, delight that is also budget friendly – easy and quick enough for mid-week, good enough for company. Leave the Parmesan cheese off and it is even vegan. For those who just can’t imagine a meal without meat, this has enough substance and flavor to satisfy most.

Most mix the spinach and tomatoes into the polenta, I wanted it more attractive, it worked.

Crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, warmed (not fried) in olive oil to infuse the flavored into the oil.

Add diced tomatoes, salt and pepper, let them absorb the flavors in warm pan with heat off while you prep the spinach, a few minutes.

Turn heat back on low for 1 minute, then off. Add chopped spinach, stir a bit then leave to wilt while preparing the polenta, spoon off excess liquid.

Stir ½ cup polenta into 2 cups boiling water, whisk until the polenta does not sink back to bottom when you stop stirring. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, no less, stirring every 10. It will be creamy without adding cheese.

Heat the spinach tomato mix. Spread polenta on plate, using a slotted spoon cover polenta with tomato and spinach blend, top with Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 Roma tomatoes, 1 inch cubes

Full bunch of cleaned spinach

Pinch Red pepper flakes

Herbs – oregano, Tyme, etc.

½ cup polenta

2 cups water

Parmesan cheese

On Crepes and Crepe Pans

On By Terry ChristophersonIn cooking, Food and drinkLeave a comment

Thin pancakes are ubiquitous around the world. The Mexican tortilla, the gold rush flapjack, and Indian nan are just three styles of bread requiring a simple batter and the convenience of a griddle over a fire. The French, naturally, turned the simple into the elegant – voila le crepe.

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Brittany is usually credited with being the home of the crepe, yet crepes are popular throughout France. Traditionally they are served on February 2nd, Candlemas, Virgin Mary’s Blessing Day. If you could catch the crepe in the frying pan with your right hand when it was flipped, while you were holding a gold coin in your left hand, you would have a wealthy and prosperous year. Of course these days, if you actually own real gold coins you must be doing quite well already, but it is a delightful tradition.

Crepe dough is a basic combination of eggs (2), flour (1 cup), milk (1¼ cup) , salt (¼ tsp). It should have the consistency of heavy cream, quite thin for a batter. (This is important) There are those who embellish it by using beer, and if making sweet crepes vanilla or sugar may be added. (I have eaten more savory crepes than sweet) I find that a wire whisk in a large bowl is faster and just as effective as the KitchenAid Mixer. Be sure to refrigerate for at least one hour for the best results. For those with lactose issues, unsweetened  soy milk works just fine, and I have used gluten free flour and all was well.

The real key to success, other than not having the batter too thick – I mention that again thanks to many disasters when it was too thick – is technique and the right crepe pan.  There are two pans in my kitchen dedicated to specific tasks, which I tend to be protective of, cringing when others want to use them. One is my egg pan, a cheap 8 inch, non-stick fry pan with rounded sides. In my days as a fry cook I learned to flip eggs, without breaking the yokes. I prefer that this pan is used for nothing but eggs.

My crepe pan is mine, no sharing, don’t even ask. It is new, replacing other nonstick pans, or a round cast iron griddle, all of which have produced admirable crepes over the years. But my new “de Buyer” from France is special. 6144prxibwl-_sl1500_

The de Buyer family has produced ironworks and cookware in France since 1810. In 2015 the de Buyer family sold its shares to Edify; thankfully they have continued the tradition of high quality that was established long ago.

My pan is from the deBuyer Mineral – B collection. The B is for beeswax which protects the finish of the pan until the pan is seasoned for use.  It is the 11.8 inch size, I like the largest diameter as you can make crepes of all sizes in it. De Buyer’s are iron pans, you treat them much as you would cast-iron, they need seasoning, and you never use detergent on them. They develop non-stick properties without chemicals. My first use was a success, limited only by a bit of user error in the cooking.

Cooking crepes takes practice, but that does not mean you should fear it. The first key is to have the batter thin (did I mention that already?). Most cook the crepes in a bit of butter, over a medium high heat, this is a quick process which throws many people off. My pan takes about ⅓ Cup of batter.

There are various techniques, find yours. Some say pour the batter at the top of the pan, which is tilted away from you, letting the batter run down, evening it out by tilting the pan to make it round. You have to work quick as the batter will begin to firm up immediately. Another is to pour the batter into the center of the pan in a circular motion, then spread it out by rotating the pan, letting it run to the edges; I have had better results with this than the edge-pouring method.

At the creperies on the streets in Paris, they spread the batter with a spatula. My new de Buyer came with a wooden spatula, so that is my next challenge, I am expecting great results.

The crepe should cook for less than a minute on the first side, then be flipped (gold coin optional) or turned to cook the other side. This is when you add the fillings – cheese, ham, mushrooms, the list is pretty much limitless. When it is brown, fold the crepe over , slide onto a plate, pour a glass of wine, enjoy.

Give crepes a try, they are a wonderful quick meal, fun to make, and a pleasure to eat. theWinesketcher wishes you Bon appetit.