Water Who?? Waterzooi!!!!

I know....it doesn't sound like something you'd want to eat, does it?  But it is!  It's a stew/soup (or "stoup", as Rachel Ray would say!) that originated in Ghent, Belgium and was originally made with fish.  Julia Child actually called it, "the most interesting recipe I've clipped" and featured it on one of her shows, so that was "French" enough for me.

I didn't get the chance to cook while in Paris....we stayed so busy sightseeing and came in too late in the evenings to have time to cook.  So, I haven't gotten the "French cooking" out of my system yet.  Oh well....it's a great excuse to go back, right?

I found the recipe while stalking some blogs on Friday and was pretty sure I had what I needed.....since today was cold and it was Sunday, it was the perfect day to try my hand at this "stoup"!

It may seem a little overwhelming at first, but it's really quite easy to make and you can have dinner ready in about 45 minutes or so....and it's all in one pot (of course, you'll need a crispy baguette to go along with it!).

You'll need a nice sized leek, 4 stalks of celery (I also use the very center leaves....I like it a little rustic and there's so much flavor there!), carrots, extra dry vermouth, butter, eggs, chicken stock/broth, onion, tarragon (fresh or dried) and heavy cream.

I started by cutting the onion, leek, celery and carrots into small 2 inch pieces, then diced about 2 tablespoons of fresh tarragon (1 tablespoon of dried). 

 

Heat a Dutch oven and melt 2 tablespoon of butter....then add the veggies and tarragon and cook on medium low until somewhat translucent. 

Take out 2/3s of the veggies.  I sliced my chicken breasts and laid half of them over the first layer of veggies....covered them with 1/3 of the veggies, then added the rest of the chicken and covered it with the remaining veggies. 

The next step is to combine 1 cup each of extra dry vermouth and chicken stock and pour over the chicken and veggies to cover.....add more (1/2 of each) if necessary.  Then simmer on medium low until the chicken is done....about 20 minutes.

Then drain the liquid from the chicken and veggies.  In one separate bowl, beat 6 egg yolks to combine.  In another bowl, mix together 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch (ooops....I didn't have cornstarch, so I used 2 1/2 teaspoons of flour...mix WELL and strain through a strainer so you won't have lumps).  Combine the two mixtures,

 then add the broth 1/2 cup at a time until you've added 1/2 of the broth.  Then pour the rest in and pour over the chicken and veggies. 

 Simmer on low (watch it here....if you cook it at too high or too long, the cream will curdle) until the sauce thickens.....the VOILA! 

Waterzooi!

It really is a delicious soup!  The flavor is amazing!  I think that the next time I make it, I think I will use cut chicken instead of the breasts.....and I think I will brown them off first....just for added flavor.  I'll let you know how it goes!  In the meantime, you have to try this recipe....it's wonderful!

Yule Loggin'......

We were blessed to be able to share in Melinda's Christmas eve tradition and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with 30 of her friends and family!  She always makes Lobster di Frivolo, which is a time honored tradition in her family.  It is, by far, fabulousity at its best!

I had been doing alot of "surfing" about the delicious treats we'd find in Paris and came across lots of information about the Bouche de Noel (Yule Log), which is served on every French table at Christmastime....I'm told not having one is equivalent to not having a turkey at Thanksgiving!

I was concerned that we wouldn't get the opportunity to enjoy this tradition since we are arriving in Paris after Christmas, so I decided to make one to take to Melinda's house for Christmas eve.  At first, I was overwhelmed with the recipes, but after doing considerable research, I realized this was something I could do IF I put all else aside....it was worth the effort.

The Bouche de Noel is a genoise cake (sponge cake) with chocolate mousse or buttercream inside and covered with chocolate ganache.  It is light, fluffy and a little rich, but not too much!

My end result looked "okay".....but there are changes I would make.  I thought my genoise cake was too dry, so I've updated the recipe to add more moisture.  I also didn't think I had enough chocolate ganache to completely cover the log, so I'm doubling the recipe the next time.

So, without further ado, here is the process that I followed (with updated recipe):

The first thing you need to do is prepare your sheet pan by spraying with Pam, the cover with parchment paper, which I buttered and coated in sugar (it's something I learned from Mom and it really does keep the cake from sticking).

The next thing you need to do is beat the eggs.....the recipe I had called for 4 eggs, but I think you'd do better with 4 eggs and 2 egg yolks.  You'll need to beat them for 5 to 7 minutes until they are thick and pale and have doubled (or tripled!) in bulk.  Then I added my sugar (3/4 cup), 1 tablespoon at a time, then add 1 tablespoon of good quality vanilla.  Take the bowl off the mixer and fold in 3/4 cup of sifted cake flour, 1/4 cup at a time. 

Then drizzle 5 tablespoons of melted butter (cooled a little) and carefully fold that in.  Pour the mixture into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes....make sure it doesn't overcook....that's when it really gets dry!

While that was cooking, I started making my chocolate mousse filling.  I used Martha's recipe, which can be found here.  You start by melting the chocolate (semi-sweet) in a glass bowl set in the top of a pot with water at a slow simmer. 
Then you wisk in the egg yolks and set aside.  Put the egg whites in the mixer with the cream of tarter and whisk until they have stiff peaks.....fold in about a third of them to the chocolate mixture, then fold the rest.  Clean the mixer bowl and beat the heavy cream until it holds soft peaks and fold that in....then set in the fridge to chill for about an hour. 
Don't forget that cake in the oven!!!

Once the cake came out of the oven, I spread a clean dish towel over the counter, sprinkled with confectioner's sugar and turned out my cake onto it....make sure you loosen then edges of the cake from the pan first!  Then, using the towel to help, roll up the cake and let it cool.  Now for the ganache!

This part is EASY!  Again, I used Martha's recipe, but I suggest doubling it.....you won't need it all, but it will give a better coating than what I had. 

Chop up the bittersweet chocolate into pretty small pieces, then heat the heavy cream until it just comes to a simmer.  Pour the cream over the chocolate, let it sit for about 5 minutes, then whisk to blend.....set it aside to chill and get back to that cake! 

Time to fill it!  Carefully unroll the cake and spread the chilled mousse over the top to about an inch from the sides and bottom.....roll.....back to the fridge!  Once it's chilled, cut off about a 6 inch piece and trim the ends at an angle.......coat the larger piece in ganache, add the smaller piece, then coat that with the ganache and VOILA.....Bouche de Noel! 

You can decorate it any way you like.....from what I've seen on the internet, France has gotten quite creative with the ones they make now....most don't even resemble a log!  At the last minute I decided to brave making the meringue mushrooms.  They were also easier than I thought....but make LOTS....some just won't turn out quite right!

Again, I admit that I was a little intimidated at first....ok, alot intimidated.  But I'm glad I did it....it was delicious!  I still hope that there are still some in the windows of the boulangeries in Paris.  If so, I'll let you know how they taste! 

Loafin' Around.....

When the cold weather sets in, it always takes me back to my childhood comforts.....the flannel nightgowns trimmed in eyelet lace that my mother made for me, the soups on the stove, the fresh cannister of cocoa that always appeared in the pantry ready for cold, windy days, the cans of condensed milk ready for snow cream......and meatloaf!

I have to admit that I wasn't always a fan.....I'd have rather she used it to make plump, juicy hamburgers!  The meatloaf my Mom made was full of oats, breading and lots of onions topped with lots of ketchup....and I've never been a ketchup fan!

Well, the cold weather has set in and it seems that meatloaf has also conjured up some memories for Dennis.  He was craving meatloaf!  After requesting this entree (?) several times, I finally caved in and decided to serve it up.....my way!

I try very hard to stay away from carbohydrates (most of the time I fail!), so I went to work trying to figure out how I could pull off this meatloaf without it being so dry......and without the globs of ketchup (which lasts much longer around our house now that the kids are on their own).

I had some ground beef, but decided to make a run to the store for some ground pork to add to it.  I also scouted out what I had in the vegetable drawer of the fridge.....mushrooms, tomatoes, green onions and roasted red peppers from the pantry....score!  The vegetables should help keep the meatloaf moist versus using oatmeal!

Now....what to do about the ketchup!  While at the store scouting out the ketchup section, I noticed chili sauce....lots more flavor and not so sweet......score #2.

I used my food processor to grind up the veggies semi-fine and added them to the meat along with an egg. 
Then I formed it into a loaf on top of parchment paper on my baking sheet.....baked it until it was somewhat firm (nothing worse than firm, dried out meatloaf!) and served it up.  It was a hit!

Since I made so much, I decided to take half and freeze it.....NOT a score!

 There was plenty for dinner.......but, as I found out later, not enough for a meatloaf sandwich the next day (not for me, mind you.....remember, I TRY to eat bread only on special occasions....like weekends at Melinda's cabin and holidays!)

Since I'm not so much a meatloaf lover, I wasn't quite sure it was a hit until it was served.......it got rave reviews.....along with requests for more!  I have to admit, for meatloaf it was awesome.....the best I've ever had!

Oh-my-lette.........

I've been making omelettes for years! I try to keep my carbohydrates down, so it's really the perfect breakfast for me. So......last night I couldn't sleep and stayed up late watching a PBS program: Julia Child Memories: Bon Appetit!. I really was expecting 2 hours of Julia's shows, which I had been wanting to see again. Now, you do get to see portions of her shows, but it's really an info-merical to sell the DVDs of her shows, while at the same time raising monies for the PBS network (I'm all for that! I love PBS).
When Julia did the "omelette" segment, I thought, "How interesting can this be? I already know how to make omelettes." But.....I was wrong. I learned several little things that could make my omelettes a little easier to make and ensure they always come out right, because sometimes they just don't.....then I tell everyone they're eating scrambled eggs!
After sipping on a cup of coffee this morning, I decided to try my hand at her techniques! Guess what!!! They were perfect.......high heat (I always cooked mine slowly).....add a tad (I think that's what she said)of butter and let melt, add two eggs beaten with 1 teaspoon of water, let it sit for a few seconds, then move the pan in a circle until it's just about set....then move the pan up and down on the burner until it gathers in one corner......flip the omelette upside down on the plate and voila!
Then she did an omelette buffet with all kinds of fillings. She had spinach, mushrooms, fried liver (?) and lots of veggies and cheese. I usually use cheddar, but she used swiss cheese. This morning's omelettes had swiss cheese, sauteed shallots and mushrooms with bacon on top.I also made some hashbrowns for Dennis. .Great way to start the day!

Here's the video of her making an omelette:

Ooey....Gooey!!!!

For Melinda's birthday, I made her a carrot cake....but not just ANY carrot cake! I made her an Ooey Gooey Carrot Cake!
I had made an Ooey Gooey Butter cake one time before, and there are so many variations that I knew there had to be one for Carrot Cake. I found a couple, but as always, I have to put my own spin on it. They called for adding carrots and pecans to the topping, which just didn't sit right with me. The topping is like the cream cheese icing on a regular carrot cake....and we don't put carrots and pecans in that!
Anyway, my neighbor and friend, Carol, had a taste of it and as Thanksgiving got closer, she asked me to make one for her family Thanksgiving dinner.....a chance to cook? I'm in!!!
You need a springform pan, which I buttered then coated with sugar (Cola Tip there...cakes come out clean EVERY time...and the sugar and butter a nice candied coating on the cake, making it very easy to ice without a crumb coat). Then you mix together a cake mix....but not just ANY cake mix! The recipes on the internet called for a spice cake....what? I used the Duncan Hines DECADENT Carrot Cake mix. It comes with a packet with dried carrots and raisins in it. Anyway, put the cake mix and the packet contents into the mixer....I added about a cup of chopped pecans. Then add one stick of melted butter and one egg.Mix....it will be about the consistency of cookie dough. Put the dough into the pan and, using your fingers, spread it to coat the bottom of the pan.>Next you need to make the "icing" or "topping". You mix 1 pound of confectioners sugar, 1 stick of butter, 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 eggs in the blender (didn't take a pic of this! Dang!) and pour it over the top of the cake mix mixture.

Bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes. The center will be a little jiggly, but it will be nicely browned on the top.This is one recipe you have to promise me you'll try....take it to your company picnic...but make sure to take plenty of copies of the recipe!!!

Let's get cooking!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! If you ask me, the day before Thanksgiving is more work than the day of......running around to get last minute ingredients and trying to get everything organized so that the cooking will go smoothly. The day of is a piece of cake! It's just cooking!
But some of the cooking actually does start the day before. In fact this recipe must be started at least 24 hours before! This year we're sharing Thanksgiving at Melinda's house, so I don't get to make everything I normally make, but I'll share the making of the things I am cooking....or not cooking....as in Cranberry Relish! No cooking is involved there!
I grew up eating the jellied cranberry sauce and had absolutely no idea that the real thing could be so much more delicious....then Diana Brown moved here from Detroit and her mother opened up my culinary world. She cooked things we didn't really make here in Virginia and one of the first I tasted was her Cranberry Relish....it's been at my table ever since. It's really simple.....
I took 2 bags of fresh cranberries and chopped them up in the food processor.Then I added the juice of one juicy orange (or two not so juicy oranges)
and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. I processed the mixture until everything was fine and chopped evenly.
Put into a covered contained and set in the refrigerator......as the sugar and orange juice reduce the bitterness of the cranberries, you may need to adjust the sugar. I usually save about a half cup of cranberries, just in case I got it a little too sweet. You never can tell....depends on the sweetness of the cranberries you're using.
Well, I have to get up and get moving.......I'll be back later with more Thanksgiving Prep though, ok? See you later!

A Classic and an Update.......

I was thumbing through my cookbook to make sure I have everything I need for our Thanksgiving Feast, which we're sharing at Melinda's house this year. I guess YOU could guess that I watch alot of food shows, right? Well, one of my favorites is America's Test Kitchen on the PBS channel.
Well, I watched one show this weekend about their "flip" on Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.....which is a MUST HAVE at our Thanksgiving table. Typically, you roast your head of garlic in the oven, right? And you boil your potatoes, right? Well, this completely cuts out those two steps AND adds tons more flavor....here's the concept:
1. You mince 12 cloves of fresh garlic and saute on medium low in 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon sugar until they just start to turn the color of straw.
2. Then add 1.2 cup water and 1 1/2 cups milk.
3. Then add 3 pounds of russet potatoes which have been sliced into 1.4 inch slices.
4. Turn down heat to low and let cook for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until soft.
5. Once they're cooked, mash them right in the pot, add 12 tablespoons (I know!!!) of butter and an additional 1/2 cup of milk and VOILA!!!
The concept is to not lose the flavor of the potatoes by boiling them in the water AND intensify the garlic flavor in the potatoes by cooking them with the garlic. I just love this idea.....and I'm changing how I make my garlic mashed potatoes this year....I'll come back and add photos later!
Note: You can find the basics to the recipe here and the full recipe by signing up there. And here's a picture of their potatoes (only because I hate blogs with no pictures and I don't have any yet...again, I'll add them later.

One thing I'm NOT changing is my dressing/stuffing. I can't count how many times I've thought about adding sausage, nuts, apples, etc., but once I smell that turkey cooking, I can't imagine eating it without my classic stuffing/dressing recipe. Here's the recipe straight from my own cookbook.....it's just like my Mom's, except that I DID add leeks (I love them!):
1 pounds dense country white bread (these days I get my freshly made bread cubes already baked at Farm Fresh....in the bakery department!!
6 tablespoons butter (plus additional for greasing baking dish) (I also think I up this every year for flavor....can't resist!)
2 leeks, halved lengthwise and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups celery diced
2 to 3 teaspoons dried sage (more if you're using fresh)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or marjarom (or use 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning)
3 cups turkey or chicken stock
3 eggs
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Toast the bread cubes on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, stirring until lightly browned and crisp, stirring once or twice. Transfer them to a large bowl and set aside. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a skillet and lightly saute the celery, onions and leeks...about 7 minutes. Then add the herbs, mix well and add to the bread cubes. Add the stock 1 cup at a time until the bread is moist, but not soupy.
Note: At this point you can cover and refrigerate until time to bake for your dinner.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk the eggs, pour over the prepared mixture, then pour into the baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned on the top.
Note: I usually make an extra large batch of this because I HAVE to have some stuffing in my turkey. Until I can add pictures of this process, here is a copy of last year's turkey!
Check back in a couple of days for this pictures of the making of this stuffing....