This eggplant terrine is the very first recipe in Marc Vetri’s book “il Viaggio di Vetri” and it looked so intriguing from the moment I read it. I’ve never really made proper vegetable terrines before, plenty of meat terrines of course, but not a vegetarian layered and molded terrine that holds together beautifully. Vegetarian versions are lots of times held […]
Eggplant Terrine, Panelle, Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes Read More »
There’s really not much to this dish, matter of fact, in the book the author dubs it “Quick Weekday Roast Chicken with Potatoes”. So it is easy enough that it can be made during the week for supper. I’ve made this many times since I first tested it out for the book and it never
Portuguese Roasted Chicken with Potatoes Read More »
I have cooked pheasant a couple of times before and was always underwhelmed. I hear wild pheasant is a different animal and is delicious, but this farm-raised, store-bought bird is always ho-hum. The legs are tough and stringy with numerous little tendons/bones and the breast meat seems to dry out very fast even though it
Porcini Pheasant, Creamed Corn, Carrot-Orange Sauce Read More »
The decision was made a while back by my 6-year-old that the cake for Mother’s Day will have lots of strawberries. So that was that. Diana had to choose if she wanted it chocolate mousse based or “something white and lighter”. She went for the latter choice. This delicious cake is a perfect spring time cake and a
A Cake for Mom: Strawberry Ricotta Cake Read More »
In addition to working on making a proper one-spoon quenelle (or rocher), I really need to work on applying a proper sauce “drag”. The elongated teardrop shape on a plate looks simple, but it is tricky. More practice is needed to apply that properly. On to this dish. I really liked the short rib preparation from
The Fat Duck: Beef Royal (1723), Course 3 Read More »
Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck restaurant outside of London is one of the most creative and sometimes really “out there” chefs today. He explores cuisine from every perspective and sense. Taste is paramount, but it’s not just about taste, it’s about an experience. Every sense is explored, he of course controls the look of
The Fat Duck: Beef Royal (1723), Course 2 Read More »
A classic flavor presented in a very untraditional and delicious way, classic Thomas Keller. Here we have sweet crepes, filled with a mixture of white chocolate and poached pureed bananas. I poached the bananas in a mixture of cream and milk until soft. The poaching liquid is then used to make a custard base for
I so need to work on my presentation skills. Funny thing is I had a much better “scheme” for this plate on paper, but not sure why I did not follow it last-minute. Oh well, next time around. One thing I can say is that flavor-wise this worked wonderfully and it really does not look
Crab and “Crab”: King Crab, Crab Apple, Basil and Olive Oil Jam Read More »
Most recipes in Thomas Keller’s “Ad Hoc at Home” are simple and the one for scallops is probably one of the shortest, but it uses a technique I probably never would’ve thought about. First the scallops, largest specimens I could find, are brined for about 10 minutes. After a rinse and a pat in paper
Scallops, Meyer Lemon Risotto and Parsley Oil Read More »
I’ve had David Chang’s Momofuku Cookbook for a couple of months now. It is a very good, fun read and the recipes look so porky and tasty. Ramen is where Chang got his start and I knew that’s the first thing I was going to make. The broth is, of course what makes a bowl