I know, I haven't done anything ina long time. The reason: it was summer. I can't imagine anything worst then standing near by a hot owen on a hot summer day, when you can go trekking or just take a long walk in the city. It was untl September. Then authumn kicked in with all those colors and the warm days. It was just too beautifull to stay in and cook. So I have to admit, I was lazy.
But in the last few weeks those authumn weeks had started, when it's just cold and grey and freezing. The only thing what I like to do in this weather is to go to the market, and buy some nice vegetables (broccolis, eggplants, squashes, etc.) and cook. So the cooking season has begun.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Just quickly
So, here i am, programming, but i need a minute to breath. I can't think of anything else right now, just that how unbelievably surreal it is, that i'm eating duck with orange sauce for lunch. At the firm.
The whole day I'm sitting in my chair, trying to avoid stupid things, making a small program to check some stuff. And then, i realize, that the weekend's memories coming back, when i was making that world famous duck. For myself only.
Well... it's hard to admit, but it took really long time to make it. I had to put the duck back to the oven 3-4 times, while i could say, it's done. I made in this time my potatoes (new recipe, new fav), and my little tarts. They were all wonderful (and now, all the cream which i had in my fridge is disappeared, what delights me), i made 2 with kiwi and strawberries, and one with pear. The are really tasty. :) I'm pretty confident with the dough, so nothing can go wrong now. :) Almost. I haven't made the apple-apricot right now.
But back to the duck. I read in the Book, that it takes 1.5 hours to cook a 2 kg duck without stuffing. Of course i forgot to look at the clock when i started to cook it. I cried for help!!
The next thing was in the Book, that if i pick the drumstick of the duck and the juices are pale yellow, then the duck is done. Well.... i picked it. It was yellow. But the duck was really underdone.
And it went on and on. 2 more times. But the Book also warns not to overcook the duck, because then it will be unpleasant and dry. I definitely did not want that!
OK, so i was struggling with the bird. The sauce wasn't easier. For first attempt i'd misunderstood the Book, and wanted to boil down the Port WITH the DUCK FAT. OMG... how stupid can be? I was lucky, that i read 2 more times the book before i went on, and then i realized that i should boil down only the Port, because there were no duck juices. I just left out the Cointreau, because in my opinion the sauce already had enough orange flavor.
But at the end everything came together. :) And I'm OK.
The whole day I'm sitting in my chair, trying to avoid stupid things, making a small program to check some stuff. And then, i realize, that the weekend's memories coming back, when i was making that world famous duck. For myself only.
Well... it's hard to admit, but it took really long time to make it. I had to put the duck back to the oven 3-4 times, while i could say, it's done. I made in this time my potatoes (new recipe, new fav), and my little tarts. They were all wonderful (and now, all the cream which i had in my fridge is disappeared, what delights me), i made 2 with kiwi and strawberries, and one with pear. The are really tasty. :) I'm pretty confident with the dough, so nothing can go wrong now. :) Almost. I haven't made the apple-apricot right now.
But back to the duck. I read in the Book, that it takes 1.5 hours to cook a 2 kg duck without stuffing. Of course i forgot to look at the clock when i started to cook it. I cried for help!!
The next thing was in the Book, that if i pick the drumstick of the duck and the juices are pale yellow, then the duck is done. Well.... i picked it. It was yellow. But the duck was really underdone.
And it went on and on. 2 more times. But the Book also warns not to overcook the duck, because then it will be unpleasant and dry. I definitely did not want that!
OK, so i was struggling with the bird. The sauce wasn't easier. For first attempt i'd misunderstood the Book, and wanted to boil down the Port WITH the DUCK FAT. OMG... how stupid can be? I was lucky, that i read 2 more times the book before i went on, and then i realized that i should boil down only the Port, because there were no duck juices. I just left out the Cointreau, because in my opinion the sauce already had enough orange flavor.
But at the end everything came together. :) And I'm OK.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Pastry shells
I made today exactly ZERO shell. And it took more then 3 hours. Hmmm... what the hell did i wrong?
I'll tell you: i tried to measure the integritents with cups. It doesn't work. Too much fat, not enough flour. It's no wonder that it won't set in the oven. Is it?
I'll tell you: i tried to measure the integritents with cups. It doesn't work. Too much fat, not enough flour. It's no wonder that it won't set in the oven. Is it?
The endive story
Well... The Book doesn't lie! Endives are great! Except that not in the way as The Book says. Cooked endives... let's be honest: i hated it. It was awful, never again-type of experience.
But endive, blue cheese, walnut, apple salad is great! I have to keep it. :)
But endive, blue cheese, walnut, apple salad is great! I have to keep it. :)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
It was tough
I find it kind of creepy, that i spent only 2 weeks in the US, and when i finally came home, i had to go to shopping, and buy food for 54€. OK, to tell the truth i also bought a casserole, what i managed to crack at once. Nicely done. :s
So i poach some filet of Shallow-water Cape hake , and made some fish sauce. I haven't found sole or flounder, and that was my best shot. Actually it was Filets de poisson Bercy aux champignon, that's fish filets poached in white wine with mushrooms. For that i should have slice mushrooms, sauté them in butter, lay an onion bed for the fish, put the filets on it, put on the mushroom and then more onions, dots of butter and add some fishstock with white wine, and then bring the whole thing to simmer and in the oven cook it for 8 to 12 minutes. Then take the whole thing out, simmer the poaching liquide until it reduces to 1 cup, add it to some pasta made from butter and flour, boil it, pour it on the fish and sprinke it with cheese. Then in a few minutes broil the whole stuff and it's done. That was the recipe.
To tell the truth i didn't made the fish stock with wine. I bought it. I know, shame on me, but i hate the smell of any kind of fish. So i just went on the easier way.
And that's why the result of this poaching kind of hit me. In a good way, i mean. It's OK. But why was it tough to do it? Hehhh.... It was just me. I haven't read the recipe carefully. At my first attempt i broke the new casserole, what makes me really sad. At the second time, it hit me, that i'm poaching the fish, BUT i forgot the mushrooms. OMG. I had to sauté the mushrooms before, which i totally forgot to do in the first place.... So quickly i tried to fix the whole thing. Of course, The Book says: "do not overcook; the fish should not be dry and flaky". No chance. This time it's definitely WILL be overdone. Sorry.
So I took the whole thing out from the form, one half goes back with the filets, then the mushrooms, the other half, and i brought to the simmer the whole thing. But finally i managed to do it. I ate. Real food. It tasted reallly good.
I bought some strawberries too, to i'll try to bake some tarte. But before i attempt, I have to buy some jelly.
So i poach some filet of Shallow-water Cape hake , and made some fish sauce. I haven't found sole or flounder, and that was my best shot. Actually it was Filets de poisson Bercy aux champignon, that's fish filets poached in white wine with mushrooms. For that i should have slice mushrooms, sauté them in butter, lay an onion bed for the fish, put the filets on it, put on the mushroom and then more onions, dots of butter and add some fishstock with white wine, and then bring the whole thing to simmer and in the oven cook it for 8 to 12 minutes. Then take the whole thing out, simmer the poaching liquide until it reduces to 1 cup, add it to some pasta made from butter and flour, boil it, pour it on the fish and sprinke it with cheese. Then in a few minutes broil the whole stuff and it's done. That was the recipe.
To tell the truth i didn't made the fish stock with wine. I bought it. I know, shame on me, but i hate the smell of any kind of fish. So i just went on the easier way.
And that's why the result of this poaching kind of hit me. In a good way, i mean. It's OK. But why was it tough to do it? Hehhh.... It was just me. I haven't read the recipe carefully. At my first attempt i broke the new casserole, what makes me really sad. At the second time, it hit me, that i'm poaching the fish, BUT i forgot the mushrooms. OMG. I had to sauté the mushrooms before, which i totally forgot to do in the first place.... So quickly i tried to fix the whole thing. Of course, The Book says: "do not overcook; the fish should not be dry and flaky". No chance. This time it's definitely WILL be overdone. Sorry.
So I took the whole thing out from the form, one half goes back with the filets, then the mushrooms, the other half, and i brought to the simmer the whole thing. But finally i managed to do it. I ate. Real food. It tasted reallly good.
I bought some strawberries too, to i'll try to bake some tarte. But before i attempt, I have to buy some jelly.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Issues
I know, i've got issues. Why? Because who the hell cooks artichoke bottoms filled with mushroom and cheese cream right after Easter?? Which normal person does that??
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Mission accompished
I made this weekend clafoutis with eggplants and chorizo for breakfast, and for lunch: garlic soup, potatoes with parsley, beef and onions braised in beer (Carbonnades à la flamande) and a mini cake with orange filling.
Clafoutis came into the picture last September. When i was in France. I bought a book called: Flans, fars et clafoutis by Isabel Brancq-Lepage. The most admirable about this book (just as well as Julia Child's book), that you can buy the ingredients anywhere. You don't have to search for anything special.
I have to tell you, that i'm in love with France. I think that french people know how to live. I love the little Patisserie-s, the preparation at the restaurants before noon, the crêpe, and the tolerance of the different lifestyles. They just don't care. I love it. (But i have to admit that the love of my life always will be Switzerland. It's a love story that started almost 10 years ago, and i doubt that it's ever gonna end.) But back to cooking.
So i already wrote the recipe of the clafoutis. Let's just start the lunch. It takes at least 3 hours to make whole thing from start to finish.
I started with the beef as it takes 2.5 hours or more to cook. The Book says for 6 people you should have 3 lb. lean beef (chuck roast), i used nearly 0.5 kg, and it will serve me in the next 3 days. :D
I had to preheat the oven to 165 °C, while i cut the meat in to medium size cubes. I heated pork fat until it almost smoked. And here i saw i forgot something. Last time i should have to learn that pork fat or any kind of fat when that hot is, it splutters. I should buy something to prevent it, or not to forget to use the 20 cm high casserole. I browned the beef slices, a few at a time, and set aside. Then i browned sliced onions in the fat (it takes about 10 minutes), then removed from heat, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stirred in mashed garlic.
I arranged half the browned beef in a casserole, seasoned it with salt and pepper, then spread half the onions over it. I made 2 layers of each. I heated beef stock in the browning skillet to have all the juices, then poured over the meat. I added enough beer (Pilsner type) to barely cover the meet. One thing what Germans know is how to make beer. You have more types than you can imagine, and costs less then water. :D I added a large herb bouquet (parsley strings, bay leaf, thyme tied in cheesecloth), then stirred in a Tb brown sugar, then brought to simmer. I covered my casserole, placed it in the lower third of the oven, and left it there for 2 and a half hour.
When the meat is fork-tender, it's done. Remove the herb bouquet, poured out the liquid out. (Fat would have come off, if there was too much.) I mixed cornstarch and wine vinegar and added to the liquid. Cooked for a few minutes and poured back over the meat. It's done. I can preheat it any time. :)
Garlic soup and mini cake recipes come later as i'm too tired. Sorry!
Clafoutis came into the picture last September. When i was in France. I bought a book called: Flans, fars et clafoutis by Isabel Brancq-Lepage. The most admirable about this book (just as well as Julia Child's book), that you can buy the ingredients anywhere. You don't have to search for anything special.I have to tell you, that i'm in love with France. I think that french people know how to live. I love the little Patisserie-s, the preparation at the restaurants before noon, the crêpe, and the tolerance of the different lifestyles. They just don't care. I love it. (But i have to admit that the love of my life always will be Switzerland. It's a love story that started almost 10 years ago, and i doubt that it's ever gonna end.) But back to cooking.
So i already wrote the recipe of the clafoutis. Let's just start the lunch. It takes at least 3 hours to make whole thing from start to finish.
I started with the beef as it takes 2.5 hours or more to cook. The Book says for 6 people you should have 3 lb. lean beef (chuck roast), i used nearly 0.5 kg, and it will serve me in the next 3 days. :D
I had to preheat the oven to 165 °C, while i cut the meat in to medium size cubes. I heated pork fat until it almost smoked. And here i saw i forgot something. Last time i should have to learn that pork fat or any kind of fat when that hot is, it splutters. I should buy something to prevent it, or not to forget to use the 20 cm high casserole. I browned the beef slices, a few at a time, and set aside. Then i browned sliced onions in the fat (it takes about 10 minutes), then removed from heat, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stirred in mashed garlic.
I arranged half the browned beef in a casserole, seasoned it with salt and pepper, then spread half the onions over it. I made 2 layers of each. I heated beef stock in the browning skillet to have all the juices, then poured over the meat. I added enough beer (Pilsner type) to barely cover the meet. One thing what Germans know is how to make beer. You have more types than you can imagine, and costs less then water. :D I added a large herb bouquet (parsley strings, bay leaf, thyme tied in cheesecloth), then stirred in a Tb brown sugar, then brought to simmer. I covered my casserole, placed it in the lower third of the oven, and left it there for 2 and a half hour.
When the meat is fork-tender, it's done. Remove the herb bouquet, poured out the liquid out. (Fat would have come off, if there was too much.) I mixed cornstarch and wine vinegar and added to the liquid. Cooked for a few minutes and poured back over the meat. It's done. I can preheat it any time. :)
Garlic soup and mini cake recipes come later as i'm too tired. Sorry!
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