A Most Important Meal

Jack and I spent a recent lazy morning sitting on the balcony, eating a breakfast of dutch baby pancakes with fresh berries. It was a perfect way to start a hot summer day, enjoying the cool breeze  before the humidity became unbearable.  The cathedral is now hiding behind a mass of trees, but you can faintly make out the top of it. We made plans for the day as we sipped OJ and freshly pressed coffee. Happy summer to all of you!

Can you see the top of the cathedral?

 A little jolt to start the day.

I use Alton Brown's recipe for dutch babies and just divide the batter so each person can have his or her own pancake.

Dutch Baby (from Alton Brown)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
• 2 3/8 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1/2 cup
• 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar, plus extra for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• Lemon wedges

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven. Set the remaining tablespoon of melted butter aside to cool slightly. Wait 10 minutes before assembling the other ingredients.
Place the flour, vanilla sugar, salt, milk, eggs and remaining tablespoon of melted butter into the bowl of a food processor or blender and process for 30 seconds. Carefully pour the batter into the preheated skillet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges are puffed and brown. Sprinkle with additional vanilla sugar and serve with lemon wedges.

TK On The Brain

All I can think about is Thomas Keller, and seemingly he is all around me. I just finished Service Included, a charming account of Phoebe Damrosch's time as a waiter at Per Se (Keller's NYC response to The French Laundry). Simply reading about the food is inspiring, as every dish is composed with the utmost care and precision. Even garnishes mean something in the world of Thomas Keller, and they are all hand picked from the best purveyors around the country and worldwide.
This evening, TK will be in DC signing copies of Ad Hoc at Home, which Jack gave me for Valentine's Day. I am planning to stop by, but I am afraid my mouth will snap shut and my words will escape me as I reach the table where he is signing cookbooks. I had a chance to be within a few feet of Thomas Keller at Bouchon Bakery in Yountville last year. I was reading The Reach of a Chef at the time, in which Michael Ruhlman spends a chunk of his book following up with Keller just as he is about to open Per Se. So there I was, two feet from my hero, and I completely froze. I couldn't think of anything wonderful or brilliant to say, let alone to utter a measly hello. Still, it was wonderful to see him. I noticed his black clogs, which he didn't always used to wear. For a long time he wore cowboy boots. So interesting, right?
Naturally, I decided that last night was an appropriate time to cook something from The French Laundry Cookbook. I made Truffled Egg Custard With Oyster Mushroom Ragout. The oyster mushrooms are a little variation on black truffle shavings, and I think it worked nicely.

Truffled Egg Custard
by Thomas Keller, The French Laundry

For the Chive Chips:

• 1 large russet potato
• 2 t. clarified butter
• Kosher salt
• 20 ea. chive chips, very thin (use the tops of the thinnest chives you can find)

Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Brush 2 silpats with clarified butter and kosher salt. Match up mandolin-sliced band-aid shaped potatoes with chive in the center of each one. Remove air pockets from each raw chip. Top with the second silpat, butter side down and top with second sheet pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

For the custards:

• 8 large eggs (with the paper egg carton) for the serving pieces. Only 2 eggs used in the custard itself. Reserve the other eggs for another use.
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 T. white truffle oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground white pepper

Heat the milk and cream. When it boils remove from heat. Turn on a blender and pour in the dairy mixture. Add the truffle Oil and the 2 reserved eggs, salt and white pepper. Strain through a chinois into a pitcher. Let the custard sit and skim off any foam. Fill each egg shell _ full with custard mixture. Put egg carton into pan and fill pan with hot water 2/3 of the way up the eggs. Cover the pan and bake 40-45 minutes or until the custard is set. The finished eggs may be kept in the water, in a warm place, for 2 hours.

For the oyster mushroom ragout:1 cup oyster mushrooms
1 t. unsalted butter (mount the sauce after reduction)
1 t. white truffle oil
kosher salt
freshly ground white pepper


Melt the butter and add the mushrooms. Gently brown them (2-3 minutes) over medium high heat. At the white truffle oil, salt and pepper.

To assemble:
Place the custard filled eggshell in an egg holder (or mound kosher salt or sel Gris or fleur de sel onto a small plate and put the eggshell in the salt, standing up).  Put a little of the mushroom ragout on the top of the custard and season with trufffle oil (optional) and salt and white pepper.  Just before serving, stick the chive chip in the custard.  

Mandoline Frustration

Ratatouille is not a dish that I ever gave much consideration. That is, until I saw the movie a few summers ago at the urging of my friend, Patrick.  Still, that movie came out three years ago and l had not even attempted the coveted "movie recipe," which was created by Thomas Keller (of course!), until last week. I was standing in the store the other day when it struck me that all of the ingredients in a ratatouille, or confit byaldi in this case, are in peak season. Colorful peppers, summer squash, ruby red tomatoes and eggplant are all ripe for the picking, and available in huge piles right now.
I set out to create this dish, and frankly failed on some level. 1/16 of an inch, the thickness which the recipe asks the vegetables to be sliced, is painfully thin. The eggplant had no interest in effortlessly sliding through the mandoline, nor did the tomatoes. Thus, one must improvise. The squash looked beautiful and the piperade turned out lovely, if I do say so myself. This was a delicious preparation and honestly one that I would prepare again. I might, however, venture to say that the squash was too thinly sliced. Perhaps a 1/8 of an inch thickness would suffice. It's certainly worth a try!

Confit Byaldi (from The New York Times)

A Rat With a Whisk and a Dream (June 13, 2007)

1/2 red pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 yellow pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 orange pepper, seeds and ribs removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
3 tomatoes (about 12 ounces total weight), peeled, seeded, and finely diced, juices reserved
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
1/2 a bay leaf
Kosher salt
FOR VEGETABLES
1 zucchini (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch rounds 1 Japanese eggplant, (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds 1 yellow squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-inch rounds 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/8teaspoon thyme leaves Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper FOR VINAIGRETTE
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oi
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Assorted fresh herbs (thyme flowers, chervil, thyme)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
1. For piperade, heat oven to 450 degrees. Place pepper halves on a foil-lined sheet, cut side down. Roast until skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.
2. Combine oil, garlic, and onion in medium skillet over low heat until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes, do not brown; add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to taste with salt, and discard herbs. Reserve tablespoon of mixture and spread remainder in bottom of an 8-inch skillet.
3. For vegetables, heat oven to 275 degrees. Down center of pan, arrange a strip of 8 alternating slices of vegetables over piperade, overlapping so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. Around the center strip, overlap vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. Repeat until pan is filled; all vegetables may not be needed.
4. Mix garlic, oil, and thyme leaves in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over vegetables. Cover pan with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.) If there is excess liquid in pan, place over medium heat on stove until reduced. (At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat in 350-degree oven until warm.)
5. For vinaigrette, combine reserved piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.
6. To serve, heat broiler and place byaldi underneath until lightly browned. Slice in quarters and very carefully lift onto plate with offset spatula. Turn spatula 90 degrees, guiding byaldi into fan shape. Drizzle vinaigrette around plate. Serve hot.

Light Fare

My brother and his girlfriend hosted a lovely cookout at his new condo this weekend. Lamb burgers with tzatziki sauce were on the menu, along with lemon basil sorbet and lots of ice cold beer. I wanted to bring something to the party that would be a breeze to prepare (no cooking necessary!) and that would be appropriate for the summer climate. These little caprese skewers are the perfect summer hors d'oeuvre: bright, light and delicious. I simply skewer one cherry tomato, a torn basil leaf and a bocconcini and then drizzle the skewers with flavored olive oil. A sprinkle of salt and pepper finishes the plate.

Pasta Maker

Jack and I haven't eaten at Palladio (yet), the highly acclaimed restaurant that is attached to Barboursville Vineyards. The Executive Chef, Melissa Close Hart, has spent time all over the country cooking in Alabama, Colorado and San Francisco, where she learned to prepare exquisite Italian cuisine. She and her staff make an annual pilgrimage to Italy (mostly the northern region), where they participate in a week-long stage at various eateries. A three-time James Beard nominee, she is remarkably humble and seems to get great joy from her work.
Jack and I had the privilege of spending a few hours with Melissa and her latest intern from the New England Culinary Institute (Melissa is an alumna) at a pasta class offered on a night that the restaurant was closed. We learned how to prepare traditional pasta dough (2 1/2 cups of egg yolks!) and then we made delicious stuffed pastas with a lemon, mint ricotta and spring pea filling. After the class, we celebrated the fruits of our labor by trying out some of the pasta and sipping Barboursville wine. It was a great evening and I think we will definitely head back to Palladio for a meal sometime.

Be a Little Corny

Corn pudding is a wonderful summer side dish. While I've heard that this dish graces many a Thanksgiving table, it's the summertime when the corn is sweet and fresh and perfect for this satisfying mix of fresh kernels, basil and cream. Serve this at your next summer fête and be prepared to become the most popular guest at the party.

Sagaponack Corn Pudding (from Ina Garten)

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 5 cups fresh yellow corn kernels cut off the cob (6 to 8 ears)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar, plus extra to sprinkle on top

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the inside of an 8 to 10-cup baking dish.
Melt the butter in a very large saute pan and saute the corn and onion over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Cool slightly.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and then the ricotta. Add the basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked corn mixture and grated cheddar, and then pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with more grated cheddar.
Place the dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Le Dessert

Profiteroles are one of life's great little wonders. How does this odd dough that you cook over the stove and pipe onto a silpat turn into a light-as-air puff? When you slice the puffs in half and fill them with pastry cream or ice cream, the combination is quite special. Topped with chocolate sauce, profiteroles make for a downright decadent finish to any meal.

Profiteroles (from Ina Garten)

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons prepared coffee
• Good vanilla ice cream (recommended: Haagen-Dazs), for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat the milk, butter, and salt over medium heat until scalded. When the butter is melted, add the flour all at once and beat it with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the eggs and pulse until the eggs are incorporated into the dough and the mixture is thick.
Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 1/2 inches wide and 1-inch high onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should have about 18 puffs. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.) Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit for another 10 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Make a small slit in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape. Set aside to cool.
For the chocolate sauce, place the cream and chocolate chips in a bowl set over simmering water and stir just until the chocolate melts. Add the honey and coffee and stir until smooth. Set aside.
For serving, cut each profiterole in half crosswise, fill with a small scoop of ice cream, replace the top, and drizzle with slightly warm chocolate sauce.