Whisk Wednesdays - Mouclade or Mussels in a Wine Cream Sauce

This week for Whisk Wednesdays we were supposed to make Spiced Shrimp Balls. But being on a recession budget and the price of fresh shrimp, I opted to make Mouclade or Mussels in Wine and Cream Sauce.

I made this dish the easiest way possible not the Le Cordon Bleu way, which means tons of steps and many, MANY dishes to wash. And although I have four other Mussel recipes on my blog, this one is so far my favorite. It was fabulous and Mr. Tastebuds loved it! The biggest difference in this recipe was the wonderful flavor the Italian Parsley added. And being I added it towards the end of cooking, you could taste the full flavor which was just so darn good!







Mouclade
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

3 lbs of fresh mussels (I used a lb per person)
6 TBL butter (I used 1 TBL)
1 large onion, chopped fine (I used 5 green onions including tops, chopped)
1 large shallot (I skipped)
1/2 c. white wine
2 TBL chopped parsley (I used abt 1/2 c chopped parsley)
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 c creme fraiche or heavy cream (I used lite cream or coffee cream)
1 sprig of fresh thyme

My additions:
1/4 c grated Parmesan
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
1/2 c. plus 2 TBL EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
3 cloves of garlic

1. Scrub and de-beard mussels and rinse in cold water.. Discard any mussel with a cracked shell. If the mussel is open just tap it and if it does not slowly close then discard it.

2. In a large pot melt butter. Add green onions and 1 clove chopped garlic and sauté about 3 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Add mussels and cover until mussels open, about 4 to 6 minutes. When mussels are all fully open, scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Discard any mussels that didn't open.

3. In a blender add basil, Parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, thyme, olive oil, cream and garlic and whiz until thoroughly blended.

4. Add cream mix to butter/onion mix in the pan and heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over mussels and serve.








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesdays -- Biscuit de Savoie

This week for Whisk Wednesdays are weekly recipe is Biscuit de Savoie or Sponge Cake. As soon as I read the recipe it reminded me of a long ago Home Economics class. When I was in 8th grade we had to take Home Economics, not my favorite subject. But during the cooking section I remember making a Jelly Roll and it was pretty good by 8th grade standards! So in place of just a regular cake I made a Jelly Roll and used some of my home canned Nectarine Raspberry Jam with Drambuie and Cointeau!

The Jelly Roll was fun and very good, but it was a tad on the sweet side. Next time I make a jelly roll I will use fresh fruit and no additional sugar! So after taking my pictures, I packed it up and this baby graced the table at our local firehall! The firemen love me! ;)







Biscuit de Savoie
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

7 eggs, separated
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. potato flour

Garnish:
Confectioner's sugar for dusting
Whipped cream
Fresh fruit, raspberries, strawberries or peaches

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare 10"by15" jelly roll pan by greasing pan and cutting a sheet of parchment paper to fit in the bottom.

Combine the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat with whisk, or an electric mixer, until pale yellow and creamy. Combine the flours and fold into egg mixture.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the beaten whites into the batter until thoroughly blended. Then gently fold in the remaining whites with a spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan.

Bake at 400F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched.

Dust a large dishtowel with powdered sugar.

When cake comes out of the oven, loosen edges of cake, then place the sugared towel on top of the cake (yes, some will come off), then invert the pan so the cake comes out onto the towel (which should be lying on a table or counter). Trim off the firm edges.

Beginning with the short side, roll cake and towel up together. Place towel wrapped cake on a wire rack and let cool.

When cake is cool, gently unroll and spread with jam (or jelly) and re-roll. Place on a serving plate.

Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar and/or top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with fresh fruit and sprig of fresh mint.





Nectarine Raspberry Jam with Drambuie and Cointeau
Recipe graciously shared by RobinKate at the Harvest Forum

1-1/2 cups sugar
1 1.59-oz pkg Ball® Simple Creations® Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin
2 cups peeled and chopped nectarines
2 Tbsp Drambuie
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Cointreau
2 cups raspberries
5 Plastic Ball® (8 oz) Freezer Jars

1. STIR sugar and contents of pectin package in a bowl until well blended.
2. COMBINE nectarines, Drambuie, lemon juice and Cointreau in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring constantly, until nectarines become soft and transparent, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool 15 minutes.
3. ADD raspberries to nectarines and mix well. Crush raspberries and nectarines with a potato masher. Add fruit mixture to pectin mixture. Stir 3 minutes.
4. LADLE jam into clean jars to fill line. Twist on lids. Let stand until thickened, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.






Sugar High Friday is graciously hosted this month by Candice of Mmm, Tasty. Please visit Mmm, Tasty for some more "local" treats.








Rebecca of Chow and Chatter gave me a Tasty Award! How cool is that! Thanks so much!





All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesdays -- Peches, Poires et Pruneaux au Vin Rouge

This week for Whisk Wednesdays I made Peches, Poires et Pruneaux au Vin Rouge or Peaches, Pears and Prunes in Red Wine Sauce. A month or so ago our weekly Whisk Wednesdays' assignment was to make Savarin aux Kiwis et aux Fraises or Rum Savarin with Kiwis and Strawberries. Although I did make the Rum Savarin, my pictures did not turn out well at all. So in place of the Savarin, which was delicious, I decided to post my Poached Pears in Red Wine Sauce. OMG...were the Poached Pears delicious!

I followed the recipe except I eliminated the prunes and we had no peaches so I substituted some of my home canned Peach Butter and just added it to the wine sauce. Also I used Raspberry/Nectarin Freezer Jelly in place of the Red Currant Jelly and ground cinnamon in place of the cinnamon stick. And I did leave the pears in the sauce over night for a more intense color.

The Poached Pears in Red Wine Sauce was probably one of the easier desserts I've made in months and yet it was so elegant and down right gorgeous. Since you can make everything the night before and the dessert is so pretty and not too sweet, it would be a perfect dessert for a holiday meal. I could not wait to serve it to Mr. Tastebuds who thoroughly enjoyed each and every bite!







Peches, Poires, et Pruneaux au Vin Rouge
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

24 pitted prunes (I eliminated the prunes)
6 small peaches (I subbed 1/4 c. home canned Peach Butter)
6 small pears
1/2 lemon
1 bottle dry red wine, preferably burgundy (I used Merlot)
12 ounces red currant jelly (I subbed home canned Raspberry/Nectarine Jelly)
12 peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon (I subbed 1 tsp cinnamon)
1 tsp vanilla

Garnish:
Mint Leaves and I used some slices of Kiwi Fruit

Soak the prunes in cold water to cover for 20 minutes

Peel the peaches and pears, leaving the stem intact on the pears. With a vegetable peeler carefully remove the pear core and discard. Rub the fruit with the lemon to avoid discoloration.

Combine the wine, jelly, peppercorns, cinnamon and vanilla in a deep sauce pa and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Add the prunes, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the peaches and pears and continue simmering for another 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the burner and let the liquid cool to room temperature.

When the liquid is cool, remove the pears with a slotted spoon to a dessert plate or bowl. Strain the wine sauce. Drizzle some of the wine sauce over the pears. Garnish with mint and serve.







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesdays -- Coquelets sur Canapes and Pommes Pont Neuf

This week for Whisk Wednesdays we made Coquelets sur Canapes and Pommes Pont Neuf or Roast Squab with Chicken Liver Canapes and Mushrooms and Thick-cut French Fries. This was quite a long, involved recipe but really not difficult at all. And the end result was a juicy chicken breast with a delicious thin brown sauce on fabulous canapes.






It's so ironic that this weeks recipe is from Julia Child and the movie Julie & Julia just opened last week! I was looking forward to this movie for at least two months and on the day it opened, I was in line for the 10:30 am showing!

And I loved it!

Being a food blogger one would think I would easily relate to the Julie Powell character but I really did not. I guess I was too involved with Meryl Streep's portrayal of Julia to try to put myself in Julie's shoes. Meryl was exceptional as Julia Child, she had Julia's accent, mannerisms and ever her body language down cold. I only remember seeing Julia Child's TV show, The French Chef, once and I believe it is around 1969-70ish. I was a young child at that time but my memories are very clear on this episode of The French Chef. Julia was talking about tenderizing meat and she had various meat tenderizing tools set out and then from behind the counter Julia pulled out a baseball bat. You have to love anyone that tenderizes meat with a baseball bat or even suggests it!







Coquelets sur Canapes
Recipe adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking; Vol 1" by Julia Child

Mushrooms:
1½ lbs. fresh mushrooms
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. oil
A 10-12 inch non-stick skillet or sauté pan
1 Tbs. minced shallots or green onions
½ clove minced garlic

Trim and wash the mushrooms. Leave whole if small, quarter if large. Dry in a towel. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes in hot butter and oil until they are very lightly browned.

Stir in the shallots or onions, and garlic and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Set aside.


Canapés:
Homemade style white bread
½ cup clarified butter
A skillet
6 poultry or game livers from the birds
3 Tbs/ fresh, raw pork fat; OR fat bacon simmered in water for 10 minutes rinsed and dried
¼ tsp. salt
Big pinch of pepper
1 Tbs. Madeira, port or cognac
Optional: 2-3 Tbs. foie gras

Cut 6 slices of bread, ¼ inch thick. Remove crusts, and cut slices into rectangles, 2 by 3½ inches.

Sauté the bread lightly on each side in hot clarified butter.

Trim the livers, cutting of any black or green spots. Chop very find, almost into a purée, with the port fat or bacon. Then blend the liver in a bowl with the seasonings, wine, and optional foie gras. Spread the mixture on one side of each rectangle of sautéed bread. Arrange on a broiling pan and set aside.
(Preheat broiler in time to cook the canapés just before serving).


Roasting the Birds:
Six 10-12 ounce, ready-to-cook squab chickens, game hens, squab pigeons, or game birds
½ Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. finely minced shallots or green onions
½ tsp. dried tarragon
4 Tbs. butter
6 strips of bacon simmered in water for 10 minutes, rinsed, and dried.
A shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold the birds easily on their sides
3 Tbs. butter, melted with 1 Tbs. good cooking oil
A basting brush
½ Tbs. salt

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Season the cavities of the birds with a sprinkling of salt, shallots or onion, and tarragon, and a teaspoon of the butter. Truss the birds, dry then and rub with butter. Cut the blanched bacon in half, crosswise, and tie 2 strips over the breast and thighs of each bird.

Place the birds in the roasting pan and set on a rack in the middle of the preheated oven. Baste and turn the birds every 5 to 7 minutes until they are done.

Chickens will take from 30 to 40 minutes; they are done when the last drops of juice from their vents run clear yellow with no trace of rose.
Game Hens, as their flesh is usually firmer than chicken, take about 45 minutes; they are done when the flesh of their drumsticks is soft.
Partridge and Quail, if young and tender, may be judged like chicken; if older, like game hens.
Pigeon and Dove may be served slightly underdone if you wish, when their juices run a very pale rose rather than a clear yellow.

When done, remove trussing strings, sprinkle the birds with salt, and place then on a warm platter. Set in the turned off oven, with its door ajar.


The Sauce:
1 Tbs. minced shallots or green onions
1½ cups brown chicken stock, or canned beef boullion
¼ cup Madeira or port
1 to 2 Tbs. softened butter

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the roasting pan, Stir in the shallots or onion and cook slowly for 1 minute. Add the stock or bouillon and wine and boil rapidly, scraping up coagulated cooking juices until liquid has reduced to about ½ cup. Correct seasoning. Off heat and just before serving, swirl the butter into the sauce.

Final Assembly:
1 Tbs. butter
¼ tsp. salt
Pinch of pepper
A handful of water-cress leaves or parsley springs

Just before serving, run the liver canapés under a hot broiler for a minute, until they are sizzling.

Toss the mushrooms over moderately high heat with the butter, salt and pepper.

Place a canapé under each bird. Surround with the mushrooms, and decorate with water-cress or parsley. Spoon the sauce over the birds and serve.







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Profiteroles au Chocolat or an Old-fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream Soda

This week's menu for Whisk Wednesdays was Profiteroles au Chocolat or Profiteroles with Vanilla Ice Cream and Hot Chocolate Sauce. In American speak that's basically an ice cream sundae on a cream puff.

Well it's summer and I'm living large, so in place of the ice cream sundae I made a tall, cool Chocolate Ice Cream Soda! And since choux is not one of my favorite things, I decided to skip the pastry and made mini Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.

It's funny how I came about buying the Coconut Flour. I was at the store and had the bag of Coconut Flour in my hand but because of our frugal recession budget I put the flour back on the shelf instead of in my cart. And that evening I was cruising some baking blogs and happened upon my blogging buddy, Elyse's Confectionery Creations, and I'll be darned, Elyse had posted Chocolate Chip Cookies made with Coconut Flour! The next time I was at my market I did not hesitate with the Coconut Flour!







Vanilla Ice Cream
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog

3 egg yolks
1/2 c sugar (I used 1/4 c. Splenda Sugar Blend)
1 c heavy cream
2 c milk
1 whole vanilla bean

Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the dark seeds. Set aside.

Whisk eggs, add cream and beat for several minutes gradually adding sugar. Pour mixture into a small sauce pan and heat until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and add scrapings from vanilla bean. Cool to room temperature. Then put mixture in the refrigerator and cool completely. Pour chilled ice cream mix into your Ice Cream Maker and follow manufacturer's directions.


Chocolate Sauce
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

7 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces
1/2 c milk
4 TBL unsalted butter (I used 1 TBL butter)

Heat the milk in the microwave until hot but not boiling. In a small bowl add the semisweet chocolate pieces and butter. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate and butter. Let this sit until the chocolate and butter is completely melted. Once the chocolate is melted, whisk until the chocolate is smooth.







Mini Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from Nestle Tollhouse Cookies

3/4 c Flour
1/2 c. Coconut Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 c Butter, softened
3/8 c Sugar
3/8 c Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 large egg
1 c (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/2 c chopped nuts

Mix the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add vanilla, salt, baking soda, egg. Sift together the flour and coconut flour and gradually add the flour mix to the sugar mix. Blend in the chocolate morsels and nuts.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Using a 1 tsp scoop, drop dough by level teaspoon. I usually shape the cookies a little bit with my fingers.

Bake at 350 degrees until the cookies are just golden brown on the bottom. Remove cookies from sheet and cool on a rack.


Chocolate Soda with Cookie Crumbles
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

Vanilla Ice Cream
1/4 c. Chocolate Sauce
Dr. Brown's Cream Soda

Topping:
Whipped Cream, Cherry and some cookie crumbles

Mix the chocolate sauce with about 1 c. of soda and pour into a tall glass. Add ice cream and pour a little bit more soda on top the ice cream to make it foam. Top with whipped cream, cherry and some cookie crumbles. And don't forget the straw!

Serve on a saucer filled with Mini Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies.








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Mignons de Porc Arlonaise or Grilled Pork Ribs in Beer

This week for Whisk Wednesdays we made Mignons de Porc Arlonaise or Pork Ribs in Beer. This dish worked nicely with our weekly menu being we are still eating pork at least once a week in support of pork farmers that were hurt during the Swine Flu scare.

Although the Cordon Bleu recipe sounded delicious, it was so hot outside and to avoid turning my oven on, I changed the recipe and grilled the Pork Ribs. And my Grilled Pork Ribs in Beer Sauce with a French Kick was absolutely delicious! Mr. Tastebud's said "This is the best meal ever." WOW...I usually get "okay", "alright" or even "good" but "best meal ever" was a new one!

I know the recipe seems long and involved but it really is quite easy and you can prepare quite a bit the night before.








Mignons de Porc Arlonaise or Pork Tenderloins with Beer
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

18 small waxy potatoes (red or white)
Salt
2 pork tenderloins, 1½ pounds each, trimmed of fat
Freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Sauce:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 c. wine vinegar
3/4 c dark beer
1 1/4 c. Brown Veal Stock

1/4 lb carrots, cut into julienne
1/4 lb celery, cut into julienne
1/4 lb leeks (white part only), cut into julienne
1/4 lb mushrooms, trimmed, rinsed, dried, and cut into julienne
1/4 lb turnips, cut into julienne


Grilled Pork Ribs in Beer with a French Kick
Recipe developed by Big Black Dog

1-1 1/2 lbs Country Pork Ribs

4-5 potatoes (red or white), cut into julienne
3-4 carrots, cut into julienne
3-4 ribs of celery, cut into julienne
4-5 green onions, white part cut into julienne (green part cut into coins for garnish)
1/2 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
Option: Red Sweet Pepper (I forgot to add this but it would add some beautiful color)

Marinade:
1/2 c. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1/2 c. wine (either white or red, I use Merlot)
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Vegetable Beer Sauce:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. wine (either white or red, I used Merlot)
3/4 c. dark beer (use remainder for basting sauce)
1 1/4 c. Brown Veal Stock (if no veal stock you can substitute beef stock)

Basting Sauce:
Remainder of dark beer
1/4-1/2 c. veal stock (if no veal stock you can substitute beef stock)

Marinade/Marinate:
In a small bowl mix EVOO, red wine, minced garlic. Salt and pepper the ribs and rub into the meat. Place ribs in a large Ziploc bag or a shallow Tupperware container with a lid. Pour the marinade over the ribs making sure that each rib is covered. Place the bag in the refrigerator and marinate over night. Periodically turn the ribs over making sure that each rib is covered with marinade. If using a plastic bag, place a plate under the bagged ribs because sometimes the bags leak a little bit.

Preparing the Vegetables:
Cut the vegetables into julienne strips and the mushrooms just cut into thin crosswise slices. If your prepping ahead you can prepare the vegetables the night before and refrigerate. The carrots, celery and mushrooms can be refrigerated in a covered container. Potatoes must be immersed in water otherwise they will discolor when exposed to air.

If you're unsure how to julienne vegetables, please see the below Youtube Video for further instruction.

Vegetable Beer Sauce:
In a large, heavy skillet combine the sugar and vinegar. Cook over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add the 3/4 c. beer, careful because the mixture might sputter a bit. Return the pan to the burner and reduce by half. Add the stock and again reduce by half. As soon as you put the ribs on the grill add the potatoes and carrots to the sauce and heat. When the potatoes and carrots are just starting to soften add the celery, onions and mushrooms. I prefer my vegetables a little crunchy so I just simmer in the sauce for about 8-10 minutes.

Basting Sauce:
In a small bowl or cup mix the remaining beer and 1/4-1/2 c stock.

Grilling the Ribs:
Heat the Grill to about 350 degrees or a medium heat.

Remove the ribs from the marinade and discard marinade. When the grill is hot place the ribs on the coolest part of the grill and close the lid. Bake for about 15 minutes, turning the ribs and basting every 4-5 minutes with the basting sauce. After you've basted 2-3 times discard the basting sauce.

If you want some grill marks on the ribs: For the last few minutes place the ribs on the hottest part of the grill. But be careful because they will burn quickly.

To finish:
Remove the cooked vegetables from the sauce and set aside. Place the cooked ribs in the warm beer sauce, turning to ensure the sauce is covering all sides of the ribs. Simmer for a minute or so.

Plate the ribs, drizzle some of the vegetable beer sauce over the meat and carefully arrange the vegetables and mushrooms on and around the meat. Serve extra sauce on the side.






I've had a few inquiries on Veal Stock. I used the recipe from The French Laundry at Home. Making the Veal Stock is a 2-day process but so worth it! I could not find Veal Shank bones so I used Veal Neck bones and it worked out very well. Good luck!







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Bavarois à la Vanille with Coulis de Framboise

I truly love Red Raspberries! And when I saw that Bavarois a la Vanille with Coulis de Framboise aka Vanilla Bavarian Cream with Raspberry Coulis was on the menu for Whisk Wednesdays I was excited to make this dessert! Although I've had Baravian Cream in restaurants I've never made it before. It is a little different method and calls for gelatin instead of cornstarch to thicken the pudding. And I did grind an entire Vanilla Bean instead of just scraping out the vanilla seeds.

The Coulis de Framboise aka Raspberry Sauce was delicious with the Bavarian Cream. I changed this recipe a little bit too! I added abt 1/4 c of Chateau St. Jean's Riesling which is a sweet white wine. I cut down the lemon juice to just 2 tsp and of course I had to strain out all those nasty Raspberry seeds. And I topped mine with not only whipped cream but a sprinkle of nutmeg and a few fresh raspberries.







Bavarois à la Vanille with Coulis de Framboise (Vanilla Bavarian Cream with Raspberry Coulis)
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

Coulis de Framboise:
1 1/2 c Raspberries
1/2 c confectioner's sugar
Juice of ½ lemon (I cut the lemon down to 2-3 tsp)
1/4 c Riesling (I added the wine)

Creme Anglaise:
1 c milk
1 vanilla bean (I ground the entire bean)
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
4 TBL strawberry coulis

Gelatin:
1/4 ounce powdered gelatin (abt 1 TBL)
2 TBL cold water

Whipped Cream:
1 3/4 c heavy cream, whipped

Coulis:
Rinse the raspberries. Put the raspberries in a food processor and whiz until completely pureed. Then strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard any seeds. Stir in the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice. In a small sauce pan heat the coulis until it begins to thicken. Add the wine and continue heating until it will coat the back of the spoon without dripping.

Creme Anglaise.
Over medium heat in a heavy saucepan heat milk and ground vanilla bean in a heavy. Bring mixture to a slight boil. Remove immediately from the heat and let sit for about 8-10 minutes.

Whisk the yolks and sugar until the sugar dissolves. While whisking, slowly drizzle in about 1/2 c of the hot milk mixture. Keep whisking and slowly add the rest of the milk.

Reheat the Creme Anglaise and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Add the raspberry coulis.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 TBL of cold water and stir until dissolved. Then, stir the gelatin into the creme anglaise mixture until it is thoroughly blended. Chill in the refrigerator until the mixture just starts to gel.

In a cold mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.

When the creme anglaise begins to gel, fold in the whipped cream. Pour the Bavarian cream into molds and chill completely for at least 3 hours or overnight.

To serve:
To unmold, dip the mold in hot water for about 10 seconds. Then invert onto a serving platter. If needed, slide a knife around the edge to loosen. You can either serve the remaining Raspberry Coulis on the side or drizzled onto the Creme along with a topping of Whipped Cream.








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Velouté Du Barry

I've been so bad with posting my Whisk Wednesdays recipes and I feel terribly guilty. We have just a few recipes to go and we will be finished with the entire Cordon Bleu cookbook which is quite an accomplishment. I did not start at the beginning of the group but jumped in at about the half way point. It really is amazing how much I've learned and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

This week for Whisk Wednesdays we made Velouté Du Barry or Cream of Cauliflower Soup. Although I've made Cream of Cauliflower Soup before, I've always used cheese. In fact I usually use all the little bits and pieces leftover from holiday cheese logs and other appetizers. The Velouté Du Barry had no cheese but a delicious Veloute sauce made with crème fraîche and egg yolk.

The soup was creamy, rich and delicious and both Mr. Tastebud's and I had two bowls each! Definitely a keeper recipe and one I will make again!






Velouté Du Barry (Cream of Cauliflower Soup)
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

1 small cauliflower
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large leek (white part only), chopped fine
1 large onion, chopped fine
¼ cup rice flour
6 cups Chicken Stock or water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 slices firm white bread, crusts removed
1 egg yolk
1 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
Chervil or parsley leaves for garnish








Gadgets that Work



Charm Graters are available at Ikea, 2 for $5.99 and it is the handiest grater I've ever owned. The slim, oval shape measuring 6 3/4" by 4 3/4" by 2 3/4", easily fits my hand and it is dishwasher safe.

The food saver lid securely locks onto the oval bowl. Since it basically spill proof, whenever I need cheese grated, I hand the Charm Grater over to Mr. Tastebuds and he can grate while watching the evening news with no fuss...no muss.

The Charm Grater makes grating just about anything so convenient and easy. Buy it, you'll like it!



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Catching UP!

Today I am trying to catch up a bit with Whisk Wednesdays, my weekly French cooking lesson. And will be posting Gratin de Fruits au Marasquin or Fruit Gratin with Maraschino Liqueur and Aubergines Bayildi or Gratin of Stuffed Eggplant.

With all my Whisk Wednesday recipes I do try to keep as close to the original recipe as possible and only make substitutions when I can't find the specific ingredient or our economic pinch budget will not allow it.

I have to admit that we really did not care for the Gratin de Fruits. But in all fairness I do not like mango nor figs! Since I was given a case, YES A CASE, of bananas I did add bananas which were very good with the sabayon sauce! And I loved how the bananas developed stripes when broiled! I knew that the sabayon would burn easily so did not broil very long and I think it would have had a much better taste if I would have let it brown a bit more.







Gratin de Fruites
Recipe adapted from "Le Cordon Bleu at Home"


3 mangoes
6 figs
2 TBL maraschino liqueur (I used cherry brandy)

For the Sabayon:
2 egg yolks
1/2 c confectioners' sugar
2/3 c dry white wine
2 TBL maraschino liqueur (I used cherry brandy)



Now the Auberines Bayildi was an entirely different story and we loved it. I think this is the first Le Cordon Bleu recipe I've made that called for garlic. Also I substituted Mozzarella Cheese for the Gruyère. Yes, I went all Italian on this recipe and it was delicious!





Aubergines Bayildi
Recipe adapted from "Le Cordon Bleu at Home"

3 small eggplants
Salt
5 TBL EVOO
3 shallots, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 TBL tomato paste
1 3/4 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
Freshly ground pepper
3 TBL finely sliced basil leaves
2 tomatoes
4 oz grated Gruyère cheese (I used Mozzarella)
3 TBL butter
Basil leaves for garnish

Vegetable oil for baking sheet








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Cuisses de Grenouille aux Herbes

From Wikipedia: "Frogs' legs are one of the better-known delicacies of French and Chinese cuisine. They are also eaten in other regions, such as the Caribbean, the region of Alentejo, in Portugal, northwest Greece, Spain and the Midwest southern regions of the United States. A type of frog called the edible frog is most often used for this dish. They are often said to taste like chicken[1] because of their mild flavor, with a texture most similar to chicken wings[2]. Frogs are raised commercially in certain countries, e.g. Vietnam."


I've been very bad about posting my Whisk Wednesdays recipes!!! This is a very busy time for me and frankly although I made Cuisses de Grenouille aux Herbes or Frog Legs with Herbs, the week passed so quickly and I completely forgot about posting. I did not follow the recommended recipe but used my own recipe of how I remembered my Mom making Frog Legs on a late summer's day in a little cottage on a lake.

Some people might think that associating Mother's Day with Frogs is rather odd. But when I told my Mom about my post she just laughed.


Happy Mother's Day MOM!


When I was growing up in MI we had a cottage on Sage Lake and we stayed at our cottage almost every weekend. Sage Lake was not well populated at the time, in fact it was quite desolate. The lake averaged a depth of 80' and was not for swimming and no one dared touch the bottom due to leeches...YUCK! Once I saw a huge snapping turtle swimming by and I don't think I need to tell you that that ended my swimming in Sage Lake.

I was the oldest but still not old enough to drive, so us kids basically fished all day long. We had no TV and there really was not much to do except fish, build tree forts, explore the area and pick berries. When it rained we bought out all the comic books at the closest tackle shop. It was a blast.

When we ran out of fish bait, my brother, Kevin, and cousin, Keith, would catch these large bull frogs and when I say large, I mean LARGE. My uncle set a rule that we could only keep fish, mostly Bluegills, if they were as big as our hand. But no limit was ever set on the Bull Frogs but stretched out they had to be at least 15" long. HUGE!

We always had one last fish fry for the season and cleaned out the freezer of ALL the fish we'd caught over the summer. Of course this included the Frog Leg's that my brother and cousin had caught. I have no recollection of ever cleaning frog legs but I do remember eating them.

Although it is said that Frog Legs taste like chicken, the meat is actually much sweeter then chicken and ohhhh, so tender. I lightly breaded the Frog Legs and then saute and served over Garlic infused White Rice. It was delicious!






Frog Legs
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog

4 pairs of frog legs
1/2 c. white flour
2 TBL almond meal
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
2 TBL EVOO
1 TBL Butter

Mix the flour, almond meal, salt and pepper. Place the flour mix on a plate and lightly bread the frog legs. Heat EVOO and butter in a large frying pan and saute the Frog Legs careful to not over cook. The Frog Legs cook rather quickly so saute not more then 4-5 minutes per side.


Garlic Infused White Rice
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog

1 c. White Rice
2 c. water
3-4 green onion cut into coins
1/2 c. fresh parsley, minced
3 TBL EVOO
3-4 garlic cloves, whole

Cook rice as per instructions on bag. Set aside. Heat EVOO in large frying pan until warm. Put whole garlic cloves in EVOO and saute until just soft and golden brown on all sides. Remove garlic cloves and on a cutting board smash softened garlic with a fork and return to pan. Add cooked rice, onion coins and parsley and blend until oil completely covers rice. Heat through. Serve.



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Huîtres Chaudes au Muscadet Incognito

This week for Whisk Wednesday we made Huîtres Chaudes au Mascadet or Poached Oysters with Mascadet Sabayon Sauce. I was looking forward to making this recipe but when it came time for me to buy the Oysters my market only had teeny tiny oysters which were hardly worth shucking! So I opted to substitute Octopus! I know it's a reach to substitute Octopus for Oysters but it turned out fabulously delicious and we just happen to love Octopus!

This was a fun recipe but most definitely "incognito" being I substituted Octopus for Oysters and it's served in a Clam Shell. But at least I kept my dish to under the sea! I first marinated the Octopus over night in EVOO, Basil, Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar. About 10 minutes before serving dinner I drained the Octopus and put it under the boiler for about 5-8 minutes. The Octopus was so tender and just delicious. I served it in a Clam Shell on a bed of saute spinach with onions and topped with Sabayon Sauce. In total I made 19 shells. I ate 6 and Mr. Tastebuds ate the remaining 13 and he loved it! The Sabayon Sauce was FANTASTIC and I will most definitely be making this again. I did follow the recipe for the Sabayon Sauce except I only used 4 TBL of clarified butter which was plenty.







My initial tasting of Octopus was while on a day trip to Tarpon Springs a large Greek Community on the Gulf Coast of FL. It was on a Sunday and we were attending the annual Tarpon Spring Arts Festival. I kept seeing people with plates of heaping orange, curley-cue stuff. Well, the curly-cue stuff was grilled Octopus. I just had to try it and from my first bite to the last it was delicious.

Tarpon Springs was established around 1905 by immigrants from the Greek Islands of Aegina, Halki, Kalymnos and Symi. By 1936, Tarpon Springs was recognized as the natural sponge capital of the world and there were approximately 2000 Greek immigrants living in the area. The 1953 movie "Beneath the 12-mile Reef" starring a very young, VERY macho Robert Wagner, was filmed in Tarpon Springs and highlights the Greek culture revolving around sponge diving. I remember first seeing the movie on TV when I was a child and oddly enough I just watched it again a few weeks ago!





Huîtres Chaudes au Mascadet
Recipe adapted from "Le Cordon Bleu at Home"

24 oysters (I subbed abt 1 lb of octopus)
2 lbs of spinach, cleaned, stemmed and rinsed
Salt

Muscabet Sabayon Sauce:

2 TBL butter
2 shallots, chopped fine
2/3 c. dry white wine, preferably Muscadet
2/3 c. creme fraiche
Freshly ground pepper
4 egg yolks
1/4 c. water
1/2 lb butter, clarified (I used 4 TBL)

4 TBL butter
Freshly ground pepper

Option: I used fresh spinach leaves to line the platter to stabilize the clam shells








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Bouchées aux Crevettes and some Poker Chips

This week for Whisk Wednesdays I made Bouchées aux Crevettes or Puff Pastry Shells Filled with Shrimp and Mushrooms. Really Puff Pastry is so easy to make and it is fun..fun..fun!!! But you can buy a package of Puff Pastry and find almost the same results and your food automatically takes on an air of "Gourmet" with a capital "G"!!

Although this recipe was easy and fun to make, I really did not care for this dish. Mr. Tastebud's had some late client meetings tonight but it was no problem reheating the shrimp and filling the pastry shells for him but he too did not really care for it.







I followed the recipe except I did add some green onion. It's difficult for me to make seafood without green onion and it added a much needed flavor and color to the over all dish. I cut out some small disks from the left over puff pastry. I called them poker chips and they worked out well to dip into the extra shrimp and mushroom sauce. If you're confused so was my husband! ;)








Bouchées aux Crevettes
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home


For the Puff Pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups cake flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/3 to 1 ½ cups cold water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
28 ounces unsalted butter
1 egg, slightly beaten, for glazing

For the Shrimp and Mushroom Sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1¾ cups cold milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream (I would use sour cream instead.)
5 ounces mushrooms, trimmed, rinsed, dried, and chopped fine
1¾ pounds small cooked shrimp
3 tablespoons Cognac
Pinch of paprika

Chervil or parsley for garnish

Unsalted butter, softened, for baking sheet




All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Billy Bi aux Paillettes

Somehow I have my Whisk Wednesdays weekly recipes all mixed up. Last week I was so busy with work and Easter prep I totally forgot to post my WW dish which was Frog Legs! I honestly did not even think about it until Saturday and with Easter being the following day, I did not have time to write up the post. The Frog Legs were wonderful and I will post that recipe another day.

I decided to do a recipe rewind for next weeks Whisk Wednesday dish with the Billy Bi, Mussel Soup, but I jumped ahead of myself and made it this week instead. Is this getting confusing? Eventually it will all work out, it's just that I'm a little bit out of sync with our weekly Whisk Schedule.

Any ways for this week I decided to surpass the Le Cordon Bleu recipe and made my own version of Billy Bi. We do enjoy the recipes in Le Cordn Bleu but seafood especially shellfish needs garlic...lots of garlic! And if I do say so myself, my version of Billy Bi was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I really wanted to make the Cheese Straws but again I was a bit pressed for time due to the upcoming holiday and so opted to serve the soup with my Fennel Seed Breadsticks which I bake every week so always have a fresh supply at the ready.









Billy Bi aux Paillettes
Recipe adapted from "Le Cordon Bleu at Home"

Cheese Straws:
1 1/2 flour
3/4 c. cake flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 -3/4 c. cold water
2 TBL butter, melted
14 TBL butter
1 egg
2 oz Parmesan Cheese, grated (1/2 c)

Mussel Soup:
2 lbs mussels
3 TBL butter
2 medium shallots, chopped fine
1 c. dry white wine
8 c. water
1 stalk celery
Freshly ground pepper
2 TBL flour
2/3 c. heavy cream
2 TBL coarse chopped chives


Billy Bi (Mussel Soup)
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

2 lbs mussels
8 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. dry white wine
3 stalks of celery, chopped
6 green onion, sliced thin, including the green tops
3 cloves of garlic
2 TBL EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 TBL butter
3 TBL flour
1/2 c. heavy cream
6-7 large fresh basil leaves, minced
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional: Mushroom, sliced **See NOTE

In a heavy bottomed pot add EVOO and whole garlic cloves. Simmer the garlic until each clove is just soft and golden brown. Remove garlic and mash with a fork. Return garlic to pan and add butter. Add chopped celery and mushrooms and saute for abt 2 minutes.

Add the mussels and just simmer until all the mussels have opened. Remove the mussels with tongs and set aside to cool.

Sprinkle flour over the celery and make a rue. As soon as flour is well mixed, add the minced basil and wine blending the rue thoroughly. Add chicken stock and heat thoroughly. The mussels should be cool enough to handle and remove the mussels from their shells saving several in shell to garnish the soup. Add the cream and blend. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve hot and garnish with the mussels in shell.

NOTE: I had about 8 mushrooms that needed to be used so I added them to the soup.







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Coquilles Saint Jacques Dieppoise

This week for Whisk Wednesdays we were supposed to make Cuisses de Grenouille aux Herbes (Herbed Frog Legs). I love Frog Legs and my market had some frozen last week but when I went to buy them, they were sold out! I should have bought them last week but for some reason I didn't....my loss! But I could find fresh Canadian Mussels so I made next week's WW's recipe which is Coquilles Saint Jacques Dieppoise (Scallops with Mussels and Shrimp in Cream Sauce). Now I am either a week ahead or a week behind depending on how you look at it!

Although I've lived in Florida where Mussels are a staple, I've never made them before. Compared to other Le Cordon Bleu recipes this was an easy dish to prepare, unfortunately, I did not like this dish at all. And Mr. Tastebuds said it was okay but complained about the scallops and lack of seasoning. The dish was very bland and needed some garlic and basil. Scallops are best seared or sauteed to bring out the sweetness in the meat and just simmering them in a wine sauce did not bring out the best of scallops. Also I used heavy cream and I thinking that I should have used cream fraiche and this would have added a bit more flavor, but I still don't think it would have added enough flavor to make this a fabulous dish.








Coquilles Saint Jacques Dieppoise
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

2 lbs mussels
2 TBL butter
2 large shallots, chopped fine
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 TBL chopped parsley
Fresh ground pepper
2 TBL butter
1 lb mushrooms
Salt
10 oz medium sized shrimp
18 large sea scallops
1/2 c. creme fraiche or heavy cream (I used heavy cream)
1 TBL chopped parsley







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Pintade a la Cevenole

This week for Whisk Wednesday our lesson was Pintade a la Cevenole or Guinea Hen with Mushrooms and Chestnuts.





I had this entire dish prepped and all ready to begin and had just put 2 TBL of butter in my frying pan when there was a loud BOOM and we lost all power. I knew what had happened as it has happened at least twice a year for 10 years now. The boom was our transformer blowing out and I would bet a squirrel was the culprit!



So I chucked everything in the fridge and waited and waited and waited. Finally at 7:30 pm the electric was restored but by that time I was too tired to cook. So we had popcorn for dinner and it was delicious!! So I made my Whisk recipe for tonight's dinner but unfortunately Mr. Tastebud's is working late. Oh well, blame it on the squirrel!


Still no Guinea Hen to be found in my area, so this time I substituted chicken. I also added a few potato fingerlings and served it over rice. And I cooked this in my Tagine rather then a covered pot. I love cooking in a Tagine, it makes the whole dish so special.







Pintade a la Cevenole
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

3/4 slab bacon, sliced 1/8" thick
12 TBL butter
1/2 lb pearl onions, peeled
1 lb oyster mushrooms
3/4 lb button mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 guinea hens, 2 lbs each
1 TBL vegetable oil
2 c. red wine
1 Bouquet Garni
3/4 lb whole shelled chestnuts
3 shallots
1 TBL parsley

Flour for dredging
Butter, softened for parchment paper








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Cailles a la Normande

Whisk Wednesdays is back from Spring Break! This week our recipe is Cailles a la Normande or Quail with Cream and Apples. This dish was so absolutely delicious and really not that difficult at all. The aroma while it was cooking was wonderful and it reminded me of Fall. Today we had an unusually warm day, 76 degrees, and I can't wait to make this dish on a crisp October day with new apples! I can taste it right now...it was so good! And to further the review, Mr. Tastebud's loved it! WOW!

I substituted Cornish Game Hens for Quail and Apple Brandy for the very expensive Calvados. Also I could not find fatback the size required so used strips of bacon which worked out very well.

Starting with this post I am going to make some changes in my blog and I have a little confession. I truly detest taking pictures of food. I hate worrying about the lighting and setting up the shots. Running around getting the right colored napkin and balancing a fork is just not something I want to do. And I am never happy with the end result no matter how much I fuss. I take 20-30 pictures and maybe 1-2 are okay,not great just okay. It's very frustrating for me. I am not a photographer and I've decided to stop trying to be one. From now on my photos are going to done my way....quick and easy.

I was very busy tonight catching up with phone calls and e-mails so I took my photos where I dined, at my messy desk and there's not even a placemat. Hallelujah! I love this photo and the $5 OFF coupon in the background!





Cailles a la Normande
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu

6 Quail, necks removed and reserved
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 think slice fatback, 12 by 5 inches
6 Golden Delicious Apples
1/2 lemon
5 TBL unsalted butter
6 slices firm white bread
3 TBL unsalted butter
2 TBL Calvados or domestic apple brandy
1/2 c. creme fraiche or heavy cream
1/4 c. Brown Veal Stock
1 TBL sugar
1 TBL chopped parsley




All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

My Box is here...My box is here

We just finished up our first kitchen swap for Whisk Wednesdays and we've all had a great time with some interesting twists and turns. My partner was one of the newer members of WW, Angela of Spinach Tiger.

She sent me a wonderful box chock full of interesting goodies.




First she sent me 4 mason jars, 3 pts and 1 qt, filled with little bags of Lavender, Wheat Berries, hazelnuts and Juniper Berries. I'm from MI and we call hazelnuts, filberts and I just love them. I do can so even getting the jars is thrilling for me, especially the pint jars which are my favorite!

She also sent me a silicone tart pan which I don't have but have looked at several times now. She also included a package of Pampered Chef stencils. I've never used stencils so this will be fun! A huge tube of Tomato Paste and I just love this stuff and use it all the time. Also included is a little Garden Diary with matching note pad and pen.


I just love the little chickie dish cloth, it is so cute! And 2 wobbly egg cups but I think I will use them for condiment cups. I think they would work out well for shrimp sauce. I can't wait to see Joe dipping into the wobble! LOL!





Angela picked a Mezzaluna for me too. I've wanted 1 for the longest time, so this could not be a better gift. Also included the cutest small bowl that she picked up at a resale shop. And I did need another small prep bowl and this is perfect. I love nothing better then flea markets or resale shops and I cruise them whenever I have some free time.




Out of everything I think my favorite thing is the little bowl. It's obviously made by a young person and being a former art teacher anything made by a child is precious to me.





Angela, thank you ever so much. I know I will enjoy each and every one of the things you chose so carefully for me.



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog