FFwD - Short Ribs in Red Wine and Port (with Emeril Lagasse's Creamy Polenta)

I know, I know.....the glare off this picture makes your eyes hurt!  My big girl camera had a dead battery so I had to resort to my iPhone to get a pic.  I apologize to you and to Dorie because this picture doesn't begin to do these short ribs justice.  They were Ah.  Maze.  Ing. Period.

I also apologize for posting late but last week was major suckage.  The previous weekend I had made a quick trip to Ohio to see relatives which happens to include this little princess.  If you take a close look at that last picture of Miss Emma you can see in her eyes that she was not feeling well.  Which means that she wanted to be held all the time.

 

 

Which, just so happened, worked out well, because I always want to hold her all the time!  Needless to say, once I was back home in Alabama, I too didn't feel so well and wanted to be held all the time.  Didn't work out so well this time because A) no one wanted me on their lap and B) I was having a huuuuge (60 plus people) party at my house on Saturday.  Damn.

Now, I'm not exactly the "doctor" type.  I was raised that way.  As a child, if I complained about something hurting, I heard "Oh, it's a long way from your heart.  You'll be fine."  I know, right?  Turns out I never died, so I figure why waste time sitting in a doctor's office with a bunch of sick people??  Well, this week I didn't have time to "wait it out".  I had shit to do and so I bit the bullet and called the doc.  He gave me a shot in the ass and a few prescriptions and sent me on my way.  But not before he drew some blood just to make sure nothing else was going on.  Watever.  As long as I start to feel better NOW.

And I pretty much did by the next day.  Not perfect but well enough to get busy.  Around the middle of the day I get a text from the doc.  Before I tell you what it said, I have to tell you that this doctor also happens to be a personal friend.  If not, he never would have gotten away with texting me this...

"Hey.  I now know why you're such a bitch.  You have hypothyroidism and need treatment!"

WTF?  So I tell hubs and here's that conversation....

Hubs:  "There's a pill for that?"

Me:  "Hypothyroidism?  Sure."

Hubs:  "Uh, no.  One that won't make you a bitch?"

He's still knocked out cold on the floor.  Anyhoo, I texted doc back and asked if this was the reason I couldn't lose weight or was it still the wine's fault?  He said both.  I say that's a win-win.  I can take this pill, lose weight, and still drink wine?  Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause!!!

Back to the short ribs.  Hubs proclaimed these Top 5.  They were that good.  And so was the polenta.  I've made Emeril's polenta several times and it never disappoints.  The rules of FFwD don't allow me to give you the recipe for the short ribs (you'll have to buy the book "Around My French Table") but I can give you the recipe for the polenta.

Creamy Polenta

Emeril Lagasse

Serves 4 (large portions)

Ingredients:
4 cups water, plus more as needed
4 cups milk, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups polenta
1/2 cup creme fraiche (I didn't have any in fridge this time so I used sour cream)
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring the water, milk and butter to a boil.  Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water and whisk in the polenta.  Whisk constantly for 3 to 4 minutes to prevent lumps.  Simmer for 45 minutes, partially covered and stirring every 10 minutes, until the polenta is thick, smooth, and creamy.  Add the creme fraiche and Parmesan.  Check for seasoning and adjust consistence by adding milk or water to the polenta.  Polenta may be made up to 20 minutes ahead of time and kept covered until ready to serve.

FFwD - Gnocchi a la Parisienne

How's everyone doing on their New Year's resolutions?  It's only three weeks in.  Don't tell me you've fallen off the wagon already?  Or do you even make them?  I usually do but I never tell anyone what they are.  I sooooo don't want someone keeping track and making me accountable.  That would suck.  You can assume, however, that eating more things that are rich, creamy and have more calories in one bite that one human should eat in a week.......not on that list.  But it was on Hub's list, so I made it for him!  It's all of those things.  Hard to go wrong with gnocchi made from pate a choux, baked in a bechamel sauce, and topped with cheese with a few pats of butter thrown on top.  Holy heart attack, Batman.  I made the mistake of taking one bite and immediately decided that whatever Hubs didn't eat was immediately going down the drain.  Otherwise I would have finished it off when no one was looking.

I have to imagine that this is the French, sophisticated version of Mac and Cheese with the gnocchi giving it a slightly creamier texture.  My only complaint about this is the mess I made of my kitchen making it.  Luckily it's in my marriage vows that I don't have to clean up after myself, so that worked out but jeesh, I think every pot in the house was dirty. And that pate a choux dough is kind of a bear to work with.  I ended up (once again) stealing someone else's idea and putting the dough into a large zip lock baggie and piping it out and snipping it with scissors directly into the boiling water.  Worked great.

So, if gaining large amounts of weight is one of the many things you want to accomplish in 2011, I say get in the kitchen and make this at least three times a week.  You'll have a highly successful year.

TWD and FFwD.....Midnight Crackles and Paris Mushroom Soup

I'm back!  Actually, I've been back home for a week but there's something about that first week of the new year.  It's the New Year's hangover (not in the literal sense....although that may have happened too) week.  Still trying to live in the previous couple of holiday/vacation weeks but knowing it's over and it's going to be a long winter and a long time until the next break.

Anyhoo, that's how I felt last week.  Not quite back into the swing of things yet.  I was still remembering what a really great holiday I had with these two.

    

We spent the week in Sea Island, Georgia.  Their parent's were there, along with their great-grandparents, their aunts and a second cousin (Gary....inside joke), but let's face it, it's all about the two of them!  We all laughed, some of us turned purple (literally), some of us puked, one of us rode a bike without training wheels for the first time, one showed us her new dance moves (I have video) and we all had a great time!  I'm glad we were all fortunate enough to spend the week together at such a beautiful place.

But it's back to business as usual.....whatever that is.  Which means I have to post some recipes.

I better start with this TWD, Midnight Crackles, that were chosen by the group's leaders, Laurie and Julie in honor of TWD's three year anniversary.  I've only been around for about two of those years and thought I was a member in good standing until I got an email from Julie last week saying that it was my turn to host in February, but that I wasn't going to be allowed because I hadn't been posting enough.  Hmmmm.  I knew in November that I had only posted once (the rules state that you have to post at least twice a month to remain a member) so I had absolutely screwed up then, but EVERY other month I had posted at least twice, and most times all four weeks.  What I discovered I wasn't so good at was tagging my posts, so when Julie searched my site it appeared I wasn't participating.  Lesson learned.  New Year's resolution.....TAG MY POSTS!  I sent her an email and she agreed to let me host in March.  WOOT!  Can't wait.

As for these Midnight Crackles......they were ok.  I probably won't be making them again.  They have a fabulous, rich chocolate flavor, but that dough was a bitch.  It has to be refrigerated before baking it, but mine was as hard as a rock when I pulled it from the fridge, so it had to sit on the counter for about 45 minutes before it was manageable.  Then, the baking time on these is critical.  A minute too long and they're hard as rocks.  So......too unforgiving for a knucklehead like me.

This soup on the otherhand, was crazy good.  Sucky picture does not equal sucky soup! It's the Paris Mushroom Soup and you can find the recipe on page 72 of "around my french table".  Just buy the book, already.

I'll admit I made my own chicken stock for this.  I'm not an Ida fanatic about homemade stock vs. store bought, but in soups, I do think it makes a difference.  And it's a really easy thing to do, people.  If you're like me, every week or so you buy a rotisserie chicken from the market, right?  (And if you don't and you have a busy life, you should.  It's worth about three meals in the course of a week)  I just throw the leftover bones into a ziplock baggie, throw it in the freezer and when I have three of them I make some stock.  It takes five minutes to throw the remainder of the ingredients (a couple of carrots, celery, onions and whatever herbs you've got) into a pot, cover it with water and let it simmer on the stove for three or four hours.  Easy peasy.

Back to the soup.  Very easy with basic ingredients.  I didn't go the salad route called for in the book, instead just garnishing mine with a few chopped mushrooms and some chopped parsley.  I did, however, mix a dollop of creme fraiche into the pureed soup before serving.  Delish.  I even fed this to a self-proclaimed mushroom hater and she sucked down the whole bowl!

Happy New Year's everyone and here's to a fabulous twenty eleven!

FFwD - Speculoos.......day 5 of Cookie Week

I had never heard of Speculoos before this assignment.  I may need to get out more.  According to Dorie, these originated in Belgium and they are the cookie that celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas.....or Santa Claus.  Hmmmm....."here comes Speculoo, here comes Speculoo, right down Speculoo Lane....."  Don't think so.

These are a brown sugar cookie with the typical Christmas spices of cinnamon, ginger and cloves and they smell fabulous when they're baking.  I opted for sandwiching some of mine with dulce de leche and others with Nutella, but they're also really good all on their own.

Check out Dorie's book, "Around My French Table" for the recipe.

FFwD Pumpkin Gorgonzola Flan

I'm realllllly laaaaaate on this FFwD.  I'e been a little bit of a slacker.  I've actually made three out of the four recipes....just haven't posted them.

I made this one while I was at the 'rents in FL.  Let's just say it wasn't a hit.  Looks pretty. Tastes bland.  Sorry Dorie.  Bland is not usually a word I use in one of my Dorie posts, but......

I had high hopes for this because I love pumpkin, gorgonzola and nuts but they just didn't come together into anything tasty.

And my mom always told me, "If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all."

So.....I'm out.

FFwD - Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux

So this week's FFwD is Roast Chicken and it was delicious, but first, did anyone see Oprah yesterday?  Her guests were former Tiger Beat teen heartthrobs and I was suddenly a starry-eyed 11 year old all over again.   If you're a middle aged woman who grew up in this country then chances are you purchased Tiger Beat magazine at least once in your life.  Remember the posters inside?  I think there was one of Shaun Cassidy every week and all of them ended up on my bedroom wall.  I was in love.....

Remember the song Da Doo Ron Ron?

"I met her on a Monday and my heart stood still

Da doo ron ron ron da doo ron ron

Sombody told me that her name was Jill

Da doo ron ron ron da doo ron ron"

So obviously he was singing that song for me.  I'm Jill.  Duh.  I just knew I was gonna grow up and marry him.  Cuz I made his heart stand still.

Anyhoo.....It was a nice trip down memory lane.  She also had Peter Frampton on and he won the prize for most unrecognizable.  Remember all that hair?  Gone.  Frampton Comes Alive.  I wore that that album OUT. 

Back to the roast chicken for les paresseux, or roast chicken for lazy people.  This fits the bill.  Super easy and you only dirty one pot.  But that's not the best thing about this dish.  The best thing is the bread.  OMG, the bread.  You start by rubbing oil all over the inside of a dutch oven and then placing two slices of bread in the bottom of the pan.  All I had was a baguette so I ended up with five slices, because it's bread, and more is better.  You then place the whole chicken on top of the bread before you put it in the oven and what happens is just plain over the top amazing.  All of the juices soak into the bread and it gets this nice crispy crust on the bottom and holy chicken fat, did I mention it's amazing?

I threw in some potatoes, onions and carrots halfway through baking because I'm one of those lazy people and that meant I didn't have to dirty anymore dishes or make another side dish.  

Make this.  If for no other reason, do it for THE BREAD.

FFwD - Hachis Parmentier

If I could have found this on a menu in Paris I would have ordered it.  It was so cold the few days we were there and this is the ultimate cold weather comfort food.  Come to think of it this is the ultimate comfort food anytime.  It's the French version of Shepherd's Pie....meat and potatoes all in one deliciously fatty dish.  Yeah, this is not for the dieting set.  If you need to fit into your jeans tomorrow, don't make this today.

But if, for instance, your best friend's betrayed you or your favorite college football team loses one week after being ranked #1.....something like that, then by all means you need to make this.  It will make everything all better.  That and a good cry.

I followed Dorie's directions and made my own beef broth, but you can also take a short cut and buy already ground beef and store broth and it won't be quite as time consuming.  Might not be quite as good, but whatever!  I also became convinced that using a food mill is the ticket for making the creamiest mashed potatoes.  Well maybe that and whole milk, cream and butter!

Like I said, this isn't for the faint of heart!

You'll have to buy Dorie's book for the recipe.  I can't believe you haven't done that yet.

French Sunday with Dorie......

Hubs and I made it to Paris yesterday but can I first complain a little about the French.....and their ability to strike.....ABOUT EVERYTHING.  I've been to Paris several times and everytime I've been here someone has been striking over something.  Mostly I don't give a shizzle the reason, I just pay attention to how it's going to affect my vacation! It's all about me.

The first time I was here the garbage workers were striking.  Not pleasant.  Luckily I was only here for a few days.  The next time I was here, I had these big plans to visit the Louvre (because I didn't have time the first visit).  No such luck......museum workers were on strike.  The next time it was the transportation workers and for the first few days we were here, not a cab to be found.  Luckily these people don't stay mad for long.  I think even they get bored with themselves.  This time its again the transportation workers which meant the trains from Provence into Paris were few and far between and rather and spend four hours packed like a damn sardine in a tin can with the famously underbathed, we chose to just drive to Paris.  I think it probably worked out for the best.....plus it was mostly a pretty drive.

Anyhoo, we made here yesterday and looks like everything is going to be ok for us to get out tomorrow.  Not so much for those later in the week, however.

Let's start this schizophrenic post with last week's French Friday's with Dorie.....Vietnamese Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup.  Never, never, never would have made this on my own.  And once again, that would have been another big mistake.  Hubs absolutely loved this and so did I.  This had a ton of ingredients, a lot of which I'm not overly fond of individually, but all together they were delicious. 

I know I've said this before, but get your butt to Barnes and Noble and buy this book and start cooking along with us.  Your family (or just you) will thank me profusely!!

Now onto the rest of our time in Provence.  We had such a great time.  I feel like we did and saw a lot but also didn't really do that much.  Huh?

The only thing hubs had on his Provence bucket list was to drive up Mont Ventoux.  Notice I said "drive up".  He religiously watches every stage of the Tour de France every year.  Never misses a day.  Sometimes watches the re-broadcast at night.  Total groupie.  But has no interest in riding a bike.  Weird.

So we dedicated one of our days to driving to the top.  I could try to tell you how beautiful it was, but I'll just shut up and let you look.  We stopped several times on the way up to act like tourists.

On the way down we stopped at a local pizza parlor for lunch.  One of the best pizza's I've ever had.  But it was after several bottles of wine, so I may not be the best judge!

See.....told you!

FFwD - Gerard's Mustard Tart

It's only recipe #2 in FFwD but I've already made something in the book that I probably would not have tried otherwise.  And I would have been totally missing out because this was delicious.  I mean look at that puppy.  I'm so impressed with myself!!  

I'm know I won't come across anything nearly that beautiful during the next two weeks in France!!  Haha!  And don't let the "mustard" part turn you off.  I mean you can taste it, but   it's not smacking you in the face with mustard flavor.  It's a perfect compliment to the leeks and carrots.  I served this with a simple salad and called it dinner.  Even hubs loved this one.

I think I made a faux pas last week when I posted the recipe.  You're gonna have to go out and buy the book, but you should do that anyway.  So you can try new things like this tart!!


And on a side note.....

Happy 1st Birthday to the cutest one year old on the planet!!  Sorry I can't be there for the party Emma!!!

Enjoy your cake!

Introducing French Fridays with Dorie (FFwD) and a late TWD - Tarte Fine

Im so excited about this new project.  If you're a regular visitor to this crazy mess of a blog I have, you know about Tuesday with Dorie (TWD).  A large group of bloggers have been cooking our way through Dorie Greenspan's book Baking:  From My Home to Yours for the past couple of years.  It's totally changed my life in the kitchen.  I've been baking things I never thought I'd try.

When Dorie announced last year that she was coming out with a French cookbook I was thrilled.  I thought if the recipes in this book were as incredible as the ones in the baking book, then I was in for another great experience.  

And the timing of the release of this book "around my french table" couldn't have been better for me.  Hubs and I are leaving in the next few days for a little trip to France.  We're going with a few other couples so I thought this would be a great time to get everyone together for a pre-Provence dinner party and make them be the guinea pigs for my first assignment.....gougeres!  I had to google how to pronounce them, however.  It's "goo-zhair".  I haven't stopped saying it since!!

These little puffs are incredible.  So light and airy you find yourself inadvertently popping them into your mouth one after the other.  And the sophistication factor will blow your guests away.  I served them as appetizers last night along with Dorie's suggestion of Champagne.  Everyone loved them.....huge hit!  And so simple to make.

This recipe makes about 36 puffs and they freeze perfectly.  Just shape out the dough onto some parchment paper and pop them into the freezer.  No need to defrost....just pop them into the oven directly from the freezer.

And as if impressing my friends with those wasn't enough, this week's TWD assignment was a Tarte Fine.  I decided to be late with posting that one so that I could serve it last night.

Doesn't that look delicious!  And so incredibly simple.  Frozen puff pastry, some apples and a little butter and sugar and you've got yourself a show stopper!

I served this with a scoop of Jeni's Splendid Salty Caramel ice cream.  Oh. My. God.  And the best part (or worst if we're considering the size of my ass), Jeni's is now sold in Birmingham (V. Richards).  Dangerous!

 

So I think the dinner party was successful and we're all looking forward to eating and drinking our way through Provence!  

Here's the recipe for the Gougeres' and check out Lethally Delicious by Leslie for the Tarte Fine recipe.  Or better yet, get the books for yourself and cook along!

Gougeres

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup water

8 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated cheese, such as Gruyere or cheddar (I used Gruyere)

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Bring the milk, water butter and salt to a rapid boil in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over high heat.  Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium-low and immediately start stirring energetically with a wooden spoon or heavy whisk.  The dough will come together and a light crust will form on the bottom of the pan.  Keep stirring  -- with vigor - for another minute or two to dry the dough.  The dough should now be very smooth. 

Turn the dough into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or into a bowl that you can use for mixing with a hand mixer or a wooden spoon and elbow grease.  Let the dough sit for a minute, then add the eggs one by one and beat, beat, beat until the dough is thick and shiny.  Make sure that each egg is completely incorporated before you add the next, and don't be concerned if the dough separates  -  by the time the last egg goes in the dough will come together again.  Beat in the grated cheese.  Once the dough is made, it should be spooned out immediately.

Using about 1 tablespoon of dough for each gougere, drop the dough from a spoon (I used a small ice cream scoop) onto the lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of puff space between the mounds. 

Slide the baking sheets onto the oven and immediately turn the oven temperature down to 375 degrees F.  Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom.  Continue baking until the gougeres are golden, firm and, yes, puffed, another 12-to 15 minutes or so.  Serve warm, or transfer the pans to racks to cool.