Category Archives: COOK THE BOOK

Dinner Chez Moi

I had the pleasure of sharing Sunday Supper with Laura Calder while she was in Vancouver last July promoting her latest book, Dinner Chez Moi ~ The Fine Art of Feeding Friends. The registration fee for the event included the opportunity to meet Laura, as well as a three-course dinner, and an autographed copy of Dinner Chez Moi. Since then, I’ve had time to read my copy cover-to-cover and try some of the recipes at home.

Dinner Chez Moi Book Cover

Laura Calder is best known for making French food accessible to home cooks on this side of the Atlantic, and with a title like Dinner Chez Moi you might expect more of the same. Her third book, however, is not a book about French Food. It’s an eclectic mix of recipes and cuisines (some from France), organized into menus, then grouped together as either Mostly Warm-Weather or Mostly Cold-Weather meals. The table of contents only lists the menu names (some of which are quite enigmatic) – an unusual and potentially frustrating arrangement. Imagine for a moment that you have a bin full of apples, and you remember seeing what looked like a delicious recipe for apple pie somewhere in Laura’s book. You set out to find it again. The table of contents won’t help unless you also remember the name of the menu the apple pie recipe you’re looking for appears on (in this instance, Just Plain Good). It would have been more useful if the table of contents included the names of the recipes underneath each menu. Fortunately, the book is very well indexed. You won’t find John’s Apple and Ginger Pie in the table of contents but you will find it in the index under apple, ginger, pie, dessert, and John.

Dinner Chez Moi celebrates the kind of casual, relaxed dinner parties where guests gather in the kitchen with a glass of wine, enjoy each other’s company and even pitch in with the cooking. The menus are fashioned around familiar ingredients, and the food is comforting; satisfying. The informal menu at the Vancouver event featured Tuna and White Bean Salad on Toasted Baguette, Apricot Ribs, Quinoa with Spinach and Hazelnuts, and Pistachio Semifreddo with Poached Peaches - each one from the pages of Dinner Chez Moi ~ The Fine Art of Feeding Friends.  As the title suggests, this book is as much about spending time with family and friends as it is about food. Laura sums up her dinner party philosophy as follows,

“In my world, ‘dinner party’ just means eating with others. It can be as simple as an omelette or a baked potato, but if I’m not stuck eating it alone, that’s party enough for me!”

Besides tasting the delicious food served at the Vancouver event, I’ve since cooked two recipes from the book at home. The first, Roquefort and Walnut Shortbreads, is a variation of Laura’s recipe for Cheddar Shortbreads. If your guests have never tasted a savoury shortbread, they’re in for a treat, and if they aren’t ready for the lack of sweetness, they’re in for a surprise! (One of my tasters thought I forgot to put the sugar in the cookies – then she noticed the peppery kick from the cayenne and thought I’d lost my mind.) The second recipe I tested (prefaced by a charming anecdote about applying for a job as a crocus warden in England) was Laura’s Saffron Risotto. Both recipes were easy to follow and the results were impressive. I did spot a problem with the instructions for one of the other recipes in the book. The recipe for Carrot and Cheddar Soufflé with Dill explains how to make a carrot purée but then fails to include any direction about how or when to add the purée to the soufflé batter.

If you’ve read my piece on Sunday Supper with Laura Calder you already know I’m a fan of her work, and that includes Dinner Chez Moi. She’s a talented writer and, as her friend Ivan says,  ”a real wordsmith.” While the recipes and menus in this book are splendid, it’s the writing that makes it exceptional. (No one in their right mind would ever accuse Laura of using a ghostwriter - unlike some celebrity chefs!) Her charm and style shine brightly in each personal story, memory, and sketch that she shares, creating the impression that you’re not just reading a cookbook. You’re spending quality time with a friend. (Be sure and take a peek at the whimsical art hidden away behind the shiny paper jacket. I bet you’ll smile.)

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 ROQUEFORT and WALNUT SHORTBREADS

†Adapted from Dinner Chez Moi ~ The Fine Art of Feeding Friends

Roquefort and Walnut Shortbreads recipe from Dinner Chez Moi

Yields 40 Biscuits 

Ingredients:

4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 cup flour
A pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup butter, cubes and at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
40 walnut halves

Directions:

Mix all ingredients until they just clump together. Turn out on a board and pat into a smooth dough, without overworking. Shape into a 1-inch log, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to slice neatly. Slice into 1/2 inch rounds. 

Combine egg and water and beat lightly. Brush tops with egg wash, then place a walnut half on top of each.

Bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes.

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SAFFRON RISOTTO

†Adapted from Dinner Chez Moi ~ The Fine Art of Feeding Friends

Saffron Risotto recipe from Dinner Chez MoiMakes 6 Servings

Ingredients:

About 6 cups (1.5 L) chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) saffron threads*
1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
2 onions, minced
2 cups (400 g) Arborio rice
1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter
1 cup (40 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer; keep hot.  

Place saffron threads in a small bowl. Cover with 1/2 cup hot stock and allow to bloom for about 5 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sweat the onions gently until soft and translucent. Add the rice to the pan and cook, stirring to coat the rice with the oil, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it’s absorbed. Add the saffron and its liquid.

Add 1/2 cup hot stock to the rice, stirring, until the liquid is completely absorbed. Add another 1/2  cup stock and cook until it is absorbed. Continue to add stock in 1/2 cup increments until the rice is al dente and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Stir in butter and parmesan. Taste and add salt if needed. Spoon into warm bowls and grind over black pepper. Serve immediately. 

Saffron threads

 

*Depending on the quality of your saffron, you may actually need a pinch more than the 1/2 teaspoon this recipe calls for. 

 

 

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Dinner Chez Moi – The Fine Art of Feeding Friends
Author: Laura Calder
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishersLtd
Cost: $39.99 CAD
ISBN 978-1-55468-902-6

Other titles by Laura Calder:

Laura is also the host of French Food at Home on the Cooking Channel and a member of the judge’s panel on the Food Network‘s reality series Recipe to Riches. She is currently living in Paris, France where she’s working on a new book and TV show.

 

 

†I wrote to the publisher to ask permission to reprint both recipes exactly as they appear in Dinner Chez Moi but I haven’t received a reply. I chose to adapt the recipe instructions to my own words instead of continuing to delay my review.

DISCLOSURE: This post includes Amazon affiliate links to books by Laura Calder.  I will receive a tiny commission in the event that it generates any sales.

 

5 Things You May Not Know About French Cooking

This week I’m super-excited to share a guest post with you from food and wine writer and author of The Bonne Femme Cookbook, Wini Moranville. 

After cooking fifteen classics from Mastering the Art of French Cooking for the JC100 campaign, I found myself a bit hungry for a more contemporary approach to French cuisine, and The Bonne Femme Cookbook delivers just that with hundreds of fresh recipes that take the fuss out of cooking everyday French.

I hope you enjoy Wini’s post and her recipes as much as I do!

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Bonjour! Thanks, Laura, for hosting me on your inspiring blog.

I’m often surprised how many people assume that French cooking is complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. After spending nearly 20 summers cooking and eating in France, I’ve come to the conclusion that that simply isn’t so. I wrote a book about it: The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid Food That French Women Cook Every Day.

For a taste of what the book—and everyday French home cooking—is all about, I thought I’d share five things some cooks might not know about French cooking.

1.  You can get a great, true-to-France meal on the table in 30 minutes.

Chicken Calvados

After all, most French women have no more time to spend in the kitchen than North American women do. One way they bring quick meals to the table is through the Sauté-Deglaze-Serve method of cooking: You simply sauté the night’s meat, then deglaze the pan with wine and/or broth and add a few easy-to-find ingredients—grapes or celery root here, sweet potatoes or apples there—herbs almost everywhere—for a fresh, vivid, true-to-France pan sauce. Below, I offer one fine example; there are many more in the book.

2.  The French love pasta as much as the rest of us do.

Market-Day Tagliatelle with Goat Cheese

Most of us trace our love for pasta to the Italians, but the French, too, often use it to bring quick, nourishing meals to the table on a busy night. Of course, they put their own spins on the dish, by using quintessential French ingredients, like shallots, fines herbes, and their favorite French cheeses. Case in point: My Market Day Tagliatelle with Goat Cheese, pictured above.

 3. French home cooks cheat now and then.

Pre-Packaged Pie Pastries sold in France

French women don’t always cook from scratch any more than we do. Pie and tart pastry, store-bought pasta sauces, purchased chicken broths, pre-roasted beets—the list of French convenience products is as long as ours. But this is key: If you’re going to cheat, use the highest-quality shortcuts you can find. For example, note in the above photo, the pastries are made with “pur buerre”—pure butter.  When I buy purchased pizza dough for one of the French pizzas in my book, I buy it from an artisan bread baker in town.

4.  It’s not all about butter and cream.

French Green Lentil Salad with ShrimpFrench cooks get a bad rap for plunking a lot of butter and cream in their recipes and indeed, some classic recipes call for this. But much contemporary French cooking uses less butter than in years gone by, allowing the purity of ingredients to star. Following suit, most of my recipes call on no more than 1 tablespoon butter per person, and quite often, much less than that.

And many contemporary recipes, such as the Roasted Shrimp and Green Lentil Salad, showcase great foods without any butter at all.

5. French home cooks can be very thrifty.

Tartine with Salami and Brie

French home cooks aren’t out chasing down foie gras and truffles every week; in fact, they often cook with the “deal of the day” in mind; that is, they go to the market, see what’s on sale, then make dinner around that item.  They’re also masters at “l’art d’accomoder les restes”—the art of accommodating leftovers. The above Tartine with Brie and Salami, for example, is a fun way to use up party extras, such as olives, cheese, and charcuterie.

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Here’s a recipe to get you started on the Bonne Femme way of cooking. Serve it with a vegetable of your choice and Any-Night Baked Rice.

Chicken Calvados

Makes 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup Calvados or apple brandy or 1/2 cup apple juice or cider and 1/2 cup white wine
2 small tart apples, peeled if desired, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley or chives, or a combination

1. Place the chicken breasts, one at a time, between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch thickness. (Alternatively, you can halve each breast horizontally, or butterfly them, as described on page 107.) Season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken (in batches, if necessary) and cook, turning once, until no longer pink inside, 6 to 8 minutes (reduce the heat to medium if the meat browns too quickly). Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

3. Stir in the shallot and sauté briefly, until translucent. Remove the pan from the heat and add the broth and Calvados, taking care not to let the liquid spatter. Return the pan to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring with a wire whisk to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the apples. Let the mixture boil until the liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, turning the apples occasionally—this should take about 4 minutes, depending on the heat and your pan size; it will take closer to 7 minutes if you substitute apple juice and wine for the Calvados.

4. Stir in 1/4 cup cream and boil until the sauce thickens and apples are crisp-tender. For a creamier sauce, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to boil until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on four dinner plates, spoon the sauce and apples over the chicken, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.

P.S.: You can find me on facebook at Chez Bonne Femme or on twitter @winimoranville. Cheers!

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†EDITOR’S DISCLOSURE: This post includes an Amazon affiliate link to The Bonne Femme Cookbook.  I will receive a tiny commission in the event that it generates any sales.

Sunday Supper with Laura Calder

Laura CalderThe first time I saw Laura Calder was on her James Beard Award winning TV series French Food at Home. She was cooking peasant food while wearing a dress the color of flesh, and although it was her outfit that caught my eye, it was her voice and her words that pulled me in. I listened, captivated, as she described the menu for the ‘Thrifty’ show, effortlessly rolling her tongue around words like croûte and crêpe, shrugging her shoulders just the tiniest bit to emphasize each ‘R’. Somewhere between the Soufléed Spinach Omelette and the Baked Onions with Vinaigrette, I knew I was hooked.

Later that evening I found all 25 episodes from Season 3 on the Food Network Canada’s website, then spent the next three days immersed in a world of French food (a cuisine that seemed very exotic to me at the time). Laura cooked in a kitchen from another era – a kitchen where milk came out of the refrigerator in glass bottles and butter was stored in earthenware crocks; a place where napkins were pressed before being laid on the table and ingredients were measured out in dollops and dribbles.

Looking back now, I realize I was seduced as much by her phraseology as I was by the romantic food she prepared. Laura wrote every episode of French Food at Home, producing scripts that were filled with evocative language. The way she described vegetables – at times sensuous, as buttery strands of cabbage that tangled together or oil-slicked beets that glistened like jewels in a crystal bowl, and at times whimsically personified, with onions that wore jackets, mushrooms with heels, or tomatoes with waists and butts, either way – her viewers got the message:  French veggies are sexy veggies.

It should come as no surprise that Laura Calder is also a bestselling author. According to her Facebook page, she is a writer by profession. Not a celebrity chef, or a television personality, or even a food writer, but a writer. It should also come as no surprise that the moment I saw this Tweet I was on the phone to Barbara-Jo:

Laura Calder Tweet

Barbara-Jo is the owner of Books to Cooks, a sublime Vancouver bookstore that specializes in cookbooks of every kind, including many unique and rare finds.

Bookstore with table set for dining

When I walked into the shop, I saw Laura doing exactly what I imagine she might do in her free time, browsing French cookbooks. The first thing I noticed about her was her height. The second was her seemingly pore-less complexion. Barbara-Jo greeted me then introduced me to Laura who was gracious enough to pose for a few photos and chat with me about nothing in particular until it was time for the event to begin.

The bookstore has a full kitchen where guest chefs and cookbook authors can come and share their culinary wisdom.

The Hob at Barbara-Jo's

For this special event, Laura Calder was at the hob cooking up a casual Sunday Supper with recipes from her latest book  Dinner Chez Moi - The Fine Art of Feeding Friends.

Supper started off with Tuna and White Bean Salad on Toasted Baguette served with a sparkling glass of champagne.

Tuna and White Bean Salad on Toasted Baguette

Laura CalderFollowed by the main course, sticky-sweet Apricot Ribs…

Served with Quinoa with Spinach and Hazelnuts (loaded with fresh veggies, nuts, grains and luxurious hazelnut oil). Yum!

Apricot Ribs and Quinoa with Spinach and Hazelnuts

Laura was an animated and charming host, entertaining her guests with stories, answering questions, and chatting about her plans.

Laura Calder

For dessert, Pistachio Semifreddo with Poached Peaches.

Pistachio Semifreddo with Poached Peaches

Each dish was fantastic and better than the one before. The recipes were not the least bit fussy (nor were they particularly French) and each one could be made ahead of time, leaving the host free to enjoy a relaxing evening entertaining friends, old or new.

Watch for my review of  Dinner Chez Moi  coming soon!

Laura Calder autograph on inside cover of Dinner Chez Moi

 

 

 

 

†DISCLOSURE: This post includes an Amazon affiliate link to Dinner Chez Moi.  I will receive a tiny commission in the event that it generates any sales.


 

 

The JC100: Boeuf Bourguignon

Welcome to the last week of the JC100 Celebration! I’m sure it comes as no surprise to Julia’s fans that we are ending the celebration with the recipe she is probably best remembered for, Boeuf Bourguignon.

Over the last fifteen weeks, the JC100 bloggers have cooked fifteen of Julia’s most celebrated recipes, sharing our stories, successes, failures, and photos along the way. A period of fifteen weeks is like a long-term relationship to me (nearly as long as I managed to stay married to my ex-husband), so I’m very proud to say that I remained committed to the challenge right until the finale.

Here’s a look back at all fifteen JC100 recipes…

Collage of the 15 recipes cooked for the JC100 Celebration

Julia was a television personality, chef, cookbook author, entertainer, icon, adventurer, romantic, and an inspiration – but above all, she was a teacher, and a natural at it (regardless of the medium). She reminded me of some of my favourite school teachers, always encouraging, gently reassuring, laugh-out-loud funny, and extremely passionate about her subject. And like all great teachers, she taught her students the “why” as well as the “how” of a culinary technique, empowering us to become better cooks.

I’ve learned so much over the last fifteen weeks, and not all of it was about cookery.  I learned I love olives, so much so that I’m now obsessed with them! I learned that I really don’t like eggplant, even in a classic French preparation like Ratatouille. I also learned that Twitter (and Twitter Parties) are not my thing. I’ve always been a more-is-more kinda girl and I found no pleasure in trying to express myself in under 140 characters. During the months leading up to the JC100 event I had started to suspect (correctly) that I might be more enamored with French culinary technique than with French cuisine, and I learned there’s nothing wrong with that. The techniques are timeless and will serve me well whatever type of food I choose to cook in the future.

My favourite of the JC100 recipes was last week’s Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale, but this week’s Boeuf Bourguignon, a deep, dark, delicious beef stew made with red wine, bacon, onions and mushrooms, is a close second.

Julia Child’s Recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf Bourguignon in a Casserole, Garnished with Parsley

Excerpted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Copyright © 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc

As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS

Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux-St. Émilion, or Burgundy.

 

The JC100: Boeuf Bourguignon
Recipe Type: Main
Author: Julia Child
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • A 6-ounce chunk of bacon
  • A 9 to 10-inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep
  • 1 Tb olive oil or cooking oil
  • A slotted spoon
  • 3 lbs lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 1 sliced carrot
  • 1 sliced onion
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 Tb flour
  • 3 cups of a full-bodied, young red wine such as one of those suggested for serving, or a Chianti
  • 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
  • 1 Tb tomato paste
  • 2 cloves mashed garlic
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • A crumbled bay leaf
  • The blanched bacon rind
  • 18 to 24 small white onion brown-braised in stock (see Notes)
  • 1 lb quartered fresh mushrooms sautéed in butter (see Notes)
  • Parsley sprigs
Instructions
  1. Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarters of water. Drain and dry.
  2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  3. Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
  4. Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
  5. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
  6. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
  7. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
  8. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.
  9. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
  10. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too think, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
  11. *Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.
  12. FOR IMMEDIATE SERVING: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.
  13. FOR LATER SERVING: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.
Notes

BROWN-BRAISED ONIONS:
18 to 24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter
1 1/2 Tb butter
1 1/2 Tb oil
A 9 to 10-inch enameled skillet
1/2 cup of brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
Salt and pepper to taste
A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth

When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.

SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS:
A 10-inch enameled skillet
2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced shallots or green onions
Salt and pepper

Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Toss the shallots or green onions with the mushrooms. Sauté over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Season to taste.

 

Ingredients for boeuf bourguignon assembled

bacon lardons sauteeing in a skillet

Sliced onions and carrots browning in a skillet

Here’s a little tip for peeling those pesky pearl onions:

  • Cut off the tip of each onion (the end opposite the root).
  • Cook in boiling water for two minutes.
  • Drain and let cool.
  • Squeeze them from the root tip and the onion will pop right out of its skin.

Pearl Onions and Pearl Onions Skins on a Cutting Board

Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms

Julia passed away August 4, 2004, just before her 92nd birthday, but her legacy will continue to live on through her remarkable recipes.

“Sooner or later the public will forget you; the memory of you will fade. What’s important are the individuals you’ve influenced along the way.”

~ Julia Child

I think she may have under-estimated her staying power.  Here’s to you Julia…

 

JC 100 Julie Child

The JC100: Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale

JC 100 Julie ChildWelcome to Week 14 of the JC100 Celebration! Today also marks the kick off Julia Child Restaurant Week (from August 7 – 15th) where 100 restaurants around the country will pay homage to the culinary icon. Be sure to check out Julia Child on Facebook to see which restaurants are participating.

This week’s special recipe for the JC100 bloggers is Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale, or Scallops Gratinéed with Wine, Garlic and Herbs. Lucky for me my fish monger was open on the civic holiday yesterday (BC Day). Even luckier that he had a stash of scallop shells he was willing to part with…gratis!

Three scallop shells

 

Julia Child’s Recipe for Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale

 

The JC100: Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale
 
Author: Julia Child
Serves: 6
Excerpted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Copyright © 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup minced yellow onions
  • 1 Tb butter
  • 1 1/2 Tb minced shallot or green onions
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 lbs washed scallops
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup sifted flour in a dish
  • 2 Tb butter
  • 1 Tb olive oil
  • A 10-inch enameled skillet
  • 2/3 cup dry white wine, or 1/2 cup dry white vermouth and 3 Tb water
  • 1/2 bay leaf
  • 1/8 tsp thyme
  • 6 buttered scallop shells, or porcelain or pyrex shells, of 1/3 cup capacity
  • 1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
  • 2 Tb butter cut into 6 pieces
Instructions
  1. Cook the onions slowly in butter in a small saucepan for 5 minutes or so, until tender and translucent but not browned. Stir in the shallots or onions, and garlic, and cook slowly for 1 minute more. Set aside.
  2. Dry the scallops and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick. Just before cooking, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roll in flour, and shake off excess flour.
  3. Sauté the scallops quickly in very hot butter and oil for 2 minutes to brown them lightly.
  4. Pour the wine, or the vermouth and water, into the skillet with the scallops. Add the herbs and the cooked onion mixture. Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Then uncover, and if necessary boil down the sauce rapidly for a minute until it is lightly thickened. Correct seasoning, and discard bay leaf.
  5. Spoon the scallops and sauce into the shells. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to gratiné.
  6. Just before serving, run under a moderately hot broiler for 3 to 4 minutes to heat through, and to brown the cheese lightly.
 
Notes

This good recipe may be prepared in advance and grantinéed just before serving. The proportions given are sufficient for a first course. Double them for a main course. Serve a chilled rosé, or a dry white such as côtes de Provence.

To prolong the shelf life of a scallop producers often immerse their catch in a preserving agent. While the agent (tripolphosphate) does help to keep up freshness, it also causes the scallop to absorb water which, in turn, affects its overall weight. To avoid paying for all that extra liquid, steer clear of any scallops that look like they’ve already been blanched. Instead, select ones that are beige to blush in colour and have a delicate, sweet aroma.

I used Catarina Bay scallops, a sustainable option from Mexico. I could tell by their rosy colour that they were untreated and, because they’re so tiny, I wouldn’t need to spend time cutting them into ¼ inch thick slices. Bonus!

Raw Catarina Bay scallops piled onto a red and white tea towel

With a fancy French name like Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale, you might expect this recipe to be complicated and fussy but it really wasn’t. It took me less than 20 minutes start to finish. (Okay – 25 if you count scrubbing the scallop shells.)

Small scallops being sauteed in a butter and olive oil

I was a little reluctant to let the scallops simmer for 5 minutes and then boil rapidly for another one, afraid that I might end up eating a scallop shell full of rubber erasers, but they were surprisingly tender, sweet, and creamy. I should know by now to trust Julia.

Small scallops simmering in wine, garlic and herb sauce with bay leaf

I used Parmigiano Reggiano instead of Swiss since that’s what I had on hand.

Gratineed Scallops St. Jacques on a broiler rack To serve, I filled shallow bowls with coarse salt then set the scallop shells on top.

Coquilles St Jacques

Even the Sea-King Poseidon and his queen Amphitrite would approve!

Two servings of Scallops gratineed with wine, garlic and herbs

I’ve poured over the list of Julia’s 100 most beloved recipes (compiled by a panel of culinary luminaries) this morning trying to guess what the last of the JC100 recipes will be. I think Julia’s perfect Génoise or Gâteau Paris would make a very fitting finale. Every birthday party needs a cake!

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The JC100: Cheese Soufflé

JC 100 Julie ChildWelcome to Week 13 of the JC100 Celebration! With only two weeks left in the countdown, we are finally taking on one of Julia’s most famous recipes, Soufflé au Fromage, a show stopper of a dish that practically demands to be served with a flourish! In Julia’s own words, “The soufflé is undoubtedly the egg at its most magnificent, the egg in all its puffing power. How impressive is the chocolate or cheese soufflé, its head rising dramatically out of its dish, and swaying ever so slightly as it is borne to the table.”

Baking a soufflé can be intimidating for a novice cook but I’m here to tell you it’s downright terrifying for an amateur food photographer/blogger. Even a perfectly executed soufflé will begin to deflate almost immediately once it comes out of the oven, leaving just a few short minutes to capture an image of it in all its towering glory.

White souffle dish on a white linen napkin with a bright turquoise backdrop Julia Child’s Master Recipe for Cheese Soufflé

 

The JC100: Cheese Soufflé
Author: Julia Child
Serves: 4
Excerpted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child. Copyright © 1989 by Julia Child. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbs finely grated Parmesan or other hard cheese
  • 2 1/2 Tbs butter
  • 3 Tbs flour
  • 1 cup hot milk
  • Seasonings: 1/2 tsp paprika, speck of nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3 grinds of white pepper
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 5 egg whites (2/3 cup)
  • 1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) coarsely grated Swiss cheese
Instructions
  1. Preliminaries: Roll the grated cheese in the buttered baking dish to cover the bottom and side, and fasten on the aluminum collar (see Notes below). Preheat the oven to 400 F, and set the rack in the lower third level. Measure out all the ingredients listed.
  2. The white sauce – béchamel: Stir and cook the butter and flour together in the saucepan over moderate heat for 2 minutes without colouring. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then pour in all the hot milk and whisk vigorously to blend. Return to heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, and boil slowly 3 minutes. The sauce will be very thick. Whisk in the seasonings, and remove from heat.
  3. Finishing the sauce base: One by one, whisk the egg yolks into the hot sauce.
  4. The egg whites: In a clean separate bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites to stiff shining peaks.
  5. Finishing the soufflé mixture: Scoop a quarter of the egg whites on top of the sauce and stir them in with a wooden spoon. Turn the rest of the egg whites on top; rapidly and delicately fold them in, alternating scoops of the spatula with sprinkles of the coarsely grated cheese – adding the cheese now makes for a light soufflé.
  6. Ahead-of-time note: You may complete the soufflé to this point 1/2 hour or so in advance; cover loosely with a sheet of foil and set away from drafts.
  7. Baking – 25 to 30 minutes at 400 F and 375 F. Set in the preheated oven, turn the thermostat down to 375 F, and bake until the soufflé has puffed 2 to 3 inches over the rim of the baking dish into the collar, and the top has browned nicely (see Notes below).
  8. Serving: As soon as it is done, remove the collar, then bring the soufflé to the table. To keep the puff standing, hold your serving spoon and fork upright and back to back; plunge them into the crust and tear it apart.
Notes

For drama, you choose a dish that’s a little too small, so that the soufflé puffs into a collar. When the collar is removed the puff holds itself 2 to 3 inches over the rim of the dish. Use a double thickness of buttered foil that will rise 3 inches over the top of the dish; secure the collar by inserting a straight pin head down – for easy removal.

When is it done? A soufflé baked in a dish should puff 2 to 3 inches over the rim, and the top should be nicely browned. The puff should hold up when you release the collar just a little bit to check – if the puff sags, rapidly refasten the collar and bake a few minutes more. If you want the puff to hold and the soufflé to stand a reasonable time, test it by plunging a skewer down into the side of the puff; if wet particles cling to it the soufflé will be creamy inside and will not hold as long as if the skewer comes out almost clean. The fateful decision is up to you.

 

Folding egg whites into sauce base

I was so busy thinking about how to carry out a photo session at breakneck speed (planning a nimble route from the oven door to the sun deck where I could take advantage of the natural light, laying out linens, setting up my camera and adjusting the tripod’s height,  plotting out the camera angle from below the edge of the table pointing up to emphasize the soufflé’s soaring splendour) that it never even occurred to me that my soufflé might not rise – not even a smidge!

Cheese Souffle that did not rise

“One of the secrets, and pleasures, of cooking is to learn to correct something if it goes awry; and one of the lessons is to grin and bear it if it cannot be fixed.”
― Julia Child, My Life in France

Oven-Baked Gruyere Omelette

So here I am, grinning and bearing it (and without apology, I might add).  What my soufflé lacked in stature, it more than made up for in taste. In fact I would say it was the absolute best Oven Baked Eggs with Thyme and Gruyère that I’ve ever eaten.

Oven-Baked Gruyere Omelette

 

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The JC100: Provençal Tomatoes

JC 100 Julie ChildHello and welcome to Week 12 of the JC100 Celebration! This week we have a cornucopia of vegetable dishes to choose from including Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, Celery Root Rémoulade, and Provençal Tomatoes.

Few bites of food are more sublime than a perfectly cooked spear of spring asparagus dripping with a big dollop of lemony, buttery Hollandaise sauce, but alas, its July, and asparagus season has come and gone.

Celery Root Rémoulade is a delightfully crisp and refreshing slaw made from shredded (or julienne) celery root tossed with a mayonnaise-based sauce (often with mustard, chopped herbs, capers and gherkins). The last time I enjoyed this French bistro classic was in February at Mon Ami Gabi in Las Vegas where they served it nestled beneath a perfectly cooked jumbo lump crab cake. Regrettably, celery root is at its best in the cooler months of fall, winter and early spring.

For me, the obvious choice was Provençal Tomatoes.  As Julia said, “it is easy to love tomatoes in summer” when they are in season and bursting with flavour.

Three Tomatoes on the Vine

 Julia Child’s Recipe for Stuffed Tomatoes Provençal

 

The JC100: Provençal Tomatoes
Recipe Type: Side Dish
Author: Julia Child
Serves: 6
Excerpted from Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home by Julia Child and Jacques Pépin. Copyright © 1999 by A La Carte Communications. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.
Ingredients
  • 3 large firm ripe tomatoes
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbs minced shallots
  • 1 tsp dried herbes de Provence
  • 3 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 to 3 Tbs chopped parsley
  • 3 to 4 Tbs olive oil
Instructions
  1. Set a rack on the upper-middle level and preheat the oven to 400 F.
  2. Core the tomatoes and cut them in half crosswise. Over a plate or bowl, squeeze each half gently to force out the seeds and juice (reserve for stock). With your fingers, clean the cavities of any clinging seeds. Arrange in the baking dish cut side up. If any halves are wobbly or tilted, trim a bit off the bottom so that they sit flat in the pan. Season with a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
  3. Stir together the bread crumbs, shallots, dried herbs, grated cheese, and chopped parsley in a small bowl. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, tossing well to moisten the crumbs evenly.
  4. Spoon the stuffing into the tomato halves, pushing it down into the cavities and mounding on top. Drizzle a scant teaspoon of oil over the top of each half.
  5. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the topping has browned and the tomatoes are hot but still keep their shape. Serve hot in the baking dish, or move them carefully to a clean platter.
Notes

Do-ahead Notes:
The tomato halves can be stuffed several hours in advance and refrigerated before baking.

Julia on Bread Crumbs:
I always use freshly made bread crumbs – never the packaged dry kind, which can be stale and have an off taste. Start with homemade-style white bread, crusts removed, either genuinely home-baked or a commercial variety like Pepperidge Farm that has some texture and chew. If the bread is a day or two old, so much the better, since it is easier to make crumbs from bread that is slightly dry. The simplest method is to tear the bread into small chunks, then pulse them, about 2 cups at a time, in a food processor until the crumbs have the texture you want. You can also use an electric blender, but work in smaller batches.

Although Julia recommended using freshly made bread crumbs, I used Panko instead. Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb made from bread without crusts.  The crustless bread is coarsely ground into airy, large flakes that stay crisper longer than standard breadcrumbs. After last week’s texturally-challenged Ratatouille, I wanted to be sure there was more than enough crunch to contrast the softness of the tomatoes, and the Panko worked beautifully!

Ingredients for Provencal Tomatoes including tomatoes, bread crumbs, herbs de provence, shallots and parmigiano reggiano

 And it never hurts to use the King of Cheeses – Parmigiano Reggiano!

A wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano on a piece of parchment paper

 

Six tomato halves with seeds removed, seasoned and arranged in a baking pan

 

A single serving of tomatoes provencal

 

A single serving of Julia's stuffed tomatoes provencal

For Julia’s Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce recipe, check out the great post from fellow JC100 bloggers Carlene and Bob at BS in the Kitchen, and for Julia’s Celery Root Remoulade recipe, pop over to Noshing with the Nolands where Tara has it posted (along with a perfect tomato rose)!

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