September 9, 2012 - Duck Breast

Happy Monday, everyone!  I'll be honest, with fall approaching and the morning air getting colder - it was not fun getting out of bed this morning, hence this post coming out a little late.  So I was without my cohorts last night, although I did have a friend join, so had an extra hand in the kitchen.  I think I did ok without them, but you can all be the judges of that.

 

 

Cocktail - Sidecar Martini

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sidecar-cocktails-recipe/index.html

 

 

Okay, first off, I do not start drinking at 4:00pm as seen in this photo.  (Not normally... ok, not hard liquor at that hour.)  This was just a test batch in case I forgot to take pictures later.  (Of course, I didn't pour it down the sink or anything after the picture... don't judge me.)  We've done sidecars before, and I stuck with it again because the meal included brandy, so I wanted to keep a theme going.  I did prefer the other sidecar recipe we've done, because it included limoncello to soften the liquor.  This sidecar as directed was incredibly strong.  I did adjust by adding the brandied cherries (see recipe below) and then topping it with orange seltzer.  And we did end up just pouring it over ice in rocks glasses.  Still, a great cocktail, though, and always nice to take a little break from vodka.

 

 

Entree - Duck Breast with a Brandied Cherry Reduction

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/seared-duck-breast-creamy-garlic-mashed-potatoes-haricots-verts-brandied-cherry-reduction-sauce-recipe/index.html

 

 

Ok, first and foremost, I overcooked the duck breast and there were medium, not medium-rare.  Pay attention to your cook time, folks... I should have adjusted for smaller breasts.  That being said - a delicious  meal and its the reduction that makes it fantastic.

 

Make the brandied cherries!  I followed this recipe (http://imbibemagazine.com/Lu-s-Brandied-Cherries) and did use dried fruit.  I then followed the recipe exactly as stated and it turned out perfectly.  (And many thank you's to D who graciously offered to flambe for me, and almost got set on fire.  Tip for you all - invest in one of those long torch-like lighters... a BIC lighter is rather dangerous.)  The sweet tartness of the cherries combined with the richness of the brandy and savory of the stock - divine.  (FYI, I used 8oz duck/veal demi-glace and then the rest in chicken stock.)  This can be made in advance and just reheated slightly.

 

 

Side Dish - Duck Fat Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/seared-duck-breasts-duck-fat-pan-roasted-fingerling-potatoes-haricots-vertsbalsamic-cherry-reduction-recipe/index.html

 

 

Yes, this recipe is almost exactly the same as the one above with the exception of balsamic reduction vs. brandy reduction.  However, I did like the idea of duck fat frying the potatoes instead of mashed.  (After all, you have all the duck fat from searing the breast... may as well use it up!)  These were delicious... simple, easy, crispy. 

 

 

Side Dish - String Beans with Shallots

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/string-beans-with-shallots-recipe/index.html

 

 

You can't really screw this one up.  Especially if you're like me and take the lazy route by buying a bag of pre-washed haricots verts that just need to be steamed in the microwave.  Then add to sauteed shallots.  Voila.  Simple side dish that doesn't compete on the palate against the decadent cherry sauce.

 

 

Entree Wine - 2009 Tenute Cisa Asinari Dei Marchesi Di Gresy Barbera D'Asti

 

Wine Rating - Not Found

 

 

This Italian red was a delight to drink!  Ruby red with violet hues and a rich aroma of red berries and cherries, this robust wine finished richly and with a slight acidity and even tannins.  Truly a delicious wine that went extremely well with the entire meal.  With that being said, this was a Christelle pick from Harry's Wine Shop, and unfortunately, it was her last pick for us.  She has accepted a new position in her career, and while we are absolutely thrilled for her, it's sad to know that we won't see her smiling face every Saturday afternoon.  This also means all the pressure is on Greg going forward.  Regardless, I know she reads this, so Christelle - congratulations, thank you, and good luck!

 

 

Dessert - Flourless Chocolate Cake

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Flourless-Chocolate-Cake-with-Chocolate-Glaze-5872

 

 

Eh... I've made flourless chocolate cakes before, and this one wasn't as good as others.  It could be perhaps because I made them into cupcakes for my own convenience.  (Easier to bring to work that way.)  FYI - for cupcakes, I baked at 350 for 20 minutes... I highly recommend 15-18 minutes, I think that was what did it for me - they seemed overcooked.  (Just like the duck... ugh... I can't win.)  However, it's chocolate, and when covered with brandied cherries, it was just delicious.

 

 

Dessert Wine - Alcyone

 

 

Yes, this is the first time we are repeating a wine.  It's just that good.  This red dessert wine from Uruguay is wonderful.  It's sweet and rich and fortified with brandy and therefore was the perfect accompaniment to our dessert.

 

 

Okay, so overall, a success.  (If you don't include the fact that my guest almost got lit on fire and the food came out slightly overcooked for my tastes.)  And I apologize for the lack of appetizer, so I'll make sure to do something special next week to make up for it.  John and Jenn are back next week, so we'll be back to organized chaos instead of my juggling 5 different pans in a kitchen the size of a matchbook.  Thanks for being patient with me!

 

 

Next Week - Changed My Mind... Rack of Lamb

Bonus Recipe - Pasta Carbonara

So... as John and Jenn were preparing to leave for beautiful Costa Rica, I made sure to go over and help - not to help them pack, but to relieve their fridge of anything that could spoil while they were gone.  (Like goat cheese, bacon, steaks...  I'm such a good friend, I know.)  In fact, there may have been a bottle or two of wine that was going to go bad in their absence as well. 

 

So, we were trying to figure out what was for dinner (Chinese, pizza, sushi...) when Jennifer got a message from her nephew asking if we had any good recipes for a pasta with a "white sauce."  While they are not pasta people normally, I could bathe in a good vodka or alfredo sauce for the rest of my life, so without looking up, I responded "carbonara... he probably already has all the ingredients in the fridge."  And with that... we realized that we weren't doing take-out that night.

 

Pasta Carbonara

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spaghetti-carbonara-ii/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=carbonara&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

 

(Sorry for the bad picture quality.)

 

Okay, I'm rather passionate about carbonara sauce, so pay attention.  :-)

 

First off, all the main ingredients are most likely sitting in your fridge.  It comes down to eggs, bacon or pancetta, grated parmesan cheese, onion, and garlic.  Real carbonara sauce does NOT have heavy cream in it.  The beauty of this sauce is that its kind of a "everything but the kitchen sink" kind of thing - you can add whatever the heck you want to add to it - veggies, chicken, fish, steak, etc.  Clean out the fridge, people.

 

However, cooking method is particular if you want to achieve that creamy texture.  Cook your bacon, and then the shallots and garlic first.  Let that hang out in a bowl and cool slightly.  Then cook your pasta.  Drain and let hang out in a bowl and cool slightly.  In a separate bowl (yes, there's a lot of bowls), whisk the parmesan cheese and the eggs together vigorously.  Add the bacon/onion/garlic mixture to the slightly cooled pasta.  Then add the egg/parmesan mixture and using tongs, mix like hell.  The heat off the pasta will cook the eggs, and because you let it cool slightly, it will NOT create scrambled eggs.  (If you're still nervous, you can temper the egg mix by adding lukewarm bacon/onion/garlic to it first and then adding to the pasta.)

 

It's not scary, folks.  Give it a shot!

 

And yes, I have a menu planned for tomorrow.  (And it includes dessert... something I normally won't make on my own...  I think you'll all be rather impressed with my efforts.)  Talk to you in a couple days.

September 2, 2012 - Grilled Salmon

Happy Labor Day, everyone!  I hope everyone is having a splendid holiday weekend surrounded by family and friends (and grills and booze!)  Originally, we were planning on a spice rubbed whole fish on the grill, however I couldn't find any spice rub recipes that really appealed to me, so we switched it up a little.  In light of it being the last weekend of the summer, we went with a tropical fruit theme and created a lovely (and surprisingly light!) meal to wind down the summer with.

 

 

Cocktail - Champagne Sangria

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/champagne-sangria-recipe/index.html

 

 

Delicious!  This is the perfect brunch sangria or "hanging outside doing nothing but reading a book" type of sangria!  We halved the simple syrup, and it was still very sweet, so we would use only 1/4 of the recipe recommended amount next time.  It was light, tasty and refreshing!

 

 

Appetizer - Brie, Papaya and Onion Quesadillas

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brie-Papaya-and-Onion-Quesadillas-4460

 

 

Wow!  Who knew?!?!  These were amazing.  The brie melted beautifully and had such a decadent creamy texture with the onions and the papaya.  Every bite had a beautiful combination of flavors and textures.  I felt like I should be back in the Caribbean, sitting on a beach eating these with a cold daiquiri in hand.  And it's also inspiring to attempt trying new "quesadilla" recipes - it doesn't have to always be chicken and cheese. 

 

 

Entree - Grilled Salmon with Papaya-Mint Salsa

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Salmon-with-Papaya-Mint-Salsa-230180

 

 

This was a great salmon!  We had about 1.5lbs of salmon fillet for the three of us, and grilled it up as directed.  The salsa was a hit!  (We halved the jalapeno, I'll admit it.)  The freshness of the tropical fruit and the green onion and the mint combined with the richness of the salmon - wonderful!  We had added a little more mint that originally recommended, and we still felt there could have been more.  So I would suggest using your judgement when preparing.  (And it takes all of 5 minutes to prep - this was an easy meal!)

 

 

Side Dish - Jasmine Rice with Garlic, Ginger, and Cilantro

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Jasmine-Rice-with-Garlic-Ginger-and-Cilantro-237105

 

 

You know that scent sensation when you're sauteing up garlic and onions on the stove?  I'm now addicted to the smell of sauteing ginger as well!  This rice was simple, easy, and required very few ingredients but the end result was delicious and exotic!  A great way to play up some "ordinary" rice!

 

 

Side Dish - Sugar Snap Peas with Mint

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sugar-snap-peas-with-mint/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=mint%20sugar%20snap%20peas&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

 

 

Once again - sometimes its the simple things that are just so good!  Who doesn't like snap peas?  And then throw in some garlic, mint, and green onions - how could you go wrong?  (Although, once again, the mint wasn't very prevalent, I would add more.)  And on further thought, next time, I would maybe add some chopped ginger as well.  (And I'm debating a splash of sesame oil...)

 

 

Final Plate

 

 

 

Entree Wine - 2009 Scott Family Estates Pinot Noir

 

Wine Advocate - 87/100

 

 

Okay, so we didn't have time to go to Harry's this weekend because of the holiday.  (Sorry, guys!)  The recipe said that a pinot noir would be the perfect pairing for the salmon (regardless of the tropical fruit salsa), and two people that worked at the liquor store down the street from us agreed.  (Something to do with the fatty acids of the salmon.)  So John and Jenn threw chance to the wind and went with their suggested wine.  There was an immediate nose of black cherry with a hint of almond and spice, and on the palate, there was ripe cherry and pomegranate with a nice lingering finish.  The wine was delicious - I picture it as something you'd open up in front of the fireplace watching a movie.  It did pair well with the food, and I'm curious to ask Harry's if they would have stuck with a Pinot or suggested something else.

 

 

Dessert - Banana and Mango Spring Rolls with Coconut-Chocolate Ganache

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Banana-and-Mango-Spring-Rolls-with-Coconut-Chocolate-Ganache-237110

 

 

A resounding "oh my" filled the backyard when we all bit into these little rolls!  The mango and banana was a fantastic combination, and the experience of biting into a crispy spring roll with the soft fruits was incredible!  And who would say no to chocolate??  (Oddly, it did not taste like coconut at all... I'd suggest a drop of coconut extract... or coconut rum... hmmm.)  The options for dessert spring rolls are endless!  Like during apple season, stuffing them with apples and cinnamon... or making mini-strawberry filled ones for a fondue night! 

 

 

Overall, a fantastic meal and a lovely way to end what has been a superb summer.  We did a lot of grilling, light foods, and Bobby Flay this summer, and as we turn to fall, you'll see heavier dishes (and therefore more exercise), and perhaps a new chef will become our inspiration.

 

Programming Note:  John and Jenn are going to Costa Rica next week.  (They have it so rough, I know.)  So you're stuck with just me again.  Don't worry - I'll take good care of you guys! 

 

 

Next Week - TBD