French Potato Salad

Tags

BBQ, dill, food, foodie, French, French cooking, french cuisine, french food, lunch, picnic, postaday2011, pot luck, potato, recipe, side dishes, tarragon, vegetarian, violet

Potato salad, there are infinite variation to this dish. I have a got to recipe for picnics and that’s more of a side dish for dinner. I had to improvise a little on the ingredients when I made this for Easter, but I’ll share my usual recipe.

French Potato Salad

Ingredients:
potatoes, 1/2 c. champagne or sparkling wine, 1/8 c. apple cider vinaigrette, 2 Tbsp. chopped shallots, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, dill, chives, tarragon, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh ground sea salt, violets or other fresh picked edible flower

Directions:
Mix together champagne, vinegar, Dijon, and dill to make vinaigrette, set aside.Boil potatoes so that they are cooked but still firm (On Sunday my Dad did this, while I prepped other things, thanks Dad), submerge in cool water (do not cool completely). Peel and slice potatoes, layering them in dish. After each layer, sprinkle on salt, pepper, shallots, chopped tarragon and chives. When finished, pour vinaigrette over potatoes and garnish with violets. Serve hot!

What’s on your dinner table tonight?

Basic Savory & Sweet Crêpes

Tags

breakfast, brunch, crêpes, dessert, dinner, food, French, french cuisine, french food, gourmet, light fare, light lunch, lunch, luncheon, postaday2011, recipe, sweet crepes

I’ve never had a real French crêpe, even the ones at the overpriced French restaurant Hubster took me to, were definitely Americanized.  I’ve tried several recipes for crêpes and was disappointed with each. Some maybe due to the recipe, some maybe due to technique. I investigated crêpes, looked for trends in each recipe (Yes, I research food and enjoy it) and I tried to create my own. Good thing Hubster got me that new “grapes” pan…

Crêpes

Ingredients for Basic Savory Crêpes:
1 c. flour, 1 1/4 c. milk, 2 eggs, 2 Tbs. melted butter, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. fresh ground sea salt, vegetable oil

Directions for Basic Savory Crêpes:
Combine flour, salt and nutmeg. Add milk, beating at medium speed. Add eggs and continue beating. Stir in butter. Chill batter for an hour. Lightly coat a crêpe pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Pour 1/4 c. batter into middle of hot pan, quickly tilt pan until batter coats it in every direction (just a quick twirl of the wrist should do). Cook for about 1 minute and turn over, cook for an addition minute. Place crêpes on wire rack to cool. Stack crêpes between sheets of wax paper.

Ingredients for Basic Sweet Crêpes:
1 c. flour, 1 1/4 c. milk, 2 eggs, 2 Tbs. melted butter, 1 Tbs. amaretto (Disaronno, of course) or almond extract, 1/8 c. vanilla sugar, pinch of fresh ground sea salt, vegetable oil

Directions for Basic Sweet Crêpes:
Combine flour, sugar and salt. Add milk, beating at medium speed. Add eggs, amaretto and continue beating. Stir in butter. Chill batter for an hour. Lightly coat a crêpe pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Pour 1/4 c. batter into middle of hot pan, quickly tilt pan until batter coats it in every direction (just a quick twirl of the wrist should do). Cook for about 1 minute and turn over, cook for an addition minute. Place crêpes on wire rack to cool. Stack crêpes between sheets of wax paper.

I used a 10″ crêpe pan, if you are using a smaller plan, try pouring 1/8 c. batter into hot pan. Crêpes can be frozen. Stack between sheets of wax paper and stick in airtight container or freezer bag.  When ready to use, thaw and fill as normal. These recipes are basic and allow room to add your favorite herbs or spices depending on the filling and sauce you’re pairing with your crêpes.

Hubster is already planning more ingredient he wants me to try in crêpes.

Do you prefer sweet dessert crêpes or savory dinner crêpes? What is your favorite crêpe filling/topping?

Crème Brûlée

Tags

Bain Marie, burnt cream, Crème Brûlée, cuisine, custard, dessert, dessert recipe, food, french cuisine, french dessert, french food, recipe

I was extremely excited to get my baker’s torch yesterday! My mother and I bought each other one for our birthdays, which fell during the last week of August. I pulled it out in the car on the drive home from the store (DON’T PANIC! Hubster was driving) and began looking over the instruction manual and recipe booklet (and it wasn’t fueled up)!

As most of you know, I am not one for following other people’s recipes, however I figured I’d give it a go the first time I used my Baker’s Torch! Okay, okay, so I used to same ingredients and measurements, but I didn’t quite follow the directions exactly.

I don’t like the crème brûlée ramekins I keep finding at the stores, they are too deep and I prefer mine to be more shallow… In place I use small Pyrex bowls.

Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée Ingredients:
1 c. heavy cream, 2 Tbs. sugar, 1/3 c. sugar, 2 jumbo egg yolks, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Crème Brûlée Directions:
Preheat oven to 300°F and prepare some boiling water. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and 2 Tbs. sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally until small bubbles form around edges of the pan (about 5 minutes). Set aside. In a bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add cream mixture, beating continuously. Place four ramekins in a deep baking pan, split mixture between 4 ramekins. Pour boiling water in pan, until halfway up the ramekins (Bain Marie technique). Cover pan loosely with foil and carefully place on center rack of the oven. Bake until custard is set, about 25 minutes. Chill for about 3 hours. Sprinkle remaining sugar evenly over cooled custard. Using a Baker’s Torch, move the flame continuously over the surface of the ramekins, in a circular motion. Sugar should melt and become golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.

It was great using the Baker’s Torch opposed to the cheater’s broiler method. The kitchen smells like cotton candy as the sugar is melting.If you don’t have a torch, place ramekins of top rack and broil (with the door ajar) until sugar is caramelized.

Mmm… so good!

What is your newest fun kitchen gadget?