Oeufs Broulles

(Scrambled Eggs)

Yesterday morning, scrambled eggs was on the menu. Scrambled eggs, pretty simple right? Beat the eggs, throw in a pan, move it all around, done! Julia's technique was a little different with a big difference in the final product.

"Scrambled eggs in French are creamy soft curds that just hold their shape from fork to mouth. Their preparation is entirely a matter of stirring the eggs over gentle heat until they slowly thicken as a mass into a custard."

Custard is the perfect description! The eggs were a fluffy cream. The eggs are mixed with a small amount of milk and s&p and cooked over "moderately" low heat (I cooked them half-way between the low and medium setting.) I cooked the eggs very slowly and stirred constantly with a rubber spatula. For the first three minutes it seemed as though nothing was happening - which is what Julia said would happen. When the eggs thickened, I removed the eggs from the heat and added heavy cream! The cream stopped the cooking and took the eggs to a new level. The first bite I took, I thought, "My Dad would love this". My Dad likes his eggs on the runny side. While these eggs were not runny, they had the consistency of a custard. The eggs were not dry by any means.

Oeufs Broulles (Scramled Eggs)

Oeufs Broulles (Scramled Eggs)

Think, Savory Custard. 

Are you going to make/eat that?

While talking to my sister, Libby, she asked me if I would be cooking every recipe in the cookbook. A friend told her that there are some pretty gross recipes in the cookbook. After we talked, I came home and thumbed through more recipes. Turns out, there are some recipes that I would never choose to make.

For example, Jellied Stocks - Aspics - Gelee. Aspics are meat jelly. Sounds delicious, right? Luckily, this section is very small. (maybe two pages) The Aspic recipes are included in the Stocks and Aspics chapter. There is a Master recipe for the homemade jellied stock, made with calf's feet and pork rind and there is a variation for adding wine. Unless a different Master recipe calls for the jellied stock, I most likely will not make one. The remaining recipes of the chapter are useful stock recipes. While this chapter has a not-so-appealing recipe of aspics, it is very informative when it comes to stocks. Even if you do not have the time to make homemade stock, it gives instructions on how to improve canned stocks! Lovely.

Another chapter that caught my eye was Brains. I have never had brains, so of course, I will try anything once. There are only a couple recipes for brains. (As I have said before, there are Master recipes and then variations with small omissions or additions.) It won't hurt to try something new; or will it? If we don't like one of the recipes, I will not be making a variation of it.

Other chapters that are jumping off the page include, Liver, Kidneys and Veal.  I know when I cook a Veal dish, I will get the evil eye from my sister, Christine. In advance, I know and I'm sorry.

Oh no. As I continued to look through the cookbook, aspics makes another appearance. A chapter all to itself. Poached Eggs in Aspic is the first recipe I see. Gross. Imagine poached eggs and tarragon leaves encased in jellied stock. The main purpose of the aspics is simply presentation as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I will try just one... but not the poached egg mold!

Yes, there are recipes that do not look appealing. However, how will I know if I like or don't like them if I don't try? Answer: I can't, so I will.

Cheeseburger & Fries

This has been a very busy week, so lets play catch up!

After I made the French hamburger with the red wine sauce, I used the remaining ground  beef to make a "normal" hamburger (not Julia's recipe). I sauteed the onions, as I did before, and mixed them into the ground beef. I did not coat the hamburger in flour and I did not make the red wine sauce. After I cooked the hamburgers, I placed them on the remaining ciabatta rolls and topped them with shredded swiss cheese and a little mustard. I am not a hamburger expert, but I definitely liked the French version a lot better. Surprisingly, Josh agreed!

I also made potato wedges with a little Swiss cheese on top. Josh loves my potato wedges, so they are a frequent side dish. Very simple to make - cut potatoes in wedges, toss with olive oil, s&p, and Italian seasoning - Then, spread them on a baking sheet and put in the oven. When the potatoes are done to your liking, sprinkle with (any) cheese. Yummy!

Bifteck Hache A La Lyonnaise

(Ground Beef with Onions and Herbs)
&
Bouchees Parmentier Au Fromage
(Potato Cheese Sticks)

In our household, chicken is typically the star in our meals. I love fish, but unfortunately, Josh is not a fan. How can he not be a fan? It is a frustrating fact. And Josh loves beef, but unfortunately for him, I rarely buy or make beef.

So, I decided to treat the hubby to a French beef hamburger. Surprisingly, the recipe makes no mention of a bun... No bun? How is a hamburger a hamburger without a bun? I knew if I put a naked hamburger in front of Josh I would get a disappointed, long drawn out, "Really?" No need to stress, I will just add an American touch to the dish. I bought, cut in half and toasted ciabatta rolls for the hamburgers. If I'm going to eat beef, I'm going to eat it with ingredients I love & ciabatta rolls are fabulous. Will it taste good with this dish? We'll have to wait and see.

Earlier in the day, I sauteed onions in butter slowly for about 10 minutes, not browning the onions. Off the heat, I added the ground beef, egg, thyme and s&p to the onions and formed patties 3/4 of an inch thick. I covered the patties with plastic wrap and stored them in the fridge.

For the side dish I decided to go with the recipe for the potato cheese sticks. The recipe called for a pastry tip, which I didn't have so I just cut a hole in a plastic bag and piped it out (too thick I think). The potatoes cooked in the oven for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, I coated the patties in flour and cooked them in butter. Coating the burgers with flour = genius! When the patties were cooked through (all pink gone... I like my ground beef cooked completely), I placed them on the ciabatta rolls. 

I poured OUT the fat in the skillet and then poured in red wine. I cooked the wine down to a syrup and added butter slowly. When the sauce was complete I spooned the sauce on top of the hamburger.

The meal is complete. Before eating, Josh asked if I was putting anything else on it... like... mustard, ketchup, and pickles. After he took a bite, he didn't get up to add the typical toppings. The beef was incredibly moist and the ciabatta roll had a crunchy bite. The sauce was a smooth beef & red wine cream with a beautiful raspberry color. I loved the addition of the ciabatta roll. I think I definitely improved the dish. Not your typical burger, but thats what I liked about it. The potato cheese sticks had amazing flavor, but since I didn't have the pastry tip, I think the size was off and would have cooked differently. They still tasted very good, but I think they can be better.

Josh thinks people will think the sauce is bloodly burger juice (gross) and not sauce... So, just so you know,  the red liquid you see is red wine sauce! :)

Bifteck Hache A La Lyonnaise (Ground Beef with Onions and Herbs *on a Ciabatta Roll)

Bouchees Parmentier Au Fromage (Potato Cheese Sticks)

The complete meal :)

L'Omelette Roulee Aux Epinards & Fromage

(Rolled Omelette with Spinach & Cheese)

This morning I made a spinach and parmesan cheese omelette. I took spinach that I had already blanched and sauteed and had stored in the fridge. I beat together two extra large eggs and about two tablespoons of the spinach, and let it set in the pan for a few seconds while adding some parmesan cheese. Cooked it through and then topped it off with a little more cheese. Starting the day off right...

L'Omelette Roulee Aux Epinards & Fromage (Rolled Omelette with Spinach & Cheese)

Supremes De Volaille A La Milanaise

(Chicken Breasts Rolled in Parmesan & Fresh Bread Crumbs)
&
Puree De Pommes De Terre A L'Ail
(Garlic Mashed Potatoes)
&
Haricots Verts A La Maitre D'Hotel
(Buttered Green Beans with Lemon Juice & Parsley)

Tonight's dinner was delicious. I'm eating really well!

I coated the chicken breasts with equal parts parmesan and bread crumbs and moved on to the garlic mashed potatoes. I boiled water and threw in 8 cloves of garlic, drained and then peeled them. The garlic heads were then cooked in a small amount of butter, covered. With flour, milk and s&p, it became a garlic sauce. Three potatoes were thrown into boiling water and mashed. A potato ricer was called for, but I do not own one, and I think if I did, the potatoes would have been even better. Before serving the potatoes, I mixed together the potatoes and the garlic sauce.

I blanched a handful of green beans and sauteed them with butter, parsley, lemon juice and s&p.

*Perfect Timing* Josh came home from work and dinner was just about ready. :)

The coated chicken breasts were sauteed in clarified butter and I made a brown butter sauce to top it off. The chicken was golden brown. Biting into the chicken it had a cheesy crisp in a moist bite. Wonderful. The beans were fresh and light - I used less butter for these beans. The mashed potatoes had incredible flavor. Garlic is yummy!

Another success!

Supremes De Volaille A La Milanaise (Chicken Breasts Rolled in Parmesan & Fresh Bread Crumbs)

Haricots Verts A La Maitre D'Hotel (Buttered Green Beans with Lemon Juice & Parsley)

Puree De Pommes De Terre A L'Ail (Garlic Mashed Potatoes)

The complete meal! :)

Oeufs Poches, Sauce Hollandaise, Epinards Etuves au Beurre

(Poached Eggs, Hollandaise Sauce, Buttered Spinach)


Have you poached an egg before? Have you made hollandaise sauce by hand? Have you made spinach properly? I can now say yes to all three questions.

I started with the spinach, because there are multiple steps of preparation before the buttered spinach recipe. I buy my spinach from Costco, so it is a huge bag, which is good because spinach cooks down so much. I love, love, love spinach! I have been cooking spinach, simply by throwing fresh spinach leaves into a saucepan, with a little butter and salt and pepper. Today, I removed the stem and tough tendrils on the underside of each leaf and washed them in a bowl of cold water, pumping up and down and leaving any sand on the bottom of the bowl. Then, I blanched the spinach for 2 minutes and ran cold water over the cooked spinach. I picked up the spinach in small batches and squeezed out as much moisture as I could and then chopped it. I literally gave each piece of spinach a little lovin'. I took a half a cup of spinach and cooked it covered with a little butter, s&p, and a pinch of nutmeg for about 10 minutes. From now on, I will always cook spinach this way ~ it is wonderful!

"One pound of fresh spinach yields about 1 cup of cooked spinach, and we shall consider that enough for 2 people."

 The hollandaise sauce can be made in an electric blender, but Julia recommends making it by hand.

"It is extremely easy  and almost foolproof to make in the electric blender... but we feel it is of great importance that you learn how to make hollandaise by hand, for part of every good cook's general knowledge is a thorough familiarity with the vagaries of egg yolks under all conditions."

So I did. I cut the recipe in half, because the recipe is for quite a bit, so I was nervous about the quantities. The amount of butter that is added is so important and a little too much can prevent the sauce from thickening. Surprisingly, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. It was a beautiful color and consistency. Yay!

Now for the egg.... I have never poached an egg before. The first egg turned out perfect. The yolk was creamy and runny inside the soft egg whites. I tried two other eggs after that to see if I could do it again. Was it beginners luck? Yep. The eggs I have are also from Costco. Maybe the eggs are not as fresh as they should be? I'll have to try it again with eggs from the local grocery store and maybe I'll be able to cook more than one. Luckily, one poached egg was plenty for me this morning.

I plated a bed of buttered spinach, then the poached egg on top (the first egg I attempted) and topped the egg off with a little hollandaise sauce. Wow! The flavors together are so fresh and so decadent. The little bit of lemon juice from the hollandaise sauce brought out the other flavors of the dish. A fork full of buttery spinach, creamy egg whites, runny egg yolks and fresh lemon juice in the thick hollandaise sauce was basically a mouth full of delcious-ness. I can't describe it any other way.

The portion I had was small and I think a healthy breakfast. There wasn't a TON of butter in the spinach, none on the egg, and... well the hollandaise sauce is basically butter... BUT in small proportions, egg & spinach isn't a bad way to start your day. :)

Oeufs Poches, Sauce Hollandaise, Epinards Etuves au Beurre 

The finished meal. :)

(Poached Eggs, Hollandaise Sauce, Buttered Spinach)

<-----   A look inside the egg...

While the first egg I poached turned out very good, I can't say the same thing for the two after it...

Fail.

Supremes De Volaille A Brun & Beurre Noisette

(Chicken Breasts Sauteed in Butter & Brown Butter Sauce)

&

Haricots Verts A L'Anglaise 

(Buttered Green Beans)

&

Pommes De Terre Sautees En Des 

(Diced Potatoes Sauteed in Butter)

Tuesday night's dinner was incredible. Very simple ingredients turned into dishes that tasted like heaven. If you did not notice ~ Every dish has the word Butter in the Title. I came home from work, decided on the main course and two side dishes and headed to the grocery store. While I love my local grocery store, it always turns out, that when I need a specific ingredient, they don't have it. So, I had to make a trip to the other (more pricey) local grocery store to pick up fresh chives. 

I now have all the ingredients I need. I put everything on the counter and re-read the recipes... again.

I knew the dishes I was making were simple, so there was no need to stress. Unfortunately, I'm still getting used to this cookbook. Each dish, as I have stated before, is very detailed. Looking at the pages makes it seem as though there are a million steps that I shouldn't forget! On top of that, the recipes are for 4-6 people. I'm only cooking for two, so changing the quantities is just another step I need to remember. I took a deep breath and started on the potatoes. 

As I'm picking up my knife to form perfect 1/4 inch cubes of potato, I hear, "Is it done yet?" I answered with a quick, "Nope." I feel that the stress is starting to surface. So, I opened a bottle of wine and it was smooth sailing after that. 

I diced the potatoes beautifully. I blanched French green beans, which I had never done before. I know it is simply boiling the green beans, but I've never been a fan of green beans (and therefore, have never really cooked them). Also, I had to clarify butter - which I had never done before. For those of you who may not know, clarifying the butter is simply melting the butter, skimming off the milky foam on top and then straining the yellow liquid into a bowl. The clarified butter burns less easily and what a difference it made! For the chicken, I sliced one chicken breast in half (lengthwise). The chicken breasts that I buy from Costco are very large. Slicing the breasts in half saves us money and also saves our waistlines. The butter sauce was very fast ~ no need to place the chicken in aluminum foil while the sauce was prepared. 

I was a little worried about the timing. With any new recipe, it is difficult to know how long each dish will take. Surprisingly, everything was done at the same time. I pretty much rocked this dinner. Every part looked amazing. But, did it taste as good as it looked?

Yes!

I'll start with the potatoes... They were crispy on the outside but also silky from the butter and herbs and the inside was creamy and smooth. The flavor was outstanding. Simple, fresh ingredients created into something magnificent. Using the clarified butter for the chicken and the brown butter sauce made such a difference in the final product. I have sauteed chicken breasts many times, but not with clarified butter. The chicken browned beautifully without the butter becoming too hot which causes the butter to brown to quickly and thus burn. It made the chicken, not only look better, but also taste better. The sauce was quick and easy. I simply added more clarified butter, of course!, let it brown a bit, then took it off the heat and added parsley and lemon juice. Delicious. For the green beans, I blanched the beans and then tossed them in butter in a saucepan (w/ salt & pepper). Again, simple, but oh so yummy! I am now a green bean fan!

Julia recommended a red wine with the dish. So, I enjoyed a glass or two. I made small portions for us, because, well, did you see how many times the word butter came up? I instantly regretted not making more after my first bit.

Pommes De Terre Sautees En Des (Diced Potatoes Sauteed in Butter)

Supremes De Volaille A Brun & Beurre Noisette 
(Chicken Breasts Sauteed in Butter & Brown Butter Sauce)

Haricots Verts A L'Anglaise (Buttered Green Beans)

The complete meal :)

L'Omelette Roulee Au Fromage

(Rolled Omelette With Cheese)

Breakfast seems the best place to start for me. I decided to start with omelettes, because through the years, I thought I had the technique mastered! I have been flipping the omelette in the air to cook the other side before plating. Turns out, Julia does not flip. She jerks the pan and encourages you to  not be afraid to be rough with the eggs. Yikes.

There are two kinds of omelettes: Scrambled and Rolled. I have never made a scrambled omelette, so I went with the rolled this morning. Almost each recipe in the cookbooks have Variations. I chose the variation "with cheese". 

"A good French omelette is a smooth, gently swelling, golden oval that is tender and creamy inside. And as it takes less than a half a minute to make..."

Wait. 

Wait.

Thirty seconds or less to make? The first thought in my head was, "Josh will be eating a lot of omelettes in order for me to master 30 seconds." And the second thought, "What a wonderful excuse to host a brunch."

I made a pot of coffee.

I re-read the instructions on what kind of pan to use (maybe I should go shopping?), how to beat the eggs, how to notice the moment when the butter is ready, and how to move the egg around the plate. 

I used 2 extra large eggs & parmesan. 

I turned on the burner and made my first French omelette. I felt a little ridiculous jerking the pan vigorously and making so much noise. It looks weird... I must be moving the pan completely wrong. Wait! It was working! The eggs became fluffy and it folded into itself the way Julia said it would. The omelette is now a beautiful oval! While it was still in the pan, I sprinkled grated parmesan on top, dotted it with soft butter and put it under the broiler - just to melt butter and brown cheese.

I put the omelette on the plate and snapped a picture. I may not have cooked it in less than 30 seconds (however, it was pretty close!), but I did eat it in 30 seconds. It was soft and creamy on the inside. The golden brown cheese added an amazing contrast to the gentle egg.

L'Omelette Roulee Au Fromage (Rolled Omelette With Cheese)

L'Omelette Roulee Au Fromage (Rolled Omelette With Cheese)

The omelette was delicious

& - bonus! - I think it looked great!

*~* ThE LeSsOn *~*

Last night I opened up Julia Child's cookbook and began my first lesson. I decided, if I am going to do this, I want to learn as much as I can to become a better cook. So, I started at the first page. I began with reading the introduction by Julia Child, followed by the words of Judith Jones and the Foreword. While reading, certain excerpts jumped off the page.

"... I do think the way to a full and healthy life is to adopt the sensible system of "small helpings, no seconds, no snacking, and a little bit of everything." Above all - have a good time! What a happy task you have set for yourself! The pleasures of the table are infinite. Toujours bon appetit!"

"The most important ingredient you can bring to it is love of cooking for its own sake." 

"Our years of teaching cookery have impressed upon us the fact that all too often a debutant cook will start in enthusiastically on a new dish without ever reading the recipe first. Suddenly an ingredient, or a process, or a time sequence will turn up, and there is astonishment, frustration, and even disaster."

*~* Noted! *~*

Next in line for Volume One: Contents. I read about Kitchen Equipment, Definitions, Ingredients, Measures & Temperatures (I really just skimmed these two sections for now),  Cutting and Wines!

I read about Soups, Sauces and Eggs. I thought I would just see a few notes here and there about different techniques. I was wrong. Every little thing is explained with so much detail, I thought my head was going to explode!  This book holds so much information. It is wonderfully overwhelming!

Next step: Where do I begin? 

*~* ThE iNsPiRaTiOn *~*

This morning I watched the movie "Julie & Julia" and instantly became inspired. While it may seem unoriginal, I would really like to cook my way through Julie Child's cookbooks "Mastering The Art Of French Cooking". Today I went to the bookstore and purchased the box set of Julia Child's "Mastering The Art Of French Cooking Volumes One and Two". Standing in line and handing over the money, I doubted the entire idea. However, as soon as I walked out the door with my new purchase a rush of adrenaline surged through my veins and I suddenly had the urge to start skipping to my car! That is when I knew. I knew I should give it a try and do something I love - Cook.

Over the years, I have tried several different career paths. Every course I took and every job I have had lacked any passion on my part. Nothing has seemed to spark an interest in me. The job I currently have is just that - a job. I've thought about taking culinary classes, but I have never followed through. I think the reason is because I'm not a fan of school. I would never want to lose interest in something I love so much.

The kitchen has always been the heart of the household for my family. Growing up, my Mom made home-cooked meals every night. With Frank Sinatra playing, we would sit down for dinner as a family and talk about how our days went. With our busy schedules, the food brought us together as a family. It is a memory I hold dear to my heart.

During my adult years while living with my Dad, he and I would cook dinners together. With a bottle, or two, of wine and Steve Tyrell playing in the background, he and I would make a mess of the kitchen. During a time of transition for us, sharing dinners and long talks was a happy time for me.

When Josh and I moved into our first apartment together, the smell of new recipes cooking made our white-walled apartment into a home. With Jack Johnson playing in the background, I tried many new recipes, introducing Josh to new things, and looked forward to going grocery shopping.

From my childhood to my adulthood, the kitchen has been where the crowd gathers. The kitchen is where ingredients become beautiful dishes; where you give loved ones something to enjoy. Trying a new dish is a way of escaping from the everyday grind.

With Julia Child's cookbook in front of me, I feel alive. On the back of the box, it quotes the editor Judith Jones,

"I've had this French cookbook for Americans for almost two months now, have read it through, tried innumerable recipes (some simple and some challenging), and I think it's not only first-rate but  unique. I don't know of another book that succeeds so well in defining and translating for Americans the secrets of French cuisine. The reason? Because the authors emphasize technique - not the number of recipes they can cram into a volume, or the exotic nature of the dishes. Reading and studying this book seems to me as good as taking a basic course at the Cordon Bleu... I think this book will become a classic."

I will blog about each recipe I try and include photos - for both the exceptional moments and the disappointing moments. I'm very much looking forward to taking part in something I love, challenging myself with new techniques and sharing the end results.