Have Some Pithivier and Stay Awhile!

I love learning new foodie terms and my latest is "pithivier", which is defined as a round, enclosed pie, usually made with puff pastry. The filling is often a sweet frangipane, but those with savory fillings may also be called pithiviers. It is traditionally finished with a shine to the crust from either an egg wash or a thin layer of carmelized sugar at the end of cooking.

This Pear Pithivier was Robin Levinthal's offering on Top Chef's Restaurant Wars episode last week.

It looks delicious and the judges said it was the best dish Robin had made so far!

Another Contender Gone and a Top Recipe!

And so we said good-bye last night to Top Chef contestant, Ron Duprat.
Ron is an executive chef from Haiti. He cooks with exotic flavors with a Haitian Creole influence.


I liked Ron's big, gruff personality and I was a little sad to see him go. But, the challenge of deconstructing a paella was too much for him, since according to head judge Tom Colicchio he didn't appear to know how to make one to begin with.


Below is one of his recipes. It sounds delicious and not too complicated for a home cook. I think I may try it this weekend in honor of Chef Ron!








Pan Seared Salmon with Spinach and Cannelloni Bean Saute and Citrus Butter

* 8 ounces wild salmon, filleted into 4-ounce portions
* 4 ounces Chablis
* 2 ounces heavy cream
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 lemon, zested and juiced
* 4 ounces spinach, washed and cleaned
* 1 small can cannelloni beans
* 1 clove garlic
* 2 ounces unsalted butter
* Olive oil
* Salt and pepper

1. For citrus butter, reduce Chablis and heavy cream by half with bay leaf and lemon juice. Mount slowly with butter (whisk in cold butter). Strain and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a saute pan, heat 2 ounces olive oil and add salmon seasoned with salt. Cook until golden brown. Remove from pan and let rest.
3, In another saute pan with oil, cook spinach, garlic, and cannelloni beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


To Serve:
1. Using a ring mold, pack spinach-bean mixture onto center of plate. Remove mold.
2. Gently place salmon on top of spinach.
3. Spoon citrus butter sauce over salmon and plate.
4. Garnish with lemon zest and fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

photos and recipe via

Mise En Place (Or Be Prepared)

I confess, I'm a foodie! I love to watch cooking shows of all types. Top Chef is my favorite reality show and the new season has just started. I always learn something when I watch this show. I am seriously thinking of learning French just so I can understand some of the often used culinary terms.

This week's favorite French term is "mise en place", which means "everything in its place." It is used in professional kitchens to refer to ingredients and components set up and prepared in advance of the actual cooking of the dish. Ingredients are measured, washed, chopped and placed in individual bowls. Utensils and equipment are also made ready for use. The purpose is to cut out wasted time when the chef is ready to cook the dish.

The mise en place competition on Top Chef is always fun to watch. The contestants are divided into teams and must tackle each task in a relay race, tasks such as chopping veggies, shucking oysters, beating egg whites, etc.

It's like watching a sporting event, but with food! What could be more fun than that? For a foodie like me, not much!

photo by wickenden

A Mix for Everything?

I've been interested in trying out making mixes to keep on hand for things we cook regularly. I researched some recipes and decided to give it a try this past weekend.

I made Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie mix, enough for 4 or 5 big batches. I made Brownie mix, also enough for 5 batches of brownies. When we are ready to bake these, we will just need to add eggs and butter.

I also made a mixture that is meant to replace cream soup mixes in recipes. It has powdered milk and cornstarch as well as several herbs, dried onions and bouillion in it. I think this will be very convenient to have on hand. I made a potato soup mix that can be prepared one bowl at a time. Should be great for lunches!

And finally, I made a Toffee Coffee mixture that really is very tasty! I sat down with a hot cup after all my hard work!

Fire Up The Grill for A Healthy Meal!

I'm not a vegetarian. But, I'm not a big fan of meat either. I can go long stretches without eating meat and never really miss it. My family, on the other hand, all pretty much expect to see some kind of meat on the menu for dinner every night. Although we do occasionally have a veggies-only dinner, firing up the grill always means it's time to cook meat, chicken or fish. I'm afraid there will be a mutiny if the smell of hickory smoke and charcoal fill the air and no meat appears on their plates when it is time to sit down!
But, look at all these beautiful choices for grilling this summer! It is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate!

The brilliant colors make it clear that there is a huge range of nutrients to be had in these grilled selections!

A little smokiness in tomatoes and asparagus just make them that much more flavorful!

Mushrooms such as portobellos can taste very similar to meat when cooked over hot coals with a little oil or marinade brushed on. Multi-colored peppers remain sweet and a little crisp when lightly grilled!

And now for dessert! These would certainly melt in your mouth for a healthy sweet treat!

I am going to try out an all-veggie and fruit grill night this summer and see what my family thinks. Maybe they will surprise me and love it! But, maybe I will have some burgers waiting in the wings just in case.

Photos by:

woodleywonderworks

mccun934

Tavallai