These cookies are essentially chocolate sable cookies accented with some lovely fleur de sel. The recipe says they are the brainchild of French pastry genius. It just so happens that this week we are also talking about good ole’ Pierre in husbands posts on our recent battle brioche. I was excited to make these cookies… Continue reading Chocolate Sable Cookies
Author: Rusty
Making Brioche
I had the opportunity last weekend to finally commit the time required to try out all of their takes on a classic French bread: brioche. I followed their brioche recipes and methods exactly as outlined (except where noted) and then compared the results. In this the first installment, I will discuss a unique brioche recipe.… Continue reading Making Brioche
Duck Consomme with Porcini Mushrooms and More
Sunday dinner. Hopefully the one night where dinner tables around the country and world are filled with families sitting down to a nice meal before everyone heads their separate ways and begins their busy work/school week. Here, we appreciate Sunday’s for another reason: time. I had written the post on duck and wanted to create… Continue reading Duck Consomme with Porcini Mushrooms and More
Sage Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw
I have often leafed through the recipe book book and contemplated making these. However, for the longest time my husband would not eat pork chops. I think he was traumatized by the tasteless rubbery pork chops he ate as a child. However, we have recently begun buying excellent pork chops so he is happy to… Continue reading Sage Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw
Properly Prepare a Duck Consommé
Now, on to the issue of the consommé. A consommé is nothing more than a soup made from clarified stock. It sounds fancy and daunting, but it is really quite a simple process if you remember some basics about stock making. Follow up: For our duck stock we will need: (The first four items are… Continue reading Properly Prepare a Duck Consommé
How to Properly Quarter a Duck
So I’m hoping that my post on the duck has piqued your interest enough to go out and actually pick up a whole bird from your grocery store. Once you’ve got it home, there is the small task of quartering the duck to prepare it for cooking. OK, I know what you are thinking: “Why… Continue reading How to Properly Quarter a Duck
Chocolate Gingerbread with a Hint of Fresh Ginger
This week’s recipe is Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread. I was a little skeptical about this week’s recipe, since I do not really love ginger. I did not use the ginger in syrup, nor did I use any fresh ginger. I intended to use the fresh ginger, but when I cut open my root, it… Continue reading Chocolate Gingerbread with a Hint of Fresh Ginger
Amazing Bavarian Soft Pretzel Recipe
I think this is because it is rare to be able to get bread, even from a bakery, that is as good as bread that you eat straight out of your own oven. Bread and cheese is a match made in heaven. I decided to make some Bavarian soft pretzels and cover them with Gruyere… Continue reading Amazing Bavarian Soft Pretzel Recipe
Utilizing Duck for Cooking
In this installment we will be tackling one of my favorite meals to prepare – duck. In the United States, duck is an often a neglected bird for many home cooks who find the task daunting. As I can attest to from experience, cooking a duck is a luxurious alternative to your usual chicken that… Continue reading Utilizing Duck for Cooking
Mussel Soup with Sausage and Kale
OK, OK. I know you’ve never heard of this recipe, neither did I until I did a literal translation of the ingredients into Italian. I’ve always thought of this soup as an Italian soup because the inspiration for creating it came from Italian wedding soup. They share some common characteristics: both are made with greens… Continue reading Mussel Soup with Sausage and Kale