Les Recettes de Louis la Vache

Pain de Brioche

2008-07-14T16:38:00.015+02:00

Poor Marie. Not only did she lose her head, she is misquoted as having said "S’ils n’ont plus de pain, qu’ils mangent de la brioche."
The word brioche first appeared in print in 1404. This bread is believed to have sprung from une recette normande traditionnelle. It is argued that brioche is probably of a Roman origin, since a very similar sort of sweet holiday bread is made in Romania ("sărălie"). The method of baking it and tradition of using it during holidays resembles the culture surrounding the brioche so much that it is difficult to doubt same origin of both foods. Brioche is often served as a pastry or as the basis of a dessert, with many local variations in added ingredients, fillings and toppings. It is also used with savory preparations, particularly with foie gras, and is used in some meat dishes.

Perhaps the most popular version is Brioche à tête. Today, we will bake a loaf version, using a slow-rise, cool fermentation method. "Louis" lets the dough ferment in the refrigerator twice overnight before a third rise at room temperature on the third day before baking. You can proof the dough quicker than this, but the long, cool fermentation helps develop the flavor and improves the keeping quality. Without further ado,

À table!
Pain de brioche

Oven 350º F (180º C)

INGRÉDIENTS:

1/2 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cool water
7 grams yeast (1 packet)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
17 ounces unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
egg wash (optional)

MÉTHODE:

1) In a small saucepan, scald the milk.
2) Add the butter to the milk, stir until the butter melts, then add the sugar.
3) Set aside, allow to cool to under 100º F (38º C)
4) Allowing time for the milk/butter mixture to cool, pour the water into the mixing bowl of your mixer* fitted with the whisk attachment.
5) Add the yeast. Allow the yeast to soften for five minutes.
6) With the mixer on low speed, blend the yeast into the water.
7) Pour the milk/butter mixture into the mixing bowl and blend.
8) Add 1/2 cup of the flour, continue to blend on low speed.
9) Replace the whisk attachment on the mixer with the dough hook.
10) Add another 1/2 cup of the flour.
11) When that addition of flour is absorbed, with the mixer running, sprinkle the salt over the dough, blend well.
12) Continuing to mix at low speed, gradually add the eggs.
13) Gradually add remaining flour, running the mixer until the dough forms a soft, sticky ball.
14) Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl from time to time.
15) When the dough develops a sheen, the gluten is properly developed. At this point, turn the mixer off and remove the dough hook.
16) Resist the temptation to add more flour. This is a soft, sticky dough. The key is to mix long enough for the dough to develop a sheen, indicating proper gluten development.
17) Scrape the bowl. Oil your hands, coat the dough with the oil, shaping the dough into a ball.
18) Cover the bowl well and place in the refrigerator overnight.
19) The next morning, punch the dough down, cover and refrigerate again until the third morning.
20) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, shape it to fit the pan you've selected to bake it in.
21) Oil the pan, place the dough in it, cover and allow to proof until at least doubled. Because the dough has been refrigerated, it will take a long time for it to 'wake up' and proof.
22) Bake at 350º F (180º C) for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on the pan you've selected. Brush with an egg wash the last ten minutes of baking to give the crust a sheen.
23) When golden brown and you get a hollow sound by thumping on the bottom of the pan, remove the pan from the oven, placing it on a cooling rack.
24) Let the bread cool for at least 10 minutes before depanning. Resist the temptation to cut into it right away! Let it cool until the internal temperature falls below 100º F (37º C) before cutting.

* Assumes a Kitchen Aid mixer
Voici! Bon appétit!

Nôtre premier anniversaire

2008-07-11T18:11:00.001+02:00

Our first anniversary

Clic sur l'image pour l'agrandir

"Louis" and the future Mme. la Vache were introduced by a mutual acquaintance not long after "Louis's" return to California from France - on his birthday actually! "Louis," having been divorced for 28 years really, no longer considered marriage to be an option. Then he met Mme. la Vache!

Mme. la Vache was born and raised in China and had lived in Japan for about 15 years. She had worked as a photographer and journalist for a Tokyo newspaper. She published a novel, written in Mandarin, that became a best-seller in China.

She is a smart, funny, wonderful woman and "Louis" thanks God that she has come into his life. "Louis" says that she is the best thing that ever happened to him!

Today is the first anniversary of "Louis" and Mme. la Vache's civil wedding. Following their civil wedding, "Louis" and Mme. la Vache repeated their vows in a church ceremony on le 4 novembre. ("Louis" says, 'I'm glad she has a sense of humor, otherwise she'd kill me for calling her 'Mrs. Cow!' - and who would blame her?! He fears he'll wind up looking like THIS!. He can get away with it largely only because she doesn't want her name on the blogosphere.)

Le 4 ème Juillet: Colombe, aigle ou dinde ?

2008-07-04T00:01:00.001+02:00

July 4th: Dove, Eagle or Turkey

In "1776", Benjamin Franklin argues that the turkey should be our national bird.
(Hat tip to The Pink Flamingo)

Farms in Berkeley*? The Statue of Liberty in Paris?
(Click to enlarge)
* San Francisco Bay Area readers will understand this reference
Don't forget that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States. Here is a model of "Lady Liberty" in la Seine in Paris, near la tour Eiffel. Gustav Eiffel engineered the supporting structure of "Lady Liberty". French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue and chose its site in New York Harbor.

Flag Day aux Ètats-Unis

2008-06-14T18:22:00.002+02:00

Flag Day in the United States

Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, CA

Aux Ètats-Unis, Flag Day is celebrated on le 14 juin. Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, when the Second Continental Congress on adopted the Stars and Stripes by a resolution passed on le 14 juin 1777. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established le 14 juin as Flag Day; National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress in aout 1949.

"Louis" adapted this history of Flag Day from Wikipedia:

The earliest reference to the suggestion of a "Flag Day" is cited in "Kansas: a Cyclopedia of State History, published by Standard Publishing Company of Chicago in 1912. It credits George Morris of Hartford, Connecticut:
'To George Morris of Hartford, Conn., is popularly given the credit of suggesting "Flag Day," the occasion being in honor of the adoption of the American flag on June 14, 1777. The city of Hartford observed the day in 1861, carrying out a program of a patriotic order, praying for the success of the Federal arms and the preservation of the Union.'

1885

Working as a grade school teacher in Waubeka, Wisconsin, in 1885, Bernard Cigrand held the first recognized formal observance of Flag Day at Stony Hill School in Waubeka. The school has been restored, and a bust of Cigrand also honors him at the National Flag Day Americanism Center in Waubeka.

From the late 1880s on, Cigrand spoke around the country promoting patriotism, respect for the flag, and the need for the annual observance of a flag day on June 14, the day in 1777 that the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes.

He moved to Chicago to attend dental school and, in June 1886, first publicly proposed an annual observance of the birth of the United States flag in an article titled "The Fourteenth of June," published in the Chicago Argus newspaper. In June 1888, Cigrand advocated establishing the holiday in a speech before the "Sons of America," a Chicago group. The organization founded a magazine, American Standard, in order to promote reverence for American emblems. Cigrand was appointed editor-in-chief and wrote articles in the magazine as well as in other magazines and newspapers to promote the holiday.

On the third Saturday in June 1894, a public school children’s celebration of Flag Day took place in Chicago at Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks. More than 300,000 children participated, and the celebration was repeated the next year.

Cigrand became president of the American Flag Day Association and later of the National Flag Day Society, which allowed him to promote his cause with organizational backing. Cigrand once noted he had given 2,188 speeches on patriotism and the flag.

Cigrand lived in Batavia, Illinois, from 1913–1932.

Cigrand generally is credited with being the "Father of Flag Day," with the Chicago Tribune noting that he "almost singlehandedly" established the holiday.

1888

William Kerr, a resident of Collier Township, Pennsylvania, for a number of years, founded the American Flag Day Association of Western Pennsylvania in 1888, and became that organization's national chairman one year later, serving as such for fifty years. He attended President Harry S. Truman's 1949 signing of the Act of Congress that formally established the observance.

1889

In 1889, the principal of a free kindergarten, George Bolch, celebrated the anniversary of the Flag resolution at his New York City school. Soon the State Board of Education of New York, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, and the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution celebrated Flag Day, as well.

1893

In 1893, Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, a descendant of Benjamin Franklin and the president of the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania, attempted to have a resolution passed deeming June 14 as Flag Day. That same year, the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania were responsible for a resolution passed requiring the American flag to be displayed on all Philadelphia's public buildings. In 1937, Pennsylvania became the first state to make Flag Day a legal holiday.

This is Alex, from Guam, standing by the grave of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. Alex's father served as an orderly for Admiral Nimitz in World War II. "Louis" happened upon Alex at the Golden Gate National Cemetery and learned that Alex was looking for Admiral Nimitz's grave. "Louis", knowing where it was, took Alex to it.

France sings for the United States!

Don't miss this! Delightful!

Chocolat à l'ancienne

2008-05-13T14:01:00.013+02:00

Old-fashion Hot Chocolate

Chocolat à l'ancienne with a slice of brioche
The weather forecast calls for today to be very warm, yet this morning, Louis got up craving the chocolat à l'ancienne he has enjoyed at several places in Paris. So, call Louis crazy (Ed: OK, Louis, you're crazy!) but on this warm morning, Louis is posting une recette pour chocolat à l'ancienne, old-fashion hot chocolate. Warning: Nesquick this isn't! Without further ado,
À table!

Chocolat à l'ancienne

INGRÉDIENTS:

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped (Louis likes the Valrhonn\a chocolate)
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons hot water, divided
3 cups hot whole milk
Sugar, to taste
Whipped cream
Chocolate curls

MÉTHODE:

1) Using a double boiler or a heat-safe glass bowl over simmering water, melt the chopped chocolate into ¼ cup of the water. 2) Stir in the 3 tablespoons hot water and milk until the chocolate mixture is smooth.
3) Pour the hot chocolate into cups and add sugar as desired.
4) Garnish each cup with a spoonful of whipped cream and a few chocolate curls.

Voici! Bon appétit!

Plus de recettes for chocoholics:

Pots-de-Crème au Chocolat
Gâteau au Chocolat "Cochon-Qui-Vol"
Tarte au Chocolat Noir

Tarte alsacienne d'oignon

2008-05-04T05:59:00.017+02:00

Alsatian Onion Tarte

This onion tarte is similar to the various quiche recettes Louis has posted, but this tarte does not call for cheese. However, it is une recette that is easy to experiement with. A cook in a mood to experiment could add cheese, for example, Comté or Gruyére. Louis is going to bake this again adding Pipérade.

À table!

Alsatian Onion Tarte

INGRÉDIENTS:

pâte brisée (recette suivante)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped white onions
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

MÉTHODE:

1) Sauté the onions in the butter over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until they turn very soft and translucent.
2) Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C).
3) Fit the pastry into a 10" tarte pan.
4) Sprinkle the onions onto the bottom layer of the pastry.
5) Beat together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
6) Pour the eggs over the onions and bake the quiche for 45-50 minutes, until the eggs are set in the middle.

Cool slightly and serve

Pâte Brisée

Oven preheated to 350º F (180º C )

INGRÉDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 oz. (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter cut into 1/4" cubes
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

MÉTHODE:

1) Prepare a 10" tarte pan, lightly greased with vegetable shortening.*
2) In the bowl of an electric mixer** fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour and salt.
3) Add the cold butter and mix on low speed until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs, about 1 minute.
4) Add the cold water and lemon juice and continue mixing just until large lumps form.
5) Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using your hands, gather the mixture together.
6) Using the heel of your hand, knead the dough gently until it holds together, about 30 seconds.
7) Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
8) After the pâte is thoroughly chilled, turn it out onto a sheet of lightly floured wax paper placed on a work surface.
9) Roll the pâte out to a thickness of 1/8".
10) Place the prepared pan upside down on the rolled-out pâte.
11) Carefully run your hands under the wax paper and flip the pâte and the pan so that the pan is now on the work surface.
12) Press the pâte into the pan and trim excess pâte by running your rolling pin over the diameter of the pan.
13) Using a fork, lightly prick the bottom of the shell.
14) Cover and chill for 1 hour.
15) Bake slightly at 350º F as per the footnote below*** before filling the shell.

* It is best to use vegetable shortening to grease pans because it contains no moisture. This helps insure a clean release from the pan.
** This assumes a Kitchen Aid mixer.
*** Bake the shell in a 350º F oven just until the moisture is driven out, but before the shell browns. This will insure a crisp crust.

Related recettes:

Quiche Lorraine
Quiche avec Oignons et Poivrons
Quiche au Camembert
...and now for dessert!:
Tarte aux Myrtilles Alsacien

Le Premier Mai: Le Muguet Porte Bonheur

2008-05-01T06:43:00.002+02:00

1 May - the Lilly of the Valley brings happiness

Le Premier Mai is La Fête du Muguet in France. The tradition on this day is to give friends and loved ones a little bouquet of muguet, Lilly-of-the-Valley, for wishes of happiness and to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Louis la Vache wishes happiness for all his readers and friends!

Sablés

2008-04-30T05:49:00.014+02:00

Brittany Biscuits

Sablés are French cookies originating in Bretagne, Brittany. These cookies are also known as Biscuits de Bretagne, Brittany Biscuits and in Anglophone countries as French Butter Cookies. The name 'Sablé' is French for "sand", which refers to the sandy texture of this delicate and crumbly shortbread-like cookie. The traditional shape is round shape with fluted edges and the tops of the cookies are usually brushed with an egg wash to give them a shiny appearance. The finishing touch, which makes them instantly recognizable, is to score a criss-cross pattern on the top of each cookie. Butter is what gives these cookies their wonderful flavor so use the best you can afford. (Readers in the U.S. should seek out the Plugra brand of unsalted butter. Plugra is made in the French style. The name is a play on the French plus gras, more fat. Indeed, it is higher in fat and lower in moisture than the typical U.S.-produced butter. Also, it is a sour cream vs. sweet cream butter, which contributes significantly to its superior taste.)

While Sablés are delicious plain, this versatile dough it can be flavored with ground nuts or zests. Sablés can even be sandwiched together with jam or preserves, ganache, or lemon curd.

À table!

Sablés

INGRÉDIENTS:

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
egg yolk for glaze

MÉTHODE:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together.
2. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, beat thoroughly.
3. In a separate bowl, stir and toss together the flour and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until the dough is smooth.
5. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface.
6. Shape the dough into a roll about 1 1/2 " in diameter.
7. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
8. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C) and get out some cookie sheets.
9. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; remove the wrap.
10. With a thin, sharp knife, slice the dough into rounds about 1/3" thick.
11. Place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
12. Score the tops in a criss-cross pattern with a fork.
13. Brush the tops with egg yolk.
14. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly colored around the edges.
15. Transfer to cooling racks.

Voici! Bon appétit!

Calissons

2008-04-26T06:02:00.012+02:00

Calissons – a unique candy made from almond paste, candied melon and citrus, and topped with Royal glaze - are traditionallly associated with Aix-en-Provence. Thus most of the world’s supply of Calissons comes from Aix. Most visitors to Aix come away with a penchant for the distinctive candy. Calissons are almond-shaped and are typically about two inches in length. They have a texture not unlike that of marzipan, but with a fruitier, distinctly melon-like flavor. They’re hard to find aux États-Unis, so taking the time to make Calissons from scratch is worth the effort.

À table!
Calissons

INGRÉDIENTS:

2 oz crystallized melon, diced
1 oz candied orange peel, diced
3 tablespoons Amandine liqueur
3 tablespoons orange flower water
2 eggs, separated
4 oz superfine sugar
3 oz ground almonds
10 oz heavy cream
2 oz superfine sugar
Powdered sugar

MÉTHODE:

1. Soak the melon and orange peel in the Amandine and orange flour water overnight, and then drain. Discard the soaking liquid.
2. Line a tray of oval-shaped candy molds with plastic wrap and set aside.
3. Cream the egg yolks, 4 oz sugar, and ground almonds.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
5. Gently fold the whipped cream and plumped fruits into the egg mixture.
6. Fill candy molds with the nougat batter and freeze until the candies are firm.
7. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, and gradually add the remaining 2 oz of sugar.
8. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe the egg whites onto the paper in the same size and shape of the oval candies.
10. Bake in a 200º F (93º C) oven for 90 minutes, until crisp.
11. Serve each calisson topped with a meringue and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Voici! Bon appétit!

Omelet avec Pipérade et Prosciutto

2008-04-18T06:34:00.020+02:00

Omelete with Pipérade and Prosciutto

Pipérade

Here is a simple omelete avec Pipérade et Prosciutto. Pipérade is a Basque dish typically prepared with onion, sweet peppers, and tomatoes sautéed in olive oil. It may be a main or side dish.

À table!
Omelete avec Pipérade et Prosciutto

Serves 2

Pour l'omelete:
INGRÉDIENTS:

4 large eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
1 Tsp. (or more) olive oil
1 cup Pipérade (la recette ci-dessous)
2 pieces thinly-sliced prosciutto, about 5-6 inches long

MÉTHODE:

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the salt and several grinds of pepper.
2. Stir lightly - just enough to break up the yolks.
3. Set the pan, with about 2 tsps. olive oil in it, over medium-high heat.
4. Add the pipérade, swirl the pan to spread the vegetables and distribute the oil; heat until sizzling.
5. Pour the eggs into the pan and begin stirring the eggs and vegetables continuously with a fork, occasionally shaking the pan.
6. Cook for about 30 seconds or more, stirring, shaking and scraping the sides of the pan to draw the cooked eggs into the center.
7. When all the eggs have started to thicken, clear the eggs from the sides of the pan with a fork and stop stirring.
8. Lay the prosciutto slices across the top of the eggs.
9. Cook for another 30 seconds or so, until the bottom is fully set.
10. At the same time, drizzle a teaspoon or two of olive oil around the outer edge of the eggs and then swirl the pan to make sure the omelet can slide easily.
11. Flip the omelet over with a quick toss of the skillet (or silde it onto a plate and invert it back into the pan, top side down.)
12. Cook the second side for a minute or so to set.
13. Slide the omelet onto the serving plate - or invert it so the prosciutto slices are on top.

Pipérade

INGRÉDIENTS:

Yield: about 2 cups

2 Tsps. olive oil
1 1/4 cups sliced onion (1/4" slices)
2 1/2 cups sliced bell peppers (of different colors, cut into 1/4" strips )
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/4 tsp.salt
freshly ground pepper

MÉTHODE:

1. Sauté the onion slices in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes over medium heat to soften.
2. Stir in the peppers, tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper
3. Sauté for 6-8 minutes more, tossing occasionally, until the peppers are just tender.

Voici! Bon appétit!

More omelet recettes:
Two omelets from Normandy
Omelettes- très français!

Les Boulangeries-Pâtisseries de Paris: Gèrard Mulot

2008-04-14T03:45:00.014+02:00

...and his recette pour Financiers
Gèrard Mulot 76, rue de Seine 75006, Paris
In one corner of the toney VI ième arrondissement, near the beginning of the VII ième arrondissement, and in the shadows of l'église-Saint-Sulpice (the church made famous by Dan Brown's fiction, "The DaVinci Code" in the quartier St.-Germain-des-Près is one of the finest boulangeries-pâtisseries in Paris, Gèrard Mulot. Also nearby is the palais du Luxembourg, home to the French Sénat and surrounded by le jardin du Luxembourg.

Pâtisserie offerings, edible art, at Gèrard Mulot

Born in the Vosges region of northeastern France in 1949, Mulot says simply that pastry captured his imagination because "when I was young, my mother always made me the most delicious cakes." In 1971 he joined Dalloyau, the old-guard Paris chocolatier and pastry house, where, as a floater, he learned every aspect of his métier.

Macarons, varying in size from huge (on the left) to tiny (at the far right) wait temptingly on the top of Mulot's pâtisserie display case

Mulot likes to experiment with flavor combinations, yet refrains from becoming too avant garde. An example of his experimentation is his orange-cinnamon macarons. (Macarons in France (notice the slight difference in spelling), are very different from the coconut macarOOns of the U.S. In France, macarons are little almond meringue sandwiches filled with various flavors of ganache.) The beauty alone of the products in his showcases make a trip to Gèrard Mulot worthwhile, but sampling the offerings here will confirm that the baked goods here taste as good as they look.

Downstairs from the sales area is the workroom, staffed by as many as 15 pâtissiers et boulangers, many of whom began their work day at 3:30 a.m.

While famous for his pâtisserie and for his chocolates (and unlike many pâtisseries), Mulot also produces very fine breads. (The skill set for boulangerie is different than that for pâtisserie, so it is not particularly common to find a shop skilled in both. Gèrard Mulot is one of the exceptions having both very fine pâtisserie et boulangerie.

Examples of Mulot's traiteur offerings

In addition to le pain et la pâtisserie, Mulot offers beautifully-crafted chocolates and a small selection of items found at un traiteur (caterer). There is a tiny coffee bar at the back of the store where you can enjoy a fine espresso along with your choice of treats. One of the more popular of the small treats sold here are financiers, for which Louis la Vache will now give you Gèrard Mulot's own recette.
À table!

Mulot's divine house-made chocolates

Financiers

Oven 450º F (230º C)

Financier molds, greased with vegetable shortening

INGRÉDIENTS:

7 ounces butter (200 grams)
1 1/2 cups sugar (350 grams)
1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour (100 grams)
1/4 cup ground almonds (50 grams)
2 Tablespoons ground hazelnuts (15 grams)
11 egg whites

MÉTHODE:

1. In a small pan, heat the butter just until it begins to brown, remove the pan from the heat.
2. Toast the ground hazelnuts for about 3 minutes - just until the aroma begins to be released, allow to cool.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, blend the sugar, flour, ground almonds and the ground hazelnuts.
4. Add the egg whites to the dry ingredients, and beat until the egg whites incorporate air and the batter becomes somewhat stiff.
5. As the batter stiffens, incorporate the melted butter.
6. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes.
7. Using a small ladle, pour the batter into the greased molds.
8. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
9. After baking, place the financier mold on a cooling rack, allow to cool for 15 minutes before depanning.

Gèrard Mulot's recette for quiche lorraine is HERE.
Voici! Bon appétit!

Deux Recettes Avec Noix de Coco

2008-04-13T04:59:00.019+02:00

Two recipes with Coconut

Congolais

Congolais are often baked in pyramid-shaped molds

What in the U.S. we call "coconut macaroons" in France are called "Congolais," "from the Congo." The French version is more moist and "custardy" than what we call macaroons here, thus Congolais must be baked in a mold. Congolais are very easy to make.

Macarons (note the tiny difference in spelling) in France are little almond meringue sandwiches filled with various flavors such as raspberry, coffee, pistachio, etc. San Francisco Bay Area residents, may find real macarons at the Boulangerie (scroll down) on Pine Street between Fillmore and Steiner in San Francisco. This boulangerie is owned by un vrai français, Pascal Rigo, who is originally from Bordeaux. Stepping into his boulangerie is like stepping into a little corner of la belle France. Another place in the Bay Area where you can find real macarons is Pâtisserie Philippe on Townsend Street, another petit coin de la France in San Francisco.

As you see, macarons are not the same as macarOOns!

À table!
Congolais

• Oven 350º F (180º C)
• greased 24 mini-muffin molds
(Congolais are ideally baked in little pyramid-shaped molds, but Louis la Vache hasn't been able to find them in the U.S. However, he did find them in Paris at Dehillerin, which is near Forum des Halles. The 24 mini-muffin pan will work fine.)

INGRÉDIENTS:

2 cups whole milk. (NOT non-fat or low fat; whole milk works best.)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3 large eggs

MÉTHODE:
1. In a saucepan, heat the milk until just below boiling. Add the vanilla. (For best results, use the Neilsen-Massey Vanilla from Williams-Sonoma.)
2. While the milk is heating, in a large mixing bowl, blend the dry ingredients together.
3. Pour the hot milk mixture into the dry ingredients, stir.
4. Add the eggs, stirring well after each addition.
5. Spoon the mixture into the greased muffin molds.
6. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
7. Cool for 10 minutes on cooling rack before depanning.

Will keep for 3 days at room temperature.

Coconut Chess Pie

Chess Pies originated in the Deep South. There are several versions, coconut, buttermilk and lemon being the most common. How the name originated is uncertain. Here are two stories about how the name “Chess” came about, one probably more accurate, the other (and more fun one) very probably apocryphal.

The more probable origin is that because these pies are made with cream, butter and eggs, they needed to be kept in the “ice chest,” thus the “chest” was contracted to “chess.” The more fun version is that someone walked through the kitchen on a plantation and asked the black cook what she was making. Her reply was “Jes’ pie.”

This pie has always been one of Louis la Vache's favorites. His mother baked this pie and it was always on the table as one of the dessert choices at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The recette below for the crust is not the one Louis's mother used, but it is her recette for the filling you see here.

This pie may be made with a standard 9” deep dish pie shell. Here, however, is a version with a French twist. Rather than the standard pie shell, this version uses a French pâte sucrée. Louis occasionally adds a hint of almond extract to the pâte. The almond is a nice complementary flavor to the coconut, and makes the crust a bit more interesting. Once again,
À table!

Pâte sucrée

Secret du boulanger: Don’t overwork the dough when mixing otherwise it will toughen and shrink in the pan when baking. A secret to obtaining a flaky crust is to keep the temperature of the dough low. If you touch the dough with your hands, hold your hands under running cold water first. This prevents the dough from melting together and being “processed” by your body heat.

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons cold butter
3 tablespoons cold water

MÉTHODE:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt
2. Using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
3. Sprinkle the cold water onto the mixture and toss gently a few times, just until it forms a ball that holds together.
4. Separate the dough into two balls, flatten slightly into thick disk shapes, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for several hours before working with it.
5. While the dough is chilling, place a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper on a work surface.
6. Dust the plastic wrap or wax paper with flour.
7. Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on the floured plastic wrap or wax paper.
8. Roll the dough out to fit in a 9” springform or pie pan.
9. Place a greased pan over the dough.
10. Carefully reach under the plastic wrap or wax paper under the dough with both hands.
11. Flip the dough into the pan. Shape the dough and trim the rim.
12. Set the prepared pasty shell in the refrigerator while preparing the filling - or - to insure a crisper crust that absorbs less of the filling, bake the crust at 350º F (180º C) until it is white, but before it begins to brown.

Filling

Oven 400º F (200º C) - initiallly

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 - 7 oz package coconut
half and half
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 stick of butter at room temperature
2 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 extra large eggs

MÉTHODE:

1. Spread the coconut over the bottom of the prepared pastry shell.
2. Carefully pour half and half over the coconut - just enough to wet the coconut.
3. In a mixer, cream together the butter, flour and sugar.
4. Add the vanilla. (For best results, use the Neilsen-Massey Vanilla from Williams-Sonoma.)
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.
6. Spoon the mixture over the coconut and half and half.
7. Carefully wrap a strip of foil around the top edge of the shell to prevent over-browning.
8. Bake at 400º for ten minutes. Reduce heat to 350º.
9. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes more. The center should test clean with an inserted toothpick.
10. Cool on cooling rack to prevent the bottom of the shell from sweating.

Voici! Bon appétit!

Les fromages de la France: Roquefort

2008-04-05T23:48:00.035+02:00

The cheeses of France: Roquefort

Les fromages de la France - la série:
Camembert
Brie
Pont l'Évêque
Comté

There is no doubt that Roquefort ranks (along with Brie and Camembert) as one of the three most famous fromages de la France. The name is derived from the Occitan word ròcafòrt. (Occitan is a Romance language spoken in Southern France and pockets of Italy and Spain. Rare now, Occitan, la langue d'oc, once was a strong competitor to la langue d'oïl, the dialect spoken around Paris and northern France.)

In keeping with its Occitan-derived name, Roquefort is produced in the south of France. It is an unpasteurized ewe's-milk blue-veined cheese and is one of the world's greatest blue cheeses, along with bleu d'Auvergne, Stilton and Gorgonzola. The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (A.O.C.) law dictates that only those cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon may bear the name Roquefort, as it is a recognized geographical area. Advocates for Roquefort compete with the advocates for the Italian Parmigiano Reggiano, the French Brie de Meaux and Époisses de Bourgogne, and the advocates for the English Stilton cheeses for the title "King of Cheeses".

Roquefort is white, crumbly and slightly moist, with distinctive veins of blue mold. It has a characteristic odor and flavor with a notable taste of butyric acid; the blue veins provide a sharp tang. The overall flavor sensation begins slightly mild, then becomes sweet, then smoky, fading to a salty finish. It has no rind; the exterior is edible and slightly salty. A typical wheel of Roquefort weighs between 2.5 and 3 kilograms (5 - 6 pounds), and is about 10 cm (4") thick. Each kilogram of finished cheese requires about 4.5 litres of milk making Roquefort high in protein and minerals, especially calcium - and high in fat.

Legend has it that the cheese was discovered when a young shepherd, eating his lunch of bread and ewes' milk cheese, saw a beautiful girl in the distance. Abandoning his meal in a nearby cave, he ran to meet her. When he returned a few months later, the Penicillium roqueforti mold had transformed his plain cheese into Roquefort.

Cheese similar in style to Roquefort is mentioned in literature as far back as AD 79, when Pliny the Elder remarked upon its rich flavor. In 1411 Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of the cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon as they had been doing for centuries. Cheesemaking colanders have been discovered among the region's prehistoric relics.

In 1925 the cheese was the first recipient of France's Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée designation when the regulations controlling its production and naming were defined. A landmark ruling in 1961 by the Tribunal de Grande Instance at Millau decreed that although the method for the manufacture of the cheese could be followed across the south of France, only those whose ripening occurred in the natural caves of Mont Combalou in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon were permitted to bear the name Roquefort.

The Penicillium roqueforti mold that gives Roquefort its distinctive character is found in the soil of the local caves. Traditionally the cheesemakers extracted it by leaving bread in the caves for six to eight weeks until it was consumed by the mold. The interior of the bread was then dried to produce a powder. The mold is now typically produced in a laboratory, which allows for greater consistency. The mold may either be added to the curd, or introduced as an aerosol, through holes poked in the rind.

Roquefort is made entirely from the milk of the Lacaune, Manech and Basco-Béarnaise breeds of sheep. Prior to the A.O.C. regulations of 1925 a small amount of cows or goats milk was sometimes added.

The cheese is produced throughout the département de Aveyron and part of the nearby départements de Aude, Lozère, Gard, Hérault et Tarn. This area of France is notable for its limestone geology, which dictates what species of grass and wildflowers grow upon it, and thus influences the taste of the milk.

The départements producing Roquefort. Note Languedoc which derives its name from la langue d'oc, discussed briefly above. Oc is Occitan for "yes," so the name translates literally as "the language of yes." The "cit" in the name Occitan is the root for the English "city".

The largest producer, accounting for 60% of production, is la Société des Caves de Roquefort, which holds several caves and opens its facilities to tourists. They market their cheese under the label Société Roquefort. Roquefort Papillon (Butterfly) is another well-known brand. The five other producers, each holding only one cave, are: Carles, Gabriel Coulet, Fromageries occitanes, Vernières et Le Vieux Berger. Production of all brands in 2005 totaled 18,830 tons, (about three million cheeses) making Roquefort, after Comté, France's second most popular cheese.

Société Roquefort: this brand accounts for 60% of Roquefort production.

The A.O.C. regulations that govern the production of Roquefort include:
• All milk used must be delivered at least 20 days after lambing has taken place.
• The addition of rennet must occur within 48 hours of milking.
The Penicillium roqueforti used in the production must be produced in France from the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.
• The salting process must be performed using dry salt.
• The whole process of maturation, cutting, packaging and refrigeration of the cheese must take place in the commune of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.

As with the other parts in this series on les fromages de la France, Louis la Vache will now give you une recette, this one naturellement using Roquefort.

À table!

Poulet avec de la sauce à roquefort et à ail
Chicken with Roquefort-Garlic Sauce

INGRÉDIENTS:

for chicken:
9 skinless chicken pieces
9 - 12 strips bacon
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, whole
olive oil as needed

for Roquefort-Garlic sauce:
2 Tablespoons garlic puree
1 wedge roquefort cheese, crumbled
3 Tablespoons crème fraîche
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste

MÉTHODE:

1. Wrap skinned chicken pieces with bacon and secure with toothpicks.
2. In a large oven-proof pan with a lid, heat the garlic cloves in olive oil. (Do not brown the cloves, but heat them enough to impart their flavor into the oil.)
3. Remove garlic cloves and save.
4. Rub the chicken with salt and pepper and sear chicken in olive oil until golden brown.
5. Stir in the sliced onions and the garlic cloves.
6. Cover pan and place in 350º F (180º C) oven for 1 hour.
7. When the chicken is done, remove the pan from the oven, then remove the chicken to a dish; leave the oil and juices in the pan.

Roquefort-Garlic Sauce:

SAUCE:

1. Heat garlic puree gently in 1/3 cup olive oil in the pan (do not brown).
2. Add the crumbled wedge of Roquefort.
3. Add the crème fraîche
3. Stir until the cheese is melted.
4. From the pan used to cook the chicken, skim the fat, and strain the pan juices of the bacon and chicken.
5. Add to the sauce and mix well while reheating.

Serve sauce with the baked chicken.

Voila! Bon appétit!

Plus de recettes en utilisant le Roquefort

Flan au Roquefort
Hamburgers avec buerre Roquefort

Recettes classiques de la cuisine française: Coq-au-vin

2008-03-31T09:53:00.014+02:00

Classic recipes of the French kitchen: Coq-au-vin
Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms and Bacon
Une vendeuse de volaille, poultry seller, at the market in Antony on the southwest side of Paris.
Louis la Vache will share with you aujord'hui la recette pour le cog-au-vin de nôtre dame de la poche, "Our Lady of the Ladle," Julia Child.

Occasionally you will find this recette classique de la cuisine française made with white wine (for example reisling from the Alsace region) but most commonly it is made with vin rouge. In the French countryside, coq-au-vin is often made with older roosters because they contain a lot of connective tissue, which creates a richer broth when cooked. In France it is usually accompanied only by parsley potatoes; buttered green peas could be included if you wish a green vegetable. For 4 - 6 people.

À table!

Coq-au-vin

INGRÉDIENTS:

3-4 oz piece of salt pork or unsliced bacon
2 Tablespoons butter
2 1/2-3 lb. frying chicken, cut up.
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup cognac
3 cups of a full-bodied red wine
1-2 cups beef bouilon
1/2 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
12 - 24 brown braised pearl onions
1/2 lb. sautéed mushrooms
3 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons butter, softened

MÉTHODE:

1. Remove the rind of the salt pork (or uncut bacon) and slice it into lardons, rectangles 1/4" across and 1 inch long.
2. Simmer the lardons in a pan holding 2 quarts of water for ten minutes.
3. Rinse the lardons in cold water and dry them.
4. Place the lardons in a heavy 10" casserole.
5. Sauté the lardons in the first 2 Tablespoons of butter until they are very lightly browned.
6. Remove the lardons to a side dish, leaving the butter and rendered fat in the casserole.
7. Dry the chicken thoroughly.
8. Brown it in the fat left in the casserole.
9. Season the chicken with the salt and black pepper.
10. Return the lardons to the casserole with the chicken.
11. Cover and cook slowly (300º F/150º C) for ten minutes, turning the chicken once.
12. Uncover, pour in the cognac.
13. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match, shaking the casserole back and forth a few times until the flames subside.
14. Pour the wine into the casserole.
15. Add just enough bouillon to cover the chicken.
16. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs.
17. Bring to a simmer.
18. Cover and simmer slowly for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork.
19. Remove the chicken to a side dish.
20. While the chicken is cooking prepare the pearl onions and the mushrooms.
21. Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for a minute or two, skimming off fat.
21. Raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups.
22. Remove from heat, discard the bay leaf.
23. Blend the second 2 Tablespoons of butter and the flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manié).
24. Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whisk.
25. Bring to a simmer, stirring for a minute or two. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
26. Arrange the chicken in the casserole.
27. Place the mushrooms and onions around the chicken and baste with the sauce.

Note: If the dish is not to be served immediately, film the top of the sauce with bouillon and dot it with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered. It can now wait indefinitely. Shortly before serving, bring to a a simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, until the chicken is hot through.

Voici! Bon appétit!

Voyez également:
Bouillon de Volaille "Marie-Antoinette"
Torte de Noix de Pécan avec Moka Crème

Nouveau blog des photos par Louis la Vache.

2008-03-27T20:50:00.003+01:00

Louis la Vache has begun a new photo blog: San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

"Aile et voile" par l'épose de Louis la Vache
Here's a recap of the first eight posts:
1. Maundy Thursday, le 20 mars "Claire de lune"
2. Good Friday, le 21 mars "0630 heures"
3. Holy Saturday, le 22 mars "Vapeur et voile"
4. Easter Sunday, le 23 mars "La lune au dessous le pont Oakland-San Francisco Bay"
5. Lundi, le 24 mars "Le pont Oakland-San Francisco Bay au jour"
6. Mardi, le 25 mars "Le pont Oakland-San Francisco Bay la nuit"
7. Mercredi, le 26 mars "Aile et voile"
8. Jeudi, le 27 mars"Encore le pont Oakland-San Francisco Baie"

Recette pour Pâques : Jambe d'agneau Provençal

2008-03-19T19:09:00.013+01:00

Recipe for Easter: Rotisserie Leg of Lamb
UPDATE and CORRECTION! Louis la Vache, not being a native francophone, sometimes makes errors in his use of la langue française. A case in point is his use of "jambe d'agneau". Louis had an unease about using the word jambe, but couldn't remember the correct term (if he was, in fact, wrong) and no native French speaker was available to ask when he wrote the post. He was kindly corrected by Alex, who writes Marseille Daily Photo.

Alex wrote:
"Is it very reasonable for a cow to cook lamb ??
In french, we say 'gigot d'agneau"' for 'Leg of Lamb'.
"Jambe d'agneau" is a very funny expression for us!!"

If any of you readers find that Louis has made a mistake in his use of la langue française, PLEASE do not hesitate to correct him! He appreciates your corrections very much!

The slow roasting on the rotisserie makes the leg of lamb self-basting and absolutely delicious.

À table!

Jambe d'agneau Provençal

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 boneless leg of lamb (about 6 pounds) trimmed
1 cup dry red wine
1 small onion, chopped
4 plum or roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh rosemary
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

MÉTHODE:

1) Combine everything (except the lamb) in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2) Place leg of lamb in a large dish and cover with marinade mixture.
3) Coat the lamb evenly with the mariande, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
4) Remove lamb from marinade and set aside.
5) Pour marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil for one minute.
6) Remove the marinade from heat. Set aside.
7) Roll and tie the leg of lamb.
8) Place the leg of lamb on a rotisserie skewer, careful to make sure it is tightly secured and balanced.
9) Place on grill over indirect, medium heat and grill until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145º F (63º C).
10) Baste with reserved marinade every 20 to 30 minutes. A 6 pound leg will take between 1 1/2 and 2 hours.
11) When done, remove from grill and skewer. Set aside and allow to rest for abut 20 minutes. Carve and serve.

Voici! Bon appétit!

Le mois du Macaron!

2008-03-04T04:51:00.003+01:00

The month of the macaron!

Louis la Vache discovered at the blog Chocoholic that mars est le mois du macaron! Louis adore les macarons! See Louis's histoire des macarons. Louis reminds his readers aux États-Unis that macarons are not the same as Coconut MacaroOns!.

San Francisco Bay Area residents can get their macaron fix at Pâtisserie Philippe.

Les fromages de la France: Comté

2008-03-03T06:52:00.012+01:00

The Cheeses of France: Comté

Les fromages de la France - la série:
Camembert
Brie
Pont l'Évêque

Comté is a French cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France.
Comté has the highest production figures of all French Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) cheeses. Production totals around 40,000 tons annually.

Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC), "controlled term of origin" is the French certification granted to certain French geographical areas for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO). The name Comté is French for 'county', and the cheese is named after the Franche-Comté region.

Franche-Comté

The cheese is made in flat circular discs, each between 40 and 70 centimetres in diameter, and around 10 centimetres in height. Each weighs up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds). The fat content is around 45%. The rind is usually a dusty-brown color, and the internal pâte is a pale creamy yellow. The texture is relatively hard and flexible, and the taste is mild, slightly sweet, and "nutty." Comté is very similar to the Swiss-made Gruyére.

The manufacture of the cheese began as early as le XII ème siècle. Shepherds would spend the summer months in their remote huts of the Jura massif. The distance from towns of any size meant that any cheese they made would need to mature over a period of months. The milk was pooled between neighboring shepherds, and the cheeses were stored until being carried to market at the end of the season.

As summer ended, so did production of Comté, with the cows' milk instead being used to make Vacherin Mont d'Or. Eight départements, each of which surrounds Franche-Comté, are now entitled to produce the cheese. The eight départements include parts of Bourgogne, Rhône-Alpes et Lorraine.

To make the cheese, milk is poured into large copper vats where it is gently warmed. Rennet is added, causing the milk to coagulate. The curds are then cut into tiny white grains that are then stirred before being heated again for 30 minutes. The contents are then placed into molds and the whey is pressed out. After several hours the mold is opened and left to mature in cellars, first for a few weeks at the dairy, and then over several months in curing/storage facility. Comté is aged 6 months to a year, whereas Swiss Gruyère is sometimes only aged for 3 months. Each cheese takes up to 600 litres (158.5 gallons) of milk to produce.

The manufacture of Comté has been controlled by AOC regulations since it became one of the first cheeses to receive AOC recognition in 1958, with full regulations introduced in 1976. The AOC regulations state that:
• Only milk from Montbéliard cows are permitted, and each must have at least a hectare of grazing.
• The cows may only be fed fresh, natural feed, with no silage.
• The milk must be transported to the site of production immediately after milking.
• Renneting must be carried out within a stipulated time after milking, according to the storage temperature of the cheese.
• The milk may be heated to no more than 40º C (104º F).
• Salt may only be applied directly to the surface of the cheese.
• A casein label containing the date of production must be attached to the side of the cheese, and maturing must continue for at least four months.

Each cheese is awarded a score out of 20 by inspectors, according to 'overall appearance' (1 mark), 'quality of rind' (1.5), 'internal appearance' (3.5), 'texture' (5), and taste (9). Those scoring 15 or above are given green casein labels (with the characteristic image of a bell), with 12-15 being given red labels. Any cheese scoring under 3 marks for taste, or under 12 overall is prohibited from being named Comté.

Comté is one of the most popular cheeses in France - it is as ubiquitous in French kitchens as cheddar is in American kitchens. No grated cheese may be sold under the Comté name.

No article about food at The Frog Blog is complete without une recette, so Louis la Vache offers you this recette pour quiche avec oignons et poivrons.

À table!

Quiche avec Oignons et Poivrons

INGRÉDIENTS:

pâte brisée (recette suivante)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cups sliced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup (packed) grated Comté cheese
3 large eggs
1 cup milk

MÉTHODE:

1) Preheat oven to 375º F (190º C)
2) Place the pâte brisée on a baking tray.
3) Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat and wait about 2 minutes.
4) Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion, saute for 5 minutes, and then add the salt, thyme, sage, and mustard.
5) Cover the pan, lower the heat, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6) Stir the balsamic vinegar and bell pepper into the onions, turn the heat up to medium, and cook, uncovered, for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
7) Sprinkle the Comté cheese into the pâte brisée, then spoon the onion-pepper mixture on top of the cheese.
8) Whisk together the eggs, milk, and black pepper to taste, and slowly pour this over the vegetables and cheese.
9) Bake on the baking tray in the lower third of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the custard is set. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing, and serve at any temperature.

Pâte Brisée

Oven preheated to 350º F (180º C )

INGRÉDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 oz. (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter cut into 1/4" cubes
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

MÉTHODE:

1) Prepare a 9" diameter deep-dish pan, lightly greased with vegetable shortening.*
2) In the bowl of an electric mixer** fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour and salt.
3) Add the cold butter and mix on low speed until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs, about 1 minute.
4) Add the cold water and lemon juice and continue mixing just until large lumps form.
5) Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using your hands, gather the mixture together.
6) Using the heel of your hand, knead the dough gently until it holds together, about 30 seconds.
7) Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
8) After the pâte is thoroughly chilled, turn it out onto a sheet of lightly floured wax paper placed on a work surface.
9) Roll the pâte out to a thickness of 1/8".
10) Place the prepared pan upside down on the rolled-out pâte.
11) Carefully run your hands under the wax paper and flip the pâte and the pan so that the pan is now on the work surface.
12) Press the pâte into the pan and trim excess pâte by running your rolling pin over the diameter of the pan.
13) Using a fork, lightly prick the bottom of the shell.
14) Cover and chill for 1 hour.
15) Bake slightly at 350º F as per the footnote below*** before filling the shell.

* It is best to use vegetable shortening to grease pans because it contains no moisture. This helps insure a clean release from the pan.
** This assumes a Kitchen Aid mixer.
*** Bake the shell in a 350º F oven just until the moisture is driven out, but before the shell browns. This will insure a crisp crust.

Voici! Bon appétit!

Vraie pâtisserie française - dans San Francisco - Pâtisserie Philippe!

2008-02-27T17:03:00.015+01:00

Real French pastry - in San Francisco: Pâtisserie Philippe!
Philippe Delarue, owner of and maître pâtissiere at Pâtisserie Philippe

Although we'd all love to go to Paris for many reasons, one reason Louis la Vache loves Paris is because of the fabulous pâtisseries that can be found there. Alas, we may not be able to go to Paris at the moment, but San Francisco Bay Area residents can step into a little corner of Paris by visiting Patisserie Philippe at 655 Townsend Street in The City. This little corner of la belle France is adjacent to the burgeoning SOMA Mission Bay development. (SOMA = South of Market Street for you Aüslanders - to throw a bit of allemand into the mix here!)

Pâtisserie that tastes as good as it looks! In the photo below is Philippe's "Queens Cake."

The owner of the eponymous Pâtisserie Philippe is Philippe Delarue. (The name translates as "of the street.") Philippe was born and schooled in Le Mans. He did an apprenticeship first in cooking, then in pâtisserie. From Le Mans, he went to Paris where he worked at the world-famous Établissement Lenôtre.

The savory case - sandwiches, Croque Monsieur, quiche, and salads.

In French baking, there is a distinction between boulangeries and pâtisseries, and this distinction is important in understanding Philippe's self-appointed mission. A boulangerie typically emphasizes bread and related products, with very little emphasis on pâtisserie. Boulangeries that also offer pâtisserie typically offer pâtisserie rustique. A Bay Area example of this is Pascal Rigo's Boulangerie on Pine Street just off Fillmore in San Francisco.

Heavenly clouds of meringue

On the other hand is the pâtisserie, which focuses on artisan pastry making, placing very little emphasis on bread. There is a practical reason for this: boulangerie requires one skill set; pâtisserie another. Thus at Pâtisserie Philippe, you will find baguettes, but very few other bread items. Instead, just as if you had walked into Gérard Mulot in the shadows of Saint-Sulpice in the VI ème arrondissement of Paris, at Pâtisserie Philippe you will find displays of some of the most beautiful pâtisserie you can imagine. And best of all, Philippe's pâtisserie tastes as wonderful as it looks!

Financiers, Philippe's sinfully-good version of the All-American Chocolate Chip cookie, brioche and other treats near the cash register

Philippe, having a strong wanderlust, realized that as a maître pâtissiere with experience at Lenôtre on his résumé, he could find work anywhere in the world. From Paris, he went to Londres, Montreal, Florida, New York City, Boston and New Orleans before landing in San Francisco. About San Francisco, Philippe says, "I love it here. The people, the city, the weather, the scenery. I love everything about The City."

Viennoisserie (croissants and their relatives) along with Bostock, Pithiviers and other items are below the meringues.

When he moved here seven years ago, Philippe worked at Pascal Rigo's Boulangerie where, most often, he found himself making macarons. There he realized "it was time to open my own shop as I knew i could offer to the San Franciscan something I didn't see in The City at the time: really truly French pastries, and the quality, not the quantity or mediocre pastries. I thrive on doing my best and keeping the quality and being always consistent. Probably my favorite thing to bake is macarons. You can be very creative and there are no limits." Philippe has just added a macaron avec cassis to his offerings. Louis la Vache attests to it's qualité!

Pâtisserie Philippe opened on le 26 mars 2007. Bay Area residents hungry for a little taste of France will be well-pleased by a visit to 655 Townsend Street!

Philippe was kind enough to share with us his recette for a popular morning treat at his shop: bostock. Bostock would remind nous américains of what we call "French toast."
A slice of Bostock reposes on a table by the lillies, not realizing that it is about to be devoured by a hungry Louis la Vache!

À table!

Bostock

Oven/four: 370º F/185º C

INGRÉDIENTS:

6 3/4" thick slices day-old Brioche loaf
Syrup (recette suivante
Almond crème (recette aussi suivante)
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
powdered sugar

MÉTHODE:

1) Slice the day-old brioche loaf into slices about 3/4" thick.
2) Soak the slices in slightly-warmed syrup.
3) Spread the almond crème over one side of each of the syrup-soaked slices of brioche.
4) Next, cover the brioche with the sliced almonds.
5) Dust generously with powdered sugar.
6) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7) Place the slices on the baking sheet and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Bostock is best enjoyed slightly warm.

Syrup:
Boil together 3 cups of water, 3 cups of sugar and add 1 Tablespoon Orange Blossom water.

Almond Crème:

Ingrédients:

4 oz. butter
4 oz. sugar
4 oz. almond meal
pinch of salt
2 whole eggs
2 Tablespoons corn starch

Méthode:

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, almond meal, salt and cornstarch. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.

Voici! Bon appétit!

Ratatouille Niçoise

2008-02-24T19:24:00.010+01:00

Ratatouille "on the hoof," so to speak (please forgive Louis la Vache for using that term), at the market at Antony, southwest of Paris.

Ratatouille Niçoise is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating (as the name implies) in Nice. The dish, already popular, became even more so as a result of the Pixar movie of the same name.

The word ratatouille comes from touiller, which means to toss food, an appropriate name as the ingredients are tossed into the pan . Originally ratatouille was a dish for poor farmers, prepared in the summer with fresh vegetables. The original ratatouille niçoise used only courgettes (zucchini), tomatoes, poivrons (bell peppers), onion, and garlic. Most modern versions add aubergine (eggplant) to that mixture.

In France ratatouille is usually served as a side dish, but also may be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by rice, or une baguette). Ratatouille can be used as a filling for savory crêpes or in an omelette.

There are variations of ratatouille in other cuisines. American chef Thomas Keller, owner of The French Laundry restaurant in California's Napa Valley, served as food consultant to the Pixar film, "Ratatouille." The film's producer, Brad Lewis, spent two days in the kitchen of Keller's restaurant. Lewis asked Keller how he would cook ratatouille if the most famous food critic in the world were to visit his restaurant. In a moment of inspiration, Keller fanned the vegetables in a high sculptural form with a palette knife. The dish became the focus of the climactic scene in the film.

In Keller's version, a pipérade is made of peeled, finely chopped, and reduced bell peppers, yellow onions, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. The pipérade is spread thin in a baking tray or casserole dish, then layered on top with evenly-sized thinly-sliced rounds of zucchini, yellow squash, Japanese eggplant, and roma tomatoes, covered in parchment paper, then baked slowly for several hours to steam the vegetables. The parchment is removed so that the vegetables may be roasted. To serve, the pipérade is formed into a small mound, and the vegetable rounds arranged in a fanned-out pattern to cover the pipérade base and a balsamic vinaigrette is drizzled on the plate.

Thomas Keller's version of ratatouille.

Without further ado,
À table!

Ratatouille

INGRÉDIENTS

2 1 lb. eggplants, cut into cubes
1 ¾ teaspoons plus ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
2 ½ lbs. peeled fresh tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup loosely packed, chopped fresh basil
¾ cup loosely packed, chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 ½ lbs. white onions, thinly sliced
3 red or yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 lbs. zucchini, cut lengthwise and then into ½-inch slices
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon herbes de provençe

MÉTHODE

1) Place a single layer of paper towels on 2 large plates.
2) Place the cubed eggplant onto the plates and sprinkle with 1 ¾ teaspoon salt. Allow the eggplant to sit for 20 minutes.
3) In a large saucepan, cook the tomatoes, garlic, black pepper, basil, and parsley, uncovered, over medium heat.
4) In a large skillet, sauté the onions and bell peppers in a small amount of olive oil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very lightly browned. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the browned vegetables to the tomato mixture.
5) Pat the eggplant dry with a fresh paper towel and add it, along with the zucchini to the tomato mixture.
6) Cover the pot and cook the stew over low-medium heat for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
7) Add the white wine, the herbes de provençe and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Makes 12 servings.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

Gâteau "velours-rouge" pour le jour de Valentine

2008-02-13T04:20:00.001+01:00

Gâteau au Yaourt

2008-02-03T09:05:00.000+01:00

Yogurt Cake

Une recette pour Gâteau au Yaourt is a found in almost every cuisine française, French kitchen. Il est très facile de faire, very easy to make, and it is enjoyed by the young, the old, and everyone in between. The key to its simplicity is it uses a pot de yaourt, a tub of yogurt, and the empty tub becomes the measure for the rest of the ingredients. This no-scale recipe is a notable exception to the normal méthode française, in which quantities are measured by weight rather than volume.

Gâteau au Yaourt is very popular with kids, who love a simple, moist and fluffy cake. But what they especially like is that they can make it almost entirely on their own. None of the steps are difficult, none of the ingredients are weighed, and with the intensive sandbox training kids have, they are usually experts at the emptying and filling of small-sized containers.

The basic recette pour gâteau au yaourt lends itself to many variations. You can add citrus zest or peel for a tasty lemon or orange cake, you can add nuts to the batter, you can slice the baked cake in two and spread a layer of jam in the middle, you can add fresh raspberries or blueberries to the batter, you can add a (drained) can of sliced pears - whatever strikes your fancy.

Without further ado,
À table!

INGRÉDIENTS:

2 tubs of plain yogurt (125 ml each, the French standard; U.S. readers: 125 ml = slightly more than 4 ounces. The closest U.S. equivalent size is the 113 ml tub from Dannon (Danone in Europe), such as in their "Activa" line.)
2 tubs sugar
1/2 tub vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tubs sifted flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3 eggs

MÉTHODE:

1) Preheat oven to 350º (180º C)
2) Generously grease and flour a 9" (22 cm) round cake pan. (For the photo, Louis la Vache used a fluted quiche pan.)
3) In a large mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, the oil and the sugar with a wooden spoon.
4) Stir in the vanilla.
5) Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
6) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
7) Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 or 4 additions, stirring until just combined. (Like a muffin, pancake or waffle batter, you don't want to over-mix.)
8) Pour the batter into the cake pan.
9) Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, until the top springs back from a light touch or a toothpick comes out clean.
10) Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack, wait at least 10 minutes before depanning.
11) Dust with powdered sugar if you wish for a little garnish.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

Nôtre mariage dans l'église 4 novembre 2007

2008-02-01T15:53:00.001+01:00

Our church wedding, 4 November 2007
Zion Lutheran Church, Piedmont, CA

Clic sur les images pour les agrandir.

Although Yuna and I were married in a civil ceremony on le 11 juillet, we wanted a "real" wedding dans une église. We assembled components of the historic Lutheran liturgy around a theme of carrying the Gospel to the four corners of the earth. (Matthew 28:19) Accordingly, the Gospel lesson was read in the four languages we speak: English by Pastor Aldrich, in Mandarin and Japanese by two of Yuna's friends et en français par un de mes amis française.

More images and text HERE.

Gougères

2008-01-20T08:04:00.000+01:00

In French cuisine, a gougère is a savory pâte de choux with cheese. Grated cheese may be mixed into the batter, cubes of cheese may be pushed into the top, or both. Gougères are sometimes called cheese puffs en anglais.

Gougères can be made as small, finger-sized pastries, or filled with ingredients such as mushrooms, beef, or ham. In the latter case, the gougère is usually made using a ring or pie tin. Traditionally, gougères are made with Gruyère, but other cheeses are sometimes used. Gougères are a specialty of Bourgogne.

À table!

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 cup water

8 tablespoons butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 ½ cups Gruyere cheese, shredded

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon black pepper

MÉTHODE:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2) In a large saucepan, bring water, butter, and salt to a rapid, rolling boil. Make sure all the butter is melted, and then add flour.

3) Stir the mixture for 20-30 seconds, until a sticky dough ball forms and begins pulling away from the sides of the pan.

4) Reduce heat to low-medium heat and cook, stirring, for 90 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes.

5) Beat in eggs, one at a time, along with cheeses and seasonings.

6) Place heaping teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets 1 inch apart.

7) Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, for 25-30 minutes. The gougeres are done when they are a deep golden brown and puffed. Serve immediately.

Makes 10 servings.

Note for San Francisco Bay Area readers: If you don't want to make your own gougéres, you can order them from Pâtisserie Philippe, 655 Townsend Street, San Francisco, 94103 ~ 415.558.8016. Philippe's version is quite tasty! He adds chopped fresh herbs to the pastry.

La fête de l'Épiphanie

2008-01-06T03:30:00.000+01:00

The Feast of the Epiphany

La fête de l'Épiphanie on le 6 janvier is the twelfth and last day of Christmas. The feast marks the visit of the magi to the Christ child as recorded in Matthew's Gospel. (Matthew 2:1-12) In France, l'Épiphanie is celebrated with a meal that is the rival of the Christmas feast or le réveillon of New Year's day. The traditional dessert served at le repas de l'Épiphanie is la galette des rois. La galette consists of two circles of pâte feuilletée filled with frangipane or almond-flavored crème pâtissiere - or a combination of the two.

La Galette à Chez la Vache. To the surprise of no one (except peut-être herself) Yuna found le feve under her tranche de la galette.

La galette is both a pastry delight and a fun game of chance. La galette is presented at the table by the host(ess) with a crown on top. The host(ess) has hidden une fève under some portion (other than the center) of the cake. The crown is set aside and la galette is cut and served to the guests. The guest who gets the slice with la fève in it is presented with the crown to wear and thus becomes the Queen or King for the day. It's all great fun and a properly made galette des rois makes a most enjoyable dessert.

À table!
La recette est ici.

Related post:

Une autre brève histoire de la galette des Rois

Note for San Francisco Bay Area readers: If you don't want to make your own galette, you can order one from Pâtisserie Philippe, 655 Townsend Street, San Francisco, 94103 ~ 415.558.8016. Les galettes are so popular with Philippe's customers that he offers them all the way to le 31 janvier!

Joyeux anniversaire à Yuna

2007-11-01T13:34:00.001+01:00

Aujourd'hui est l'anniversaire de Yuna, la belle épouse de Louis la Vache!
Joyeux anniversaire, Yuna!
Je t'aime!

Gâteau Blanc Classique

2007-10-11T06:27:00.000+02:00

Classic White Cake

The type of cake in this recette is very rare in France. This is a classic Américain-style layer cake. Les Américains translate gâteau as "cake," but the layer cake so common aux États-Unis is not typical of baking en la belle France. A more typical gâteau français is something like gâteau Basque. Without further ado,
À table!

Classic White Cake

Four préchauffé à 180º C / Oven preheated to 350º F

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 cup whole milk, room temperature
3/4 cup egg whites (about 6 large or 5 extra large), room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
Butter frosting (la recette suit)
Raspberry-Almond filling (la recette suit)
Almond garnish

MÉTHODE:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, preheat oven to 350º
2. Generously grease 2 9" cake pans. Line them with wax paper, grease the wax paper. Dust pans with flour, tap out excess.
3. Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into a 2 cup glass measure and mix with a fork until well-blended.
4. Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed.
5. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery ingredients remaining.
6. Add all but 1/2 cup of the milk mixture to the crumbs and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes
7. Add remaining milk mixture and beat for another 30 seconds.*
8. Stop mixer, scrape sides of bowl.
9. Return mixer to medium speed and beat for 20 seconds longer.
10. Divide batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans, using a spatula to distribute the batter.
11. Arrange the pans in the oven at least 3" apart and 3" from the oven walls. (If the oven is small, place pans on separate racks in staggered fashion to allow for air circulation.
12. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
13. Let the cakes rest in the pans for 3 minutes.
14. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife and invert onto greased cooling racks and remove the pans.
15. Let the cakes cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
16. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting and filling.

* A word of caution about beating the batter. If you use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, it is easy to overbeat the batter. Overbeating will produce a dry cake. Thus, use lower mixing speeds if using a stand mixer.

Butter Frosting

INGRÉDIENTS:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon milk
pinch of salt (omit the salt if you use salted butter)

MÉTHODE:

1. Beat all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer at slow speed until the sugar is moistened.
2. Increase speed to medium; beat, stopping twice to scrape down bowl, until creamy and fluffy about 1 1/2 minutes.

Raspberry-Almond Filling

INGRÉDIENTS:

1/2 cup blanched, slivered almonds, toasted and chopped coarse
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted. (For garnish)

Final assembly

1. Spread a small dab of frosting in the center of a cake plate. (This will serve to help anchor the cake.)
2. Place one layer on top of the cake plate.
3. Blend the slivered almonds with 1/2 of the frosting. Spread this over the top of the first layer.
4. Spread the raspberry jam over the almond-frosting on the first layer.
5. Place the second layer on top of the first.
6. Using a frosting spatula, spread the remaining butter frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
7. Garnish the sides of the cake with the toasted sliced almonds.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

Fougasse avec fromage de chèvre, herbes et pignons

2007-10-05T08:44:00.000+02:00

What les Français call fougasse, les Italiens call focaccia and Louis la Vache calls délicieux. Fougasse can be made plain - without any topping at all - adorned only with a brushing of huile d'olive or it can be made with whatever toppings suit your fancy. Fougasse is typically associated with Provence but found in other regions. Some versions are sculpted or slashed into a pattern resembling an ear of wheat.

Fougasse is used to make the French version of calzone, which can have cheese and small squares of lardons (bacon) inside the pocket made by folding over the bread. Other tasty variations include dried fruit, Roquefort and nuts or olives and goat cheese. The interpretation depends on the whim of le boulanger. In the version shown here, Louis la Vache baked it with un mélange des herbes méditerranéennes, fromage de chèvre et pignons. The uses of fougasse are as many as the possibilities for ingredients. Without further ado,

À table!

Fougasse avec fromage de chèvre, herbes et pignons

Four préchauffé à 220º C / Oven preheated to 425º F

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 cup levain
1 1/4 cups spring water at room temperature*
1 teaspoon active dry yeast (NOT the rapid-rise type)
4 cups (about) organically-grown bread flour**
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
12 oz. chèvre, softened
4 oz. pignons, toasted
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 slice of onion
olive oil
2 teaspoons mediterranean herbs (or herbes de Provence)
butter
corn meal

* Spring water does not contain chlorine. The chlorine in tap water kills yeast.
** Louis la Vache used an organic baker's flour containing 20% bran. You will get better oven spring from your dough with organic flour because it contains a higher percentage of naturally-occurring yeast than non-organic flour.

MÉTHODE:

1. Pour the water into the bowl of your mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment.
2. Add the yeast and let it soften for about 5 minutes.
3. Whisk the yeast/water at medium speed until the yeast is disolved.
4. Remove the whisk attachment and fit the mixer with the dough hook.
5. Blend in the levain.
6. Add 1 cup of flour, mix on medium speed until the flour is well-blended, stopping the mixer and scraping the bowl as needed.
7. Continue blending the flour into the dough a little at a time, adjusting the speed of the mixer as needed.
8. While the dough is still very soft and tacky, remove 1 cup of dough and add it back to your chef du levain.
9. Next, add the salt to the dough. (Do NOT add the salt until you've transfered some of the new dough to the chef du levain.)
10. With the machine running on low speed, let the dough hook knead the dough until the dough forms a ball around the hook and pulls the dough from the sides of the bowl. Do not over-knead. (It is easy to overknead dough using the dough hook.)
11. Lower the bowl and let the dough hook rotate the dough off the hook and back into the bowl.
12. Remove the dough hook.
13. Turns the dough out onto a floured work surface then let the dough rest for a few minutes.
14. Knead more flour into the dough by hand as needed. The dough should be tacky but not sticky.
15. Mound the dough into a rectangle.
16. With a floured rolling pin roll the dough out to approximately the lenth of the baking sheet you will use.
17. Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
18. While the dough is rising, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil. When the onion and garlic are soft and slightly browned, remove from heat. It is not necessary to drain the onion and garlic from the oil.
19. When the dough has doubled, punch it down and transfer it to a baking sheet covered with corn meal.
20. Form a well in the dough running the length of the rectangle.
21. Sprinkle the herbs over the well, then spread the sautéed onion and garlic over the dough.
22. Spread the softened chèvre over the dough and top with the toasted pine nuts.
23. Brush the edges of the dough with melted butter.
24. Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven, bake for about 20 minutes. Shut the oven off. Leave the fougasse in the oven another 10 minutes.
25. Remove the fougasse from the oven, transfer it to a cooling rack.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

Chien Chaud - C'est comment dire "hot-dog" en français

2007-10-02T20:34:00.000+02:00

How to say "hot dog" in French

Les Français recognizing a good chose américaine, American thing, when they see it, have adopted the hot dog! Mais naturellement, but of course, have added their own twist to it. Many boulangeries in Paris (as well as sidewalk food kiosks) offer la version française du hot-dog. They take a small baguette, fill it with Gruyère cheese and sauce béchamel, sometimes adding a little honey-dijon moutarde along with le hot-dog and heat it. Et voila! C'est comment vous dites "le hot-dog" en français!

À table!

Chien Chaud

Four préchauffé à 200º C / Oven preheated to 400º F

INGRÉDIENTS:

Small baguettes
Shredded Gruyère Cheese
Sauce Béchamel - la recette suit ci-dessous
Honey-dijon mustard
The best quality hot dogs you can find.

MÉTHODE:

1. Cut the baguettes length-wise.
2. Spread honey-dijon mustard on the inside of the baguettes.
3. Spread about 1 Tablespoon sauce Béchamel over the mustard, coating both the inside top and bottom of the cut baguette.
4. Sprinkle shredded Gruyère inside the baguettes.
5. Add the hot dog (pre-warm the hot dogs)
6. Heat in the preheated oven until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Sauce Béchamel

INGRÉDIENTS:

4 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
pinch of paprika
pinch of freshly-ground nutmet
salt and white pepper to taste

MÉTHODE:

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
2. Add the flour, stirring and blending well over low heat for about 3 minutes.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly.
4. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens.
5. Whisk in the paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

La belle épouse de Louis la Vache

2007-10-02T06:05:00.001+02:00

The beautiful wife of Louis la Vache

Louis la Vache hasn't posted to either of his blogs for months. He has good reason. He met this beautiful femme japonaise. She became Louis's jeune mariée in a civil ceremony on 11 July. We will have a formal church wedding on le 4 novembre. Louis promises to post more regularly starting now.

Androuët - Maître Fromager à Paris

2007-05-16T20:21:00.000+02:00

Androuët - Master Cheese Sellers in Paris
Fromagerie Androuët
(Cliquez pour agrandir)

One of the most famous fromageries, cheese shops, in Paris is Androuët. In 1909 Henri Androuët, who started off as a peddler for the laiterie (dairy) Gervais, had the idea of making cheeses from all the regions of France available for tasting to Parisians who were unaware of their country’s rich cheese heritage. Henri Androuët opened his crémerie on rue d’Amsterdam.

After the tragedy and disruption of the Great War, Henri Androuët continued to develop his business, curing and aging the cheeses himself. The banality of the products then being distributed encouraged Henri Androuët to seek out new ones, even going to visit the producers directly in order to get them. His quest for cheeses led him to crisscross France at a time when country roads were still unpaved, slowly acquiring a unique and profound knowledge of the cheeses of France, the places where they are made, and the people who make them.

In the mid-1920, the fame of the house of Androuët, which by then was offering more than one hundred cheeses, had reached the point where Henri Androuët was prompted to open a tasting cellar which soon became a gathering place for cheese lovers.

The cheeses of Corsica are featured on this table at Androuët(Cliquez pour agrandir)

Around 1925, out of a desire to familiarize people with the resources of France’s terroirs, Henri Androuët created his “cheese calendars.” They listed over one hundred types of cheese, each presented under a regional or local name and accompanied by its period of full maturity. The innovative brochures were a huge success.

In the early 1930s, Henri's son, Pierre, decided not to pursue his architecture studies and went into the family business. His passion for it soon led him to extend the cheese shop and add a restaurant, for which he drew the plans himself, in 1934.

Success was immediate, and the Androuët gourmet restaurant became an institution. Following in his father’s footsteps, Pierre Androuët took to the highways and byways of France to look for cheeses, buying them directly from the producers as much as possible. Like a prospector looking for gold, he continued the search. At the same time, he extended the cellars. There he perfected the curing and aging techniques that, along with the restaurant, have made the house of Androuët famous. Famous customers of Androuët have included Charles de Gaulle, the novelists Colette and Ernest Hemingway, the creators of Astérix, and stars like Jean Gabin and Orson Welles, Toshiro Mifune, and opéra soprano Maria Callas.

By the 1950s, Henri and Pierre Androuët were considered the most illustrious maîtres fromagers affineurs in France and in the world. Never lowering his standards of quality, Pierre Androuët became the unchallenged ambassador of les fromages français, traveling the world to learn about, understand, and catalogue production techniques and specialties and become a living encyclopedia of cheese.

Today the house of Androuët comprises six fine fromageries in Paris. Androuët is also a team of people who are passionate about cheese, all of them professionals and connoisseurs of artisanal cheeses.

Cheese at chez Androuët means more than two hundred products from different terroirs, exclusively made with lait cru (raw milk), each of them unique, cured and matured under the supervision of maîtres affineurs and aged or prepared in curing cellars.

(The above was adapted from the Androuët website.)

Louis la Vache, always happy to support les fermiers français de laiterie (French dairy farmers), thinks this would be a good place to offer une recette avec fromage: Salade au Fromage de Chèvre avec Noix, a salad including goat cheese and walnuts.

À table!

Salade au Fromage de Chèvre avec Noix

INGRÉDIENTS:

6 ounces baby lettuces with herbs
1 Tablespoon toasted, chopped walnuts
1 (3-oz) log soft goat cheese

For the vinaigrette:
3 Tablespoons Walnut oil
2 to 2-1/2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper

For garnish:
More toasted chopped walnuts

MÉTHODE:

1. Make the vinaigrette: Pour vinegar into a small bowl, whisk in salt and pepper. Slowly add the walnut oil until emulsified.
2. Wash and dry the baby lettuces and herb mixture. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the walnuts.
3. Just before serving the salad, toss the greens with the vinaigrette.
4. You have two options with the goat cheese:
Roll the goat cheese into 12 small balls, placing 3 on each plate or;
Crumble the goat cheese onto the greens.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

"How can you be expected to govern a country that has 246 kinds of cheese?"
- Charles de Gaulle

Arrêtez l'abus de tofu! Mangez le foie gras!

2007-03-26T19:30:00.000+02:00

Stop tofu abuse! Eat foie gras!

Louis la Vache is gravely concerned about the growing abuse of tofu and proposes a solution: mangez le foie gras! Louis has noticed that the consumption of tofu has grown far past its origins in the Asian cuisines. The abuse of tofu seems to have begun when the tree-hugging-granola-crunching-Birkenstock-wearing crowd centered around The People's Republic of Berserkeley en la Californie began using tofu as the main source of protein. Louis's concern is that so many of the Birkenstock Brigade are eating tofu that there is an impending shortage of tofu for use in Asian cuisines. Mind you, Louis la Vache est trés heureux, very happy, that these left-over-from-the-sixties hippies don't eat beef! Nonetheless, Louis feels it is time to put an end to this abuse of tofu and suggests that the solution is manger le foie gras!

Now, une peu d'histoire du foie gras. Foie gras is one of the most popular delicacies in French cuisine. Its flavor is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of a regular duck or goose liver. Foie gras can be sold whole, or prepared into pâté, mousse, or parfait. It is often spead on toast or baguette slices topped with sliced cornichons or served as an accompaniment to another food such as steak. We can thank the ancient Egyptians for giving us foie gras.

Egyptian bas-relief showing foie gras production

Some 2,500 years ago, the Egyptians noticed that migratory geese in the Nile delta were able to stock fat in their liver in preparation for their long-distance flights. They found the meat and liver of these geese succulent. So they started to reproduce this natural phenomenon and fatten geese with figs and cereals.

During their captivity in Egypt, the Hebrews learned how to make foie gras from the Egyptians. After leaving Egypt, the Jews brought the foie gras processing method everywhere they settled, from Eastern Europe to Israel. Preserving meat in goose and duck fat was not forbidden by their religious principles. They were thus able to avoid starvation during their long migrations.

Foie gras was a dish appreciated by Greeks, Romans and Gauls. Romans fattened geese with figs and then dipped their liver in a mix of milk and honey. In fact, 'foie gras' comes from the Latin word 'ficatum' which means 'fig.'

Foie gras on the hoof. Well, maybe "hoof" isn't the correct term, but Louis la Vache was thinking in the context of his own existence...

The practice of geese-fattening spread from Egypt to the Mediterranean. The earliest reference to fattened geese is from le V ème siècle BC Greek poet Cratinus, who wrote of geese-fatteners, yet Egypt maintained its reputation as the source for fattened geese. When the Spartan king Agesilaus visited Egypt in 361 BC, he was greeted with fattened geese and calves, the riches of Egyptian farmers.

It was not until the Roman period, however, that foie gras is mentioned as a distinct food, which the Romans named iecur ficatum; iecur means liver and ficatum derives from ficus, meaning fig in Latin. Pliny the Elder (I er siècle AD) credits his contemporary, Roman gastronome Marcus Gavius Apicius, with feeding dried figs to geese in order to enlarge their livers.

Hence, the term iecur ficatum, fig-stuffed liver. Ficatum was closely associated with animal liver and it became the root word for "liver" in each of these languages: "foie" en français, "hígado" en espagnol, "fígado" en portugese, "fegato" en italien et "ficat" en romain, Romanian, all meaning "liver."

After the decline of the Roman empire, foie gras was not considered to be a delicacy. During the Middle Ages, it was mostly consumed by peasants. During the Renaissance foie gras enjoyed its own renaissance as a food for feasts.

When Christopher Columbus brought corn back from the New World the intensive feeding techniques used to make foie gras were radically transformed. The southwest of France, the climate of which is ideal for corn cultivation, then became the top foie gras producing area.

During the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, foie gras became a royal dish and started appearing in cookbooks. Even la révolution française did not diminish the stature of foie gras as a highly appreciated delicacy that could be found in the first luxury restaurants. In le XIX ème siècle, foie gras even inspired renowned authors such as Alexandre Dumas and George Sand!

La Poste issued a series of stamps on la cuisine française including naturellement, foie gras.

So that you can do your part to end the abuse of tofu by eating foie gras, Louis la Vache offers you this recette pour Poulet alsacien avec la sauce de foie gras.

À table!

Poulet alsacien avec la sauce de foie gras
Alsatian Chicken with foie gras sauce

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 - 4 lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces (backbone and wing tips cut off and reserved to make broth)
2 carrots
2 onions
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
sprig of thyme & 1 bay leaf
1 clove
1 cup dry white wine
4 Tablespoons crème fraîche
3-1/2 oz. foie gras
salt & freshly ground pepper

MÉTHODE:

1. To make the stock: add the backbone, wing tips, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 shallots and 1 garlic clove to a saucepan. cover with water and simmer gently for one hour or so.
2. Strain the stock. Reduce it by fast boiling to 2 cups and set aside.
3. Chop the reaining carrot, onion and shallot very finely. Preheat oven to 425°F.
4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a heavy sauteuse (with lid) and brown the chicken on all sides.
5. Lower the heat and add the chopped vegetables, garlic clove, thyme, bay leaf and clove. Cover and put in the oven for 15 minutes.
6. Add the wine and cook for 10 more minutes. Test to make sure it is done - the juices should run clear when the thigh pieces are pierced with a sharp knife.
7. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm.
8. Strain the cooking liquid and degrease if necessary. Return to pan.
9. Add the crème fraîche and reduce the sauce just a little.
10. Take the sauce off the heat and whisk in the foie gras piece by piece.

Pour servir:
Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces and serve immediately.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

Plus de recettes

Foie Gras: A Passion

Ducasse Flavors of France

French Laundry Cookbook

Le Mois du Macaron!

2007-03-17T17:42:00.000+01:00

Les Fromages de France: Camembert; le fromage normand archétypal

2007-03-14T22:59:00.000+01:00

The Cheeses of France: Camembert; the archetypal cheese of Normandie

Louis la Vache continues his series on les fromages de France, the subject today being Camembert, le fromage normand archétypal. (Louis is certain that you will be surprised that he is posting something about dairy production in Normandie - NOT!)

The (perhaps apocryphal) story of the origin of Camembert has it that in 1791, Marie Harel, a farmer's wife, developed a recipe for Camembert from a recette she learned for Brie from l'abbé (abbot) Bonvoust, a monk she sheltered who was fleeing a tribunal of la révolution française. L'abbé was from the area of Brie and shared his recipe with her. Thus Camembert, the national symbol of French cheese, was born. Camembert, story of its origins apocryphal or not, shares many characteristics with Brie, the principal difference being that Brie is typically sold in wheels of about 2 kilos (4.5 pounds) in weight vs. the much smaller 250 kilogram (8.8 ounce) wheels typical of Camembert. Camembert takes its name from the village of Camembert in le département d'Orne en basse-Normandie. (Government in France is much more centralized than in the U.S. The country is not organized into states as in the U.S., but into départements, roughly analogous to U.S. or British counties.)

Camembert, Normandie, population: 199

There are many types of Camembert. The one that has earned an AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) is made from lait cru, unpasturized cow's milk. Like its relative Brie, Camembert is a soft ripening cheese with a powdery white rind, a croûte fleuri. It must be aged at least 21 days and can only be made in five départements de Normandie. Other Camemberts are made with pasturized milk to allow them to be exported. Some are also washed with Calvados or cidre after they have been aged.

This Camembert is an AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) cheese made with lait cru, raw milk.

The origin of Camembert as we know it today is likely to rest with the beginnings of the industrialization of the cheese-making process at the end of le XIX ème siècle. In about 1880 (some sources say 1890), an engineer, a Monsieur Ridel, invented a wooden box made from thin strips of poplar, which was used to carry the cheese and helped to send it for longer distances, in particular to America where it became very popular. These boxes are still used today. Until Ridel invented his method of packaging Camembert, it was only enjoyed locally and in Paris.

With the invention of these little shipping boxes made from thin strips of poplar, Camembert found its way from Normandie et Paris around the world.

The cheese was famously issued to French troops during la premiere guerre mondial, becoming firmly fixed in French popular culture as a result. It has many other roles in French culture, literature and history. It is internationally known, and many local varieties are made around the world. The cheese is said to have inspired Salvador Dalí to create his famous painting, "The Persistence of Memory." Its "melting" watches were inspired by the sight of a melting wheel of over-ripe Camembert.

Inspired by Camembert: Salvador Dali

The cheese is often served at the end of the meal. It has a strong dairy smell with a milky, fruity taste. It can also be coated and fried, melted in its box and used as a dip or melted on sandwiches. Camembert is most commonly served at room temperature with bread and a bubbly cidre normand or a glass of Côtes du Rhone or Bordeaux.

Camembert labels

La Poste has issued a series of stamps on les fromages français.

Et maintenant, une recette en utilisant le camembert!

À table!

Quiche au Camembert

Four préchauffé à 190º C
Oven preheated to 375º F

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 - tart shell de 24 cm diamètre et 4 cm de hautre (9" deep dish) , slightly baked,* made from pâte brisée (recette suivante)

85 grams de camembert (l'écorce a retiré)
3 oz. Camembert cheese (rind removed)

170 grams de fromage neufchâtel
6 oz. cream cheese

2 cuillères à soupe de buerre ramolli
2 Tablespoons softened butter

3 cuillères à soupe de crème
3 Tablespoons cream

2 oeufs
2 eggs

1/2 cuillère à soupe ciboulettes hachées
1/2 Tablespoon minced chives

sel. poivre blanc et poivre de cayenne à goût
salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

MÉTHODE:

1. En utilisant une fourchette, mélangez le fromage avec le beurre et la crème.
Using a fork, blend the cheese with the butter and cream.

2. Ajoutez les oeufs dans le mélange de fromage et remuez bien.
Beat in the eggs into the cheese/butter mixture.

3. Forcez ce mélange au travers d'un passoir pour retirer tous les morceaux.
Force this mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps.

4. Remuez dans la ciboulette. Goût et saison avec du sel, le poivre blanc et le poivre de cayenne.
Stir in the chives. Taste and season with the salt, white pepper and cayenne.

5. Versez dans le pâte, placez la casserole sur une feuille de traitement au four et faites cuire au four pendant 25 à 30 minutes ou jusqu'à la quiche est soufflé et bruni.
Pour into le pâte, place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the quiche is puffed and browned.

Pour servir: Dégustez la quiche tiède, accompagnée d'une salade de mâche.
Serve the quiche warm accompanied with a salad of butter lettuce.

Pâte Brisée

Four préchauffé à 180º C / Oven preheated to 350º F

INGRÉDIENTS:

600 ml farine
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 ml sel
3/4 teaspoon salt

150 ml beurre froid, coupé
5 oz. (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter cut into 1/4" cubes

12 cl eau froid
1/4 cup cold water

1/2 cuillère de café jus de citron
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

MÉTHODE:

1. Préparez un moule de 24 cm diamètre et 4 cm de hauture légèrement graissé avec la matière grasse végétale.
Prepare a 9" diameter deep-dish pan, lightly greased with vegetable shortening.*

2. Dans le bol d'un mélangeur électrique équipé de l'attachement de palette, mélangez la farine et le sel.
In the bowl of an electric mixer** fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour and salt.

3. Ajoutez le beurre froid et mélangez à vitesse réduite jusqu'à ce que le mélange ressemble à des miettes de pain, approximativement une minute.
Add the cold butter and mix on low speed until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs, about 1 minute.

4. Ajoutez l'eau froide et de le jus de citron et continuez de mélanger juste jusqu'à ce que les grands morceaux forment.
Add the cold water and lemon juice and continue mixing just until large lumps form.

5. Mettez la pâte sur la surface de travail saupoudré légèrement avec farine et, à l'aide de vos mains, recueillent le mélange ensemble.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using your hands, gather the mixture together.

6. En utilisant le talon de votre main, malaxez la pâte doucement jusqu'à ce qu'elle lie, environ 30 secondes.
Using the heel of your hand, knead the dough gently until it holds together, about 30 seconds.

7. Formez la pâte dans un disque, l'enveloppez dans l'enveloppe en plastique et frigorifiez au moins 1 heure ou durant la nuit.
Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

8. Après que la pâte soit complètement refroidi, tournez-le dehors sur une feuille de papier sulfurisé saupoudré légèrement avec farine placé sur une surface de travail.
After the pâte is thoroughly chilled, turn it out onto a sheet of lightly floured wax paper placed on a work surface.

9. Roulez la pâte dehors à une épaisseur de 32 cm.
Roll the pâte out to a thickness of 1/8".

10. Placez le moule préparée à l'envers sur la pâte.
Place the prepared pan upside down on the rolled-out pâte.

11. Courez soigneusement vos mains sous le papier sulfurisé et renversez la pâte et le moule de sorte que le moule soit maintenant sur la surface de travail.
Carefully run your hands under the wax paper and flip the dough and the pan so that the pan is now on the work surface.

12. Serrez la pâte dans le moule et équilibrez la pâte excessif.
Press the pâte into the pan and trim excess pâte by running your rolling pin over the diameter of the pan.

13. Avec une fourchette, piquez le fond.
Using a fork, lightly prick the bottom of the shell.

14. Couverture et froid pour 1 heure.
Cover and chill for 1 hour.

15. Faites cuire au four à 180 degrés de juste jusqu'à ce que la pâte tourne le blanc.
Bake slightly at 350º as per the footnote below*** before filling the shell.

* This assumes a Kitchen Aid mixer.
** ** It is best to use vegetable shortening to grease pans because it contains no moisture. This helps insure a clean release from the pan.
*** Bake the shell in a 350º oven just until the moisture is driven out, but before the shell browns. This will insure a crisp crust.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

Voyez également:
Pont l'Évêque
Pour vôtre régal de nouvelle année: Brie Farcie
La Vrai Quiche Lorraine par Boulanger Gérard Mulot
Quiche gourmande aux poivrons

More reading:

Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best

The Cheese Plate

Camembert: A National Myth (Image not available)

Un peu de goût de l'Italie - à Paris: Pain aux olives

2007-03-08T05:07:00.000+01:00

A little taste of Italy - in Paris: Olive Bread
Simple to make et délicieux - pain aux olives.
Photos courtesy of Run Around Paris, and taken at
Restaurant La Piccola Brescia,
31 rue Pelleport
75020 Paris
Tel: 01 43 61 07 91

Run Around Paris has been running a delightful series called "Petite Interrogation - Getting to know Paris one Parisian at a time." On le 28 février, the "Petite Interrogation" was with Jeremy, the chef de cuisine at an Italian restaurant in Paris, La Piccola Brescia. In this interview, Jeremy shared his recette pour pain aux olives. Run Around Paris has been kind enough to allow Louis la Vache to post Jeremy's recette. If you look at the post at Run Around Paris, you'll see that Jeremy converted most of the recette to U.S. measurements when he translated it into English, but Louis has converted the rest for his readers aux États-Unis. Louis also modified the recette slightly based upon his experience as un boulanger.

À table!

Pain aux Olives

Oven 425º F / 220º C
Baking stone, heated with the oven

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 pint warm (NOT HOT) water - the temperature should not exceed 100º F / 38º C
1 envelope yeast
pitted green olives, a generous handful or two, depending how you like it
2 1/4 pounds Bread Flour (8 1/2 cups, more or less, depending on the absorbency of the flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 Tablespoons Olive Oil + additional oil for coating the mixing bowl and the risen loaf
Kosher or Sea Salt
Corn meal

MÉTHODE:

1. Set one shelf of the oven on the lowest notch. Set the other shelf on the notch immediately above it. Place the baking stone on the top shelf and pre-heat the oven and the stone while mixing and proofing the dough.
2. Pour the water into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook. (Assumes a Kitchen-Aid mixer)
3. Add the yeast to the water. Let the yeast stand in the water until dissolved, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour one cup at a time and the olive oil 1 Tablespoon at a time, allowing the machine to blend the flour and oil well after each addition.
5. Adjusting the speed of the mixer as necessary as the dough becomes more solid, gradually add the salt, pepper, and lastly the olives.
5. Mix the dough until the dough forms a ball on the dough hook.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
7. Coat the inside of the mixing bowl with olive oil.
8. Return the dough to the bowl. Turn the dough once, coating all dough surfaces lightly with the oil.
9. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set the bowl in a draft-free place with the room temperature not exceeding 78º.
10. Let the dough rise at cool room temperature for 30 minutes.
11. Punch the dough down to de-gas it and return it to the floured work surface.
12. Form the dough into a ball and drizzle or brush with olive oil.
13. Cover the dough again with the kitchen towel, let rise at cool room temperature for 45 minutes.
14. Remove the towel again. With a sharp kitchen knife, make 4 slashes in the top of the loaf.
15. Lightly sprinkle the top of the loaf with course ground salt (Kosher or sea salt works best).
16. Place a pie tin filled with water on the lower shelf of the oven under the baking stone.
17. Sprinkle corn meal on the baking stone. Using an oven peel, slide the dough onto the stone.
18. Mist the oven with water. Close the oven door.
19. After 3 minutes, mist the oven again.
20. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
21. Remove from oven, place the loaf on a cooling rack and let the bread cool before slicing.

Secrets du boulanger:
Because the olives are heavy, the gas produced by the fermentation of the yeast has a lot of lifting to do, so don't expect the dough to rise as high as many other breads proofing it. For the same reason, you won't get a lot of oven spring when baking it. For variety, in addition to the salt, sprinkle freshly-grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Adding the pan of water under the baking stone and misting the oven at the beginning of baking will make steam and help give you a crisp crust. You can order a baking stone from Louis Recette sponsor Cooking.com. Click through to Cooking.com from the ad in the sidebar. Shameless plug: Louis la Vache gets un petit pourboire if you click through and order from Les Recettes or from The Frog Blog. Merci pour vôtre support!.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

Voyez également:
Introduction to home bread baking
Le chef et levain
Pain de Campagne
Pain au Levain
La Baguette

Plus de recettes:

The Easy Way to Artisan Breads and Pastries

100 Great Breads

Bread

Les Fromages de France: Pont l'Évêque

2007-02-28T07:39:00.000+01:00

The Cheeses of France: Pont l'Évêque ("Bishop's Bridge")

Pont l'Évêque, one of the oldest cheeses in Normandie, has been celebrated in poetry and in travel writing since le XII ème siècle. It was mentioned by moyen âge writer Guillaume de Loris in his book Roman de la Rose. Originally called l'Angelot (cherub) du Pont l'Évêque by the monks who made it, it's current name dates to le XVII ème siècle. Pont l'Évêque is one of the most famous cheeses in France.

Pont l'Èvêque is typically sold in little wooden boxes. However, Louis la Vache doubts that the monks making it in le XII ème siècle applied the UPC to the label, the scanners for reading the UPCs not quite having been perfected at the time....

It was between World War I and World War II, that the cheese began to gain in popularity, being cited as among the le meilleur in France. Farmers in the Pays d'Auge region, around the town of Pont l'Évêque, formed a syndicate to protect and guarantee the quality of their product. It received an AOC designation (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) in 1972.

Voici est le pont du Èvêque

La chapelle d'abbaye Pont l'Èvêque

The town of Pont l'Évêque is west of Caen and near the "D-Day" Beaches.

Cliquez pour agrandir

Le fromage can be made with raw milk or pasturized milk by fermier (farmer), artisanale or industrial methods. The curds are cut, kneaded, drained then salted on the fifth day. It is aged for at least two months. During the aging period, depending on the producer, the rind may be washed and turned several times or it may be left to dry. If you choose a Pont l'Évêque that has a dried rind, it is better to remove the rind before eating. It takes three litres of milk to produce the most popular size, a square of about 3.5" (7.6 cm) and weighing 3 ounces (85 grams). Pont l'Évêque is typically 45% matière gras (fat). The taste is characterized by a deep, milky taste with undertones of butter and hazelnuts. It is served at the end of a meal with some fresh bread, along with a cidre Normand.

Norma la Vache Normande. Elle est une cousine de Louis. Perhaps she (ahem) made a contribution to the production of les fromages pictured above.

- • • -

For more about les fromages de France, see also:
Pour vôtre régal de nouvelle année: Brie Farcie

Recettes pour le Dimanche: Croque Normande

Plus de recettes:

French Cheese

The Paris Cookbook

....and for something a little different:

Sex, Cheese and French Fries: Woman are Perfect, Men are from France

This article may also be found at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Gâteau "velours-rouge" pour le jour de Valentine

2007-02-13T07:10:00.000+01:00

Red Velvet cake for Valentine's Day
Red Velvet Cake, a favorite in the U.S. south, here decorated for Valentine's Day

Louis la Vache admits that this recette is decidedly NOT French - but it is perfect for Valentine's Day! The true origins of Red Velvet cake are obscure and complicated by Urban Legend stories. The cake has long been associated with the cooking of the U.S. south more than with any other region, although it is also known in Canada. A resurgence in the popularity of the cake is partly attributed to the 1989 film "Steel Magnolias" in which the groom's cake (another southern tradition) is a Red Velvet cake.

À table!

Red Velvet Cake

Oven 350º F / Four 350º C

INGRÉDIENTS:

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 oz red food coloring
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon vinegar

MÉTHODE:

1. Grease 2 - 9" cake pans with vegetable shortening. (Or for this occasion, use heart-shaped pans)
2. Dust the pans with flour, tap excess flour from pans.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream 1/2 cup shortening.
4. Beat in sugar gradually.
5. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition.
6. Make paste of cocoa and food coloring; add to creamed mixture.
7. Add salt, flour and vanilla alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
8. Sprinkle soda over vinegar; pour vinegar over batter.
9. Mix thoroughly.
10. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
11. Bake for 30 minutes at 350° F/180º C.
12.Remove from oven, cool on cake rack before depanning.
13. When completely cool, frost with Cream Cheese frosting (recette suivante)

Note: You may also bake this recette in 3 - 8" pans.

Cream Cheese Frosting

INGRÉDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

MÉTHODE:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all ingredients.
2. Beat well until smooth.

Makes enough cream cheese frosting for a 2-layer cake.

A tempting slice of Red Velvet in the 3-layer version. As Louis la Vache's Oklahoma friend "DJ" would say, "It's a gum-slammer!"

Et voila! Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache.

Plus de recettes:

Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations

The Lady & Sons Just Desserts: More than 120 Sweet Temptations from Savannah's Favorite Restaurant

Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics: The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook and The Lady & Sons, Too!

Gâteau au Chocolat "Cochon-Qui-Vol"

2007-02-11T00:33:00.001+01:00

"Flying Pig" Chocolate Cake
(See why Louis gave this cake that name below!)

On le 21 janvier, Richard at Eye Prefer Paris posted une recette pour gâteau au chocolat. This is without question le meilleur, the BEST, recette pour gâteau au chocolat Louis la Vache has ever tried!

With the recette Richard posted, Louis tried several of his own variations. In one variation, Louis doubled the recette to make two layers. Louis then filled the layers with the lightly almond-flavored crème pâtissiere, and frosted them with crème chantilly, then garnished them with sliced almonds as he had done in his Almond, Pistachio and Strawberry Torte. In a second variation, Louis added 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to Richard's basic recette and then glazed the gâteau with white chocolate ganache. In the end, Louis concluded that this recette is so good in and of itself that it needs no embellishment other than perhaps a dusting of confectioner's sugar. The only changes Louis made to Richard's recette is he added the vanille Richard's original doesn't call for and he encourages the use of vegetable shortening rather than buter to grease the pans. (Vegetable shortening contains no water, while butter does. Thus the shortening allows cleaner release of the baked cake from the pan.)

Now, dear readers, if you believe, as Louis asserts, that this recette has NO calories in it and that you can eat all you want without fear of "a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips," it is once again time for Louis to offer for sale shares of stock in his highly-profitable ferme des cochons-qui-vol, flying pig farm!

Without further explanation or ado,
À table!

Gâteau au chocolat

Four 180º C/350º F

INGRÉDIENTS:

8 3/4 ounces (250 grams) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona Guanaja, finely chopped
2 1/4 sticks (9 ounces; 250 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (70 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla (as always, for U.S. and Canadian readers, Louis la Vache recommends the Nielsen-Massey Vanilla from Williams-Sonoma)

MÉTHODE:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 º F/ 180º C.
2. Grease a 9-inch (24-cm) round cake pan that is at least 2 inches (5 cm) high (or 9" springform pan) with vegetable shortening
3. Line the bottom with parchment paper, grease the paper.
4. Dust the inside of the pan with flour; tap out the excess and set the pan aside.
5. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over - not touching - simmering water and heat until the chocolate is melted; or melt the chocolate in a microwave oven.
6. Set the chocolate aside to cool; it should feel only just warm to the touch when you mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
7. Pour the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently, until the butter is creamy and the sugar well blended into it.
8. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition.
9. Reduce the mixer speed to low, pour in the cooled chocolate, and mix until it is incorporated.
10. Mix in the vanilla
11. With the mixer still on low, add the flour and mix only until it disappears into the batter. (Alternatively, you can fold in the last of the flour with a rubber spatula. You'll have a thick, smooth, satiny batter that look like an old-fashioned chocolate frosting.)
12. Scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and slide the pan into the oven.
13. Bake for 26-29 minutes, or until cake rises slightly and the top has lost its sheen. The top may crack a bit and the cake may not look entirely set in the center; when you test a cake by inserting a slender knife into the center, the knife will come out slightly streaked with batter, which is what you want.
14. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool.
15. When the cake has cooled, chill it in the refrigerator for an hour or two to make it easy to unmold. Turn the cake out, remove the parchment, and invert the cake onto a serving platter so it is right side up. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Makes 8-10 servings

Et voila! Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Note for readers in the San Francisco Bay Area: You can find several excellent chocolates that work well with this recette at the delightful "chocoholic" store Chocolat, 1485-A Solano Avenue, Albany.

Voir également ces recettes:
Gâteau au chocolate avec Moka crème
Gâteau au chocolate avec framboises

Torte avec des amandes, des pistaches et des fraises

2007-02-05T08:51:00.000+01:00

Almond, Pistachio and Strawberry Torte

Louis la Vache was experimenting in his kitchen and came up with this almond-pistachio torte filled with crème pâtissiere et fraises, baker's cream and strawberries, and frosted with an almond-scented crème chantilly. Louis deliberately used a light touch with the sugar in this recette. Louis finds that, while sugar is essentially neutral in flavor, too much sugar tends to mask other flavors. Louis hopes that you will enjoy this gâteau. Make the crème pâtissiere first as it will need to chill before you use it to fill the cake.

À table!

Torte avec des amandes, des pistaches et des fraises

Crème Pâtissiere

INGRÉDIENTS:

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup flour
4 extra large egg yolks - save the egg whites for the gâteau.
1 3/4 cups whole milk. (NOT non-fat or low fat; whole milk works best.)
2 teaspoons vanilla (For U.S. and Canadian readers, Louis la Vache finds that the Nielsen-Massey from Williams-Sonoma works best.)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (For U.S. and Canadian readers, Louis la Vache finds that the Star Kay White Almond Extract from Williams-Sonoma works best.)

MÉTHODE:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour.
2. Add the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat the reamining 1 1/2 cups of milk with the vanilla and almond extracts until steaming.
4. While whisking, pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture. (This tempers the eggs.)
5. Whisk the yolk mixture back into the hot milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 4 minutes.
6. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the crème pâtissiere to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cool, at least 2 hours.

Torte

INGRÉDIENTS:

4 ounces slivered almonds
4 ounces shelled pistachios, washed and dried to remove any salt
sliced almonds for garnish
whole pistachios for garnish, shelled, washed and dried, about 2 ounces
1 pint strawberries, stems removed, washed, and dried*
2 large whole eggs
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (For U.S. and Canadian readers, Louis la Vache recommends the Nielsen-Massey vanilla from Williams-Sonoma.)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (For U.S. and Canadian readers, Louis la Vache recommends the Star Kay White Almond Extract from Williams-Sonoma.)
4 large egg whites plus the 4 egg whites reserved from making the crème pâtissiere
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup strawberry jelly

* Secret de Louis la Vache: Unlike the large fraises shown in the photo above, Louis la Vache prefers to use small berries. Louis finds that the flavor of the small berries is more intense and they are more tender and less pithy than the large berries so common aux États-Unis.

MÉTHODE:

1) Grease 2 nine-inch diameter springform pans with vegetable shortening**.
2) Line the pans with wax paper; grease the wax paper.
3) Dust the pans and paper with flour; shake out excess flour.
4) Position rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325º F/ 165º C.
5) Place the almonds in a shallow pan. Toast for 15 minutes, or until very lightly browned.
6) Remove the almonds from the oven, allow them to cool.
7) Increase oven temperature to 350º F/ 180º C
8) When the almonds have cooled, place them and the 4 ounces of pistachios in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until chopped very fine, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
9) To make the gâteau: place one whole egg and the egg yolks in the small bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. (Assumes a Kitchen Aid Mixer)
10) On medium speed, beat the egg yolks until light in color and thickened, about 3 minutes.
11) Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, taking about 2 -3 minutes to blend it in well.
12) Blend in the vanilla and almond extracts.
13) Remove the bowl from the mixer, transfer the egg mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
14) In a separate bowl, beat the remaining whole egg with a whisk or rotary beater until foamy.
15) Using a spatula, fold the ground almonds and pistachios into the yolk/sugar mixture, alternately with the beaten whole egg, dividing the nuts into three parts and the whole egg into two parts, starting and ending with the nuts. Mix only until incorporated after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.
16) In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy.
17) Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the egg whites stand in shiny, firm peaks but are not dry.
18) Remove the bowl from the mixer.
19) Using a spatula, fold about 1/3 of the egg whites into the nut batter, taking about 20 turns to lighten. Then add the remaining egg whites, taking an additional 40 turns.
20) Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
21) Bake in the preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes or until the torte begins to pull away from the sides of the pans, is lightly browned on top and springs back on top when touched with a finger.
22) Remove from the oven and place the pans on a cake rack to cool completely. Although the torte rises to the top of the pan during baking, it will shrink at least 1 inch upon cooling.
23) Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pans, then remove the sides.
24) Invert the torte onto a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper and carefully peel off the parchment paper from the bottom.
25) Reserving about 8 of them, slice the strawberries. Cut the 8 reserved berries in half.
26) In a small saucepan, melt the strawberry jelly.
27) Coat the sliced and halved berries in the melted jelly. Allow to cool.
28) Place one torte layer on a serving plate. Fill the top to this layer with the crème pâtissiere.
29) Top the crème pâtissiere with the sliced berries.
30) Now place the remaining torte layer on top of the berries. Set aside and make the crème chantilly (below).
31) Frost the top and sides of the torte with the crème chantilly.
32) Garnish the sides of the torte with the sliced almonds.
33) Place the halved strawberries in a pattern around the top circumference of the torte.
34) Place reserved whole pistachios in the center of the torte.
35) Refrigerate the torte until serving time.

** Secret de Louis la Vache: Vegetable shortening works better for greasing pans than butter because it contains no water as does butter.

Crème Chantilly

INGRÉDIENTS:

8 ounces heavy cream - preferably not ultra-pasteurized
1 teaspoon vanilla***
1/2 teaspoon almond extract***
2 Tablespoons superfine sugar

*** See notes above about extracts

MÉTHODE:

1) Pour the cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
2) Add the extracts
3) Whip at medium-high speed, gradually adding the sugar
4) Beat until the cream stands firm, but do not over-beat - you'll be on your way to making butter out of it!

Et voila! Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Plus de recettes:

Cake (Williams Sonoma Collection Series)

The Art of the Dessert

La Vrai Quiche Lorraine par Boulanger Gérard Mulot

2007-01-19T14:51:00.000+01:00

The Real Quiche Lorraine by Baker Gérard Mulot

Boulanger, pâtissier, chocolatier et traiteur, Gérard Mulot, owner of one of Louis la Vache's favorite boulangeries in Paris, in the shadows of l'église de Saint-Sulpice in le VI ème arrondissement, shares with us his recette pour la vrai Quiche Lorraine.

Monsieur Mulot points out that la vrai Quiche Lorraine is made with only a small amount of cheese, and that small amount is used for a gratiné effect. Quiche Lorraine made with a large amount of cheese in the filling is Quiche Lorraine Parisienne, and often has too much cheese - to the point of masking the other flavors.

Gèrard Mulot
76, rue de Seine
75006 Paris
Métro ligne 10 ou ligne 4, station: Odéon

The fromage used in this recette is Comté, which is easily found in France. Readers aux États-Unis may be able to find Gruyére. Gruyére, "Swiss" cheese or Jarlsberg are acceptable substitutes for Comté.

La Poste in 2004 issued this Quiche Lorraine timbre-poste.

À table!

Quiche Lorraine

Oven 400º F/ 200º C

INGRÉDIENTS:

1 - tart shell de 24 cm diamètre et 4 cm de hautre (9" deep dish) , slightly baked,* made from pâte brisée (recette suivante)

100 grams de lardons fumés / 4 ounces chopped, smoked ham
6 - 8 tranches de bacon en chiffonade / 6 - 8 slices cooked bacon, chopped
2 cuillerées à soupe de Comté râpé / 2 generous tablespoons shredded Comté cheese
1 noix de beurre / 1 tablespoon butter
4 gros oeufs / 4 extra large eggs
15 cl de lait frais entier / 4 ounces + 2 tablespoons whole milk
20 cl de crème fraîche / 7 ounces crème fraîche
Noix muscade rapée / ground nutmeg
Poivre fraîchement moulu / freshly-ground black pepper
sel / salt

MÉTHODE:

1. Préparez la pâte brisée / Prepare the pâte brisée
2. Préchauffez le four à 200º C / Preheat the oven to 400º F
3. Faites blanchir les lardons (quelques minutes à l'eau bouillante) afin d'éliminer l'excèdent de sel et de maitière grasse. / Boil the smoked ham for a few minutes to eliminate excess salt and fat.
4. Égouttez-Ies lardons et, sans le rincer, faites-les sauter à la poêle avec le noix du beurre / Drain the ham without rinsing and lightly sauté it in a frying pan with the butter.
5. Garnissez le fond de la quiche avec les lardons et le bacon en chiffonade, saupoudrez de Comté râpé. / Place the ham and bacon into the prepared shell, sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
6. Dans un bol, mélangez tous les ingrédients de l'appareil à quiche et assaisonnez (sel, poivre et noix de muscade). / In a bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and add the seasonings (salt, pepper and nutmeg).
7. Versez cette préparation dan le moule, en le remplissant jusqu'au bord. / Pour the remaining ingredients into the shell. Fill to just below the rim.
8. Faites cuire 40 minutes environ: la crème doit être prise et le dessus de la quiche doré. Bake for about 40 minutes until the quiche is set and the top golden brown.

Pour servir: Dégustez la quiche tiède, accompagnée d'une salade de mâche.
Serve the quiche warm accompanied with a salad of butter lettuce.

Pâte Brisée

Four préchauffé à 180º C / Oven preheated to 350º F

INGRÉDIENTS:

600 ml farine /2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 ml sel / 3/4 teaspoon salt
150 ml beurre froid, coupé / 5 oz. (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter cut into 1/4" cubes
12 cl eau froid/ 1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cuillère de café jus de citron / 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

MÉTHODE:

1. Préparez un moule de 24 cm diamètre et 4 cm de hauture légèrement graissé avec la matière grasse végétale / Prepare a 9" diameter deep-dish pan, lightly greased with vegetable shortening.*
2. Dans le bol d'un mélangeur électrique équipé de l'attachement de palette, mélangez la farine et le sel / In the bowl of an electric mixer** fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour and salt.
3. Ajoutez le beurre froid et mélangez à vitesse réduite jusqu'à ce que le mélange ressemble à des miettes de pain, approximativement une minute / Add the cold butter and mix on low speed until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs, about 1 minute.
4. Ajoutez l'eau froide et de le jus de citron et continuez de mélanger juste jusqu'à ce que les grands morceaux forment / Add the cold water and lemon juice and continue mixing just until large lumps form.
5. Mettez la pâte sur la surface de travail saupoudré légèrement avec farine et, à l'aide de vos mains, recueillent le mélange ensemble / Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using your hands, gather the mixture together.
6. En utilisant le talon de votre main, malaxez la pâte doucement jusqu'à ce qu'elle lie, environ 30 secondes / Using the heel of your hand, knead the dough gently until it holds together, about 30 seconds.
7. Formez la pâte dans un disque, l'enveloppez dans l'enveloppe en plastique et frigorifiez au moins 1 heure ou durant la nuit. / Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
8. Après que la pâte soit complètement refroidi, tournez-le dehors sur une feuille de papier sulfurisé saupoudré légèrement avec farine placé sur une surface de travail. / After the pâte is thoroughly chilled, turn it out onto a sheet of lightly floured wax paper placed on a work surface.
9. Roulez la pâte dehors à une épaisseur de 32 cm / Roll the pâte out to a thickness of 1/8".
10. Placez le moule préparée à l'envers sur la pâte/ Place the prepared pan upside down on the rolled-out pâte.
11. Courez soigneusement vos mains sous le papier sulfurisé et renversez la pâte et le moule de sorte que le moule soit maintenant sur la surface de travail / Carefully run your hands under the wax paper and flip the dough and the pan so that the pan is now on the work surface.
12. Serrez la pâte dans le moule et équilibrez la pâte excessif Press the pâte into the pan and trim excess pâte by running your rolling pin over the diameter of the pan.
13. Avec une fourchette, piquez le fond/ Using a fork, lightly prick the bottom of the shell.
14. Couverture et froid pour 1 heure / Cover and chill for 1 hour.
15. Faites cuire au four à 180 degrés de juste jusqu'à ce que la pâte tourne le blanc / Bake slightly at 350º as per the footnote below*** before filling the shell.

* This assumes a Kitchen Aid mixer.
** ** It is best to use vegetable shortening to grease pans because it contains no moisture. This helps insure a clean release from the pan.
*** Bake the shell in a 350º oven just until the moisture is driven out, but before the shell browns. This will insure a crisp crust.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache.

Plus de recettes:

Quiches and Savories, Vol. 18

The Best 50 Quiche Recipes

La Galette des Rois - pour l'Épiphanie

2007-01-05T15:28:00.000+01:00

Kings cake for the Epiphany

The twelfth, and last, day of Christmas is la fête de l'Épiphanie, which, according to the liturgical calendar, falls on le 6 janvier. In practice in France, l'épiphanie is celebrated on the Sunday nearest le 6 janvier.

L'Épiphanie is celebrated with a special Galette des Rois. The tradition of serving this frangipane filled tart can be traced back to le XIV ème siècle. A small bean, coin or porcelain fève is baked inside the cake and whomever receives the little favor is then crowned king/queen for the day.

Louis la Vache gave you more history of this treat and la recette for making galette des rois ici.

Related recettes:

Frangipane
Pithiviers aux Cerises
Tarte aux Fraises Frangipane
Gâteau Basque

This article is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache.

Poulet au Champagne

2007-01-02T17:48:00.000+01:00

Chicken in Champagne Crème Sauce
This painting by Guy Buffet shows un garçon (literally "boy," politically incorrect as the term is) with un poulet et une bouteille de Champagne Perrier-Jouët

So you got ivre while celebrating la nouvelle année? You have a little champagne left? The thought of drinking it immediatlely brings up memories of the gueule de bois, hangover, you just got over? But you don't want to waste the chamgagne? Voila! Louis la Vache has a solution! Poulet au Champagne!

Perrier-Jouët, founded in 1811 in Epernay, is one of France's most prestigious producers of Champagne. The art nouveau flowers on the bottles of their two prestige cuvées, Fleur de Champagne et Belle Epoque, are hand-painted.

Assez d'histoire! À table!

Poulet au Champagne

INGREDIENTS:
4 bone-in chicken breasts
4 shallots, chopped
1/2 - 3/4 cup butter
1/2 bottle Champagne
2 cups of chicken broth
2 -1/2 cups crème fraîche
salt and pepper
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in butter

METHOD:

1. Rinse and dry the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper.
2. Melt about 1/2 cup butter in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken.
3. When the butter is melted, add the chicken, skin side down.
4. Brown on both sides, about 5 minutes, and remove to a platter. Keep warm.
5. Add a bit more butter, melt it,then add the chopped shallots and cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Return the chicken to pan breast side down. Pour in the Champagne and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Add the chicken broth and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
9. Remove the chicken, cover and keep warm. Add the crème fraîche to the pan, bring to a boil and cook to reduce the sauce.
10. In the meantime, sauté the mushrooms.
11. When the sauce has reduced, stir in the mushrooms.

To serve:
Place the chicken on serving plates. Nap with the sauce and serve.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

In 1866, the famous entertainer and star of his day, George Leybourne (who called himself Champagne Charlie) began a career of making celebrity endorsements for Champagne. The Champagne maker Moet commissioned him to write and perform songs extolling the virtues of Champagne, especially as a reflection of taste, affluence, and the good life. He also agreed to drink nothing but Champagne in public. Leybourne was seen as highly sophisticated and his image and efforts did much to establish Champagne as an important element in enhancing social status. It was a marketing triumph the results of which endure to this day.

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Pour vôtre régal de nouvelle année: Brie Farcie

2006-12-29T16:30:00.000+01:00

For your New Year's feast: Stuffed Brie

Brie de Melun

Louis la Vache hasn't given you une recette for a month - an unusual event because Louis tries to post une recette chaque semaine - a recipe a week. Louis also realized that he has written very little about les fromages français, which is odd given his Norman heritage (see sidebar). So, to give you une recette pour vôtre régal de nouvelle année and to begin to address Louis' lack of writing about les fromages français, here is une recette pour Brie farcie, Stuffed Brie. First, une petite histoire.

Brie is a historic region southeast of Paris most famous for its Brie cheese. It was once divided into two sections ruled by different feudal lords: Brie française, corresponding roughly to the modern département de Seine-et-Marne in l'Île-de-France région (Paris basin) and Brie champenoise, forming a portion of the modern département du Marne in the historic region of Champagne (part of modern-day Champagne-Ardenne).

The main towns of the broader Brie region include:
• Brie-Comte-Robert, which has a gem of a gothic church in the town center

L'église-de-Brie-Comte-Robert

• Coulommiers - the town where U.S. troops, arriving in taxis from Paris, stopped the German advance on Paris in the first World War and where Louis la Vache spent some time with a local baker who contracts with local farmers to grow organic wheat which the baker mills himself
• Provins - (not to be confused with Provence) which has one of the best-preserved medieval châteaux-forts in France and which has a fête du moyen-âge each summer

Le-château-fort-de-Provins

• Meaux - where much of the Brie is produced
• Melun - the other principle Brie-producing city in the region with the added attraction of the fabulous Château-Vaux-le-Vicomte nearby

Le fromage célébré Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese. It is pale in color with a slight greyish tinge under crusty white mold; very soft and savory with a hint of ammonia. The white moldy rind is edible.

In addition to plain Brie, there many varieties of Brie made all over the world, including herbed varieties, double and triple crème varieties and versions made with other types of milk. Brie is perhaps the most well-known French cheese, and is popular throughout the world. Despite the variety of Bries, the French government officially certifies only two types of Brie to be sold under that name: Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun.

Brie de Meaux made in the city of Meaux, southeast of Paris since le VIII ème siècle, was originally known as the "King's Cheese" (later, following the French Revolution, the "King of Cheeses") and was enjoyed by the peasantry and nobility alike. It was granted the protection of AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) status in 1980.

One of the brothers of Le Confrerie des Chevaliers de Brie de Meaux - The Brotherhood of the Knights of Brie-de-Meaux wearing his brie-shaped hat

Medal of Le Confrerie des Chevaliers de Brie de Melun - The Brotherhood of the Knights of Brie-de-Melun

Brie may be produced from whole or semi-skimmed milk. The curd is obtained by adding rennet to raw milk and heating it to a maximum temperature of 37°C. The cheese is then cast into molds, sometimes with a traditional perforated ladle called a pelle à brie. The 20 centimetre mold is filled with several thin layers of cheese and drained for approximately 18 hours. The cheese is then taken out of the molds, salted, inoculated with cheese mold (Penicillium candidum, Penicillium camemberti and/or Brevibacterium linens) and aged in a cellar for at least four weeks.

The region in France that gave its name to this cheese (Brie) is, in the French language, feminine: la Brie, but French products take the gender of their general category; in this case Cheese, le fromage, is masculine, and so the cheese is also masculine, le Brie.

According to legend, during le VIII ème siècle, Charlemagne had his first taste of Brie cheese, and immediately liked it. Because the favorites of the kings and rulers often become the favorites of the people, Brie has become perhaps the most famous French cheese.

D'accord! La recette suit! À table!

Brie Farcie

Brie stuffed with mushrooms and goat cheese, baked in puff pastry

INGREDIENTS:

2.2 lb. wheel of Brie
1 pkg. (17.5 oz.) puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the Mushroom/Goat Cheese Filling:
Olive oil
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 Tablespoons dry Vermouth
6 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
freshly ground nutmeg

METHOD:

Prepare the filling:
1. Oil a skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat
2. Add mushrooms and thyme
3. Sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Add the vermouth* and simmer for 4-6 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender.
5. Set aside to cool.

* for best results, add the vermouth to the mushrooms, (ahem) not the cook. It is the mushrooms, not le chef being sautéed.

To assemble the Brie:
6. Keep the rind on the cheese and slice in half horizontally.
7. Spread the mushrooms over the bottom half and sprinkle with the goat cheese.
8. Add a few grinds of nutmeg, replace top and press down gently.
9. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry and cut into 2 12-inch circles.
10. Place the Brie on one circle and, pleating as necessary, pull the pastry up and over the side. It will not cover the top of the cheese.
11. Gently invert the Brie onto the other circle and again, pleat and pull the pastry up over the wheel.
12. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
13. Preheat oven to 400°F/ 200º C
14. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.
15. Remove plastic wrap and place the cheese, seam side down on a the baking tray.
16. Brush with the egg and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.

To serve:
Allow the cheese to rest 20 minutes before serving. Place on a serving tray with fruit and bread as accompaniments.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Ce qui à faire avec cette dinde de surplus - Dinde Suprême

2006-11-29T13:46:00.000+01:00

What to do with that leftover turkey - Turkey Supreme

Leftover turkey: any resemblance to the former father-in-law of Louis la Vache is strictly coincidental

Louis la Vache is a little late posting this - by now, his readers aux États-Unis have probably finished off any leftovers, including la dinde, from your Thanksgiving. However, because la dinde is often also the main course for la fête du Noël, perhaps Louis is just getting his hint for what to do with the leftover oiseau up early! Of course! That's it! Louis is early!

In any case, what Louis has come up with is a very quick, simple - and tasty way of using any of the dinde leftover from your fête: Dinde Suprême. Serve over noodles or rice. You can add pimiento or cooked peas or carrots to the sauce for more flavor and color.

À table!

"New life for leftover turkey." An ad from The Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company on le 1 décembre 1948.

The A&P once was the powerhouse grocery chain aux États-Unis. At its peak, the A&P had over 4,000 stores from coast to coast, though the bulk of its stores were in the eastern and northeastern U.S.
(Cliquez pour agrandir)

- • - • -
Dinde Suprême

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup hot chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1 cup half-and-half
sliced turkey breast, about 12 to 16 ounces
cooked rice or noodles
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped toasted* almonds

METHOD:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Add flour, stirring until smooth.
3. Pour hot chicken broth into the flour mixture and stir until smooth.
4. Add salt and pepper.
5. Heat half-and-half in a separate saucepan or in microwave, then add to the thickened sauce.
6. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

To serve: Pour sauce hot over sliced turkey breast and rice or noodles. Sprinkle with toasted chopped almonds if desired.
Serves 4.

*To toast nuts, spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in a 350° oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Or, toast in an ungreased skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown and aromatic.

Voila! Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache.

Plus de recettes:

The Everyday Turkey Cookbook

125 Best Ground Meat Recipes

Busy People's Fun, Fast, Festive Christmas Cookbook

Fête de l'Action de grâce

2006-11-23T12:28:00.000+01:00

Thanksgiving Day
Louis la Vache well understands the sentiments of these dindes!

En France, there is no national Day of Thanksgiving as celebrated aux États-Unis ou au Canada, though, as anyone familiar avec la belle France knows, there are plenty enough other holidays! So on this last jeudi de novembre, Louis la Vache will take his readers de France en Amérique-Nord for a little histoire de la Fête de l'Action de grâce both aux États-Unis et au Canada. Louis la Vache gives a big tip of his chapeau to Canadian readers Bill and Brenda for providing Louis with information on the holiday au Canada.

Bill wrote:

"Thanksgiving is a remnant of the harvest festival celebrated in England. Its connections with the Puritans are, in my opinion, rather suspect, though the story of Indians and Puritans sitting down together at what would fundamentally be a pagan feast seems a little far fetched to me, but unlikely enough to actually be true. Thanksgiving is not considered to be an important "religious" holiday in Canada, not like Easter or Epiphany (12th night) for instance.

Okay we are agreed that it is to celebrate harvest. Yay! Now as to WHEN. Well, the day has always been in October for the English, but when you damyankees decided to rebel, you just had to do things your own way. You started dropping the "u" out of perfectly good words like "colour" and "flavour", and generally just doing things your own way. You got rid of
your kings, governors and such in favor of your own "royalty", usually in the form of a President and his staff. They decided the dates for major secular holidays. In fact, it wasn't until the middle of the Second World War that the date was finally settled in the US, though of course it has remained unchanged in Canada since 1867, though of course the first
Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated in 1578 by Martin Frobisher."

Bill continues: "The following is from the Wikipedia.....

'Eventually in 1879, the Canadian Parliament declared November 6th a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday in Canada. Over the years many dates were used for Thanksgiving, the most popular being the third Monday in October. After World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11th occurred. Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays, and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day.

On January 31st, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed:

"A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed ... to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October."

The first Thanksgiving Day in Canada after Confederation was observed as a civic holiday on April 5, 1872 to celebrate the recovery of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness. Before then, thanksgiving days were observed beginning in 1799 but did not occur every year. Starting in 1879 Thanksgiving Day was observed every year but the date was proclaimed annually and changed year to year. The theme of the Thanksgiving holiday also changed year to year to reflect an important event to be thankful for. In the early years it was for an abundant harvest and occasionally for a special anniversary. After the First World War it was for Armistice Day, while more recently and including today it has been a day of general thanksgiving.'

Bill further added:

"More information from the official government of Canada web site here. Here you will see that Thanksgiving is an event declared by the government for many reasons....perhaps more than once in a year. Particularly poignant is the notation about the ending of the quarantine on Grosse Isle. And also that often Armistice Day (what you call Veterans day in the U.S.) was often the same as a general Thanksgiving Day. Eventually, they were separated by law.

Now of course, television sports scheduling dictates when holidays will be declared. In Quebec it is called Thanksgiving (Fête de l'Action de grâce) In Canada, Thanksgiving is a three-day weekend (although some provinces choose to observe a four day weekend, Friday–Monday)."

Bill continued:

"From Wikipedia:
While the actual Thanksgiving holiday is on a Monday, Canadians might eat their Thanksgiving meal on any day of that three day weekend. This often means celebrating a meal with one group of relatives on one day, and another meal with a different group of relatives on another day. Though in English Canada Thanksgiving is often celebrated with family, it is also often a time for weekend getaways for couples to observe the fall leaves, the last weekend at the cottage or involves various outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing and hunting. The holiday is not as significant a family occasion amongst French Canadians, however."

Bill graciously continued Louis la Vache's research by providing the following:

"Cut and paste from Everything2.com follows below:"

'On October 13, 1777, to celebrate thanks for both the recent victory at Saratoga for the American Revolution, and for more traditional reasons to give thanks, all 13 colonies celebrated a day of thanks.

George Washington himself declared a national day of thanksgiving, though there was not a lot of support for the idea of thanksgiving as a national holiday. In fact, Thomas Jefferson himself disagreed with the idea.

In 1817, the state of New York adopted a Thanksgiving Day holiday. And by the middle of the century, many other states had done the same. Finally, in 1863, after years of the cause being championed by Sarah Josepha Hale, President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November a national day of Thanksgiving. For a while, each successive president would make the same declaration, though a few presidents did choose a different date. Franklin Roosevelt set it as the next-to-last Thursday, to try and create a longer shopping season for Christmas. People were very unhappy with the change, and it was returned to the last Thursday.

In 1941, Congress decided to sanction the holiday. No longer did each president have to declare it. It was fixed as the fourth Thursday in November.'

- • -
En Paris aujourd'hui, many américain ex-pats will be found in the IV ème arrondissement sur la rue Saint-Paul having Thanksgiving dinner at the Louisiana Restaurant, mangeant comme des vaches on a typical Louisiana Thanksgiving feast.

OK, now that Louis's friends in Canada have done his homework for him, Louis will apologize to his readers au Canada for not getting the information about their Thanksgiving up on the blog in a more timely manner, and now will segue into the feast portion of la fête. To assuage your guilt over mangeant comme une vache (see sidebar story), here are some NUTRITION FACTS about your Thanksgiving meal!

La dinde / the Turkey
Skinless turkey provides ample protein with very little fat. It's also a good source of several B-vitamins and selenium.
4-ounce servings:
Turkey breast without skin - 153 calories, 1 gram fat
Turkey breast with skin - 214 calories, 8 grams fat
Dark meat without skin - 211 calories, 8 grams fat
Dark meat with skin - 250 calories, 13 grams fat
Turkey wing with skin - 235 calories , 11 grams fat

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are nutritional powerhouses. They're an excellent source of beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

Cranberry Sauce
A half-cup of fresh cranberries provides 10% of the daily value for vitamin C. What's more, according to the largest USDA study on antioxidant rich foods, cranberries ranked #6!

Louis found the following about Cranberries at Yahoo!:

"Cranberries are among the top foods with proven health benefits, according to Amy Howell, a researcher at Rutgers University.

Cranberries are full of antioxidants, which protects cells from damage by unstable molecules called free radicals.

The National Institutes of Health is funding research on the cranberry's effects on heart disease, yeast infections and other conditions, and other researchers are investigating its potential against cancer, stroke and viral infections.

So far, research has found:

• Drinking cranberry juice can block urinary infections by binding to bacteria so they can't adhere to cell walls.
• A compound Howell discovered in cranberries, proanthocyanidine, prevents plaque formation on teeth; mouthwashes containing it are being developed to prevent periodontal disease.
• In some people, regular cranberry juice consumption for months can kill the H. pylori bacteria, which can cause stomach cancer and ulcers.

Preliminary research also shows:

• Drinking cranberry juice daily may increase levels of HDL, or good cholesterol and reduce levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol.
• Cranberries may prevent tumors from growing rapidly or starting in the first place.
• Extracts of chemicals in cranberries prevent breast cancer cells from multiplying in a test tube; whether that would work in women is unknown."

Homemade Apple Pie
One medium-sized apple contains only 80 calories and has zero grams of fat. Plus, they are a good source of fiber -- specifically soluble fiber -- the type that stabilizes your blood sugar levels and helps lower bad cholesterol.

Pecan Pie
Fresh pecans play a starring role in this delicious dessert. Pecans provide a good source of heart-healthy fat (they contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), along with some fiber, vitamin E, and zinc. They ranked #14 in the USDA's study on antioxidant rich foods.

Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin, a type of winter squash, is naturally fat free and packs only 30 calories per one-cup serving (of course, that's plain unadulterated pumpkin!). Pumpkin is also a good source of fiber, beta carotene, potassium, and two antioxidants called lutein and beta-cryptoxanthin. Lutein helps reduce the risk of macular degeneration and beta-cryptoxanthin helps fight arthritis.

Roasted Chestnuts
A half-cup of plain chestnuts provides about 150 calories with only 1 gram of fat. They're a great source of potassium, vitamin C and fiber (5 grams per half-cup!).

Louis will now give you his own menu et recettes pour la Fête de l'Action de grâce. Louis doesn't call for chestnuts or for pecan or apple pie, but will use the pumpkin tarte he recently gave you in his menu and Louis will use pecans in his haricots-verts, patates sucrées and in his stuffing pour la dinde. After having lived in France for a while, Louis notes that chestnuts are far more popular en France and are eaten in many ways not common aux États-Unis where they are usually used only as an ingredient in stuffing, and then mostly in the northern and northeastern states.

This being The Frog Blog, we will have to mix a bit of les cultures françaises et américaines with our menu pour la Fête de l'Action de grâce.

In France, even with the lamentable "McDonaldization" of the diet, the meal is still a time of celebration. The meal isn't just about eating. It is a time for conversation, companionship and togetherness. This time for togetherness has been lost in la culture américaine. Les américains rush to eat, then rush off to do something else - all to often (in the view of Louis la Vache) that something else is to watch television. Les américains really only sit at a table and converse three times a year - Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In France, a meal for une fête can last for hours. Les français savor the time together as much as the food.

A meal for une fête will typically begin with l'apéritif, which often includes an assortment of fruit and vegetable juices and may include some choices of alcoholic beverages. In France, the stores carry fruit and vegetable juices and blends that are unknown aux États-Unis, and that's a pity because there are some fantastic combinations available in France. L'apéritif will include things to eat such as salted nuts, olives and perhaps some small sausages and cuts purchased from the charcuterie. No one eats or drinks too much during l'apéritif, because everyone knows much more is to follow! L'apéritif is served in the living room. Afterwards, the party moves to the dining table.

Aux États-Unis, the salad is served first. En France, la salade is not served until after the main course and usually is served with the cheese course. En France la salade is simple - usually just a head of a leafy laitue such as what is called "butter lettuce" aux États-Unis and is dressed with a simple vinaigrette. The menu Louis offers you today is a mix of les cuisines françaises et américaines.

Un ami français de Louis la Vache buying olives pour l'apéritif in the marché d'Antony, southwest of Paris.
(Cliquez pour agrandir)

When he was growing up in Texas, Louis la Vache's mother usually would include Coconut Chess Pie and Mocha Crème Pecan Torte in the choices for dessert on her Thanksgivng table. Yum!

Well, enough histoire... Alors!

À table!

Le menu de Louis la Vache pour la Fête de l'Action de grâce
(Click on the underlined items below pour les recettes)

L'apéritif (as discussed above)

Soupe Crème des Champignons

Haricots-Verts

Patates Sucrées

Condiment canneberge-orange

Dinde rôtie avec herbes de provence

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage, Apples and Pecans (using the recette Louis's mother used in Texas for cornbread)

La salade et la plat des fromages (If you are inviting Louis la Vache, he would be pleased if you included Pont l'Évêque a rich ripened cheese from Louis's ancestral Normandie.)

Tartlettes aux citron et canneberge

Tarte à la Citrouille et à la Crème Fraîche

Et voila! Bon appétit!

This article is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache.

Plus de recettes:

Williams-Sonoma: Thanksgiving

Williams-Sonoma: Thanksgiving Entertaining

William-Sonoma Savoring Meat and Poultry

Patates Sucrées

2006-11-23T08:23:00.000+01:00

Although not nearly so common en France as in les États-Unis, sweet potatoes may be found in les marchés français

Voici, nous avons une recette for grated sweet potatoes cooked with brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, eggs, milk and bourbon. Louis la Vache strongly recommends that ALL of the bourbon be used in the recette, not to (ahem) baste the cook!

Oven 325º F / 160º C

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups raw, peeled sweet potatoes, grated
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 stick butter, melted
dash of salt
dash of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmet
1/4 cup bourbon
2 cups milk

METHOD:

1. Place all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Pour the mixture into a 13x9x2 casserole or baking dish.
3. Place in oven and bake for 1-1/2 hours.

To serve:
Cut into squares and serve

This recette is part of the menu for Louis la Vache's Fête de l'Action de grâce, Thanksgiving.

Sweet Potato Cookbook

12 Best Foods Cookbook: Over 200 Delicious Recipes Featuring the 12 Healthiest Foods

The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: Stories and Recipes for Southerners and Would-be Southerners

Tartlettes aux citron et canneberge

2006-11-23T07:00:00.000+01:00

Lemon-Cranberry Tartlettes

À table!

Tartlettes aux citron et canneberge

Pâte Sucrée

6 - 3" tartlette pans
Oven 375º F, then 300º F / 190º C ensuite 150º C

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour

METHOD:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, powdered sugar and salt together on low speed.
2. Gradually add the flour and mix until a sandy texture forms. Mix until a smooth dough forms.
3. Gather the dough into a ball. Place the dough on a sheet of lightly floured plastic wrap. Press the dough into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap the dough with the plastic and refrigerate for about thirty minutes.
4. Prepare the 3" tartlette pans by coating lightly with vegetable shortening.
5. Unwrap the chilled dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured sheet of wax paper.
6. Roll the dough out to form a circle 12 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/4" thick.
7. Place the prepared tartlette pans upside down on top of the dough.
8. With a sharp knife, trim the dough around the outside diameter of the pans, leaving enough extra to properly fill the pan when you flip the dough (next step).
9. Carefully run your hands under the wax paper and flip the dough and one of the tartlette pans. Repeat all the pans have dough in them.
10. Press the dough into the pans. Trim by running a rolling pin around the diameter of the pans.
11. With the tines of a fork, lightly prick the bottom of the dough.
12. Bake at 375º for 10 minutes, or just until the crust becomes very lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. You may want to use pie weights in the bottom of the crusts. Remove them after 6 minutes, then continue baking the shells for another 4 minutes.

Filling

Oven 300º / 150º C

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and cleaned
1 cup water
2 cups sugar

4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of 3 lemons-very finely grated

METHOD:

1. In a small saucepan, mix 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar
2. Add the cranberries
3. Bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together.
6. Add the cream and whisk together.
7. Then whisk in the lemon juice and zest.
8. Place the tartlette shells on a baking sheet.
9. Place 8 -12 of the cooked cranberries in the bottom of the shells.
9. Slowly pour the lemon filling into the shells.
6. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until the filling has set.
7. Allow the tartlettes to cool completely before serving.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

This recette is part of the menu for Louis la Vache's Fête de l'Action de grâce, Thanksgiving.

Plus de recettes:

Luscious Lemon Desserts

Lemon Zest: More than 175 Recipes with a Twist

Cranberries

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage, Apples and Pecans

2006-11-23T06:36:00.000+01:00

In many areas of les États-Unis, stuffing for roasted poultry, especially for la dinde on Thanksgiving, is made exclusively from some type of white (or in Southern U.S. parlance, "light") bread. However, in the South, including Louis la Vache's native Texas, cornbread is favored for making stuffing. And so cornbread was used in the stuffings Louis's mother made for her Thanksgiving feasts. She would make the cornbread a couple of days in advance, cut it and let it air dry before making her stuffing. Here we will use her recette for cornbread as the basis for this Stuffing with Sausage, Apples and Pecans.

À table

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage, Apples and Pecans

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups pecan halves
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onions
2 1/2 cups chopped celery
3 tart apples (such as Jonathan or Winesap), cored and chunked; do not peel
1 pound lightly seasoned bulk sausage
3 cups coarsely-crumbled cornbread, made in advance, cut and air-dried. (recette suivante)
3 cups coarsely-crumbled whole-wheat bread, cut and air-dried (use a home-made or artisan-baked whole wheat bread for best results)
3 cups coarsely-crumbled French bread, cut and air-dried (use a home-made or artisan-baked French bread; do not use some airy mass-baked supermarket "french" bread.)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

METHOD:

1. Spread the pecan halves over a baking sheet and lightly toast them at 250º F/ 120º C.
2. Remove the pecans from the oven, set aside.
3. Melt half of the butter in a large skillet.
4. Add the chopped onions and celery and cook over medium heat, partially covered, until tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes.
5. Transfer the butter, onions and celery to a large mixing bowl.
6. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet.
7. Add the apple chunks and cook over high heat until lightly colored but not mushy.
8. Transfer the apples and butter to the mixing bowl.
9. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring until lightly browned.
10. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to the mixing bowl and reserve the rendered fat.
11. Add remaining ingredients to those ingredients already in the mixing bowl and combine gently.
12. Cool completely before stuffing the bird.
13. If you do not wish to stuff the bird, spoon the stuffing into a casserole and set into a large pan.
14. Cover the casserole.
15. Pour hot water around the casserole to come half way up the sides.
16. Place in oven and bake at 325º F / 160 º C for 30 - 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the cooking juices from the bird or with the reserved sausage fat.

Makes enough stuffing for a 20 pound turkey; 12 - 14 servings.

Texas Cornbread

Oven 450º F / 230º C
Cast Iron Skillet (available for readers aux États-Unis et en Canada at Williams-Sonoma)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sweet milk
1 egg
1 Tbspn. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 c. melted shortening

METHOD:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour and salt.
2. Add, without mixing, the buttermilk, cup sweet milk, egg, baking powder, baking soda, and the melted shortening.
3. Then stir this mixture thoroughly.
4. Grease the cast iron skillet well with vegetable shortening and preheat.
5. Pour the cornbread batter into the hot pan.
6. Bake at 450F. until done. The bread will be moist.
7. After the cornbread has cooled, remove from pan, cut into squares, and allow it to air dry for 48 hours before making the stuffing.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

This recette is part of the menu for Louis la Vache's Fête de l'Action de grâce, Thanksgiving.

Plus de recettes:

50 Best Stuffings and Dressings

Simply the Best All American: Our 250 Regional Favorites from around the Country

Celebrate!: Cookbook

Dinde rôtie avec herbes de provence

2006-11-23T05:17:00.000+01:00

Roast Turkey with Herbes de Provence
This particular dinde has been seasoned not only with herbes de Provence, but by le soleil de la Provence as well.

À table!

Dinde Rôtie avec Herbes de Provence

INGREDIENTS:

1 fresh or thawed frozen turkey, about 16 lb.
1 yellow onion, quartered
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 or 4 fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley sprigs
2 to 3 Tbs. herbes de Provence
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 to 6 Tbs. (1/2 to 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

METHOD:

1. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Do not leave the turkey at room temperature longer than 1 1/2 hours.
2. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F.
3. Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and reserve for making gravy, if desired.
4. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
5. Place the onion, celery, parsley and 1 Tbs. of the herbes de Provence in the body cavity, and season with salt and pepper. If desired, truss the turkey with kitchen twine.
6. Brush the turkey with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle with the remaining herbes de Provence and season with salt and pepper.
7. Place the turkey, breast side down, on a buttered roasting rack in a large roasting pan.
8. Roast for 30 minutes, basting with some of the remaining butter after 15 minutes.
9. Using 2 pairs of tongs or heat-resistant kitchen gloves or mitts, turn the turkey breast side up and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Continue roasting, basting with the remaining butter and pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 165°F, and into the thigh, 175°F. Total roasting time should be 3 to 3 3/4 hours.
10. Transfer the turkey to a warmed platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for about 20 minutes before carving.

Serves 12.

Et voila! Bon appétit!

This recette is part of the menu for Louis la Vache's Fête de l'Action de grâce, Thanksgiving.

Plus de recettes:

Williams-Sonoma: Thanksgiving

Williams-Sonoma: Thanksgiving Entertaining

William-Sonoma Savoring Meat and Poultry

Condiment de Canneberge et Orange

2006-11-23T04:53:00.000+01:00

Cranberry-Orange Relish

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium oranges, washed
2 pounds fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
4 cups sugar

METHOD:
1.Cut unpeeled oranges into quarters. Remove seeds.
2. Put oranges and cranberries into food processor. While processing, add sugar.
3. Transfer the blend in a food storage container and place it in the refrigerator.

(Make this relish early in the day so the flavors will have time to mingle and develop.)

This recette is part of the menu for Louis la Vache's Fête de l'Action de grâce, Thanksgiving.

Plus de recettes:

Cranberries

The Thanksgiving Table: Recipes and Ideas to Create Your Own Holiday Tradition

Haricots-verts

2006-11-23T03:07:00.000+01:00

Green Beans

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

5 1/2 cups cut fresh green beans
6 tablespoons chopped pecans
3 tablespoon butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/8 teaspoon pepper

METHOD:

1.Place beans in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil.
2. Cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute the pecans in butter for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Drain beans; add to skillet.
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat.

This recette is part of the menu for Louis la Vache's Fête de l'Action de grâce, Thanksgiving.

Frangipane

2006-11-04T17:32:00.000+01:00

Almond pastry cream
Almonds are among the other noix et fruits secs available at this booth in le marché d'Antony south of Paris
(Cliquez pour agrandir)
En pâtisserie française, frangipane is une crème de pâtisserie mixed with ground almonds or ground macarons (without the buttercream filling of macarons de Paris).

The name comes from un comte Italien du XVI ème siècle, Muzio Frangipani. He was living in Paris and could not stand the smell from his kid gloves. He developed a scent based on bitter almonds that he could rub into the gloves to make their smell much more appealing. Les chefs de pâtisserie were drawn to the almond smell and they developed the crème that now bears his name.

The earliest reference Louis la Vache knows of to frangipane dates to the time of le comte Frangipani, that is, in the 1600s and was applied to a custard tart that included both ground almonds and pistaches in the custard. Since then, it is most often used to refer to an almond-flavored pastry cream, but there are references to a vanilla-flavored pastry cream without almonds also called frangipane. There is a pastry shell itself that goes by the name, which may be stuffed with a savory filling rather than sweet. Finally, it can be a gooey, savory paste, used to stuff meats or fish before cooking.

Given those choices, Louis la Vache votes for the almond-flavored pastry cream and that is how he will present it in les recettes he shares with you - and he will do so in the post immediately below this one with the recette for Mirlitons de Rouen.

Frangipane is commonly used as a filling in croissants.

For plus de recettes avec Frangipane, see also:
Gâteau Basque
Pithiviers aux cerises
Tarte aux Fraises Frangipane
Galette des Rois

À table!

Frangipane
Pronounced: fra(n) gee pahn

INGREDIENTS:
5 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup ground, blanched almonds
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 Tablespoons Kirsch

METHOD:

1. Cream together the butter and sugar.
2. Add the eggs and cream some more.
3. Add the ground almonds, almond extract and Kirsch; mix well.

Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Plus de recettes:

A Sweet Quartet: Sugar, Almonds, Eggs, and Butter

The Easy Way to Artisan Breads and Pastries

Mirlitons de Rouen

2006-11-04T16:02:00.000+01:00

Almond Cream Tarts
Un Mirliton pour manger...

Mirlitons de Rouen are little pastries which take their name from the city of Rouen, Normandie and from the
coarse, flute-like musical instrument, often a toy, made of a reed fitted with a piece of goldbeater's skin. Aux États-Unis, this instrument's close relative is the kazoo. There are many variations on this pastry, the oldest version being a tube-shaped pastry imitative of the shape of the short toy flute. The tartelette garnished with the almond cream known as frangipane we will make today was first produced in Rouen around 1800. There are many other variations of the Mirliton pastry including a version using frangipane and topped with an apricot half and an apple-frangipane version.

...et un Mirliton pour jouer. Aux États-Unis, s'appelle un kazoo.

À table!

Mirlitons de Rouen
Pronounced: meer lee to(hn) / duh / roo a(hn)

Equipment: 3-inch tartelette pans
Oven: 400º F / 200º C

INGREDIENTS:

1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
apricot jam
1 recette de frangipane
sliced almonds
sifted confectioner's sugar

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 400º F
2. Line the tartlett pans with the puff pastry and prick the bottoms.
3. Heat the apricot jam briefly in the microwave. Stir it a bit so that it is easier to spread
4. Using a pastry brush, brush the apricot jam on the bottom of the tarts.
5. Fill the tarts with Frangipane top with some sliced almonds.
6. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.
8. Cool on a cooling rack. Serve at room temperature.

Bon appètit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache.

Visit Madame Citrouille for this recette for Recette de tarte aux fraises et aux kiwis.

More reading et recettes:

The following is the sequel to French Women Don't Get Fat:

French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes and Pleasure

.....and here is the original:

French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure

Soupe Crème des Champignons

2006-10-27T07:34:00.000+02:00

Cream of Mushroom Soup

For this weekend's recette Louis la Vache offers you this soupe crème des champignons, and this ain't Campbell's, Yank!

Dried porcini mushrooms lend depth of flavor to this soup, which is perfect for a cool autumn day. The mushrooms are first reconstituted, or rehydrated, in chicken stock. The soaking liquid is strained and added to the soup base to enhance the taste.

Andy Warhol's famous painting of the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup can. Campbell's this recette ain't, Yank!

À table!

Soupe Créme des Champignons

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups chicken stock
2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms (reserve a few for garnish)
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 Tbs. minced shallot
1 1/2 lb. white button mushrooms, brushed clean
and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup good quality dry sherry
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
crème fraîche for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

METHOD:

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm 2 cups of the stock.
2. Add the porcini, remove from the heat and let stand for about 20 minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini to a cutting board and coarsely chop.
4. Line a fine-mesh sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth. Strain the soaking liquid and set aside.
5. In a stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter.
6. Add the shallot and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the porcini and button mushrooms and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes.
8. Add the sherry and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to coat.
10. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid and the remaining 4 cups stock.
11. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
12. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth, then return the soup to the pot.
13. Stir in the 1/2 cup cream and season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and a few of the reserved dried porcini, drizzle with crème fraîche. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

Beautiful champignons in the marché d'Antony southwest of Paris

Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Plus de recettes pour la soupe à le Frog Blog:

Boullion de Volaille "Marie-Antoinette"
Soupe au Pistou
Soupe à l'Oignon

...et plus de recettes:

Soup Bible

Feast of Soups

Cook's Book of Mushrooms: With 100 Recipes for Common and Uncommon Varieties

Bouillon de Volaille "Marie-Antoinette"

2006-10-19T18:14:00.000+02:00

Chicken Bouillon "Marie-Antoinette"

Marie-Antoinette, la reine de Louis XVI, after being held prisoner in la Conciergerie during la révolution Francaise, was loaded into a tumbrel, taken to la place de la Concorde and guillotined on le 16 octobre 1793.

What has Marie-Antoinette (ahem) losing her head got to do with chicken soup? Obviously, the alleged healing powers of chicken soup couldn't help this doomed queen! However, a biography of la reine, "Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France" by Evelyn Lever, suggests that for the queen's last meal, Rosalie, Marie Antoinette's devoted servant, offered her some soupe.

Marie-Antoinette receiving her last rites at la Conciergerie (above) and being loaded into a tumbrel for her trip to the guillotine at la place de la Concorde, (below)

La soupe was considered a restaurant, something that restored the health and body and was served in small shops that advertised medicinal restaurants, which became the beginnings of our modern day restaurants. But the story doesn't end there.

Marie-Antonin Carême, the famous French chef, was named after Marie-Antoinette. In his book L'art de la Cuisine Française, he created a soup that he dedicated to the queen made with a rich chicken broth, vermicelli and peas.

The final connection here is that Sophia Coppola's film of Marie-Antoinette opens in théâtres à demain, vendredi, le 20 octobre.

Et voilà, à table!

Bouillon de Volaille "Marie-Antoinette"

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1 leek, sliced - white part only
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3-4 oz. vermicelli
1/2 cup frozen peas

METHOD:

1. Combine all the ingredients, EXCEPT the vermicelli and the peas, in a large stockpot.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, skimming when necessary.
3. Strain the soup through a fine sieve, pressing on the vegetables.
4. Return the broth to the pot and bring to a boil again.
5. Add the vermicelli and cook.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the peas.

Plus recettes pour la soupe:

Soupe-au-Pistou

Soupe à l'Oignon

This smiling vendeuse de volaille at le marché d'Antony, south of Paris can sell you la poule for your bouillon de Volaille "Marie-Antoinette"

Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

More reading - et recettes:

Cooking for Kings: The Life of Antonin Careme, the First Celebrity Chef

Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France

...and here's some offerings from Nôtre-Dame-de-la-Louche, "Our Lady of the Ladle," Julia Child:

French Chef Cookbook

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 2

Torte de Noix de Pécan avec Moka Crème

2006-10-17T04:52:00.001+02:00

Mocha Cream Pecan Torte

For this recette, Louis la Vache will take you on a journey from Paris back to his native Texas.

Louis's mother, of Norman-French descent on her father's side, was a good cook. (Ce doit être ces gènes français!)

For a girl who grew up in a rural farm community in the Texas Panhandle, she developed (what is in retrospect) a surprisingly international range of interests - when she could have easily retained the perspective of her rural upbringing - not that there would have been anything wrong with that. She was an insatiable reader. Louis remembers that she was often reading two books at a time. Her love of books - and her interest in history - rubbed off on Louis. Louis has some 500 books, and as his readers at his Frog Blog know, Louis has a deep interest in history. Louis got his interest in cooking from her, though his interest in baking is more of his own development.

As Louis wrote above, his mother was a good cook. He remembers the two big cookbooks she had which had been published by Gourmet magazine. She had a collection of copper pans that she hung on the wall of her kitchen - she would have loved E. Dehillerin. Louis remembers in 1957 when Louis was ten years old, trying to make the genoise cake from his mother's Gourmet cookbook with plans to make the petit-fours in that cook book that fascinated him. Louis did this one day while his mother was at work and he commandeered the kitchen for his project. He recalls that the genoise turned out reasonably well, but the fondant icing for les petits-fours was a project for a far more advanced baker than ten-year old Louis was, so he settled for a simpler frosting.

For people living in the Texas Panhandle in those years, Dallas was Valhalla. Dallas had things the rural farm communities couldn't even hope to offer, and even the larger cities such as Amarillo or Louis's native Lubbock didn't have. For shoppers, above all, Dallas had Neiman-Marcus. At the advent of each holiday season, women from cities and towns in the Texas Panhandle would make a pilgrimage to Dallas to do at least part of their Christmas shopping at Neiman-Marcus. The Neiman-Marcus Christmas Book was eagerly awaited. Everyone was anxious to know what this holiday's "His and Hers" gift would be. Neiman's sensational gift wrap became world famous.

And, Neiman-Marcus had Helen Corbitt, an Irish redhead born in New York and raised with Edwardian rules and grace. Corbitt lassoed appetites across Texas when she moved there in 1931 from her job as dietitian at Cornell Medical Center in New York City to manage the tearoom at the University of Texas at Austin. She was lured to the Houston Country Club before operating the tearoom at Joske's department store in Houston and had started her own catering business when the Driskill Hotel called her back to Austin.

Stanley Marcus "courted" her for eight years until she finally accepted his offer to direct his Dallas store's lunchtime oasis. She then dazzled celebrities and dignitaries who flocked to the famed Zodiac Room at Neiman-Marcus for tantalizing cuisine. Helen Corbitt is to American cuisine what Julia Child is to French. In 1957, the year young Louis la Vache attempted to make petit-fours from the Gourmet cookbook, Helen Corbitt published "The Helen Corbitt Cookbook." Soon a copy of this cookbook was in the kitchen of Louis's mother. In it was Helen Corbitt's recipe for a divine Pecan Torte frosted with Mocha Cream. This dessert became a favorite when Louis's mother started baking it - usually for special occasions.

Louis had a copy of that Helen Corbitt cookbook for years but it somehow disappeared. Before Louis moved to France, he tried to locate a copy - without success. He discovered that the book had long been out of print. Frog Blog reader "Tana Banana" reminded Louis of the Pecan Torte recette in a comment she left on the post for Gâteau au Chocolat avec Moka Crème. Louis searched for the Helen Corbitt Pecan Torte recette and returned from his search with good news, bad news and more good news. The first good news is that he discovered that there is a new book available (link below) of five hundred of Helen Corbitt's recettes. The bad news is Louis didn't find the Pecan Torte recette, and since he doesn't yet have the new edition of the Corbitt cookbook, he doesn't know if the Pecan Torte recette is in the new book. The good news is that Louis believes that he has re-created the recette. It isn't exactly the same because Helen Corbitt's recette used instant coffee and Louis has replaced that with ground coffee beans. Other than that, Louis believes that this recette is very close, and, as Louis's Oklahoma friend "DJ" would say, "it's a 'gum-slammer!' "

Trivia: While we are journeying back to the mid-1950s - in 1956, Studebaker offered a color they called "Mocha."

'56 Studebaker Golden Hawk in the "Mocha and Doeskin" paint combination. The '56 Golden Hawks were powered by a 352 cubic inch (5.7 litre) Packard V-8 that developed 275 horsepower. These Packard-powered Studebakers were the fastest production cars available in 1956.

À table!
Torte de Noix de Pécan avec Moka Crème

Oven: 350º F / 175º C

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups pecans
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (For U.S. readers, Louis la Vache recommends the Neilsen-Massey Vanilla from Williams-Sonoma
1/2 teaspoon very finely ground espresso roast coffee beans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

METHOD:

1. Spread the pecan pieces over a baking sheet and toast at 250º F / 120º C for five minutes.
2. Remove the pecan pieces from the oven and allow them to cool.
3. Grind the cooled toasted pecans to the size of uncooked couscous
4. While the pecans are toasting and cooling, grease two 8 inch round cake pans. (Louis la Vache recommends using vegetable shortening)
5. Line the pans with wax paper, grease the paper, too.
6. Beat egg whites in mixing bowl until stiff. Set aside.
7. In smaller bowl beat egg yolks well.
8. Add sugar, vanilla and ground coffee.
9. Beat well. Fold into egg whites.
10. Gently fold in flour and cocoa.
11. Add ground pecans and fold in.
12. Spread batter into the prepared pans.
13. Bake at 350 degree F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes.
14. Let torte layers cool then remove from pans.
15. Fill and frost cake with Mocha Cream. Edges of tops may be trimmed to flatten before frosting if needed as they tend to be higher around the outside. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Moka Crème

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups heavy whipping cream (fresh cream works better than the ultra-pasteurized)
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon very finely ground espresso roast coffee beans
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

METHOD:

1. Beat whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of the sugar together in mixing bowl until stiff.
2. Add cocoa powder and ground coffee beans to cream. Beat in.

Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Gâteau au Chocolat avec Moka Crème

2006-10-10T07:09:00.000+02:00

Gâteau au Chocolat avec Moka Crème

Why wait for the weekend Frog Blog recette when you can start the week with this Gâteau au Chocolat avec Moka Crème?

Louis la Vache promises you that there is not a calorie in this!

(Louis - do you really expect us to believe that? - Editor
Yes, my readers unquestioningly believe EVERYTHING I tell them! - Louis)

We will top a chocolate cake base with a mocha mousse and then top that with a white chocolate-vanilla mousse and garnish it with shaved chocolate. Once again, Louis assures you that this recette is calorie-free!

If you believe Louis's assertion that this recette is calorie-free, then Louis wants to sell you shares of stock in his highly-profitable ferme des cochons-qui-vol, flying pig farm. Louis's cochons-qui-vol are biologiquement elevé, organically-raised, (ahem) naturellement. (Actual photo of one of Louis's farm-raised cochons-qui-vol, as sold to National Enquirer.)

À table!

Gâteau au Chocolat avec Moka Crème

For readers aux États-Unis, Louis la Vache likes the Valrhona chocolate and the Nielsen-Massey vanilla from Williams-Sonoma. You can also find the white chocolate and the 9" Springform Pan there. The 9" springform pan may also be found at Target aux États-Unis.

You will need a little more of the bittersweet chocolate than called for in the ingredient list. You will shave some for garnish.

Oven 375º F / 190º C

Gâteau au Chocolat

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup cake flour
a pinch sea salt
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate
8 TBS unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF/190º C
2. Use vegetable shortening and grease and flour a 9" Springform Pan
3. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt onto a paper plate.
4. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
5. Transfer the chocolate to a mixing bowl and whisk in the butter until the mixture is smooth.
6. Whisk in all but 1 TBS of sugar. Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
7. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the flour one tablespoon at a time until all is combined.
8. In a large bowl whisk the egg whites with salt until foamy and beginning to thicken.
9. Add the 1 TBS sugar and whisk until they form soft peaks. Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture.
10. Pour butter into prepared springform pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and let it cool on a cooling rack. Do not de-pan the cake.
12. While the cake is baking and cooling, make the two mousses.

Mousse au Moka

INGREDIENTS:

7 oz. bittersweet chocolate chopped into very small pieces.
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
1 pkg. powdered gelatin
2/3 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons espresso

METHOD:

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on full power in 30 second increments.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick, then beat in the melted chocolate.
3. Heat the cream until almost boiling and remove from heat. Sprinkle in the gelatin, stirring, until completely dissolved.
4. Pour the cream onto the chocolate mixture, whisking vigorously until smooth.
5. Whisk in the yogurt, vanilla and espresso.
6. In a clean bowl, whisk or beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold them into the chocolate mixture.
7. Pour the mixture over the gâteau to a thickness of 1/2 " and smooth the surface.
8. Cover the springform pan with plastic wrap and chill the gâteau in the coldest part of the refrigerator while preparing the white chocolate-vanilla mousse.

Mousse au Chocolat-Blanc et Vanille

INGREDIENTS:

7 oz. white chocolate, chopped into very small pieces
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
1 pkg. powdered gelatin
2/3 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

METHOD:

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on full power in 30 second increments.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick, then beat in the melted chocolate.
3. Heat the cream until almost boiling and remove from heat. Sprinkle in the gelatin, stirring, until completely dissolved.
4. Pour the cream onto the chocolate mixture, whisking vigorously until smooth.
5. Whisk in the yogurt and vanilla.
6. In a clean bowl, whisk or beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold them into the chocolate mixture.
7. Pour the mixture over the gâteau and moka mousse to a thickness of 1/2 " and smooth the surface.
8. Cover the springform pan with plastic wrap and chill the gâteau in the coldest part of the refrigerator until serving time.

To serve:

Remove the plastic wrap. Heat the blade of a knife with boiling water and run the knife along the inside of the springform pan to loosen the cake and mousse. Carefully remove the dessert from the pan. Garnish the top and sides with the shaved chocolate. Cut and serve.

Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Plus de recettes:

Green and Black's Chocolate Recipes: From the Cacao Pod to Muffins, Mousses and Moles

Pure Chocolate

Bitter Sweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate

Reading about Chocolate:

Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light

E. Dehillerin - l'endroit pour acheter le materiel de cuivre pour la cuisine!

2006-10-08T23:27:00.000+02:00

E. Dehillerin - the place to buy copper cookware!

Serious cooks often prefer cookware made of copper. Copper both heats and cools quickly and it conducts heat evenly. It's beauty in the kitchen is unsurpassed, though it does require high-maintenance to keep it shiny.

Aux États-Unis copper cookware is quite expensive as you will discover if you shop for it at Williams-Sonoma or any other store for serious cooks such as Sur-la-Table.

Cuivre on display in a window at E. Dehillerin

Do you want to replace your current set of pans with cuivre? Do you want to be able to "justify" a trip to Paris? Louis la Vache has "just the ticket" for you! Find a ticket to Paris at Hotwire or Priceline and visit E. Dehillerin. Their prices on beautiful, well-made copper cookware (scroll the entire page) are astoundingly low, especially considering that no one has ever accused Paris of being a cheap city, all the more so since the adoption of the Euro over the French Franc drove prices up about 30%! Seriously! What you save on copper at Dehillerin would pay for a substantial portion of your ticket!

Gleaming cuivre cookware in more sizes and shapes than you can imagine at E. Dehillerin

Dehillerin was founded in 1820. It is located at 18 et 20, rue Coquilliére* in the 1er off of rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau and rue du Louvre west of Forum des Halles and église-Saint-Eustache and not far from le Louvre. The famous pâtisserie Stohrer is close by and worth the visit!

The Dehillerin store best can be described as organized chaos, and it is great fun to tramp around in the crowded aisles looking at all the cooks tools available there, not to mention the amazing selection of cuivre. Most of the employees parle anglais, and are willing to speak it with you, but like many français, they appreciate efforts to parle français, even if you stumble.** They know just where to dig in the chaos to find that special cooks tool you are looking for.

While célèbre for its vast assortment of cuivre, E. Dehillerin has virtually anything a cook or baker might need. Louis la Vache found the moules pyramide, pyramid molds, he uses to bake congolais here.

* Rue Coquilliére - "rue" = street; "Coquilliére" - shell fish vendor. The names of many of the streets around Forum des Halles reflect the history of Paris's central market which was located at this site for centuries.

** This reminds Louis la Vache of a trip to Normandie to view the D-Day beaches. A friend aux États-Unis wanted Louis to send back some chocolat française. Louis found a fine chocolatier in Caen and was making his selection, speaking française avec les deux vendeuses. He was astounded when one of the women asked him "Habitez-vous en Texas?. Louis hasn't lived in Texas in over thirty years - but this vendeuse aux chocolats à Normandie picked up a Texas twang in Louis's français! Bonjour, Y'all!

This post may also be found at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

More reading:

Essential Kitchen: Basic Tools, Recipes, and Tips for Equipping a Classic Kitchen

Tarte à la Citrouille et à la Crème Fraîche

2006-10-01T17:05:00.000+02:00

Pumpkin tarte with Crème Fraîche

Tarte à la Citrouille, garnished with piped-on crème fraîche and chopped, toasted walnuts

When the French adopt an English word, the word is jokingly called "franglais," a play on français et anglais. Aujord' hui, nous avons une version recette de la "franglais" - Tarte à la Citrouille et à la Crème Fraîche - Pumpkin Tarte with Crème Fraîche. Citrouilles, pumpkins, are common in France, but not as popular as aux États-Unis, despite the French adoption of the Halloween américain. Thus it is unlikely you would find a tarte à la Citrouille in une boulangerie française, at least Louis la Vache has never found one. However, with the advent of fall and a plentiful supply of citrouilles, Louis la Vache thought his lecteurs aux États-Unis, readers in the U.S., would like cette recette combining a the popular-with-américains pumpkin filling in a pâte sucrée shell, topped with the vrai français crème fraîche. Voila! Voici - Tarte à la Citrouille et à la Crème Fraîche!

À table!

Tarte à la Citrouille et à la Crème Fraîche

Oven 350ºF / 180º C

INGREDIENTS:

pâte sucrée, (recette suivante)
1 1/4 cups pumpkin purée
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 extra large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup crème fraîche
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove.
2. Add the eggs, then whisk in the heavy cream until well-combined.
3. Pour the filling into the prepared tarte shell.
4. Dollop on the crème fraîche and, using a knife, swirl the crème fraîche into an attractive design on the top of the pumpkin filling - or reserve the crème fraîche until the tarte is baked and pipe it on as in the illustration.
5. Protect the top edge of the crust with a strip of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the filling is set.
7. Cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pan.
8. Garnish with the chopped, toasted walnuts.

The tarte is best served at room temperature on the day it is baked, but it can be kept, covered and refrigerated, for up to three days.

Pâte sucrée

Oven 375º

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, powdered sugar and salt together on low speed.
2. Gradually add the flour and mix until a sandy texture forms.
3. Gather the dough into a ball.
4. Place the dough on a sheet of lightly floured plastic wrap.
5. Press the dough into a disk about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Wrap the dough with the plastic and refrigerate for about thirty minutes.
7. Prepare a 9” tarte pan (or a 9” springform pan) by coating lightly with vegetable shortening.
8. Unwrap the chilled dough
9. Place the dough on a lightly floured sheet of wax paper.
10. Roll the dough out to form a circle 12 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/4” thick.
11. Place the prepared pan upside down on top of the dough.
12. Carefully run your hands under the wax paper and flip the dough and the pan.
13. Press the dough into the pan. Trim by running a rolling pin around the diameter of the pan.
14. With the tines of a fork, lightly prick the bottom of the dough.
15. Bake at 375º for 8 - 10 minutes, or just until the moisture is driven from the dough, but before it begins to brown. (This insures that the crust will not become soggy after the filling is added.)

Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Plus recettes:

Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving Recipes and History, from Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin: A Super Food For 12 Months of the Year

Pumpkin, Butternut, and Squash: 30 Sweet and Savory Recipes

Tarte au Chocolat Noir

2006-09-30T06:50:00.000+02:00

Dark Chocolate Tarte

Tarte au Chocolat Noir, shown here in a regular pâte sucrée shell, rather than the pâte sucrée au chocolat as in the recette below.

Louis la Vache moved to France from California to learn to become a baker. Louis knows that many of his readers also like to cook and bake - and many, like Louis, are "chocoholics." So, for all you "chocoholics" who also like to bake, Louis gives you an easy-to-make recette for Tarte au Chocolate Noir!

À table!

Tarte au Chocolate Noir

Oven 375º

INGREDIENTS:

pâte sucrée au chocolat (recette suivante)
Ganache au Chocolat (recette suivante)

Ganache au Chocolat

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate,* chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract**

METHOD:

1. On a cutting board, chop the chocolate into small chunks and place into a medium size stainless steel bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil.
3. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
4. Add the corn syrup and vanilla. Stir with a whisk until smooth.

ASSEMBLY and SERVING:
1. Pour the ganache into the baked tarte shell. Smooth with a spatula.
2. Allow tarte to cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time.
3. Allow tarte to warm to room temperature before serving. Cut, garnish the slices with crème Chantilly*** or with lightly sweetened crème fraîche.

Another nice touch is a dollop of crème fraîche and a dollop of vanilla-flavored crème de marrons, a chestnut spread.

* Louis la Vache prefers to use the Valrhona Le Noir Gastronomie chocolate available in the U.S. at Williams-Sonoma. You may use a mixture of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate, or all semi-sweet chocolate, depending on your taste for lighter or darker chocolate.

** Louis likes to use the Neilsen-Massey Vanilla Paste available in the U.S. at Williams-Sonoma. This paste contains vanilla bean and gives a superior vanilla taste.

*** Crème Chantilly is vanilla-flavored whipped cream.

Pâte Sucrée au Chocolat

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

METHOD:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, powdered sugar and salt together on low speed.
2. Gradually add the flour and cocoa powder and mix until a sandy texture forms.
3. Gather the dough into a ball.
4. Place the dough on a sheet of lightly floured plastic wrap.
5. Press the dough into a disk about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Wrap the dough with the plastic and refrigerate for about thirty minutes.
7. Prepare a 9" tarte pan (or a 9" springform pan) by coating lightly with vegetable shortening.
8. Unwrap the chilled dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured sheet of wax paper.
9. Roll the dough out to form a circle 12 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/4" thick.
10. Place the prepared pan upside down on top of the dough.
11. Carefully run your hands under the wax paper and flip the dough and the pan.
12. Press the dough into the pan. Trim by running a rolling pin around the diameter of the pan.
13. With the tines of a fork, lightly prick the bottom of the dough.
14. Bake at 375º for about 15 minutes, or just until the crust becomes lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Plus recettes:

Gourmet Shops of Paris

Historic Restaurants of Paris: A Guide to Century-Old Cafes, Bistros, and Gourmet Food Shops

Gâteau Basque

2006-09-30T04:08:00.000+02:00

Gâteau Basque comes from southwestern France near Spain. It is a filling of tart cherry jam and crème pâtissiere, baker’s cream, sandwiched between what is essentially a lemon shortbread. Make the crème pâtissiere first as it must be chilled for at least 2 hours.

À table!

Crème Pâtissiere

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup flour
4 extra large egg yolks
1 3/4 cups whole milk. (NOT non-fat or low fat; whole milk works best.)
2 teaspoons vanilla (Nielsen-Massey from Williams-Sonoma works best.)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup tart black cherry preserves
egg wash

METHOD:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour.
2. Add the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat the reamining 1 1/2 cups of milk with the vanilla and almond extracts until steaming.
4. While whisking, pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture. (This tempers the eggs.)
5. Whisk the yolk mixture back into the hot milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 4 minutes.
6. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the crème pâtissiere to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cool, at least 2 hours.

Pâte

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 extra large egg yolk
1 extra large egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

METHOD:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest and salt together on low speed until smooth.
2. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix until blended.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and divide it into two pieces, one larger than the other. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.

ASSEMBLY:

Oven 325ºF/ 180º C

1. Grease a 9” spring form pan, set it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
2. Working between two pieces of plastic, roll the larger piece of the refrigerated dough into a disc and flip it into the prepared pan.
3. Roll the second disc out between sheets of plastic and set aside.
4. Spread the cherry jam over the pastry.
5. Spoon the crème pâtissiere over the cherries.
6. Flip the remaining piece of dough on top of the crème pâtissiere and trim the dough.
7. Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern into the top crust.
8. Brush with egg wash.
9. Bake at 325º for 50 - 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
10. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the gâteau cool completely.

Serve at room temperature cut into wedges.

Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Plus recettes:

Basque Table: Passionate Home Cooking from One of Europe's Great Regional Cuisines

The Basque Kitchen: Tempting Food from the Pyrenees

Pots-de-Crème au Chocolat

2006-09-28T18:41:00.000+02:00

Pots-de-Crème au Chocolat, here garnished with orange peel and toasted almond slices.

A traditional and popular dessert in France is pots-de-crème, a simple, rich custard baked in small cups. Pots-de-crème refers to both the custard as well as to the small lidded pots it is served in. Pots-de-crème (also sometimes called pot-au-crème) translates from French to English exactly as it looks: "pot of cream". The French do not have a word for "custard;" the dish is simply referred to as crème. The pots may also be called petits pots. Technically pot-de-crème is a lightly set, baked custard. Because the custard is lightly set, it is best served in small pots (or ramekins).

Pots-de-Crème for Pots-de-Crème!

The earliest version of this dessert was baked and chilled prior to serving in the little cups. The method most common today is as follows. Milk, heavy cream or half and half is heated and the flavoring (commonly chocolate) is melted after the liquid is removed from the burner. The eggs are whisked until smooth. Then, the hot flavoring mixture is gently whisked into the eggs. The custard should then be strained through a fine sieve to remove any bits of egg or chocolate not properly incorporated. This will produce a very smooth custard. The empty cups are place in a baking dish. The mixture is poured into the cups until each is about 3/4 full.

The custard is baked in a bath of hot water. This process allows the eggs to cook slowly and evenly. Hot water is added to the baking dish until the level reaches about half way up the sides of the pots. The covers are put on the pots (or the baking dish covered with foil) to prevent a "skin" from forming on the top of the custard. The custard is baked in a low to moderate oven for about 20 minutes. It's important not to overcook the eggs because they will get "rubbery".

The traditional pots-de-crème flavor is vanille but recettes can be found in many flavors including the very prominent chocolate as well as caramel, lemon or coffee.

Custards as we know them today date back to le Moyen Âge when custard was first used as a filling for a Flan or a Tart. The word custard is derived from "crustade" which is a tart with a crust. After the XVI ème siècle fruit creams became popular and it was about this time that custards were made in individual dishes rather than a filling in a crust.

The pots typically are made of porcelain and hold approximately 3 ounces of custard although this will vary by manufacturer. Most cups have a single tiny handle, though some have two handles. The lids are normally adorned with a finial on top such as an acorn, a bird, a berry, or a piece of fruit. The designs vary from smooth, simple, white, devoid of any additional decoration to ornate gilded or floral patterns. A popular XX ème siècle design for the cups was white porcelain with gold trim reminiscent of the simple gold and white Haviland Limoges pieces. The earliest examples of these little lidded cups date back to the Saint-Cloud (pronounced "clue") porcelain factory in France from 1730.

Pot-de-crème is a popular after-school treat for French children. Now, treat your inner-child with this recette!

À table!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup heavy cream*
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces**
3 egg yolks
2 Tbs. sugar
1 to 2 tsp. vanilla extract***

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Have a pot of boiling water ready.

METHOD:

1. Pour the cream into a saucepan over medium heat and heat until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted and well blended. Let cool slightly.
2. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. Using a whisk, beat until pale yellow and thick enough to fall from the whisk in a lazy ribbon, about 5 minutes. Slowly stir in the warm chocolate cream and add the vanilla extract, to taste.
3. Place six 1/4-cup pot-de-crème pots with lids or ramekins in a baking pan. Pour the chocolate mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the pots or ramekins, dividing it evenly.
4. Pour boiling water into the baking pan to a depth of 1 inch. Cover the pots with their lids or the ramekins with a single sheet of aluminum foil. Bake until the custards are just set at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. They should still tremble slightly.
5. Remove the baking pan from the oven. Place the pots or ramekins on a wire rack, remove the lids or aluminum foil and let cool at room temperature. When cool, cover again and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or for up to 2 days before serving.

Serves 6

* For best results, use fresh cream rather than the ultra-pasteurized cream.
** Louis la Vache recommends the Valrhona Le Noir Gastronomique Chocolate from Williams-Sonoma
*** Louis la Vache recommends the Neilsen-Massey Vanilla extract or paste from Williams-Sonoma.

Bon Appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

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Pistou....

2006-09-27T19:06:00.000+02:00

....that's pesto to you, Yank!

In France, pesto is known as pistou. Pistou is popular in France, particularly in the mediterranean regions and especially so in Provence. Pistou in its incarnation Italienne originated in the Liguria region of Northern Italy, specifically in the city of Genoa (pesto alla genovese). Pesto has been known, in various forms, since Roman times, and probably was imported from North Africa.

Pesto alla genovese in its classic form employs: Genoese basil, garlic, salt, pine nuts, Ligurian extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cows’ milk cheese and (often) a lesser quantity of Pecorino Sardo sheep’s milk cheese. (This last is not to be confused with the much more pungent Pecorino Romano which could easily overwhelm the basil.)

In contrast with the italien pesto, pistou is generally made with olive oil, basil and garlic only. While cheese is often added, usually no nuts are included. Pistou is used in the soupe au pistou, a hearty vegetable soup typical of les cuisines provençale, and, like pesto, borrowed from les Italiens. The recette pour pistou Louis la Vache gives you calls for fromage.

Voila! Nous avons une recette pour pistou!

À table!

Pistou

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups fresh basil, finely shredded or cut with scissors
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/2 cup freshly grated Gruyère (or Parmesan)
3/4 cup olive oil
freshly ground pepper

METHOD:

1. Place a half of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend. When the purée is smooth, pour it into a bowl.
2. Purée the rest of the ingredients and add them to the first batch.
3. Stir in the cheese. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days. (It is best to let the flavors develop for at least a day before using the pistou.

To Store the pistou longer than 2 days in the refrigerator, cover it with some olive oil.

Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache.

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Soupe au Pistou

2006-09-27T18:20:00.000+02:00

Pesto Soup
In the post above giving you une recette pour pistou, Louis la Vache introduced you to la version française du pesto. In it, Louis wrote that pistou is used in making soupe au pistou, which, like pesto, was borrowed from les Italiens. This recette is adapted from J.-B Reboul, La Cuisinère Provençale, 1897.

À table!

Soupe au Pistou

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb. green beans
6 small potatoes, peeled & diced
5 onions, peeled & diced
5 carrots, peeled & diced
3 small turnips, peeled & diced
3 zucchini, diced
2 tomatoes, seeds removed
2 oz. lean bacon, diced
1 leek, cleaned & coarsely chopped
1/2 head small cabbage,shredded
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 bay leaves
pinch of sage
salt & freshly ground pepper
5 cups water
5 cups vegetable broth
pistou
gruyère cheese, grated

METHOD:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, then add the bacon, potatoes, leeks, carrots, sage and as much of the other vegetables the pan can hold and sauté for 5-8 minutes.
2. Pour the water and vegetable broth into a large stockpot.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the sautéed vegetables, along with the rest of the vegetables, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for at least 40 minutes.
5. Check the seasoning and continue cooking slowly for another 40-50 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

To serve:
Place a tablespoon of pistou into soup bowls. Add some grated gruyère to each bowl. Ladle in the soup and stir.

Bon appétit!

This recette is also posted at The Frog Blog of Louis la Vache

Une autre recette pour la soupe: Soupe à l'oignon

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