A local french cuisine to remember...

Today the action is not in my kitchen but in Chef Olivier Bioteau's from Farm House Cafe in Normal Heights, San Diego.

I have been eyeing the local french restaurant for over a year, with the silent vow of discovering their menu as a celebration for getting a new job. This week my wish was granted ! My faithful sidekick Arnold and I went on Friday, two starving adventurers on the prowl for french food.

Reservation in hand, we got a table on the patio. In retrospect that was a good choice. Too noisy inside for my taste. We got to enjoy the sunset and a night breeze while sharing the charcuterie plate, accompanied with a full glass of Vacqueyras, a french full body yet supple red wine from Provence that will make your head spin. If you like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, you have to try Vacqueyras. The charcuterie plate had several cold cuts from mild to spicy, including garlic sausages, cured duck, and pate, easily shared between two or three people. I wished the bread was better, but you may have to be in France for that :)

For the main course we both chose the alaskan keta salmon. What sold me was the basil puree on top to impart that extra flavoring I like so much. It was served with fingerling potatoes cooked in a broth with onions and spices. The fish was seared, cooked on both sides yet still soft on the inside. As such, it melts in your mouth. Don't make them cook it through !

I was ready for dessert ! I had already drooled on their website in the morning. Setting foot in the restaurant I knew what was going to end a delicious evening. The Almond Panna Cotta ! The website picture exactly depicts what was delivered in front of me. Spoon in hand I dove into pure creamy bliss. Texture reminded me of a thick and firm custard. Very sweet and with a definite almond flavor. I slowly enjoyed every bites. Arnold got the peach upsidedown cake with lavender-infused ice cream. It was good, but I liked mine better :)

We were winding down our dinner experience when the hostess, Rochelle Bioteau, generously offered us some champagne at the bar. Our table needed to be prepped for the next guests. Friday is a busy night at the Farm House, and it would be shameful to deprive others from the delices Chef Olivier Bioteau serves in his fine establishment. Then I could not resist, I asked her to try a small piece of her husband's homemade chocolates. She gracefully complied, with a knowingly smile. Ah, yes, our evening was truly complete. Try the chocolates if you can!

Olivier, Rochelle, you'll see me again but I won't wait for another job opportunity to steer me your way.

Red and Roasted !!!

Roasted Peppers and Wine Goat Cheese Salad

I love Summer ! Sun shines high, beaches are inviting, fresh fruits are plentiful (love my cherries !), and local farmers deliver their best crops at the lowest prices. Summer's cornucopia is simply a cook's delight. So many things to make, so little time !

Like a kid in a toy store, I am constantly filled with indecision while grocery shopping. I know my fridge can contain only so much, and there is so much I can eat while staying within my pant size. Each trip to the local store is an exercise in moderation. I have the bare essentials in mind (breakfast cereals, yogurt, eggs, half and half, fruits on sale,...), and I keep room for a little folly that will make my shopping trip rewarding, like oh say specialty ice cream, a sweet-smelling pineapple, a pot of Nutella, fresh ricotta cheese, ah any cheeses ! But I always dutifully scan for low prices on usually high priced vegetables and fruits. And Summer is the time to get them !

A personal favorite are red bellpeppers. Roasted in the oven, skinned, and kept in olive oil, they easily had a touch of colors to any salads, or even quiches. They will last about a week or two in the fridge.

To roast the bellpeppers:

1. Wash them and place them in a roasting pan still wet. No need to open them, or empty them, they will cook from the inside.
2. Cook at 380F for 1h to 1.5h. You should see the skin wrinkle, or pop, or blacken in some spots.
3. While still hot, place them in a closed plastic bag for 20 minutes or so. The steam will soften the pepper skin enough that they'll be easier to skin. It's like plunging whole tomatoes into boiling water to peel them. Same concept, different method.
4. Take the peppers out of the bag, cut them in half to remove the seeds and the green stub. Lay them flat, skin up, and remove the skin completely. Cut them into long red strips. Once all in a container, strain most of the juice and add olive oil. Remaining juice and oil will combine to provide extra seasoning for your salads.

Voila ! Easy to prepare, easy to enjoy. I leave it up to you to find other applications for this fine red vegetable. Try mixing in yellow bellpeppers. They are sweeter and yellow goes very well with red on a bed of greens !

Mark, this one is for you !

Onion and Bacon Quiche

The last thing you want to do when getting together with a bunch of guys for a game is bringing a quiche. "Queeech, what's that ?". Well, that caught me off guard. Fluffy cheese omelet on a crust? Oven baked cheese omelet? Omelet pie ? Just taste it, dammit !
Mark, our host, has been heavely hinting lately how he loves quiches, as a special treat, and oh so rarely satisfied...:) Ok, ok, ok, will bring one for the boyz. Which made me think, well, what kind of quiche should I bring? Quiche is such a general word, and so easy to customize. So, for Mark and the quiche virgins, I decided to go back to the basics of Quiche Lorraine, a hearty quiche with lots of bacon and cheese. A real quiche for real men, Aaaaarrrrr...:) Except I had to make it with what was available at the local store. I got turkey bacon from Eating Right (less greasy) and an italian cheese blend instead of gruyere (choice of cheese is not too important).
They all liked it. But we still ordered pizza...

Stacy, this recipe is for you, to make Mark a happier man :)

Ingredients:

• basic crust (see post July 1st)
• 1 big yellow onion, chopped
• 10 oz turkey bacon, cut in small pieces
• olive oil
• curry, salt, pepper
• 3 eggs
• 8 oz half and half
• 1/2 cup italian cheese blend (shredded)
• Provence herbs (or italian herbs)

Directions:

1. Prepare the crust as directed in july 1st post. I mixed in some Provence Herbs for flavor. Italian herbs would work as well
2. Preheat the oven to 380F
3. In a pan with olive oil (about 3 tablespoons), curry (about a teaspoon), and salt, cook the chopped onion until translucent/lightly brown, then add the bacon pieces and cook on medium for 10 minutes. The bacon with release its grease and sizzle the onion a bit more.
4. Pour onion and bacon onto the crust, and spread them generously.
5. For the egg batter, mix the eggs and add the half and half, followed by the shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well and pour onto the onion/bacon.
6. Sprinkle some more cheese blend on top. It will add a light brown color to your quiche, a "gratin" effect basically.
7. Cook in the oven at 380F for an hour. Typically you want to cook it until the top is lightly brown.

It will smell wonderfully in your house, especially if you added the herbs in the crust. To be consummed warm or cold. Add a green salad with oil and vinaigrette dressing and you'll think you are sitting in a french bistro for a moment :)

Bon Appetit !

You Wanna Piece of Me ??!!!

It was only a matter of time before the classy chocolate cake that melts in your mouth makes its appearance on my blog. A star of the dessert world, its wide appeal rests on one simple truth: good quality chocolate! If you are to dedicate your time to its confection, please do not degrade its magnificence with what I call chocolate-flavored wax. Sacrebleu! At the very minimum use 60% cocoa chocolate (semisweet to bittersweet). Personally I choose at least 70% for a true chocolate flavor. In other words, if you are going to swallow those calories, make it worth it !

I did mention calories. Well, yes, at 2 sticks of butter and sugar to match, it is not for the weightwatcher. I am sure you can find a low calorie alternative out there, with fake sugar and, gasp, fake butter, but I won't comment on the taste. So I'll let you in on a little secret. There is a reason for maximizing the cocoa content, hence the bitterness, of the cake: a tiny piece and you are satisfied. Dependent, of course, of your level of addiction to the black substance :)

So here is how I satisfy my cocoa addiction. Welcome to my Hell ! :)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa
• 8 oz unsalted butter
• 8 oz sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 table spoons of Kailua liquor

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 360F
2. Melt the chocolate on low
3. In the meantime, mix the soft butter (I soften it in the microwave for 15 seconds) and the sugar until you get a creamy consistency
4. Add the eggs one by one, mixing each egg with the batter for a minute each
5. Add the melted chocolate and mix well
6. Add the flour and mix well
7. Add the coffee liquor (it's an option) and mix well.
8. Pour into a greased cake pan (I use butter for greasing, of course) and bake for 45 minutes at 360F. You know the cake is ready when you put a knife into teh center and it comes out clean. Be careful not to overcook the cake or it could get a bit on the dry side.
9. Cool the cake down, flip it to present the bottom up, and sprinkle some confection sugar on top for presentation.

Then just wait for the OOOOhs and the AAAhhhhhs :)

Pierre

A Provence Summer special - "Soupe au pistou"

I received a large donation of fresh basil earlier this week, at least two whole plants ! I love basil, I could not refuse. In fact, the minute I got my hands on it I knew what it would become.
You see, basil is a seasonal herb in Provence (not like in San Diego where it shows up in stores year round!). It is a Summer staple, a green gold that is delicately handled for anything "pesto", or "pistou" as we call it in Provence. One such recipe is "la soupe au pistou" or pesto soup, a vegetarian stew with a strong taste of basil and garlic, eaten warm, but preferentially cold during the hot Summer days.
There are likely many recipes available, as it's easy to substitute veggies and cheeses to accommodate tastes. Here I am sharing the one I used. It is a mix of my mom's and a recipe from "Recettes en provence" from Andree Maureau (book might be available in english by the way). It gives me a big batch, but it can be kept easily in the freezer for later.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry pinto beans


• 1 lb dry red kidney beans


• 0.5 lb french beans


• 4 russet potatoes


• 3 zucchinis


• 4 tomatoes


• 1 onion


• 2 carrots


• 1/2 cup of elbows pasta


• 1 whole basil plant


• 5 garlic cloves


• 4 table spoons olive oil


• 1.5 cup of a blend of shredded gruyere, edam, and parmesan cheeses


• salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Fill a big pot with water (I used about 1 - 1.5 gallon) and bring to a boil. Add the dry beans and boil for 20 minutes.


2. Add the french beans, the diced and peeled potatoes, the zucchinis (whole, with skin), the diced onion, 2 tomatoes (cut), the carrots (cut), and cook on medium for 2 and a half hour. Stir in between to mash the zucchinis as they get softer. At this point, you may have to reduce the amount of water to obtain a stew consistency by letting the water evaporate during cooking. Otherwise keep the lid on.


3. After 2 and a half hour, add the pasta and cook for another 20 minutes.


4. In the meantime, you prepare a thick pesto paste by adding the following in a blender: 2 tomatoes, the basil leaves, the olive oil, the garlic, and the cheese blend. Blend everything well to a paste.


5. Take the stewed vegetables off the stove and add the "pistou" paste. Mix well, add salt and pepper to taste.

Like any other stews, I find that the soup ages nicely overnight in the fridge. Personally, I enjoy it cold.

As Julia Child would say..."Bon Appetit!" :)

"Julie & Julia" - Must-see movie for all foodies !

Tuesday, I stepped out of the kitchen and into a dark room to see the latest Meryl Streep movie about Julia Child, famed French cooking advocate, and Julie Powell, foodie enthusiast who blogged her way through Julia's cookbook.
I love Meryl Streep, she is one of the most gifted actresses of her generation, regularly nominated at the Oscars for her memorable roles. I bet her turn as Julia Child will be no exception.
I plainly and simply loved the movie. It was charming, witty, funny, and I quickly rooted for and empathized with both main characters as they went through their lives with a culinary obsession. My favorite parts in the movie are many, especially Julia's affair with french cooking. Or just french food (ah, brie and cheese...). What started as a pasttime for bored housewife quickly turned into the focus of her life. Her fierce determination to prove that she can be as good a cook as any other male counterpart was plainly demonstrated in the onion sequence, where she practiced cutting a huge pile of onions until she got it right, tears and all. Her sheer focus is further exemplified in the gruesome translation of recipes for english cooks and the numerous edits over the years to get it just right. Back then it was all typed with carbon paper !
I admit I did not know Julia Child, I am too young for her shows and I don't even have her cookbook (why would I, I already know how wonderful and delicious french cooking is...grin). This wonderful gem of a movie opened my eyes. I discovered an exceptionally strong-willed being who infused her life with her passion for cooking, breaking gender and cultural barriers to master a sensual art and make it available to anyone.
The movie was truly inspiring. And when the credits came rolling in, boy, was I hungry !!!

Two thumbs up and a growling stomach !!!

Another Summer treat ! Apricot and Almond Tart...

I was in Heaven the other day! My local grocery store (Henry's in North Park for San Diegans) had apricots for sale. Not the hard as a rock kind. No, no, they were soft and ripe, as they should be. And placed in such a tiny display, one would hardly notice. But my eyes are trained ! You see, I grew up in Apricot country, with an apricot jam factory next door. My summer diet consisted of cherries in June & July, apricots in July & August, right off the trees. August & September we could smell the apricot jam in the making. Sweet sweet smell to fall asleep to...Aaaah the memories...

I've been enjoying Henry's apricots for several weeks now. Sweet, soft, sometimes juicy, they are a great snack. Of course, my brain turned into "tarte mode" :) One thing one has to worry about with baking with apricots is the bitterness of the fruit, especially if they are not ripe. One way to remedy that problem is to use leftover apricots that have been sitting so long nobody wants them. You are going to cook them, so who cares ?!! Another way is to pair them with a sweet concoction. Personally I like to marry apricots with almonds, especially almond paste which is very sweet with an underlying bitterness.

Below is my recipe for an apricot/almond tart that I made this week. Interestingly, it tasted more like apricot after a day in the fridge, as if the apricot juices diffused. You won't taste much of the almond unless you add almond flavoring to the selfmade almond paste.

Ingredients:

• Dough: 8 oz flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, 4 oz butter, 1 egg, pinch of salt


• Almond paste: 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 oz butter, 1 yolk, vanilla flavor


• Cream: 1/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tablespon marsala, 3/4 cup half and half


• 6-7 apricots

Directions:

1. Prepare the dough as instructed in my second post (with extra almond flour) and place it in the tart pan


2. To make the almond paste, mix the sugar, the almond flour, melted butter, yolk and a little bit of vanilla flavor until it is homogeneous. It should be a bit hard to mix so use a wooden spoon to apply a mashing motion. Place the paste in a thin layer at the bottom of the uncooked crust. Don't be afraid to use your fingers!


3. Place the apricot halves on top, the outside facing up.


4. To prepare the cream, mix the eggs, the sugar, and the marsala, then add the half and half. Mix well and pour on top of the apricots.


5. Bake everything at 370F for 1.5 hour.

Enjoy !

Small Indulgence - Lemon Mini Tarts

Summer is lemon season, at least in San Diego. Everyone is giving away lemons and limes. It's a great time for that dear little sweet tooth of mine, because lemon tart ("tarte au citron" as my mom says) is one of my favorite dessert. Or I shoud say it is in the top 100 :)

I normally make one big tart with generous slices and meringue on top, but i have been itching to use that silicone minitart mold I found at Tuesday Mornings for $5 ! Obviously I had to adapt my "tarte" skills to the small bite size the mold has to offer. After experimenting a bit, I found that it is easier to precook the crust using the mold, let it cool down then transfer them to a rack and fill them up with the lemon-flavored cream, before placing the rack in the oven for another round of baking.

The result is deli-hmmmm-cious ! And they are so small you don't feel guilty at all ! Not until after the third one :)

Alright, here is how I did it.

Ingredients:

• for the dough: 8 oz flour, 4 oz butter, a pinch of salt, 1 egg, vanilla flavoring, and 1/4 cup almond flour
• for the cream: 1 egg, 1 yolk, 2 oz sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1/2 cup half and half, 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Prepare the dough as instructed in the "basic crust recipe" post. I added the almond flour for a flakier dough.
2. Make a little ball of dough for each well in your mold. You've got to experiment with how many you need for a well, as each mold can be different in size. With the proportions given, I can make 14 mini tarts.
3. Press and mold each ball into a tart crust. Poke each with a fork at the bottom to let air escape during baking.
4. Bake at 350F for 15 min and let them cool down.
5. Prepare the cream by beating the egg, the yolk, the sugar, and the flour then add the half and half, the lemon zeste and its juice. You should get a creamy consistency.
6. In my case I place a little bit of cherry jam at the bottom of each crust for extra flavoring, but you dont have to. Add the lemon cream to each crust. (Another option I like is to add melted chocolate and let it seize before adding the lemon cream).
7. Bake at 350F for 30 min.
8. Once it's cooled you can drizzle some confection sugar on top for presentation.

Now it's your turn ! Good luck !