Dinner May 28, 2013 pepper crostini and Dorie Greenspan's Asparagus soup

As you have probably figured out by now, I am not a writer but that doesn't stop me from sharing my love of cooking with anyone who will listen.  Does that mean I cook well all the time; making remarkable dishes that everyone woos and ah's at?  Not at all! I think those who don't venture into cooking because they think their neighbor or family member were born to cook - So far from the truth! It's practice, making tons of mistakes, laughing at those mistakes and finding the passion to continue on especially if you have the opportunity to learn from a seasoned home cook to share their own love of good healthy food.

 I thought it would be fun to share some of my cooking adventures that have kept my family laughing over the years; most ending up with us ordering pizza or going out to eat (yes out of desperation to get something edible). 

- I bought chicken with some sort of filling from the butcher. I put these little bundles in the oven, started the rice and veggies in hopes to get all the ingredients for a lovely dinner ready for my dear husband to come home from work.  I peered in the oven and the chicken was glistening.  My dear children were ready for dinner, I had the table set and waited for my husband and children to regal me with kudos for a dinner well made.  Instead my husband came home and asked why the house smelled like melting plastic.  He went around the house searching for the melting plastic until he came back to the kitchen.  He opened the oven door to see the beautifully browned chicken breasts.  I had left the plastic on the chicken and melted the plastic all over our dinner.

- I made meatloaf that even my Irish Setter, who ate everything, wouldn't eat the meatloaf we couldn't eat.  He walked away.

-I forgot I had potatoes boiling in the kitchen (lets say it took a while for that burnt potato smell to go away - I even had to toss the pot)

-More than I can mention: I have made so many dishes that I couldn't serve to my patient family or where my family tastes these dishes and nicely suggest that we order pizza in which I heartedly agree!!!

- I have burnt, over salted, under salted, forgotten ingredients, undercooked, over cooked many a recipe that I can't even count.  I have always had a sense of humor about these adventures and I can't tell you how many times I have laughed with my family on how "bad" my dishes can turn out.  Those mistakes taught me so much!

A little note about my grandmother. When she was 17 she moved to Paris to work for a family.  The woman of the house told my grandmother she would have to cook for the family. My grandmother was terrified.  The woman gave her a cook book and left my grandmother alone in the kitchen not because she was being mean but because she believed my grandmother could learn to cook. My grandmother always spoke kindly about that family.  I am sure she made many an awful dish for that family on her road to becoming a great home cook!

  Life is too short to take things so seriously. I have found we learn by our mistakes and laughing a little along the way can make any journey so much more fun.


Dinner at my house: Dorie Greenspan's Asparagus Soup and a crostini of red pepper, goat cheese and capers. 

 Above Dorie's Asparagus soup (from her book Around my French Table)

It's amazing how Dorie Greenspan can take simple ingredients of asparagus, water, butter, creme fresh, onion, shallots, leeks,  salt and pepper that brings spring to your table in this delicate Asparagus soup. 

The other part of our dinner: I had left over herbed goat cheese and toasted french bread that needed to be used up and not many people to cook for (only two tonight). 

 I don't have a set recipe so here it goes: 

- I took 1/2 a red and yellow pepper (seeds removed) sliced thin.

- Saute slowly in a bit of olive oil (it took about 15 minutes), 

-I added a small pinch of sugar and 1 tablespoon rinsed capers and saute it about 5 minutes more. 

-Add a bit of salt/pepper (to your taste). 

-At this point add 1 to 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced basil and mix. 

- Spread a nice amount of herbed goat cheese on your toasted french bread. 

-top goat cheese with pepper mixture. 

- If needed add a small amount of fleur de sel to top of your crostini 

.

What we had for dinner: feta and cream cheese toasts topped with tomato salad and basil

This makes enough for 10 appetizers or a bit more

For cheese base
- in food processor blend 3 ounces broken apart feta (I buy it broken already) and 1 ounce cream cheese   
-add 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper 
- blend until smooth and put aside

For toast: (we have an italian deli that sells italian bread already toasted) or
-set oven 400 degrees
- slice on a diagonal french bread 1/4" to 1/2" thick depending on preference (I like thicker so I use 1/2") cut 10 to 15 slices
- cut one clove garlic in half and rub gently on bread
-place the bread on a cookie sheet and place in oven
- after a minute or two turn the bread over and cook until lightly browned at edges or crispy to your preference (set aside)

or slice bread at an angle: paint with a bit of olive oil or garlic oil

For tomato topping:
- put in a medium bowl: 1 Tablespoon finely diced shallot, 1 finely minced garlic (remove the inner germ inside the garlic to mellow the taste), and 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar and mix
- beat in 2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1/2 a teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper into the shallot garlic vinegar mix.
-add chopped room temperature cherry tomatoes and let sit for  about 20 minutes.
-mix in 1-1/2 Tablespoons chiffonade basil 
(taste)

Assembly: 
-spread a nice amount of cheese mixture on toast
-with slotted spoon take some tomato mixture and place it on top of feta cheese mix.
- if you like a little more salt - I use a small pinch of good sel de mere (a fine flaky sea salt)
-serve immediately

Coupetade A french Toast custard made with Brioche or Challa Bread

When life gets busy, my cooking practice and skill - I may say at times go out the window.  I love to cook for my family and I love pushing the limits on my cooking skill but I, even now, when life becomes so busy I can't think, have to put my cooking dreams literally on the back burner.

Yesterday I had a chance to dabble again in what I love to do - Cook! And it really was a joy! (dishes not so much but I love the cooking process)

The challenge last week on French Fridays with Dorie was a dish called Coupetade or French toast Custard made with a beautiful egg colored buttery bread easily found in France (Brioche), whole milk, vanilla, sugar and eggs and sometimes dried fruit.  

Long before mixers were invented, home cooks and pastry cooks alike used their hands and lots of hard work to blend this light and lovely egg dough bread called brioche.  Thank Goodness, I have a Kitchen Aid to blend this dough and do much of my work for me.  Brioche is worth the work and the wait. So I was excited to try Dorie's coupetade from her cookbook Around my French Table (page 419)

As part of my agreement with being on the weekly challenge with French Friday with Dorie I can not print Dories recipes but I have given you a link to a video of Julia Child and Nancy Silverton making their version of Brioche for you to have. (skip the advertising link)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er5uqAfZpLg

Dorie Greenspan's Coupetade was a hit in my house. (see picture below).  My family loved it, even my hamburger and hot dog loving dear husband! 

I served our custard with a bit of whip cream mixed with a touch of sugar and vanilla or you can serve it with warm maple syrup. 

This is not a low calorie dish but it is delicious!