Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

I hope all my American readers enjoyed their Thanksgiving! I was very thankful to get to spend time with my family and friends while I was home. Even had a clean-up helper. 

One sous chef getting some final bits off the plates 

                               

Now in full Christmas holiday mode, not that they don’t start before Halloween with Christmas advertisements. I do love this time of year stretching from October through January. I love kicking off with Halloween. The crazy holiday with very interesting history, but a fun night to dress-up and hang out with friends.

Thanksgiving is next up that gets us prepared for the Christmas season. A national day of thanks that gives us the time to reflect on what we are thankful for. Gets one in the spirit of not thinking of oneself but of others.

Since coming back from Thanksgiving break (perk of working at a college), I’ve been getting a lot prepped for up coming holiday parties, and making sure that I’m all stocked up with pastries for the coffee shops on campus since finals are upon us as well. It is amazing how much more the students go through the pastries during finals… study fuel.

Study fuel: L-R T-B: Muffins, sticky buns, croissants and cinnamon rolls 

One thing I do love about the three weeks back is getting to be even more creative with the small desserts for the holiday parties. The major one that we have is for the President Chancellor of LSU. I get to create lots of holiday cookies, petite fours, and other small finger desserts.

                    

Some of my favorite holiday treats to make are pate choux, or cream puffs. There is just something about them. Just so cute and then you can fill them or turn them into a croquembouche. Such a showstopper. Well, at least I think so. I also love creating gingerbread houses. The smell alone gets me into the Christmas spirit.  

Replica of the Faculty Club building that I work out of... Poured sugar made up the windows 

My most used recipes for this time of year are three main staples… ginger snap cookie, sugar cookie and pate choux recipes. I use these three the most because, ginger snaps are always a hit and are a lot like gingerbread cookies (I find them tastier), the sugar cookies because well they are great for decorating. Lastly the pate choux because you can make cream puffs and éclairs out of the dough. 

Later this week I'll be posting my recipes and what I've made out of them. Hopefully y'all will try them out and let me know how they work out for you! Hope you're having a great holiday season. Happy Eating! 

Gobble Gobble Turkey Time

So next week is Thanksgiving. Stressed? Don’t be.

I have a few things that help me get through the preparation and cooking.

Every year I lend a major helping hand. I mean kind of expected right? :)  

Over the years, before I become a professional chef, my mom and I would get a game plan together on what we needed to get done. Each year we got better… each year we did more and more ahead of time. We even got more and more organized.

Veggie plate for munching on

These are some of my tips on what helps us on Thanksgiving so we aren’t running around like chickens with our heads cut off.

First thing… Get a game plan together.

If you have a large crowd coming, you want to spend time with them (well in doses). You also want to make sure you have enough to feed everybody. Pull the recipes that you want to prepare, make the first round grocery list of non-perishable items and then the second round list of the items that are perishable items. So when family and friends start showing up, you will having everything in order and you can float in and out of the kitchen (if not everybody is hanging out in there) and mingle stress free.

I always have a soup or 2 for those that would want something warm 

Getting a game plane together, knowing when you need to go to the store, and what for really helps keep things (and you) calm. Make lists of what you’re cooking, and have a reminder of when you need to pull out your turkey to FULLY thaw out for proper cooking. Large crowds are fun to have but can cause stress. Planning is the number one key to keep you head together.

Getting things in order for a recipe 

Second thing… make a timeline.

I know what your probably thinking… isn’t this the same thing as a game plan? Yes and no.

Making a timeline does fall into getting a game plan together but a the timeline helps break down each day and helps you keep track of what all you have going on.

I make a timeline so that I know when the latest time I can put something in the oven and I know what is going on when and how long it will be in the oven. Timing is everything in a kitchen both professionally and at home. As you can imagine with a lot going on, I have multiple timers ticking away with notes on them of what the timer is for… organized hectic home kitchen. Having something in the oven or on the stove a minute or two too long and lead to drying out or burning. Those two things can just put a wrench in your day.

Third thing… do as much ahead of time as you can.

I can’t stress this point enough. I prepare a lot of dishes ahead of time. This takes a lot of stress off my plate. Casseroles and my family’s chicken and dressing are items I prepare up to the point that they just have to go into the oven.  

For instance, I look at the recipes and look and see what the ingredients are and get all my mise en place (which means everything in its place) together. I get everything chopped, diced and minced up that I need. Separate everything out for the recipes and get dishes together to the “ready for the oven” point. Plastic wrap it and put it in the fridge. 

I make all my desserts ahead of time. I get them out of the way because they can go into the fridge and the only thing you have to worry about is people eating them before the day. You can usually bake a few different holiday pies at one time since they are all usually baked at the same temp (and they don't take up that much room in the oven). 

Gobble gobble Turkey is ready!

Fourth and final thing… don’t be afraid to ask for help!

I can’t stress this point enough. You and everybody else will be a lot happier and you can enjoy the holiday much more. Divvy up the duties among your helpers and keep calm. Relinquish some of the control if you have control issues. You can’t do it all. If people offer to help… let them, and don’t be afraid to ask for it. Nobody will think any less of you.    

It is the time of year for being around family and friends and to be thankful what you have. Enjoy it. Things aren’t always perfect. The imperfections over the holidays always make for stories for the years to come.  

Hope this helps out with any stress you might be feeling with Thanksgiving coming up. Remember it is about celebrating what we are thankful for and spending time with loved ones. Happy Eating!!

Sick Day

I hate getting sick. It always puts a damper on things. What is something that you make when you're feeling sick? Is it soup? That is what I always have when I'm under the weather. 

My mom or dad would make me a bowl of chicken noodle soup whenever I did get sick growing up.

Over the years, I’ve not always been home, or a short drive from home, to have my parents to take care of me. I’m thankful that I did have that growing up, for sure.

I’ve lived in Savannah, Georgia; out West in Denver, Colorado; even over seas in Augergne region of France in Yssingeaux. In all places I had my encounters of being under the weather, so I resorted to making some comfort food to remind me of home, and to help me power through.

Since chicken noodle soup was what I had in my childhood, it was/is always my go to. I am not ashamed to admit it… I love Campbell’s home style chicken noodle soup. That is my ultimate go to! Has to be home style. Childhood comfort.

Grilled cheese and Home style chicken noodle soup.... mmmmm

When I didn’t have access to a stove top, I would use a microwave and cook noodles with chicken broth and then add in the veggies you can steam in the microwave, would even get the canned chicken or one of those rotisserie chickens… That was still really good. Really helped getting through those sick days. You come very innovative when you don't have access to your normal amenities. Dorm life 😉

A new recipe I love to do now, is one from a British chef named Rachel Khoo. Love all of her stuff. She has a chicken dumpling soup that I just fell in love with and enjoy making now. I've been using it for the past 2 years now, and it never disappoints. 

It is always easy to make soup when feeling under the weather, and even on those cold fall and winter days. Soup is also great to take to friends or family that are under the weather or recovering from surgery. I feel like it is a way to give a warm hug. Also easy to freeze, so they can keep getting that warm hug.

My version of Rachel Khoo's Chicken Dumpling Soup

I find that just the act of making a soup when I'm sick is instantly starts making me feel better.

Happy Eating!

Busy Bee

Collage of weekly farmers market 

I’ve been a busy little bee this month! Lots of events, parties, farmers market every week and anything else that comes up. I work at a SEC college campus (LSU to be specific). Football season is in full swing so that means preparing for home football games on the weekends and keeping up with other events that are going on around campus. LSU’s first SEC game was a couple of weekends ago. Full swing SEC schedule starts up now... Luckily the next two games are away so get a little breather.
               

Collage of weekly farmers market 

The dining facilities on the LSU campus, has an on campus restaurant that I work out of. It serves lunch Monday through Friday and open on home football game Saturdays till kick-off.

We have a special game day menu that is themed. Different dishes represent the different football teams that LSU plays this season. For example, we have chicken on a stick served with a red wine honey mustard sauce. This dish is to represent my alma mater, Ole Miss. There is a corner gas station, 4 Corners Chevron, that is walking distance from the downtown area, the Square. The Square is where all night life takes place in Oxford. Well, this gas station serves, most famously, chicken on a stick, and many other late night greasy eatings to help curb your potential hangover.  

Back to the LSU gameday menu. There are three desserts on the menu… An Alabama Slammer Sundae, Blueberry and White Chocolate Bread Pudding and a Sweet Potato Pie.

Alabama Slammer Sundae w/grilled peaches 

Alabama Slammer Sundae (I can’t help but say that in a Longhorn Foghorn voice). Sounds intense, right? Kinda like the team it represents. It consists of a blonde brownie topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, “slammer sauce” and grilled peaches. This one has been popular mainly b/c of the sauce… The “slammer sauce” is made up of all the alcohol that is in an Alabama Slammer.

To make the sauce I started with a base of butter and brown sugar and let those melt together, then I added in all the alcohol (Southern Comfort, Amaretto, Cherry liquor, Peach Schnapps and Triple Sec). I let it simmer for a bit so to let some of the alcohol cook off. The blondie is warmed up and then topped with all the goodness… The blondie just soaks up the sauce and the melting ice cream and it all just goes together beautifully.

Blueberry and White Chocolate Bread pudding topped with Candied Bacon, New Orleans Rum Sauce and fresh blueberries and white chocolate pieces 

The bread pudding is a favorite down in the South and even more so in Louisiana. I try to make “layers” meaning that I get a base of bread down before I put the blueberries and white chocolate in the mix. I keep that action going then after I got all the bread, berries and white chocolate I can fit in my pan… that is when I pour my custard over top and let the bread soak up the yummy-ness.

Now the fun thing about this bread pudding is that it is topped with a delicious New Orleans butter rum sauce and candied bacon. Yesssss. I said candied bacon. I know this isn’t some new thing… I love putting typically savory items in a sweets application. It usually works and this so does. The bacon has a sweet and smoky flavor to it and it pulls out those smoky notes out of the rum… It is just… mmmm.

Sweet Potato Pie topped with Grand Marnier whipped cream and fresh grated nutmeg

                                        

The Sweet Potato pie is my favorite to make. Labor of love. Rolling out the dough for the individual pies, roasting the sweet potatoes, mixing the sweet potato filling and baking them all off… Lovely fluffy outcome. I grew up making sweet potato pies for the holidays, so it always reminds me of my family, and working with the pie dough and methodically rolling it out is calming to me. Not to mention, and good arm workout.

Rolling out the pie dough

                               

I know I’m not the only one that has struggled with the little strings that come from the sweet potatoes. Not very appetizing, if you ask me. I put mine in a food processor to blend them after I’ve roasted them. This gets them very smooth and easier to mix in the rest of the ingredients.

I also use a food processor to cut my cold butter into my flour… it does save time. Here’s the kicker… only pulse it don’t let the processor just run. It’ll heat up the butter too much and the butter will get way too soft. Keep it quick and if the pieces are still too big for your liking; continue to cut the butter in with your fingers… But use just the end of your fingers so less of your body heat is transferred to the butter pieces.

Putting these desserts together has been fun I've enjoyed it. I'm excited to welcome the changing of the seasons because that means I'm going to be able to do change up my everyday dessert menu for the restaurant. I'll be posting soon on the new desserts coming up!

Happy Eating! 

Home Cooking

There is just something about small town life that you miss when you’re away.

I was home for a few days and the first thing that welcomed me home was the wailing repeated melody coming from the cicadas. Brought a smile to my face. All that was missing was the porch swing (which was quickly taken care of and then got some citronella candles b/c of those nagging mosquitoes). Home.

Morning on the porch swing

Holding "paws" with my Cooper

The “quick” trip to the store and farmers market turns into a much longer trip than anticipated. You bumped into Mr. J at the farmers market and brought him up to speed with you life, and make small talk, then shoot the breeze with the each of the vendors you visit with (and happen to know since some of them taught you varied levels of math or coached you). Then run into one of your grade school teachers while on the spice isle at the store and then catching her up with where you are, and small talk.  Whatever part of the store you’re in or farmers market you're at… you see somebody and speak. The polite and Southern thing to do… always speak.

Every time I’m home, I always cook at least one meal for the family, more if I’m home for longer than a couple of days. I love when the family gets together and just hangs out in the kitchen. This time I made one of my go-to items then threw in a few new things. My family always knows when I’m cooking… The clues they have (minus the smells coming from the kitchen) are my music playing and the pups can be found at my feet being my “sous chefs”.

My little "sous chefs" They also clean up the floor :)

My go-to item this time was mint and garlic roasted chickens (I do 2 or 3). I make up a marinade consisting of garlic, mint, orange juice, a few spices and some olive oil. I like to let my chicks marinate over night, if I don’t have the time then a couple of hours will do. I always save the leftover marinade and make a sauce out of it… boil it for a good two minutes or more… I always go more since I just put it over a burner and let it go and stir it every once in a while. Kill any germs or bacteria… don’t need anybody getting sick. If you don't have a rotisserie, no worries. I've baked them in the oven at 375 degrees F till internal temp reached 160 degrees F. Just put the chickens in a roasting pan or a baking dish large enough to hold them.

This is a great recipe! It can be found in " Weber's Art of the Grill: Recipes for Outdoor Living" 

The roasted chicks always look so pretty and are very tender and juicy. One thing I do to get more of the flavor in the chicken is to stuff the cavity of the chicks with slices of oranges, smashed garlic cloves and few sprigs of mint. Tie the legs together and put it on the rotisserie (if you have one) and let them do their thing. If you don’t have rotisserie, I’ve put the chicks in a roasting pan with the roasting rack and let them cook in a 375 degree F oven till they reach internal temp of 165-170 degrees F. I go for 160 degrees F because of carry over cooking.

2 whole chickens in the marinade 

Chicks on the rotisserie 

I made a couple of new items for my family to try. The first was a roasted veggie salad, and the second was a cherry tomato gratin. They were both a hit with the family. Even more so since the recipes were healthy.

The roasted veggie salad I created consisted of parsnips, carrots, squash, zucchini and roasted sweet corn. I roasted all the veggies on separate sheet trays (simply tossed them in olive oil salt and pepper) and the corn I did slightly different. First, I halved a couple of limes and made a mixture of sea salt and chili powder in a small bowl. I then got one of the half of lime and put it in the slat mixture then rubbed the lime half on the ear of sweet corn, little drizzle of olive oil and then wrapped up the corn in tin foil and roasted it in the oven. I repeated the process on the remaining ears of corn. When the ears have cooled a little bit, I remove them from the foil then cut the corn off the cob.

The veggies for the Veggie Salad

Toss all the veggies together with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, lime juice and chili powder. I like to serve it chilled. You could serve it warm or room temp as well. It is still tasty either way.

The cherry tomato gratin was very tasty. I used the recipe for Ina Garten as a guide. I changed it up a little bit by instead of putting in the parsley and the thyme in, I opted to mirror the flavors from the chicks and the veggie salad. Instead, I grated some lime zest into the bread crumbs, added in chili powder, and mixed in the olive oil as well. I still tossed the cherry tomatoes with a smoked salt, pepper, minced garlic and olive oil. I wanted more color variation as well so I did red and yellow cherry tomatoes. They both added different sweetness and acidity to the each bite. It baked up beautifully! I only got the before shots of the gratin but wasn't able to get a shot of the after... it was that good. I've made the original recipe and it is great!

Cherry Tomato Gratin assembly 

I'm serious about stuffing the cavity of the chicks... I can always tell a difference when I don't stuff them. They have more flavor when I do. ANOTHER thing about the chicks... If you can't get a whole chicken, I've made that recipe with boneless/skinless and bone-in/skin-on. For the boneless/skinless I still marinate the chicken and I will grill the chicken. For the bone-in/skin-on I like to loose the skin a little and put mint sprigs, crushed garlic and an orange slice under the skin and roast them in the oven. 

Enjoy! Happy Eating!!


Here is the recipe for the Mint and Garlic Chicken

Garlic and Mint Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

·      10-12 medium garlic cloves

·      1 ½ cups lightly packed fresh mint leaves

·      1 Tablespoon chili powder

·      1 teaspoon kosher salt

·      ½ teaspoon ground pepper

·      ¼ cup olive oil

·      ¼ cup orange juice

·      2 Tablespoons soy sauce

·      1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds)

-       *In a blender add peeled garlic, mint, chili powder, pepper, olive oil, orange juice and soy sauce; puree till smooth.

-       *In a gallon Ziploc bag place chicken then pour the marinade in.

-       *Let marinate over night

-       *Cook whole chicken indirectly over high heat till the juices run clear and internal temp is 160°F .

Croque Monsieur s’il vous plaise

The name alone, Croque Monsieur, just sounds decadent. Honestly. More fun to say than ham and cheese sandwich. Calling it ham and cheese doesn’t do it justice.

It is more than just a fancy ham and cheese sandwich. It’s toasted buttery bread with sandwiching layers of melting cheese and ham that is lastly topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and more melted cheese. See… the name fits.

Croque monsieur s’il vous plaise!

Croque Monsieur

A friend of mine just recently had a birthday to celebrate. What did she ask from me? Honey lavender ice cream (see previous post). Well, I obliged, but took it a few steps further. I decided that I would cook dinner for her and some friends.

So, there is this movie with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin called “It’s Complicated”. If you’ve seen it, then you know the part I’m about to mention. Yeah, that scene where Meryl’s character is preparing a dinner for a guest… Croque monsieur. I was watching this movie with my previous mentioned birthday friend, and at that part she said, “Oooo. That looks good! Can you make that?” I just laughed because that isn’t an unfamiliar question I’m asked when food is in a movie or on TV (this is where I got the idea for what to make for dinner).

I got to “work” on the dinner most of the day. Why? Well. It was on a Saturday and I went to the famers market and decided to make a day of it. Got up “early”… well, I should’ve woken up earlier b/c I would have been able to get everything at the market… I slept till 8 so by the time I got downtown… you know how the story goes.  

Note to self: get up earlier than usual to go to the farmers market so not to have slim pickings. Farmers markets are THE place to be on Saturday mornings. 

I did get some great cherry tomatoes (made some bruschetta as an app) and lettuce (for a simple salad) from one vendor, and then got some challah bread for the croques and French baguette for the bruschetta app. Lastly got the eggs and honey. Just had to pop over to the store and get the ham and other dairy.

When I got back to the house from my Saturday morning food adventure, I got right to work on all the food prep… got the ice cream mix started right away so it could chill, then moved on to quartering up the cherry tomatoes and tossing them in some olive oil, basil, garlic and salt and pepper. Grating cheese for the croques. The kitchen was coming to life as the smells were swirling around.

Getting everything together and ready went by swiftly, and the guest started to arrive. I pulled out the ice cream from earlier and put it in my trusty ice cream maker (love my kitchen aide ice cream maker).

As the guest snacked on the bruchetta and chatted, I was able to get the croques started. Sliced the challah bread and spread them on a sheet pan. Slipped the bread into the oven under the broiler to toast. As the bread was toasting away, I started on the béchamel sauce. The smell of butter was now taking over the kitchen. My dance began.

The following paragraph is insight of my train of thought during the whole process…

Ok, slice the bread. Get it even. Under the broiler. OK. Start sauce. Butter into the pot… melt, add flour. Stir. Stir. Stir. The bread is turning golden brown, time to flip. I need both hands for this. Back to the sauce… keep stirring. Add warmed milk, keep stirring. (Was I just asked a question? “Hmm? What was that? Oh no. I got it. Not too much longer.”) What was I doing? Oh, right, the sauce… still stirring. The bread. Bread is ready to pull out of the oven. Back to sauce, add cheese and stir (oh man this smells amazing); remove from heat; add salt and pepper and taste (This is going to be sooo good). Set aside… Focus on nothing but assembly: Spread Dijon mustard on bread slices, top half of bread slices with ham, then add cheese, pour béchamel sauce over cheese, top with other bread slice (Dijon side down), pour more béchamel sauce, top with more cheese, back under broiler to melt. Remove from oven… Dinner is ready! (I didn’t make as big of a mess as I thought I would. What’s that humming?) Oh the ice cream. Put in a container and put in freezer. Now time to eat.

Like I said. It was a dance. The kitchen smelled of butter and cheese. I was so focused on “my partner” (the oven and cook-top) I didn’t notice that everybody was glancing their eyes into the kitchen watching my dance.   

Mmmm... Croques under the broiler

The most rewarding part of the whole day was the silence I heard when dinner was being consumed.

My favorite moment is that silence when the first bites are taken.

The only noise was the faint background music and the knives on the plates cutting the Croques in half. After the first few bites were down did any talking start back up again.  I served up the ice cream after everybody became members of the clean plate club. Chattering was to a minimum again as they ate their Lavender and honey ice cream. 

The dinner was a hit and the food was well received.... There weren't any leftovers. This is a crowd pleaser. The simple side salad paired nicely with the Croques. Served the salad with different choices of vinaigrettes and the leftover quaraterings of cherry tomatoes. I highly recommend this to anybody. The ingredients are easy to come by and cheap. 

Another great thing about this recipe for Croques is that they can be altered by one ingredient and the name changes... Croques Madames. All you have to add is an egg. The egg is either fried or poached. Whatever your fancy, it will be a hit. Happy eating/cooking/baking!!!

The Fried egg for the Madame

The Monsieur and the Madame

Cutting into the Madame

Honey and Lavender Please!

I’ve always been weary of using floral; more so rose than lavender, in foods. Why? Well, because, to me, the uses of rose in deserts taste more like the potpourri in my grandparents’ bathroom than a dessert. Not really something I want to ingest, but I do brave the waters and experiment. Yes, I braved the road of florals and I’m really happy I did.

Now I have recipes that have lavender or rose in them, I’ll either substitute other ingredients or when I do go by the recipe I have to reduce the amount of rose or lavender because it is always overwhelming.

The  first recipe…

Honey and Lavender Ice Cream… it was delicious! I used the recipe from David Lebovitz. His recipes are all so amazing! (If you haven’t checked his stuff out it is a must!) I’ve made this recipe many times before and it is always a hit. The only thing I did differently was to not put more dried lavender at the finish; I’m not a fan of the texture of the dried lavender at the end. (I’ve done it both ways and still a hit with or without the additional dried lavender). The lavender is very subtle and you still have the flavor of the honey. It tastes like a light and refreshing ice cream. This ice cream does remind me of the ice creams I would eat in France. There were always a variety of flavors that were more interesting than just vanilla, chocolate and mint chocolate chip (not bashing those flavors, I just loved the variety I had). Some flavors that I remember most are Nutella, cassis, and Basil strawberry. 

Group shot of all the ice cream cones (Anncey, France 2011)

Flavor L to R: Lemon, Browned Butter, Nutella (Anncey, France 2011)

Another recipe I have is a Honey and Lavender Shortbread cookie. I made these to send my niece for her first birthday. This recipe originally didn’t have honey in it… I decided to bring it into the mix to add another layer of flavor (the honey I like to use is an orange blossom honey. I was able to find some locally, which I prefer to use as much local produce and products as possible). Lets just say that the first few batches of cookies didn’t make the cut… but I finally got the recipe right. They were a hit with my niece and my sister and brother-in-law.

For Honey Lavender cookies: Reduced the powder sugar to half a cup and added 1 tablespoons (TBS) of honey

The ingredients 

So what I did for this recipe is creamed the room temp butter with the powder sugar and honey then added 3 TBS of dried lavender. This was when the kitchen smelled amazing with all the butter, sugar and lavender. Once all ingredients are incorporated, I dropped a tablespoon and half sized cookies onto a greased cookie sheet and baked them till they were golden brown. When they are baking your kitchen will be flooded with the smell of lavender and butter cookie goodness. The cookie itself had subtle lavender taste and the honey flavor also shared the spotlight. It is the perfect little cookie to have with tea or as a little snack that you don’t feel so guilty about eating.

The dough when it comes together

The finished product... too bad scent-o-vision hasn't been invented