Running water, where you going?
It is a lovely privilege to have lots of clean running water from the tap. I will never ever never take running water for granted ever again.
However that is all behind me now. Sort of. The kitchen is getting there and I am now at a point where I can use it. So I did. This weekend.
It was La Maman's birthday on Saturday and since she has everything she needs and more, I made her lunch. Let me just say that my Maman is the best person to cook for, to share a meal with, she makes a table complete. Because of her I will never understand how anyone can simply just eat a meal, without chatter and laughter and joy.
Oh and also she brings wine to the party. The good stuff. This stuff. Me likey, me wanty...
As for the menu, well I am awful about following recipes to.the.very.last.teeny.tiny.boring.detail. I am just not patient enough for that. Except when it comes to desserts. Desserts are math based and I am horrible at ratios, so if it is more complicated than simply dumping hot fudge onto ice cream, I need a recipe.
I made chicken thighs which I first pan-seared and then finished by baking on a bed of shallots, carrots, garlic, fresh cranberries, and a splash of chicken broth.
Then I made polenta into which I grated a bit of gruyere and served with a very delicious mushroom ragu.
These two dishes were made from ingredients that looked good at the market. It's like a puzzle, fitting things together, and it can't just be a random mish-mash of stuff you like otherwise it would just be a casserole of Lucky Charms, hummus, brioche, and sweet potatoes.
Blech.
No, you definitely can't smoosh flavors together willy nilly, you have to braid the flavors together. Something like that.
Anyway, don't worry, I didn't braid anything for dessert. I made apple cake. Really really delicious apple cake. Thank goodness for people like Mr. Lebovitz who posts unf*ckupable recipes. I would have been a real merdeuse to spoil birthday cake!
Click the link for the recipe, since it is his after all.
Two notes for you: one, I used bourbon instead of rum because I was out of rum and the packie wasn't open yet. Two, this is a great recipe for any kind of apple, an apple assortment, or even a mix of apples and pears. It makes me mental when a recipe calls for Pink Lady apples and all I have are a couple of Gingergolds and a few Paula Reds.
Le sigh.....
PS: It is LOVELY to be back. Ahhh.....
However that is all behind me now. Sort of. The kitchen is getting there and I am now at a point where I can use it. So I did. This weekend.
It was La Maman's birthday on Saturday and since she has everything she needs and more, I made her lunch. Let me just say that my Maman is the best person to cook for, to share a meal with, she makes a table complete. Because of her I will never understand how anyone can simply just eat a meal, without chatter and laughter and joy.
Oh and also she brings wine to the party. The good stuff. This stuff. Me likey, me wanty...
As for the menu, well I am awful about following recipes to.the.very.last.teeny.tiny.boring.detail. I am just not patient enough for that. Except when it comes to desserts. Desserts are math based and I am horrible at ratios, so if it is more complicated than simply dumping hot fudge onto ice cream, I need a recipe.
I made chicken thighs which I first pan-seared and then finished by baking on a bed of shallots, carrots, garlic, fresh cranberries, and a splash of chicken broth.
Then I made polenta into which I grated a bit of gruyere and served with a very delicious mushroom ragu.
These two dishes were made from ingredients that looked good at the market. It's like a puzzle, fitting things together, and it can't just be a random mish-mash of stuff you like otherwise it would just be a casserole of Lucky Charms, hummus, brioche, and sweet potatoes.
Blech.
No, you definitely can't smoosh flavors together willy nilly, you have to braid the flavors together. Something like that.
Anyway, don't worry, I didn't braid anything for dessert. I made apple cake. Really really delicious apple cake. Thank goodness for people like Mr. Lebovitz who posts unf*ckupable recipes. I would have been a real merdeuse to spoil birthday cake!
Click the link for the recipe, since it is his after all.
Two notes for you: one, I used bourbon instead of rum because I was out of rum and the packie wasn't open yet. Two, this is a great recipe for any kind of apple, an apple assortment, or even a mix of apples and pears. It makes me mental when a recipe calls for Pink Lady apples and all I have are a couple of Gingergolds and a few Paula Reds.
Le sigh.....
PS: It is LOVELY to be back. Ahhh.....
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