Monday, July 7, 2014

L'Auberge Provencale

What a great 4th weekend - and hooey - what a hit to the ole paycheck! But, hey - that's my role in life, right? - to live it up so you can live vicariously through me? And I take that role very seriously! So, here we go, here's where a month's pay went this time:

We spent the weekend at L'Auberge Provencale in the Shenandoah region of VA, where we stayed in this room.
 At this Villa.
And ate dinner at their restaurant. We had the Chef's Tasting Menu with wine pairings. This was our Amuse Bouche.
From left to right, it's a carrot stuck in a pot of goat cheese and sprinkled with pumpernickel dust; smoked salmon between two croissant like pastries, and a poached egg with lemon dill froth.

Our first course was Gargouillou, which is like a veggie and fruit salad all in one, all ingredients of which was grown in their garden. It was served alongside a weensy little taste of gazpacho.
Next was mussels - but check these out:
Tres, tres nummy! Not like any mussel I've ever had.

Next came "Breaking Tradition" or "Two broths in one" which was comprised of Parmesan, vegetable, burnt onion, royal trumpets, and fried kale. First, they brewed the broth at the table using what others would use to make coffee (hence, the "breaking with tradition")
then they poured the broth over the onion, trumpets (which had a lovely bitter taste) and kale.
Next came "A Walk Through Hudson Valley" which was Foie Gras served with a pickling of old and new Shirtless grapes, hazelnuts, and a maceration of apricots. The Foie Gras was done in French fashion, which is my preference, as opposed to American. For the non-Foie Gras lovers - Americans like to cook it like a piece of liver, whereas the French like to make a pate out of it - which is smooth and rich and creamy.
As you can see, I was so excited, I dug in before I remembered to take a picture.

Next came the Barramundi - which I totally forgot to take a picture of. It was nice, but my least favorite - perhaps my subconscious knew that would be the case, leading me to not take a pic.

The fifth course was duck: "Foie and truffle sausage, honey and cracked pepper fig, caramel seared 
apricot, spring onion fondue, sour cherry and Madeira sauce." Need I say more?
And dessert was maybe the most unusual thing I've ever had for dessert, but still amazing: Cucumber and Pea Shoot Souffle with Greek Yogurt Sorbet.

In my defense, the waiter poured the sorbet into the souffle before I was able to take a picture, so it wasn't my fault this time. 

And, of course, they served us some extra sweets - that we can never eat, cuz we're always about to explode, but they looked really cute - served on the "zen sandbox" where the "sand" was made of chocolate shavings.
When we weren't lounging around in the pool at the villa, we were roaming Old Town Winchester, where we went to the Civil War museum.

Or drinking wine at our favorite wineries, where the view made it very difficult to leave.
So, we'll be eating Ramen for a few weeks to recover from the weekend, but you only live once, right? And on a really good note - there's no such thing as a debtors prison anymore.

is there? 

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Shopping List for 50 Shades of Chicken



Roast Chicken with Brandy-Vanilla Butter


Brandy x 1 tbs
Whole Chicken


Roasted Chicken with Cherries and herbs*


Whole Chicken
Thyme, rosemary, or sage
pitted sweet cherries x 1 lb


Roasted Chicken with bacon and sweet paprika


Whole Chicken
Sweet Paprika
1 orange
Bacon


Baked Chicken with apricot jam, sage, and lemon zest*


Whole Chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Sage
Lemon
Apricot jam
Worcestershire Sauce
Garlic


Jerk Chicken with spices, rum, chiles, and lime*


Whole allspice
whole cloves
scallions
soy sauce
lime
serrano chile peppers x 2
dark rum x 2tbs
light brown sugar
garlic
ginger
Whole chicken cut into 8 pieces


Roasted Chicken with tangerine and sage


Whole Chicken
Tangerine
Sage


Roasted Chicken legs with mole sauce


3 Chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks separated (~3 lbs total)
Whole cloves
Chipotle in adobo sauce
2 plum tomatoes
white onion - small
¼ cup roasted, salted peanuts
raising
bittersweet chocolate
garlic


Roasted Chicken with harissa, preserved lemons, chickpeas and mint*


Whole Chicken
1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
Lg red onion
garlic
Harissa (or other hot sauce)
preserved lemon
Mint leaves


Roasted Chicken with mustard, fresh basil and garlic*


Whole Chicken
Dijon
basil
garlic


Crispy Fried Chicken*


Chicken, cut into 10 pieces
peanut oil
eggs
buttermilk

Crisp Baked Chicken with honey mustard and lime


Chicken cut into 8 pieces
cream
honey mustard
garlic
lime
chives


Coq Au Vin


Chicken cut into 8 pieces
Bacon
Pearl onions
garlic
broth
red wine
parsley
cremini’s


Sauteed Chicken Breasts with garlic, olives and wine


Boneless, skinless Chicken breasts x 2lbs
garlic
white wine
broth
lemon
parsley (flat)
kalamata olives
Crusty Bread


Jalapeno Chicken wings with avocado*


Chicken wings x 3 lbs
hot sauce
honey
tomato paste
garlic
2 jalapenos
lime
avocados x 2

Chicken with horseradish and herbs*


Chicken cut into 8 pieces
Garlic
Scallions
chives
flat parsley
lemon
horseradish


White wine-steamed Chicken breasts with sesame oil and scallions


Chicken breasts - boneless, skinless x 4 (2.5 lbs)
white wine
ginger
garlic
soy
scallions
peanut oil
sesame oil
chile oil


Maple-glazed wings with bacon*


15 Chicken wings (~ 3 lbs)
Maple syrup
soy sauce
scallions
garlic
bacon


Roasted chicken thighs with sweet and sour onions


Boneless, skinless Chicken thighs
garlic
onion (sweet)
white wine
honey




chicken  fingers with brown   sugar and bourbon


Boneless, skinless Chicken breasts
brown sugar
honey
bourbon lemon


Stir Fried chicken with spinach and peanuts


boneless skinless chicken thighs
broth
soy sauce
cornstarch
honey
peanut oil
sesame oil
scallions
garlic
ginger
spinach
peanuts


sauteed chicken breasts with aromatic brown butter and hazelnuts*


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
hazelnuts or almonds


roasted chicken thighs with apples and cinnamon


2 small red apples
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
vermouth


cranberry baked chicken with apple cider


1 cup apple cider
½ cup dried cranberries
ginger
3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken parts



butterflied roasted chicken with herb and almond pesto*


Whole chicken
scallions
dill, basil, cilantro & flat leaf parsley
almonds
lemon
garlic


roasted chicken with tomatoes , garlic and tarragon


Whole chicken
tarragon
garlic
tomato x 1
broth
white wine


trussed roasted chicken with chorizo stuffing


chorizo (fresh)
onion
day-old bread
whole chicken


beer can chicken


whole chicken
1 can beer
mayo
cajun spices


tandoori chicken


chicken cut into 8 pieces
lime
yogurt
red onion
jalapeno
garlic
ginger
cilantro


roast chicken with hearts of palm, avocado, and orange salsa*


oranges x 4
lime
garlic
whole chicken
avocadoes x 2
7.8oz can hearts of palm
red onion
2 jalapenos


Thursday, May 8, 2014

My Birthday Ravioli

I found this recipe digging around for the perfect thing to make for my 50th Birthday dinner, but when I tried to post it to Pinterest, it wouldn't post. So, here it is on my blog so I can post it!

mushroom and veal filling for ravioli    


Here is a gentle meat filling for your jewels of Italian dining. This is adapted from Marcella's latest book: "Marcella Says". If you love making ravioli, you owe it to yourself to get this book and read Marcella on the subject. Your ravioli will be best ever.

for the filling:
  • one half pound ground veal
  • six ounces shitake mushrooms
  • six ounces crimini (brown) mushrooms
  • three tablespoons olive oil
  • one clove garlic, finely diced
  • one cup onion, finely diced
  • three tablespoons unsalted butter
  • one half cup dry white wine
  • one tablespoon tomato paste
  • two tablespoons ricotta
  • one egg
  • one-half teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • one half cup freshly grated parmesan
  • salt and pepper
>>We find this filling makes about 72 agnolotti -- with the agnolotti being three inches in diameter.
Trim the stems off the mushrooms. Then chop them into small squares. In a non-stick pan, add one tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon butter. Over a high heat, add the mushrooms and mix them in the oil/butter with a slotted spoon. The turn down the heat to medium, sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt, and cook them, turning them regularly. Continue cooking until all the moisture that they release has evaporated and the mushrooms are very soft. This might take fifteen minutes.
In a saute pan, add the two additional tablespoons of olive oil and butter, and add the garlic. Cook for a minute. Add the onion and cook for two minutes. Add the ground veal and cook over a medium high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to break up the meat into tiny pieces, until the veal is no longer pink, about five minutes. If the mixture is too dry, add more oil and butter. Keep mit moist.
Add the wine, a teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground pepper, and cook for four minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for three minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another three minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
After the meat cools, add the ricotta, the egg, and the nutmeg  and mix thoroughly. Taste for salt and pepper. Then add the parmesan, and stir some more, until you get a paste-like mixture, solid enough to hold a shape when dropped on the pasta sheets.
You are ready to fill the agnolotti, putting about a shy teaspoon of filling in the center of the three-inch diameter circle. Wet around the edges, fold over, and seal tightly with your fingertips.
See how to make ravioli for the basic recipe and more complete instructions; this is your filling.
We find that a very simple sauce, which can be just butter; or butter and sage, is ideal for this pasta.
For the butter sauce: use a stick and a half of butter (three-eights of a pound). Put in a saute pan over low heat; do not let the butter brown. When the ravioli are ready, put them on the individual serving dishes. Add the melted butter on top. Also add a tablespoon or so of freshly grated parmesan.
For the butter and sage sauce: melt one quarter pound of butter over low heat. Do not brown. Add two tablespoons of freshly chopped sage. Cook and stir for two minutes. Add a touch of salt and pepper. Place the ravioli on the individual serving dishes. Pour the butter and sage sauce over them. Add a tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan. Add a sage leaf or two for decoration.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Where My Walk Took Me on 28 April 2014

A while ago I planned on doing this type of blog on a somewhat regular basis, but things just got too busy. I'm not promising a regular post now either, but when I can, I'll show you some pics of my lunch-time perambulations here in your Nation's Capitol.

The weather has been a touch cold this week,so I didn't want to spend a lot of time outdoors. I'm sure when it gets too hot, the same will apply. Yesterday, to stay warm, I headed over to the National Botanical Gardens, which is right across the street from the Capitol Building.

The gardens outside are starting to show some interesting blooms. Check this one out and tell me it doesn't make you think of Body Snatchers!
I liked this one because of a recent personality test that said my inner color is yellow. Like my friend Anya, I'm not overly fond of the color yellow - it's typically such a weak color - again, stealing the words out of Anya's mouth, but I agree with the analogy. But I do like this sunny shade of yellow, and that's the shade I'm going with when it is used to describe my "inner self." 
They've had this orchid show going on for a while, and this one was just spectacular (note the brilliant shade of yellow again - could be my inner self calling out to these things).  
This cactus made me think of all my family in Texas. It's such an ugly cactus, and then it shoots out these gorgeous little flowers. I thought that was pretty awesome.
Here are some tulips growing side-ways. Seriously, I don't know what the problem is with this blog site - it keeps turning my pics on their side! Really makes me crazy, because I adore white tulips - which is why I took this pic!
This one is for the Domster unit - star jasmine - just like she grows it at home. 
I almost didn't recognize this one - it looked so different from any fuscia I've ever seen. And I love fuscia. Because it's one of the few flowering plants that grows in shade - of which my back yard has plenty.
The Botanical Gardens had this one room dedicated to a bunch of these metal sculptures, each of which had an herb or spice in the center, and the cover on the center is perforated so you could smell said herb/spice. It was very cool.
 This shot is for my poor sunburned SigO. Slather, slather, slather goober boy.
And, last, but definitely not least, here's one for my big brudder - the coffee addict. This is a coffee bush - full of coffee beans. If only he could grow one of these in his yard - how much money would he save on coffee every month? What am I saying? He'd pick it dry in the first week!
Rainy days today and tomorrow. Maybe that will give me time to post the blog from this past weekend.