Warm Goat Cheese & Peach Tartine – Open Face, Insert Summer

I usually don’t mention the time of year during these videos, since I have no way of knowing when someone will actually view them, but when it came to this goat cheese and peach tartine, I couldn’t help myself. For me, this is summer on a slice of bread. My apologies to those of you reading/watching this in February.

August is national goat cheese month (no, I don’t know who decides these things), and what better way to enjoy chèvre than by topping it with sweet, ripe, impossibly juicy peach slices? Mix in a little thyme and black pepper to keep things interesting, and you’re looking at a very special treat. Just make sure to use stale bread.

As I bemoaned in the clip, I used a fresh loaf, which while perfectly delicious, wasn’t perfect. Staler bread would have produced a crunchier stage for our co-stars, as there’s more then enough moisture provided by the cheese and fruit.

By the way, if you don’t have any day-old bread, but still want to enjoy this post haste, simply toss the toasted, olive-oiled slices into a 350 F. oven for a few minutes, to dry out and crisp up before you top with the cheese. Either way, you're in for a significantly tasty summer treat. I hope you give this a try soon (while it’s still summer!). Enjoy!

Ingredients for each Warm Goat Cheese & Peach Tartine:

1 thick slice French bread, sourdough or not

1 tbsp olive oil, or as needed

2 oz fresh goat cheese

3 slices fresh peach

fresh thyme leaves and freshly ground black pepper to taste

salt to taste

You Can Count on Monte Cristo Benedict for Mother’s Day Brunch

I always get a ton of food wishes this time of year for creative brunch ideas, and I was thinking about doing some new type of eggs Benedict, when I happened to see a photo of a Monte Cristo sandwich. At first, it just made me want a Monte Cristo sandwich, but after that wore off, I started thinking about how I’d seen these topped with fried eggs before.

Long story short, I decided to simply make an open-faced version of the famous stuffed sandwich, and top it with poached eggs, and hopefully a new American brunch classic was born. Of course, I'll let you decide, but there was nothing I didn’t love about this plate of food. Okay, the salad was kind of phoned in, but the rest was awesome.

The base is a variation of our famous Restaurant Style French Toast recipe, which marries perfectly with the ham, cheddar and havarti. It was so tasty you really don’t even need the poached eggs. Actually, forget I said that. Do the eggs. If only so you can pop those yolks, and watch them run. Besides the eating, that has to be the best part.

I’ve also re-posted a poached eggs demo below, since poaching your eggs ahead of time is the only way to go, especially if you have a larger group. By the way, you can hold the Monte Cristo bases in a warm oven while you pull the rest of the meal together. I hope you give this new Benedict a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the batter:

2 large eggs

1/4 cup cream

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

4 thick slices of French bread
1 tbsp butter

8 slices ham

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 slices havarti cheese

8 poached eggs

chive to garnish

How to Poach Eggs 

 

View the complete Poached Eggs recipe

View the complete Monte Cristo Benedict recipe

Crème Caramel – Maybe the Best Dessert Ever

It would be impossible to pick a “World’s Greatest Dessert,” but if you’re going to have that conversation, the classic crème caramel has to be part of the discussion. When you combine stunning looks with amazing taste and texture, this classic is hard to beat. The way the almost-burnt caramel layer gets fused on, becomes one with, the creamy custard is nothing short of magic. Crème brulee gets more press, but people that know, know.

If my plea for you to use crème fraiche goes unheeded, yes, heavy cream will work here, but the subtle tang and nuttiness you get from the fermented cream takes this to places the regular stuff just can’t. It also seems to add some extra smoothness to the texture, and make no mistake; the mouthfeel with this classic is just as critical as the flavor.

I’ve not tested my theory, but other substitutions like buttermilk and sour cream should also work similarly. If you don’t have Grand Marnier, just using vanilla is fine, but the vague scent of orange rind that it provides the custard is really nice.

You also have the freedom to change the size and shape of your ramekins. Whether you use fewer, larger ones, or a larger number of smaller-sized ramekins, the procedure will work exactly the same. Of course, you’ll have to adjust the cooking times, but the “just set” doneness test will be your ultimate guide. I hope you give these classic treats a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 (6.5 oz) Crème Caramels:

*Scant 1/2 cup sugar, melted over medium heat until a dark caramel forms (just a tad less than a full half cup)

1 large egg

3 large egg yolks

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp Grand Marnier

1/2 cup crème fraiche

1/2 cup milk
Bake at 325 F for about 45-50 minutes, or until just set.

View the complete recipe

Fish Stew – Sexy Is As Sexy Does

You often hear people describe food as “sexy,” but I’ve always believed it’s really more the occasion and company that makes a meal sexy. Put your Valentine across a candlelit table, pour a couple glasses of wine, and no matter what you serve up, sexiness will ensue.

Having said that, it certainly doesn’t hurt to hedge your bets and serve up a naturally sensuous dish like this simple, but sophisticated fish stew. This is great for you less than confident cooks, since your timing doesn’t need to be that precise. Did I mention there’d be wine around?

You can actually do everything ahead, up until adding the fish if you want. Since the pieces will cook in between 5 and 10 minutes, when you’re ready to eat, simply bring the mixture to a boil, add the fish, and simmer until done. You can also hold the stew over very low heat for a good 15-20 minutes without major problems, in case, well, you know.

By the way, make sure you check and see if your dining partner likes fish and wine, as this would be a horrible choice if they don’t. If they do, you’re in business. Almost any type of fish or shellfish will work in this, as well as any small, cute potatoes. Just don’t forget to peel the middles, as it's kind of a big deal. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:
2 tbsp butter

1 large leek, chopped

1/2 cup sliced shallots

1/2 tsp salt, more to taste

3/4 cup white wine

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sliced fennel root

1 pound small red potatoes

cayenne to taste

1/2 cup cream

1 pound boneless fish filets

1 tbsp chopped tarragon

View the complete recipe

Chicken Cordon Bleu-wich – An Old Classic Gets Open Faced

If you love chicken cordon bleu because it’s “fancy,” and you serve it primarily to impress dinner guests with your culinary skills, then this video is really not for you. However, if you love chicken cordon bleu because of its winning flavor combination of chicken, ham, and Gruyere cheese, then stick around.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the classic preparation, and will do my version one of these days, but for all that pounding, stuffing, rolling, pinning, breading, frying, and baking…I can deliver the same basic flavor and texture profile with significantly less time and effort.

By the way, while most consider this a French recipe, the word on the street is that this actually originated in Switzerland. That doesn’t really have any bearing on the recipe, but since I can’t remember ever giving the Swiss a hard time here, I thought I’d take this opportunity to ask, what’s up with those pocketknives? You really need one tool that can both kill a squirrel and puck nose hairs? Seems a little much.

Anyway, it’s been a while since I posted a sandwich video, and this, as the name would indicate, was certainly a blue ribbon winner. It made for a perfect lunch, but throw a poached egg on top, and you’ve got a stellar brunch item; or cut these up into quarters, and serve as finger food for the next big game. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:
*Note: topping can be made days ahead and baked whenever.

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup diced smoked ham

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 tsp dried thyme

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp milk

3 oz shredded gruyere cheese, divided (save a little for the top)

1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard

pinch of nutmeg

1 cup diced cooked chicken

1/4 cup diced dill pickle

cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp bread crumbs mixed with 1 tsp melted butter for the top

View the complete recipe

Tarte Tatin – See What the Others Aren’t Willing to Show You

When I looked at some other tarte tatin recipes on YouTube, I noticed that very few showed the “flip on to the plate” step. They would just skip from the out of the oven shot to the final beauty shot. The reason of course, is that very few tarte tatins come out of the hot pan perfectly, and if they showed that, then you may not think they are as awesome as their profile says they are.

So, it’s with much pride that I show you the whole ugly scene that is the tarte tatin dismount. The good news is, it’s very simple to slap everything back on the crust before it cools, and none will be the wiser. This is even easier if you’re doing a version with very soft and tender apples and lots of caramel, which is my preference, as you’ll see.

If you do a Google image search for a classic, old recipe like this, you usually see a lot of photos that look alike, but that’s not necessarily so with tarte tatin. You’ll see an amazingly diverse array, which is fascinating since they were all made with the same few basic ingredients. Most of this is a result of cooking time in the pan before baking.

Some feature firm, barely cooked apples, while others cook the fruit all the way down to a buttery, caramelized jam. The beauty of a recipe that uses just pastry dough, butter, apples and sugar to make the magic, is that no matter how yours comes out you’ll enjoy it. Of course, you’ll want to hedge your bets with some vanilla bean ice cream to be safe. I hope you give this classic French treat a try soon. Enjoy!

3 large apples, quartered

3 tbsp butter

3/4 cup sugar

pie dough for a single crust

View the complete recipe 

Dark Chocolate Macarons – Better Three Years Late Than Never

I did it. I made macarons. Finally, I can apply for my food blogger merit badge! Hold on, I’m being told I still need to make mini-cupcakes and a quinoa salad to qualify. Oh well, I’ve waited this long.

Anyway, this was my first attempt at macarons, and for not having any clue what I was doing, I was quite happy with the results. They looked fine, and the texture was almost identical to the ones sold at Chantal Guillon, a famous macaron bar here in San Francisco.

So, was it beginners luck? Yes. You would think since I waited three years to make these, I would have done more research, but I did almost none. In fact, I literally used the first chocolate macaron recipe I found, which happened to be from David Lebovitz. He’s an American, but he lives in Paris, so I figured I was okay.

I watched a few videos, read a few articles, had a couple drinks, looked at a few step-by-steps, and off I went.  One thing I did notice was every single resource used a different recipe, as well as different times, temperatures, and techniques. So, I figured I would just use my instincts and try the most straightforward method possible.

I didn’t do any high-heat/low-heat tricks; no waiting for the tops to dry; no sugar syrups, etc. I just made the batter, piped it out, baked them off, and as you can see, they were not bad at all. One thing I did figure out all by myself was to use the ugly ones as the bottoms. By the way, there’s a very inappropriate metaphor there, if you’re looking.

So, here’s the deal; if you’ve never made these before, I hope this inspires you to give them a go. Believe me, if I can do these anyone can. However, if you’re an experienced macaron maker, we’d love to have you chime in. I can’t wait for this comment section to fill up with invaluable tips and tricks for what I should have done, and how I should have done it.

I know I piped them wrong. You’re not supposed to make a swirl, but keep the tip pressed in the center as you squeeze. I also heard that I should have cooked one pan at a time, because the bottom pan is more likely to crack. What else? Don’t worry about my feelings…after four years of posting videos on YouTube, I don’t have any left…so let me have it. And, as always, enjoy!

Basic Chocolate Macaron Batter (I found this recipe on davidlebovitz.com):
Makes about 18 finished cookies

*Weighing the ingredients is critical. Do not make these unless you have a digital kitchen scale!

100 gram powdered sugar

50 grams almond meal aka almond flour (the finer the better)

25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder

2 large room temperature egg whites

65 grams granulated sugar

For chocolate ganache:

1/3 cup hot heavy cream

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

pinch of salt

*pour hot cream over chocolate, and stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly before filling cooled cookies.

Bonus Coverage: For more chocolate macaron information, my friend Denise from ChezUs makes some amazing ones, and knows WAY more about these than I do, so you can bug her with your questions too! ;-)

A Quiche for Mom

There are so many food-related ways to show mom love this Mother’s Day weekend, but none will be more delicious than this creamy quiche Lorraine! What are your plans? 

Breakfast in bed? Great idea, until you consider the crumbs and numb legs. Maybe brunch out? Sure, less clean up, but a mediocre meal at the local casual dining complex says, “we like you, mom,” more than it says, “we love you.”

That brings us to the best option; cooking brunch for mom at home. Of course you’ll need something that’s very easy to make, even ahead of time if need be, as well as supremely special and memorable. This cheesy, bacon and onion pie is all that, and more!

In this chef’s opinion, a proper quiche should be rich, custardy, and luxurious – not some kind of dense, baked omelet. This has only enough eggs and yolks to hold things together, but that means you need to let it cool to just warm before serving, to fully enjoy the experience.

I know many will ask, so I’ll cover it now… yes, of course you can just use milk instead of cream, and more whites instead of yolks to cut down on the calories, BUT you will not get the same amazing results, and since this is such a special occasion, you should give any substitutions careful consideration.

As you’ll see, this is very simple, so the challenge isn’t construction (by the way, the layering procedure wasn’t a joke…do it), the real trick it to not overcook the custard. I show you what it should look like, but in case you aren’t great at reading jiggles, use a thermometer, and pull at between 160-165 degrees F. internal temp.

Anyway, I’d like to wish my mother, and first culinary instructor, Pauline, a very happy Mother’s Day. Unfortunately we can’t be together Sunday, but I promise I’ll make quiche for her the next time I see her. I’d also like to wish my mother-in-law, Peggy, a happy Mother’s Day. She was the original Food Wishes fan (even before it was called “Food Wishes”), and was integral to the blog’s growth and success! Thanks, moms! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Pie dough for a large, single-crust, deep dish pie dish or pan (click here for recipe!)

8 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup (I used a little more) diced leeks (just white/light parts) and/or onions, washed extremely well!
big pinch of salt

cayenne and freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, divided (or other Swiss cheese)

For the custard:

3 large eggs, plus 2 additional egg yolks

1 cup cream

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

Steps:

- Line inside crust with foil, fill halfway up with dried beans, rice, or baking weights

- ”Blind bake” the crust for 5 minutes at 425 degrees F.

- Remove foil/weights and bake another 5 minutes

- Reduce oven to 325 degrees F.

- Bake filled quiche for 40-45 minutes, or until set

View the complete recipe

A Quick and Easy Cassoulet Recipe – Pork & Beans with Benefits

Of course you can’t make a real cassoulet in an hour, but you can make this very acceptable cheater version, and as long as you manage expectations, you’re in for a great, cold-weather meal.

Real cassoulet is an involved process, with several days of prep just to make the various meats served in this rustic bean casserole. Once everything is prepared, the dish bakes for hours, during which time the ritualistic crust forming and re-forming occurs.

Buttery breadcrumbs are scatted over the top, and when they form a crusty, golden brown layer, they’re pushed down into the bubbling mixture, and new crumbs applied. This is done several times, creating the dish’s signature texture. A creamy, aromatic, not-too-wet-or-too-dry bean mixture into which is suspended the chunks of succulent meat.

Here, we’re taking lots of short cuts. Chicken thighs replace the classic, and time-consuming, duck confit; canned beans replace dried; and bacon serves as a convenient substitute for other, more involved smoked pork options.

While it will be tempting to dig right into this as soon as the final “gratin” is formed, please follow the advice in the video, and let your cassoulet rest in the hot oven for 15 minutes. This will allow the beans and buttery crumbs to absorb the last of the excess liquid, and make for a better texture.

By the way, please adjust your seasoning depending on the sausage used. Mine was plenty garlicky, so I didn’t add any additional cloves. You’ll also have to taste and alter the salt, depending on whether your bacon and sausage shared enough with the rest of the ingredients. I hope you give this hearty, cold-weather classic a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

4 oz bacon, sliced

8 oz spicy, garlicky, smoked pork sausage, sliced

12 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed

1 onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups chicken broth, or as needed

2 (15-oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme

cayenne to taste

4 tbsp melted butter

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese