Forget normal lunch, today I get to go and sample a culinary institute class worth of pates and mousses!
I ate more things than I can remember, but the smoked trout and smoked salmon mousses (on cucumber or a small piece of bread for the trout, and a vegetable I asked about and then immediately forgot for the salmon) stood out. So did the lobster tabbouleh, because I got a nice chunk of lobster tail to eat, paired with a little ball of mango and some tabbouleh in a tiny little pastry cup. I’d never eaten foie gras before, either, and really have no idea when I will again, as it’s very expensive; it was shockingly buttery.
Archive for December, 2003
Monday, December 15th, 2003
Sunday, December 14th, 2003
  | 1 bunch spinach, divided into 2 halves 2 cloves garlic 4 chives 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp water olive oil 1/2 cup sherry 3/4 cup water 2 lean boneless pork chops 4 mushrooms |
| Preheat oven to 300. Chop 3 chives and garlic. Saute chives and garlic in butter in small skillet. Chop half of the spinach leaves. Add spinach and 1 tbsp water to skillet. Heat until spinach releases water and shrinks. Cut into pork chops to make pockets. Stuff pork chops with spinach filling. Hold closed with toothpicks. Heat olive oil in grille pan, brown each side of pork chop. Remove pan from heat; add water and sherry. Cook in oven for 40 minutes. Slice mushrooms & chives for salad with remainder of spinach leaves. | |
Good, but not nearly as filling as I was hoping. We should have bought 4 pork chops for the two of us rather than just 2.
Sunday, December 14th, 2003
 | 2 pieces bacon 1 very small onion 1 egg 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup heavy cream tiny bit of butter salt cracked black pepper 2 pinches paprika |
| Preheat oven to 375. Fry bacon; dry and crumble. Dice onion. Whisk together egg, mayo, cream, salt, pepper. Mix in bacon, onion. Grease quiche dishes with butter. Pour mixture into dishes. Bake for 40 minutes. Top with paprika. | |
Friday, December 12th, 2003
 | 7 cents worth of ginger 3 mushrooms 2 cans chicken broth 1 can water 1/2 chicken breast olive oil 3 cloves garlic 1 tsp basil cracked black pepper 2 chives olive oil |
| Cube chicken breast. Preheat olive oil in skillet. Preheat chicken broth and water in pot. Finely slice ginger, add to broth. Brown chicken, add to broth with basil and pepper. Chop garlic. Add more oil to skillet, saute garlic quickly and add to broth (along with oil). Bring broth to a boil. Allow to boil lightly for 20-30 minutes or so. Chop scallions, add to broth 5 minutes before serving. Reduce to a simmer. Slice mushrooms and reserve. Add mushrooms immediately prior to serving. | |
Thursday, December 11th, 2003
 | 1 chicken breast garlic powder oregano cumin cracked black pepper cayenne pepper salt & water about an inch worth of butter sour cream peach salsa |
| Marinate chicken in brine for 1/2 hour. Rub chicken with spices. Preheat skillet with melted butter. Cook chicken in butter for a while; add some water when it becomes clear that the chicken is not done and the butter is starting to burn. Plate with salsa and sour cream. | |
The chicken was a little old, and one breast half ended up being tougher than the other, but overall, this was pretty good.