Thanksgiving appetizers

This Thanksgiving I prepared the entire meal. So, I kept my appetizers simple. I made small, open sandwiches with cream cheese and pumpernickel bread. I topped some with smoked salmon, shallots and capers. I topped the others with a soft salami and sliced cornichon. My other appetizer was deviled eggs. This is more of a tradition at my family's holidays. I make them by mixing the yolks with some mayonaisse, mustard, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper and then I sprinkle paprika on top. To drink, we had a homemade mulled wine made with Merlot, a berry juice, spices and oranges. Finally, I bought some olives at the store and my friend brought a cheese and fruit plate. We almost didn't need the turkey dinner!

Cooking Club

What's cooking? A cooking club! That's what's cooking! I have kicked off the first cooking club event for the friends I have made here in New Jersey. We made onion tarts, lemon madeleines and a smoked salmon and asapargus salad. Everyone did an amazing job helping and cooking! I am really looking forward to future events. We hope to do this once a month. I will just need to remember my camera.

mini quiches

I have been making quiche for a long time. It has been the center of annual "quiche parties" and an easy meal for my family. After enjoying mini quiches that I would find in the grocer's frozen section I thought I would try it on my own. I always use premade pie dough. So, I rolled it out on the counter top and cut out smaller circles. I brushed olive oil in my muffin tins and then placed the one circle of dough into each muffin spot. I added the custard, cheese and fillings and out came beautiful little appetizers! This picture shows goat cheese and herb mini quiches. And, for the same party I made cheddar and bacon quiches. I also made them ahead of time and just heated them up when my guests arrived. A little work for a great appetizer!

My daughter in the kitchen

Since Natalie turned two I have asked for her help in the kitchen. And, likewise, she has asked to help me in the kitchen! At first, she was crafty and dragged her piano bench into the kitchen to watch what I was making. We did buy her a stool to stand on.

As I let Natalie help me cook I am careful to tell her what ingredients are. I also ask her to smell them and taste them as a grown-up chef might do. I test her knowledge as she gathers ingredients from the fridge. She is not quite sure of everything I ask for, but I love her enthusiasm! So today we made cupcakes, stuffed tomatoes and tomato sauce together. She watched me pick fresh basil and smell it. And, when I asked her to go get some on her own I watched out the window. She picked some leaves and then held them to her nose. It was quite cute and also a proud moment for me.

Natalie cannot cut things, grate things, or cook things. But, sprinkling cheese and herbs or pouring pre-cracked eggs into cake batter makes her world shine. I just try to give her some ideas along the way so she can help me even more as we grow as chefs together.

éclairs!

I took a Parisian Patiserrie cooking class and learned how to make éclairs. I have been scared to try to make them on my own, but with dinner guests arriving on Friday night I knew I had to be brave. I was really happy with the outcome, especially since I cheated a bit! Instead of pastry bags and tips, which I still don't have, I used a Zip lock bag. And, instead of taking the time to make the pastry cream filling I used instant vanilla pudding. To get the pudding inside the pastry I used what looks like a plastic condiment bottle. I put the pudding in that and then squeezed it inside the éclairs. It still tasted great to me. And, since I used a good, dark chocolate for the glaze the sweetness of the filling was complimented. Maybe it is a bit dangerous to know how to cook éclairs! I will just have to share them with my friends and not eat them all!

Scallops and beurre blanc

One show on the Food Network that I am really starting
to enjoy is Tyler's Ultimate, starring Tyler Florence. I
recently braved cooking scallops for the second time in my
life thanks to him. He taught me how to make a delicious
beurre blanc, scallops and a tasty side dish to accompany
sea food.
The beurre blanc was actually close to some sauces I had
made in the past. It was just prepared in a different order.
I cooked white wine, white wine vinegar, shallots and
thyme in a sauce pan. Then added cream and finally added butter.
It was a smooth and subtle sauce that enhanced the taste of the scallops.
The scallops were sauteed in olive oil. They were cooked
well but remained tender. Next time, I would like to sear
the outside of the scallops better.
FInally, the side dish I made had a fabulous lemon flavor
as I cooked lemon slices in the olive oil before adding the
green peas. The final dish was mashed red potatos,
cooked onions, peas and lemon slices. It was refreshing
and a great pairing with the scallops. I drizzled the beurre
blanc over everything which worked very well. Thanks
Tyler!

Chocolate Souffle

For my birthday Fred bought me cooking classes. I got to choose three classes through Viking Cooking School in Walnut Creek. I chose Date night in Paris, French Steakhouse and Parisian Patisserie! The chocolate souffle was one thing we learned to cook and taste. We added a creme anglaise sauce to the airy, rich chocolate dessert. It was heaven. Warm chocolate inside that almost seemed to melt paired with a cooled, creamy vanilla sauce. Truly delicious. And, the best part is that this dish is not difficult. One just needs to eat it right away after it comes out of the oven....darn!