Autumn is a wonderful time for all sorts of celebration and feasting. It's one of the most beautiful times to get married or engaged. Parties can have an elegant yet rustic menu, featuring the best of the season.. The foods can be farm fresh taken from local providers to be spun into a delicious feast.
Even if you're planning on a fall wedding for next year, take into consideration the harvest the season can bring. Many caterers are following the farm to table movement so their choices for you will have interesting dishes. Instead of the usual catered fare like lasagna or chicken with rice it will be butternut squash soup, Savoy cabbage wraps and possibly a venison or pheasant main dish.A wedding cake may be a take on an apple one, redolent with cinnamon instead of the much used chocolate or vanilla.There could even be mini pear tartlets too, featuring another fruit of the season.As for toasting, think an apple wine - and yes it is a real drink. Celebrants could go for apple champagne, however it has to be made at home using the right fermenting ingredients. A somewhat safer choice is the French hard cider which has a champagne like sparkle and bubble. Make sure there is the non alcoholic kind for teetotalers and kids.Have pear and apple cocktails and mocktails too.
A celebration can also be done at home. Plan accordingly to suit the number of guests. Turkey or ham is a good choice for a big at home gathering. A German style roast pork is another excellent idea.If it's a smaller get together think possibly game fowl such as quail or pheasant.Sides for both types of parties could feature wild rice stuffed squash or a wild rice casserole. Cabbage season is getting into gear and it can be turned into a variety of different dishes from hors d'oeuvres to hot salads. Try it as pes coi, the Piedmontese polenta stuffed rolls or simply shredded and sautéed in butter. If opting for the pork roast , try an apple onion saute to accompany it.This can be made in large quantities for a crowd and can be made in a crockpot . Dessert can be as simple as apple and pear galettes or rustic apple pies. Want something a bit more elegant? Apple cake with cream cheese icing, topped with a spun sugar dome or crown. This can also translate into cupcakes too.
A fall wedding or engagement is a magical affair. Create wonderful dishes featuring the harvests of the season for it. They'll make celebrating either one even better.
Showing posts with label pheasant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pheasant. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Friday, August 14, 2015
Method Of Procedure Great Recipes , Easy Style
Everyone thinks that cooking is an art and you have to have that artist's touch to be successful at it. That is partially true however there are some great cookbooks out there to help any home chef become kitchen savvy .A new one. Method Of Procedure by celebrity chef , Thomas Gosney can assist in that. Delicious meals and desserts can be created with his simple instructions to sometimes complicated recipes.
What is great and what I love about this book, published by XLibris is that recipes are deconstructed. It's like having Chef Gosney right there in the kitchen with you. He is an expert chef, having trained at the famed Johnson and Wales University in Providence , Rhode Island and appeared on the Food Network With Bobby Flay as well as on MTV and Hard Copy. He offers hints and tips that you would only get in a cooking class. His stock recipes are broken down into basic ingredients, suck as meat and bones and then the aromatics or herbs. A third category acid is added, This is anything fro tomatoes to alcohol to zing up the broth. It does make for a better taste and understanding of how flavors meld together to form a definite taste. His salad dressing recipes are also somewhat similar. He explains what emulsion is, an important process in creating the perfect one. For some of the other recipes he puts directions such as DON"T OVERCOOK in bold letters, just as a reminder to not let the dish head south.
Chef Gosney's book is a mix of old and new, family and trendy.There are many seafood recipes since he is a fish lover.He lovingly writes about a seared halibut with a fragrant saffron broth and a grilled lavender trout that uses the now trending lavender as a flavor ( don't be afraid -it can also be used in cooking). I like his takes on homey classics like ambrosia, that pot luck dinner side that he elevates to gourmet level and forgotten cookies which are meringues that are baked in a low oven overnight There are also dishes that are on point right now such as Korean kim chi and espresso herb crusted bison rib eye steak.Meats.that aren't mentioned much in conventional cookbooks are also included in recipes such as Cast Iron Pressed Pheasant and Dijon and Thyme Crusted Rabbit. He does have vegetarian dishes such as porcini mushroom risotto which he walks the reader through and collard greens made with smoked ham or smoked turkey legs. Chef Gosney also has excellent sides such as cauliflower "grits, spiced with jalapeno and garlic noodles.
Method Of Procedure is a great cookbook that helps home chefs expand their knowledge and elevate their skills. Chef Thomas Gosney gives so many good recipes from appetizers to .desserts.They are fun and funky, trendy and homey.in short the perfect cookbook for today's cook.
What is great and what I love about this book, published by XLibris is that recipes are deconstructed. It's like having Chef Gosney right there in the kitchen with you. He is an expert chef, having trained at the famed Johnson and Wales University in Providence , Rhode Island and appeared on the Food Network With Bobby Flay as well as on MTV and Hard Copy. He offers hints and tips that you would only get in a cooking class. His stock recipes are broken down into basic ingredients, suck as meat and bones and then the aromatics or herbs. A third category acid is added, This is anything fro tomatoes to alcohol to zing up the broth. It does make for a better taste and understanding of how flavors meld together to form a definite taste. His salad dressing recipes are also somewhat similar. He explains what emulsion is, an important process in creating the perfect one. For some of the other recipes he puts directions such as DON"T OVERCOOK in bold letters, just as a reminder to not let the dish head south.
Chef Gosney's book is a mix of old and new, family and trendy.There are many seafood recipes since he is a fish lover.He lovingly writes about a seared halibut with a fragrant saffron broth and a grilled lavender trout that uses the now trending lavender as a flavor ( don't be afraid -it can also be used in cooking). I like his takes on homey classics like ambrosia, that pot luck dinner side that he elevates to gourmet level and forgotten cookies which are meringues that are baked in a low oven overnight There are also dishes that are on point right now such as Korean kim chi and espresso herb crusted bison rib eye steak.Meats.that aren't mentioned much in conventional cookbooks are also included in recipes such as Cast Iron Pressed Pheasant and Dijon and Thyme Crusted Rabbit. He does have vegetarian dishes such as porcini mushroom risotto which he walks the reader through and collard greens made with smoked ham or smoked turkey legs. Chef Gosney also has excellent sides such as cauliflower "grits, spiced with jalapeno and garlic noodles.
Method Of Procedure is a great cookbook that helps home chefs expand their knowledge and elevate their skills. Chef Thomas Gosney gives so many good recipes from appetizers to .desserts.They are fun and funky, trendy and homey.in short the perfect cookbook for today's cook.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Holiday Luxe Eating
This is the time of year when you can treat yourself to some culinary luxuries. It could be caviar on a Ritz or a buttery Christmas cookie. Or a big bubbly flute of good champagne. Or even a sundae with all the works. Give your palate a holiday vacation to rich flavors and foods.
Again caviar is always a lush treat. Most grocery stores sell it, even Costco has tins of it.There are four different types. There is the lightly salted or the Malossol method that is only 3.5% salt., followed by the semi preserved kind which contains 8 % salt. ,Pressed caviar is made from damaged or broken eggs, highly salted and jamlike in consistency . The cheapest and most affordable is the pasteurized kind which is heat treated and vacuum packed. Serve on butter rounds of French bread or Ritz crackers wash it down with a good champagne like Asti Spumente or Bollinger Special Cuvee from France's Marne valley. Another affordable luxe brand is Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve. These are in the price range of about $50.00. Finish this meal with well made macarons.Many bakeries now sell them however you can make them yourself, using ground almonds flour and egg whites to create lovely little luxe puffs. Another luxurious baked treat is the French brioche. This is a egg and butter rich yeast roll that is just pure heaven to have. Again these can be made at home or bought at your local French patisserie.
Of course luxe dining could mean a good steak too. Nothing beats a well cooked filet mignon , seasoned with butter, salt and pepper. The same goes for a juicy T bone steak. my idea of luxe is steak PIedmontese style. This involved cooking filet migon in a bagna calda , a mouth watering anchovy bath rich with the fish, oil and garlic.Another lush meat idea is pheasant.This is actually a low calorie bird with a flavor that's between chicken and turkey. Some butchers will sell it , but mostly you can get it from on line pheasant farms.If you want to try vegan luxury , then go for truffles. These are smoky in flavor and can be bought at online gourmet food stores. The average price is around $80.00. some . Big cities like New York and Los Angeles do have stores that will sell this fungi fresh and even truffle oil for cooking. If you can't afford any of these, then treat yourself to some good chocolate. Belgian chocolate is the most coveted however the American Godiva brand is delicious and affordable as well.Buy their ultra rich box of chocolate truffles or even a foil wrapped Santa as a midnight snack.
Give your palate a rich holiday treat. It could be sweet or savory , as long as it's lush and flavorful. Enjoy it . Savor every nibble , sip and bite.
Again caviar is always a lush treat. Most grocery stores sell it, even Costco has tins of it.There are four different types. There is the lightly salted or the Malossol method that is only 3.5% salt., followed by the semi preserved kind which contains 8 % salt. ,Pressed caviar is made from damaged or broken eggs, highly salted and jamlike in consistency . The cheapest and most affordable is the pasteurized kind which is heat treated and vacuum packed. Serve on butter rounds of French bread or Ritz crackers wash it down with a good champagne like Asti Spumente or Bollinger Special Cuvee from France's Marne valley. Another affordable luxe brand is Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve. These are in the price range of about $50.00. Finish this meal with well made macarons.Many bakeries now sell them however you can make them yourself, using ground almonds flour and egg whites to create lovely little luxe puffs. Another luxurious baked treat is the French brioche. This is a egg and butter rich yeast roll that is just pure heaven to have. Again these can be made at home or bought at your local French patisserie.
Of course luxe dining could mean a good steak too. Nothing beats a well cooked filet mignon , seasoned with butter, salt and pepper. The same goes for a juicy T bone steak. my idea of luxe is steak PIedmontese style. This involved cooking filet migon in a bagna calda , a mouth watering anchovy bath rich with the fish, oil and garlic.Another lush meat idea is pheasant.This is actually a low calorie bird with a flavor that's between chicken and turkey. Some butchers will sell it , but mostly you can get it from on line pheasant farms.If you want to try vegan luxury , then go for truffles. These are smoky in flavor and can be bought at online gourmet food stores. The average price is around $80.00. some . Big cities like New York and Los Angeles do have stores that will sell this fungi fresh and even truffle oil for cooking. If you can't afford any of these, then treat yourself to some good chocolate. Belgian chocolate is the most coveted however the American Godiva brand is delicious and affordable as well.Buy their ultra rich box of chocolate truffles or even a foil wrapped Santa as a midnight snack.
Give your palate a rich holiday treat. It could be sweet or savory , as long as it's lush and flavorful. Enjoy it . Savor every nibble , sip and bite.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Distinctly American Meats
Yesterday's Inauguration lunch featured truly American meats such as pheasant and duck (although these are also found in Europe). This country has a lot of game that has been popular rover our four hundred year history . We've dined on wild turkey and terrapin, sold raccoon and squirrel in our 19th century meat markets, and made chili out of just about any meat we could find. America may be known to embrace foreign dishes but we also love our native meats as well.
Pheasants are primarily found in Asia . How they got to America is anyone's guess, probably crossing over from the land bridge that is now the Bering Strait. They are a small gamy bird, consisting of more bones than meat. Most recipes call for roasting them ,preferably with some kind of juice such as orange or lemon. They can also be sauteed in a port wine. As with any fowl, pheasant meat can be versatile. it can be made into nuggets (tiny) or as a base for a savory pot pie. You can do pheasant wings a la Buffalo style or pan fry the breast meat.
Duck , the other meat served on yesterday, is an American classic. It has been served since our precolonial days by the indigenous peoples of North America. Luckily ,almost every ethnic group that has settled here has duck on their menu. We can enjoy a Peking style or duck a l'orange. It's also good to serve with wild rice and mushrooms for a more American flair. Luckily for foodies it is more readily and more widely available in supermarkets.
America is known for a lot of good food. It should also be recognized for its' variety of distinct meats that have graced tables for four hundred years.
Pheasants are primarily found in Asia . How they got to America is anyone's guess, probably crossing over from the land bridge that is now the Bering Strait. They are a small gamy bird, consisting of more bones than meat. Most recipes call for roasting them ,preferably with some kind of juice such as orange or lemon. They can also be sauteed in a port wine. As with any fowl, pheasant meat can be versatile. it can be made into nuggets (tiny) or as a base for a savory pot pie. You can do pheasant wings a la Buffalo style or pan fry the breast meat.
Duck , the other meat served on yesterday, is an American classic. It has been served since our precolonial days by the indigenous peoples of North America. Luckily ,almost every ethnic group that has settled here has duck on their menu. We can enjoy a Peking style or duck a l'orange. It's also good to serve with wild rice and mushrooms for a more American flair. Luckily for foodies it is more readily and more widely available in supermarkets.
America is known for a lot of good food. It should also be recognized for its' variety of distinct meats that have graced tables for four hundred years.
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