BOOK/A TABLE - A Toast to French Toast

In honor of Bastille Day, I’d like to propose a toast—to the French Toast Loaf! And let’s raise a glass to Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables as well, the epic tome that captured France in the early years of the nineteenth century so vividly. It also happens to be a great read.

Hugo’s hero Jean Valjean was imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread, of course, but I can’t help but feel the gendarmes of the day would have turned a blind eye if he’d stolen this fantastic French Toast Loaf instead! I mean, who could blame him?

This is a perfectly portable dish after all (you can also try stuffing your mixture into muffin tins), to be delivered to a friend’s brunch table or simply enjoyed for breakfast at home with a liberal slathering of butter, alongside a cup of steaming coffee and fresh juice. Grab on the way to work or consider as a dessert, topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

A spritz of Cointreau or brandy might be a nice finishing touch to the syrup added to the top of your loaf and certainly feel free to add in some chopped pecans or walnuts. Crispy bacon crumbles...? 

As Hugo wrote: “Happiness unadorned is like unbuttered bread: one may eat it but one does not dine.” 

So cheers then, to a whole lot of adorned happiness!

Behold the innards of our marbelized loaf...at a quick glance, one might mistake it for a sumptuously good terrine or a gooey mille-feuille pastry!

French Toast Loaf
(Serves four comfortably for a lovely breakfast accompaniment)
Ingredients
4 x 6 1/2-inch foil loaf pan 
4 challah rolls, torn apart by hand
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (or maple syrup)
1/2 TB ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest from fresh lemon
A few fresh grinds of black pepper
Pinch or two salt

Method
Pre-heat 400-degree oven. Lightly coat pan with butter or a few sprays of Pam. Whisk together wet ingredients in a serviceable bowl and add in spices. This is where the few drops of liqueur could be added in as well before mixing in some chopped nuts. Add challah pieces and coat thoroughly (it is very important to soak all the pieces) mashing it all together with your fingers and tightly molding it together before slipping the mixture into your pan. Spray with Pam. Put into oven for five minutes before reducing heat to 350-degrees for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and pour maple syrup on top and let rest for five minutes before serving.  

Did you ever see the musical version of Les Misérables? Several times? Let me know in the comments!

Parmesan Bowls

Quick and easy are watchwords when it comes to summer cooking and of course, fun is as essential in summertime as sunscreen. My little cousin (now a married lady and a mom) nearly lost her mind when I introduced her to the Parmesan bowl concept years ago, filling the cheesy vessel with salad and chives out of her parents’ summer garden.

Part serving dish, part Parmesan crisp, these delightful bowls always deliver a fair share of oohs and ahs. So grab some parm and get started!

Parmesan Cheese Bowls
Grab two microwave safe nesting bowls.

Line a large flat plate with parchment paper; make a circle template by putting the smaller of the bowls upside-down on the parchment and tracing a circle around the opening.

Remove the bowl, add the cheese. Spread a thin layer of grated Parmesan cheese onto the parchment, a bit larger than the traced outline.

Microwave the cheese (on the parchment) on high for about 1 minute or until melted and golden.

While still hot, quickly drape the parchment, cheese-side up, over the smaller upside-down bowl; immediately top with the other larger bowl. Let sit and cool for 3 minutes.

Let set and separate: Remove top bowl and gently invert the Parmesan bowl. Carefully remove the parchment. Allow to fully harden, about 15 minutes. 

Fill with greens (or whatever else you like) and do enjoy!

Grilled Chicken with Red Onion Jam

 

Just in time for the upcoming fireworks, here’s a bursting flavor bomb that’s super easy to prepare and can be made ahead for a sit-down dinner or to bring along to a celebratory BBQ! What more do you need?

The chicken marinates in the morning or afternoon in a delicious blend of herbs and garlic. The red onion jam can sit out all day to cool! Top the grilled chicken with the jam for a summery meal at home or wedge between slices of a hearty white bread and it’s picnic-ready.

I believe recipes are stories; some to be adapted as we go along. I thought red wine, sherry vinegar, and black raspberry liqueur was too heavy for summer, so I lightened it up with white wine, champagne vinegar and orangey Grand Marnier, as suggested below in italics. I also don’t have a backyard grill (or a backyard for that matter), but a hot skillet worked just fine, as would a grill pan.

Happy 4th of July, everybody!

Chicken with Red Onion Jam
Ingredients
For the Chicken
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup minced parsley (2 tbsp dried parsley)
1⁄4 cup minced basil (1 tbsp dried basil)
2 tbsp minced rosemary (1 tsp dried rosemary)
2 tbsp minced thyme (1 tsp dried thyme)
1 tsp crushed red chile flakes (couple of jolts of hot sauce)
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon (1/4 cup lime juice, plus 1 tsp dried lemon zest)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼” thickness, halved

For the Red Onion Jam
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large red onions, sliced thin
3⁄4 cup dry red wine (white wine)
1⁄2 cup sherry vinegar (champagne vinegar)
1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup black raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord (Grand Marnier)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method
Make the chicken: Mix oil, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, chile flakes, garlic, and lemon juice and zest in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Meanwhile, make the jam: Heat butter in a 12” skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring, until soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, sugar, liqueur, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, until thick, about 40 minutes; let jam cool.

Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. (Alternatively, heat broiler to high.) Working in batches, grill chicken, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve with jam.

Luscious Lemon Possets

I first heard of lemon possets at Dean’s, the new-ish pubtwist restaurant cleverly installed in SoHo. There we enjoyed a wonderfully modern twist on classic British pub fare, supping on Scotch eggs, perfectly crusted pasties, knockout grilled liver, and lettuces lushly dressed with coronation chicken salad cream. 

When it came time for dessert, I asked about the possets on the menu and was thrilled to learn of the traditional British dessert, similar to a pudding, but also like a tingly lemony curd.

Since our lingering afternoon at Dean’s, I’ve noticed possets trending on a few other New York tables as well—then a recipe for them popped up in the New York Times and I had to share here.

Do enjoy!

Lemon Possets
By Toni Chapman

Yield:10 servings
Ingredients
6 large lemons
2 cups/480 milliliters heavy cream (see Tip)
⅔ cup sugar
Pinch of fine salt
Fresh mint, for garnish

Preparation
Step 1
Halve 5 of the lemons lengthwise. Working over a fine-mesh sieve set in a bowl, scoop out the pulp from each half with a spoon (you can use a knife to help cut around the edges first) and press it through the sieve to extract the juice. Measure out ⅓ cup juice for the possets; save any extra for another use. Set the hollow lemon shells cut-side up on a tray, or nestle them in a muffin tin so they do not tip in the fridge. Zest the remaining lemon.

Step 2
In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and salt. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Let it simmer undisturbed for 3 minutes to thicken slightly and concentrate the flavor. (The cream needs to simmer for the full 3 minutes; under-reducing is one of the most common reasons a posset fails to set.)

Step 3
Remove from the heat and pour the cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof measuring cup or pitcher, leaving the zest behind. Whisk in the lemon juice until fully combined. The mixture will thicken slightly as the acid is incorporated.

Step 4
Pour the posset mixture into the lemon shells while it is still warm — not bubbling hot, but not cooled either. You want it loose enough to pour smoothly; if you wait too long it will start to set. (If that happens, warm it very gently over low heat just to loosen it back up.) Slide the whole tray into the refrigerator and chill uncovered for at least 4 hours, or until fully set.

Tips
Full-fat heavy cream is the only thing that will set this. Half-and-half, light cream, or anything plant-based will give you a runny pool, not a posset.

A muffin tin is the easiest way to keep the lemon shells perfectly upright in the fridge — each cup holds one half steady.

Make-ahead: The possets can be made up to 2 days in advance. Once fully set, cover loosely with plastic wrap.

 

Thanks to lifestyleofafoodie.com for the photo!

BOOK/A TABLE - Summer Vegetable Soup

The first day of summer is only a few days away and in Manhattan, it feels as if we’ve already settled well into it. I had never read Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar until last year, and what I remember, of all things, is the striking description on the first page that evokes a New York summer so brilliantly.

“By nine in the morning the fake, country-wet freshness that somehow seeped in overnight evaporated like the tail end of a sweet dream. Mirage-gray at the bottom of their granite canyons, the hot streets wavered in the sun, the car tops sizzled and glittered, and the dry, cindery dust blew into my eyes and down my throat.”

The point is made: New York City gets awfully hot this time of year. Far better to pour a nice summer soup down your throat instead, don’t you think? My tattered issue of Saveur from 1995 has got the goods. Grab the freshest vegetables you can find and do enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Soup
Adapted from Saveur
Ingredients
6 cups simple vegetable stock
1 large carrot, peeled, trimmed, and diced
1⁄4 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced, tops reserved for garnish
6 small red or white new potatoes, sliced
2 small yellow or green summer squash, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 small sprigs fresh parsley
4 small sprigs fresh chervil

Method
Step 1
Bring stock to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, beans, fennel, potatoes, and squash, cover pot, and gently simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 2
To serve, ladle into individual bowls and garnish with reserved fennel tops, parsley, and chervil.

I Went to a Marvelous Party!

                                                Drawing by Pete

Not long after I moved to Manhattan in the early 90s, I discovered the city magic of having a backyard garden. A friend invited me to a dinner party and we were all led outside to eat, under a twinkling of summer lights.

It was a rich affair, both gastronomically and spiritually. Our host introduced us, or at least me, to fish quenelles (splendid little dumplings of a sort), before moving on to a cheese souffle, and finishing with a molten chocolate something or other.

My memory might be a bit vague on those points, but I do distinctly remember having French Breakfast radishes to nibble on over cocktails. These elegant pink-ish radishes were fanned out on a platter with their frilly green leaves still attached, and served with butter and salt to be spread and sprinkled. The fresh creamy salty crunch of it all still lingers as a delicious bite for summer and I often serve French Breakfast radishes this way to guests, or to myself, elbows bent over the kitchen counter.

You can do the simple thing here, using whatever butter or salt you have on hand, but for a proper spread on your radishes, I recommend using room temperature or slightly chilled European butter (from Normandy if you can find it) or the best available. Then just crush a pinch or two of Maldon salt crystals between your fingers and sprinkle on top. Discard the greens and repeat as necessary.

I hope you are enjoying your summer!

BOOK/A TABLE - Grapefruit Margaritas

Summertime is margaritatime!

The famous Midnight Margaritas scene in the movie Practical Magic is not from the book, but Alice Hoffman does at least reference salt in the pages...I love this quote and its advice, particularly the last part! 

“There are some things, after all, that Sally Owens knows for certain: Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can.”
― Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

The lower-alcohol version of the grapefruit margarita here, courtesy of Martha Stewart, replaces orange liqueur with honey, resulting in the same sort of summer cooler that you’ll want to sip outside. And of course, the salted rim is optional. For a non-alcoholic version, check out Alamave, a blue agave “spirit” that is also a surprisingly good tequila alternative.

Click here for my margarita round-up featuring recipes served at various resorts in Puerto Rico! 

If there is a drink you prefer in summer over the margarita, I’d love to know about it! I hope you enjoy this recipe, and remember, “It’s midnight somewhere...”

Grapefruit Margaritas

Adapted from marthastewart.com
Ingredients
1 tablespoon clover or orange-blossom honey
1 tablespoon very hot water (from the tap)
2 ounces blanco tequila
1 strip peeled pink grapefruit rind plus 2 ounces fresh juice
¾ ounce fresh lime juice

Coarse salt, for rim

Directions
In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, stir honey with 1 tablespoon very hot water (from the tap) until dissolved. Fill shaker halfway with ice and top with tequila, grapefruit juice, and lime juice. Shake vigorously until outside of shaker is cold and frosty, about 10 seconds.

Roll rim of a glass, perhaps a tall and narrow Collins, with salt. Fill glass with crushed ice and strain. Stir with a swizzle stick or straw until glass turns frosty, about 10 seconds. Garnish with grapefruit rind; serve immediately.