(Not So) Quickie Cassoulet 2016

As much as I like to linger in the kitchen, I simply didn't have much time this year to make a languorous celebratory cassoulet and thereby mark the seventh anniversary of my blog, eveningswithpeter.com! I couldn't help but think of Arlene Dahl's culinary epic No Time for Cooking as I set out to make Jacques Pepin's 30-Minute Cassoulet. I'll be perfectly frank--it didn't work out, at first. Entre nous, and with all due respect to the great chef, Pepin's cassoulet was more like a 90-minute 30-Minute Cassoulet. As presented, the recipe made little sense and nothing was fully cooked at the 30-minute mark. Was the Le Creuset skillet I used at fault? Was it not roomy enough for all the ingredients? I can't say for sure but after I fiddled with it for an additional hour, my cassoulet ended up being quite tasty. This may be served straightaway but the most important thing I've learned about cassoulet over the years--let it cool before sticking it in the refrigerator overnight and then reheating the next day to release the full flavor.

Let's go through this together, shall we?

1) Everything mostly goes into the pan in parts, starting with browning the ham (rolled shoulder ham a.k.a. daisy ham or Boston Butt) and Italian sausage and then cook covered for 7-8 minutes. Fine.

2) Add bratwurst, mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme and bay, cook for another 5-6 minutes. Add canned cannellini beans, tomato, water (only a mere 1/2 cup!) and pepper to things, return to boil then reduce for 5 minutes.

And that's it.

So what to do with a bowl of under-cooked nothing with next to no soupy-like liquid for dipping a grilled, olive oil-slathered slice of country bread? I removed the bratwurst and mushrooms from the pale disaster in a skillet and browned them in a separate pan with the onions. I added two cups of water and a porcini mushroom cube and some tomato juice (from the can of already diced tomatoes I used) to make stock. The bratwurst mixture went back in to the skillet. I let this simmer for about a half hour (toward the end, uncovered) to reduce the liquid.

About here it began to resemble cassoulet--and cooked at that! The lesson here? Flip this recipe around a bit and remember it is not a race to achieve a great cassoulet--cook onions and mushrooms first and brown all the meat! Double the amount of liquid at least and simmer down! Let all the ingredients cordially greet one another in the refrigerator overnight and served with grilled country bread!

Do enjoy and thanks to folks for reading eveningswithpeter.com!

Ham Loaf for Everybody!

Okay, this dish was really just for Baby and me (with a simple side salad of greens and plenty of leftovers). Although the tasty little nugget might appear to be absolutely lurid and revolting, it was quite good and could certainly warrant being served at a cocktail party for a number of people as suggested by Arlene's Dahl's cookbook, No Time For Cooking! from 1961. We were assisted by a delicious pre-made potato salad with bacon from Fresh Direct. Couldn't have been easier as we stuffed the goods mixed with gelatin into our Le Creuset terrine to make it extra fancy and then let it chill in the refrigerator until firm and ready to be unmolded.

Also, as the cover indicates, "full-color photos, including Arlene at home." They are preternaturally colored and filled with explosively outrageous table settings.

I started to go hog-wild with the molds and also made what I called an Jell-O Aquarium World in a small copper mold replete with Berry-Blue Raspberry Jell-O, Swedish fish, mini-marshmallows for rocks, whipped cream for waves and crushed vanilla wafers for the surrounding sand. It was all quite hilarious, kids could help and would love it. We did.

Chicken with Lemons and Olives

After my recent, spasmodic lemon craze, I wondered what I should do with my preserved lemons. Gourmet provided a ready answer with this chicken tagine dish (a somewhat shallow Le Creuset covered skillet and I proceeded to make short work of my sour, salty friends). This was not difficult work by any means although I suspect guests might think otherwise. Such a rhapsody to serve; a marvelous balance of tart, sweet, savory, salty and buttery deliciousness, even though no actual butter was involved. Incorporating garlic and ginger paste, cilantro and cinnamon, the aromas filled the kitchen--can't you practically inhale it all, leaping off of the page? Saffron threads were first up in a small skillet, to be toasted until fragrant. Frankly, I've never really understood what saffron does (this particular batch delivered by a Belgian friend), but I use it anyway, as suggested in any recipe. It's pretty but I've never really smelled it or tasted it; I just rely on the idea that it is doing its elusive job. I used subtly sumptuous, plump Castelvetrano olives that imparted an unexpected buttery flavor--pit them yourself or apprise your guests that the pits remain as they recklessly bite in. Whatever you do, be keen when choosing your olives--overly salty won't do, add your own salt in, if you wish. The pulp of the preserved lemons slides right off the rind with a proper knife and the chopped rinds themselves melt quite away, leaving a bright tingle to the tagine, once warmed. Now, you could purchase preserved lemons at a specialty market but there is really little to do--just quarter, salt and soak the lemons in their own juices a week ahead of time before topping off with olive oil, and proudly announce that you prepared them all by yourself.

Dispatching the lemons as the olives observe...!

The vibrant mix with a flutter of cilantro, about to be simmered for roughly 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, before the olives are tossed in for another 10 or so...!

Do enjoy!

A Kitchen List

Our dear friends and neighbors from across the hall recently moved out and across town (and not because of us!) as you might have read from this post. As they were creating their new, larger apartment, they also wanted to create a better, proper kitchen with basic essential cooking tools. When asked what I recommended, I readily complied and provided a list. Kitchen appliances can be expensive but if you invest in good equipment, you'll never need to replace any of it. Excellent knives are a must. Take your time with your purchases perhaps, don't leap in all at once, and get a hold of what you need for your recipes as you merrily cook along!

KITCHEN LIST:
4 quart Le Creuset dutch oven
Le Creuset cast iron skillet (among other things, for bacon of course, well oiled) 

All-Clad set of pots

All-Clad measuring cup set (1 cup, ½ cup, etc.)

All-Clad measuring spoon set (TB, tsp, etc.)

All-Clad 10” skillet

Rubber coated whisk (so as not to scratch up your All-Clad pots)

Wire whisk

Ladle 

Cutting boards (both wood as well as plastic, which is dishwasher ready for easier clean-up)

Ramekins (little round set of six to prepare chopped ingredients before cooking)

Melamine nesting mixing bowls (set of four, for prep)

Pyrex nesting mixing bowls (set of four, also good for prep)

Pyrex 13 X 9 baking dish (for lasagnes and brownies!)

Several rubber spatulas (flat for flipping;  curved for stirring)

Non-stick frying pan (Sunday eggs)

Pasta pot set with strainer
Fine-mesh strainer

Colander

Henkels/Wustof knife set of three

Henkels/Wustof kitchen shears (cutting bacon instead of chopping when required; opening anything vacuum-sealed)

Do enjoy your kitchen and remember Williams-Sonoma is heaven!

 

Making Mahi Mahi

The Post-It I left on the counter when Baby and I crossed paths was inscribed simply, "Would you like mahi mahi for dinner tonight? With lemon, parsley, garlic and crushed olives that we already have?" When I returned home, I saw he had written over it in a lime-green Sharpie pen, "YES!"

Terribly easy and boy, was it good!

Start with heating up a 350 degree oven. The frozen, vacuum-sealed mahi mahi (two decent servings) from Trader Joe's reclined for a while in the refrigerator for much of the day in anticipation and was quickly thawed in warm water before being placed in an enamel lined Le Creuset tarte tatin pan to rest and acknowledge the salt and pepper dashed on both sides.

Meanwhile, a fistful of mixed olives went into a skillet with garlic and olive oil over medium heat and chatted until they'd softened up after a fine simmer; about 15 minutes or so.

 

More pepper went into this. I threw parsley to wilt on top and tossed the whole thing about as I gently browned the mahi mahi briefly in a little butter and olive oil over medium heat, flipping once. I deglazed by adding about a half cup of bouillon. The olive, garlic and parsley mixture went into the tarte tatin pan and the whole thing went into the oven until cooked to our preferred doneness. It's all very fast work; really only a few minutes, until you smell that it's ready to come to the table. Once out of the oven, let it sit for a moment or two with a judicious spray of lemon which enhances the vibrant finished fish so it may ring the alarum bell to announce, "Dinner is served!" Green beans and a pillow of mashed potatoes are a perfect accompaniment, as is a dry Riesling.

Making Mahi Mahi...mmm...Do enjoy!

Apres-Ski Fondue Party

We felt it was time to haul out our Le Creuset fondue pot and Revere ware in order to snuggle down with a few friends on a blustery evening and pretend we just got off the slopes! Fondue is such a fun throwback, all the rage when so many of our parents made it as we were growing up. As hosts, we proposed to make a night of it, with three fondue courses--and of course wine. Baby and I greeted our guests by sporting black lounging pajamas, turtlenecks, slim-fit pants and cozy slippers. Because of the 60's score, as much as our dress I suppose too, our friend commented that she felt like she had just walked onto the set of Bewitched. If I could only just do that twitching thing with my nose...now fire up your cans of sterno and get started!

So, off we go, apres the snow--with some wine pairing suggestions.


Apres-Ski Fondue Party

Cheese Fondue
Wine: crisp, fruity Sauvignon Blanc
Serve with: cubes of crusty country bread and a side plate of gooseberry compote

Our fondue made in Switzerland a few years back is here. What I remember learning the most is to not only put kirsch (cherry brandy) in the cheese fondue mixture, but to also have little glasses of it at the ready for dipping the bread chunks with skewers before plunging into the bubbly cheese. Not only is kirsch very good (and very strong, mind you), it more importantly assists in the digestion.

The four basic components of fondue involve the cheeses; liquid (wine or kirsch) to avoid burning; a balancing acid (such as lemon) to avoid curdling; and starch (cornstarch) to bring it all together in silken unity. Cutting to the chase, we tried something less involved this time--a bag of Emmi fondue with gruyere and Swiss already shredded together and cornstarch added in. Easy instructions are on the back ("just add wine!"). Most likely any prepackaged variety will suggest adding just white wine, but if you can find kirsch, add both. Rub your pot with half a clove of garlic first to impart further insidiousness.

Beef Bourguignonne
Wine: Pinot Noir with cherry notes, perfect to ride off of the kirsch
Serve with: the meat acts as the dipping component

Use grapeseed or peanut oil as it has a high smoking point, more tolerant to heat than olive oil for your meat fondue--and you'll want sirloin or tenderloin for this. Do not crowd your simmering pot with a lot of skewered meat at the same time--the oil gets angry and lets you know it! Sauces on the side such as blue cheese, steak or mustard are requisite. These are found on the link here as well as the recipe itself.

Chocolate Fondue
Wine: sensually dark Cabernet Savignon
Serve with: an easy-to-make Betty Crocker orange sheet cake, allowed to dry out a little, and then cubed; fresh bing cherries

This we did on our own. A bag of Nestle's milk chocolate morsels will melt nicely over medium low heat, before being thinned out with milk, or heavy cream, if you're feeling outrageous. Throw some Godiva chocolate liqueur in there as well and stir before introducing all to the pot on the table suspended over the can of sterno.

Stay warm and do enjoy!

Soundtrack: Martinis with Mancini; Mike Flowers Pops; Austin Powers Soundtrack; Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, Foursider; Ultra Lounge Selections

Chicken Cassoulet

Et voila, the second anniversary of my blog!

To commemorate the event, once again I made cassoulet, in order to fondly remember the first evening I ever wrote about on Evenings With Peter. And just get a gander at the marvelous set of cassoulet bowls that Baby and I snagged from a rock bottom sale at Williams-Sonoma, cassoulet baking dish included! Forsaking duck confit, I made this version with bone-in chicken thighs, not with the suggested chicken leg quarters. Here they are about to be browned in the cassoulet baking dish with a little olive oil.

As I had overbooked myself, I made the cassoulet on Thursday and let it cool before refrigerating so all the ingredients could get to know one another for the dinner on Saturday. We subbed Polish boczek and krayana for the the bacon and sausages, respectively. Into the oven you go, dear!

At our dinner party, we first sampled cold foie gras and then seared foie gras au Perigord with a drizzle of blood orange olive oil, which worked out quite well--spread over thinly sliced baguettes naturally. Baby and I served the cassoulet with a salad of shredded Boston lettuce and a warm bacon vinaigrette (a version of Michael Lomonaco's Shallot and Champagne Vinaigrette--1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tb Dijon mustard, 1 tb sugar, 4 peeled shallots, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 ground black pepper--all thrown into a blender and then slowly incorporated with 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup bacon grease).

Once bringing the cassoulet back to room temperature on the day of the dinner and then adding the bread crumbs, reheating for the additional 30 minutes was a snap. As my guest observed, the resulting cassoulet was like the classic, but also like a fricassee; in fact, the best of both!

We had lemon sorbet with a sprinkling of thyme for a gentle refresher afterward.

Thanks to folks for reading Evenings With Peter!

Chicken Cassoulet
Adapted from Le Creuset

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped smoked bacon strips
1 lb herb flavored pork or beef sausages
2 medium red onions, sliced thickly
3 medium carrots, sliced thickly
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 leg quarters of chicken, divided into 2 pieces and skinned
2 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes and their juice
1 14.5 oz. can of cannellini beans, drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 rounded teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
2 cups coarse white breadcrumbs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Heat the oil in the cassoulet dish, add the bacon and sausages and fry both until they are lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots and garlic and continue frying for 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer these ingredients to a plate.

Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil and brown evenly. Return the other ingredients together with the chopped tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, thyme, 1 tablespoon of the parsley and some seasoning. Stir well. Cover and transfer to the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken is tender. Remove the lid.

Mix together the breadcrumbs, remaining parsley and plenty of seasoning. When the chicken is tender, scatter this evenly over the top and return the open pot to the oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is pale golden brown.

By all means, add flowers to welcome any new season such as the burgeoning spring!


Soundtrack: Esperanza Spalding, Chamber Music Society; Peggy Lee, Classics; Sarah Vaughan, Personal Collection; Rumer, Seasons Of My Soul; Marilyn Maye, The Lamp Is Low

Everything But The...Le Creuset Wok, Part One!

Isn't she a beaut? CSN Stores generously donated a stunning Le Creuset kiwi-colored wok to Evenings With Peter for a review. The company has more than 200 web sites featuring cookware, modern furniture, and kids bedding (Baby and I are already plotting out coverlets and sheet sets to give to our nieces and nephews for birthdays and holidays!) among a vast selection of other great merchandise.

Apart from planning to try our hand at some Chinese dishes to serve in our wok, we also think it would be wonderful to use as a platter for pasta and leave it on the dining table as a beautiful centerpiece.

So stay tuned everybody!