This weekend we set out to make three new dishes.
We made Potage au Cresson (Water-cress Soup), Creme Plombieres au Chocolat (Chocolate Cream), and Oeufs en Croustades a la Bearnaise (Poached Eggs and Mushrooms, Bearnaise Sauce).
We started with the Water-cress Soup which is very similar to the Leek and Potato soup that we made on day 1. The biggest difference was that we had to add Water-cress. We had no idea what Water-cress was. So we went to the grocery store and asked around. They gave us a little plant that we kept on our kitchen counter for several days. The soup was very yummy.
Then we made carmelized almonds for the chocolate dessert. Last week we tried to make caramel three times and failed every time. :( This time we were determined to get it right. It turned out amazingly awesome!!!! So yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Then we made the poached egg dish. For this, we had to make little tart shells. We made the pastry dough and formed it into the tart thingy. Then we poached the eggs and made the Bernaise sauce. The Bernaise sauce was going great and thickening.... But then we got the sauce just a little too hot and the eggs and the texture became all wrong. It was still tasty.
We finished the night off with chocolate cream. YUMMY!!!!!!!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Day 6 - Three Dishes Using Eight Recipes
Today we had a huge day of cooking!!
We started our day with Oeufs a la Fundue de Fromage (Poached Eggs on Canapes with Cheese Fondue Sauce). This dish used three recipes. One for the poached eggs, one for the canapes, and one for the cheese fondue sauce. The eggs looked very disgusting. We cracked them and put them in the water. They immediately spread out and and became gloppy and weird. After a few tries the eggs started looking better. We think the eggs were too old.
Next we made the cheese fondue sauce. The recipe required chopping shallots (which is a type of onion). I had never done this before. I didn't know how much it stings!! The sauce was very tasty!!
Then we made the canapes. Canapes are actually slices of bread fried in clarified butter. We had never clarified butter before. The canapes were very crunchy and yummy. We put the eggs on top of the canapes and then covered it with the cheese sauce and put it under the broiler. It was a great breakfast!!
For dinner, we made Filets De Poisson Poches Au Vin Blan (Fish Fillets Poached in White Wine). We started by making a fish stock by cooking down leftover fish parts from the fish market. It totally ruined the lovely cheese sauce smell. Then, we made the fish fillets poached in white whine using the fish stock. I made my dad cut the onions. The fish was very tender and tasty. This dish used three recipes.
For dessert, we made Creme Plombieres Pralinee (Caramel Almond Cream - a cold dessert). First, we left the almonds in the toaster oven for too long and they got burnt. Our second batch of almonds turned out well. Then we tried making the caramel. The first time, it got all dried out and nasty. The second time, it turned into sugary goop that wasn't quite caramel. It just didn't work!! We put the almonds into the sugary goop. They tasted really good. We made the cream, put the almonds in and refrigerated it. It was a great dessert!!
Thank you Julia for the great recipes!!
We started our day with Oeufs a la Fundue de Fromage (Poached Eggs on Canapes with Cheese Fondue Sauce). This dish used three recipes. One for the poached eggs, one for the canapes, and one for the cheese fondue sauce. The eggs looked very disgusting. We cracked them and put them in the water. They immediately spread out and and became gloppy and weird. After a few tries the eggs started looking better. We think the eggs were too old.
Next we made the cheese fondue sauce. The recipe required chopping shallots (which is a type of onion). I had never done this before. I didn't know how much it stings!! The sauce was very tasty!!
Then we made the canapes. Canapes are actually slices of bread fried in clarified butter. We had never clarified butter before. The canapes were very crunchy and yummy. We put the eggs on top of the canapes and then covered it with the cheese sauce and put it under the broiler. It was a great breakfast!!
For dinner, we made Filets De Poisson Poches Au Vin Blan (Fish Fillets Poached in White Wine). We started by making a fish stock by cooking down leftover fish parts from the fish market. It totally ruined the lovely cheese sauce smell. Then, we made the fish fillets poached in white whine using the fish stock. I made my dad cut the onions. The fish was very tender and tasty. This dish used three recipes.
For dessert, we made Creme Plombieres Pralinee (Caramel Almond Cream - a cold dessert). First, we left the almonds in the toaster oven for too long and they got burnt. Our second batch of almonds turned out well. Then we tried making the caramel. The first time, it got all dried out and nasty. The second time, it turned into sugary goop that wasn't quite caramel. It just didn't work!! We put the almonds into the sugary goop. They tasted really good. We made the cream, put the almonds in and refrigerated it. It was a great dessert!!
Thank you Julia for the great recipes!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Day 1 - Recipie 1 - Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup)
This all started over Winter Break...
My Mom wanted to watch the movie "Julie and Julia." For those who haven't seen it, the movie is about a real life person (named Julie) who sets out to cook all the recipes in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cookbook in one year. She starts a blog about what she cooks and people start to read it. Although my Mom thought the movie was cute, my Dad and I fell in love with the idea of trying to cook all the recipes together. We decided to make all the recipes over a five year period of time (since I do have school and homework). This means we have to do two recipes every week and finish before my 17th birthday in February of 2015.
A couple days later, we went to Border's Bookstore and bought our own copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." That same day we went to the grocery store and bought the ingredients for the first recipe in the book (Leek and Potato Soup).
We didn't have the best start. When we put the leeks and potatoes in the food processor to puree them, they overflowed and made a big mess on the counter. Of course, Mom happened to walk in right as that happened. What great timing, eh?
The soup turned out well though. It was very amazing what you can do with few ingredients and little time. The beginning of a five year journey has started!!
My Mom wanted to watch the movie "Julie and Julia." For those who haven't seen it, the movie is about a real life person (named Julie) who sets out to cook all the recipes in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cookbook in one year. She starts a blog about what she cooks and people start to read it. Although my Mom thought the movie was cute, my Dad and I fell in love with the idea of trying to cook all the recipes together. We decided to make all the recipes over a five year period of time (since I do have school and homework). This means we have to do two recipes every week and finish before my 17th birthday in February of 2015.
A couple days later, we went to Border's Bookstore and bought our own copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." That same day we went to the grocery store and bought the ingredients for the first recipe in the book (Leek and Potato Soup).
We didn't have the best start. When we put the leeks and potatoes in the food processor to puree them, they overflowed and made a big mess on the counter. Of course, Mom happened to walk in right as that happened. What great timing, eh?
The soup turned out well though. It was very amazing what you can do with few ingredients and little time. The beginning of a five year journey has started!!
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