Hot sauce

I hope you’ll bear with me. I wish I could say otherwise, but the truth is, I’ve still got my head in the pantry closet. There may be tiny flowers popping out of the hedge of the house across the street, but where springtime is concerned, the produce section isn’t quite so forthcoming. I bought a bundle of early-season asparagus a few days ago, but the spears were watery and dull, as though

Scones

Oh, how I love scones! My grandmother's were delicious, and my mother's too. This receipe has traveled across the continents and seas!

The first time I visited Lndon I was very sad to see that you cannot find them freshly baked - even those from good houses such as Fortnum and Mason were good, but not great.

I had not made for a loong long time, and the other day, I invited Jennifer, a friend who lived in London, for tea, and decided to make some.

Our recipe is one of the best-kept family secrets! That lemon in the warm milk makes a huge difference. Grand Aunt Madeleine loved cooking and we all loved what she cooked!

Scones as done by Aunt Madeleine
Teatime, difficulty: easy

Preparation: 15 minutes

Bake 15-20 minutes

Heat the oven over medium-high heat

What you need:
1 medium bowl
1 cookie sheet
1 wooden spoon

Ingredients and cooking method
> 2 ½ cups flour or 250 grs
> 4 tsp. Baking powder
> a pinch of salt, sift together in a medium bowl
> ½ cup + 1 Tbsp. or 100 gr unsalted butter, rub the butter in the flour till the mix feels sandy
> ½ cup + 3 Tbs milk and
> 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, mix together to turn the milk into sour milk then mix with the flour.

Be careful with the amount of milk! Better to add little by little until you get the desired consistency. Flour can take more or less liquid according to the atmospheric conditions of the place where you live.

DO NOT KNEAD, just mix gently with a wooden spoon and finish with your fingertips. If mix is too soft, you may add 1 or 2 Tbsp. of flour.
Put the mix on the counter, about 1-inch thick, and cut about 10 scones. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Remove and let cool. We had them with my home made jams, but they are also delicious with butter and honey!

Scones with raisins: Add ¼ cup of golden raisins to the flour before mixing
Scones with cheese: Add 1/3 cup of Cheddar grated cheese and a pinch of pepper to the flour.

HOT WINGS VIDEO RECIPE YouTube VIDEOGULP !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hywdovQK8Mendofvid
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HOT WINGS VIDEO RECIPE YouTube VIDEOGULP !

GULP - HOT WINGS - VIDEO RECIPE

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BEEF TERIYAKI RECIPE JAPAN part 1/2 YouTube Video VIDEOGULP !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XN7aZ1O__oendofvid
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BEEF TERIYAKI RECIPE JAPAN part 1/2 YouTube Video VIDEOGULP !

GULP - A classic recipe for Beef Teriyaki - Japan chef - japanese dish -

HOMEMADE VIDEO Beef Teriyaki - Japan RECIPE - Japanese Cooking

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Photo du Jour - Keeping Cool

Shutters open just a crack. Lets a little light in, keeps the heat out.

Inside the Kitchen--Grand Cru Dinner menu

My full report on the dinner, here.

Tuna Sashimi, Golden Oesetra Caviar, Geoduck Lemon Terrin
Chef Ron Siegel, The DIning Room, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
2000 Trimbach, "Cuvee Frederick-Emile" Riesling, Alsace, France

Monterey Bay Abalone in its own Bouillon, Foie Gras
Chef David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos
2004 Domain Christian Moreau, "Les Clos," Chablis, France

Butter Poached Lobster wtih a Fricassee of Fall Vegetables
in a Mini Pumpkin with Sea Urchin Broth
Chef Roland Passot, La Folie, San Francisco
2003 Jacques Gagnard-Delagrange, Batard Montachet, Burgundy, France

Roasted Colorado Lamb Loin and Braised Lamb Cheek Cannellonis
Chef Hubert Keller, Fleur de Lys, San Francisco
2002 Chateau Haut Brion, Graves, France

Bleu D'Auvergne with Endive, Dried Pears and Spiced Walnuts
Chef Aaron Zimmer, Navio at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
1994 Chateau Haut Brion, D'Yquem,

French Butter Pear Nage
Pain d'Epice Ice Cream, Creme Fraiche
Smoked Chocolate Plaque
Vanilla, Coconut and Aged Rum Pearls
Petit Fours
Chef William Werner, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
1977 Dow's Port

FOOD + INSIDE THE KITCHEN

Duck a l'Orange

Today I cried over cheese.  I started crying when I realized that I might not be able to find any cheese store open during lunch hours.  Throughout the morning, I had mentally planned my lunch down to a tee:  a green salad with a delicious mustard vinaigrette that is typically served at french brasseries, topped with slices of smoked ham (also very typical of french brasserie salads), and of course, a beautiful cheese plate that would be filled with chevres, cantals, comtes, and nameless other varieties that I planned on buying and promptly ingesting around noontime. 

But horror of all horrors, the first cheese shop, or "fromagerie," that I walked to was closed.  I brushed it off, thinking it might be a fluke; but when the next two fromageries I walked to were also closed, I started to panick - how did I not know that most fromageries are closed during lunch time? Would I be able to find cheese?  I then started to shed tears, as I made my way to the last place I knew would sell gourmet, cheese-shop quality cheese: La Grande Epicerie at Le Bon Marche. As soon as I started ordering, my stomach stopped convulsing and my mind relaxed - I knew I would be able to create the cheese plate that had existed in mind for the past 5 hours.   

I don't know if it's just me, but I think there's something feverish in regards to the food in Paris.  I see it in my classmates too: eating has taken on an art form.  It is no longer about filling your stomach and providing the body with necessary energy - food is something to be savored, delighted upon, with every bite a new sensation should burst in your mouth and in your mind.  Smoked sausage, cream sauces, 468 varieties of cheese, fresh baguettes, and of course, the amazing quality of meat that is available everywhere.  Paris is food heaven; and I've come to learn today that it may have its price - my body and my mind have come to expect a certain quality and style of eating, and the consequences of disappointing my voracious appetite are severe. 

Alas, on a happier note, I am working away with new French recipes, the latest of which is duck a l'orange.  I love duck breast; I love when it is sliced evenly into small strips of lean duck that is surrounded by a layer of fat, almost like a halo.  Pierce the breast with a knife, place a morcel on your tongue, and what you will be tasting is a tender, salty, and slightly chewy bit of meat that just about requires a deep sigh after eating.  Duck a l'orange is a french classic, and I've learned tonight that it is also extremely straightforward and easy.  I've pared it down to be made for one person, and there are no obscure ingredients. 

It takes about one hour to put together from start to finish, so it's very doable at any time during the week.

Duck a l'Orange - serves 1

3 tbsp water

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

2 oranges

1 very small shallot, chopped

1 duck breast, about 8 ounces

1/2 cup chicken broth

a knob of butter

1.  Grate one orange and set aside the grated peels; cut it in half.  Squeeze half of the orange to get as much juice from it as possible.  Remove the other half of all of the white parts, and cut it open to remove the segments; place the segments aside on a plate.  Cut the second orange in half, squeeze out all of the juice you can, and add it the juice of the first orange.

2.  In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium-high heat.  Increase the heat, and boil until the liquid has become very thick and dark brown in color, about 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and add sherry vineger (be warned, the mixture will bubble vigorously).  Add orange juice and shallots, and boil until reduced in half.  Add the chicken broth, and boil until reduced again in half, about 12-15 minutes (the sauce should be thick in consistency).  Set aside.

3.  Using a small knife, cut little X's into the skin of the duck, being careful not to pierce the breast.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat a 12' skillet over medium-high heat, and cook duck, skin side down, until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes.  Turn over and cook until desired doneness, about 12 minutes for medium-rare.

4.  Meanwhile, return the sauce to low heat, add butter and half of grated orange peel, and stir until butter is just combined.  Add orange segments, then remove from heat.

5.  Slice duck breasts cross-wise on the diagonal and arrange on a plate.  Set orange segments and sauce alongside the duck, pouring any remaining sauce directly over the duck.

Merci a tous!