Cooking Game of the Week #57 08/15/2012

[cookieee]

Good Morning Everyone!!!!!!!!!!


Welcome back. Hope everyone is having a good Summer. We are starting back early so that we can wish one of the nicest people in the cooking world a.......

VERY HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY - JULIA CHILD !!!!!!!!!!

We miss you very much


If you would like to pay your tributes to Julia, just post your favorite recipe of hers or one that you like to cook of hers or have cooked.

Thanks to Julia Child, otherwise we would still be eating TV frozen dinners.

Here is an excerpt from a e-mail I just received from Mary Ann Esposito.

"August 15th would also have been Julia Child's 100th birthday. Can you believe that? Happy Birthday, Julia!

I always remember Julia's birthday because mine is in August, too, and that was a reminder for me to send her a birthday card. She was such a lady that she would send me a return typed postcard thanking me for remembering her birthday.

One August when I was still in production for Ciao Italia, Julia was on her way back from her vacation spot in Maine. We invited her to stop by the studio and film a little cooking segment on frittata. She happily agreed!

It is no secret that Julia thought that Italian cooking was not serious cuisine. It had no structure, no rules, and no unification. On the other hand, French cuisine was regimented, organized, and standardized.

So, Julia, a towering and unassuming person with a mesmerizing voice settled into the TV surroundings and was ready to cook. The plan was for her to do the commentary as I whipped up the eggs for the frittata. We moved along nicely during the taping and compared and contrasted how the frittata and her beloved omelet were made.

As I gingerly whisked the eggs, I asked Julia if there was anything special she would have added to the eggs, and without hesitation she suggested a little bourbon! That took me quite by surprise and elicited a deep belly laugh from me.

After the taping we surprised her with an elaborate Sicilian Cassata cake filled with pistachio cream and ribboned in pistachio fondant. We sang Happy Birthday in Italian, Julie blew out the candles, and a round of photos was taken.

If she were still with us today, I would gladly make that frittata all over again, adding the bourbon this time, as she suggested.

Julia will always be the queen of the kitchen!"

[erin elizabeth]

This recipe was in the paper this morning and caught my eye. I paged through my copy of Julia and Jacques Cooking At Home, too. I've never made this, but it is on my list for this summer. My dad's garden is just at the point where all these vegetables are ripe at the same time--perfect!

Eggplant and Zucchini Gratin
From: Julia and Jacques Cooking At Home
Yield 6-8 servings
1/2 cup or so olive oil
1 large or 2 medium eggplants
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon salt
2 medium zucchini, about 1 pound total
3 or 4 ripe tomatoes, about 1 pound total
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup or so fresh bread crumbs, not too finely ground
1/3 cup or so freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Arrange the rack on the lower-middle level of the oven and preheat to 400. Smear a baking sheet generously with 1/3 cup of the olive oil. Trim off ends of eggplant and slice on the diagonal into ovals 1/2" thick. One at a time, lay the slices on the sheet, press to coat lightly with oil and turn them over. Arrange the slices, oiled side up, in a single layer and sprinkle on 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and herbs de Provence. Bake for about 15 minutes until the eggplant slices are soft and somewhat shriveled; allow to cool briefly. Leave the oven on if you will be baking the gratin right away.

Meanwhile, trim the ends off the zucchini and cut lengthwise into slices no more than 1/4" thick. Salt the zucchini and let it sit for about 15 minutes then wipe the salt & moisture off - otherwise your casserole can be too watery. Core the tomatoes and cut into slices 1/4" thick. Spread out the slices and sprinkle them lightly with 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper.

Film baking dish well with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle a teaspoon of the dried herbs all over the bottom. Lay one or two eggplant slices, lengthwise, against a narrow side of the dish. Arrange a long slice or two of zucchini in from of the eggplant, then place 2 or 3 tomato slices in front of the zucchini. Repeat until the pan is full of alternating rows of eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes. Arrange each new row of slices so the colorful top edges of the previous row are still visible.

Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan and teaspoon of herbes de Provence. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, then toss and rub it in with your fingers to coat the crumbs but keep them loose. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the vegetables and drizzle remaining oil over all. Place dish in center of oven and bake for 40 minutes until vegetables are soft, the juices are bubbling, and the top is a deep golden brown. If the crumbs need more browning you can stick them under the broiler for a few moments. Serve hot directly from the baking dish.

Note: gratin can be assembled (don't add oil until baking), covered and refrigerated for several hours. Preheat oven and drizzle on last olive oil just before baking.

[RebelYell18]

I have actually never made a Julia Child recipe but there's a couple that I'd like to try...one being that famous Beef Bourguignon. [I snagged this online so hopefully the recipe is the same as in the book - I don't have the book handy here at work!]

6 oz bacon
2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil
4 lbs trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes, patted dry with paper towels
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups sliced onions
1 cup sliced carrots
1 bottle of red wine (pinot noir works best for this)
2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
1 medium herb bouquet (tie 8 parsley sprigs, 1 large bay leaf, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 whole cloves or allspice berries, and 3 large cloves of smashed garlic together wrapped and tied in cheesecloth)
Beurre manié: 3 Tbsp flour blended to a paste with 2 Tbsp butter
24 pearl onions
Chicken stock
Butter
1 1/2 pounds of button or cremini mushrooms, quartered


Method

1 Blanch the bacon to remove its smoky taste. Drop bacon slices into 2 quarts of cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and dry on paper towels.

2 In a large frying pan, sauté the blanched bacon to brown slightly in a little oil; set them aside and add later to simmer with the beef, using the rendered fat in browning. Brown the chunks of beef on all sides in the bacon fat and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and put them into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or covered casserole pan. Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and add to the pan.

3 Remove all but a little fat from the frying pan, add the sliced vegetables and brown them, and add to the meat. Deglaze the pan with wine, pouring it into the casserole along with enough stock to almost cover the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and add the herb bouquet. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer slowly on the lowest heat possible, either on the stove or in a preheated 325°F oven, until the meat is tender, about 1 to 2 hours.

4 While the stew is cooking, prepare the onions. Blanch the onions in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Slice the end tips off of the onions, peel the onions and score the root end with 1/4 inch cuts. Sauté onions in a single layer in a tablespoon or two of butter until lightly browned. Add chicken stock or water half way up the sides of the onions. Add a teaspoon of sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 minutes or until tender. The onions should absorb most of the water. If there is water remaining after cooking, drain the excess. Set aside.

5 Prepare the mushrooms a few minutes before serving the stew. Sauté quartered mushrooms in a few tablespoons of butter and olive oil until browned and cooked through.

6 When the stew meat has cooked sufficiently, remove all solids from the sauce (except the beef) by draining through a colander set over a saucepan. Return the beef to the casserole. Press juices out of the residue into the cooking liquid, then remove any visible fat and boil down the liquid to 3 cups. Off heat, whisk in the beurre manié, then simmer for 2 minutes as the sauce thickens lightly. Correct seasoning and pour over the meat, folding in the onions and mushrooms. To serve, bring to a simmer, basting meat and vegetables with the sauce for several minutes until hot throughout.

Serve with rice, bread, or potatoes (unless you are doing the low-carb version!).

Serves 6 to 8.

[charley]

The only 2 Julia recipes I've tried are her French Onion Soup and Spinach Quiche. Both are excellent!

http://video.pbs.org/video/2261536742/

[gobluem82]

I'm leaving for vacation in a couple of days so won't be playing, but just saw that the Google home page has a very cute tribute to Julia today.

[Anne]

My version is a bit different from yours Rebel but I don't have the book so who knows...

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon (don't use)
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes (venison)
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
18 to 24 white onions, small
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)
1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered
(I add more mushrooms and a lot of carrots to the veges)

Cooking Directions

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

[vbak]

I didn't copy and paste the recipe because the blogger had permission to post the recipe in her blog, and i don't. So, here is the link, and this is something that sounds easy and delicious. I would even make this. Sorry I didn't RSVP!

Reine De Saba

http://anuneducatedpalate.com/2012/0...reine-de-saba/

[RebelYell18]

My version is a bit different from yours Rebel but I don't have the book so who knows...

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

Well, I just copied and pasted it from a blogger - who probably took some liberties with it. Your version seems much more likely Julia's, given the direction length and terminology.

[heavy hedonist]

I didn't copy and paste the recipe because the blogger had permission to post the recipe in her blog, and i don't. So, here is the link, and this is something that sounds easy and delicious. I would even make this. Sorry I didn't RSVP!

Reine De Saba

http://anuneducatedpalate.com/2012/0...reine-de-saba/

I've made Alice medrich's version of this, and variations, many times-- iot's one of my standby desserts, because it is so easy, delicious and impressive. You'll love it.

[Anne]

I wish I had quoted the source but I was really lazy about that when I first started on this board. I don't strain the stock but give it a run with my stick blender because I don't want to waste all the good veges.

[Deechef]

I'm a bit late to the party but will share one of her recipes I love. Gazpacho is one of my favorite summer dinners when it is hot. Her cookbook Julia Child and More Company has a gazpacho salad that is beautiful and perfect for the summer bounty we have right now. Its been years since I have made it. ish I could p0ost a pic as well.............

JULIA CHILD'S GAZPACHO SALAD
(from Julia Child & More Company)- serves 8

3 cups diced tomato (slice in half first and
squeeze the seeds out before dicing)
salt & red wine vinegar as needed
3 cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise,
seeds scooped out, then diced.
1/4 tsp sugar
2 green sweet peppers, diced
2 red sweet peppers, diced
1 large mild red onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
about 2 cups lightly pressed down, fresh bread
crumbs

Dressing:
3 large cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
1 tsp salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
fresh basil leaves
2 tsp dijon mustard
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup good olive oil
wine vinegar if needed
freshly ground pepper and drops of hot pepper
sauce (tobasco)
5 tbsp fresh minced parsley

Tomatoes: when diced, add 1/2 tsp salt and 1
tsp wine vinegar and let sit in a bowl for
about 5 minutes. Turn into a sieve to drain.

Cucumbers: when diced, toss in a bowl with 1
tbsp wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp
sugar. Let stand 5 minutes then turn into a
sieve to drain.

Peppers, onion, celery: When diced, mix all
together and add drops of wine vinegar and
salt to taste (note: Julia says to drop the
onion in boiling water for several seconds to
take out the "bite" but I always leave the
onion raw)

Dressing: Pound the garlic in a morter with
the salt. Mince the lemon zest, add it to the
mortar and pound until pureed. Add some basil
and pound that too. Beat in the mustard with a
whisk then add the lemon juice and the oil by
droplets. Season well with more salt, drops of
vinegar if needed, pepper and hot pepper sauce
to taste.

Arranging the salad- 4-6 hrs before serving:

Pick a straight-sided glass bowl if possible
because the colors are so pretty in this
salad.
Spread 1/4 of the breadcrumbs evenly on the
bottom of the bowl. Cover with 1/3 of the
pepper-onion mixure, then 1/3 of the tomatoes,
1/3 of the cucumbers, then 1/4 of the
dressing. Continue with crumbs, pepper-onion
mix, tomatoes, cucumbers, dressing and so on,
encing with a layer of crumbs, then the
remaining dressing. Spread the parsley over
the top. Cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate.

[vbak]

Good to hear that, HH. I really don't enjoy baking that much. I did bake today though!

[cookieee]

Heads Up!!!!!!!!!!!! Just a reminder.

This Wednesday will be the start of our new game. By popular vote (2 or 3 ) we will be using the Alphabet again. Like last time, we will be going in alphbetical order. So be looking for anything to do with food that starts with A.

[over50newbie]

Hi Everyone,

I just got back from vacation, and I would love to contribute.

Here is a link to a recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen for Julia Child's Eggplant Pizza. I haven't made it yet, but boy does it look good!

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/08...nt-pizzas.html

Lynette

[Ohioan]

Sorry I haven't been participating this week, but (sigh) I never did like Julia Child's cooking -- just her TV antics. It was fun watching her drop things, break things, and have other kinds of kitchen disasters, and then come up braying with laughter.

But I'm getting psyched up for Wednesday's game!

Cheers,
Phoebe

[jadenegro]

I wish I had seen this earlier so I could get ingredients on a shopping list. Glad to hear you are starting back up. I really need to do better at menu planning and I think this could help me.

Here is the recipe I would love to make. Well, there are tons of things from julia I would looooove to make, but this one is at the top of the list. This recipe says adapted - I am not sure how heavily adapted it is as I don't have her cookbooks. They've been on my amazon wishlist for an embarrassing length of time ;0

Classic Cheese Soufflé Bon Appétit | May 2008
by Molly Wizenberg
This recipe was adapted from a version in The Way to Cook by Julia Child.
Yield: Makes 4-6 main course servings

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole milk
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
4 large egg yolks
5 large egg whites
1 cup (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 4 ounces)

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 400F.Butter 6-cup (1 1/2-quart) soufflé dish. Add Parmesan cheese and tilt dish, coating bottom and sides. Warm milk in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming.
Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until mixture begins to foam and loses raw taste, about 3 minutes (do not allow mixture to brown). Remove saucepan from heat; let stand 1 minute. Pour in warm milk, whisking until smooth. Return to heat and cook, whisking constantly until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in paprika, salt, and nutmeg. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, whisking to blend after each addition. Scrape soufflé base into large bowl. Cool to lukewarm. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into lukewarm or room temperature soufflé base to lighten. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions while gradually sprinkling in Gruyère cheese. Transfer batter to prepared dish.
Place dish in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 375F. Bake until soufflé is puffed and golden brown on top and center moves only slightly when dish is shaken gently, about 25 minutes (do not open oven door during first 20 minutes). Serve immediately.


Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...#ixzz24C2FXao8

[LakeMartinGal]

Looking forward to tomorrow's game! Already picked the recipe, so I hope it fits with the categories... has an "A" food in it, and the author's first name starts with A!

[cookieee]

Hi

Like to take this time to thank everyone for coming to Julia Childs Birthday party. I hope you enjoyed all the great food.

[cookieee]

Looking forward to tomorrow's game! Already picked the recipe, so I hope it fits with the categories... has an "A" food in it, and the author's first name starts with A!

Hi Kay, glad to hear that.

There will be no categories, so to speak. You have me stumped with your clues. Also, I guess you solved a dilemma for me. Should a name count if first name used? OK lets go with first or last name.

[LakeMartinGal]

Hi Kay, glad to hear that.

There will be no categories, so to speak. You have me stumped with your clues. Also, I guess you solved a dilemma for me. Should a name count if first name used? OK lets go with first or last name.

Woohoo! That makes life easier!!!