Straight from Provence, a great recipe

When my blogger friend, Barbara, posted her Clafoutis Provencal, I knew we would love it.  I also knew that if I were to make this while in our travel trailer, I would have to make some adjustments.  Our little kitchen is small and so is the oven.  In fact, this was only the second time we attempted to bake in it.  It works just fine.

Also missing was my mandolin for slicing the zucchini, but with a careful attempt, we actually got them sliced thin enough.  The overwhelming surprise of this recipe was the smell coming out of the oven.  It was so breathtakingly delicious, I could hardly wait for dinner.

This is definitely a recipe that I will make often in the future.  It is a perfect vegetable dish to serve with any type of entree.  Barbara, thank you so much for sharing this fantastic recipe from your kitchen.  I wish we could have enjoyed it together.

Please visit Barbara and her blog, Cuisine de Provence and copy this recipe. 

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach, Oregon, is one of those places I have always dreamed of seeing.  As we walked the beach toward it, it almost seemed to be a man-made structure because it was such a fantastic sight.

Haystack Rock was formed by lava flows.  It is 235 feet in height, home to crabs, starfish, sea slugs and a place for nesting birds such as tufted puffins, gulls and cormorants.  It is a protected Marine Garden, as it should be. 

The village of Cannon Beach itself is a lively town, filled with tourists this time of year.  The beach....perfect.  It was such a pleasure to again be on the Pacific, having traveled from the Atlantic.  As a dear friend commented to me, "from sea to shining sea."  Yes, we have traveled that far and more.  I stopped checking the odometer after we reached 5000. 

Have you tried Singing Dog Vanilla?

I remembered reading that Singing Dog Vanilla was located in Eugene, Oregon.  Knowing we would be visiting in the area, our host, Pete, called the local number and spoke with co-owner, Marty.  Marty invited us down to visit even though he said it was just a simple warehouse.  What excitement as Diane, Pete, the Trout and I made our way to Singing Dog Vanilla.

The philosophy of this company is to produce organic, non-GMO and high quality products.  Just speaking to Marty, one could hear the pride in his product,  as it should be.

Fair Trade Plus is a partnership between family farmers and companies that bring the produce to markets.  In this case, the product is vanilla from Papua, New Guinea.  The name, Singing Dog, comes from the breed of dog, found in New Guinea.  It is a dog that does not bark, but sings.  On the website, you can actually hear a dog singing.

Products being produced are vanilla extract, tea, coffee, vanilla beans, paste, lip balm and now even vanilla salt.  (This is reportedly great on popcorn.)  Packing materials are sustainable such as cardboard, cornstarch packing material and reusable tea bags.  This is a company that will go far.  Good luck to Marty and his crew.  We loved our visit.

I stocked up on several items while in town.  I see that the products at this time are not available in Florida, but you can order them by mail.  The vanilla bean paste....I can hardly wait to try it.  I think it will have to wait until fall when I am back home in my own kitchen.  Baking in a travel trailer seems a little bit daunting. 

Schnitzel and the Trout meets Wives with Knives

Almost five years ago, I met Cathy from Wives with Knives.  I did not literally meet her, but we connected as we were both starting blogs and sometimes the technology was a little overwhelming.  We helped each other and consoled each other.  Not only did we read each others blogs, we started emailing each other.  In a true sense, we really got to know each other. 

I contacted Cathy this last winter and told her that we were planning a trip to Oregon when we arrived in Montana for the summer.  An invitation to meet was graciously extended by Cathy.  The Trout and I looked forward to this day for a long time.  We were invited to lunch at Cathy's.  You can imagine how the excitement escalated from there.

When Cathy opened the door, I hugged my long-time friend.  We had some good laughs, some good conversations about how much we all love to travel to France.

This absolutely gorgeous table, outside in the beautiful Oregon sunshine is what greeted us for lunch.  For Cathy's delicious Northwest version of Salad Nicoise, please go to her blog here.

Everything was prepared to perfection.  The fresh mint in the couscous was especially special for me.  I loved it.  We had no problem eating our plates clean.  What a beautiful treat, Cathy.

And you ask if there was dessert?  The Oregon local marionberry in a pie shell that was so flaky.

And that is Tillamook Vanilla Bean ice cream on top.  Two scoops...do you see that?  I did not feel guilty at all eating this wonderful ice cream.

Thank you, Cathy.  We are looking forward to meeting you again someday soon. 

My 50th Class Reunion

You cannot imagine what fun it was, posing for this photo.  My 50th class reunion from Amana High School, Amana, Iowa.  We were a close class of 18 students, 14 of us starting school together in kindergarten.  We have memories, many happy and funny memories.  At this special reunion, we had 13 students attend.  Unfortunately, 3 of our classmates have passed on.  They are greatly missed.  Two were unable to attend.  They were greatly missed.

Admit it...only in Iowa can a photo resembling "Field of Dreams" mean as much as this picture.  This photo means a lot to me.  I will treasure it always because to me, we do not look our age!!!  Young at heart and in spirit.  We traveled from California, Arizona, Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin and the rest came from somewhere in Iowa.  Thanks to Facebook, it is much easier to keep in touch.

One of our class members had her nephew bring this 1963 Pontiac Catalina for our posing.  What amazed me is that without direction, we simply moved into a position that we liked and posed naturally.  Our class always worked together beautifully as can be attested by our wonderful high school yearbook.  It was a classic!

The best surprise at this gathering was the unexpected visit of our high school business and art teacher, Mr. Richard Wheeler from Dallas, Texas.   Some of us still have trouble calling him anything but Mr. Wheeler. 
He was just out of college when he started teaching at our high school when we were freshmen.  Richard was a great inspiration to all of us and just put the icing on the cake of this gathering.  Thank you, Richard, for making the effort to attend.

To my dear classmates, I wish you health and love and peace.  May we be so fortunate to gather again.  Please, let us keep in touch. 

Heading West...far West

It is that time of the year again.  Packing up for our summer trip.  The freezer and refrigerator are almost empty.  Plans have been made and now the packing for the next 2 days.  In the next month we will be driving from central Florida to the coast of Oregon.   We are going to see family, attend my class reunion and meet two blogger friends in Oregon.  I have already met Diana from "Voice in the Garden," but this time we will also meet Cathy from "Wives with Knives."  And then, our summer in Montana in our travel trailer.

First of all, I have been very lack in blogging as I have gotten into several knitting projects and you know how it is...you can't do both.  We have also  enjoyed watching a mockingbird lay build a nest and lay four eggs in our oleander bush.  Each time we tried to peek, we were bombed by the mama bird, flying right into our hair.  And then yesterday, we saw one young bird hanging on a branch and chirping loudly and then this morning, all the babies are gone.  It seems odd that they can fly already, but the books say 12 days after birth they are ready for flight lessons.

I also have some questions to answer.  Yes, the bacon jam was delicious.  We ended up finishing it on a cracker with cheese with the bacon spread on top.  Very nice afternoon cocktail treat. Surprisingly, it did not give that greasy feel in the mouth that might be expected.   I will need to make this again when there are more men around.  But, when it comes right down to it, bacon and eggs or bacon and onions sauteed together in any German dish still seems to be my favorite way of eating it.

And the celery we planted a few months ago.  I have actually been using it and it still is growing.  No, it does not have the thick ribs of the celery you are familiar with, but the leaves are beautiful and the taste is good.  It was a great experiment.  Now I will be curious to see if it is still alive when we come back in the fall.

I will be blogging when the moose visit us or if it snows earlier than expected and when the Internet is working up to par.  Enjoy your summer.  I know ours will be busy.

Bacon Jam

While working in the kitchen this morning, I was reminded of a nursery rhyme my mother used to recite to me.

"There was a little girl

Who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead.

When she was good

She was very, very good,

and when she was bad she was horrid."

Well, today I fit into the "bad, bad" category.  We both have been reading more and more about "Bacon Jam."  Reading about it is okay, but this morning I was actually cooking it on the stove.  I found this recipe on the Internet on the blog site of  Not Quite Nigella.  She had 254 comments on it back in 2009 when she posted it.  So I am slow to the gate, but now I am totally involved.

Bacon Jam
adapted from Not Quite Nigella 

1 pound smoked bacon, cut into small pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium brown skinned onion, sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Sriracha to taste
1 cup brewed coffee
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
black pepper
Extra water

In a non-stick pan, fry bacon in batches until lightly browned and beginning to crisp.

Fry the onion and garlic in the rendered bacon fat on medium heat until translucent.

Transfer the bacon, onion and garlic into a heavy based cast iron pot and add the rest of the ingredients except for the water.

Simmer for 2 hours, adding 1/4 cup of water every 25-30 minutes or so, and stirring.

When ready, cool for about 15-20 minutes and then place in a food processor.  Pulse for 2 or 3 seconds so that you leave some texture to the jam.

Serve on your favorite burger, grilled cheese, as an appetizer on crusty bread.  The possibilities are endless. 

We are brining some pork chops for this evening and thought this would be a nice addition to the meal.  I have read the every cook who has made this jam has literally eaten it out of the jar with a spoon.  I really, really hope that does not happen in this kitchen. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream

A search in the New York Times brought about a recipe that just screamed "yes" to me.  This recipe comes from the Calliope Restaurant in New York City.  Are you ready for this?  Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream.

I made a few adjustments to make it easy on myself, and a fantastic ice cream developed in my kitchen.

Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream
adapted from Calliope, NYC

3/4 cup hazelnuts  (I toasted the hazelnuts for 10 minutes and then rubbed off the brown skins)
6 ounces gianduja (chocolate hazelnut paste-about 3/4 cup)   I substituted Nutella..6 ounces or about 3/4 cup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup half and half
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
6 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream


Heat oven to 350 degrees and spread hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet.  Toast in the oven for 10 minutes.  Let cool for about 10 minutes and rub the nuts in a dish towel to remove most of the skins.

In a medium bowl, melt the Nutella and butter.  (Either Microwave or over hot water.)  Keep mixture warm.

In a medium saucepan bring the half and half, sugar and vanilla bean to a simmer until the sugar melts, taking care not to boil.  Stir occasionally.

Place the egg yolks in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot half and half mixture, whisking constantly and carefully so as not to scramble the yolks.  Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the remaining half and half, whisking constantly.  Heat the custard through, but do not simmer.  If you see curdled clumps, pass through a fine strainer.  Remove the vanilla bean.

While whisking constantly, slowly pour the warm custard into the warm melted chocolate.  Once the chocolate custard is thoroughly combined and smooth, whisk in heavy cream.  Cover the custard and transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.

Pour chocolate hazelnut custard into an ice cream machine and chill for approximately 25-30 minutes.  Fold hazelnuts into ice cream.  Freeze to harden.

Believe me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this ice cream.  It is absolutely delicious, creamy, smooth and so perfectly chocolate.  This will become a favorite.   I hope you will try it.

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I will be the first to admit that I have quite a few cookbooks.  I love reading them as much as reading a novel.  I use most of them occasionally, some often,  and others are simply to be read for entertainment.

Having said that, we do grill approximately 85% of our dinners in Florida and Montana.  I have to say that the Trout knows his way around the grill.  I usually do the sides.  So, finding one more cookbook seemed a little crazy, but I am so glad we did.  We picked up this cookbook, William Sonoma Grill Master  by Fred Thompson at Lowe's.  We have been using it weekly with happy surprises coming off the grill.  There is a section of sauces, marinades and rubs and a large section of sides that are worth talking about.

One thing we do cook on our stove is stir-fry.  We do this often as we "clean out" the vegetable drawer.  But this is a Thai recipe that I know my Montana friend, Chris, would love.  I have a favorite peanut sauce that we use a lot, but this time I took the one out of the new cookbook and we really, really loved it.

If you are serious about grilling and want some outstanding recipes to move things up a notch, I would really suggest adding this cookbook to your kitchen library.

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Adapted from William Sonoma Grill Master

For the Marinade:

1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon curry powder
Freshly ground pepper

4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
wooden or metal skewers

Stir together the marinade and set aside.

Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap until 1/2" thick.  Cut into lengthwise strips and put all chicken pieces into a large zip-loc plastic bag and pour in the marinade.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.

Thirty minutes before grilling, remove the chicken from the refrigerator.  Discard the marinade and pat the chicken strips dry with paper towels.

Prepare the grill.  Thread chicken strips lengthwise onto skewers.  Place on the grill and cook, turning once until grill marked on both sides, opaque and still moist, about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Pass with the following peanut sauce.

Spicy Peanut Sauce
2 cups coconut milk
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter - my substitute
(Recipe calls for 1/4 chop chopped unsalted dry roasted peanuts and 2 tablespoons peanut butter)
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon green curry paste (I substituted red curry paste as it is milder)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, finely minced

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, curry paste, paprika and garlic.  Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, then cook until thickened and reduced by half, 15-20 minutes.  Set aside.  Serve warm or room temperature.


Cucumber Salad
adapted from Grill Master

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large English cucumber
1/2 small red onion

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves.  Whisk in oil.

Thinly slice the cucumber and onion.  Using a mandoline makes this easy.  Add to the bowl and gently toss together.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.

This cucumber salad as the perfect touch to the chicken satay.  One thing missing....jasmine rice would have been nice.

A lucky find and a delightful treat

Since a trip to the Alsace area of France, I have been searching for something.  I look on the Internet, e-bay, just about everywhere, and I have not found want I was looking for.  I know I can find it in France, but right now, I am in the USA and it is more difficult to find.

So, last week we were in North Carolina visiting our daughter and her family.  Angie and I decided to go to some antique shops.  As I was glancing at a wall, I said, "I don't believe it!"  There it hung.  I quickly walked forward and looked at the tag and it said it was a "jello mold."  No way. This was not a jello mold, but an absolutely perfect, copper Kugelhopf mold.  I explained to my daughter and the shopkeeper, my long time search for this Alsatian pan.  My daughter grabs it out of my hands and says "Happy Mother's Day."  Perfect, just a perfect find, and thank you, Angie.

So then, the next search was for the recipe that was most similar to the one I ate for breakfast each day while we stayed at the B&B in Alsace.  That was a little easier since it ended up that the cookbook in my kitchen had the perfect recipe.  Susan Herrmann Loomis and  French Farmhouse Cookbook had just what I wanted.

Kugelhopf is a sweet, raisin studded bread that is the signature pastry of Alsace and every pastry shop in the region proudly displays this in their windows.  Serve it as a late afternoon snack with coffee or for breakfast.  

Alsatian Coffee Bread

Kugelhopf from Susan Herrmann Loomis

3/4 cup (125 g) golden raisins
2 tablespoons kirsch (I used apricot brandy)
1 cup milk heated to lukewarm
1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar  (vanilla sugar is preferred)
2 eggs
3 3/4 cups (500g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in small pieces, room temperature
whole almonds

About 1 hour before you plan to bake, combine the raisins and kirsch in a small bowl.  Stir and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl (I used my Kitchen Aid bowl), combine the lukewarm milk and the yeast.  Stir, then add the vanilla sugar and stir well.  (NOTE:)  I had half the amount of sugar needed in vanilla sugar that I brought back from France last year.  It comes in packets.  I then added regular sugar to get the full 150 grams.

Let this sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to foam.  Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.  Then gradually add the flour and salt, mixing well with a wooden spoon.  The dough will be quite sticky.  Continue mixing the dough using the wooden spoon or your hands until it is quite elastic, about 10 minutes.   This takes about 5 minutes in an electric mixer.

Gradually add the butter piece by piece, kneading until it is well incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic and comes cleanly off the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes or 2-3 with an electric mixer. 

Mix in the raisins until they are evenly distributed.  Leave the dough in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm spot until it has nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the down and knead it briefly to remove all the air.  Then let rise again until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Heavily butter a 6 cup kugelhopf mold and place the almonds in the indentations in the bottom of the mold.  Punch down the dough and place it in the mold as evenly as possible.  Let rise until it reaches the top, about 1 hour.  (If you don't have a kugelhopf mold, use a 6 cup souffle dish.  Place the dough in the souffle dish and arrange the almonds on top of the dough.)  Susan Loomis says that 17 almonds are needed in the bottom of the typical kugelhopf mold.  I only had room for 16, but believe me, I am not typical either. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the kugelhopf in the center of the oven until it is golden and sounds hollow when the mold is tapped, 1 hour.

Remove the mold from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Unmold the kugelhopf and let it cool on a wire rack.  Dust it with confectioners  sugar before serving.  If you used a souffle dish, cool the kugelhopf almond side up on a wire rack and serve so that the almonds are showing.

You will see that there is a lot of time spent rising; 4 hours and 1 hour baking.  I am not fond of raisins in anything, but this is one way that is easy to tolerate them. 

I have started baking using a food scale and I am so loving it.  Using it today, set to grams, I was reminded of my grandmother's old green scale that she used with her baking.  I truly think it makes a difference. 

Ready for the oven

What pleased me the most was how this kugelhopf simply fell out of the pan after baking.  That would tell me that the pan had been used many times and was well seasoned.  Now my imagination will go wild as I think about who, when and where.  I love mysteries.

The next time, I will reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and watch it carefully to see if it is baking correctly.  Ovens vary a lot and I have found that most baking recipe are simply a guide and you need to check frequently to see what is working for you.

Okay, I am totally pleased.  This kugelhopf turned out perfect!!  It is soft, fluffy and cake-like and I know our B&B hostess had these frozen for her breakfasts, so I am quite sure they will freeze easily.  The Trout said he thought a touch of orange zest would be nice and I did read some recipes that had this added ingredient.  I will definitely make this again even though, from start to finish, it was a 6 hour production.  To all my Alsatian friends and family, this treat is for you.  I wish I could share with everyone. 

Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbet

I had some strawberries and buttermilk in the refrigerator that I wanted to get rid of before some travel time.  What should I find, but a perfect recipe that got rid of both in a very pleasant and easy way.

I found this recipe in a May 2008 issue of Southern Living.  Very simple, and very, very good.  Since you are not using heavy cream, you can really enjoy this treat.  Only 4 ingredients.  That's good.  I can imagine do this with a lot of different fruit. 

Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbet
from Southern Living, May 2008 issue

2 cups fresh strawberries or one 16 oz. package of frozen berries, thawed
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Process strawberries in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Pour strawberry puree through a fine wish mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon.  Discard solids.  Add buttermilk, sugar and vanilla to the puree.  Stir until well blended.  Cover and chill 1 hour.

Pour strawberry mixture into an electric ice cream make and freeze according to directions.  Mine took about 25 minutes.  Remove from ice cream freezer and put in a container in the freezer for several hours until ready to scoop.

Simple Spicy Asparagus in a Wok

It seems the Trout is always searching the Internet for new recipes.  This week he pulled a recipe off the New York Times which sounded really good.  Then we found perfect asparagus this week and we knew this would be on the menu.

So at this time, I also need to talk about the love/hate relationship of cilantro.  I almost find this situation amusing.  My big question is, "how can you hate the taste of cilantro?"  Here we are...the two of us.  One with Czech and Norwegian taste buds and the other with German infiltrated through every muscle.  Thinking back, we are not really sure the first time we tasted cilantro.  It had to be in the last 14 years or so since we retired and have ventured off the due course of eating into total experimentation and indulgence.  We both love cilantro!  In fact, we now grow it in our herb garden.  It is such a clean, fresh taste and goes perfectly with Thai and Oriental cooking which we do a lot of.  Soapy?  I don't think so.  In fact, each time I eat it, I try to imagine a soapy flavor and it just does not come through.

So, if you do not like cilantro, I am sorry.  You will not like this recipe.  It is absolutely necessary and makes the recipe POP with excitement.

Simple Spicy Asparagus in a Wok
  from the New York Times

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, medium or pencil-size
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 small dried red peppers  (we omitted this)
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon Chinese chili paste
1 teaspoon grated garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest (don't omit this...it is great)
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
3 green onions, slivered
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Snap off ends of asparagus and then cut into 2 inch pieces

Set wok over high heat and add vegetable oil.  Add dried peppers and let sizzle and then add asparagus, tossing well to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir-fry for a minute or so, then add chili paste, garlic, ginger, orange zest and jalapeno.  Continue cooking over high heat for a minute or so, until asparagus is cooked but still firm and bright green.

Mound asparagus on a serving platter and drizzle with sesame oil.  Sprinkle cilantro, green onions and sesame seeds over top.  We served this with a grilled chicken breast that was marinated in sweet chili sauce. 

Around the yard

I am always happy when the magnolias start blooming.  We have a very large tree in our front yard, and when in full bloom, it smells simply delicious. 

This morning on our walk, we also smelled our neighbors gardenias and jasmine blooming.  So many of our northern friends are so far from smelling anything right now, I thought I would share to let them know that spring will arrive...sometime soon. 

I also found this photos on the camera taken about one month ago.  Our beautiful family of sandhill cranes often visit in the backyard.  The babies now are the size of the parents and it has been fun watching them learn from the parents such habits as preening and even flight lessons.  We have a family every year and they are very tame.  Golfers need to quite often wait for them to move before they can continue.

The Forbidden Rice

We made a quick trip to our favorite oriental market this morning, and as always, Gigi was there to help us and answer questions.  We needed a Daikon radish for tomorrow night's dinner and some bean sprouts for a stir fry tonight.  But, I love checking out "other things" while I am there.

I came across a bag of Black Rice and remembered immediately it is also called Forbidden Rice.  Gigi told me that I needed to add more water and cook longer than regular rice.  I started immediately after we got home.

I took 2 cups of black rice and 2 3/4 cups of water, 1 tsp. salt and brought it to a boil.  I let it simmer for about 30 minutes.  The longer it simmered, the more purple it became.  A beautiful, royal purple color.  It was perfect; a little chewy, nutty flavored and delicious.  I will use some of it for our stir fry tonight, and the rest will go into a salad.  I like the flavor and texture of this rice, much more than brown rice. 

I am thinking soy sauce, sesame oil, cilantro, perhaps diced, roasted sweet potatoes, lime juice or maybe diced mangoes.  The ideas are endless.  I am thinking the rice could be substituted for black beans in salad, etc.  And here is the best news.....

In ancient China, only Emperors and the royal family were allowed to eat the black rice.  This is the where the name "Forbidden Rice" came from.  And now, in modern times, natural healing power and goodness of black rice is well noted.  Black rice is loaded with antioxidants, vitamin E, fiber and valuable anti-inflammatory properties.  Black rice has more antioxidants than 1 serving of blueberries.  It is also rich in iron. 

I also bought something else while at this little market.  Tumeric.  I saw some of the rhizomes in the refrigerator case, but Gigi talked me into the tumeric powder and told me to put a very small amount in a glass of water each day, but to drink with a straw because my mouth and tongue will remain bright yellow for a long time.  Tumeric is very helpful for arthritis.  I will let you know if I gain some more knowledge about the tumeric. 

Kiwi and Strawberry Cocktails

It seemed like a perfect afternoon to do some experimenting.  I bought a fairly large stock of kiwi fruit this last week.  The price was right, but at the moment, I was not sure what I was going to do with it.  So I started researching (my favorite thing to do ) and came up for a recipe for Kiwi Capiroska.  It seems that this is a drink from Brazil.  By the way, all of you who are into Pinterest, know that by simply typing Kiwi into the subject line, you come up with millions of suggestions.  I feel this is the very best cookbook ever.  I love Pinterest!!!

So we started experimenting in the kitchen and, I think, came up with a winner.  It seems the favored name for this drink is Kiwi Capiroska.  So, with a little tweeking here and there, we came up with this!

Kiwi Capiroska
 Inspired by "Spoon Fork Bacon"

Drinks for 2

Peel and dice one kiwi

Take two drink glasses and fill each with 1/2 of the kiwi, 2 mint leaves, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 of a lime, juiced.

Muddle together the contents of the the glasses until fully combined.

Fill each glass with ice and top off with 1/3 cup vodka and 1/3 cup tonic water.

Stir and finish each with a garnish of kiwi, mint leaves and serve.

Okay, this was delightful!!  But, now I started a little more research and the word "strawberries" came to light.  Since this is still the fantastic strawberry season in Florida, and since I had some fresh strawberries in the refrigerator, we just had to try one more drink!!

So, instead of the kiwi, we diced strawberries and used them instead.  It was, again, a delightful cocktail, but we both agreed that instead of tonic water with the strawberries, perhaps simple club soda would taste just a bit better.

Don't you agree, that each drink looks perfectly refreshing, and it was!!

Pomme Gratin, or a favorite potato

Surprisingly, I have not shared one of my favorite potato recipes on my blog.  Always watching the carbs, we do not eat potatoes very often.  But when we do, it has to be something other than a plain old baked potato.  I am going to make it a really good, worthwhile potato.

Traveling in France, as we love to do, we have often run into a Pomme Gratin that has knocked our socks off.  Love, love, love the flavors of really good cheese, cream and potatoes together.  It is not the scalloped potatoes you grew up with as a child in the 50's.  There was definitely an American twist to that with cheddar and flour for thickening.  No, no, not necessary.

In 2003, we found a recipe we have followed since then.  It was on the Food Network and the recipe was courtesy Tyler Florence.  Right there you know we are in the right ballpark.

This recipe goes together simply, can be prepared ahead of the main course of your meal, and no one will turn up their noses.  I now see that Dorie Greenspan has an almost identical recipe in her cookbook "Around my French Table."  

Pomme Gratin or Potato Gratin
 recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

1 1/2 cups heavy cream (Okay, use your own judgement.  You can use half n' half if you wish, but come on, do you really want to do that?)
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Butter
2 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (I used my favorite Yukon Gold potatoes and sent them through my food processor.   I used about 1 1/4 pounds of potatoes.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (Oh no...not I.  I used 1/2 cup of grated Gruyere)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg.

While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish.  Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper.  Remove the cream from the heat, pour a little over the potatoes.  Top with some grated cheese.  Make 2 more layers.  Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes.

This potato dish will brown beautifully without broiling the top.  I do love Parmesan and we always have a large wedge in the refrigerator for grating onto salads, slicing for a side to a glass of red wine, but the Gruyere is just so much better in this dish. 

These potatoes go great with ham, roast beef or with lamb chops as I prepared them.  The recipe says it is for 4-6 people.  Sorry, I cannot claim that, because we do love them that much.

Tuna Casserole Over the Top

I did not grow up in a family where casseroles were served for family dinners.  My mother was a cook in a restaurant, and a casserole was something she just did not make.  So, after I married, I followed that tradition almost exclusively.  I do recall once in a while, that I would make the typical Tuna Casserole with noodles, tuna, canned peas and the dreaded Cream of Mushroom Soup.  I suppose I topped it with crushed potato chips.  You have to think 1970's here.  I really don't remember if our daughters would eat it or not.  I am guessing no, because they never did get into enjoying eating fish like we do.  I just did not make it that often.  In other words, it just did not appeal to anyone that much. 

So, when this week I saw my friend, Eileen who writes the blog Living Tastefully-Passions to Pastry, had a tuna casserole recipe that she found from another blog, it just sounded delicious.  Eileen grew up in the small villages where I did in the Amana Colonies in Iowa.  I did not know her as well as her older sister (Eileen is a lot younger than me), but I find her blog and her expertise in the kitchen amazing.  In fact, when Eileen said she made this tuna casserole twice in one week, I knew I had to try it.

In fact, I have been reading a lot on blogs recently about getting rid of the old Cream of Mushroom Soup and making your own mushroom sauce.  Yes, it was a little putzing in the kitchen to get this all together, but I find it was so worth it.  If the Trout had been home earlier, he could have done all the chopping for me which always helps tremendously.

I have to say, even though I changed a few things because of what I had on hand, this casserole tasted perfect.

I will definitely keep this recipe handy and would even serve this to company.  It was that good!!!

So, coming from someone who does not make casseroles, I would say this is quite an endorsement.

The recipe follows.

Grown-Up Tuna Noodle Casserole

Serve 8

Butter to grease 2 1/2 to 3 quart casserole (I used a 9 x 13 pan)
12 ounces pasta (whatever you like) ( I used penne which I had on hand)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
1/3 cup minced shallots
4 gloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 1% plus heavy cream to get the right amount)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons capers, drained
2-5 ounce cans chunk light tuna, drained (I used two 7 ounce cans from Costco)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup thinly sliced kale or spinach (I used spinach)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (I used 2 heavy teaspoons of thyme out of my garden)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
I heavy grind of fresh pepper corns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter the casserole dish and set aside.

Cook the pasta until al dente in a large pot of boiling water.  Drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook for about 5 minutes or until shallots are translucent and mushrooms are beginning to soften.  Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.  Slowly pour in the wine, lower the heat and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

Add the flour to the pan and stir well to ensure all the mushrooms are coated.  Increase the heat to high and slowly pour in the milk, bringing the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the milk begins to thicken and starts to look more like a sauce.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, capers, tuna, sour cream, kale or spinach, thyme, salt and pepper.  Pour the creamy mushroom sauce into the bowl and stir to coat all ingredients.  Transfer to prepared casserole and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter.  Sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and cook until fragrant and slightly toasty.  Sprinkle the crispy breadcrumbs over the top of the casserole and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is lightly brown.  Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped parsley on top.  Serve.  Cover and refrigerate the leftovers for up to 3 days.  The casserole also freezes beautifully. 

Cream Scones

When Kate at Framed Cooks shared her mother's recipe for "The Best Cream Scones in the World", I knew I had to try them.  And yes, they are simple and very, very good.  Unlike other scone recipes I have tried, these have eggs and less cream in them.  Delicious!

I made two batches.  One with cinnamon chips and one with Craisins.  I shared some with the neighbors and the rest are going with us as we head to Kissimmee this evening to have dinner with friends from Wisconsin.

The Best Cream Scones in the World
by Kate, from Framed Cooks

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup cold butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup currants, raisins or other dried fruit

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in butter until well-combined.

Mix together cream, vanilla and eggs.  Take 2 tablespoons out of this mixture and set aside.

Add liquid mixture to dry mixture, add currants and mix lightly as possible until just combined.

Pat dough into a 12 inch circle and cut into 12 wedges.  Arrange them on the cookie sheet, tucking the pointed ends underneath.

Brush the tops with the reserved cream mixture and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown.  Cool on a rack.

The very best Corned Beef ever

Those of you who have been blogging as long as I have, know only too well the friendships that develop with other bloggers.  Sometimes you are fortunate to actually meet a blogger and sometimes you just get to know each other through our mutual writings.  Often I am asked why I blog by people who do not read blogs.  I give a simple explanation, but they just don't get it.  You have to be part of this community to understand the camaraderie that develops through writing and sharing ideas and recipes.

One blogger I  befriended some time ago is Ann, who writes Thibeault's Table.  Ann lives in British Columbia, writes a blog and still works full time.  Everyone of her recipes that I have tried have proved to be perfect.  She also always takes the time to answer questions about her baking or recipes.

So when Ann posted that she roasted/baked her corned beef and would never prepare it any other way again, I knew I had to try it.  Yes, once again, Ann was right on.

I had a 3 pound corned beef with an envelope of pickling spices enclosed in the packing.  I rinsed the corned beef and placed it on heavy duty tinfoil.  I sprinkled the pickling spices on top and lots of freshly ground pepper (per Ann's suggestion).  I wrapped it tightly and then placed this package on top of another sheet of tinfoil.  Again, I wrapped it tightly and for a third time, placed it on a sheet of tinfoil.  I sealed it tightly, placed the package in a roasting pain, set the oven to 250 degrees F and started my timer.  Ann suggested 6 hours of slow roasting.

As typical, I got a little anxious and opted for 5 hours.  Certainly, the corned beef tasted beautiful, but another hour would certainly enhance the quality of this beef.  Glazing was not necessary, because the flavor was perfect.   I also roasted some carrots and rutabagas alongside in another roaster and boiled some cabbage on the stove top.   This meal was perfect.  I am planning to picking up at least one more Corned beef and will prepare this again soon.  And yes, this time I am going for the 6 hour slow roast.  The meat was tender, but firm, not much shrinkage as usual and now I can hardly wait to enjoy Reubens with the remainder.

Thank you, Ann.  And in case I have not told you before, I would eat in your kitchen any day.

Der Stammtisch

Last fall when we were in France, we were waiting to catch a bus in a small village near Nice.  We had some time to kill, so nearby we saw a German Bierstube.  A good German beer sounded perfect.  We sat outside and I looked into the bar through a window.  I was immediately attracted to something on one of the tables.  Not wanting to look foolish with my camera, but still wanting a photo, I took a picture through the window.

This is a typical German Gasthaus or Bierstube adornment.  It is a metal stand which holds an ashtray and it has a bell.  On one side of a metal plaque it written "Stammtisch" and on the other side is "Reserviert."  It sits on a special table that is reserved for the regulars who come to the bar.  Found mostly in Bavaria, this is  very typical Old World German.  Historically, a sign such as this meant socializing, card playing and often political or philosophical discussions.

The second half of the 19th century, a Stammtisch consisted of local dignitaries such as the mayor, doctor, pharmacist, teacher or wealthy farmers.  Inviting a stranger to take a seat was indeed an appreciated invitation.

Needless to say, the Stammtisch has been in my mind for quite some time now.  Just by chance, I decided to check eBay to see if I could find one.  And, there it was!!!  A real Stammtisch from Germany.  We won the bid and by chatting with the owner, found out that it had been purchased in Germany some years before.  Perfect.  I was so excited.  Today it arrived.

So, I am inviting you all to be guests at my Stammtisch.  I know I will enjoy the novelty of this, especially after having lived in Germany for a year and enjoying all the history and culture this wonderful country gave to us.  

Braised Beef Shanks and Barley Risotto

It was a couple of weeks ago when we viewed a PBS cooking show.  They featured braised lamb shanks with a barley risotto.  Looked delicious.  Copied the recipes and put them aside knowing we would get to them shortly.

Saturday night was the night.  We made a few changes though.  Instead of lamb shanks, which we love, we found fantastic beef shanks at Whole Foods and substituted.  This show went back to when Julia Child had Chef Joachim Splichal cook in her kitchen.  Honestly, I do not think substituting the beef for the lamb was in error.  The smell of this fantastic sauce braising the meat was outstanding.  But the topper of the whole meal was the barley risotto.  Barley was a brave substitute, but I sincerely loved it.    You will find that the barley tends to remain chewy.   Though it does get tender as rice would,  you need to be prepared for the chewy texture which I thought was wonderful.

Braised Beef Shanks with adjustments per Schnitzel's Kitchen

2-3 large beef shanks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For flavoring the braise:

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium leek trimmed, quartered and washed, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 large shallot, peeled
4 large cloves garlic, shopped
unsalted butter

6 ripe plum tomatoes, unpeeled, halved and quartered
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 springs fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and pepper the shanks, dredge in flour, pat off excess.  Set Dutch oven over moderately high heat.  When hot, swirl in enough butter to film bottom of pan.  As butter foam subsides, lay in shanks and saute, turning often with tongs until all pieces are browned on all sides.  Remove from heat and set shanks on side dish.  Leave a film of fat in the pot to cook vegetables.  Return to burner over moderate heat.  Stir in onion, leek, carrots, celery, shallot and garlic into pot.  Add more butter if necessary.  Saute, stirring frequently for several minutes until lightly browned.  Stir in tomatoes.  Raise heat to moderately high, add thyme and bay leaf and cook 4 more minutes, stirring frequently until vegetables are softened and tomatoes render juices.  Return shanks to pot.  Pour on stock and wine.  Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, then cover and set in preheated 350 degree oven.  Shanks are done when meat is tender if pierced with a fork and can be pulled cleanly away from the bone.  This will take approximately 2 hours.

Remove the shanks to a side dish, covering with foil to keep warm.  I just acquired an immersion blender, so this was the first time using it.  It reduced the chunky vegetables beautifully and thickened the sauce nicely.  Then set this braising liquid/sauce over high heat and reduce by half.  I had no fat to discard off the top.  Lamb would probably by a lot fattier.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Just before serving,m swirl butter in the sauce and return to shanks to the sauce to cover.

Creamy Barley Risotto

4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 cup pearled barley (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus more for serving
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring chicken stock to a simmer over moderately high heat.  Reduce to low and keep warm.

In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion and thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes.  Add the barley and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook, stirring, until nearly absorbed.  Continue adding the stock 1/3 cup at a time and stirring until it is nearly absorbed between additions.

The risotto is done when the barley is al dente and suspended in a thick, creamy sauce, about 35 minutes.  Stir in the 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano and the butter and season with the sale and pepper.  Serve at once, passing more cheese at the table.

The barley will be much chewier than rice in this risotto, but I loved the earthy taste and thought that next time I would add some rehydrated wild mushrooms to add more earthiness to the flavor.  I will definitely make this again.  It was perfect with the beef shanks and sauce.

In 2003, we were in Italy, Tuscany, and stopped at the Felsina winery.  It was a delightful old winery which produces Chianti Classico wines and olive oil.  It's been a favorite of ours since that tasting way back then.  It just seems that the Chianti Classico's made from the Sangiovese grape are made specifically for wonderful Italian dishes.  This 2006 bottling, which is rated 90 by Wine Spectator,  is described as having "lavender and blackberry aromas followed through to a medium to full body with a solid core of fruit and a tangy aftertaste of citrus fruit and dried cherry."

Do you see The Trout's wine glass?  We love the large, long stemmed glasses, but while sipping and cooking in the kitchen, we have broken several.  We just recently ordered one for each of us, with our names and a cluster of grapes engraved on them, and are so pleased with the quality of these glasses.  I would recommend this business.  If interested in seeing what they offer, go to Tom's Glass Works.  

Celery growing big and strong

On January 25, I posted a picture on Facebook.  I had taken a stalk of celery and cut the root end, placed it in a bowl of water on my kitchen counter. 

I have had people ask me how my cute little celery is doing.  So, I took a picture this week after I had planted it in the garden outside for several weeks.

I am certainly not planning on making stuffed celery for any vegetable tray soon, but this has been fun and I do plan on using the leaves in some soup this weekend. 

I just made sure that the root bottom was submerged in a small amount of water and kept replenishing it. 

I am also pleased to report that my Meyer lemon tree that was planted 2 years ago, is really loaded with blossoms right now.  In November, I harvested 13 lemons.  Then in January, I saw blossoms starting.  Many blossoms are lost to either wind or chance, but I do think we will have more lemons than last year.

Stenciling the time away

I have been absent from blogging for a couple of weeks.  A new year, the Trout and I both had birthdays, and we have made a commitment to losing some weight.  So, not much excitement in the kitchen, but I feel we have been eating well.  The scale has also been kind to us.  Lots and lots of vegetables, mostly roasted, smaller portions of meats and fish, and not even one bite of birthday cake.  May I say, I did kind of miss that..sigh.

Also, I have been doing more reading.  I am actually re-reading The Clan of the Cave Bear series after I realized that I had missed the last two books.  I love these books, especially after we have been in France, in the areas described in the books.  The painted caves in the Dordogne are where most of the books are located.

I also have been stenciling and sewing some pillows.  I love these stencils that I got from Maison de Stencils.  I ordered two and they sent another one as a gift in their package.  Earlier I stenciled a Lazy Susan which I am really enjoying.   My future plan would be to find an old chair, sort of French looking, paint it and then reupholster the back and seat with a stencil.  Sometime in the future, I will find that chair.

Fish in Scallion and Ginger Sauce

We have been trying to "clean up our diet" this last week, and with good results.  It is not that difficult once you set your mind to it.  Tonight we had a fish dish that we first ate in 2004 when we went on the South Beach Diet.  We loved it then and still love it.  Tonight it was exceptional and did I say, "easy"?

This  fish was easy to prepare and absolutely delicious.  Tonight we selected Turbot which we have never had before.  It is similar to Flounder, a fish without scales.  This is not the last time we will buy Turbot.   Along side, I sauteed a sliced onion, sliced peppers and a fennel bulb with garlic.  I have always loved the slight licorice flavor of fennel.  It is a must try.  I sauteed them in olive oil just a little, leaving them with quite a bit of crunch.

This recipe for the fish actually was out of The South Beach Diet cookbook.  I doubt it will disappoint.

Fish in Scallion and Ginger Sauce

1/3 cup dry sherry or vermouth
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
About 1 pound of fish fillets  (orange roughy, cod, sole or flounder)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Mix the sherry or vermouth, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion,  ginger and garlic in a small bowl.

Place the fish fillets in an ovenproof casserole dish.  Drizzle the marinade over the fish and bake for 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

Serves 2

Yes, that is all there is to it.  It will make you a fish lover all over again.

Roasted Broccoli

I grew up loving broccoli and cauliflower, because my mom would always pour this beautiful, thick creamy cheese sauce over it.  Oh my; the memories.  Years ago, I would make it that way also and I even remember my girls loving it.

Let quite a few years pass, and I know that I just can't allow myself to make and eat that cheese sauce anymore.  So, I have really avoided serving both broccoli and cauliflower at the dinner table.  I know that is bad, because the cruciferous vegetables are so good for you.

For several weeks I have been searching for something else to do with broccoli.  Some recipes looked more complicated than necessary and quite a few had too many ingredients.  So I decided to put a couple of ideas together and tried them out tonight.

We enjoyed our broccoli so much, I think I will make this again within the next week.  I am also going to try this with cauliflower.  I'm thinking asparagus would be nice also, but we really do prefer to grill our asparagus. 

I hope you broccoli avoiders with try this technique and enjoy it as much as we did.  Just improvise.  I don't think you can go wrong.

Roasted Broccoli from Schnitzel's Kitchen

Cut broccoli heads into crowns and cut the stems into strips
About 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
a large pinch or shake of crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with tinfoil.

In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with about 3 tablespoons olive oil until the broccoli is well-coated.
Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the broccoli to the baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.  It is not necessary to spread the broccoli out too much.  It will shrink (so don't be shy about using a lot of the green stuff for this dish.)

Stir together the remaining olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  Drizzle over the broccoli and stir to coat after the first 15 minutes of roasting.

At this point, you will be tasting it.  Roast for another 5-8 minutes, until the broccoli is beginning to brown.

Yup, that easy and very good.

Dinner at REED in Paris

The restaurant REED, in Paris,  became known to me through my blogger friend, Penny, at Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen.  I emailed the owner of REED, Catherine, asking for reservations.  We were arriving from Provence by train at approximately 3:30 p.m.  Catherine sent me our reservation confirmation for 7 p.m. that evening.  She asked if I would like to attend her cooking class that afternoon, but unfortunately the timing would not work for us, but we were anxious for our meal at her restaurant.

Since we were renting a studio on Rue Rivoli, we took the Metro to the restaurant at Rue Amélie.  This street runs parallel to Rue Cler which is always bustling, with shops, markets, restaurants and people. 

Catherine greeted us graciously and we just needed to mention that Penny had taken a cooking class from her, and we were immediately welcomed as family.  She jokingly mentioned that it turned out to be "English" night as all her guests seemed to be from the States.

Chatting to each other between the closely situated tables only reinforced the talk.

What to order....always difficult when you want to experience it all.  I opted for fresh pea soup with mint as my first course.  Certainly a very good choice as it was absolutely delicious.

The Trout had a terrine centered with foie gras.  Again, a very good choice.

My main coarse was osso buco which was perfectly done and very flavorful.  She reminded me to eat the marrow which I did and enjoyed.

The Trout had beef cheek daube which was very tasty, extremely tender and beef cheeks is something you do not find in the USA.  Both dishes excellent choices.

And yes, we were much too full for the desserts she offered.  We had indulged in her beautiful hard rolls a little too much.  There was also a nice bottle of red wine, very fairly priced for a restaurant.

Catherine's cooking at REED would be described as slow French country cooking.  Definitely worth a visit while in Paris.  The atmosphere itself is very inviting.  Her kitchen is open to the dining room, beautifully organized and yes, I wish I could have taken a class from her.  Perhaps next trip.