A BIRTHDAY DINNER

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, we all make something that is a complete and rousing success, and it isn't often that I make a sumptuous meal at someone else's home, but I do for very special people. One such person's birthday was in early December, but because I had performances and the holidays (you all know what that's all about), we had to postpone until very recently and last Friday night was it! It was also a way for me to make a debut performance in the newly upgraded kitchen with more equipment than even I have! Someone at dinner mentioned that eating chez lui was almost better than eating in a fancy restaurant only because you know precisely what you're eating and precisely who has touched the food and what's been put into it (I find all restaurant food extremely salty and don't know HOW some people can eat in restaurants every day). That does not mean that we didn't walk away from the table feeling somewhat bilious (don't you love that word?) after all the rich food. And rich it was!

POTS AND MORE POTS

LE CREUSET GALORE

We started with Oysters Rockefeller (see my very first blog entry - September 11, 2012).

OYSTEERS ROCKEFELLER

and then moved on to the main course:

Grilled Veal Chops
Sweet and White Potatoes au Gratin
Roasted Acorn Squash

GRILLED VEAL CHOPS

POMMES DAUPHINOISE

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH

and finally, an Omelet Soufflé with Apples Flambé

OMELET SOUFFLÉ

All of it served with the most delicious Prosecco I've ever tasted!

So, Happy Birthday and Buon Appetito!

You'll note that I've changed the motif. It was inspired by the frigid temps we are now experiencing here in New York. Winter has arrived (very late indeed) and all we need now is our own sort of  Mont Blanc or Everest to keep us home baking cookies!

Grilled Veal Chops

Serves Two

Marinate 2 veal chops (3 fingers wide) in a mixture of olive oil, 2 minced cloves of garlic, several sprigs of fresh rosemary and ground black pepper. Place in a zip lock back with the chops and let marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.

Meanwhile, make a herbed salt mixture with:

6 tablespoons kosher salt

Grated rind of one lemon

One large sprig fresh rosemary (needles removed from bark)

4 leaves fresh sage

12 pepper corns

2 large cloves garlic

Place half the salt and all other ingredients in a food processor and process until all ingredients resemble a form of pesto without any oil. Remove from food processor canister and place in a bowl. Add the remaining salt and rub both sides of the veal chop with the salt mixture. Let sit for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to grill, heat the pan until it is very hot. (Sprinkle some water on it; if it sizzles, it's ready.) Grill on each side for 4 minutes and then grill the side with the strip of fat standing on its side. (I grill all sides to get a good sear to the meat.) When the chops are done, let rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Roasted Acorn Squash

Take two Squash and cut in half. Remove all seeds and cut the bottoms slightly to allow the squash to sit upright without leaning. Sprinkle the cavities with some salt, place 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1-1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, two turns of a black pepper mill, and a dash of nutmeg in each cavity. Place on a foil lined roasting pan or a ceramic dish and bake for at least one hour in a 400º oven. The squash should be a deep amber color  when baked. Before serving, cut the squash into quarters and serve.

Pommes Dauphinoise with White and Sweet Potatoes

2 cloves of smashed garlic

2 large white potatoes

1 medium sweet potatoes

Unsalted butter

1 pint heavy cream

Salt and Pepper

In an oval au gratin dish, rub the smashed garlic all over the dish. Grease the pan with some softened butter.

Peel the potatoes and slice with a mandoline on the thinnest setting possible. Start with a layer of white potatoes and line the entire bottom of the dish. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the potatoes and dot with some butter. Do the same with the sweet potato (there should be enough for one layer) and then again with the white potato. Pour the entire pint of cream over the potatoes and place on a foil lined roasting pan and back in a 400º oven for about 50-60 minutes. The cream should be very thick and bubbling and look like cheese (the cream does indeed turn to cheese when it reaches an internal temperature of 375º). Allow to cool somewhat and serve.

Omelet Soufflé with Apples Flambé

This recipe comes from Paula Wolfert in her cookbook on the cuisine of Southwest France. She is always a trusty source for something delicious.

2 eggs

butter

1/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

confectioners sugar

3 apples

Rum or Brandy

2 tbl. raspberry jelly (seedless)

I had some homemade raspberry jelly in the fridge so decided to use that instead of the fresh berries that were called for in the original recipe. I didn't have berries in the house so I used apples instead but added the jelly with the booze.

Prepare the apples by peeling, coring and cutting into fine slices. Melt some butter in a pan, add 1/2 of the sugar and the apples and sauté until the apples become very soft and take on a dark color. Add the jelly to heat and then flambé the mixture and let the liquor burn off. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425º F.

Separate the eggs and place each part in separate bowls. Beat the egg yolks with half the amount of sugar and the salt until they take on a very pale color. If whisking by hand, this should take about 5 minutes. After that, beat the whites with a whisk until soft peaks are formed. Place 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the egg yolks and mix thoroughly, then fold in the rest of the egg whites.

In an oval pan or a good omelet pan with deep sides (preferably copper) melt some butter until the butter bubbles and starts to turn a golden color. Add the egg mixture and fry like an omelet allowing the egg to form a crust on the bottom and sides, but without browning the bottom (about 2 minutes, possibly less). Add the apple mixture directly in the center of the omelet and place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the omelet has puffed and turned a golden brown on top.

When omelet is finished, remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately with a double espresso!