Have you heard of the TurBaconEpic?

Here's a holiday meal idea that makes the TurDucken look like light finger food...

The Most Unhealthy Meal Ever!

I think the secret is in the bacon grease.

Wine Notes from France

On my latest trip to France,  I enjoyed 2 wonderful wines, and here are my notes:                 

                 

  Name: Chapitre

  Region: Côtes du Rhône AOC

  Type:  Red

  Alcohol: 13,5%

  Grape Variety: Grenache and Syrah

  Vintage: 2006

Tasting Notes:

     Nose:  Church candles were the first thought that came to mind, followed by the soft sensation of pepper

     Mouth:  soft entry, slight mineral, light in mouth, medium finish

     Visual: medium dark heart, tinges of crimson orange around the edges denotes the aging

     Conclusion: drink now!  I don't think it will hold much longer - but it is a typical Côtes du Rhône

   Wine:  Saveur Gascogne

   Vintage: 2009

   Alcohol: 12%Vol

   Grape Variety: 100% Gros Manseng

   Wine type:  Moelleux (very sweet white)

 

 

 

 

 

Tasting Notes:

     Nose: aromas of sweet ripened fruit, spring flowers

     Mouth: like sweet peppered vanilla & litchis

     Visual: Golden yellow - very yellow

     Conclusion:  These wines pair excellently with Foie Gras & desserts...  or chilled, just on its own, on a hot summer day

 

Change is never easy... but sometimes, it's what you need!

Today was a big day for me.  Today, I did what I came to France to do - I handed in my one-month notice and resignation.

I must admit that I have dreamed of this moment for months, and my creativity for saying "Goodbye" to my employer amplified when I got my acceptance to Le Cordon Bleu.  I thought of a hundred different ways I could quit in an unforgettable manner... my mind buzzing with excitement as the day grew nearer. 

As my boss walked-in to my office, this afternoon, I excused myself from the meeting I was in to speak to him.  His time is precious and if he awards you 5 minutes, you must "grab the bull by the horns and run with it" - in a week, the opportunity to see him may not come twice.

As we walked down the long narrow hallway that connects my office to his on the north wing of the building, my excitement translated itself into nervousness and self-doubt and with every step I took, my heart's pounding got stronger until it felt like it was going to rip out of my chest.  "Am I doing the right thing?  I have a great job that I get to do from home, and I make a decent salary at it.  Do I really want to go back to student life and the uncertainty of a career in this economically-challenged time?"  There was no turning back.  My boss knew I had something important to say to him.  It was this or create a marketing-related disaster.

My boss took the news well - and invited himself over to my house in Madrid, for dinner, post-graduation ;)  He is, what they call in France, a "bon vivant".  He deeply appreciates the finer things in life and good food is first on that list. 

Immediately after my big news was out, I became serene.  All I could think of was of lighting a cigarette - the only problem being that I Don't Smoke!  But at that moment, scenes from movies from the 80's where couples layed in bed sharing a smoke after a supposedly intense moment of pleasure, infected my head.  I felt a similar kind of post-pleasure satisfaction.

I became desperate to share my excitement with someone, but am not allowed to share the news with anyone I work with, just yet...  so I found someone on Skype to chat to, and called my husband on his mobile.

My friend Conor, a IESE professor, motivational speaker & writer (and my personal guru), has been a great inspiration these last few months - he published "Killing the cow", today, giving me that last boost of determination I was missing. 

     - Thanks Conor.  It is exactly what people need to do more often.  A feast-like dinner awaits you in Madrid to thank you for your constant inspiration, words of wisdom and challenging questions.

My husband had the best news for me - congratulatory words of amazement and pride for my courage and decidedness in changing my life... and a gift to celebrate - a new "old" car.  Yup!  My very own car all to myself - and in my favourite colour (blue).  My husband is my greatest fan (and I, his) and none of this would be possible without his support, encouragement and appetite.  The pleasure I get from watching him eat what I prepare is all the "wow" and praise I need to feel like I'm following the right path.

      - I love you, Andrew.  You are EVERYTHING to me.

After work, all I could think of was about how I would celebrate this special day.

Wine & Food came to mind.
;)

Tuesday night's Menu

Tuesday night in the French countryside

Tuesday Night's Menu

Beef Carpaccio

Served drizzled with basil scented olive oil and sprinkled with rock salt, pepper and minced chives and topped with spicy confied tomatoes, 

It looked so good, I forgot to take a picture... and it tasted even better!

Wafer thin slices of raw meat don't naturally have a lot of flavour but the combination of spice and herbs that this carpaccio was served with turned this very light entrée into a mouthful of flavour.

Grilled Sea Bass with star anise, served with diced veggies and an anise & chive sauce.

The fish is cooked to perfection - light, tender and full of flavour (a slight hint of anise dresses up the fleshy white fish).  After giving the fish a tast, i wuickly scoop out the cheeks - the most tender piece of any meat.  Considering its size, a juicy cheek is the sign of a fish that is cooked to perfection.  So, I quickly proceed to the task of de-boning my fish.

I like to get the "work part" of my meal out of the way right away so that I can truly enjoy and savour my dish without any interruptions.  My husband laughs at my "delayed gratification" approach to eating - he usually shells, de-bones and peels as he goes along, but, in the end, when he's done his meal and I've saved the best bit for last... he's usually begging me to share.

Tonight, I prepare my fish, the mix fish, veggies and sauce all together - the best way to ensure I enjoy the 3 parts of my dish all at once - and the result is a brilliant combination.

Armagnac and prune Parfait

Armagnac and prunes are a common local flavouring for sweet and savoury dishes (I like to use this combination on fresh, pan-seared foie gras).  This parfait was quite lite and a nice, sweet finish to my meal.

Wine - I finished the bottle I bought yesterday.

The Southern France less travelled

Every month, I come to France on business. No not to Paris nor the French Riviera... I come to the less marketed "Gers", a small department between the better known Bordeaux region and the city of Toulouse.

The Gers is a beautiful part of France - chateaux, hunting lodges and religious buildings were built on the rolling green hills, and golden fields of sunflowers and Canola plants fill the Gascony landscape with lots to look at. Most tourists never visit this part of France and it is, in my opinion, such a shame. 

The Gers has everything you could ask for as a holiday destination.  Mild winter weather and hot summer days grace the Gers - also known for having more sun hours in a year then any other department of France.  The Gers offers spectacular views of the Pyrennees and a unique heritage and history dating back to the Romans.  Auch, the biggest town of the Gers (at approx. 25,000 inhabitants) is the birthplace of D'Artagnan - the most infamous of Musketeers.  If you have never heard of Gascony (Gers in French) - not too worry - most haven't... you are probably more familiar with its culinary delights which are quite sought after around the world since the Gers is the world capital of Foie Gras, and the only producer of Armagnac...

When I come to Auch, it is usually for work - but every meal is sacred to all who live here, and like the French, I don't spare any occasion to eat anything but the best of the region.

The next 4 days will be a glimpse of what is enjoyed.

For starters, it should be known that I usually stay at Hotel Bon Plaisir, in Aubiet, but this week, due to overbooking, I was moved to a nearby Bed & Breakfast in Mauvezin... My dinners are still at the Hotel, prepared by David (an excellent chef and owner of the hotel) and served by Christelle (his wife) who is very charming and happy to make your experience as unforgettable as possible. One night, including breakfast and a 3-course dinner runs at around 65€ per couple.

Monday night's Menu

Moules Farcies à la Persillade 

Garlic and parsley are a very typical seasoning for Mediterranean cusisine.  "Persillade", as it is called in Franch goes well with just about anything.  In tonight's entrée, the mussells were bathe in a garlic and parsley butter then sprinkeled iwth breadcrumbs and baked to perfection.  The dish was served with a simple green salad (lettuce only), with a little bit of light olive oil.

 

Grilled salmon on a bed of Broccoli and served with Pesto

I must admit that at first glance, I was a bit skeptical about the combination of these 3 items, but it actually went well together.  The grilled salmon and broccoli shared some common undertones in their flavour.  What surprised me the most was how well this dish paried with the wine I selected, since, thruth be told, I did not select the wine based on the meal, but rather because I Love the sweet nectar produced by this grape - and it cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

If I had to make a single negative comment about this main course, it would be that they did not provide enough broccoli for the size of the fish serving - but then again, I rather have too much fish then too much broccoli.

Pistachio Macaroon served on Rhum custard and fruit
In a word - Fabulous!

I am not a big fan of Macaroons (I usually find them too sweet), but this one was Mmmm, Mmmmm, Delicious!!  The giant pistachio macaroon was served on a Rhum flavoured custard  with slices of Kiwi and Banana.  What made the custard so delicious was its special preparation.  Chef David reduces the egg yolk custard to a very thick paste, then refrigerates over night, and finally, whips it back into shape with egg whites that have been beaten until stiff, just before serving. This gives the custard a very light and airy consistency and removes much of the "eggyness" taste that I find quite common in less "worked" custards.  The "dryness" of the banana and the tangyness of the kiwi was a great idea to balance off the symphony of flavours in my mouth... Enjoying this dessert with a glass of the Saveur Gascogne was like a little bit of Heaven in my mouth.

Wine:  Saveur Gascogne

Vintage: 2009

Alcohol: 12%Vol

Grape Variety: 100% Gros Manseng

Wine type:  Moelleux

In the beautiful region of Gascony, wonderful, mouth-watering delicacies are produced.  Shadowed by the better-known region of Bordeaux, just over the department's border, Gascony receives virtually no marketing or mention outside of France.  "Le Gers" elaborates a small production of Moelleux from its autoctonous grape variety - the Gros Manseng.

The wine produced from this grape is called a Moelleux which means: mellow and smooth in French.  it is a sweet mouthful of viticulor bliss.  It is a great chilled drink to enjoy or a hot summer day, perfect for salads, crustaceans and foie gras... and if you manage to leave any in the bottle, just serve it up again with dessert.  Moelleux is great with sweet, creamy or chocolatey desserts.

Pictures taken with my iPhone 3G

Meal Plan #5

This week, I have to go out of town on business for the week, therefore I had to create a meal plan that can be made ahead... Everything my family will be enjoying from Monday to Friday was prepared on sunday, then refrigerated in a tupperware to be reheated.  Whenever I have a business trip, I make sure that the weekend meals are a little more fun.  It should be noted that the "Thai Night" menu is quite spicy and not appropriate for most kids.

School Snack: Chocolate Banana Muffins
Saturday Dinner - Thai Night!!
     (Appetizer) - Tom Yum Kung (Sour and picy Prawn Soup)
     (Main Course) - Phat Phet Mu (Stir-Fried Pork with Red Curry  Paste)

Sunday Lunch - Swiss lunch
     (Main Course) - Raclette

Sunday Dinner - Quebecois Night
     (Main Course) - Tourtière (Quebec-style Meat pie)

Monday Dinner -
     (Main Course) - Left-over Tourtière

Tuesday Dinner
     (Appetizer) - Tomato Salad
     (Main Course) - Chicken Filets and plain white rice

Wednesday Dinner
     (Main Course) - Carrot Velouté, Baguette, Ham and Cheese

Thursday Dinner
     (Main Course) -  Pasta Carbonara

Friday Dinner
     (Main Course) - Pizza Night!

Saturday Lunch
     (Main Course) - Shopping day = Eating out!

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Every sunday, I make muffins, cookies or other home-made snack for my girls to take to school everyday.  I took this recipe from London's famous Primrose Bakery's book "Cupcakes".  This is probably the most delicious muffin I have EVER tasted!

Preheat oven to 160ºC (convection) or 180ºC regular
Makes 12 regular cupcakes

Ingredients:
125grs Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
250grs Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
250grs Plain Flour, sifted
2 tsps Baking Powder
4 Ripe Bananas, mashed with fork
175grs dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa), broken or chopped into small pieces

Preparation:
Preheat oven and line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer.  Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat again briefly.  Add the flour and baking powder and beat again until well combined.  Stir in the mashed bananas and chocolate pieces using a wooden spoon.

Carfully spoon th emixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thurds full.  Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.  To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes - it should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool.

Note 1: The original recipe suggests icing the cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream icing.  This is a great idea for a party, but I do not ice school snacks (the teachers, I am sure, do not need any child to be on a sugar rush)... 

Note 2: As for the Chocolate - I like to take a bar of dark chocolate and chopping it up with the chopping attachment from my hand blender.  The chocolate comes out in all sorts of different sized chunks meaning that each muffin is completely different from the last. 

Carrot Velouté

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
1kg of Carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large Onion, cut in quarters
2 medium Potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
1 cube of Chicken Stock
Heavy cream
Nutmeg

Preparation:
Boil vegetables in 2 litres of water.  Add Chicken stock.  Once the vegetables are soft, purée with a hand blender.  Serve in bowls, add a dollop of cream to each bowl and add a pinch of nutmeg.  Serve hot.

You can store in fridge or freeze this soup as long as you have not added the cream.  I only add the cream moments before serving and use the cream to draw hearts and stars in each bowl, (and sprinkled with nutmeg) for my girls.

Tourtière

(Quebec Meat Pie)

This is the most typical Québecois dish (not counting any dish served with Maple Syrup).  Tourtière was originally made of "Tourtes" - a local bird that was became extinct in the early 1900's because it was easily caught and made this delicious pie.  Now, "Tourtes" are replaced by a minced meat mixture that is 70% pork and 30% veal.  Comfort food made by Quebecois grannies throughout the last 3 centuries, Tourtière is  a great winter meal on a cold winter day. 

My kids and I love it served up with a generous side of Ketchup.

Preheat oven to 220ºC
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time:  30mins on stove + 30mins in oven

Pie Filling:
500grs of lean ground Pork
250grs of lean ground Veal
1 large Onion, finely chopped
3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp of Salt
1 tsp of All-Spice (5-spice or Mixed Spice can also be used)
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
1/4 tsp Pepper
3/4 cup (175ml) of Water
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
2 store-bought ShortCrust Pastry (masa Brisa in Spain)

1 egg yolk mixed with a little water  (this is the Egg Wash)

1. In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, cook pork and veal for 5 minutes.  Add onion, garlic, salt, allspice, cloves and pepper.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 mins or until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat and add the breadcrumbs to absorb the excess moisture.
3. Line pie dish with 1 Shortcrust pastry.  Fill with meat filling.  Cover with the second Shortcrust pastry... seal edges. Brush Pastry with egg wash
4.  Reduce oven heat to 190ªC.  Bake pie for 25-30 mins  or until the pastry is golden.

Phat Phet Mu

(Stir-Fried Pork with Red Curry Paste)

If you can find the ingredients, this is an easy-to-make Thai dish that is full of flavour.  I serve it up with plain white steamed rice.

Prep time:  15 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
400 grams lean pork sliced into thin strips (I buy pork loin, then slice it as thinly as possible, diagonally across the loin)
2 tbsps Red Curry Paste (I buy this pre-made from Makro)
1 cup of Coconut Milk
1 1/2 tbsp of Fish Sauce
Pinch of Salt
1/2 tbsp Sugar
3-5 Kaffir Lime Leaves (I can't find these in Spain, so I use fresh Basil leaves, instead)
2 Fresh Red Chillies, sliced

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in wok over medium hea.  Fry the red curry paste and pork for 5 minutes, stirrin regularly.  Add half of the coconut milk and cook for another 10 minsutes, stirring occasionally.
2.  When the pork is done, add the remaining coconut milk, the fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves, salt and sugar, stir well and bring to a boil.
3.  Add chillies and stir well.  Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. 
4.  Spoon over rice and serve hot.

Tom Yam Kung

Thai food is one of my favourite cuisines.  It is full of flavour and uses an array of different ingredients that are not usually found in western food. 

This is one of my favourite soups.

Prep Time:  10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves:  4

Ingredients:
12 large prawns, shelled and deveined then cut in half
3 cups of Chicken Stock
200 grams of mushrooms ( I use Chinese mushrooms or setas)
1 lemongrass stem, cut into short lengths (in Spain, this is called "Caña Santa" and can be found at SuperCor)
5 slices of Ginger
Juice from 1 1/2 limes
3 tblsp of Fish Sauce
5-6 Hot Chillies, just broken with pestle
2-3 Kaffir lime leaves, chopped (these are hard to find in Spain... so I use Fresh Basil)
2 Coriander plants, chopped coarsely.

Preparation:
Heat the stock until boiling.  Add the lemongrass, ginger, prawns and mushrooms.  Add lime joince, fish sauve and chillies.  Add Kaffir lime leaves and chopped coriander, remove from heat and serve hot.

An unknown Wine Region worth discovering

In May, I completed a 9 month certification to become a Sommelier.  The class was made up of people from all over Spain and South American from all different backgrounds in the wine region.  It was a great class.  We had all types of wine people; from a Manager from Mexico city from one of the World's top Hotels to Oenologs with their own centuries-old family-owned wineries in Rioja to people like me - no real previous experience, and taking the course out of personal passion and pleasure. 

Out of everyone in that course was a woman from A Coruña in Galicia.  Throughout the course, no matter the topic, she complemented everything with a story, anecdote or fact about wines from the Bierzo.  The "Denominación de Origen del Bierzo" is a small producing wine region in the north-west part of Spain (near Leon).  Recently, this region has been gaining some momentum in Spain, but is still virtually unknown to foreigners.  The D.O. Bierzo produces mainly red wines - full bodied and perfect for red meats and BBQs.

I had never heard of or tried any Bierzo wines before that course.  But Mar became a good friend of mine and we've stayed in touch since the course.  Mar is a wonderful source of information about the region of Spain she is so proud of.  The last time I saw Mar, she surprised me with a few bottles of  Bierzo wine.

Here are my notes about the bottle I shared with my husband, last night:

Name:  Pétalos del Bierzo
Vintage: 2008
Denominación de Origen:  D.O. Bierzo
Grape Variety:  100% Mencía
14% Alcohol
Retail price in Spain:  12,70€

Tasting Notes
Visual: 
Medium to dark opacity. Intense, cherry-red, pinkish hues around the rimm, long legs denotes high alcohol content

Nose: 
(immediately after pouring and before swirling) - intense aroma of rose petals and sub tones of black currant
(after swirling) - intense aromas of camembert and other dairy products, rosemary, thyme, mushrooms, moss, mildew, wet hay.
(after oxygenating) - the aroma of burnt sugar come out.

Mouth:
delicate entry with a small but interesting explosion of tannins.  A long finish - the taste keeps changing and evolving long after the wine has been swallowed.  Notes of black cherry and bush herbs such as rosamary and thyme are apparent.

Pairing:
This wine would pair well with lamb, game, roast turkey, a stew, or roasted root vegetables. This is definitely a winter wine and perfect to enjoy with winter meals.

Conclusion:
What I love about this wine is its intensity and the story it is constantly trying to tell.  It has a full body and is a good mouthful of wine.  We enjoyed this bottled from the moment it came out of our wine fridge and for about 2 hours.  Every time we took a sip, its taste had changed - evolved. I think we opened this bottle a little too soon - keeping it for another year or two would have been a good idea.

Barcelona is a great place for foodies!

Barcelona is one of the world's oldest and most beautiful cities.  Everytime I visit it, I feel inspired by the architecture, the art, the food... and La Boquería.

I once read that La Boquería (Mercado St. Joseph) is the 2nd best food market on the planet.  I find it hard to believe that there could be anything better.  They say that if you can't find what you are looking for at La Boquería, then, it just doesn't exist. 

From freshly squeezed fruit juices to deep fried bugs, from  the different shades of brown mushrooms to the colourful displays of fruits and berries, La Boquería has everything necessary to inspire even a beginner foodie.