Wednesday, October 28, 2009

simplicity, elegance and french baked eggs

This beautiful room filled with Parisian flare is actually a dining room within a restaurant called Les Bons Enfants. The restaurant is located about 1 and 1/2 hours from Paris in northern Burgundy, France. This is how they dine out in France, surrounded by simple elegance. I frequent the web site France Today often, just to keep up with French trends and to get ideas on living my life more simply. I've come to think that living life simply is not just what you surround yourself with, but what you surround your inner self with. Your inner simplistic self creates your outer simplistic world. With that said, I'm envisioning myself at this beautiful table with family and close friends eating brunch; baked eggs, country sausage and sparkling Italian wine, Prosecco. Enjoy the recipe:

French Baked Eggs

you need enough ramekins to feed 1 eggs per person (if 4 people, then you need 4 ramekins), salt and pepper, Gruyere cheese, and heavy cream
  • melt a pat of butter in each ramekin (in the microwave)
  • grind a little salt and a little pepper into each ramekin
  • carefully crack one egg into each ramekin (don't break the yolk)
  • using a tablespoon, top each yolk with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
  • then top each with grated Gruyere cheese or cheese of your choice (about 2 tablespoons of cheese)
  • put each ramekin on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 11 to 16 minutes, depending upon how soft of hard you like your yolk. I like mine runny.

serve with county sausage and your favorite Italian sparkling wine, Prosecco.

Enjoy

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Ode to Gourmet Magazine


I'm really going to miss Gourmet Magazine. With each issue I took a trip to somewhere very special. Each issue had great columns and commentary and recipes that would tantalized my curiosity about food. It helped me to become more adventurous with food through its recipes which explored regions around the world. Gourmet took me to wine regions around the world also. In a way I feel that Gourmet helped to bring our world together through food and wine. I have to admit secretly I wanted to write for Gourmet Magazine......too late for that. I will relish all of the issues I have though. I still carry the issue above in my pocketbook. It's from March 2008. I love looking at the pictures of France...it just reminds me of the way I think life should be lived, easy-going. One of my favorite sections within each issue of Gourmet was the "Gourmet Every Day" recipes. Here I could whip up something special for lunch or dinner in no time. Below is the crustless quiche I made often. It melts in your mouth....enjoy!

Gourmet Magazine - Crustless Quiche Recipe

serves 4

1 1/2 tablespoons fine dry plain bread crumbs
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup diced cooked ham (1/4 lb)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 (8-oz) package shredded Swiss cheese (2 cups)
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk

Equipment: a 10-inch quiche dish or 10-inch glass pie plate

Accompaniment: green salad

  • preheat oven to 425 degrees F with rack in middle
  • butter quiche dish, then sprinkle all over with bread crumbs
  • cook onions with ham in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 5 minutes. spread in dish, then evenly sprinkle cheese on top.
  • whisk together eggs, cream, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pour over cheese. bake until top is golden and custard is set in center, 20 to 25 minutes. cool slightly before cutting into wedges.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Vineyard Chic - Wine Corks


Putting wine corks in a vase or hurricane type vessel adds vineyard charm to your home. This display not only shows all the wines I've liked and loved, it symbolizes all the wine regions I've traveled to without even leaving the comforts of my home. Each cork has a history with a great meal shared with family and friends attached to it. The next time you open a bottle of wine, toss the cork into a vessel of your choice for a beautiful keepsake display of memories that will literally last forever.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Pincushions, Picnics, and Pinot Noir

There are teachable moments in life and yesterday in a beautiful park, I had mine. My family and I were graced with the presence of another beautiful family, the Leavitt's. We had been planning to get together for years and finally the time was set (6:00) and the day was planned, picnic in the park and a movie. But on this day because of a scheduling mishap (not my doing), my family and me were late. We didn't arrive until 7:45...the movie had started and the food was tucked away. I felt pretty awful about being late but that feeling went away pretty quickly. Instead of a look of what happened or why were you late? We were met with a look of sheer joy accompanied with endearing hugs. After the greetings, we were lead to the area that was planned for our picnic feast... the blankets were already laid out and waiting for us. Then the food that was packed away was pulled out and served. We had a lovingly planned feast of roast chicken, grilled asparagus, grilled corn, creamy shrimp and grits and delicious Pinot Noir wine. There was even dessert....pound cake with a whipped cream center (of which I need the recipe for). There was even pizza for the children. The atmosphere was perfect.....french fair with an outdoor movie.

This experience taught me that life is too short to not have many picnics in the park...that nothing is more important in life than having great experiences with family and great friends, and that your perception of a problem is usually not the same perception others have, always be kind, and finally what is, is what is.......work with it. I later learned from my husband that the Leavett's had originally set up a picnic table equipped with flowers and lit candles for our feast. What a wonderful gesture! Even more wonderful was to look on my doorstep this morning to find a bag with salmon, cabbage with grapes and the pincushion flowers that had adorned the picnic table. The food was apart of our picnic meal, but was forgotten at home, and they wanted to share it with us. Another wonderful gesture. Oh, and there was a note too, telling us it was a pleasure being in our company. No, the pleasure was ours to remember always!

Wine Review - La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2007

You know I'm a French wine girl, so I'm really proud of myself in being able to say that this wine is probably one of the best Pinot Noirs from California I've ever had. There I said it. I know it has a lot to do with the winemaker.....and terroir.....sheer genius. I can tell that only the best sourced pinot noir grapes, throughout Sonoma, were used in this wine. It is layered with deep jammy cherry creaminess, a hint of vanilla, balanced acidity, and spice. Now creaminess is not a word associated with Pinot Noir, but I'm using it here because that's the sensation I get. Creaminess. Have this wine with goat cheese layered with wine jelly organic wine jelly and/or with roast pork or salmon.


enjoy