Lobster Boil at kitchen Conservatory

We had a blast last night at KC,  Lobster boils are so easy and fun it is hard to beat for a casual get together.  By the time class was over everyone was hugging and exchanging emails and promising to stay in touch. 

Ingredients:
lobster
red potatoes
corn on the cob
sausage (kielbasa, andouille, or Spanish chorizo)
manilla clams
shrimp
mussels

We did our boil in a turkey fryer.  So now you have another way of using that turkey fryer.  We used 1 1/4 pound lobsters (called chicken lobsters because of their size) purchassed from Bob's Seafood, they were fresh and lively.  There isn't really a recipe for this just timing.  In a pot large enough to hold all the vegetables and lobsters, place a layer of seaweed put in the potatoes, add enought water plus some beer to fill the pot, leaving room for the rest of the ingredients.  Add 2 Tablespoons of sea salt for every quart of water you use.  Bring to the boil and cook the potatoes 5 to 8 minutes.  Add the sausage, and corn on the cob, cook 3 to 5 minutes, add the lobsters head down into the water and boil 5 minutes, add the manilla clams and shrimp boil for 2 minutes, add the mussels and cook until every things is opened and the lobsters are bright red-1 to 2 minutes usually.  (if you use clams that are not manilla, their cooking time will increase).  Strain  and dump onto a table lined with butcher paper or old newspaper and serve with melted butter.

We also made a tenderloin caprese salad to start with.

A really diverse group lots of kids and parents, even a couple extremely young'uns, and a recently engaged couple-you can probably pick them out from the candid pictures.

One new trick I learned last night from Anne (who owns KC) was a rolling pin trick.  You can use a rolling pin to squeeze the meat out of the legs-pretty neat.  At the end there wasn't a single shrimp, mussel, clam, or morsel of lobster left.

Sunday Dinner at Mom's

I was visiting my folks last week who live in Princeville IL-just outside of Peoria.  She made this pork roast crusted with cumin, cayenne, and brown sugar and served it with a pineapple and black bean salsa.  It was juicy and delicious and the salsa was spicy with jalapeno and sweet with the pineapple-my mom definitely knows how to rock a pork roast.

When we're in Peoria we find any excuse to visit the food carts outside the court house.  There are about 8 or 9 of them-quite a selection for a city the size of Peoria.  They have been there for several years, dating back to the 1980's.  We visited the Korean stand for bulgogi-the Korean lady was amused I asked for kim chee-not available in Peoria yet.  Apparently Peoria will eat bulgogi but not yet kim chee.  We also visited a Lebanese stand for gyros and falafel-both excellent.  There are also Thai, Mexican, Southern Soul from "Willies"-a Peoria institution (that cart had the longest lines waiting for grilled pork chop sandwiches) and a few others.

There are no food trucks in Peoria yet as they are all fighting on how to license them and the restaurants aren't happy because they are afraid of losing their lunch traffic to them.  In any case the food carts are charming and tasty, so if you're ever in Peoria in the Spring or Summer check them out.

We all sat around the beautiful Civil War Memorial outside the courthouse.  My brother in law helped to restore the statue a couple of years ago-it is quite impressive.

59

My friend Judy made a beautiful lasagne for me on my birthday.  Lasagne has been one of my favorites since my aunt Shirley started making them way back in the 1960's.  Judy layers her noodles with sweet Italian sausage, ricotta, spinach, and tomato sauce, with a topping of mozzarella.  It was delicious and just perfect with a nice glass of Chianti.

Judy always makes the cakes-its her specialty.  This one was a spice cake with cooked brown sugar frosting.  The frosting is so intriguing-a combination of marshmallow and meringue.

My beloved aunt Shirley( the lasagne lady and the best cooker in the world) and uncle Keith, who live in Plano Tx sent me two books.  Dean Fearing's "Mansion on Turtle Creek", I can't wait to try some of chef Fearings recipes-he has a very unique way and elegant style of presenting regional Texan cuisine.

The other book they sent is one that I have been reading for many years when visiting their home.  It is the "Treasury of Great Recipes" by Mary and Vincent Price.  It is such a grand book filled with incredible photograpy, stories about their world travels, menu facsimiles, and some very fussy recipes in the Haute Continental style that was popular in the 50's and 60's.  I have coveted this book for years-I am enjoying it so much.


Other gifts this year included fine wine, artisinal gin, artisinal olive oil, and a very fussy Victorian Cruet set in perfect condition.  I have been scouting the flea markets and sales for years for one of these, but they are usually incomplete with a bottle or stopper broken or the silverplate gone.  This one is a perfect little beauty.

Happy Mother's Day


Happy Mother's Day to all the moms.  There is nobody like your mom, love you mom, see you next month.

Menu
Raspberry Lemon muffins
Banana Chocolate chip muffins
Terry's Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Sweet and Sour Poppyseed Dressing
Steak Diane
Chicken Breast Stuffed with Proscuitto, Gorgonzola and Figs with Balsamic Glaze
Spring Vegetable Barley Pilaf
Stir-fried sugar snaps
Cheese cake

Poached Salmon With Mousseline Sauce

Here is a beautiful dish for Spring that appeared on my table recently.  It is also included in the book "Cooking For Madam" (a book from Jackie Onassis's housekeeper, cook, and personal confidant) which my friend Joy lent me recently.  It is also a dish that I included in my "Last Dinner on  the Titanic" class.  So you see it is kind of an old-fashioned haute cuisine dish.

Poaching the salmon insures a moist and succulent piece of fish, and it can be served warm or cold.  Mousseline sauce is the combination of whipped cream folded into hollandaise.  The hollandaise must be slightly cooled to make sure the whipped cream doesn't collapse.  I seasoned it with some fresh dill, which is also an excellent compliment for the cucumber and carrot side dishes.

1/2 cup clarified butter
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Large dash of Tobasco sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream

Add the yolks to a food processor, heat the butter.  With the processor running, slowly pour the hot butter into the yolks.  Season the hollandaise with some salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Tobasco.

Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.

When the hollandaise sauce has cooled slightly, fold the whipped cream into the hollandaise until thoroughly combined.  Taste for additional seasoning and add some chopped fresh dill.  Basil or tarragon would also be an excellent compliment to the salmon and vegetables as well.

Last Dinner on the Titanic

Exactly 100 years ago to the hour I am writing this post the great ship was going down.  This evening at the Kitchen Conservatory 16 culinarians under my watchful and encouraging eye recreated several dishes that were served that last evening in the "First Class Dining Salon". 

Asparagus Salad with Saffron Vinaigrette
Poached Salmon Sauce Mousseline
Poulet Lyonaise
Fillets Mignon Lili
Pommes Anna
Punch Romaine


Here are some candid shots of the dinner.

Everything ready to sample

The asparagus salad

Fillets Mignon Lili

Pommes Anna

Poaching the salmon

Dottie and Dave-friends from Gallagher's

Hard at work

Teresa with the Salmon with Mousseline Sauce

Poulet Lyonaise

More work

Time to eat

the Meyers-more Friends from Gallagher's-they never miss the special dinners-aren't they cute?

I guess the lesson is to really enjoy and even cherish the present, because most of those who enjoyed this fabulous dinner 100 years ago perished suddenly and unexpectedly in less than 4 hours after it was over.

Easter at Gallaghers

A story of two competing hams-James and his competition.

Ham with Sauce Beautiful and perfectly medium rare Prime Rib

Fresh blueberry crumb muffing

Strawberry and peach garnishes

Tomato crowns with rosemary

Menu

Blueberry crumb muffins

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Ham on the bone with Peach Beautiful Sauce

Prime Rib with Horseradish

Suzies Sweet Potatoes

Spring Vegetables (Baby carrots, asparagus, peas)

Mashed potatoes with brown gravy

Fudge Brownies

Strawberry Shortcake.

It just got too busy for me to get any more pictures.

Happy Easter everyone.