Sauces have always been a big part of my culinary journey. Growing up as a French girl, they were served almost every day either with meals cooked in or along with them. When I moved out on my own, it was natural for me to make sauces and I was quite good at it. With little experience in the cooking department, sauces were my savior because they really enhanced my food. Gaining more and more confidence in the kitchen, I experimented with making “harder” sauce recipes. There was one though that my mother used to make all the time and later on, I found out its “proper” name. It was Béchamel also known as White Sauce. This was the first sauce from the Classic 5 French Mother Sauces that I really mastered. From there, I started making its derivative sauces which are Mornay, Nantua, Cheddar Cheese, Cardinal and this featured one… Soubise Sauce! This white onion sauce is absolutely delicious! Cooked on low temperature in tons of butter (French love their butter… and wine), the onions get creamy and soft. When they’re done, they are puréed into a smooth texture and then added to the Béchamel Sauce. Oh my, oh my! Simply divine! In the video, I don’t show you how to make Béchamel Sauce because I already have in a previous episode so to get the recipe, click on the link. Also when the puréed onions and the white sauce are combined, this is when you decide on what seasonings to add to it. When I make Soubise Sauce, my spice of choice is hot paprika. It balances really well with the sweetness of the sauce. Soubise Sauce is perfect to spoon over grilled chicken or pork chops. It also goes very well with beef and game meats. Like any other French Mother Sauce, this one is pretty easy and straight forward so elevate your proteins with this beautiful secondary sauce from Béchamel. Bon Appétit! Here are more fabulous sauce recipes for you to try… – Basic Brown Sauce – Triple Chili Wing Sauce – Iguana’s Mushroom Sauce – Indonesian Peanut Sauce – Caribbean BBQ Sauce – Romesco Sauce and for even more sauce recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Sauces & Marinades
Until I reached 16, I was never in the kitchen much except when I had to lick the spoon (great job to have) and what was left in the bowl from the chocolate cake batter my mother made or when it was time to do the dishes… now that wasn’t a good task! When I turned 16, I suddenly wanted to bake “stuff”. Of course baking for me back then was reading the instructions on a cake box, trying to follow as well as I could, reading the same sentence a few times so I didn’t screw up! My very first baking from scratch was this featured recipe… Fudgy Brownies! One of my aunts decided to take me under her wing and slowly showed me a few “homemade” baking recipes – she had a passion for baking and I think she needed another excuse to bake some more… a student like MOI! I made her Fudgy Brownies recipe for years and as I started gaining more confidence, I altered this sweet treat making it more “chocolaty”! This dessert is incredibly decadent and so tasty! Soft, moist and tender, these definitely deserve to be in your folder. When I make my batter, besides brown sugar I also like to add Vanilla Sugar. Can you use regular plain sugar? Absolutely but that little extra vanilla flavor gives a nice touch to it. Another added ingredient is chopped walnuts which add a nice crunch and texture to these squares. You can always substitute pecans, dried cranberries and so on. Now when it comes to the icing, I use my homemade Corn Syrup. You can always use honey or agave nectar if you prefer. I don’t think you need an occasion to make these scrumptious Fudgy Brownies! They’re easy to make and such a family favorite! They can be enjoyed as a mid-afternoon snack or dessert. When I make them, you can find me eating them first thing in the morning with coffee… why not! Bon Appétit! Check out these other incredible chocolate dessert recipes… – Chocolate Raspberry Cake with a Mirror Glaze – Silk & Satin Chocolate Pie – Chocolate Lava Cake with Caramel – Caribbean Rum Mousse – Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie – Black Forest Cake and for even more dessert recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Dessert
Beef tenderloin is a beautiful cut! It’s very tender making it more expensive than any other part of beef. During the summer, we enjoy grilling a couple of nice filet mignon steaks on the barbecue and when the weather cools off, I simply sear them in a cast iron pan on the stove top before finishing them in the oven. Depending on how I feel, I either eat my steak as is or accompany it with a nice sauce. When I want to bring it a notch higher in the flavor department, I like to make Steak Oscar! This is just incredible with the filet dressed to the max! After being perfectly grilled, the filet is topped with crab meat followed by a couple spears of steamed asparagus. Then a nice rich, velvety Béarnaise Sauce is spooned over. The combination is… sublime! Who came up with this brilliant idea? Before going any further, let’s bring in some facts… Originally, this dish was made with veal vs mature steak – we just modernized it a little. Also, white asparagus spears was used not the green ones. All right, back to the question… Created in the late 19th century, this recipe came from Sweden and named in honor of King Oscar II. It seems that naming food after well known people was a trend back then… This Swedish recipe has been one of David’s favorites. When we go out to a steakhouse and this dish is on the menu, 9 times out of 10 he’ll order it! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame him! If I could describe it best, I would say that this is a delicious “surf & turf” combination piled high… A couple of things I would like to mention… In the video, I don’t show you how to cook the steak. Last month, I posted a great tutorial about Filet Mignon • How to Cook it Perfectly so just click on the link. David and I prefer our Steak Oscar with Béarnaise Sauce although Hollandaise can be used instead. Again, in previous episodes, I’ve shown you how to make both of these sauces so please check them out. This classic Swedish dish is bursting with flavor! If you want to highlight a special occasion or you are having guests over for dinner, Steak Oscar is definitely an elegant choice. I like to serve it with my Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe which is coming up on October 6th, 2022 so stay tuned… Here’s another elegant recipe you might want to try… Steak Diane! Bon Appétit! Here are several more elegant recipes for you to enjoy… – Crown Roast of Pork – Lobster Newberg – Mediterranean Leg of Lamb – Roast Duck with Marmalade Glaze – Pork Tenderloin Vitali – Oysters Rockefeller and for even more beef recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Beef
A real foody loves a great meal and I think it’s safe to say everyone also enjoys entertainment. What about dinner and a show? Back in the 70s’ & 80s’, a few dishes had tableside preparation. It was quite common and entertaining at the same time. It gave a special touch to the dining experience. This was one of the Maître D’s functions (very seldom was the server doing it); tossing fresh salads like Caesar Salad, flambéing some food items at the table like Steak Diane, enjoying a roast being carved or having a nice juicy Rack of Lamb portioned in front of you, preparing a dessert like Crêpes Suzette or Bombe Alaska (Baked Alaska) or having a cocktail like Volcanos smoking at your table or setting a sugar cube on fire for your Absinthe drink! I have so many memorable flashbacks of tableside preparations like Steak Tartare at one of the most upscale restaurants on ByWard Market in Ottawa, enjoying a Chateaubriand carved in front of me and my friend Joe F. at a very elegant establishment in Las Vegas, watching the room captain at Melvyn’s Restaurant in Palm Springs flambéing my Steak Diane, enjoying a Spanish Coffee made in front of me at El Dorado in Puerto Vallarta or having Michael from the Metropolitan Grill in Seattle making our Bananas Foster right at our table. Bananas Foster also known as Bananes Flambées in French is an incredible dessert! From start to finish, you can enjoy it within 15 minutes. What helps the “flambé” is obviously the alcohol from the rum. Can you make it without it? Sure but my question is why? It gives a very subtle taste to the bananas. I also add some orange zest, just enough to bring some freshness to the dessert… Entertaining requires a lot of effort and when it’s time for the dessert, we usually like to serve something already made. Served with Vanilla Ice Cream, this quick and easy Bananas Foster is a delicious choice! It’s visually entertaining and appealing plus very tantalizing for your taste buds… Bon Appétit! Check out these other scrumptious dessert recipes… – Lemon Posset – Chocolate Raspberry Cake with a Mirror Glaze – Bumbleberry Pie – Dulce de Leche Chocolate Parfait – Sticky Toffee Pudding – Mille-Feuille and for even more dessert recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Dessert
Spain is one of many destinations that David and I would like to visit. Besides the popular tourist attractions like La Sagrada Familia cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudí, Palacia Real (the Royal Palace in Madrid), Plaza de España and Plaza Mayor, a few museums like Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias and Guggenheim, relaxing on one of its gorgeous beaches such as Costa del Sol or La Kontxa, we – or should I say “I” -would like to taste Spain and even go for a cooking class! When I think of this gorgeous Mediterranean country’s dishes, Tortilla Española, Albondigas, Pisto Manchego, Gambas al Ajillo, Gazpacho or Sopa Ajoblanco, Patatas Bravas, Croquetas, Churros, Túrron or Leche Frita, come to mind. Sipping a nice glass of Sangria on a patio under the Spanish sun is what I call a vacation! One that is considered by many to be the National dish of Spain is Paella! A few years ago, I shared one of my recipes and today, here’s another delicious one… my Paella de Marisco! With calamari, mussels, prawns, clams and scallops along with other fresh ingredients and spices, this is an incredible dish to make! It’s easy to make and perfect to serve for special occasions or during the Holidays… Let’s talk about saffron… – Saffron is the diva of the spice drawer. By weight, this is the most expensive spice in the world because to harvest the stigma of the crocus flower, it has to be done by hand. Thankfully, a little goes a long way so when you look at it, it doesn’t break the bank! Actually, if you add too much of it, you can easily ruin a dish. – Soaking the spice for about 20 minutes either in wine or hot liquid – not boiling though – helps to release its flavor as well as its color. – Like any dried herb or spice, it will get less pungent with time so it’s wise to use it within a year. Fresh shellfish is an important ingredient for Paella de Marisco. Here are a few tips you might want to know about mussels and clams. – Buy them when the shells are shiny, glistening with moisture because dry shells usually indicate that they’re dead. – The vendor will probably put them in a plastic bag, close it to ease transport from the store to your house. As soon as you get home, remove them from the bag as they need to breathe. Transfer the clams to a bowl of crushed ice. Mussels on the other hand, can be placed in a bowl covered with crushed ice then a damp paper towel resting on top. – Before cooking, inspect them; if they’re open, tap the shells, wait a few seconds and if they’re alive, they’ll close up. If there are any that don’t close, discard them… don’t take the chance. Chipped or broken shells should be discarded as well. – Your nose is another good indicator. They should smell like the ocean… clean and salty. They will smell fishy if they’re dead. – Both need to be scrubbed just before cooking. – Mussels have to be debearded. – If you don’t buy cultivated clams & mussels, you might want to soak them for about 20 minutes. Mussels are good in fresh water while clams need to be soaked in cold salted water. Let’s talk about another ingredient… poblano peppers. We prefer this kind over green bell peppers. If you ever come across guindilla peppers from the Basque region, this is the kind that should be used for the making of Paella de Marisco. On the other hand, always remember that recipes are just a guideline… When the final cooking is done, I like to let the paella rest for 5 minutes to allow the rice to fully absorb any liquid without drying it out. I simply wrap the pan with foil and cover it with a clean dish towel while resting. Paella de Marisco is incredibly flavorful and colorful! It’s an elegant dish to make for any celebration. If you’re a seafood lover, this delicious dish is certainly for you! Bon Appétit! Here are several delicious seafood recipes for you to enjoy… – Maple Ginger Scallops – Oysters Rockefeller – Lobster Newberg – Crab Louie Salad – Seafood Pizza – Escargot con Funghi in Vol-au-vent – Mussels in Curry Sauce and for even more elegant recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Elegant Cuisine
Sometimes doing little steps can make big changes. A nice Creamy Tomato Soup is more enjoyable when the tomatoes are blanched beforehand so there aren’t any skins in it. When making Cannoli or Gnudi aka Malfatti, the results are much better when draining the ricotta cheese prior to remove the excess moisture unless you buy impastata ricotta which is naturally drained. To make a gorgeous stiff Whipped Cream, placing your bowl and whisk attachment in the fridge for 1 hour prior to whipping gives you the best results. Another step that makes a big difference in cooking and baking is when using Toasted Flour! As strange as it may sound, this gives a nice nutty flavor to your recipes. It’s also a great way to expedite any dark roux like in the making of Gumbo or Shrimp Étouffées. I use it when I make my Meatballs & Pig’s Feet Stew ~ Ragoût de Boulettes & Pattes de Cochon. It’s also a delicious thickener for soups and sauces. What else is Toasted Flour good for? Instead of using strictly 00 flour when making fresh Homemade Pasta, divide it with Toasted Flour. In Italy, any pasta made with Grano Arso which translates to “burnt grain” is considered a delicacy and it’s simply using toasted flour, giving that extra gorgeous flavor to it. The same applies when making bread and pizza dough which will give a new dimension and a nice brown color. The next time you make a batch of cookies, replace 25% of your regular flour with it… you’ll be surprised how amazing they turn out! Here are a few handy tips… – When the top starts getting brown – not burnt -, take it out of the oven, stir well and level it out with the back of your spoon before returning back to the oven. Don’t push your luck though as it can catch on fire – It takes time so park yourself in front of the stove, play your favorite music and enjoy a cup of coffee – Start the hood fan and open a couple of windows so your fire alarm doesn’t go off. – Don’t bother cleaning your oven prior to doing that as it will get dirty. – Patience… I’m not kidding, it takes a while – Keep in mind that the longer you toast the flour, the darker it gets in color and the deeper the flavor becomes. Using Toasted Flour adds a beautiful and complex flavor to bread, pasta, and baked goods. As much as it’s tedious and time consuming to achieve, it’s so worth it! Roll up your sleeves and make a batch. You’ll see exactly what I mean after trying it in one of your recipes… Bon Appétit! Check out these other great tips & tricks… – Roasted Garlic – Measuring Honey, Syrup or Molasses without Sticking – Vanilla Sugar – How to Make It – Grind Chicken & Save Money – Snap Peas ~ How to Freeze – Kiwifruits – How to Peel Quickly and for more handy kitchen tips and tricks, click on this link… Recipe Category • Tips & Tricks Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
When a pig is processed, every part is used… there’s no waste. I think of pork butt aka “Boston butt” which despite its name is actually from the shoulder and is perfect for making Pulled Pork in a slow cooker or those delicious carnitas. Country-style ribs are also from this part and they’re not ribs at all! The meat is technically boneless and if there are some, they’re not rib bones but from the shoulder blade. Right below the butt, there’s picnic shoulder and that’s the cut I use for my sausages like Hot Italian, Andouille and Garlic. It’s another meat that is best when cooked slowly. This part can also be used in stews as well as in chilies. Then there’s the loin where the cutlets, chops, Sirloin Roasts, blade loin roasts, tenderloin and Baby Back Ribs are from. When it comes to tenderloin, I have many recipes with this cut like El Diablo, Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Vitali, Maple Mustard, Pork tenderloin with Spicy Pineapple-Mango Sauce, and so on. From the ribcage, there are the delicious baby back ribs also known as riblets that I love to cook slowly either in the oven or the barbecue. The Crown Roast is also from the rib portion of the pig. To make salt pork, lardon, pork rinds, the fatback is used which is taken from the skin and fat on the back. I use salt pork rarely in my recipes but I do I have a couple that I add it to like Cassoulet and Bouilli du Québec. To get the bacon and pancetta as well as pork belly, the cut is located at the bottom of the pork and this part is called “belly” or “pork side”. I use pork belly for my Char Siu recipe. Between the pork loin and the pork side, this is where the spare ribs are from. They’re also known as “side ribs” or just “spares”. Furthermore, the ham is the back legs of the pig and this is the part used to make prosciutto, steaks, shanks and Ham. When I make my Split Pea & Ham Soup, I use either a shank or ham hock which the last one is the joint between the feet and the leg. Then there’s the feet which have a lot of collagen & gelatin. They’re a great addition to soups and stews. I use them for the making of my Ragoût de Boulettes & Pattes de Cochon – Meatballs & Pig’s Feet Stew. When it comes to the head, this entire part can also be added to soups and stews. Other parts like ears and cheeks can be baked, fried or cured and smoked. The cheeks are fatty and perfect when making guanciale. Last but not least, the tongue which is perfectly balanced with meat and fat. Slow cooked as well, it’s so tender and perfect with a nice sauce. Today, the cut of meat I’m focusing on is the spare ribs aka “side ribs” located above the breast bone in the belly. They’re so amazing when cooked or braised very slowly. Besides my Chinese 5 Spice Spare Ribs that are packed with amazing flavor, here’s another one… my Sweet Pork Ribs! This is a real treat for me! The sauce is just sweet enough and perfectly balanced with the taste from the meat. I like to serve my Sweet Pork Ribs with plain white rice and simply garnish them with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. It’s really not a complicated meal and it’s so succulent! Here are a couple tips to consider… – As much as many cooks enjoy boiling them, the best cooking method is grilling, roasting or braising. Longer is better so don’t rush anything and cook them slowly at lower temperature. – How much to make per person – you may ask? To calculate the perfect quantity to serve your guests, I use about a pound/500 g per person. Let’s not forget that you will probably be serving sides with them. These Sweet Pork Ribs are incredible! Tender, juicy and moist, these mouthwatering ribs have to be on your “must try” list! It’s a scrumptious dish that I’m sure you and your family will enjoy all year round… Bon Appétit! Here are more scrumptious pork recipes for you to try… – Chicken Ham Sausage Jambalaya – Tourtière – Spicy Sausage Penne all’Arrabbiata – Wonton Soup – Breakfast Sausage Muffin Cups – Singapore Noodles – Grilled Jalapeño Poppers and for even more pork recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Pork
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