Anchovy & Olives, Simply Delicious!!

Three types of olives, anchovy fillets, capers, garlic (lots of garlic), a little dijon, a bit of olive oil and a few good turns of the pepper mill, smash it all together add a bit of sea salt to taste and prepare for take off to the Mediterranean shores of Provence or Spain and Italy for that matter, because all of which produce the quality ingredients and have there own take of this Anchoiade.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pitted black olives (good quality)
1/2 cup pitted green olives (think quality)
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata Olives (as above)
4 oz. Anchovy Filet's (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup Capers
2/3 cup Garlic Cloves
2 tbsp Dijon Mustard or Full Grain Mustard depending on your taste
1 cup Olive Oil more or less
Cracked black pepper to taste
Sea Salt to taste

Add all the listed ingredients to the food processor or mortar and pestle if you have one, smash or blend until smooth and well incorporated, that is it. Anchoiade is great as a spread or dip, even as an accoutrement with your favorite fish, simply delicious.
There is more to come so stay tuned. until then "Think Good Thoughts & Smile"

Recipe, Creme Anglais and some reflection.......

Ahh Creme Anglaise, that tasty cream with many uses. As we all know I am no Pastry Chef but as a chef there are a few must knows and Creme Anglaise is one of them, Sabayon is another that we shall save for another day. Creme Anglaise is a base egg & cream mixture beat into submission with a little sugar and pure vanilla, add other flavors and freeze and you have ice cream, pour it into a ramekin, bake and brulee and you have Creme Brulee, pool it on a plate, add a couple of drops of coulis, pull and you have a beautiful design to accent a dessert and the list goes on. In any case it is a very useful item of sweet goodness.

Ingredients:

6 extra-large eggs

½ cup sugar

2 heavy or whipping cream

1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Fill a large bowl with ice-water and keep it nearby.

Separate the yolks and whites. We only use the yolks for making creme anglaise.
Beat the egg yolks with a whisk for a minute or two, until they're very smooth.
Add the sugar and whisk for about 2 more minutes, or until the the sugar is fully incorporated and the yolks are a pale shade of yellow.
Heat the cream until it is not quite simmering. Don't let it boil. You want to heat the cream until it reaches 180°F .
Very slowly pour the hot cream into the egg and sugar mixture while whisking constantly. Don't add the cream fast or the eggs will cook.
Return the custard to the double-boiler and gently heat, stirring continuously, until it reaches 185°F. The creme anglaise will be thick but still pourable.
Now set the top-part of your double-boiler into the bowl of ice-water to cool the creme anglaise. Stir in the vanilla. Stir the creme anglaise once in a while until it is fully cooled.
Makes 2½ cups of creme

As you can see it really is not that difficult to prepare, really the only part of this application that needs extra care is the adding of the hot cream. I must admit I have made scrambled eggs more than once by being in a hurry which brings me to this. I was reminded once again at work that organization and patience is key in producing a fine plate, something I have always taken pride in. When working under another chef as I have been aside from my business, I have had to learn an others style of  preparation, cooking and plating. Will it affect my style in the negative or will it push me into a different dimension, a higher place if you will.
Reflection is always good, I will return so until then "Think Good Thoughts & Smile".

Filled Puff Pastry Cup Appetizers, just one of many......

Now that we have made our puff pastry boats or cups the question of what to fill them with comes to mind. A few posts ago I posted a Fig and Onion Spread or Tapenade and said I'd be back with a simple way to present it, so let's get right to it.
In a mixing bowl using a paddle attachment  combine 1 cup of soft Goats Cheese with 1/2 cup of the Fig and Onion Tapenade, whip together on medium speed scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula a couple of times until the Goats Cheese and Tapenade are well incorporated, transfer contents to a pastry bag or bowl if you do not have a pastry bag. Now pipe or spoon the desired amount into the pastry cups, pop into a 375 degree oven for 2 mins, just until the cheese begins to soften then garnish with dried diced fig and chive.(garnish optional)
There are many many more fillings from salads to hot meat stews one could make these tasty little appetizers with, literally hundreds of combinations and recipes, go wild and get creative combining your favorite flavors, you might just surprise yourself.
Have a Great Day and "Think Good Thoughts & Smile"..........

Puff Pastry Cups, how to........

Puff Pastry, flaky, buttery goodness with all kinds of uses. One could make there own but commercially available puff pastry sheets are one thing worth not spending the time to make from scratch. There are other than sheets of this dough available but not always the right size for individual appetizers which we will need for the next post. Two simple ways to make individual boats or cups to be filled with the next postings filling is #1. as pictured above. Simply cut squares about 1.5" x 1.5", brush with egg wash and place in mini muffin pan that has been lightly sprayed with olive oil or greased with butter then into a 375 degree oven for 15 mins or until golden, remove from oven and cool. The second or #2 is equally as simple making a more formally appearing boat or cup. Lay a sheet of the Puff Pastry onto a lightly floured work surface or leave slightly frozen and onto parchment, which is the method I prefer then simply take a 1" or 1.5" round cookie cutter and press thru the dough making little raw dough rounds, egg wash, place on cookie sheet lined with parchment and bake for 15 mins or until golden in a 350 degree oven which results as pictured below.

I know, I know how does a round cutter give the crowned edge you might be asking, the answer is simple as well, it doesn't. The pictured ones have been cut with round crowned cutter but I think you get the idea I am trying to convey. In any case either of the methods mentioned here will give you the start of something simple yet elegant in appearance that will receive the delicious fillings coming up. Until then "Think Good Thoughts & Smile"...........

Choux Pastry, a basic recipe with many uses!!

Holidays are filled with sweets,  Cakes to Pies, Brulee to Bahmkuchen  all deliciously unique in there own way. I am not big on sweets but from time to time I do get the urge to indulge. In the kitchen I try to be semi practical and not bite off more than I can chew. A core ingredient that can be used for sweets or savory edibles is center stage in my opinion which brings us to Pate Choux or Choux Pastry. The recipe below is superb for Eclairs filled with creams, custards, jelly and jams even ice cream to Pomme Dauphine or little savory treats filled with cheeses to pate.

Ingredients for Choux Pastry

water	250	ml
butter	125	gm
flour	150	gm
eggs	4	pc

How to make Choux Pastry

• Melt the butter in the water and bring to a full boil

• Immediately add the flour all at once and stir continuously with a wooden spoon

• Cook for a couple of minutes until the mixture pulls away from the pan, forming a ball and remove from the heat

• Place the dough in the bowl or a mixer, using a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment, mix the dough for a few minutes, allowing it to cool slightly

• Add the beaten eggs gradually, in three or four additions, mixing the dough until it is smooth each time. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl until all of the eggs are incorporated

• The paste should be of a pipeable consistency and not too runny

In future posts I will share some ideas for both sweet fillings and savory fillings, please note this recipe is not of my creation but is one I use due to its simplicity and versatility.

Have fun and "Think Good Thoughts and Smile".