2007 Winter Birthday Dinner
Three years ago a tradition started in my family that has really become one of my favorite days of the year. Both my mother in-law and brother in-
law have birthdays in December. Each year I cook dinner for the six of us. For me it’s an opportunity to work on developing a complete menu as well
as trying out new recipes and techniques. The past two years I have prepared six courses with my wife making desert. I try to focus on dishes that will
complement each other both in taste and in portion size. Since we are eating seven courses I keep the portion sizes small. I’ll take you through this year’
s menu course by course. For each course I will reference the source of the recipe used if you are interested in trying any of them out.
Gougeres with Arugula, Bacon & Pickled Onions – The Zuni Café Cookbook
I wanted to start the meal with a fun amuse. The Zuni Cafe; Cookbook is over 500 pages of recipes and instruction. It’s as much a cooking manual as it
is a cookbook. Chef Judy Rogers does a great job of explaining the exact methods she uses in her kitchen. Gougeres are small cheese puffs or biscuits.
Earlier in the week I tested the recipe and the results the second time around were much better. Basically you boil water and butter then add a cup of
flour all at once. This creates a firm dough almost instantly. The first time I used a whisk but found a wooden spoon worked much better. Egg is then
incorporated into the dough until it is shinny. I also found that a small dice of Gruyere cheese worked better the shredding it. This way you get some
melted sections of cheese within the biscuit. My other finding was that when they first came out of the over the biscuit was very puffy and light but
shrunk down a bit the more they cooled. I had baked them in advance so next time around I‘ll bake them just before serving. My brother in-law doesn’
t eat cheese so I just happened to have stumbled across an almost identical recipe in a Spanish Tapas cookbook. Instead of cheese they used Chorizo. To
finish the dish the Gougeres were sliced liked a sandwich and stuffed with homemade pickled onions, bacon and arugula.
Creamy Maine Lobster Broth – The French Laundry Cookbook
Thomas Keller is the executive chef at The French Laundry in Napa California. He is considered by many to be the top chef in the country, if not the
world. His cookbook includes the exact methods and recipes used at The French Laundry, without any short cuts. The recipes can be intense and
involve many steps. To make the lobster broth it required three lobster bodies, not the easiest thing to have on hand. I had actually frozen some
lobster bodies from a past meal just for this very purpose. The broth is made by cooking the bodies in water with carrots, celery and tomatoes to form a
stock. Once you have the lobster stock all you have to do is add heavy cream. The broth is very rich as you might imagine. It’s meant to be served in a
small portion size. However the first time I made it my wife and I loved it so much we both had two servings. Needless to say we didn’t feel so great
afterwards due to the richness of the cream and the lobster. So my recommendation is to resist all urges and keep the portion sizes small. I used a tea
cup as the serving vessel to make sure I didn’t get a heavy hand.
Shaved Raw Fennel and Red Onion Salad – Olives Cookbook
After serving the rich and heavy lobster broth I wanted something light to freshen the palette. I decided to try fennel which has a slight licorice taste.
Todd English now runs his restaurant empire which stretches across the country. His first restaurant, Olives is located in Charlestown MA. This salad
was really easy to make and everyone really enjoyed it. I used a mandolin to slice the fennel very thin. The fennel and red onion were combined with
arugula and then tossed in a light lemony vinaigrette. I like it when I can use some of the same ingredients from previous dishes without making it
feel repetitive. In this case was I was able to make use of a full bunch of arugula between two courses.
Scallops Quattro Variazioni – Mario Batali, Foodnetwork.com
Scallops make a perfect small course. I typically serve just one per person but try to find the biggest sea scallops possible. I found this recipe on
foodnetwork.com if you’d like to check it out. It was incredibly simple but had a ton of flavor. The key is not overcooking the scallop. I used a nonstick
skillet and you have to be patient not to move it too soon. Once the scallop has browned it shouldn’t stick to the pan. The sauce just involved garlic,
white wine and parsley. I did however strain the sauce just to give it a cleaner presentation. .
Thick Pork Chops Facon Grand’mere – Hubert Keller, Secrets of a Chef
I actually came across this recipe on a cooking show. I have to admit that although I watch a lot of food programs I rarely cook what is on the shows.
This pork chop dish just seemed like the perfect main course for the menu. I wanted to do something different the steak and I think pork chops are often
over looked. I think the reason is that most people have had pork that was over cooked and dry. The FDA recommends a minimum internal
temperature of 145 degrees however most home cooks go much further because of unnecessary fears of pork. There really is no need to cook pork until
it’s completely dried out. Using a meat thermometer is the most effective way to ensure that your pork is not only safe but also tasty. Don’t be afraid. I
also recommend finding a good butcher as opposed to the pre-packaged meat of the supermarket. I was able to pre-order thick cut bone-in pork chops
from Joe’s Italian Marketplace on Rt. 9 in Wappingers Falls. If you want quality meals you have to start with quality food. It’s just that simple. The
pork chops are served with pearl onions, mushrooms and asparagus tips. I skipped the asparagus tips since they were out of season.
Hudson Valley Cheese Course
I like to finish meals with a cheese course before a sweet desert. You only need a bite or two but it’s really brings the meal together. I selected two local
cheeses for our cheese course. The first was a double creme Coach Farm Goats Milk Cheese. Coach Farm is located in Pine Plains, NY. It was founded by
the former owners of Coach Leather, the popular handbag company. They sold the Coach business and went into the cheese business. Their farm
follows traditional French standards for cheese making. They have over 900 goats on the farm producing award winning cheese. The second cheese
was a Sprout Creek Farm Toussaint which becomes more complex and peppery with age, and rounds out with a smooth, tight texture. Sprout Creek
Farm is located in Poughkeepsie. We have actually visited the farm. They have a small market selling their cheeses as well as grass-feed beef.
Bread Pudding, Family Recipe
My wife made the family’s recipe for bread pudding. One of her secrets was using cinnamon bread. I’d share the recipe but I think her Aunt would
object.
Overall I felt the menu really worked well and flowed from one course to the next. I achieved my goal of offering a lot of different flavors that
complemented each other well. I never want my guests to leave the table over stuffed but I do want them to feel satisfied. As always the best part of a
meal like this is spending time with your family around the table.
Recipe Sources:
The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller
The Olives Table: Over 160 recipes from the critically acclaimed restaurant and home kitchen of Todd English by Todd English
The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco's Beloved Restaurant by Judy Rogers
Three years ago a tradition started in my family that has really become one of my favorite days of the year. Both my mother in-law and brother in-
law have birthdays in December. Each year I cook dinner for the six of us. For me it’s an opportunity to work on developing a complete menu as well
as trying out new recipes and techniques. The past two years I have prepared six courses with my wife making desert. I try to focus on dishes that will
complement each other both in taste and in portion size. Since we are eating seven courses I keep the portion sizes small. I’ll take you through this year’
s menu course by course. For each course I will reference the source of the recipe used if you are interested in trying any of them out.
Gougeres with Arugula, Bacon & Pickled Onions – The Zuni Café Cookbook
I wanted to start the meal with a fun amuse. The Zuni Cafe; Cookbook is over 500 pages of recipes and instruction. It’s as much a cooking manual as it
is a cookbook. Chef Judy Rogers does a great job of explaining the exact methods she uses in her kitchen. Gougeres are small cheese puffs or biscuits.
Earlier in the week I tested the recipe and the results the second time around were much better. Basically you boil water and butter then add a cup of
flour all at once. This creates a firm dough almost instantly. The first time I used a whisk but found a wooden spoon worked much better. Egg is then
incorporated into the dough until it is shinny. I also found that a small dice of Gruyere cheese worked better the shredding it. This way you get some
melted sections of cheese within the biscuit. My other finding was that when they first came out of the over the biscuit was very puffy and light but
shrunk down a bit the more they cooled. I had baked them in advance so next time around I‘ll bake them just before serving. My brother in-law doesn’
t eat cheese so I just happened to have stumbled across an almost identical recipe in a Spanish Tapas cookbook. Instead of cheese they used Chorizo. To
finish the dish the Gougeres were sliced liked a sandwich and stuffed with homemade pickled onions, bacon and arugula.
Creamy Maine Lobster Broth – The French Laundry Cookbook
Thomas Keller is the executive chef at The French Laundry in Napa California. He is considered by many to be the top chef in the country, if not the
world. His cookbook includes the exact methods and recipes used at The French Laundry, without any short cuts. The recipes can be intense and
involve many steps. To make the lobster broth it required three lobster bodies, not the easiest thing to have on hand. I had actually frozen some
lobster bodies from a past meal just for this very purpose. The broth is made by cooking the bodies in water with carrots, celery and tomatoes to form a
stock. Once you have the lobster stock all you have to do is add heavy cream. The broth is very rich as you might imagine. It’s meant to be served in a
small portion size. However the first time I made it my wife and I loved it so much we both had two servings. Needless to say we didn’t feel so great
afterwards due to the richness of the cream and the lobster. So my recommendation is to resist all urges and keep the portion sizes small. I used a tea
cup as the serving vessel to make sure I didn’t get a heavy hand.
Shaved Raw Fennel and Red Onion Salad – Olives Cookbook
After serving the rich and heavy lobster broth I wanted something light to freshen the palette. I decided to try fennel which has a slight licorice taste.
Todd English now runs his restaurant empire which stretches across the country. His first restaurant, Olives is located in Charlestown MA. This salad
was really easy to make and everyone really enjoyed it. I used a mandolin to slice the fennel very thin. The fennel and red onion were combined with
arugula and then tossed in a light lemony vinaigrette. I like it when I can use some of the same ingredients from previous dishes without making it
feel repetitive. In this case was I was able to make use of a full bunch of arugula between two courses.
Scallops Quattro Variazioni – Mario Batali, Foodnetwork.com
Scallops make a perfect small course. I typically serve just one per person but try to find the biggest sea scallops possible. I found this recipe on
foodnetwork.com if you’d like to check it out. It was incredibly simple but had a ton of flavor. The key is not overcooking the scallop. I used a nonstick
skillet and you have to be patient not to move it too soon. Once the scallop has browned it shouldn’t stick to the pan. The sauce just involved garlic,
white wine and parsley. I did however strain the sauce just to give it a cleaner presentation. .
Thick Pork Chops Facon Grand’mere – Hubert Keller, Secrets of a Chef
I actually came across this recipe on a cooking show. I have to admit that although I watch a lot of food programs I rarely cook what is on the shows.
This pork chop dish just seemed like the perfect main course for the menu. I wanted to do something different the steak and I think pork chops are often
over looked. I think the reason is that most people have had pork that was over cooked and dry. The FDA recommends a minimum internal
temperature of 145 degrees however most home cooks go much further because of unnecessary fears of pork. There really is no need to cook pork until
it’s completely dried out. Using a meat thermometer is the most effective way to ensure that your pork is not only safe but also tasty. Don’t be afraid. I
also recommend finding a good butcher as opposed to the pre-packaged meat of the supermarket. I was able to pre-order thick cut bone-in pork chops
from Joe’s Italian Marketplace on Rt. 9 in Wappingers Falls. If you want quality meals you have to start with quality food. It’s just that simple. The
pork chops are served with pearl onions, mushrooms and asparagus tips. I skipped the asparagus tips since they were out of season.
Hudson Valley Cheese Course
I like to finish meals with a cheese course before a sweet desert. You only need a bite or two but it’s really brings the meal together. I selected two local
cheeses for our cheese course. The first was a double creme Coach Farm Goats Milk Cheese. Coach Farm is located in Pine Plains, NY. It was founded by
the former owners of Coach Leather, the popular handbag company. They sold the Coach business and went into the cheese business. Their farm
follows traditional French standards for cheese making. They have over 900 goats on the farm producing award winning cheese. The second cheese
was a Sprout Creek Farm Toussaint which becomes more complex and peppery with age, and rounds out with a smooth, tight texture. Sprout Creek
Farm is located in Poughkeepsie. We have actually visited the farm. They have a small market selling their cheeses as well as grass-feed beef.
Bread Pudding, Family Recipe
My wife made the family’s recipe for bread pudding. One of her secrets was using cinnamon bread. I’d share the recipe but I think her Aunt would
object.
Overall I felt the menu really worked well and flowed from one course to the next. I achieved my goal of offering a lot of different flavors that
complemented each other well. I never want my guests to leave the table over stuffed but I do want them to feel satisfied. As always the best part of a
meal like this is spending time with your family around the table.
Recipe Sources:
The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller
The Olives Table: Over 160 recipes from the critically acclaimed restaurant and home kitchen of Todd English by Todd English
The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco's Beloved Restaurant by Judy Rogers
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