re: TD Recipe Collection 8th Edition (with links)

Lemon Curd (MD)

2 1/2 cups of lemon juice.
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon zest (zest of 2 lemons)
12 eggs
2 Sticks of unsalted butter (room temperature)
6 cups of sugar

Cream the Butter, add the sugar. The resulting mixture will be crumbly. Add eggs one or two at a time until all 12 are incorporated into the butter/sugar mixture. Add the lemon zest and juice. The mixture will begin to curd. Transfer mixture to a pan and heat to 170 - 200 (f) with stirring.
At around 170, the mixture will begin to thicken noticeably as the eggs cook.
Continue heating until it sticks to the back of the spoon and leaves a path when you run your finger across the back of the spoon.

This recipe will yield 5 and a half pint jars of curd. This is a curded egg mixture and must be stored in the freezer. It will keep in the refrigerator for a few days to a week.

Use the curd in desert shells, on pound cake with fruit or as is and as a desert topping.

Citrus Pound Cake (MD)

400 grams (3 cups) AP flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted Butter at room temperature
1 1/2 sticks Margarine at room temperature (margarine is used to produce a crispy crust on the finished cake)
3 cups sugar
5 eggs at room temperature
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
Zest of one orange
1/4 teaspoon of Orange Oil
1/4 teaspoon Lime Oil
1/4 teaspoon Lemon Oil
1 Tablespoon Triple Sec
3/4 cup Sprite


Cream the butter, margarine and sugar - the fats need to be at room temperature. Scrape down walls of the mixing bowl after creaming. Add 3 cups of sugar to the fats and mix the sugar with the butter and margarine until smooth. Be certain to scrape down the walls of the mixing bowl after adding sugar.

Add the 5 eggs, one at a time and mix each egg in to the fat/sugar mixture before adding the next egg. Be certain to scrape down the walls of the mixing bowl when mixing. Continue mixing at medium speed to incorporate air into the mixture while adding 400 grams of AP flour (3 cups).

Remove the zest from one orange (maybe a Tablespoon) and add to flour.

Measure 1 Tablespoon of Triple Sec and 1/4 teaspoon of Orange Oil, 1/4 teaspoon of Lime Oil and 1/4 teaspoon of Lemon Oil.

By this time the butter, margarine, sugar and egg mixture will have increased significantly in volume. Measure and add 3/4 cup of Sprite. Add the sprite and flour in small portions to the creamed fat, alternating each until all of the liquid and solids have been added. Be certain to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl after adding the dry ingredients.
Add oils, Triple Sec and vanilla. Mix in well.

Coat the inside of the bunt pan with butter and dust with flour to keep cake from sticking during baking process. Fill the bunt pan with batter, being careful to distribute it equally around pan. Whack the filled pan bottom sharply on the counter to make certain the batter conforms to the pan.

Bake on center rack of a preheated 325 degree oven (because this pan is dark). If using a light pan, bake at 350 degrees. Bake until a pick comes out clean. After removing from oven, allow the pan to cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges with a sharp knife and turn the pound cake out on a rack to cool for 30 minutes.

Suggestion: This cake would serve nicely with fresh berries or a sugar glaze.

This cake has a nice, moist crumb, delightful citrus flavor and a wonderful crispy crust (the result of the butter and margarine blend).

Chicken Tetrazzini (MD)

1 1/2 pounds chicken - I like boneless, skinless breasts or breast tenders.
2 cups chicken broth, black pepper two stalks celery.
1 green bell pepper, chopped (May use 1/2 green and 1/2 red bell pepper)
2 small onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, fine minced
1 medium jar Pimento
1 large jar sliced mushrooms, or 1 1/2 cups diced fresh mushrooms, sautéed in butter
1/2 Stick of butter
16 ounces vermicelli cooked just short of al dente in salted water
12 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 can tomatoes, crushed
2 Tablespoons tomato puree
salt and black pepper to taste.

Cook the chicken, with two stalks celery and two teaspoons black pepper in two cups chicken broth.

Remove from broth and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.

Chop onions and peppers. Mince garlic. Sauté in half stick of butter.

When vegetables are tender, add pimento and (cooked) mushrooms and continue cooking for a few minutes. After cooking the vegetables for a few minutes, mix the vermicelli and crushed tomatoes (with juice), Tomato puree, 1/4 cup brown sugar, vegetables, chicken and cheese. Add to a Pam sprayed or buttered casserole dish.

Sprinkle poppy seed over dish and cook covered in foil at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

This dish freezes well and reheats in oven or microwave. You may need to add a splash of water when reheating. Cover with foil in oven or plastic wrap or lid in microwave.

Eat with buttered crusty bread and a salad.

Beurre maitre d' (MD)

4 Tablespoons soft unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons finely chopped flat parsley
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
pinch of salt

This is a nice compound butter for use on meat at plating

Add all ingredients to soft butter in a dish, mix and portion for service.

Use a #40 scoop (40 scoops per quart) to portion, if you have one. This makes a nice portion for a steak or fish portion.

Chill in refrigerator after portioning to solidify and to allow flavors to meld.

Stores fine in freezer, wrapped in plastic wrap.

Veal Parmesan, Chicken Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan (MD)

2 cups Marinara Sauce (See my recipe for Marinara Sauce)
2 - 4 Veal cutlets or similar portion of Chicken or eggplant
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 Egg for wash
2 Tablespoons of cream to make wash
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated or shaved
Salt and Black Pepper
Angel Hair Pasta cooked in salted water, then buttered lightly to keep from sticking
Butter, unsalted
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.

Shave eight tablespoons of parmesan cheese for later use.

Make egg wash, by whipping the egg in two Tablespoons of cream. You can add a little salt and black pepper to this if you like.

Set up half cup of Panko bread crumbs in a shallow dish for use in breading cutlets.

Start the salted water you will use to cook the angel hair pasta. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a low boil until needed.

Flatten the veal cutlets with the flat side of a mallet between two pieces of plastic wrap to a point (1/8 inch thick) where the veal is thin enough to cook quickly. This also helps to tenderize the veal. Season the veal cutlets with salt and black pepper.

Coat each flattened cutlet with egg wash and bread with panko bread crumbs. DO this twice if needed to obtain a nice coating on the cutlet. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the crumb coating to set.

Heat the sauté pan over medium heat with two Tablespoons of butter and two Tablespoons of Olive Oil.

Cook the cutlets in butter and oil mixture, for three minutes per side.

Set up oven proof casserole dish with enough Marinara sauce to lightly cover the bottom. Place cooked cutlets on sauce, cover each cutlet lightly with mozzarella cheese and then with the rest of the Marinara sauce. Top each cutlet with the shaved parmesan cheese.

The casserole goes into the 350 degree f preheated oven for 20 minutes to set the sauce and melt the cheese. When the cheese is melted, the dish is ready

While the dish is in the oven, the Angel Hair Pasta is cooked in salted water. Angel Hair takes about three minutes to cook. When it is al dente, pull and add a little melted butter or olive oil to keep it
from sticking.

Plate the cutlet over a serving of the Angel hair pasta and serve with a suitable vegetable and crusty bread.

This dish can also be made with chicken or Eggplant. Pound the chicken breast thin in the same manner as the cutlet before breading. Eggplant is peeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick, soaked in salt water and breaded as the cutlets or chicken cutlets.

All three versions are excellent.

Beef & Italian Sausage (Red) Lasagna (MD)

This should feed 10

Meat Sauce

2 1/4 pounds ground beef
12 ounces (5 links) of Italian Sausage with casing removed
1 Large onion (diced)
1 Large bell pepper (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans tomato paste
12 ounces of mushrooms
3 Tablespoons Oregano
2 Tablespoons Basil
1 Tablespoon Thyme
Salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
A splash of red wine

Other needs:

Lasagna noodles
20 ounces Mozzarella cheese
12 ounces Parmesan cheese
10 ounces chopped spinach
1 1/2 cups Cottage or Romano cheese
1 egg (only one)

Brown the hamburger and Italian sausage with black pepper and a little salt. As it browns, add onion, bell pepper and garlic. When fully cooked, remove the meat and set aside. Cut up and sauté the mushrooms in a little olive oil, then set aside. Deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine.

In a suitable pan, add the large can of diced tomatoes that you have chopped up or crushed with your hands, plus the cooked meat, cooked mushrooms, two cans of tomato sauce, two cans of tomato paste, 2 cups of water, 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped basil, 3 Tablespoons of oregano and a Tablespoon of Thyme. Simmer for two hours on low heat, stirring occasionally to be certain it does not burn.

The Lasagna pan needs to be deep enough to hold four layers of four noodles per layer. This is a fairly large lasagna pan.

The noodles are cooked in salted water at a steady boil (for about 10 minutes), then quenched in cool water.

There are three cheeses in this lasagna - mozzarella, cottage (or Romano), which is mixed with drained chopped spinach and an egg and Parmesan.

To build the Lasagna:

Spray the pan with Pam or wipe olive oil over the bottom and sides and then add a light layer of sauce in the bottom. The first noodle layer goes on top of the sauce. Next, add a thicker layer of sauce over the noodles. Then add mozzarella cheese, then parmesan, followed by the spinach, cottage cheese and egg mixture.

This process is repeated until all four layers of noodles are stacked.

The lasagna is topped with a final layer of sauce, mozzarella and a healthy layer of parmesan.

Bake the lasagna uncovered at 350 degrees to an internal temperature (checked with thermometer) of 225 degrees f. If the top begins to dry out, add three or four Tablespoons of water and cover with a foil cover to keep it from drying out. It should be bubbly hot and not dried out when done. Allow it to rest uncovered for 15 minutes after removing the lasagna from the oven.

You may bake the lasagna right away or freeze it covered and bake later. It preps up ahead and freezes uncooked nicely. As long as you protect the contents from drying, you can freeze uncooked lasagna for over a month. Leftovers also freeze well as long as you protect them from drying out.

We usually thaw ours for a full day in the refrigerator before cooking it if it has been frozen, but you can cook frozen lasagna from frozen if you seal the dish tightly with foil and add a little water.

Bake at 350 degrees f (fresh, thawed or frozen) with a thermometer to make certain the inside is hot to an internal temperature of 225 degrees f.

From frozen, cook it for an hour and a half sealed with foil. Then open until internal 225 degrees is reached. Allow the lasagna to rest for 15 minutes after removing it from the oven. It should be bubbly when it comes out of the oven, so moisture is important when cooking lasagna that has been frozen. Add a quarter cup of water over the top of frozen lasagna before it goes into the oven and maybe also drizzle a little melted butter over the top.

The French Mother Sauces (MD)

Sauces - Part 1

There are cooks and there are chefs. Everyone knows at least one cook with the ability to consistently produce enjoyable food.

I see myself as a cook. Whether I am a consistently good cook is up for interpretation.

Then there are those who travel different paths than cooks, with a chef’s desire burning in their gut to consistently produce more than just enjoyable food. They want their dishes to be memorable.

In the world of culinary achievement there is probably no group of chefs more admired than those who demonstrate competency in the cuisine known as French.

In French cooking, it is all about the sauce, with color, viscosity, texture and taste pretty much defining the success of any sauce. Regardless of the other components of any dish, culinary success in French cooking begins and ends with the sauce.

The French have always known this and long ago established their supremacy in the culinary world with the sauces they perfected. From the efforts of classic French chefs Marie Antoine-Carême and Auguste Escoffier what are known as the Five Mother Sauces were codified around the beginning of the 20th century.

The Five Mother Sauces of French Cuisine:

Five sauces, designated the “Mother Sauces of French Cuisine”, were identified by famed French Chef Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) and codified in recipe form in his recipe book Le Guide Culinaire in 1903. These five sauces are the basis of sauce-making in classic French cooking. They include Béchamel, Espagnole, Velouté, Hollandaise and Tomate.

These sauces are still taught in culinary schools, deemed foundational and required of all chefs as a part of their academic training. Some are used often in home cooking, while others are used more in restaurant cooking or rarely made at all anymore. The five classic sauces identified by Escoffier include:

#1 - Sauce Béchamel (White Sauce)

Béchamel (also called White Sauce) is a milk based sauce (developed in the 17th century, circa 1650) and thickened with a white roux. The sauce is essentially a 50/50 mixture of flour and butter, with the flour cooked (blond roux) over moderate heat, with milk added to complete the sauce. It is a velouté sauce (velvet sauce).

Basic Instructions:

3 ounces unsalted butter
3 ounces flour
Salt to taste White Pepper (if desired)
milk to desired consistency

In a sauce pan, add the flour to melted butter over moderate heat. Cook flour for 3-4 minutes, being careful to not brown the flour. This is blond roux and if brown color is noticed, start the roux over. Add milk to the cooked butter/flour mixture and whisk until the desired consistency is achieved. If properly prepared, the sauce will be velvety smooth and creamy in texture.

Béchamel is the base for other sauces, such as Mornay Sauce, which is Béchamel with cheese.

Mac and Cheese, properly done, uses Mornay Sauce.

A flavorful modification of the standard Béchamel would use a milk infusion with milk, parsley, shallot, bay leaf, and peppercorns, simmered and strained before adding to the butter/flour roux.

#2 - Sauce Espagnole (Spanish Sauce)

This is a fortified brown veal stock, thickened with a brown roux. The sauce has a 19th century Spanish origin, but came into wide use in French cuisine. It is a sauce with a very strong taste and is rarely used directly on food. However, it does serve as the base for many other sauces (Sauce Bourguignonne, sauce aux champignons, sauce charcutière and demi-glace).

Sauce Espagnole starts with a very dark brown roux, to which veal stock or water is added, along with browned bones, beef, vegetables, and various seasonings. This blend is slowly reduced. The classic recipe adds additional veal stock as the sauce is slowly reduced. At some point in the production of this sauce, water may be substituted for the additional veal stock. Tomato paste or pureed tomatoes are added towards the end and the sauce is further reduced to yield the finished sauce.

There was a TV show years back - “Northern Exposure” – that detailed the lives of a group of quirky individuals living in Alaska, with one segment that revolved around the preparation of a demi-glace, produced from an entire cow (two sides of beef), specifically to make about a gallon of demi-glace sauce for use in a single party dish. This is the level of commitment to a sauce that always comes to my mind when I think about Sauce Espagnole.

Basic Instructions:

Simmer roasted beef bones, beef, carrots, onions garlic, salt, pepper in a dark roux, with beef stock and water, for a considerable period (hours) of time, reducing the liquid and replacing it with more stock or water until a rich strong sauce forms. My belief is that the final sauce would be far less than 1% of the liquid used to make the sauce. Toward the end of preparation, tomato paste or pureed tomatoes are added and the reduction completed, with significant cooking time invested to accomplish this.

My belief is that this sauce requires many hours (maybe a full 24 hour day or longer) of preparation and would only be done in a large commercial kitchen with equipment and time available for this type of activity. Demi-glace is commercially available and will serve as a substitute for Sauce Espagnole when needed. With this in mind, most recipes usually specify demi-glace in place of Sauce Espagnole.

(Continued)

MD, I've been a member of Tiger Droppings for 14years. I have to say, while I don't post much ( My mom always said "it's one thing to be a fool and it's another thing to let the rest of the world know it") and more often than not, I just skim through the topics, I always stop and take time to read your posts.

I've used so many of your recipes. I look forward to the colder months because it means I can use your Beef Bourguignon recipe on a regular basis (my favorite recipe of yours). Thanks, my friend for all your contributions. Not gonna lie, not being able to view your photos anymore sucks. You were the best purveyor of the finest food porn.

Hot Boudin Dip

Make this quick and easy Boudin Dip!

8 oz cream cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 lb boudin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Remove boudin from casing and break into the cream cheese mixture. Pour boudin dip into a 1 quart baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Source: Athis