By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO
Kir is a popular French cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped up with white wine. In France it is usually drunk as an apéritif before a meal or snack. Originally, the wine used was Bourgogne Aligoté, a lesser white wine of Burgundy. Nowadays, various white wines are used throughout France, according to the region and the whim of the barkeeper. Many prefer a white Chardonnay – b a s e d Burgundy, such as Chablis.
Monsieur Félix Kir (born in 1876 in Côte d’Or, in the heart of Burgundy) was a canon, ordained as a Catholic priest in 1901. He used to be a major resistance fighter against the German occupation during WWII and got the French Legion of Honor Cross in 1946.That same year, he became a member of French Parliament as a “député” and mayor of Dijon, the most important city of Burgundy.
It was during this time that he started serving, for all public event parties in Dijon, an apéritif most French people already knew under the “blanc-cassis” name (white wine & blackcurrant).
And now the original proportions of a true “KIR”
However, in most bars and “cafés” Kir is now made with these proportions:
You can make many variations of this recipe, with raspberry, blackberry ( my personal favorite) or peach cream, Champagne (makes a royal Kir) or other sparkling wines. I must pay a tribute to the clairvoyance of Mayor Kir, who died in 1968 at the age of 92, who allowed this small regional drink to become, today, the most preferred apéritif in the world.
]]>By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO
Asparagus has been used from early times as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor and diuretic properties. There is a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes. It was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, who ate it fresh when in season and dried it for use in winter. Asparagus is pictured on an Egyptian frieze dating to 3000 B.C., and France’s Louis XIV had special greenhouses built for growing it. Asparagus is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, C, E, and K, and then thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, selenium and chromium (whew!), a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. In other words, it’s very healthy.
The shoots are prepared and served in a number of ways around the world, typically as an appetizer or vegetable side dish. In Asian-style cooking, asparagus is often stir-fried. Cantonese restaurants in the United States often serve asparagus stirfried with chicken, shrimp, or beef, and also wrapped in bacon. Asparagus may also be quickly grilled over charcoal or hardwood embers. It is also used as an ingredient in stews and soups. In the French-style, it is often boiled or steamed and served with hollandaise sauce, melted butter or olive oil. In recent years, almost as a cycle dating back to early culinary habits, asparagus has regained its popularity eaten raw as a component of a salad.
This recipe is pretty easy to do and is inexpensive as well. It can be served warm or cold. It looks spectacular, especially when you announce you are the chef! This recipe will accommodate six people.
You serve your terrine warm, so carve six nice slices and simply serve them with a drizzle of parsley cream around them.
Or you serve the terrine cold. Put it the refrigerator for three hours. Carve six slices and serve with a small drizzle of parsley cream around them.
By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO
]]>Garlic Butter
By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO
In Burgundy they eat their snails swimming in delicious, garlicky parsley butter, spearing them from their shells with cute two-pronged forks made just for that purpose. But beurre d’escargots is not just for snails. It can be spread on warm crusty bread, a knob can be set to melt on a freshly seared steak, and we will then have “beurre Matire D’Hotel.” It can be spread on cod to be baked in papillote, melted over potatoes and lots more. It keeps for weeks, if you don’t find uses for it all at once, and it also freezes very well.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Leave your butter at room temperature until soft (that’s an easy thing to do here in South Florida). You can use an electric chopper to get the garlic, shallots and parsley chopped finely. Then, in a salad bowl, mix all your ingredients well until you obtain a homogeneous paste. I’d advise you to transfer it to a zip lock bag and flatten it out and keep it in the freezer, this way you can break off pieces as needed. It should keep for a few months. Then you will be able to use it little by little, not only to cook “escargots,” but for a lot of other preparations such as sautéed potatoes, garlic mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. You are the chef!
]]>By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO
Easy recipes are always our favorites – few ingredients, quick preparation and a delicious flavor always make our day. I am giving you this amazing sauce for chicken, veal, red meats and pork. If you’re a vegetarian, you can put it on your tofu. Grab a napkin for this one – you just might find yourself salivating as you read the recipe.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Traditional steak au poivre has been served as a pan sauce since at least the mid-19th century. Regardless of the concoction, the same pan should be used to create the sauce as was used to cook the steak. But we are in South Florida, so the BBQ will probably take the place of the pan, so I’m giving you a simple way to make a delicious sauce without the smokey pan smells in the kitchen.
Ingredients:
• 1 tin or jar of green peppercorns in brine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 oz. cognac, brandy, whiskey or bourbon
• 2 small shallots
• 1 small onion
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup beef or veal stock or”Demi-glace”
• cup heavy cream
Directions:
Originally native to the Eastern Mediterranean area and Asia, leeks have been cultivated for more than 3,000 years and have long been popular in Europe.
In 640 A.D., the Welsh wore leeks in their hats to distinguish themselves from the enemy during the battle between King Cadwallader of Wales and the Saxons. The leek became an emblem of pride in Wales, and Welshmen wear the leek to commemorate King Cadwallader’s victory on St. David’s Day, March 1. The leek in Hebrew is called karti, which is a pun on the Hebrew word “yikartu,” meaning “to be cut off.” Thus, the Jews eat leeks at Rosh Hashanah to symbolize a wish for enemies to be cut off.
Nero ate leeks with oil regularly, thinking they were good for his singing voice. Perhaps Nero got the notion from Aristotle who claimed the clear cry of the partridge was due to its diet of leeks. Go figure.
Directions:
Using a sharp knife, halve the whole leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise into one inch pieces and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about five minutes. Add the reserved bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful.
Remove the bouquet garni and, working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender. (Alternately, if you own an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot.) Stir in the crème fraiche and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. You don’t have to use cream, I never do. You are the chef. Serve immediately, with some of the snipped chives or parsley sprinkled over the top of each bowl of soup.
]]>By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO
We are now in November (where did the year go?) and our thoughts turn to Thanksgiving. This is a perfect addition to your traditional Thanksgiving feast:
Ingredients: (for approximately 40 crepes)
Directions:
Courgettes Au Gratin (Zucchini)
This is a “hot” vegetarian dish, or a sexy vegetable accompaniment to any poultry, meat or fish dish you like. It’ll make any reluctant “squash” eater a complete fan — I know what I’m talkin’ about, I was one! So for 4 servings you’ll need:
Ingredients:
Directions: