Financiers, Finley & spring.....

FINLEY

We have Brangus cows on our little ranch in Mckinney, Texas, and spring is always exciting with the new calves.   Finley was quite unusual, because he was born red with black markings and the Brangus are usually born black.   I had decided to bake my financiers early this week and actually get ahead of my game (which would be a departure for me).  But my mind had been uneasy for several days with the observation that Finley simply was not thriving, despite his Mom's best efforts.  Now, one of the admired characteristics of the Brangus breed is that the heifers (females of breeding age) are fierce and formidable "baby mamas".

So I commence with this relatively simple recipe, between running out to the pasture to check on the baby.  By late afternoon, as the financiers are chilling themselves in the fridge, I confirm that this little red calf is in serious trouble.   Of course, my husband had gone into town for his weekly card game with the guys, and, Gary (our cow expert & caretaker) was nowhere to be found!

I am very tenderhearted about our livestock, despite my best efforts to be a tough cowgirl!

And, damn it all, the weather was turning cold and nasty- one of our Texas spring squalls for sure.

Let me insert here that, yes, I did get the financiers baked- as a matter of fact, they were a great diversion for me that evening and satisfied my hunger when dinner was put on the back burner.

My husband and I ended up bringing Finley into the laundry room & blanketing him to try to warm him back up and get some milk in his little belly.   And, in a most heartwarming fashion- Bentley, one of my male Dachshunds,  took over guardianship of this sick baby and stayed by him all night & the next day!

I wish I had a happy ending, but we lost Finley yesterday- he just simply could not gain his strength.....

Of course,  this is the hard part of raising livestock, and we are reminded, that even on beautiful spring days when new life buds out & births itself,  shadows and cold will sometimes steal into the pasture and bring sadness.

 Oh, yes, butter!

 My brown butter is speckled??

 A bitty apple chunk & a dab of cinnamon on top

Little and tasty treats.

FFWD- Long Slow Apples

"Lord, please remind me not to start a Dorie recipe on a morning when I am pressed for time and have an appointment, thank you."
And to relate this story, I have to tell you about the bread, also.   Today was my sourdough bread baking day, and I prepared the starter last night.   I will just get that kneaded first and then do the apples.  Hop out of bed, get the coffee started, feed the dogs and run around doing little chores.
Big oops, I neglected to put the coffee filter in, and, of course, it oozes all over the floor.   My cat loves it when I do that, she just primly sits there and watches it drip everywhere- it totally fascinates her while it drives me bananas!   My sweet husband helps me clean that disaster up- now I am in a bit of a tizzy.

On with the bread- with the slight humidity of today- the dough is sticky and clings to me, the mixer and everything else.  Put in a little extra cleaning time there, ditto.   But it's done and in to rise.

Peel, core, cut- get out food processor to cut them thin- butter little cups; yikes, I better cut out that parchment paper (damn it that stuff never stays flat!).    Don't forget the sugar mixture & let's chop up some sugared orange peel to go on there.   Oh, gee, I am running late!
New Breville food processor- why the heck won't it fit properly; what am I doing wrong??  Crack, out flies a chip from under the bowl!   Ok, just took the new off that one, huh?    Luckily, it still works and we forge ahead and manage to get some lovely thin apple slices.

 This recipe took a long time...

 Prepped for the baking

 Love it when that coffee goes everywhere!!

 Pretty

 Was it worth it?

Take your time and place them in nice layers in the bowls- now butter, sprinkle & do it all again.  Oh, dear- look at the time.....throw them in the ramekins, toss on the sugar, cover them up in a flash and into that preheated oven.   Minutes to spare; I am out the door.
Later in the afternoon,  I have the finished beautifully scented apples, and you know what, they are, as Dorie promised, quite simply divine.
Please head over to http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/?p=1415 and view all of the bakers' posts.

Herb speckled spaetzle

Howdy, Doristas- I have missed you girls & guys, but I am ready to jump back into some Dorie cooking action!  Hope everyone survived & enjoyed their holidays and has a grand start on 2013.

Just a few short notes on this first recipe for January (why oh why did it have to be my re-entry choice?)   Let me say I am a huge believer in multi-tasking implements in the kitchen;  BUT buy the damn spaetzle maker....holy moley, what a mess trying to urge this dough through an ordinary grater!  Am I just a klutz or did anyone else have difficulty?  I really thought I was going to have to throw that grater away, when I attempted to clean it....when I have to resort to toothpick cleaning of the dishes after dinner; well, let's just say No.  I am not even mentioning the cleaning of the stove or various other pieces of equipment.

Mom; what is that stuff?

1st ever attempt at spaetzle-scary, huh?

How I adore my fresh farm eggs!

So, anyway, it was just OK in flavor- I did it, it was not pretty and will probably not be repeated.
To see the other adventures (or misadventures) of my Dorista friends, please link to:
http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/?p=1408

FFWD- CHICKEN BASQUAISE

 Nothing better....

 Chop, chop & then slice!

 Call me when this is done.

 Oh my- nap time for me.

"In the Basque style"- I like the way that sounds.....

Well, the jury is still out on this one- um, it was ok, pretty good; very good? and my DH seemed to heartily enjoy it for supper.   You see, I sometimes use this summary ratio of time spent in preparation compared to the 1-10 scale for the finished dish.   I must have chopped for a solid hour (understand though that I do consider chopping and slicing foods as rather relaxing & always a certifiable practice of knife skills).   And the finished rainbow array of veggies on the cutting board was most rewarding.

I had purchased a nice organic chicken that my husband cut up (no,no; I do not cut up chickens!) for me, and then it soaked in a mild salt/sugar brine for several hours.  This has become a required step to our chicken recipes now, whether we are grilling out or however.

The pepper/onion/spices went together well & smelled wonderful.  After simmering a while, I also just let it sit & absorb amongst itself while the chicken soaked.   Then I proceeded with Dorie’s simple instructions for the rest of the recipe.   I did modify on my wine; all I had available was a sorta disliked bottle of white zin that I had picked up God knows where- too sweet, yecch.   So I added a little balsamic vinegar & chicken glace stock along with a smaller portion of the wine- the sauce was tasty.

The only other small hurdle was my “raised in the South” dispensation to fry that chicken up with a beautiful crunchy brown crust when it went into the frying pan.   But I held off and did as directed.....ho hum.

My sweet husband prepared a perfect pot of rice; another thing I gave up on- it always ended up a sticky, gummy, stuck to the pan kinda thing.

I suppose I give it a 7, maybe a 7+?    Was it worth all the time & prep work?? What do the rest of the Dorista ladies and gentlemen think?
Please link to http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/?p=1225 and read more delicious renditions of this recipe.

FFWD- Spice Poached apples

 Have to admit when I first read over this recipe; I had visions of that awful fruit mixture that used to get passed around & you would stir & add more fruit....I can’t say, perhaps it was only prepared here in Texas, but, yuk!

Anyway,  decided to give it a whirl- any recipe with vanilla beans & star anise has to be worth it. I went with one apple & some nectarines and pluots that needed a mission.

The sauce was quite tasty and it made a pretty little dessert  for our dinner.   My only question was that the sauce needed much longer to reduce & it did not seem  thick enough.  Guess I could have doctored it up, but the taste was yummy! To see how our other marvelous cooks fared please link to http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/?p=1201.

 How I love my copper pot!

 Getting started.

 Oh, so pretty....

 Juicy for sure

Too busy hunting squirrels to cook!

FFWD- Double Choc. & Banana Tart

Wow, does that name say it all? Even for me, a pretty hardcore chocolate addict- it was a real contention.
After making several of these recipes with the choc. crust tart & enhanced choc. fillings- decision reached to use one or the other, not both.
And what the heck happened to my ganache?? It sounded simple, but there was a snafu (could it have been because I did not have enough bittersweet choc. & had to sub in the cocoa/oil mixture??)  Yowser, just take a gander at this picture- butter & oil oozing everywhere- a relative gusher.....

Moving on to the banana mixture- did those directions really mean 1/8 inch slices?  My lovely little diagonal banana pieces simply melted in the butter/sugar caramel- tasted fine though.   So, yes, in they went on top of the "bonne idea" nutella coated tart (luv that darn stuff). Check.

Finally- this is a beautiful tart; best enjoyed in demurely sliced pieces & yes- do have that dollop of fresh whipped cream on top!

Please visit the French Fridays with Dorie site to view the other bakers' blogs & experiences with decadent tart baking.   

LYL: double chocolate and banana tart

Wok Wed.- Stir Fried Spinach

It was appreciated that we started out with a simple one- I just love recipes with only 1 or 2 ingredients.
With that being said, I will add that spinach is not my favorite vegetable, but, as I am trying to broaden my palate & eat more healthy- I surged ahead.
My wok was about 6 months old & I could not remember how I had seasoned it, so I started over & used Grace's method from the beginning. It was a fun process & I enjoyed it- the frying of the onions & ginger smelled wonderful; although the 15 min. span did turn them extremely brown.  Since I had to get nervous about something- I then worried if I had scorched the veggies!

Cooking the spinach dish was simple, of course....but led me to the decision to invest in one of the nice Rosle garlic presses that Grace recommends.  I do enough garlic that it will be nice to have- we grow huge stalks of elephant garlic, and I use it liberally.
The spinach stayed bright green in the stir frying & the pinch of salt & sugar was just right. Along with some pork tenderloin, it was a worthy accompaniment for a nice little supper.

Please visit the site http://www.greeneatsblog.com/2012/05/ww-stir-fried-garlic-spinach/ in order to view the other chefs' offerings.

FFWD-Sardine Rillettes

Ok, so I really thought this one over- I mean, it totally fell into the "I would never eat this, but I must try new things" genre.....my primary impulse was to run in the opposite direction & perhaps wimp out with some salmon croquettes or something similar.  But I mulled it over, while reminding myself that my dear husband & a particular close friend love love luv any kind of smelly little fish prepared any which way.
So....I decided to prepare it for them and not ME.   I sorta appreciated the order of the recipe, as I could mix & have fun with all the other ingredients; then throw those sardines in at the last minute!
So I pried open the cans (the cat was standing close by on duty);  one of them had the little bones in the fish, but true to Dorie's instructions- they were quite easy to dismantle.  I was working quickly, mind you, those little fish- well, you know.....So I mixed them all up and put the rillettes in a nice tidy bowl with some crackers on the side & proudly served them to my husband.   The other half of the recipe went to my friend who also loves anything with sardines!  Yes, he relished it also; so in that respect we have a winner!   And truly one of the wonderful things about cooking is sharing things with those you love.
My dear sweet Mom, bless her soul, would have been proud of me!

So please link to http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/?p=1033#comments, just in case you are curious about how others fared with this sardine concoction!

FFWD- Crab & Grapefruit Salad

Honest as I am, I have to consign that my crab & grapefruit salad turned into a shrimp salad, although the recipe was followed faithfully besides that.   If you kind Doristas will permit, I shall slightly diverge from cooking for a moment & widen the perimeter somewhat.   You see, I just finished reading a book called
The American Way of Eating by Tracie McMillan.  This story is an examination of our way of procuring, selling and cooking food in restaurants from an undercover viewpoint.   I won't bore you with the details, but it was very thought provoking and well worth the time to read.
It does have an extensive focus on what we spend on food and what a lot of people simply can not afford to indulge in.  When I went to the market to shop for my recipes this week (along with my TWD assignment "Pizza Rustica"); I found myself very carefully adding up prices & running questions through my mind.
Now, I consider myself very blessed to be somewhat lenient with my food budget, especially since my husband & I have already raised our 2 sons & we are empty nesters. BUT when I approached the seafood counter & realized that lump crabmeat would be $26.00 a pound, I gulped & stepped back to ponder that.
Then I moved on & chose to purchase the large shrimp, ever mindful that they were $10.99 per lb. I will end this line of discourse by saying that I spent $57.00 for, basically, the ingredients for 2 recipes- along with some extra fruit and herbs!

 So pretty, so pink!

 Veggierific collection!

 No cooking, Mom-I want to play!

 Chop, chop- almost there.

I did fully enjoy working with the scrumptious ingredients in this recipe- living in Texas, we love our Rio Star red grapefruit, avocados & peppers....so I merrily chopped, scooped and mixed.  The addition of a nice vinaigrette made from the grapefruit juice & olive oil greatly enhanced the lovely parts & pieces of this salad.   We sat down to a delightful and very fresh meal with a cool glass of white wine & some simple saltine crackers with homemade butter.
Please find your way to the French Fridays with Dorie site http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/?cat=10 in order to browse all the posts.    Thank you.

MKMW-Finnish Meat Balls

I am already confused in my new journey with My Kitchen, My World- after realizing that I posted my link incorrectly before I even wrote this blog.   And, secondly, for thinking that a simple sounding recipe would be quick & easy.   Ha, the joke is on me. After my research on Finnish recipes, I chose to try this meatball selection, even though there many wonderful sounding bread recipes.    Those are really my favorite, but I had just completed Irish Soda Bread for Tuesdays with Dorie.

FINNISH MEAT BALLS

1/2 c. bread crumbs 1/2 c. evaporated milk 1 lb. ground beef 1 med. onion, chopped 1 egg 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. allspice 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. flour 1 1/2 c. evaporated milk Soak bread crumbs in 1/2 cup milk and combine with beef, onion, egg and seasonings. Form into small balls and brown in butter. Add flour to drippings in pan and make gravy, add 1 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Return meat balls to gravy and cover and simmer 30 minutes or bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. This recipe is reprinted from the Cooks.com site. I followed the directions rather closely but did add more seasoning- as it seemed bland to me.   We live in Texas & bland does not describe our eating habits! I am rather a novice with meatballs and found them just a little tricky to brown correctly on all sides- I know that sounds downright silly, but it is true!  The basics-meat & onion  Everything needs a wee bit of this!  Dachs ready to help Mom  Nicely browned finally  Ahhh, the sauce. And then my gravy required the quick immersion blender save when it lumped up in a real jiffy.   All in all, this was a nice, substantial meal- the meatballs were served on a bed of rice with a crisp, green salad on the side.

FFWD-Cheese Souffle-Better Late than Never.....

Ok, so I was sorta edging towards working myself into a lather over this soufflé; but it ended up pleasantly surprising me.   I mean,  I have probably only constructed maybe 3 of these in my cooking years, but I took some deep breathes as I read Dorie's calming prologue to the recipe.  Like the little engine that could, "I think I can, I think I can."
If there is one huge lesson that I have learned from my recent FFWD & TWD kitchen endeavors, it would be these 3 words- "mise en place" or however you spell that.  It is the fancy French way to say what Texans might term, "Get yer shit together before you start rattling the pans."
So I did, I had even prepared the béchamel sauce the day before when I had some extra time- it was nice & smooth & thick.  I could not find my soufflé dish (does anybody else's cupboards eat pans like mine do?), so I used a wonderful little clay pot that looked the right shape & size.
With the Doxie sous chefs in place- the party started.  My sweet husband grated the cheese, as I separated the eggs (only lost 2 when the yolks fell in my bowl of whites, coulda been worse!!).  I get exquisite farm fresh eggs from my neighbor around the corner, and I luv luv using them in my recipes.  I even enjoy doing whites by hand instead of the mixer- I just think it's really fun to watch them puff up.
I mixed, folded & cajoled this baby into its little dish & ever so gently slipped it into the oven.   Mind you, I was darn sure to follow Dorie's admonition not to peek at all until 25 min. had elapsed.  After 30, I snuck that piece of tin foil over it & gave the beauty another 10 min.

Ta dah, if I do say so myself- it came out very nicely browned & puffy and tasted delicious!   A simple salad & some fresh fruit made a perfectly satisfying Sat. dinner.