Back from the 4-day marathon cooking weekend...

richard-in-cincy

Well-known member
We had such a wonderful time getting up each day and deciding where we were going for the day:

Day 1: Italian

Day 2: Georgian

Day 3: French

Day 4: Austrian

I took lots of pictures as we were cooking and of finished dishes. Will have to sort through them and find the time to post some of them.

In the meantime, I'll post our menus and some of the recipes for anyone who's interested.

 
Day 1: Italian Recs: Braciole and Tiramisu

Fried Calamari
Sauce Bolognese with homemade fettucini
Braciole
Caprese Salat
Tiramisu

Chicago Restaurant Desserts:
Sticky Toffee Pudding from Gale Gant

Braciole

1 lb boneless beef round, cut into 4 thin slices approximately 1/3 inch thick
4 slices of prosciutto
1 tablespoon pignoli
2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 28oz cans imported Italian tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 bay leaves
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
2 celery stalks, chopped chopped fine
1 cup dry red wine
flour spread on a plate for dredging
salt & pepper to taste

1. Place each slice of beef between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat pounder until 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Lay a slice of prosciutto on each one and sprinkle evenly with with the pignoli beans, pecorino romano cheese, garlic and parsley. Roll up the slices, tucking in the ends and tie with kitchen string.
2. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Dredge the braciole in flour shaking off any excess, then place in the pan. Cook until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes.
3. Heat the other 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add braciole, bay leaves, and salt & pepper.
4. Add red wine and cook until most of liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Pass the tomatoes, with their juices through a food mill or sieve into the saucepan. Fill one of the tomato cans 1/2 way with water and add to saucepan. Add tomato puree, turn heat to low and cook at a simmer until beef is tender 1.5 - 2 hours.
5. Sprinkle the basil over the rolls, and cook for 2 minutes longer. Transfer to serving plates, spoon the sauce over the top and serve at once.


Tiramisu
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup cream
1 ¼ cups cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pound mascarpone cheese
½ cup Spanish espresso
½ cup Kahlua
1 recipe of ladyfingers
½ cup ground bittersweet chocolate
whisk together yolks and sugar. Whisk in ¾ cup cream and cook stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cover and chill in refrigerator.
Beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Whisk mascarpone into yolk mixture until smooth.
In a small bowl, combine coffee and kahlua. Dip ladyfingers into coffee.
Arrange half of soaked ladyfingers in bottom of a 7x11 inch dish. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half of whipped cream over that. Repeat layers and sprinkle with chocolate. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, until set.

 
Day 2: Georgian Recipes

Chicago Restaurant Dessert: Cream Cheese Strawberry Trifle (this one is simple: Make a fluffy genoise cake (beat the eggs for about 20 minutes), immediately cover cake with vanilla sugar when it comes out of the oven, and let cool. Flavor strawberries with sugar, vanill, and chambord, let macerate to make syrup. Whip cream with cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Layer in trifle dish or individual dishes.)


This was our favorite dinner of the weekend:

Beet Caviar with Walnuts and Prunes
Spiced Feta
Olives
Lavash
Georgian Spicy Roast Pork with Pomegranate Sauce
Red Beans with Plum Balsamic Dressing
Saffron Pilaf with Orange, Almonds, and Raisins
Orange Buttercream Tort


Svyloka s Orekhami i Chernoslivom
Beet Caviar with Walnuts and Prunes

This is amazing!!!

3 large beets
1/3 cup brandy
8 pitted prunes
1 clove garlic
2 tbls. lemon juice
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 tabl. mayonnaise
salt
pepper

Clean beets, wrap in foil, and bake at 375F until tender. Let cool. Peel.

Meanwhile, bring the brandy to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour over the prunes and let soak at least 30 min. Remove the prunes, reserve the brandy, and finely chop the prunes

Chop peeled beets coarsely. Process beets and garlic in food processor until finely minced, but not pureed.

Transfer the beets to a bowl and add the lemon juice, 2 tabl. of reserved brandy, the chopped prunes, and walnuts. Toss thoroughly with the mayo and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with crackers as appetizer.
Spiced Feta
Brinza
3/4 pound feta
2 tsp tarragon vinegar
3 tbls. olive oil
1/4 tsp. hot paprika
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. oregano
pinch of sumakh
6-8 springs each of cilantro, basil, tarragon, mint, and chives.

Arrange feta slices in shallow serving dish.

Whisk vinegar with olive oil, and herbs, Drizzle over cheese. Sprinkle with Sumakh and let stand at room temp for 1 hour. Serve accompanied by the herbs.

Shemtsvari Ghoris Khortsi Brotseulis Satsebelit
Georgian Spicy Roast Pork with Pomegranate Sauce

Spice Paste
3 tbls. sweet paprika
2 tsp. hot paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp each of fenugreek, ground cumin, and coarse salt

1 pork shoulder roast, 6 lbs.
6 large cloves garlic, slivered
1 cup beef broth
pomegranate sauce
chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Combine spices, stir in water to make paste. Stir in garlic.

Make slits in the roast and insert the slivers of garlic as deep as possible.

Spread remaining past over roast, cover and marinate for 12 hours or more.

Place roast in 400F. oven, in a roasting pan, with the broth poured in the bottom. Reduce the temp to 325 after 30 minutes. Baste with drippings. Roast until done, about 3.5 hours.

Remove from oven and let stand 15 min. before carving. Arrange slices on platter, poor pomegranate sauce down center, sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro.

Pomegranate Sauce.

Reduce 2 cups pomegranate juice, 1 cup beef stock, and 2 cups cabernet by half.
Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic and a handful of minced fresh cilantro.

Make a roux with 3 tbls. butter and flour. Stir in strained hot reduced liquid and stir to make gravy. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds.
Lobio Tkemali
Red Beans with Plum Balsamic Dressing

1 1/3 cup red kidney beans, soaked overnight.
1 onion, peeled, and cut into quarters
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery in 2 inch pieces
salt
pepper
6 pitted prunes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbls. Powidl (thick tart plum butter or sub tamarind paste)
1 tsp. Chinese chili and garlic paste
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1/4 tsp. fenugreek
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus additional for garnish
red onion rings.

Combine beans, onion, carrot, and celery in pot. Add enough water to just cover beans. Bring to simmer, add salt, and cook until tender, but not mushy.

Meanwhile, combine the prunes and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the prunes with a slotted spoon and reserve syrup. Finely mince prunes. Add the powidl and stir to combine.

Drain beans and discard onion, carrot, and celery. Allow beans to cool.

Whisk together plum mixture, chili paste, and olive oil. Add chopped prunes, coriander seeds, and fenugreek.

Toss the beans with the dressing and cilantro. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve garnished with additional cilantro and red onion rings.
Georgian Pilaf with Almonds, Raisins, and Orange
Plov s Mindalyom, Izyumom i Apelsinovoy Tsedroy

4 tbls. butter
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic minced
1/3 cup slivered almonds
grated zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 tsp. turmeric (we used saffron instead)
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
3 cups boiling chicken stock
salt
pepper

Met butter in heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add carrots, onions, garlic, and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in almonds, orange zest, raisins, and turmeric. Stir for 5 more minutes. Add rice and stir until rice is well coated with butter and takes on some color, another 5 minutes.

Pour boiling stock in a steady stream and let boil for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper, reduce the heat to very low, cover tightly, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Let stand covered for 10 minutes.

Fluff with fork and stir gently before serving.
Pomiranchiviy Tort
Orange Buttercream Torte

2 large seedless oranges
8 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cake flour
1 cup ground blanched almonds
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1 1/2 cup apricot jam
8 tbls. butter, at room temp
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup shelled hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and ground.
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large orange, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp. knox gelatin
2 1/2 tbls. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 tabl. cognac


350F oven. Cut two 10-inch circles of parchment and line two 10-inch springform pans. Lightly butter paper and sides and dust with flour.

Wash the oranges and dry. Cut into quarters. Puree the oranges, whole, skins and all. Set aside

In a large bowl, beat the yolks and 1 cup of gran. sugar until the mix is pale yellow and forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted. Beat in orange puree.

With a clean dry beater, beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Gently fold 1/3 of the whites into the orange mix, and then fold in the rest, alternating with the flour and almonds.

Divide the batter evenly between pans and bake for 20 min. Lower the temp to 325F and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, another 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool cakes slightly, and then remove the sides of pans. Allow them to cool completely on a rack before peeling off the paper.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, 1 minute. Remove from heat, add the Grand Marnier and cool slightly.

Cut cakes into 2 layers. Spread one cut side of the layer with 1/2 cup jam each and brush the other side with syrup. Sandwich layers back together.

In a med. bowl, beat butter with superfine sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, hazelnuts, and cream and beat until smooth.

Spread the hazelnut cream generously over one of the two layers. Place the second layer on top and press gently. Place on a cake platter.

Arrange the orange slices in a circle over the top of the cake

Sprinkle the gelatin over the orange juice and let stand 5 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1/2 cup apricot jam and the cognac in a small saucepan until dissolved, about 5 min. Combine with the gelatin and stir well.
Brush the mix over the top and the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.


 
Day 3: French Recipes

Pâte feuilletée and pâte à choux pastry day. We used Julia Child's recipes and they all turned out FLAWLESS! I can't believe I've never made this puff pastry before. It was so easy. Now I'm chomping at the bit to play more.

Chicago Restaurant Desserts:
Mud Pie with Kahlua, Chambord, and Cashew Chocolate Crust (my friend was the pastry chef at a famous Chicago restaurant and we played with one of her restaurant favorites each day)

French Beef Stock
Quiche Lorraine
Garlic Snails in Puff Pastry
Filet de boeuf en croûte
Potatoes Dauphinoise
Puff Pastry tarts filled with Mousse au Chocolat
Pithiviers (Almond Cream Puff Pastry Cake)
Palmiers (Cinnamon Sugar Puff Pastry Cookies)

(this definitely wasn't a low carb day!!!)

For the Dauphinoise, make a basic pâte à choux, stir in riced potatoes, grated swiss cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and add enough whipping cream to have a dough that you can pipe from a pastry bag with a large rosette tip. Pipe shapes onto parchment paper (fleur-de-lis are fun) and lower into hot fat, as in cruellers. Or, pipe directly into the fat and cut off with a knive to make croquettes. Fry until golden brown, remove, drain, salt.

The remaining recipes were all from Julia Child's 2-volume masterpiece, "Mastering The Art of French Cooking."

The Chicago Recipes are all proprietary, sorry smileys/frown.gif

 
Day 4: Austrian Recipes

Chicago Restaurant Desserts: Gingersnap Canolis and Double Chocolate Torte with Tangerine White Chocolate Mousse


Austrian Beef Stock.
Spätzle (Austrian noodle dumplings)
Rindsuppe mit Späztle (clear beef soup with dumplings)
Rindrouladen (Braised Beef Rolls) mit
Rotweinsöße (red wine beef sauce)
Kartoffelknödeln (Potato Dumplings)
Rotkrautgedünst (Spiced Braised Cabbage)
Salzburger Nockerln (Salzburg soufflée)

This was obviously my teaching day, LOL

I believe all the recipes are posted except for the Salzburger Nockerln:


For the egg batter:
25g butter
80g sugar
8 eggs, separated
45 g flour

For the baking dish:
10 g butter
10g. vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
whole milk (enough to make a finger thick layer in your baking dish)
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Batter:
Beat butter until fluffy.

Add sugar to butter and continue to beat while gradually adding egg yolks.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in flour, fold into egg yolk and butter mixture.

Pour milk into a baking dish. Stir in butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt, then bring to a boil. (or if your dish cannot be put onto stovetop, bring to a boil in saucepan, then poor into baking dish.)

Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, create large mounds of dumpling mixture in the baking dish.

Bake in a medium-hot oven until the domes of egg are golden-brown, the milk has been absorbed, and the insides are still soft and creamy.

Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar and/or vanilla sugar. Serve immediately.

 
Sounds fun. I've always wanted to make Boeuf en croûte - maybe someday

but given my recent bad luck with tough beef, I don't think it will be anytime soon!

 
Richard, was it Julia's later recipe for puff pastry, using cubed butter? Piece o' cake.

 
I am both impressed as well as exhausted hearing your cooking menu! Unbelievable!

So glad you had a wonderful time!! What a memorable experience!!

Regards,
Barb

 
I'm sitting here laughing, just found out the tally of cream and butter

that we went through:

Cream-- 1.5 gallons (6 quart containers)

Butter--9.5 pounds

It was so much fun doing this! Grab your foodie friends and plan a hedonistic free-for-all in the kitchen weekend!

One thing though is making yourself sit for jobs you can do sitting (paring, peeling, chopping, etc.). All that standing can wipe you out if you're not used to it.

 
Ang, many of the desserts were used

for catering. My friend was supplying desserts for 3 nights for a social function. Hence the staggering amount of desserts that we went through.

We picked through the leftovers for breakfasts and lunches since all of our energies were being directed towards the dinners and desserts. Plus her family would come over for dinner so we had lots of mouths lined up salivating for samples.

 
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