Sunday, June 28, 2009

Teri's Pain Perdu (French Toast)

Teri's Pain Perdu (French Toast)


4 slices brioche (I make my own), day old or older is best.
2 to 2-1/2 cups whole milk (or a combination of cream and non-fat milk to taste).
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 eggs
ghee or cooking oil (not butter - it will burn)

griddle or large non-stick frying pan
wide spatula
platter with a decent rim
plate with a rim

Slice bread 1/2 inch thick. Heat non-stick skillet on stove to between medium and medium high or griddle (easiest) to 300-350 degrees. Heat milk and vanilla in microwave. Beat eggs and place in a shallow plate. Arrange bread on platter. Put desired/needed amount of ghee or oil on the skillet.

Pour milk over bread slices. (I save some for dry spots.) After a few minutes turn the bread over to make sure all has become "wet" with the milk.

With the spatula, carefully move bread slices, one at a time, to the egg plate, turn over. Place slices on grill. The bread should sizzle just a tiny bit but not "fry". Adjust temperature as needed. When the slices are a golden brown, turn over and cook the other side.

Serve warm with butter and/or syrup.

Increase porportions for more servings.

Teri's Breakfast Potatoes

Teri's Breakfast Potatoes

4-5 medium sized red potatoes
1/3 cup diced onion
2-3 tablespoons Penzey's Fox Point seasoning (salt, shallots,, chives, garlic, onion and green peppercorns)
1 tablespoon tarragon
splash olive oil
ghee or cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste

2 quart sauce pan
flexible spatula / flipper

In 2-quart sauce pan fill to half with water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, skins on and cook/boil with a lid partially covering the pot for 15 minutes or until just starting to soften. Drain into collander and rinse with cold water until cool enough to handle. Do a medium dice with skins on.

In skillet, melt ghee and cook onion until semi tender. Add potatoes and cook, stiring only when pieces on bottom become brown. When nearly all the pieces are browned, and the potatoes are beginning to become tender, sprinkle with Fox Point, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Stir seasonings and oil into potatoes. Add tarragon, stir again. Continue to cook until oil has mostly cooked off. Cook until tender, but not mushy. Serve warm.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Nick's In The Kitchen

Peanut Butter and Jelly and Butter Sandwich
This is Nick's very first recipe creation. When you're done making the sandwich, be sure to say "Wowla"!

4 table knives
3 slices of bread
butter
peanut butter
jelly

Take one slice of bread and spread butter on it using a knife. Take a second slice of bread and put butter on it using the same knife. Place the two pieces of bread together with the butter sides facing each other. On the top of one of the slices, with a second knife, spread the jelly. On the third slice of bread, with the third knife, spread the peanut butter and place it on top of the other stack of bread with the jelly and the peanut butter facing together. With a fourth knife cut it into four or six pieces.

Say "Wowla"!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Ooh La La

Galerie du Château will be serving a French dinner this evening. A few things aren't quite with the theme, but they're favorites and called out to be included (like your silly cousin).

Fromage and biscuit salé (one cracker is homemade and yes, I'm serving the cheese before dinner)
Chicken Marabella (Mirabella in some cookbooks)
Greenbeans with lemon and pine nuts
Brioche (homemade) with beurre
Lime mousse with a chocolate brownie (homemade).
And of course copious amounts of vin.

Bon Appétit!