I posted a chestnut mille crêpes recently and at this point you’re probably thinking that i’m obsessed with crêpe cakes, and that i need help. Sure, i’m obsessed with eating them but my insurance company doesn’t reimburse this kind of therapy so i may as well stuff myself. Only the look is similar to the last one i made though, each version is quite unique taste-wise and this might be my favorite of the two with its chocolate crêpes layered with orange pastry cream and the drizzle of orange caramel. It’s a pretty incredible dessert, if i dare to say so myself. I think it deserves a little post.

I like to trick people into thinking mille crêpes are a lot of work to make while in fact, they’re quite easy. Apparently, i’m not the only one. Some well-known bakeries are not afraid to charge up to $85 for a cake like this. I wonder if that makes me a big doofus for revealing the recipe? Just give me 25¢ on the slice and a hug if you decide to open your own bakery featuring this recipe. I’m easy.

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It’s time for the monthly food fight hosted by Mel of Gourmet Fury and Leela of She Simmers. The theme ingredient this month? [drum rolls] ..Mushrooms!! My submission is this simple but sophisticated appetizer that everyone can make at home in a snap. Well, if you use store bought puff pastry that is. If in a moment of folly decide to follow Pierre Herme’s puff pastry recipe be warned that you might get lost in the butter jungle and never, ever be seen again.

This mushroom and gruyère tart will appeal to all of you mushroom amateurs out there. Puff pastry rounds, squares, rectangles or whatever shape makes you happy are topped with a mixture of fresh ricotta, thyme, gruyère, and wild mushrooms. You can pretty much use any variety of mushrooms you like, just sauteed them until tender, chewy but still a little crisp. What makes this mushroom tart different from the others is the layer of ricotta and gruyère at the bottom that turns into oozy-cheesy goodness when baked. Everybody knows that bubbly cheese is mushroom’s best friend. The little herb salad and the balsamic reduction respectively refresh and accentuate those earthy flavors which round things up quite nicely. So here you go, Mel & Leela. My submission to this month’s Beet & Squash You!

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South African baby pineapples, also known as Queen Victoria, boast a gorgeous prominent golden color which immediately caught my eye at the market the other day. I couldn’t resist buying a few. Not only they are fragrant and sweet with a bold, rich flavor but get this - the inside is entirely edible, so no need to remove the core. Groovy, isn’t it?

When you come across a fruit that’s already perfect it’s almost a crime to mess with it too much. On the other hand, i would feel equally guilty to write a post about sliced pineapple. I don’t want you, my dear readers, to ask for a refund on this post. What do you mean it’s free!?.. Really?..err .. nevermind, then. Anyway i decided to build great flavor into the fresh pineapple without too much extra fuss. I’m a big fan of caramelized pineapple, so much in fact that i often serve a composed dessert that consist of caramelized pineapple with a flourless walnut cake and a rum sabayon at dinner parties. While it’s a great dessert it’s still a bit too much for these baby pineapples. Simple is all you want sometimes.

The perfect counter-balance to the exotic aroma and deep caramel tones is a simple, refreshing coconut sorbet. It goes well with the tropical theme of our story and it’s a match made for the Gods but wait, there’s more…

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I’m blogging backward so if you read my last post you already know what i did with the leftovers from this project. If you didn’t, go there… and quick!

Sure, this oxtail and foie-gras terrine has the coarse appearance of a geological sample but i can guarantee you there’s no spinosaurus fossil stuck in there. The wine-braised oxtail meat, sweet, rich and tender, wraps around the silky foie gras, picks up contrasting tones from the artichokes and vegetables, earthy flavors from the mushrooms and then dissolves on the tongue to tickle your senses.

Not only oxtail is a delicious cut of meat but it contains so much cartilage, marrow and tendons that the long braising period turns the braising liquid into an intense broth loaded with natural gelatin. Strain and let the broth cool off and you end up with a dense meat jello. Yes, i’m aware that meat jello sounds disgusting. I promise i won’t say meat jello again.

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Do i need to begin this post with a disclaimer? Something that goes: “People who have a problem with foie-gras can kiss my.. err.. donkey”. No, no, no… let’s not do that. Growing up in southwestern France i witnessed how the geese are raised and i could talk to you at length about it but i’m afraid it would bore you to death. All i can say it’s nothing like the horrors described by psycho-activist groups. Not even close. In case some people get angry at me for using foie-gras and believe me, there are angry people out there, my Zen logo (minus the chef hat) is patiently waiting here with a special message.

Oxtail is ideal for braising in wine, the cartilage, marrow, and tendons in the tail dissolve into the braising liquid when oxtails are cooked long and slow. The meat becomes meltingly tender and the sauce rich and unctuous. It would be perfect served over nothing else than a creamy polenta but the reason for this experiment is an oxtail & foie gras terrine recipe i wanted to try (i will blog about it one of these days). I made the terrine and found myself with a copious amount of leftover braised oxtail in that wonderful braising liquid. Of course i wanted to use all the flavors captured in the original dish to create something new and exciting. We aren’t gonna waste the precious, are we?  That’s how this ravioli came along..

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All i wanted was an excuse to make a pistachio frangipane. The obsession started after i came across Tartelette’s and Melanie’s versions of galette des rois with pistachio frangipane. It looked so delicious i lost sleep over it. As i was laying in bed awake i flipped through the pages of Pierre Hermé’s chocolate book and came across his chocolate puff pastry recipe. I thought..”Heck.. I can’t really go wrong with a flaky, buttery chocolate puff pastry filled with a rich pistachio frangipane and griotte cherries, or can i?” It worked like a punch in the face. I slept like a baby afterward.

I made the mistake not to read Pierre Hermé’s recipe thoroughly before launching operation choco puff. And that’s the equivalent of a jumping off a cliff without a parachute, my friends. My experience with puff pastry so far has been what i learned in cooking school. Make the dough, incorporate the butter, roll, give it two turns. Rest for 20 min. 2 more turns. And repeat for a total of 6 turns. In one and a half hour, including resting time, you have a perfectly delicious puff pastry made from scratch. At least that’s what i believed until i tackled Pierre Hermé recipe…

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No, no… i didn’t apply shoe polish to my lamb shanks. Thanks for asking! A shoe is probably the last thing on earth these lamb shanks should be compared to. Today we’re dealing with pure tenderness, my friends. Sure, they require proper technique and a bit longer braising time than your average lamb shank, but it’s well worth the trouble. As i always say, time spent caring for your shanks is time well spent.

I’ve been wanting to post this recipe for a long, long time. My go-to recipe for braised lamb shanks. My absolute favorite braised lamb shank recipe. Shanks are cut from the arm of shoulder, contain leg bone and part of round shoulder bone, and are covered by a thin layer of fat. That’s the part of the animal that gets a lot of exercise, so they develop exceptional flavor and they break down to a luscious, gelatinous consistency when slow-cooked for hours.

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You might remember my good friend Olivier who did a cooking demonstration for us a few months ago. That day he offered to show us how to make a Bécasse en Cercueil in the winter, an old school recipe that was first published in 1892 in “La table au pays de Brillat-Savarin” by Lucien Tendret. A dish that’s still occasionally served in 3 stars Michelin restaurants like Daniel and Alain Ducasse. Being the little pest that i’am i’ve been bugging him everyday since to teach us how. Finally winter came, some phone calls were made and a woodcock magically appeared.

I have to warn you that there are some images on this post that are not appropriate for small children, bunny rabbits and for people who rather keep a few extra degrees of separation between themselves and their food. If supermarket packaged tubular meat is your thing be warned that there’s a picture of a dead animal with a long beak after the jump. Don’t you freak-out on me! I believe in seeing the whole process. I think it inspires more respect for the food that we eat, limits the waste and truly demonstrate the skills of the chef. There’s nothing wrong with knowing what’s on your plate.

It’s Joël Robuchon who was telling us recently: “Whether we cook a fish or a mushroom, we’re taking a life. Therefore we should treat food with utmost respect.” I think proper respect is paid in this post. Let’s see what Chef Olivier does with birdie.

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… from the beautiful mountains of Colorado! Our regular blogging schedule will resume when i’m back in New York City in a few days. Right now i’m busy cooking, skiing and surviving cougars, wolves and coyotes. And judging by the paw prints in the snow right outside my window.. the.. they’re looking for .. m.. me!

Best wishes to you all and thanks for reading!

Chocolate soufflé is the ultimate chocolate dessert, yet people shy away from it because of all the last-minute work and the fear it won’t rise. Even some experienced home cooks i know are afraid of soufflés and claim this dainty dish is difficult to make, susceptible to colds, drafts, applauds or maybe even poltergeists. As a kid, i was once told it would deflate if i looked at it too much. See what we’re dealing with today?

Soufflé is one of those dishes that either turns out brilliant or a complete and utter flop but the truth is, it’s not hard to make at all. I like this chocolate soufflé recipe because there’s nothing, NOTHING that stands in between you and your chocolate. No monkey business here. French meringue + (high-quality) chocolate ganache = soufflé. I don’t even add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture. I use them in a Grand Marnier creme anglaise to serve on the side instead. The result is a soufflé that is pure chocolate bliss.

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