Black Beauty

Here's a delicious little story about squid ink.

 

Squid or cuttlefish ink is the melanin of the cephalopod. The dynamic black color brings a dramatic and exotic look to a dish.  Smartly incorporated into the right dish, it will transport you to a beautiful day on the Mediterranean.  It adds a luxuriousness to things.

 

Now for even better news.  Squid ink provides nutrition and happiness!  Squid ink contains dopamine, iron and many antioxidants. 

Flavor: 
What does squid ink taste like?  Slightly sweet, a little salty, and oceanic. It should not at all taste fishy.  

Application:  
The ink can be incorporated while making pasta, or in pasta dishes.   Add the ink to Paella or rice dishes. 

Squid Ink goes great with seafood. 

Add squid ink to make a sauce luxurious.

Pairs nicely with an acid for fatty meats or a delicate piece of foie gras.

Squid ink is a specialty of Venice, Italy.

 

Squid Ink Paella:  Takes your paella to the rich and buttery level!  The squid ink taste is well balanced with white wine and garlic.

 

 

Seafood Lasagna:  Briny seafood, lemony béchamel, crisp english peas, silky squid ink pasta, with sweet, tart kumquat marmalade.

Summer Breeze

Summer is finally here.  So put on your sundress, invite over your friends, open the bubbly and enjoy an outdoor lunch.

Start with a Rillette with Duck and Pork and a Brandade de Morue (Salt Cod and Potato puree)

Next, treat your guests to a refreshing Salade Nicoise with Tuna.

Salade Nicoise is an easily prepared dish with high visual impact.  So you can impress folks.  Use fresh tuna, lightly seared  and quail eggs to bring added elegance to this dish.  Add haricot vert, greens, olives, heirloom tomatoes and fingerling potatoes.  
The bright flavor of an olive oil, lemon and mustard vinaigrette gives this dish a Summer finish.

Add some fresh cut Papaya splashed with lime juice to the table to bring bright color, keeping lunch light and invigorating.

Spring, Easter and Many Delicious Things

 I love to prepare  Easter brunches.  I love the elegance of the table setting with white flowers and the new feeling of Spring.  Some of my favorite menu items are:

  • Oeuf cocotte ala Creme:  Eggs cooked in a ramekin with heavy cream.   I like to serve mine with fine herbs and toast points.
  • Oeufs Brouilles:  Eggs with cream cooked over a water bath until custard consistency.
  • Oeufs Farcis Chimay:   Eggs stuffed with mushroom duxelles and topped with Sauce Mornay.  I just love these.
  • Smoked and cured fishes: Mojito-cured salmon, Smoked trout with Horseradish and creme fraiche dill sauce.
  • And of course Ham, sausages, bacons, Lamb Merguez and whole roasted Leg of Lamb.

Some of my favorite potato dishes include Pommes Darfin. Pommes Duchess and Pommes Anna.

Finish this feast perfectly with fresh fruits and Petit Fours, coffee, teas.

Oh, and and don't forget to enjoy Champagne cocktails throughout.  Happy Spring!

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Love is....

Chef Janet's perfectly prepared Beef Wellington for your Valentine.

Beef Wellington is an intricate endeavor.  A thick cut of beef cooked to tender perfection while wrapped in a delicate, flaky pastry - filled with flavor and melting in your mouth - with a rich wine reduction sauce that just astonishes your tastebuds.  A lithe Pommes Maxine perches atop.

Pat LaFrieda, America's foremost purveyor of fine meats, says of Chef Janet's Wellington:

"Chef Janet brings to life the one cut of beef that naturally has the least amount of flavor by transforming it into an addictive dish that has as much visual appeal as it does taste -  satisfying the quest for the ultimate beef experience."

Are you ready for the ultimate beef experience?  Are you ready for Wellington?  Enjoy this dish prepared in your home for Valentine's Day - or learn to make this universal favorite and impress your honey, make your friends pine for it or treat the kids to a hearty reward for their great grades.

Contact Chef Janet Crandall.

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Asian Style Pork Ribs

These fall-off-the-bone ribs were slow cooked with sweet chili, ginger and lime.  Pairs nicely with Yucca Fries served with sesame ginger aioli.

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Ready to try Jellyfish?

 Jelly fish salad with julienne of carrot, cabbage, cucumber salad with a ponzu vinaigrette. 

First, blanch the jellyfish...

 

 

 

 

Refreshing!

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Happy New Y'ear!!

Some folks are afraid to try something new, delicious but not-so-run-of-the-mill...like pig ears.  Hang on...H'ear me out.  These are reeeeally delicious!  

Fried Pig Ears with Sauce Tartare and Mae Ploy. Add some Old Bay and Meyer lemon, and..... Ear-rresistible!

What do you think?  Like this post if you'd give these yummy Fried Pig Ears a try!

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