recipe #10: salad lyonnaise.

first a) not all of my recipes are going to rub in the fact i just went to france and b) this one is basically a way of me saying how much i love poached eggs on salads and why oh why haven’t i thought of it before my unforgettable meal in lyon.

the traditional lyonnaise salad is the simple combination of frisee salad, thick-cut bacon (like, enough to discount any nutritional value that may exist in the salad whatsoever), a poached egg and croutons with dijon dressing. i even made a version with ham, baby spinach leaves, and carrots and olives because why not but the poached egg on top still made it a homerun. delicious salad ftw!

recipe #10: salad lyonnaise

soundtrack: buke and gass’s tiny desk concert for NPR, who delivered one of the best shows i saw in 2010. (key learning: gass ryhmes with mace.)

ingredients:

2 cups frisee salad

2 strips thick-cut bacon

1 slice buttered bread for croutons

1 poached egg

1 tablespoon each dijon mustard, white vinegar and olive oil

the plan: first, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until it reaches your desired crispiness. remove and let cool to room temperature, then chop into thick pieces. next, cube the buttered slice of bread and toast in the skillet until golden brown and let cool. finally, it’s poaching time. there are really fun tools like this guy you can use. or, just break an egg into a small bowl then dump into simmering water (not boiling) and cook for about 2-3 minutes, then remove with a slotted metal spoon.

mix the dijon, vinegar and olive oil together in a medium bowl (you can adjust measurements to your own taste). then toss frisee, bacon and croutons in the bowl with dressing, plate and plop the egg on top. i also add handsome amounts of cracked black pepper and salt before breaking into the yolk and devouring the salad in all its golden glory. enjoy!

recipe #9: petits gateaux au chocolat.

i cannot stop thinking about the rich/moist/decadent/more delicious adjectives of the small chocolate cake i had in paris from stohrer so much that i decided to make my own version and justify them as christmas gifts. they were delicious and so easy! joyeux noel!

recipe #9: petits gateaux au chocolat.

soundtrack: ella wishes you a swinging christmas

ingredients: for main cake – 1 pound of bittersweet chocolate, 8 eggs, and 1/2 pound of butter. cake bottom – 4 oz chopped bitter chocolate and 4oz heavy cream.

directions: preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease up some cupcake liners and place them in a cupcake tin (you’ll make enough for 2 batches). heat heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds, then stir in the 4oz of chopped chocolate until melted. pour a drop into each cupcake liner so it coats the bottom – this will create a nice chocolate surprise on what’s usually the cake’s most boring part (well, to me anyways).

melt pound of chocolate and 1/2 pound of butter together using a double boiler (or heat-resistant bowl sitting in boiling water if you ain’t got one like me). in a separate bowl, beat eggs in a mixer until pale yellow and fluffy, then mix into chocolate/butter mix using a whisk until well blended. fill each cupcake cup 3/4 full, then bake for 30 minutes or until *just* cooked in center.

let cool, then coat tops with confectioner’s sugar and enjoy! and also don’t think about how bad they are for you.

the joy of butter.

i love french cuisine, so it was a little painful to be ballin’ on  a backpacker budget when i traveled there last month. fortunately, some of the best foods in france–baguettes, fromage de chevre and pain aux raisins (and pralines…and pistaches…)–are cheap, and i got great restaurant tips from kind locals along the way. but for one day i ate like a queen during a beautiful day of market shopping, learning, cooking, and eating (of course!) during chef paule caillat’s promenades gourmandes cooking class, a surprise farewell gift from contender for best boss ever, nick at 7-10.

the charismatic chef paule sparkled as she shared her knowledge, wit and passion with us from why stohrer patissier trateur was better than the rest to how using the right high-quality ingredients takes a meal from great to unforgettable. the day of learning about french culture and cooking (and how they’re one in the same!) was exactly why i wanted to go to france, and lucky for anyone in NYC, chef paule is hosting workshops at NYC’s culinary loft on dec. 16th & 17th! check them out if you can, or if you’ve been looking for an excuse to get away click HERE to take a virtual tour of her stunning paris kitchen (you might want to hide your credit card if not, though). and now for the food porn…

grenadins aux herbes in bechamel sauce with encrasee de potimarron aux herbes

this tarte au chocolat haunts my dreams, and the pears are dusted with pink peppercorns!