Archives for October 2010

"Great Pumpkin" Truffles

October 29, 2010 By Steve Dunn 34 Comments

As a kid, there was nothing I enjoyed more about Halloween than sitting down to my annual viewing of the “Charlie Brown Halloween” special. Linus was my hero for believing so passionately in the Great Pumpkin that he was willing to risk the scorn of his friends, and miss out on all the trick-or-treating fun, to stand vigil in his pumpkin patch awaiting the Great One’s arrival.

Given that Linus and I were tykes together back in the early 60s, I imagine he is about my age today, and I’m also guessing that like me, he has outgrown his taste for Almond Joy, Milky Way and 100,000 Dollar Bars. That being the case, I thought I’d whip up a more sophisticated treat for the old duffer to enjoy as he sits in his patch this Halloween Eve, waiting for the arrival of the mystical Great Pumpkin.

Dude….if these truffles don’t attract the Great Pumpkin to your side, nothing will!

Maiale al Latte – Pork Cooked in Milk

October 25, 2010 By Steve Dunn 23 Comments

This is a very traditional Italian dish that we cooked up the other night to rave reviews. It is very quickly getting colder here in the Northeast, and we are wasting no time cooking up some of our favorite, and discovering some great new, braises.

I’ll be honest with you, as much as I love the light, fresh foods of summer, and being able to harvest part of our evening meal from our very own garden, I am more than ready for the low and slow comfort foods of fall. This recipe is from Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray’s Italian Country Cook Book: The River Cafe. Rogers and Gray are the chefs behind the highly regarded “River Cafe” in London, the place where Jaime Oliver was working when he was “discovered”. Their approach to food and cooking is very straightforward. Do as little as possible to the best ingredients you can find, respect tradition and don’t overcomplicate things…..Amen.

Ganache Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

October 21, 2010 By Steve Dunn 31 Comments

It will come as no surprise to any of you who have been visiting us here for a while, that the impetus for this particular recipe comes from our young friend, Muppet. I honestly can’t remember a post on this site that featured the use of chocolate and DIDN”T have something to do with her. To say that she’s been riding me for a while to help her concoct a ganache centered cupcake would be an understatement. It’s fairer to say that our persistent little angel ground me down by hounding me morning, noon and night for weeks in order that I get off my soft, large bottom and get focused on making this dream dessert with her. Mission (finally) accomplished…..

Garlic, Black Pepper and Blue Cheese Chicken Wings

October 17, 2010 By Steve Dunn 11 Comments

While I am a HUGE fan of Buffalo Wings, I’ve found that over time my taste for wings has evolved to favor sauces a little more multi-dimensional (and not scorchingly hot) in nature. The base for this sauce is a slight twist on Ming Tsai’s Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce (Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals) , which he serves with a fabulous lobster dish at his restaurant “Blue Ginger”. Ever since I tried that amazing meal, I’ve been twisting his sauce to and fro to satisfy the requirements of a number of different culinary whims.

Penne with Shrimp, Artichokes and Feta

October 13, 2010 By Steve Dunn 25 Comments

As I mentioned in my last recipe post, my wife and I had the great pleasure to travel to the Veneto region of Italy recently with a fun group of folks and one of our favorite chefs, Jody Adams of Rialto Restaurant in Cambridge. The trip was organized by a terrific new tour company called “ItaliaOutdoors” that specializes in travel throughout the Veneto where their “guests enjoy tasting of provincial products, biking, walking, hiking or skiing in the local area, learning to cook regional foods, and relaxing evenings with lively discussion, excellent food and a few glasses of good wine!” Amen.

We were in HEAVEN, it was hard to come home.

Steaks with Creamy Beans and Leeks

October 9, 2010 By Steve Dunn 10 Comments

This gorgeous little treat is a slight adaptation of a Jaime Oliver recipe from his great cookbook,Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook , and it was a big hit around our table a few nights ago. We found it a delicious way to serve steak, and just loved the way the meat juices mingled with the creamy beans and leeks to create a plate-licking pool of goodness.

Arthas, who is always up for a big old slab of red meat, assisted with seasoning and grilling the meat, as well as slicing and washing the leeks. Beyond that, there was hardly anything else to do. The mincing of some fresh herbs, and the dumping of the canned beans into the pan he left to yours truly….he’s a slave driver I tell you!

Foodies of the World

October 7, 2010 By Steve Dunn 17 Comments

I'm quite proud and happy to share that "Oui, Chef" was chosen to be among the 59 Food Bloggers that contributed to the just published "Foodies of the World" cookbook. Our print copy just arrived in the mail today, and I must say that is was kinda cool to see our food and words in full-color print.

The book is beautifully designed and is chock-full of fabulous recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers. Folks like Lynda Balslev of "TasteFood", Jaden Hair of "Steamy Kitchen", Denise Woodward and Laudalino Ferreira of "Chez Us", and Beatrice Peltre of "La Tartine Gourmande", have all contributed delicious recipes to the project.

The publishers chose two posts with recipes from each blogger to incorporate into the book. There is also a brief profile of each "foodie" that details their background, as well as what inspired them to start blogging, and what motivates them to keep writing, cooking and sharing. I'm really enjoying reading up on all the other bloggers in the book and getting a sense for what informs their writing and cooking styles.

In addition to the two recipes that I contributed, "Beef Bourguignon" and "Profiteroles", there are some terrific recipes for "Farro Risotto", "Lemon and Garlic Rack of Lamb with Fresh Mint Sauce", "Chocolate and Vanilla Petits Pots de Creme", "Curry Laksa", "Gratin Dauphinois au Chorizo", and "Chocolate Rum Raisin Bread Pudding" just to name a few. There are so many I want to try, I just have to figure out where to start…..I'm thinking it just might be the bread pudding!

If you'd like to get turned on to some really great food blogs (or just have a hankerin' for a fab new cookbook), I urge you to click on the link below and buy your own copy of "Foodies of the World", I am quite certain you won't be disappointed. Happy reading and eating!

Cheers – Steve

to order a copy of Foodies of the World, click HERE

Vichyssoise

October 4, 2010 By Steve Dunn 19 Comments

This dish is the first I ever remember cooking with one of the kids. Arthas and I whipped up a batch of Vichyssoise back when he was a little tyke attending the local Montessori Elementary School, and needed to bring a French dish to a year end multi-cultural celebration. I still have the framed pictures of the presentation he made to his class, all smiles and pride as his class devoured this tasty treat.

Archives for October 2010

Footer