Welcome Spring by Lynn Dugan April 18, 2014 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Spring has officially arrived! Just like the longer periods of sunlight each day indicate the arrival of spring (despite the cool Midwest temperatures), our cooking can, too. By incorporating spring vegetables like asparagus, artichokes, arugula, and fennel, we can defy the cold temperatures outside. Try this Sweet Pea and New Potato Frittata as a yummy lunch or dinner with flavors of spring. The recipe is super easy and the only requirement is a non-stick, oven safe skillet. My personal favorite is the Swiss Diamond non-stick fry pan. It goes smoothly from stovetop to oven for making frittatas and clean up is a breeze. But, a fast recipe with easy clean up means there’s plenty of time remaining for all that spring-cleaning. So let’s keep that secret to ourselves! Enjoy! Sweet Pea and New Potato Frittata (serves 4) 8 large eggs 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 new potatoes ½ cup sweet peas, fresh (cook with potatoes) or frozen (thawed) ½ large sweet onion, finely diced 10 cherry tomatoes, halved ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk eggs in a bowl. Add salt and pepper and ¼ cup parmesan. Set aside. Bring potatoes to a boil in water and cook for 15 minutes until tender (add peas, if fresh, after 5 minutes). Drain and dice. Heat oil over medium heat in a large heavy, non-stick, oven-safe skillet. Sauté onions for 5 minutes until translucent (do not brown). Add potatoes and peas. Add eggs to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, 1-2 minutes until eggs begin to set. Top with tomatoes and remaining parmesan. Place in center of oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the center is puffed and just set. Let sit for 5 minutes out of the heat. Run a rubber spatula around the edge and beneath the frittata before transferring to a platter. Garnish with fresh dill and cut into wedges. Serve with a simple green salad.
Not too Fancy or too Difficult Pastry Cream April 4, 2014 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Not too Fancy or too Difficult Pastry Cream 2014-04-04 11:22:46 Print Ingredients 16 oz. milk 2 oz. sugar 1½ oz. egg yolks 2 oz. whole eggs 1.25 oz. cornstarch 2 oz. sugar 1 oz. butter ½ T. vanilla Instructions Dissolve 2 oz. sugar in the milk and bring to just a boil. Beat the egg yolks and whole eggs together in a bowl. Sift the cornstarch and 2 oz. sugar into the eggs and whip until perfectly smooth. Temper the eggs into the milk, return to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Mixture should come to a boil and then make a “glug, glug” sound. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into shallow pan and cover with plastic film so the plastic makes contact with the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a crust from forming. Cool and chill as quickly as possible. By Kelly Sears Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Wood Roasted Salmon with Lemon Cream April 4, 2014 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Wood Roasted Salmon with Lemon Cream 2014-04-04 11:18:55 Serves 6 Print Ingredients 2 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped 1 cup dry vermouth 2 cups heavy cream freshly squeezed juice of 2 large lemons six 5 to 6 ounce salmon fillets, rinsed and patted dry olive oil kosher salt freshly ground black pepper twelve thin lemon slices 6 sprigs fresh thyme 6 cedar roasting papers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes Instructions In a medium saucepan, combine the shallots and vermouth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the liquid is reduced by one half. Add the cream and continue cooking until reduced by one half. Remove the sauce from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Cover and set aside. (The sauce may be prepared up to one day in advance, covered tightly and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.) Preheat oven to 400 F. Rub a light coating of olive oil on both sides of each salmon filet. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove the cedar roasting papers from the water and place them on a work surface. Place one lemon slice in the center of a paper and place a thyme sprig on top. Place a salmon filet on top and then put one slice on top of the salmon. Carefully wrap the paper over the fish and secure with bamboo picks or toothpicks. Place the wrapped salmon to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining salmon. Roast until the salmon flakes and is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Check Meanwhile, gently re-warm the sauce over low heat. Transfer the salmon to heated serving plates and unwrap the cedar roasting paper. Serve with the lemon cream sauce on the side. By Paul Lindemuth Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Sweet Tooth by Karen Fleming April 3, 2014 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment I confess that I have an incredible sweet tooth. More specifically, I am addicted to chocolate. I know many of you can relate. It all started at a young age, visiting my grandparents in Chicago where we would enjoy a wonderful meal of roast leg of lamb and german potato salad. But the best part was yet to come: Peterson’s ice cream, which my grandfather would go to their store and have hand packed that morning. My sister and I would make a huge bowl of chocolate and vanilla which I would let melt slightly then stir to a chocolaty pudding consistency. Yum! But it didn’t stop there. When my grandparents came to our house, my grandfather always brought a box of Fannie May. Thus began my love affair with Pixies! Working at Marcel’s, I have come to realize my sweet tooth can be constantly satisfied. Whether it’s our delicious Lake Champlain Chocolates or Hammond’s variety of uniquely flavored chocolate bars, the opportunities are endless. Not only can I get delicious Callebaut Chocolate for baking but we have numerous decadent chocolate cake and brownie mixes. In February, I had the opportunity to help at our Valentine’s Champagne and Chocolate class. Our chefs Paul and Jean did an amazing job of incorporating chocolate into each part of the menu. I can’t imagine a better meal! I recently attended a crepe class by Jean and learned how to make chocolate crepes. So easy and delicious. They were filled with strawberries and topped with whipped cream. It brought back memories of my trip to France several years ago and the crepe stands with huge jars of Nutella. I was in chocolate heaven! Editor’s Note: Karen just wanted an excuse to put a picture of a cute French boy in her blog. Easter is quickly approaching and once again those yummy chocolate bunnies have made an appearance at Marcel’s. So come on in and satisfy your or someone else’s sweet tooth this spring. But leave a little for me!