A few dishes from the holidays
Jan 4, 2024 18:35:51 #
We enjoyed a few great meals over the holidays, both as guests and as hosts. I would have done a phone photography post, if I had a phone version of this year's Prime Rib. Alas, the final pic is another roast from another year using the same aging and roasting technique.
Do any of us still use physical cookbooks? I have an entire shelf of books in my kitchen. And yet, rarely do I investigate those books for new ideas. I wonder if it's because I've cooked all the recipes of interest from those books? I know my tastes and techniques have improved over the years. That realization makes me wonder if I need to revisit these books for (new to me) ideas of techniques I never understood or ingredients I failed to appreciate in prior readings.
In these modern times, I have every recipe I personally enjoy as MS Word documents to be printed on demand for immediate preparation. We're talking 574 files as of this morning's updates, typically from online newspapers or online recipe sites. There are several transcribed recipes from those cookbooks, such as Potatoes "Chanteduc" from Simply French by Patricia Wells.
Below are 'before' and 'after' versions of Potatoes "Chanteduc", named after Ms. Wells' centuries-old farm in Provence, France. The cookbook dates to 1991, based on her 1980s work as an American food journalist, working mostly in France. The dish is a form of a potato gratin, with no cheese or cream. Rather, just potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, butter, parsley and chicken broth.
The second 'before' and 'after' versions show a 3-rib / 8.5-pound Prime Rib of Beef. The 'before' image is during a 7-day aging of the beef, simply rubbed with salt and pepper, and kept in the refrigerator for a week after buying at the local Jewel. The roast was then rubbed in olive oil, rosemary and thyme. Then, roasted nearly 4-hours at 250F, before being seared about 5-minutes at 500F.
Do any of us still use physical cookbooks? I have an entire shelf of books in my kitchen. And yet, rarely do I investigate those books for new ideas. I wonder if it's because I've cooked all the recipes of interest from those books? I know my tastes and techniques have improved over the years. That realization makes me wonder if I need to revisit these books for (new to me) ideas of techniques I never understood or ingredients I failed to appreciate in prior readings.
In these modern times, I have every recipe I personally enjoy as MS Word documents to be printed on demand for immediate preparation. We're talking 574 files as of this morning's updates, typically from online newspapers or online recipe sites. There are several transcribed recipes from those cookbooks, such as Potatoes "Chanteduc" from Simply French by Patricia Wells.
Below are 'before' and 'after' versions of Potatoes "Chanteduc", named after Ms. Wells' centuries-old farm in Provence, France. The cookbook dates to 1991, based on her 1980s work as an American food journalist, working mostly in France. The dish is a form of a potato gratin, with no cheese or cream. Rather, just potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, butter, parsley and chicken broth.
The second 'before' and 'after' versions show a 3-rib / 8.5-pound Prime Rib of Beef. The 'before' image is during a 7-day aging of the beef, simply rubbed with salt and pepper, and kept in the refrigerator for a week after buying at the local Jewel. The roast was then rubbed in olive oil, rosemary and thyme. Then, roasted nearly 4-hours at 250F, before being seared about 5-minutes at 500F.
Before - Potatoes "Chanteduc"
(Download)
After - Potatoes "Chanteduc"
(Download)
Before - Prime Rib
(Download)
After- Prime Rib
(Download)
Jan 4, 2024 19:11:37 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
We enjoyed a few great meals over the holidays, bo... (show quote)
Those are great pictures!
I have 200+ cookbooks. Sometimes I use them , but most of the time I search on-line. Recipes are guidelines and sometimes I end up combining two recipes into one. I love learning new techniques and trying new to me ingredients. It is fun to go back and look at your cookbooks. Especially some of the "iconic" chefs like Julia Child. I read cookbooks like I read novels.
Jan 4, 2024 19:18:06 #
JustJill wrote:
Those are great pictures!
I have 200+ cookbooks. Sometimes I use them , but most of the time I search on-line. Recipes are guidelines and sometimes I end up combining two recipes into one. I love learning new techniques and trying new to me ingredients. It is fun to go back and look at your cookbooks. Especially some of the "iconic" chefs like Julia Child. I read cookbooks like I read novels.
I have 200+ cookbooks. Sometimes I use them , but most of the time I search on-line. Recipes are guidelines and sometimes I end up combining two recipes into one. I love learning new techniques and trying new to me ingredients. It is fun to go back and look at your cookbooks. Especially some of the "iconic" chefs like Julia Child. I read cookbooks like I read novels.
Thank you JustJill! I like to read the comments to online recipes, looking for people making useful updates / corrections. I also make my own adjustments, usually to technique, whenever I can simplify the work effort or the number of dirty dishes. My version of Potatoes "Chanteduc" does away with numerous by-hand steps from the original published version of Simply French. My Prime Rib technique also merges several online ideas, where the low-heat and high-heat finish is opposite of most recommendations of High then Low approaches.
Jan 4, 2024 21:11:32 #
Jan 4, 2024 22:27:17 #
Paul B. wrote:
Nice sharp photos and some fine looking food.
Thank you, Paul. Happy New Year!
Jan 4, 2024 23:59:18 #
I don't have as many cook books as you but I have more than several. Recipes for me are guidelines to be modified and played with except for a few I got from my mother and grandmother. Do you do sous vied?
Jan 5, 2024 00:10:56 #
Curmudgeon wrote:
I don't have as many cook books as you but I have more than several. Recipes for me are guidelines to be modified and played with except for a few I got from my mother and grandmother. Do you do sous vied?
Sous vied? No.
My versions of recipes are customized to my tastes. There's many where the precise order / time / measurement(s) / consistency of the liquid / etc is critical to the overall result. Lots of others are more focused on getting the proper ratio of flavors, half a teaspoon of this, to a teaspoon of that, to a tablespoon of something else. And, never over-salt.
Jan 5, 2024 00:19:24 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
Sous vied? No.
My versions of recipes are customized to my tastes. There's many where the precise order / time / measurement(s) / consistency of the liquid / etc is critical to the overall result. Lots of others are more focused on getting the proper ratio of flavors, half a teaspoon of this, to a teaspoon of that, to a tablespoon of something else. And, never over-salt.
My versions of recipes are customized to my tastes. There's many where the precise order / time / measurement(s) / consistency of the liquid / etc is critical to the overall result. Lots of others are more focused on getting the proper ratio of flavors, half a teaspoon of this, to a teaspoon of that, to a tablespoon of something else. And, never over-salt.
Why no sous vied? I find it extremely useful to, I don't know exactly how to describe it, to turn less than ideal cuts of beef into something wonderful.
Jan 5, 2024 07:48:05 #
Wow, loved seeing the oven ready Chanteduc but the casserole out of the oven is worthy of a Bon Appetite cover. Beautifully done.
Jan 5, 2024 08:32:17 #
Curmudgeon wrote:
Why no sous vied? I find it extremely useful to, I don't know exactly how to describe it, to turn less than ideal cuts of beef into something wonderful.
More equipment needed. That's probably the biggest negative for me.
Jan 5, 2024 08:33:14 #
joehel2 wrote:
Wow, loved seeing the oven ready Chanteduc but the casserole out of the oven is worthy of a Bon Appetite cover. Beautifully done.
Thanks Joe. I found the potatoes on the phone when looking for some other images, dating back to Thanksgiving preparations.
Jan 5, 2024 10:35:23 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
We enjoyed a few great meals over the holidays, bo... (show quote)
Oh, my!! Awesome pics of some FABULOSO dishes! AND, the Great Description of said dishes is always good readin' any day.0.the week!
That PRIME RIB!!! O....M....G....!!!!!
Jan 5, 2024 10:54:54 #
yorkiebyte wrote:
Oh, my!! Awesome pics of some FABULOSO dishes! AND, the Great Description of said dishes is always good readin' any day.0.the week!
That PRIME RIB!!! O....M....G....!!!!!
That PRIME RIB!!! O....M....G....!!!!!
Thanks yorkiebyte! The actual prime rib from this year's dry aging and subsequent roasting might have turned out the best yet, but I was busy craving and serving and missed any pics of the result.
Jan 5, 2024 11:54:04 #
Jan 9, 2024 10:34:43 #
Beautiful potatoes! Yup magazine cover for sure!
Glad I did not have to clean the dish LOL
Glad I did not have to clean the dish LOL
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