Brie – Cheese of the Month

Baked Brie in Fillo Dough with Assorted Preserves
Serve with Fresh Fruit 

Brush ramekins with melted butter. Cut thawed fillo into strips, brush lightly with butter. Place in ramekins in a star pattern. 

Crafted in Normandy, Ile de France Brie is made from the fresh pasteurized milk of grass fed cows. 
Fill the bottom of the ramekin with this delicious cheese, some fruit preserves of your choice, and more cheese on top.

Here we used homemade pomegranate jelly compliments of my dear neighbor, Grace. Other flavors in this batch included apricot jam, fig jam, and mixed berry jam.

Manufactured since the 8th century, it is often referred to as the King of Cheese. Brie was popular among French royals, one of whom – King Louis XVI – allegedly requested it as his last meal. In 1936, Ile de France Brie was brought to the United States aboard the first refrigerated ocean liner.

We used all purpose pastry dough sheets made from organic white wheat flour.
These days, many varieties of Brie are produced all over the world. The rich, creamy Ile de France imported Brie from the Normandy region which is handily available here in the US, should not be confused with cheese of AOC designation from the Brie region, Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun which are not legally available in the US as they peak before the 6o day aging requirement for raw milk cheese. Next visit to France, “True Brie” will be atop the tasting list! 
Cut off extra long ends of the dough, draw up over the top to make a loose flaky cap. Brush top of dough with a little more melted butter.

Bake until the fillo is golden brown.

Gently remove baked brie from the ramekin, serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar with assorted fresh fruit on the side. 

Dorado, Baja Camping Style

I hadn’t made this in a long time. Dorado (aka mahi mahi and dolphinfish) fell off my radar. Too bad, fresh dorado is fabulous. It has a sweet mild flavor similar to swordfish, firm texture with large moist flakes. Our local Bristol Farms was featuring wild-caught dorado from the Pacific waters off the coast of Baja California, Mexico that had just arrived.
Several years ago my then-husband and I took a road trip in our camper down the Baja peninsula of Mexico. I recall grilling the fresh-caught dorado and loving the preparation. (remember this, Gar?)
It is great for camping because it requires few ingredients:
  1. Bring canned pineapple slices in heavy syrup and white rice, olive oil, salt and pepper with you on your camping trip.
  2. Pick up fresh spring onion and Mexican lime and serrano chile pepper locally.
  3. Catch a dorado.
Dorado can rate good or bad on the sustainability chart depending how it is fished. Bristol Farms’ buyers are meticulous in purchasing only the highest quality seafood. Dorado that has been fished by longlining should be avoided due to accidental bycatch of sea turtles and seabirds.
Marinate dorado filets in the syrup from the canned pineapple for about 1 hour. Drain off the syrup then drizzle the fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fish, over high heat, turning once, until the flesh is just opaque.
Meanwhile toss spring onion and serrano with olive oil. Grill them, and pineapple rings straight from the can. Serve with fluffy white rice and Mexican limes. Happy camping!

Even if you don’t plan on camping in Baja anytime soon,
do try this on your backyard grill!
Muy Sabroso!

French Bistro Lunch, Happy Bastille Day!

Allard Restaurant has been serving traditional old-time bistro fare on the Left Bank since the 1930’s. Once, one of the greatest gourmet restaurants in Paris, the menu doesn’t change, except for daily specials and it is as good ever. On our trip to Paris, we thoroughly enjoyed eating at some of the modern cutting-edge restaurants, but it was also a treat to dine on the classic bistro foods including escargots, frisée lardons salad, filet de beouf, gratin dauphinois, duck with olives, and roasted Bresse chicken with potatoes at Allard. The place is lively, authentic, well-worn and legendary! The old-fashioned décor, especially the zinc bar once a gathering spot for celebrities, is especially charming.

Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on July 14th. It is called Fête Nationale in official parlance, or more commonly le quatorze juillet. It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution.










Alas, no room for cheese or dessert, for dinner will be at Pierre Gagnaire.

Owner and pooch leave Allard quite satisfied…
Happy Bastille Day!

Butter Lettuce Salad, Smoked Salmon Rosettes

Butter Lettuce
Shell Pasta
Thin Asparagus and Petite Peas
Tarragon, Basil, Italian Parsley
Dijon Vinaigrette
Crumbled Feta
Smoked Salmon Rosettes

Cook frozen petite peas in boiling water with salt for about 3 minutes. Add thin asparagus spears and cook for one minute longer. Drain then shock in an ice bath.

Tarragon, Italian Parsley, and Basil
Jacques Pepin’s Vinaigrette in a Jar:
2 tsp chopped garlic
3 Tbs Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 c red or white wine vinegar
1 c extra virgin olive oil
I also add 2 tsp minced shallot.
Put all ingredients in a jar, screw on the lid, and shake very well.

Toss torn butter lettuce leaves with cooled cooked pasta shells, peas and asparagus, lots of chopped fresh herbs, and Dijon vinaigrette.

Serve with crumbled feta and smoked salmon rosettes made by slicing the smoked salmon into strips with one end thicker than the other. Roll the thick end towards the thin end to make a rosette.
Pretty. Summer. Salad.

Fried Hood Canal Oyster, Two Ways

Fried Oyster Taco

Fried Oyster Po’ Boy

Hood Canal Oyster
These beauties are from the cold clean waters of the Hood Canal in Washington State. The species, Pacific (Crassostrea gigas), was originally imported from Japan and has been farmed in Washington since the beginning of the last century.
When shopping for your oysters to make tacos or po’ boys make sure to buy extra, so you can enjoy these delicious, firm, slightly salty, meaty oysters au naturel as well. The Oyster Guide, a terrific oyster resource, describes the flavors as reminiscent of lettuce and lemon zest.

Take the freshly shucked oyster and dust with flour, dip in a beaten egg, then coat with panko breadcrumbs. Fry in canola oil over medium high heat until golden brown, turning once. Transfer to a paper towel and season with a little sea salt.

Top warm corn tortillas with shredded cabbage, cilantro, and small dice white onion, a sprinkle of salt. Top with the hot crispy fried oyster, a squeeze of lime, and a drizzle of ají amarillo crema.
Two Sauces: Ají Crema and Ají Mayonnaise

The ají amarillo is a yellow Peruvian pepper that is simultaneously hot and fruity. This pepper and fried oysters make a great flavor combination. For the taco, mix ají amarillo salsa with Crema Mexicana.

The sauce for the po’ boy is made by blending ají amarillo salsa with mayonnaise. Spread on both sides of a sliced French roll, top with lettuce and tomatoes and fried oyster. Pickles are a good addition too.

In New Orleans around 1900, the precursor of the Po’ Boy sandwich was called La Mediatrice (the peacemaker) as a man who might have stayed out too late at night would bring fried oysters on a buttered French roll home to appease his not-so-happy wife. “Look honey, don’t be mad, I brought you some fried oysters!”