Artichokes

On December 12, I made Artichauts Au Naturel. I am sorry that I didn't make Boeuf Bourguignon, I just wanted to make something a little easier. On that day, I was at a friend's house. Her family loves to make, and especially eat, artichokes, so I made this recipe at her house.

The recipe is so complicated but it is actually really easy. You just boil water and put the artichokes in for about an hour and they should be done. The recipe has a little more to it, but that is pretty much it.

The best part of this recipe is eating it! You douse the leaf in melted butter or salt, and it tastes amazing! I love in the book where it tells you how to eat it, it is funny. I already know how to eat an artichoke, but I wanted to read it anyway.

It said "If you have never eaten an artichoke before, here is how you go about it. Pull of a leaf and hold its tip in your fingers. Dip the bottom of the leaf in melted butter or one of the sauces farther on. Then scrape off its tender flesh between your teeth. When you have gone through all the leaves, you will come to the heart, which you eat with a knife and fork after you have scraped off and discarded the choke or hairy center growth."

I think it is a funny way how to tell someone how to eat an artichoke...giggle. I had a fun time making this recipe, and it was truly delicious. 'Till next time~Beth

Poulet Roti

Yesterday I made Poulet Roti, which is Roast Chicken. I thought it would be difficult but it was very easy. You just have to stay in the kitchen most of the time. My dad helped me with the disgusting things, like cleaning out the insides of the chicken and rubbing butter inside it. Ewwww. The only hard part was turning the chicken on it's sides. I had to use two big serving forks and stick them in the sides of the chicken to turn it over.

When the chicken came out of the oven, it looked so delicious. We made a gravy out of the fat in the pan for some mashed potatoes too. Everyone loved the meal I made! It was so good that I thought I didn't even make it.

I can't wait to make Boeuf Bourguignon next time!

Chocolate Bavarian Cream

Last Saturday I made Bavarois au Chocolat. I never new what it really was until I looked it up on the internet. It is kind of like a mousse texture. You can put it in gram cracker crust and make it a pie or put it in between layers of cake. I just ate it out of the bowl. It tasted like coffee more that chocolate, because you added coffee in it.

My dad helped me make it because the directions were confusing, and he is a really good cook. My dad didn't even understand the directions. We totally blew it, but there was a result. It tasted ok, but probably not how it was suppose to taste.

My dad and I had to go in town to get a heavy sauce pan since we didn't have the right one. We also needed a candy thermometer and a fine strainer. We went to Cooks & Company, and we were both in heaven. I feel bad that my dad payed a lot of money when we did the dish wrong. My dad felt bad that the dish didn't turn out even though he helped. I said that this kind of thing happens to me a lot, and that it wasn't his fault.

I hope I nail the next recipe, but it wouldn't hurt if I don't. Better luck next time :)

Pate Brisee

Yesterday I made a pastry dough called Pate Brisee. I thought it would take a really long time to make but it was surprisingly easy. My friend was over, and I thought it would be fun to make something with her. I have been sick for the past two weeks and I was miserable. Now I am feeling much better, but not great.

When ever my family makes apple pie, we take the leftover crust, put butter,sugar, and cinnamon on top, and bake it. It tastes so good. That is what I kind of did with the Pate Brisee. I made the dough and cut it into strips. I then put the butter, sugar, and cinnamon on top and baked it. Everyone loved it, and there was no leftovers. I ate about ten (I'm exaggerating) and they were so good.

Toon in next time because I am making the delicious Chocolate Bavarian Cream! My mouth is already watering.

Poaching an Egg

This morning I made Oeufs Poches (Poached Eggs). The whole time I was making them I thought about the scene when it took three people to make the poached egg. My dad helped me make the first one and it wasn't the best, but we did pretty well. He helped me with the next two and they were perfect! I did the last two by myself, the first was great and the last was horrible! They tasted a little tasteless, but that is probably because I am use to my dad putting all kinds of seasonings on them, or after making bacon he fries the eggs in the same pan. But the poached eggs tasted great anyways. I forgot to take a picture of them so I am trying to explain what it looked and tasted like. I am not that great at explaining, so everyone was all confused.

I went to a friends house on Friday and slept over so I couldn't make the eggs then. I was really busy on Saturday so I didn't make them that day either. So Sunday morning I made the eggs, and what perfect timing.

First Failure

Yesterday I made Beurre Au Citron. It is a lemon butter sauce. I think I put too much lemon juice in and it was disgusting! I tried to make it again, but I didn't have any success either. I made fish to go with it and that didn't turn out either. I felt like Julie in the movie when she was laying on the floor crying, but I didn't do that. Instead of the gross food for supper, we went to McDonald's and I had McNuggets. I am just going to move on.....nothing homemade for lunch.

Also I am not going to make any recipes in the Fish chapter, because all of the recipes have wine in them. And I'm not talking about the recipes that boil out the wine.

I hope I will do a better job for the next recipe on Friday.

The first day

Yesterday night was the start of my project. At 8:30 pm, I made Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup). We were so busy in Mankato and we also had to get the ingredients for the soup, that we got home really late. It took about an hour to make the dish. While I was blending the potatoes, leeks, and water together, my brother Ben saw what it looked like and said it looked like puke! After he said that I did too. I finally tasted it and it tasted like heaven! When we all sat down and Ben tasted it he had about three bowls of the soup. Everyone loved it. I packed the soup I made yesterday for lunch today, because it was so good.

My two other brothers, my dad, and our exchange student, Max, from Germany all went down south by Mississippi to see different bogs for Sam's senior project. His project is about carnivorous plants- like the ones that eat bugs and really move. They left on Saturday and will be back maybe Friday. After we ate, I went on Skype to show my dad what the soup looked like, and to say goodnight. My dad and I are the Chef and Soux Chef of the family, so I wanted to show him my soup.

I am going to made a dish on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I will do this for the rest of the school year. So keep reading....and I will keep writing.

Hi...

Good Morning!