KerryLynn's Profile
Tiramisu variations?
brush the lady fingers (or whatever cake you use) with framboise instead of espresso or coffee liqueur, and beat the cream with rosewater before you mix with a bit of marscapone. add fresh raspberries between the layers for rose-raspberry "tiramisu".
www.frenchrevolutionfood.com
Roast Chicken sides?
in french street markets, they dump a bunch of potatoes under the roasting chickens...there's nothing better, and you don't have to do anything but split them and toss them in a touch of olive oil and salt before putting them under the chicken...you can even use the potatoes as the roasting rack, although i prefer putting them under the rack itself. bon app!
www.frenchrevolutionfood.com
looking for finger food
first off, i just wanted to say that when my grandfather was ill, and i brought him food from the outside world, it just made his day. it is so lovely of you to think of him in this way. my grandfather was brought up on jewish brooklyn food, so i went to EAT in nyc and bought things like mini black and white cookies or gourmet mini pastrami sandwiches. it is important, i think, to cater to the tastes your father in law has always had all his life--a kind of way to reconnect with himself and what he has liked since his youth. it seems he likes asian food, and my specialty is french, so i suppose i'm just here for support, but i recently tried french flavors in asian preparations, and they came out quite well if you'd like to give them a shot!
brie and avocado spring rolls, crispy cassis duck, and french onion soup dumplings:
http://frenchrevolutionfood.blogspot.com/2008/06/chinatown.html
also, why not simple crudites? french green beans, cucumbers, carrots, and cherry tomatoes with a bit of prepared pesto blended together with creme fraiche...good to chat over.
Caramelized Onions?
to me the main difference is this: caramelized onions (done in a pan for 1 to 2 hours) are far softer and sweeter than grilled onions, which can only stay on the grill so long until they are charred.
a great recipe for caramelized onions is to saute white onions, red onions, and chives in a bit of olive oil on low for an hour and a half with a touch of thyme and salt. place several layers of filo dough brushed with olive oil into muffin tins, and fill with the onion mixture and top with goat cheese. bake until the dough is golden and crisp for easy onion and goat cheese tartlets. for other recipes:
www.frenchrevolutionfood.com
Pissaladiere -- Puff Pastry or Pizza?
I think the best thing to do is to be a bit irreverent with it. It is a classic, but for a party, it's fun to mess it around a bit. What I love to do is buy pizza dough, roll it out, cut it into rounds with a biscuit cutter and then pile it with pissaladiere toppings. I add chopped fresh thyme and anchovy paste to the caramelizing onions, and make them my first layer. Then I add chopped nicoise olives and a touch of crowning goat cheese or ricotta salata on top before baking them. They are too unique and fun to just cold pizza at a party, and I think puff pastry tends to get to greasy when it's allowed to cool.
www.FrenchRevolutionFood.com for more fresh French recipes!
