A Kitchen Keeper Original - Gougères

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These light and tender morsels are in danger of extinction. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to help keep this recipe relevant and make sure that these silky, egg rich pastries remain on our tables for years to come. Please understand, I have nothing against salsa or chips and dips and pesto. I've been known to down a beer or two and confess that beer nuts are not safe in my presence. There are, however, times when I want something a bit more classic, something with culinary chops and a history that commends its presence on my table. The French gougères has much to recommend it. These savory cheese puffs are made with the same pate a choux dough that is used to prepare cream puffs and eclairs, but the addition of cheese or other savories make them a wonderful appetizer or hors d'oeuvres to serve with wine or champagne. They are very easy to make and I also  serve them with more pedestrian meals of soup or stew. I must warn you that they are additive and the puffs should come with a "once bitten" warning attached to them. I've just finished making a gazillion of these to share with friends tomorrow. I know they will love them and I suspect you will too. These are best served directly from the oven, but I understand that that is not always possible, so I have a few tips to share with you. The dough can be refrigerated for a day before it is formed and baked. Once baked, the puffs can be frozen until needed. Frozen puffs should be thawed and reheated in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes before serving. If you plan to bake them ahead of time, make a slit in the bottom of each puff and turn them upside down to let moisture escape.  I make it a point to reheat the gougères before serving them. Five minutes in a 350 degree oven does the trick. While I prefer to use Gruyere cheese, cheddar or blue cheese can be substituted and, if you wish, a filling can be piped into the puffs. I bake my trays of gougère on the lowest rack of the oven and I only bake one tray at a time. It may be my imagination, but I think the puffs get better lift that way. I really hope you will give this recipe a try. I like to share my addictions with others. Here's how these simple cheese puffs are made.

Handsome Is As Handsome Does - My Recipe Rotation - Apple Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Sometimes there is more to handsome than a pretty face. As of late, there have been a slew of recipes that produce dishes that look beautiful, but fail miserably when subjected to taste tests. My intent is not to take anyone down, so, rather than focus on the negative, I've decided to shout from the roof tops when I come across a recipe that actually delivers the promises it makes. This recipe, developed by Patricia Wells, is in my permanent rotation and I make it whenever I can. It is making an encore performance on One Perfect Bite because it is so very, very good. As we prepare for our trip to the mountain kingdoms of Asia, I wanted to put together a collection of recipes that I think are outstanding. Some produce gorgeous dishes, others do not, but any recipe that appears in my permanent rotation is delicious and, if you are even slightly adventurous, I know you and you family love them. I wanted to start the month with this magnificent Golden Cream and Apple Tart. Here is what I had to say about the recipe when it first appeared on my blog.

Braised Pork with Cream and Cabbage - Away A While Recipe Favorites

Cotes de Porc A L'Auvergnate

Braised Pork with Cream and Cabbage

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am what I eat, but is that all that I am? I'm passionate about many things, consumed by some and totally repulsed by others. I'm intense and commit totally or not at all. My Dad - first coach and cheerleader - would watch my antics, shake his heads and murmur to me and an invisible assembly, "Thank God, you're not a missionary!" I garden with the same intensity as I cook and that's how it happened that I was up to my knees in mulch on a wet, chilly Oregon day last week. It wasn't the bitter cold of winter, but rather a creeping, damp that chills the bone and afflicts serious gardeners wherever they may be. Soup and stew help ward it off, but there was no time to make either. I culled from memory a recipe - a golden oldie - that would provide warmth and comfort in a bit less than an hour. I'd forgotten how satisfying pork cooked in this manner can be. You'll need some bacon, pork chops, cabbage, wine and cream to pull it off. Then let imagination carry you to a French farmhouse kitchen with a roaring fire and bottle of vin rouge on the table. Grab a glass and pour. The recipe comes from the mountainous Auvergne region of France which is famous for rustic pork dishes such as this one. You can find the recipe, here.

                    

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                   One Year Ago Today:                                                      Two Years Ago Today:

  Fresh Apple Bread with Caramel Glaze                                    Pumpkin Bread Pudding

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                     Soul Cakes                                                                    Chocolate Peanut Snowballs

Chocolate-Orange Madeleines

From the kitchen ofOne Perfect Bite...I have a weakness for cakes or cookies that combine chocolate with a bit of orange. Having said that, it will come as no surprise to learn that one of my contributions to the bake sale I mentioned to you earlier in the week, would be a cookie that used them both. Many will argue that madeleines are small sponge cakes rather than cookies. Traditionally, they are baked in molds that have a shell-like depression which gives them their distinctive shape. The original versions of these petit cakes were made with a genoise cake batter that is somewhat lighter than a sponge but no less delicious. This version is heavier and has a more compact crumb that its classic cousin, but the flavor is so sublime that you will not miss the lightness. I found this recipe why scanning through the cookies on the Food52 website. The photo of the madeleines was arresting and caused me to give more than a cursory glance to the recipe. If the orange and chocolate combination had not stopped me, the recipe's minimal use of sugar was a clear sign that this cookie had to be tried. And try I did. And did. And did. I, obviously, really loved these cookies and recommend them to all of you who favor things that are not too sweet and border on sophistication in their simplicity. You will like these. Be sure not to over-bake them. I pulled mine from the oven at the 12 minute mark to assure they would retain some moisture and not be too dry. I have only one madeleine pan, so I made 12 of the cookies in the molds and used miniature muffin cups for the rest of the batter. I think these are best eaten the day that they are made but they keep reasonably well if they are frozen or stored in an air-tight container.  I hope you'll give this simple recipe a try. You won't be sorry. Here is how the chocolate-orange madeleines are made.

Chocolate-Orange Madeleines...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food52

Ingredients:
1 stick of unsalted butter
3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
zest from 1/2 an orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons orange liqueur
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 ounces of good semisweet chocolate
pinch salt

Directions:
1) Position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 360 F degrees.
2) Place butter in bowl of an electric stand mixer and whip on high speed for 2 minutes.
3) Add sugar and orange zest, and keep mixing for another minute or so on high speed. Add eggs one by one. Add another one only after the previous one is well mixed. Add salt, vanilla and orange liqueur and mix for a little longer.
4) Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a separate bowl. On low speed, add flour mixture to wet ingredients in 3 batches, mixing just until incorporated. Over beating will make dough tough.
5) Cut chocolate into small pieces. Melt chocolate in the microwave for about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, or until it just starts to melt. Mix well to melt all pieces. Cool for few minutes and then incorporate into dough with a spatula.
6) Oil a Madeleine pan and sprinkle a bit of sugar in each indentation. Put a very full tablespoon of batter into each indentation to just fill it. The dough is very sticky, but try to flatten it a bit.
7) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cookies have risen (mostly in the middle) and springy. Let pan cool for 15 minutes and then turn cookies out onto a cooling rack, shell side up. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yield: 18 cookies.







One Year Ago: Irish Celery and Apple Soup

















Two Years Ago Today: A Formula for Turkey Meatloaf
















Three Years Ago Today: Cranberry Cocktail















Four Years Ago Today: Andalusian Salad with Oranges, Olives and Avocados

Theme and Variation - Another Lemon Loaf Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the other lemon cake I experimented with for the party this weekend. This cake, developed by Dorie Greenspan, is a kissin' cousin to the one that was introduced by Patricia Wells. The cakes use almost the same ingredients, but they produce very different results. The Wells' cake has an intense lemon flavor and a fine tight crumb. The Greenspan cake is more like a standard pound cake that has been enhanced with lemon zest. I've been asked to pick a favorite and I'm going to field the question because this is an instance where personal taste will dictate choice. I suspect that true lemon lovers will be more inclined to the Wells' cake, but I have a hunch that the Greenspan cake will be more popular with dessert lovers who are not lemon fanatics. Both cakes are nice. I've appended a lemon syrup to tonight's recipe. While the cake is lovely without it, it adds a tart sweetness that makes a somewhat ordinary cake special. This cake is a study in simplicity. It can be made by hand with no special equipment other than a whisk, but you will have better results if you use cake flour to make it and carefully watch your baking time. Don't over bake! I also learned a trick while gathering information about poundcakes in general. Did you know that you can guarantee a perfect crack in the center of your poundcake? The trick is to draw a butter coated knife lengthwise through the center of the cake after it has baked for 10 minutes. Now, I don't know why that works, but I tried it with this cake and had ended up with a lovely center split that would make any baker proud. I hope you'll give this cake a try. There is nothing here not to like. Here is the recipe.

Dorie Greenspan's Lemon Loaf Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:
Cake
4 eggs, at room temperature
1-1/3 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
Grated zest of 3 large lemons
1-3/4 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
5-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
Syrup
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
1) Position a rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.
2) Working in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and salt for just a minute, until foamy and smoothly blended. Mixture should not thicken. Whisk in grated zest.
3) Spoon flour and baking powder into a sifter and sift about a third of dry ingredients over foamy egg mixture. Whisk flour into eggs, mixing lightly. Sift remaining flour over eggs in two more additions and whisk only until everything is incorporated. Whisk heavy cream into mixture. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently and quickly fold in the melted butter.
4) Pour and scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until center of cake crowns and cracks and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cake to a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes before unmolding and brushing with syrup.
5) While cake is baking, make lemon syrup. Place sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. Brush warm cake with half of lemon syrup. Let cake cool to room temperature. Slice with serrated knife. Yield: 8 servings.









One Year Ago Today:  Avocado Pudding with Chocolate and Coconut















Two Years Ago Today: Peas with Onions and Mint















Three years Ago Today: Crisp Cranberry and Carrot Oatmeal Cookies













Four Years Ago Today: Farfalle with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce

Patricia Wells' Lemon Loaf Cake - Cake Au Citron

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been baking today. Like many of you, the Silver Fox and I will be attending an Academy Award party on Sunday and I've been asked to bring an appetizer and dessert. For all the baking I do, I have never made the Lemon Loaf Cake that Patricia Wells featured in her book Bistro Cooking. I thought this would be a perfect cake to tote with us, but while I was at it, I decided to also make Dorie Greenspan's s version of a similar cake. I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison of the two.  The cakes are not identical to each other,  so each will be featured in a separate post. First up, will be Patricia Wells' Cake Au Citron, This lemon cake is intensely flavored and has a texture that makes is hard to categorize. It is most like a pound cake, though it is lighter and more finely textured. The cake is very easy to make and requires no special equipment. It is almost foolproof. Almost. Like all pound-type cakes it is prone to "sad streaks". A sad streak is a gummy layer that sometimes appears toward the bottom of a pound cake. I'm sure you have encountered them at one time or another in your baking. Their appearance does not mean there is a problem with the recipe. You can bake a hundred beautiful cakes using the same recipe, then suddenly  encounter one that has that damp and gummy sad streak. It probably is related to cake shrinkage and some bakers go so far as to drop or bounce their cakes to set the crumb and prevent shrinkage. I'm not that brave. I'd rather live with an occasional gummy streak than deliberately drop a cake. I mention the streaks because one of the two cakes I baked using this recipe had the gummy streak in it while the other was perfect. Quite vexing. At any rate, this is a delicious cake to make for lemon lovers in your life. Its flavor is intense and, while it is wonderful as a standalone dessert, it would also make a fabulous base for a fruit compote or trifle. The cake keeps well and improves in flavor as it ages. Needless-to-say, it would be wonderful to serve with afternoon tea. Lemon lovers will really enjoy this cake. Here is how it is made.

Lemon Loaf Cake - Cake Au Citron...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Patricia Wells and Bistro Cooking

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 large eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Grated zest of 4  medium lemons

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9” loaf pans.
2) Combine flour and baking powder and set aside.
3) Combine eggs and sugar in an electric mixer and mix until well blended. With mixer at slow speed, slowly add, in this order: creme fraiche, flour mixture, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat until very smooth.
4) Divide batter between prepared loaf pans. Place pans in center of oven and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about one hour. I suggest checking after 50 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Let sit for 10 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack. Turn upright and let sit until cool. Cut into thin slices. Yield: 2 cakes.







One Year Ago Today: Angel Hair Pasta with Creamy Corn and Avocado Sauce
















Two Years Ago Today: Perfect Fried Onion Rings














Three Years Ago Today: Thai-Style Catfish - Plah Toht  Kamin  

Madeleines a l’ancienne - Old-Fashioned Madeleines

“Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.”
                                                        Marcel Proust

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I want to begin with a spoiler alert for the romantics among you. I have been known, usually without malice, to burst a bubble or two. Tonight I fear I'm going to do that to lovers of Proust and his beloved madeleines. I suspect that everyone knows that the madeleine is the shell-shaped confection that inspired his legendary reverie in Remembrance of Things Past. You'll recall, I'm sure, the scene in the book where the narrator dips a madeleine into a cup of tea. Bits of the cookie settle into the tea and when it is stirred, a spoonful contains crumbs that release the flood of memories that fill the rest of the novel. There is one small problem. That doesn't happen when you soak a typical madeleine in tea. There are purists who, in the interest of transparency, test such things and they say the Proustian madeleine does not exist. I suspect he used Proustian poetic license, but some guys just can't get a break. It seems that scholars agree that an early version of Remembrance of Things Past was inspired by a piece of toast. I can't write much about toast, but I can share this wonderful and unusual recipe for madeleines with you. It is unusual because the soft cookies are leavened with yeast. Don't let that scare you off.  They are really easy to make. I really love these petite cakes and I consider the recipe I'm featuring tonight to be a treasure. Don't stress about the use of European butter if it is not readily available. I often make these using standard sweet butter. While European butter has 3% more butterfat than brands typically found in the supermarket, the madeleines made with 80% will bedelicious as well. The recipe that follows comes from Saveur magazine.

Madeleines a l’ancienne - Old-Fashioned Madeleines

Ingredients:
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 lemon, for zest
1-3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsalted European-style butter, melted + butter for molds
4 eggs
salt to taste

Directions:
1) In a pastry bowl, combine whole eggs and sugar until mixture turns white and sugar is completely dissolved.
2) Add flour, salt, and yeast with a spatula. Then add lemon zest. Add melted butter. Set aside.
3) Brush madeleine molds with melted butter, then dust with flour, shaking out any excess.
4) Using a pastry bag or a spoon, fill each madeleine mold 3/4 full.
5) Set filled pans aside and let them rest for at least 20 minutes. During this time pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
6) Cook for 8 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes. Turn cookies out and continue to cool on a wire rack. Yield: 24 to 30 madeleines.

Cook's Notes:
1) Let madeleines sit for 2 hours before serving. Store in a dry place.
2) For best results let dough rest for 2 hours before placing in molds.

One Year  Ago Today: Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped  Breadsticks

Two Years Ago Today: Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Three Years Ago Today: Game Day Chili-Mac Skillet

Classic Folded Crêpes with Lemon Sugar and Fresh Lemon Wedges

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite..."Bring out your dead." The line comes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail and it popped into my head in the doctor's office this morning. Plague Flu has hit our community with a vengeance and there wasn't an empty chair in the waiting room of his large practice. I, alas, occupied one of the chairs. Flu had not felled me, but bronchitis claimed me for its own. I'll be fine in a couple of days, but I plan to take things easy, so I hope you won't be disappointed with a few days of really simple recipes. As it happens, the dessert I'm featuring tonight is one of my all-time favorites and it certainly falls into that really simple category. I normally make the crêpes myself and I am including the recipe I use for them in tonight's post, but, truth be told, I used the store-bought variety for our dessert this evening. If you decide to try the crêpes using a commercial variety, you will still want to take a look at the recipe, which contains instructions for filling and folding them. If you have 8 large crepes on hand you can call this dish your own, and, interestingly enough, a few spoonfuls of lemon sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice will produce a dessert even sophisticated guests will love. I make lemon sugar by stirring the finely grated zest of one large lemon into two cups of sugar. I store it in a mason jar on my pantry shelf and use it for tea as well as desserts. The third required element for this dessert is a quantity of lemon wedges whose juice is squeezed over still warm crêpes. You'll have to try this treat in order to understand why I hold it in such high regard. The crêpes are spare, simple and scrumptious and I know those of you who try them will love them as much as I do. It is best to serve them warm. Here's how they are made.

Classic Folded Crêpes with Lemon Sugar and Fresh Lemon Wedges...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar, plus 8 teaspoons lemon sugar for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:
1) Place oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat over low heat for at least 10 minutes.
2) While skillet is heating, whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt in medium bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Add half of milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add butter and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth.
3) Using paper towel, wipe out skillet, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides. Increase heat to medium and let skillet heat for 1 minute. After 1 minute, test heat of skillet by placing 1 teaspoon batter in center and cook for 20 seconds. If mini crêpe is golden brown on bottom, skillet is properly heated; if it is too light or too dark, adjust heat accordingly and retest.
4) Pour 1/4 cup batter into far side of pan and tilt and shake gently until batter evenly covers bottom of pan. Cook crêpe without moving it until top surface is dry and crêpe starts to brown at edges, loosening crêpe from side of pan with rubber spatula, about 25 seconds. Gently slide spatula underneath edge of crêpe, grasp edge with fingertips, and flip crêpe. Cook until second side is lightly spotted, about 20 seconds. Transfer cooked crêpe to wire rack, inverting so spotted side is facing up. Return pan to heat and heat for 10 seconds before repeating with remaining batter. As crêpes are done, stack on wire rack.
5) Transfer stack of crêpes to large microwave-safe plate and invert second plate over crêpes. Microwave on high power until crêpes are warm, 30 to 45 seconds (45 to 60 seconds if crêpes have cooled completely). Remove top plate and wipe dry with paper towel. Sprinkle upper half of top crêpe with 1 teaspoon sugar. Fold unsugared bottom half over sugared half, then fold into quarters. Transfer sugared crêpe to second plate. Continue with remaining crêpes. Serve immediately, passing lemon wedges separately. Yield: 8 crêpes - 4 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Bang Bang Chicken

Two Years Ago Today: Soft Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Three Years Ago Today: Chocolate Peppermint Pie

French Crock-Pot Lemon Chicken - Mijoté de Poulet au Citron

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While searching for new recipes, I came across a website that I think you will enjoy. It is called Easy French Food and you can find it here. I had gone there specifically to search for French chicken dishes that could be made in a crock-pot or slow cooker. I found just one and gave it a try for dinner tonight. As many of you know, I have a love-hate relationship with my crock-pot. I love to use it for soups and stews, particularly those in which meat is cut into relatively small cubes. I'm less enamoured of its use for large pieces of meat or poultry, because I'm of the opinion that the crock-pot and slow cooker leach flavor from animal protein. I think the sauces and gravies they produce are  wonderful, but the meat itself is pretty flavorless and has a mealy texture that I find unpleasant.  Now I know that mine is a minority opinion and that scads of you love to use your crock-pots and slow cookers on a regular basis. I respect your opinions and I hope you'll respect mine. The intent here is not to start a debate or argument, I just wanted you to know that I continue to search for recipes that will prove me wrong. The recipe I'm featuring tonight falls into that category. This is an extremely easy dish to make. Having prepared it once, I have a couple of suggestions that I think will make the dish even better. I cut back on the amount of lemon juice used in the original recipe. A half cup sounded a bit excessive so I cut it back to one third. I also decided to thicken the finished sauce with a quick-blending flour, such as Wondra,  to create a sauce with enough body to coat the back of a spoon. That was really helpful. We enjoyed the chicken. It will never be a favorite of ours, but I would make it again on a busy winter day.  Next time  I'll  add olives and capers to the sauce the last half hour of cooking. I hope those of you who are looking for new crock-pot recipes will give this one  a try. Here's how the chicken is made.

Crock-Pot Lemon Chicken...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Easy French Food

Ingredients:
2 onions, cut in eighths
3 cloves garlic, peeled
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 sprigs of tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1) Spray interior of crock-pot with nonstick cooking spray. Place onions and garlic in the crock-pot.
2) Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then slather them with mustard and place in crock-pot.
3) Pour lemon juice and chicken bouillon on top and then finish with tarragon sprigs (or sprinkle on dried tarragon).
4) Cook on low heat for at least four hours,stirring once.
5) Remove tarragon and discard. Transfer chicken to a shallow serving platter. Stir cream into sauce. Nap chicken with sauce and serve immediately, passing extra sauce at table. Yield: 4 servings.

Note: For extra lemon flavor, place a couple of slices of lemon on top along with the tarragon before cooking.

One Year Ago Today: Old Salzburg Garlic Soup

Two Years Ago Today: Sun-Dried Tomato Soup

Three Years Ago Today: Chinese Donut Sticks - You Tiao (Oil-Fried Ghosts)

Gratin Dauphinois

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love to serve these potatoes when I need something special to accompany a main course for which there is no gravy. Gratin Dauphinois is a Frenchified version of scalloped potatoes, and while the dish sounds elegant, its history can be traced to French peasant kitchens. This gratin is truly easy to make and the version I've finally claimed as my own was developed by Jacques Pepin for the Gourmet Cookbook. The trick to this dish lies in the way the potatoes are handled. They have to be paper thin, and because I can't consistently hand cut slices to his specifications, I use a mandoline to perform the task. You'll probably want to use one as well. Once sliced, the potatoes are warmed in cream and then transferred to a gratin pan to finish cooking in the oven. The type of potato you use also factors into the success of this dish. Potatoes are usually classified as boilers or bakers, but there is another category that falls between the two. The difference between the various potato types depends on the amount and type of starch they contain. Bakers are starchy and have a dry, mealy texture. They are ideal for baking, mashing and French fries. The boilers are also called waxy potatoes. They have a thin, smooth skin and an almost waxy flesh. They are relatively high in moisture and sugar, but low in starch, and, because they hold their shape, they are ideal to use for roasting and work well in soups, casseroles and potato salad. Then there are the all-purpose potatoes we want to use in recipes such as this. Potatoes, such as the Yukon Gold, are moister than baking potatoes, hold together when boiled and are particularly well-suited for use in gratins. It is important not to overcook this dish. I've found 45 minutes to be perfect in my oven. At that point there is still a bit of liquid in the pan and the potatoes are tender when speared with the tip of a knife. If the potatoes are allowed to sit  for about 15 minutes they will soak up the last of the cream and be perfect for serving. Try to eat these the day you make them. I think they become quite ordinary if they are kept overnight. I know those of you who try these potatoes will love them. Here's how they are made.

Gratin Dauphinois...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Jacques Pepin

Ingredients:
2-1/2 lbs boiling potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
3-1/2 cups half-and-half
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup coarsely grated Gruyère

Directions:
1) Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously butter a 2-1/2 to 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish.
2) Peel potatoes. Cut crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick slices with slicer and transfer to a 4-quart heavy saucepan. Add half-and-half, garlic, salt, and pepper and bring just to a boil over moderate heat. Pour potato mixture into buttered dish, distributing potatoes evenly. Sprinkle nutmeg and cheese over top.
3) Bake until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Coconut Custard Pie

Two Years Ago Today: Chocolate Rosette Cookies 

Three Years Ago Today: Peppermint Ice Cream and Ice Cream Sandwiches

Apple and Apricot Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our Thanksgiving meal this year is not going to be traditional. While many of the dishes I'll be serving hint at their Pilgrim roots, the dishes themselves are pretty far removed from the Mayflower table. I'll post the full menu on Wednesday, but between now and then, I'll be featuring recipes for some of the desserts I'll be making. This tart, while French in origin, is a perfect way to end any holiday meal and I'm going to use it to fullfil the apple requirement of our holiday feast. The inspiration for this pie was Julia Child's, Tarte Aux Pommes. I've add apricots to her recipe to make it less sweet and I've taken some shortcuts that she probably would frown on. To wit, I use commercial applesauce as the base for the tart. It's an enormous time saver and at this time of  year extra minutes count. The apricots make this tart more interesting and they really compliment the flavor of the apples. I use Golden Delicious apples for my baking and they work well in desserts where appearance is as important as taste. This is a gorgeous dessert and I always hate to cut into it. It is easy to make and while most of it can be prepared well ahead of serving the glaze can be problematic. It will start to breakdown after 24 hours and the tart will get weepy. The solution to this, of course,  is to eat the tart the day it is made. My family never lets me down. If you are looking for an apple dessert I hope you will give this one a try. Here's how it is made.

Apple Tart (Tarte Aux Pommes)...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Julia Child

Ingredients:
Partially-cooked 8 or 9-inch tart shell
Apple Slices
3 cup sliced apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8-inch lengthwise slices
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
Filling
3 cups thick, unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup diced dried apricots, cut in 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter
Grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
Glaze
1/2 cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions:
1) Arrange a rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss sliced apples in a bowl with lemon juice and sugar. Set aside.
2) To make filling: Combine applesauce, diced apricots, apricot preserves, vanilla extract, sugar and lemon zest in a 3-quart saucepan. Boil down, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape when mounded in a spoon, about 20 minutes. Stir in butter.
3) Turn applesauce into pastry shell. Arrange sliced apples in overlapping concentric circles on top of applesauce. Bake in upper third of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until apples are lightly brown and tender.
4) To make glaze: Mix apricot preserves with sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture is thick enough to coat back of a spoon and candy thermometer registers 228 degrees F.
5) Remove tart from oven and carefully remove sides of pan. Paint apple topping with warm apricot glaze. Serve tart warm or cold. Yield: 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Minted Peas with Pearl Onions

Two Years Ago Today: Paratha

Three Years Ago Today: Homemade Breakfast Sausage

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was given a copy of Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table earlier this summer. As soon as it arrived, I curled up on the sofa, and like a child paging through a Christmas catalogue, marked my favorites and plotted the order in which my choices would be tried. The bread I am featuring tonight was on that list. The photo that accompanied the recipe was gorgeous and highlighted a deep gold pebbly crust that was unique and gave the bread an irresistible, come-hither air. I was finally able to make the bread today and I am generally pleased with the result. The bread, which is delicious, does, indeed, have gorgeous color and its aroma will make stomachs start to growl as it wafts through the kitchen and adjoining rooms. I couldn't wait for it to cool enough to slice. It's meant to be served as an appetizer and its cheesy goodness makes it perfect to serve with drinks at an informal gathering. I let the bread sit for 45 minutes before I had my first bite. It had wonderful flavor, but I was unhappy with the appearance of the sliced bread. The surface had holes and tunnels that are usually an indication that a dough has been over-mixed. I knew that was not the case, so I did a search to find other photos of the bread and see what others had come up with. As it turns out, my results were not unique. Most of the breads I found had the same holes and tunnels, so it is probably safe to say they are a characteristic of this bread, probably caused by slow melting cheese. I will, however, give the recipe another try in an attempt to produce a more finely grained loaf. I'll keep you posted if the results are significantly different. I think those of you who try the bread will really like it. It is easy to do and makes an unusual cocktail appetizer. Here's how it is made.

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:
Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (depending on what cheese you're using)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (may substitute a pinch of cayenne pepper)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 generous cup (about 4 ounces) coarsely grated Gruyere, Comte Emmental or cheddar cheese
2 ounces Gruyere, Comte, Emmental or cheddar cut into very small cubes (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
1 bunch chives, minced (1/2 cup; may substitute thinly sliced scallions)
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted

Directions:
1) Position a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Use butter to grease an 8 x 4-1/2 x 2-3/4-inch loaf pan, preferably Pyrex.
2) Whisk flour, baking powder, salt to taste and pepper together in a large bowl.
3) Whisk eggs in a medium bowl for 1 minute, until foamy, then whisk in milk and oil.
4) Pour egg mixture into flour mixture; use a sturdy flexible spatula or wooden spoon to gently mix together until moistened, then stir in grated and cubed cheese, chives and walnuts to form a thick dough. Transfer to loaf pan and spread to make dough even on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until bread is golden and a slender knife inserted into center comes out clean.
5) Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 3 minutes, then run a round-edged knife along edges of pan to loosen loaf. Turn it out and cool right side up before cutting and serving. Yield: 1 loaf.

One Year Ago Today: Stove-Top Barbecued Chicken "Ribs"

Two Years Ago Today: Schnecken

Julia Child's Basque Piperade

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Each summer, just about this time,  I start to daydream about the heady and distinctive food of the French Basque region. The Basque people occupy a narrow strip of land nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the western Pyrenees in a region that spans the border between France and Spain. While Basque food tends to be unique, elements of both cuisines can be found in the food favored by the people of this region. Ingredients you might be familiar with, include Bayonne ham and piment d’Espelette, a chili pepper that is used to flavor one of the region's best known dishes, piperade. A fleeting thought of piperade, visually triggered by bins of peppers appearing in farmer's markets, usually begins my reverie, and before I can help myself, I find myself slicing peppers with a vengeance and speed that rivals that of the guillotine. Come September, my freezer will have neatly labeled packets of  stewed and seasoned peppers that will bring sunshine to my winter kitchen.  Plainly stated, I love piperade and serve it often as a main course or side dish, depending on my fancy. The dish is made with sauteed onions, bell peppers and tomatoes that are flavored with Espelette pepper. It can be served with rice or potatoes, and eggs, meat and poultry can also be added to make the dish more substantial. The dish has wonderful color that, by accident or design, reflects the red, green and white colors of the Basque flag. It also has a robust flavor that I find addicting. The recipe I use to make piperade was developed by Julia Child and can be found in her book, The Way to Cook. While there are many fine recipes for piperade floating around, I continue to use hers. It's like an old friend and my kitchen just wouldn't be the same were it to be swapped with another. If you have never had piperade, I hope you will give this recipe a try. It is wonderful and quite easy to make. Use proscuitto to replace Bayonne ham and hot Hungarian paprika as a substitute for piment d’Espelette. I most often use piperade in a braised chicken dish that is so simple it needs no recipe. A cut-up chicken is first sauteed and then placed in a casserole with piperade. It simmers, stovetop, for about 45 minutes and is served with white rice. If you like well-flavored food, I know you will love casserole. Here's the recipe.

Piperade...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Julia Child

Ingredients:
6 medium tomatoes or 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced Bayonne ham or proscuitto, cut into 1/2-inch squares
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
1 medium dried bay leaf
2 medium red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cleaned and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
2 medium green bell peppers, cleaned and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons piment d’Espelette or hot Hungarian paprika

Directions:
1) If using fresh tomatoes, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice water bath by filling a medium bowl halfway with ice and water. Using tip of a knife, remove stem and cut a shallow X-shape into bottom of each tomato. Place tomatoes in the boiling water and blanch until the skin just starts to pucker and loosen, about 10 seconds. Drain and immediately immerse tomatoes in ice water bath. Using a small knife, peel loosened skin and cut each tomato in half. With a small spoon, scrape out any seeds, then core and coarsely chop remaining flesh. Set aside.
2) Place a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When oil shimmers, add ham or proscuitto and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s golden brown, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside.
3) Return pan to heat, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and, once heated, add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring rarely, until soft and beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Stir in herbs and pepper slices and season well with salt. Cover and cook, stirring rarely, until peppers are slightly softened, about 10 minutes.
4) Stir in diced tomatoes, browned ham, and piment d’Espelette or paprika and season well with salt. Cook uncovered until mixture melds and juices have slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Key Lime Cheesecake

Two Years Ago Today: Watermelon Limeade

Three Years Ago Today: Baked French Toast with Cardamom and Apricot Preserves