As a self proclaimed Nomad, being in one place for an extended period of time isn't always easy for me. Add being practically unemployed for 4 months and you add on another level of madness. Then fate struck. Last weekend I happened to catch an episode of barefoot contessa. Ina was talking about her time in Paris and wanted to make an Parisian meal for her hubby... and I thought, if I can't get to Paris, I'll bring Paris to ME!! So, I set out on my first adventure in french cooking.
Ina talks about how making french pastry can be daunting (yeah, no sh*t) ,but if you can make one thing really well, then you're set. My first attempt at making Profiteroles was an EPIC failure. The recipe calls for you to make a dough substance and then pulse in eggs in a food processor. We didn't have a food processor handy here at the 'rents, so we went with the trusty magic bullet. Which would have been fine, if everything had been attached properly. Unfortunately, we ended up with a very liquid mixture everywhere and one broken bullet base.
Here is a pic of the 2nd attempt. They look ok, right? WRONG. Feel free to check out the link for what they SHOULD have looked like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profiterole. In any event. after 2 cups of milk, 2 cups of sugar, 2 sticks of butter and 8 eggs, I decided that try number 3 was going to have to wait for another day. They tasted good, so I improvised.
One thing that turned out FAB was the chocolate sauce for on the Profiteroles! Yum! Chocolate, cream, honey and coffee made this a delicious treat!!
The main course? Herb baked eggs. They were actually quite delish, but I think would be better served as a brunch than a dinner meal. Some of the eggs turned out a little too cooked, I think I would really need to get the timing down. However, some at the table like their eggs over medium, and that's how they got them for this dish! Herbs on the top include: fresh thyme, rosemary and parsley. Of course there is also garlic and Parmesan, butter, and cream in these as well!
Plated herb baked eggs with toasted french bread for dipping!
And granted the profiteroles didn't turn out as expected, but they were tasty just the same. Instead of cutting them in half and stuffing with ice cream, we made a little sandwich and covered with the chocolate sauce. When they use their fingers to soak up all the sauce, I call the dessert a winner!
So that was my first attempt at french cuisine. All in all, well worth it. Someday, I'll master the profiterole, and hopefully one day enjoy the real thing in ol' par-ee but until then, I'll enjoy the leftovers.
Bon Appetit!
