A TINth Anniversary Dinner

Chris and I have been married for 10 years! I cannot believe how quickly the time has flown by. I feel like it was just yesterday we were saying "I do" in the gorgeous Adirondack Mountains with our nearest and dearest looking on.

The traditional gift for 10 years is tin. (And/or diamonds, if you want to get technical, but since I got a trip to Paris and anniversary dinners at not one, but two, 3-Michelin-star-rated restaurants, I did not put a diamond on my list.) Tin is not the most interesting of materials to gift to someone. I guess you find a tin of caviar and call it a day, right?  Or some dangle earrings made out of tin?

Maybe if you live at Chez Boring, but here at Chez Gourmess, we do things a bit differently.

Chris and I ventured to our local grocery store, and for the next 90 minutes, perused the aisles for food items enclosed in tin. Our goal? Make a three-course anniversary dinner (appetizer, main, and dessert) using only food in cans or foil packaging. We allowed ourselves limited use of olive oil, butter, spices, herbs, etc., already in stock at home. We could have just picked up a can of olives and some Chef Boyardee and called it a day, but we wanted to see how unusual and well-rounded our meal could be. It was quite a challenge, but at the end of the day, we had three appetizer choices, a tasty main course with two sides, and a delicious dessert. Hooray for us!


Our TINth Anniversary Dinner:

Appetizers
Sardines in oil
Goose pate
Hummus (who knew it came in cans?)
Toasted brown bread (in a can!)
Poppa Dum (Indian crackers flavored with lentils and cumin)
On hand 
Hot sauce
Fresh parsley from the garden
Dijon mustard
Olive oil
Paprika
  • We started with a toast -- Miller High Life ("The champagne of beers") stood in for bubbly, since we couldn't find cans of wine or sparkling wine at the wine shop. We drank it out of champagne glasses, too. Cheers!
  • The canned bread was very strange -- molasses is one of the ingredients and it was super sweet. It was also very moist and didn't toast easily -- the burned pieces were actually the most interesting, flavorwise. I bet it would make great PB & J sandwiches, though.
  • Onto the toasted bread went either the pate and mustard or the sardines in oil with parsley and a sprinkle of hot sauce. Tasty!
  • We were looking for crackers -- I was sure we'd find some Saltines in a tin, but the only crackers in tins we found were in the "International" food aisle -- some flavorful poppa dum.  They actually went very nicely with the hummus -- which I still can't believe we found in a can! I drizzled olive oil and a sprinkled few pinches of paprika over the hummus before serving.

Main
Salmon cakes (made of canned salmon, canned potatoes, breadcrumbs from a can)
Yellow and green beans with sliced carrots
Matar Paneer (spicy peas and paneer cheese)
On hand
Butter
Salt/pepper
Garlic powder
Parsley from the garden
1 egg
  • We somehow came up with the idea to make fish cakes -- so into a bowl went the canned salmon (which took forever to de-bone), canned whole potatoes (smashed), parsley, salt, pepper and an egg. I formed into patties then dredged in a mixture of bread crumbs and garlic powder.  I browned a few minutes on each side until cooked through, while Chris heated up the paneer and added butter and herbs to the beans and carrots. The paneer was a fun canned side dish. It was pretty spicy, but a nice complement to the salmon cakes. Chris's mixed vegetables were well -seasoned and not overly mushy, probably because we drained them and didn't add any other liquids -- just butter. We drank Guinness with our main course and I felt like we were in a pub somewhere in the UK. Pretty fun!
Dessert
Mini pie crusts (in foil cups)
Almond pastry filling
Blueberry filling
  • It was tricky to find something for dessert. We settled on little pies filled with almond filling and topped with blueberries.  If we had found canned cream cheese or vanilla pudding in cans, I would have mixed it with the almond filling to make more of a custard, but it was still tasty on its own.

I think our canned dinner was a success. Especially because we learned that we could survive a zombie apocalypse just fine -- as long as we have a can opener and a grocery store nearby. We also discovered that unless you're buying soup, canned food is not as cheap as you think (we spent more than $50 on our meal, not counting the beer). It's also very salty: I rinsed the potatoes, beans and carrots before using. And as for the mess, our recycling bin was overflowing, but clean-up was minimal overall.

It was so fun to put our tin meal together. However, I am so glad that we don't have to do it on a daily basis. I prefer cooking with fresh ingredients, for sure. But, if we had to only use canned food, team Gourmess would do A-OK!

After all, it's the love you put into your food that makes it terrific. Tin or no tin, it's probably the most important ingredient you can find -- and we have plenty of it here at Chez Gourmess.

xoxo


Please note, any leftovers were wrapped in TIN foil, thanks to Chris's awesome parents who sent us some lovely tin/diamond-themed gifts. 
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The Leftovers: Taco Night Edition

Summer's lazy days are ending.  Everyone is back to school and work. Things are full speed ahead at the office for me, and Chris has had events almost every night for the past couple weeks, and the same for this one. So, we haven't been sitting down together for dinner much lately. But, I still try to have Taco Night once a week. Usually early in the week, because it's easy, tasty and fun -- which we all know is much needed on a Monday or Tuesday.

Taco Night is pretty basic: I'll make a big bowl of cooked rice mixed with black and pinto beans, spices, cooked diced peppers and a chunky salsa and heat it through. Then I'll prepare at least two fillings: grilled chicken tossed with a smoky, chipotle spice mix; broiled tofu slices sprinkled with chili powder; or ground turkey/chicken breast with a few TBS of salsa, and a mix of cumin, smoked paprika, chili and garlic powders, along with a pinch of brown sugar. Put out some flour tortillas, and colorful "serve yourself" bowls of diced tomato, shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, sliced avocado, and chopped lettuce leaves (for crunch). Add your favorite salsas and hot sauce and don't forget the sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt). Hooray for Taco Night!

Sure, Taco Night is great, but it leaves a lot of leftovers...and I'm not a huge fan of leftovers. (Except for that 1986 made-for-TV Disney movie starring John Denver that was called, The Leftovers. Now that was good.) But, since I'm the only one home lately, do I really need to create more leftovers by cooking a new meal just for myself? The answer, sadly, is no. So, I threw this Impromptu Taco Salad together tonight using the leftovers from our latest Taco Night and some tasty multi-grain chips. Voilà! It's not nearly as awesome as the Taco Salad my mom used to make when we were kids (you know, the one with Doritos and French dressing), but it's still pretty lovely. And, it doesn't even look or taste like leftovers.


Impromptu Taco Salad
(Serves approx. two people -- you're using leftovers, remember?)
Ingredients:
4 cups chopped salad greens
2 cups leftover taco meat (whatever you have left!)
1 cup leftover rice/beans mixture
1-2 TBS chopped cilantro (optional)
1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
10 multi-grain tortilla chips (broken into pieces -- or just pour out 1/2 cup of crumbs from the bottom of the bag)
Sour Cream or plain Greek yogurt
Shredded cheese
Salsa
Hot sauce

Minimal MESS/ingredients/clean-up: Category 1

To Do:
  • Place a mound of greens on each plate.
  • Combine the meat and rice mixture together and heat through. 
  • Place a scoop of the meat/rice on top of the lettuce on each plate, and sprinkle each with cilantro if using.
  • Add a handful or two of the tomatoes, and half of the chips to each serving.
  • Top with a dollop of sour cream/yogurt and pinch or two of cheese.
  • Serve with salsa and hot sauce on the side to use as "dressing."
  • Dig in and enjoy.

What's the best thing you've made from the dreaded leftovers?

xoxo

P.S. Some other great Taco Night ideas: try a one-dish Burrito Bake, make your own Tasty Tortillas, and don't forget, Chili makes a great taco filling!
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End of Summer Bounty

See ya, Summer!

I'm sorry to break it to you, but this summer was not that great, and I will be very happy, thrilled even, to see Autumn take its place next week. The weather was horrible and very un-summerlike here on the East Coast. It was muggy and cloudy for days, and then there was a heatwave or three. It also rained quite a bit, usually on the weekends. (Of course!) We didn't make one trip down to the shore this year, which is sad because it's a short drive away. But, we'll always have Paris, so I can't complain too much. And, if there is one good thing about this time of year, it's that my favorite kitchen staples like eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes are plentiful and delicious, which means I can make lots of great meals without a lot of fuss.

From mid-August through the end of September, Chez Gourmess is home to heaping plates of ratatouille (my favorite summer dish); thick slices of toasted homemade bread topped with goat cheese and a flavorful summer vegetable spread; stuffed to the brim casserole dishes of rich summer lasagna with layers of eggplant, zucchini, shredded chicken and mozzarella; bowls of pasta tossed with a summer veggie sauce, olives, and Romano cheese; and tasty homemade pizzas topped with basil from the garden, roasted eggplant, and tomatoes.

Ratatouille was one of the first dishes I learned to make
when I was teaching myself the FCI textbook in 2010.
I've been making it ever since -- even on TV!
Now that we've hit the prime time for these treats, every week or so I fill my dutch oven to the top with minced herbs (parsley and basil from the garden), diced eggplant, zucchini (yellow and green), half a dozen ripe tomatoes (seeded and peeled), colorful bell peppers, a few cloves of garlic (minced) and olive oil (1/4 cup or so), and cover/let it simmer for about an hour or so, stirring every once in awhile. When it's done, I season with a bit of salt and pepper, and it's ready for use in all of my favorite dishes. I can add chicken broth for a lovely vegetable soup; blend it into a creamy dip/sandwich spread; top pizzas; fill lasagnas; stir into pastas; add to scrambled eggs; brighten up burgers -- you name it. And, if there's any left, I just eat it right out of the container, using a piece of crusty bread as my fork. Dee-lish!

And for that, Summer, I salute you.


Some Recent End of Summer Treasures:

Lasagna with layers of the eggplant/pepper/zucchini/tomato mixture, shredded chicken with chopped basil, and a cheesy filling of Greek yogurt (instead of ricotta), shredded mozzarella, garlic and herbs.

A tasty dip of my eggplant/pepper/zucchini/tomato mixture blended with mustard, vinegar, red pepper flakes, fresh herbs, and a wee dollop of mayo. Great on sandwiches, too.

Other Favorites:
Farfalle pasta with eggplant, zucchini, tomato and smoked mozzarella make this easy, smoky dish one that you'll want to keep handy all year.

Pizza! Pizza!  Eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes make the tastiest toppings ever. Add some cheese and a drizzle of olive oil, and you're done. 

What are you making with the late summer bounty?

xoxo


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Manger et Boire à Paris/Eating and Drinking in Paris

We're back!
Nous sommes revenus à partir de la ville des lumières. (Sigh.) Paris, je t'aime.
Eiffel Tower
There is no place like Paris. Its historic buildings, romantic cobblestone streets, plentiful wine, stinky cheeses and oh, the lovely macarons. Chris and I recently returned to the beautiful city where we started out our married life 10 years ago, and I must say, I felt like a newlywed all over again, giddy and so excited to be back in the City of Light.

Our trip started out with a nonstop, overnight flight from the NYC area. We had booked pretty good seats (not coach), but right before we boarded, we were called to the front and given even better seats...in FIRST CLASS. Woo hoo! What a great way to start our vacation!

However, nothing actually started for another hour or so. Our plane was piloted by three captains and one of them was apparently stuck in traffic, so we didn't take off for another 90 minutes after our scheduled time. This could have been annoying, but Chris and I didn't care. We were sipping champagne and snacking on warmed nuts, with slippers on our feet and smiles on our faces. Our three course airplane meal was actually pretty okay (I had lobster), and they were even offering ice cream sundaes, made-to-order, for dessert. We opted for the cheese plate, of course.

When we arrived in a sunny Paris early the next morning, we met our driver and headed to our hotel, Saint James Paris, which is a lovely chateau in the 16th arrondissement. It is home to the members-only Saint James Club and is actually the only working chateau-hotel left in Paris. A fun fact is that SJP is also home to the first ever hot-air balloon airfield, and the magic and whimsy of that are seen throughout the building's decor and grounds.

Saint James Paris
Quirky but chic lobby of our hotel
Our sweet suite -- note the animal print carpet!
After checking in, we changed for lunch. I emerged in a dress I had worn at our first dinner in Paris in 2003, and joined Chris, who was dashing in a lightweight blazer. Then, it was a leisurely 20-minute stroll to our lunch at Alain Ducasse's Michelin-rated Le Jules Verne, 125 meters up, on the second-floor of the Eiffel Tower. The views were amazing, the champagne excellent, and the meal, elegant and tasty. The most memorable dish was the dessert: Baba -- a sponge cake with Chantilly cream, soaked in rum, although I think "soaked" is not quite the right word. More like "drenched" or "drowned" would be more appropriate. I could only handle a few bites it was so strong, but Chris didn't seem to mind that the dish I now refer to as "The Drunken Twinkie" was pretty potent. As we stood on the restaurant's private observation deck to take some pictures, I thanked the gods that I had stopped after a second bite, as I probably would have teetered backward on my high heels and right off the tower's ledge! Afterwards, as we took the restaurant's private elevator back down to solid ground, we overheard a conversation between another guest and one of the restaurant's hosts, who said he spoke three languages: French, English, and Woman.  Chris said he was going to add that to his repetoire. Ha. Vive la France!

LE JULES VERNE - MENU DÉJEUNER
  • SAUMON - salmon marinated with lemon/caviar/vodka, mimosa garnish
  • Dodine de VOLAILLE et FOIE GRAS DE CANARD - cold boned chicken and duck foie gras, purslane, toasted country bread
  • Pavé d'AIGLE BAR meunière - Meunière-style meagre, spiny artichokes
  • JARRET DE VEAU - tender veal shank, bone marrow, cooking jus
  • BABA - Baba with Armagnac according to your choice, lightly whipped Chantilly
Le Jules Verne
www.alain-ducasse.com
View from Le Jules Verne observation deck.
City of Lights -- from the top of the world.
Our first evening in Paris was rather magical as well. Although our suite was welcoming and whimsical, we couldn't resist sitting in the outdoor garden of our hotel, which was sprinkled with hot air balloon frames that now serve as patio umbrella-type shelters. We sipped a few glasses of rosé and noshed on canapés of foie gras, smoked salmon and thinly sliced jambon. The hotel's notorious black cat made a brief appearance, rhinestone collar and all -- heading straight for us, then veering off into the bushes at the last possible minute, as if to say, "Je suis désolé, but I'm too busy to stop for a scratch behind the ears, plus you just ate the last salmon canapé."

Balloon Garden at Saint James Paris
The next morning, we headed to the busy Avenue des Champs-Élysées and then over to the luxurious shops of the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in search of some perfume for my birthday gift, which I finally chose at the famous Guerlain.

Birthday Parfum
We made our way easily through the city and stopped for a café lunch of salads (smoked salmon for Chris and one with goat cheese toasts for me), wine, and of course the amazing crusty French bread and butter. We strolled through the enchanting Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre grounds, gazed at the River Seine from the romantic Lovers' Locks bridge, then ended up at Notre Dame (en route to the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore) where we came upon Paris Point Zero -- the spot marking where Paris began. As custom, I spun around on it three times for good luck.
Jardin des Tuileries
Lovers' Locks Bridge

Love Locks

Paris Point Zero

Notre Dame
We spent the rest of the day walking around and window shopping on the Champs-Élysées, then headed back to Victor Hugo Square for a drink before getting ready for Dinner. I capitalized the D because this was the meal we had been waiting for since we booked our trip.
Victor Hugo Square
Dinner with a capital D was at Epicure, the three Michelin star-rated restaurant run by Chef Eric Frechon. L'Hôtel Le Bristol is where we spent our honeymoon, and we had a life-changing dinner courtesy of Chef Frechon there in 2003 that put me in awe of the art of cooking. It's where I got bit by the cookery bug, you could say. We arrived (dressed to the nines) a bit early to Le Bristol and toasted with some rosé Tattinger in the elegant bar, before we were escorted to our table in the outdoor Summer Garden. As we walked to our table, a line of impeccably dressed waiters greeted us, saying: "Bienvenue, monsieur et madame!" or "Welcome back!"

Our meal was just as amazing as we remembered it to be all those years ago when we were in our twenties and still culinarily wet behind the ears. The top-notch service that had made us feel so special back then was just as fabulous this time around. Highlights of our meal include: a delicious bottle of wine chosen by Chris that made me want to sing; an amuse-bouche trifecta of a tomato and melon cup with marscapone cream, a smoked eel and foie gras lollipop, and a broiled frog's leg; as well as being presented with a gorgeous red rose and a chocolate Joyeux Anniversaire wish, complete with pink rose petals scattered on the table by our waiter as we stared in awe at our dessert.

 EPICURE - CHEF'S TASTING MENU
  • AMUSE-BOUCHE TRIO
  • LARGE LANGOUSTINES AND CAVIAR - served cold, with a crisp taste of fresh celeriac and Japanese lemon
  • STUFFED MACARONI - with black truffle, artichoke and duck foie gras, gratinated with mature Parmesan cheese
  • LINE-CAUGHT WHITING FISH FROM SAINT-GILLES CROIX-DE-VIE - in a crust of bread with almonds,“New-Zealand” spinach and olive oil flavoured with curry and péquillos pepper
  • PIGEON FROM THE BRESSE AREA - laked with spicy honey, compotéed of fennel with cumin, à la diable juice
  • FINE SEASONAL CHEESES - we tried several: comté, gorgonzola, goat...all delightful!
  • ICED WHITE PEACH - with fresh verbena, ginger, almonds and redcurrant sparkles
  • PERU CHOCOLATE - in a cocoa pod, iced, foamy and crunchy, chocolate sorbet infused with lemongrass (And don't forget the edible gold!)
www.lebristolparis.com
Mementos from our 10th Anniversary Dinner at Epicure
The next day we walked off our dinner with a trek to the Marais and a trip to the Centre Pompidou, to see the Roy Lichtenstein exhibit, followed by a café lunch of Croque Madames and five-layer Club sandwiches, washed down with a carafe of wine. For dessert, a stop at Ladurée, the most famous macaron shop in Paris! Forget French chocolates -- the macarons are to die for! On our way back home, the Arc de Triomphe welcomed us back to the outskirts of our neighborhood.

 www.centrepompidou.fr
Macarons from Ladurée
Arc de Triomphe
Back to the Saint James Club for drinks with the balloons, and then we made ready for dinner at the Japanese/French fusion restaurant Passage 53, located in The Passage des Panoramas, which is the oldest Parisian walkway in existence, opened to the public in 1799. Down a hallway of antique shops and lively cafés is a nondescript storefront with minimalist white blinds pulled low. Inside, the sleek, white-walled restaurant seats about 20 diners total, and there is no menu. You happily eat what the 30-something chef, Chef Shinichi Sato (the first Japanese chef to earn two Michelin stars in France) wants to serve you. Our 10+ course meal was wonderful from start to finish. We didn't have printed menus, and I downed a flute of champagne and bottle of amazing French wine pretty early into the meal, so this is what I mostly remember (I could have some things wrong):

PASSAGE 53 - DEGUSTATION
  • CORN cappuccino - summer in a glass
  • Quninelle of CAVIAR - with a crunchy wafer-like biscuit and creamy bite of gnocchi at the bottom
  • CAPRESE - delicate, ripe tomato slices with a spoonful of creamy buratta and fennel fronds
  • OYSTER - with green apple and fennel
  • LANGOUSTINE - incredibly tender and smoky, with a dusting of cocoa and slice of stewed apricot
  • WHITEFISH - flaky and buttery, with a variety of sliced exotic mushrooms and an intoxicating broth
  • WHITE COURSE - paper-thin, shaved fresh cauliflower that reminded me of sea coral, grilled calamari and smoky cauliflower cream (see picture)
  • OIGNON - quartered onion, roasted in vanilla butter with thin slices of serrano ham nestled between each layer
  • GUINEA FOWL - with the tastiest, crispiest skin ever
  • PIGEON - rosy, tender breast; a mini ground pigeon pie, all flaky and lovely; and a side of "burned" eggplant mousse that made me think instantly of an end-of-summer campfire
  • PRE-DESSERT - frozen white peach and a cup of fresh sliced cherries with slivered almonds and almond cream
  • ELDERFLOWER crème brûlée - with honey and marscapone, and brandied sugar crystals
  • DESSERT TRIO - rich, bittersweet chocolat pie with a wee drop of spiced caramel; "tiramisu" cup with espresso jelly, crunchy, nutty praline, and a moist cream cake layer; with another cup of something frothy, fruity and refreshing -- a  bit of lemon curd, methinks?
The White Course, www.passage53.com
www.passage53.com
We continued to happily eat and drink with abandon: rich chocolat chaud, buttery pains au chocolat and croissants, strong cups of espresso, cheese and ham-filled baguettes and bottles of fruity, delicious wine -- and then with great sadness, we headed back home. Once we were home and unpacked, we opened a bottle of rosé (from France) and lamented the fact that we were no longer in Paris. We toasted to a trip well taken, then, resigned to continue our adventures, we decided to make a short list of our next destination...the Italian coast? A weeklong French countryside road trip? A Thailand cooking tour? Decisions, decisions! But, no matter where we end up, I'm sure it will be wonderful as always.

Jusqu'à la prochaine fois (Until next time)...
xoxo






 Note, all photos except those that are captioned with urls were taken by moi, (c) Gourmess.
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