Originally posted March 10, 2008

For those of you who check my blog regularly I apologize for being absent. The last half of the year was pure busy-ness. We added a new www.distinctive-decor.com showroom and moved our whole online operation to a new physical location. It was a lot of work, but it was well worth it. The store looks great and is getting some attention.

I had a new Viking kitchen built into the new showroom for cooking classes--a big thanks goes out to Viking Range Corporation for their cooperation on it. The classes have been fun. Recently I taught a class, "A Classic French Bistro Meal." It was well attended and I received nice feedback from it. Below I give the recipes for this class.

Anyone can make this meal and it will taste fabulous. I cooked the entire three-course meal in less than two hours, teaching all the way through. Seriously, anyone can do this meal. You will wow your guests with it. Here is the menu.

French Onion Soup

1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 onions, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs or ½ t. of dry
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup port wine, about 1/2 bottle

2 tablespoons of young Balsamic Vinegar

1Tablespoon of Worchester Sauce
2 quarts beef broth (use beef base)
1 baguette, sliced and toasted
1/2 pound grated Gruyere or sliced baby Swiss

Caramelize onions over medium heat in batches. Once sufficiently browned transfer onions to a stock pot. Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, port wine, balsamic vinegar, Worchester sauce. Cook until the smell of alcohol subsides and add the beef broth or stock. Taste…season…taste…and season again. You can "beef" it up a bit with beef base. I know it is cheating, but I do not have time to make my own beef stock reduction.

Potato Gratin

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 sprig fresh thyme or ¼ t. dried
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Butter
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling—total of one cup.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the cream and butter a casserole. Place one layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake in a baking dish, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.

Marcus’ Steak Au Poivre

4 to 5 tender cuts of beef. (filet mignon, strips, whatever you like)
Fresh cracked pepper to coat the steaks
Salt
Olive Oil and butter for sautéing.

Heat fry pan over medium heat

Add oil and butter

Add steaks covered with pepper and salt

Cook 4 minutes per side to create a sear and crust (steaks will be medium-rare).

Transfer pan to 400 degree oven 5 minutes for medium (depends on size of steaks)

Remove steaks and tent with foil.

For sauce:

1 shallot minced
2 cups beef broth (reduced by half) traditionally one would use demi-glace, and I encourage that, but can't find it in my neck of the woods.
½ Cup Brandy
½ Cup Cream
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Parsley

Pour off fat from the steak fry pan. Add minced shallot (and a pat of butter if needed) and sauté over medium heat. Add beef broth and reduce by 1/2. Add brandy to pan while off heat. Pre-measured and in a measuring cup. NEVER POUR FROM BOTTLE!!!! Flame carefully with a lighter or tilt pan over flame. If you do not want to flambe it allow the alcohol to burn off. Add cream and parsley and heat through. Spoon sauce over steak.

Spinach Cakes

2 packages of frozen chopped spinach (Thawed and squeeze out all moisture)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
½ cup Italian bread crumbs for mixture and ½ cup for breading
¼ cup softened onions, scallions or shallots and 1 clove garlic softened
Salt and pepper
¼ freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Add spinachthat you remove the moisture from and all other ingredients into a bowl and stir.
Take about 1/2 cup of the mixture and form into a patty. Coat with seasoned breadcrumbs.
Heat a fry pan to medium heat, add olive oil. Add the cakes and cook one to two minutes per side or until browned. Serve warm.

Quick Mousse

2 cups whipping cream

12 ounces quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 ounces espresso or strong coffee

1/3 Cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons butter

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler and stir to cool. Beat cream, vanilla and sugar to medium peaks.

Add a portion of the whipped cream to melted chocolate and mix in to lighten the chocolate. Add chocolate in thirds to the cream by folding. Viola!

Either serve immediately or cool in refrigerator. (If you want to serve it later, spoon into individual dishes and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.