Margarita vs. Margherita

In developing today's blog I was torn. There were so many directions to go. My first idea was to go for the big laugh. I was thinking about treating the subject like a Boxing fight card:

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to tonight's main event... Cuervo "Don't eat the worn" Margarita vs. Pizza "Boom Boom" Margherita... Let's get ready to RUMBLE

But, that really wouldn't do the subject justice.

Then I thought about comparing it against famous rivalries throughout history:

• David Vs. Goliath
• Ali vs. Frazier
• IBM vs. Mac
• Ford vs. Chevy
• Coke vs. Pepsi
• Yankees vs. Red Sox
• Spy vs. Spy
• Pirates vs. Ninjas
• Coyote vs. Road Runner
• Batman vs. Joker
• Edison vs. Tesla

But Margarita vs. Margherita Pizza is not the same. This is not a rivalry. This is an opportunity for two flavor groups to meet and enhance each other. This is also the opportunity for a party.

Really though, what isn't an opportunity for a party?

In this case, it's the birthday of a friend, who we will call Bella.

Um, no not THIS Bella. In our world, Vampires don't sparkle.

Remains of the LAST teenage vampire that stayed out past 6:00 AM curfew.

We are going to get together and celebrate her birthday next Saturday. The theme of the birthday party is "Margarita vs. Margherita".

The food will be all Margarita or Margherita based. What's the difference? Tons.

Margarita is all about the drink we have come to know and love. In its simplest form, the margarita is a cocktail of tequila mixed with triple sec and lime juice (in a ratio of 7:4:3) served in a salt rimmed glass. But there are almost as many variations of margaritas as there are of Martinis. Let's briefly breakdown each one of the components.

Tequila is the main component. It is a blue agave–based spirit that by Mexican law can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and limited regions in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. The red volcanic soil in the surrounding region is particularly well suited to the growing of the blue agave, and more than 300 million of the plants are harvested there each year. Tequila is most often made at a 38–40% alcohol content (76–80 proof), but can be produced between 35–55% alcohol content (70–110 proof). Though most tequilas are 80 proof, many distillers will distill to 100 proof and then dilute it with water to reduce its harshness. Some of the more well respected brands distill the alcohol to 80 proof without using additional water as a diluent. (1)

Triple Sec is a variety of Curaçao, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter oranges from the Caribbean. Triple sec, which is French for Triple Dry, is one-third as sweet as regular Curaçao. It is widely used in mixed drinks and recipes as a sweetening and flavoring agent. (2)

Top Shelf Margarita

Ingredients

(1 jigger = 1 shot = 1.5 ounces)

• 21/3 jiggers Añejo tequila. For Margaritas, Añejo style is best. It has aged a minimum of one year, but less than three years in small oak barrels; the longer it's been aged, the better the flavor.
• 11/3 jiggers Cointreau or Triple Sec
• 1 jigger freshly squeezed key lime lime juice
• kosher salt

Instructions

Pour lime juice into shallow dessert dish. place top of glass, rim side down, onto plate. Rub the rim of the glass with the lime juice. Next, pour kosher salt into another shallow dessert dish, then place wet glass onto shallow dessert dish to make the salt stick to it.

Pour remaining lime juice, Tequilla, and liqueur, along with a generous amount of ice into a bar shaker. Shake vigorously. Carefully pour into the glass (taking care not to dislodge any salt). Garnish and serve over ice. Use sliced lime for garnish.

Variations

• Golden Grand Margarita: Substitute Grand Marnier for Triple Sec.
• Blue Margarita: Substitute 1 1/3 jiggers Blue Curaçao for Triple Sec, add 1 jigger simple syrup. Use sliced orange for garnish.
• Mexican Lemonade: Reduce Tequila to 2 jiggers. Substitute 2 jiggers Lemoncello or lemon liqueur for Triple Sec. Add 1 jigger Simple Syrup. Muddle and add 1 sprig of rosemary. Use sliced candied lemon for garnish
• Strawberry Margarita: Add 2 ounces of pureed, frozen strawberries. Substitute an additional jigger of Tequilla for Triple Sec. Replace kosher salt with granulated sugar for rim of glass. Use slice strawberries for garnish
• Watermelon Margarita: Rind, cube, and seed 5 cups of watermelon. Puree watermelon. Add standard Margarita ingredients to blender. Pour into salt rimmed glasses and serve with small watermelon slices for garnish

As a drink, Margaritas are great. But as a flavor blend, Tequila, lime, triple sec, and salt bring a fantastic palette of flavors to any meal.

Grilled Smokey Margarita Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

1 can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (This is an item that you must keep in your pantry!)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Tequila
1/2 cup Triple Sec
1/2 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 orange cut into thick round slices
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Instructions

In a covered container, place 1 teaspoon adobo sauce(from peppers), tequila, triple sec, lime juice, kosher salt, garlic cloves, olive oil and chicken breasts. Coat chicken well and refrigerate overnight.

Bring grill to medium heat. Remove chicken breasts and place on grill. Baste with marinade. Flip 1st time after 5 minutes and baste. Turn again every 5 minutes do not baste again and check periodically until internal temperature reaches 165.

Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Place orange slices onto grill for 45 seconds. Turn 45 degrees and leave for another 45 degrees. Remove and use for garnish

Take remaining marinade and place into sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add honey and 2 chipotle peppers and cook for 5 minutes.

Roughly tear or chop cilantro. Place cilantro, grilled orange and sauce over chicken breasts and serve.

That gives us a good idea about Margarita, but what is Margherita? Try, who is Margherita. This is Queen Margherita of Savoy consort of King Umberto I of Italy. The story goes that in or about 1889, Queen Margherita took an inspection tour of her Italian Kingdom. During her travels around Italy she saw many people, especially the peasants, eating this large, flat bread. Curious, the queen ordered her guards to bring her one of these Pizza breads. The Queen loved the bread and would eat it every time she was out amongst the people, which caused some consternation in Court circles. It was not seemly for a Queen to dine on peasant's food.

Never the less, the queen loved the bread and decided to take matters into her own hands. Summoning Chef Rafaelle Esposito from his pizzeria to the royal palace, the queen ordered him to bake a selection of pizzas for her pleasure.

To honor the queen who was so beloved by her subjects, Rafaelle decided to make a very special pizza just for her. He baked a Pizza topped with tomatoes, Mozarella Cheese, and fresh Basil (to represent the colors of the Italian flag: Red, white, and green).

This became Queen Margherita's favorite pizza and when word got out that this was one of the queen's favorite foods, she became even more popular with the Italian people. She also started a culinary tradition, the Pizza Margherita, which lasts to this very day in Naples and has now spread throughout the world. (3)

If you recall the Pizza Night blog (available here, here, but not here.) I gave out my favorite recipe for pizza dough. Then I mentioned during the "Back in Black(sburg)" or "Guerrilla Catering" that we found a pasta maker was an excellent way to make small thin pizzas. If you combine both methods. And use Chef Esposito's method above, you will make a superior pizza.

Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil - that's it.

Try it and post your pictures here, on Facebook, or email them to me and I will post them here for you .

Bella's birthday is February 23. I will post pictures an tell everyone how many different Margarita or Margherita themed foods and drinks we had.

Until next time folks, I wish you Peace, Love, and Hollandaise Sauce!

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tequila
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_sec
(3) http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART/pizzahistory.html

100 Things you should eat before you die: #5 Bagels and Lox

5. Bagel and lox

This has always been one of my favorite Sunday morning breakfasts. Growing up in South Florida, I always had access to decent bagels, but visiting New York to see my family every year, I got to get GOOD bagels. What makes a good bagel? What makes a great bagel? What is lox? What is nova? Let's discuss the finer points of bagels, and while we're are at it, we'll even talk about Montreal bagels.

I'm going to start local. Here in the foothills of North Carolina there are a couple of places to get bagels, but only one place that's worth it: Boone Bagelry. The nice people that run this great little bagel joint are from my old stomping grounds, Broward County, Florida (I'll give them a pass - I grew up in Margate and they are from Coral Springs so that's close enough). The bagels are fresh, the lox is good, the selection is decent, and the prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of what you get. I've been up here for 15 years and they have been up here the whole time, under the same ownership. They must be doing something right.

The bagels at Boone Bagelry are as good as the ones I grew up with in South Florida. It seemed that in Margate you couldn't turn the corner without running into another bagel shop.

View Larger Map

See what I mean? But if the bagels in Florida are as good as the ones up here in North Carolina, what sets the ones in New York apart? What makes a good bagel? What makes it chewy and gives it just that perfect consistency? One word... Water. Why does water matter. Well, it has to do with how you make a bagel. Water is used in the dough, and water is used in the cooking process. Before a bagel is baked or broiled, it is boiled. According to the owners of the Brooklyn Water Bagel Company of Delray Beach, FL (See below picture and credit) their bagels are 50% water. Serious Eats had a fantastic write up of them and I can't begin to do it justice, click on the link below.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/08/brooklyn-water-bagels-in-delray-beach-fl-florida.html

This is the Brooklyn Water Bagel Company in Delray Beach, FL. I've been there and this is about the closest to getting a real NY bagel.

There are two recipes, in my opinion for making a bagel:

Recipe 1

Ingredients

• Car Keys
• Wallet

Instructions

• Drive to Boone Bagelry

In all seriousness though:

Recipe 2

Ingredients

• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Instructions

1. In large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour and yeast. Mix water, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt together, and add to the dry ingredients. Beat with a mixer for half a minute at a low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl clean. Beat at a higher speed for 3 minutes. Then, by hand, mix in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Cover, let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Cut into 12 portions, shape into smooth balls. Poke a hole in the center with your finger, and gently enlarge the hole while working the bagel into a uniform shape. Cover, let rise 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, start a gallon of water boiling. Put 1 tablespoon of sugar in it, mix it around a bit. Reduce to simmering. (some recipes call for adding barley to the water)
5. When the bagels are ready, put 4 or 5 bagels into the water, and cook 7 minutes, turning once. Drain them. Place on a greased baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, eat hot or cold.
6. Broiling option: For a glossier surface, place raised bagels on an ungreased baking sheet prior to boiling them. Broil them five inches from heat for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Then put them into the hot water to be boiled as above. Note: do not bake broiled bagels as long as non-broiled ones, 25 minutes should be long enough(1)

Is the cheesecake in New York the best? It can be argued, but probably not.

Is the pizza in New York the best? It WILL definitely be argued in a future post, even down to the borough, but that's a matter of personal opinion.

But are the best bagels from New York? Absolutely.

Recently there has been a new voice in bagels, and it speaks French. Montreal bagels are a different variety of the classic. These bagels are a little smaller, sweeter and denser. They have a larger hole and they are baked in a wood-fired oven which give them a light-and-dark surface color. (2) The dough contains malt and egg and there is no salt, plus the water it is boiled in has honey added to it. Many parts of Canada and the United States are familiar with these bagels, but if you know New York bagels, you've probably never heard of Montreal bagels. (This is just another reason for me to beg my wife to let me build a brick oven.)

Once you have a bagel, you need something to go on the bagel (If you give a mouse a cookie...). There are literally hundreds of toppings you could put on a bagel, but here are the six I hear most often:

• lox, nova, or smoked salmon
  
• cream cheese
• tomatoes
• onions
• capers
• chopped chicken liver

If I have good bagels, I WANT good Smoked Salmon, but what's the difference between Nova and Lox and Smoked Salmon?

Smoked Salmon is basically the parent product. While it is typically the fillet, it is any piece of the salmon that has been cured and then either hot or cold smoked. It can be considered a delicacy, even though most major supermarkets carry it throughout the year at a moderately high price.

Lox, or Belly Lox, is the fillet that has been cured and very thinly sliced. The major difference between regular and belly lox in that while both come from the same fish, the flesh on both sides of the stomach of the salmon has a wider graining of fat, is less salty tasting and thus is more desirable and more expensive.

For those who preferred even less salt, Nova Scotia lox was the choice for a premium price. Nova lox (or simply "Nova"), is cured with a milder brine and then cold-smoked. The name dates from a time when much of the salmon in New York City came from Nova Scotia. (3)

Wow, I have expensive taste. But I also like to do things myself. So, let's say I want to cold smoke my own salmon fillet. This means I'm going to want to build my own smoker box. But before you smoke your salmon, your going to want to brine it. You could use any brine you'd like, but here's one I recommend.

Brine for Smoked Salmon

Ingredients

• 1 gallon water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon pepper
  
• 1 (3 ounce) package dry crab and shrimp seasoning mix (Old Bay is good)
  
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  
• 4 lemons, sliced and crushed
• 2 oranges, sliced and crushed
• 1 lime, sliced and crushed
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  

Instructions

Pour the water into a food safe bucket. Stir in the kosher salt, white sugar, brown sugar, lemon pepper, parsley and seasoning mix. Add the garlic, hot pepper sauce, vinegar, lemons, oranges, lime and onion. Soak your salmon in this brine for 12 to 36 hours. Cover with ice and add additional ice as needed every 6-8 hours.

The great people over at SmokerCooking.com have a great method for building and using one. (I am only putting down the highlights of their method here, please go to their site for more information.)

Simply put you need only three items to build a cold smoker: one NEW NEVER USED small inexpensive soldering iron (you don't want any nasty lead in your food do you), one small bag of flavored smoker pellets, and one small tin can, with the lid still partially attached. Place the apparatus in your grill or smoker, being careful not to damage the cord and smoke your fish. Here's their video on the subject:



Again the people at SmokerCooking are the experts on this, check out their website!

I hope I've inspired you to go out and get some bagels and lox. I know in writing this, I've discussed this with Alex and I've been informed by Alex that I am buying bagels and cream cheese and smoked salmon this weekend. There are worse things for a teenage daughter to ask for.

Until next time, I wish you Peace, Love, and Hollandaise sauce!

(1) http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/boiled-bagels/Detail.aspx
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal-style_bagel
(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lox

100 Things you should eat before you die: #4 Lobster Thermidor

4. Lobster Thermidor

One day I will be rich and I will have my servants fetch me this dish. But until then, it will have to wait until after I’ve had my Blue Mountain Coffee.

Have you ever seen James Burke and the BBC documentary "Connections"? (Check it out on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcSxL8GUn-g) To talk about Lobster Thermidor, and do it justice, let's discuss it "Connections"-style (you'll just have to imagine I have an English accent and am wearing a trench coat). This means there's going to be a whole lot of English and French history before we get to the recipe. To me it's as fascinating as the recipe, but I LOVE history. It won't hurt my feelings if you skip it (yes it will), but if you want to, the recipe is at the end.

Let's begin with William the Conqueror. History teaches us that William led the Norman invasion of England in 1066 and became King William I. As would be habit for his descendants, William spent much of his time (11 years, since 1072) in Normandy, ruling the islands through his writs. William's great-grandson was King Henry II, the first of the House of Plantagenet to rule England. Henry was the first to use the title "King of England" (as opposed to "King of the English").

Now he is important to our story because of the University of Paris. See, even though William the Conqueror was a Norman, Henry the II was English. And as a result, back in 1167, he banned English students from attending the University of Paris. Well this helped St. George's Hospital Medical School (founded sometime in the 11th century) to become the best medical school within London itself, second only to Cambridge and Oxford among England's 25 or so medical schools.

Fast forward approximately 700 years and we will find that the Lecturer on Anatomy at St. George's is one Dr. Henry Gray. Dr. Gray was a British Anatomist who studied the development of the endocrine glands and spleen. What makes him so special is that he was responsible for the major anatomy textbook Anatomy Descriptive and Surgical. We now know this as Gray's Anatomy. Much of his work was based on cadavers of unclaimed bodies.

The history of the study of anatomy has been characterized, over time, by a continually developing understanding of the functions of organs and structures in the body. Methods have also improved dramatically, advancing from examination of animals through dissection of cadavers to modern methods including technologically complex techniques including X-ray, ultrasound, and MRI imaging.

But up until the early 20th century, dissection of cadavers was the primary method of developing an understanding of the human body. The dissection of human cadavers was controversial from ancient times, and was a topic fraught with controversy and superstition. As human dissections became more numerous, the need for a source of cadavers became more pressing. Criminals and the unclaimed poor often satisfied the demand. England in the eighteenth century used the bodies of condemned criminals for medical research. Capital punishment was meant both to supply the surgeons with cadavers and to serve as a deterrent to criminals who feared the desecration of their remains.

Capital punishment has in the past been practiced in virtually every society, although currently only 58 nations actively practice it. The use of formal execution extends to the beginning of recorded history. Most historical records and various primitive tribal practices indicate that the death penalty was a part of their justice system. Methods included the breaking wheel, boiling to death, flaying, slow slicing, disembowelment, crucifixion, impalement, crushing (including crushing by elephant), stoning, execution by burning, and dismemberment. As we approach modern history, capital punishment thrived. During the reign of Henry VIII, as many as 72,000 people are estimated to have been executed. However, in a movement towards a less painful, more "humane" execution, other methods were developed that were quick and relatively pain free.

Around the late 1700's, there was a professor of anatomy at the faculty of medicine at the University of Paris, Joseph, who was rather well connected. King Louis the XVI appointed Joseph, along with Benjamin Franklin, to a committee to study a very offensive topic at the time, "Animal Magnetism". As a result of this Joseph began to get interested in politics and as such, in May of 1789 he became a member of the Assembly.

As a member of the assembly Joseph mainly directed his attention towards medical reform, and it was in October 1789, during a debate on capital punishment, that he proposed that "the criminal shall be decapitated; this will be done solely by means of a simple mechanism." The "mechanism" was defined as "a machine that beheads painlessly".

At that time, beheading in France was typically done by axe or sword, which did not always cause immediate death. Additionally, beheading was reserved for the nobility, while commoners were typically hanged. Joseph assumed that if a fair system was established where the only method of capital punishment was death by mechanical decapitation, then the public would feel far more appreciative of their rights.

Despite this proposal, Joseph, as in Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, was opposed to the death penalty and hoped that a more humane and less painful method of execution would be the first step toward a total abolition of the death penalty. Ironically his name became associated with this method of execution, the Guillotine.

Europe was experiencing a period of radical social and political upheaval in the late 1700’s. France had been ruled under an absolute monarchy for hundreds of years, yet in a period of just three years it collapsed as French society experienced a radical transformation. Religion privilege ended with the concept of freedom of religion, feudalism died, the power of the aristocrat faded away, as old ideas about hierarchy and tradition gave way to the principles of the new Enlightenment. Even the calendar was changed.

The French Republican Calendar, or French Revolutionary Calendar, was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution. It was in use by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805.

The Republican calendar year began at the autumn equinox of 1792 and had twelve months of 30 days each, which were given new names based on nature, principally having to do with the prevailing weather in and around Paris.

Autumn:

• Vendémiaire (from Latin vindemia, "grape harvest"), starting September 22, 23 or 24
  
• Brumaire (from French brume, "fog"), starting October 22, 23 or 24
  
• Frimaire (From French frimas, "frost"), starting November 21, 22 or 23
  

Winter:

• Nivôse (from Latin nivosus, "snowy"), starting December 21, 22 or 23
  
• Pluviôse (from Latin pluvius, "rainy"), starting January 20, 21 or 22
  
• Ventôse (from Latin ventosus, "windy"), starting February 19, 20 or 21
  

Spring:

• Germinal (from Latin germen, "germination"), starting March 20 or 21
  
• Floréal (from Latin flos, "flower"), starting April 20 or 21
  
• Prairial (from French prairie, "pasture"), starting May 20 or 21

Summer:

• Messidor (from Latin messis, "harvest"), starting June 19 or 20
  
• Thermidor (or Fervidor) (from Greek thermon, "summer heat"), starting July 19 or 20
  
• Fructidor (from Latin fructus, "fruit"), starting August 18 or 19
  

Of course the French Revolution was not just new calendars, and the metric system. It was was also one of the bloodiest periods of European history to that time. The Reign of Terror (June 27, 1793 – July 27, 1794) was a period of violence that occurred for one year and one month after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of the revolution." Estimates vary widely as to how many were killed, with numbers ranging from 16,000 to 40,000

The extension of civil war and the advance of foreign armies on national territory produced a political crisis, and increased the rivalry between the Girondins and the more radical Jacobins; the latter were eventually grouped in the parliamentary faction called the Mountain, and had the support of the Parisian population. The French government established the Committee of Public Safety, which took its final form on September 6, 1793, and was ultimately dominated by Maximilien Robespierre,

Maximilien de Robespierre was born in Arras, France. Here he admired the idealised Roman Republic and the rhetoric of Cicero, Cato and other classic figures. He was also influenced by Jean Jacques Rousseau and adopted many of his principles, becoming more intrigued by the idea of a virtuous self, a man who stands alone accompanied only by his conscience. He believed that the people of France were fundamentally good

Shortly after his coronation, Louis XVI, then 17 years old, had been chosen to deliver a speech to welcome the king. On the day of the speech, Robespierre and the crowd waited for the king and queen for several hours in the rain. Upon arrival, the royal couple remained in their coach for the ceremony and immediately left thereafter. Robespierre would become one of those who eventually sought the death of the king.

After the fall of the monarchy, France faced more food riots, large popular insurrections and accusations of treasonous acts by those previously considered patriots. A stable government was needed to quell the chaos. Though nominally all members of the committee were equal, Robespierre has often been regarded as the dominant force and, as such, the de facto dictator of the country. He is also seen as the driving force behind the Reign of Terror. Robespierre saw no room for mercy in his Terror, stating that "slowness of judgments is equal to impunity" and "uncertainty of punishment encourages all the guilty".

The Committee of Public Safety was responsible for suppressing internal counter-revolutionary activities and raising additional French military forces. Through the Revolutionary Tribunal, the Terror's leaders exercised broad dictatorial powers and used them to instigate mass executions and political purges. The repression accelerated in June and July 1794, a period called "la Grande Terreur" (The Great Terror).

Robespierre was one of several leaders of the Reign of Terror that were arrested and executed in the summer month of Thermidor in the French Republican Calendar (specifically 9 Thermidor Year II or July 27, 1794). This was known as the "Thermidorian Reaction".

Fast forward to 1894. Playwright Victorien Sardou was opening a new play, Gismonda, at the theatre Comédie Française. In 1891, Sardou had written the very successful Thermidor which took its name from a summer month in the French Republican Calendar, during which the "Thermidorian Reaction" occurred. Marie's, a Paris restaurant near the theatre Comédie Française created Lobster Thermidor to honor the opening of his newest play.

Lobster Thermidor is a dish consisting of a creamy mixture of cooked lobster meat, egg yolks, and cognac or brandy, stuffed into a lobster shell, and optionally served with an oven-browned cheese crust, typically Gruyère. The sauce must contain mustard (typically powdered mustard).

Lobster Thermidor

Ingredients

2 (1 1/2-lb) live lobsters
2 tbsp butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup Sherry, brandy, or cognac
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup fish stock
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp chopped tarragon
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere
salt and freshly ground black pepper
sweet paprika, for garnish
lemon wedges, for serving


Instructions

Plunge lobsters headfirst into an 8-quart pot of boiling salted water. Loosely cover pot and cook lobsters over moderately high heat 9 minutes from time they enter water, then transfer with tongs to sink to cool.

When lobsters are cool enough to handle, twist off claws and crack them, then remove meat. Halve lobsters lengthwise with kitchen shears, beginning from tail end, then remove tail meat, reserving shells. Cut all lobster meat into 1/4-inch pieces. Discard any remaining lobster innards, then rinse and dry shells.

Beat the egg yolks into the cream and set aside.

To prepare the sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook about 2 minutes, until softened. Add the Sherry, Brandy, or Cognac and boil for 2–3 minutes to reduce the liquid by about half.

Add the cream and stock and boil rapidly, stirring often, about 7 minutes, until reduced and beginning to thicken. Stir in the parsley, tarragon, lemon juice, and mustard. Stir in half of the Gruyere. Season with salt and pepper

Preheat the broiler. Add the lobster meat to the sauce, then divide between the lobster shells. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Place on a foil-lined broiler rack. Broil for 2–3 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Sprinkle with a little paprika. Serve hot, with lemon wedges.

To summarize...

So, let's recap. William the Conqueror takes over England, where his grandson bans students from studying at the University of Paris, so they found St. George's Hospital in London, which produces Dr. Henry Grey, who needed cadavers for his medical textbook, which were provided by the state through capital punishment, via means like the Guillotine which was used during the French Revolution, during the period of Enlightenment. The period of Enlightenment's new calendar system placed Robespierre execution during the month of Thermador, which was the name of a play by Victorien Sardou, which was commemorated by the restaurant Marie's in the dish Lobster Thermador.

Until next time...

Peace, love, and Hollandaise Sauce!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connections_%28TV_series%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_II_of_England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray%27s_Anatomy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._George%27s_Hospital_Medical_School
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_anatomy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph-Ignace_Guillotin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_Calendar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reign_of_Terror
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robespierre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorien_Sardou
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobster_Thermidor
http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/Contexts/dissect.html
http://www.ivillage.com/lobster-thermidor/3-r-64131

100 Things you should eat before you die

A while back, I found a great post regarding this meme
(check it out here)

Now as part of the MyTasteOfTheDay blog, I am planning on reprinting the list, along with my opinions, recipes, etc. For now though, I will post it here. Please take a look at it and comment back.

I have a broad palate. I am willing to try most things, but this article intrigued me. Take a look at the list. What do you think is missing? What would you never eat and why?

Starting today I'll review the list and share some of my comments. I'll let you know if I've eaten it, if I won't eat it, and hopefully some interesting information along the way.

1. Snake

Snake? Really? Ok, I'll start with a "No" right here. I don't think I could eat a snake. There are plenty of other things that I would try that are probably more disgusting then Rat Snake Au Gratin or Cobra du Jour.

According to Wikipedia, there are over 2900 species of snakes. While many are deadly, most are not venomous. In our Western culture, snakes are looked down on and considered evil mostly due to Biblical accounts in Genesis. Some other cultures revere the snake and place it in a place of honor.

For the most part, Western cultures do not eat snakes. An exception is rattlesnake, which is sometimes consumed in the western United States. In other cultures, snakes are considered a delicacy, sometimes with medicinal powers. Personally, I can't get past the revulsion factor here, but maybe you have a stronger stomach than I do.

from the Rattlesnake Recipe Page:

Rattlesnake & Italian Lentils

1 large onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

handful Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. thyme

2 tbsp. dried basil

4 1/2 cups water

1 package dry lentil beans

2 lb. rattlesnake meat

juice from 1/2 lemon

Simmer rattlesnake in water and lemon juice for 1 hour, remove and separate meat from bones.

Combine de-boned meat with the rest of the ingredients in a crockpot and slow-cook for 6-8 hours, or bring to boil in large cooking pot and simmer for 2 hours.

Personal preference aside, I noticed several similarities between recipes: 1) The rattlesnake needs to be simmered in water and lemon for an hour, then 2) it has to slow cook for 6-8 hours. Also it appears that you can purchase cleaned and packaged rattlesnake meat through agbase.com for $40-60 a pound.

If Rattlesnake & Italian Lentils doesn't "bite" you, how about Cantonese Snake Soup? (link)

150g done snake meat

egg shreds
pork shreds

dried mushroom shreds
white fungus shreds
dried longan pulp
dried orange peel grains
delicious soup
dark soy
rice wine
salt
sugar
pepper
gourmet powder
watered starch
chive oil
sesame oil


1. Clean the killed snake. Put it in boiling water, then add chives, ginger, wine, and stew for half an hour. Take the meat and tear it into shreds. Steam them together with the chives, ginger, wine, and delicous soup for 2 hours. 2. Put the snake meat shreds and the seasonings in 1000g delicious soup in a pot. Braise them to boiling and then take away the foam. Add gourmet powder, watered starch to make paste. Pour in chive oil, sesame oil and place them in a casserole together with crisp chips, chive shreds, ginger shreds, fruit peel shreds, white chrysanthemum, and other seasonings.

If you have the intestinal fortitude to try snake, please let me know.