Cooking Lessons and Recipes on CD-ROM with Video

Baba au Rhum ( Serves 8 )

1Tbsp. Yeast
1/4 Cup warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Whole eggs
Pinch of salt
7 oz. All purpose flour
2.2 oz. Unsalted butter
Candied fruits

Syrup

1/2 Qt of water
9 oz. Sugar
1 Vanilla bean
Zest of lemon and orange
1 Cinnamon stick
Rum to test

Preheat oven to 300*. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let yeast rise, then mix in sugar and eggs. Add salt and all purpose flour, beat until dough doesn't stick to the side of the bowl. Finish with butter. Place dough into buttered and floured mold.
Let the dough rise in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes or until triple volume.
Bake 20 minutes or comes clean with a toothpick. While the baba is baking, prepare the syrup.
Bring all ingredients, except for the rum, to a boil in a saucepan for 5 minutes; set aside add rum.
Saturated the baba with hot syrup. Decor with candied fruit and serve with whip cream.

Beef Wellington ( Serves 4 )

2 lb. Clean beef tenderloin
12 oz. Puff pastry
4 oz. Foie gras or coarse pate
4 oz. Duxelle mushrooms
5 oz. Ground veal
1 oz. Black truffle (optional )
1 Whole egg
1 Egg for egg wash
Salt, black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400*. Sear the beef tenderloin on all side, let cool off.
For the stuffing. Mix ground veal, duxelle mushrooms, foie gras and egg. Place the mixture on top of the beef tenderloin add black (optional ) and wrap in the puff pastry.
Make sure that is well sealed all around, then brush the top with egg wash. Bake at 400* for 10 minutes or until lightly brown, finish at 325* for another 20 minutes (medium rare) add 10 more minutes for medium.

Duxelle mushrooms

1/2 lb. Mushrooms
2 Whole shallots
2 Lemon juice
Salt, black pepper

Ground mushrooms and shallots, into a hot pan put lemon juice and add ground mushrooms, cook until dried.
Season with salt and black pepper.

Truffle sauce

2 Minced shallots
1 oz. Diced smoked bacon
1/2 Cup Madeira
1 Cup of demi glaze
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 Bay leaves
1 tbsp Chopped black truffle
2 tbsp Black truffle oil ( optional )

Brown the smoked bacon and the shallots in the roasting pan were you seared the beef tenderloin. Add Madeira, then reduce until dried, add demi glaze and bring it to a boil. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, remove fat if any comes to the surface.
Strain and add chopped truffles, finish with black truffle oil and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Cannolis ( Serves 4 )

2 Cups mascarpone cheese
10x powder sugar to taste
2 tbsp. Amaretto or honey liqueur
Fresh berries
Shaved dark and white chocolate
4 Cannoli shells

Mix the mascorpone chesse with sugar and liqueur. "Do not over mix"
Place mix in a pastry bag and pipe the cannolis with the mixture. Garnish with berries, chocolate shavings and powdered 10x sugar.

Chestnut Soup ( Serves 4 )

1 lb. Chestnuts
4 oz. Diced fennel
4 oz. Diced celery
4 oz. Diced leeks ( white part only )
Small piece of smoked bacon
4 Cups of chicken stock
2 Cups of Heavy cream
Salt and white pepper

After roasted and peeling chestnut, sweat the bacon, celery, fennel, leeks and chestnuts then add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 45 minutes. Add cream at the end and bring it back to a boil for 5 minutes, season to taste.
Remove the bacon and blend the soup until smooth, then put it through a fine strainer. Garnish with a sprig of fennel.

Chicken Marengo ( Serves 4 )

4 Skinless chicken breasts
1/4 Cup flour
2 tbsp. Olive oil
2 Cloves of garlic
3/4 Cup dry white wine
2 Cup tomatoes diced ( stewed or fresh )
1/2 lb. Mushrooms
1/2 lb. White pearl onions
Fresh chopped parsley
Fresh chopped basil
2 tbsp. Cognac
2 Lemon juice
Salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper

Garnish

4 Fried eggs
8 oz. Crayfish tailmeat ( cooked )
4 Sliced toasted white bread

Sprinkle the chicken breast with salt and pepper, dredge in flour. Sauteed in olive oil until lightly brown on both sides.
Remove the chicken, set aside and get ride of the excess fat from the pan. Sauteed the garlic gloves, mushrooms and add white wine, reduce by half.
Add chicken, stock, diced tomatoes and chopped herbs, season and cook on medium to low heat until breast are cooked through.
Remove the chicken the reduce sauce. Add cognac, crayfish, lemon juice and pearl onions. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Place chicken breast on a plate and top with sauce. Garnish with fried egg and toast.

Coquilles Saint-Jacques ( Serves 4 )

12 oz. Fresh sea scallops
4 Large cabbage leaves
2 Idaho potatoes ( diced )
Fennel sprigs or dill
Lemon juice
1 Cup dry white wine
2 Slices shallots
2 Bay leaves
1/4 Cup heavy cream
8 oz. Unsalted butter
Salt, white pepper

Preheat the oven at 325*. Blanch in boiling salted water the diced potatoes. Also blanch the cabbage leaves and cold in ice water to keep the color.
Wrap the scallops, potatoes, fennel sprigs, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a cabbage leaf. Tie it off with a wood skewer.
When all wrapped, braise the cabbage with white wine, bay leaves and the diced shallots. Cook for about 10 minutes at 325* 0ven.
Once the cabbage pouchs have finished cooking, remove them and reduce the wine until dry; add cream and bring it back to a boil as you incorporate the butter little by little.
Adjust with lemon juice, season with salt and white pepper.

Crème Brulée ( Serves 8 )

1 quart heavy cream
11 egg yolks
7 oz. sugar
Vanilla

Boil cream, in a separate bowl mix yolks, sugar and vanilla. Once cream has come
to a boil, add cream slowly to the eggs mixture.
Pour mixture into ramekins, fill to the rim, and cook in a double boiler.
Cook for 30 minutes or until the center is firm at 275* F. Cool cream brulee,
and burn the tops with little bit of sugar.
Serve with fruits and whipped cream.

Duck and Turnips ( Serves 4 )

4 Medium duck breasts
1 cup duck stock
4 Medium turnips, diced
3 Tbsp. Honey
3 Tbsp. Flavored vinegar
Salt & pepper

Garnish

2 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup dried fruits, diced
2 oz. butter
salt & pepper

Duck Stock

2 Whole ducks
2 Medium carrats,diced
1 Large onion, diced
3 Celery stalks, diced
3 Tbsp. Tomato paste
2 Qt chicken stock ( replace by water if stock not available )
1 Cup white wine
5 Whole garlic cloves
Thyme & bay leaves

Debone duck breast,remove legs, reserve them for future use.
Roast bones in a medium heat oven until browned. Half way through cooking bones,
add vegetables and garlic.
Ten place it in a stock pot on medium heat, add tomato paste, cook for tow minutes,
then deglaze with white wine. Reduce until dry.
Add herbs and cover with chicken stock ( or water )
Simmer for 2 Hours, remove fat raising to the surface, then strain into a small pot,
reduce to 1/2 cup of stock.

Finish the Duck Breasts

Sear duck breasts medium to medium rare in a skillet, remove from the heat
and rest.
In the same pan, get rid of the fat, add honey cook until just smoking.
Deglaze with vinegar, reduce until dry then add stock. Cook until sauce coats back
of a spoon.
Season with salt and pepper.
Saute cooked rice and dried fruits in butter, then place in mold.
Unmold onto serving dish. Blanche turnips into little bit of duck stock, then saute in
butter, or with fat from the cooked breast.
Slice duck breast very thin, fan around rice. Pour sauce onto duck and garnish
with turnips.

Genoa Cake ( Serves 12 )
( From Monet's Table recipe )

4 oz. Unsalted butter
11 oz. Sugar
5 whole eggs
8 oz. Almond flour
4 oz. All purpose flour
2 Tbsp. Kirsch

Preheat the oven to 350*. Into a mixing bowl put soft butter and sugar mix until creamy. Continue mixing while incorporating the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add almond flour and Kirsch. Finally, add the all purpose flour and mix well.
Pour into a buttered and floured cake pan, cook for 40 minutes into a 350* oven. If desired, sprinkle with sifted powder 10x sugar and top with slivered almond.

Hachis Parmentier ( Serves 4 )

6 Idaho potatoes
Some Milk
4 oz. Unsalted butter
1 lb. Ground beef
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 Cup chopped onions
1 Cup chopped celery
2 Minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp. Tomato paste
2 Cups diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. Dried thyme
8 oz. Shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt, black pepper

Brown the beef in olive oil on high heat. Remove beef from pan with slotted spoon. Reduce heat and sweat onions and celery until soft. Add garlic, dried thyme and tomato paste, cook for a minute or two then add diced tomatoes and beef.
Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Layer 1/3 of buttered casserole dish with mashed potatoes, next layer beef evenly on top, sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese. Top smoothly remaining casserole with mashed potatoes. Finish with the other half of the Parmesan cheese.

*Optional: After the cheese, you can pipe some mashed potatoes with a pastry bag, with star tip for a decorative presentation.

Bake in 325* oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Leek and Potato Soup ( Serves 4 )

2 oz. Smoked bacon
1 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
4 to 5 medium size leeks ( white parts only)
4 Potatoes ( diced )
1 1/2 Qt of chicken stock
Salt, white pepper

Melt butter and sweat bacon, add sliced leeks cook for 5 minutes at low heat. Add diced potato and chicken stock, cover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Season with salt and white pepper. When serving you can garnish with fried julienne of leeks, fried bacon and top with a sprig of chervil.

Madeleine ( Yield 48 Madeleines )
( Courtesy of Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier )

1 lb. Unsalted butter
1 lb. Sugar
9 Eggs
1 lb. All purpose flour
1/2 oz. Baking powder
Pinch of salt
Vanilla
Orange zest

Preheat oven at 400*. Butter and flour Madeleine cookie sheet.
Beat softened butter and sugar until creamed. Add eggs, once blended add flour, baking powder and salt. Finish with vanilla and orange zest. Measure according to your degree of flavor.
Cook 10 minutes at 400*

*Optional: Once Madeleine have cooled dip in chocolate or icing made with orange juice or any other citrus juice or simply sprinkle with 10x powdered sugar.

Marinated Vegetables ( Serves 4 )

1 Zucchini, diced
1 Yellow Squash, diced
1 Green bell pepper
1 Red bell pepper
2 Yellow tomatoes, diced
2 red tomatoes, diced
1 fennel bulb
4 oz. Mushrooms, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 Head of raddichio
2 Belgium endives
Some lettuce
Garlic, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped

Marinated:

Melt honey, add balsamic vinegar, reduce by half. Then add olive oil,
Dijon mustard and rosemary.

Lighly saute zucchini in olive oil. Toss all vegetables together with vinaigrette
season with salt & pepper, marinated for couple hours.
Keep refrigerated.

Napoleon ( Serves 8 )

1 Sheet of puff pastry 12 inch x 15 inch
4 oz. Sugar
1 Qt pastry cream
Strawberries, sliced
Powder 10x sugar

Sprinkle sugar on top of the puff pastry sheet and cook it at 350* oven until golden brown. Cut in 3 equal layers, set aside to cool off.

Pastry cream

1 Qt of milk
6 Egg yolks
7.2 oz. Sugar
2 oz. All purpose flour
4 Tbsp. Rum
Vanilla

Bring the milk to a boil. Mix the egg yolks and sugar until creamy, then add the flour. Pour over the milk and keep stirring, while bringing the mixture back to a boil. Add rum and vanilla.

Assembly the Napoleon

On top of the first layer of puff pastry, put about an inch of cream then sliced strawberries topped with a thin layer of cream. Place another pastry sheet on top and repeat the same.
Place at last the third pastry sheet upside down flat side up. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Finish with powder 10x sugar and half strawberries on top.

Profiteroles ( 32 yield )

1 Cup milk
3 Cups water
3 oz. Sugar
1 lb. Butter
1 lb. 6 oz. All purpose flour
16 Whole eggs

Bring the milk, butter and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat, then add all the flour,
incorporate the flour quickly.
Place it back on the heat, until the dough sizzles on the bottom of the pan. Put dough
in a mixer, mix until you get rid of the steam, the add eggs one at a time. Eggs will
vary depending on the dryness of the dough.
The mixture should becomes shiny but still stiff. Pipe profiteroles buns to a
quarter size. Eggwash, fork marks and sprinkle with crystal sugar. Bake at 375* F.
for 20 minutes, rotate pan in oven for even color.
If color is achieved before time is done, continue to cook at a lower temperature.

Cut profiteroles buns in half, place vanilla ice cream between pieces.
Serve with hot chocolate sauce and toasted almonds.

Sauce Bechamel ( Serves 4 )

2.5 oz. Butter
2.5 oz. All purpose flour
1 Qt. of milk
Salt
White pepper
Nutmeg

In a small saucepan melt butter slowly, whisk flour and cook over low heat stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
Continue to stir on and off heat for several minutes to get rid of the flour raw taste, but do not allow mixture to brown.
Add cold milk and heat to boiling whisking constantly for a minute. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Shrimp Louis XVI ( Serves 4 )

24 Shrimp, peeled, deveined
4 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. Chopped onions
1 Tbsp. Minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Black cracked pepper
Dried thyme
2Tbsp. Unsalted butter
Fresh chopped parsley
Salt
Sprig of fresh thyme for garnish

In hot pan saute shrimp in olive oil with black cracked pepper. Then add onion, garlic and dried thyme, cook for 30 seconds.
Flambe with Cognac, add butter and chopped fresh parsley. Season with salt.
Garnish with thyme sprig.

Sirloin Steak Bordelaise Sauce ( Serves 4 )

4 Sirloin steak, 8 to 10 oz each
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
Salt, black pepper

Bordelaise Sauce

2 oz. Smoked bacon, diced
4 Chopped shallots
2 Bay leaves
1 Bunch of fresh thyme
1/2 Qt of red wine
1 1/2 Cup demi glaze
Salt, black pepper

Melt the butter, add vegetable oil, and sear the sirloin steak on both side in high heat. Remove the steak from the pan and set aside. Get rid of the fat from that same pan and sweat the bacon, add chopped shallots. When little bits caramelize deglaze with red wine, reduce until dry and add demi glace. Bring it back to boil and season with salt and pepper.
Reheat sirloin steak, top with the sauce and serve with your choice of vegetables and starch.

Veal Stew ( Serves 4 to 6 )
( Saute de Veau )

3 lb. Veal stew
2 Tbsp Corn oil
1 Medium onion, diced
1 Whole head of garlic, chopped
4 Tbsp Tomato paste
2 oz. Flour
1 Cup white wine
Salt & Pepper

Bouquet Garni ( Sachet )

1 Bunch of thyme
4 Bay leaves
1 Clove

Garnish

2 oz. Smoked bacon, diced
4 oz., Pearl onions, peeled
1/2 lb. White mushrooms, cut in fourth
2 Whole tomatoes
1 lb. Baby carrots
2 lb. Chopped tarragon
2 lb. Potatoes, large dices
Salt & Black pepper

Saute veal in high heat with oil, drain the fat, add onion and garlic. Cook it for
another 5 minutes, stirring continuously, then add tomato paste.
Cook for an additional minute with the tomato paste. Deglaze with white wine,
reduce by half, then add stock and bouquet garni.
Let simmer until meat is tender. Skim off fat frequently.

In a separate pan saute bacon, pearl onions, and mushrooms. Then add to the stew,
also add diced tomatoes, and carrot. Season with salt, pepper and tarragon.
Let simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with steamed potatoes.

Terrine of Leeks ( Serves 8 )

20 to 25 Small leeks
4 oz. Marinated sundried tomatoes
2 Sachet unflavored gelatin powder
Salt, white pepper

Dressing

6 Tbsp. Olive oil
6 Tbsp. Black truffle oil
3 Tbsp. Champagne vinegar
2 Tbsp. Chopped black truffle

Cut off the roots and most of the green part from the leeks, split them lengthwise. Wash thoroughly under cold running water to get rid of any grit or mud.
Bring a large stock pan of salted water to a boil. Add leeks, bring it back to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the leeks are tender. Drain very well.
Line the inside of a terrine mold with plastic wrap, layer leeks alternately head to tail and sprinkle each layer as you go with gelatin powder.
Only one layer in the center of sundried tomatoes. Cover the terrine and cook it in 225* oven in double boiler for 40 to 50 minutes or until center is hot.
Keep refrigerated overnight
For dressing combine all ingredients and season to taste.

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