RobinKateB

Ellen, thank you so much for writing that and sharing it with all of us. You are very lucky to have had such a wonderful father and we are lucky to have glimpsed a piece of him. -Robin

I live in Burlington as well. For breakfast I love Mirabelles and Penny Cluse. Mirabelles has cooked breakfasts and wonderful croissants. I have a friend from france and she gets a pain au chocolate from there when she misses home. If you want to drive to the next town Tiny Thai is really good. I also love Smokjacks and Trattoria Delia. I have not been to the Daily Planet in a while. The Single Pebble is also excellent. If you have the cookbook, "All About Braising" by Molly Stevens the red pine chicken recipe is from there. Robin

I have also really enjoyed your food blog, oh and drooling over your new kitchen. I have also lived in a kitchen that had no drawers. The kitchen had been renovated and the owners before me did not put in any drawers, although they did add a sink and counter top that was positive for lead. I would love to learn to make the canneles. If the recipe in the cookbook is correct I will need to get the cookbook and some molds. So when is the big kitchen reveal? I love the light fixture in it by the way. -Robin

When I made this braise the cognac lighting was a little terrifying. It lit with an audible woosh and was quite a flame. I don't have a hood (yet!!) and there is a window directly behind the stove (now my lack of hood makes sense). There was no fire, however in my momentary terror I did blow out the flames or something before they went out on their own. I also did not flour the thighs before browning. I browned them and then removed the skin as a cooks snack. Also I could not find the artichoke bottoms so I used 2 cans of hearts and removed the choke and leaves. The dish would not have been as good if I left them on. The frustrating thing is Molly Stevens lives in my area and I have checked all the stores. Where is she getting artichoke bottoms!! -Robin

Katbert, as you are braising these they will probably still be delicious. Braising allows tough cuts of meat to be moist, tender and juicy so I think it will be fine. Although am sure there will be a slight difference. Last night I made the Salmon Braised with bacon and mushrooms and I will not be making it again. This and the eggplant are my only failures form this book. Made the Red Pine Chicken several weeks ago and it was amazing. I have had it in the restaurant where the recipe came from and DH and I agree it is better at home. Less salty and moister. Robin

aliénor, Im would love the recipe for that cake. Thanks!! Pam R, I will patiently wait for your carrot cake recipe. My seder is on my birthday this year so a carrot cake sounds perfect. Personally I am not a huge chocolate cake fan. Robin

Abra that really is a fabulous assortment. I am sure your list of recipients was very grateful. Would you share the recipe for Chefpeon's macaroons please. Or is it linked somewhere. I love macaroons!! Robin

When I braise I either thicken with the mirepoix or leave the jus as is. Perosnally for my tastes (and by extension my families) a braise should not have a super thick rich sauce. Instead it should have a "braising jus" as described on a restaurant menu. This works for us, and I braise most weeks Fall through early sping. Robin

Actually this is something I have thought of before, without an eleven hour drive. I feel that most cooks or chefs have a flavor palate. For example I love the taste of thyme and it is in many of the dishes I cook, especially when I am improvising. In addition I enjoy varied cuisines such as Ethiopian, Greek, Indian, Morrocan etc. I also know I use lots of garlic and onions and in the wonter most dishes are braised. Actually my "flavor palate" is why I do not invite one couple I know more often to my house. He does not like onions, too much garlic or anything to out of the ordinary. She does not like dill (did I mention I lvoe Greek food). When I try to cook for them I feel like I am trying to do it with 2 hands tied behind my back. Robin

Thanks so much for helping me understand the method. Now that I know the reasoning I will just allow more time the next time I make it. There will definitely be a next time. As expected the flavor was even better when I ate the leftovers the next night. Of course being the experimental cook that I am I will try both ways. I am also going to make my pinches of spice larger. Robin

I used to make a really good panettone that combined two recipes I copied from the book store. My recipe used grappa (or was it brandy) to soak the raisins and lemon zest. Lately I have been unhappy with what I have found in the store. I don't know if I still have my old recipe. Robin

I made the Pork Stew with prunes and Onions served over the Oven baked Polenta. The flavor was amazing, however I was a little surprised and confused by the browning steps. I did not understand why the pork is cooked with the lid on at first as this rendered a lot of liquid that then had to be cooked off in the next step in order to brown it. As you can see by my photo I gave up on browning it as I ran out of time. I would have been fine on time if I did not need to go out of for polenta as the pairing sounded so good. I also misjudged the timing a little. Even my husband liked the polenta, it went perfectly with the stew. I loved this cooking method for the polenta. Next time I may skip the step with the lid on and just brown the meat. Robin edited for clarity

I am a lover of Le Creuset as well and reading thorough this thread was a little dangerous for me. I think I should be going to a Le Creuset 12 step program instead of reading threads like this one. Imagine a discussion like this for alcoholics!! I have just purchased 2 new Le Creuset pots. One for me (a 5 1/2 qt oval oven) and one for a gift (3 1/2 qt round oven). The biggest tragedy in my life is my father had roommates through out all of my mother's Le Creuset (okay except the 7 1/2 qt round oven and the gratin dish I already gave a new home to ). She had a large saute pan, i am guessing 13 inches across and 2 1/2 high that I have not even found on E-bay. I did not have a problem with my knobs when making the Bittman bread at 500 degrees. However the inside of the pot up to the height liquid is usually in it turned brown. It just smelled like burning. Also the bread was a little burned on the bottom. 450 works better for me. -Robin

I made a really delicious Brisket Braised with pomegranate juice and an onion confit a few weeks ago. I love brisket and serve it often. This one was really good. However I did not care for the onion confit. In the future I will serve it with pomegranate seeds instead. When I made the brisket I subbed celery root for the celery and really liked the change. It made the sauce thicker. Robin Pomegranate-Braised Brisket With Onion Confit (This was published in the Baltimore Sun on November 8) Serves 8 to 12 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil 1 brisket (about 6 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, wiped with a damp paper towel and patted dry 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups) 2 leeks, white and pale-green parts, washed well and coarsely chopped 6 garlic cloves, crushed 2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 celery rib with leaves, coarsely chopped 2 cups pomegranate juice (divided use) 2 cups chicken broth 3 thyme sprigs or 2 teaspoons dried thyme 2 rosemary sprigs 2 bay leaves salt and freshly ground pepper Onion Confit (see recipe) Heat the oil in a large, heavy roasting pan or a wide 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, using two burners if necessary. Add the brisket and brown well on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a platter and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan and add the onions, leeks, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1 cup of the pomegranate juice and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Boil until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the remaining cup of pomegranate juice, the broth, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lightly salt and pepper the brisket on both sides. Add it to the pan, fat side up, and add any juices that may have dripped from the meat onto the platter. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the meat. Cover the pan tightly and slide it into the oven to braise, basting every half-hour, until the meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. If the liquid in the pot begins to bubble rapidly, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees - it should be a slow simmer. Meanwhile, make the Onion Confit. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. For the gravy, strain the braising liquid, discarding the thyme, rosemary sprigs and bay leaves and reserving the vegetables. Skim and discard as much fat as possible from the surface of the liquid. Puree the vegetables and 1 cup of the degreased braising liquid in a food processor or blender. Transfer the pureed mixture and the remaining braising liquid to a skillet over high heat and reduce the gravy to the desired consistency. Taste for seasoning. Cut the brisket into thin slices across the grain at a slight diagonal. Spread the Onion Confit on a serving platter and arrange the sliced brisket on top. Ladle over the hot gravy and serve. From "The 150 Best American Recipes," by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens Per serving (based on 12 servings): 478 calories, 50 grams protein, 17 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 22 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 97 milligrams cholesterol, 244 milligrams sodium -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Onion Confit 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 large onions (about 2 1/2 pounds), very thinly sliced salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup dry red wine 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds Heat the oil in a 10-inch to 12-inch skillet over low heat. Add the onions, season lightly with salt and pepper and toss to coat with the oil. Cook, tightly covered, over the lowest heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and brown, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the wine and broth. Increase the heat and boil, uncovered and stirring frequently, until all the liquid is evaporated and the onions are deeply colored, 4 to 8 minutes. Taste again for seasonings -- the confit tends to take a bit of salt. Turn off the heat, cover and keep warm. Stir in the pomegranate seeds just before serving.

I am still mulling over my possibilities of which sauteuse I will go with. However i was also curious if anyone has had a chance to check out the Calphalon one series that is exclusive to Willaims Sonoma until February and if so what your thoughts are. I don't think i will be investing in it as it is not tried and true and I am sure a large percentage of the price is the advertising i have seen leading up tyo its release. It is a shame as I love the idea of this pan, especially the helper handle. Calphalon One Chef's Muti Pan -Robin