Lapin d'Argent

Abra & Paul -- I'm going to do a poached-roasted turkey based on Paul's recipe too, although without the stuffing (my mother and brother want my French-Canadian family's traditional meat stuffing, which is really just a repurposing of toutiere filling.) But I'm going to go out and buy a new stockpot that will fit the turkey, rather than the other way around! After all, what's not to love about a cooking technique that gives you an excuse to visit the kitchen supply store! I'm a bit nervous, because I have a history in my family of "incidents" with attempts to cook turkeys, that involve everything from almost leaving the bag of giblets and whatnot inside the bird (hey, I was only 16 at the time and my mother was in the hospital giving me directions over the phone) to birds that were underdone and had to go back to the oven for another hour, then another hour.... So I'm hoping that this technique is going to work for me, because I can poach it and be sure it's cooked all the way through, without drying it out, and then still get it nice and crispy in the oven when I'm ready to serve it. My mother has only one oven, so I love the idea that this recipe gives me more flexibility than putting a bird in the oven for hours and hours would. Paul, any tips to offer for a 20-22lb bird? (Besides the fact that I'll need a really big pot ) - Laura

Do I get a certificate I can put on my fridge? No, but at your official Initiation Ceremony, you will learn our Secret Handshake, which will allow you to connect with other members of the Society, wherever you may happen upon them. - L.

Erin, Congratulations, you are almost ready to graduate from the Marcella School for Informed and Highly Opinionated Cooks! You will know the day has truly come when you find that Marcella's techniques have been so thoroughly integrated into your way of cooking that you no longer look up her recipes, but you cook in her "style" without recipes (which you will adapt to become your own unique style), based on what's available in the market, your own (and your family's) tastes, the season, and what you feel like eating. And you will start applying her basic approach to recipes from other cookbook authors as well -- you will *always* cook the onion first, then add the garlic, and you'll never cook anything in just a tiny bit of oil or butter again... Welcome to Legions of the Converted! - Laura

Let me say that the recipe for Tuscan Ribollita with Runner Cannellini Beans is worth the purchase price alone! I hesitated (briefly) before posting this, because with a second batch of this wonderful, hearty seasonal dish in the oven/on the stove now, I went to order more runner cannellinis, and discovered that Steve is temporarily out. But fear not, I'm sure more will be in stock soon, and besides, there are lots of other great recipes to try -- one for every week of the year! If you haven't already purchased this book, RUN to the bookstore or your nearest online purveyor and get your copy now. Thanks Steve for all the great beans and now all the great ways to cook them! - Laura

Finally reporting on Saturday's cooking of CI's braised brisket. As mentioned up thread, I actually had two brisket pieces, a 3lb and a 2lb. These got browned first: Next came the onions, which picked up the nice fond created by the meat: Once the onions have softened, you add tomato paste and paprika: Finally, after the addition of a few more ingredients, like red wine, chicken broth and bay leaf, you pour the onion mixture into a big foil envelope inside a baking pan, and nestle the browned brisket on top: Here's my brisket all tucked into its foil blankie and ready for the oven: And four hours later -- heaven! My terrible photography makes the meat look dried out here, but it was very succulent. The flavor of the meat from this recipe is really incredible. Next time, though, I think I would just use a baking pan of the right size and cover it tightly with foil, instead of putting the meat inside the foil inside the pan. Inevitably, the foil leaks and makes a mess in the pan anyway. Why lose any of that great juice? There wasn't enough pan juice this time to make it worth while to separate the meat from the juice when I stored the leftovers overnight, and the meat wasn't terribly fatty, so I don't think it made a difference anyway. Besides, my husband can't be trusted with a container of carmelized onion in the fridge.

And sometimes you just end up with what they have. Today hubby went to the Whole Foods in Brighton, MA, as promised, in search of a 4-5lb piece of brisket from the flat-cut end, per the recipe. But they only had a 3lb piece and a 2lb piece, so that's what he came home with. So I will just cook them up together as if they were one harmonious single piece. Another benefit to the CI technique is that they have you wrap the brisket with the minimal liquid and other ingredients in a tight foil jacket, so that the juices have minimal space to circulate around in. Given that, I don't think I'll even have to tie the separate meat pieces together -- even if I could think of a way to do it that wouldn't be supremely weird. Stay tuned for details and pictorial on Saturday. - L.

Erin, thank you so much for this post. This is why I joined eGullet -- there are people all around the world who enrich my life in so many ways. - Laura

Braised almost anything is wonderful, but brisket is divine! Cooks Illustrated January/February 2005 has an excellent recipe for Onion-Braised Beef Brisket. I've made it a bunch of times and served it to guests who insist on stuffing their pockets with leftovers, whether I am inclined to part with them or not. CI's method has you make it ahead and let it rest overnight so the meat reabsorbs the juice, which can be convenient. But if you like your brisket falling apart instead of firm, go ahead and eat it the same day. Hubby is being dispatched to the store tomorrow to bring home a nice piece of brisket for the weekend.

*drool* I guess I'm going to have to add another Marcella book to my collection... And C. sapidus, which book are you cooking out of? Your food looks divine!! If my husband saw those mushrooms, he would not let me rest until I made that dish. Now I feel inspired to contribute something over the weekend -- this time of year is so perfect for Marcella! - Laura

Yesterday I made the "Real" Hungarian Beef Stew from the most recent (Nov/Dec) CI. Despite a couple of necessary adjustments, it came out very yummy. I happened to have 1.5lb chuck roast in the freezer that needed using up, so I made a half batch. The paprika I had in the house was the Penzey's Hungary Sweet. I used olive oil, and more like 3 or 4 tbls, because (thanks to Marcella) I believe that the fat helps carry the flavor. Also, I seem to remember reading in the old Time Life series that making a true paprikash you basically need a lot of fat, a lot of onions, and a lot of paprika. I left out the carrots, because they really didn't seem to belong and anyway we wanted them roasted as a separate dish. And I discovered at the end of the process that I had no beef broth in the house, so after a bit of hemming and hawing, I substituted beer. That worked out OK, although a stout or mild beer would have been better than the not-very-good organic IPA we happened to have in the fridge. Water probably would have been fine too. And I wouldn't hesitate to throw a little red wine in there, if that's what you prefer. The verdict: The texture of the meat was FABULOUS, and the sauce was really good. Very slightly bitter, but I blame that on my lame IPA, and possibly the Penzey's paprika. This is going right onto the list of cold-weather favorites. I really appreciated not having to brown all those darn chunks of meat, and might see about adapting the technique with some of my other favorite stew recipes. I certainly wouldn't dilute this with any sour cream. Highly recommended. Pics coming soon; I never remember to upload them first...

We have a friend originally from Italy and according to her husband, it's not a meal if there's no bread. Doesn't seem to matter what type of bread, as long as it's good bread. For wonderful descriptions of Italian family meals, I recommend Donna Leon's mystery novels featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. - L.

OK, now I will have to try this recipe -- these look so delicious!! I am so with you there! I have Marcella Cucina and Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (which combines The Classic Italian Cookbook and More Classic Italian Cooking). Some of my favorite recipes are her simplest -- her recipe for Brodo (pg 15 in ECI), for example, which I make with a large piece of brisket, so that I have a nice piece of flavorful boiled beef to as Leftover Boiled Beef Salad with Salsa Verde (ECI p 42). I freeze the broth in 1/2 cup quantities to use in making risotto. Which of course, I make following Marcella's techniques. The Risotto Friuli-Style, with Rosemary and White Wine (MC, p 226) is classic and perfect. Another favorite is Lamb Sauce for Pasta, Abruzzi Style (MC, p 174). This recipe is basic enough for every day, but I wouldn't hesitate to serve it to guests. But some day, perhaps soon while the herbs are still fresh in my garden, I aspire to make her Rosemary and Sage-Scented Homemade Pasta, (MC pg 191), served with the Simple Veal Pasta Sauce (MC pg 172). Just reading Marcella is a feast for the soul! - Laura

What made brown rice really work for me was the Cooks Illustrated recipe in May 2004 for Foolproof Oven-Baked Brown Rice. It changed everything. We're particularly fond of Lunenberg Farm's Rose Gold brown rice. - Laura.

Real deal? You DID make the real deal! Or as much of the real deal as any of us who are not Marcella back cooking in her old kitchen in Venice can ever hope to make. When I discovered Marcella's books a few years back, they completely changed the way I cooked. And I was a pretty experienced cook at that point. Now, even though I don't often open the the books except when I feel the need for a special occasion recipe, I feel like most of what I cook, day in and day out, is a la Marcella. - I cook with only the freshest, seasonal ingredients. - The ingredients are minimal; everything that I put in belongs there, with nothing added that doesn't belong. - I use enough oil and/or butter to carry the flavor of the other ingredients. - I saute ingredients one at a time, in a specific order, to build flavor. - I have strong opinions about what I cook and how I cook it, based on long experience. My opinions may or may not agree with Marcella's. But that's to be expected. She doesn't cook with the tomatoes from my garden, or have access to my farmer's market, or shop where I shop, or have my tastes. - I cook because I love the creative transformation that is cooking and I love to feed my husband and friends. To me, this is the essence of Marcella; this is the gift she gives us. As you discovered, it is a very adaptable cooking style. At first the sound of her voice in your head will sound daunting, but with time and experience you will find that it has transformed itself into your own voice. Thanks for this thread; it's so wonderful to read your experiences and your joy of discovery! And you write beautifully. - Laura

I've been a subscriber to CI since their inaugural issue, and I have all the bound books to make it easier to look up favorite recipes. I don't cook from CI recipes as much as I used to, mostly because my cooking style has shifted to a lighter, fresher style. BUT, there are a number of recipes that I turn to again and again over the years, usually as a seasonal treat, that I think are the best, and I'm not going to bother looking for something better. Here are the ones I can remember off the top of my head, in chronological order: - Classic Potato Gratin (November 1995) - Fresh peach ice cream (July 1998) - Turkey Tetrazzini (September 1999) - Classic Green Bean Casserole (November 2006) - Pan-Seared Shrimp with Garlic-Lemon Butter (March 2004) I also enjoy re-reading the annual editions from time to time, to remind myself of recipes I forgot about, or something I never did get around to trying. This thread prompted me to go back and review some of the early years, and I had forgotten how open CI used to be to outside influences -- recipes and master classes from various chefs, contributions from the likes of Steve Johnson and Mark Bittman. Lately to me they seem to be rather insular, and the articles are all retreads, but I can't seem to break the habit... - Laura

Right down Mass Ave, in Central Square, Steve Johnson is still turning out great food in his new venue, Rendezvous. Always worth a visit -- Steve has turned out luscious, exciting, reliable food year in and year out, first at The Blue Room, and now here. I'd rather eat Steve's cooking than anyone else's in the greater Boston area, any day. He doesn't get as much press as some of the other chefs in the area, but we're just thrilled he keeps feeding us the meals we enjoy most. - Laura

I'm not sure about the botany, but in the garden, I don't think of pineapple mint as a culinary mint. It smells nice, but I grow it for the hummingbird-attracting flowers. The one new (to me) culinary mint cultivar I've been pleased with this year is Kentucky Colonel, which has soft green, slightly fuzzy leaves. I haven't done a head-to-head comparison with the standard spearmint, but it is very nice in iced tea. Guess I'll go mix myself a mojito now and report back. The sacrifices one must make in the interests of science... - L.

Chris, I hope in the interest of science and the advancement of eGullet knowledge that you plan to test the site's claim that your new baby can grind 176lbs of meat per hour. Mind you, not 175lbs, or 177lbs, but 176lbs...where do they get these numbers??!! Congratulations! Can't wait to see your new toy in action! I'm very jealous... - L.

It may be meat, but it will never be food. This is a bad answer to the wrong question. As for textiles, the recent trend in nano finishes on both natural and synthetic fibers is probably the closest example. The results of all those new untested substances, in massive quantities, flowing into the watershed remains to be seen. I'm old enough to remember the praises sung of the miracle that was DDT. As long as there is money to be made, we never seem to look before we leap. - L.

Chris, I'm afraid I have no information to impart, but as far as Tiki drinks go, I am all ears, so please continue talk away! - L.

I'm also enjoying this blog -- thanks for bringing it to our notice, dougw! - L.

Saluki, I can't help with your other questions, but the great thing about using a cloche is you don't need that pan of water. Just preheat the top of the cloche on top of your pizza stone. I put mine in while the dough was rising at 500 degrees, then turned it down to 450 when the dough went in. Make sure you have a safe place to park the very hot cloche while you slide the bread onto the stone -- don't try to hold the cloche and and your peel at the same time! Thanks for sharing your experiments with us; I can't wait to hear how the clear flour and rye work out for you. - Laura

Melissa, I found my loaf (just like all my pizzas) came out with a nice, dark bottom. However, I pre-heat the stone in a 500 degree oven for a good hour before putting anything on it. Only when I put the bread onto the stone did I turn down the heat to 450. I didn't pull the parchment away until the loaf had baked - under a cloche heated for the same time at the same temp - for twenty minutes. At that point, the parchment was pretty scorched. What kind of pizza stone do you have? Is it a nice thick one? Have you had good luck getting good, dark browning on the bottom of pizza crusts directly on your stone within, say, a 10 to 15 minute cooking time? Have you tried checking your oven temperature with an oven thermometer? There, those are all the diagnostic hints I can come up with; hope that's some help! - Laura

Those are beautiful, Anna! Was your loaf pan nonstick? Any particular brand? I only have the standard pyrex glass ones at the moment, so I guess I'm going to have to invest in some new ones. Although I wonder if using a parchment paper liner would do the trick? Thanks. - Laura

Hi, all. Wanted to quickly post about my first loaf which just came out of the oven. It's based on the Light Whole Wheat Bread recipe, with an extra cup of KA white whole wheat substitued for some of the AP flour, and an extra half-cup water added to balance the hydration. I mixed this batch of dough Friday late afternoon. But here's the interesting part I wanted to share with you all: from the beginning of this thread, I've been waiting for someone to say they tried merging this technique with the No Knead Bread technique from the NY Times, to get that perfect crust without all the fuss of throwing water into the oven. Well, today I tried it out, and it was a resounding success! I preheated my pizza stone AND the top (only) of my baking cloche at 500 degrees before I started working with the dough. I just rested the cloche on top of the pizza stone, which was on the rack near the bottom of the oven. I formed a small boule following the directions (it was nominally a pound, but working with a slack dough the first time, so much dough ended up sticking everywhere but the loaf, I think it lost a fair bit). I formed the dough on top of parchment paper, with cornmeal between the parchment paper and the metal pizza peal. (Sorry, no photos of that part.) Let it rise for 40 minutes -- it showed a little rise, but was very slack still. Dusted with flour and slashed the top. Then I opened the oven, carefully moved the cloche out of the way temporarily to a rack in the top oven, and slid the dough to the middle of the hot pizza stone. Then I covered it with the hot cloche, closed the oven, turned the heat down to 450, set the timer for twenty minutes, and tried to distract myself as best I could. Finally, after tweny minutes, I removed the cloche and beheld the most beautiful little boule with perfect oven spring and crust development!!!! [sorry for the lousy cell phone photos] A quick check with a thermometer showed that the loaf needed more time in the oven, so I carefully removed the now-charred parchment paper and left the cloche off, and set the timer for another 10 minutes. This time the internal temp was a perfect 200 degrees, so out came my little baby. The crust was perfect, and when I put it on the rack to cool, I could immediately hear it singing to me! If you don't have a cloche, I think you could adapt the Cook's Illustrated method of using a parchment paper sling to lower a shaped loaf into a pre-heated dutch oven to get the same result. Of course, this only works with round-shaped, rustic loaves, or any other loaves that will fit under the cloche. But those are the ones you want that crackly crust for, anyway. Zoe, thanks so much for such a great book, and for your participation here on eGullet -- you've been a wonderful inspiration to us. And my personal thanks to everyone who's posted on this thread and the No Knead thread; I've learned so much from you all. - Laura [ETA photos]