David Ross

Every year when I see this thread I smile. I'm looking forward to seeing some wild duck dishes, hopefully the hunt will be good this season.

This is amazing and I can't get over how ironic it is with something I was just getting ready to post. The dish described by Eater is something that sounds delicious to me. Last night I was just searching for videos on YouTube and turned to one of my favorites, Michel Roux Jr. of the Waterside Inn and Le Gavroche in London. And wouldn't you know, this video with his cousin showing them creating another elaborate, and probably terribly expensive, rabbit, or wild hare dish. It's part of the Roux Scholarship series where young chefs vying for a scholarship have to create a classic French dish. My gosh this has so many steps and so many ingredients. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHejWR3NSCc The video is 10 minutes. I love the quote in the Eater piece from a guest who ate the rabbit dish at Dhamaka in New York, "This is what Henry VIII would have eaten if he ever went to an Indian restaurant."

I haven't had this macaroni salad in decades, but last month my Sister reminded me of it, Grandma's Macaroni Salad. She's been making it for years from Grandma's recipe. I forgot how delicious it is. I really like a good, chilled macaroni salad in summer and it's so versatile in terms of what you can add to the mix. The only argument I remember in our family was mayonnaise or Miracle Whip. Half said mayo, half said Miracle Whip.

One of my bakery favorites but for some reason I've never made what we call Ranger Cookies at home. Seems like cookbook recipes all vary as far as the ingredients, but the basics are a cereal and chocolate chips in the cookie. A local bakery adds raisins, so I added raisins, coconut and nuts. These are really addictive and since they were on the counter from last night, I had them for breakfast this morning.

My huckleberry ice cream. I puree the berries before adding them to the custard base, then I served with a huckleberry compote on the side or over the top. The recipe is delicious with any summer berry. 1 ½ cups whole milk 1 ½ cups heavy cream ½" piece vanilla bean, cut in half, seeds scraped out 4 egg yolks ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup huckleberries, pureed ½ cup whole huckleberries for garnish In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the milk, cream, vanilla bean and seeds. In the bowl of a mixer, add the egg yolks and sugar. Stir the milk and cream as it heats. Slowly whisk ½ cup of milk mixture into the egg mixture and whisk. This tempers the egg mixture and keeps it from scrambling. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the cream and whisk to combine. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir the ice cream base with a wooden spoon and cook for about 12-15 minutes until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Pour the ice cream custard through a strainer into a container, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, pour the ice cream custard into an ice cream maker and pour in the pureed huckleberries, process until it becomes thick like soft-serve ice cream. Spread the ice cream in a container, cover and freeze until ready to serve.

Yeah and tough as all get out

Well this is an interesting cooking booklet. I've had it in my collection ever since Father brought it home in 1981. He worked for the Oregon State Dept. of Agriculture as the State Liason to Commodity Commissions. One of the biggest Commissions he worked with was the Oregon Cattleman's Association. They regularly put out brochures, booklets and pamphlets about beef and cooking with beef. This was before the "Beef It's What's for Dinner" campaign took full charge. This booklet wouldn't be something we'd see today. Sponsored by Phillip Morris Tabacco Company, they play with the old theme of cowboys and the "Marlboro" man which was one of their signature advertising campaigns.

Thanks. Here's the full recipe. The peaches are poached in sweet riesling, water and herbes de Provence. Then the tart starts with puff pastry, the poached peaches and brie cheese, then baked. The poaching liquid is reduced down to a glaze and that is brushed over the peaches after baking, then garnished with dried lavendar flowers. Ingredients 3 large fresh peaches 1 bottle late harvest riesling wine use a late harvest, sweet white wine 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence 1 cup cold water 1 cup reserved poaching liquid 2 tablespoon honey 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 egg beaten ½ cup brie cheese ½ teaspoon dried lavendar flowers Start by poaching the peaches. Score an x with a paring knife on the bottom of each peach. This helps to loosen the skin during poaching. Add the wine, 1 tablespoon of the Herbes de Provence to a saucepan. Add the peaches and add cold water to cover, about 1 cup. Heat the mixture to a simmer and poach the peaches until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the peaches from the poaching liquid and gently pull off the skins. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Pour the poaching liquid through a strainer. Reserve and use in drinks, pastries and sauces. Reserve 1 cup of the poaching liquid for the glaze. Heat the cup of reserved poaching liquid in a small saucepan and add the honey. Reduce over medium heat to make a glaze, 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 430. Thaw the sheet of puff pastry and place on a floured counter. Draw the shape on a sheet of parchment paper as a template, then cut the puff pastry. Trim the edges of the pastry, then fold over to create the raised edge. Place the peach halves on top of the puff pastry. Add chunks of the brie cheese around the peaches. Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the beaten egg. Brush the tops of the peaches with the reduced poaching liquid glaze. Put a baking mat on a baking sheet, and transfer the tart to the baking sheet. Bake the tart for 35 minutes until it's golden brown. Bring the tart out of the oven and place on a cookie rack to cool. Brush the peaches with the reduced glaze and sprinkle with dried lavendar flowers.

While working on a new peach recipe right now, I remember my favorite peach recipe from last season. I started with just a basic idea of doing something with peaches poached in wine and it turned into peaches poached in Riesling and encased in puff pastry and baked. I just use frozen puff pastry and I don't trust that I could even come close to making it by hand.

For the Tart/Pizza Dough- 1 packet dry instant yeast 2 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 cup lukewarm water ⅓ cup olive oil 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon salt 2 teaspoon cornmeal for dusting For the Caramelized Onions and Topping- 2 large sweet yellow onions, cut in half then cut in thick slices 3 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 4 sprigs fresh thyme ½ cup beef stock salt and black pepper to taste ¼ cup olive oil ¾ cup dry-cured Nicoise olives 2 tablespoon anchovy paste 1 tin flat anchovy filets in olive oil 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts 3 sprigs fresh thyme 3 sprigs fresh oregano Make the Tart/Pizza Dough- Place the yeast in a mixing bowl. Add the warm water and sugar and let the yeast stand for 5 minutes to begin to grow. Once you see the yeast is foaming and bubbles are on the surface, add the olive oil. Attach a dough hook to the mixer. With the mixer running, add the flour and salt. Let the mixer knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and form into a ball. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic film and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one hour. Make the Caramelized Onions and Bake the Tart- Heat the butter and olive oil in a deep, heavy saucepan or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the onions and thyme sprigs and sauté the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to turn golden and carmelize about 30 minutes. Add the beef stock, and let it cook down with the onions. Continue to cook the onions for another 30 minutes until they are a deep, dark color and the stock is absorbed. Season to taste with black pepper and salt. Heat the oven to 425°. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape to a thickness of ¼". Cover it with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Drizzle the dough with the olive oil. Brush the anchovy paste over the top of the dough. Add a layer of the caramelized onions. Lay the anchovy filets on top of the onions and dot the top with the olives and pine nuts. Sprinkle a cookie sheet with cornmeal. Gently slide the dough onto the cookie sheet and bake until the crust is golden about 20 minutes. Remove the Pissiliadere from the oven and cool slightly. Garnish with the fresh oregano and thyme. Cut into squares and serve.

One of my favorites I created last summer, and I'm glad I remembered this morning how delicious it was. The Pissaladiere. Not too many anchovy lovers in my world, except me, which only means I can have this all to myself.

Well, I admit I am incurable in my search of trying to replicate a dish or sauce from a restaurant. My batting average isn't good, and I often hold onto the idea for years making little tweaks to the recipe. And so it goes with Mint Chutney I had with a lamb entree at a restaurant in Sacramento probly 7 or 8 years ago. I just couldn't get it right, but then was finally led to the ingredient I should have remembered, tamarind. I've never used it in my Indian cooking, and limited in some Mexican and Thai dishes, but it made all the difference in this grilled tri-tip. 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves 2 cups fresh mint leaves 1 small yellow onion, cut in chunks 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon tamarind paste ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper 2 tablespoon water 2 tablespoon olive oil Add the cilantro, mint, onions, garlic and tamarind paste to a blender and pulse to make a thick chutney. Add the water and process again. Spoon the chutney into a bowl and stir in enough olive oil to make it looser. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the chutney in the fridge while you grill the steaks.

I bet you liked the mascarpone butter as much as I do.

I do the fried chicken at 375 setting and about 8 or 9 minutes, gets nice and hot, crispy and juicy and I use an old, as in one of the first, air fryers.

Thanks that's where I am leaning and I think the baked empanada dough sometimes tastes heavy, at least mine do.