An Extravagant Feast

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to L. Hadley in Florida for today's food funny:

"Tell me something," asked Freddie, "how many cookies can you eat on
an empty stomach, Little Johnny?"

Little Johnny scratched his head and said, "Well, five, I think."

"Wrong," said Fred. "You can only eat just one. After that, your
stomach ain't empty no more!"

Little Johnny was impressed so he decided to pull the joke on his
sister, Joni, when he got home. "Hey, Sis, how many cookies can you
eat on an empty stomach?"

Joni thought for a minute and then said, "Two."

Little Johnny was dejected. "Aw, if you'd said FIVE, I had a GREAT
joke for you!"

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This recipe, like most this week, is extravagant not only in its use
of some rather expensive ingredients but also for its liberal use of
butter, making it a "once in a blue moon" treat.

Salmon and Caviar Spread

4 oz (100 g) fresh salmon fillet, skinned
4 oz (100 g) smoked salmon
4 oz (100 g) butter, at room temperature
Ground white pepper to taste
1 Tbs (15 ml) Cognac (optional)
4 oz (100 g) salmon roe

Poach or steam the salmon fillet until it is cooked through. Break
into chunks and place in an electric food processor along with the
smoked salmon, butter, white pepper, and optional Cognac. Process
until smooth. Place the salmon mixture in a bowl and gently fold in
the salmon roe. Place in a serving bowl and smooth the top with a
knife or decorate with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate at least 2
hours. Serve chilled with crackers or toast points. Serves 6 to 8 as
an appetizer.

This dish is an extravagance due to the butter, cream, and egg yolks.
If fresh oysters are expensive where you live, then you can consider
this recipe doubly extravagant.

Oyster Bisque

4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely chopped onion or leek
2 cups (500 ml) raw oysters with liquor
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) cream
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 egg yolks, beaten
Chopped parsley and paprika for garnish

Heat the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Saute the onion or
leek until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oysters
with their liquor, milk, cream, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture
almost to the boil. Add a little of the hot liquid to the egg yolks,
then stir this mixture into the bisque. Do not allow to boil.
Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a dash of paprika.
Serves 4 to 6.

The extravagance of this dish is in the price of artichokes in most
parts of the world. If they are inexpensive where you live, then go
ahead and be extravagant more often.

Stuffed Artichokes

4 - 6 artichokes, trimmed
1 cup (250 ml) bread crumbs
1/4 cup (60 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
2 Tbs (30 ml) capers, chopped (optional)
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped anchovies or anchovy paste (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil

Steam or boil the artichokes for 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Scoop
out and discard the central leaves and chokes. Combine remaining
ingredients except for the olive oil in a small bowl and fill the
artichokes with the mixture, filling the center and forcing the
stuffing in between the leaves of the artichokes. Place in a baking
dish and add about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water or chicken broth to the
dish. Drizzle with olive oil, cover tightly and bake in a preheated
350F (180C) oven for 1 hour. Serves 4 to 6.

I don't believe I need to tell you why this dish was chosen for our
"Extravagant Feast" theme, since lobster has been a luxury item for
years. Once plentiful and inexpensive, the supply continues to
dwindle and the price continues to climb. Here is a simplified
version of a classic preparation:

Lobster Americaine

4 live lobsters, 1 to 1+1/2 lbs (500 - 750 g) each
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups (500 ml) tomato sauce
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) Cognac
1/4 cup (60 ml) sherry or Madeira wine

Plunge the lobsters into boiling water for 1 minute. Remove from the
water and cut in half, reserving as much liquid as possible. Scrape
out the liver (tomalley) and any roe (coral) and reserve. Heat the
olive oil in a large, oven-proof pan over moderate heat. Saute the
onions and garlic for 2 minutes, then add the lobster halves, tomato
sauce, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then
add the Cognac and bake uncovered in a preheated 400F (200C) oven for
20 minutes. Remove the lobster halves to a warm platter or serving
plates, strain the pan liquid through a fine sieve and reheat it. Add
the sherry and the reserved liquid, liver, and roe, if any. Boil for
2 to 3 minutes to reduce slightly and pour over the lobster halves.
Serves 4.

Many people consider chocolate in any form an extravagance, and few
things are more elegant than a dessert souffle. As a result, this
dish is an elegant extravagance.

Chocolate Souffle

2 Tbs (30 ml) butter
1 Tbs (15 ml) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1 oz (30 g) unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces
1/3 cup (80 ml) sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Stir in the flour
until blended. In a separate saucepan heat the milk until almost
boiling. Add the chocolate and sugar and stir until dissolved.
Slowly add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring to combine.
Beat the egg yolks until light and add part of the chocolate mixture.
Pour this mixture into the chocolate mixture and stir over very low
heat until slightly thickened. Allow the mixture to cool to room
temperature. Add the vanilla to the cooled mixture. Beat the egg
whites until stiff and fold into the chocolate mixture. Butter a
9-inch (23 cm) souffle dish and dust with sugar. Pour the mixture
into the dish and bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for about 20
minutes, until the souffle has risen and is firm. Serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Mon Jan 5 22:37:02 2004