Croquembouche!

She almost melted and fell apart on the way to her big event...but alas, she held it together. She was the star of the show. I'm talking of course about the beauty you see below, a Croquembouche I made for my work holiday party dessert contest!

A Croquembouche is a French dessert made by stacking profiteroles, or cream puffs in a conical shape and held together with caramel. It looks difficult to make, but once you've mastered the art of making Pate Choux, it's actually quite simple. 

Who Says Real Men Don't Eat Quiche?

Bruce Feirstein does, that's who! His book, Real Men Don't Eat Quiche (1982), was a tongue-in-cheek book satirizing stereotypes of masculinity.
I'm pretty sure most of the men I know would be up for eating quiche...as far as I can tell, men are always hungry and will eat just about anything you put in front of them. Especially Quiche Lorraine, which features bacon...so...while we're stereotyping, don't all men, (except of course you Vegetarians) love meat? Something to ponder.

Quiche Lorraine

Vegetable Quiche

Picking a theme for a dinner party can sometimes be difficult, unless you're super comfortable with the cuisine. I catered a dinner party for twenty folks a few weeks ago, and after a bit of back and forth with the client, we'd settled on Lebanese/Turkish. I wouldn't have said I'm an expert with this fare, but I certainly have a tighter grasp on what that means.

Pomegranate and Walnut Chicken w/ Lemon Zest and Dill

Grilled Vegetables w/ an Orange Balsamic Glaze & Herbed Feta

I'm probably one of the most adventurous eaters you'd ever meet. I'll try anything twice. Food deserves a second chance, too, no? And, no matter how odd it may seem...I usually like it; foie gras, beef tendons, tongue, well....you get the idea. My point, is that whether I go out or stay in I make it my mission to always branch out.

However, over the past year I've had to reign that in quite a bit because one cannot lose nearly 50 lbs. when eating such delicacies as foie gras. So, when I discover something that is delicious, but doesn't pack on the pounds, I stick with it. Below is my adaptation of a Lime Vinaigrette from one of my go-to cafes, Chow. In fact, it's so delicious...it doubles as a marinade, too. Try it with a fresh filet of salmon!

Juice of 2 limes

1 T. Thai Fish Sauce

1 T. Mirin

1 T. grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. Sriracha

A Little Bit of Everything

Last Saturday was my 2nd "official" Always on Thyme catering event and it turned out to be the perfect spread. Minty-Lime Fruit Salad, Mexican Quinoa Salad, Roasted Beet Spinach Salad w/ Toasted Almonds and Salem Blue, and Lemon-Herb Chicken Skewers w/ Za'atar Spiced Yogurt proved to be just what the Frontrunners, (http://www.sffr.org/) needed to get back on their feet and continue their relay race to Santa Cruz, (starting point was Calistoga). Okay, so the hot tub, the pool and Marcus, (the masseuse) may have had something to do with it...but either way, it's usually the whole package that makes the difference, in more ways than one. Marcus definitely had something to do with it. I had a knot in my back that he so graciously worked out.
A big thanks to Katherine Holland, (http://www.katharineholland.com/) for trusting me to deliver the goods....and also to Marcus Valera and Jon Cain for all their help!

Clean Plate Club!

Last night was Always on Thyme's first "official" catering gig. I'm sure you were all hoping to see the bounty that I prepared but in anticipation of the evening, I forgot to snap photos of the food itself. You'll just have to take my word for it, it was scrumptious! 
The event was a fundraiser for the Frontrunner's Pride Run, complete with 2 different broadway quality singers, their piano accompanists and a comedian. Not only do these people belong to Frontrunner's, (an SF bay area running club) but my one photo of the evening shows they also belong to the Clean Plate Club! A huge success all around!
A big thanks to Katherine Holland for hiring me and also to Dan Joraanstad & Bob Hermann for their lovely hospitality! Great meeting you both! 

Seared Salmon w/ Roasted New Potatoes in a Dijon Broth

There are simply no words to describe this moist and flavorful salmon. 

Lentil Kofte

Say it with me now....KUF-TA. Lentil Kofte's two main ingredients are red lentil and fine ground bulgar. I know what you're thinking, blech! But believe you me, these little fellas are so delicious you'll wonder how something so good for you can also be so tasty, yet so easy to make.
Koftes are commonly eaten in Turkey and I was turned onto them by a good friend who has spent a good amount of time there. Kofte literally translates to 'cigar' and refers to the shape, but honestly could be shaped however you please. Feel free to experiment with say maybe a french lentil and herbs de provence. I chose to keep it authentic but go ahead, exercise your creative license, I won't tell a soul.

Winter Chicken, (or Spring or Summer or Fall)

One-pot dinners are popular because they are simple to prepare AND budget-friendly. Are you thinking casseroles circa 1977? Campbell’s condensed soup, exit stage left. Combine fresh herbs, savory spices, fresh meat and vegetables in season and voila-you have a simple/affordable meal in as little as an hour. 

Braised Short Ribs w/ Creamy Polenta

More often than not, the simplest of dishes are the most delicious. Simple dishes don't have lots of ingredients to hide behind and their true colors, (and flavors!) shine through! These short ribs are braised, meaning cooked at a low temp for many hours, covered with liquid. The result? Meat that melts in your mouth. A slow cooker is perfect for braising, although the oven works fine too. The preparation makes them ideal for dinner parties, where you want to enjoy your guests and they'll still think you slaved away in the kitchen all day. Just go along with it-they won't suspect a thing. It'll be our little secret. 

Winter Root Vegetable Lasagna & Butternut Squash Crostini’s w/ Herbed Ricotta and Fried Sage

Roasting vegetables brings out the natural sweetness and simultaneously preserves essential vitamins and nutrients. What better way to prepare simple and healthy vegetables, oil isn’t even necessary, despite what you may have heard, particularly if you’re using a Silpat, but parchment paper works too. Making a simple marinara from scratch and using fresh pasta sheets makes all the difference in the world when putting together lasagna that will wow your nearest and dearest. They’ll think they’re eating in their grandmother’s kitchen, if they’re Italian, that is.

I roast yams, butternut squash, celery root, parsnips, eggplant, and zucchini on the same sheet pan and store them in the fridge for later use. Roasted vegetables are so versatile-they can be used to make a variety of different dishes.

Hanger Steak w/ Wild Mushrooms and Cumin Spiced Parsnip Puree

Where do I begin? No, seriously. With a hanger steak you get the best of both worlds….tender, succulent meat without a coronary. The hanger literally hangs off the underside of the cow near the diaphragm and kidney, hence the name. Some say the kidney imparts a flavor all its own. I say, get your ass over to the butcher and tell the butcher you need, want, can’t live without, the hanger steak!

Due to it's relatively low fat content, a Hanger is best when cooked rare to med-rare, otherwise it will get tough. If you like it mid-well to well-done, Hanger steak is not for you. Period.

Always ask the butcher what his/her favorite cut is. He/she wont “steer” you wrong, I promise.

Hanger steaks have a subtlety that is easily overpowered…here is a Roasted Hanger w/ Wild Mushrooms and a Red Wine Sauce, over a Cumin Spiced Parsnip Puree. The smoky flavor of the cumin compliments the hangar and sweetness of the red wine sauce.