Tuesday, September 10, 2002

Okay.  We're in the midst of Moving Day, Take Two, so this is going to have to be short and sweet.   Which is a shame, because I made Bearnaise Sauce.  Bernaise Sauce is just like Hollandaise Sauce, or so says Julia, and Hollandaise is one of the classic "dreaded" sauces of French Cuisine, because "egg yolks can curdle and the sauce can turn."  JC goes on to say that "it is extremely easy and almost foolproof to make in the electric blender," but that wouldn't be the Julie/Julia way, would it?  Bearnaise is different from Hollandaise only because it uses a reduction o f vinegar and wine flavored with tarragon & shallots, rather than lemon juice.   The quote of the day is from that great TV show "The Family Guy."                   "This is great, honey.  What's the crunchy stuff?"                   "M&Ms.  I ran out of paprika."   I've got no wine vinegar, so I use cider vinegar.  I've packed my tarragon, so I use the "herbes de provence" I'd been planning on throwing away.  I am positive that had it not been buried in a box I'd have beaten the sauce with a hand mixer, but as it was I had to do it the old fashioned way, with a wire whip.  I juggled pots like a crazy person, put ceramic bowls full of butter and egg yolks in water baths and on top of the rice pot, put the par-boiled brussels sprouts in the steak pan for the time being.  I kept reducing the wine and vinegar mixture down to nothing and having to start over.  Eric said it smelled like a hookah must feel -- that would be the faux-tarragon.  But you know what?  It worked.  The sauce, a golden yellow, super-saturated with butter, thickened up nicely, didn't curdle or separate.  It was a little too thick, in fact, but a couple of tablespoons of hot water fixed that up in a jiffy.  I don't know what everybody's making such a big thing about.   The steak I fried up in a pan as per usual.  Chuck steak this time, super cheap, coarse looking.  Wound up kind of chewy, but it turns out bearnaise sauce tastes great on chewy steak.   The brussels sprouts I par-boiled, as I said, then braised in butter for twenty minutes or so.  The best part was putting them into the pan.  JC said to put them in head up.  They looked like pod people.  But they tasted like brussels sprouts   I have to go move now. 6:02:38 PM    comment []

Bifteck Saute Bearnaise. Choux de Bruxelles Etuves au Beurre. Okay. We're in the midst of Moving Day, Take Two, so this is going to have to be short and sweet. Which is a shame, because I made Bearnaise Sauce. Bernaise Sauce is just like Hollandaise Sauce, or so says Julia, and Hollandaise is one of the classic "dreaded" sauces of French Cuisine, because "egg yolks can curdle and the sauce can turn." JC goes on to say that "it is extremely easy and almost foolproof to make in the electric blender," but that wouldn't be the Julie/Julia way, would it? Bearnaise is different from Hollandaise only because it uses a reduction o f vinegar and wine flavored with tarragon & shallots, rather than lemon juice. The quote of the day is from that great TV show "The Family Guy." "This is great, honey. What's the crunchy stuff?" "M&Ms. I ran out of paprika." I've got no wine vinegar, so I use cider vinegar. I've packed my tarragon, so I use the "herbes de provence" I'd been planning on throwing away. I am positive that had it not been buried in a box I'd have beaten the sauce with a hand mixer, but as it was I had to do it the old fashioned way, with a wire whip. I juggled pots like a crazy person, put ceramic bowls full of butter and egg yolks in water baths and on top of the rice pot, put the par-boiled brussels sprouts in the steak pan for the time being. I kept reducing the wine and vinegar mixture down to nothing and having to start over. Eric said it smelled like a hookah must feel -- that would be the faux-tarragon. But you know what? It worked. The sauce, a golden yellow, super-saturated with butter, thickened up nicely, didn't curdle or separate. It was a little too thick, in fact, but a couple of tablespoons of hot water fixed that up in a jiffy. I don't know what everybody's making such a big thing about. The steak I fried up in a pan as per usual. Chuck steak this time, super cheap, coarse looking. Wound up kind of chewy, but it turns out bearnaise sauce tastes great on chewy steak. The brussels sprouts I par-boiled, as I said, then braised in butter for twenty minutes or so. The best part was putting them into the pan. JC said to put them in head up. They looked like pod people. But they tasted like brussels sprouts I have to go move now. 6:34:29 AM    comment []