Basil And Sage….Or….The Culinary Diary Of Two Mad Women
Diary Entry September 29th, 2018:
It’s official. Elizabeth and I are now private chefs. Tada! After exhausting requests to cook in a hired capacity from friends, I’ve finally acquiesced. My reluctance comes from being traumatized by the public after being forced to become a waitress by The Court Of Masters Of Sommeliers, only for them to change the rules years later on when you can and can’t take next level exams. But that’s a completely different story. The point is, I’m not a fan of the public, especially when they’re in a restaurant. I can’t think of anything I’d hate worse than to be a chef in a restaurant, dealing with all the annoying patrons with all of their annoying complaints and even more annoying requests. No thanks!
It was when I was managing a vineyard that I met and became friends with Elizabeth. She’s kind of an enigma. Mysterious and a little aloof, but she has an incredible work ethic. She’s a woman not afraid of manual labor. We were kindred spirits. I was astonished that she instilled those ehtics into her five children, all of whom are wildly talented and equally unafraid of manaul labor. That’s what vineyard work is, afterall….hard manual labor, often in less than favorable weather. In the midst of that grueling work, we became solid friends, sharing funny stories about kids and husbands and life. I cooked a meal for her husband’s school auction and we were convinced to make a go of this new direction. We were a hit. Our first official event happened last weekend.
Hubs and I are friends with Rudy and Dawn, who own Swinging From The Vines, a wine tour bus company. Rudy is a common guest at our home for dinner. I always cook too much and Rudy likes to eat, plus they live in our neighborhood. It’s perfect. Then he started bringing Dawn with him and I just love her so much! All we do is laugh together, it’s great. Rudy’s been bugging me forever to do food events for his tours. Ok, fine. I created some menu options with Elizabeth’s help. Now Dawn wants holiday menus! Happy now, Rudy?! (he is)
So last weekend we did our first official party at Joseph Jane Winery. This group chose the prime rib dinner and the shrimp crepes for the no meat folks.
The Menu:
~Herb roasted prime rib with smoked salt and au jus, truffle steak fries with asiago, salt and pepper asparagus, and chocolate cupcakes with milk chocolate ganache topped with fresh raspberries.
~White wine poached prawns draped in crepes topped with garlic leek cream sauce, baby red smashed potatoes in lemon butter parsley sauce, salt and pepper asparagus, and chocolate cupcakes with milk chocolate ganache topped with fresh raspberries.
Here’s the crepes recipe (albeit using ham and swiss)
Shrimp Crepes In Garlic Leek Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lbs raw frozen shrimp peeled with the tail on
- 1 stick butter
- 1/4 cup minced fresh garlic
- 1 large or 2 medium leeks cleaned and sliced crosswise
- 1 and a half bottles white wine
- 4 cups heavy cream
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley to garnish
Truffle Fries
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 russet potatoes washed
- 1/2 cup finely grated asiago cheese
- Kosher salt
- Fine ground pepper
- Olive oil
- Truffle oil white or black...it's just potatoes people
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Leaving the skin on, slice the potatoes into wedges and arrange on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or foil. Make sure they aren't touching. Massage all the wedges with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast on the middle rack until they just start to brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the asiago and return to the oven to finish browning for about 10 minutes or so. Sprinkle with truffle oil just before serving.
Salt And Pepper Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 bunches asparagus washed and trimmed of the woody ends
- Olive Oil
- My pink salt blend or Kosher salt
- Fine ground pepper
Lemon Butter Parsley Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 to 10 baby red potatoes
- 2 sticks butter
- 2 or 3 lemons juiced depending on size
- 1 cup rough chopped parlsey leaves I use curly parsley because it's more tender
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes on high heat in salted water until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice to taste and butter in a small saucepan on very low heat until just melted. Whisk in the parsley at the last minute and salt to taste. Drain the potatoes and smash on a plate or in a bowl, one smash per potato. Pour the butter sauce over and serve.