One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, MyOwn Story
Tonight, we started our evening with a glass of 2008 Eberle Muscat Canelli that was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law. Having just watched “The Lightining Thief,” I thought it tasted like the nectar of the gods!
The interesting thing about Pepper Steak is that it seems like a realy gourmet treat, but it’s not difficult to make – that’s why it’s a staple at French bistros. Last time, John used the “Steak au Poivre” recipe from “The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook,” page 108. Both were wonderful. The major difference being Julia Child uses butter and shallots in the sauce, and Good Housekeeping uses white wine and cream. John said the Julia Child recipe is more authentic and what he remembers eating in France. I like them both, but volunteered to have a tasting contest! This is my mother’s favorite dish, so I’m sure she’d volunteer to help me.
For dessert, we made “Carmel Syrup Over Oranges” (page 110) from Mary Engelbreit’s “‘Tis the Season Holiday Cookbook.” We first had these oranges in Genova at “I Tre Merli” (The Three Blackbirds). I had never had anything like them, so wrote to “Bon Appetit” magazine’s “R.S.V.P” column asking for the recipe. I never heard from them…so imagine my surprise when I came across this recipe in a cookbook that was sitting on my shelf the whole time! It’s hard to describe how good these are. You slice oranges (in this case, my friend Mary, gave me a bagful from her garden), pour Grand Marinier over them, then make a simple caramel sauce, adding orange juice at the last minute. In Genova, these were made to order and served warm. Mary Englebreit recommends serving them chilled – they are great either way. They would be wonderful on pancakes or French toast for a decadent brunch dish.
Buon Appetito!
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