Aug 18 2007
Six Years On
The wise and wonderful Kathleen may have solved the mystery of my recent cooking frenzy:
“I’m thinking that cooking for you is one way to honor your father since the anniversary of his death is approaching us. It makes you feel close to him all over again.”
The day is now here, so I thought I’d share one of Dad’s menu meals in his honor. I’d like to think of the good times we had, and we always loved to cook together.
Dad created “menu meals” for special occasions. He and Margaret always changed clothes for dinner, always had flowers and candles on the table, and always enjoyed coming together and sharing their days in the evening, both being so busy. But for menu meals, Dad would actually print up a little menu and put it at each place setting. Sometimes he’d even invent an occasion, such as the grandchildren leaving after a long visit. This particular menu is from Valentine’s Day, 1998.
Happy memories, my dearest.
Ch?teau la Jaubertie, Sauvignon Blanc 1993
Gratin de Champignons
1/2 lb mixed mushrooms, preferably wild, sliced into quarters
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons cognac
2 tablespoons cr?me fra?che (or cream)
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons butter
Saut? shallots in butter at medium heat. Cover, cook for 10 minutes. Add cognac and cook for a further two minutes. Add the mushrooms. then add flour and cream mixed together and cook, stirring continuously, for five minutes. Put into oven proof dish and bake for 15 minutes. [No temperature given; I’d guess 350. I also think a sprinkling of cheese would be a good addition before baking.]
Scallops and Peppers
8 large scallops
1/2 each red and yellow peppers, thinly sliced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons dry Vermouth
150 ml cream [slightly more than 1/2 cup]
Gently saut? the shallots in a mixture of butter and olive oil. Add peppers and continue saut?ing for a few more minutes. Add white wine and Vermouth and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cream, bring just to the boiling point, add scallops and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve on scallop shells.
Roasted New Potatoes with Fennel
10 new potatoes, halved
2 bulbs fennel, cut in wedges
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 black olives, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomato
100 ml red wine [not surprisingly, less than 1/2 cup]
100 ml stock
Parsley, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 200C [400F]. Place all ingredients in a heavy roasting pan in one layer. Roast, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes, when most of the liquid should be absorbed. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Bon app?tit!
Dad used to say that when he died, he hoped his children would raise a glass of wine to his memory and say, “The old man wasn’t so bad.” Hope you’ll join me in a toast to the memory of a great father, who gave us so many gifts – most of all, love.
Comments Off on Six Years On