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The French Laundry

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  • #1

    The French Laundry

    Chad got me The French Laundry cookbook for Christmas this year, and I have been spending all day today reading the recipes and drooling over the various pictures. I have decided that I will be making quite a few of the dishes in it. I am most excited to be fully recovered so that I can get back to cooking again. I want to attempt some of the dishes. I am giddy about it.

    I found this blog online:

    http://carolcookskeller.blogspot.com/

    It is totally my new favorite blog. I don't think I will be able to make all the dishes from TFL cookbook, but this chick is my hero. It's a great, funny, and wonderful blog, and I thought I would pass it on. If anyone else has TFL book, I would love to talk about it with you and figure out what recipes I want to tackle. I don't think I will be starting or even attempting anytime soon any of the foie gras recipes just for the price of a piece of foie is not really doable on our current financial path. I just don't have the dough for the fresh truffles, beluga caviar, foie gras, etc.

    Also, Columbia is not laden with good food sources for certain ingredients. I am also sure that I have a few kitchen gadgets I will have to "invest" in before I can attempt a lot of these things - a potato ricer, a tamis, a better stand mixer (screw it, hello american express) with a pasta attachment, etc. I do have a manual pasta machine, but I suck at it.

    Anyway, I am dying to make the Sweet Potato Agnolotti with Sage Cream, Brown Butter and Prosciutto among a few others. Nellie, I would eBay one of these books for you if you would come with me on my journey. We could make gnocchi together and all sorts of other french goodness. You are the only one I could think of that might be crazy enough to attempt some of this with me. Jenn, Lily, anyone?
    Heidi, PA-S1 - wife to an orthopaedic surgeon, mom to Ryan, 17, and Alexia, 11.


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  • #2
    Re: The French Laundry

    I'm game! I'll put it on my ebay watch. I've got another cookbook to put on there. After having Mango and Curry Leaves from the library for 4 months, I think it is time to have my own copy.

    ETA: Ricers are cheap. I can't do truffles because they nauseate me. :huh: Guess I shouldn't have eaten them when pregnant as I am forever scarred. I'm so-so on foie gras and part of the reason for that you will be spared. So, I'm fine leaving those things out!

    I know some of these are really time intensive. We will have to pace ourselves.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: The French Laundry

      Originally posted by cupcake
      I know some of these are really time intensive. We will have to pace ourselves.

      I think time intensive might be a gross understatement, but there are some desserts and cheese courses that wouldn't be quite as daunting as well as a few canapes. There is a fairly simple Parmagiano-Reggiano crisps with goat cheese mousse, for example, but there are some preparations in the book that take days.

      Anyway, I was thinking of trying one or two dishes a month, and I can't start for at least a bit. Maybe you could check out the book from your library and see if there are any you want to tackle before buying the book, which in itself isn't cheap.
      Heidi, PA-S1 - wife to an orthopaedic surgeon, mom to Ryan, 17, and Alexia, 11.


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      • #4
        Re: The French Laundry

        I'm game. I don't have the cookbook yet. I asked for it as a New Year's gift so hopefully I will have it in a few days! YUM! I can't wait to dig in!

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        • #5
          Re: The French Laundry

          I can commit for once a month and if I can do twice, that is the bonus round.

          I'll start watching it on Ebay and the Amazon used section.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: The French Laundry

            YAY!!! I'm so excited!!

            So far today, I ebayed a tamis strainer. I have a potato ricer on my watchlist, a silpat, a pastry wheel, and I am always hoping for a new stand mixer. I may head to sur la table in Charlotte next weekend.
            Heidi, PA-S1 - wife to an orthopaedic surgeon, mom to Ryan, 17, and Alexia, 11.


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            • #7
              Re: The French Laundry

              I'll play- I can do once a month.

              Jenn

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              • #8
                Re: The French Laundry

                SWEET!!

                So, here's what we'll do. I'll post a few different recipes I would like to try from TFL, and you all post a few you would like to try, and then we'll decide together what we want to make first and help each other through it.

                There are a few recipes in here that I believe I can do without help, but beyond that... I guess we'll see. I am going to try to take pictures along the way of my process, and we'll post pictures of our finished plates. Then we can discuss and review the recipes and everyone else can be jealous!
                Heidi, PA-S1 - wife to an orthopaedic surgeon, mom to Ryan, 17, and Alexia, 11.


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                • #9
                  Re: The French Laundry

                  Heidi, are there are lot of recipes that need a tamis? I just realized I got rid of a chinoise in a "this kitchen is crowded" fit last year. Dang it. I think that would have worked.

                  I have a pastry wheel. That is like a ravioli cutter, I think. I am also ticked about the silpat deal. I went to a Demarle party a few weeks ago and got a bundt pan and the perforated baking sheet but cheaped out on getting the silpat. Maybe I'll make that reps day and call and buy one from her out of the blue. I know I would use it all the time.

                  Do you have a Bed Bath and Beyond close by? You can use the 20% coupons on a mixer. Also, I think you can by them refurbished from KitchenAid. That might be less expensive. Or you can go and beg JennP's neighbor for the one still sitting in the box (what a shame ).

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: The French Laundry

                    Amazon has a basic white KitchenAid on sale for 199.99. No kidding.

                    We all pitched in and got one for my brother's birthday (yesterday) after he had to borrow their neighbor's handmixer to make mashed potatoes for 8.

                    I have tons of bizarre kitchen equipment from my mother's obligatory purchases at her friends Pampered Chef parties. and I have silpat cupcake inserts from my co-worker's kids fund-raiser. and I bought myself two silpat inserts for my cookie sheets and a silpat rolling pin as my Christmas present to myself last year, prior to making those damned lime cookies.

                    I'm ready.

                    Jenn

                    PS- I got the Robert Irvine cookbook (Dinner:Impossible guy w. the HOT body) and it's got great recipes and is laugh out loud funny at times. His tirade against MSG is classic.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: The French Laundry

                      I have a really shitty Sunbeam mixer that can get me by. As for the one I want, I am pretty positive I want the Cuisinart 7 (sm-30bc) quart one, around $330 on eBay. I could get an Artisan Kitchenaid for about $200 on eBay, but I really want a model that I will want forever for that kind of money. I am torn.

                      It does seem that there are a lot of recipes that use a tamis or chinois. The book has a lot of straining in it. There is a section of, "when in doubt, strain."

                      A pastry wheel (ravioli cutter) should only be a couple bucks, and as far as I can tell would be used in only the three agnolotti recipes; however, I want to try one of them really bad.

                      I am trying to get just a few things that it will seem like I will need for as little $ as possible.

                      It seems to use a blender a lot, but I think an immersion blender would work just as well if you have either. I do have a nice food processor.

                      Check out The French Laundry at Home blog http://carolcookskeller.blogspot.com/.

                      She is making every recipe from the book at home, and some are HUGELY daunting! She has step by step pictures and commentary. That might give you an idea and show you some of the recipes (they aren't reprinted), but she does show you a lot of the process.
                      Heidi, PA-S1 - wife to an orthopaedic surgeon, mom to Ryan, 17, and Alexia, 11.


                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: The French Laundry

                        I looked at her blog last night and that gave me the hint that some of these are a wee bit time consuming.

                        Dang! I can't believe I gave away the chinois. I have a blender, food processor, and immersion blender so I am all set there.

                        Guess I need the book. I'm watching it on ebay.

                        Throw me a bone with a dessert or two in your choices.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: The French Laundry

                          http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=004

                          I got this silpat.
                          Heidi, PA-S1 - wife to an orthopaedic surgeon, mom to Ryan, 17, and Alexia, 11.


                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: The French Laundry

                            K, three desserts off the top I would like to try are:

                            Banana Split - Poached Banana Ice Cream with White Chocolate - Banana Crepes and Chocolate Sauce

                            Cream of Walnut Soup

                            Cappucino Semifreddo with Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

                            Really, the dessert section - I could try them all. I am better versed at desserts to begin with, but I don't have an ice cream maker, and a lot of them require it. It's on my eBay watch list as well.

                            Of these, she has made the Cream of Walnut Soup. It would take me all night to type out the recipes for any of these.

                            http://carolcookskeller.blogspot.com/20 ... -soup.html
                            Heidi, PA-S1 - wife to an orthopaedic surgeon, mom to Ryan, 17, and Alexia, 11.


                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: The French Laundry

                              Giddyup on the soup. What is a TwoPer?

                              I have an icecream maker. Somewhere.

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