2 posts tagged “cooking”

Hors d' ouevre: Portobello caps with salsa, walnut, and gorgonzola filling.

Went over pretty well, but next time I'm gonna take the gills out before I put the shrooms in the oven. The walnuts provided the right amount of crunch; I wonder what other nut might work in there. Would cashew be too salty?

Main course: Pork medallions with a sauce of dried cherries and balsamic vinegar.

The cherries were really re-hydrated after two reductions, and really kept their flavor throughout the whole process. I overcooked the pork a little, though, because I trusted a thermometer more than my own eyes. I should have gone with my first instinct, seeing as how I learned the "trust your eyes" lesson from my first attempt at the crepes.

Dessert: Crepes with honey plums.

I am really glad I practiced the crepes earlier in the day, because I learned how to spot the cues that the crepe is ready to be flipped. I didn't flip so well come showtime, however; I think I messed around with the level of the heat a little too much. I could probably solve the whole problem by just learning to flip the crepes in the air, but I was afraid to try that for the first time in someone else's kitchen.

Maybe next time I'll do something involving small birds. They really bug me, first thing in the morning.

I got the cooking bug this week-- I think it's left over delusions of epicureanism after a week in Oregon/Washington wine country. Whatever the cause, I'm breaking out the portabello mushrooms and the crepe pan (not for the same recipe) and getting dirty in the kitchen this weekend. If the menu turns out right, I'll post the results. If it doesn't, I'll have a nice review of a local wood oven pizza place.