Cherry Clafouti

Val, from More than Burnt Toast recently posted Julia Child's cherry clafouti . Since making a clafouti was on my "must do" list, it seemed rather fitting that something Julia should make the blog list on the premiere week for the movie Julie and Julia. AND since we're right into cherry season in Ontario, Canada and I just happen to have a bazillion cherries (give or take), it was a pretty easy decision.



The other cool thing that I had to do (or at least it seemed cool in my mind)was to try out my brother's newest acquisition - a cherry pitter. Now that I've used it, my brother may have a hard time getting it back. How does someone pit cherries without it. I admit, cherry pitting isn't my favourite thing to do and yes, I should have worn plastic gloves but I'm thinking my purple hands will have gone back to normal before Psychgrad has her first baby (no pressure)



This toy works like a charm. It's fast and easy and makes really short work of an otherwise tedious job. The one thing it doesn't do is take away from a juicy cherry mess.


Food Buzz - if you're watching, don't be sad - your apron for which I am entirely grateful, was put to great use and fought like a soldier. It may not have won the war but it certainly came out of it with greater strength of character.

Julia Child's Cherry Clafouti

Ingredients

1 -1/4 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar, divided
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cherries, pitted
powdered sugar, for garnish

***************************
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a blender, combine the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour, and blend.
Lightly butter an 8-cup baking dish, and pour a 1/4-inch layer of the blended mixture over the bottom. Set remaining batter aside.

Place dish into the oven for about 7-10 minutes, until a film of batter sets in the pan but the mixture is not baked through. Remove from oven (but don’t turn the oven off, yet).

Distribute the pitted cherries over the set batter in the pan, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Pour the remaining batter over the cherries and sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the clafouti is puffed and brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Servings: 6-8 for dessert, 4 for breakfast.

I liked the rustic look of this dish and moreso how easy it was to prepare. Definitely on my do again list

Nothings

Keeping on the theme of what to feed someone who really doesn't like things too sweet and prefers something dry with her tea.(baba) That means no jams or frostings...no chocolate cake ... the list goes on. These cookies, called "nothings" live up to their name on two fronts. There's nothing to making them and nothing inside of them. They're an ideal treat for diabetics. There is some sugar (2 Tbsp in the filling and 2 Tbsp on the topping - you can eliminate the sugar for the topping)





Preheat oven to 500 F

Ingredients

3 eggs (room temperature)
2 Tbsp sugar (less)
dash salt
1/2 cup oil

In the food processor: Process first 3 ingredients for 30 seconds
Pour oil through feed tube in a steady stream while processing. Process 1 minute longer.

1 cup flour
Add in heaping tablespoons through feed tube while processing. Process 30-40 seconds longer (machine will probably turn itself off)
Your dough will be pretty sticky.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and sprinkle lightly with flour

Mix together:

1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp sugar

Take a scant teaspoon dough and use another spoon to push into sesame seed mixture. Coat dough with seeds and stretch 3" long twist, coat again.(I didn't do a second coating and they were just fine) Place onto cookie sheet (leaving room between them - they spread to approximately 3 times prebaking size)

Reduce oven to 400 F. Put cookie sheet on middle rack for 7 minutes
Reduce heat to 250 F for 10 minutes
Shut off oven and leave for 10-15 min

You'll know they're done when you see fine cracks on the top.

Thai Lettuce Wraps

I just returned from the mid west (my home town) and while there and visiting with good friends and taking a walk down memory lane we planned a "girls' night". It was a great night of food, fun, wine and catching up with people I've been friends with since childhood.

One of the dishes we prepared was a Thai Lettuce Wrap. My apologies for lousy photography. I'm lucky to even have snapped one since it seems vultures had invaded the house and no sooner were they (the wraps) done the hands were flying, lettuce leaves being filled, wine being poured - just your regular every day insanity.

I must tell you - although not so pretty to look at, these wraps are a show stopper - absolutely delicious. We used head lettuce rather than the suggested bibb or butter lettuce and they worked just fine. Head lettuce doesn't wrap as well but after being soaked in ice water they were crunchy and cold - combine that with a warm filling - nirvana.



Ingredients

15 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef
1 Tbsp (15 ml) cooking oil (I used corn oil)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce
1/4 cup (60 ml) hoisin sauce
2 tsp (10 ml) minced ginger
1 Tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar
Thai Chili sauce (to taste) - I used about 4 Tbsp
227 ml can of water chestnuts, drained and finely choped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tsp (10 ml) dark sesame oil

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not to tear them. Set aside

In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 15 ml (1 Tbsp) oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and chili pepper sauce to the onions and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions and sesame oil and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Mix with beef.

Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter and pile meat mixture in the centre. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito and enjoy.

A single recipe is enough for about 4-5 people. We made a double recipe - good thing we did - the whole thing went in no time.