Guest Chef Kyuhee Bussod with an Asian Cooking Demonstration

Vietnamese Spring rolls, Chicken Korma and Romaine Salad with rice, A hearty oatmeal bread and Tart Tatin served to our fellow spinners. Kyuhee Bussod has been cooking since she was a child and learned many secrets from her Korean family. Her artistic cooking ability is similar to her vibrant paintings with sharp colors and textures.

Last night Kyuhee and Gilles came over to cook together and we invited some of our spinning class to share the fruits of her labor. 

Kyuhee Serve Chicken Korma to Charlie Rattigan

The first thing that we did when Kyuhee arrived was to start the rice.

She is demonstrating how to measure the right amount of water with rice. Her father taught her this method. The water should touch just above the knuckles if you put your hand flat on the rice. We used a Basmati rice and she prepares her rice in a rice cooker, which she does every morning  and then it is ready for her and warm when she comes home at night. 

The Spring Rolls 

Ingredients: 

Square Rice Wrappers

2 Eggs whisked

1 cucumber

1 lb of shrimp deviened 

thin Rice Noodles Vermicelli

Cucumber

Carrot

Hoisin Sauce

Peanut butter

Peanuts

Mint Leaves

Tai Basil

Rice Vinegar

Fish Sauce

Prepare your shrimp by boiling them for 2 minutes. Remove from the hot water and cover with ice. Dry and slice in 1/2 length wise so one side is flat.           Prepare your egg by cooking it like a skinny omelet. in a small fry pan with vegetable oil roll and slice in long pieces. Wash your mint leaves and Thai Basil and dry. Pull your leaves of the stem about 2 of each for each spring roll. Cut your carrots and cucumbers with a Mandolin in long narrow pieces.If you cut by hand the pieces must be very long and thin. Cook your rice sticks according to the directions.

In a large flat pan heat water till almost boiling. One at time dip the rice skin in the water flipping on both sides and lay out between damp towels. Place a skin on the surface and layer your ingredients on the skin by color.

Roll the finished product in chopped peanuts and serve with two sauces.

Spin and Eat

They say that spinning (a stationary bike that you simulate a bike ride on, in a group, with a leader) burns 800 calories in one hour. We probably consumed at least that, during our “Spin and Eat fest” with fellow spinners, Kyuhee and Gilles.  We met at the club and I had prepared dinner in advance which was an Eggplant Parmesan recipe that I followed from the March 2010 edition of Bon Appetite, and a Seafood Neapolitan served on a fancy Tagitelli.  At this point I was planning on serving Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for desert and had not made anything else. However my friend Kim Vollers was at spin class, the desert professional, and I called over to her across the room from my spinning bike asking if she had a quick recipe that I could whip up when we got home. Of course she did and it was Chocolate Cream pie. I did not have whipping cream for the top so I discarded the idea, but Kyuhee who was spinning next to me, latched on to the thought of Chocolate Cream Pie for desert. Kim repeated her recipe as I recorded it in my brain. Then Bonnie, our spin teacher, got us started burning our 800 calories.

After spinning, I rushed home to shower and whip a chocolate cream pie together and Kyuhee and Gilles picked up the whipping cream giving me a few extra moments to get everything prepared.

Eggplant Parmesan:

Recipe is from Bon Appetite: However I have made my substitutes:

2 Large Eggplant trimmed and cut length wise into ¼ “ slices

1 container of Cabot Dairy Cottage cheese

¾ of pound of washed and dried baby spinach

2 eggs

11/4 cups of Parmesan cheese

15 oz of freshly made tomato sauce

8 oz of fresh mozzarella

Olive oil

Salt the egg plant and place in the colander with something heavy on it for 1 ½ hours.Rinse the salt off well. Then press the excess water out of it. 

Sauté the spinach quickly in olive oil and press the water out of that.

Place the strips of eggplant on a cookie sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Place in a hot broiler for 3 minutes on each side.

In a mixing bowl mix the cottage cheese, spinach, eggs and ¾ cups of parmesan. 

Stuff the center of the eggplant folding the strips in half, with the cheese mixture and place in a greased baking pan. After all the strips are stuffed, pour the tomato sauce around it and place the pieces of mozzarella on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Seafood Neapolitan is a entre at one of my favorite restaurants in Naples, Florida. It was the happening place on 5^th Ave in the early 90’s and all of the other restaurants that are there followed their lead. I went there with my brother Charles and his wife Heather on a recent trip to Naples and had my old favorite. It inspired to duplicate the flavors when we got home. It is actually a very light dish with a nice seafood broth.

Seafood Neapolitan:

2 pounds of PEI Mussels rinsed (hi Irene)

2 cups of white wine

4 garlic cloves crushed

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp

Olive oil

Bunch of fresh Basil

Pour the wine in a large deep pan add garlic, half of the basil, the tomatoes.

Bring to a boil and add the mussels.

When the mussels open remove them.

In a skillet cook the shrimp for a few minutes in olive, about 4 minutes.

Reduce the liquid in ½ in the pan that the mussels cooked in. When the liquid has reduced add the mussels back in and the shrimp. Serve over fresh pasta and garnish with fresh basil.

Chocolate Cream Pie in 10 minutes or less from Kim Ann Vollers

2 Cups of Milk

3 Tablespoons of Corn Starch

½ cup of Sugar

4 egg yolks whisked

¼ cup of sugar

3 squares of unsweetened chocolate

1 tsp. of Vanilla

½ tsp of salt

Heat the milk up in sauce pan with the ½ cup of Sugar and the corn starch. Stir until mixture becomes hot and bubbly and thick. Turn off the heat. Whisk the egg yolks with the ¼ of sugar and add ½ cup of the thickened milk, then add everything back into the pan and the chocolate and vanilla and ½ tsp of salt. Turn the heat on and stir until the entire mixture is thick. Put into a baked pie crust and top with whip cream. It is delicious.

 We had a great time!

 

 

Seafood Pasta

 Seafood Pasta

It had slipped my mind that we were having a dinner party last night for Norm’s cousins. It worked out well because I was anxious to cook. We had just returned from a quick trip to Florida and I was still in the mood for seafood. I was thinking of seafood pasta. Brad Perky from the Corners Inn used to make a fantastic one with a cream sauce.  I stopped at the farmers market and ended up with lobster, scallops, shrimp and salmon. I arrived home at 5:30 with the groceries.

Yvonne, Norm, Mark, Mary, Jamie and Griffith arrived about 6:45P and we were already for a wonderful evening.

Ingredients:

½ pound of Scallops

1 Lb of Shrimp peeled and deveined

½ Lb of Salmon skinned and cut into chunks

The lobster meat from a 11/2 lb lobster

1 cup of ½ and ½

Grape seed oil

Two shallots peeled and diced

1 diced red pepper

1 cup of white wine

1 cup of seafood broth

1 tbsp of garlic

½ cup of milk

Fresh basil chopped

4 tbsp. of flour

In a large skillet sauté your fish until tender and cooked, but not over cooked. Remove from the pan and cook your shallots, basil and red peppers in the same pan. Add the white wine and the seafood broth, (make this by boiling the lobster shells, fish skin and shrimp shells in water for 20 minutes until reduced. Strain and use the broth), Add garlic and reduce until it ¼ of the liquid. Stir in half and half. Mix the milk and flour with a whisk and stir the mixture in slowly until sauce is thick. You probably will not use all of the milk mixture. Add the seafood and turn off the heat until ready to serve.

We served this over a fresh egg tagetelli and with a side salad. 

Corn Chowder and Asparagus Salad with Feta on Baby Greens and Matt makes waffles

In the summer we have so much corn and even though it's warm out, I make corn chowder often. We have a great corn stand on the way up to our river house that we stop at. The corn is sweet and delicious. To freeze it, cut it off the cob and cook it in butter and then place in gallon size bags, flatten them out on top of each other. This supplies us with corn , hopefully for the whole winter. This year we are out already. I used the organic frozen corn from the farmers market to make my soup but it wasn't as sweet as the corn we get in Piermont.

Ingredients:

6 cups of cut corn

Diced Carrots

Diced green pepper

Diced 1/2 sweet onion

Diced Celery Stocks 3

Diced Potatoes 2

4 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2 

6 tbsp of flour

5 pieces of  Pancetta 

Grape seed oil

Heat 2 tbsp of grape seed oil in a deep dutch oven. Brown the pancetta and remove from the pan. Put all of the diced vegetables except the corn in the hot oil and cook until translucent. Add corn, and chicken broth, simmer for 20 minutes. Mix 1/2 and 1/2 with the flour with whisk and whisk slowly into the soup mixture. When it thickens, serve with the crispy pancetta on top.

If you want to add chicken or cheddar cheese. 

Cook diced chicken in the hot oil before adding the vegetables.

For cheddar cheese, stir the graded cheese in just before serving.

Garnish with green chilies.

For the Salad, steam asparagus, place on a bed of greens then sprinkle with feta and drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette. 

Matt made waffles today. He is 15 and is a reluctant cook. I taught him how to do it using bis-quick and a waffle maker.  The middle sauce, is melted butter and maple syrup.

Kyuhee cuisine haut un beau Coq au Vin!

Kyuhee cuisine haut un beau Coq au Vin!

Last weekend we were graciously invited to the home of Kyuhee and Gilles Bussod. They own a lovely farm house in Barnard with views to the west, sitting high on hill. They have been working away at their renovation and the results are impressive. As you enter through the mudroom (which no one uses the front in Vermont), you arrive into the French countryside kitchen complete with a wood cook stove and a large farm table. The cooking is centered around, the vibrantly decorated table. Gilles and Kyuhee are both artist in their own right. I snapped some pictures of Kyuhee’s work in her studio,

The other guest Nancy and Michael, Norm and I were invited into the colorful living room to enjoy some homemade pate. We talked about her recipe which she described as very difficult, however she does have a recipe for chicken liver pate that is simple and delicious.

On the wood stove in the kitchen was a beautiful Coq Au Vin, which had been simmering since the day before. The recipe came from Gilles mother and Kyuhee likes it because it is rich in chicken flavor and is uncorrupted by too many ingredients. The wine, mushrooms, shallots and chicken make a rich delicious gravy over tender chicken. She serves it over white rice with roasted asparagus and winter squash.  The meal is complimented with a wonderful Pinot Noir.

Desert is a striking tart tatin, which is delectable. Gilles and his wonderful sense of humor kept us all laughing. He has away of using his French accent to enhance his jokes and it works for him.  What a wonderful evening!

Kyuhee cuisine haut un beau Coq au Vin !

Le week-end dernier nous ont gracieusement invités à la maison de Kyuhee et Gilles Bussod. Ils sont propriétaires d'une maison de ferme lovely dans Barnard avec des vues à l'Ouest, assis haut sur la colline. Ils ont travaillé suite à leur rénovation et les résultats sont impressionnants. Lorsque vous entrez via le mudroom (pas celui qui utilise l'avant dans le Vermont), vous arrivez dans la France campagne cuisine complète avec un cuisinier bois cuisinière et une table de grande ferme. Le cuisine est centrée autour de la table richement décorée,. Gilles et Kyuhee sont les deux artistes dans leur propre droit. J'ai accroché quelques photos du travail du Kyuhee son studio,

Les autres invités Nancy et Michael, Norm et moi-même étions invités dans la salle de séjour colorée pour profiter de certains pate maison. Nous avons parlé de sa recette dont elle a décrit comme très difficile, mais elle a une recette pour pate de poulet hépatiques qui est simple et délicieux.

Sur le poêle dans la cuisine était une belle vin au coq, qui avait été simmering depuis la veille. Le recette provenait de Gilles mère et Kyuhee il aime parce qu'elle est riche en saveur de poulet et est uncorrupted par trop nombreux ingrédients. Le vin, les champignons, échalotes et poulet font une riche sauce délicieux au poulet d'appel d'offres. Elle Il sert au riz blanc avec asperges grillées et les courges d'hiver.  Le repas est complimenté avec un merveilleux Pinot Noir.

Désert est une saisissante tatin tart, qui est délectables. Gilles et son sens de l'humour merveilleux conservés tous nous rire. Il a de suite à l'utilisation de son accent français pour améliorer ses blagues et il œuvres pour lui.  Quel merveilleuse une soirée !

1 Rump Roast and Four Meals, Pot Roast, Beef Burrito, Beef Enchiladas, Beef Barley Soup

Pot Roast is a great winter meal, and you can put it in the oven before work or the crock pot so your meal is ready when you get home. My mother taught me this recipe.

1 Large Rump Roast

2 Sweet Onions Peeled and Quartered

8 Peeled Carrots 

2 Stalks of Celery

5 Quartered Potatoes

A sprig of Thyme

2 Bay Leaves

2 Tblsp. of Beef Base

Olive Oil

few tblsp. of flour

Water or wine

Preheat oven to 400

Brown your rump roast in hot olive oil till brown on all sides. Put in a large dutch oven, with the quartered onion, 2 stalks of celery, 6 cups of liquid, beef base, 2 bay leaves and a sprig of time.  Put in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes and turn down to 250 cook for 5 hours. If your oven is on a timer, this will work well. If not, you need to come home from work or use a crock pot. 

When you arrive home in the evening, peel your veggies, take the meat out of the pot and boil the carrots and potatoes for 15 minutes in the remaining liquid or until tender.  You can use a flour and water paste to thicken the broth to make gravy if that is what you like. Mix a few tablespoons of flour with ½ cup of water and whisk into the hot liquid until thick.

Beef Burritos:

I found flour tortillas with omega 3’s , 12 grams of fiber and only 100 calories at the grocery store. Try to use one of these shells. Break up some of the beef, add a little bit of canned black beans, salsa and some grated cheddar. Heat in the oven or the microwave and lunch is served!

Beef Enchiladas:

Corn Tortillas                   Red Enchilada Sauce (use canned)

Shredded Beef                   2 cups of Grated Jack

Diced Green Chiles

½ of sweet onion Diced

Pre heat the oven to 350

Oil or spray a casserole pan. Soften the tortillas and roll with the shredded beef.

Sprinkle with the diced chilies and onions and pour 2 cups of enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Top with the cheese and bake covered for 20 minutes, uncover and bake another 7-10 minutes

Beef Barley Soup:

The left over shredded Beef

The left over gravy and Veges

1 cup barley

4 carrots diced

1 cup fresh cut green beans

2 stalks of celery diced

5 cups of water

Beef Base

Boil the barley in the water for 15 minutes, until soft, add the left over ingredients and enough water so the consistency is right for soup. Add beef base to taste.