My Blog

January 20, 2008

    This weekend was easier than the previous one. There were very few things to chop and slice, and the only thing that worried me was desert. I've never been a good cook of deserts, mostly because I'm not a big fan. I'll replace a desert with a savory dish any time.

    The recipes were:

1. Country-style Vegetable Soup with Noodles (Soupe Villageoise)
2. Veal Scallops with Apples and Calvados (Escalopes de Veau Vallée d'Auge)
3. Caramel Custard (Crème Reversée au Caramel)

    I was very worried about the soup because it used a lot of leeks. I had no idea what a soup with that much leek would taste like. Not only that, but the soup called for Chicken Stock, but not any chicken stock, your own home-made chicken stock. So, two days before I cooked my own chicken stock. The only thing it didn't go so well for the chicken stock was that I didn't do a good job a removing the fat on the top.

    Finding the veal scallops was not that hard (I went to Whole Foods), but it was expensive. At the meat counter, there was a debate between me and the butcher if "veal scallops" was the same thing as "veal scallopinis", since he only had "scallopinis" and he told me "scallops" was a shelfish (oh, really?). I still don't know the difference if there is any.

    Cooking the desert was never wrecking. First, because I had to pour hot milk into an egg custard, and I heard if you don't do it right you end up with scrambled eggs. Second, because I never did caramel, and I know that sugar boils very hot and just a tiny amount dropping on you can hurt quite a bit. Plus, the book said going from great caramel into burnt caramel was very fast.

    The soup was outstanding, it was thick and hearty. It didn't have a strong taste at all. My only complaint would be that it end up looking "too green", a contrasting color would've made it much more appealing. The veal... Is there any possibility that veal, wish mushroom and crème frâiche can go wrong? Nope. So it did taste amazing. Although I do think I could have undercooked the veal a little bit, so by the time I served it was just perfect.

    The apples that went with the veal also tasted good.

    Finally, the desert was what I expected. I failed to make it perfect. Although it tasted pretty nice, the caramel end up being too light -- I took it too early from the stove.

Technical data:

Guests: Toninho, Marta, Marcone & Ilka

Total cost: $98 (what did you expect of a veal meal?)

Item hard to find: none

Utensils bought: none

Appliances bought: none

Best Dish: Veal, followed by a close second by the Soup.

Worst Dish: Caramel Custard -- it wasn't bad, but end up in 3rd on the final rank.

Comments (6) for "Lesson 2: Vegetable Soup, Ve...

The veal was superb! The soup was delicious and the desert was scrumptious. I'm very happy to be part of this experiment...I am a willing guinea pig. By Marta Nobrega - 1/21/2008 8:06 AM

The veal was amazing... I would happily pay 30 bucks or more on that plate in a fancy restaurant. The soup was fantastic, even though I’m not cabbage’s biggest fan. I’m not a desert person, so it was definitely a last place finish on my list… It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t memorable either. By Antonio Magalhaes - 1/21/2008 9:18 AM

I had to add, since I'm the only one that actually really liked the desert, that the Creme au Caramel turned out brilliantly (except for the caramel). It tasted like a traditional european egg custard, but very light and airy, without being overly sweet. For those who know the portuguese deserts, it reminded me of a light Papos de Anjo. By Marta Nobrega - 1/21/2008 12:38 PM

I loved everything, specially the Veal. I am a big fan of mushrooms and the combination with apples what surprisingly great, beyond expectation. Regarding the soup, I am not a fan of cabbage but the flavor wasn’t that strong, perfect balance. Finally, the dessert was great, just add a bit more thickness to that caramel and you will find perfectness you are looking for. I am looking forward to the next one. Considering the number of friends you have, I am willing to be on the 90th one… ;) By Marcone Oliveira - 1/23/2008 4:19 AM

Galera - Leek não é repolho! É alho poró! By Marta Nobrega - 1/25/2008 8:54 AM

Yes, but the recipe used both. About 2lbs of leeks and 1 green cabbage. By Marcelo Calbucci - 1/25/2008 8:55 AM