Chef Channon is Coming to Culpeper!

For those not on The Frenchman’s email list, below are the details of Chef Channon Mondoux’s book signing & food demonstrations this Sunday.

Channon is the owner of Renaissance Cuisine, which I franchise from. She’s the Chef who trained me, a finalist on The Food Network, and she’s a good friend. She’s also something of a force of nature. Come see us (I’ll be doing some light grunt work to help her out) on Sunday, March 8th.

From The Frenchman’s Corner:

Join Chef Channon Mondoux, author of “Celebration at the Sarayi” in a tasting of her recipes and cookbook signing.  Mondoux’s modern reinventions of traditional Ottoman (Turkish) dishes will include a live cooking demonstration from her book.

The event- to be held at The Frenchman’s Corner, this Sunday, March 8, 2009 from 1pm – 4pm – will feature two of her celebrated Turkish recipes, Muhallebi  (Sweet Creamed Rice Custard) and Qatlama Boregi (Savory Layered Bread).

A copy of “Celebration at the Sarayi” will be available for purchase at a special price during the tasting and signing event.  Book purchases made during the event will include a bonus recipe card, signed by the author as well as a spice mix sample pack.

Cheese Fondue & Paired Beverage Tasting!

You are cordially invited to join

Food & Nutrition Writer, Food Columnist, and Personal Chef Shawn of Renaissance Cuisine

&

The Frenchman’s Corner for:

Warm & Gooey Goodness.

When: February 21st, 2009

When: 12 PM to 3 PM

Where: 129 Davis Street, Culpeper, VA 22701

Cost: Free!

Enjoy demonstrations and tastings of cheese fondue!  I will be demonstrating and tasting out different ways to prepare cheese fondue, and will have the recipes available for handout. I will also be discussing and answering questions about other cheeses, including how to use them to add flavor, texture, and interest your own dishes.  The Frenchman’s Cellar will be sampling wine, cider, and beer with the fondues for those over 21.

No need to RSVP, though of course you’re welcome to leave any questions or comments here. Come say hello and enjoy the fun.

Foodie and Frugal, 1.19.09 to 1.21.09

First:

What’s New & Upcoming at EclecticEdibles.com: The Bean Burger Recipe I’d promised last week is now up in the left sidebar. Sorry for the delay. Also, later in the week you’ll get another 10 Minute Lunches update, and I am going to try to get a separate page started for those this week, too. Sometime either this week or next, I hope to post on my latest farm tours. Those of you on my mailing list will also receive another addition of my newsletter.

Foodie & Frugal:

I haven’t been keeping up on the Foodie and Frugal thing as much as I’d like, in part because they’re long posts and I’ve been busy. This will be an abbreviated version in some ways, but it’s the best I could do on limited time (farm visit today).

Large shopping trip today: $50.00

Meat shopping at farm today: $10.00 (approx)

Est. “fresh” trip for perishables next week: $20.00

Total Grocery budget: $80.00 total. $40.00 a week. Right on budget.

Week I (1.19.08 to 1.24.08  )

Monday. Indian Chicken with rice. This is a recipe adapted from this site, one of my current favorites. I love this woman’s site. The chicken recipe was a good base, but I wanted a bit more. So, I’ve added some different spices and tossed in a bunch of greens. We’re serving this over white rice, because I am NOT paying $3/bag for brown rice, which is all they had left today at the local store.  It’s on my list for when I head to my out-of-town store, where I get it for far, far less.

Tuesday. Hobo Casserole with lima beans & salad. We have some local potatoes in cold storage we need to use up before they go bad, so I’ll combine them with our local, grassfed beef, carrots, peas, red onions, and a bunch of spices in my cast-iron skillet and bake it all up. I’ll top it with unprocessed wheat germ (tasteless, but good for fiber). Served with organic salad from Costco and frozen baby lima beans. Yep, frozen. We’re eating a lot of frozen veggies right now, because our local produce selection is just *awful*.

Wednesday. Goulash. Pseudo-traditional goulash for movie night. Folks will bring sides, we’ll watch movies. Should be fun.

Thursday. Herb seared salmon with quinoa risotto and asparagus. Quinoa is a great, lower carb side dish. I’m doing it with Rembrandt Aged Gouda (you can get this at The Frenchman’s Cellar. Run. Now. This post will be here when you get back), black smoked sea salt, and mushrooms. The asparagus is from Aldi. They’ve got great prices on it. I realize it’s not local, nor is it organic. Sometimes, you gotta do what your budget will let you, and given the horrible selection of fresh, and the limited selection of organic frozen, this was a reasonable option.

Friday. Meatballs with whipped sweet potatoes and peas. UC will be doing the cooking for that night while I am delivering my Ready-to-Go Meals at the Frenchman’s Corner. Local beef, as usual.

Saturday. GAME NIGHT. We’re headed over to J & B’s with some other folks. The Guys will be playing Axis and Allies. The Ladies will be watching all 5 hours of BBC’s Pride & Prejuidice. And possibly swimming. Dinner is TBD, but will likely be pizza, I am thinking.

Week II (1.25.09 to 1.31.09)

Sunday. Lasagne with salad and garlic bread. This starts us off with lots of leftovers for UC’s lunch. I’ll be doing my healthy version, which uses no ricotta cheese. Instead, I blend lowfat cottage cheese with a bunch of spices (secret blend, sorry!) and some bread crumbs to use as filling. There will be whole wheat noodles, greens, mushrooms, local beef, and yummy sauce. Served with organic salad and garlic bread made from UC’s ciabatta (baked yesterday in a frenzy of flour and yeast…go check it out!).

Monday. Chickpea saag over rice. UC’s still working out the kinks in his favorite Indian recipe. This week’s version will be made with our home-canned beet greens and spinach.

Tuesday. Salmon Patties with roasted sweet potatoes & red onions and corn. My famous fish patties make a return on this week’s menu. They’re lowfat, full of protein and fatty acids, and tasty. I’ll roast off some red onions and sweet potatoes together, seasoned with Herbs de Provence, black smoked sea salt, and cracked pepper.

Wednesday. Pumpkin Soup, in the pumpkin. We’ve got a huge cheese wheel squash in storage that needs to be roasted. We’re doing this for Movie night, and using the pumpkin to make pumpkin soup, garnished with a choice of porcini mushroom oil or fig balsamic vinegar. We’ll also likely have ciabatta available. Folks, as usual, will bring sides to round out the meal.

Thursday. Peanut noodles with scallops, served with salad and asparagus. This is UC’s birthday, but we’re doing the bigger meal Friday night. Tonight is another of his favorites, but it’s a lot quicker to make since we have spin class.

Friday. Garlic & Sea Salt Roasted Pork Shoulder, with golden potatoes. UC will be cooking his own Birthday dinner, which is the way he wanted it. This is one of his favorite dishes, and also one of his specialties. It’s not terribly healthy for you, but it’s his Birthday, so who cares?

Saturday. Tortilla Soup. After the rich meals for the past two nights, we wanted to switch up to something lighter and easy to make. We love tortilla soup, made with homemade chicken broth, black beans, home canned tomatoes, and lots of other yummies. Topped with some tortilla chips, a pinch of cheddar, and a dab of guacamole.

Let Me Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolution

The Frenchman’s Corner and Renaissance Cuisine want to help you eat healthier in the New Year. Start the year right with gourmet, Ready-to-Go meals! As most of my regular readers know, my focus is on taste and nutrition, and these well-balanced meals are full of interesting, bright flavors. All of the menu items will be calorie-conscious and heart-healthy to help you achieve your New Year’s goals.

To make eating healthy even easier, we are now offering subscription and delivery services. We have new rates and order deadlines, as well.

As always, meals are prepared from scratch with the freshest ingredients, then vacuum packed so they can be eaten immediately, refrigerated, or frozen to eat later.

All meal orders must be placed by Wednesdays at 3 PM. Late orders can no longer be accepted. Pick up is at The Frenchman’s Corner between 5-7 PM on Fridays.

Pricing:

Individual Entrées: $14.00/each

Monthly Subscriptions: $195.00/month. Monthly subscriptions allow you to choose any 4 individual entrees for 4 consecutive weeks at a great discount! You can order your meals weekly, or your can choose your entire menu all at once to save time.

Delivery: $10.00/week. At this time, delivery is only available within 15 miles of downtown Culpeper. All deliveries are made between 5-7 PM on Fridays. Scheduling must be done a week ahead of time to ensure your desired time slot.

Ordering information is on the Monthly Menu page. Stop by weekly to check out the new menus as they are added.

Ready To Go Meals, To Resume January 9th

Ready To Go Meals at The Frenchman’s Corner will resume on January 9th, with some fun and exciting changes. Drop in next week to see what the New Year looks like at Renaissance Cuisine, and what new and fun meals you can expect!

In the meantime, stop by The Frenchman’s Corner and say hi to Marc, Peg, Jerry, Jeff, Bert, Pam, and the rest of the crew. They’ll help you pick out the perfect gift, the perfect chocolate, great wine and beer, and put together a cheese platter for that New Year’s Party.

Happiest of holidays.

Ready To Go Meals, December 19th.

Fish orders must be placed by Wednesday at 2:00 PM. All other orders must be placed Thursday by Noon. Pickup is at The Frenchman’s Corner from 5-7 PM.

You can order by phoning the Frenchman’s Corner, or emailing me.

All Menus are seasonal, and may vary slightly if fresh ingredients are not available.

Salisbury Steak, served with mashed golden potatoes. 100% Grass-fed, Free-Range beef from Pannill’s Gate farm, red onion, mushrooms, and other vegetables are combined with special spices to create this flavorful new take on an old favorite. Served with golden mashed potatoes. The lean, grass fed beef in this dish provides extra B vitamins to elevate mood during this holiday season, as well as protein and fiber to help keep you full while you complete your shopping!

Herb and Lemon Tilapia with Roasted Pancetta & Brussel Sprout Creamy Barley. Fresh Tilapia from The Frenchman’s Corner is quick-seared with lemon zest and Urban Accent’s Fisherma’s Wharf spices mix. Served with brussel sprouts and pancetta roasted to bring out their deep, complex richness. Fish is an excellent source of lean protein. Brussel sprouts are high in Vitamin C to ward off those winter colds, and are also full of protein. When combined with barley, Brussel sprouts are a lean source of complete protein. This meal is perfect for those people wanting a hearty, filling meal without all the calories.

Polenta and Mushroom Stuffed Red Peppers, served with garlic risotto. Red peppers are stuffed with mushrooms and homemade polenta seasoned with basil, then roasted to enhance the sweet pepper taste. Served with creamy risotto made from The Frenchman’s Cellar’s Parmesan cheese and fresh garlic from Roundabout Farms. Red peppers are high in Vitamin C to keep you healthy this winter, and antioxidants to fight heart disease. Protein-rich mushrooms are also high in B vitamins to keep your spirits up during the hectic holiday season. Garlic is a cholesterol reducer.

Chicken Lasagne with wilted greens. A low-fat alternative to traditional lasagne. Chicken layered with low-fat cheese, spices, red sauce, and noodles to create a rich lasagne with fewer calories than traditional lasagne. Served with wilted seasonal greens with vinegar and oil. This low fat dish will sate all your cravings for comfort food without the guilt! Lean protein in chicken, calcium in cheese, and fiber and antioxidants in the greens give you a complete, healthy meal.

Foodie and Frugal, Week of 12.13.08

Above: tonight’s dinner: Polenta with wild mushrooms (chicken and puffball), onions, and fricasse’ sauce. It was served with a mix of peas and collard greens. Yummy! Below: last night’s dinner: okra & pinenut pasta with blue cheese sauce and herb rubbed salmon.

I’ve been a bit lax on the whole “Foodie and Frugal” thing, and apparently it’s been missed. Sorry about that. So, here’s the menu plan for this coming week:

Monday: Lentil & Sausage Soup. You see this here a lot because it is very tasty, very hearty, very healthy, and very quick. Mondays see both UC and I gone for classes, me at Body Combat and him at Tai Chi; so, we need a quick meal. We use turkey sausage to keep the fat down. Lentils are a complete protein and full of fiber, so it keeps you full.    The recipe we use makes a huge pot that feeds us for several meals (and occasionally a few helpings even make it into the freezer) for under $3.00. We’re using the chicken stock I am making tonight from the hens we got a while ago as the base:

Tuesday: Not Your Mom’s Meatloaf and Sweet potatoes. This recipe is one of the absolute best I’ve made recently. I’ll try to get it up on the sidebar later this week. It’s also very healthy, and low-cal. Served with sweet potatoes for antioxidants its’ pretty much a complete meal, but we’ll toss in some beets or corn, too. This can be a bit pricier just because it has meat, but it also has veggies in it. It’ll give us two meals, so I’m going to guess $1.50/person per meal.

Wednesday: Chicken or beef kabobs. This is movie night, and we feed lots of people. We make the main dish, everyone brings a side to pass. Tonight, it’s meat and veggie kabobs. I think I’m going to do them in a Thai peanut sauce.

Thursday: Beef Stew. You’re seeing a lot meat on this menu, it’s true. Our veggie dish was tonight. While I like to do more, UC is back to trying to gain weight, so we’re back to eating more meat (its seems to be the most effective thing he can do). This does break the bank a bit, unfortunately, but it keeps him in good shape. Beef stew is a pretty effective use of the beef, and it’ll also mean I can crock pot it. Which is great, since this is our night for spin. I’ll brown off the meat earlier in the day, then toss it in the crockpot with carrots, onion, corn, peas, and potatoes. We’ll have it with some of the sourdough UC is making right now, and probably brown rice.

Friday: Chicken Lasagne. This is one of the dishes you’ll see on my menu for my Ready to Go Meals this week, so I am just going to toss another one in the oven. This will give us some leftovers for later. I’ll be using whole wheat noodles, spinach, TVP, mushrooms, and a low-fat cheese combo I make myself (there’s no ricotta in this, but it’s actually doesn’t need it). This is really frugal, and with all the protein and fiber, it’s incredibly healthy.

Saturday: Yule. This is our holiday celebration with good friends. We’ll be cooking off a turkey and a bunch of other stuff, but the specifics are still in the works.

I expect to spend $35-45 on groceries. The rest is from the pantry.

Check back tomorrow for my Ready To Go Meals selections for this week. Also, check the RSS Feed on the sidebar for my published articles on treating ADD/ADHD and Depresison with diet.

Ready-To-Go Meals for December 12th.

All Menus are seasonal, and may vary slightly if fresh ingredients are not available.

Quantities may be limited. Full descriptions submitted prior to public release of menus.

Fish orders are due by Wednesday at 2:00 PM. All other orders are due Thursday by 12:00 PM. Pick up is at The Frenchnan’s Corner from 5-7 PM on Friday evening.

Please select your first choice, and an alternate in the event your first choice is unavailable.

Beef: Not Your Mom’s Meatloaf and whipped sweet potatoes. 100% grass-fed & Free Range beef combined with black beans, onions, and secret spices make this zippy, flavorful meatloaf a new favorite. Served with whipped sweet potatoes. This meal is rich in protein and fiber, while being low in fat and cholesterol. Sweet potatoes are not only rich in proteins, but also in antioxidants that will keep your immune system healthy and your skin glowing this season. Grass fed beef is an excellent source of Omega fatty acids, which help fight off the Winter blues.

Fish: Asian Salmon served with Steamed Vegetables. Salmon baked to perfection with a caramelized orange sesame sauce, served with a side of fresh, steamed vegetables seasoned with a hint of soy and lime. Salmon in one of the best sources of Omega fatty acids! This meal is perfect for those watching their cholesterol and calories who still want a flavor-packed meal. Fresh steamed vegetables provide those much needed winter vitamins to keep you going through all of your holiday festivities.

Vegetarian: Black Bean & Cheddar Patties with Southwestern rice and Vegetables. Black beans mixed with spices, TVP, and onion are topped with Apple Wood Smoked, Paprika rubbed cheddar cheese, and served with flavorful Southwestern style vegetable brown rice. Note: This dish contains eggs & Cheese. Black beans are high in soluble fiber, and are perfect for those people watching their carbohydrate intake. This meal is low fat, and the soluble fiber makes it perfect for anyone with diabetes.

Chicken: Spicy Creole Chicken and Vegetable Pasta. Chicken marinaded in Urban Accents Creole spice mix, served over whole wheat pasta with squash, tomatoes, and broccoli in a light, zesty sauce. This meal is a wonderfully balanced meal bursting with flavor for the whole family. It’s the perfect balance of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fiber.

You can email me to place your order, or you can contact The Frenchman’s Corner. Entree’s are $12/each.

Ready To Go Meals for December 5th

Order your meals through The Frenchman’s Corner. Fish meals must be ordered by 2 PM Wednesday, and all other meals must be ordered by 5 PM Thursday. Meal pick up is at The Frenchman’s Corner, from 6-8 PM on Friday evening.

Beef and spinach frittata, served with baked sweet potato. 100% Grass-fed beef from Pannill’s Gate Farm baked with Spinach into a golden brown egg frittata. Served with baked sweet potato in the jacket. This meal is perfect for a healthy boost of  B12 and Omega fatty acids during the holidays to help maintain energy during this rushed and hurried season. It’s high in protein and fiber to help stave off hunger, and loaded with healthy, cancer-fighting CLA, which also helps maintain lean muscle!

Herb & garlic stuffed halibut, with Morroccan zucchini. Fresh Halibut from The Frenchman’s Corner, stuffed with herbs and fresh garlic from Roundabout Farm. Served with yellow and green zuchinni, spiced with Moroccan style herbs. This low-fat, lowflavorful entree is high in protein, fiber, and cholesterol stabalizing nutrients.

Vegetarian: B-b-q lentil bake, with roasted red onions stuffed with honeyed greens. Lentils cooked in homemade vegetable broth, mixed with onions and whole grains and zesty Urban Accents Creolo spices and baked. Served with olive oil and black sea salt rubbed red onions, caramelized slowly. Onions are stuffed with kale seasoned with local honey and garlic from Roundabout Farm. This does contain eggs, so is lacto-ovum vegetarian. Lentils are a complete protein, and high in fiber! Kale is rich in antioxidants and vitamins to help maintain your immune system during the flu season. This option is especially good for those watching their cholesterol!

Greek chicken and vegetable kabobs, served with lemon scented brown rice.  Cubes of chicken are marinaded in yogurt, lemon juice, smoked paprika, cilantro, and other spices, then skewered with vegetables marinaded in olive oil and spices. Served with brown rice cooked in broth and scented with lemon zest. Yogurt contains probiotics that help maintain healthy levels of needed bacteria, which is especially important during the holidays to counterbalance the effects of sugar on the digestive system. Fresh vegetables provide antioxidants and vitamins to boost your immune system, as well as helping maintain glowing skin and healthy hair and nails.

Thanksgiving, An Overview

I love Thanksgiving. As I’ve mentioned before, food is my way of showing people I like them, and so Thanksgiving is like Woodstock for me. This year we’re sharing Thanksgiving with friends, including Dave and Mindy who are hosting. We both miss our families, of course, but we’re looking forward to the day immensely.

I thought I’d share out menu, and some thoughts on it, while I wait for the stuffing to heat up so I can put more butter on it, and UC waits for his sourdough to complete it’s final rise.

Thanksgiving Meal

Appetizers

Homemade Crackers with dips. Dave made crackers, which turned out great. We’ll be having them with edamame dip and spicy tapenade. They can also be used for:

Cranberry Dipping Sauce. This is one of Mindy’s favorites, and I can’t wait to try it. She likes it with her turkey, because she’s just not a gravy person.

Cheese. A few different types, including my current favorite, Apple Smoked Paprika Rubbed Cheddar.

Kathy’s Special Croissant. My friend Kathy introduced me to this easy appetizer. It’s croissant dough mashed out onto a jelly roll pan, then covered with brie, which is in turn covered with apricot preserves. It’s all baked up into one gooey, fantastic, one-dish appetizer!

Dinner

Brined Roasted Turkey. Dave and Mindy will be doing the turkey this year, which I admit is a bit odd for me. I’m not really used to sharing the Thanksgiving cooking. That said, it’s kind of nice not having to do it all myself, and the turkey sounds like it’s going to be delicious! I’ll be making the pan gravy.

Canned Cranberry Sauce, with the rings. Sorry, gotta have it. It’s not gourmet, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. It’s also a bit of nostalgia that reminds all of us of our childhood Thanksgivings.

Roasted Cranberries. I tried this recipe for the first time, and it’s great (detailed below). It’s even better on day 2.

Chestnut and Fig Stuffing. This is my buttermilk cornbread stuffing, studded with figs, chestnuts, tart and sweet apples, dried cranberries, orange and lemon zests, Sauvingnon Blanc, homemade veggie stock, and more butter than I’ll detail here. Yummy.

Cornbread Pudding. Mindy isn’t really a dressing person, so she’s discovered this cornbread pudding. I’ve never had it, but it sounds terrific!

Garlic & Nutmeg Green Beans. This is a zingy side dish that adds some interest to green beans. Not to say I don’t love green beans plain (and sometimes raw!), but it’s fun to do something else with them, too.

Bussel Spouts with Onions and Pancetta. Pancetta and onions help warm up the flavor or the sprouts, as does a short simmer in some stock. One of my favorite ways to eat brussel spouts.

Curried Sweet Potatoes. These not-sweet-sweet-potatoes are rich and creamy, with the kick of garham masala, tumeric, and cumin. For some added texture, they’re topped with granola.

Whipped potatoes. UC will be using redskin potatoes (skin on), heavy cream, butter, and some other things he’s not revealing to make his signature potatoes. They’re creamy, light, and rich. Perfect even without gravy.

Homemade Breads. UC is whipping up some sourdough, which he’s definitely perfected, and some NY style onion rolls to go with dinner. We’ll see if either of them makes it that long–I am craving both this morning.

Desserts

Pumpkin pie. Mindy apparently makes amazing pumpkin pie, even though she doesn’t care for pumpkin herself. She’s using apple liquor in the crust!

Chocolate Rum Cake. With, we’re told, 2 full cups of rum! Mindy is a dessert-making kind of lady, and she’s pulling out all the stops for this dinner.

Cranberry Cornmeal Cake. Served warm. Another Mindy dish that I can’t wait to try.

Pumpkin Cheese Cake. Peg, from The Frenchman’s, brought us a whole pumpkin cheesecake last night! I got to preview it, and it’d delightful: rich, light, creamy…decadent is the only real word for it.

I have no idea where I am going to put all these desserts, but I am sure I’ll find corners of my stomach I didn’t know existed.

Have a wonderful holiday, everyone.