Holidays (on a Budget)

This year for Christmas Eve we skipped the oysters and duck breast - but still dined very well.

Gougères


Spinach and Mushrooms with Truffle Oil
(We bought the truffle oil at TJ Maxx)

Roast Beef with Dijon-Caper Sauce

And if after the holidays you pick up a deeply discounted turkey,

BEST TURKEY SOUP EVER

Bon Goût, Petit Prix

We have not been posting many entries recently in part because while Chef Didier continues to cook up a storm, many of the recipes fall under "Depression Dining" - cheap meals (lentils seasoned with ham hocks and mustard, sauteed chicken livers and onions with red grapes) that really are delicious but don't photograph particularly well.

But what about company dining on a budget? Try these two suggestions:

Riesling Chicken

Quatre-Quart 

á l'Orange

Didier's Quatre-Quart á  l'Orange

For the cake:
Weigh two eggs
Then measure out the same weight in sugar, butter, and flour
1 tsp baking powder
Juice and zest of orange
Pinch of salt

For the sauce:
Juice of three oranges
5 oz powdered sugar

Soften butter in warm bowl
Mix butter with sugar and eggs, one at a time
Add pinch of salt
Add juice and zest of 1 orange
Add flour and baking powder sifted together and mix well

Pour in buttered and floured baking dish
Bake 40-45 minutes at 375

Mix juice of two oranges with powdered sugar
Pour over warm cake
Unmold cooled cake onto serving plate
Decorate with third orange, peeled and thinly sliced