Cooking School

Epicurean school of culinary arts
Dinner party with Julia


Last night there was a cooking class at the world famous Epicurean school of culinary arts here in Los Angeles, Dinner party with Julia....
It sounded interesting since they were featuring French cooking from Julia Child and we were able to dine on all the dishes that were prepared .....
The class consisted of eight students paired into four groups all making one of the dishes for the dinner party. Our dish was Boeuf Bourgignonne (beef in red burgundy), and Pear Tarte Tatin. The other dishes on the menu were Quiche Lorraine, Chicken Fricassee,Haricot Vert Saute A La Paysanne,Leek and Mushroom Duxelles Gratin,and Lavender Ice Cream.......
It was a wonderful evening, all the dishes were perfection, people interesting, and learning is always fun...
I am posting the two receipts along with the Lavender Ice Cream (my favorite) try them there great, the tart is easy and interesting.......
So if you can afford the time I encourage you to try and take a class from one of your local sources, check out the school at  www.epicureanschool.com







Boeuf Bourgignonne


3lb chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
flour
1/4 cup canola oil
8 Tb. butter
12 mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced 
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 cup beef stock
1-1/2 cup red Burgundy
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs parsley
24 pearl onions, blanched, shocked and peeled
1 tsp sugar
2 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 cup parsley chopped
1 large lemon


In a dutch oven, working in batches, coat chuck pieces very lightly with flour, salt, and pepper. Brown in oil and 2 tablespoon butter, remove from pan and set aside
In the same pan add 2 tablespoon butter and saute lightly the mushrooms, garlic, and leeks
Add wine to pot, (tie together thyme,bay leaf, and parsley) add to pot turn to simmer and reduce slightly add the stock and the browned meat bring to a boil cover and put into a 400 degree oven for about 1 hour checking every 30 mins, if two thick add more stock.
Brown pearl onions in a pan with 2 tablespoon butter, sprinkle with sugar and shake pan until lightly glazed, set aside, cook bacon until crisp, reserve together with onions.
Check beef for tenderness, add juice of lemon and stir, transfer to platter and garnish with onion, bacon, and chopped parsley, can be served with potatoes or noodles.


Pear Tarte Tatin


1 batch flaky pie dough


2 sticks cold unsalted butter
2-1/2 cups AP flour
2 Tb. sugar
1tsp. salt
1/2 cup ice water
1/2 tsp. white vinegar


cut butter into 1 inch pieces and freeze for 15 min, sift together flour and sugar, add butter using pastry cutter mix until rough meal stage,
Combine water and vinegar in small bowl, add all at once to flour mixture and mix until dough comes together about 15 seconds, dough should be tacky but not sticky, adjusted with more water if needed.
Remove the dough from bowl and wrap in plastic film, do not squeeze or overwork dough, chill for 1 hour.


filling
10 pears, peeled, halved,and cored
1 cup sugar
1 oz butter
oven 400 degrees
Caramelize sugar in skillet (place sugar in hot pan shacking to settle, the sugar will turn to liquid, stir to make sure all is dissolved) remove from heat add butter
Arrange pears cut side down in a circle, small side toward center
cook ovedr medium heat until tender, basting every 2 mins, remove from heat when pears release juice and caramel stains them.
rool out dough and cut in a circle to fit over pears in skillet, prick with fork and place over pears. 
place in oven for 20 minutes, lower over to 350 degrees cook until golden.
let cool completely in skillet, turn out onto round platter crust side down, serve with ice cream.



Lavender Ice Cream


3 cups whole milk
zest of 2 lemons
2 Tb. dried lavender
10 oz granulated sugar
10 egg yolks
2 cup heavy cream


Scald milk with lavender, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup sugar
mix remaining sugar with yolks
temper hot milk into yolk mixture, return to heat, stirring constantly (about 2 mins)
strain liquid, add heavy cream, chill completly
add to ice cream maker and freeze.