PASSIONATE RATIONS

(From prior posts, you know I’m embarking on a tour through James Peterson’s “Cooking” cookbook. This post relates to that adventure.)

Okay. I’m skipping class for a bit.

The next lessons in Peterson’s tome are “puff pastry rectangles,” “canapes,” and “tartlets.”

Having made Peterson’s cheese puffs, I feel as though, with that experience, I now have the confidence to pull off the puff pastry rectangles for a party at some indefinite future date. Since I’m essentially just cooking for two, it can get a little ridiculous getting all cooked up with no place to go (63 cheese puffs! Really?!).

As for canapes, I’ve made some before, although I do note that he recommends the use of pumpernickel bread and French butter for these (as opposed to the white bread and American butter I’ve used previously), along with a cookie cutter to make fun shapes. Sounds pretty do-able and Martha-Stewart approved.

Finally, the tartlets. I’ve made plenty of pie crusts in my life, and pecan tassies. And, again, what do I need with 60+ tartlets? Also, I don’t have tartlet pans, though, whenever I do try the recipe, I plan to use my mini-muffin tin and see what happens (since a muffin tin is less of a one-trick pony). Peterson does note that the tartlet shells can be frozen for later use. This is a good reason to make these soon, since I have a baby shower coming up. But, since I’ve recently bought fresh liver, I’m anxious to get to the liver “starters.”

Before that, however, here are some other educational tidbits I picked up from the reading for the practicums I’m skipping:

* Bresaola: It’s air-cured beef. Think “beef prosciutto.”
* French butter is so yummy because it’s made with creme fraiche.
* For caviar, use American Sturgeon. It’s less expensive than others and equates in quality.
* Don’t match crunchy things with caviar.
* The traditional difference b/w pates and terrines is that pates had crusts. The terms are now used interchangeably.
* When shopping for canned pates, get “entier” (whole liver) or “bloc.” The “mousse” is typically made from trimmings and lacks the same texture.