Dîner d'Anniversaire!

It's not easy always being the older woman. The fear of loosing one's beauty and no longer being attractive feeds insecurity. Not to mention always having to be the mature responsible person in the relationship. But finally my husband has caught up with me in age! Yippeee!!!

Because my hubby is such a sweetie, I prepared a birthday dinner for him with fruit at the forefront. A fruit-a-licious menu! I love to use fruit in unusual ways. I like to barbecue it, roast it, and bake it with spices or condiments normally reserved for savory dishes. I'm sure I get this from my father who likes to salt everything from cantaloupe to watermelon, "Brings out the flavor!" he always says.

Appertif Kir Royal avec le Syrop de Fraise
Raviole d'Ananas Roti aux Chevre, Salade de Lardon
Rôti de Porc Aux Pruneaux et Des Légumes Rôtis
Fromage Bleu Avec du Pain de Figue
Clafouti Aux Cerise
Après Dîner Cognac

For the roasted ravioli, I sliced paper thin rounds from a whole pineapple. I stuffed two slices with a spoonful of pungent medium-hard goat's cheese and pressed around the edges to form the pasta. Then I brushed a honey-basalmic glaze over the top. Right before serving the raviolis are broiled to caramelize the glaze and melt the cheese slightly. The salad is comprised of mesculen, crispy lardon, and a vinaigrette of olive oil, sherry vinegar, and the warm run-off juices from the broiled pineapple raviolis.

Nothing could be easier than a pork roast stuffed with prunes. Just stick a long knife or sharp pick through the center of the roast and cram in the prunes. I sear the pork roast on all sides first and then place it in a baking dish with whole new potatoes, sweet potatoes (yes, I'm into pork and sweet potatoes right now!), whole spring onions, and fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Roast everything together et Voilà you have a beautiful main course that allows the time to focus on guests.

Clafouti is simple to make and it does not contain a lot of sugar or flour. I like to soak the cherries in kirsch for an hour or two before adding them whole. Traditionally the cherries are not pitted for two reasons: it will turn the batter pink and they taste better baked with the pit in. I do advise warning your guests beforehand so no one looses a tooth. Substitute cherries for blanched apricots if desired. For the clafouti recipe see my old post Cherry Clafouti

The candles didn't stick to well in the clafouti, so I had to substitute some cakes to hold up those heavy, heavy numbers!

For recipes click on "Continue reading Diner Anniversaire!"

Technorati Tags: birthday menu, cherry, chevre, clafoutis, french, goat cheese, pineapple, porc roasted with rosemary and mustard, porc roti, rabbit, sweet potato

Raviole d'Ananas Roti Aux Chevre Chaud et Petite Salade de Lardon serves 2-4 people

Ingredients
1 medium ripe pineapple
1 log of medium-hard chevre or goat's cheese
1 bag mixed lettuce or mesculen
3 Slice thick cut bacon or 1/4 cup lardon
4 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions
1. To make pineapple ravioli slice off top and bottom of a whole pineapple with a serrated knife. Place pineapple standing on a cutting board and cut down sides to remove skin. With a mandolin or knife cut paper thin rounds horizontally from the whole pineapple. Careful of your fingers if using a mandoline!
2. Between two rounds of pineapple place 1teaspoon of goat's cheese. Press down around the top pineapple slice to form a ravioli. Refrigerate until ready to broil.
3. Chop lardon or bacon and fry until slightly crispy but not dry and brittle. Reserve 1 teaspoon of bacon fat for vinaigrette.
4. Whisk sherry vinegar, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon reserved bacon fat together with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Reserve until ready to serve, but don't refrigerate or the bacon fat will colagulate.
5. In a separate small bowl mix honey and balsamic vinegar.
5. When ready to plate, place the ravioli on aluminum paper or parchment paper on a baking sheet. Set the oven to broil and move rack up to the top. Brush raviolis with honey-basalmic mixture and broil for only 1-2 minutes with oven door ajar. The raviolis should be hot and carmelized, but the cheese not completely melted or it will ooze out the sides of the raviolis.
6. Serve 3 raviolis per plate. Take warm run-off juice from baking tray and whisk in to vinaigrette then toss quickly with salad and bacon. Serve salad in the center of the 3 raviolis.

Rôtis de Porc Aux Pruneaux et Des Légumes Rôtis
serves 2-4 people

Ingredients
1 pork roast. Size will depend on how many people you are serving. Figure two finger widths per person down the roast. (I know that's bizarre, but that's my method)
1 package prunes (dried plums)
3 new potatoes per person
3 small onions per person
1-2 yams or 1 big sweet potato
2 fresh sprigs of rosemary
4 fresh sprigs of thyme
Olive oil
Fleur de sel
Freshly ground pepper
Kitchen string

Instructions
1. To stuff the roast with prunes take a long knife (preferably a thin carving knife) and cut a hole through center of roast. Take your sharpening rod, if you have one, to widen the hole a little. Stuff the prunes inside. Tie the roast with kitchen string horizontally and vertically to make sure it holds together while roasting.
2. Peel yam or sweet potato and cut into 2" cubes. Peel small onions. Don't peel potatoes! Toss all vegetables with olive oil to lightly coat and season with salt and pepper.
3. Season pork with salt and pepper. Place a non-stick skillet on high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is hot sear pork roast on all sides including the ends.
4. Pre-heat oven to 375˚F. Add vegetables to a baking dish with roast in the middle and cook until roast is done, tossing vegetables occasionally to brown on all sides. About 40 minutes depending on size.
5. Remove roast and let rest before removing cooking string and slicing.
6. Plate vegetables with two 1/4" slices of pork alongside. Pour any jus from the rested pork roast over slices and sprinkle fleur de sel on top!

Comments

[carrie]

Happy Birthday Eric!! Sounds like you were quite spoiled this year by your amazing wife. Amy, those raviolis sound so delicious and certainly unique. I can't wait to make them! But, my one problem is, Justin doesn't like goat cheese (I honestly don't know why i stay with him - it should be a deal breaker!) But what do you think about using ricotta for a few of the raviolis?
HOope all is well! Miss you and love you, Carrie

[Ms. Glaze]

Carrie – I was just thinking about you! Must be all those peaches coming in early this year (LOL). Hmmm, the goat cheese disdain could be a deal breaker, but he is a redhead and I think that makes up for it. They are special you know. Ricotta sounds like a yummy alternative – pourquoi pas? You guys coming back out soon? Bises xxxx

[Ms. Glaze]

Carrie – One more thing, I know you know this being the amazing pastry chef that you are, but just in case others don't – let the ricotta drain in a sieve before filling the pineapple slices otherwise it will be to liquid-y. What about cream cheese? Maybe that would work (the real kind) or even blue cheese would taste good I think.

[carrie]

Mmm...I like the idea of blue cheese! I'll report back to you after I've tried the recipe. I am absolutely DYING to get back to Paris to see you guys. I'm pondering the idea of an Autumn trip, as I am unfortunately on the "wedding circuit" this summer. It's hot and sticky here in Georgia, and frankly I'm a little peeved that I'm not sitting on the banks of the Seine with a bottle of wine and a picnic. Much love to you and Eric!

[Gillian]

Such a beautiful birthday menu! The ravioli looks delicious and I'm dying to try making cafloutis. Did you do it with a crust this time?

You create such elegant menus, and everything down to the French names of each dish look delicious. When are you opening your own restaurant in Paris so I can come and apprentice?

[jeorg]

yum! happy birthday mr. glaze.

[Susie Vereker]

Wow, Ms Glaze. Your husband is a lucky man. Great recipes.

As for beauty, it may fade a little over the years (looks in mirror sadly) but such cuisine lasts for ever.
all best, Susie

[Natalie]

Happy Birthday Eric! Miss you Amy! I love these recipies you are posting up to your blog. I've got to try some of these soon. Wish I could be in Paris this summer...sigh... xoxo

[shuna fish lydon]

Ms. Glaze,

Why do you say to blanch the apricots before putting them in the clafouti? Am I misunderstanding this word, what do you mean in this instance?

I made cherry clafouti for my class on Sunday. I infused the dairy with crushed cherry pits from another cherry preparation but we all agreed that clafouti baked with whole cherries, oits in, makes for a more satisfying cherry experience!

[Ms. Glaze]

Good question about the apricots! My Grandma just never liked anything with skin on it so she always used to find a way to peel it or blanch it even for clafouti. I've never made the apricot desert myself, only the cherry. If you think that the apricots are better left whole, then I'm sure you're right. I know that you are very meticulous about these things. Thanks for catching that!

I find sometimes that apricot skin can be a little bitter when cooked and I don't know why. Do you? I like to bbq apricots with a little honey & basalmic. But even the sweetest apricots sometimes taste bitter after cooking. Is this just a phenomenon or does something happen in the cooking process?

Bises, Ms. Glaze

[hubby]

must admit, this was the best birthday dinner ever. thanks to my lovely wife to whom i'm eternally grateful, and fat...

mr. fatso hubby glaze wittman

[Simon]

I hope you find a great TV show at some point or perhaps both a TV show and a restaurant! The charisma, friendliness and disarming ways should win a few fans! The videos are great. What would make the videos better is if there's better voice projection when you speak which should make for a better aural experience. Keep it going Ms. Glaze! Lucky you Mr. Glaze!

[medifast diet]

your page Ohhh this sounds amazing! I'll be trying this tonight! cook Diner d'Anniversaire!