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La Cuisine Honnête... The Honest Kitchen

This is when a chef does not take any shortcuts in cooking. He/she doesn’t use substitutions, and all the ingredients are as fresh as they can be. In selected restaurants where chefs practice La Cuisine Honnête, it means that the menu selections are fairly priced and worth one’s patronage. Patrons of such restaurants are always assured of the highest quality at all times. Chefs who follow this type of cuisine take great pride in their food preparation methods and they rightly believe that their recipes reflect respectively on their reputation as chefs and their restaurants as fine eating establishments.

Such restaurants usually offer daily specials based on the fresh ingredients available to them that day. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to encounter a chef who does not even have a printed menu, but rather a board with the fares for that day only. Alas, such restaurants are very hard to find!

However, La Cuisine Honnête can be practiced at home. You can be the chef who uses only the freshest ingredients! You can change any recipe to reflect this worthwhile cooking method. It is quite essential to remember that this is the healthiest method to maintain a healthy diet, even if the recipe says to use butter.

Creativity in the Culinary Arts

It is exhilarating to experience food that is prepared like a priceless piece of art! A Perfect Culinary Dish doesn’t just happen! It requires discipline and commitment. It helps when we remember that:

• The best Recipes are the simple ones.

• The best Ingredients are always fresh.

• The best Preparation Method is with attention to detail.

• The best Presentation is when every item is in its right place on the plate.

• The best Culinary Experience is to continuously try new dishes.

• The best Culinary Satisfaction is knowing that you are eating good but healthy.

All future issues of MauMag will have recipes that adhere to the “The Honest Kitchen” method of food preparation. Eating Healthy does not mean that you should purchase your ingredients from a health food store, but it encourages you to buy and use only fresh ingredients at all times.

MauMag welcomes your recipes that follow The Honest Kitchen method of cooking. We are looking forward to new ways of creating recipes that will contribute to the enjoyment of eating good but healthy.

Remember, the best eating experience is to continuously try new dishes.

Gambas al Aillo

Shrimp with Fresh Garlic &

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ingredients

Twenty (5 per serving)uncooked large Shrimp, (16-20 count)

1 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt

8 grinds of freshly-ground Black Pepper

2 TBS. extra virgin Olive Oil

¼ cup extra virgin Olive Oil

One Lemon (quartered)

1 TBS. chopped fresh Rosemary

1 large clove garlic (minced or pressed)

3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 loaf French Baguette (2 slices per person)

Mix shrimp, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, rosemary and minced garlic together to coat thoroughly. Let Marinate for30 minutes.

Heat additional ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil on medium setting and lightly sauté sliced garlic for 1 minute.

Add shrimp mixture and cook over medium heat until shrimp is translucent, 5-10 minutes.

Slice baguette diagonally, into 1" thick slices.

Serve in small individual plates with a quarter lemon in each plate.

Drizzle the shrimp with some of the oil used in the sauté pan for dipping with the sliced baguette.

Makes 4 servings.

Salata Frangieh

Ingredients

1 English cucumber (if using regular cucumber, remove seeds)

4 medium tomatoes cut in 12 pieces (quartered then cut each quarter in half)

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

1 small red onion, halved then thinly sliced to make "arcs"

Juice from 1 large lemon, approximately ¼ cup

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. Kosher or Sea salt

6 grinds pepper

Mix all together and serve.

French Onion Soup

Ingredients

4 medium white onions

2 tbs unsalted butter

1 bay leaf

1 whole clove

2 cups red wine (Burgundy)

7 cups of fresh veal or beef stock

1 tsp fresh minced garlic

Salt & pepper to taste

12 slices of French bread toast (baguette is fine)

12 oz. of grated Gruyère cheese

Over a low flame, sweat onions in butter with bay leaf and clove - until onions are translucent in texture.

Add wine and increase heat to high to reduce liquid by one half.

Add stock, garlic, salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes to blend all the flavors.

Arrange 6 oven-proof soup bowls or crocks on a baking sheet and ladle soup (while still hot) into them. Float 2 slices of toast in each bowl topped with grated Gruyère cheese. Put under broiler for 30 seconds or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Shrimp & Avocado Salad

Ingredients

16 Large Shrimp (21-25 count)

2 Ripe but firm Avocados - Diced small or Coarsely mashed with fork

The juice of 1 Freshly-squeezed Lemon

2 Medium Fresh un-peeled Tomatoes (diced small)

3 Fresh Green Onions (diced small)

1 Large Clove of Garlic - Crushed

1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Lemon Pepper

4 to 6 Sprigs of Fresh Italian Parsley

Salt & Black Pepper to taste.

Marinate ALL Shrimp in 1 TBS Olive Oil and 1 tsp Lemon Pepper for one hour

Sauté ALL the Shrimp in shallow pan (Use Olive Oil from Marinade)

In a large bowl, mix diced or (coarsely mashed) Avocados with Lemon Juice

Mix in the Diced Tomatoes, Crushed Garlic and Green Onions

Dice the 10 Shrimp and add to mixture (Keep the other 6 Shrimp on the side)

Add 1/3 cup Olive Oil and mix again

Season with Salt and freshly-ground Black Pepper (adjust to taste).

Serve in small plates

Top each serving with a sprig of Parsley and one whole Shrimp.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Tabouleh

Ingredients

1/3 Cup Fine Cracked Wheat (# 1)

3 Bunches Fresh Italian Parsley Leaves (coarsely chopped)

3 Medium Fresh un-peeled Tomatoes (diced small)

1 Medium peeled Fresh Cucumber (Optional - diced small)

4 to 5 Fresh Green Onions (diced small)

1 TBS of Fresh Mint Leaves (chopped fine)

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

Salt & Black Pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, rinse and soak cracked wheat in cold water for 5 minutes and drain.

Add Diced Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Green Obions, chopped Parsley and Mint (in this order).

Toss/Mix all above ingredients.

Add Fresh Lemon Juice and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (adjust to taste).

Season with Salt and Pepper (adjust to taste).

Serve on a salad plate over crisp leaves of Fresh Romaine Lettuce.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

More recipes coming soon

Trout Amandine à l’Amaretto

Ingredients

4 fresh trout filets (8 to 10 ounces each)

1 egg (beaten)

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/4 cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Method

Combine egg and milk
Mix and stir together the flour and salt
On medium heat, heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet.
Coat trout filets with flour mixture and dip in egg mixture
Sautée fish in hot oil for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or till lightly golden and crisp. Fish should flake easily with fork.
Remove fish from skillet and keep warm while cooking remaining trout filets.
In a medium skillet, cook sliced almonds in butter till golden. Remove from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice and one ounce Amaretto Liqueur.
Place fish on a serving platter and spoon sauce of almond, butter and Amaretto mixture over the fish filets.

Makes four servings. Bon Appétit.

White Chocolate Coconut Pie

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) baked pie crust

5 oz. Un-sweetened coconu flakes

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 eggs

4 tablespoons unsalted buttere - quartered

1 1/2 cups cream

grated nutmeg

2 oz. white chocolate - grated

4 oz. white chocolate - grated

Method

Combine milk, coconut and vanilla in a stainless steel saucepan
Bring to a slow boil and simmer for 5 minutes
Combine sugar, flour and eggs - whisk until creamy
Stir 1/4 of milk into egg mixture, pour egg mixture into remaining milk
Raise heat to medium high and stir with spoon for one minute or until mixture comes to a boil and becomes very thick.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and 4 ounces of chocolate
Pour into cooled baked pie shell and refrigerate until quite cool
Whip cream and spoon on top of custard.
Sprinkle with nutmeg and the 2 ounces of white chocolate

Yields one 9-inch pie. Bon Appétit.

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