The Elegant Cook Notes

M-J de Mesterton's Elegant Cook Notes

M-J's Spinach and Artichoke Casserole

Posted on January 29, 2012 at 6:50 PM

Assembling an Elegant Spinach and Artichoke Casserole: Line Bottom of Baking Pan with Butter. Spread with Artichoke Pieces and Fresh Spinach Photo_Copyright_M-J_de_Mesterton_2012

Spinach and Artichoke Casserole is Topped with Cream Cheese and Mayonnaise Mixture, then Sprinkled with Grated Parmesan

M-J's Elegant Spinach and Artichoke Casserole is Topped with Cheese Mixture and Ready to Baked

See ELEGANT VEGETABLES for M-J's Elegant Spinach and Artichoke Casserole Recipe

Sweet Potatoes and Yams

Posted on January 20, 2012 at 7:45 PM

Our friends at Paleo Works in Yorkshire have written a wonderful essay about a dietary marvel known as the sweet potato. Read it HERE, and while on their page, you can read about the sensible, successful Paleo Diet. Below, please find a recipe for a health-promoting salad that I devised using yams and beets.

A refreshing way to eat health-promoting vegetables, this elegant cabbage and yam salad is also a nice thing to serve your friends: red cabbage is sliced as thinly as possible, and marinated for several hours in the vinaigrette of your choice, then mixed with yams that have been cut into match-sticks and cooked in water with a bit of honey until slightly soft.
Recipe and Photo©M-J de Mesterton

Home-Made French-Style Bread

Posted on December 30, 2011 at 2:30 PM

Elegant_French_Bread_Copyright_M-J_de_Mesterton_2011

M-J's Home-Made French Bread

American flour is very soft, even the unbleached variety. So, authentic French-style bread in the U.S. is difficult to make. If you can locate unbleached white flours from France or Italy, they are perfect for making baguettes. To make French bread or baguettes like the ones shown in my photograph, I use my own starter for the dough, let it rise twice before I form it into loaves, and place a small pottery bowl of water in a very hot oven while the baguettes are baking. This moisture creates a crispy crust.

Here is a good recipe for home-made French-style bread, by King Arthur Flour company:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/french-style-country-bread-recipe

For more elegant bread recipes, please visit M-J’s page, The Elegant Cook's Bread Recipes.

©M-J de Mesterton 2011

Affordable La Crema Pinot Noir

Posted on December 23, 2011 at 12:50 PM

La Crema 2009 Pinot Noir from California's Sonoma Coast is an Elegant, Smooth Wine Elegant Survival Wine Recommendation

La Crema Pinot Noir is an Elegant Cook Favourite

Natural Hangover Helpers

Posted on December 23, 2011 at 12:45 PM

Happy Holiday Hangover Help

Here is another natural hangover remedy, not listed in the foregoing article, which was written by J.B. Bardot:

RADISHES, a liver-tonic.

Radishes, a Natural Hangover Remedy

Radishes, a Natural Hangover Helper

Saltworks Gourmet Products

Posted on December 18, 2011 at 6:55 PM

Saltworks, Seattle

A Purveyor of Gourmet Salts from around the World,

and

Traditional Salt Products

Pollo con Penne al Alfredo

Posted on November 19, 2011 at 11:50 AM

Elegant Bowl on Platter

Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:25 AM


A Noritake antique bowl atop a California platter is an elegant serving presentation for crudites and dip. ©M-J de Mesterton, Elegant Decorating

Elegant Taco Salad

Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:05 PM

AN ELEGANT LUNCHEON DISH COMPOSED OF THE FIVE FOOD GROUPS

Seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, sour cream and tortilla pieces are arranged into an elegant, low-carb luncheon dish.

©M-J de Mesterton

M-J's Roast Beef Salad

Posted on October 10, 2011 at 5:40 PM

Lettuce, Sliced Roast Beef, Thinly Sliced Parmesan Cheese, Balsamic Vinegar, and Olive Oil

©M-J de Mesterton

Elegant Home-Made Hamburger Buns

Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:45 AM

See M-J's Original Recipe for Hamburger Buns at The Elegant Cook Bread Page

Elegant White Cake

Posted on September 8, 2011 at 9:55 AM

Elegant Salad Dressing: Ranch Style

Posted on August 24, 2011 at 1:10 PM

For an elegant salad design, dress the lettuce first and then decorate with tomatoes and peppers (capsicums).

I make a tradional western ranch-style dressing with the following ingredients, and never from an over-priced packaged mix:

Mayonnaise

Buttermilk

Sour Cream

Parsley

Onion Powder

a dash or two of D.L. Jardine's Texas Five-Star Ranch Rub (or Lawry's Seasoning Salt)

A squeeze of lemon and a bit of freshly-ground green or white peppercorn

©M-J de Mesterton

Elegant Late-Summer Salad

Posted on August 21, 2011 at 1:20 PM

Grape Tomatoes, Home-Grown Italian-Style Parsley, Mozzarella Cheese, Olive Oil and White Wine Vinegar Make an Elegant Late-Summer Salad ©M-J de Mesterton

Elegant Chicken Dish

Posted on July 26, 2011 at 8:56 AM

Guerrero of Irvine, Texas: Thin and Elegant Raw Flour Tortillas, "Ready for the Comal (grill-pan)"

Roll and serve with a pitcher of salsa picante (mine is made with Chiles Serranos en Escabeche by La Costeña (México), blended with a can of chopped tomatoes, lime and cilantro).

Elegant Mexican Style Luncheon

Elegant Home-Garden Radishes

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 10:15 AM

Home-grown radishes and their greens, ready to eat with soft butter or vinaigrette, look lovely on a plate.

Brioche au Sucre

Posted on July 5, 2011 at 8:21 PM

Brioche au Sucre, Made by M-J

Pour 12 Brioches

600 g de farine de gruau (5.5 cups)

140 ml de lait tiède (2/3 cup)

4 cc de levure SAF (1 tsp.)

1 cc de sel (1/4 tsp.)

100 g de sucre (8 tablespoons)

4 oeufs + 1 jaune

135 g de beurre ramolli (2/3 cup)

Garniture : sucre perlé

Pour dorer :

1 jaune d'oeuf + 1 cs de lait (one egg yolk plus one teaspoon of milk)

To make brioche au sucre, modify your measurements, shown above, of the same ingredients that M-J uses for regular brioche, and follow M-J's mixing instructions (see link below).

M-J Teaches You How to Make Elegant French-Style Brioche, the Famous Viennoiserie

Click Here for M-J's Brioche Recipe in Pictures at THE ELEGANT COOK

How to Bake Brioche Successfully: Use a Non-Stick, Modern Silicone Pan, Available at Amazon.com by Freshware

Elegant Mini-Tacos

Posted on June 28, 2011 at 9:40 PM

Taco seasoning by Tone's, chopped tomatoes, onion, celery, yellow capsicum (a sweet pepper), New Mexico red chile gravy, and ground beef, cooked together about an hour and mixed until very fine, makes a perfect taco filling in combination with grated mild cheese.

Miniature tacos are made with sautéed Guerrero corn tortillas, which are filled with a ground-beef-vegetable mixture and colby jack cheese. The bowl contains shredded Romaine lettuce and small strips of avocado, dressed with lime juice, cilantro (coriander leaf) and salt.

Elegant Pantry

Posted on June 13, 2011 at 1:29 PM

Grouping things in similar containers makes an elegant presentation in the pantry.

M-J's Tahini-Cucumber Canapés

Posted on June 12, 2011 at 2:46 PM

Making the canapé cups from thin tortillas is easy. Coat them with olive oil on both sides, cut into small round shapes (I use an empty tomato-paste can) and place in a mini-muffin pan, then bake them in a moderately hot oven until puffy and light brown. Mix tahini with lemon juice and seasoning salt. Using a pastry bag, fill the puffy areas of the cups with this sauce, or simply spread it onto their surfaces. Top these with pieces of cucumber.

The Elegant Cook

The Cuisine of M-J de Mesterton