Two Classics: Hollandaise Sauce and Béarnaise Sauce

The following recipes come from Julia Child’s Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom. Much of what makes French cooking so French is the sauces. Hollandaise is The Classic; Béarnaise is a variant that adds additional flavor suitable for beef, lamb, or shellfish.

Hollandaise Sauce

• 3 egg yolks
• big pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and hot
• additional salt and pepper to taste

Beat egg yolks with a wire whisk in a stainless-steel saucepan until they are thickened and lemon-colored (about a minute). Whisk in a pinch of salt, lemon juice, and one tablespoon of cold butter.  Place pan on a very low heat and whisk constantly. When the mixture begins to thicken add the second tablespoon of cold butter.

BE CAREFUL, DO NOT LET THE YOLKS COOK! Pull the pan off and on the heat while you whisk just to be safe.

Start beating in the melted butter, a few drops at a time. Add more drops as the previous drops incorporate into the sauce. After half of the melted butter is incorporated you can add the rest of the butter at a quicker pace. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Béarnaise Sauce

Béarnaise Sauce is a variant of the classic Hollendaise Sauce. Two main differences: 1) instead of lemon juice for an acid a reduction of white wine and white wine vinegar is used, and 2) finely chopped shallots and tarragon are added.

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan, boil rapidly to reduce liquid to 2 tablespoons. You may choose to strain the liquid or keep the shallots and tarragon in the reduction. Continue with the Hollandaise Sauce described above except substitute this reduction for the lemon juice and use only 1-1/2 sticks of butter total.

Cezanne, an Historic Hotel and a Memorable French Meal

If you thought we were Paris, guess again… Syracuse, New York

Epic vacations earn special places in our hearts and memories.  But the weekend getaway, that drive not too far from home, can earn as special a place, if not for the monumental stature, for the quality of the moment.

At the eastern edge of the Finger Lakes region Syracuse was our weekend destination for an afternoon of fine art, dinner at an authentic French restaurant, and an evening stay at a hotel listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of Historic Hotels of America. The getaway was shaped around a visit to the Everson Museum of Art to see Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection. An extraordinary group of 53 paintings from an overall collection of 260 assembled between 1908 and 1923, the show takes the visitor from Turner’s naturalism to Cezanne’s modern creations including an exceptional representation of Impressionist artworks. As stunning as the art was this show was a statement on art patronage, lifestyle, and a glimpse of history during a most significant period in the modern world.  The Davies sisters of Wales committed their wealth to the support of great art that now reflects back on radically changing times in Europe.

Juxtaposed to these magnificent artworks is the contemporary architecture of the museum itself. Designed by world renowned architect I.M. Pei, the Everson Museum of Art was designed to break tradition of a building-vessel to house art and instead be an urban sculptural object itself; a building designed to be viewed from different angles and perspectives. This being my first visit to the Everson, I drove right by, not realizing the poured concrete structure was in fact the museum. Maybe it was the period in which it was designed (1960’s), or the radical departure from what I expect an art museum to be, or the fact that I’m not a fan of concrete buildings, but I found it to be awkward. The museum deserves a second visit, a visit during the warmer months when I can better appreciate its design from outdoor perspectives.

Turner to Cezanne runs through Jan. 3, 2010. If you visit make time to see the permanent collection of ceramic arts located in the lower level, a truly outstanding collection of historically significant art works.

After the museum we traveled just a few blocks to our hotel, the Jefferson Clinton Hotel. The Jefferson Clinton found new life in 2001 after years of abandonment and is now a beautiful hotel of historic significance. Our room was well appointed, the staff friendly and helpful, and our stay included included a well stocked and served breakfast buffet. The Jefferson Clinton is located on one corner of Syracuse’s Armory Square neighborhood. Armory Square is a first-rate community of shops, restaurants, condominiums, and night spots anchored by The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (M.O.S.T.), Syracuse’s old armory. Armory Square is the model for revitalizing downtown districts to attract people of all ages and interests.

An afternoon of enjoying French art naturally deserves a French meal. Reservations were made at L’Adour Restaurant, an authentic French restaurant located a few blocks from Armory Square on Montgomery Street. The fact that every employee we interacted with were French bode well for what was to come. The menu was well designed: a sampling of flavors and foods that represented classic selections without being overwhelming. Off the standard menu was a prix fixe menu of three courses, a nice option for a quality meal at a reasonable price. The wine list represented all the significant regions of France with a full range of price points without being overly lengthy making it easy to navigate and find your bottle. We chose to go off-list, bringing along a special bottle to celebrate the weekend: 2001 Chateau Prieure-Lichine, Margeaux.  We made entree selections of beef and lamb both being classically prepared and well executed. Entrees from the grill, including our ribeye, offered a choice of sauce (Bordelaise, Roquefort, Basil cream, Dijon, Peppercorn or Beurre Mae d’Hotel) and side (French fries, steamed vegetables, potatoes au gratin or spinach and mushroom gratin).  The lamb, a roasted rack, was served over a bed of great northern beans, a dish of simple pleasure and subtle flavor. With our meal we also chose a mushroom flan appetizer, salad and a butternut squash soup along with a a shared dessert: profiteroles with ice cream and Belgian dark chocolate sauce. The mushroom flan appetizer was the surprise of the meal, you can bet I’ll be looking for a recipe to share with you. If I had one complaint it would be that the front end was a bit out of sync with the kitchen. At times I felt a little rushed and our entrees were not as hot as I would have liked. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, there was a large party of 15-20 guests seated near us and the staff may have not been prepared to manage this group along with the rest of the house.

It’s all too easy to overlook what’s in your backyard when planning the perfect getaway. In my 20 years of living in the Finger Lakes, Syracuse never landed on my radar as a destination other than a trip to the Carrier Dome for a football game or rock concert. In fact the city offers a multitude of culture, dining, and entertainment for all tastes. Our visit was a success and we will be planning a trip again, next time when the temperature is a little more accommodating for walking tours of its historic buildings and other outdoor spots that the city has to offer.

Buy Local

Looking the person in the eye who grew your food is powerful experience.

I posted  a few links to blogs in my blogroll related to eating local and organic farming. I’ll be perfectly honest with you  – I’m not an organic farming/anti-industrial food agribusiness zealot. What I am is a person who has seen the light of eating local and am working it into my life in a way that makes sense for me. Organic is important, no doubt – there’s a comfort gained knowing that what you see is what you eat, and many times you can taste the difference.

But what’s really sparked my interest is the local food scene. When you buy from a local grower you’re putting food on your plate that was raised by a neighbor, not 2,500-miles (food miles) the typical food product travels to get to your kitchen. Some folks will argue for buying local in order to reduce the impact global transportation has on energy consumption – a debatable argument at best as I’m willing to bet the super cargo ship traveling across the pacific ocean is a more efficient means of transportation than one person’s pick up truck.

For me the real deal is meeting the grower either at your local farmer’s market or the farm,  and having that person look you in tbe eye and say “I give you my word. If you don’t agree then I’ll make good on it.” Occasionally I’ll shop at a farm where beef and lamb is grass fed and the pork raised on organic feed. I, like any other customer, has an open invitation to walk the pastures and meet the herd or flock. In a day when one meat processor can spread a food-borne illness across the globe I feel a like I can sleep a little easier at night buying from a person who I know on a first name basis.

Like I said at the top, I’m not dogmatic about buy local-buy organic. A part of me enjoys the event of driving  the less-traveled road between these Finger Lakes to do a little business with my neighbor. In future posts I’ll share sources, cooking techniques, recipies, etc. for local foods and maybe you too will see more on the plate than just the food in front of you.