Chicken Tetrazini

Baked Chicken Tetrazini!

Chicken Tetrazini is a dish that sounds just so fancy! I followed this recipe to the letter. In Jean's cookbook, this dish is noted as being a dish served in Dore Schary's Mother's catering establishment.

Caviar Mousse

Caviar Mousse!

Caviar Mousse.

This is the perfect recipe to kick off this project, in the new year! We took this fancy, Cadillac of a dish and some champagne to a New-Years Eve party at a friends house.

The ingredients alone may be intimidating, but the flavor of this mousse (basically it's a dip, we served it with crackers) is milder and more subtle than you might expect the sum of it's parts to be. It tastes kind of like an ocean-y egg salad sandwich. It was a hit!

Applesauce Cake with Broiled Walnut Frosting

Applesauce Cake with Broiled Walnut Frosting

What a great cake! This tastes like a classic spice cake, the applesauce lends depth and the vinegar adds a subtle tang. The frosting is great, the next time I make this one I'll serve it with some vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Like the bread pudding, this cake also pairs well with a scotch :)

Lemon Sponge

Lemon Sponge

This. was. DELICIOUS. I was so skeptical about this recipe, I've never made a "sponge" before. I had no idea what it was supposed to be in the end, and the instructions seemed devilishly simple. It is very simple, and yet what a spectacular end product. The dessert separates as it bakes into two layers, a fluffy cake-like layer on top and a creamy custard below. It presented very casual, if you wanted to dress it up for a party I would give it a dusting with powdered sugar, and garnish with raspberries and mint. It is served here, with lightly sweetened fresh whipped cream.

Lemon Almond Torte

Lemon Almond Torte, before adding the Custard

This was an interesting one, everyone quite enjoyed it but I can't shake the thought that I made it incorrectly? The way it is written, it makes two cakes which come together in three layers, a classic cake, a light meringue, and a gooey-sweet-tart lemon custard-sauce on top. The recipe says to bake the first two layers together and add the lemon after they have cooked and cooled. I'm wondering what will happen if I put all the layers together, and then bake? I'll give both methods a try.

But again, everyone enjoyed it, and we served it with fresh whipped cream. If I were to dress it up, just like the lemon sponge, I might pair it with some mint and fresh raspberries or blueberries.

Sour Cream - Orange Walnut Cake

Sour Cream - Orange Walnut Cake

This was a delicious cake, well suited to springtime! It was bright and light, and it would go great with coffee or tea. I think it would be a great twist to make this recipe into cupcakes and serve at an afternoon party.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Braised Lamb Shanks

Lamb is not in my regular rotation of proteins, but this dish was a rich and decadent treat. You could easily do this one in a rush, maybe even throw it in a crock pot. But, I took my time with it, and was well rewarded. We served it up with some mashed cauliflower and a green salad, I've seen similar recipes served up with mashed potatoes or polenta. There was a lot of braising liquid leftover that would make a tasty gravy, if you would like!