Le Bus Cornbread

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tsp. baking powder
1/2 Tsp. baking soda
1/2 Tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup kernel corn

Set oven to 350. Grease 9X5 loaf pan and dust with cornmeal. Mix first 6 ingredients. Whisk eggs, oil, milk, and buttermilk in medium bowl. Add egg mixture and corn to dry ingredients and stir until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 325 and continue until done. (About 45 minutes to an hour. Toothpick should come out clean and it should have a good solid “thump”). Cool in pan for 30 minutes.

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya (gourmet magazine)
serves 8

1 Lb. pork andouille sausage, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 green bell peppers, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (of course….I put in extra garlic!)
2 1/2 cups (1 Lb.) long-grain rice
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 1/2 cups water

1. Cook sausage in oil in a wide 6-8 qt. heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
2. Cook peppers, celery, onions, scallions, garlic, and 1/2 Tsp. salt in fat remaining in pot, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Stir in rice, sausage, tomatoes with their juice, water, 1 Tsp. salt, and 1/2 Tsp. pepper and bring to a rolling boil.
3. Reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, covered tightly with a lid, until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork.

Wine served: Santa Julia Magna, Mendoza Argentina

Adapted from The Silver Spoon cookbook

10 ounces homemade or dry fettuccine
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh shelled or frozen peas
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cooked, cured ham slice, diced
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Heat butter and oil in a pan, add the onion, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the peas and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, then stir in the cream. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the ham. Salt to taste. Cook the fettuccine in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente, then drain, put back in the pasta pot, toss in the cream sauce, then toss in the Parmesan cheese. Put on to a serving plate and sprinkle with hot sauce.

Adapted from Wine Spectator
serves 2

1 Tbsp. minced flat leaf parsley
1 Tbsp. minced basil
1 Tbsp. minced mint
1/4 cup panko
zest from 1/2 of a lemon
2 six ounce fillets, rinsed off and patted dry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine herbs, panko and lemon zest in a bowl. Drizzle in just enough olive oil to make a paste. Brush fillets on both sides with olive oil, season both sides with salt. Press the herb mixture on to the top of the fillet and place on a non-stick baking sheet, then put in the oven. Cook until fish is done, about 10-13 minutes.

Wine served: Allegrini Soave

Recipe from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris

1 1/2 Tbsp. melted butter, to grease the pans
3 extra large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, MELTED AND COOLED
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 Tsp. baking powder
1/4 Tsp. kosher salt
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly grease and flour the madeleine pans.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add the butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.
With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10-12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

I know…everyone in the cooking world has made this except for me. But in my defense, as I originally stated, I’m just learning how to cook so when I have another grey, wet day to consider, I think soup.
I bought Sandy a certain cookbook before I began cooking. Maybe it was the equivalent of buying her a washing machine for her birthday, but I gifted her with the cookbook “Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook”.
Well…I used it today. And it worked beautifully.
So here we go.
I used Jarlsberg instead of Gruyere and I did splash in some red wine and I only cooked the onions for 8 hours before adding the liquids. Everything else is the same.

Cooker: Medium round or oval (I used an oval)

6 large yellow onions
3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 14 oz. can chicken broth
1 10.5 oz. can beef broth
2 Tbsp. Marsala or red wine (optional)
4-6 1 inch thick slices French bread
8 oz. Gruyere cheese, cut into thin slices

1. Peel and thinly slice the onions by hand or in a food processor. (I cut mine with the mandolin on medium) Put in the slow cooker and toss with the olive oil. Cover and cook for 9-10 hours on HIGH.
2. Add both the broths and Marsala or wine, if using; add no water or salt. Cover and continue to cook on HIGH until hot. 15-30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil or leave plain. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
4. Ladle the soup into the individual ovenproof soup bowls and place on a baking sheet to prevent the bowls from tipping over. Top each bowl full of soup with a toasted bread slice and cover with a slice of Gruyere (or Jarlsberg). Adjust the oven rack to comfortably fit the bowls under the broiler with at least 4 inches to spare. Turn on the broiler and slide the soups under the flame; broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.