Chef Amy Ferguson's Travel Blog

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

You know your holiday is a good one when your heart is filled with love, joy and peace. The kind of peace you feel when all is right with the world... at least in my world.

This has been an incredible week ridden with opportunities for miracles. Nick my 16 year old is home from school. He has been spending  a lot of time with his dad. Time well spent, because Frank my ex is the local Hawaiian connection for Nick. Frank has spent the past week teaching Nick about trapping Pigs, skinning, etc..and diving. Frank is a champion free diver and is very knowledgeable about the ocean, the tides, things that live in and around the ocean. One night last week Nick and Frank took the boat out for a what was suppose to be a short dive. Neptune reared his head and the seas became rough. Nick alone on the boat with the anchor set...ran into trouble. The boat flipped capsizing and throwing his overboard into the rough sea. About that time, Frank surfaced to see the situation in progress...He got to Nick positioned him on the capsized boat and wait for rescue. No one came. Pitch black, the day before the new moon, they were going to wait with the boat until daybreak. Unfortunately the boat sank around 1am. Frank being the powerful swimmer and loving dad that he is grabbed Nick and towed him to shore not withstanding the struggle of a high sea, distance and rocky Kona coast. I could have lost both of them that night. I knew when I couldn't reach something had happened. When I got that call 6:30am the next morning I cried with relief that every pray I prayed was answered. They were safe.

Christmas has a very special meaning for me this year. I am grateful our family is safe and sound...

I'd like to take a minute to say one last thing before I continue cooking for the 30 folks coming to Christmas dinner... My heart goes out to my friend Bill who I was lucky enough to get to spend Christmas Eve day with. My relationship with Bill has always been a sort of doting, care giving, big sister sort of role...we have been told we have spent many lifetimes together in one fashion or another... He is recovering from a form of brain cancer that is curable and the treatments are working. Bill, my friend who I fought with, been mad at, loved and laughed with has been a source of renewal for me. An awakening you might say. Have you ever caught yourself going through life numb unaware of anything but your day in day out existence...well that's where Bill and I found each other...I was going through divorce and Frank and Nick were really mad at me for my choice and then Bill came along and added laughter to my broken hearted life. Yesterday as we sat and watched the food network, AFV, Psychic Detectives... I cooked and organized and decorated a bit for Christmas...Bill still has he way of making laugh and feeling at peace...time melts when Bill and I get together..hours run into days etc. Christmas Eve was no different. A trip to make lunch ran on into a 7.5 day. Nick ran errands and then fell asleep on the floor. You might say he gave all of us a floor show, snoring and talking in his sleep. Bill, thank you for a great Christmas gift. The joy of sharing time with you and kind Capt. Bob who has been watching over you this holiday season...you will be eternally in my heart. I have said this many times. I have never known any one person loved by so many people as you are Bill. Your gift of laughter has been contagious and created a network of wonderful relationships around the world...Mele Kalikimaka Bill.

Well I'm off...to make Latkes (our tradition on Christmas morning)..don't ask. Pop a bottle of Champagne and cook for my ex-tended (no pun intended) family...

HO HO HO...Amy  May your Christmas be as wonderful as mine.

Beaujolais Nouveau...almost forgot!

I arrived the day the 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau was released. First stop the Seine St. Denis neighborhood Brassiere where Chef George had the appropriate daily fare to accompany the release...

I finally got it! It's no better there than here. What was I thinking? I thought go to France taste it in it's region and some sort of phenomenal palate experience would emerge...NOT! It's the same there as here, meaning it's a commercial ploy to celebrate...which in my mind isn't such a bad idea...after all we all deserve celebrations...

As my days in Paris continued, I found myself dragging home bottles of Beaujolais to taste...Oddly enough after tasting 6 or 7 different ones the one I liked most was the one no one could purchase because it was a special bottle from my friend's employer. It seems her Japanese based company wanted to celebrate the Beaujolais Nouveau release in a BIG way! So, they bought 700,000 cases of prepared to taste wine to ship to Japan...wasn't I lucky to get in on this tasting? This one was very different from the rest...it didn't have the dry empty body with the fake perfume aroma that distracts your palate and leave you wanting to spit... It was rounder more friendly fruitier...food friendly...Now that I think of it was it enhanced to resemble a Merlot??? I am no expert, it's just an observation.

As for the others, I tasted at the Musee Rodin, at a cafe at the Auber metro stop across from the Galeries Layfette, on the bullet train to London, as well as the numerous bottles I brought to Michelle and Frank's house from the Carre Four (french version of a Big K...only with cool french foods ...more about that later). They all had one thing in common for me...They are meant to be chilled and served with a hearty flavored dish... and perhaps tasted once  to say, Yes indeed I did try the 2000 something release...

Looking back to my first Beaujolais Nouveau experience...While having lunch with Janet Yaseen, the wife of the head of the US Chaines Des Rotisseries, in a Soho Brasserie in NY, back in the 80's ( I was 20 something), she chose a Beaujolais to accompany of chaucouterie style meal. When she asked for it  to be chilled, I thought it's red why would you do that...clearly I had not been spending enough time in wine cellar at the restaurant I then worked at in Houston, Charlie's 517 (known for it's Grand Master Wine List rating)... Janet the gracious hostess she was began to teach me...then she took me through their wine cellar...We should all have basements to create wine cellars...think of the cheeses and sausages we could store! It was only one of my memories from this trip to NY in my 20's...When I do Champagne I'll tell you about the day Crystal was released and Pierre Franey introducing me to the NY culinary world and Joe Baum the man who built the then World Trade Towers...that's later.

Back to Paris, Well you can't say I didn't try to find that perfect Beaujolais Nouveau...it all went to Japan...I am beginning to see a pattern. So there is no Beaujolais Nouveau on my Taste of France menu that will be served next Tuesday, Dec 12th. When I called Jessica, my friend and our GM to say the Georges Beouf Beaujolais is awful, she laughed and  said "You didn't have to go to France to find that out. Did you?" I thought, geez...she's right it's a novelty for those  you need a reason in November...as though the other releases aren't enough! I still say, the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau is a Great reason to celebrate!

For those of you who would like to attend our Taste of France, please call soon, we may have to do a second seating...I had no idea how popular Traditional French Cuisine was...or perhaps how deeply it is missed by many here in Hawaii.

Here's the menu...PS a few of the wines are winging their to Hawaii as we speak. Those are the surprise wines that will be coupled against other French wines found here in Hawaii...yes a dual tasting. Two wines per course on our 9 course French dinner. BTW, this will be fun to see test the Metro's cellar master's selection against our local French selection we tasted only yesterday...

                            Amuse Bouche

Kir Royal

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Foie Gras de Maison

Nicholas Feuillates, Brut N.V. Champagne

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Coquilles St Jacques

Trilogy of Scallop, Quenelle & Prawn Citrus Butter

Triennes Viognier, Provence

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Escargots De Bourgogne en Croute

Escargot in Garlic Butter With Pastry Cap

Routas, Rouviere, Provence

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Trou Normand

Sorbet de Pommes Vertes

Calvados

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Cassoulet Toulousain

White Bean Casserole With Confit of Duck, Lamb, Pork

Domaine Michel Gros, Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Bourgogne

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Lapin au Vin Rouge

Braised Rabbit in Red Wine

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Brie Meaux et Frissée

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Tarte Tatin, Profiterole, Mousse au Chocolat

Upside Down Apple Tart, Cream Puff, Chocolate Mousse

Cremant de Bourgogne, Brut

                                       $105

Check out this site for cool French culinary supplies

http://www.lavaissellerie.fr/

Home for the Holidays...

Funny, I am home, but I have been homesick. I ask why and for what? Home is where I am. We all carry home with us or do we?

I remember when I began this trip to Paris, I caught myself saying I'm going home... I have been left with numerous thoughts about why I would; one, think of Paris as home and; two, why would I feel homesick now. I think I figured it out.

The first time I went to Paris it was at 15 with my Mom. My mom has since passed to another realm. I like to say she is on her world tour. It was mom's dream to have an European education but WW2 preempted it. So, you might say I fulfilled a portion of that dream for her by going to school in France. I was and am still very close to my Mom. You may or may not relate. Surely there is that special connection you have with someone who is always nearby in a thought. I think I went home to Paris to find mom. Odd to think it was my turn, I was mom with Nick in tow. It was very much like my first trip...so much so that there were things I meant to accomplish while there that never happened.

Moving on...homesick. The more I look at it the more I understand. Most of our time there involved family, family gatherings, meals, trips, activities...it was not my normal life. My life is as far removed from family as any other empty nester business owning person without a spouse or significant other...I work, seldom socialize and find myself dining alone most always. Don't get me wrong, that's the life I created...but it dawned on me how important family is and if you or someone else doesn't take the time to pull the troops together there is no family. Mothers are good about that. I know my mom kept things and us in order especially around the holidays...I know my job now and have fully embraced it.

Just coming off this "homesick" feeling I have decided to create as much family feeling in my life as possible...beginning at my little restaurant O's. Thanks to Jessica reminding me how I am surrounded by family.

My extended O's family is 30 strong, not to forget all of our loyal clients and newcomers. Jessica my friend and the GM of our restaurant, the staff and I began by decorating O's for the holidays, then Jess helped me pick out my Christmas tree. She picked a beauty! While looking for ornaments I came across all of my cookie cutters, so I decided to make a Christmas cookie party and then I had the great idea to reach out to the community and advertise our O's Bistro's Christmas Cookie Contest with prizes and all...you have to have prizes after all I bet we get to taste a lot of great cookies...my family is growing see how this works...Call me crazy, then I called up my ex-husband and asked him to invite all of his family, their families and I added a few of my friends (since my family is in Texas and my 2 brothers aren't talking to one another, even at Christmas) to Christmas Dinner at my house. Nick will be home from school and he will have his driver's license so he will not only be a big help, but will get to see all of his family and friends...Our family continues to grow with the addition of our O's family New Year's Day party upon the Fairwind's cruise...we are off that day...all we have to do is rest and relax together laughing, swimming, snorkeling and just enjoying ourselves...

Well, as you can probably tell, I am not homesick anymore. I have a lot of "home" to enjoy. I must say this to Frank and Michelle, thank you for helping me find home again by making me and Nick a part of yours. After all home is where we find it within each of us, it is in our hearts. I'm home...

Happy Holidays...here's my favorite Christmas sweet, my mom's fudge. Please make it and make your own innovations by using different chocolates, flavorings, dried fruits and nuts...

Mom's Fudge

12 oz.   Chocolate (your preference, mom always used semi sweet)

14oz     Eagle Brand Condensed Milk

1 Tbsp. Butter, unsalted

1tsp.    vanilla extract

2 cups  Powdered Sugar (10x)

1 cup   Nuts (mom used pecans)

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Add milk. Cook until thick. Cool to room temperature add remaining ingredients.

Spoon fudge in small bite size spoonfuls onto waxed paper or parchment. Allow it to dry firm to touch, not rock hard.

Tricks: don't over cook! Mix sugar in thoroughly until the appearance is satiny. Don't spend too much time spooning out or fudge will get hard. If you don't dry the fudge will mildew, especially in this climate.

That's it so go out and experiment...Yes they packaged mixes...but why buy them when you have the b est fudge recipe and it's this easy to do.

In addition I want to share Maria's Shortbread cookie dough recipe...it is very versatile...Jess says it's very close to my favorite French cookie the Sable which is a shortbread...but there is a flavoring I need to add to make it exact and I have yet to find it. I will post it shortly... Meanwhile here's a Madeleine Cookie recipe

Madeleines:
10 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
6 tablespoons sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter 2 madeleine pans (with 12 molds each) using 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, and set the pans aside.

Combine the eggs, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water and stir constantly. Once the ingredients are warmed through and the sugar has dissolved, remove the bowl from the heat. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture until it is pale yellow, light, and slightly thickened. Fold in the sifted flour, remaining butter, and lemon zest.

Use a small spoon to drop a generous tablespoonful of batter into each mold of the prepared pans. Bake until the batter is set like a cake and golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Release the madeleines from the pans and cool on a parchment paper lined cooling rack.

Yield: 24 cookies