This is an adaptation of Travels with Thai Food's

Royal Son-in-Law Eggs

Peanut Oil for saute & deep fry

8 oz minced deboned chicken thighs

1 Cup Tamarind Water (Soak the insides scrapings of a few Tamarind Pods in hot water & strain)

1/2 cup palm or raw cane sugar

4 Tbsp fish sauce

2 Tbsp shrimp paste

2 chopped green onions

10 cloves slice garlic

1/2 Cup shallots chopped

8 hard boiled eggs, peeled

dried bird chillies soaked in water until re hydrated

1 Serrano Chile seeded & chopped finely

Cilantro chopped roughly

This dish smells AWFUL when you cook it but is one of my favorite dishes. Hodges Soiliel's puffed up chicken says it all...it is hot but oh so good!

Heat oil in large pan or wok, add chicken, cook until firm. Add tamarind water, palm sugar, fish sauce and stir in shrimp paste (this is the awful smelly part) simmer until shrimp paste dissolved, mixture reduces. Add green onion & set aside. Place enough oil to cover eggs (you can do them one at a time) heat oil to at least 350 place bird's eye chilies in oil (pat dry first) and deep fry garlic w/ chillies until golden, remove. Deep fry shallots & Serrano chilies until golden, remove. Place garlic & onions in sauce. Add eggs and fry until golden (about 5 minutes, turning frequently) . Quarter eggs, add chillies, onions, garlic to chicken sauce. Place eggs on a platter, cover w/sauce & sprinkle chopped cilantro over all. Great as a first course with a little Basmati rice.

CoolCooksShare Factoid - Irrorateur (The Original Glade)

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1 April 1755, Belley, Ain – 2 February 1826, Paris) was a French lawyer and politician, and gained fame as an epicure and gastronome: "Grimod and Brillat-Savarin. Between them, two writers effectively founded the whole genre of the gastronomic essay."

Irrorateur - A type of spray gun, invented by Brillat-Savarin, which was used to perfume rooms, especially the dining room. Brillat-Savarin wrote in the preface to La Physiologie du gout, "I submitted to the council of the Society for the Encouragement of National Industries my irrorateur, a piece of apparatus invented by me, which is none other than a compressor spray that can fill a room with perfume. I had brought the spray with me, in my pocket. It was well-filled. I turned on the tap and, with a hissing sound, out came the sweet-smelling vapour which rose right up to the ceiling and then fell in tiny drops on the people present and on their papers. It was then that I witnessed, with indescribable pleasure, the heads of the wisest men in the capital bending under my irrorateur. I was enraptured to note that the wettest among them were also the happiest."

The pedantic name of the device comes from the Latin verb irrorare, meaning to sprinkle or to bedew.

The Spice House - Best in Class

Spices, Pier du Port, France (Photo: RLW)

Shop for Spices and Seasonings at the best in class emporium located in Evanston, Illinois USA (five stores in all). The Spice House is a merchant of the highest quality, hand-selected and hand-prepared spices and herbs. Their high turnover insures freshness - I have been shopping there for years and have always been very pleased - especially by the amazing variety they offer. Just as importantly you can purchase very small quantities, lowering your opportunity cost when small amounts of a spice are required for an unusual recipe.

From their web site: "Our philosophy has always been to make you the freshest product by small, weekly batch grinding to ensure you the highest quality spices for your cooking needs. We import spices from countries of origin which have the highest recommendations for premium quality. Often, we offer several selections of origin so that you can sample the subtle variations and decide upon your own personal preference. The tools of our trade are a series of large stainless-steel scoops, mixing bowls, sifting screens of various mesh sizes, a small vibrating sifter, a collection of old-style stone and shearing mills, and most importantly, our human senses."

Second generation owners Tom and Patty Erd are knowledgeable merchants dedicated to their trade.

Richard Wottrich, Blog Editor

Simple Veal Escalopes

4 Veal Escalopes pounded thin

1/2 C flour

Salt & Pepper

1/2 C Parmesan cheese grated thinly

Juice of 1 lemon

Assortment of wild mushrooms (Hen of the Woods or Boletus are especially nice in this)

Flat leaf parsley chopped finely

Butter

1/2 - 1/4 C Veal stock (enough to moisten)

1/2 C Marsala

Nutmeg

Salt & pepper then dredge the veal. Saute lightly & quickly until golden crisp on high heat, add the mushrooms for another 2 minutes at most, sprinkle the cheese, add the Marsala, stock, & the cream allow flavors to meld with the heat reduced for another 5 minutes at most. Sprinkle with parsley & grate a little nutmeg to finish. Great over toast or egg noodles...a simplest of fall suppers. This is an adaptation of one of my favorite Elizabeth David standards of a classic Bolognese dish. Sadie Valeri's lovely silver cream pitcher, plate & wax paper hanging at www.mgalleryoffineart.com somehow evokes the same simplicity and completeness for me.

Butternut Squash & Kale Winter Soup

Kelly Proudfit modified a recipe for this soup and she reports that it turned out so well...they all loved it! Kelly said, "Super healthy and tastes great."

1  large bunch of Kale (leaves chopped, discard stems)
2  cans 14oz Cannellini beans
1  large butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into small 1-inch cubes)
1  yellow onion, chopped
2  cloves minced garlic
1  tablespoon olive oil
5  cups chicken stock (lowfat- low sodium)
    salt and pepper to taste

Cook chopped onions and minced garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In large stock pot add the chicken stock, cooked onions and garlic, beans, and cubed squash. Cook for 30 minutes on medium heat and then add the Kale. Cook for another 20 minutes on low heat. You can also just throw it all in a crock pot and let it cook all day.

Serve in bowls and top with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Sooooo good. Especially next day. Kids will like the soup if you strain it and just give them butternut squash pieces. They are sweet and the beans are good as well.

Kelly Proudfit

CoolCooksShare Factoid #1 - Turkey Giblets à l'Anglaise (Abatis de Dinde à l'Anglaise) [French for "in the English style," meaning food that is simply poached or boiled.]

In classic French cooking, the pieces of giblets, after a preliminary cooking with sliced onions and potatoes, are taken out, put in another shallow pan, covered with about 20 blanched small onions and the same number of cooked new potatoes and then the juice they were cooked in is passed through a sieve and poured over the giblets, onions and potatoes.

Larousse Gastronomique, 1961

Ribbon Celeriac Salad
Another great salad from Jamie Oliver

A wonderful Fall vegetable, celeriac is a fresh and crunchy alternative to lettuce in this salad by Jamie Oliver; a play on the traditional French Celeriac Rémoulade. The flavor notes of celeriac are celery, with a milder, nuttier flavor, and hints of anise. Celeriac is nutritionally useful, in the same family as carrots, coriander, cumin, fennel, parsley and lovage.

1  celeriac root (celery root), peeled
1  bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
2  anchovies, finely chopped (optional)
2  heaping tablespoons fine capers, chopped or whole to your taste
2  heaping tablespoons small sweet and sour gherkins, chopped
5  tablespoons crème fraîche (substitute whipped cream)
1  heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
3  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2  tablespoons sherry, red or white wine vinegar, to your taste
    sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Clean and peel the celeriac until you reach its white flesh; then continue peeling in long strips. It’s OK if they break occasionally. Put the strips in acidulated water to prevent discoloring. When you reach the fluffy inner core, discard it. Discard any thick stalks from the parsley and rough cut the thin stalks and leaves. Put the drained celeriac and parsley in a large bowl and mix in all the other ingredients. Season to your taste, adding more vinegar if necessary. I added an optional ingredient of chopped pickled little onions. It would be interesting to substitute crumpled bacon for the anchovies.

Served as a side salad with hearty meat-sauce spaghetti this was super. This would also be great covered in thinly cut smoked Salmon, or as a side dish with cold roasted chicken.