Let's Get Lost, Issue #39, Managing expectations, Chicken in cream sauce, White fish with garlic aioli and olive tapenade, Pistachio Napoleon, Denver chocolate cake
You share a lot of wisdom as well as recipes. Thanks for both, Rebecca! We travel a lot, often road trips, and though my husband is a dedicated planner, my favorite moments are the unexpected encounters and even the near disasters that end up being the stories we tell again and again.
Love your thoughts on enjoying the “experience” of travel without set expectations! I have to ask! Do you cook these yummy dishes all in your RV?! (Sorry, I’m new here.)
Hi Sara! Welcome! Yes! Every single recipe you see here was cooked and photographed inside our RV. I had a large kitchen and a photography studio in the house we sold before moving into our RV and I was very concerned about how limited I would be in a small space. Turns out, not at all. :-)
Rebecca, when I was a pastry chef in a trattoria post-culinary school, an intriguing customer, her brother and their mother would dine weekly. I loved talking to them, and discovered their father must have been in foreign service for their lives were filled with international experiences.
One day she said, "Linda, your cooking reminds me of Edna Lewis. Has any one ever mentioned that to you?"
I did not know who Miss Lewis was, and I discovered many other cooks and chefs didn't know her either. When I realized the scope of who she was, I couldn't have imagined a compliment more profoundly kind.
On Oct 29, I tested 2 types of local apples in a recipe she called Marinated Apples (you'll see it in the book.) I marinated them in 3 types of alcohol in separate crocks. The apples do not deteriorate or soften. I used some in two types of desserts, one a Marinated Apple and Apricot Pie. which was glorious. Most recently (4 months later), I used the last in a wonderful Apple & Balaton Cherry compote.
I love this so much! Thank you for sharing this story. What a delightful compliment to be compared to such an icon. I have not yet made her recipe for Marinated apples, but after reading this I am so intrigued! I love that you added them to a pie. We are visiting friends over the next two weeks, and this sounds like the perfect thing to make for them.
I read your article after finishing dinner. My mouth was drooling over every recipe even though my stomach was full. Ha! Those recipes are going into my meal planning real soon. 😋 What I'm reading now is your new cookbook. Absolutely love it!
I hadn't had a chance to read your latest issue yet, but I just did! I love it! How funny that we both added a recipe for olive tapenade! Great minds.... :-) Also, I didn't realize you were a pasta maker! I make pasta relatively often - it's just so good, isn't it???
The Napoleon was delicious! (And can we ever not mention the coconut cream pie? OMG it was HEAVENLY!)
Thank you, to you and Steve both, for sharing your stories, your laughter and your amazing spirit with the Roux & Choux tribe. Having y’all with us was such a pleasure! I’d like to invite any of your followers to reach out to me and join us for our next event…new people are the catalyst that reenergizes us. Reminds us why we all are here and just how truly blessed we are in this thing called life. (Sorry Prince slipped in there 😂).
Thank you Betty! I can't wait to hear what you think of the fish! After our neighbors gifted us some olive tapenade I've been wondering why I don't keep some on hand at all times?
You share a lot of wisdom as well as recipes. Thanks for both, Rebecca! We travel a lot, often road trips, and though my husband is a dedicated planner, my favorite moments are the unexpected encounters and even the near disasters that end up being the stories we tell again and again.
Thank you so much Ruth! Yes - I relate to your comment so much! All our good stories come from those unexpected moments!
Love your thoughts on enjoying the “experience” of travel without set expectations! I have to ask! Do you cook these yummy dishes all in your RV?! (Sorry, I’m new here.)
Hi Sara! Welcome! Yes! Every single recipe you see here was cooked and photographed inside our RV. I had a large kitchen and a photography studio in the house we sold before moving into our RV and I was very concerned about how limited I would be in a small space. Turns out, not at all. :-)
Rebecca, when I was a pastry chef in a trattoria post-culinary school, an intriguing customer, her brother and their mother would dine weekly. I loved talking to them, and discovered their father must have been in foreign service for their lives were filled with international experiences.
One day she said, "Linda, your cooking reminds me of Edna Lewis. Has any one ever mentioned that to you?"
I did not know who Miss Lewis was, and I discovered many other cooks and chefs didn't know her either. When I realized the scope of who she was, I couldn't have imagined a compliment more profoundly kind.
On Oct 29, I tested 2 types of local apples in a recipe she called Marinated Apples (you'll see it in the book.) I marinated them in 3 types of alcohol in separate crocks. The apples do not deteriorate or soften. I used some in two types of desserts, one a Marinated Apple and Apricot Pie. which was glorious. Most recently (4 months later), I used the last in a wonderful Apple & Balaton Cherry compote.
Miss Lewis is a guiding light.
You can marinate them for, basically, as long as you want. It’s crazy.
You must cook the alcohol off, though. It works in a pie, of course, because you’re baking it.
In compotes the apples need to cook with accoutrements of your choice - including sugar! - until the alcohol taste is gone.
I love this so much! Thank you for sharing this story. What a delightful compliment to be compared to such an icon. I have not yet made her recipe for Marinated apples, but after reading this I am so intrigued! I love that you added them to a pie. We are visiting friends over the next two weeks, and this sounds like the perfect thing to make for them.
Upgrading now! Why did I wait? ❤️❤️❤️
You are the greatest. Thank you so much!
That looks like some delicious desserts
We didn’t have any trouble eating them. 😋
These are some amazing recipes.
Thank you so much Liza!!!
I read your article after finishing dinner. My mouth was drooling over every recipe even though my stomach was full. Ha! Those recipes are going into my meal planning real soon. 😋 What I'm reading now is your new cookbook. Absolutely love it!
Haha! I love that Claudia! Thank you so much for purchasing the book! I am so glad you are enjoying it!
That cake is GORGEOUS!! I had a recipe for tapenade on my substack this week too. I can't wait to try it with your fish recipe.
I hadn't had a chance to read your latest issue yet, but I just did! I love it! How funny that we both added a recipe for olive tapenade! Great minds.... :-) Also, I didn't realize you were a pasta maker! I make pasta relatively often - it's just so good, isn't it???
Coooor, that pistachio pastry cream!! I will be trying those desserts for sure.
Gorgeous as always
Thank you Shell! I will warn you, it is hard to not eat all the pistachio pastry cream before it ends up in whatever you're using it in. 🙄
The Napoleon was delicious! (And can we ever not mention the coconut cream pie? OMG it was HEAVENLY!)
Thank you, to you and Steve both, for sharing your stories, your laughter and your amazing spirit with the Roux & Choux tribe. Having y’all with us was such a pleasure! I’d like to invite any of your followers to reach out to me and join us for our next event…new people are the catalyst that reenergizes us. Reminds us why we all are here and just how truly blessed we are in this thing called life. (Sorry Prince slipped in there 😂).
Safest travels my friend!
Cheers from New Orleans! 🥂
I can't wait to share the party with everyone next week!!!!
Wonderful read Rebecca! And thank you for sharing these recipes. I can think of so many ways to use that pistachio cream 😋
Thank you Elizabeth! I am probably overusing that pistachio pastry cream these days because I am convinced it will make literally anything better. :-)
Such beautiful photography this week!
Thank you so much Ellen!
Love olive tapenade and that fish dish is going on the menu this week, yum! Everything looks divine, Rebecca. Oh that pistachio cream!
Thank you Betty! I can't wait to hear what you think of the fish! After our neighbors gifted us some olive tapenade I've been wondering why I don't keep some on hand at all times?
Think I need to make that pistachio cake!
I think you do too! :-)
It’s happening. Will keep you posted!