Girl vs.Yeast, Part Deux

Okay, technically there was no yeast involved in this culinary adventure but I couldn't think of anything snappier and the title works so cut me some slack, folks.

On last night's agenda, Coq Au Vin and Baked Alaska. Chosen for their obscurity, charm, and complexity. The 1950's kitsch factor was a bonus. It doesn't seem like much of an accomplishment if it doesn't take more than 6 hours, a bucket of sweat, and the added bonus of the chef screaming at her victims: "Oh no, the ice cream is melting under the meringue and there are still 50 seconds on the timer! Quick, let's cut it before it melts Don't move. Just hurry up and eat it. No, you have to eat it NOW, standing up before its ruined! Was it good? Did you like it? What do you think? Should we try it again?" Fun times.

You can see I have a knack for making people at ease. Meals with me are always so looow keeyyy and stress free. No wonder my husband dreads Sunday dinner!

First, the Coq Au Vin which is a chicken stew of sorts cooked in dry red wine. Another Barefoot Contessa treat. Lots of ingredients but once the dreaded chopping is done, you basically throw everything in the pot to cook. I'm still stumped as to why the chicken turned red but I made it so it couldn't have possibly turned out perfectly. It tasted great, though. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Try it if you dare. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/barefoot-contessa/coq-au-vin-recipe/index.html


Then, the preparation for the Baked Alaska, which is basically an ice cream cake with a brownie base that is covered in meringue. The recipe is a bit non-traditional but adapted from Gourmet magazine so it was an easy home-run. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/baked-alaska-recipe/index.html

Overall, the meal got high marks although I ached this morning trying to get out of bed. The dishes were totally worth the effort but I can't say I'll be making them the same night anytime soon. There are too many other recipes I could kill myself over to do that.