Authentic Belgian Waffles

Tricky but tasty, and worth the time!

Batter 1:
1¼ ounce fresh cake yeast or 2 ½ package active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup warm milk

Batter 2:
9 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
pinch of salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup pearl sugar or ¾ cup crushed sugar cubes

For Batter 1: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water with 1 tbsp of the flour and the sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.

Sift the remaining flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture, egg and milk. Mix to make a smooth batter. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until the batter has doubled or tripled in volume.

For Batter 2: In a medium-size bowl, mix the butter, flour, salt, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon (if using), granulated sugar and Lars Own Pearl Sugar into a paste.

With hands, work the two batters together. Shape the dough into 10 balls; flatten each ball then dust lightly with flour.

Bake in a medium-hot waffle iron. If the iron is too hot the sugar will burn. Bake until the waffles are golden brown but still soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

- Lori Barrett

Truffle Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Gingered Sweet Potatoes

1 to 1 ½ lb. Pork Tenderloin

3 Tbs. Savini Truffle Honey

1 Tbs. Giachi Primolio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbs. Fini White Wine Vinegar

2 Tbs. fresh Thyme

1 medium dice shallot

Black Lava Sea Salt and black pepper

½ cup Chicken stock

1Tbs. Candied Ginger, diced

4 small sweet potatoes

Glaze:

Mix the truffle honey with Giachi olive oil, Fini vinegar, thyme, diced shallot and salt/pepper.

Pull your pork tenderloin out of the refrigerator 10 minutes before cooking and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Glaze the tenderloin with ¾ of the honey mixture.  Bake in a foil boat on a baking sheet for 35-45 minutes.

Peel 4 small sweet potatoes and drizzle with olive oil.  Place in foil and bake in the oven with the pork tenderloin.

Pull the pork tenderloin and potatoes out of the oven.  Spread the rest of the truffle glaze over the tenderloin and tent with foil. 

Using a sauté pan add approximately a ½ cup of chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Dice 1 tbs. of candied ginger and toss with the potatoes.  While the tenderloin rests, add the potatoes to the stock and rapidly boil with a dash of salt and pepper.

If you want to make things intense, pull the potatoes out and reduce the sauce with a bit of white wine.  Drizzle over the sweet potatoes.

Slice the Truffle Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin and serve with a reduction of the pan dripping and balsamic vinegar.

Pairs nicely with Pinot Noir.

The Gourmet at the Table

Here at The Gourmet Online we love to be in the kitchen, but we don't want to be there all the time.  Yes we can get lost in a day of baking and braising, stirring and slicing.  Even though we know quick rise yeast works just fine, at times we still want to do it the old fashioned way.  That's not to say we don't value (and utilize) shortcuts in the kitchen that make life easier and give us more time at the table with friends and loved ones.

We just like to keep it light and easy.  This meal is simple and quick -just for you!

Here are three courses of incredible flavors that are easy to prepare and will thrill the gourmets in your life.

1st Course:  Blood Orange Salad

Peeled sliced blood oranges with fresh basil leaves and a dusting of crushed pink peppercorns.  Plate this and drizzle with Giovanni Giachi Dolciolio and Cucina Viva Classic Balsamic Cream.  I keep the pink theme and use a finer grain pink sea salt.

2^nd Course:  Shrimp with red peppers in lemon oil with black truffle polenta

Cook Savini Polenta with Black Truffles and spread on a board to cool.  You'll be cutting out shapes to use as your base for the shrimp once the polenta has cooled.  Round and square shapes are good, but go for it and use a cool cookie cutter on the cooled polenta.  The polenta can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a couple of days.  

Take a pound of peeled, deveined shrimp and place in a bowl with 1 large minced shallot and two tablespoons Boyajian Lemon Oil.  Keep this cool for about a half hour. 

In the mean time, dice two red peppers rather finely.   Shred Italian parsley leaves into strips. In a large non-stick sauté pan on medium low sauté the red peppers with L'Olivier Rapeseed Oil.  Rapeseed oil has a high smoke point and a very neutral flavor. 

Salt the shrimp and toss the whole thing in with the peppers.  Turn on high heat and when the shrimp start to curl slightly you are done. 

Put your rounds of polenta on a plate and ladle the shrimp and red peppers on top.  Here comes the gilding of the lily.  Take just an eighth of a teaspoon Jean Le Blanc French Walnut Oil and drizzle over each entrée. Sprinkle the shredded parsley over the shrimp, and serve with a wedge of lemon.

3^rd Course:  Dolci Amarena

A "Napoleon" of pound cake, Fabbri Amarena cherries and Valrhona chocolate.  Take a pound cake (yes store bought if you don't have time) and slice it into three layers.  Make sure the slice is at least an inch and a half wide.

Pull out 16 cherries from the jar and set aside.  

In a double boiler place one bar Valrhona Le Grands Crus Amber & Elegant 70% dark chocolate, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon heavy cream.  Melt the mixture slowly while stirring with a spatula. 

Now it's assembly time.  Place one layer of cake on a plate and drizzle a bit with the chocolate.  Place a couple of cherries on top and put another layer of cake on.  Now for one more drizzle of chocolate and a couple more cherries.  Top with the last layer of cake and drizzle with chocolate. 

Ricotta Pancakes with Fabbri Wild Strawberries

Serving size: Silver Dollar 
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 to 5 minutes

Pancakes:
The biscuit box - 2 cups
1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 cups S. Pellegrino sparkling water

Syrup:
8 strawberries, sliced
1 teaspoon lemon juice or a squeeze of fresh lemon
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon of Fragole di Fabbri strawberries
1 teaspoon of Fabbri syrup

Ricotta filling:
1-1/2 cups drained Ricotta cheese
1/8 cup finely granulated sugar
Lemon Zest or 1/4 teaspoon of Lemon Oil
1 tablespoon of chopped Pistachio nuts

Preparation
Mix the ricotta, sugar, lemon oil/lemon zest, and pistachio nuts in a bowl. Gently blend wiith a fork until all ingredients are mixed. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the strawberries and sugar and saute until the strawberries just start to release some liquid. Add the lemon juice and cook until the liquid in the pan becomes syrupy about 3 to 5 minutes.

Mix together the pancake ingredients and dose out silver dollar sized pancakes onto a greased griddle or non-stick pan. When the bubbles forming on the top of the pancakes stop filling back up with batter it is time to flip them. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes on the other side.

Quickly layer your Ricotta filling between the pancakes, then pour your strawberries and syrup over the top.

Pair with
Cosmopolitans or Prosecco with a strawberry at the bottom!