The Nightjar trailer

Can you escape The Nightjar alive? The 5 Experience presents The Nightjar featuring Benedict Cumberbatch. The game uses 3D binaural sound to put you in deep space to experiemce fear in a whole new way.

Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011

Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 – One wrong move and you’re the hunted! In the ultimate battle of man versus nature, fight for survival against some of the most deadly creatures on the planet.

Croque-Monsieur

Preparation : 20 minutes

Cooking : 15 minutes

Appearing on the menu of a Parisian café for the first time in 1910, the croque-monsieur is a hot sandwichon soft white bread, traditionally garnished with ham, béchamel sauce and grated Swiss cheese. Very easy to prepare, this great classic of the French bistro cuisine is also one of the children’s’ favorites !

Ingredients :
30 grams butter (1 ounce)
8 slices white (sandwich loaf) bread
4 slices white ham
Grated Gruyère cheese
Salt and pepper

Preparation :

1. On a first slice of sandwich loaf bread,apply butter.

2.Spread a layer of Gruyère cheese.

3. Add a slice of ham pre-cut to the same dimensions as the bread, and then cover with a second slice of bread. 

4.Spread another  layer of Gruyère cheese over it.

5. Apply butter on the outer sides of bread and grill it so that it gets grill marks.

6.remove from grill and bake in oven for 3 minutes till cheese melts.

7. Serve Hot.

Bon appétit !

No Man is an Island, but how about an “Île flottante”?

I found this recipe for a floating island from the same Gourmet issue as the lemon curd we used with the pavlova. The creme anglaise recipe was altered and I replaced basil with vanilla for a more traditional recipe.

Crème anglaise
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
3 large egg yolks

• Split the vanilla bean and scrape the pod
• Bring cream, sugar, vanilla bean, vanilla paste and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
• Let it steep covered for 30 minutes.
• Put yolks in a small bowl.
• Whisk about 1/2 cup warm milk mixture into yolks, then whisk into remaining milk in saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Remove the vanilla bean and transfer custard sauce to a bowl and chill, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 2 hours.

Lemon blancs en neige
1 (1/4-ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup boiling-hot water
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large egg whites at room temperature 30 minutes

• Stir gelatin into cold water in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes.
• Stir in hot water, sugar, and lemon zest and juice until sugar has dissolved.
• Set bowl in an ice bath and stir often until mixture is cold and thickened (consistency will be similar to that of raw egg whites), about 45 minutes.
• Beat gelatin mixture with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until very frothy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, beat whites until they hold soft peaks.
• Add whites to gelatin mixture and beat at high speed until tripled in volume and thick enough to form a wide flat ribbon that holds its shape on top of mixture when beater is lifted, about 5 minutes (longer if using a hand-held mixer).
• Transfer to a large serving bowl and chill until set, about 3 hours.

Light and airy with a refreshing lemon flavor, I coudln’t stop eating this all week.  And when I ran out of the “island”, I dipped fresh strawberries into the creme anglaise. 

written by Mr. Eat a Duck I Must

Vodka Cream Sauce, an Oldie but Goody

2 cloves of garlic

3 shallots
1/2 medium onion
3 oz vodka
5 ripen medium tomatoes or 1 can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 bunch basil leaves
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsb olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmigiano Reggiano
red pepper flakes (optional)

• Mince the garlic and shallots and medium dice the onion and the tomatoes.
• In a deep pan sauce pan, heat the oil and garlic/shallots/onion on medium heat. Low heat will prevent the garlic from burning. Cook until the onions are translucent. You can add the pepper flakes if you want some spiciness.
• Add the vodka to pan. Be careful since the vodka can flame up in the pan. You can turn the heat off first before adding the vodka.
• Next add the chicken stock, diced tomato and any tomato juice leftover. To boost more flavor into your sauce, you can add chicken bouillon cubes.
• Take half of the basil leaves and chiffonade the leaves, then add it to the sauce
• If you have leftover Parmesan rinds leftover, you can throw it into the sauce to give it more body
• Simmer the sauce until it is reduced by 1/2
• Add the cream
• Add salt and pepper to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chiffonade basil is added at the end prior to serving.

Tip: Fresh parmesan cheese is key. We recommend that you grate the whole fresh parmesan reggiano wedge and freeze what you don’t use for later. Otherwise, when you keep it for a while in your fridge, you end up grating hardened old parmesan cheese (and it’s just not the same!)