Croissants
Ingredients
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1 egg, 1 tablespoon water

Directions
Combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Allow to stand until creamy and frothy. Measure flour into a mixing bowl. Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar and salt in warm milk. Blend into flour along with yeast and oil. Mix well; knead until smooth. Cover, and let rise until over triple in volume. Deflate gently, and let rise again until doubled. Deflate and chill 20 minutes.

Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily. Pat dough into a 14 x 8 inch rectangle. Smear butter over top two thirds, leaving 1/4 inch margin all around. Fold unbuttered third over middle third, and buttered top third down over that. Turn 90 degrees, so that folds are to left and right. Roll out to a 14 x 6 inch rectangle. Fold in three again. Sprinkle lightly with flour, and put dough in a plastic bag. Refrigerate 2 hours. Unwrap, sprinkle with flour, and deflate gently. Roll to a 14 x 6 inch rectangle, and fold again. Turn 90 degrees, and repeat. Wrap, and chill 2 hours.

To shape, roll dough out to a 20 x 5 inch rectangle. Cut in half crosswise, and chill half while shaping the other half. Roll out to a 15 x 5 inch rectangle. Cut into three 5 x 5 inch squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point, and make it 7 inches long. Grab the other 2 points, and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up. Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly. Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light. In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Glaze croissants with egg wash. Bake in a preheated 475 degrees F (245 degrees C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes.


Lobster Potpie
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion (1/4-inch dice)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup diced peeled russet potato (1/2-inch dice)
1 1/2 cups basic chicken broth, or more if needed
[or fish or seafood stock, if you like... Ed.]
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 cup green peas, thawed if frozen
1/2 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
1/2cup diced seeded plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 cups cooked lobster meat (see Note) cut into chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large egg
14 ounces frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
Tarragon sprigs for garnish

Method
Melt the butter in the olive oil in a large heavy pot over low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour, stir, and cook to form a paste, 1 minute longer. Stir in the carrots, potatoes, broth, and cream. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened, 20 minutes. Add the peas, corn, tomatoes, tarragon, orange zest, and lobster. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. If the mixture is too thick, add 2 more tablespoons broth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl. Place 1 1/2 cups of the lobster mixture in each of four small individual (13.5-ounce) souffl� dishes. Lay a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it out 1/8 inch thick. Cut out four rounds of puff pastry, each 2 inches larger than the diameter of the souffl� dishes. Brush the egg wash over the inside and outside rim of the souffl� dishes. Lay the pastry over the top of each dish, trimming the overhang to 1 inch, and crimp the edges around the rim to form a tight seal. Cut several slits in the center of the pastry to allow the steam to escape and brush it with the remaining egg wash. Place the dishes on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden and puffed, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with the tarragon sprigs.


French Baguettes
Ingredients
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Directions
Place 1 cup water, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast into bread machine pan in the order recommended by manufacturer. Select Dough cycle, and press Start. When the cycle has completed, place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8x12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.


Crepes
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 pinch salt

Directions
In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, egg and salt. Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium high heat. When the pan is hot add a teaspoon of butter and lightly coat the surface of the pan with the melted butter. Pour one quarter cup of the batter into the pan and tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface in a smooth and even layer. After two minutes, lift up an edge of the crepe with a spatula to see if it is browning. When the underside has begun to brown, flip the crepe and cook the other side until it is also brown; about 2 minutes. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to cook the remaining crepes. Serve hot.


French Onion Soup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 large onion, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth 1/2 cup white wine 1 1/2 cups water 2 bay leaves 6 slices French bread 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Directions
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter with olive oil. Cook onions in mixture, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until very soft, translucent and brown on the edges. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to combine. Pour in beef broth, wine and water with bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven broiler. Toast the bread slices. Ladle the soup into 6 ovenproof bowls and place the bowls on a baking sheet. Place a toasted slice of bread over each bowl and top with Swiss cheese. Place bowls under broiler until cheese is melted.


Cr�me Fraiche Chicken
Ingredients
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 (8 ounce) package pasta, your choice of shape
1 large white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 (8 ounce) packages sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups creme fraiche
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping
3 tablespoons sour cream

Directions
In a large skillet, saute chicken breasts in oil over medium high heat. Once breasts are browned, add white wine and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Meanwhile, To Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water, cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain. When chicken is cooked, remove from skillet and cube. Set aside. Saute onion and garlic in remaining juices. Once onions are translucent, add mushrooms and saute until soft. Add cubed chicken, creme fraiche and sour cream (to desired thickness). Stir all together and heat through. Put hot cooked pasta on plate, top with chicken and sauce and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.


Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
3 cups Burgundy wine
2 tablespoons brandy
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, chopped
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 bay leaf, 1 clove garlic, crushed
10 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds cubed beef chuck roast
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 pound bacon, cubed
2 onions, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions
For marinade: In a large bowl, combine the wine, cognac, onions, carrots, parsley, bay leaf, garlic, peppercorns and salt. Mix well and add the cubed beef. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 days. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

For Bourguignon: Strain the meat from the vegetables and marinade; reserve marinade. Dry meat with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat and saute for 10 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer meat to a separate medium bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the bacon and saute until lightly browned. Transfer the bacon to the bowl with the meat. Drain the skillet and return it to the heat. Pour a cup of marinade into the skillet to deglaze the skillet, scraping the bottom to loosen up all the little bits. Return this liquid to the reserved marinade. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the onion and carrot from the marinade, along with the additional onion that you've chopped, and saute for 5 minutes, or until tender. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the meat and bacon, again using a slotted spoon, and return skillet to the heat. Add the flour to the skillet, combining with the oil and stir until well mixed and brown, about 2 minutes.

Now add the tomato paste, garlic, beef broth, reserved marinade and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and whisk to remove any flour lumps. Add this to the meat and vegetable mixture. Place entire mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. About 15 minutes before meat is done baking, melt butter in the skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. When meat is done, add the mushrooms to the meat mixture, stir well and let sit for about 15 minutes.


Chocolate Mousse Cake
Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup water
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
16 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
8 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 inch springform pan. Heat white sugar, butter, water, coffee and chocolate in a 3-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth; remove from heat. Beat in the eggs and pour into the prepared pan. Batter is very thin. If side and bottom of pan do not fit tightly, line the pan with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely. Remove sides of pan. Cover cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. Remove plastic wrap. Beat whipping cream and confectioners' sugar in a chilled 1 1/2 quart bowl until stiff. Garnish top of cake with whipped cream and, if desired, whole almonds. Refrigerate any remaining cake.