The autumnal equinox takes place when the center of the sun is stationed directly over the equator near the end of September, by our calendar. According to myth and legend, a very important phenomenon is possible at the precise moment this occurs.
A member of Team Irvine took this photo of an egg standing on its end during the exact moment of the autumn equinox. No trick photography, no chicanery, this really happened. For a few moments, suspended by a confluence of natural forces we can only marginally understand, this egg “magically” balanced on one end. When the experiment was tried before and only a few moments after this photograph, it could not be repeated. We not only live in an age of miracles, but we are surrounded by miracles every day, if only we’d take the time to notice.
As I was looking through some photos, this little egg reminded me of some of the many small miracles we lived through during the filming of episodes of Dinner: Impossible:
- The fact that I didn’t crash my T-38 straight into the plains of Texas when the command at Sheppard Air Force Base were silly enough to give me the controls on the 60th Anniversary episode.
- The esprit de corps of John Lasseter, CEO of Pixar Studios, who innocently showed up in the kitchen to check on our progress making lunch and not only allowed me to enlist his help as a cook, but to order him around like a drill sergeant.
- That the improvised patch job performed by Virginia Vigil on the crack in the horno, our outdoor adobe oven, prevented it from giving way under the rigors of cooking on the Santa Fe episode.
- That I was able to avoid giving myself a massive hernia from pushing an ancient wooden cart loaded with three tons of food up a muddy hill in that same episode!
- That I didn’t freeze any important body parts off my body cooking in that bloody Ice Hotel (Don’t get me wrong, it was beautiful, but I can’t stand the cold!)
So, in honor of its momentous autumnal balancing act, following are recipes from some of the aforementioned episodes – using that small miracle we often overlook, the incredible egg.
Entrée: Omelet/Eggs
FRITTATA LASAGNA
(from the Santa Fe episode at El Rancho de las Golondrinas)
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved
Yield: 8 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 large white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed with the side of a knife blade and minced
1 medium zucchini squash, sliced into ¼ inch thick slices
1 medium yellow squash, sliced into ¼ inch thick slices
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 16-ounce package frozen white corn, defrosted
3 tablespoons flour
7 tablespoons milk (3 tablespoons for the slurry and 4 tablespoons for the eggs)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 tablespoons butter
8 eggs
3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
Method:
Heat the grapeseed oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the zucchini, yellow squash, oregano, salt, and pepper, and stir to coat. Cover and gently cook for about 15 minutes, then add the corn, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, make a slurry by adding the flour to a small bowl and gradually whisking in 3 tablespoons of the milk (reserving the rest of the milk for the eggs). Whisk the tomato paste into the slurry until smooth. Gently stir the slurry into the squash mixture to thicken. Further cook uncovered until the squash is tender and the flour is “cooked out,” about 5 more minutes. Remove the pan from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the butter over medium heat in another large skillet (or the same one if you have removed the vegetables and washed it). (You may want to use your non-stick skillet here.) In a small bowl whisk 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon milk together at a time (reserving the rest of the eggs and milk). Spread the melted butter over the bottom of the pan and pour in the two eggs, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook as you would a crêpe, loosening the edges and flipping to brown both sides. When just cooked, transfer to the bottom of a lasagne dish as the bottom layer and trim and rearrange the egg to fit. Spoon one-fourth of the squash mixture evenly over the eggs, followed by one-fourth of the sliced tomatoes and ½ cup of the shredded cheese. Repeat by whisking 2 more eggs with 1 tablespoon of milk and cooking to make a sheet of egg for the next layer, followed by squash, tomato and cheese each time, until you have completed 4 layers.
Heat in the oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into squares.
Serve sprinkled with a dollop of sour cream and minced fresh parsley.
Entrée: Beef/Pork/Game
TOURTIERE (MEAT PIE)
(from the Ice Hotel episode)
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All Rights Reserved
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
¼ cup red wine
1 pound pork loin, diced into ½ inch pieces
1 pound sirloin, diced into ½ inch pieces
½ pound venison, diced into ½ inch pieces
¼ cup canola oil
1 medium onion, diced small
1 teaspoon garlic, lightly crushed with the side of knife blade and minced (1 or 2 cloves)
1 cup celery, diced small (2 or 3 stalks)
1 cup carrots, diced small (3 or 4 carrots)
1 medium potato, peeled and diced small
2 cups chicken broth
2 nine-inch rounds of prepared pie crust
1 egg, beaten
Method:
Combine the salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, parsley, and thyme in a large bowl. Stir in the red wine to make a marinade. Add the meat cubes and, using your hands if necessary, mix to make sure all the meat is covered by the marinade mixture. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the canola oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Sauté the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes until the onion turns translucent, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Then add the celery and carrots, and cook for an additional 5 to 8 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the meat and brown slightly, while stirring constantly. Then add the potato to the pot, stirring briefly, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken broth. Simmer for about 30 minutes, remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Ease the pie crust into the pie pan and spoon in the meat mixture. Cover with the top crust, seal and flute. Cut steam-release slits in the top crust, then brush with egg wash.
Place the pie onto a foil-lined baking sheet to catch spills, and bake for 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving warm.
Entrée: Poultry/Game
PHEASANT COLETTE EN CROÛTE
(from the Pixar episode named in honor of the character from the movie Ratatouille)
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 two-to-three pound pheasant
Salt and black pepper, to taste
½ cup (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) softened butter
1 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed with the side of a knife blade
1 cup Marsala wine
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves.
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup demi-glace
4 sheets puff pastry dough (these are often sold in 17 or 18 ounce packages containing
two 9 or 10 inch square sheets of puff pastry)
2 eggs, beaten
Method:
Heat the canola oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Season the pheasant with salt and pepper and coat with the softened butter. Brown all sides of the pheasant until golden brown and remove to a utility platter. To the same pan, add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. De-glaze the pan with the marsala wine and add the bay leaves and parsley. Lower the heat and return the pheasant to the pan. (Wash and dry the utility platter and keep handy for the cooked pheasant.) Cover and simmer until the pheasant is tender and juices in the thigh run clear when pierced, about 35 minutes. Remove the pheasant to the utility platter and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.
Strain the braising juices into a heatproof glass container (such as a Pyrex measuring container) and skim off any excess fat. Pour the de-fatted juices into a small saucepot, add the balsamic vinegar and demi-glace and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Pull the pheasant meat from the bones and cut into 1-inch pieces, discarding the bones. Remove sauce from heat. In a bowl fold the pheasant meat with enough sauce to coat. Do not feel obligated to use all of the sauce. The mixture should not be soupy .
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the pastry dough and, using an appropriately sized cereal bowl or small mixing bowl as a template, cut 4 rounds 8-inches in diameter.
Spoon the pheasant mixture evenly into 4 individual ovenproof 6-inch bowls (onion soup bowls are ideal for this), and brush the edges of the bowls with egg. Top each with a circle of pastry, draping the crust over the rim. Brush the tops of the pastry with the egg wash and bake until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Dessert: Cake
PEAR CHOCOLATE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
(from the Air Force Anniversary episode)
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients for pears:
½ cup brandy
2 to 3 fresh pears, ripe but still firm
Ingredients for chocolate cake batter:
¼ cup cake flour
¼ cup plus one tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 eggs at room temperature
5 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
Method for the pears:
In a skillet, bring 1 cup of water and the brandy to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler, cut in half lengthwise and remove the core, the stem and the fibers that run down the center. Slice lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices and add to the simmering brandy mixture. (Add enough hot water to cover the pears if necessary.) Poach for about 10 minutes, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature while you are preparing the batter.
Method for the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil the bottom of a 9-inch round by 2-inch deep pan and lay parchment paper over the bottom. Then brush a thin layer of canola oil on top of the parchment paper. Sift the cake flour and cocoa powder together several times to aerate. In a separate heatproof bowl combine the eggs and sugar. Nest the bowl with the sugar and eggs in another larger bowl filled with about 2-inches hot water. Whisk together the eggs and sugar, being very careful NOT to splash any water into it. The idea here is to raise the temperature of the egg and sugar mixture to between 100 and 120 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to test the temperature. Once the mixture is warmed, remove the bowl from the water bowl and use an electric beater to beat it until it is about triple in volume and is the consistency of soft whipped cream. Sift the one-third of the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl of beaten eggs and sugar, and fold together. Repeat for each remaining third of the flour mixture, folding together after the addition of each third. Then, gently fold in the melted butter and vanilla.
Drain the pear slices and arrange them in the bottom of the cake pan. Overlap them in a pattern of concentric circles. Pour batter over layer of pears, spreading evenly, but don’t fill the pan any more than within ½ inch of the top edge of the pan. Bang the pan on countertop - one or two times only - to make sure the batter sinks down between the pears, but don’t overdo it or you will undo all your hard work in aerating the batter! Bake in the oven until the surface springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes . Let the cake cool in pan 10 minutes to allow set up, then using oven mitts, press a serving plate firmly on the top edges of the pan, and invert the cake onto the plate. Replace any pear slices that become dislodged. This cake can be served warm or at room temperature.
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