French Recipes, Podcast Episodes and France Travel Tips!
James Hemings Mac and Cheese Recipe
Like many I’m sure watching the acclaimed food series on Netflix High on the Hog was not only entertaining, and delicious but highly educational. Food writer Stephe Satterfield traces back the origins of African-American cuisine and I was fascinated to learn connections to French food in this series for a dish that isn’t I would have thought had any connection to France, Mac and Cheese.
James Hemings, Thomas Jeffersons, slave, brother-in-law, personal valet, and then eventually chef created the version we know of today after having in France a dish of pasta and cheese that he called at the time macaroni pie. This is the dish that would then evolve into what we around the world would call Macaroni and cheese.
Here is James Hemings' version of Mac and Cheese. Well as far as we know.
James Hemings Snow Eggs Recipe
Snow Eggs or Isle Flotante or Oeufs a la neige as they’re known in France are wonderful poached meringues that sit on a custard or creme anglaise. The name snow was attributed to the whipping of the egg whites until they looked fluffy and stiff like snow.
In 1747 Hannah Glasse recorded in her cookbook The Art of Cooking Made Plain and Easy a recipe for floating islands, Glasse was an English cook but her recipe bears no resemblance to the recipe we know for today's version.
There is a note in a letter from Benjamin Franklin in 1771 about having a floating island dessert. But as far as we can tell James Hemmings's version that we know today was his own creation and is now enjoyed around the US and France, well even around the world.
Here is his original recipe for Snow Eggs
Lavender Sugar
French cuisine embraces lavender with it often being used to coat the outside of sheep and goat milk cheeses. In Provence, some places take lavender flowers and candied them to be used as decorations for pastries and cakes. A use I love is to make lavender sugar which is a great ingredient to place in the pantry.
My recipe for lavender sugar is below.
Cremé Caramel with Ruby Boukabou
What do a flan, flan mixto, quesillo, pudim, flan de café, rozata, flan de Cuba, purin, flan Napolitano and leche flan all have in common? In France they are all called a cremé caramel. Or are versions of one.
Ruby Boukabou is an Australian tap dancer, author of guidebooks on Paris’ architecture and art as well as the proud daughter of French restaurant owner parents.
Today’s topic on Fabulously Delicious is one that Ruby is pretty much an expert on. Ruby’s mum used to make these delicious dishes every night for her father's restaurant. Ruby has a special treat for us, her mum's recipe. Also, she fills us in on the history of this dish and what its origin story is.