Conference turris::cooks

    Coquille St. Jacques is a classic (I'm sure the recipe is in this
    file), and can be made ahead of time and put under the broiler just
    be dinner. 
    
    Or Moules Mernaire (sp?) which is basically mussels steamed in white
    wine with herbs and scallions.  Simple and delicious (you can add
    a few tablespoons of heavy cream if you'd like).
    
    Lastly, I love procuitto and melon.  Not quite classic French, but
    delicious and not heavy.
    
    Sounds like a delicious meal.  Enjoy!
    
    Nanci

    How 'bout my fav, FRENCH ONION SOUP? I'd look up the note for
    the recipe, but the system is slow right now.
    
    Good luck on your dinner!
    
    pat

    
    Rep .0
    
     I would suggest either Pate de Foie Gras or Escargots de Bourgogne.
    I'm sure you can find a good pate somewhere in the Reading area
    <HAMPS:: if I remember right is in Baskingstoke>. The escargot are
    easily made with the frozen in the shell escargot available in most
    supermarkets. Just mix crushed garlic, minced fresh parsley, and
    soften butter and add to the butter already in the prepared escargot
    and follow the cooking directions. They never put enough butter
    in them. Also remember to serve a crusty bread with them to soak
    up all the butter which is the best part. My arteries are harding
    just thinking about them but they are sooo good and sooo French.
    
          
    Rep .2
    
     Sorry to disappoint you but I lived in France for three years and
    only saw onion soup on the menu about twice inside of France. Both
    times being in the northern part of France near the Belgium border.
    French onion soup isn't all that common in France and I've seen
    it mainly outside of France. 
    
    
    -mike
    
    

    The escargot sounds *wonderful*, but not everyone likes it.  If
    you aren't completely familiar with your guests' tastes, you might
    be better off with the pate.  And you couldn't find an easier course
    to prepare!  But plan to spend $10 - $15 a pound for the stuff.
    It's worth every penny!
    
    RE -1.  I've read in a couple of places that true fois gras is illegal
    in this country because force-feeding the goose is considered animal
    abuse; good pate is available, but it's not true fois gras.  Do
    you know anything about that?
    
    							Pat

    
    Rep .4
    
     There are farms in New England that are producing Foie Gras and
    as far as I know it isn't illegal. I know it is illegal to import
    into the US what the French call Foie Gras entier because it is
    only "semi-conserved" and the USDA is afraid of spoilage problems.
    Foie Gras entier is the whole liver and is considered the best
    "cut", I don't remember all the "cuts" right now but like wine the
    French have a system for controlling the production/sale of it.   
    I have seen lots of imported Foie Gras in this country but most
    of it is inferior "cuts" and doesn't taste as good as the fresh.
    You have to be careful when buying Foie Gras as there are many
    ratings if you want the real thing look for "entier" and not pate
    as it is made from all the bits and pieces and may have fillers
    of pork or chicken foies. I think the best Foie Gras comes from
    Gascony in the Southwest part of France <I know the Alsace folks
    will be upset with me for that but they make good Foie Gras also.> 
    
     I know there are animal right's groups in Europe trying to get
    the European parliament to ban Foie Gras production in Europe 
    because they feel the force-feeding of the ducks and geese to 
    be abuse. I know the vast majority of the French consider these
    people to be kooks and they are for the most part Germans and 
    Dutch who are pushing for the ban. I can see both sides of the
    argument, on one hand you force-feed the animal but on the other
    hand the animals are free to roam outside because if they are
    kept inside like poulty production in the US the Foie Gras is 
    terrible. Since the Foie Gras production in the US is so small
    I really don't think this has become a high priority item for
    the animal right's people in this country. I also believe most
    Americans haven't either had Foie Gras or don't like it so the
    production of it in the US will ever be that large.
                          
    
    -mike
    

I read once that American farmers have bred a goose that gras's its own foie 
naturally.  I have even seen some adds for it in some gourmet magazines.  It 
can be shipped fresh to you for some non trivial price.  It's probably not as 
good as the inhumane variety, though, but it's supposed to come close.  You 
can get tinned foie gras from France here in the states, too.  (Oh for the 
real McCoie!  Like sweet butter, but not as low in cholesterol!)

Another possibility for a French starter would be fresh Oysters on the half 
shell.

						     
							- JP

    
    
    Being as it's my absolute favorite cheese, chevre springs to mind.
    I'm sure you know there are some wonderful things you can do with
    it - the "starters" I've seen primarily involve garlic and roasted
    red bell peppers or sun-dried tomatoes.  It might be a little
    on the risky side, since some people just don't like it, but...
    
    If you're interested in any recipes, I'd be glad to help out.
    
    

    
    Source: Piret's
    Yield:  4 servings
    
    To prepare the shrimp:
    
    1 lb. latge or jumbo shrimp, unshelled
    1 1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
    2 small cloves garlic, mashed
    1 1/4 C. raspberry vinegar
    1/4 to 1/2 C. mild white wine vinegar
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1/4 C. minced fresh parsley
    1/4 C. minced scallions
    1 T. fresh tarragon (or 1 t. dry)
    Pinch sugar
    Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
    
    1. Shell the shrimp, reserving the shells (do not devein). Wash
    the shrimp and refrigerate them while you prepare the shrimp oil
    
    2. Grind the shrimp shells in a food processor fitted with a steel
    blade. Place the ground shells in a saucepan and add the olive oil.
    Cook the mixture over very low heat for 20 minutes. Strain the oil
    throught a fine sieve into a large bowl, pressing the shells to
    get all the oil.
    
    3. Heat 2 to 4 tablespoons of the shrimp oil (reserve the rest)
    in a saute' pan, and cook the shrimp with the mashed garlic for
    3 to 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp, and place them in a bowl woth
    the reserved shrimp oil.
    
    4. Add the vinegars, minced garlic, parsley, scallions, tarragon,
    sugar, salt and pepper to the shrimp and oil. Taste, adjust the
    seasonings, and refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
    
    To stuff the shrimp:
    
    1 lb. chevre (goat cheese)
    8 to 12 t. heavy cream
    1/4 t. cayenne pepper
    Butter letuce
    
    1. Beat the chevre with the cream, then beat in the cayenne pepper.
    Place the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch star tip.
    
    2. Remove the shrimp from the marinade. Open up the backs of the
    shrimp (do not cut them all the way through), and pipe in the chevre
    mixture.
    
    3. Place the filled shrimp on a plate lined with butter lettuce
    leaves, drizzle some of the marinade over, and serve.
    
    Good luck!!
    
    Don

RE{  <<< Note 1752.8 by SELECT::WEYMOUTH "AI SELECT Business Development Mgr" >>>
                   -< Marinated Shrimp Stuffed with Chevre >-

    In step 1. you state:
    "1. Shell the shrimp, reserving the shells (do not devein)..."

    However, you neglected to state just when you *do* devein them.  Is
    this the appropriate place---?
    
    2.                                          Open up the backs of the
    shrimp (do not cut them all the way through),...

    When I made this, I deveined it when I opeoned the backs of the
    shrimp up. I'm not quite sure exactly if that's what they meant
    in the cookbook.