Scenes from a Dinner Party

I really wanted the title of this post to be:
"Cooking in Someone Else's Kitchen".


Have you tried this? Cooking in someone else's kitchen?

I don't like it. I actually cooked for a small dinner party at my friend's house on Saturday night. She has a GORGEOUS huge custom kitchen, and I thought it would be a good idea and I would get to use her beautiful new La Cornue French enamel blue DOUBLE oven!
Yes, a double oven! My dream!
I can cook one dish on one side at 350 degrees and the other dishes on the other side at 425!
So, of course I said YES.

Well, I have to be honest with you. I like my little kitchen better. All I have to do is turn around in one twirl and I am at the sink. I don't have 16 drawers to find Saran Wrap and who puts paper towels under the sink? She does.
I couldn't find anything in HER kitchen, because it wasn't MY kitchen.
At least her knives were shiny and sharp (from lack of use!!).

My review of the La Cornue:
It is beautiful, like a piece of fine furniture. It is the focal point of the room.
It is the price of a one carat diamond with E color.


It cooks way too hot, you have to turn the temperature down 25 degrees to get it right. It cooked a gorgeous beef tenderloin (which should've been medium rare) more like medium well, and I took 15 minutes off the time!


Another thing I disliked about it is that when you open the heavy doors, the hot steam singes your eyelashes! Look out! This thing definitely takes some getting used to. My large cookie sheets did not fit into this large blue monster, it's all talk, no action.

I am not complaining, just telling it like it is.
The dinner still came out delicious.
I will never curse my tiny kitchen again.


Beef Tenderloin: Coat meat all over with lots of kosher salt & black pepper and a bit of olive oil. Sear in a pan to brown a few minutes. Transfer to roasting pan and depending on size, roast at 425 for about 30 minutes for medium rare (I use a meat thermometer and when it registers 135, I take it out, it will cook more on the counter).
Tent loosely with foil for 10 minutes before slicing.

I made a Gorgonzola Sauce to go with the meat.
Sour cream, gorgonzola cheese, a tbsp Worcestershire sauce, black pepper.


Roasted Beet & Orange Salad over Arugula (click on link to recipe)


Potato Galette w/ Thyme:
Slice about 5 large Yukon Gold potatoes w/ mandolin. Butter a gratin dish.
Saute 2 onions, that have been thinly sliced in butter and olive oil.
Add potato slices, 2 tbsp fresh thyme and your sauteed onions with 1 cup Gruyere cheese, 2 cup heavy cream, salt & pepper. Pour into your greased gratin dish and press down. Bake at 350 for about an hour on a baking sheet.






Chloe, the Whippet waiting for some table scraps!