Consommé consumeth concubine convivial & Sauce Tomato of Praise

Firstly, Check out my new cookbooks- or rather, that I am in my eternal continuum of documenting or cataloguing of them....  Christopher-Joel's Culinary IG Account De La Praise

I think this font is ugly.  It looks cheap.  

I have been on this 41st year sort of re-evaluation of my focuses, I've had moments in which I wanted to sell all of my cookery books, and my cookery materials.  Alas, I remember, simply because I am a southern person, does not require that albeit I should be cooking for one, I cook instead for eight.  It's easier to cook a mess of beans for several than not- I digress.  

Rather than focusing on southern food as I have been raised- in family style serving, mainly, I have tried to focus on much higher quality ingredients, and cooking techniques.

I had to make some chicken this week for chicken salad that I was fixing for someone.  So, why not make stock- so, of course in researching that, I found out that consommé is much more interesting.  So, I made his recipe for the dish.  (See vidjya below)

Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud says a consomme is 'the highest sophistication of stock,' and we're certainly deferring to the expert on this one.

I had about 1/4 lb of sundried tomatoes.  I didn't really want to go to the grocery store...I really hate all of them here, except Kroger's and they now close earlier, and I don't want to check/bag my own groceries...how ridiculous.  
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Not really wanting to do the traditional crap with them, I decided to cook them in water for several hours and see if I could make a basic tomato sauce, though a super rich and dark one.  I succeeded- it is almost too rich.  

Sundried Tomato Coulis Paste Sauce Concentrate Supreme De La CJC of the Horn of Italia:

• 1/4 lb Sundried Tomatoes
• Water
• 10 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Large Onion
• 1 Large Jalapeno Pepper

Cook all of that in water and once that it has cooked down about half way- fill up with water again, and season with your favorite herbs, salt, lot's of pepper, and I like a tinkle of sugar.  Then, after the vegetables have become fork-tender in cooking slow and low over a period of about two hours, then let cool.

Transfer to the blender, and blend to the consistency that you like.  I like mine not extremely smooth, but no obvious chunks- like vomit.....

I have one of those blenders that has a heating element in it, so that is sort of fun.  

So, I cooked up some gigantico lumaconi (lumaconi giganti), spooned them into a small crock, added some truffle oil, dollops of ricotta cheese, and several spoons of the red sauce, I layered that- plenty of oil, since there was none in the sauce- and this dish is vegetarium aside from the cheese, but whatever who cares.  

I baked that with the lid on it for a long time at 400 (F) maybe 25-30 minutes.  Until it is all hot and greasy and bubbly- I like mine extra done on the top- you can sprinkle cheese or whatever on it and do all that, but I don't like too much cheese, the texture is nasty.  

Delicious.  


If you want to call the sauce a coulis, that is fine by me, I don't really want to get in an argument about it.  I know it isn't just the puree of the tomato- so don't lecture me about it.  I already know.  Thanks, Keesha.  

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