Skip to main content

Some Firsts: Frog Legs and Saffron Panna Cotta

Jake and I were on our Let's-Explore-Some-New-to-Us-Restaurants Adventure - while the boys were at their aerodynamics workshop for the evening -  and strolled into Le St. Tropez. Scanning the appetizer portion of the menu - escargot, okay...mussels, okay - my eyes fell on something I had never eaten: frog legs. Can you believe that with all the different things I've eaten in my life, I have never had frog legs?!? Now I have.


We dug in as soon as the server brought the dish. And Jake asked, incredulously, "How big was the frog? Look at these legs!"

Funny, I've been with Jake for over 15 years, married for over 13, and I never knew that he used to catch frogs for fun...and cooking. So  he actually has a frame of reference for how large the ones we ate really were.

So, the guy had never had an artichoke before he met me yet he ate rabbits and frog legs on a regular basis. Then I remembered this photo...

He told me the story behind that photo and we laughed and laughed. Thankfully we were one of few tables occupied. So we weren't too disruptive.

The verdict: the first leg I ate tasted like, well, chicken (I know that sounds trite, but it's true); the second one tasted a little more pond-y. The sauce made the dish. I don't think I'd order them again. There are too many other things out there to eat that are out-of-this world

Another first of the evening - saffron panna cotta served with tapioca balls in an orange sauce topped with spun sugar. Grown-up cotton candy.


I have never made panna cotta. I've eaten it on many occasions. But it's definitely on my list of to-cook.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce

Aloo Tiki {Pakistan}

To start off our Pakistani culinary adventure, I started us off with aloo tiki - potato cutlets. I'm always game for tasty street food. I found a couple of different recipes and incorporated those together for this version. Ingredients 6-8 small red potatoes, scrubbed 1 T cumin seeds 1 T fresh chopped parsley 1/2 t ground coriander 1 t minced garlic Procedure Boil the potatoes until they are tender. Drain and let cool. Mash the potatoes. Traditionally they are mashed without their skins. I left the skins on. In a small pan, toast the cumin seeds on high heat until the begin to give off an aroma and begin to darken. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to keep them from cooking any more. Blend all of the spices into the mashed potatoes, then shape into small patties. If you wet your hands, the potato mixture won't stick to them. Heat a splash of oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Dip each patty into beaten egg and carefully place in the oil. P

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir