1 week left until Christmas.  I know I slacked off this weekend with my 12 days of Christmas Cookies.  However, it was time well spent with our family.  We had a wonderful weekend, baking, shopping and singing Christmas Carols.  Not to mention, our little bun in the oven is taking much of my energy and causing me to feel queasy most of the afternoon.
Not to fear though, these Palmiers are easy and quick to make.  If you don't want to wait overnight at least chill the dough for an hour before slicing and baking.  -Just enough time to get in a nap!  I've included my favorite 3 versions, but you can really fill them with almost anything you like or don't fill them at all and just sprinkle with a little sugar inside and out for a simple yet elegant cookie.

Cinnamon, Tomato & Chocolate Palmiers

Ingredients for Cinnamon Palmiers

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted

2/3 C light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 tsp ground cinnamon

2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Unfold one pastry sheet and roll out to a 13 in. square on a lightly floured surface. Brush the pastry with butter. Evenly sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the pastry to cover. Gently press it in with your rolling pin. Working from the short ends, fold each end half-way to the center. Roll each side up towards the center until the rolled edges touch. Wrap the log in plastic. Repeat with the second pastry sheet. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife (non-serrated), cut the logs into 1/2-inch slices and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with a little of the sanding sugar and bake until puffed and golden brown- 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 2 dozen.
 

Ingredients for Sundried Tomato Palmiers

1 1/4 cups sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)

5 cups basil leaves, packed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup good olive oil

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted 

1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
To make the paste, place the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for 15 seconds. Set aside.
Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry and place it on a lightly floured board. With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13-inch square. Using a offset spatula, spread the paste over the top of the puff pastry. Roll each side up towards the center until the rolled edges touch. Wrap the log in plastic. Repeat with the second pastry sheet. Refrigerate overnight.
Slice the dough into 1/2 inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush each piece with egg wash and place in the oven. Bake for 6 minutes. Turn each pastry slice over and continue baking an additional 5 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen
 
Ingredients for Chocolate Palmiers

2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/2 C sugar 

8 oz dark chocolate, finely grated

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted

Directions

 Sprinkle half each of the sugar and chocolate evenly over a pastry sheet.  Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry and place it on a lightly floured board. With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13-inch square.  Brush the pastry with butter and sprinkle half each of the sugar and chocolate evenly over the pastry sheet.  Roll each side up towards the center until the rolled edges touch. Wrap the log in plastic. Repeat with the second pastry sheet. Refrigerate overnight.
Slice the dough into 1/2 inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush each piece with egg wash and place in the oven. Bake for 6 minutes. Turn each pastry slice over and continue baking an additional 5 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.


Makes 2 Doz.

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1 tablespoon olive oil

3 pounds stewing beef, such as lean rump pot roast, cut into 2-inch cubes, patted dry

1 carrot, thinly sliced crosswise

1 medium onion, sliced crosswise

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups red wine, such as Chianti, Beaujolais, or Cotes du Rhone

3 cups homemade beef stock or canned low-sodium beef stock, plus 1/2 cup

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 garlic, crushed

1/2 dried thyme, plus 1/4 teaspoon

1 dried bay leaf, crumbled, plus 1/2 bay leaf

4 sprigs fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon

24 cipollini or pearl onions, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, and peeled

1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with oven racks set in the middle and lower-third. In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 quarts water to a simmer; add bacon and rind, simmering for 10 minutes. Drain; dry bacon and pot. Reserve rind.

2.Heat olive oil in a Dutch-oven over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon; set aside.

3.Increase heat to medium-high; oil should be just below smoking point. Test by placing one piece of beef in pan; it should sizzle immediately. Add beef in small batches and cook until well-browned on all sides. Remove meat, and set aside with bacon.

4.Add carrots and sliced onions; cook until browned. Drain excess; discard.

5.Return beef and bacon to pot; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle in flour, tossing to coat. Transfer pot, uncovered, to middle of oven; bake for 4 minutes. Toss meat and vegetables; bake for 4 minutes more. Transfer pot to stove. Reduce heat to 325 degrees.

6.Over medium-low heat, stir in wine and enough stock to barely cover meat. Add tomato paste, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1 crumbled bay leaf, and bacon rind; bring to a simmer. Cover pot, and transfer to lower-third of oven. Bake, regulating heat so stew simmers, until meat is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

7.Meanwhile, make an herb sachet. In an 8-by-8-inch piece of cheesecloth, combine 4 sprigs parsley, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, and tie using kitchen twine. Set aside.

8.In a medium skillet, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When butter is bubbling, add whole onions; saute until browned, about 10 minutes.

9.Add 1/2 cup stock to pan; season with salt and pepper, and add herb sachet. Simmer, covered, until onions are tender and liquid has evaporated, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove herb sachet, and discard. Set aside.

10.Wipe out skillet; place over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil; butter will begin to foam. As foaming subsides, add mushrooms; saute, stirring often, until lightly browned. Remove from heat; set aside.

11.Pour stew into a sieve set over a large saucepan. Rinse out Dutch-oven. Return beef and bacon to pot; add cooked mushrooms and onions.

12.Skim fat from sauce. Over medium-low heat, bring sauce to a simmer, skimming off additional fat, 1 to 2 minutes. Sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, bring to a boil and reduce to correct consistency. If too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.

13.Bring pot to a simmer, covered, over medium heat, basting meat and vegetables with sauce, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley; serve immediately.

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1/8 C sugar
1/4 C freshly squeezed orange juice
Powdered sugar (optional for finishing)

Crepe Batter
1/2 C all purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 C milk
1 Tbs butter, melted
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 Tbs butter for pan

In a medium saucepan combine the 2 cups of blueberries, sugar and orange juice, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low and allow sauce to simmer gently for about 5 minutes, or until the blueberries have just started to break down and release most of their juices. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5 more minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.


Meanwhile, combine the crepe ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. The consistency of the batter should be runny, but it will thicken slowly.  If it becomes too thick give it a splash or two of milk and re-whisk.


In a medium skillet, heat the 1/2 T butter and coat the entire pan with it.  I use a nonstick skillet for easy, but a regular skillet works as well, just make sure to keep it with a light coat of the butter to avoid sticking batter.  You can also purchase a crepe pan, but it isn't necessary. Using a ladle, slowly pour the batter-about a 1/4 C into the skillet until it covers the entire bottom. You may need to swirl the pan to coat the pan, or use the back of the ladel, but don't make them too thick. Cook over medium low heat until the edges become slightly dry, about 45 seconds. With a spatula, check to make sure the crepe is starting to turn a light golden brown on the bottom. If so, it's ready to flip onto the other side. Cook for about another 30 seconds or until the bottom side is barely golden brown. Transfer onto a plate and cover, so that the crepes stay moist and warm.  Makes 6-8 crepes.

Lastly, fill a crepe with the filling, wrap and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Voila!


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Sprinkle 3 Tbsp flour over butter and blend together in a bowl. On a length of foil, fashion a 6" square of soft butter; fold over the sides of the foil to enclose. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 2 to 3 hours. While the butter is chilling, prepare the dough. You can mix by hand in a large mixing bowl but I suggest using an electric mixer, blend 2 cups of the flour with salt and sugar. Dissolve yeast in warm water and add it, the warmed milk and half-and-half to the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or use the flat blade of your electric mixer to thoroughly blend the dough, about 2 minutes. It should be batter-like. Stir in additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to make a soft but not sticky dough (it will stiffen when chilled.) and you may need to add more flour until it is no longer sticky. Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 5 minutes to form a solid ball, cleaning the sides of the bowl. DO NOT OVER KNEAD! Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hr.
The butter and the dough need to be about the same temperature. The butter should bend, but not crack and break (too cold) or be mushy and oily (too warm) when you slightly bend it. This is the same for the dough. You are going to be incorporating the two together so they need to be pliable. You may need to take the butter out of the fridge before the dough. Place the dough on a floured work surface and with the hands press it into a 10" square. Unwrap the block of butter and lay the block diagonally on the dough. Bring each point of dough into the center, overlapping the edges at least 1". Press the dough into a neat package. With a heavy rolling pin (I use a marble one), roll the dough into a rectangle, approximately 8" x 18". This dimension is not critical. Warning: If the butter seems to be breaking into small pieces under the dough rather than remaining solid, allow the dough/butter to warm a few minutes. But if the butter softens, becomes sticky, and oozes while making the turns, put the dough back into the refrigerator for several minutes. Fold the length of dough into thirds, as for a letter. Turn so that the open ends are at twelve and six o'clock. Roll again into a rectangle. This time, fold both ends into the middle and then close, as one would a book. The dough will now be in 4 layers. Wrap the package of dough in a cloth (an old tea towel is good) that has been soaked in cold water and wrung dry. Place the wrapped dough in the refrigerator to relax and chill for 1 or 2 hours. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on the floured work surface. Unwrap, roll out, and fold in thirds, as for a letter. This is the final turn before it is rolled out and cut into croissants. Dampen cloth again and wrap loosely around the dough. Place the package in a plastic bag so moisture will be retained (not pulled out of the cloth). Leave in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
Mix together the egg and 1 Tbsp of water. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Roll the dough until it is a generous 10"-x-38" rectangle, and, most importantly, about 1/4" thick. Make sure this is a precise dimension, because it determines the size and texture of the croissants. Trim irregularities to make the strip uniform in width. Cut the strip lengthwise to make two 5" pieces. Mark the strip into triangles, 5" wide on the bottom. Separate the triangles, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, and chill for 15 to 20 minutes. Roll the dough into the traditional croissant shape, by rolling the triangle from the bottom to the point. Place the croissants on a parchment covered baking sheet and allow them to rise for 1 to 2 hours, in which they will double in volume. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Bake the croissants for 22 to 25 minutes. Allow them to cool on a rack before serving.
Makes 24 to 30 croissants.

Before I even begin I know what you are thinking: “Another expensive, hoity-toity restaurant, I cannot afford.” Let me stop you right there. How often do you go to some corporate steak house and end up spending up to $60 or more on two people? And that’s in addition to schlepping through cast-off peanut shells while Honky-Tonk music blares throughout the establishment. In comparison, Bistro 501 is approachable, comfortable, and (based on the salary of two students with three children) affordable.

We started the evening with Pomme Frites. At first I was a little disappointed to learn that they are no longer flash frying them in duck fat, so I feared our appetizer was not going to meet my expectations. I was wrong. They arrived piping hot and crispy with just as much flavor as their predecessors. Now, just because they aren’t fried in the greasy goodness called duck fat, this does not mean that they are any less fattening. While not as heavy as they once were, they are still French fries and they are still served with deliciously heart-clogging garlic aioli. None the less, are absolutely scrumptious.

For my entrée, I chose the Linguine Pescatore, a traditionally Italian dish. However, replacing the usual marinara sauce were fresh diced tomatoes and crisp asparagus surrounded by a decidedly French white wine garlic butter sauce. This dish definitely impressed me. The toothsome linguine wrapped around perfectly sautéed shrimp and mussels and paired beautifully with the married flavors of the sauce and veggies. Normally I would never, and I do mean never, eat mussels in the Midwest. I have been the unfortunate recipient of the little bi-valves that were trucked across the country from their various coastal regions and then at some point delivered to a chef who wasn’t adept enough to know a live mollusk from a dead one, who then plopped them into a further watery grave called the wine sauce in my bowl. Needless to say it wasn’t good, and neither was the way I felt later. However, I digress.

Head Chef Philip ‘Flip’ Osburn and his staff are more than competent. In fact, I have never at any visit received an entrée that was anything less than flawless. I have complete confidence in recommending the Moules Bistro. But be warned: you should come with a hefty appetite. It is a particularly large portion and, when finished with the mussels, you are going to want extra sliced baguette to sop up the flavorful broth.

My on again, off again vegetarian friend had the Wild Mushroom Pasta. She assured me she orders this from any restaurant that offers such a dish, and has therefore become something of a wild mushroom pasta connoisseur. She thought it was delectable. She offered me a bite, and I have to say it was quite delicious. The ridges of the penne pasta held the creamy sauce well and stood up nicely to the prolific amount of various wild mushrooms.

To those unfortunate souls who are vegetarians, I feel for you because the menu here is somewhat diminutive. Conversely, what do you expect from a restaurant whose cuisine is based on a country that creates dishes from fois gras, sweet breads, and any and all parts of various animals? What dishes vegetarians do have to choose from at Bistro are flavorful and complex. None of those boring, bland veggie meals will be found here.

The dessert menu was equally tantalizing. Baked desserts are prepared daily by Helen Meyer or “Granny” as she is affectionately referred to. I definitely recommend pairing one of her mouth-watering cobblers with one of Executive Sous Chef Ryan Mitchel’s homemade ice creams. As we were already filled to the gills, we opted for a lighter dessert. Since my friend is pregnant and is literally buying gallons of ice cream by the week, we of course chose the Blood Orange Ice Cream. It was, how should I say, complexly refreshing. Upon first bite, it seemed to be like a sorbet; the sweet, icy citrus cooling the mouth, and then was followed by a creamy smoothness that lightly coated the palate. If they had sold it by the half-gallon, it would be sitting in her freezer in front of the other six.

Bistro offers Provencal cuisine in a casual yet elegant setting. Upon entrance to the restaurant it is evident that the rooster is an integral theme throughout the décor. The interior is warm and inviting with its azure and goldenrod walls and candlelight flickering from the tables dressed with crisp white table cloths. In addition to the interior, Bistro is one of the few restaurants in the area that can boast an outdoor café-style area. This is a big one in my book; there is nothing better on a summer afternoon or evening than sitting with friends or family, having good meal al fresco.

Throughout the evening we had superb service. Our quick-witted server was knowledgeable and attentive. Despite being busy, everything appeared to run like a well-oiled machine with everyone working together to ensure each customer’s happiness. We only had one minor issue; our server did forget to bring baguettes to the table, but neither of us really cared. We weren’t there for the bread.

I recommend going on Wednesdays, when French wines are half price. Looking for a good cocktail? Try going for drinks on Thursday night when martinis are featured. Mixologist Dan Stouffer, shakes, stirs and pours martinis that rival the best clubs in Chicago. I may be a little green when it comes to wine, but martini’s I KNOW, and Bistro offers the best around, hands down. A word to the wise, Thursday nights can be busy so you might want to order that second drink before the first one is gone so you aren’t left sitting with an empty glass.

Basically stated, Bistro 501 is a place where you can have fantastic food, a little too much wine, and a relaxing evening with friends and family all at a price that honestly will not empty your wallet.

Bistro 501 is located on the corner of Main and Columbia, Lafayette, IN.

Lunch $$ Dinner $$$

On a scale of 5 forks I give it a 5
Service - Excellent
Cuisine - Excellent
Atmosphere - Excellent
www.bistro501.com