"Serene" > wrote in message
...
> We're going to Carin's dad's. We're bringing:
>
> Ribs to put on the grill (I'm not saying how James prepares them, but
> they're yummy anyway)
> Corn on the cob
> Watermelon
>
> I burned the ham-and-cheese puffs I made, so we're eating them without the
> burned bottoms for breakfast and not taking them with.
>
> Carin's bringing:
>
> Potato salad
> Crudites and dip
> Drinks
>
> Should be fun. We haven't seen her dad much this past year or so, and he's
> a nice guy.

Hope you all had fun, Serene!


> What's everyone else cooking today?

Yesterday was my birthday, and I spent much of the day cooking. I made a
confit byaldi (Thomas Keller's recipe -
http://www.newburyportnews.com/pulif...120204?page=1), from
the movie Ratatouille (ever since the first time my 5-year-old and I watched
the film together, she's wanted to make the dish with me).

The pics aren't the greatest, but you'll get the idea:

Making the piperade: http://i28.tinypic.com/2u8ym49.jpg

Veggies layered in the skillet: http://i32.tinypic.com/w7ofb.jpg

Out of the oven: http://i25.tinypic.com/282nh28.jpg

Plated: http://i28.tinypic.com/2l91vgp.jpg

It was a lot of work, but the end result was worth it. *Very* tasty.
Wonderful combination of flavors. I served it with a spinach salad and a
nice loaf of asiago bread. I had *a lot* of sliced veggies leftover after I
assembled the dish, so I layered them in a casserole (no piperade) and
sprinkled olive oil, garlic, and thyme over them before baking (I baked it
yesterday, and we ate that tonight for dinner).

CONFIT BYALDI (or Remy's Ratatouille)

For the piperade (bottom layer):

1/2 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed

1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed

1/2 orange bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion

3 tomatoes (about 12 ounces total weight), peeled, seeded and finely diced,
juices reserved

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 sprig flat-leaf parsley

1/2 a bay leaf

Kosher salt

For the vegetables:

1 medium zucchini (4 to 5 ounces), sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds


1 Japanese eggplant (4 to 5 ounces), sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds

1 yellow (summer) squash (4 to 5 ounces), sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds

4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Assorted fresh herbs (such as thyme flowers, chervil, thyme)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Special equipment: Oven-proof skillet

Start to finish: 3 1/2 hours, 1 hour active

To make the piperade, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with
foil.

Place pepper halves on the baking sheet, cut side down. Roast until the
skins loosen, about 15 minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven and let
rest until cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 275
degrees.

Peel the peppers and discard the skins. Finely chop the peppers, then set
aside.

In medium skillet over low heat, combine oil, garlic and onion and saute
until very soft but not browned, about eight minutes.

Add the tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Bring to a
simmer over low heat and cook until very soft and little liquid remains,
about 10 minutes. Do not brown.

Add the peppers and simmer to soften them. Discard the herbs, then season to
taste with salt. Reserve a tablespoon of the mixture, then spread the
remainder over the bottom of an 8-inch oven-proof skillet.

To prepare the vegetables, you must arrange the sliced zucchini, eggplant,
squash and tomatoes over the piperade in the skillet.

Begin by arranging eight alternating slices of vegetables down the center,
overlapping them so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. This will be the
center of the spiral. Around the center strip, overlap the vegetables in a
close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. All vegetables
may not be needed. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, oil and thyme, then season with salt and
pepper to taste. Sprinkle this over vegetables.

Cover the skillet with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until the
vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about two hours.
Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes. (Lightly cover with foil if it
starts to brown.)

If there is excess liquid in pan, place it over medium heat on stove until
reduced. (At this point, it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up
to two days. Serve cold or reheat in 350-degree oven until warm.)

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk together the reserved
piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, heat the broiler and place skillet under it until lightly browned.
Slice in quarters and lift very carefully onto plate with an offset spatula.
Turn spatula 90 degrees as you set the food down, gently fanning the food
into fan shape. Drizzle the vinaigrette around plate.

Serves 4.