Even More Coming Soon!

As anyone who has been following Screw Your Diet is surely well aware, the updates here have slowed to a crawl. If only I had the time to earn straight As in culinary school, work my day job, do my usual boatload of homework, AND keep this site more up to date. But alas, there are only so many hours in a day. Even so, I’ve still got a load of content planned – I haven’t even come close to posting all of the meat dishes from my previous class!

The next wave of content is all about baking, since that’s the class I just completed. Everything from French bread (not pictured here, but still coming), éclairs, custards, plated desserts, and everything in between. Most of it is sweet, with a bit of savory baking here and there. There’s sure to be something for everyone, so check out the previews below to see what you have to look forward to. And, as always, I’ll do my best to start posting them as soon as I can.

Poached Filet of Sole in White Wine Sauce

I must start this post with a confession – I am no great lover of cooked fish. When I was younger, I used to eat it all the time, but somewhere along the way my taste buds decided they weren't having it anymore. These days, the majority of my fish consumption comes in the form of sushi, but an enjoyment of cooked fish is starting to slowly return to me! Even so, I’ll still only go for white fish that doesn’t taste particularly fishy. Salmon is still a no go for me.

Of course, a nice pan reduction sauce can make almost anything taste better than it was originally intended. Such is the case with this filet of sole recipe, called “Sole Vin Blanc” in French (Sole with White Wine). The filets are rolled, skewered, and then cooked in a pot full of aromatic vegetables, white wine, and stock, then served with roasted potatoes and sautéed mushrooms. It’s a fairly simple dish to prepare and, like me, you’ll probably wonder why it took you so long to try fish prepared this way.

Brioche Dough Cinnamon Rolls

Alright, so, I know I said I’d be posting a bunch of savory, meat-related dishes that I learned in class – and I still intend to post the rest of them. But first, let’s take a break – a sweet, delicious break. Since I’m in the baking and pastry class now, I figured why not have a sugary interlude before diving back into the entrees? It doesn’t get much better than a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls.

One of the best kinds of dough I learned to make recently was brioche. The richness of it makes for the perfect cinnamon roll, and it’s relatively simple to make. Another thing to keep in mind is that for baking recipes, I’ll often be measuring out a lot of things in ounces now instead of teaspoons, tablespoons, and cups. Baking is like a precise science, especially when it comes to leavening agents like yeast, baking powder, and baking soda, so it is ultimately beneficial to measure things out this way instead. You can find a perfectly good scale for less then $30 at Target if you don’t have one – this is the one I’ve got, and it works like a charm.

Duck Leg Poêler (Special Roast) With Sweet Pan Reduction Glaze

Happy new year, everybody! In my previous recipe, the sautéed duck breast, I told you I'd also show you what to do with the legs and thighs of a duck as well. So, as promised, today I'll show you what to do with them. It's actually a relatively simple recipe that doesn't require a whole lot of labor, though that will also depend on what kind of side dish you choose to prepare with it. I made little potato tournes, but honestly, I do not recommend them. They're tricky, labor intensive, and exist basically just for their aesthetic appeal (and to drive culinary students insane). You'd do just as well with something like boiled potatoes without the fancy cuts, or green beans.

Anyway, if you’ve ever roasted anything before, this is a little bit different. Poêler (which is a French culinary term with no English translation) refers to the process of roasting, but with moisture added. So instead of roasting in a pan by itself, these legs will be roasted on a bed of aromatic vegetables.