Features And Demo Of Makita SP6000K Plunge Saw

Features and Demo of Makita SP6000K Plunge Saw

a contoured comfort grip. Check out the "Toolstop Power Tool Cook Book" at www.toolstop.co.uk ... Makita SP6000 SP6000K "plunge saw" toolstop ...

Arugula Salad with Duck Egg, Prosciutto and Truffle Vinaigrette

 

     

"Tonight, I will kill you."  Those were the words I remembered when I first tasted this dish.  On a recent trip, I had brought Tony Bourdain along to keep me company.  And no, that wasn't what he said when he realized that he would be spending summer vacation with me and my six and nine year-old boys at our family cabin.  While I was flying to Colorado, Tony was visiting Quebec in season 2 of No Reservations.  The restaurant was Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, and even though pigs feet were on the door, foie gras was on the menu.  Not just an appetizer or a main course dish, but nine different preparations of everything from duck terrine to a foie gras tart, foie gras poutine, foie gras hamburger, foie gras stuffed rabbit, foie gras on a buckwheat pancake with bacon and syrup, even a foie gras hot dog.  Chef Martin Picard gave the order to kill his friend and fellow foie gras lover with his entire foie gras menu, instructing his kitchen to "give him, give him, give him, and when he dies, stop." 

     

Tony very nearly died that night and that experience was in my mind when I tried this appetizer from Mario Batali's Babbo Cookbook.  The prosciutto, the duck egg, the truffle oil all conjures the "rich, outrageously over the top" experience of Tony's foie gras fantasia.  Mario's dish is these things, but it's even more.  The rustic bread gives a crunch contrast in texture absent from Montreal's hometown cheese, gravy and french fries poutine dish.  More importantly, Mario always remembers the acid necessary to brighten and balance a dish.  In this case, while there is a truffle vinaigrette drizzled over the top, the greens are prepared with a lemon vinaigrette.  The result is a trip through ecstasy with a return to readiness for the next course.  No flushed cheeks and bloated belly, although Tony can be forgiven, he did have 15 courses that evening in Montreal.  

   

An ingredients note, Mario suggests guanciale, pancetta or bacon.  I had prosciutto in the fridge and used that.  I liked the flavor without the thick slices of the other options.  Also, I am not a frisee person, so I substituted arugula for Mario's suggestion.  Similarly, I made no effort to procure real truffles, instead using truffle oil.  These are all choices we make in adopting restaurant menus to our home.  But don't substitute the duck egg, and never forget that heaven is somewhere between pork fat and sauteed duck liver.  Serves 2.

    

Ingredients:

5 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

salt/pepper

2 handfuls arugula

1 tsp truffle oil

1 tsp sherry vinegar

4 strips prosciutto

2 tbsp butter

2 duck eggs

2 slices of baguette, cut thick and grilled or toasted

    

Directions:

Whisk 3 tsp of olive oil with the lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Combine with the arugula and set aside.  Mix the other 2 tsp of olive oil with the truffle oil and sherry vinegar.  Whisk and set aside.  In a non-stick saute pan over medium heat, cook the prosciutto slices until browned.  Remove to a paper towel.  Discard the fat and wipe the pan.  Turn up the heat under the pan to medium-high and add the butter.  When the butter is heated and the foam subsides, add each egg and cook without flipping for 4 to 5 minutes.  When the egg is nearly done, tilt the pan and spoon some of the hot butter over the egg to finish the cooking.  Season with salt and pepper and remove from the pan.  Assemble each plate with some arugula on the bottom, an  egg, a piece of baguette and finally the prosciutto on top.  Drizzle with the truffle vinaigrette and serve.

    

3 OF THE MOST FABULOUS WINTER COATS FOR UNDER $500

I always always leave the purchase of my winter coat too late. Maybe it's a thrifty hangover from the days when my mum forced me wait until the winter sales: I always end up shuffling around everyone else's leftovers in January and getting something that doesn't quite fit or is a dreary pond colour. Now (I have been informed by my fashion editor pal) is the very time to be sleuthing around and prepping to make your purchase. So I know its still really summer but - here's my top three. I sort of want them all. Frosty fall days here I come!

1) The modish boyfriend coat

Pia Overcoat £250, ($410) from www.whistles.co.uk

2)The classic navy trench

Hampstead trench, $198 from Madewell

3) The pop of color

Double Breasted Coat, $169 Zara

PS. So i know it's not in winter coat category but I have something of a cape-fixation...and couldn't resist sneaking in this swishy j.crew beauty.

4. The work-with-everything cape

The Great Caper, £398 from j.crew

Pile 'em high

There's something about the sight of an orderly pile of suitcases that I just love. Not only are they super useful for hiding away unruly piles of clothes they are possibly one of the most blissfully simple interiors tricks.  The only rules: they have to look a little tatty around the edges and go from big to small.  Here are a few stacks of inspiration.

These painted white cases make a fabulous bedside table. misswalker.blogspot.com

Vintage British trucks (with a cute Kate Spade "Kennedy" on top). www.thecoveteur.com

Mixing in some pastel pretties up this smart pile of suitcases

Finding cases in shades that mirror the other colors in your room works a treat in the bedroom of this stylish Swedish highrise.www.apartmenttherapy.com

The more labels the merrier. vintageindie.typepad.com

Stirring The Pot

stirring the pot

the Chicago dailies. She has also worked as a professional cook and is the author of two books. The Grand Wok Cookbook and Turning 50: Fifty ...

WATERMELON BASKET (Carving)

Things Required:

Watermelon

Assorted fruits

Cherries

Toothpicks

Method:

1. Take a medium sized watermelon and mark the shape of the handle and the rim.

2. Carefully cut out the pieces between the handle and the rim on both sides.

3. Carve the zig-zag shape on the rim.

4. Scoop out the melon.

5. Fill the basket with fruit salad.

6. Decorate the handle with banana slices and cherries using toothpicks.

This goes to the event:

Create N Carve - hosted by

Simply.Food & Dinner Recipes from Sonia's Kitchen