M-J Teaches You How to Make Elegant French-Style Brioche, the Famous Viennoiserie Click Here for M-J's Brioche Recipe in Pictures at THE ELEGANT COOK

 M-J de Mesterton's Original Brioche Recipe in Pictures ©Copyright April 30th, 2011 Six eggs plus one egg-yolk, five or six cups of unbleached flour, one teaspoon of honey, one teaspoon of sugar, one half-teaspoon of salt, one half-cup of warmed buttermilk, one heaping teaspoonful of yeast, and two sticks of butter are M-J's ingredients for brioche. For a finishing egg-wash, you will need a seventh egg and a pastry-brush. Her recipe makes six brioches à tetes and eight full-sized hamburger buns. You will need a stand-mixer with a dough-hook to make M-J's brioche recipe. Mix warmed buttermilk with yeast, add one egg, one cup of flour and the teaspoon of honey. Mix well and cover with another cup of flour. Let rise uncovered for thirty or forty minutes, until the sponge is two or more times its original size and its surface resembles cracked earth. Adding brioche ingredients is a gradual procedure. Begin adding flour, eggs, sugar, salt and room-temperature butter cut into sma

Photo Copyright M-J de Mesterton Three ounces of radish greens contain on average 200mg (20% RDA) of calcium. They also provide 13% of the human RDA (recommended daily allotment) of iron, and  vitamins A (280% RDA) and C (173% RDA). All vegetable-greens are high in vitamin K. magnesium and other beneficial minerals. This elegant salad is composed of radish greens, cucumbers, and home-roasted almonds. My dressing is a vinaigrette made with white wine vinegar, olive oil, dry mustard, salt, and a few drops of honey. ©M-J de Mesterton 2011

An elegant way to stretch your meat budget in these austere times is to make Swedish or Scandinavian-style meatballs. Each household cook has his or her recipe, but the basics are ground meat such as beef, veal and/or pork mixed with bread crumbs or bits of bread (I use bits of brioche pulled out from my brioche hamburger buns, which have been reserved in a freezer-bag), an egg and some cream or milk.  Finely-minced onion is optional. Spices include nutmeg and/or allspice, salt and optional white pepper. Onion powder can take the place of minced onion, or that flavour may be omitted altogether. Meat mixtures are shaped into small balls and rolled in flour, then fried in butter. A pan-gravy is made while the finished meatballs rest in a warm oven until serving time. I prefer to use ground beef, brioche bits, sour cream, minced onions or onion-powder, nutmeg, salt and white or green ground pepper. ©M-J de Mesterton 2011 Serve Swedish meatballs with new potatoes and perhaps a little l

An elegant way to stretch your meat budget in these austere times is to make Swedish or Scandinavian-style meatballs. Each household cook has his or her recipe, but the basics are ground meat such as beef, veal and/or pork mixed with bread crumbs or bits of bread (I use bits of brioche pulled out from my brioche hamburger buns, which have been reserved in a freezer-bag), an egg and some cream or milk.  Finely-minced onion is optional. Spices include nutmeg and/or allspice, salt and optional white pepper. Onion powder can take the place of minced onion, or that flavour may be omitted altogether. Meat mixtures are shaped into small balls and rolled in flour, then fried in butter. A pan-gravy is made while the finished meatballs rest in a warm oven until serving time. I prefer to use ground beef, brioche bits, sour cream, minced onions or onion-powder, nutmeg, salt and white or green ground pepper. ©M-J de Mesterton 2011 Serve Swedish meatballs with new potatoes and perhaps a little ling

Gevalia Kaffe Traditional Swedish Roast, an Ideal Medium-Brown Grind  that Has a Classic Aroma and Taste Kraft Foods has chosen to market Gevalia, the favourite coffee of Sweden, known for its traditional medium-roast. The Swedes' own Gevalia Kaffe brand will be available this summer at more than 20,000 retailers throughout the United States. Gevalia, a $400 million-dollar global mail-order Swedish brand, has long had a following in the U.S.A. "Gevalia is known and loved by millions who've purchased it online because it delivers on its promise of rich, smooth taste that's never bitter," said Domenic Borrelli, Vice President of Kraft's U.S. coffee-branch. "We're telling retailers the good news now. And, we're confident the convenience of being able to purchase Gevalia in stores will attract and delight an entirely new audience of discriminating coffee lovers." Kraft Foods has a $5 billion global coffee-purveying business, which includes the  F

Cinnamon Toast, Scandinavian Style

Brioche dough formed and ready to rise. 

Elegant Roast Beef with New Potatoes

Elegant Beef Pot Roast Photo Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2011

Elegant Pot Roast of Beef Onion, carrots, celery and new potatoes added to the browned beef, Burgundy wine, herbes de Provence , water and roux will make this pot au feu a complete family meal.

Radishes with Soft Butter, a Traditional Component of Breakfast in France

Radishes with Soft Butter, a French Breakfast Favourite

Low-calories and lots of taste go into this elegant stir-fry, made with celery, onion, ginger, coconut oil and shirataki noodles. ©M-J de Mesterton Shirataki Noodle or Konnyaku are Stir-Fried with Vegetables  A Japanese chile, soy sauce and peanut dressing will be just the thing to add a pleasant piquancy.

Elegant Pot Roast of Beef Beef Pot Roast Simmered in Wine for Two Hours

Sausage with Dijon Mustard on Split Brioches  Sausage set inside a split brioche with a touch of Dijon mustard underneath it is an excellent appetiser. I call my concoction "Brioche con Brio."  ©M-J de Mesterton

Elegant Pot Roast of Beef Tenderised by cooking with Burgundy wine, flavourised with summer savoury, herbes de Provence , onion, and celery; slow-cooked with carrots and potatoes ©M-J de Mesterton 2011

Elegant, nutritious sorbet is easily made at home with frozen fruit. I made this one with frozen strawberries and canned pineapple, a little bit of honey, all processed in a Cuisinart and frozen again for an hour. ©M-J de Mesterton

Elegant Homemade Brioche

Merguez Sausage with Dijon Mustard on Split Brioches 

This refreshing and elegant cucumber-radish salad is dressed with a rice wine vinaigrette.