Image used with permission by copyright holderWith everything going on in France recently, we at The Manual thought it would be a nice gesture of solidarity for us to honor the country that stood by us during tough times.
Thanksgiving is coming up, and we wanted to give a tip of the hat to our friends by incorporating a little bit of French cuisine into our traditional American meals. We recently spoke with master chef Sylvain Harribey about his favorite American dishes.
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Chef Sylvain HarribeyImage used with permission by copyright holder
Chef Harribey happens to not only be the executive chef at the fantastic Gaby Brasserie at the Sofitel Hotel in New York City, but also a “Chopped’ champion. “Some of my favorite dishes at Thanksgiving are roasted pumpkins with Chanterelle mushrooms, broccoli with garlic and herbs, and potato gratin casserole,” Harribey said.
As for his favorite French dishes?
“Honey roasted duck breast, porcini potato gratin , grilled lamb chops , garlic sauce , grilled salmon , eggplant caviar, sautéed baby kale , olive tapenade,” the Chef added.
Gaby Brasserie at the Sofitel in NYCImage used with permission by copyright holder
So what are some ways we can incorporate the two eclectic cuisines this holiday season? Well, it’s a lot closer to home than you’d think.
Some French staples might already by on your menu. “A wild mushroom sauce,” Chef Harribey says would apply nicely, as would “truffle mashed potatoes.”
If you truly want to “French-ify” add this dessert to end your dinner on a sweet note.
Pumpkin Crème Brûlée (Feeds 6 People)
Ingredients:
5 whole eggs
5 egg yolks
1 quart of heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
1 small cup of sugar
8 oz. pumpkin puree
Directions:
Cut one vanilla bean in half vertically, remove the beans with a paring knife, add beans to the heavy cream, and heat to a low boil.
Be sure to include the casings of the vanilla bean to the heavy cream to reinforce the vanilla flavor.
Crack the whole eggs into a mixing bowl. Separate an additional 5 yolks and add to the mixing bowl.
Pour the sugar and whip the mixture until it becomes white.
Then mix in the pumpkin puree with the current batter.
When the heavy cream is hot, pour it slowly on the batter while gently mixing with a whisk.
Once it is all mixed together, a foam will start to form. Skim this foam with a small ladle. Pour the mix into the ramequin. Cook in the oven at 250 degrees for 45 minutes in a bain-marie and cover.
Once cooked, let it sit until chilled. This can be made 2-3 days in advance.
When you are ready to serve, use raw brown sugar and brule with a torch (or use your oven on broil; heat to 400- 450 degrees).
When the sugar is a nice light brown color, remove from the oven. Be careful, however, not to burn the sugar, as it cooks very quickly and will be bitter if overcooked.
It's hot out there, people. And one of the absolute best ways to cool off is by way of a great frozen cocktail. So, let us introduce you to the pink wine-inspired Frosé, an ideal drink for the next heat wave.
But first, a little history. The Frosé was allegedly born at Bar Primi in NYC. The drink is very much as advertised, a rosé wine-centric frozen cocktail (hence, the name). The Italian joint's general manager, Justin Sievers, came up with the drink, treating guests to an ice-cold pink concoction that's all the better during the middle of summer.
How to make Frosé
Just like wine and cheese, steak just gets better with age.
If you're anything like us, one of your go-to happy places is likely a dark and moody gourmet steakhouse, complete with mustachio'd barkeeps and their impressive list of extravagant steak and bourbon pairings. If this is a scene that sounds familiar to you, you probably know a little something about dry-aged steaks. Until just recently, these incredible pieces of meat were only available in upscale steakhouses, very high-end grocers, and specialty butcheries. Thanks to the passage of time and whispers of praise, however, word eventually got out about how incredible dry-aged steaks are, and now they're much more widely accessible online and even at some mid-level grocery stores.
Fat Tire teams up with skatewear brand Vans for its summer packaging
It's also creating a pair of Fat Tire branded Vans slip-ons
One of the OGs of the U.S. craft beer scene, Fat Tire, is teaming up with skateboard brand Vans to create new summer packaging for its beer and a range of merch including some branded Vans slip-ons. Known originally for its amber ale which has been reformulated (somewhat contentiously) over the years, Fat Tire is one of the important brands in craft beer history and has recently pushed for a more sustainable approach to its beer brewing.
The brand is partnering with Vans to use its iconic checkboard pattern, known as "Off the Wall" on cans of its ale for the summer. The merch collection being released alongside the limited edition packaging includes hats, shirts, a cooler, and most enticingly, a pair of slip-ons that have the Fat Tire logo and slogan on the back of the heel.
Pumpkin Crème Brûlée (Feeds 6 People) 
