Sleep in late; watch cooking shows on PBS; munch on a hazelnut layered English muffin: my perfect Saturday.

Today I was engrossed in the mastery of Jacques Pépin as he transformed seemingly normal strips of fish into dazzling and alluring dishes of wonder. I really don’t eat fish that often, not because I don’t like it, but because it’s quite time consuming; but after watching this morning’s episode, I’m itching to try a recipe. Unlike some of the cooking I’ve seen on the Food Channel, Pépin’s style is no-nonsense and to the point. He doesn’t distract you with constant smiling or an unbelievably perfect kitchen and his charm reads through the precision at which he attacks his recipes.  As a chef of experience, Pépin has been working and perfecting his craft since his early years in France to create stunning dishes some well-known clients including Charles de Gaulle and Howard Johnson.

On his website, you can find a plethora of recipes that, if you so choose to follow, are sure to give your guests an awe-inspiring meal.

In my opinion, when a waiter offers you drinks “on the house” for you and a friend, you accept…especially when the drink is a Kir Royale.

Let’s take a step back: A drink originating from the Bourgogne (Burgundy) region of France, the Kir cocktail is typically made with one part crème de cassis (blackcurrant) and five parts white wine. Served in a standard wine glass, you’d want to use a good white wine but nothing too classy; after all, the flavor of the wine will be compromised with the crème de cassis. Obviously, the more the cassis you add, the stronger the flavor. France-property-and-information.com says the official recipe is 1/3 crème de cassis, 2/3 white wine/champagne…I think that might be a bit too much for most palettes, but you are more than welcome to try!

You can find crème de cassis at Premier Wines and Spirits stores in the Buffalo area but probably not in smaller liquor stores.

Kir

Crème de cassis
Dry white wine (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet, Pinot Grigio)
A standard wine glass

Pour 1 part crème cassis into your glass. Then add in 5 parts white wine.

Note* In following the sequence of "cassis first, wine second," this sufficiently mixes the two liquids making the drink ready to serve once the glass(es) are filled.

Kir Royale

Crème de cassis
Champagne
A champagne flute
2 blackberries (optional)

Pour 1 part crème cassis into your glass. Add in the blackberries, followed by pouring in the 5 parts champagne.

Blackberries grow abundant in the dewy west of Ireland late in the summer. Mainly used in sauces and desserts, blackberries offer a sharp tart flavor while adding joyful sweetness to any treat. Apparently, they were the “Flavor of the Month” in Sept 11 for Better Homes and Gardens!

3 cartons of blackberries
3 tbsp of sugar
¾ c. of breadcrumbs
½ c. of confectionary (icing/powdered) sugar
1 ¼ tsp cinnamon
½ stick of butter/margarine

Heat oven to 400 °F

Mix the blackberries and the sugar in an 8 inch pie dish or casserole and leave to allow sugar to soak in.

Mix together the breadcrumbs, confectionery sugar and cinnamon. Bit by bit, add in the butter using your fingers to mix the ingredients into a consistent crumble (Crumble should remain pretty thin. If you want to have bigger chunks of crumble, add in more butter).

Cover the blackberries with your crumble mixture and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Take out and let set for 5minutes as the blackberries will be quite hot, then serve alone, with whipped cream or à la mode.

Check out other blackberry recipes at this site for more delectable treats!