Pave Des Romaines Recipes

Steps:

• In a large pitcher mix all ingredients together. Pour into glasses filled with ice.

Steps:

• Cut a thin layer off top of chocolate genoise to make a flat surface and sprinkle with 1/4 cup brandy. Place on a plate.
• Melt 6 ounces chocolate: put chocolate in bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand until chocolate is soft, then pour off water, leaving softened chocolate behind. Add chocolate to whipped cream and beat together. Add 1/4 cup rum.
• Spread layer of creamed chocolate over chocolate layer of genoise and top with yellow genoise. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup rum over top layer.
• Beat egg whites until stiff. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, a little at a time, until incorporated. Spread all but 1/2 cup buttercream over top of cake and dust with icing sugar. Place another layer of ganache on top and spread smoothly. Arrange apricots around top of cake.
• Melt remaining chocolate in bowl, as before and pour over top of cake. Decorate with pipings of reserved buttercream.

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a small bowl with 1/4 cup water. Set bowl in a pan of barely simmering water, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool. Combine 1/2 cup, or more to taste, of chestnut cream into 1 slightly rounded cup of buttercream. Set aside.
• Assemble the Buche: Peel parchment liner from cake. Lift foil under cake and invert it onto a second sheet of foil. Remove the original foil, peeling away the browned genoise "skin" stuck to it. Moisten the cake with the rum, using a pastry brush. Spread chestnut buttercream evenly over the cake. Roll the cake tightly, the long way, into a "log" using the foil to aid you if necessary. Wrap log tightly in foil. Freeze until hard, or at least firm. The firmer the cake, the easier it will be to decorate. Log may be completed to this point, and kept frozen, up to 6 weeks. Stir chocolate mixture into remaining buttercream and refrigerate or freeze until needed. Finish and Decorate the Buche: Soften reserved chocolate buttercream and beat just until smooth. Unwrap the frozen log. Trim a fraction of an inch from each end to even the edges. Spread the log with most of the reserved chocolate buttercream. Do not frost the ends. Use a fork to texture the buttercream so that it resembles the bark of a tree. Dip a sharp knife in hot water, then wipe dry. Cut the diagonal "stump" off each end of the log. Set stumps aside. Transfer log to a serving platter. Affix stumps to the log. Cover bare spots with buttercream. Use the fork to touch up the bark effect as necessary. Decorate with sprigs of pine and meringue mushrooms. Store in the refrigerator. For best flavor and texture, remove Buche from the refrigerator at least an hour before serving.

Steps:

• Wash and pat dry lettuce leaves, then tear into pieces. Place on a platter and arrange the tomatoes on top and around the edges. To make the dressing: Place the cheese, oregano, chives, lime juice and olive oil in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Drizzle the dressing over the greens and tomatoes. Top with chile strips.
• Whisk together the egg and water in a medium bowl. Coat the chile strips in the egg mixture, then set aside. Place the cornmeal in a bowl next to the chile strips. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet until hot. Coat half the chile strips with cornmeal and add to the oil. Fry over medium heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Fry the other half of the strips and drain.
• Salt to taste.