Monday, June 27, 2011

Goat Cheese Mousse, Sour Cherry & Pistaschio Terrine: A Tragedy in Three Layers for the International Incident Terrine Party

What's in a name? As it turns out, absolutely everything. 

If, for example, this were the International Incident Spreads Party, or the Tortes Party - or even the Cheese Party - what I have made here would be a modest success. The bottom layer is a goat and cream cheese mousse, lightly flavored with fresh cherry juice. On the top perches a layer of goat cheese and fromage blanc mousse, dotted with fresh chopped basil. There is a scrumptious sour cherry spread from Croatia's Dalmatian Coast sandwiching the two layers together, and the whole lot is topped with crumbled pistachio. Tastes good, and with a bit of set design it even looks sort of pretty. But nonetheless, this wiggly loaf is a failure.


Alas, this month's party - hosted as ever by our lovely hostess and founder, Penny aka Jeroxie - is a terrine party. And as a terrine, my dish is an unqualified disaster. 

It's entirely my fault. Terrines require patience and planning, and lately, between work and my personal life I have not had the luxury to employ either one of those admirable qualities, particularly not when it comes to my cooking.  Making a terrine is fussy and more like baking than savory cooking generally is, in that one must stick to amounts and recipes and procedures and ratios to avoid a mess. I did none of those things, and a mess is just what I got. My top layer was too heavy for my bottom layer, and it squeezed the cherry spread out and down the sides of the bottom layer, causing unsightly dripping and massive slippage in the process.

For once, though, I am not beating myself up about something turning out less that perfect. I'll learn proper terrine technique when I take garde manger in the spring, and frankly I think I will need that sort of enforced classroom discipline to ever have one come out in the artistic and symmetrical way that they should, as I am not naturally drawn to making one. In general, I am more of a play-it-fast-and-loose sort of cook.

But wait, Trix, you may be saying: Your dish looks lovely in the photos. Well, yes, it does (if I do say so myself) but that is really proof of the power of photography to mask flaws rather than any comment on the value of my dish. 

After all, this lovely glamour shot:

...came from this cheesy carnage (Note the toothpicks holding the layers together! How very un-terrinelike):
But, as I say, if this were a cheese spreads party, things would be entirely different.

Who knew food blogging could teach us so much about perspective?

To see what everyone else brought to the party, make sure to check out the links below.





19 comments:

  1. Well, I for one think your terrine is the bomb, flavorwise, at least ;-). And I've had many a day when toothpicks hold my dishes together too, and they weren't even terrines! Looking forward to the day when you will master the art of terrine-making, for I'm pretty sure then you'll blow us all out of the water!

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  2. I think you are being way too hard on yourself, it looks gorgeous and it sounds so good. I love those types of cherries so much. The next one will be above perfection. Beautiful plating on the pics

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  3. looks wonderful to me your too hard on yourself

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  4. I must say the "slippery" terrine looks like it tastes delicious...

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  5. Trix dear, I'm sure papa Trix going to love this! I'm not a terrine kind of person and not really familiar with it either. I hope one day I take time to learn more about it. Hope you're having a great day. enjoy!
    Blessings, KRisty

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  6. Your right it does look beautiful and creative. Actually art work, sorry it didnt turn out so well, but as always you are so positive about any experience thats what I love about your blogging!

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  7. I think it looks great and I love the flavors.

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  8. Like everyone else said you are WAY too hard on yourself. It does look beautiful and I bet it tasted great too. Props to you for showing from whence the pretty shot came from - I often look at the carnage and have to laugh at myself! I made a similar terrine for Daring Cooks last year and it was similarly difficult. Head on over to my entry and see my VERY loose interpretation of a "terrine" too ;)

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  9. I love this. I understand where you are coming from, I am hard on myself too!

    It is such a creative dish, though!

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  10. Since I just had my own disaster with a game pie not so long ago (always use a cookie sheet under a clamped mold!!!) I can so identify with yours. As it turned out... the photos do make it look delicious and the cherry jam dripping down has a certain insouciance that suits the dish... I'd even go so far as to say, sprezzatura! Pooey on perfection... boring!

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  11. This is so beautiful!! Sometimes the fact that it turns out differently from what you had imagined is what gives it that perfection in color and texture! I love it.

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  12. I am so sorry it did not work out as well as you wanted...but if it's tasty anyway then not a total loss :) Terrines are quite a process and more exact than I normally prefer to deal with.
    Hope you are having a great week...

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  13. I agrre that presentation is important but you are too hard on yourself. This looks delicious.

    Mina Joshi
    http://www.givemesomespice.com

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  14. It seems that most of my photos require a bit of carnage, too...love your honesty! But this still looks like a fabulous terrine...both delicious and quite beautiful!

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  15. Hi Trix, this is one of those boo boos that nobody would notice if you didn't mention it! Your terrine looks lovely, isn't it wonderful how we can manipulate our images to show their good attributes. Honestly the dripping and slippage could just be a lovely fruity sauce delicately Saucing the goat cheese mousse;-)

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  16. Its all about perspective Trix. And I applaud you - one for understanding where things went wrong. We should ALL learn from our mistakes. BTW, this post could easily be a psychology lecture!

    And perspective - the value in it. Understanding how titles and labels change things. I love your cheese platter - save the terrine for another time!

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  17. now that's the thing I love so much of your writings and your posts - your perspective on things.... if anything, I have learned from you....

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  18. I don't know about taste, but that is absolutely gorgeous!!

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  19. Wow this looks fantastic!! I love the presentation, the flavors, everything! Loving your blog and so glad to be your newest follower! Hope you had a fabulous 4th of July! :)

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