Cooking By The Book: A no-fuss savory French pastry

Too often restaurant cookbooks, while gorgeous to look at, are designed more to be admired than put to practical use: recipes are too involved for the home kitchen, proportions too large.

But that's not the case with "The Eiffel Tower Restaurant Cookbook" (Chronicle Books), in which acclaimed chef Jean Joho shares dozens of his signature dishes from his popular restaurant at the Paris Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas.

Raised in Alsace, Joho has strong local ties. The restaurateur also is proprietor of Everest and Brasserie JO, both in Chicago.

The handsome, red suede-covered book – penned with the help of Chicago-based Chandra Ram, culinary editor of Plate magazine – features more than a fair share of mouth-watering photographs.

While we found Joho's Caraway Gougeres especially appealing, though you might want to add a sprinkling of salt to the top of each gourgere before baking. Among other temptations in his book are Mustard-Crusted Salmon Paillards, Beef Tenderloin with Roquefort Sauce, Eiffel Tower Souffles and Alsace Apple Strudel with Cinnamon Ice Cream.


CARAWAY GOUGERES
(Makes 24)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbl. caraway seeds, plus more for garnish
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup Gewurztaminer wine
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp. salt
1.4 tsp. sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup (3 oz.) shredded Gruyere cheese, plus more for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, mustard, the 1 tablespoon caraway seeds and the cayenne. Stir to blend. Set aside.

In a heavy, medium saucepan, combine the water, wine, butter, salt and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until the butter is melted. Add the flour mixture all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the paste forms a firm ball and pulls away frm the edges of the pan.

Remove the paste from the pan and place it in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing between each addition. The paste should be firm, smooth and waxy.

Add the 2/3 cup cheese to the paste and blend thoroughly. Drop the paste onto the prepared sheet by teaspoonfuls, or pipe it through a pastry bag fitted with a half-inch plain tip to make walnut-sized mounts on the prepared sheet. Sprinkle each mound with a little additional cheese and a few caraway seeds.

Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat the allow the gourgeres to dry out in the oven for a few minutes before removing them.

Note: Uncooked gougeres can be frozen until ready for use. Bake them an hour in advance and serve at room temperature.