puppy love & when to cook and tell . . . 

swordfish Mediterranean sauté

I am over the moon about the summer stone fruit which has arrived in the markets. However, I must admit that I am still clinging to the fava beans and English peas which are declining in number as summer rapidly approaches. While picking out fava beans at the McGrath Family Farm stand at the Sasnta Monica Farmer’s Market, it was there I fell in love. I could not help myself. It was this instant affection with inspired this week’s simple pleasure: swordfish Mediterranean sauté.

So there I was at the stand and my heart went flip-flop for something next to the favas: scallions. No, that is not a code for anything nor am I alluding to any French slang term (les oignons, also an allium, can refer to someone’s tush). There were really scallions. Not just any kind of scallions mind you, but the tiny, tiny baby red scallions. I call it the puppy factor because who can say no to anything that small and cute, even if it is a scallion. I only had to glance to my right to spy some heirloom tomatoes (thank goodness for the long growing season in L.A), and dinner was planned. We were going Mediterranean. Light food, simple and colorful. Food as welcoming and bright as the summer sun. Dinner built around these baby red scallions.

Swordfish is popular and enjoyed throughout the summer in the Mediterranean. With its meaty texture, swordfish goes well with olives and capers and tomatoes. I thought that these baby red scallions would be a terrific addition to that classic Mediterranean combination. It was. Garnished with some flowering coriander and minced fresh Italian parsley, the result was delicious, light and just what I had envisioned at the market (an instant culinary transportation to the Mediterranean). 

To think it all started with puppy love..over some scallions.

mangez bien, vivez bien, et bon appétit !

LM

swordfish Mediterranean sauté

serves 4-6

24 ounces fresh swordfish steak, trimmed and cut into cubes*
kosher salt (as needed)
freshly ground black pepper (as needed)
piment d’espelette (optional)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup capers, rinsed and drained
2 dozen olives, pits removed and cut in half
baby red scallions (as needed)
2-3  beautiful heirloom tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
fresh flowering coriander or basil (as needed for garnish)
fresh watercress leaves (optional)

*You can use whole swordfish steaks instead of cubing the steaks. Plan on about 4-6 ounces of swordfish per person.

how to:

• Prepare Swordfish. Trim the skin off of the steak(s). Cut steaks into ½-1 “ cubes. Season with salt and pepper (and a little piment d’espelette if you have it).

• Prepare Fruits/Vegetables. Trim the scallions (4” in length) and remove the roots. Remove the pits from the olives and cut olives in half. Drain and rinse the capers (or they will be too salty). Cut the tomatoes into wedges.

• Sauté.  Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to hot pan. One oil is hot, add garlic. When you can smell the garlic, add the swordfish. Use tongs to turn the swordfish in the pan to evenly cook. When almost done (swordfish is done when it is opaque in the center and no longer translucent), add tomatoes, capers, onions, and olives.  Sauté for 2-3 minutes to combine the flavors and finish cooking the swordfish (fish is opaque).  Add vinegar to the pan and toss the sauté mixture in the vinegar and cook for another 1-2 minutes.* 

• Season & Garnish. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve warm. Serve on a bed of frsh watercress if you have it.

*If you are cooking the swordfish steaks (rather than the cubes) cook the steaks and remove them from the pan. Set aside on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. When the sauté is done (if will only take a few minutes), pour the sauté over the swordfish steaks evenly. Season and garnish.

cheeseburger in paradise

In the twenty plus years I have come and gone to France, I have never eaten a hamburger in France. Until now. I heard about Le Camion qui Fume (the truck who smokes) several times and for several reasons.  Le Camion qui Fume made history because it was the first “food truck” in Paris. This adventure was pioneered by Kristin Frederick, a fellow American who coincidentally is also from California. Based upon my experiences in France, let’s just say that I cannot even imagine the French paperwork (nor the taxes….sigh) involved in the undertaking; however, it did not deter Frederick who brought her concept of “French-i-fied” American food — burgers and fries on the go — to the City of Light. And, of course, this Californian included a “double-double” (double boeuf, double fromage) on the menu.

Why do I call it “French-i-fied?”  Well, le Camion qui Fume uses amazing French cheese (sorry for the redundancy). Second, these are not flat patties garnished with pickles and ketchup but substantial meat burgers with caramelized things and quality ingredients you would find in a sit down restaurant, not a drive-thru (or walk up). Third, the burgers are made to order so you have to wait (yes, you have to wait for each burger to be cooked). Lastly, the food truck is named “the truck who smokes” and where else would you find a food truck who smokes EXCEPT in France. 

 Le Camion is open for lunch and dinner. The locations change daily and advertising is done via social media. Truck locations and menus can be found on their website http://www.lecamionquifume.com The burger of the day is announced on twitter. The wait is reported to be Disneyland times without the fast-pass (I heard 1-2 hours but my wait was about 30 minutes). They have a communal table for sitting done but the spots are hard to get. 

I happened to be  in Paris when my friend Linda emailed me the schedule for Le Camion and suggested I research it. I was apprehensive. I could eat a great burger in Los Angeles, why get one in Paris when there is legal foie gras? However, I am always interested to see what other ex-pats are doing in Paris and as luck would have it, le camion was going to be at the Place de la Madeleine the next day, close to where I was headed for a little early Christmas shopping.

So the next day I stood in the rain waiting for an aged Gruyère and caramelized onion hamburger with wild mushrooms. I peered up from underneath my umbrella and thought how funny it was to see this California-conceived idea, a food truck selling burgers and fries, juxtaposed against the famous Madeleine church in the background with fresh fish and vegetables displayed immediately to the left in the open marché. 

Despite the 30 minute wait and the price for stand-up/to-go food (10 euros for a burger and fries alone) I have to admit, it was tasty and particularly so on a rainy, dreary Paris day.  A cheeseburger in Paradise. Some things are so good, they should have songs written about them….

bon appétit ! 

LM

 Mother’s Day 2013 

speak carefully and carry a positive message 

 cherry granita

This week I had my first taste of an “empty nest.” My eldest, now a “tween,” visited Boston with her fifth grade class for a week. Her healthy separation from me and her eagerness to see the world and rely on her peers in a new way is bittersweet. Every year I write a Mother’s Day personal “recipe” for them. This year’s recipe was not only inspired by their rapid coming of age, but by two recent events. The first was the passing of our family matriarch (this year was the first time in our lives we did not celebrate her birthday and Mother’s Day jointly (at least, with her present)). The second was our Spring Break trip to Washington D.C. Both events reminded me of the importance of words, spoken, and unspoken. This week’s simple pleasure, and my annual Mother’s Day recipe for them, is a humble recipe for speaking with a little cherry granita on top (recipe below).

Ava and Julia,

to speak or not to speak that is the first question

Your  Great-Grandmother was the embodiment of many, many lovely things. Unfailingly supportive, encouraging, loving, and thoughtfully spoken. Not one person who ever met her disliked her. No one could speak unkindly about her. 

She was raised on a small farm in Illinois. She never graduated from High School. She never sought financial success or personal recognition. She was an old soul with a kind heart. She knew the value of things that mattered and the trivial nature of the things that do not. She touched the lives of many in her own way.

Your Great-Grandmother carefully weighed the impact of her comments and advice before she spoke. She approached people with sincerity. She was not confrontational, judgmental, or boastful. Being “right” was not important. Resolving conflict and comforting those who needed her took precedence. Of the many wise things she would say, she would always warn that: “Once you say the words you can never take them back.” When I was a lawyer, we used to say that you “cannot un-ring the bell once it was rung.” It is the same principle and Great-Grandma never had to go to law school to learn that lesson. Great-Grandma knew the power of words. You were blessed to have a Great-Grandmother and even more fortunate to have a Great-Grandmother who was a wise, strong woman and I hope that the examples of her life will stay with you all of yours.

 the words and the message you are sending is the second question 

In Washington D.C.  we visited the Lincoln Memorial and stood at the feet of the seated statue of Abraham Lincoln. Surrounded by a great man’s words etched in stone – The Gettysburg Address on the left of us and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address on the right — I thought of the power of one person’s words.

Although the Civil War was soon to end in the Union’s favor, in his Second Inaugural Address Lincoln did not celebrate nor seek to punish the South. Rather, his words encouraged inclusion, restoration, and the rebuilding of a unified nation. It would have been easy for him to give the opposite message. He could have sought to make the South suffer further or celebrate the success of the Union. However, he did not. Rather, Lincoln was clear: 

“With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” 

It was a message of optimistic, encouragement, inclusion, forgiveness, and positive strength. It is a message that sought to heal a nation then. Lincoln’s positive words are applicable today.

On the steps in front of Abraham Lincoln’s statue is where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historical “I have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963 after leading the March on Washington. Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s message was similar to Lincoln’s in many ways. Dr. King advocated equal treatment and opportunity, hope, and advancement without revenge, punishment, or violence: 

 “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.” 

It would have been so easy to have gone the other way…it would have been understandable. However, he did not. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words remain applicable and inspirational today. 

***

I reference these three individuals this week because I have been thinking about one of my challenges as a  mother and that is teaching you about speaking (the words you say, when you should not say anything, thinking before you speak…). Manners and polite words are the easy part. How to address your elders and how to speak respectfully are not difficult either. However, you are at an age where your skills of communication are being developed and tested not only on an academic level but on a social level (which seems to affect your day even more at this age). How do you comfort a friend or give them advice?  When you are disappointed or angry at your friend, what do you say and when? What do you say when others are unkind to you and hurt your feelings?  What do you say if you witness things that are wrong or unfair? How do you handle successes and defeats?  It is different for you now. You are facing more mature situations. You are growing up. 

Great-Grandma influenced our lives on a personal, familiar level. In contrast, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Abraham Lincoln influenced our lives on an indirect, historical level. There are fundamental lessons to learn from all three of these individuals. So, this year is a recipe for speaking and as you both approach the age where the language of your peers takes on a new significance, debate teams and social interaction are more relevant than before, and you develop your own voice and will test that voice out on your friends and your family, here is my humble recipe for speaking inspired by these three individuals:

• Choose your words carefully. It is said that the “pen is mightier than the sword.” Do not wound others with your words, intentionally or unintentionally.  Think about your words and the impact they will have on the listener.

• Do not talk down to another person ever. It is disrespectful. It is presumptuous. 

• Do not speak out of anger. Take time to reflect on your words. Do not be quick to advance an ending you really do not want just because you are feeling wounded or revengeful at that moment.

• Some things do not need to be said even if they are true. There is no reason to say to observational things that will hurt someone else. For example, you are entering a physically awkward stage. There is no reason to tell someone that their face is breaking out or their ears have grown faster than than head, even if it is true. You would be exploiting something they are probably already sensitive about. Why would you want to make that person feel worse?  So don’t. Learn to have a filter.

• Compliment and congratulate others often. 

• Take responsibility for your shortcomings and say you are sorry for your actions (and mean it). 

• Never use the word “hate” (and do not have hate in your heart). It is normal to prefer some things over others, but there is no reason to “hate” anything.

• Do not criticize others. Recognize that your complaints about others are typically the things you dislike about yourself. Start with those first. 

• Really listen to the words of others and never interrupt someone when they are talking. When you interrupt another before they have finished you are sending the message that what you have to say is more important than what they are saying. Moreover, how can you properly respond if you have not let them finish?

• Be respectful to others and to their feelings. Do not say something to hurt someone or for the purpose of making them feel unimportant or to make yourself feel better.

• Stand up against injustice for yourself and for others.  Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Never, never be afraid to do what’s right especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake, society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”

• Never celebrate or triumph in the shortcomings or mistakes of others.

• Speak honestly and with conviction.

• Have a positive message. There is no reason to ever put negative words or negative energy into the world. 

• Always address the issue at hand and never attack someone personally.

• If you are upset with someone, discuss what the action was that hurt you  (i.e., when you did that, I thought it was an unkind thing to do and it hurt my feelings) rather than making the action the personality or characteristic of the other person (i.e., you are mean)

• Inclusion, not exclusion, should always be your goal.

• Remind me (respectfully) if my words fall short of my own list.

Should you have difficulty remembering this list, remember at least the following abbreviated passage. This was one of Great-Grandma’s favorite passages, taken from the same book both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Abraham Lincoln looked to for guidance and inspiration. If you reflect on these words, your heart will be in the right place and your words and actions will necessarily follow and be very much in the spirit of the three individuals mentioned here: 

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast: it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.. [...] faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (English Standard Version) 

*** 

The recipe that follows is one that you both loved as children. I first made it for you when you were teething. Seeing the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. made me anxiously think of cherry recipes. Cherries arrived in the markets this week and Julia asked me to make her cherry “ice.” Good idea. The cherry granita recipe is not only simple to make but a nice parallel to the message about speech because food, like words, can be cold and icy, but when mixed with a little sugar, even the frostiest things are softened. Enjoy.

Love, Mom

cherry “ice” (granita)

serves 4-6

what you need:

1 pound fresh, delicious cherries, stems and pits removed.
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup bottled water 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
fresh mint leaves (optional garnish) 

how to: 

• Purée cherries. Place cherries, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a food processor.  Purée until smooth.

• Freeze And Scrape. Pour puréed cherries into a shallow pan (can be glass or metal).  Cover with plastic and put in the freezer.  After one hour, scrape the ice with a fork to break it up. Cover and return ice to the freezer.  After 30 minutes (or longer), repeat the scraping process. Return to the freezer.

• Serve. Spoon cherry granita into dishes. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Serve with fresh cherries.

bon appétit

birds, you, and my friend nicknamed Goo

les œufs à la coque (à ma façon)

soft-boiled eggs with toast spears and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus

My friend Celine has a love-hate relationship with birds: they love her; she dislikes them. If there is a bird to be found, Celine will quickly walk the other way. When in Paris, I often photograph the Parisian pigeons (which are everywhere) and email the photos to her with a caption that the pigeons miss her and want her to come home. The joke never seems to get old (at least on my end, but Celine takes it well). Recently, Celine passed through LA and it was her visit which inspired this simple pleasure: les œufs à la coque (with my own twist). 

“Celine…vous nous manguons!”

Celine is hands down one of my favorite people and I always look forward to seeing her. When she arrived I directed her toward the room where she would be staying. Celine went into the room and dropped her bag. When she resurfaced, she hesitated and then asked me if the finches in her room were a joke (probably thinking that I had taken my ridiculous pigeon postcard prank up a notch). However, the truth is that my youngest daughter put the finch cage in that room so she could listen to them sing and I had forgotten to take the cage out of the room before Celine arrived. I assured my friend that the cage of birds in her room was a complete accident and I removed the cage. Celine was understanding about the inadvertent welcome package and we both laughed about it. 

The next morning we decided to have breakfast outside in the backyard to enjoy the California sun. As we head outside Celine asks me, “Um … Lisa, will the chickens bother us?” I responded that they are a little noisy but they would be nowhere near us.  She was not convinced. “Lisa, two of the chickens are out of their cage …” 

WANTED Harriet for flying the coup

WANTED Laverne for flying the coup

It was true. Two chickens had dug under the fencing in the chicken run and now were clucking and running amuck in the backyard. Poor Celine. As good-natured as she was about all of this I am sure she was thinking that I was out to get her: first with the finch welcome in her bedroom, and now suggesting breakfast amongst free-roaming chickens.  

I hiked up the hill to retrieve the two escapees who were enjoying their freedom as well as my herbs and lavender. Each time I would approach them, they flew away. The direct approach was not working so I appealed to the chickens on a more basic chicken level: I fed the other four chickens inside the coup. It did not take long for the domesticated and spoiled two escapees to realize that life is easier and more delicious inside the coup than outside of it. Soon they were circling the sides of the coup trying to get in. I left two doors open for the escapees to access the coup with “Hansel and Gretel” trails of chicken feed and various treats to lure them back home. The process, however, took quite some time (chickens are not very smart).

While the great chicken caper was unfolding, Celine made me breakfast. I told you she was one of my favorite people. She had gone to the store for bread, made us coffee and used the fresh chicken eggs to make one of my favorite breakfast things: les oeufs à la coque. 

Les oeufs à la coque are soft-boiled eggs served in their shell. The top of the egg (called the “hat”) is cut off, and toasted bread is dipped into the creamy, warm soft yolk and a small spoon is used to eat the remaining egg white which is “just cooked.” It is delicious and fun all at the same time. In France, it is the way the adults get their children to eat eggs for breakfast. If you have friends who grew up in France I am sure they have childhood memories of this. 

Les oeufs à la coque are very simple to make. Boil the eggs for 4 minutes (not 3 minutes) in salted water, cut off the tops, and serve with toasted bread. For this week’s recipe I added more protein and something green (and in season) to this classic: asparagus wrapped in slices of prosciutto. 

While we enjoyed our les oeufs à la coque, gras de Celine, we watched the escapees from afar and saw that they finally ate the food trail and figured out how to get back in the coup. I closed the doors as the other four welcomed the prodigal chickens home. Celine breathed a sigh of relief. I wiped my plate clean.

When Celine left, I packed up some fresh eggs for her to take home and I made a mental note to make les oeufs à la coque for my children and to share this classic with all of you as well.

mangez bien, vivez bien, et bon appétit !

LM

les œufs à la coque (à ma façon)

soft-boiled eggs with toast spears and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus

serves 4 

you need:

4 fresh eggs from healthy chickens
4 slices of bread
12 asparagus, trimmed and peeled
12 slices of prosciutto  

how to:

• Boil. Place a saucepan filled with water and a few pinches of salt over a medium flame. When the water reaches a boil, add the asparagus and boil for one minute. Remove asparagus from the boiling water with tongs and set aside. Add eggs to the boiling water. Boil the eggs for four minutes. Remove.

• Toast and Wrap. While the eggs are cooking, you can toast the bread slices and then cut them into sticks. Wrap each cooked asparagus spear with ½ to 1 full slice of prosciutto.

• Serve. Cut the tops off of the eggs. Serve eggs warm with the toast spears and asparagus.

bon appétit !

shrimp on the bar-b and a little al fresco dining

grilled baby carrots and shrimp with cilantro, avocado and lime

I could say that I fired up the grill this weekend because of the Los Angeles sun. However, that is only partially true. It was also the Target run. Yes, Target. You see, I set out  to buy school necessities for my children and then could not resist two hurricane lamps perfect for the patio table. This led to the desire to grill which led to an easy al fresco dinner with items in my refrigerator which resulted in this week’s simple pleasure: grilled baby carrots and shrimp with cilantro, avocado and lime.

It was an impromtu outdoor dinner fueled by my desire to eat with my family around these new hurricane lamps I found at Target. It sounds frivolous perhaps, but the weather was gorgeous, we were outside all day, and dining outside seemed the perfect way to end the weekend. Dinner outside necessarily requires grilling (cooking indoors just seems inconsistent with the idea of enjoying the weather). 

I have been cooking so much lately that the last thing I wanted to do this Sunday was to spend anymore than 30 minutes preparing dinner in my “off” time.  I assessed the things in the refrigerator and did a checklist in my head of things my family likes. Carrots. A lone avocado. Shrimp. Ten minutes prep time. Five minutes grill time. An extra fifteen minutes to chill a rosé.  The plan worked brilliantly (and deliciously), so I share it with you.

If you have fifteen minutes this week’s simple pleasure can be yours. It requires only three steps: (1) season and grill the carrots and shrimp; (2) make the dressing; (3)  toss shrimp and carrots in dressing. This easy refrigerator meal is balanced in texture and flavor: a little sweet from the baby carrots, healthy fats and protein from the solid shrimp and creamy avocados, and a little tang from the fresh lime juice, cumin and cilantro. This is a meal in itself (or serve you can serve it with rice as my children like).

Dining outside in the beautiful, summerlike weather. Hurricane lamps aglow. Dinner simple, easy and delicious. Family Sunday. Beautiful Sunday. Every day should be Sunday.

mangez bien, vivez bien, et bon appétit !

LM

grilled baby carrots and shrimp with cilantro, avocado and lime

serves  4-6

what you need:

16-18 large shrimp, heads removed, cleaned and deveined, tails on  
18 small spring carrots, cleaned and trimmed
1 ripe avocado, sliced
fresh cilantro (as needed)
pinch ground cumin
pinch ground coriander
kosher salt (as needed)
freshly ground pepper (as needed)
olive oil (as needed) 

 dressing

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4-5  tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon sel de Guérande (or sea salt)*
pinch piment d’espelette (optional)

 * If using kosher salt, use ¼ -½ teaspoon because it is far less dense than sea salt 

how to:

• Clean Shrimp & Carrots. Trim and scrub the carrots (do not peel). Remove legs, shell, and vein from shrimp. Place carrots and shrimp in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and pinches of cumin and ground coriander.  Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss to combine. Set aside.

• Make Dressing. Combine lime zest, lime juice, cumin, olive oil and sea salt in a bowl.  Whisk well until you achieve a creamy emulsion. Set aside.

• Grill. Preheat grill (or an oven to 375 degrees). Place carrots and shrimp on the grill (or in a ovenproof pan in the oven). Grill for about 5 minutes until shrimp are pink and carrots are soft and golden brown. Use tongs to flip the food to ensure even cooking. The shrimp mayl cook faster than the carrots depending upon the size of the carrots. Remove from heat. Place the carrots and shrimp in a bowl as done and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

• Dress. Add dressing to warm carrots and shrimp. Toss to coat. Gently incorporate the avocados in the dressing (do this with your hands so you do not mash the avocados). Add cilantro leaves. Garnish with a pinch of piment d’espelette.  Serve warm

bon appétit !

shrimp on the bar-be

Terrior Parisien® and a little Alléno in your bowl:

 lentil and Brie soup with bacon and chives

The favorable buzz was more than I could bear. It proved to be well-deserved. This week we are visiting Yannick Alléno’s bistro Terroir Parisien® and our weekly simple pleasure is an adaption of his cream of lentil and Brie soup with bacon and chives.

Due to the remodeling projects in my apartment, I had been eating out more than usual. Sigh. I always keep a short list of new restaurants I want to try. One on my list was Yannick Alléno’s Terroir Parisien® in the Latin Quarter of the 5th arrondissement.

Multi-starred chef Yannick Alléno is the Brad Pitt of French chefs. He has earned this reputation due to his talent as well as his “dapper”, “movie star appearance.” Everything Alléno does — from his publications and tableware to his work at Le Meurice and 1947 — are so carefully and beautifully done it makes one weep with admiration. No doubt, I am a fan of his work. So when he took his concept of the Terrior Parisien® menu — a farm-to-table concept celebrating the agriculture in Ile de France (the department surrounding Paris) — and devoted an entire bistro to it, I had to try it (Alléno announced his departure from Le Meurice to pursue Terrior Parisien® and 2 star 1947 in the Cheval Blanc hotel in Courcheval (in the French Alps)).

Alléno reportedly spent years researching local farms for his products and he was said to visit the farms himself. White asparagus from Arguenteuil. Lamb from Aufferville. Purple cabbage from Pontaise. Watercress from Méréville. Mushrooms from St. Ouen l’Aumône. Houdan hens. The dedication to product detail paid off.

Terroir Parisien® is a sleek, modern bistro with tables as well as a center rectangular bar which opens to the open kitchen. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed. The waitstaff is as easy going and as generous as the food.

Alléno’s authentic menu is varied and executed with approachable finesse and innovation. The menu is classic old-style French recipes such as Blood Pudding, leeks in vinaigrette and red wine, chicken liver terrine, pommes allumettes (the matchstick French fries which I am personally addicted to), frisée salad with a soft-boiled egg, roasted duckling with apple, skirt steak with draphin potatoes.

I started with the charcuteries and pâtés board which comes with a selection of five meats, fromage de tête (head cheese), persillé au jambon (terrine of ham and parsley), boudin noir (blood sausage), terrine de pot au feu (think of your pot au feu ingredients in a terrine shape), saucisson a l’ail (garlic sausage), and jambon blanc de Paris (white ham from Paris). It was delicious. I was particularly fond of the terrines.

For the entrée (first course) and the plat (main course), my selections were driven by two food items which Ile de France  is known for: champignon de Paris (white mushrooms of Paris which ironically are out-sourced usually from Holland); and the Brie de Meaux.

I started with the cream of lentil and Brie soup topped with bacon and chives (crème de lentilles de la Brie aux petits lardons). Thick, smooth, indulgent, and full of flavor. I had to use my greatest sense of self-control not to lick the bowl clean. I am not joking.

While I could have stopped there (and probably should have) I did not. I ordered the oven-roasted scallops and mushrrom risotto with a celeriac purée. I have to tell you this was the best mushroom risotto I have ever had and while I have refused to make mushroom risotto for some time for reasons of pure palate fatigue, this renewed my interest. I love that they topped the risotto with deli-thin slices of these airy, white mushrooms which felt like delicate, earthy clouds on my tongue, balancing the creamy smooth risotto. Heaven!

I wanted to bring a little of Terrior Parisien® to your home with my adaptation of Alléno’s lentil soup. While the French often incorporate cheese into their puréed soups, Brie is rarely used. Truthfully, I thought of altering the Brie to another cheese or my preference, Greek yogurt, but it seemed disloyal to Alléno’s  concept of using the Ile de France products (not to mention yogurt, goat cheese and crème fraîche do not have the same warm overtones as Brie). Brie is widely available in markets so you will not have to go on a wild goose chase for ingredients. If you want to achieve the shiny smoothness you see in the restaurant, you need to strain the soup through a sieve to eliminate the lentil skins. It takes work to do this; however, even if you skip this step, the soup will still be delicious just with more texture and a little darker.

French Vogue featuring Yannick Alleno

I hope you will come to Paris and if you do, you can find Terrior Parisien®  at 20 rue Saint Victor in the 5th arrondissement. From a US line: 011 -33-1-44-31-54-54.  In the meantime, here is a little Alléno’s Terrior Parisen® in your bowl.

You can find my adapted recipe below.

bon appétit

LM

cream of lentil and Brie soup with bacon and chives

serves 4

what you need:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
⅓ cup chopped leek
1 carrot, diced
⅓ cup chopped celeriac (or celery stalk)
1 cup green lentils
¼ cup white wine
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, fresh Italian parsley, fresh thyme)
3 cups chicken stock
2-3 cups water (and as needed)
kosher salt (as needed, largely depending upon how salty your stock is)
black ground pepper (as needed)
2 ounces Brie cheese
5 bacon slices, cut into matchsticks
4 tablespoons minced chives

how to:

• Bacon. Cut bacon slices vertically so they resemble matchsticks. Cook in a pan until crisp. Remove from pan and sit on a papertowel to absorb excess grease. Reserve.

• Sweat. Place a large saucepan or stockpot over a medium-high heat.  Add butter. Once butter is melted, add leeks, celeriac, and carrots. Cook until tender. Add lentils. Use a wooden spoon and combine lentils with vegetables. 

• Add Wine. Add and reduce demi sec (meaning that almost all of the wine has been cooked out of the pan).

• Add Liquid & Simmer. Add bouquet garni and chicken stock to the stockpot. Add water, cup by cup. Simmer until lentils are tender.

• Purée. Remove the bouquet garni and discard it. Use an immersion blender or a food processor to purée the soup (in batches if using blender) until very smooth. If you are not straining the soup, you may need purée the soup again with the cheese. 

• Add Brie. Stir Brie into hot, strained soup and stir until melted.

• Strain. Pour the soup through a sieve and use a wooden spoon to push the lentils through. Discard any remaining Brie rind pieces and those few lentil skins stuck in the sieve.  

• Adjust Consistency. The consistency of the soup should be that of cold heavy cream.  If too thick (now or later if you have stored the soup in the refrigerator), add more stock if the flavor needs a boost. If the flavor profile is good but the soup is thick, add more water.  

• Adjust Seasoning.  Salt and pepper to taste.  

• Garnish. Garnish soup with bacon and chives. Serve immediately while warm.

bon appétit !

spring sun throught the curtains and inspiring lunch 

raw white asparagus salad 
with parmesan and baby spring greens

For France it has been one of the coldest winters in recent history. While the Parisian snow long disappeared, it remains chilly especially for this California native. The remodeling of my apartment was nearing an end and although it was primarily a grey week, one morning the long-awaited sun shone through the window, through my newly hung curtains, and the illumination called me from the warmth of my tiny place to the still-chilly open air market. It was this morning which inspired this week’s simple pleasure: raw white asparagus salad with parmesan and baby greens.

Just when hope had almost vanished (and a couple days before I would return to the States) the sun finally arrived and it shone through the drapes which took me over nine months to hang (but I will leave the story of the hijacked drapery rod and its French replacement for another day). The morning was looking good and adding to my joy was the fact that today was the day for my local open air market.  As I worked my way down the sunny aisle, I was surrounded by white and green asparagus on either side. Curtains finally hung in the bedroom; sun through my window; asparagus: I felt like skipping. I think I did.   

Asparagus is one of my favorite spring vegetables. It also happens to be one of the vegetables I am asked most about with respect to preparations and recipes, particularly white asparagus. 

In France, the white asparagus is of gargantuan portions. When the grocer asks me how many I want, I always blush and feel slightly greedy if I ask for more than 2 or 3. Puréed they make a wonderfully creamy velouté. Roasted or steamed, they can be served plain or with a sauce or eggs. They are a perfect addition to pasta or risotto and pair well with many meats and seafood proteins. 

After my purchases, I returned to my apartment. Tarps and drop cloths were strewn throughout the apartment for a recently undertaken painting project which created a certain amount of chaos. It also rendered cooking a bit of a challenge (particularly since it is necessary to remove some of the contents of my kitchen and oven and put them in the living room to make room for cooking…sigh). However, with the living room in a dusty disarray there was no place to empty the contents of the kitchen. No cooking today. I decided lunch would match the weather and my mood.

This week’s recipe is refreshing and light. We are enjoying white asparagus raw (you can substitute green asparagus instead) only “cooking” the sliced asparagus by macerating it with a little salt which softens the spears and withdraws moisture. Combined with a quality aged parmesan cheese and tender baby spring greens you have yourself and easy, yet special, salad. If you want to add protein, add a few of slices of a hard-boiled egg (or a whole poached egg) and/or thin slices of prosciutto.

White asparagus macerated to be as curved as my drape rod and as bright as the spring sun. Lunch with less than five ingredients and no cooking. It is a great day.

To read more about white asparagus, click here. For asparagus recipes beyond the salad recipe below, click here and here. 

mangez bien, vivez bien, et bon appétit !

LM

raw white asparagus salad

serves 4

 what you need:

8 ounces large white (or green) asparagus spears, trimmed
2 handfuls of various baby greens (mâche, wild arugula, mesclun)
½ teaspoon sel de Guérande (or ¼ teaspoon kosher salt)
2 ounces quality parmesan cheese, sliced
quality olive oil (as needed)
quality balsamic crema (or glaze) (as needed)*
thin slices of Parma prosciutto (optional)
poached or hard-boiled egg (optional)

Balsamic crema or glaze is a thick balsamic vinegar (a little sugar has been added to the vinegar and it has been thickened by reduction). You can make this delicious glaze yourself by putting balsamic vinegar and a little light brown sugar in a saucepan and cooking it until it reaches a syrup consistency. Be careful not to burn the vinegar and remember that it thickens as it cools… so do not let it cook too long or you will have balsamic hard candy.   

how to:

• Macerate Asparagus. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the asparagus spears (as shown). Create a flat surface on one side and then placing the flat side down on a cutting board. Use the peeler to slice the asparagus spear lengthwise. Repeat with all asparagus spears. Place the asparagus strips in a bowl. Add salt and toss. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

• Drain. Gently squeeze the excess moisture from the strips and pour the excess water from the bowl. 

• Plate. Add the asparagus on top of the baby greens. Add cheese shavings.

• Dress. Drizzle balsamic vinegar glaze and olive oil over salad to taste.  Toss.

bon appétit

sunday dinner

spring lamb with fava beans and mint

Spring marketing, family Sunday dinners, and upcoming Easter, inspired this week’s simple pleasure: roasted lamb with fava beans and fresh mint.

I arrived in Paris on a Saturday and I had very little time (comme d’habitude..as usual). I had little time because it was Saturday. Saturday is the day to complete your errands, including all of your marketing, because on Sunday almost everything is closed. Sundays are considered family days.  Sunday dinner is enjoyed at home.

I had only a few hours to visit the le boucherie, the Monoprix (the supermarket), le marché (open air farmer’s market), la fromagerie and then head up to the Montmarte (street not hill) to hit G. Detou (gourmet and cooking supply store) and Mora (baking and supply store) for Easter supplies and chocolate moulds. Ambitious but doable. Done. 

Sundays in Paris are “calme.” Parisians enjoy the parks, attend mass, and visit museums. This Sunday the usual tranquility was changed by a political demonstration in Paris which brought the streets of central Paris to a Los Angeles grid lock. Home sweet home. Those lucky enough to get on a metro were packed in like sardines.  All the more reason to stay in and cook at home.

Hands down, spring is my favorite season. This time of year the buds on the woody trees are just beginning to bloom and the bulbs of daffodils and tulips have pushed their way through the earth to show their cheery colors. Spring is life renewing itself.  Culinarily, I look forward to the arrival of fava beans, morels, asparagus (especially the white asparagus), sweet spring carrots, onions, and peas. 

The market did not let me down. The favas beans were there. Large. Green. Demanding my attention. Attention won. It is the beginning of at least  4 months of legume-wonderfulness here. In Los Angeles, it used to be that fava beans could only be had during a two week period  (if at all) but fava beans are becoming more available as the demand for them increases. Thankfully!

The pairing of legumes and lamb is spring classic. In France, lamb is a favorite choice for Easter Sunday dinner, ham is not even a close second. The only issue is what cut of lamb and how to cook it. 

This week’s recipe uses the lamb saddle. It is less expensive than a rack of lamb but equally as tender. The saddle also takes about 30 minutes in the oven to roast, less time than a leg of lamb (and more tender). The saddle is often stuffed and pan seared first but we are going simple and even cooking the beans in the same pan.

Remember the mint jelly that used to be served with lamb when we were children? Mint in. Jelly out. This week we are using a mint and olive oil salt rub and inserting thin slices of garlic in the meat to enhance the flavor of the lamb as we roast it. 

If you cannot find fava beans, peas, lima beans or white beans are a good subsitution. As for the lamb, you can substitute the leg or the rack if you prefer, just follow the recipe and note that the cooking times will be different. 

I imagine that many of you are having the Saturday I recently had in prepartion for your Sunday dinner this weekend. If your Sunday dinner celebrates Easter, I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Easter. If you are celebrating Passover week, I wish you happy Passover as well.

mangez bien, vivez bien, et bon appétit !

LM

roasted lamb with fava beans and fresh mint

 serves:  4

what you need:

1-1½ pound tied lamb saddle, tied (bones and fat cap trimmed)*
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon gros sel de Guérande (½ teaspoon kosher salt)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 
1 teaspoon minced fresh mints leaves

4 cups fresh fava beans (or white beans or Lima beans), pods removed**
2 pinches granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh mint leaves, en chiffonade
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
kosher salt (as needed)
freshly ground black pepper (as needed)

*The saddle of the lamb is a double loin (sometimes called a rolled double lamb roast). Ask your butcher to remove the bones, trim the fat cap and tie the meat. The saddle is a tender cut of meat, less expensive than lamb chops but more expensive than the leg or shoulder. If your butcher does not have a saddle cut, you can substitute lamb leg.

**If you are buying fresh favas (in the pods) remember that about 1 pound of fresh fava beans yields about ⅓ cup of beans.

how to:

• Season Lamb. Combine salt, pepper, oil and mint. Spread over the meat. Let meat set at room temperature for one hour. 

• Blanch Fava Beans. Remove beans from their pods. Cook beans for about 3 minutes in a saucepan of salted, boiling water. Drain and place beans in an ice bath. Once cool, remove skins from the beans.  Discard skins. Set beans aside

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Roast. Place lamb in a roasting pan and put in the oven. Roast for about 30 minutes. Officially, 145 degrees Fahrenheit is considered medium rare for lamb. I take lamb out of the oven when it  registers between 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer (remember that carry-over cooking will raise the temperature). The meat should be pink, but not red. Remove lamb from pan and keep it warm by covering with aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes while you finish the beans.

• Finish Beans. Remove the extra grease from roasting pan. Add water (about ¼ cup) to hot roasting pan, scrapping the pan drippings from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add a pinch of sugar. Add fava beans and toss them in the jus.  Add a little butter and gently toss beans in butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add fresh mint leaves. Combine.

• Serve. Remove the kitchen twine from the saddle and slice meat in one inch slices.  Serve warm with fava beans.

it was her favorite and she was ours

(no fuss) carrot cake 

It is officially spring. Upcoming holidays and the passing of a very important person in my life inspired this week’s simple pleasure: (no fuss) carrot cake. 

My grandmother taught me how to cook. She gave me an appreciation for homegrown produce and the importance of quality ingredients. She cooked  (and lived) with love and an earnest dedication. I am filled with memories of the two of us in her kitchen, shucking beans, rolling out fresh egg noodles (my favorite as a child), and picking tomatoes and asparagus from the garden. I loved my Grandmother’s meals so much that when I visited my Grandparents’ home as a child the last thing I would call out to them before I fell asleep is, “Grandma, what is for breakfast?” I was ruled by my stomach and my joy as her sous chef.

My Grandmother stopped cooking the holiday meals about the time I had my first child. I assumed the duties but I still sought her advice and did so until her death. My Grandmother was, and remains, the inspiration for many things for me not only in the kitchen but in life.

My mother and I inherited my Grandmother’s sentimental nature. I saved many notes and cards she sent me throughout the years, replete with “X’s” and “O’s” framing the text.  The hand-embroidered kitchen towels she made me remain carefully folded in a special place because they were “too precious to use.” And then there are her handwritten recipes, many of which were recipes she inherited from the women that came before her. I treasure these greatly.

In preparing for the reception after her memorial (I still cannot say the word funeral), I combed through the recipes and index cards. My brother and I made those that reminded us of her the most. 

When I received the news of my Grandmother’s passing, I instinctively walked into my kitchen as if I would find her there. In spirit, I did. In my kitchen I am surrounded by kitchen gadgets, cast iron pans, and scales she passed to me. Each one with a story. Each one has a history. It was very late and my children were asleep. I began cooking things for my mother thinking that filling her refrigerator with ready-made items would ease her grief. I also began making carrot cake. 

Carrot cake was my Grandmother’s favorite dessert.

I share my carrot cake recipe with you not only in honor of my Grandmother but also because carrots are at their sweetest in the spring and with Easter and Passover around the corner, we are all looking to do something culinary with carrots. It is nice when sentiment and practicality meet.

This carrot cake recipe has far more carrots and less sugar than most carrot cake recipes. In my opinion ingredients should reflect the dish and it is called “carrot cake” not “cake with carrots.”  

The cream cheese frosting complements the moist cake. I eliminated the butter and use Greek yogurt instead. For 16 ounces of light cream cheese, only 3 tablespoons of sugar is added. It can be used as a spread and served on the side or as frosting.

My Grandmother would always say “don’t go to any fuss for me.” Thinking of her, I “un-fussed” my own recipe eliminating some steps and ingredients. I leave the presentation to you. This cake can be made as a round or sheet cake, a tea cake in loaf pans, or muffins. You do not even have to make the frosting. The cake stands on its own. No fuss here.

After her memorial I watched her Great-Grandchildren enjoy the carrot cake she too would have liked. I spied my eldest daughter exhibit an empathetic mannerism that was my Grandmother. It was bittersweet. Oh, the conscious and unconscious things that we our pass on to the younger generations… 

Grandma, I miss you. This cake is for you. No fuss, really. 

avec amour

 LM

(“no fuss”) carrot cake

makes

one 8” cake (fills two 8” cake pans); or
20 muffins; or
three 3 x 6” loaf pans; or
9 x 12 rectangular baking dish

what you need:

baking pan(s) of your choice
baker’s spray (or muffin paper parchment paper)

cake

4 cups coarsely grated carrots
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large fresh eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup pineapple juice (reduced to ⅛ cup)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup olive oil 
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

frosting (optional)

16 ounces light cream cheese (or Neufchâtel)
½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt (I use Fage)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

how to:

• Melt Butter. Melt the butter. Set aside to cool.

• Cook Pineapple Juice. Place pineapple juice in a saucepan over a medium flam and cook until juice is reduced by half. Set aside to cool.

• Mix Dry Ingredients. In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, salt , spices, baking powder, and baking soda). Set aside.

• Mix Liquid Ingredients. In the bowl of a stand alone mixer fit with a paddle attachment, combine sugars, eggs, extract, reduced pineapple juice, and carrots. Mix on low speed to combine. Add oil. Mix to combine. 

• Add Dry Ingredients. Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients. Mix on low speed to combine.

• Add Melted Butter (And Nuts).  Add melted (and cooled ) butter. Combine on low speed.

• Pan. Pour cake batter in pan(s) of your choice and fill ¾th full.

• Bake.  Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (325 convection) until cake is set and a toothpick comes out virtually clean. The top should be golden brown. 

• Cool. Cool in pan(s) and then carefully remove and cool on rack.

• Make Frosting. Place all ingredients in a bowl of a stand alone mixer fit with a whisk attachment. Whisk together the cream cheese, yogurt, and sugar. Add lemon juice as needed. Frost carrot cake when cool (or serve on the side as a spread). Unfrosted cakes can be stored in an airtight container or  frozen. Frosted cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

 “a pinch” should apply only to seasoning

cucumber and avocado salad

It was the threat of a Saint Patrick’s Day pinch which inspired this week’s simple pleasure: avocado and cucumber salad.

Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up and the saying goes that if you are not wearing green, then you are going to get pinched. Personally I would like to avoid this. I also would like to avoid the burden of remembering to wear something green (which will definitely slip my mind). However, eating something green is effortless (and delicious) and in my mind I think that if “you are what you eat” and you eat something green, then aren’t you Saint Patrick’s Day compliant? Sounds good to me and being partly Irish, I feel the argument is credible (giggle).

Traditionally, when we think of Saint Patrick’s Day food, we think of  corned beef and cabbage and/or something green to put into your beverage of choice.  When we hear the word “salad” we thing of lettuce. However, this week’s simple pleasure is neither.

In France, the term “salade” describes the raw preparation of fruits/vegetables and lettuce is included only if it is a “salade verte” (green salad). In fact, the simply grating of raw carrots is  considered a carrot salad.

This week’s simple pleasure is an easy salad inspired by the French use of the word and the green of Saint Patrick’s Day. This salad can accompany (and lightened) your corned beef but also is a nice accompiament to many proteins including eggs, chicken, fish, beef, or even tofu.  You can also serve it with your favorite green soup for a light warm-weather lunch or serve it on top of toast for a tartine or quick snack.  The fun does not stop there. Hollow out a halved cucumber and place some of the salad inside and you have a fun hand-held snack for children in their lunch or after school. Think of it like a healthy (cucumber) hotdog. 

As a runner, I like this salad because it is a quick boost perfect for my joints and heart and will not slow me down.

If you are what you eat, then you are fresh, light, filled with heart-healthy fats and fiber, and Saint Patrick’s Day compliant. Making something delicious that is great for you in 5 minutes is like finding the Leprechaun’s pot of gold on your own plate. No pinch here. Because the recipe is so short, I have attached it below.

mangez bien, vivez bien, et bon appétit  (eat well, live well and enjoy) !

LM

 avocado and cucumber salad

serves 4 

what you need:

• 4 Persian cucumbers (or 2 cucumbers), washed
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1½-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1½ tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon gros se de Guérande (or sea salt)*
• ½ tablespoon flaxseeds

if you use kosher salt or table salt, use less because it is smaller. Try ¼ teaspoon first and then taste it.

how to:

• Dice. Cut avocado in half. Remove the pit (carefully). Peel. Dice. Cut the ends off of the cucumbers. Leaving the peels on, dice the cucumbers (if you are not using Persian cucumbers, scrape out the seeds of a larger cucumber with a spoon). Place diced cucumbers and avocado in a bowl.

•  Dress, Season & Toss.  Add the oil, lime juice, seeds, and salt. Season to taste. Add more lime juice if desired. Serve chilled. Will store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for a few days.