long weekend in Napa and a detox “do-over”
Farmer’s Market winter salad with tangy blood oranges
If any of you are calling for a detox “redo” after the three day weekend, then this post and its recipe — Farmer’s Market winter salad with tangy blood oranges — is for you. Read the rest of this entry »
New Year, Detox You
green vegetable and lentil soup
This week’s green vegetable and lentil soup, with only 254 healthy calories, is the perfect way to undo the indulgences of the holidays and start 2014 off right.
making carrots count and thank you chef Trotter
recipe: carrot soufflé
This week we bring to the table another side for Thanksgiving: carrot soufflé. I wrote this recipe long ago and have used it for various occasions and events. While it was inspired by a visit to Paris in my twenties, I dedicate it to chef Charlie Trotter who left us this week.
“white gold” with autumn accessories
Belgium endive chopped salad with blue cheese honey dressing
Quoi de Neuf (What’s happening) this week other than Halloween?
Well, the word on the streets of Paris and Los Angeles are entertaining as they are different. In Paris, the taxi cab drivers are allegedly trying to run Uber out of the City of Light. In turn, there is a petition being circulated to keep Uber in the city. It is all so very French. Read the rest of this entry »
close to nature: a two-starred Michelin restaurant; a Parisien canary; and a “super food”
quinoa risotto with mushrooms
At summer’s end, when we return from France, there seems to be some sort of an animal dilemma in our Los Angeles de facto farm. Last year it was the mean chicken scenario in the coup and the surprise male rabbit situation which necessitated an immediate trip to the veterinarian for Mister Snowy.
This summer it was the finch.
sole à la meunière
(sole meunière)
This is the classic way to prepare sole à la meunière.The method is surprisingly simple and a good recipe to keep on file. A simple combination of browned butter and fresh lemon juice will give the sauce a nutty and slightly tangy taste. I reduced the butter but if you want more sauce to brown, add more cold butter (clarified butter does not brown). Dover sole has a meaty but delicate taste. If you cannot find Dover sole you can subsitute other types of sole. You can use trout as well. If you add toasted almond slices you then have trout almandine.
serves 2
you need:
fish and sauce
4 fillets from 1 beautiful Dover sole (skin on or off)
all-purpose flour (as needed)
kosher salt (as needed)
freshly ground black pepper (as needed)
1 ½ tablespoons clarified, unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh Italian parsley
gros sel de Guérande (to taste)
freshly ground pepper (to taste) Read the rest of this entry »
this is farm to table: preparing food in the middle of a farm
panzanella
This week I did something I have never done: I gave a cooking demonstration in the middle of a farm field. McGrath Family Farm in Camarillo, California was the farm.
La Rentrée, l’art du cru, and what Parisens really eat
recipe: tartare de daurade (sea bream tartare)
If you have traveled to France in the month of August you know that the country really comes to a halt. As a friend aptly noted, “Ah… grandes vacances, where everyone is out and out of it.” C’est vrai (it is true).
For the month of August (although it is creeping into July as well) there is a customary and societal expectation of absenteeism. Everyone takes time to re-charge their battery and spend time with their family. This uniform expectation of doing nothing and getting nothing “accomplished” I have grown to love as there seems to be no downtime due to texts and emails sent to your portable phone. When you accept that nothing — nothing — will just get done in August, it is very liberating (although as an American it took me some time to come to terms with the notion). You plan around it and guess what? Everything still gets done. French time.
My daughter took this photograph on the train returning to Paris from Nice. I like it because to me it says “au revoir” (bye, see you again) to the summer.
green olive tapenade with steamed cod
Tapenade is great for appetizers, served with bread, over tomatoes or grilled vegetables. Steamed fish is only one example and you can use a variety of white fish instead of Cod (i.e., Halibut, Swordfish, Lingcod). You can make this tapenade with any quality olives. Outside France you are unlikely to find la salonenque olives from Les Baux. If you want a bright green color, try Castelvetrano olives from Sicily.
makes approximately one cup
what you need:
tapenade
4 ½ ounces olives, pits removed (about 25 large olives)
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh basil
2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon quality olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
fish
4-6 beautiful Cod fillets
kosher salt (as needed)
freshly ground black pepper (as needed)
1 lemon rind
1 bay leaf
fresh Italian parsley (as needed)
olive oil (as needed)
this little piggy
oven-roasted pork tenderloin with
herb-caper salsa
This week’s post is inspired by a visit to 6 Paul Bert in the middle of a three day French visa adventure (which I will tell you about). My meal at 6 Paul Bert was definitely the highlight and I nearly licked my plate clean, which is why I call this post “this little piggy” (as well as the fact that the subject of this week’s recipe is pork). This week we are making oven-roasted pork tenderloin with herb-caper salsa.
à table !
LM Read the rest of this entry »
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