sweet welcome for 2014
lychee Champagne cocktail
Then there was the Paris sun which decided to make a pleasing appearance although only momentarily. However brief, doing my marketing for tonight’s dinner, without rain pouring on my head, was a welcome treat. Read the rest of this entry »
rice and coconut milk smoothie
makes 24 ounces (4 6 ounce servings)
what you need:
½ cup aborrio rice
1 cup water
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 cup (unsweetened) coconut milk
1 cup crushed ice
5 ounces chopped fruit (strawberries, mango, bananas, or pineapple or a combination)
fresh fruit (as needed for garnish)
fresh pineapple mint leaves (as needed for garnish)
fresh edible flowers (as needed for garnish)
how to:
More recipes for runners 
gone in 60 seconds, expiring in 15 minutes,
and a new house cocktail for Oscar:
(freshly squeezed) blood orangetini
I was writing a menu for a martini party when someone told me that a particular “racy” song reminded him of me. We thought that the song was from the movie soundtrack Gone in 60 Seconds which was about the rapid thievery of cars. Now, I do not know if his allusion was making light of my love of cars with a minimum 369 torque or my relationship flight-risk behavior, but it is not important and we were wrong about the song coming from that movie anyway. However, the “Gone in 60 Seconds” reference made me think of my father telling me that the “nutritional benefits of orange juice are gone in 15 minutes after you squeeze the orange”, vanishing as rapidly as the cars in that movie. So there I was, writing a menu, thinking of fast cars, then my favorite car, then the actor known for driving that car (but not the reason I like it), then his cocktail of choice (“shaken not stirred”), and within 60 seconds I came full circle in my thoughts which culminated in this week’s simple pleasure just in time for your Oscar party: a (freshly squeezed) blood orangetini. Read the rest of this entry »
Valentine’s Day champagne apéritif with rose syrup and lychee purée
makes 5 apéritifs
what you need:
1 bottle very cold champagne (or prosecco)
1 ¼ cup lychee purée (from fresh or canned lychees)
1 tablespoon rose syrup
granulated sugar (as needed if using fresh lychees)
rose petals (as needed for garnish)
how to:
big resolution, solid steps: healthy snacks that will not send you back to 2011
part one: real protein shakes
I run an average of 50 miles per week. As a runner, I can tell you that I am offered numerous food products that are supposed to improve my running and my nutrition. These man-made packages of protein wonder come in the form of powders, liquids, gels, gums, and even jelly beans. However, I was raised with the notion that if you want something, you go to the source. Drinking a protein shake with a lengthy ingredient list replete with names and processes that I do not understand, let alone pronounce, does not interest me. However, it is possible to have a super-fast protein shake that is good for you and tastes great without resorting to the powders and formulas so this week’s simple pleasure is just that: real (tofu ) protein shakes. Read the rest of this entry »
Forget about Halloween? Not a ghost of a chance!
chocolat chaud du fantôme (ghostly hot chocoalte)
and
œufs fantômes à la macédoine de légumes (deviled egg ghosts with vegetables)
The French are crazy about eggs … and chocolate. This week we take both of these passions and bring them to your home in Halloween form (this week it is ghosts; next week it is witches and skeletons). Wrapping a white napkin around a teaspoon gave me the inspiration for the first recipe: it is a chocolate ghost “spoon” that “disappears” in hot milk making a perfect cupful of chocolat chaud (hot chocolate). The second recipe “revamps” a classic French recipe using hard-boiled eggs and vegetables creating a healthy, yet ghostly snack. Treats are simple to prepare and are sure to delight your little ghosts are this week’s simple pleasure(s): chocolat chaud du fantôme (ghostly hot chocolate) and œufs fantômes à la macédoine de légumes (deviled egg ghosts with vegetables).
la cuillère fantôme en chocolat ou chocolat chaud du fantôme
(ghostly chocolate spoon a/k/a ghostly hot chocolate)
a Kir or a Kir royal: that is the question
End of the school year burn out. Everyone has it. Now that the children are out of school and camp plans have been made, it is time to take a moment and relax: summer is here. Enjoying an evening apéritif with friends and family is a nice way to do just that. While there are an array of fresh new cocktails using mint, pomegranates and even cucumbers, one of my absolute favorite apéritifs is a Kir or a Kir royal. This standby classic is one I often suggest to my clients and it is always a crowd pleaser. Read the rest of this entry »
vin chaud
Le vin chaud (hot wine or “mulled wine”) is a warm, festive treat for the holidays that is easy to make (the simmering wine makes your home smell good too). Here are a few suggestions to help you with your preparation.
First, I like to toast the spices and fruit in a dry pan before adding the wine because that intensifies their flavor. Once the spices are fragrant and a fond from the fruit has begun to form on the pan bottom, I add a touch of brandy and then immediately add the wine. The brandy adds a nice depth to the wine and releases the fond from the pan (however omit the brandy if you are simmering cider instead of wine).
Second, simmer the wine for about 45 minutes. Do not boil the wine or simmer longer than one hour or the wine will become bitter. Do not simmer for less than 30 minutes because the spices will not have been infused. You can add additional spices to your taste (I often I add licorice root as well); however, do not add any ground spices or your wine will be chalky and cloudy.
Third, most mulled wine recipes add sugar to the wine (anywhere from 1/4 to 1 cup per bottle). I omit the sugar completely. It is not necessary and wine already has sugar in it. However, I do add a couple of dried cherries (you can use raisins if you want) which slightly sweeten the wine and compliment the fruit overtones in the wine.
Fourth, with respect to the wine, avoid earthy Bordeauxs and full-bodied Cabernets. Use a medium-bodied red wine such as a Pinot Noir or Red Zinfandel (although Merlot and Shiraz could work as well). I include two Pinot Noir recommendations below (thanks to my friend Mark at The Wine House). The Cloudline (from Oregon) is more fruit forward while the Santa Maria Pinot is more of a subtle, classic Pinot Noir. Choose according to your taste preference.
Lastly, I am always asked how much money to spend on a bottle of wine with which you are going to cook. In my opinion, you can neither select nor eliminate a wine based solely upon price (price is also subjective). Instead, my rule of thumb is that you should buy a wine that you would drink and enjoy but not a wine that you would sip and savor.
Santé !
LM
vin chaud
Below is the mulled wine recipe written en français for those of you who want to practice your french.
À votre santé !
LM
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