two countries. many kitchens. one table.
Porcini Parmentier
with crispy shallots and garlic and mushroom jus
Hachis Parmentier or Parmentier is the French version of the English Shepherd’s Pie, to which people more often refer probably because it seems easier to pronounce. Any way you dish it, parmentier is comfort food. Hearty and warm. Perfect for the winter weather.
Let it snow (or rain). Read the rest of this entry »
cold hands; hot pockets
stuffed and braised chicken breasts
(a/k/a “proteinwich”)
The holiday season. Everyone is busy, if not overwhelmed. Despite the holiday preparations, daily life still goes on; the children need to get to school, you have to work, and dinner still needs to be on the table. I can help with the dinner requirement. Read the rest of this entry »
Kona, “Blazeman,” and the log-roll
Recipe: seared tuna roll with microgreens
venez avec moi à Marrakech
recipe: Harira soup
When it comes to summer vacation I try to blend new adventures with familiar ones. This summer the new adventure was Marrakech, Morocco. It was a trip that the three of us have discussed many times at the dinner table. With autumn eyes, I give you a summer photo journal and a popular and tasty Moroccan recipe you and your family will love (at least once the weather catches up with the calendar).
Venez avec moi à Marrakech (come with me to Marrakech).
bisou, LM
Read the rest of this entry »
Harira
(hearty beef and lentil soup)
This soup is a tradition in the Maghreb (North Africa). It was Ramadan when we were in Marrakech, a time when this soup is eaten not only to break the fast after the sun has set but also eaten in the morning before the sun rises. My daughters love lentils and this soup was their favorite. The soup is often thickened with flour or eggs as well as rice or vermicelli. I add none of these. Instead, the soup is thickened with the aide of crushed tomatoes (rather than puréed or strained), more beef, and more lentils. I also add fresh herbs (but we all know how I like my fresh herbs). This is a hearty, perfect soup for autumn and winter. It is wonderful because you can also freeze it for those rainy days when you are short on time.
obsessions can be wonderful
“I don’t just like food…I love it”
– Ratatouille
Sometimes I become obsessed with certain combinations and particular ingredients. When the inspiration comes, I go with it. Sometimes the things you create become favorites that last long beyond the obsession. I think this week’s recipe, tuna and roasted beet tartare with lentils, is one of those recipes. Read the rest of this entry »
(no) Labor Day Summer Salad
fig and nectarine fruit salad
End of Grandes Vacances. End of summer. Sigh. No more long sunny days and lazy mornings. No more cabana boy bringing you a chilled rosé to sip on at the beach with your friends. Bigger sigh. As if that isn’t too much to take in, the return to reality after vacation can be jarring. There is the vacation mail that was held and now spilling over the box ready for you to dive in. The appointments, forms, supplies, and back to school events filling your calendar which despite your color labels (an organizational system that Martha Stewart herself would admire) your calendar does not look organized. Instead, it looks like a toddler has taken crayons to it. Although vacation brings a rejuvenation and a new sense of life, sometimes we are not yet ready to let go of summer. Read the rest of this entry »
a successful vacation (by Oscar Wilde)
summer caponata
Vacation. Actually, it is more like this VACATION !
This year I thought I would try something new: take a vacation and NOT work. You know get out of the kitchen, enjoy the cooking of others (often), step out of my routine, and detach from my computer. So far so good. Oscar Wilde said that “moderation is a fatal thing [and] nothing succeeds like excess.” By Mr. Wilde’s standard, I have been highly successful in my vacation thus far. Read the rest of this entry »
Paris Day Trip
venez avec moi à Provins
cardamom sablés with
fresh summer peaches and rose cream
The gloom skipped juin and has taken over juillet in Paris. It seems more like a summer in San Fran than Paris but for the stone buildings. Read the rest of this entry »
cardamom sablés with
fresh summer peaches and rose cream
You can enjoy this dessert deconstructed as well. For example, the peaches and cream can be placed in a bowl and you can add the sable on the top or on the side. Alternatively, enjoy the sables with a cup of tea (rose tea if you have it). The cream is lightly flavored with rose syrup (I use Monin) if you want a more pronounced rose flavor, add a little more (but not too much).
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