strawberry gazpacho

July 3rd, 2014

chef morgan

“It’s A Life”

Strawberry Gazpacho 

Julia Child said that, “You’ll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.” I believe that she was correct. 

With that thought in mind I left my comfort zone of classes or cooking privately in people’s homes or their offices, to work in a Parisian kitchen. It is not unusual for cooks to do this because seeing the way other people do things is often an inspirational springboard for your creativity and there is always so much to learn. And then there is the fact that it is fun (well, if you like this type of thing…working throughout the day and night and coming hone after midnight smelling of food.. it is not something that is attractive to the majority of people). “It’s a life.”  Read the rest of this entry »

cucumber and avocado salad (salade de concombre et avocat)

March 8th, 2013

cucumber and avocado salad

 “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. Read the rest of this entry »

terre à terre

January 14th, 2013

mushrooms, black truffles and terre à terre; mushroom soup with truffled straws

mushrooms, black truffles and terre à terre; 
mushroom soup with truffled straws

It became our holy grail; a sort of “Da Vinci Code” chase by default. I am not talking about a religious relic or an art piece. I am talking about soup. Over the holidays, the daily soup special on every Parisian menu seemed to be velouté de champignons (cream of mushroom soup). Miam ! The problem was this: by the time we headed out to eat, the mushroom soup was gone. It happened a few times. Even twice in one evening. Frustrated, we became obsessed (and I vowed not to cook for the week, at least I tried). Finally, we managed to get our rumps in gear earlier and we finally had the sought-after mushroom soup. As I watched my friend, a Paris first-timer, enjoy his soup, made with French butter and fresh cream, I was inspired to recreate it (a bit healthier and vegetarian) and combine it with another one of his new favorite things and that thought inspired this week’s simple pleasure: mushroom soup with truffled straws.

girl with mushroom earring Read the rest of this entry »

mushroom soup with truffled straws

January 14th, 2013

 

chefmorgan mush soup1

mushroom soup with truffled straws

 

 

makes ~ 32 ounces

what you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sliced and trimmed mushrooms
⅓ cup sliced leeks (whites only)
½ cup sliced shallots
½ pound diced and peeled Yukon or Russet potatoes Read the rest of this entry »

a chip, a root and a little bacon … Happy New Year from Paris

December 29th, 2012

celeriac purée with crumbled bacon and potato chips

a chip, a root and a little bacon … Happy New Year from Paris

France often utilizes western ideas with French sensibilities of moderation. Take potato chips for example. For the last few months in France, la tendence (the “in” thing) is the use potato chips as a garnish or minor embellishment rather than a snack food (or meal, as the case may be). This idea of embracing a favorite American snack food with moderation inspired this week’s simple pleasure: celery root purée with crumbled bacon and potato chips. Read the rest of this entry »

celeriac purée with crumbled bacon and potato chips

December 29th, 2012

 chef morgan leriac purée with crumbled bacon and potato chips

celeriac purée with crumbled bacon and potato chips

 

serves 6-8

what you need:

1 large celeriac (celery root), peeled and trimmed (about 14 ounces)
bottled water (as needed)
2 tablespoons quality olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground cardamon
5 tablespoons cooking liquid
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
kosher salt (to taste)
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
lemon juice (as needed) Read the rest of this entry »

falling leaves in Paris and autumn simplicity on your plate

November 30th, 2012

 

paris fall leaves man with dog

falling leaves in Paris and autumn simplicity on your plate:
scallop “macarons” with chanterelles and thyme

I have only seen it snow once in Paris and the snow didn’t stick. This year while Paris has seen a couple rainy and “see your breath” chilly days, overall it has been beautiful and 5 or 6 degrees Celsius warmer than usual for late November. Parisians have been out in droves, profiting from the gift of warmer weather. Although the holidays are approaching, right now it is not holiday decor which covers the city, but blankets of golden leaves. Watching Parisians play in the leaves (and the city workers haul mounds of the leaves to compost piles) I thought of the poem Gathering Leaves by Robert Frost where he talks about the lightness and the “harvest” of falling leaves. I wanted to “harvest” leaves. In particular, I wanted to capture  the color scheme and lightness of these golden leaves and the flavors of autumn and put it on a plate in a simply way. That thought inspired this week’s simple pleasure: seared scallop “macarons” with chanterelles and fresh thyme. 

scallop “macarons” with chanterelles and thyme

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harmony on your plate

August 13th, 2012

heirloom tomatoes chef morgan

dischord on the farm; harmony on your plate: 
melange of garden heirloom tomatoes with burrata and whipped tomato purée

Mean girls in the coop and a surprise male in the hutch. This is how we arrived to my home in Los Angeles. Despite the dischord amongst the animals, we also arrived to a hillside of sun-ripened tomatoes in all shapes, sizes and varieties. So while the animals were in a “time-out,” our harmonious plates inspired this week’s simple pleasure: melange of garden heirloom tomatoes with burrata and whipped tomato purée.

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melange of heirloom tomatoes with whipped tomato purée

August 13th, 2012

melange of heirloom tomatoes with burrata and whipped tomato purée chef morgan

 melange of heirloom tomatoes with burrata and whipped tomato purée

serves 4

what you need:

5-6 beautiful heirloom tomatoes, various colors
burrata cheese (as needed)
fresh sweet basil leaves (as needed)
quality olive oil (as needed)
gros sel de Guérande or kosher or sea salt (as needed)
freshly ground black pepper (as needed)
8 yellow or orange heirloom tomatoes, juiced (seeds and skins discarded) Read the rest of this entry »

venez avec moi L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and summer melon gazpacho

August 3rd, 2012

  

treasures on the river Sorgue 

accidental tourist discovering culinary treasures on the river Sorgue:
venez avec moi L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

summer melon gazpacho

Petit dejeuner (breakfast) in Provence. The Provençal sun is streaming through the window and the local rooster is announcing the day with not-to-be-missed vigor. Our breakfast table looks Matisse-like with fresh fruit, cheeses, yogurt, jams, farm butter, bread and viennoiseries artfully served in porcelain dishes and baskets, all chosen with the same deliberation a poet would use to select words for the page. The smell of the cut melon filled the room. We hungrily ate everything in front of us with our eyes before our mouths even opened. We are in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. I was so taken with the people here (and the food) that I was compelled to return within weeks of my first (accidental) discovery and my visits inspired this week’s simple pleasure: summer melon gazpacho. However, before you go to the recipe, venez avec moi (come with me) to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue; it is not just for antiques any more.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

 

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