the lure of an apple, the seduction of toast

October 26th, 2012

 

the lure of an apple, the seduction of toast 

all treat with no trick: cinnamon-sugared baked apples 
on crispy, caramelized ghost toasts

Remember bobbing for apples at Halloween parties? Children (and adults) shoving their faces into a steel bucket of cold water hoping to capture the crunchy treat in between their teeth. Apples have draw. Some may call them an “attractive nuisance” (which in the legal world refers to something potentially dangeous but so inviting that it is certain to attract people to it). Think of Eve. How about Snow White? However, you can give into the lure of an apple; without negotiating with a serpent; with no resulting sin or threat of your heart in a box; and no bucket of cold water in your face or to drown in. In fact, you can have your apple and your sugar fix too. 

This Halloween, it is all treat: warm, soft, baked apples basted in a cinnamon-sugared butter on top of toasts (in the shape of ghosts) that have been caramelized to a crispy and chewy, buttery delight. Giving into this seasonal treat and coming out unscathed, satisfied, and keeping the switch witch at bay is the inspiration for this week’s simple pleasure: cinnamon-sugared baked apples on crispy, caramelized ghost toasts.

“bone” appétit !  

 

 

 

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cinnamon-sugared baked apples on crispy, caramelized ghost toasts

October 26th, 2012

 

  

cinnamon-sugared baked apples on crispy, caramelized ghost toasts

stats:

serves 4

active time: 10 minutes
oven time: 30 minutes Read the rest of this entry »

lentil sky, ghostly fish

October 18th, 2012

 

 ghostly fish in black lentil night sky (braised black cod on Beluga lentils with fresh thyme)  

lentil sky, ghostly fish:

ghostly fish in black lentil night sky 
(braised black cod on Beluga lentils with fresh thyme)

Prepping whole Dover soles for a fish class involved, among other things, removing the large, flat, flesh-colored heads (with both eyes on one side of their head) from their flat bodies. Fillets to be used for the class; the heads and bones for fish stock. 

 

Dover sole fish parts for fish stock

Call me whimsical, but I see everything in terms of food and everything around me leads to culinary inspiration or at least a food analogy. Perhaps it was the Halloween decor, the Halloween-themed fair at my childrens’ school, or the monster movie we recently enjoyed, but the dozen separated fish heads lying on white parchment paper resembled human ears which then reminded me of the painter Vincent van Gogh (who offered his own severed ear to a prostitute). Thinking of his painting Starry Night, I became inspired to turn his masterpiece on canvas into an edible Halloween-themed meal. Food-obsessed, I am. Instead of swirling stars that we reach through death (as he believed) I thought of a Halloween “scary” sky made of creamy, earthy black lentils with contrasting flying ghosts made of white fish and flowing trees of fresh woodsy thyme sprigs. It was at that ghoulish moment, surrounded by fish heads and thinking of van Gogh, this week’s (spooky) simple pleasure was born: ghostly fish in black lentil night sky (a/k/a braised black cod on Beluga lentils with fresh thyme sprigs). 

This week savory. Next week sweet. “Bon(e)” appétit !

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braised black cod “ghost” in a black lentil “sky”

October 18th, 2012

 

 

ghostly fish in black lentil night sky (braised black cod on Beluga lentils with fresh thyme)

ghostly fish in black lentil night sky
(braised black cod on Beluga lentils with fresh thyme)

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Catacombs in Paris (Halloween special 2013)

October 31st, 2011

catacomb chef morgan

Halloween 2013
<< Catacombs>>

For those of you who have ever been curious about the Catacombs in Paris, this Halloween post may satisfy that curiosity until you get there in person. I want to warn you that the following photographs are graphic and for mature audiences only. Do not look for a recipe at the end of this post because that in my opinion would be in poor taste in more ways than one (and you have already made your Halloween preparations). When Halloween is over, this post will be removed from the home page and “buried” in the France section of this blog. Recipes and French travel sites, above ground, to resume comme d’habitude (as usual) thereafter.

For this Halloween day, let’s venture out of the kitchen. Venez avec moi (come with me) to the Catacombs in Paris (which, by the way, is now considered a museum).

Happy Halloween (and “bone” appétit) !

LM

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hee hee hee…straight from the witch’s cauldron: roasted date mummy fingers & harvest tajine with a haricots verts broomstick

October 27th, 2011

Mummy Fingers Kids Desserts

hee hee hee…straight from the witch’s cauldron: 
roasted date mummy fingers  & harvest tajine with a haricots verts broomstick

The belated chill in the air makes us crave fall flavors and cold-weather cooking. This week we combine the comfort of oven-prepared food with Halloween fun. Tajine, a cooking vessel shaped like a witch’s hat (as well as a popular Moroccan stew) was the inspiration for this week and it is the blending of a witch theme with Tajine-inspired flavors that give us this week’s simple pleasure(s): roasted date mummy fingers and a harvest tajine with a haricots verts broomstick. Read the rest of this entry »

harvest tajine with a haricots verts broomstick

October 27th, 2011

 

 harvest tajine with a haricots verts broomstick

 stats:

serves 4-6

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Forget about Halloween? Not a ghost of a chance!

October 21st, 2011

Forget about Halloween? Not a ghost of a chance!  

almost melted chocolate

chocolat chaud du fantôme (ghostly hot chocoalte)
and
œufs fantômes à la macédoine de légumes (deviled egg ghosts with vegetables)

Halloween Deviled Eggs 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). 

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la cuillère fantôme en chocolat ou chocolat chaud du fantôme (ghostly chocolate spoon a/k/a ghostly hot chocolate)

October 21st, 2011

Hot Chocolate Ghost with Milk

 la cuillère fantôme en chocolat ou chocolat chaud du fantôme
(ghostly chocolate spoon a/k/a ghostly hot chocolate)

 

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œufs fantômes à la macédoine de légumes (deviled ghost eggs with vegetables)

October 21st, 2011

Deviled eggs with Devil Eyes RIP sign

œufs fantômes à la macédoine de légumes
(deviled ghost eggs with vegetables) Read the rest of this entry »