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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when you just cannot give away a sandwich: pan bagnat au cadeau

July 2nd, 2012

French Sandwich in a Box

when you just cannot give away a sandwich:
pan bagnat au cadeau 

On a few occasions, despite my most sincere intentions, the execution of that intention goes completely awry (usually ending in funny story). It is the recall of two such incidents, both involving the gifting of a sandwich, that inspired this week’s simple pleasure: pan bagnat au cadeau (sandwich in a giftbox). Read the rest of this entry »

pan bagnat au cadeau

July 2nd, 2012

French Sandwich

 pan bagnat au cadeau 

makes 4

what you need:

sandwich
1 loaf quality pain de mie (or sandwich or olive bread)
12 ounces (320 gr) canned tuna packed in olive oil, drained, oil reserved
20 beautiful, ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ cup rough chopped fresh sweet basil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced Read the rest of this entry »

a one year anniversary and life is just peachy: summer peach mousse with crushed almonds and rose biscuits

June 25th, 2012

Chef morgan red shoes and Eiffel tower

a one year anniversary and life is just peachy:
summer peach mousse with crushed almonds and rose biscuits

Paris is historical, inspirational, and romantic. For many people, it is bon goût (good taste) in all meanings of the word – gastronomically, artistically, architecturally, in fashion – to name a few. For me, my red chef shoes bring me here time and time again and the magic never dulls. One year ago I finally found an  apartment in this city which I fell in love with so many years ago. It is this anniversary which inspired this week’s simple pleasure: summer peach mousse with crushed almonds and rose biscuits.

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summer peach mousse with crushed almonds and rose biscuits

June 25th, 2012


summer peach mousse with crushed almonds and rose biscuits

summer peach mousse with crushed almonds and rose biscuits

serves 4-6

what you need:

mousse
1 ½ pound fresh diced (yeelow or white) peaches, peeled and pits removed
3 ounces granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 gelatin sheets
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
squeeze of fresh lemon juice

garnish

crushed roasted almonds (as needed)
crumbled rose biscuits  (as needed)

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white asparagus as large as logs and lighting your fire: roasted white asparagus with browned butter

June 19th, 2012

white asparagus as large as logs

white asparagus as large as logs and lighting your fire:
roasted white asparagus with browned butter
(asperges blanches rôti au beurre noisette)

Greetings from Paris where it is raining off and on but quiet as the tourists have not yet arrived and the children are still in school. The calm before the storm. It is business as usual and joyfully I am left to pick up where I left off and nothing here – the daily urban Paris life that I so love  – has changed except for the market displays. Every market, from the neighborhood and open air markets to the Casinos (grocery stores), is prominently displaying end of the season white asparagus. They cannot be ignored. It is a combination of these hand-picked treasures and a cover of a Door’s song which inspired this week’s (very) simple pleasure: roasted white asparagus with browned butter (asperges blanches rôti au beurre noisette).

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roasted white asparagus with browned butter (asperges blanches rôti au beurre noisette)

June 19th, 2012

roasted white asparagus with browned butter

roasted white asparagus with browned butter 
(asperges blanches rôti au beurre noisette)

serves 4-6

what you need:

4-6 large white asparagus (or 12 smaller asparagus)
olive oil (as needed)
kosher salt (as needed)
freshly ground white (or black) pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
1-2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley Read the rest of this entry »

soupe de pêches au gingembre frais (peach “soup” with fresh ginger)

June 10th, 2012

peach “soup” with fresh ginger

soupe de pêches au gingembre frais 
(peach “soup” with fresh ginger)

serves 8

what you need:

sorbet
2 cups fresh peach juice from yellow peaches
3 cups chopped ripe yellow peaches
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh ginger zest

peach soup
4 beautiful white peaches, cut into 8 wedges
3 cups fresh peach juice from yellow peaches

garnish
melange de pain d’épice (as needed) or ground cinnamon 
pink and/or golden sanding sugar

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