Happy, merry

The three of us wanted to give you something nice. Unfortunately, all I have is this picture. But mainly, we wanted to say thank you. You’ve given us so much. This year was a big one, and we couldn’t have done any of it - no book, no restaurant, nothing - without you. Thank you for being here, for being there, for every kindness. Thank you for giving us so many reasons to celebrate.See you in

Tuscan Bean Spread

You know what I love? Kid's songs. Maybe that's because I don't feel (counter-intuitively) ridiculous singing them aloud to my dog since kid's songs are meant to be sung aloud, kind of, at people. You know? (my dog = people. what.) My favorite is probably a toss up between Little Bunny Foo Foo and Skitamerinky Dinky Dink from 'Sharon, Louis & Bram's Elephant Show'. You must know what I'm talking about, right? Right?! Now I'm worried. Here:

I won't pretend I can go all harmonizing like the original three, but Pancha seems to enjoy it. She wags her tail anyway. At least she doesn't usually run away. Aaa, so let's talk about things we love in the morning, and the afternoon and even in the evening. Beans. Oh seriously, I said beans. Beans again.

And especially bean dip. I find bean dip to be an ingenious thing, really. It makes raw vegetables even more appetizing, is healthy unto itself with protein and other healthy bean things, and it tastes good. This one tastes really good (even though it's from a book called the Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook and I normally don't go for books with the word 'diet' in the title because eating, to me, is not about The Diet, even if it's healthy. Can healthy eating please not be about diets for once? Sheesh.) And it's easy, although not as easy as some dump and blend recipes. You have to roast a head of garlic first (Worth It) and the recipe calls for Tuscan spices, a blend you might not have. I'll share what I used instead.

Tuscan Bean Spread

Adapted from The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno

1 head garlic, some of the papery outer skins removed

1 15-oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained

1 15-oz can cannellini or navy beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons ground Tuscan spices, toasted or a combination of rosemary, thyme, sage, salt and pepper equally about 2 tablespoons (if this is too much or an herby vibe for you, reduce it)

Pinch cumin, toasted with the Tuscan spices

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 cup mined cilantro

1/4 cup mined basil

Salt and pepper to taste

To roast your garlic, cut off the very top so that the cloves are exposed and the very tops of the cloves have also been sliced off. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of oil, then wrap in foil, and bake in an oven preheated to 300F fir 15-20 minutes, until the cloves are soft. Unwrap and let cool while you work on the rest.

In a food processor, combine the garlic and the rest of the ingredients except the fresh herbs. Process until you achieve the texture you like. You can process until it's creamy as hummus, or leave it with a few lumps (I like to call that texture). As you process add oil until it reaches your preferred consistency. You can add the herbs now and pulse, or you can just fold them in if you like them a bit more...present. I folded. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy.

Sanglier

I finally saw one! Well, not one, but six babies and their mother.
2:30 in the morning, driving home from a friend's birthday dinner (a great dinner, by the way, with much depleting of their wine cellar) and these little piglets appeared out of the vines and sauntered across the road with mom bringing up the rear. You could almost hear her saying, "come on, come on, move it along."
It was so amazing to finally see a sanglier in person. They were much more delicate looking than I thought.
But now we feel guilty, as just last week I made a delicious Tuscan Wild Boar Stew from The Italian Farmhouse Cookbook out of one of their relatives. I guess we should apologize...

Photo du Jour

Shades of blue and grey yesterday in Grau d'Agde, where the river Hérault meets the Mediterranean Sea.

Photo du Jour - Driving

This is the view through the windshield whenever we drive anywhere right now.

The vendange is almost over though. The purple grapes hanging in the vineyards have almost all been picked and taken to be crushed.
The yeasty, musty aroma of fermenting grapes fills the air.

Winter flowers in my Paris deck

This winter I have chosen to decorate the deck of my Paris flat with white and yellow flowers. This is what I see from my desk.

I placed in a bamboo tray that a dear friend gave me, three thick ceramic plant pots, two dark brown and one white, and two small lanterns - I bought in London over at Laura Ashley's. The flowers in them are white and yellow. In the back, on the ground, a plant pot I brought from Mexico holds a funny yellowish/orange bush, between two plant pots I bought in China. On the floor, on the left, two ceramic birds that I bought in Saumur the last time I went there for my oenology class.

The smaller picture shows my deck last winter.

My kind of bridal

Goodness. It’s finally happening. The wedding is upon us, friends. Or rather, it will be, in just under seven weeks. Things are slowly picking up speed. Plans are taking shape. We’ve been engaged for over a year now, and this show is ready to hit the road. I can’t wait.When Brandon and I got engaged, we knew that we wanted a summer wedding, but that was about it. I’ve never felt like a real

Cabaret Brewed Chocolate

I remember first smelling the scent of coffee roasting in North Beach. I was a teenager and it was exotic and intoxicating like the City itself. Even though I didn't drink coffee, I loved that smell. Over the years whenever I've smelled fresh coffee, especially during roasting, it's been a combination of soothing and exciting to me, like the promise of something wonderful and dangerous. Sadly drinking coffee has never held the romance that smelling it does.

If you take the Scharffen Berger factory tour, and I highly recommend that you do, you will more than likely be enveloped by the scent of roasting cocoa beans. It is such a warm and happy scent it reportedly makes those who work there giddy. Even a few minutes will give you a profound sense of well-being. Having taken the tour twice, I've often wondered, would it be possible to make a drink out of the roasted beans? Not the cocoa powder or chocolate, but the roasted beans themselves, like coffee?

I'm happy to say, I'm not the only one with this quirky idea. After some experimentation Rob Polevoi created what he calls "brewed chocolate." Unlike hot chocolate it is low in calories and fat and high in antioxidants and theobromine, a gentle stimulant 10 times weaker than caffeine, that is rumored to be one of the compounds contributing to chocolate's role as an aphrodisiac. Oddly enough, Polevoi claims some people who drink the beverage, which comes in slightly sweetened concentrated syrup, find it relaxing, while others find it uplifting. Either way, it's a very light and delicious chocolatey beverage, unlike any other.

Try it as a nightcap or instead of coffee or tea if you are sensitive to caffeine like I am. You can drink it black, with milk or cream, hot, cold, with a shot of booze, any which way you like. If you like chocolate, I think you'll enjoy it. It's currently available online, from Cabaret Foods, $14.95 for a jar containing enough syrup for 24 servings.

La Tapisserie de Bayeux, Normandy (1)

I apologize for the bad quality of the pictures in this post. I have broken my camera and while I wait to receive the new one, I am using my Nokia cell phone!Bayeux is a delightful town in the Calvados region (yes, where Calvados, this apple brandy is made) famous for its tapestry, and with a magnificent gothic cathedral and a peacful atmosphere.

Bayeux' tapestry is not an actual one but an embroidered linen cloth of 50 cm by 70 m (20 in by 230 ft) which depicits the events leading up to the conquest of the throne of England by the Normands. It was done in 1066 and it is really worth the visit!
We had driven across the city many times on our way to Basse Normandie; when Kathy and Dave visited last fall we stopped by.. but it was closed - how silly of us, we wanted to visit at lunchtime!

Now it is done and am I ever happy I have found the time to visit! This is a pictured of a styled image of the tapestry.

When we arrived, it was lunchitme again, this time we were wiser and we checked our Guide Michelin for a very affordable restaurant. We chose to have lunch at the Bistrot de Paris at 3, rue du Docteur Guillet.
I must say that the Tapestry Museum closes during lunchtime only in winter.

I chose a simple menu at less than 15 Euros.
The chef has indeed imagination! The names are incredibly complicated - for simple dishes. But it seems it is a fashion in cuisine now!
My apetizer was a "millefeuille" of tomato and goat chese, nice and fresh - though the side salad had too much dressing for me!
The main course presented three types of fish steamed with vegetables and served in a dim sum basket. Creative. The dish was hot, had a branch of lemongrass (after all the long name that I have now forgotten had lemongrass in it), and a light sauce for the fish.
After the main course, I had an espresso, which came with a home made financier, a delicate cookie made with ground almonds instead of flour.

While in Bayeux, we stayed at a Bed & Breakfast which is steps away form the Cathedral and Tapestry Museum and that I recommend. The name is Les Glycines, and it is located at 13 rue aux Coqs. There are only three rooms, so you better call Annick or Louis Fauvel before you go (02 31 22 52 32).

And the answer is: Gâteau de Pommes de Terre

Some of you participated in my latest guessing game, but no one got the answer exactly right.

Spacedlaw came pretty close, though, with the suggestion that it looked like a soufflé but could be hachis parmentier, which is similar to the British specialty shepherd's pie. And I'm blogging this at 6:15 am, so you're not going to get any American equivalents of the dish -- this is all I know.

As you can see from the extract above from Les Recettes Faciles de Françoise Bernard -- my precious copy of the book, with the little plus mark at the bottom to indicate "this was good" -- the recipe's name is "Gâteau de pommes de terre."

Since this is not exactly a famous French classic, and no one would look under "gâteau" for a potato recipe, the book cleverly files the recipe under "Pommes de terre (gâteau de)" -- which I somehow find quite charming.

Although it seems like an oxymoron, I'd describe the dish as a potato soufflé -- I'm not sure where the idea of "gâteau" came from as there's nothing cake-like about it.

Rather than start with a bechamel sauce, the base of the dish is mashed potatoes, to which you add 2 egg yolks, two beaten egg whites, and grated cheese.

I usually bake it a little longer than the suggested 25 to 30 minutes to get a cheesy, golden crust over the top. And while separating the eggs and beating the whites sounds like kind of a pain for an everyday dish, I highly suggest keeping this step. I skipped it once and the result was, umm, very compact.

If you can't decipher the recipe above, this version of "Potato soufflé" looks similar and maybe even better. Cream instead of milk! Chives added! I'll have to check it out...

Re-Discovering Mexico in California

We met friends from Paris in Santa Monica. I wasn't sure about the type of restaurant we wanted to try and offered them a taste of Mexican cuisine. Great success! Since then I have decided to try several Mexican restaurants in the area and share with you my experience.

Let me welcome you to Don Antonio and it beautiful back patio! It's located at 11756 Pico Blvd in Santa Monica.
it is an euphemism to say that the portions anywhere here are super size. So we always stick to : "platos chicos" (small dishes ) or appetizers ... Our guest ordered "quesadillas", one of my favorites. It came with a lot of guacamole, and some unseasoned iceberg salad. So I tried "enchiladas", which I wrongly though was a stuffed chili. It is actually a corn tortilla, stuffed with a filling, and covered with a chili sauce ... for someone who does not enjoy very hot food, it was the wrong dish. It came with a HUGE portion of rice and beans, which were actually mashed. I had the beans and it was plenty!We also ordered a beef taco, a beer and a diet coke and paid less than 28 dollars without tip. Don Antonio has a valet parking.
Buen provecho!

EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale

I use a digital kitchen scale practically every day. If you're serious about baking or developing recipes, it's a necessity. You may notice some of the more professional baking cookbooks show the weights of ingredients. It's a much more accurate way to measure than by using cups and spoons. When I develop a recipe using an ingredient like fish or chicken, I specify the weight because it makes a big difference in cooking time and also in terms of servings. For example, a salmon steak could be as small as 6 ounces or over a pound.

Kitchen scales can get pretty expensive but the most recent one I tried, the EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale is not expensive at all and has a lot going for it. If you are looking for a basic digital scale I would definitely recommend it. I spent about $50 for my Salter Aquatronic scale when my earlier scale, a Tanita died. It's a little more accurate for very small measurements (under one ounce) and it has a larger bed, but other than that, it really doesn't have any other advantages over this less expensive compact model. Since I'm generally using the tare function to "zero out" the bowl or plate anyway, the size isn't a big problem for me. I think the small size has a lot to do with the fact that it is marketed as a way to count calories.

Pros:

+ Very inexpensive, $25 (and qualifies for free shipping)

+ Small and compact

+ Plastic and well sealed, easy to clean

+ Easily switches from ounces to grams

+ Measures down to half and ounce

+ Auto shut off after just a couple of minutes

+ Uses 2 AAA batteries

+ Large display

+ Easy to clean

Cons:

- Small bed means larger items won't fit unless placed in a bowl (which you must tare or "zero out")

- When weighing larger quantities reading the display can be a challenge

- Weight limit is 11 pounds

Wade way in

November was nice, but what happened to it? Hi.Our visit to the East Coast was good and long and involved a lot of sleeping and pizza research, the common themes of our days off since Delancey came along. I wrote a story about stuffing for this fine newspaper - you know that it’s not just for Thanksgiving, right? You can eat stuffing whenever you want - and now I’m working on a story for this

Loulou's Onion Roquefort Tart

After my plea for ideas for what to do with Roquefort cheese, Loulou of Chez Loulou (logical enough) was kind enough to clue me in to her recipe for Caramelized Onion, Roquefort and Parmesan Tart.

You can see the result above.

So what the heck is that papery substance doing around this lovely tart, especially on a cooking blog?

Well, truth be told, I never make my own crusts. I know this is very wrong. Yet in France you can buy perfectly edible pâtes brisées -- much better than their American counterparts -- and I buy them all the time. They look like this when you put them in your quiche dish:



The paper the crusts come rolled up in is called papier de cuisson; think of it as waxed paper without the wax. It's a very practical thing, because your crust never sticks when you use it, and you hardly need to wash the dish afterwards.

So to get back to the tart, I caramelized my onions, which meant almost burning them but not quite -- a delicate operation:

Then I got my Roquefort out of the fridge. Here is the horrible truth. My Roquefort did not look like this; it looked like what you see below, and had been languishing in the fridge for weeks, if not months:

But once I opened it up, it appeared pretty peppy: proof that some things, like wine and expatriates, improve with age:

Taking care not to crumble aluminum foil into my tart, I sprinkled bits of elderly Roquefort over the onions:

A little blurry, true, but I have given up any pretenses of being a food photographer.

I do consider myself a photographer of sorts -- but not the culinary sort.

And that's the way it's going to be on Cuisine Quotidienne in 2008; so if you don't care for that approach, click here.

So back to the tart. I kind of, sort of, used Loulou's recipe, but I make no guarantees about the exact proportion of eggs and various creams that went into it. And I definitely didn't have any Parmesan, so Gruyère had to do. But this is how it looked when it went into the oven:

As for when it came out, go back to the top of the post.

How delicious do you think that was?

Merci Loulou!

Monte Cristo Sandwiches:Recipe

Brunch. Such a problematic concept. Don't get me wrong, it's great. Would I have chosen it as the meal for my wedding if I didn't love it so much? But it's the heading out of the house on a Sunday morning, and invariably standing in line waiting for a table that ruins it. Then there's the whole sweet or savory thing. The eggs benedict or the blueberry pancakes? Bagel cream cheese and lox or French toast and maple syrup? This may be how smoky meats like sausage and bacon became such popular brunch side dishes, born from the difficulty of deciding what to order in the first place.

Today the solution was simple. Homemade Monte Cristo sandwiches. I wish I could tell you some fabulous story about the Monte Cristo, but I can't. In doing the research even the esteemed James Beard Organization concedes the origins are unclear. Where did it come from? Why dip a sandwich in egg? Why is it named Monte Cristo? The name seems to date back to as early as 1941, when it starts showing up on menus in Southern California, coincidentally the same year as the movie, The Son of Monte Cristo was released. Beyond that, there's not much to tell. There are very few stories about it and they aren't very compelling. Not nearly as compelling as an odd sandwich with several different variations--sometimes made with turkey, other times with chicken or ham, sometimes served with jam other times sprinkled with powdered sugar, sometimes triple decker, sometimes not. The best thing about it is it's like several different dishes in one, a ham and cheese sandwich, French toast, and bread and jam. Sweet and savory, solved in one fell swoop.

Here's how I make it, I make no claims of authenticity only of tastiness:

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

4 slices sourdough French bread
4 slices Fontina cheese
4 thin slices of black forest ham
1 egg
splash of milk
Dijon mustard
fruity jam of your choice, strawberry or blackberry recommended

Spread one slice of bread for each sandwich with mustard, leave the other slice plain. Place the cheese and ham on the bread, then carefully dip the sandwich in a combination of beaten egg and milk. Fry in a pan with oil or butter until cheese melts, about five minutes. Serve with a spoonful of jam spread on top. Eat with a fork and knife.

Enjoy!

Spinning Spider Creamery

www.flickr.com

You hear about small family farms all the time, but when was the last time you visited one? Today I visited with Chris Owen and her son Cullen at the Spinning Spider Creamery. They showed me around and I learned what it's like to raise goats. This is seriously a family farm, because all of the family members including three school age sons work hard to feed, milk and care for the goats and make and sell cheese. This is often a 24 hour a day responsibility.

The Owen's have a herd of 55 of the sweetest most affectionate Saanen and Alpine goats. Each one has a name and distinct personality. They even have "show goats". Just spending a little bit of time with the goats, you can easily see why the family loves them so much.

They also love goat cheese and create many different styles from fresh chevre to aged cheddar, feta, blue and more. My favorite was the tangy crottin but I understand why the chevre with fig, honey, pepper and rosemary is the most popular of all the cheeses they make. It was sweet, spicy and decadent. Chris explained that this is the best time of the year for goat cheese because the milk is so rich and creamy. The milk changes seasonally which is good to remember when shopping for goat cheese. Fresh produce isn't the only thing on a farm that has peak seasons. Click on any of the photos above to see the whole set (or click on this link).

FOOD + ASHEVILLE

La Fête du Fromage, With Wine

We're here in this little piece of heaven on earth, perched high on a hill above the bay of Cannes. Photo ops have been numerous but since I forgot the cable to upload pictures I won't be sharing any until we get home.

Tonight is our last here in the villa.
We are not ready to leave! And my sister has to go back to the States on Thursday. I'm really not ready for her to leave!

We've decided a cheese and wine fête (she's calling it an orgy) is the best way to celebrate our last night in this amazing place.

Bonne Fête du Fromage!

Photo du Jour

Those of you who know me know that I'm a bit of a frustrated entomologist.
When I see interesting looking insects, I grab my camera and try to get a shot. I did get a great photo of a dragonfly last summer.
This beauty was on our house the other day. Wish I could have captured the bright orange and vivid red underside of its wings.


I didn't take a photo of the tick I pulled out of my leg the other day. *shudder* It didn't deserve the recognition.

Photo du Jour - The Cheese Guy

He happily gave samples and arranged the cheese so I could take a photo.
We ended up buying a small sliver of rather strong, salty, delicious fromage de brebis that had been matured for 18 months.
It was also covered with a powdery layer of cheese mites.
Bon Appetit!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies: Recipe

No one likes airplane food. The best solution is clearly to bring your own eats. So what snacks do you bring on the plane? That's the question that was posed by Epicurious editor/blogger Tanya Steel a few weeks back, prior to her travels. Suggestions were made for granola, chili coated dried mango, cereal bars, deli sandwiches, beef jerky and more. But it was this comment "I will be staying in hotels, so I can't even pack a PB&J!" by Tanya that got me thinking. How about a cookie that tastes like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

The first batch I tried was too sweet but the second one was just right. These cookies aren't very sweet, so you get a hit of sweetness from the jelly or in this case, strawberry preserves. They are fairly healthy and great with a glass of milk, of course. The basic recipe is an adaptation of the peanut butter cookie in Jane Brody's fabulous Good Food Book. Just a couple of these really satisfy, but bring more for your seat neighbors.

My favorite airplane food of all is sushi, which I usually try to take on flights to and from Hawaii, but for something that stays fresh and travels well, these cookies are a better choice. I'll be getting on a plane Monday morning and these little goodies will be in my carry on luggage...

PB&J Cookies
makes about 3 dozen

1/3 Cup unsalted butter
1/2 Cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky
1/2 Cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 Cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Strawberry preserves or jam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar and egg with an electric mixer until creamy. Sprinkle in the flour and baking soda, mixing well to combine. Roll into one inch balls and place 2 inches apart. Use your thumb to make a well in the center of each cookie, flattening each ball as you go. Fill the well in each cookie with strawberry preserves. Bake on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet for 10 minutes. Let cook on a rack.

Enjoy!

FOOD

Out of Touch

Sitting at a friends house, having a glass of wine and enjoying the comforts of modern life. Like electricity. And the Internet.

We've been without power since 9:30 AM Saturday due to rather impressive storms down here in the south of France. No word about when it will come back on again but we're hoping things will get back to normal by Monday.

Until then...

Tandoori Salmon

I have made a similar recipe with chicken and don't know why I've never tried it with salmon! It came out moist, spicy and delicious. I usually add more cayenne because we like the extra kick.
Recipes like this are my favorites because I always have the marinade ingredients on hand. It is easy to throw together and is done in advance so requires very little last minute prep.
I usually make some aloo saag as an accompaniment and always serve it with basmati rice.

4 salmon fillets, skin on, about 4 oz. each
1/2 cup plain yogurt, low fat is fine
1 tablespoon minced coriander
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper

Place the salmon, skin side down, in a shallow container. Whisk the yogurt and next 10 ingredients together and pour over the salmon so the fillets are completely covered.
Cover the container and place in the fridge to marinate at least a couple of hours, although overnight is better.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the fillets in an oiled baking dish, skin up, and bake for 5 minutes.
Turn the fillets over, baste with the remaining marinade and cook another 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
Serves 4

Chow Tips starring me!

I could spend hours surfing over at Chow.com. It's that hip food site that was briefly a magazine. It includes not just recipes but blogs, stories, message boards, cool videos and one of my favorite features, Chow Tips. At 45 seconds a piece, they don't take much time to watch and give you just the details you need.



When I talked to the video producer at Chow I suggested six different ideas for tips, and to my surprise, she said yes to all of them! Here are the first four, two more are on their way. I hope you enjoy watching them as much I enjoyed shooting them.



As an added benefit, Chow has also also posted the recipes for Roasted Baby Artichokes with Meyer Lemon-Saffron Aioli andCheese Stuffed Risotto Cakes from the cookbook I wrote, Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Appetizers.



cheers,



Amy

A Cheese Odyssey

Two years ago I impulsively decided to take on the whopping task of tasting each and every cheese produced in France. Today, April 18, is the two year anniversary of la Fête du Fromage.
I think that calls for a celebration!

Each and every cheese...just how many is that exactly? Apparently there is no definitive answer. Some say as few as 350 and other sources cite as many as 1000. The most common answer is that there are around 400-500 French cheeses.

In the last two years I have tasted about 130 of the 350-1000. That means I've got another 3 to 10 years of delicious French cheese tasting to look forward to. Here's to that!

A few highlights from the last 2 years:

Tomette des Corbières,
Langres
Le Napoléon Commingeois
Tomme de Maquis
la Taupinière
Cabretou
La Courounne Lochoise
Gaperon

.

Peas, Ricotta and Bacon with Orecchiette

In general, I'm the kind of cook who appreciates simplicity.
I don't find architectural stacks of food on my plate interesting and I don't get excited about eating sugar orbs filled with sesame oil or cuttlefish ravioli filled with rabbit brain espuma.

Occasionally I'll wake up in the mood to spend the morning in the kitchen cooking coq au vin or boeuf bourguignon or a slow simmering bolognese sauce which needs several hours to mellow and meld it's flavors together. It is a perfect, lazy Sunday with Pink Martini playing in the background activity. And then I like to freeze it in several containers so I have it available to make a delicious, impromptu lunch or dinner.
Most days, however, it is nice to have some recipes on hand that don't take hours and hours. I love a good pasta sauce that can be made in the time it takes the water to boil and the noodles to cook. This frees up time to make a salad or yummy dessert when you want to invite friends or family over for dinner. And I've never met anyone who doesn't like pasta.
I recently discovered something amusing about our French friends, a couple for whom I've always made the most spectacular of dishes from my repertoire because they always do the same for us when we're at their house...they prefer Italian food to any other! And here I've been for the last four years, trying to serve them interesting, American dishes (no, that isn't a contradiction of terms) that they have never tried before and all this time they just wanted some good, Italian food!

Here's something simple I made the other night.

8 ounces frozen baby peas, thawed
1/3 pound slab bacon, cut into lardons
1/3 pound fresh ricotta
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 pound orecciette (medium sized shells will also work, but you want a shape that will hold the sauce and the peas)

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta.
While it is cooking, heat the bacon over medium heat until lightly browned. Pour off most of the bacon fat, leaving a couple of tablespoons in the pan. Add the thawed peas and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring to coat with the bacon drippings.
Mix the ricotta and butter together in the bowl you'll serve the pasta in.
Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of cooking water and add it to the ricotta and butter and toss it all together quickly. Pour in the bacon and peas, mix again then add the parmesan and pepper and mix again. If it seems too dry, you can drizzle a little of the reserved pasta water to get the sauce to the consistency of your liking.
Serve with more grated parmesan at the table.
Serves 4

This week's theme? Thai noodles! Two posts on Thai noodles really made me crave them. And if you aren't in the mood for Thai noodles, check out a more post for the "holiday".

Chubby Hubby shares his Thai noodle adventures, including cooking school in Chiang Mai and a recipe for Khai Soi Gai a tangy delicious curry noodle dish. Check out those gorgeous photos!

Meanwhile closer to home, Tea and Cookies has her own Thai noodle adventure, discovering a broccoli and noodle dish then ordering the wrong thing and finally a recipe for Pad See You. I think I may now have to try Osha, her recommended Thai noodle spot.

Finally for those celebrating the holiday, Brownie Points serves up lots of good suggestions for creating something appropriate. See her own efforts here.

FOOD + NOODLES

German Potato Pancakes

For a certain segment of the population, potato pancakes can incite a strong emotional reaction.  Should they be thin?  Lacy little doilies of potato, as much fry as starch.  This kind should be eaten immediately, straight from griddle to mouth, without even pausing at a plate if possible.  Like the finest shredded hash-brown.  

In my family, however, potato pancakes have always been thick.  A crisp crust that resists the teeth at first, but crumbles into a silky center of potato spiked with onion.  These are the kinds of cakes that shoulder the weight of apple sauce and sour cream without so much as a shudder.  And if you have leftovers, they can even be enjoyed again the next day (but please re-crisp them in the oven).

As with all of my old family recipes, these come straight out of tradition and I haven't messed with them.  My grandmother claims that this is the way her mother made them (although now we use a food processor, we're just not that home-spun).  Maybe you'll want to have a go at it as well.

German Potato Pancakes

5 red potatoes, peeled

4 eggs

1 onion

1/2 cup flour

1 tablespoon salt
Olive oil

Cut the potatoes in cubes so they fit in the food processor. Place one potato and one egg into the food processor and pulse until the potato is shredded so that it doesn't become mush. Transfer the potato mixture to a bowl. Repeate with the rest of the potatoes and eggs, adding in 1/2 an onion to two of the potatoes before processing. You will have 1 more potatoe than egg.

Once all of the potatoes are processed, add the flour and salt and fold it in. As you stir, look for large chuncks of potatoe that may have slipped through and remove them.

Coat the bottom of a pan with oil and heat on medium until the oil shimmers. Add the batter to the pan in quarter cups, just as you would with normal pancakes. Cook until golden brown and then flip. Once cooked through, transfer to papertowel lined plates to drain, keep in a slow oven if necessary to keep warm before serving with a generous dollop of apple sauce or sour cream.

Which One Would You Choose?

Consider the above birthday cakes for Cuisine Quotidienne! On December 23rd, 2006 I wrote my first post for this blog. But actually I have another subject to write about today, so won't spend much time musing over the creation and continuation CQ...

For the first dozen years I lived in France, I never really gave bûches de Noël much thought. I couldn't imagine making one myself, and those I saw for sale looked frosting-heavy and generally unappealing. I'm sure in big cities, pastry shops have always been making classy, creative versions of these French Christmas desserts, but here in Aveyron I've definitely noticed an improvement in the variety of Yule Log Cakes available over the past few years.

The traditional bûche is filled with buttercream but, if the flyer above is any indication, it may be losing ground to "bûches mousse" -- also called "bûches légères" -- and bûches glacées, which can be quite delicious but don't always taste right for the season. The local bakery chain where I picked up this ad was doing some heavy promotion of their thirteen varieties of bûche last Wednesday, offering samples and giving a 10% discount to customers ordering them before Friday.

I didn't go for their pitch, but I am ordering two small bûches through the local grocery store because my children, who grew up with Christmas cookies as their main Christmas dessert, have fallen in love with the mousse-based varieties. It's a good thing, because I didn't have time to bake Christmas cookies this year anyway!