Decadence and Hedonism

Well, the year is winding down and coming to a close. You know what that means...
Only a couple more days of hedonism and decadence before those awful, guilt ridden New Year's resolutions (that are usually forgotten and discarded by the middle of February) are made.
I mean really, if you want to change something about yourself or your life, why not just DO IT? Why do you have to wait for January 1?
Just a thought.

So here's to not making resolutions!
Santé!

That's the spirit

I hope you know that I take my job seriously. A number of you asked for a Pimm’s Cup recipe, so I’ve been drinking a lot of it. Just for you.That’s Brandon’s hand there, and actually, he’s holding a gin and tonic, but it doesn’t matter. The gesture is what counts. Long live Pimm’s Cup! Cheers!I first tasted Pimm’s in its native city of London, where it came to the table in a pitcher, mixed with

Cheddary Corn Chowder:Recipe

Oh how I look forward to Wednesdays! It's not just the middle-of-the-week mark, it's also the day that most major newspapers publish their food sections, and the day my organic produce box is delivered. So why do most newspapers publish a sports section every day and a food section only once a week? Another unsolved mystery of the universe. After all, eating on a daily basis is fairly typical so a daily food section makes perfect sense...

This week the produce delivery signaled that summer is surely on the way in. The box included lots of summer "sweeties" like cherries, peaches, strawberries and corn. When corn is fresh it can be one of the sweetest vegetables around. It also has vitamin C and trace amounts of beta carotene. Unfortunately it can lose up to 40% of its sugar content after as little as six hours of room temperature storage, so if you buy it freshly picked cook it as soon as you can. If you don't, it's likely to turn starchy.

Though I grew up eating boiled corn on the cob with butter, I now prefer it grilled like you find in the streets of Mexico served with a wedge of lime and a sprinkle of chile powder. Off the cob it's good in a salsa or soup. If you want to oven-roast it, here's how: Peel back the corn husk and rip out the corn silk. Fold the husk back over the corn and place in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. If you like the corn slightly charred, let it cool enough to handle then pull back the husks and hold over an open flame until charred to taste. There not much to do with the corn cobs, except perhaps save them up and build yourself a corn palace and give the folks in Mitchell, South Dakota a little competition.

Cheddary Corn Chowder
2-4 servings

3 ears of corn, cut kernels from cob and save the cobs
2 small potatoes, or one large one sliced into thin slices
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped or diced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 thick slice of bacon or 2 thin slices, diced (optional)
1-2 Tablespoons oil
1 can (14 oz) chicken or vegetable broth
1 can (14 oz) water
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup milk
1 Tablespoon flour
1/4 cup or so shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil and bacon in a medium soup pot. When it starts to sizzle, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Saute until soft, but not brown. Add the corn and saute another couple of minutes. Add the broth and water and potatoes and the corn cobs. Cook until the potato is cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Add the smoked paprika and the milk mixed with the flour. Cook another 5 minutes. Remove the corn cobs. Using a hand blender, puree about half the soup or put half the soup in a blender and puree. Mix, heat through then turn the stove off and stir in the cheddar cheese. Taste and add salt and pepper (it will need several large pinches of salt) If you like grill seasoning or any other flavored pepper you can use that.

Enjoy!

On experimentation, and an unexpected ice cream float

Experimentation is not my strong suit. On the one hand, this means that I’m every D.A.R.E. mom’s dream child, but when it comes to the kitchen, it means that I’m, well, often not so daring.In my defense, I come by it naturally. Not only was I an oddly fearful kid—you wouldn’t find me within a 10-foot radius of a worm, much less eating one—but I’m also a baker by nature, precise, obedient, and

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

My first good sweet-potato-fry experience was in a diner near my hometown, which actually only served sweet potato fries, and no other fry-variety.  They had a consistent and messy appearance: long,  flimsy wedges that could easily break apart when lifted, but which tasted fantastic and were delightfully squishy between the fingers and on the tongue.  Served with a small cup of sweet and tangy honey mustard dip, these fries were dangerously good, and I was always happy to return for another serving.

Naturally, I decided that I'd like to try my hand at making them, completely unaware of their charming simplicity.  Since these potatoes have so much sweetness (hence the name), very little preparation is needed to make the taste go a long way.  When roasted, they soften and caramelize slightly, while retaining an excellent crunch, courtesy of the sweet potato skin.

Two quick things:  I personally like to keep the skin on and eat my fries with a little crunch; if you'd like to do the same, I advise scrubbing the potato very well to get as much dirt off as possible.  Alternatively, you can peel the potato, and not subjet yourself to the ordeal mentioned above.

Lastly, please serve these with some honey mustard, sour cream, honey, or anything else that suits your fancy!

Sweet Potato Oven Fries - serves 1

1 medium-to-large sweet potato (patate douce, or yam)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
1.  Wash, scrub, and peel (optional) the potato.
2. Cut off the ends of the potato, then cut it in half length-wise.  Cut each half into 4 wedges.
3.  Pour oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl;  add the sweet potatoes, and toss to combine, until all the wedges are evenly coated with oil.
4.  Roast potatoes on an un-lined baking dish until they're tender and slightly caramelized, about 45 minutes.  Flip wedges over once halfway through cooking.
5.  Let cool slightly before serving.

Photos du Jour

Today is the first day of autumn. Obviously so!
The nights have turned chilly and it drizzled almost all day yesterday.


Hard to believe I was swimming exactly one week ago.

Caught in my own trap

Once I told you all that last week's "mystery dish" was actually a classic dish and that the recipe was from a famous cookbook, a lot more guesses came in -- all wrong, of course, but who can blame the guessers?

My version of osso bucco from The New Basics Cookbook was hardly respectful of the Rosso and Lukins recipe, nor of osso bucco recipes in general.

Where are the round veal shanks generally associated with the dish?

Well, my butcher didn't really have the proper cut on hand, so I improvised by slicing the veal meat off the end of a shank that he had sold me for a good price...

Why so many vegetables, especially zucchini, when the recipe usually only calls for onions?

Because I had them on hand...and vegetables are good for you, right? In France, we're being overrun with posters telling us to eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day, so my osso bucco modification was a healthy one!

But I can definitely see why no one got the right call on the recipe! It simply looks nothing like the usual photos of the dish, and probably didn't really deserve to bear its name.

Thanks for trying...