On the 6

The Paris Metro line #6 offers spectacular views of la Tour Eiffel.

I took this route every day for a week when I was in Paris earlier this month.  As soon as the train came above ground to cross a bridge over the Seine and this iconic monument came into view, almost every head turned to catch a glimpse.
I saw many smiles on the 6.

Borlotti or Cranberry Beans

Aahh the cranberry bean or borlotti bean as they're known in Tuscany.  It's been making the rounds around blogs lately, and why not?  It's a beautiful little bean, fuchsia with specks of cream on the shell with an inverse pattern on the bean itself.  It's always a little disappointing to use them, however, as they become a dull gray with cooking.  Evidently, there were once very common beans, and in her book Vegetable Love, Barbara Kafka  calls them "the most widely available of shelled beans sold fresh."  However, in his tome American Cookery from 1972, James Beard acknowledges that the beans had become "much less popular these last twenty-five years than they used to be."  I never see them now except at farmers markets, and then they are wildly expensive.  Usually.  Until I happened on a small market that is held every thursday right by my apartment.  I snagged an entire bag-full for two bucks!  

Kafka provides a useful table for gauging yields and equivalents.  She says that 2 1/2 pounds in the shell will result in 1 1/4 pounds shelled, that 12 ounces in the shell will yield 1 cup of raw, shelled beans, and that once cooked 4 cups of raw beans will yield 5 cups of cooked ones!  Beard also suggests allowing for 1 pound of beans in the shell per person.  I'm never so specific with my beans, preferring instead to dig around the basked until I'm satisfied.  

BBC Food says that they're a type of kidney bean, and a good substitute for cannellini beans if you've got your heart set on them.  I've also read that they can be interchanged with pinto beans and red kidney beans, the latter being not quite as good a substitute.  Beard describes them as mealy in texture, which I can definitely see, but they have a nice subtle flavor.  There's plenty of information on them floating around the internet, such as here and here, and since this is a common bean in tuscany there are many Italian preparations that call for them specifically. 

 

The Silver Spoon provides recipes for borlotti, barley and legume soup; scrambled eggs with borlotti beans; and a turkey and borlotti bean salad.  For cooking, Beard suggests bringing water to a boil, adding the beans, then reducing the heat to low and cooking the beans covered until they are tender.  He then directs to drain the beans and return them to the pan to dry out.  He says that it was once customary to add bacon, smoked jowl or salt pork to the beans while cooking, and to serve the bits of meat along with them at the end.  However, as with so many of my farmers market impulse buys, I felt like having something simple, something in which the beans were the star and to which I did as little as possible.  

To that end, I took the advice here, and simply boiled them for about 15 minutes until they were soft, but not falling apart.  I then drizzled them with a bit of olive oil, popped a can of tuna and had a simple, very satisfying, light lunch.

Photo du Jour

Market day tomorrow. On my list:

cucumbers
white nectarines
prunes Reine Claude
eggs
chèvre
a tarragon plant
bread
olives

Favorite Things: Sembei

If you go to Tokyo, along the pathway to the temple in Akusaka there are vendors selling hundreds of kinds of "sembei" or Japanese rice crackers. Though the crackers originated in China, in 806 AD a Buddhist monk brought the recipe to Japan where the Japanese have perfected the art of sembei. Even today they continue to innovate, coming up with new flavors, designs and specialties which vary from region to region in Japan.

In Japan, both sweet and savory sembei are not just a snack but often given as a gift. No ordinary snack they are like little works of art. Made from rice, peanuts and soy they are flavored, sometimes with sesame seeds, soy sauce, nori (seaweed) or red chili.

At the Winter Fancy Food Show this year, a family owned Japanese company Fujiya Seika and subsidiary Hidemi exhibited a beautiful range of crackers and confections. Representing the company were brother and sister, Tomio, who lives where the confections are made in Osaka and Hidemi, who lives in Texas. Tomio focuses on the savory snacks and Hidemi on the sweet confections.

Their snacks are as delicious to eat as they are to look at. Perfect with cocktails or as part of a appetizer buffet they are much more nutritious than typical American snacks. Some of the more unusual treats included green tea cookies, crunchy blueberries and charcoal covered peanuts. With any luck we will see these delicious treats in stores soon!

Pittsburgh (2) : A delicious dinner with friends

While in Pittsburgh last week, I stayed over at a friend's who lives near Mount Washington. I had glorious weather. What a great view of the city from the street that runs along the river, and past Mt Washington. Beautiful stroll!
This very dear friend went into the trouble of organizing a dinner to introduce me to some of her friends. The seeting was casual yet delightful. The water tumblers, made of stainless steel, were a sharp contrast with the stems of the wine glasses. The earth color chinaware matched the napkin and mat, and all the shades of browns and off whites were in beautiful harmony.

We started with baguette canapes with a spread of chopped olives and olive oil, mmm, delicious! The excellent American sparkling wine served in high high flutes set the tone!

The coversation was very animated when the mise-en-bouche was presented: dices of smoked wild salmon with a smooth sauce. My friend's brother had done both jobs: fishing and smoking. Delicious!

To remind us of Halloween, she had prepared a thick and tasty pumpkin creme, which matched perfectly well the deep dark brown soup bowl.
She had roasted to perfection a turkey roast with herbs, tender and soft; the gravy was sharp in taste and light. The choice of grilled vegetables gave color to the dark plate. The green beans were home grown.

We had a very good full bodied red wine throughout the meal.

My friend has lived in France and knows all about French cuisine! Between the main course and desserts, she served a salad and a cheese platter with a soft cow milk cheese with herbs, an aged goat cheese, and a blue cheese, a perfect balance!

After this tasty and varied meal, she opted for a light lemon sherbert. Very French indeed!

THank you, thank you for teh meal, thank you for your friendship!

Mustard Roasted Potatoes: Recipe

In addition to being an absolute pasta freak, I am passionate about potatoes. I could eat pasta everyday and potatoes, probably every other day. I love them every which way. A number of years ago Oprah's personal chef at the time wrote a cookbook called In the Kitchen with Rosie. It was a huge bestseller and featured very low fat recipes. There were some good recipes and techniques in the book. One of the recipes that made a big impression on me was called Mustard Roasted Potatoes.

The Mustard Roasted Potato recipe was red potatoes tossed with Dijon mustard, cumin, paprika, chili and cayenne. The potatoes roast in the oven and become all crusty and delectable. It's a great technique and can be endlessly varied. I've incorporated plain yogurt, fresh herbs, and different kinds of mustard. I like the Moroccan mustard from Dulcet Cuisine for this recipe because it has so much flavor you don't need to add any additional spices, but feel free to experiment and try any spiced mustard you like or add some spices.

Seriously, these potatoes are like candy they are so good! They are as addictive as french fries but infinitely healthier. Serve them as a side dish but make extras because they reheat fabulously well and even make a great snack. This is also about the least fussy recipe ever, you really can't go wrong with it.

Mustard Roasted Potatoes
Serves 4

1/3 cup Moroccan mustard
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into small thumb-sized chunks

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard and olive oil. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Dump the potatoes onto a foil lined large rimmed baking sheet and spread them in a single layer. Roast, tossing with a spatula a few times, until the potatoes are crusty on the outside and tender throughout, about an hour. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Top 100 - 73 Through 80

73. La Table Bretonne in Béziers, France. This little crêperie in the center of Béziers offers delicious, savory buckwheat crêpes and tempting, sweet crêpes for dessert. My favorites are the Tartiflette, filled with bacon, potatoes and reblochon cheese, and the Popeye, filled with spinach, crème fraîche and emmenthal cheese. Dessert options include crêpes covered in cinnamon and apple compote with vanilla ice cream, a crêpe spread with homemade, bittersweet chocolate sauce and toasted almonds and the famous, flaming crêpes Suzette. The owner's are a delightful husband and wife team, he cooks and she works the dining room.

La Table Bretonne
21, rue Viennet
34500 Béziers
FRANCE
+33 (0) 4.67.49.00.66

74. A Crawfish Boil. Imagine a mound of bright, red crawfish mixed with potatoes and chunks of corn on the cob, piled high in the middle of a newspaper covered picnic table. The air is thick with the tempting aroma of cayenne, onions, garlic and bay leaves. Scoop one up, pinch da tail and suck da head!

75. Walla Walla Sweet Onions. We enjoyed these all summer long when I was growing up. Tomato and onion salad, one of my mom's greatest summer recipes, was my favorite. This sweet, mild onion originated in Corsica and was brought to this small town in southeast Washington State in the 1800's by a French soldier. It is now celebrated every year during the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival.

76. Piperade. A vibrant and hearty dish from the Basque region. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.

Piperade

1 onion, thinly sliced
3-4 Peppers - mix of red and green, at least one of each, chopped into large pieces
3-4 large, ripe tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
fresh chili, according to taste and desired heat
2 cloves garlic, minced
thyme
bay leaf (fresh preferably)
salt to taste
4 eggs, beaten

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Gently cook the onion until it is soft. Add the peppers, and cook gently for 10 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, garlic, chili and herbs, and continue to cook until everything is tender and has melted together.
Add the beaten eggs to the mixture and stir, evenly and quickly so the eggs blend nicely into the sauce.

77. The Heat Resistant Spatula. I have three of these and think they're the greatest invention! They're virtually indestructible and withstand heat up to 500 degrees.

78. Copper River Salmon. One of the richest, tastiest salmon in the world. It's nutty flavor and stunning red color can be savored for only three to four weeks a year, from around May 15 until early June. Last year's price per pound was over $30.00, but if you can find some, it is well worth the price.

79. Dim Sum. When we lived in San Francisco, Sunday mornings meant dim sum for brunch. Trolleys stacked with little plates of various kinds of steamed and fried dumplings, sautéed vegetables, noodles and roasted meats are wheeled around for you to pick and choose from. A great alternative to omelets, waffles and hash browns.

80. Granny Smith Apple Sorbet. This was one of the sorbet choices on the menu at the restaurant where I was a pastry chef. I haven't made it in years but still remember the sweet, tart and tangy flavor. I'm making it again as soon as I get an ice cream maker.

Granny Smith Apple Sorbet

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2/3 C. lemon juice, lime juice, or a combination of both
1/3 C. sugar
1/3 C. calvados or applejack

Slice 5 of the apples and puree in a blender or food processor. Chop the sixth apple finely.
Combine all ingredients and whisk together until sugar is dissolved.
Pour into 1 1/2 quart (or larger) ice cream maker and process until firm following the manufacturer's instructions.
Serve immediately, or freeze for later use.

Serves 6.
.