fresh tart

...more tomorrow (or today, since it's after midnight), but for now here's a quickie.

It (the cassoulet) was delicious - worth all the effort.

We almost burned our house down (unrelated to the cassoulet), but prevailed.  Recipe and full raves forthcoming, so stay tuned...

So, tomorrow night we're hosting Debbie & Stu the Wine Genius Williams and Ana Scofield & Rudy Maxa for dinner.  Remember our recent dinner at Heartland, where I mentioned I'd like to tackle cassoulet?  Well, I put the plans into motion that night for tomorrow night's feast, and started getting down to business yesterday.

Cassoulet is a hearty French white bean casserole/stew, loaded with rich meats like duck or goose confit, lamb or pork shoulder, salt pork or bacon, and sausage.  The beans, meat, and stewing juices are layered together and topped with fresh bread crumbs, then baked until the top is insane-crusty-perfection.  I've taken a couple of days to prepare the dish, which in effect is bean & pork stew (day one), layered with lamb stew (day two), layered with sausages and duck confit and topped with bread crumbs (day three).  You could make the bean and lamb stews on the same day - neither are difficult - but they are time-consuming.  Since entertaining is supposed to be, you know, fun, to me it's worth the extra planning to start a few days ahead so that I can be relatively relaxed and enjoy my guests.

I started in an unorthodox manner - by browning the bacon (I chose bacon over salt pork).  Most recipes have you layer un-browned salt pork into the casserole, but I knew the flavor of lightly browned bacon would be lovely with the beans, so that's what I did.  Mon dieu, I know, I know.  Into the bacon, I stirred onions and a bouquet garni of parsley, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme.  And then I stirred in the beans, of course - I used navy; flageolet are traditional, but I couldn't easily put my hands on them, and many recipes just call for navy anyhow.  Last I stirred in water, just enough to cover, slowly adding more to keep the beans covered while they simmered, until they were just-tender, about an hour and a half.  I added salt and pepper to taste a couple of times throughout the cooking process, although carefully, knowing that the forthcoming lamb and sausages would add saltiness as well.

Today I made the lamb stew, with a lamb shoulder roast.  Since I couldn't secure a bone-in roast, I added a beef marrow bone to the stock pot along with the browned-in-duck-fat lamb, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, tomato paste, and beef stock.  A slow braise in the oven for about two hours produced a beautifully rich, meaty stew.

I also dug into the (purchased) duck (legs) confit today - I pulled the meat from the bones into bite-size pieces, and pulled the skin from the meat.  I also diced and sauteed the beautiful French garlic sausages I bought - I almost hate to put them in the cassoulet, they're so delicious on their own (nibble, nibble).  But in they'll go, I swear.  Tomorrow I'll make cracklings by roasting the duck skin until crisp.

OK, that's all I've got for now, other than the menu (below; recipe will follow after I make note of the adjustments I've made).  Notice that we're pretty much just having crudite for an appetizer, and a simple cherry tart for dessert - no cheese, cassoulet is just too rich (shucks, I love an excuse - aka a party - for a cheese course; ah well, next time).  Stay tuned for wine - we haven't nailed it down yet:

Aioli platter with raw mushrooms and radishes, boiled potatoes, thinly sliced salami, cornichon pickles, and olives

Watercress/frisee salad with apples, toasted hazelnuts, dried cherries, goat cheese, shallots, and hazelnut oil/apple cider vinegar vinaigrette

Cassoulet

Cherry Tart

So, as you might have noticed, I changed the name of this blog from the moderate epicurean to fresh tart.  My goal is to be more serious, more deliberate - simple-yet-not things like organize and provide easily printable recipes, improve the quality of my photos, add video clips, etc.  Toward that end, I've joined Twitter and have started following and learning about the endless - and I mean endlessssssssss - number of great food blogs and vlogs (video logs) out there, good Lord, it's completely overwhelming.  And fascinating.  And very, very impressive.

I've all along listed several blogs that I admire and check frequently for inspiration under "For Foodies" to the right.  Definitely peruse them, they're all quite different from each other, which I love, and yet all make me want to print recipes and get cooking (and write better, and take better pictures, and cook more, and be funny and charming...).  Here are a few that that I've particularly enjoyed finding through Twitter:

The Amateur Gourmet - Adam Roberts writes a hilarious (and well-awarded for being hilarious) food blog from NYC.  Although calling it a food blog is selling it a bit short - his comic book illustrations rock, as do his restaurant reviews and videos.

Working Class Foodies - siblings Max & Rebecca Lando host this cool-beans "show" on the Hungry Nation web channel.  The videos are short, smart, and completely entertaining, with a focus on cooking cheap, deliciously fresh food.

David Lebovitz - David sarcastically, bitingly blogs from Paris about food and life.  If you're on Twitter, follow him - he's mastered the art of concise and funny.

The Pioneer Woman - you don't know energy until you read Ree Drummond's incredible blog.  She cooks, ranches, photographs, gardens, parents, homeschools - and writes hilariously about them all.  I'm not kidding.

I'll stop there and save others for a different post.  So many food blogs, so little time!  Aaaaagh!

My current Facebook status: desk. bills. laundry. voicemail. dog poop. errands. dishes. reality. darn.  That pretty much sums up my post-vacation blues, and I didn't even mention the weather: grey. cold. minnesota. february.

Right.

In an effort to shake off my stale mood, I plopped a dollop of spicy salsa on the egg I had for lunch.  I peeled both a clementine and a grapefruit for dessert, inhaling the refreshing zest before biting into the tart, juicy fruit.  Both endeavors did cheer me up a bit - I'm typically energized by good, fresh smells and flavors.  But they bothered me too... Couldn't quite put my finger on why...  And then it hit me - I felt a little mocked by the fresh chilies and citrus, gently reminding me that I'm far from warm sunshine and am going to be for a long, damn time.

Sigh.

After I figured out why the flavors made me a bit sad, I concluded that I'm better off just embracing my cold reality and sticking with comforting favorites, like the chicken I'm going to roast (on the grill, with my Weber poultry roaster, not quite ideally pictured above) for dinner tonight.  There are few things cozier (or more fabulous) than a roasted chicken, skin crisped, flesh moist and flavorful (with garlic and rosemary for tonight's version, I think).  Ooh, perhaps John and I will eat in front of a roaring fire.  (Although is it worth his grumbling about sitting on the floor?  Meh, probably not.)  Fire or no, sauteed Swiss chard tossed with garlicky-warm croutons, a bread salad of sorts, will be the perfect side - and in addition to being delicious, won't mock me one bit.  I think a slice of cheese will make the perfect dessert.

There!  I'm already cheered up.

(For an approximately 4 lb. chicken - we have a gas grill, I preheat it until nice and hot.  I pour wine into the poultry roaster's receptacle, add a few cloves of smashed garlic, and fresh or dried herbs.  I remove and discard the giblets from the chicken, then rinse and dry it, rub it with some olive oil, sprinkle it lightly inside and out with coarse salt, and set it up on the roaster (the key, I theorize, is the roaster's "plug" that you press into the top, to hold in the steaming herby-garlic-wine, oh yes).  When the chicken is actually on the grill, I monitor the grill temp to keep it between 450-500 degrees.  Try that in your oven and you'll understand why I do this on the grill.  I might give the chicken a shift to the right or left to keep it browning evenly.  I might baste it a bit with pan juices for the same reason.  In about an hour, the chicken will be very crispy-browned, and very, very tender (move a leg around - it might even just pull right off).  I carefully - it's splattering, sizzling hot - bring it in the house, let it calm down for a few minutes, then remove the bird from the roaster (with tongs) and set it on a cutting board, letting it set up for 10 minutes or so while I put the finishing touches on a vegetable or salad.  I carve the chicken and try very hard to not steal bits of crispy, salty skin.  Quite simple, really.  And most definitely heavenly.)

John and I snuck in another quick weekend trip to NYC, always a happy time.  As I've written before, my husband is from Manhattan, and my in-laws still live there, and they graciously allow us to crash in on them several times per year.  Weather-wise, it was a horrible time to descend on the city - as cold as Minnesota, damn it all, with slicing windchills and dreary skies.  And yet...we had a blast, because despite the cold, it wasn't Minnesota, and given the mid-winter doldrums, that's all that mattered.

We arrived on Thursday to attend an event at the New York Public Library.  I'd never been in the grand ole dame before and was not disappointed.  We didn't make it much past the soaring lobby and the stunning room set up for the dinner, but that's OK.  The food - despite being, you know, a big banquet - was truly excellent.  We opened with a parsnip flan, topped with a frisee salad, creamy, crunchy, and rich.  I chose black-sesame-seed encrusted black sea bass for my entree, against my better judgment - fish at a banquet?  Usually, a big yuck.  But I had a feeling, given how delicious the hors d'oeuvres and salad were...and my feeling was right.  Silky fish, a little sweet with miso, a little spicy with Chinese five-spice, so much better than most any piece of fish I can find in Minnesota.  Hate to say it, but it's true.  And I therefore enjoyed it thoroughly.

After dinner we hopped in a cab and whisked off to Bar Pleiades at the Surrey Hotel for sexy, pretty cocktails in a sexy, pretty room.  I had on 4-inch red heels, in New York, and I was not going to waste them.

Friday, I sort of died a little.  John and I bundled up against the bitter wind and walked up 5th Avenue to the Guggenheim Museum.  We briefly watched a couple making-out as an impressively choreographed performance art piece (part of the Tino Sehgal exhibit) in the atrium.  We wandered on into the permanent collection of Impressionists, springy and beautiful and blessedly colorful on a bleak January day.  And then...I hit a wall.  All my recent sleep deprivation caught up with me and I felt not museum fatigue (you know exactly that feeling) but something more like...painful jet lag.  We unfortunately (thankfully) abandoned lunch plans to return me home.  I dropped into bed for a nap and...slept for two hours!  Not how I wanted to spend precious hours in NYC, but there it was. And wasn't.

I rallied for a festively delicious - and wonderfully energizing - dinner at Shun Lee West with our friends Bartley, Natalie, and Jaime as well as my brother-in-law's family.  We talked and laughed and made fun of each other, all while devouring family-style spring rolls, to-die-for crispy prawns with broccoli, silky three-nut chicken, decadent orange beef, and crunchy stir-fried vegetables.  A typical Levy feast, we got home and simply crashed.

I emerged Saturday feeling myself again, a good thing because we had an ambitious and special day planned.  My sister Etta and my dear friend Michelle both live in Brooklyn, so John and I planned to spend the day driving and visiting and eating around non-Manhattan, a new experience for us both (yes, even for John).  We borrowed my father-in-law's car, picked up our friend Maud, and headed first to Chelsea to check out a couple of galleries and grab some lunch.  We strolled through two amazing exhibits (David Zwirner and Richard Misrach) before bidding farewell to Maud.  Then John and I moved on to a chic, hopping little spot called Cookshop for what happily turned out to be brunch (not lunch).  John dropped me off and went to park the car - I walked into the cafe, saw gorgeous Bloody Mary's everywhere I turned, smiled widely, and was half-way into one of the spicy, ruby beauties before John was even in the door.  I have secret extra-love for Bloodies garnished with fat olives (it's a Kollege Klub thing), and these had not only those, but also slices of lemon and long stalks of celery.  Crunchy!  Zingy!  Happy!  We ordered eggs and fries and a panini and shared it all and had the most delicious, sunny meal.  Big treat, great start to our day.

We rushed past a couple of cool buildings (so bitterly cold, such cool modern architecture), then climbed back into the car and made our way over the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn to pick up my sister Etta.  With her riding shotgun as John's co-navigator, we headed over to the Forte Greene neighborhood to pick up Michelle.  Then all four of us set out for a 2.5-hour drive around several Brooklyn neighborhoods, marveling at the sheer hugeness of it all, as well as the endless rows of beautiful historic brownhouses, neighborhood after neighborhood of shops and restaurants, parks, and stunning views of Manhattan.  We ended our day back at Etta's lovely apartment, joined by friends for cocktails (and seriously amazing cheeses), capping it all off with an outstanding dinner at Dressler (in Williamsburg).  I savored a creamy, warm artichoke heart salad, followed by a perfectly roasted chicken breast, crispy and tender, resting on a bed of pillowy gnocchi, wild mushrooms, and a rich demi-glace.  Uff, such fullness.  I really couldn't make much of a dent in the chicken breast, despite giving it my all.  Ah well, I'll just need to go back - fantastic place.

After dinner we said our good-byes (boo), made our way back over the Manhattan Bridge (two out of three - next time, Brooklyn Bridge), and again collapsed into bed.  This morning John ran out for pastrami, cole slaw, and rye - yes, that was our breakfast, what can I say?  We happily piled creamy, crunchy slaw on warm, tender slabs of pastrami, packed our bags, and made our way home.

And now, here I am, a little blue like I always am when we return from that great city, but glad to be home too.  I put together a broccoli quiche and John and I ate it quietly, enjoying the last bit of the magic that is...New York, baby, New York.

Let me clarify - I was not in France (sacre bleu).  Instead, France kindly came here, to freezing cold and colorless Minnesota-in-January, at the invitation of the Commanderie de  Bordeaux Minnesota Chapter.  Let me clarify - I'm not a member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux (sacre bleu).  But my friends Debbie & Stu the Wine Genius Williams are, and I've been privileged to accompany them as a guest to a few of the Commanderie's insanely fabulous wine tasting dinners, including last night.

The guests of honors were Patrick Maroteaux, owner of Chateau Branaire-Ducru; and Count Stephan von Neipperg, manager of Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere, La Mondotte, Clos de l'Oratoire, Chateau Peyreau, Clos Marsalette, and Chateau d'Aguilhe. They each charmingly described their wine-making history, philosophy, and introduced the (dozen) wines we tasted as the evening sipped on.

As usual, The Minneapolis Club's executive chef John Thompson and staff created a lovely menu to pair with the wines:

Chanterelle Mushroom-Speck Terrine

Sweetbread Strudle with Hollandaise Noir

Duck Liver Parfait with Black Currant Preserve

Château Branaire-Ducru 2007

Duluc de Branaire-Ducru 2005

St. Julien

Château Cannon La Gaffeliere 2007

Clos de l’Oratoire 2007

St. Emilion

Lanson Brut Gold Label 1996

Champagne

Truffle Poached Diver Scallops with Skate Wing, Parsley-Parsnip Coulis and Tomato Jam

Château Branaire-Ducru 2003

Château Branaire-Ducru 2000

Château Branaire-Ducru 1995

St. Julien

Juniper Roasted Breast of Squab with Rosemary Spaetzle, Foie Gras Emulsion, Smoked Portabello Carpaccio

Château d’Aiguilhe 2003

Cotes de Castillon

La Mondotte 1997 en Magnum

St. Emilion

Château Canon La Gaffeliere 1989

St. Emilion

Rogue River Blue, St. Nectaire, Beaufort d’Alpage (selection of cheeses)

Poached Apricot Tartlette with Caramelized Pineapple Coulis

Château Guiraud 1990

Sauternes

All of the wines were oustanding - for me, an incredible grouping.  The food-wine pairings were interesting as well, in particular the rich and gamey, crisp-roasted squab with the La Mondotte 1997, a truly spectacular wine.  From Robert Parker: "94 points, an amazing effort and unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, La Mondotte's 1997 boasts a saturated purple color as well as an explosive nose of blackberries, violets, minerals, and sweet toasty oak.  Huge and massive, yet gorgeously proportioned, it possesses an unctious texture with no hard edges."  To me it smelled heavenly and tasted smooth, earthy, rich...and French.  How amazing to be able to taste such a special wine, certainly not something I'd be able to do without Debbie & Stu's generous invitation, so yet again, I thank them.

The only drawback to attending Commanderie dinners is that I am next to worthless the next day - so lame.  Although perhaps it's a good thing that my body just can't take such a massive infusion of rich food and wine.  Instinctive moderation.  I like it.

Melt it!  (I microwaved for about 15 seconds).

Dip rasberries, strawberries, or walnut pieces - unlike a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop (three licks), I savored six raspberries and two walnut pieces for a total of eight delicious bites.

Take that, owl.

Truffle by Vincent A Restaurant (still savoring them even a few weeks after our party...).

And an almost-post about it.  I bit off a bit more than I could chew this afternoon and attempted a multi-step dinner when I knew that I had to be out out the door by 4:45 pm (basketball practice, church run).  I usually keep Wednesday night dinners extremely simple (due to basketball practice, church run), but I had crispy chicken breasts on the brain, thanks to both a NYTimes feature on rethinking chicken breasts, and the delicious-sounding Sunday Supper at Lucques chicken paillards with Parmesan breadcrumbs, escarole, capers, and rosemary I was going to make on Monday (but didn't).  And while my kids aren't (yet!) interested in escarole, capers, and rosemary (a dish intended for just John and me), they do love a spicy tomato sauce, so I set aside good sense and started pounding chicken breasts anyhow around 3:30 pm.

Actually, chicken parmigiana - at least the way I make it - is not at all tricky.  It took me 10 minutes from start to finish to pound the breasts into cutlets.  It took me another 15 minutes (or less) to quickly beat an egg with a little milk, make fresh bread crumbs tossed with Parmesan (Cuisinart), and pass the chicken breasts through both.  I laid out the breaded cutlets on a baking rack over a baking sheet as I went along, allowing them to dry a bit.

As I sauteed the breasts in batches, I also made a simple tomato sauce (canned chunky tomato sauce, garlic, olive oil, herbs, splash of wine) and sliced some mozzarella cheese (I happened to have a lovely whole-milk version in the fridge, but part-skim shredded works just fine).  I spooned some of the sauce into the bottom of a baking pan, topped the sauce with a layer of sauteed chicken breasts, topped the chicken breasts with a bit more sauce, then topped the sauce with a few slices of cheese.

While the chicken breasts baked at 350 degrees (until the cheese melted, about 15 minutes), I started to make linguine - I'd say that I tossed the linguine with the rest of the tomato sauce, a little pasta cooking water, a healthy grating of Parmesan cheese, and several grinds of black pepper, but I was gone by that point, so John did it.

Yep, I ran out of time, somewhere between sliding the chicken into the oven and stirring the pasta into boiling water.

I took exactly zero pictures after 4:30 pm, which is about when I realized there was no way in hell I was going to complete dinner by 4:45 pm.  Therefore the pics of breaded cutlets, and merrily sauteeing cutlets, but none of actual chicken parmigiana...

I did manage to slice a chicken breast into strips, and quickly pack the strips with some tomato sauce for dipping, for my son to scarf down in the car between school and church.  Not ideal, but it worked.  I ate my dinner, reheated from ice-cold (tasty but completely unphotogenic), between church drop-off and pick-up.  (And made a mental note to stick to the un-pounded, un-breaded basics on Wednesdays from now on...)

And oh, PS, Thursday morning now: I got so cranky about goofing up my timing that I forgot to say that it's completely worth making chicken parmigiana on a less busy day, because it's delicious and kids love it, but also because if you make it at home it doesn't have to be the calorie bomb it tends to be in restaurants.  To keep the breading on the lighter side, I use fresh bread crumbs or panko crumbs - both are fluffy, stick to the breasts in spots, and therefore don't create a heavy, thick coating.  Saute the breasts in oil meant for high heat (peanut oil or refined safflower oil, for instance) and the keep the heat at medium high so the breasts brown quickly (and soak up less oil).  And use a light hand with the cheese - no need to bury the chicken, a smaller amount tastes fabulous and doesn't drown out the fresh tomato sauce and ruin the crisp crust you just worked so hard to create!

It feels a-mazing to be chilling out this Sunday vs. running errands, wrapping presents, cooking for a crowd, chasing around for school supplies, cleaning up the house, grocery shopping, or getting on a plane.  I didn't plan for it to be this way, but I am relaxing, and ahhh what a wonderful concept.  Not sitting still (which is what I should be doing), but doing fun things, like working on my blog name change and making a simple cauliflower gratin, a recipe I saw on The Wednesday Chef a few days ago and decided that I must make.  I knew that I had all the ingredients in the cooler, not to mention the must-have champagne to go along with preparing and consuming it, so around 11:30 this morning I dug in.

The gratin is lovely, lovely and easy too.  The only thing I think I'd change is to skip the potatoes and go all cauliflower - it ends up so sweet and delicious, and is such a perfect foil for gruyere cheese, that I found myself a little bummed each time I got a bite of potato instead of cauliflower (it's hard to tell as you spoon it up, given white vs. white in white sauce).  Most definitely don't skimp on salt.  And I admit, I kept wishing for a kiss of garlic as well, although it's certainly not necessary.  Perhaps I can't shake the image of MFK Fisher's cauliflower gratin (which I tried a few times, but gave up because the cream and cheese do not "come together in a perfect sauce" with 21st century American cream and gruyere - definitely go with this recipe and consider the aforementioned tweaks).

Anyhow, lightly cheesy cauliflower underneath a crusty topping is about the best Sunday afternoon lunch/brunch I could imagine.

So, what do you think of the new name?  Moderate Epicurean has a special place in my heart, but it's awfully clunky to describe to people and I was ready for...something crispier.  I like both 'fresh' and 'tart' for meaning sassy, because...I'm (worse than) sassy (but what I really am wouldn't make an appropriate blog name).  I like that it also alludes to fresh start, which is what this is all about.  My goal is to take things up a notch here at...Fresh Tart...so stay tuned for better design, photos, and perhaps the addition of demonstration video clips.  And yes, this all includes getting my recipes in order.  (In case you're wondering, the Just One Bite name I was messing around with earlier in the week is the name of...rat poison.  Dang, that seriously made me laugh.  Too bad though, I liked how it alluded to moderation.  Ah well, so it goes in the blogoshpere.)

On my mind this weekend, other than renaming/designing my blog, is one of my favorite cookbooks, Michael Chiarello's Causal Cooking.  I've posted a few recipes from it before  - spaghetti all'amatriciana, tomato soup, spuma di tonno (tuna spread), and herb butter.  But I'm ready to try a few more, like mozarella in carrozza.  From his book: "A carrozza is a "carriage," in this case the bread that sandwiches the mozzarella and delivers it to the table.  Mozzarella in Carrozza is southern Italy's grilled cheese sandwhich, with a litle anchovy to cut the cheese's miky sweetness and an egg batter to make a golden coat."  Oh yeahhh, right?  Kinda fresh, kinda tart (definitely salty), I like it.  (Recipe here.)

This pretty salad also appeals to me, using clementines in place of tangerines (because they're so delicious right now)...shaved carrot, fennel, and tangerine salad.  Paper thin slices of carrot, fennel, and red onion are dressed with lemon juice and olive oil and tossed wtih tangerine sections and watercress.  Seriously fresh and tart, yum. (Recipe here.)

Or, a gorgeous-looking winter panzanella (bread salad), this version with roasted butternut squash and slivers of Brussels sprouts, both of which I have languishing in the cooler (not very fresh sounding, but they're quite decent, as seen up top).  I might innovate and add a bit of crispy pancetta to finish and call it dinner - I'm on my own tonight, and since the rest of the fam enjoys neither squash nor Brussels, it's a perfectly lovely thing to make for myself. (Recipe here.)

I can't get enough of it (as you well know if you read this blog - I do a soup consolidation post every winter).  Warm, nutritious, satisfying, easy to make, and delicious - what's not to like?  I mix things up with garnishes....a grating of cheese, a sprinkle of toasted nuts, a drizzle of excellent olive oil or nut oil (hazelnut, walnut, sesame), a dab of creme fraiche, or a spoonful of pesto....you get the idea.  It's fun to add a crispy version of whatever veggies are in the soup base to perk things up - picture crispy cauliflower as a garnish to a creamy cauliflower soup.  Or a shower of chopped fresh herbs.  Or a few pieces of crisp, salty meat to elevate something simple to sublime - a few cubes of crunchy, chewy pancetta or bacon finish off a basic mushroom or tomato soup beautifully.

Or, my personal favorite, ladling soup over freshly made croutons - some sort of crusty bread, cubed and sauteed in a bit of olive oil with garlic, finish with a generous sprinkle of salt.  So good, they can turn a basic broth into something incredible (add a sprinkle of Parm, and freshly ground black pepper...peasant food at its finest).

I often make a great big pot, we have it for lunch or dinner, then I freeze the rest.  Happiness is coming home at 7 pm, thinking there's nothing for dinner, then remembering the lovely soup you tucked into the freezer a month ago.  Label containers carefully (date, contents) for maximum enjoyment, minimal confusion.

Some ideas if you're hankering for a bowl (I enjoyed two yesterday - split pea for lunch, beef with barley for din, NICE) -

split pea with bacon & herbs

beef with barley

new england clam chowder

manhattan clam chowder

watercress with anchovy crouton

french onion

vegetable with pesto (middle pic)

fish with grilled bread and rouille

quick black bean

portuguese caldo verde

pappa al pomodoro (tomato bread)

quick chicken with bacon, asparagus & truffle oil

matzo ball

tortilla

quick chicken gumbo

avgolemono (Greek egg lemon)

chickpea with rosemary & sage (bottom pic)

tomato with crouton (top pic)

cabbage with gruyere

For more ideas, check out this consolidation of my soup posts.

I've written this before, but I feel I should give another plug for lovely souffles.  They seem so intimidating, especially given all the fallen versions we've seen on TV comedies, mocking some poor cook for daring to try one.  But seriously, they're ridiculously easy, and cheap, and stunningly delicious (even if they fall), and not at all overly rich.  When John and I are alone for dinner, I'll often whip one up for a simple dinner.  Separated eggs are the heart of the dish - the yolks are cooked into a quick custard, with cheese whisked in (and sauteed mushrooms, my personal favorite; but I've also added small blanched broccoli florets or crab meat).  Then the whites are beaten to soft peaks, folded quickly into the custard, the whole mess is poured into a round, deep casserole (or hollowed out tomatoes, salted and drained a bit), baked until puffy and browned, et voila, souffle.  Serve immediately, alongside a simple salad - cheesy, eggy heaven.  (Recipe here.)

Souffles are wonderful for dessert as well, of course.  The lemon souffle I've made for the past couple of Christmas Eves is my family's favorite all-time dessert.  Served warm, with a dollop of softly whipped cream - unbeatably delicious.  I make the custard right before the guests arrive, hold the custard at room temperature, then beat the eggs whites (takes approximately 3 minutes with a stand mixer), fold them in, and pop the souffle into the oven right as we sit down for dinner.  Try it, I swear you'll love it.

Note: John and I had dinner with Debbie and Stu the Wine Genius Williams last night, at Heartland in St. Paul (home of our Bizarre Foods appearance).  Chef Lenny Russo is a local-ingredient pioneer, so his menu is always studded with local game, fish, eggs, cheeses, fruits, and vegetables.  He and his staff even preserve the bounty of end-of-summer produce, pulling jars of this and that out for delicious mid-winter menu items like preserved tomato and smoked freshwater fish stew, and a homemade ketchup that was so spicy-rich-good, I could have licked my husband's plate (he had it alongside a bison ribeye steak, serious).   My favorite dish of the evening was the housemade (of course) chicken-liver pate, plated with kohlrabi slaw and toasted bread.  Give me that for dinner, and the beautiful wine that we drank (specifics forthcoming, I had to email Stu...), and I'd be a happy chick.  Must be the reason that I am a happy chick.  And oh!  Almost forgot, we had a little taste of cassoulet as well, which convinced me that I must make some soon.  I've not made it before, although I came home and immediately googled a Julia Child recipe and plan to give it a go in the next few weeks.  Need to put my hands on goose (or duck) fat, preserved goose (or duck) with cracklings (that might be impossible if I don't make it myself), although the rest looks doable, if time-consuming.  I can only hope it will be half as fabulous as the cassoulet Debbie, Stu, and I enjoyed at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville (Napa Valley) a few years ago.  Stay tuned for the details...

Seriously, it's been below-zero for a week.  Nothing new for Minnesota, just a particularly harsh reminder that holiday and birthday fun are officially over, welcome to real winter.  Forget the fluffy snow-twinkly light-wrapping presents-sledding winter.  No, this kind of cold is way beyond the warming reach of hot cocoa.  This is ugly, mean, dangerous cold, the kind that every year has me asking...WHY DO I LIVE HERE?  Sigh.  I'll stop now.

And make the best of it, as I always do, by whipping up something warm and comforting.  Peasant-style food works here, in today's case humble polenta.  Or spectacular polenta, as it were, with just a kiss of butter, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and either a generous shower of grated Parmesan cheese or - my breakfast this morning - an over-easy egg.  The trick with polenta is to cook it for a long time and give it several good stirs, that's what makes it creamy-dreamy without a drop of cream (although go ahead and add cream if you wish, you certainly won't regret it).

Follow this recipe, tonight perhaps, and serve it alongside beef stew, or grilled lamb chops, or roasted vegetables, or even just sauteed mushrooms.  Sauteed greens are particularly delicious (think collards & grits and you get the picture...).  Make a big batch, eat the first round porridge-style, then eat the leftovers sliced and sauteed or grilled (since it becomes quite firm upon cooling).

On a slightly different note, here are two healthy, comfort-y recipes that could be nice for the weekend - green salad with warm potatoes, and frisee salad with an egg (perfect brunch food, add a glass of bubbly; they leave off the traditional bacon/lardons, but I submit that a very small amount of bacon packs a big flavor punch, so go for it if you think you'll miss it).

Doesn't 2010 sound like a star date?  What a decade - I packed a lot into the Aughts, including starting this blog, almost exactly four years ago.  Happy Birthday Moderate Epicurean!  I don't know much about blogs, but I'd bet that four years old is on the longish side, so I'm a bit proud.  My bloggy resolution for this year is to really, truly transfer my recipes over from my old blog in a fabulously organized fashion.  Mmmm hmmmm.

A quick rave about New Year's Eve.  I flew to Billings, MT, then hitched a ride with my stepmom's sister Margie to Sheridan, WY, and was welcomed at my dad & Susanna's home by the smell of...Boeuf Bourguignon.  Yes!  Since I didn't pull it off for our back-up Christmas Day, I was super-stoked that my brother David made it for New Year's Eve, hallelujah.  A different recipe than I use (a modified Julia Child) - he made Ina Garten's version, very delicious.  We made both egg noodles and toasted bread (rubbed with garlic to gild the lily) and gave everyone a destination choice for ladling.  By my estimation, most took both and really, why not?  The end of a decade is reason enough to double-carb, IMHO. (Photos are a bit shoddy, just took them with my phone...)

New Year's Day we all went out to Susanna's family's ranch, formerly the W Lazy T, now the Rafter T.  Susanna's sister-in-law Lila put on an incredible sit-down dinner for 20 - glazed ham, beef tenderloin, potatoes with cheese, sweet potatoes, green beans, and chocolate silk pie for dessert.  Beyond delicious.  Bonus - I'm still full.

The second day of the New Year Susanna broiled shrimps, and I made my father-in-law John's crab cakes, and we used up a mess of egg whites and made a Schaum Torte for dessert (filled it with ice cream and hot fudge sauce vs. the traditional berries and whipped cream).  Yes, another feast.

Home now and back to reality.  For me that means brothy soup and salad and fresh fruit and tea and lots of hot yoga.  How do you de-puff?

As the holidays always go, I'm glad to bring the noshing and sipping and constant cooking, cooking, cooking to an end.  It was a wild ride, what with double tenderloins and buttery lobster tails and souffles and pastries and pate and cheeses and cookies and all the uff da that comes with the season.  But now I am done for a while.  Perhaps due to feeling unwell on the 26th, but mostly in the name of moderation, it is high time for the food pendulum to swing back to simple salads and soups, fresh fruits and vegetables, and things that taste lighter and more restorative.  Do you agree?  I walked by some caramel popcorn at Whole Foods today and gagged a little - I am most certainly caramel-ed out, blech.  A lovely brown-rice-and-veggie-sushi sounded (and tasted) amazing instead, and I knew the holidays were over.

The brothy beef-and-barley soup I made last night was a nice transition - hearty (I have to use up this defrosted beef!) yet not heavy, it hit the spot for all of us.  If you can find your grill in the snow (I had to shovel a path on our deck to mine), grilled fish with miso glaze is sounding delicious right now.  In fact, so is simple miso soup.  Or fish soup with rouille, ooh, I'm overdue on busting out that beauty, one of my all-time favorites.  Even a basic-yet-warm, meatless meal of roasted vegetables (brussels!) alongside polenta sounds comforting without being rich.

What are your favorite post-holiday restoratives?

Also to read this week (and every week): the awesome The Moment blog at the NYTimes Magazine website (love) - spend your New Year's Eve with this spectacularly affordable, achievable menu and be very, very Happy.  Understand my deep photographic jealousy by scoping The Kitchen Sink blog (sigh).  Be inspired by gorgeous, healthy dishes at 101 Cookbooks blog (veggies, yum!).  And if you're of the Minneapolis variety, make sure to check Dear Dara for the scoop on the latest hot spots (and old stand-bys too).  Alrighty then.

Ah, the celebrating is over (and the mess is almost all cleaned up). Because of the weather, we ended up staying here in the city instead of heading to the farm on Christmas Day - shucks. But we made the best of it by playing lots of Xbox 360 Rock Band 2, going to see Avatar (so cool), and eating...not boeuf bourguignon...but homemade pizza. Hey, we were all tired. And still full from our Christmas Eve's feast of lobster tails.

Because I got sick yesterday, we still have a beautiful beef chuck roast sitting in the cooler. Not sure I yet have the stomach to cook it tonight - might be something I do tomorrow and freeze for a later treat. Or, I might use part of it tonight to make a brothy beef and barley soup, that sounds really good to me right about now.  Yeah, that's the ticket.  I won't do anything fancy, just brown some beef (I start with 4-inch cubes); add some chopped onion, minced garlic, and chopped carrots; stir in some dried thyme, a cup or so of red wine, and beef stock to cover by a couple of inches.  When the beef is tender (2-3 hours), I'll remove the beef and cut it into small pieces, then add 1/4 c. or so of pearled barley to the broth and cook for 20 minutes or so until the barley is tender.  I'll also saute mushrooms on the side (a nod to my son, who hates mushrooms, otherwise I'd cook them in the soup), stir the beef back into the broth, and ladle the soup over mushrooms (for John and me) and serve with toast.  Sounds restorative, right?  (For a healthy, lovely-looking crab soup, check out this recipe on the NYTimes Recipes for Health section.)

On a completely different note, check out this fascinating list of places to eat in New York City (from The Wednesday Chef blog). Looks completely amazing, I can't wait to hit the city again soon and try out a few of these tasties.

I'll be blogging my New Year's Eve celebration from Wyoming - not sure of our specific plan, but I know we'll be eating something delicious over the weekend.

We casually sent a holiday card this year saying "Let it Snow."  I meant it, since I love a snowy holiday, but I was dreaming of a white - not white out - Christmas.  Unfortunately, we (and a good portion of the Midwest) are about to get blasted with piles of snow, mixed with ice, a dangerous holiday brew.  The latest forecast is for several inches overnight tonight, several more tomorrow, and potentially several more on Christmas Day, which would wreck our plans for driving out to my aunt Mary and uncle Bruce's farm for the day, my favorite Christmas tradition.  No!

<--  or?  -->

I'm still holding out hope, planning to reprise the brussels with pancetta and dried cranberries I made for Thanksgiving (three pounds of brussels are in the cooler, waiting, waiting)... But in case we can't make the trip, I've also made a plan for celebrating here.  A humble chuck roast is already defrosting, awaiting the magic of a bottle of Burgundy, a (small) slab of bacon, and a long, slow braise to transform into silky-rich boeuf bourguignon.  Which will it be - brussels and prime rib at the farm, or boeuf bourguignon here in the city?  Beefy either way, so stay tuned...

In the meantime, there are other meals to consider.  Like tonight's chicken soup with popovers.

And Christmas Eve dinner, which I'll be preparing, and which I've spent precious little time thinking about because of my worries about the weather.  Well, not precious little - I did get it together enough to order some lobster tails and make a plan to grill them brushed with garlic butter.  And to plan the rest of the menu (for my mom, Stacey, Cooper, Bowen, and John and myself).  Here it is:

gougere

steamed artichoke with aioli

....

grilled lobster tails with garlic butter

rice with peas and mushrooms

sauteed spinach

....

lemon souffle with whipped cream

chocolate truffles (leftover from our party, made by Vincent’s, insanely good)

....

I hope the snow isn't messing up your plans too.  Hang in there everyone - and stay safe!

You're likely thinking finally, sheesh, have the party already.  And indeed we did, and it was great fun.  I can't say enough about how awesome Silver Service catering is, I wish they just lived with us - it is so decadent to have someone think about how the table looks, and add garnishes, and light candles, and do all the things I would do (except waaay better) so that I can completely relax and talk to my guests.  Heavenly, truly.

The food - other than what I made - was prepared by Vincent Francoual, owner of the Vincent's Restaurant.  He actually delivered the food himself, which I didn't expect and left me more than a little starstruck.  Nothing like making your own kitchen feel completely weenie than to have one of the best chefs in town standing in it, eek.  Thankfully, he's a very sweet and low-key person and it was way cool that he delivered the goods himself.  Made my day.

So the wine flowed, and food was devoured, and friends and coworkers had plenty of time to chat and spread good cheer.  My 13-year old son was a huge help, greeting guests, taking coats, clearing plates, and making me so proud I almost burst.  All that remains are a few lemon tartlets (from Vincent's) and a few almond triangles (the Star Trib cookie contest winner that I prepped, very tasty).  For the rest of the menu, see below.

All in all, a grand time, thanks again to Silver Service and Vincent's and John's partners and spouses for making such a fun afternoon/evening.

I'm done entertaining until Christmas Eve (menu, haven't considered, but stay tuned).  Until then, Happy Holidays!

John and I shifted into high gear today, doing set up for tomorrow's party.  Plates and glassware are set out.  Food is assigned spots on the buffet table.  Flowers are arranged.  Fruit and nuts are scattered amongst the greens and pine cones (this year I chose kumquats, persimmons, and seckle pears - mostly because it's so fun to say all those words).  The actual centerpiece I got from Arts & Flowers and it turned out beautifully - they do seriously cool arrangements (I love Roger Beck too). Candles are distributed around various parts of the house, wood is in the fireplace; both await the touch of a match.  Beer is chilling in the garage; water, soda, and wine are ready to pour.

Despite a cold day, I was able to get my grill hot enough to put a good sear on both pork and beef tenderloin roasts (I'll serve them tomorrow cold, sliced, and garnished with mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, and fresh herbs). Tonight I'll bake the Almond Triangles (stay tuned for results).

Tomorrow we'll do the final straightening of the house, chop and prepare garnishes, slice the roasts, compose a cheese tray, set out bowls of cashew brittle and almonds, ice the beverages, light a million candles, get some good holiday tunes playing, and clean the kitchen of pretty much everything in preparation for the caterers to do their thing.  Somewhere in there I'll remember to get dressed and put on some party shoes.

Hope your holiday party plans are going well!  (We're going OUT for dinner tonight - Cafe Barbette, here we come!)

Yesterday I caught an early version of Eric Asimov's The Pour column on the New York Times Dining & Wine page.  The headline - A New Course for Dessert Wine - jumped right out at me.  I prefer dessert-style wines paired with savory foods (foie gras, blue cheese), so I clicked through and was delighted to read about Madeira wines in particular.  Asimov acknowledges that "...serving a sweet wine with a savory dish may strike many people as odd - unless they live in one of the great sweet-wine centers of the world."  But he goes on to give several enticing examples of sweet wine/savory food pairings, all of which sounded delicious: Sauternes with lobster, auslese reisling with lamb vindaloo, and his own personal experiment, Madeira with skirt steak and pickled Vidalia onions.  He tasted the steak with two Madeiras, both from the Rare Wine Company's Historic Series.

I quickly sent the link to both Stu The Wine Genius Williams, and my husband John, who happen to work together.  A few minutes later my phone rang - Stu had read my email, and the article, and was just about to run an errand, so offered to pick up the Madeira mentioned in the article for us to try.  Yes!  (The Rare Wine Company's Historic Series Madeiras are distributed in Minnesota by the New France Wine Company, info@newfrancewine.net, 651-698-2533.)

Stu picked up and John brought home four Madeiras from the series, each named for a U.S. city where Madeira was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries: Boston Bual Special Reserve, New York Malmsey Special Reserve, Charleston Sercial Special Reserve, and a limited release New Orleans Special Reserve.  Since Asimov particularly loved the Charleston Sercial Special Reserve with the steak and onions he'd prepared, that's what we opened first, since I just happened to have...steak and onions already in the fridge, ready to go for dinner.

I decided to caramelize the onions to bring out their sweetness, adding sauteed mushrooms and a splash of the Sercial to finish.  Since our grill and deck are covered in snow, I just pan-seared the steaks on one side and finished them in a hot (500 degree) oven.  I prepared the onions first, set them aside, then prepped the steaks.  When the steaks were done, I transferred them to a cutting board to set up, then sauteed the mushrooms in the (fabulously crusty) steak pan.  After adding the splash of Madeira, I stirred the caramelized onions into the pan, sliced the steaks, and served the steak with the onions and mushrooms alongside.  The Sercial was as delicious with the crusty, salty beef and sweet onions as promised.  The mushrooms added an extra earthy note that complimented the sweetness nicely.  All good.

My next try is likely to be an Indian-style curry, with the Boston Bual (sweeter than the Sercial, which is the dryest of the group), which would be a stunning combination, I think.  I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, I plan to finish off the Sercial with some sort of fabulously toasted ham and cheese sandwich.  Or with another mushroom saute - I'm telling you, the splash of Madeira to finish the mushrooms was so delicious, I could have had just that for dinner.

Big thanks to Stu and New France Wine Company for all the fun!

Ho ho whoa, it's holiday party time!  Always fun, of course, seeing friends and coworkers and tasting all sorts of delicious appetizers, cookies, and drinks.

Back in the 90s, I used to do a rip-roaring holiday buffet for the neighbors each year - I thought of it as the perfect opportunity to serve all of my favorite appetizers in one night and experiment with new ones.  I would start cooking and freezing a couple of weeks before the big event, then spend the whole night in the kitchen chatting and cooking my brains out.  Great fun, but exhausting.

These days, I edit my menus - and stretch my energy! - a bit more carefully.  John and I are hosting his partners and spouses on Sunday, a group of about 70, for a late-afternoon cocktail party.  I'm making a few things and having the rest catered (by the fantastic Silver Service, they always do a lovely job), with the goal of leaving the kitchen to greet our guests.  The buffet menu is shaking out as follows:

cold, sliced, grilled beef and pork tenderloins with wild mushrooms and fresh herbs (me)

assorted cheeses with crackers  and apple slices (me)

roasted vegetables

warm chicken curry with red pepper skewers

warm puff pastry with cauliflower puree & sauteed mushrooms

warm shrimp spring rolls

mini lemon tarts with raspberries, chocolate truffles, almond triangle cookies (me), & grapes (me)

John and I are doing all the beverages, ice, and set up.  I'm renting plates, glassware, and silverware.  I'll complete the decorating and flowers.  I've done giant parties this way before - plugging in a caterer to help with the most time-consuming tasks and clean up, but taking care of decor, set up, drinks, and a portion of the food myself.  It's pretty much the perfect combination - I get to do what I like to do without killing myself, or our budget.

I managed to put the final touches on the Christmas decorations despite Puppy Louis having a difficult time post-neutering.  Bad reaction to pain meds, biting/licking his incision despite the "cone of shame," special food and narcotics, lots of puppy pain, trips to the vet, antibiotics, and finally...a happily healing pup.  A bit more of an adventure than we expected, but all's well that ends well.

Happy Partying!