SALADE LYONNAISE (Frisée Salad with Bacon, Egg and Garlic Toasts)
Count on it. The day I drive back to Aspen, after a winter absence, it is always snowing. My last Thursday’s arrival didn’t disappoint, a real blizzard. But after picking up my keys at The Gant’s office and corralling Dan, who drew the short straw, we got my car unloaded. Home, very sweet Home.
JIMMY CARTER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM, ATLANTA
My friend, Ardyth Sohn, and I spent a week in Atlanta seeing this library and other historic sites before my returning to Colorado. It was a 2-mile walk from our hotel to the library so Ardyth and I spent some time relaxing in a beautifully landscaped area of the 35-acre park.
This past week of unpacking and resettling gave me pause to kick around my gypsy-esque lifestyle. Let’s just admit it. Are there many women, enjoying their seventh decade, who load six-months of Life into a car and hit the road each year? Seriously? Even I am realistic enough to realize this is not a long-term lifestyle. But while I can, I will. I do not yet have a Plan B.
We walked The Freedom Trail to The Martin Luther King Historic Site which included a museum, his home, Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Kings’ resting place with an eternal flame.
This exhibit commemorated the 5-day, 54-mile march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery.
Ever find yourself thinking, “When I have time, I want to read this or go here or do so-and-so.” Those musings usually wander to the back burner and are sometimes never realized. Although BucketList is not my favorite term, since Jack Nicholson’s and Morgan Freeman’s 2007 film with that title, many of us seem to have one. Bravo for us.
My favorite museum was Atlanta’s new Center for Civil & Human Rights which opened in 2014. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt is among those honored on the “DEFENDERS” WALL. Opposite this wall is the “OFFENDERS” WALL filled with tyrants and oppressors. This Center very accurately shows the challenges we face today.
On display at the Center, this bus shows all the Freedom Riders arrested in 1961.
“Those ‘back burner’ thoughts, the ones the brain isn’t quite sure about yet, may cook the slowest yet they often manage to be the tastiest when they come out.” Criss Jami
Since I like to eat, Ardyth made reservations at some wonderful restaurants. In Columbus, where her daughter, Cody and son-in-law, Trent. live, we had inside info and our two dinners were memorable. Here, I am having Cuisses de Grenouille while another frog, legs intact, looks on.
Today’s post is about realizing three of my back burners that have percolated to reality:
BB #1 – READING with EMMA
Last Christmas I discussed with Emma, a high school sophomore, my reading along with her the literature she was assigned in her second-semester English class. I’ve been wanting to re-visit some classics. She was game and that’s why this winter I re-read Hawthorne’sThe Scarlet Letter, Night by Elie Wiesel and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Seeing these three books through the lens of a 15-year old teenager is an exquisite gift. Reading her essays, especially her thoughts about Night, entitled “Silence” will always remain with me and is another bond to be continued despite our 900-mile separation.
Andersonville National Historic Site: The largest and most famous of 150 military prisons of the Civil War, Camp Sumter, commonly known as Andersonville, was the deadliest landscape of the Civil War. Of the 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned there, nearly 13,000 died. At its most crowded, it held more than 32,000 men.
BB #2 – PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY Project
In the early Sixties, while attending summer school at the University of Iowa, I went to nearby West Branch to see the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, one of four managed by the National Archives & Records Administration. I remember being so enamored I promised myself I would visit all four. Although the number of libraries has grown to thirteen, in 2013 I decided, if not now, when. Many of you readers have shared this adventure with me. Just before returning to Aspen, I flew to Atlanta with my Colorado friend, Ardyth Sohn, to visit Jimmy Carter’s library, my 12th. I’m sharing our week-long adventure through photos in this post. Last stop, Grand Rapids, TBD.
The Prisoner of War Museum at Andersonville is a brutal reminder of how cruel war is.
BB #3 – COOKtheBOOKFRIDAYS: SALADE LYONNAISE
Ten years ago I flew to Lyon, France, for a week-long seminar on La Résistance. Lyon was a major centre of the French resistance during WW II. Besides this extraordinary learning experience, I also was shocked to realize Lyon, home to renown chefs Paul Bocuse and Daniel Boulud, is underrated as a gastronomical paradise. Quite often Parisians will even grudgingly admit it’s #2 to their #1. Famous for their bouchons, “gut-busting restaurants where food is brought to the tables in big earthenware bowls and rustic terrines,” says David Lebovitz, my favorite meal was Salade Lyonnaise. I promised myself I would return home and re-create this delicious frisée salad with bacon, egg, and garlic toasts. Now, ten years later and merci mille fois to Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen cookbook, I am doing just that.
During our return to the Atlanta airport, Ardyth decided I should see Montgomery’s historical sites and the Rosa Parks museum. A detour, to be sure.
We also toured CNN’s Center’s national headquarters in Atlanta, found our way to Margaret Mitchell’s house where she wrote Gone With the Wind and spent a day in Warm Springs at FDR’s Little White House. A busy week.
SALADE LYONNAISE (Frisée Salad with Bacon, Egg and Garlic Toasts) by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
(Serves 4 to 6)
INGREDIENTS:
Salad-Ingredients for Garlic Croutons:
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
1 clove garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
1 1/2 cups cubes or torn pieces of bread, about 3/4 inch in size
Sea salt and kosher salt
Salad Dressing Ingredients:
4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons water
2 teaspoon peeled and minced garlic
Salad Ingredients:
8 to 12 new potatoes
sea salt and kosher salt
2 cups diced, thick-cut bacon, smoked or unsmoked
8 cups loosely packed frisée or escarole leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or fresh chives
Freshly ground pepper
4 poached eggs or 4 hard-cooked eggs (the French prefer a softer yolk than most Americans do), peeled and quartered
DIRECTIONS:
1. To make the croutons, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook until it’s deeply golden brown. Be careful not to burn it. Remove the garlic. Add the bread, stirring the cubes in the oil, turning them frequently. Add a sprinkle of salt and a dribble more oil if necessary, until the bread is brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve. (NOTE: May be made 1-2 days ahead and kept in tin container.)
2. To make the salad, put the potatoes in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Add some salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to a low boil and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. (NOTE: If done in advance, cook them slightly less, and let them rest in the warm water for up to 45 minutes.)
3. While the potatoes are cooking, fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until just starting to crisp. Drain the pieces on a plate lined with paper towels.
4. In a large salad bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, 1/4 tsp of salt, the oil, water and garlic. (NOTE: This can be made 1-2 days ahead and kept, refrigerated, in a glass jar.)
5. To assemble the salad, slice the potatoes and add them to the bowl along with the bacon and toss gently. Add the frisée, parsley, and some black pepper. Add the croutons and hard-cooked eggs (if using) and toss very well. Divide among four salad bowls. If using poached eggs, slide one on top of each salad and serve.
VARIATION:
Although it’s not traditional, I sometimes add 2 cups of crumbled blue cheese to the salad at the last minute, omitting the eggs.
TIP: If you’d rather not make the salad, still try the croutons or the salad dressing sometime. Both are wonderful.
CooktheBookFridays is an international food group cooking its way virtually through David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen cookbook. If you’d like to join or see what my colleagues are making, go here.
My friend, Dr. Marilyn Susman celebrated the 99th birthday of her mother, Helen Epstein, in Palm Beach. “We walked around the pond at Brookdale.” Marilyn said. “Other residents were at their windows or outside cheering us on.” Happy Birthday, Mrs. Epstein.
Democracy is messy. We Americans have inaugurated presidents since April 30, 1789, when George Washington took his oath at Federal Hall in New York City. Last week Donald Trump became our 45th president. A week-long celebration by his supporters in Washington DC was exciting. Jubilation reigned. Winning is fun.
Women’s March for Human Rights 2017, San Luis Obispo
However, on the next day American women grabbed the reins. LightsonBrightNoBrakes is not only devoted to food but, more importantly, to the lifestyle I’ve created after losing my husband. Today’s post is about my participation in that historic Women’s March 2017.
Since the early birds gets a parking space, I arrived in SLO very early before the March. These three women invited me to join them for breakfast. Thank you, Janice
Everything about this day was perfect, uplifting and peaceful. While being my own one-man band in San Luis Obispo, I spent the day surrounded by a lifetime of friends, thanks to the miraculous magic of my iPhone.
FRENCH FRIDAYS with DORIE, the DORISTA’S, my cooking colleagues from around the world, were marching. Dorie Greenspan, our mentor and friend, marched in Paris. I also got March On-messages from Emily in Khala Lumpur, Andrea in Bonn, Adriana in Puerto Rico, Trevor in Thailand and many America gals.
Betsy (C), an administrator with me on FFWD and CtBF, was in Boston with 175,000 of her best friends.
Teresa, who virtually walked through the last year with me, is from Vancouver.
Alaia rode while her dad, Marcel, and Katie, the administrator of CtBF’s and UCSB professor marched.
Another Dorista, Rose in Frankfurt, Germany
PLAN 1: After the election I read about a possible January 21st Woman’s March in Washington. Undecided but curious I booked a flight and reserved a room at Club Quarters Hotel located two blocks from the White House. In late December after reading about inauguration security concerns, I had second thoughts. Worst case scenario: my son-in-law flying across the country to settle civil disobedience charges against his mother-in-law. I bailed!
ASPEN – SKI/FLASH MOB/MARCH
Donna Grauer and many of my other friends skied down Aspen Mountain as part of the March.
My longtime Aspen neighbor, Blanca, was in San Miguel de Allende. During the March, her husband, Cav, linked me to her and friends in Vail and Aspen.
PLAN 2: In early January I noticed San Luis Obisbo, located 35 miles from Cambria, was holding a Sister March. I signed up. Since I would be alone, I began to “customize” my Women’s March, owning it, so to speak. I contacted friends, inquiring about their participation and, like the march itself, the numbers kept growing.
MANCHESTER, FRIENDS from MY HOMETOWN
My Manchester friend of 60 years, Judy Sweet (L), marched in San Diego.
Our Manhawk Student Body President, Judy Miller, couldn’t march so her sweet daughter, Sarah, joined the Iowa March in Des Moines.
One of the really good guys from the Class of ’62, Jim Goodwin, marched with his sister, Kris, in Sonoma.
On January 21st, I joined a visual friendship circle strung together on social media and physically lined up with some 8,000 to 9,000 marchers in SLO. I realized, as the day progressed, I was participating in the largest organized march of protest in American history. To date, about 3.3 million people participated in 408 marches in 500 American cities. Worldwide participation included 168 cities in 81 countries and on every continent bringing our number close to 4.8 million. Only women could pull together an event of that magnitude in just two months.
A Familiar Sign – Me, too.
Museums Worldwide including some Smithsonian Museums, Are Collecting and archiving Women’s March Posters and memorabilia.
Do I believe this March will encourage policy changes or compromises by the Republican Trump administration? When Pigs Fly. (In a Word, No.)
But, “Just as plants need sun, water, and good soil to thrive, people need love, work, and a connection to something larger.”The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt
The Womens March for Human Rights 2017 was my something larger.
This post is dedicated, with fondness, to Dr. David Yokum, who was a prominent thoracic surgeon and catfish guy.
Another french classic, Brandade de Morue translates to Salt Cod and Potato Puree and is delicious.
Being Iowa born and bred in the Fifties/Sixties meant odds are heavily weighted to a meat-and-potatoes palate. In the Corn State then there were approximately 200,000, 150-170 acre family farms. Each August at the Delaware County Fair, the 4-H kids would show off their prized livestock, compete for ribbons and eventually auction those animals off.
My neighbor raptor, a red-shouldered hawk, gets scrutinized by a visiting hummingbird.
My parents would purchase a porker and reserve a side of beef from prize-winning 4-H livestock. At our house we didn’t eat fish. Mom was a good cook and those were different times. I had no hankering for fish nor, when it became more available, was curious enough to try. Plus, Michael was a meat man.
Salted Codfish is difficult to find in some areas. I found mine at Whole Foods. It’s better to buy it boned, if possible.
Thanks to David Yokum, I fully embraced the piscine world. David and his lovely wife, Martha, lived in Arkansas but, being music aficionados, summered in Aspen. He and I bonded shortly after our moving to Colorado in the late Eighties. Seated together at a charity dinner at the historic Hotel Jerome we chit-chatted with ease.
This Great Blue Heron likes to loiter nearby where there is a good possibility of scoring food.
A waitress, carrying two heavy coffee pots, stopped at our table to offer refills. As she leaned in to pour coffee into David’s cup, the pot in her other hand leaned with her. She successfully executed a full-on “pour” down David’s neck. When I noticed and started to scream, David remained oblivious…..until that piping hot coffee began streaming down his back.
After 36 hours of cold water rinses and draining, this is what reconstituted cod looks like.
Yeah, it hurt. Yeah, it scalded his skin. And, yeah, that frightened waitress was horrified. Ever the southern gentleman, he quietly left the table, making no fuss, and tended to his surface wounds. Throughout the 2-3 minute ordeal, the only words he grumbled to me were, “And, this is a new suit!”
Pacific Harbor Seal
Friends forever! That summer we newbies received an invitation to the Yokum’s annual catfish party. Apparently a coveted invitation to receive, we were none too interested in accepting. Growing up near the muddy Mississippi River, what I knew about catfish was not appetizing. Whiskers (barbels). Bottom dwellers. Considered the garbage eaters of the fish world.
The Brandade de Morue consisting of potatoes and cod is simmered in boiling water for 25 minutes before being drained and whipped together. Seasonings and heavy cream are added before it’s all mixed and ready for 20 minutes in the oven.
What we didn’t know was our doctor friend owned a 7,500-acre farm with about 60 ponds covering 1,200 water acres, producing soybeans, rice and catfish. His catfish were farm-raised. Not farming I recognized. But, Michael and I decided to chance it. Our new friend, David, was amused.
These brown pelicans are doing a bit of grooming.
Hushpuppies, cole slaw and Arkansas farm-fried catfish. Tasty fare, not-to-be-missed. Although David and Michael are gone now, the memories built off that first encounter and the Yokum’s friendship are forever.
In France, Les Accras, salt cod fritters served with tartar sauce, are a popular happy hour snack.
After moving to Aspen and realizing its local availability, I eventually joined the fish brigade. Today I eat very little pork or beef. It’s an easy walk to the Butcher Block/City Market to buy fish. This week’s Cook the Book Friday’s recipes, Brandade de Morue and Accras (fritters) de Morue are a far swim from the Yokum’s catfish.
This solitary Long-billed Curlew is at work, searching for food.
I first sampled Brandade de Morue in Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s demo at Aspen’s Food & Wine Festival. During my immersion french studies at the Institute de Français in Villefranche-sur-Mer, it was served at Côte d’Azur bistros/brasseries. Brandade is a purée of reconstituted salted cod, potato and seasonings. It’s served very hot, browned on top, with a leafy salad and beer (my taste). Or, it’s an elegant appetizer. Or, as a snack, Accras de Morue, chilled balls of brandade, coated with fritter batter and fried.
Using my cookie scoop, I made 1-2″ balls from the brandade and then refrigerated them for 30 minutes. I made the fritter batter and dipped the chilled balls in the batter before frying them in canola oil. Like potato chips, you cannot eat just one!
Since making these recipes is a two-day process involving reconstituting the salty cod, I am not adding recipes. I relished making this, channeling the phenomenal Samuelsson, but in the future will leave it to others. If you DO want these recipes, I will gladly send them.
Cook the Book Fridays is an international group virtually making its way through David Lebovitz‘s My Paris Kitchen. To visit out site or join the group, please link here.
Jam Thumbprints with Toasted Coconut, MACARONS by Fançois Payard and World Peace Cookies
In the mood to feel good? Need to unplug for a moment? I can magically make that happen:(1) Read my blog;(2) While still (hopefully) chuckling from Dorie & Ina: The Art of Fierce, drive to to your local theatre to see “La La Land”. If you’re not happy after (1) and (2) then, apparently, you don’t do happy.
EYE to EYE with JULIUS CAESAR at CAESAR’S PALACE.
One afternoon, during the Thanksgiving holiday, my son-in-law asked if I wanted some coffee. It wasn’t 5 o’clock anywhere so coffee sounded like a good substitute. “I’ve got a new cup for you, Mary,” he said as he reached into the cupboard.
He set the “new” cup in front of me. As you can see, it says, FIERCE. Melissa, standing nearby, watched as I morphed into my ‘hurt feelings’ position. You know, head down, shoulders rounded, going mum. Realizing her mother was of a different generation, she jumped in, “Mom, mom, that’s a good thing. It’s a compliment. My friends just gave it to me and we thought you’d like to use it.”
“You mean being a fierce woman is a good thing?” I questioned, somewhat amazed.
“Yessssss,” Missy emphasized. “They – gave – it – to – me – as – a – compliment.”
“It’s good, Grandma” Emma chimed in, with the entire family shaking their heads in agreement. (I knew Clara, who remained silent, was thinking, “Whew, that was close.”)
LA TOUR EIFFEL (FAUX)
ELLEN FAHR (L) AND HER HUSBAND, CHARLIE, WERE OUR FIRST FRIENDS WHEN WE MOVED TO HENDERSON IN 2004. BEST REALTORS EVER. LUNCH, 58 TOUR EIFFEL, PARIS LAS VEGAS
So I’m all over this but discovered via Google I was fiercely ignorant in the urban slang department. The first twisted version of fierce grew up in the 1990s and later evolved into a fashion statement. Six years ago model/television personality Tyra Banks hijacked it and social media went nuts.
I AM ALWAYS RELIEVED WHEN I SPOT ANTHEM COUNTRY CLUB’S RESIDENT GREAT BLUE HERON. SUCH A GORGEOUS CREATURE GREETING ME EACH MORNING WHEN I WALK THE “LOOP.”
Today fierce, in its affirmative form, seems to have landed between ‘the combination of a positive mental spirit, bold words and unapologetic actions used collectively’ and women ‘who are on fire and possess too much swag for the common man or woman to handle.’
Take your pick.
“FIORI DI COMO,” THE GLASS SCUPLTURE BY ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE DALE CHIHULY HANGS FROM THE CEILING IN BELLAGIO’S LOBBY. IT IS BREATHTAKING TO SEE, YEAR AFTER YEAR.
EVERY DAY BETWEEN 15,000 TO 20,000 TOURISTS VISIT THE BELLAGIO’S HOTEL-CASINO LOBBY TO SEE CHIHULY’S MAGNIFICENT ART BLOSSOMS.
However you phrase its definition, Baking Icon Dorie Greenspan and renown television personality and author Ina Garten are double-digit fierce. That’s why I’m featuring them and their favorite cookies in today’s post. Both are incredibly hard-working and classy women who, for thirty-some years, have shared their lives and talents with us. This special season is an opportune time to reign glory on Dorie and Ina. Let’s do it.
DORIE GREENSPAN’S 12TH COOKBOOK WILL GARNER SOME AWARDS OF ITS OWN.
The seemingly indefatigable Greenspan, an IACP/James Beard award-winning cookbook author, just published her 12th cookbook. Greenspan was the French Fridays with Dorie guru of our virtual group which cooked through all her recipes in Around My French Table, More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. This week-end I baked her renown World Peace cookies featured on the cookbook’s cover. All recipes below.
Then there’s the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, whose tenth cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey, just hit the bookstores. Having always been an Ina fan, I already own most but am trying to fill in the gaps by haunting favorite used book and thrift stores. Long ago I bookmarked her Jam Thumbprint cookies from her Family Style cookbook. Fun to mix together and a tasty morsel.
OKLAHOMA FOOD-BLOGGING COLLEAGUE & FRIEND, GUYLA MAYO SENT ME HER LATEST JIGSAW PUZZLE SUCCESS. IT’S WINTER AND TIME TO RETURN TO MY MONTHLY JIGSAWS. THANKS GUYLA & GARY.
As I end this post, my last for 2016, I thank you for loyally following my blog. It seems amazing that my subscriber list continues to grow with other readers stopping by occasionally. I appreciate your comments and personal e-mails. Know these two things for sure: 1) I love writing this blog;2) LOBNB’s Readers are FIERCE.
Sending kindness and good wishes to All.
WORLD PEACE COOKIES by Dorie Greenspan, Dorie’s Cookies
Makes about 36 cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup BEST-QUALITY unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into irregular sized bits
DIRECTIONS:
1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
2. Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until soft, creamy and homogenous, about 3 minutes. Beat in the salt and vanilla.
3. Turn off the mixer, add all the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to start the blending. When the risk of flying flour has passed, turn the mixer to low and beat until the dough forms big, moist curds. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix with beater on low to incorporate. Sometimes the dough is crumbly and sometimes it comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl. Happily, no matter what, the cookies are always great.
4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it together, kneading it if necessary to bring it together. Divide the dough in half. Shape the dough into logs that are 11/2 inches in diameter. (Use a ruler for a correct measure.) Don’t worry about the length — get the diameter right, and the length will follow. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and freeze them for at least 2 hours or refrigerate them for at least 3 hours.
5. When you’re ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
6. Working with one log at a time and using a long, sharp knife, slice the dough into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. (The rounds might crack as you’re cutting them — don’t be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them. Slide in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. Cut the second log and put in the fridge while you bake the other.
7. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes — don’t open the oven, just let them bake. When the timer rings, they won’t look done, nor will they be firm, and that’s just the way they should be. Leave the cookies on the pan and transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can munch them, let them reach room temperature or put them in an airtight container.
STORING: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’ve frozen the dough, you needn’t defrost it before baking — just bake the cookies 1 minute long.
Oven-Ready Thumbprints
JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES with TOASTED COCONUT
by Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Family Style cookbook
Yield:32 cookies
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Apricot preserves and Blackberry preserves or filling of your choice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla.
3. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together.
4. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet.
My baking and cooking projects improved when I invested in a food scale two years ago.
6. Press a light indentation into the top of each with your cookie ball with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.
TIP: 1. Use your food scale to gauge a 1-oz. ball of dough.
2. After making the thumbprint cookies, slide the entire pan in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking.
3. These cookies freeze well.
Tom Turkey has been roosting outside my balcony the past two weeks. Since he doesn’t want to turn into dinner next week, he’s playing it safe near the deserted D building at The Gant.
COOK the BOOK FRIDAYS.
SCALLOPED POTATOES with BLEU CHEESE and ROASTED GARLIC
A winter storm warning is in effect today. We’re expecting 4-8 inches which is good news for Aspen.
Tomorrow (Friday) I’m headed West. First stop, Anthem Country Club in Henderson, Nevada where I’ll drop my bags for six weeks. Michael and I lived in ACC the last 8 years of our marriage. What I positively know is I wouldn’t have survived those difficult years without the small cadre of strangers who became our friends and my lifesavers. This six weeks is an opportunity for my heart to hold tightly to those friendships and memories. And, it doesn’t get any better than Thanksgiving and Christmas with my kids in Bishop.
Popping some garlic cloves into the oven, ready to roast. The aroma is sublime.
Preparing for my trip West is an energy-buster. I pack for a 5 1/2 month journey but also clear my condo, handing it off to The Gant for ski season rental. Everything personal moves to storage. #%@&% Of course I’d rather it be turnkey but this opportunity supports the turf, allowing me to remain in Aspen. (Warning: Now, here I get personal. You may want to skip to this week’s scrumptious recipe, Scalloped Potatoes with Bleu Cheese and Roasted Garlic)
The cheese is bleu.
These weeks of packing gave me time to reflect on my past 6 1/2 months in Aspen. The High Country has been my safe paradise since 1988. To my despair, this year I’ve clashed up against personal limitations and been forced to sample dependency. First Time Ever.
During my birthday celebration long ago, my daughter, Melissa, entertained guests with remarks about me. She mentioned two of the more exasperating qualities: 1) “Mom is ferociously independent.” 2) “Mom never gives up. Never.” To my mind, those two qualities are fantastic. To a daughter and friends, at times, not so much.
Layer #1 – sliced potatoes, bleu cheese and seasoning.
The saving grace of this discouraging six months have been my friendships, both local and virtual. Luckily my besties love me unconditionally and back at ‘em. In this Life, aren’t they the kind to treasure? It’s been a scary season of patch, patch, patch, requiring medical maintenance which translated into dependency and care. To everyone’s credit, friends stepped up, took over, never asking permission and only needed thank you’s.
Just thinking about what I can no longer do is cringe-worthy. Keeping 10 balls in the air anymore? Nope, multi-tasking is over. Gave up biking this summer, erring on the side of caution. I say “No, thank you” more than “Yes” and have 276 emails requiring responses. I don’t pop up at 5 AM anymore, missing birding opportunities. I’m adverse to risk, unwilling to go out on that proverbial limb. My world turns more slowly and, to me, that’s shocking, scary and disappointing.
Layer #2
Some time ago, I stopped to see a friend who had recently lost both her mother and husband. She was, understandably, distraught. “Mary,” she said, tearfully, “I’ve already lost my mother and husband, I don’t want to lose myself.”
This is the first time since Michael died I’m saying that same thing. This blog is about building a courageous Lifestyle following a loss. With a good mind, excellent health and the resources available to me, there have been few bumps until now. Realizing I can do nothing about the aging process and disheartened that I can’t easily adjust to that, I need to change course and figure this out. That, dear Readers,is my winter’s chore.
Layer #3, the topping. Saturate with Cream. It’s ready for the oven.
What I don’t need to figure out is this week’s stunning recipe from David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen cookbook. Scalloped Potatoes with Bleu Cheese and Roasted Garlic may be the most delicious side dish I’ve ever featured. It’s decadent, substantial and plays well with roasted poultry or pork and beef main courses. Quick to make and economical to the wallet.
Recommended for Holidays – Scalloped Potatoes with Bleu Cheese and Roasted Garlic.
SCALLOPED POTATOES with BLUE CHEESE & ROASTED GARLIC by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS:
10 large cloves garlic
Olive oil
3 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the potatoes
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled bleu cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Trim the hard stem ends off the garlic cloves and put them, unpeeled, onto a piece of aluminum foil that’s large enough to envelop them. Drizzle in a small amount of olive oil, close it securely, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes, until the cloves are lightly caramelized. (You can do this a few days ahead when you are using the oven for something else.) Leave the oven on and adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven.
3. Remove the garlic from the skins and mash the cloves in a saucepan with a few spoonfuls of the cream to make a paste. Put the saucepan over low heat and add the remaining cream. Heat until warmed through and then set aside.
4. Peel and slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Generously butter a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with sides at least 2 inches high. Put one-third of the potato slices in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one-third of the chives over the potatoes followed by one-third of the bleu cheese. Add another one-third of the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with one-third of the chives and bleu cheese. Add the final layer of potatoes, then pour the cream mixture over them and press down gently to flatten the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle on the remaining chives and bleu cheese.
5. Put the gratin dish on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, until it’s bubbling and well browned on top. The acidic cheese may cause the cream to separate a little bit, which is normal.
TIP: 1) I used my OXO mandoline, set at 1/4”, to slice the potatoes. Slicing them took less than 15 minutes. 2) I didn’t peel my potatoes, leaving the skin on each slice.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE.
A pair of Merriam wild turkeys are roosting in the cottonwoods at The Gant at night. Wild turkeys are cunning, wary birds with excellent eyesight.
Today’s post will be my last one for the foreseeable future. Since I am turning off the lights for a time, this Iowa girl needs to talk corn and tomatoes.
Every year it happens. September barges in before I’m ready for summer’s farewell. Autumn has the upper hand and is clearly broadcasting its presence. Nights are cooler. Aspen leaves quake yellow. And, snow appears on our highest peaks. I get it.
September is still farmer’s market heaven. Snap up those luscious tomatoes. Savor every ear of corn you can grab. My Corn Soup (Two Ways) is magical. Corn cobs make the broth. Who knew? Doesn’t everyone have a favorite Gazpacho recipe? This week’s CooktheBookFridays group is stirring up David Lebovitz’s recipe. His secret ingredient is vodka.
September is also the month we volunteer USFS rangers step aside for hunters and Old Man Winter. It’s been an especially great year. Our visitors constantly remind us we have a dream job and a gorgeous office. (We know that.) There is not a day I don’t wake up thanking God and Michael Hirsch that I can live amidst these splendid mountains.
Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night. Hal Borland
As I said earlier, I am dimming my Lights and look forward to returning in a few months.
David Lebovitz’s GAZPACHO from My Paris Kitchen
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 slice firm, white country style bread, crusts removed
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
1/2 red, green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt (more, if needed)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or chile powder
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vodka
DIRECTIONS: (The gazpacho can be made 3 days in advance and refrigerated.)
1. Fill a large pot half full of water and bring it to a boil. Remove the cores of the tomatoes and cut an X in the bottom of each.
2. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water (work in batches if your pot won’t hold them all) and let the tomatoes blanch for 30 seconds or until the skins loosen. Transfer them to a strainer and rinse with cold water. Peel the tomatoes, discarding the skins.
3. Cut the tomatoes in half HORIZONTALLY. Remove as many seeds as possible. Set a coarse-mesh strainer over a bowl and squeeze the liquid and seeds out of the tomatoes; press the pulp through the strainer. Save the tomatoes and the tomato liquid. A few remaining seeds in the pulp will not matter.
4. In a small bowl, soak the bread in cold water for 1 minute, drain and squeeze the excess water out of the bread.
Working in batches, pulse the tomatoes and tomato liquid in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the bread, until they’re almost liquified, yet still have bits of tomato visible.
5. Mix the nearly pureed tomatoes in a large bowl with the cucumber, onion, pepper and garlic. Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt and spice. Season with pepper and add the vodka. Taste. Add additional salt if necessary.
5. Chill thoroughly before serving.
CORN SOUP (Two Ways), recipe by Faith from the KITCHN
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
8 medium fresh ears of corn, husks removed
7 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
For Toppings:
Truffle Salt and Chives
OR
Smoked paprika, dash of Cayenne, fresh Cilantro, coarsely chopped, and lime juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and set aside. Place the cobs in a stockpot or Dutch oven and add the water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the corn kernels, a couple of big pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and sauté for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
3. Remove the corn cobs from the stockpot and add the corn mixture to the broth. Bring to a boil, then cover again and simmer 25 minutes.
4. Purée the soup, working in batches if necessary, in a blender until completely smooth (alternatively, blend directly in the pot with an immersion blender). Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. (TIP: I used an immersion blender.)
5. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer in a clean pot or large bowl, pressing on the solids to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to serve cold. Garnish each bowl with the topping of your choice.
TIP: Leftover keeps well, without the toppings added, for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Rewarm or serve cold and garnish just before serving.
COOKtheBOOKFRIDAYS is an international food group cooking its way virtually through My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz. To see what my colleagues have stirred up this week or to join our group, go here.
The Prisoner of War Museum at Andersonville is a brutal reminder of how cruel war is.
