And, it seems, I’m not alone. According to food historians, the main ingredient of the earliest soups on record, dating to 6,000 BC, was hippopotamus. (To keep that in perspective, Cleopatra lived from 69-30 BC.) Most cultures proudly claim their own particular classic. To scroll through more than forty of them, from Erwtensoep (Netherlands) to Kimchi jigae (Korean) to Pho (Vietnamese) is a unique culinary experience.
This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice, Asparagus Soup, seems rather ho-hum by comparison. Au contraire. It’s finally Springtime in the Rockies. Delicate, young asparagus stalks stand proudly in our produce bins, ripe for the plucking. I grabbed the 2 1/2 pounds necessary for this delicious soup and got to work. Yes, I was supposed to be in Paris this week, the first of my three-week trip to France. I’m not. More about that later.
Instead, I had time to trim off the woody bottoms of the asparagus stalks, boil the remaining parts for 4 to 5 minutes in a large pot of water and then blanch them. Although Dorie suggests retaining the asparagus water for the liquid, which I did, you could also choose to use vegetable or chicken broth.
You see scrumptious roasted mini-veggies. I see frittata. Bernie Grauer Photo
After cooking leeks, onions, shallots and garlic in olive oil and butter, everything but the asparagus is thrown together and left to simmer for 15 minutes. The asparagus comes to the party for the last 5 minutes.
Working in batches, I pureed the soup in my food processor. To be fair, I blitzed the heck out of it for a smooth but thick result. Salt. Pepper. Done.
My Veggie Frittata to accompany Dorie’s Asparagus Soup
Since I didn’t go to France last Friday, I was included in a special birthday celebration on Saturday. My friend, Charlotte, who is not only an extraordinary musician but also a Weber whiz, sent me home with the leftovers from her roasted mini-vegetables platter. The resulting frittata worked wonderfully with this soup. Thanks, Char.
A perfect lunch on my Aspen porch. Creme fraîche and crispy bacon topped the soup.
About France. Last Thursday afternoon I drove to Denver, checked into an airport hotel, confirmed my flight and booked the early morning 5am shuttle to catch my plane. Later in the evening I decided this was not a good time for me to travel. Better to stay on this side of the Pond than the other for now. Yikes. But I went with my gut feeling, folded my wings and returned to Aspen. A disappointing decision in many ways but the right one.
It’s Birthday Time Bernie Grauer Photo
Ruth’s Carrot Cake, the Birthday Boy’s favorite Bernie Grauer Photo
The Birthday Boy, His Cake, and His Cupcake Bernie Grauer Photo
Before I begin to talk about Food Revolution Day 2013 and Dorie’s delicious Salted ButterBreak-Ups, you must understand that when my friend, Donna, and I geared up for this Revolution, we built in some primping-for-photos time to our schedule. That was forgotten as we took this year’s theme, “Cook it. Share it.” to the max, creating four new recipes for our French Friday with Dorie dinner this week. My hair might have lost its curl and Donna forgot to lose her apron but our dinner was spectacular. Priorities, you know.
Enjoying Dorie’s Salted Butter Break-Ups with the last of the Matchbook Syrah.
Food Revolution Day onMay 17th, is an opportunity for people all over the world to come together and stand up for good food and essential cooking skills. We are congregating in homes, schools, workplaces and communities to cook and share kitchen skills, food knowledge and resources. FRD is a global day of action to raise awareness about the importance of good food and better food education for everyone. All of us here at FFWD are already passionate about these issues so this week we stand tall in revolt, honoring this effort.
BEFORE.
AFTER.
For this special May 17th Post, Donna, her husband, Bernie, and I decided to spend an evening cooking together, celebrating our many years of friendship with good food and wine. Bernie wanted to grill spatchcock chicken, Donna had bookmarked two recipes from Ottolenghi & Tamimi’s Jerusalem cookbook and I planned to bake Dorie’s Salted Butter Break-Ups, a cookie to bring to the table whole. A Cook it, Share it, revolutionary evening.
Prepping the onions for the Mejadra.
Crisping the onions for the Mejadra.
Nothing I could write would convey this night of joyful celebration as we worked our way through Ottolenghi’s complex recipes and oo’d and ah’d when Bernie’s chicken laid flat on the grill – a perfect spatchcock. We also put Bernie, a wine connoisseur, in charge of lubrication. He overachieved.
Taking the Salted Butter Break-Ups out of the oven.
The entire menu, starting with Pierre Herme’s Olive Sablés and Ottolenghi’s Baby spinach with dates and almonds salad; then, Bernie’s spatchcock chicken (the rub was citrus/savory) paired with Mejadra, another Jerusalem recipe, and ending with Dorie’s crisp, crunchy cookie monster, was wonderfully flavorful, delicious and worthy of any Revolution.
Saluting Food Revolution Day 2013
Thank you, Donna and Bernie, for sharing this very special evening with me. If you want to see how my other FFWD colleagues honored this revolt, go here.
When I was growing up, every time I would go to my mother with a problem or angst, she would always say, after hearing my complaint, “If that’s the worst thing that ever happens to you, you’ll be lucky.”
Undoubtedly she was correct but since the difficulty at hand was rocking my world, it’s not what I needed to hear. However, her words recently landed squarely in my sink full of dirty bowls, pots and utensils, the tangible results of my failed attempt at this week’s FFWD recipe.
Cod and Spinach Roulades. Dorie describes this dish as ‘a light, elegant fish mousse filled with lemony spinach, rolled into a chubby sausage shape and steamed.‘
My effort? Not even close.
Photo, www.bbc.co.uk
To be honest, at first I was terribly disappointed, stressed and, yes, even embarrassed. That’s when I thought of my dear mother. In a week of untold tragedy coupled with the inability to pass watered-down gun safety legislation, this failure wasn’t worth a whine or a wallow.
It was, I decided, an opportune time for me to pull Mark Kurlansky’s award-winning book, “Cod: The Fish that Changed the World” off my shelf. If I couldn’t cook cod properly, I could at least learn more about it. Having won a 1999 James Beard Book Award as well as a glowing recommendation by book reviewer Molly Benjamin**, this fish tale deserved my attention.
The Library Journal writes, “In this engaging history of a “1000-year fishing spree”, Kurlansky traces the relationship of cod fishery to such historical eras and events as medieval Christianity and Christian observances; international conflicts between England and Germany over Icelandic cod; slavery, the molasses trade, and the dismantling of the British Empire; and, the evolution of a sophisticated fishing industry in New England.”
Admittedly I am just beginning this 306-page book but I gotta tell you, it’s a gee-whiz-I-didn’t-know-that page turner. That the Atlantic cod has been fished almost to extinction is alarming. But already there are two things I know for sure:
1) In its 1,000 years of history as related in this book, Cod has never won. I’m no longer upset that this humble little creature laid me low.
2) I’ll never eat fish-and-chips again. Just wouldn’t seem right.
With apologies. Not the Cod and Spinach Roulades that Dorie envisioned.
To see the roulade results of my FFWD colleagues who are more skillful than I, please go here. If your brave enough to sink or swim with this recipe, here’s a recipe link.
** “This eminently readable book is a new tool for scanning world history. It leads to a vastly different perception of why folks did what they did…. Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World is history filtered through the gills of the fish trade.” The New York Times Book Review, Molly Benjamin
Orange-scented Lentil Soup garnished with a dollop of Greek yogurt and fresh pineapple bits
I am neither Catholic nor Argentinean. However, the selection of a new pope, like the election of an American president, coronation of an English royal or the FIFA World Cup competition, understandably captures global interest and attention.
Last Wednesday I suspect many of us joined with the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics in celebrating Argentinean Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s peaceful election as the first pontiff from Latin America. We’ll now know him as Pope Francis. That our FFWD colleague, Paula Montenegro, who blogs at Vintage Kitchen Notes is from Buenos Aires, makes this more exciting.
Hopeful that His Holiness possesses a sense of humor, I submit that this week’s FFWD recipe choice, Orange-Scented LENT-il Soup was in anticipation of White Smoke billowing out of the Sistine Chapel. Congratulations to the new pope and may he guide his followers wisely and with compassion.
Thinly sliced onions, carrots and celery stalks
“Lentil soup seems to have a lock on French hearts,” Dorie explains.
Dorie’s version of lentil soup
Yes, every French cook seems to have a version of his/her very own. Lentil soup chez Greenspan has its own flavor surprises, a touch of ginger and a prominent fragrance and taste of orange. For the legumes, try to find Lentils du Puy (French green lentils), found in high-end grocery stores, speciality culinary shops or on-line.
This is a simply made soup. Soften thinly sliced onions, celery stalks, and carrots in olive oil before adding broth, lentils, and spices. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 60 to 90 minutes or until the lentils soften. Season with salt and pepper and then puree to a smooth or chunky texture. I prefer chunky.
Oatmeal & Honey Bread, beautifully made and photographed by Michelle Morgando
Although the soup anchored many-a-meal for me this week, my first lunch was the most delicious. I toasted a slice of Oatmeal & Honey Bread, an elegantly scrumptious gift from my neighbor, Michelle Morgando. On the toast I piled smashed avocados sprinkled with lemon and salt, a treat suggested by Joy the Baker. I garnished my soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt topped with tiny slices of fresh pineapple. Yummy combo.
A perfect toasting bread for smashed avocados sprinkled with salt and lemon juice
Orange-scented Lentil Soup is a winner for me. To see what my colleagues mixed up this week, go here. If you want to add this to your own soup recipe collection, go here.
Since I needed to do some research work at both the Reagan and Nixon Presidential Libraries, I took a break from packing boxes to spend a week in sunny California. My first stop, Cambria. Seven years ago I came nose-to-proboscis with migrating elephant seals who spend the Winter on the Central Callie Coast and I haven’t missed a opportunity to visit them every year since.
This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice is Chicken Diable breasts but the organic chicken thighs in my freezer suggested I make a minor change to the recipe. Which, I did.
This classic dish, a perfect choice for Sunday night’s dinner while watching the Academy Awards, also yielded enough leftovers to keep my engine running during my drive to California last Monday. I needed to do research at both the Reagan and Nixon Presidential Libraries and could combine that work with a short stop in Cambria, visiting Colorado friends who had set up camp there for the Winter.
Before you comment that I seem to serve Trader Joe’s baked french fries with every meal, please understand that I’m trying to empty my freezer by mid-March. Admittedly, I stowed a few too many bags of french fries in my freezer. I showed no restraint regarding the delicious sauce. (The devil made me do it.) This was a perfect meal for Oscar night although I thought Naomi Watts deserved the Best Actress Award for “The Impossible” and I was pulling for “Lincoln” or “Life of Pi” for Best Picture.
“Diable is the French word for devil,” Dorie says, “and when you see it on the menu you can be pretty sure that the dish includes mustard, usually a strong Dijon mustard which is about as hot as condiments in the French kitchen get.”
I exchanged chicken breasts for thighs, pounding them lightly before sauteing them in a pan with olive oil and butter. If you prefer beef, try a filet mignon.
Like many of Dorie’s recipes, she’s taken a traditional French dish and turned it into simple without losing any of its taste. I pounded chicken cutlets lightly before slipping them into a large skillet, coated with butter and olive oil, to sauté. Then I transferred them to a 200 degree oven for warmth before making the sauce.
After lightly browning the chicken cutlets for about 4 minutes on each side, I transferred them to a pan, covered them with foil and slipped them into a 200 degree oven.
Using the same skillet I softened finely chopped shallots, garlic and seasonings before adding the dry white wine and heavy cream. After the sauce reached a boil, I added mustard and Worcestershire sauce and stirred to blend. Once the sauce was seasoned correctly, I removed the chicken from the oven, plated it and poured the mustard sauce over the top. It was delicious.
We took many hikes into the surrounding hills and along the Central coastline. Because of the wonderfully warm and sunny weather, the flowers are starting to burst into bloom. Hottentot Fig, more commonly known as Ice Plant, Carpobrotus edulis, Ice Plant family. Photo by Ruth Frey
For my trip west the next day, I cut the remaining Chicken Thighs Diable into long strips and packed them into Tupperware. Along with a few carrots and celery sticks, they provided a flavorful and protein-filled treat for the drive.
California Brown Pelican
If you’d like to try Dorie’s very tasty recipe, go here. To see what others thought about this week’s recipe, go to our French Fridays with Dorie link.
This week as I went about my chores, I thought about Kathy, my blogging colleague, fellow Dorista and new friend who blogs at Bakeawaywithme.
In one of her chatty, interesting blogs, Kathy shared with us that she owned 600 cookbooks. Seriously? Yes, 600, she’s counted. Furthermore, she’s still a buyer. I have a few words of advice for you, Kathy. “Don’t Move. Don’t Ever Move. Don’t Even Think About Moving.”
This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice is Fresh Orange Pork Tenderloin. The thickly-sliced pork medallions played well with sliced beets, Trader Joe’s baked french fries, and a hearty red wine. Yummmm
Our French Fridays with Dorie recipe is a very delightful Fresh Orange Pork Tenderloin. Easy to put together, the two main ingredients are 4 large oranges and a pound-and-one-half pork tenderloin. Duh! The seasoning is simply salt, pepper, chopped onions and bruised cardamon pods. Although a large pork tenderloin serves four dinner portions and I was only cooking for one, I decided to make the big guy. I needed the protein.
A vision of orange: juice, zest and segments.
Unfortunately, pork gets a bad rap. It’s that bacon and cured meat thing. According to Fitday, a wellness link:
Lean pork is a healthy choice of meat. It is a good source of proteins, vitamins and minerals. The low sodium content makes it a good choice of meat if you want to maintain healthy blood pressure.”
These days I need to “do healthy”, find more energy than I probably have stored away, and pretend there is more boom in this early boomer than there actually is. After selling my Nevada house last week, I’m now deciding how to meld the belongings from this 2000-square foot house into my 1000-square foot Colorado condominium that is already beautifully furnished.
Eight pork medallions, browned and gently simmering, donated graciously by a lean, little pig.
Yeah, I’m laughing, too. This is déja vous all over again. Eight years ago when we moved from Colorado to Nevada, we went from 4000-square feet to 2000-square feet. That was painful. Now again, it’s all about sorting and tossing and organizing and donating and selling and giving and begging. I’m a Nester, whatever space I have, I fill it ….and, more. When my friends hear me say, “Would you like………..”, they Just Say No and back away quickly. I cannot shame my children into taking more. The Goodwill Donation Truck man is tired of me and my trash container was overweight last week. That’s trouble.
This past week, as I packed boxes and de-cluttered my Life, I gratefully gobbled up those pork medallions (8). Made exactly to Dorie’s directions, I felt the slices were a tiny bit tough. Next time I will shorten the simmering time. Is there always a reason for chopped onions being included in recipes? I would have preferred a stronger cardamon flavoring. Otherwise, mighty tasty and filling.
While cleaning my linen closet I found these placemats, a souvenir from a trip to Carcassonne. It not only brought back French memories but also helped brighten up the dinner table.
I am writing this Post late Friday night and will barely make the FFWD deadline. I have just driven into Aspen to spend a week here organizing my April 1st move on this end. (And, yes, rent a storage unit.) Although in the past 10 hours I have driven from 70-degree temperature and sunny skies to a 38-degree temperature with a snowstorm on the way, I am happy.
Cold, very cold, but happy.
SATURDAY MORNING, ASPEN, COLORADO:
My Welcome Home Breakfast with friends of 25 years (and still counting), at Poppycocks.
Hanging Out at the Hotel Jerome’s J-Bar. Saturday.
