AliThinks

Prep

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Allan's brother Mike will be here, and the three of us will nosh on a duck and several side dishes, which I still haven't quite decided on. (I did see this recipe on Clotilde's blog and made it. Of course, I probably shouldn't cook the green beans with bacon now.)

Tonight I started preparing the stuffing, although I really should call it dressing, since I probably won't stuff the bread mixture into the duck. Damn food safety guidelines! I made the spaghetti squash casserole I linked to above, and will probably roast the assload bunch of CSA beets I have languishing in green bags in the fridge. Allan doesn't like beets, and I have no idea if Mike does, but I plan on eating some. If I have to eat them the entire weekend, so be it.

Tomorrow I'll clean what needs to be cleaned (read: everything), and stick the duck in the oven. Allan remembered that his blog friend Jo of Amuse Bouche had live-blogged the slow roasting of a duck, so we decided to follow her lead and...roast a duck. I'll use some of the duck fat to roast a few fingerling potatoes. We'll eat, and it will be good.

It doesn't feel like Thanksgiving at all. I'm giving thanks, though, for things too numerous to list.

I Want To Be A Part Of It

Sometimes I write little blurbs in my head, things I think I should post here, but either the moment passes or I forget the phrasing I'd come up with.

Such is the case now. We just got home from a week in New York City, and I'd come up with a clever way to mention it here. Except I forgot. I know it had something to do with food. And walking. And [insert gushing words about New York City here].

I keep a little notebook with me, not that I remember to use it. Because I really need to write this stuff down.

Anyway, um, hi. *blows away the cobwebs*

Silliness

Our Bacon
Who art in heaven
Smoked be thy Name
Thine order come
Thine will be well-done
On earth as it is
In Memphis
Give us this day our daily slab
And lead us not into vegetarianism
But deliver us more bacon
For swine is the skillet, the flavor, and the pork belly
Forever and ever
HAM-en.

A few of us made this up a while back, and I just found it on my hard drive.

I Am Such A Trendsetter*

Via Loulou on Facebook, I got this:

The warm days of spring have finally arrived, and all the wines stores have received their deliveries of rosé wines. As I mentioned in my rosé wine post last year, I simply adore rosé wines. Each year the choice of dry, food-friendly rosé wines seems to grow exponentially. And this year is no different. The rosé renaissance continues at full speed. Rosé wines are among the most versatile wines at the table, ranging from the lighter styles that can be sipped on their own, right through to more full-bodied styles that can accompany robust meat dishes.

Hey, it's great that big-time websites are touting the rosé. It means that we can get past The Bane That Is White Zinfandel.

But I have to say, I was on this three years ago. See here (a reprint of a wine blogger) and here. And never mind that I was drinking rosé from my first summer in France (in 1992, holy crap), and fully embraced it every spring and summer during the time I lived there. It's just part of the warm weather rituals there.

These days I'll choose a Spanish or South American rosé over a French one, because the prices are better. My favorite local wine shop doesn't have any rosé in yet, but I've been drinking a South American Malbec rosé that I found at the liquor store down the street, and it's most delicious.

What's your favorite wine, if you drink it?

*Haha.

**Also, I have been sitting on this entry for FOUR days. The blog mojo. It is fleeting.

I Done Been Cookin'*

Earlier today I read Loulou's blog post about pasta with salmon and peas, and decided to make it. As I commented on her post, I probably wasn't going to follow her recipe, but she did inspire me.

On a weird whim, I decided to broadcast my cooking. It's been six months since I've used USTREAM, so I dusted off my login and started a broadcast. Allan helpfully posted a link to my broadcast on Twitter and elsewhere, and pretty soon I had a few viewers. Woo-hoo!

I stopped the broadcast while I was waiting for the pasta water to boil; the salmon and peas and cream were ready to go. Mari was watching, and she asked me to post a photo of the finished product. This is for you, Mari:

Because you can't go wrong with Loulou's recipe, I'll just tell you what I did differently:

• I only used olive oil. (Lexington locals, I buy my olive oil in bulk a refillable bottle at Lexington Seafood on E. High.)
• I used a medium-sized onion instead of shallot, because I had no shallots.
• I used half and half instead of whipping or heavy cream.
• I forgot the chèvre. (And we had some lovely goat "cheddar" from a Ozark Hill Farms, no linky.)
• I used eensy-weensy farfalle instead of little shells.

Something tells me that Loulou's recipe turned out better than mine did. But! I had fun cooking, and it was tasty. And! I made a salad of romaine hearts and homemade vinaigrette.

Here's the recipe for my vinaigrette, with full props to my ex-husband, who taught me how to make it:

1 part dijon mustard
1 part vinegar (red wine, white wine, rice)
2 parts olive oil (or canola oil)

Whisk the mustard and vinegar together in a bowl until homogeneous. Add sea salt to taste, and blend. Add olive oil drop by drop, then in a thin stream, whisking the entire time (pretend you're making mayonnaise) until the oil is incorporated into the mustard/vinegar. Taste, and add more oil or vinegar if needed. Add a few grinds of pepper to taste, and mix. Drizzle onto salads, steamed vegetables, avocados, or whatever strikes your fancy.

So. Mmmm, yeah. Bon ap! Next time I broadcast my cooking, I'll storyboard it (okay, maybe not) and record it so I can post a link here.

*It's not as if I never cook. I just don't blog about it.

My Mom's Corn Chowder

In my recent videopost, I mentioned my mother's corn chowder recipe. I had to call my sister (Hi, Elisa!) in order to get it, and was surprised at how few ingredients there are:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 - 2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups frozen corn

Mix together, heat, and eat.

Now, living in France got me out of using recipes which required "cream of whatever" soup, because such an entity does not exist over there. However, I was hell-bent on making corn chowder with my Baconnaise, and yet, the four ingredients in my mom's soup (which I loved as a kid) didn't appeal.

So I lightened up my mom's soup, in a manner of speaking.

If you've been reading me for a long time, you'll know that this isn't a food blog because I never measure anything when I cook. However! I happen to remember some of the proportions I used in my chowder! Yay!

First, I started by sauteing a mirepoix in a little bit of oil. Once the onion was translucent, I added some chopped pancetta (leftover from our raclette from a couple of days before), because I figured you can't have too much bacon.

Once the pancetta was cooked through, I added the first of three cups of chicken broth and scraped the bottom of the dutch oven to get all the browned bits up. Now, normally I make my own stock* or broth, but we happened to have some store-bought broth in the cupboard, so I used it.

With the bottom of the pot scraped clean, I added two more cups of chicken broth. Then I added a cup and a half of 2% milk and a half cup of the Lite Baconnaise. I whisked it all together over low heat, then added 2 cups or so of frozen corn.

I let the chowder sit on the stove for a while on low heat. I didn't want it to boil, but I did want the flavors to meld. Also, I didn't add any salt because of the pancetta and the salt in the Baconnaise. And in the store-bought broth.

While I didn't make a lower-fat soup, I did lighten it up (if only in my own head). It was really tasty, and yeah, it was better than my mom's corn chowder.

*I made stock from our Thanksgiving bones (duck confit, if you're interested) and made soup tonight. Duck stock, mirepoix, leftover duck confit, and a rice and lentil combo, bought in bulk last year — two kinds of rice, two kinds of lentils — that was languishing in the cupboard. I love making stock and soup. The possibilities are endless!

I Love Mayonnaise — The Baconnaise Edition

A couple of weeks ago I got the following e-mail:

Hi Ali –

 

I just did a Google search for “I Love Mayonnaise,” and believe it or not you’re the first result. Great blog by the way!

 

I own a little food company up in Seattle. Our first product, Bacon Salt, has done very well, but the main reason I’m contacting you is that we just launched something new I thought you’d be interested in. It’s called Baconnaise, and it’s exactly what it sounds like – bacon-flavored mayonnaise. The website is at www.baconnaise.com. It’s great on BLT’s, fries, burgers, sandwiches, dips, salads, fish, chicken and a lot more.

 

We’re looking for a few good product testers that would be willing to post their reviews of the product on their blogs and give us their feedback.  If you’re interested, please let us know and send us your address, then we’ll send you a free jar of Baconnaise to try out.

 

Thanks sincerely,
Dave

Bacon-flavored mayonnaise? How could I resist? So I wrote back.

Dave,

Being the number one Google search for "I love mayonnaise" is a point of pride with me. Really.

Thank you for contacting me. I've heard of both Bacon Salt and Baconnaise, from either Buzzfeed, Serious Eats (or both), so I would be honored to try Baconnaise and post about it. I love bacon about as much as I love mayo (and no, I don't weigh 300 pounds) (yet), and my first reaction upon reading the word "baconnaise" was salivation. My second was "that's gotta be so much better than Dijonnaise." And I might have to put that in my blog post about the stuff. Hope you don't mind.

My name is Alison [redacted], and my address is [redacted]

Best (or Hellmann's, if you're me),

Alison

A few days later, I received a package in the mail. It was a Saturday, but I think we waited until the following Monday to crack open the Baconnaise.

Below the fold is my video review of Baconnaise. I crack myself up with the hand-wiping; the jars are a little greasy and I didn't want to get any mayo on my laptop!

And yes, the video is also on YouTube. But I didn't like the way it looked, and thought Dailymotion might have it going on. Meh. It might just be the way iMovie makes stuff.

Four Words

Bacon mayonnaise.

Stay tuned.

A Word On Peanut Butter

Regarding my last post, I just have to say that this peanut butter Allan bought has ALL the fat. I mean, it's peanuts and salt, people. Peanuts and salt.

Peanuts. Salt.

So it's not low-fat by any means (although it's devoid of partially hydrogenated oils, i.e. trans fats). It just doesn't have any extra sugar or, um, trans fats. Or anything else.

It's peanuts. Mmmm. Peanuts. And salt. Mmmm. Salt.

A Completely Random Expression Of Annoyance

On the jar of natural peanut butter (ingredients: peanuts, salt), in no less than two prominent places, are these words:

Oil separation is natural. Just stir and refrigerate.

Are we really this far removed from our food?

Because I Am Devoid Of Content

I generally hate doing memes, which are so 2004, but I saw this at Clotilde's blog, and because I have met her and know she's as kind and smart and funny as she comes across on her blog, I'll do this meme she suggested.

The rules:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here, linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush

I Should Have Blogged About This A Long Time Ago

Last week we picked up our first CSA share of the season. You may have already seen Allan's post about it; go there to see the bounty.

We've still got food. Tonight we're grilling the last of the asparagus, and we still have a pound of ground beef in the freezer. Wednesday we'll pick up our next share.

I don't mean to imply that we've only eaten the CSA food since last Wednesday; we've eaten a couple of meals out, and there was only one meal that was completely composed of CSA food.

What I do want to say is how good the food is. And it was produced less than 20 miles from where we live. Can you say locavore?

While the initial investment might seem hefty, I think it's worth it for the quality of the food. Add in the lower cost of transport, the lower fuel expenditure, the fact that it's organic (and the meat is raised humanely), and it's a win-win-win thing.

And I should have blogged about it two or three months ago, so that you could get in on a CSA share in your area.

While We Wait For My Zit To Subside...

(you know, so I can make the let's-hold-our-breath-ooh-la-la video you've been on the edge of your seats for)

...while we wait for that to happen (hello, zit, come to a head already!), let me direct you to my friend AndreAnna's other blog, Chop. Stir. Mix.

She and the other founder of C.S.M. (ooh, sounds almost like a band, doesn't it?), Cass, have started a contest. They're giving away some sweet kitchen schwag from Crate & Barrel (and more, if you help promote the contest), and all you have to do is leave a comment to this entry. Of course, if you actually read the entry, you'll increase your chances!

I entered the contest by leaving a comment with my worst kitchen disaster, which I documented on my long-defunct blog AliGator. And although I did mention that I don't need any kitchen crap stuff, I'm happy to promote the contest for an extra chance to win - because I will donate the prize if I am the winner. So go leave comments. If I don't win, you might!

Dichotomy

Lunch at Shoney's in Huntington, West Virginia.

Dinner at Seviche in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Foodstuffs

Michael Ruhlman has written a great blog post about real food. Go read it. Here's one of the more significant paragraphs:

The sad fact is that fresh food that is good for you is significantly more expensive than the processed crap that truly is bad for our diet, not to mention our food production system.  And the people who most need food to be healthy are the ones who can least afford it.  The millions of Americans on a restricted food budget will see little choice other than to buy the cheap calories provided by agribusiness corn.

Amen.

Craving

Noodles. I want noodles.

And not just any noodles. I want glass noodles. Cellophane noodles. Korean noodles.

So Allan and I went to the local Korean joint, but instead of ordering chap che, we got the special. And I cannot for the life of me remember its name. It's not on the menu, see. Anyway, what sold me was the description: clear noodles, veg, seafood, beef, and pork. I imagined an embellished chap che.

When I ordered the special, I was told it was big, $23, and we could share. So we did. And the noodles were huge. Wide. Flat. Quivering. They were also hiding underneath a beautiful arrangement of julienned vegetables, beef, egg, squid, shrimp, crab meat. Our server showed us how to pour on the mustard sauce and mix everything together before starting to eat.

It was delicious. But it wasn't cellophane noodles. I might have to go back for some chap che this weekend.

From The Ice-Age To The Dole-Age

There is but one concern
I have just discovered:

Strawberry cream cheese!

Have you tried this thick pink goo?
If you've not, let me ask you

Could you eat it with a steak?
Would you try it on some cake?

Have you had it on some toast?
Would you like it that way most?

Please try just a small wee bit
This sweet cream cheese is the shit!

Apologies to Morrissey and Dr. Seuss.

A Little New Year's Cheer

My friend Anne had a great idea for a New Year's Eve party. However, our recent travels have left me a little tired, so I am late in posting this recipe. I wish I could say that I invented it, or even tested it, but I'm not a good liar so damn honest. The recipe comes from the Food & Wine website, and here it is:

Pancetta-Wrapped Scallops with Lemon

SERVES: 2 DOZEN
Ingredients:

    * 6 large sea scallops (about 1/2 pound), membrane removed, scallops quartered
    * 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    * Four 3-inch-long strips of lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon finely grated zest for garnish
    * 2 fresh rosemary sprigs plus 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary for garnish
    * Freshly ground pepper
    * 12 thin slices of pancetta (about 4 ounces), halved

Directions:

   1. In a bowl, toss the scallops with the olive oil, lemon zest strips, rosemary sprigs and pepper and let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. In another bowl, soak 24 wooden toothpicks in water for 2 hours.
   2. Preheat the broiler. Remove the scallops from the marinade and lightly pat them dry. Drain the toothpicks. Wrap each piece of scallop in a slice of pancetta, secure with a toothpick and transfer to a broiler pan. Broil the scallops for about 1 minute per side, turning once, until the pancetta sizzles and the scallops are firm but not rubbery.
   3. In a small bowl, combine the grated lemon zest and chopped rosemary. Dip one end of each wrapped scallop in the lemon-herb mixture, transfer to a platter and serve.
   4. I'm just leaving this here because it was this way on the web page, and I thought it was cute.

I'm sure that the recipe could be adapted to the type of scallops that are available to you. For example, in France, most fresh scallops you can buy still have the coral attached.

Tomorrow I won't be cooking this; we decided to eat out, last minute. But I will be sure to try this recipe at some point. It seems champagne-worthy. And we have a few celebratory events coming up...

Holy Crap, I Love Cooking

It's easy to forget what a pleasure cooking can be. When you are working, raising children, and busy busy busy, cooking can be a chore. I recently outlined why I never made this a food blog. The main reason is that I never follow recipes, and I never write anything down.

Yesterday I read through the January 2007 issue of Food & Wine, which arrived at our house last week. Besides a whole page dedicated to Clotilde*, number 61 [for Cookbooks From Bloggers] in the "100 Tastes To Try in 2007", there was a pasta recipe that called my name.

Aaaaaliiiiisonnnnn, it said.

Well, not really, but boy, it sounded good. For some reason I wanted to follow the recipe closely. Created by chef Yves Camdeborde for the brasserie/room service at his hotel, Le Relais St. Germain, this pasta recipe is fairly simple, but its flavors defy its ease. Luckily for me, Food & Wine posted the recipe on its website. I do love you readers, but you know how, um, casual I can be about recipes.

The recipe can be found here. (Please click that link) I used a can of Reese artichoke bottoms, drained, rinsed, and drained again. I also used Dreamfields penne rigate. The next time I make this (because the recipe is a keeper), I'll try light cream and/or half-and-half. Oh, and I found some frozen smoked chicken breast strips from the company that starts with Ty and ends with Son. You could probably leave out the chicken, but some tasty lardons would be delish. The original recipe calls for pasta shells, and having prepared it, I can see why. Penne is a good pasta, but shells would capture the sauce so much better.

I didn't take any photos, so you're just going to have to make this yourself. It's pretty quick, easy, and damn, it's tasty, too.

*whom we had the pleasure of meeting at her 2nd blogiversary party in October 2005...which led to my interviewing her for The Parisian.

As Promised

Yesterday I posted a photo of my candied cranberries. It's time to tell you what I did with them.

We didn't decide to celebrate Thanksgiving at my dad and stepmother's house until Sunday. The lot of us will be there: my dad's children, my stepmom's children, and our respective families. If we all make it, there will be 26 of us. That's not counting my two kids, who've never celebrated a real American Thanksgiving.

Since there are so many of us, we all bring something to take the load off my stepmother. I asked what Allan and I could bring. "Red wine* or a fruit pie." I said we'd bring both.