To Slow Time Down

About 3 weeks ago I tried a new recipe. The stimulus came from my garden - I had a number of eggplants ready to be used. I tried the recipe then posted it on the Slow Travel message board, in a premium forum. After a few days, I happened to check to see if anybody had tried it and was amazed to discover that I had started a lengthy and passionate discussion about the recipe. The discussion seemed to focus around two issues.

1. Should it be parmigiana or parmiggiana?

2. How to prepare the eggplant slices.

The discussion escalated/degenerated (pick one) into into a massive food fight referred to as the
The Great Slowtravel Melanzane War. The discussion is still proceeding, although there is more light than heat at present. It has occurred to me that others, without access to the premium forum on Slow Travel, might be interested in the recipe. So here is my original post:

Baked eggplant with tomato, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

This recipe is from Twelve, a Tuscan Cook Book by Tessa Kiros. I made it yesterday with just-picked eggplants and fresh garlic from my garden.

Ingredients:

* 3 medium eggplants cut into 3mm (1/8")slices
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
* 5 ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped, or 400 g (14 oz) tin of peeled tomatoes, chopped
* about 10 basil leaves, roughly torn
* flour for dusting the eggplants
* olive oil for frying
* 300 g (10 1/2 oz) mozzarella cheese, cut into 5 cm (1/4") slices
* 50 g (1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

* Cut the eggplant slices and put them in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and leave for about 30 minutes to allow the bitter juices to drain away
* Preheat the oven to 180C (350F)
* To make the tomato sauce, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and as soon as you begin to smell the garlic, add the tomatoes and half of the basil. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes have melted into the sauce
* Rinse the eggplant slices and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly dust both sides with flour. Heat enough olive oil to come 1cm (1/2") up the side of a saucepan. Heat the oil and fry to eggplants in batches until golden brown on both sides, adding a little more oil if necessary. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the oil.
* Spoon a little of the tomato sauce into a square or round oven dish of roughly 30 cm (12"). Cover with a layer of eggplant slices. Add a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce, then a layer of the mozzarella cheese slices. Add the remaininbg basil leaves. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat to use up ther ingredients. Put into the hot oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and crusty. Cool slightly before cutting into servings. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 6

Modifications: I had to double the tomato ingredient to follow the cooking directions. I used Roma tomatoes - perhaps a larger variety would have solved the problem.

How was it?

Deeelish! I'll make it again in about a week when I can use fresh tomatoes, along with the eggplant and garlic, from my garden.

This recipe is from Cucina Romana by Sara Manuelli. I made it yesterday. I was looking for a new chicken recipe to try. I was initially drawn to it because I had all the ingredients at hand. Easy to prepare, takes about an hour from start to finish.

Ingredients:

- 1 free-range or corn fed chicken, about 3 lb, cut into 8 pieces.
- olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- small fistful of capers, desalted under cold, running water
- pinch of dried oregano
- 1 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 28 oz canned peeled tomatoes
- 1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced (optional)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Gently fry the chicken pieces in a large deep pan in some olive oil. Add the garlic, capers, oregano and salt an pepper to taste. Once the chicken has soaked up all the flavours, pour in the wine and allow it to evaporate. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Stir every now and then to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. When the meat has separated from the bones, the chicken is ready.
As a variation, you can add a few slices of red peppers if you wish and let them cook with the chicken for a further 15 minutes.

Modifications?

I used skinned chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken & I cooked some rotini - added the pasta to the chicken before serving.

Will I make it again? Absolutely. Next time, I will try the chicken pieces suggested in the recipe.

A week ago I picked up a copy of Provence the Beautiful Cookbook by Richard Olney at Costco for $10. It's a large coffee-table format book - one of several other obviously-remaindered titles from a series - but no remaindered marks. My copy was still in its original wraps.

I had never heard of Richard Olney - shame on me. It looks like a great book. The recipe below is the first one I've tried. I have a couple of jars of tapenade from last June's visit to the market market in Vaison-la-Romaine.

Escalopes de Porc a la Tapenade
(Pork Cutlets with Tapenade)

Ingredients
- 4 pork cutlets, each about 1/3" (8mm) thick
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 tablespoons tapenade
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- semidried bread crumbs
- peanut oil or corn oil, for frying
- 1 lemon, quartered

Directions
- Press the cutlets firmly with one side of a large knife blade to flatten them slightly. Sprinkle on both sides with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon tapenade on one side of each cutlet. Cover and chill to firm up the tapenade.
- Assemble side by side: a plate spread with half the grated cheese; a soup plate in which the eggs, olive oil and a few drops of water have been beaten with a fork; and an opened newspaper spread abundantly with bread crumbs. Place a cutlet,tapenade side up, on the bed of Parmesan. Sprinkle some of the remaining Parmesan on top, pressing it in lightly with the palm of your hand. Transfer the cutlet to the beaten eggs, spoon some of the egg over the top and lift the cutlet rapidly to the bread crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs generously over the top and press on gently. Repeat with the remaining cutlets and leave the cutlets on the bed of crumbs to dry for an hour before frying.
- In a large frying pan over high heat, pour in oil to a depth of 1/2" (12mm). Slip in the cutlets and turn down the heat to medium or medium-low if necessary to prevent the cutlets from browning too rapidly. When they are golden around the edges, turn them by piercing, near the edge of the cutlet, with a single tine of a long-handled, two-pronged fork. When both sides are golden and crisp, after about 8 minutes, use a spatula to transfer then to paper towels to drain. Serve accompanied with the lemon quarters.

Comments
- I enjoyed the preparation process and of course having tapenade on hand was a bonus.
- I followed the directions pretty closely, but used 6 cutlets instead of 4, and just used dried bread crumbs. It seemed like a lot of work for 4 cutlets. Also, next time I'll turn the heat down a bit more. The cutlets browned quite quickly & ended up a bit darker than "golden brown".
- Run, don't walk, to your nearest Costco to see if they have any titles left.

From At Home in Provence by Patricia Wells. I made this a week ago.

Ingredients:

1 pound (500 g) bulk sausage meat, broken into small pieces
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups (50 cl) dry red wine, such as Chianti
2 eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup (1 ounce, 30g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sea salt
1 pound (500 g) dried Italian pasta, such as fusil or penne
About 1 cup (25cl) pasta cooking water

Directions:

1. In a skillet large enough to hold the pasta later on, brown the meat with no additional fat over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. With the end of a spatula, continue to break up the sausage pieces into fine bits of meat. Add the fennel seeds and tomato paste, toss to blend, and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Slowly add the wine, pouring it all over the surface of the pan. Adjust the heat to bring the liquid to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until most of the wine – and alcohol – have cooked off, about 15 minutes from the time the liquid comes to a simmer. Taste for seasoning.

2. Place the eggs in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Whisk in the cheese and a generous grinding of pepper. Set aside.

3. In a large pot, bring 6 quarts (6 l) of water to a roiling boil. When the water boils, add 3 tablespoons of salt and the pasta, stirring to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook until tender but firm to the bite, 9 to 11 minutes. Carefully drain the pasta, leaving a few drops of water clinging to the pasta to that the sauce will adhere. Reserve 1 cup (25 cl) of cooking water.

4. Add the pasta to the skillet with the sausage meat and use two forks to toss thoroughly, evenly coating the pasta with the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and, working quickly with two forks, stir in the egg mixture. Continue to toss until each pieces of pasta is evenly coated with the sauce. (The pasta should not be dry; if it is add the pasta water, tablespoon by tablespoon, tossing after each addition, to create a smooth, clinging sauce.) Serve immediately in warmed shallow soup bowls. Pass the pepper mill.

Four to six servings

Comments:

The recipe worked well. I opted for penne over fusili. I was a bit dubious about using raw eggs, but I would do so again. I likely doubled the amount of tomato paste. What am I going to do with half a small can? I thought the instructions about the water and the pasta were a bit precious, but then again I didn’t need to add any more water. Most of the ingredients were at hand – only had to remember to pick up some sausage meat and fennel seeds the day before I made the dish.

Recommended for a cold evening meal – and we have plenty of cold evenings up here in Canada.

From Pedaling Through Burgundy Cookbook by Sarah Leah Chase. I made this last weekend.

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 shallots, minced
½ cup dry white vermouth
1 ¼ cups heavy (whipping) cream
3 tablespoons imported coarse grained Dijon mustard
Sea or coarse salt, salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Cut the pork into thin strips 2 inches long and ½ inch wide.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the pork in batches until seared on all sides and just cooked through the centre, 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
3. Add the shallots to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour in the vermouth, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cream and blend in 1 ½ tablespoons mustard ad season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Return the pork strips to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Stir in the parsley just before serving and serve immediately.

Additional information:

The recipe is similar (identical?) to a dish served at the Restaurant des Arts Deco in Beaune. “While the richness of this dish might best be savored after a vigorous day of Hautes-Cotes biking, it shouldn’t be missed as it is one of the few irresistible and oh-so-Burgundian recipes that is easy to make. Tender strips of beef, and even chicken or turkey, may be substituted for the pork, if desired. Serve with a simple accompaniment, such as white rice.”

Comments:

Of course, the main issue with this recipe is the cream sauce. Next time I’ll work off the calories before I make the dish.

I have 2 cookbooks by Sarah Leah Chase - Pedaling Through Burgundy & Pedaling Through Provence. They are two of my favourites. More than most they transport me back to the south of France, seemingly without effort. The format, illustrations & commentary all work well. I got my copies at a local auction a couple of years ago. Get them if you can.

Highly recommended. I served this dish with white rice and Brussel sprouts as a vegetable.

A Provencal recipe from France the Beautiful Cookbook: Authentic Recipes from the Regions of France. This is a large format hard-cover book, part of a series ("The Beautiful Cookbook") from Harper Collins. This title was originally published first in 1989. I got my copy at Costco a couple of months ago for the remaindered price of $9.99. Great bargain.

Recipes – the Scotto sisters

Ingredients:

• 8oz (250g) wild mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2oz (50g) lean smoked bacon, finely chopped
• 1 heart of fennel, about 3oz (100g), chopped
• 4 tablespoons chopped parsley and fresh chervil, mixed
• 2 pinches dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 pinches of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 oz (25g) white sandwich bread, crusts trimmed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 leg of lamb, about 3lb 10oz (1.8kg), trimmed and boned
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
For the potatoes
• 3 ½ lb (1.7kg) boiling potatoes
• 3oz (80g ) butter
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 clove garlic

Directions:

• Trim the mushroom stems. Wash the mushrooms quickly under cold water and pat dry; chop. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a non-stick sauté pan and lightly brown the bacon for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the fennel, cover and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the mushrooms, the parsley mixture, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook, half covered, until the fennel is very tender and all the liquid has evaporated.
• Grind the bread to coarse crumbs in a food processor. Remove the sauté pan from heat. Mix in the crumbs and the crushed garlic.
• Stuff the leg of lamb with this mixture and sew the opening with kitchen thread. Coat the lamb with oil and season with salt and pepper. Make very shallow crisscross cuts over the surface of the leg. Preheat oven to 450F (230C). Peel the potatoes, rinse and pat dry. Slice into very thin rounds. Melt the butter in a 13 x 9-in (32 x 22-cm) baking dish. Add the thyme and the garlic, crushed in a garlic press. Toss the potatoes in this flavored butter to coat well. Spread the slices in the pan and smooth the surface.
• Place the leg of lamb on the bed of potatoes, rounded side down. Roast for 30 minutes. Turn the lamb and potato slices over and roast 25 minutes longer. Turn off the oven and let the lamb rest in the oven for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8

From Pedaling Through Burgundy Cookbook by Sarah Leah Chase

Crisped Salmon with Mustard Mousse

Ingredients:

Mustard Mousse
2 large shallots, minced
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons imported coarse grained Dijon mustard
3 large egg whites
Sea or coarse salt, salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons imported smooth Dijon mustard

Salmon
6 salmon fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ teaspoons coarsely cracked coriander seeds
Sea or coarse salt, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 424 F
2. To make the mustard mousse, place the shallots, vinegar and wine in a small skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and swirl in the coarse mustard.
3. In a medium-size bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Gently but thoroughly fold in the hot mustard and shallot mixture. Season the mousse to taste with salt and pepper and enhance the mustard flavor by folding in 1 or 2 teaspoons of smooth Dijon mustard. Keep the mousse warm by placing the bowl over a pan of hot but not boiling water.
4. Arrange the salmon fillets in a roasting pan and drizzle them with the melted butter and wine. Sprinkle the cracked coriander seeds evenly over the top and then season with salt and pepper. Roast the salmon until lightly crisped on the top and just barely cooked through the center, about 10 minutes. Serve the fillets hot from the oven, drizzled with any pan juices and accompanied by a generous dollop of the mustard mousse.

Makes 6 servings

From Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten. I made this simple recipe a few days ago.

Scallops Provencal

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh bay or sea scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
½ cup chopped shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, cut in 1/2

Directions:

1. If you’re using bay scallops, keep them whole. If you’re using sea scallops, cut each I in half horizontally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess
2. In a very large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn an d brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes total
3. Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic and parsley and sauté for two more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops.
4. Add the wine, cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Makes 3 servings

Calf's Liver with Herbs and Mushrooms from French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David

A very simple, excellent, but not generally known way of serving liver. For two people you need 4 to 6 thin and evenly cut slices of calf's liver, 4 medium-sized mushrooms and a little parsley, some chives and tarragon when available, a little piece of shallot or garlic, flour and seasonings, oil.
Chop the cleaned mushrooms very finely with the parsley, the shallot or garlic and the herbs.
Season the liver; dust it with flour. Heat about 1 oz of butter in a frying-pan with a teaspoon of olive oil. Let the liver take colour quickly on each side, put in the herb and mushroom mixture and cook another 3 minutes or so over a gentle flame, shaking the pan so that the liver does not stick. Turn into a hot serving dish; squeeze over a little lemon.
The mushroom and her mixture is the old-fashioned version of fines herbes
Lamb's liver can be cooked in the same way.

From French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David.

Directions:
Put not much more than a teaspoon each of freshly chopped shallot and parsley into a well-buttered oval gratin dish. Add two tablespoons of white wine. Put it in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, so that the shallot and wine cook a little and amalgamate. Now, put in your sole, skinned on both sides and seasoned with salt ans pepper. On top put a tablespoon of butter in small pieces. Cover with buttered paper. Cook in a low oven, Gas No. 3, 330 deg. F. for 15 minutes, for a medium sized sole weighing about 3/4 lb. Spread some of the shallot and juices on top of the sole and put the dish under the hot grill for 2 minutes so that it acquires a light glaze. Serve in the same dish.
It is quite possible to use dry vermouth instead of white wine for this dish.

Comments:
Quick and easy and quite good. Nice aroma to the dish. I'll definitely make it again. I only had sole fillets. I would like to try the whole fish.

Paupiettes de Veau - Stuffed Veal Bundles

From A Culinary Journey in Gascony by Kate Hill

Ingredients

8 veal scallops, cut thin (or pound as needed)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lb lean pork sausage
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bottle (750ml) sweet white wine
bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley and sage)
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon orange zest

Directions

1. Flatten the veal scallops with the blade of a large knife. Salt and pepper generously.
2. Place a spoonful of sausage on each scallop one-third of the way down the scallop. Roll the scallop around the sausage, tucking the meat around the stuffing until well-rolled. Taking about two feet of kitchen string, place the bundle in the middle of the string, and tie; turn one-quarter and tie again; turn again and tie again. When you have a neatly tied packet of veal and stuffing, clip off any excess string and set aside.
3. Place the veal parcels in a single layer in a hot, deep saute pan with the oil. Brown on all sides and remove from the pan.
4. Saute the chopped onion and shallots in the oil left in the pan. Stir until they start to colour, then add the flour and tomato paste. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture starts to color, then add nearly the whole bottle of wine (remember, it's okay to reserve a glass for the chef.)
5. Place the veal paupiettes and bouquet garni in the sauce, cover and simmer slowly for 45 to 60 minutes.
6. Add the sliced mushroom and orange zest to the sauce and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve with rice or pasta.

Comments

I made this dish for dinner this evening - pretty easy, if a bit lengthy in preparation - but it was worth it. This was a big hit.

This is an interesting book - several additional recipes I plan to use.

I also like the narrative and anecdotes that accompany the recipes

I like the information that this dish is also called "alouettes sans tetes" - "larks without heads."

I was able to pick all the herbs for the bouquet garni, except for the bay leaf, from my herb garden.

Carrots Glazed with Rosé Wine

From A Culinary Journey in Gascony by Kate Hill

Ingredients

1lb (455 g) fresh carrots
1 cup (8 fl oz/240ml) dry rosé wine or dry white wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 leaf verveine (lemon verbana; available dried as a tea)
1 tablespoon sweet butter

Directions

1. Peel and trim the carrots, leaving them whole if not too large, or cut them in 3-inch (8 cm) lengths. Put the carrots in a lidded saucepan and barely cover them with water. Cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes over medium-high heat.

2. Drain the water and add the wine, rosemary and verveine. Lower the heat to low and continue cooking. When the carrots are almost done, cover and let sit for 5 minutes or until ready to serve.

3. To serve the carrots, add the butter, return to high heat, uncovered, and reduce the wine almost completely. Do not brown the carrots. Gently shake the carrots in the sauce until they are glazed. Serve hot with a garnish of fresh lemon verbena or mint.

Comments

The carrots & rosemary are from my garden - decided to try to find different ways of consuming the bounty at this time of the year. I used small carrots - just cut off the ends, scrubbed them clean & bisected down the middle. No lemon verbana - used a bit of lemon juice instead.

I decided to pickle some of my crop of garlic this year - I usually end up discarding a lot of it the following spring. I used this recipe. It calls for fresh rosemary and orgeano - which I still have in abundance in my patch of herbs.