The Secret to a Perfect French Vinaigrette

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Of all the things I loved in Paris, the salads ranked high up there. I know it sounds ridiculous and faux-virtuous to claim you love salad — salad! — of all things in Paris. That sounds as far-fetched as saying I watch Bravo for the political commentary or love book club for the book discussions. But it’s true; the salads were all quite magnifique despite their simplicity. Mais pourquois? The answer lies in the elusive French vinaigrette.

After considerable research that only a person with too much time on her hands can devote, I have concluded that there are a few key secrets to a classic French vinaigrette: shallots, real Dijon mustard made in France, and sherry vinegar. Shallots and sherry vinegar are easy enough to find, but real French Dijon is another story altogether. Before you go any further, let me say that this recipe certainly WILL work with US made Grey Poupon, and it will be respectably good. But it won’t be perfect.

To say I am a bit obsessed with my acquisition of Maille mustard made in France is a bit of an understatement. Since the mustard from the tap I purchased from the Maille store in Paris is unpasteurized, I have accepted that I can only obtain that through another visit to the Paris store or I’ll need a hired mustard mule to smuggle some through customs. However, the next best thing is jarred French Dijon, which I figured should be easy enough to find. Wrong! I have searched Amazon. I have searched eBay. I have combed foodie message boards. I have emailed food bloggers. I have, in short, gone a little nutty trying to find this mustard. Of course, to a French person, this probably sounds like someone saying they have searched the world for a bottle of Heinz ketchup.

I finally found a reputable online source which won’t break the bank here. I am sure there may be others, so feel free to pass on your US suppliers if you’ve got them. Here is a picture of two jars of Maille. The one on the left is made in France, and the one on the right is made in Canada. The French version is almost twice as strong and concentrated as the Canadian version (which we can all find easily in almost every US grocery store). They may look the same, but they are not the same.

deux Mailles

Of all the recipes I’ve tried, this simple little recipe from David Lebovitz comes the closest to replicating the many wonderful vinaigrettes I enjoyed in Paris. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

French Vinaigrette by David Lebovitz, original recipe worth reading for yourself here

Makes about 1/4 cup

1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
1/2 small shallot, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3T to 4T (45 ml to 60 ml) olive oil

fresh herbs, if desired

1. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, vinegar, and shallot. Let stand for about ten minutes.

2. Mix in the Dijon mustard. (Note: ff you are using a US or Canadian manufactured mustard, you will need at least 1 heaping teaspoon to start, possibly a bit more. If you are using French Dijon, a mere 1/2 teaspoon will actually be enough.) Add 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of olive oil. Stir well, then taste. If too sharp, add the additional olive oil and more salt, if necessary.

If using fresh herbs, mix them in shortly before serving so they retain their flavor. This dressing will keep for about eight hours at room temperature.

 

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The Waiting Place

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When I was in high school. I worked at a Hallmark card store. I learned so much from that job. Much of what I learned was how NOT to treat people, but that’s a tale for another day. As a young, impressionable girl raised on Dynasty and Danielle Steele, I loved a good story.

One of my coworkers, an older lady named Betsy, told me a story that I still think about sometimes. (Let’s note that I’m now the age of Betsy, “the older lady.”) The summer after high school, Betsy was at the beach for the weekend with her girlfriends. She was planning to attend Vanderbilt University that fall. Before she packed up to leave, Betsy decided to take one last walk on the beach, and on that spontaneous walk, Betsy met the man who would be her husband for the next fifty years. She started dating him and decided to ditch Vanderbilt and get married shortly after their beach rendezvous.

As a snotty and know-it-all child of the 80s, I was appalled that she would abandon her plan of attending a prestigious university for some strange guy she just met on the beach. And for what? To become a wife and mother working part-time in a Hallmark store with high school students? How could she even be smart enough to have gotten into Vanderbilt in the first place if those were the kind of choices she made? But Betsy seemed very happy and was a sweet lady with a good life. I liked her a lot.

There have been times in my life that I think about that story and the seemingly random events that change the course of our lives forever. What if Betsy didn’t go to the beach that weekend? What if she decided to pack up and leave instead of taking one last walk? It often feels like our insignificant decisions (a spontaneous walk) can have way more of an impact than our Big Life Decisions (choosing a college). As an over-thinker, I find this notion simultaneously comforting and unsettling. Nothing matters. Everything matters.

I am at a crossroads right now, slightly stuck in The Waiting Place, as wise Dr. Seuss called it.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

– Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go

Eventually I will get unstuck and choose a direction, but for now, I’m sticking it out right here. My friend introduced me to a phrase that’s often used in the recovery community, and when my head is spinning with options and I’m overwhelmed about what to do next and how things will turn out, I find that it helps me get back on track: Just keep doing the next right thing. I can do that. And eventually, I believe, the right walk will lead me in the right direction, probably when I’m least expecting it.

Incredible Hulk Muffins

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Greetings from the height of flu hysteria here in the US, or Flusteria 2013, as I like to call it. We’ve managed to dodge the flu bullet so far, but between Ed’s airplane travel and three kids in three different schools, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before one of us falls. I’m a little scared. When I’m scared, I bake. (Note: I also bake when I am happy and sad and excited and disappointed.) Don’t ask me how that diet is coming along.

Believe it or not, for every recipe I post, there are ten more that don’t make the cut. I have gotten in the habit of taking pictures of everything I make, just in case it turns out to be THE BEST THING EVER, but usually I’m just left with a lot of (sometimes unidentifiable) food pictures on my iPhone. To be honest, I never expected this recipe to make the cut. I was reasonably certain my kids would hate these muffins and at best I’d have an amusing story to share about how disgusting they were. Wrong!

My boys are now 16, 11 and 9, and they come home from school starving every afternoon. Once the weekly ration of junk food is gone, it is gone, and I refuse to buy any more until my next scheduled shopping trip. We always have fruit, veggies and dip, peanut butter and jelly, etc. but things like pretzels and chips and cookies/cupcakes are purchased in limited weekly quantities. This does not always go over well, but I don’t think my kids benefit from eating crappy food before dinner seven days a week. They buy the school lunch and are able to purchase snack foods during lunchtime, so it’s not like they’re subsisting on organic apples alone. Don’t feel too sorry for them!

I decided to use after-school-feeding-frenzy time to my advantage yesterday, as hungry people are not always very particular about what they shove into their gullets. If there was ever a time they would willingly eat a green muffin, it would be after school. Not only did they eat it, they begged for more and asked me to make these every day. I’m still a little shocked about that, but I’m happy to ride this wave as long as possible.

These muffins are not exactly healthy, but they are better than a lot of processed alternatives. I used oat flour, which I made easily in my Vitamix, but you can certainly use all-purpose wheat flour if you prefer.

Incredible Hulk Muffins

WET INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup (or less) brown sugar
1 banana
1/2 cup walnuts
large handful of kale

DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups oat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 (or more) cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy duty blender, mix wet ingredients (including walnuts and kale) until completely smooth. This may take a couple minutes, depending on the blender, but we don’t want any walnut or kale pieces.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients until well combined. Being careful not to over mix, pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Spray or oil a standard muffin tin and fill with about 1/2 cup of mixture per muffin. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Vitamix

HulkHUNGRY

Whiskey Crab Cakes

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We love crab cakes and are fortunate to have two very good local sources for them. I have tried to make them myself a couple times over the years, but they always seemed to turn out like expensive mistakes. Edible, sure, but I do try to aim higher.

Third time’s a charm, as they say. I combined elements of recipes from two old cookbooks (hear that, youngins? cookbooks with real gen-u-ine paper pages, just like Ma Ingalls used to use), and I think I came up with the perfect formula: flavorful but not overly packed with filler. And my personal secret ingredient designed to enhance the delicate sweetness of the crab? One tablespoon of Irish whiskey. Serve these with Bobby Flay’s cole slaw and some potato chips, and you have a delicious meal.

crab cake

Dawn’s Whiskey Crab Cakes

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red paper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Irish whiskey

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, halved and juiced

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 stick salted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Saute shallot and pepper about five minutes, until softened and fragrant. Cool and place in small bowl. In same bowl, mix together Worcestershire, Dijon, whiskey, salt, lemon juice and crushed red pepper.

In a large bowl, lightly beat two eggs. Add pepper mixture and panko crumbs. Gently fold in crab and combine without over mixing.

Using a one-half cup dry measuring cup, scoop up crab mixture and form into a ball. Place on buttered or sprayed baking sheet. You should have 6 to 8 crab cakes, depending on how generously you fill your cup.

Melt remaining butter in microwave or stove top. Spoon about one tablespoon of melted butter on top of each crab cake. Bake about 15 minutes. If you prefer a crispier top, they can be placed under the broiler for a minute or two once baked.

Sri Lankan Inspired Coconut Chicken Curry with Cashews

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This is exactly the sort of semi-ambitious dish which appeals to my palate and my ego in equal measure. Any old suburban hausfrau can whip up some Indian food these days, but Sri Lankan cuisine propels one to that next level of cooler-than-thou. Take that, Fancy Nancy!

This is a bit more labor intensive than my usual dishes, but truly flavorful and worth the extra effort. The sauce is heavenly and would go well with jasmine rice. I was lucky to have most of the spices on hand already; I shudder to think what this would cost if you were buying everything exclusively for this recipe. Even though the author admits parsnips are not part of Sri Lankan cuisine, I agree that they really are the perfect touch.

coconutcashewchicken

David Tanis’s Coconut Chicken Curry with Cashews, New York Times (1/4/2013), original recipe here

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut in 3-inch chunks
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons grated garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice berries
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews
  • 1/4 cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut
  • 1 pound small parsnips, peeled and cut in 2-inch batons, optional
  • 2 tablespoons ghee, coconut oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups finely diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
  • 3 cups chicken broth or water
  • 1 cup thick coconut milk
  • A few sprigs mint and cilantro for garnish, optional

Preparation

1.
Season chicken generously with salt and pepper and put it in a mixing bowl. Add ginger and garlic and massage into meat. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast cloves, fennel, cardamom, allspice, cumin and coriander until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Grind the toasted spices to a fine powder in an electric spice mill and add to chicken. Add turmeric, cayenne and lemon juice and mix well. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, or refrigerate up to 1 hour.
2.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put cashews on a baking sheet and roast until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Spread the shredded coconut on the baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, then let cool. Grind the coconut with 1/4 cup cashews in a spice mill or small food processor to make a rough powder. Reserve 1/2 cup roasted cashews for garnish.
3.
Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a simmer, then add parsnips and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool.
4.
In a wide heavy-bottomed pot, heat ghee over medium-high heat. Add cooked parsnips, if using, and sauté until lightly browned. Remove and reserve. Add chicken pieces to the pot, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, then remove and set aside. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes more. Add tomato paste and let it sizzle with onions for a minute or two. Add broth and bring to a brisk simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping up any caramelized bits from the pot. Add cinnamon stick, chicken and the ground coconut and cashew mixture. Adjust heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, until chicken is tender. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary.
5.
To finish the dish, stir in coconut milk and add reserved parsnips. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until parsnips are heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with reserved cashews. Garnish with mint and cilantro sprigs, if using.

Ode to Downton Abbey

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downton-abbey

Are you a fan of Downton Abbey? I am a shameless lover of television and all things English. Needless to say, I can hardly contain myself that Downton Abbey Season 3 is starting in just two days, nine hours and thirty-two minutes here in the US (1/6/2013).

Confession: I “know a guy” and managed to watch the first episode of season 3 on my computer back when it first aired in the UK, but I just couldn’t continue watching it after that. A) I’m too much of a Girl Scout and don’t like to break the rules or cheat; B) It’s more fun having the communal experience of watching and discussing it with fellow US fans; C) If any show deserves to be watched on a large television screen, it’s Downton Abbey, and D) I don’t fancy myself one of those tiresome people who glibly reports she’s already viewed the whole entire season when her friends are super excited for the premiere.

If I wasn’t all partied out from November and December, I would throw together a little viewing party. For those of you inclined to do so, I highly recommend checking out Downton Abbey Cooks for authentic suggestions and interesting historical food facts. While I won’t be hosting a party, I am thinking of trying this recipe from BBC for Cock-a-leekie soup to get into the spirit of things. Plus, hello, cock-a-leekie soup! Who can resist chicken and leeks? What?

As I always say, the show is worth watching for the clothing and wallpaper alone. Yes, it is basically Masterpiece Theater’s version of a soap opera — cheesy, sometimes predictable and frequently overwrought, but immensely satisfying nonetheless. It makes my heart happy. And there is simply no one on television better than Dame Maggie Smith. She steals every single scene.

Cheers to my fellow Downton Abbey fans! I have a feeling there are many of you here.

Maple Glazed Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Gorgonzola

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Perhaps you, like me, feel a bit of detoxing is in order after six solid weeks of turkey, wine, cheese, cookies, chocolate, ham, ham, ham, more wine, eggnog, more cheese and a splash or two of limoncello. With January now upon us, the party is officially over. It’s time to clean up our act or purchase larger clothes.

I’ve learned years ago to write my New Year’s Resolutions with the savvy of a trial lawyer — vaguely and with plenty of loopholes. For example, “Eat more vegetables.” I can do that! After feeling utterly unsatisfied after today’s lunch of Lean Cuisine spring rolls, I decided to play around a bit with some Brussels sprouts. The maple glaze is courtesy of Weight Watchers, but don’t be alarmed. I’ve still managed to trash it up a bit. Who says eating more vegetables has to be dull and tasteless?

brusselssprouts

Maple Glazed Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Gorgonzola

1 to 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved

olive oil

kosher salt

2 tablespoons real maple syrup

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese (optional)

Heat oven to 450 degrees. On baking sheet, drizzle Brussels sprouts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat well. After about 10 minutes in oven, give a good stir and roast another 5 to 10 minutes.

In small saucepan, heat maple syrup and balsamic vinegar over medium heat for about five minutes. Add a pinch of kosher salt and stir well. Drizzle on top of Brussels sprouts, and add Gorgonzola if desired. Trust me, it will be desired.

Red Caviar Dip

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Happy New Year, friends! I know 2012 has been a tough year for some people, and I’m sincerely sorry about that. If this hasn’t been your best year, I hope 2013 is happier, healthier and more fulfilling. However you are spending the night, please have fun and be safe.

We are lucky, once again, to be ringing in the new year with our special friends. Nothing too elaborate as far as food this year, but I am excited to be serving my first dish with a wee bit of caviar. As a dedicated sushi lover, I have enjoyed sprinkles of caviar here and there over the years, but I never have used it in my own recipes until today.

Salmon roe, often referred to as red caviar, is the star of this dish. We are fortunate to have caviar from New York City’s Caviar Russe offered at our grocery store. Since this recipe only uses 50 grams of salmon roe (1.75 ounces), you probably won’t need a home equity loan to serve this at your next party. Assuming you are able to acquire just a small amount of caviar, for under twenty bucks you will have a delicious dish that will dazzle your guests and make you feel like Robin Leach himself!

CaviarRusse

Red Caviar Dip, inspired by Barefoot Contessa Parties

4 ounces cream cheese, softened (about half a normal sized package)

1/4 cup full fat sour cream

Juice of half a lemon

1 whole scallion, finely chopped

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons whole milk

1 tablespoon fresh dill

50 grams (1.75 ounces) salmon roe or caviar of choice

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, lemon juice, scallion, salt, milk and dill until well combined. With mixer turned off, gently fold in about 7/8th of caviar with rubber spatula. Spoon into serving dish, and garnish with remaining caviar and sprig of dill.

caviardip

 

The Gift of the Magi

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The gift of the Magi is to hold what you have and not think a minute of what you are missing. — Garrison Keillor’s interpretation of O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi

I was in 8th grade the first time I read O. Henry’s short story The Gift of the Magi. We were learning about irony, and that was the example my teacher used. While I thought the story was sweet, I lacked the worldliness to truly appreciate it at the time.

A couple weeks ago, I heard Garrison Keillor on NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion reading his own interpretation of the Gift of the Magi, and thought it was so beautiful that I knew I’d want to share it with you. Don’t be alarmed by the time on the link; the story is only a couple minutes at most, and it starts playing right away. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Gift of the Magi

Ina’s Caramelized Bacon

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Most people who know me know I’m not a fan of waiting. I am pathologically punctual and expect the rest of the world to be, too. Needless to say, the world often disappoints me on this front. So when I matter of factly mentioned that I joyfully waited in line for three hours to see HRH Ina Garten for an intimate 20 second exchange for her book signing of Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, a lot of my friends wondered if I had suffered a recent head injury.

My friend Amy and I arrived to stand in line at 9:30 for the book signing which begun at noon. I believe Main Line magazine once described the crazy-long line of the annual Lilly Pulitzer warehouse sale as a Grateful Dead show for preppy people. An Ina book signing is like the Grateful Dead for suburban stay-at-home-moms. We gathered en masse, a line of Burberry and Tory Burch and Maclaren strollers as far as the eye could see, giddy with anticipation to see our mutual idol. We swapped stories of favorite recipes and little known Ina facts. We paid respect to Jeffrey. The general atmosphere was a strange mixture of reverence and exuberance.

When it was finally our turn, I could hardly breathe. Suddenly I understood how people could join a cult. If Ina had asked me to sell all my worldly possessions and move into her East Hampton compound as a dishwasher, I probably would have done so at that moment. She radiates goodness and light and is so beautiful in person. I don’t just love her, I looooovvvvvvveeeee her, and seeing her up close was almost like looking directly into the sun; I was a little dizzy.

Believe it or not, I don’t own any Ina cookbooks aside from her latest (ahem, autographed copy). This recipe was the first to catch my eye, and I couldn’t wait to have a moment to try it. I have been so busy this season, and I realize that I need to start getting my New Year’s Eve appetizers picked out since we are hosting again. (Click here for more info on how I spend my New Year’s Eve).  I thought I would preview these before serving them to guests.

To be honest, they had mixed reviews. I think they are fabulous, but Ed didn’t really care for them. I know I will served them again at some point in the future, but probably for a more casual affair than New Year’s Eve. The sweet/spicy/crunchy/salty combo is a winner in my book.

caramelizedbacon

Ina’s Caramelized Bacon adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 pound thick cut bacon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In food processor, combine sugar, nuts, salt, pepper and cayenne until finely ground. Add maple syrup and pulse until moistened.

Ina suggests using a wire baking rack on top of a sheet pan lined with foil, but I used a slotted broiler pan lined with foil with good results. Whatever you use, be sure the fat has a place to drip to prevent sogginess. Cut bacon in half and spread evenly with sugar mixture. Bake 25 to 30 minutes and let cool to room temperature before serving.