Happy Birthday Julia

In honor of Julie Child's birthday today, I am making a French meal from her book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I am on my way to Whole Foods Market to get the ingredients for Poulet Aux Herbes de Provence, Ratatouille, Mixed Wild Greens with Figs and Goat Cheese with Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil (my addition), and Reine de Saba (chocolate and almond cake). I have invited a missionary friend who is visiting from Japan, and another old friend who I find spiritually uplifting. I'll also head over to the Beer Cave and pick up a suggested Rose to go with the chicken, and a port or a sherry to go with dessert. I'm trying to allow my shopping to be a part of this whole spiritual experience (so yes, I'm leaving the kids at home!) of lovingly preparing a meal for friends- a spiritual discipline if you will. An entire body, mind, and spirit experience. I'm going for European style which is a slow meal consumed in courses over several hours (Americans never eat like this- but we probably should- we wouldn't be so fat). One of the very best meals of my entire life happened when I was in Europe- The Netherlands to be exact. The food was all prepped, but the hosts didn't even start cooking until about 2 hours after we arrived! We had the best conversation and went through 4 or 5 bottles of wine between 5 people. It was the most amazing experience. Another interesting tidbit, we arrived with wine and flowers, but they didn't open our wine. They insisted on aging it for at least 6 weeks, and served their own pre-selected bottles. Those Euros are so classy. We Americans are just as likely to take our unopened bottles of wine back home (ghetto!). So here goes my effort at being more spiritual and more classy all rolled into one. I think Julia would be proud.

Less is More

So what's all this French food got to do with weight loss? Plenty. I'm trying to incorporate more quality and less quantity into my life. That's Victoria Moran's take on it. She says plenty about this in several of her books- eat better food and less of it. I'm not a calorie counter- or a dieter. I just want to consume a better quality of food, in smaller portions. For me this will mean, more vegetarian, grain and vegetable-based meals- but I don't want to be legalistic about it. If I want to make a choice to consume some meat- I will. I want this choice to be reflected in my entire life- more quality, less quantity. Do fewer things, but do them well. Add more weights and do less repetitions. Have fewer friendships, but cherish them more. Take on fewer commitments, but persist until completion. Make the best choice possible, then be content with it.
Last night I was watching a movie with my beloved (he really wanted me to see "I Love You Man"- so much for adding quality to my life!) and I got to craving something savory. I was going to grab cookies, even though I wanted salty and not sweet just because they were handy. I was considering letting the craving pass and eat nothing. But I feel strongly that this whole thing is not about deprivation- it's about making better choices. So I said to myself, no, I don't want store bought cookies- I want something savory. So after perusing the fridge and cabinets, I made us cheese and crackers with slices of zucchini and cherry tomato (and this is the best part) with a leaf of fresh basil and a dollop of dill dip on top. Paired along side a small glass of red wine- it was really the nicest snack. I got to cuddle with my honey on the sofa, enjoy a (somewhat) healthy, tasty snack, and watch a really funny movie. That's time well spent.
(Now in case my life sounds too idyllic, allow me to pull back the periscope, for you to hear two teenagers yelling at one another in the background, observe the cup of milk the toddler spilled all over my Bon Appetit magazine- yes, the Julia Child issue, and notice two days worth of dirty dishes germinating in the kitchen sink.) But all in all, it's a pretty good life.

Julia- It's Your Birthday

I got a hold of the latest issue of Bon Appetit magazine. It has a huge article about Julia Child in it and the movie that I just saw. It has several of her recipes and mentions that Aug. 15 is her birthday and that lots of people prepare her food as a tribute on her birthday. I decided right then and there, I would be one of those people. After perusing the recipes, I've decided I'm going to make Poulet saute aux herbe de Provence (chicken provence- for those who don't read French), served with Ratatouille (a tasty melange of eggplant, squashes and tomatoes) and a nice crusty baguette (which I plan to secure from the French Bakery in Westport- the grocery store versions just won't do). For dessert, Reine de Saba, a near flourless chocolate, almond cake. I'll return to the aforementioned Beer Cave to get some wine suggestions. Yum, can't wait to prepare my fully French dinner. Now, whom to invite???

A Not Quite French meal

Tonight I made a rare departure from my vegetarian ways. My husband purchased some beef spare ribs and left them in the fridge for me to prepare for dinner. I know he expected me to just suffocate them in bar-b-que sauce and grill or broil them- and ordinarily I might have done just that. But that was before I saw a movie about French cooking. I even got as far as throwing them in the pan and removing the cap from the bottled sauce. When I thought- I'll just brown them a little first- it will make the meat more tender. So I pulled out my cast iron skillet, glazed it with canola oil and lightly powered the chunks of meat with flour. Why not chop in an onion for flavor, I thought? While chopping the onion, I spied the fresh garlic. Just a few heads won't hurt I thought- it will enhance the bar-b-que flavor. By the time I pulled the mushrooms out of the fridge, I knew that bottled sauce would be history. After the meat was browned, I set it aside and filled the sizzling pan with the chopped onion, garlic, and mushrooms. I doused the whole melange with the last of my cooking sherry, and emptied the 1/2 carton of half and half into the fragrant mix. I quickly ran into the back yard to my potted herb garden and plucked a mix of rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley and hot asian basil. A quick chop and they were sprinkled over the bubbling sauce and vegetables. When it had simmered and thickened, I added the meat back in and placed the skillet in the oven. While the meat roasted, I made a batch of cornbread and threw it in the oven also. Then I looked around my kitchen thinking, what would Julia Child accompany that with? Potatoes of course! Now the French might cook their potatoes in sherry and cream, but since that concoction was taken, I remembered back to my cooking days (as a sous chef in my 20s). Aha! Roasted potatoes with olive oil and rosemary. I eyed my 20lb. sack of potatoes thinking how sophisticated this particular recipe is without a bunch of added fat (downfall of the American prepared potato). I peeled about 5 large potatoes, sliced them thinly and put them on to boil until they were just so. I didn't want them to get to soft or turn to mush. When they were just done, I strained them, laid them out in a baking dish (only 1 or 2 layers- they should all feel the kiss of the broiler), and laced them with a gentle swish of extra virgin olive oil, fresh plucked rosemary, salt and pepper, and for extra measure, a thinly sliced red onion sprinkled throughout. Into the oven they went. While the potatoes roasted, along with the spareribs in cream and sherry and the baking cornbread, I thought, wine would be perfect with this meal! I grabbed a twenty from my beloved (who agreed a glass of wine would be nice) and drove around the corner to the nearest wine shop (inaptly named 'the beer cave'). Not to be deterred by the name, I found the proprietor to be quite knowledgeable. When he inquired about the occasion, I said, oh, it's for dinner- and described the delectable feast roasting at home in the oven, he made some very nice suggestions. I love reds, and had thought to fall back on my same old favorites of a winsome Cabernet Sauvignon, or a spirited little Beaujolais. But the proprietor told me of a Argentinian wine made from 'lost grapes' and at $9.99 a bottle, I couldn't pass up a good adventure and a great story. I spent the other $9.99 on a nice looking Robert Mondavi Merlot. Back at home we eagerly opened the Argentinian Alamos Malbec wine first, and though I know I'm supposed to let it breathe first, I couldn't wait. At first whiff, it seemed heavy and vinegary. But the first taste was absolute divinity. The 'beer cave' guy said it was smooth, but the taste was the gustatory equivalent of a baby's bottom (that's smooth for those who haven't been near a baby's bottom lately!). After tasting our wine, dinner was ready! I took the spare ribs out of the pan and sliced them, and placed them back into their bed of sauce. The cornbread was golden and fragrant (okay I know it's not French, but neither am I!). The potatoes were crispy and golden brown with little ringlets of fragrant rosemary and red onion. This dinner was too pretty to simply sling on a plate, so I got out the 'good' dishes and plated it all up with sprigs of fresh verigated oregano to top things off. "Ooh, it looks like a restaurant," my 11 year old said, in awe. She was right. It looked and tasted superb. Not bad for an almost bar-b-que, impromptu not quite French meal, and an Argentinian lost grape wine. As Julia would say, Bon Appetit!

Dinner with Julie and Julia

Last night I saw the movie Julie/Julia. What a sweet delight. I love food movies (remember Babette's Feast?) I guess I'm just a foodie at heart. Anyway I went with my girlfriend Rebecca and she thought it would be a good idea to have some French food beforehand. It turned out to be a great idea. We went to a great funky little French restaurant in the River Market called Le Fou Frog for Happy Hour. We spent a small fortune (for working girls and for Happy Hour) but it was well worth it. We started out with a huge plate of steaming muscles cooked in a wine and cream sauce (to die for). There was a french baguette on the table constantly with butter- we plowed through several of those and used it to soak up all the delicious sauce that the muscles were served swimming in. Rebecca had a nice glass of Merlot, but I was driving so I had mineral water, but I would have LOVED a glass of wine with this food. Our second course was soup. I had lobster bisque- a delightful pool of reddish creamed soup with little flecks of lobster floating in it- heavenly. Rebecca had potato and leek soup, also a creamy delight. Both soups were pureed so they were just bowls of unadulterated liquid bliss. We soaked up any still clinging to the bowls with our baguettes. The third course was salad. I ordered greens with a citrus vinaigrette and warm goat cheese on a crouton. Rebecca ordered a fabulous looking crab cake served atop greens and slathered in a delicious sauce that was not romoulade. We shared our salads between us. The crab cake was divine. The warm goat cheese generously dolloped atop a buttery crusty crouton, was a delectable accompaniment to the tangy citrus-y greens. I was in heaven. For dessert we split my favorite: creme brulee. Damn those skinny-assed French with all their fabulous sauces. The tab came to $60 including the tip, which we split down the middle. But who can put a price on time spent with a good friend over good food?

Walking

I walked to work yesterday. Just about two miles. In the heat. I really think an ipod will help me keep it up. I love to listen to my music and it distracts me as I walk. I don't have one yet so I just played music in my head the entire walk to work. I've been researching what type of music playing device to get. I thought I'd try a music subscription service, but I found out they were not ipod compatible. Any suggestions anyone??? I've been diligent about my circuit training at the gym three days a week. Now I need to add in my yoga. I've been chicken about taking a class and just doing it here at home with a video. Who knew it took such courage to be fit?

I've Got Class

When I came out of the gym this morning from my circuit workout, I found a flyer on my windshield for a class called "Eat Well, Be Well" to be held at the local Whole Foods Market. I shop there often as they are the only ones around who sell the Quorn brand of meat substitutes that I love. The class is a four part series that covers:
1. cooking with whole grains and dark leafy greens
2. shopping tour of the store
3. baking with gentle sweetners
4. a 'new view' of protein and dairy
I can't wait to sign up for this class. It sounds like just what I need to know. I'm very limited on cooking beans without meat, and I want new ways to incorporate my greens. I would love to incorporate more alternative sweeteners into baking but never knew how, and I can't wait to get the scoop on protein and dairy, as I've been reading about them in the news lately. These are just the kinds of topics I've been reading about in the Love Powered Diet.

Another serendipitous moment this morning: as I was leaving the gym, I drove past a farmer's market. I had $20 in my pocket but decided on a whim I would spend it all on fresh fruits and vegetables. I got fresh Missouri peaches, blueberries, home grown red ripe tomatoes, and corn on the cob, some beautiful peppers and squashes, and a nice cantaloupe that I look forward to having for breakfast. Since I've sworn off fast food, I've had to be creative in finding new food opportunities that really are all around me. Not only did I get a small feast of fresh food, I ran into a friend and had a nice chat. A lovely way to start the day.