2009

LA TRUFFE DE NOEL

I know what this may look like to you, but it is really a fabulously enormous truffle my friend benoit’s dad’s dog sniffed out from beneath an old oak tree in Provence.

a truffle comes packed in olive oil to preserve it, the oil, after can be used for all sorts of things, like a dressing for potatoes.

Benoit made an omelette aux truffes…..this is just like a regular omelette, but with a generous helping of truffle slices…don’t shave it, slice it….unless of course your dog sniffed out a truffle of lesser volume.  When you beat the eggs, add the truffles and let sit for 2-3 hours in the fridge….then cook it up and serve with boiled potatoes with truffle oil, and champagne of course.

joyeuse truffe!

POT AU FEU KNOCKOUT

One of the ultimate winter meals here in France is Pot au Feu.  It is a real killer, and may put you right to sleep…………..be careful driving.

A traditional pot au feu goes like this…..this recipie is taken from my friend David’s mom!

you’ll need the following meats, a chuck roast with the bone in, an oxtail, short ribs with the bone in, and  2 marrow bones. if you’re in France, you’ll need la macreuse, la gîte,  la queue and un os à moelle (a fatty cut, a lean cut, and a gelatinous cut). Use about 2 lbs each cut. Have the butcher tie the meats, and cut the oxtail. You should also wrap the marrow bones in cheesecloth to avoid  marrow leak.

Next peel (2) onions and stick (2)cloves into each.  Though it’s not necessary, here you can roast the onion (dry) for a few minutes to brown them as they will add color to the bouillon.

Peel (4) cloves garlic and prepare (2) bouquets garnis, thyme, bay leaves, celeri, parsley.. 

Add all the above together with 6 quarts water in a large pot over medium/high heat. When this begins to boil, add kosher salt and a small handful of black peppercorns.

This will cook for at least 3 hours! Be sure to skim off the foamy bits as you go.

After 2 hours of cooking, prepare and add the vegetables to the cooking pot.  (8) carrots, (8) potatoes and (4)  turnips go in first. Then a 1/2 cabbage. Finally add (8) leeks 20 minutes before the cook time ends.

Now this meal happens in 3 sections.  FIRST, serve the marrow with a good crunchy baguette and butter.  Next, serve the meat and vegetables with cornichons and dijon mustard.  Finally, serve everyone a bowl of the bouillon!  We drank a Madiran from the southwest of France. Everyone fell asleep after…

Také had pot au feu jet lag complications.

This person was asleep in David’s lobby.

and this person was asleep in a car idling in David’s driveway……so strange.

 

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Asia Society Dinner

Here are a few images from a dinner I designed for the Asia Society recently.  The event was honoring “Climate Heroes”, or those whose work has had a profound impact on environmental issues. One of my personal heroes, Shirin Neshat, was the cultural honoree.  Due to the current financial situation and in keeping with the theme, while not getting kitch (kitch, quirk, and cheap wit make me wince these days, especially when it comes to “green” design), we created a very sober and natural setting in rich golds, a gorgeous organic silk that shimmered blue/brown with a gold brocade, and hundreds of bamboo birdcages each with an amber candle inside.  I thought it looked really very elegant.  The video was a super touch….the gentle movement of golden autumnal sunlight on the Hudson river was hypnotic.

 

Turkey Spew

Not a soup. Not a stew….a SPEW.

Perhaps you’ve finished with the turkey sandwiches, and are ready to make soup.

Pick the remaining good meat off the carcass and set aside….

In a large pot, put the entire carcass, all the brown crispy bits from the pan if there are any left, 2 onions, 2 carrots, 1 fennel, 2 turnips, a full bunch of parsley, 2 brances of celery with the leaves still on, a small handfull of black peppercorns, and salt.  Cover with water and boil, then simmer for 3 hours.

Drain the stock through a seive and discard all the bones and other solids.

Sauté 2 onions, 2 carrots, 5 turnips, 3 crelery branches without the leaves, 3 cloves garlic all chopped into small pieces in some olive oil.

Add 3 cups wild rice. Sauté like a risotto.

Add turkey meat.

Finally, add the stock and cook again for 1 hour.

Hearty and delicious……

Thanksgiving recap

Thanksgiving in Paris was another great success on all levels.  We had 26 for dinner, and such a great, dynamic mix of people that made for a really fun night. (The last of our guests left at 3:30am).  Finding a good balance of people for a party can be tricky….we blended family, friends, kids, french, american, rwandan…..

Since the holiday has come and gone, i’ll spare you the blow by blow cooking recount, as i didn’t document each step, i was having too much fun…buti  will share a few photos of the house which looked smashing….followed by the menu.

the table…

an arrangement of beautiful fresh mistletoe clipped that morning at the Château de Versailles!

the bar!

gin and tonics…..

the table….

larry chilling out…

la dinde …

our menu:

cocktails; roasted chickpeas with curry and cumin, roasted pumpkin seeds, maple glazed almonds, cheddar and walnut tartines, crudités with roquefort dip.

dinner; herb roast turkey with rich pan sauce, challah stuffing with figs, apricots, raisins, onions and fresh sage, mashed rutabega, brussel sprouts, maple roasted sweet potatoes, fresh cranberry walnut relish, cranberry tangerine sauce with porto.

dessert; ginerbread cheesecake, pecan pie, saffron and walnut cake with apricot fig compote, fresh pears, muscat grapes and walnuts from périgord.