Steve

Of rice and nems

September 26, 2010 by Steve

Many people have expressed astonishment that, even in France, we often enjoy Asian meals. “But you’re in France!,” people exclaim. “Shouldn’t you be enjoying French food?” We have two somewhat inter-related answers. First, even for Gourmandistanis, there can be such a thing as too much foie gras. Second, in many ways, Asian food in France is still very, very French. France was a colonial power in much of Southeast Asia for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, until leaving […]

Categories: Appetizers, Food, France, Restaurants, Vietnam

Why, Ms. Cochin — without your feathers, you’re beautiful!

August 31, 2010 by Steve

Monday’s trip to and from Lancaster was much more pleasant than the last one. Reasons included a daylight drive, a sedan instead of a truck, a working radio, and a noticeable lack of squawking, feathers or fecal smells. After a sunny drive through central Kentucky, Steve indulged in a brief walk on Centre College’s campus (anyone know what happened to the little marker that was supposedly positioned at Kentucky’s geographic center?), then drove a few minutes further to pick up […]

Categories: Chicken keeping, Food

24-hour breakfast people

August 27, 2010 by Steve

One of the nice things about having chickens in the backyard is that we rarely run out of eggs—which means we’re always ready for breakfast. (We’ll have fewer eggs than usual this Winter, but that’s best told in another post.) “Breakfast” isn’t necessarily a morning thing in Gourmandistan. Since we try to have Steve’s home-cured bacon around along with fresh eggs, breakfast can be the perfect answer to “What’s for dinner?,” especially if we’ve been too busy/frazzled to plan ahead. […]

Categories: Chicken keeping, Cooking, Eggs, Food, Recipes, Vegetarian

What a way to watermelon

August 15, 2010 by Steve

Both our farm shares have provided watermelons in the past few weeks, which hasn’t stopped Steve from buying them at our local markets. According to many farmers we’ve talked to, the staggering summer heat has affected many crops—but the melons seem to take the weather well. Noting Michelle’s apprehension at our growing mound of melons, Steve offered to make her some agua fresca. We first encountered this delicious drink years ago at the Mayan Gypsy, a marvelous restaurant featuring Bruce […]

Categories: Beverages, Cooking, Food, Melon, Vegetarian

Remembrance of eggplants past

August 9, 2010 by Steve

Gourmandistan likes oral histories, like those generated by the WPA Writers’ Project (something we wish was still around—are you listening, government recovery people?). We think it’s lovely when individuals get a chance to share their ideas of the times they lived through. (Steve, especially, looks forward to lecturing people about life in Middle American Suburbia, if he can only get them to stop watching “Leave it to Beaver,” “My Three Sons” and just about any other show on TV Land.) […]

Categories: Cooking, Eggplant, Family, Food, Italy, Recipes, Vegetarian

The almost-perfect Reuben

July 30, 2010 by Steve

From the first time Michelle picked up a jar of Geier sauerkraut from the Foxhollow Farm store, Steve started thinking about corning his own beef. He was a little dubious about using Michael Ruhlman’s recipe due to an unfortunate experience with short-rib “pastrami”—but the Charcuterie recipe seemed pretty straightforward, and so a brine was made where a Foxhollow brisket sat for five days, before a several-hour simmer made what Michelle declared was the best corned beef she ever ate. And […]

Categories: Beef, Cooking, Cured meats, Food, Recipes, Sandwiches

And dough-three: Pasta

July 17, 2010 by Steve

It doesn’t take much to make pasta. Just a cup of flour, an egg, and practice. Oh, and if you’re in Gourmandistan, machinery. Actually, several pieces of machinery. Of course, you don’t actually need the machinery. You can, if you wish, use the 1:1 egg:flour ratio and your hands. Mound the flour in a large bowl, making a well in the center. Lightly scramble the egg, then place in the well. Using a fork or your fingers, stir the egg […]

Categories: Basics, Cooking, Food, Italy, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian

And dough-two: Pizza

July 16, 2010 by Steve

We’ve had a few requests for our pizza dough recipe. Since Steve can’t stand to knead (for reasons reaching from his carpal-tunnel-raddled wrists to his brain’s general hatred of things that are boring), the mixer’s dough hook is essential for him. Those made of sterner, less easily distracted stuff can hand-knead to their hearts’ content. Alice Waters (on page 60 of The Art of Simple Food) is right—letting the dough rise slowly overnight in the refrigerator makes it extra tender. […]

Categories: Basics, Cooking, Food, Italy, Pizza, Recipes, Vegetarian, Yeast breads

And dough-one: Pâte brisée

July 13, 2010 by Steve

When Steve successfully produced his first version of this simple butter crust, Michelle told him he no longer had any excuse not to make dessert. While he hasn’t exactly prepared a tart per day, Steve has put together plenty of pâte brisée, and doesn’t even need to consult a recipe. His current eyeball-only version is a combination of recipes from Patricia Wells and Alice Waters. In Gourmandistan, butter is the key to a good pie crust. Steve takes Alice Waters’ […]

Categories: Basics, Cooking, Food, France, Pies & Tarts, Recipes, Vegetarian