sbyrne (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} sbyrne) wrote,@ 2007-10-15 18:05:00 |
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DH told me that the author of her favorite food blog, Chocolate and Zucchini, was coming to London as part of a book tour. The Books for Cooks bookstore that hosted the event has a kitchen where they often test recipes, and at this event they served several recipes from the book.
The author is my age, French, and was a software engineer in Silicon Valley during the dot com era. She had the impeccable poise, hair, skin, and fashion that French women seem to innately possess. I wish I were like that. About 15 other people attended the event, almost entirely middle-aged women somehow linked to the food reporting business. I sat between an author of a cake cookbook for children and an aspiring food blogger. A lot of them seemed to know one another and were taking notes on the author's biographical details. One of the author's tips was to keep a journal of what you cook, how you cooked it, and who you served it to (like a lab notebook!). She's working on a second book, an insider's travel guide of all her favorite food places in Paris.
The recipes were just what I've been looking for: a few ingredients combined in an unexpected but clever way. They struck the perfect balance of interesting, easy, and healthy. (I love the Joy of Cooking, but so many of its recipes are full-fat.) The cookbook includes personal anecdotes describing how modern French people really eat at home. She also got a wine writer to recommend wines for each dish. By the end, I absolutely had to buy the book, and I've been attempting some of the combinations that don't require an oven or food processor.
Here's what was served:
1. Mushroom and Cantal Cheese Tartine (p. 46)
The one at the bookstore, where they followed all the directions, was fantastic. At home, I basically just sauteed mushrooms and put them on cheese on toast. It tasted all right, but not nearly the same. I should have put in more effort (i.e. not omitting all the herbs and seasonings) and a stronger cheese.
2. Celeriac Remoulade with Trout Roe (p. 119)
Books for Cooks topped this with smoked salmon instead of caviar. I'd never had celeriac before; it's all the celery taste without all of the incessant stringy chewing. I need to find a supermarket that sells celeriac -- the cookbook says it's coming in season now. I also want to try making mashed celeriac.
3. Tuna and Green Apple Mousse (p. 98)
Served like a dip with crackers. It was just incredible; I never expected canned tuna could be this good. I should attempt a coarser version sans food processor -- making a casserole instead of a mousse. Especially since tuna and apples are staple cheap grad student foods.
4. Lamb and Prune Meatballs (p. 134)
Served with perfectly fluffy couscous and Greek-style yogurt. Now, only my dad likes prunes, but this combination works really well. The meatballs get this hearty sweetness. I'm not sure where I could get ground lamb though; this might require an actual butcher. I suppose I could try making it with ground beef, but I don't think it would be as good as the lamb and prune combination. Maybe turkey, but that's crazy expensive here.
5. Chocolate and Zucchini Cake (p. 205)
The bookstore served a very generous slice. You would never know the cake contained zucchini; you can't taste it at all. But the vegetable makes the cake really moist, and substitutes for more calorie-dense ingredients.
The author is my age, French, and was a software engineer in Silicon Valley during the dot com era. She had the impeccable poise, hair, skin, and fashion that French women seem to innately possess. I wish I were like that. About 15 other people attended the event, almost entirely middle-aged women somehow linked to the food reporting business. I sat between an author of a cake cookbook for children and an aspiring food blogger. A lot of them seemed to know one another and were taking notes on the author's biographical details. One of the author's tips was to keep a journal of what you cook, how you cooked it, and who you served it to (like a lab notebook!). She's working on a second book, an insider's travel guide of all her favorite food places in Paris.
The recipes were just what I've been looking for: a few ingredients combined in an unexpected but clever way. They struck the perfect balance of interesting, easy, and healthy. (I love the Joy of Cooking, but so many of its recipes are full-fat.) The cookbook includes personal anecdotes describing how modern French people really eat at home. She also got a wine writer to recommend wines for each dish. By the end, I absolutely had to buy the book, and I've been attempting some of the combinations that don't require an oven or food processor.
Here's what was served:
1. Mushroom and Cantal Cheese Tartine (p. 46)
The one at the bookstore, where they followed all the directions, was fantastic. At home, I basically just sauteed mushrooms and put them on cheese on toast. It tasted all right, but not nearly the same. I should have put in more effort (i.e. not omitting all the herbs and seasonings) and a stronger cheese.
2. Celeriac Remoulade with Trout Roe (p. 119)
Books for Cooks topped this with smoked salmon instead of caviar. I'd never had celeriac before; it's all the celery taste without all of the incessant stringy chewing. I need to find a supermarket that sells celeriac -- the cookbook says it's coming in season now. I also want to try making mashed celeriac.
3. Tuna and Green Apple Mousse (p. 98)
Served like a dip with crackers. It was just incredible; I never expected canned tuna could be this good. I should attempt a coarser version sans food processor -- making a casserole instead of a mousse. Especially since tuna and apples are staple cheap grad student foods.
4. Lamb and Prune Meatballs (p. 134)
Served with perfectly fluffy couscous and Greek-style yogurt. Now, only my dad likes prunes, but this combination works really well. The meatballs get this hearty sweetness. I'm not sure where I could get ground lamb though; this might require an actual butcher. I suppose I could try making it with ground beef, but I don't think it would be as good as the lamb and prune combination. Maybe turkey, but that's crazy expensive here.
5. Chocolate and Zucchini Cake (p. 205)
The bookstore served a very generous slice. You would never know the cake contained zucchini; you can't taste it at all. But the vegetable makes the cake really moist, and substitutes for more calorie-dense ingredients.
