IDEA159: Tackle the Mysterious Fennel with a French Recipe, Even Your Kids Will Eat

Do you have a certain vegetable that you in principle find a good idea to eat but in practice a culinary puzzle to prepare?

I have a vegetable like that and it's fennel. I like the way it tastes, I like its fragrance, but how to actually consume it always remained a bit of a mystery. I mean, taking raw bites out of it is simply not very elegant. What is elegant on the other hand is French cuisine... always! So I figured I will go to my latest obsession the evocative, Mimi Thorisson's Manger blog, to see if there was any hope left for the poor fennel bulb. I was in total luck! (As one who searches usually is...)

I scanned the recipe for "Sausages and Fennel" picking out key words such as, mustard, thyme, butter and red wine and immediately decided to give it a try! 

Since the oven was doing most of the work, I was left with the hard task of struggling against myself not to finish all of the red wine before it was time to add one cup of it to the recipe... An hour later and a bit later dinner was served. It was phenomenal! Let's just say even our two boys ate the fennel. We did end up pairing it with some fancy Belgian beers because alas the red wine did not make it to dinner.

Thank you Mimi for changing my non-consummate relationship with fennel, the flirtation is definitely on - STRONG!  

Here is the recipe for the amazing "Roast Sausages With Fennel" and happy Culinary Travels!
 

• • •    LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

When you're not sure what to make, make it French! 

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Plum Tarte Tatin Recipe : Say Hello to Autumn with a Seasonal Dish

The heating went on in our house yesterday... Is this really the end of summer? How do we feel? Nostalgic already for the long days full of sunshine, trips to the beach and spontaneous jaunts for ice-cream? Or kind of ready to light vanilla candles, drink hot spicy teas and get cozy? Whatever the case is, we should learn to enjoy the beauty of the current situation... And that situation is... PLUMS! They're everywhere and they're sweet. 

Why not celebrate with a good-bye Summer, hello Autumn party? The last hurrah to say goodbye to Summer before we officially welcome Autumn with all her scents and flavors. 

Plum Tarte Tatin

275 g sugar
125 g butter (cubed)
1 egg beaten
200 g flour
100 ml water
500 g plums, halved with pits removed
powdered sugar

plastic wrap
tart form (22cm) buttered

Prep/Cook 
Add 75g of sugar, the butter, egg, flour and a pinch of salt to a bowl and kneed them together into dough. (Not too long, otherwise it may loose elasticity.) Wrap the dough into plastic wrap and put to rest in the fridge for half an hour. Meanwhile melt the rest of the sugar with water over low fire till it starts to resemble light caramel. Pour it over the bottom of the tart form so it covers the bottom completely. Lay the plums cut side down onto the bottom of the tart form. Warm the over till 180C. Roll out the dough. Lay it over the tarte form paying attention to tuck the edges over the form just a bit. Bake in the over 20-25 minutes. Let it cool and then carefully turn it right side up onto a large plate.

Serve
Finish it with powdered sugar. Serve it with sour cream mixed with lemon juice or with a ball of vanilla ice cream... 

(Recipe loosely translated: Original source) 

And if you're inspired to accompany your plum tart with en entire seasonal French inspired menu head over to Mimi Thorrison's absolutely magical blog Manger for a dinner menu straight out of the lovely countryside in Medoc, France...

(Photo via) 

• • •    LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

Nature knows best what and WHEN it's good for us! 

Get everyday adventure ideas @LiveLikeYoureTraveling  

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IDEA107: Channel the Romance of Nice with a Savory Pumpkin Soup

Vito and I discovered this simple yet divine dish for the first time in Nice, France, in a tiny restaurant a bit out of the old city center. This was a place of about 12 tables that served small dishes and the courses continued coming out until you said stop. There were no menus as the chef in the kitchen demanded your complete surrender. Bring it on- we said! This soup was the first dish to come out and we knew we were in for an evening of indulgence.

If you have been to Nice then you’re familiar with the delicious sunsets, the sea and the atmospheric, almost vintage glamour. I had a chance to go there a few years ago for a work. Being there in November I can’t say I had Nice all to myself, but I also didn’t have to fight my way through crowds of tourists, especially the fashionista kind who will trample you without pausing to scrape you off their stilettos. (I know how they behave, I’m one of them). This trip was exciting for a number of reasons, 1) it was my first time in Nice and I was extending my stay for the weekend to explore and 2) Vito would be joining me! This of course called for a sexy dinner a deux. You know the one you sit down to after a long day of walking around exploring the city, holding hands and taking cute pictures of each other. Then, magically, right as you get hungry you take a turn into a seemingly empty alley and voila’ you stumble upon a perfectly inviting little restaurant with delicious scents wafting through the open doors. Only to have your day culminate in such perfection takes careful planning.

When it comes to spontaneous romance in a lovely destination, I’ve got it broken down to a science! What? You thought romance just kinda happened on its own!? Oh no, no, you can’t leave important things like romantic dinners to chance!

Following a tip from a local, Vito and I strolled into the perfect little place precisely timed to relieve the aching feet and rumbling bellies.  Thankfully we had a reservation as the tiny restaurant filled up within 15 minutes or our arrival.  We sat at a tiny table for two lit with a candle next to an exposed brick wall.  Our view of the open kitchen let us peek at the busy happenings there.  Chalkboard menu stated only the sequence of the dishes to expect. It looked something like: soup, vegetable, fish, meat, vegetable, fish, meat.  If you violently opposed one of these categories, you could request a skip.  That was all the chef cared to reveal.  And so our evening began with “soup”, only the most aromatic, tastiest of soups garnished simply with crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds.

• • •

Every time I make this soup, it transports Vito and I back to that candle lit dinner in Nice. Now if only I had a chalkboard menu board and a few serious looking French men in my kitchen cooking up seven more courses…

Nicoise Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup (serves 6)
• 1 small-medium pumpkin
• 6 carrots (variation: 1 sweet potato as pictured)
• 1 medium onion
• Chicken stock (about 6 cups)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ glass of orange juice (best if fresh squeezed)
• ½ teaspoon of paprika
• ½ teaspoon of ginger
• Salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of black and chili peppers
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
• ½ teaspoon of allspice (optional)

Garnish
• Toasted pumpkin seeds

Pissaladière or Nicoise Pizza:
(My simple interpretation of it will go nicely with the soup)
• 6 slices of a baguette (or your favorite bread)
• 2 white onions
• 2 tomatoes
• Anchovies (optional)

Prep/cook – Pumpkin Soup
Chop up the onion and saute’ it in 2 tsps of olive oil until translucent.  Add chopped peeled chopped carrots and saute’ for another minute.

Chop pumpkin into 1 inch cubes (it’s not necessary to peel it) then immediately add 1 cup of chicken stock and a laurier leaf. Stir then cover the pot for a few minutes to let everything get all steamy – This seems to be a big bonding moment for the main ingredients.  At first they’re thinking only of themselves and their importance in the recipe, but then they realize that it’s more productive and fun to play nice together in the delicious steam and become a team.

Add all the spices and the rest of the chicken stock, cover leaving a crack and cook until pumpkin is soft when you pierce it with a fork, about 15 minutes.

When the soup is ready take out the vegetables and puree them in a food processor or with a staff mixer.  Last but not least add the orange juice and adjust spices to taste.

Prep/cook – Pissaladière (Nicoise Pizza)
Cut peeled onion in half and then into rings and saute’ them in a bit of olive oil and butter.
Add a little splash of white wine or a bit of water to make sure onions don’t burn and come out soft.  Warm up a few slices of tomato right in the pan by pushing the onions to the side. Assemble your sandwich by heaping the onions on top of your toasted bread, then topping it with a slice of tomato and if you love anchovies throw few of them right on.

Serve
Serve the soup garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and a hot Pissaladière style mini-sandwiches. Pair it with a nice Syrah and don’t forget to french kiss your partner before and after the meal!

• • •   LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

Trust the chef, especially when you're
not allowed into the kitchen.

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