Bacon and Hazelnut Leeks

Why does this happen every year?  By the time the New Year comes, I'm so excited for things to wind down a bit.  I envision a January that's cozy, quiet, and slow-paced.  But that NEVER happens.  I don't exaggerate: NEVER.  This year has been no different.

But it's been okay.  As I mentioned before, I've had some exciting changes happen.  In mid-December I was hired as a visiting assistant professor at Pratt Institute; I'll be teaching master's level library science students children's and YA literature.  I'm ridonkulously excited.  I'm also doing some consulting work for Scholastic Book Clubs.  Lastly, I just planned a spontaneous trip to California in February: I've been feeling a little homesick for the West Coast and need to head back to the Golden State for a spell.

Part of the reason I think I've been avoiding blogging lately is because I've just been in the moment and going about my day-to-day life.  Frankly, it hasn't occurred to me in weeks to even take a picture of what I'm cooking.  I'm just making it, serving it up, and enjoying time with my family.  But I am coming out of it now, helped along by the fancy new flash I got that will help me take better photos in my dark, dark apartment (Note: the photos below are pre-fancy flash).

And like everyone, I'm paring down post-holiday, trying to make simpler foods that are (slightly) healthier for me...and if they're not healthier, then they're just simpler.  Today's recipe is just that: Bacon and Hazelnut Leeks.  With a cup of heavy cream, it certainly isn't all that healthy.  But it's simple to make, rich in flavor, and even a little bit sexy.

It's probably un-French but I make this 4-serving dish for just me and Adam.  But this is all we eat - I don't make another course.  Served up with some bread to sop up the sauce, it's all we need.

BACON AND HAZELNUT LEEKS
From Laura Calder (French Food at Home)
Serves 4 (or 2, in our house...)


4 medium leeks
4 tablespoons coarsely chopped hazelnuts
4-6 strips bacon, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Trim all but an inch of green from the leeks.  Wash them thoroughly (get in between the layers - they are usually sandy/dirty), tie them in a bunch with string, and plunge them into the boiling water.  Cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes (this cooks them pretty soft - cut down the time if you like firmer vegetables).  Drain and quickly rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.  Drain, remove the string, pat dry, and keep warm.


Meanwhile, toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan; set aside.  In the same pan, fry the bacon until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, scraping up any good stick-to-the-pan bits.  Pour in the cream and boil for a minute or so to reduce to sauce consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in the bacon and nuts.


Place 1-2 leeks on each serving plate, spoon around the sauce, and serve hot.


NOTE ON KID-FRIENDLINESS: Forget about it.  This is something I dish up after Bug's gone to bed and had a dinner of her own.


WINE NOTE: Hands down, Chardonnay is what you need to be drinking with this.

Eat, drink, and simplify.


P.S. I really do love Laura Calder.  Check out her recipe for Pear Pork here.

La vie, toujours, la vie

Aw, guys. I really want to thank you for sticking with me - I know I've been all over the place lately, and I'm so glad you're still here.

My mom was visiting for the last week and we had the loveliest time. We ate at Resto, shopped at Ann Taylor (I bought this sweater), and visited the High Line. We also tried to navigate the insanity of the TKTS booth in Times Square (result: an hour in line and NO tickets to Mary Poppins). Here's the view of the insanity inTimes Square (photo by Mom):

And my mom is on a restricted diet as of late so making up a menu was a challenge: limited dairy and animal protein, limited wine, no refined sugar, everything multi-grain and whole wheat. Here is one thing I made while she was visiting:

Food and Wine's Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cabbage and Pine Nuts, served with ricotta-topped grilled bread (I omitted the ricotta on my mom's plate).

I've also been busy working on my iTunes playlists. As you know (here and here, among others), playlists play an integral part in my kitchen and eating life. And with the new computer, I've had to work on reorganizing my 10,000+ tracks. A huge task but one I love, actually.

Also, those of you who have been reading awhile are familiar with the Soul Twin and her husband, My Other Husband. They've had a family tragedy recently that has left me feeling helpless and sad. Ugh. I'm just sick over the whole thing, and I don't know what to do. Cooking, hugs, love...sure, that's all great but it won't bring someone back who never should have left. Shit.  I just can't find words.

But I was going through the blog the other day and looking through past posts (from waaay back!) and thinking about things that I've done, what a full life I've had, and how much I've laughed.  And how much amazing food and drink I've had.  So if you'll indulge me, I'm sharing my trip down memory lane with you:

Back when I still blogged children's books, I went bowling during BEA with Chris, Jack, Scott Westerfeld, and David Levithan.

My first souffle!

Adam and Bug: one of my first photos with my new camera

Homemade calamari is so simple!

Relaxing at home while Adam was on a business trip (this was a Stratus Chardonnay).

A trip to Florida with the Soul Twin

My first taste of Cubanisimo's Rosado

My trip to Anguilla that I never did tell you guys all about, as I promised.

Mixing work and foodie pleasure with In-N-Out (thanks again to Liz Burns and Angie Manfredi for creating one of my favorite conference memories)

Golden Globes party with the Soul Twin 

Beer, sausages, and pretzels for breakfast

My first macarons at Bastille Day 2011!

Lastly, on a really high note, I have to share a video with you. I've been mum about it but now it's known worldwide that Dogfish Head Brewery and some Googlers collaborated on a beer together: Urkontinent. Guess who's Google-y husband spearheaded the project? Mine! Guess who's husband got to brew beer with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head? Mine! I couldn't be prouder of Adam. The video is below. It's a little on the long side but I promise that it's entertaining and you'll learn some interesting stuff about the brewing process. Not to mention that there's a tall, cute blond guy for you all to look at. Enjoy!



Eat, drink, and let someone know today that you love them.

Recipe: Savory Waffled French Toast

When I saw this recipe for Savory Waffled French Toast stuffed with bacon and Brie over at Elly Says Opa, I knew I had to try it. Despite appearances, this is exactly the sort of unfussy, kid-friendly, easy meal I favor on weeknights.

Here is Elly's recipe, verbatim:

4 thick slices of bacon, cut into a few pieces each
4 slices day-old sourdough bread
4ish slices of brie
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk or half and half
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme
freshly ground pepper

Preheat your waffle iron or griddle. Cook and drain the bacon and for extra deliciousness/fattiness, reserve a little bit of the fat to brush onto the waffle iron.

Make two sandwiches with the sourdough bread, using the bacon and the brie. In a baking dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, parmesan, thyme and pepper. Place the sandwiches into the dish and let them soak for a minute or two. Flip and let them soak another couple minutes.

Grease the waffle iron or griddle with a little oil, butter, or bacon grease. Place the sandwiches on the iron, close, and cook until golden brown (or, if using a griddle, just cook for a couple minutes per side, or until golden).

For the record, I used bacon grease for my waffle iron. I debated putting mustard on the sandwiches and went along with Adam who declared he didn't like bacon and mustard together. But I thought it a tad bland without it - next time I'll try some honey mustard.

I just cut up an apple for Bug's plate, and I made a walnut salad for me and Adam. I take salad greens (in this case, arugula) and sprinkle with walnuts. For the dressing, I use walnut oil, white wine vinegar, a dash of sherry vinegar, about a teaspoon of mustard, salt, and pepper. Super simple, super flavorful.

A buttery Chardonnay was the perfect accompaniment. Adam had some beer he liked with it, but it doesn't matter - my wine was waaaay better.

Eat, drink, and simplify.

Chez Lutz: Gougère au jambon

I’ve blogged before (here and here) about the surprising relationship between food and Joanne Harris, who wrote Chocolat and now has ventured into children’s/YA literature with Runemarks.

It’s been a few months since I’ve made anything from The French Market, and I’m so glad I revisited this cookbook tonight.  Both books – The French Market and The French Kitchen – challenge me and my abilities…yet they do so in manageable ways for a full-time working mother such as myself.  Tonight I made the gougère au jambon, and it turned out mighty fine:

 

 I didn't use the exact right-sized dish (I should have gone a bit bigger) so the ham mixture didn't cook as thoroughly as it could have.  Even then, I added five minutes to the final cooking time because I realized my dish was too small and deep.  But it tasted RAD.  Unfortunately, I can’t post the recipe since I followed it exactly (minus the one extra clove of garlic I added – the recipe called for two cloves).  But here are links to other related recipes:

- Gougères stuffed with ham mousse (Emeril Lagasse)

- Gougères (Epicurious)

I also can recommend The French Market by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde.  In addition to the gougère recipe, I have also made their salad with walnuts (salade aux noix), their warm salad with Camembert dressing (salade tiède au Camembert), and their potato, cabbage, and Camembert casserole (tourte au Camembert)…all to huge success.  Not to mention that you can impress the hell out of your guests by giving them the French names for the meals!

Mangez, boivez, et parlez français!

 

WINE NOTES : Thanks to Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg’s What to Drink with What You Eat, I found out that an Old World Chardonnay would work well with the gougère.  So Adam picked out the Chateau Lafayette Reneau Seyval-Chardonnay.  I said, “Honey!  That’s a New York wine!  It’s not Old World!”  To which Adam responded, “But it says Chateau!”  All you French speakers out there will appreciate that there is no l’accent circonflexe in the word “Chateau” on this bottle.  But the only other Chardonnay we had was Casa Silva 2007 Chardonnay…from Chile.  So I had to take a leap.  And the Casa Silva was fantastic with it.  I’m drinking a glass right now, post-dinner, and it’s rather oaky.  But the oak just disappeared with the gougère and they perfectly complemented each other. 

The One About Wines Under $15

Go check out the latest issue of Food and Wine (April). Among many interesting things, there was an article about the 67 Best American Wines under $15. I'm a big believer in wines under $20. I'm not cheap, it's just that I have tasted so many fresh, delightful, pleasant wines at such affordable prices that I just don't feel motivated to regularly drink more expensive wines. I do have more expensive bottles - in the $60 - $80 range - that I keep in a separate wine cooler to age a couple years. Not to mention that Adam and I did indulge in a bottle of Veuve Cliquot's La Grande Dame to celebrate our move to NYC. But that was a rarity - you won't see me pretentiously sipping $500 bottles anytime soon.

What pleased me enormously was reading about Oregon's wines. As a longtime resident of the Pacific Northwest, I always enjoy reading positive articles about the area that don't center on the amount of rain. Food and Wine had an article focusing on the Pinot Noirs alone.

I've tried 19 wines listed in the top 67, which isn't too bad. And I actually have a couple of them sitting in my wine rack and in my wine fridge right now. I can highly recommend the 2005 Bogle California Petite Sirah. We actually drank it with braised duck legs, which wasn't a good pairing. You need a big-flavored, super rich steak to go with this wine. The flavor is complex and bold. I also love the 2006 A to Z Wineworks Oregon Chardonnay. It's unoaked, and I normally like the flavor of oak in my wine. Nevertheless, this wine is light and creamy; it's rich and earthy enough that it doesn't need oak in the background.

I'll actually search out some of the 48 bottles I haven't tried - finding an affordable, interesting gem of a wine always thrills me!

Eat, drink, and be merry!