Sweet Leisure - Part 29

PARIS APARTMENT RENTAL

Paris at sunset I’m a can’t Paris person. Many of us are. We can’t wait to get there, can’t bear to leave, can’t wait to return. A passion for Paris takes over our heart, souls and travel budgets and we go as often as circumstances allow.

First trip we hit the guidebook highlights, and each subsequent trip brings deeper exploring. Before long we know the best cafes, the insider boutiques and where to buy the most luscious macarons (Pierre Herme’s has a slight edge over Laduree—yes, really).

Pierre Herme's shop in Paris

Somewhere along the way, we Paris fanatics feel the urge to forgo hotels with their delicious scented soap and croissant breakfast in bed, and take a shot at living like a Parisian in a rented apartment.

The last time I saw Paris, I rented the Saint Germain des Pres-Varenne apartment from Welcome 2 France. The apartment was pricy, but perfect for what I wanted and, hey, if one is going to blow the bucks to live like a Parisian, better imitate a well-heeled citizen than a character relegated to a La Boheme-style garret—n’est-ce pas?

Eiffle Tower Although Welcome 2 France (welcome2france.com) offers luxury apartments, the company operates like many other rental companies, which, incidentally, are popping up in Paris faster than soufflés and rent all type, size and priced apartments in all sorts of neighborhoods. Arrangements for the rental can be made online, including choosing the apartment, paying the deposit, buying insurance, signing waivers and setting a time for a key delivery.

Short term apartment rentals are ideal not only for travelers wanting to experience Paris like a native, but also for: (1) families wanting space and a kitchen to avoid expensive restaurant meals, (2) a group of friends wanting to share costs and (3) (of course I don’t know, but have been told) couples traveling with somebody else’s spouse, wanting to avoid the prying eyes of hotel staff. Vive la Paris.

¶ Posted 30 November 2009 † Susan Manlin Katzman § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: apartment rental, Laduree, macaroons, Paris, Pierre Herme's, Welcome 2 France

DANNY MEYER’S BACON ROAST TURKEY

Once upon a time, Danny Meyer gave me his favorite recipe for turkey. This was after the iconic

Danny Meyer

restaurateur opened Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern, two of New York City’s most beloved restaurants, but before he opened Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Blue Smoke, Shake Shack and The Modern, the decidedly luscious dining room in the Museum of Modern Art.

As fitting America’s quintessential restaurateur, Danny’s turkey is not—not at all—not even remotely—run of the mill or traditional. He practically flash roasts his turkey, cooking it at a high heat covered with bacon, which lends a delicate porky flavor and keeps the turkey moist.

Talking turkey, Danny’s recipe gives cooks with time constraints just one more reason to be thankful on Thanksgiving.

DANNY MEYER’S BACON ROAST TURKEY

1 fresh (11- to 12-pound) turkey

Salt

Coarsely cracked black pepper

About 6 sprigs fresh herb (sage, marjoram, thyme or a combination)

1 pound bacon, thinly sliced

Rinse turkey under cold running water and dry well inside and out. Sprinkle body cavity with salt and pepper. Place herb sprigs inside cavity. Do not truss turkey or close legs. Place turkey, breast up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Completely cover top of turkey with bacon, using the entire pound. Place turkey in a preheated 450-degree oven and roast until bacon is completely browned, about 35 minutes. Remove bacon from turkey (reserve bacon for another use). Baste turkey well with bacon drippings. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey thigh, not touching bone. Reduce heat to 425 degrees and continue roasting turkey, basting every 15 minutes with bacon drippings, until turkey registers 180 degrees on the meat thermometer, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Remove turkey from oven and let stand for 20 minutes before slicing.

Yield: About 10 servings.

¶ Posted 20 November 2009 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ENTERTAINING § ENTREES § RECIPES § RESTAURANTS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: bacon, Blue Smoke, Danny Meyer, Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, roast turkey, Shake Shake, Tabla, THANKSGIVING, The Modern, Union Square Cafe

BELGIUM: FOOD SPECIALTIES

Belgium is a country of great diversity. Tucked between Holland and France, this small (about the size of Maryland) strip of a country sports a population of over 10 million and hosts not only the European Union, but also NATO and a slew of the world’s top international trade and finance companies. As one would expect from a multicultural, multilingual cosmopolitan center, Belgium’s food is terrific, but rather than being super-sophisticated and sorta snooty, specialties are unpretentious and loaded with mass appeal (as well as calories). Gotta love it! Travelers headed to Belgium should not miss the top favorite foods, which include:

CHOCOLATE okay, so I misled about the sophisticated bit; Belgian chocolates are as divine as they come (expensive too). Belgium makes over 172,000 tons of chocolate each year and sells hand-made goodies in over 2000 shops.

Christian Vanderkerken, Le Chocolatier Manon, makes quintessential Belgium chocolates

Christian Vanderkerken, Le Chocolatier Manon, makes quintessential Belgian chocolates

WAFFLES—some like them plain, other prefer waffels topped with sweet sauces, fresh fruits and whipped cream. My advice—try them all. waffles

MUSSELS—so very very good, especially consumed with frites and beer. MMmmmmmm! Mussels

BEER—over 450 varieties, many served in their own uniquely designed glasses.

SPECULOOS/SPECULAAS— crunchy, buttery, spice cookies, often sold shaped as, or stamped with, images and figures. Try to find speculass ice cream—a vanilla treat enhanced with the cookie.

FRITES—served with mayonnaise—yes, rich, thick, calorie-packed mayonnaise. Belgium frites

The secret to making extra crispy fries such as those served in Belgium is to fry the potatoes twice. Here’s how to make Belgian frites at home:

CRISPY FRIES

1. Peel potatoes and cut into sticks.

2. Soak potatoes in ice water for about 30 minutes, drain and pat really dry with paper towels.

3. Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 325 degrees, add potatoes and fry until cooked through, but not brown. Drain well and put in a paper bag or a paper-towel lined dish –close top of bag or cover dish with foil. At this point you can let the potatoes sit for 10 minutes to several hours before the next frying.

4. Before serving, heat oil in the deep fryer to 365 to 375 degrees, add cooked potatoes and fry until they are nicely browned. Drain well on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

For more information on Belgium, see: www.visitbelgium.com

¶ Posted 16 November 2009 † Susan Manlin Katzman § RECIPES § SIDE DISHES § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: beer, Belgium, CHOCOLATE, COOKIES, fries, frites, speculoos, waffles

EASY AS PIE

This has to be the pie that inspired the phrase “easy as pie.” All you do is measure and mix five ingredients, pour into a pie shell and bake. What more can I say ? Oh, yes, it’s wonderful!

EASY AS PIE PIE

(a.k.a. SAWDUST PIE)

8 egg whites

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

1-1/2 cups flaked coconut

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 nine-inch unbaked pie shell

Put egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add pecans, coconut, sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Mix well. Pour mixture into pie shell. Place in preheated 350 degree oven and bake until just set, about 30 minutes (do not over bake). Cool before serving. Serves 6 to 8. That’s it. Easy as pie!

¶ Posted 07 November 2009 † Susan Manlin Katzman § DESSERTS § PIES § RECIPES ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: pie, sawdust pie

PAPAROT-SPINACH DUMPLING SOUP

It’s an ugly duckling soup—dreary looking in the bowl, turning absolutely gorgeous in the mouth. Dora Kemol, a famed St. Louis Italian restaurateur gave me the recipe back in the 60s. Mrs. Kemol called the soup Paparot. I call it spinach and polenta-dumpling soup. You’ll call it wonderful. Trust me.

PAPAROT

(Spinach and Polenta-Dumpling Soup)

1 pound fresh spinach

4 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided

6 cups chicken broth

2 eggs

1/2 cup polenta (or yellow corn meal)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

Wash spinach and remove coarse stems. Finely chop spinach and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan and set over medium heat. When butter is hot, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, but not brown, about 1 minute. Sprinkle 2 tablespoon flour over butter and stir until well blended. Cook flour/butter mixture 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in broth. Add spinach and stir lightly. Simmer mixture 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make dumplings: Beat eggs in medium mixing bowl until whites and yolks are well blended. Add polenta, cheese and remaining 1/4 cup flour and mix well. Break off pea-size pieces of dumpling mixture and drop into simmering soup. When all dumplings have been added, stir soup gently. Simmer until dumplings are set, about 10 minutes. Season as desired with salt.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

¶ Posted 02 November 2009 † Susan Manlin Katzman § SOUPS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Kemols, paparot, polenta, spinach soup

MY WILD IRISH WHISKEY TASTING

Not everyone came with a pure palate. In fact, some had…well…how should I say it…some had been training all afternoon, so approached the whiskey tasting fueled by not only enthusiasm, but also experience.

We met in the lounge of the No. 1 Pery Square Hotel in Limerick–ten American writers and four Irishmen (one of them a woman). Our Irish tour guide, the witty Will Collins, took lead position, admitting that he had never led a formal tasting, but not to worry—he knew a great deal about the pleasure of drinking.

Things got off to a reasonable start. A waitress brought in a tray of whiskey filled glasses. Will picked up one glass, added a splash of water and spouted his first bit of whiskey wisdom: “A touch of water releases the flavor of whiskey.”

As he passed the first glass, which we were all expected to share, Will offered his second bit of wisdom: “Sip don’t gulp. Take a tiny taste into your mouth; let the liquid linger on your tongue before swallowing.”

“What do you think?” he asked about the first passed glass. When someone reported that the sip left a bit of a burn in the mouth, a delighted Will said, “that’s because it’s a scotch from Scotland,” after which the formality of the tasting went to hell, killed by jokes at the Scots’ expense, which segued into stories, limericks and songs interspersed with more tasting and tidbits of real information.

I tried to keep up, but my own personal Guinness infused afternoon was taking a toll, so I only managed to capture glimmers about Irish whiskey—which may or may not be true and may or may not be recorded properly. According to Will (direct quotes in parenthesis):

The Irish spell whiskey with an “e” (“unlike the Scots who are so thrifty they drop the “e” in their spelling”).

Americans do it once, the Scots twice and the Irish three times—I think they were talking distilling—or sex—or both…

Law requires Irish whiskey to be aged a minimum of three years—although most are aged much longer.

The age of a whiskey is determined by the time between distillation and bottling, as whiskies do not mature in bottles.

The type of wood for the casks and amount of charring of that wood greatly impacts flavor.

Will’s favorite Whiskeys are Middleton Rare (“possibly our finest!”), Jameson 17 (“smooth and gentle”) and Cooley, a lesser-known whiskey from the Cooley peninsula (“this one has a little zing to it, but yet it’s smooth as silk”).

What did participants said about the tasting the morning after?

All agreed that any whiskey tasting is a good whiskey tasting and that enjoying Irish whiskies in the land of their birth is no less than a peak experience. See for yourself with help from the following: www.discoverireland.com and www.aerlingus.com.

Duty free shop at Dublin airport

¶ Posted 28 October 2009 † Susan Manlin Katzman § DRINKS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Ireland, No. 1 Pery Square hotel, Whiskey

LONG LIVE THE FLOWERS

You can help your fresh flowers last longer by putting them in water enhanced with a little sugar and bleach. The sugar feeds the flowers and the bleach kills bacteria. Add 3/4 teaspoon bleach and 1 teaspoon sugar to every 2-1/2 cups water for a home-made preserver as good as florists use.

¶ Posted 19 October 2009 † Susan Manlin Katzman § HELPFUL HINTS ‡ Comments Off °

FAMILY FAVORITE PUMPKIN BREAD

PUMPKIN

Have been making Pumpkin bread for years—always in the fall and winter. The bread is a must for my Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas brunch (the latter served with a whipped honey-enhanced cream cheese). I give the bread as little bread and butter presents, as well as serve it to friends who drop in for coffee. My kids love it for breakfast, thick sliced, toasted and soaking in butter. Sometimes I add nuts, but most often not. And sometimes I use smaller bread pans to make several loaves (they freeze well). One tends to eat a lot of this bread, so keep in mind while absorbing calories that in some circles pumpkin is considered a super-power health food.

Bring it on!

FAMILY FAVORITE PUMPKIN BREAD

Vegetable oil for bread pan Pumpkin bread-5963

2 cups all-purposed flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

Nuts, if desired

Oil a 9-X 5-inch loaf pan and set aside. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger in mixing bowl and set aside. Put sugars, pumpkin, oil and eggs in large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and beat just until ingredients are blended. Stir in water (and nuts if you like). Pour into prepared bread pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until bread is golden brown on top and a knife stuck in its center comes out clean (without uncooked batter on it), 65 to 75 minutes.

¶ Posted 17 October 2009 † Susan Manlin Katzman § BREADS § ENTERTAINING § RECIPES § THANKSGIVING ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: bread, family recipe, pumpkin

JULIA & PORK ROAST

Julia Child

I can’t say we were friends, more like friendly acquaintances. We would sometimes sit together at industry events and food conferences. Lucky me. Like almost every other cook at the time, I revered her because she was not only one of the first TV cooks and her recipes never failed to produce something glorious, but also such a generous, non-pretentious super star—always willing to share.

As her cookbooks inspired so many people, I once asked her what cookbooks inspired her.

She replied quite simply in that sky-high voice, “ I started out with the Joy of Cooking. This was before I went to France. It took hours for me to get dinner on the table, and then I was often too tired to eat.”

Whereas I loved all of Julia’s recipes, many becoming mainstays of dinner parties and family celebrations, only one recipe from the Joy of Cooking made my staples list—a pork roast.

Frankly, I never met a cook I admired more than Julia, and I never made a pork roast I liked more than the Joy of Cooking’s Roast of Pork.

OLD FASHIONED PORK ROAST WITH PAN GRAVY (As remembered from the Joy of Cooking)

Rub a 5 to 9-pound bone-in pork butt or shoulder with crushed garlic. Dredge roast with flour. Put roast, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and, if desired, crushed dried herbs such as rosemary, sage or thyme. Place roast in a preheated 450-degree oven. Immediately reduce heat to 350 degrees. Roast uncovered 30 to 35 minutes per pound or to an internal temperature of 185 degrees. Remove roast from oven and transfer it to a cutting board or meat tray; let sit in a warm place while you make gravy.

Pan Gravy: Pour pan drippings into a measuring cup, leaving about 2 tablespoons fatty drippings in pan. Drain fat from drippings in cup and add enough milk, cream or broth to make 1 cup liquid; set liquid aside.

Place roasting pan over heat and sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons flour over drippings, whisking until mixture is well combined and smooth. Whisking constantly, slowly add reserved liquid and cook until gravy thickens, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper (and a touch of rosemary, sage or thyme if desired). Can thin gravy with additional liquid if desired. Serve immediately.

¶ Posted 13 October 2009 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ENTREES § RECIPES ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Joy of Cooking, Julia Child, pork, roast

FAT CANARY FALL SALAD

Tom Power, JR Tom Power Jr., has made quite a name for himself as chef of Fat Canary, a family run restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia. But despite winning a slew of prestigious awards and generous accolades from diners who must make reservations far in advance, Power remains downright modest. Of his food, which has been described as “sophisticated,” “superb,” and “major league,” Power says, “I let the ingredients make me look good.” He scrupulously sources every ingredient in every dish served at the restaurant and advises home cooks to do the same. Regarding his Apple, Hazelnut and Blue Cheese Salad, Power says, “If one uses only the freshest lettuces, the most flavorful apple and the best quality cheese, the products do all the work; all the cook has to do is combine ingredients.” Although it is not quite that easy, great ingredients do make or break this salad, so go for the gold.

APPLE HAZELNUT AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD

Adapted from recipe supplied by Tom Power Jr., chef, Fat Canary.

Yield: 4 servings

1/2 cup port

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons currents

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

About 4 heaping cups mixed baby lettuces

About 1/3 cup skinned, toasted hazelnuts (see note)

1 apple, cored and cut into slender strips

About 4 heaping tablespoons micro greens or sprouts

4 wedges (about 1 ounce each) good blue cheese

In a nonreactive pan, bring port and sugar to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces and becomes syrupy, about 7 minutes.

Pour hot port syrup over currents and let seep 2 minutes. Drain currents and set syrup and currents aside to cool completely.

Prepare vinaigrette: Whisk 1 tablespoon of the reserved port syrup with vinegar and oil until well blended. Toss lettuce with vinaigrette. Mound lettuce in center of each of four serving plates. Sprinkle hazelnuts and currents over and around lettuce, giving each serving an equal amount. Arrange 1/4 of apple strips haphazardly over each serving of lettuce, and then top each serving with 1 tablespoon micro greens or sprouts. Drizzle remaining port syrup on top of and around salad on each plate. Garnish each serving with a wedge of blue cheese. Serve immediately.

Note: To toast and skin hazelnuts: spread shelled nuts in one layer on a baking sheet. Put in a preheated 300 degree oven and roast, shaking pan once or twice to redistribute nuts, until skins “break” and nuts turn a light golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and set aside 1 minute. Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skin (not all skin will come off). Cool completely.