Savory Tarts

Sometimes, you get hit with a sudden burst of inspiration.  That happened to me not too long ago when I was preparing an intimate dinner-for-two.  I had a stew slowly simmering away on the stove and I wanted to make a small appetizer that Hans and I could enjoy with a glass of wine while the stew finished cooking.  There wasn't much in the fridge.  Just some salad, a few slices of bacon and a little goats cheese. A look in the freezer and in the pantry gave me an idea though.  I had puff pastry and I had a jar of onion confit that I had purchased in the south of France back in July.
Aha!  I would make little, savory tarts! And I would serve them on a bed of salad dressed with something sweet to round off all those magnificent flavors!

Truly Sweet

When I left work this afternoon, I was intent on celebrating the sunshine by treating myself to lunch at one of my favorite cafes- Bagels & Beans!  In my city, we're not that lucky when it comes to places like this one.  The bagels here are always perfect, their fresh juices are delicious and many of their ingredients are organic. I also love the fact that they're situated in a spot that always seems to have sunshine. Last year, this was where I celebrated the start of spring, with a huge cafe au lait after the market one sunny morning.  Today it was too chilly to sit outside, but I was lucky enough to find a spot right in front of the window- with loads of sunlight streaming in and giving me that "to heck with winter" feeling!
So what did I have?  Well, maybe it's a bit of an odd combination, but I ordered an olive bagel topped with truffle cream cheese and slices of avocado.  It was so good!  With that I had a bottle of organic aloe vera juice- I could feel the healthiness going straight to my sunlight-drenched cheeks!

I left and decided to go for a little stroll through the city.  I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, but man, it must've been my lucky day! As though they were waiting there especially for me, I spotted a pair of  T-strap purple and black 70's style heels- at a ridiculous price and in my size!  While I was trying them on, two ladies passed by and admired them.  It wasn't like I needed approval though- they were meant for me!
And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I practically bumped into a new espresso bar (Marx O' Larry's), just steps away from the shoe store!  Ok, I am not exaggerating when I tell you this was the best espresso I've ever had in my whole entire life!!!  It was so utterly Italian that it made me feel as though I were drinking it in the middle of Rome!  They even served it with a glass of water!  Talk about knowing a thing or two about espresso! The staff was also lovely.  When I left, I thanked them profusely for transporting me to Italy within the space of minutes.  They were thrilled to hear that and I was thrilled to find a place I know I'll keep coming back to.

It really was a perfect afternoon!  These small luxuries make life truly sweet!

Spring Dreams and a Hearty Stew

Not too long ago, probably during a cold and snowy night, I had the most awesome dream.  No it didn't include anyone named Jean-Phillipe, and no, I wasn't eating a giant, pink macaron.  I was digging out the weeds!

I am convinced it had something to do with me totally being fed up with the snow and ice that had littered the streets with what seemed to be an eternity.  Anyhow, it felt so good to dream that dream...

Call me a little impatient, but these last few days I have been checking the Dutch forecast website, eager to spot what might be a bit of a 'warm' day- or should I say a 'not freezing' day.  Anything above 7C is good. You see, I am fortunate enough to have a garden that faces south and is very well protected from any wind. So 7C can easily feel like 15C, or maybe even like 18C if you're working up a sweat while doing the gardening.

Today was the day I was eagerly awaiting! The forecast promised anywhere between 6-9C, with sun! And it so happened that today was also my day off! I headed to the city for a cafe au lait and a walk around the market, happy as heck because I knew garden work awaited!

Well...

Three hours later, I had managed to do the weeding, trim anyhing that needed trimming, throw away dead geraniums to make room in the pots for new ones, rake anything that needed raking and sweep anything that needed sweeping.  I was exhausted, but I was oh-so-grateful!  And I even managed to plant tomatoes, radishes and salad!  Too bad my compost ran out- otherwise I would've planted some more chillies. 

As wonderful as it was, my little taste of spring suddenly came to an end when the sun decided to hide behind a thick layer of clouds.  It didn't matter though.  I finally had the opportunity to wear my gardening gloves again, feel the sun on my back and smell the scent of soil mixed with a hint of lavender!

Besides, I also knew there was more warmth awaiting indoors because on the stove, I had the most magnificent stew, gently bubbling away!

Here's to more spring dreams, and here's the recipe!

Flemish Beef Stew

Note: Browning the meat in batches and not crowding the pan ensures that your beef will not lose any of its precious juices.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

550g beef chuck, diced

1 tbsp flour

2 tbsp mild olive oil

20g butter 

2 red onions, halved and thinly sliced 

salt and freshly-ground pepper

300ml cherry beer

250ml strong beef bouillon

1 bay leaf

1 ½  tsp thyme

1 tbsp cranberry jelly

Method:

Remove any excess moisture from the beef with strong paper towel and dredge the beef  in the flour.  Heat 1 tbsp of the oil and 10g of the butter in a large frying  pan. Have a  heavy-bottomed casserole waiting (here's where you'll actually cook the stew). Begin by browning the meat over a medium-high heat. Do this in batches (2-3 minutes per batch) and season each batch towards the end of the cooking time with a little salt and pepper. Add the browned pieces of meat to the casserole as you go. Once all of the meat is browned, lower the heat and add the rest of the oil and butter to the frying pan. Gently saute the onions for about 10 minutes.  Add them to the casserole as well. 

Turn up heat and deglaze your frying pan with the beer. Use a wooden spoon to scrape all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the bottom of your pan is clean, allow the beer to briefly come to the boil.  Add the beer to the meat and onions.  Also add the stock, the bay leaf and the thyme. Bring everything in the casserole to the boil and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.  Simmer the stew (with the lid on the pan) for 2-3 hours.  Add the cranberry jelly, turn up the heat a little and allow the stew to cook for a further 15 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. Serve with  thick-cut chips and plenty of crusty bread to mop of the hearty juices.

French Dinner Party in a Dutch Suburb

This year, I decided to celebrate my birthday a week early.  While I do know that some people believe this brings bad luck, I still went ahead and invited some of my friends over for a dinner party- the ultimate way to celebrate, as far as I'm concerned.
Of course, the meal had to be as French as possible, and include six courses. I always throw six-course dinner parties. Not just because I'm a wannabe Française, but because I like to keep my guests' tastebuds on the edge of their seats. Imagine how boring it would be to just plop down a pan on the table and say, "help yourselves"!  It's great to keep everyone excited about what's to come.  I see it in their faces- what will she bring out next?
A six-course meal also gives me a chance to play around with wines and match them to the courses.  Plus, all the food provides a good layer for the booze. Well, for the most part of the eveniing anyway.
I know you're dying of curiosity, so here's the complete menu, which got excellent reviews, by the way.  My friends think that my food is "better than anything at a restaurant".  How cool is that???
Ok, so here goes:
- We started off with a simple aperitif.  Black and green olives marinated in herbes de Provence. This was a simple idea I got from our holiday in Duras last year.  Everytime we headed to our favorite restaurant, we would first be greeted with a tiny bowl of some of the tastiest olives around.  Convinced they were marinated in this fragrant mix of herbs, I went ahead and tried to make my own- with great results.  
I also served slices of saucisson , some foie gras accompanied by a small jar of confit d' oignon  and some crusty baguette from my favorite baker, Sebastien.  That was all washed down with a bottle of Sauternes and a bottle of Moelleux that I had purchased after the wine tasting at the castle in Duras last year.  
-The starter was a tart of goats cheese, pancetta and homemade red onion confit.  The crispy tarts were served on a bed of salad dressed with a drizzle of sweet Vincotto. A simple, dry, white Bordeaux accompanied the meal.
- And the main!  Now, I am certainly not one to stand in the kitchen and cook between courses.  I really enjoy being able to sit down with my guests without having to worry about keeping an eye on the stove.  Therefore, I usually either go for simple oven dishes or stews that only require a little heating up. 
This time the Boeuf Bourguignon made the cut. It's a homely yet impressive dish which does require a little preparation, but hey, that doesn't matter considering the end results!  I start marinating my beef two days ahead and I cook it for a good four hours the next day. On the actual day, all I have to do is fry the pearl onions and the mushroom and heat up the whole thing. Some salad, some crusty bread, a jar of Dijon mustard and I'm all set!  This was served with a light, fruity Bourgogne.
-I have boasted to my friends about my crème brûlée before, claiming that only mine was as good as the ones I ate at the best French bistros. Well, as you can imagine, the heat was definitely on, or should I say off?  Just when I was ready to caramelize the delicate lavender sugar, my blow torch died!  In a desperate attempt, I threw them under the grill, fully aware that this would not give me the results I wanted.  I really need a cold custard!!  Thankfully though, they were gobbled right up and I was reassured about my talent for desserts.  I served them with madeleines (from Sebastien) and a dollop of melon jam from Gascogne.
-After dessert came the cheese board.  I opted for Brie de Meaux, Epoisses and a good, hearty cheddar.  Crackers, apple chutney and prunes from Agen on the side.  I had bought some white wine to go with the cheeses (red wine and cheese isn't my thing anymore), but my guests were still busy with the wine left over from the previous courses!
-The digestif was a bottle of Armagnac and a tray of homemade lavender chocolates.  I don't know why, but I also decided to whip out a bottle of Colombian Aguardiente I had gotten from my friend Yolanda.  Well, before we knew it, there was salt and slices of lime on the table and there we were, taking shots like our life depended on it! Needless to say, it lead to hilarious results.
At the end of the evening, I was very pleased. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and I got a lot of compliments on the food. But it wasn't just about the food.  I felt very blessed and lucky to have some of the coolest people around at my table, sharing my love of French cuisine and not minding my quirky taste in music at all!  


And now for another excuse to throw a dinner party...
Hungry for more pictures, look here: 
French Dinner Party