We’re in Jasper, back at the Jasper Park Lodge. (We’re usually here for Christmas in November – W walked in and asked where Santa was? And the Christmas trees?) This time the lake has no ice, it’s beautiful and almost green, and the chipmunks are plenty. We’re here so I can speak at the Alberta Library Conference tonight and tomorrow. We left before noon, and as I rushed to pack I made a batch of garlicky roasted potato salad with wilted kale and tahini dressing to eat in the car (and to use up the kale). But I made something last night I kinda want to tell you about.
Sometimes when I check my mailbox, there are cookbooks in there. Not often, but sometimes. When I do get cookbooks (which always makes my day because I am that person who finds comfort in cookbooks and keeps stacks of them beside her bed-a habit Mike just loves), sometimes I write about them and sometimes I don’t. If I like them, and use them, and feel inspired to write about whatever I made, I do. If not, it winds up on my shelf. Other times I write about books I’ve gone out and bought. It’s all about the food, really.
Yesterday, a package arrived on my step. Inside, copies of the French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook – one I had seen last week on bookshelves and was tempted to buy. It was written by Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, and I was happy to see it filled with stories of her childhood in France, life in Paris, Provence and New York – I always love to be able to live (and eat) vicariously through others.
It’s a beautiful book, nicely designed and printed on heavy matte paper, and although there are no photos, it’s filled with recipes I actually want to try – like Beet and Ginger Gazpacho, Quinoa with Peas and Favas, Macaroni with Ricotta and Walnuts, Tagliatelle with Leeks and Prosciutto, and Rosemary Lamb Meatballs (oh yes-I’ll be taking this baby for a spin next week).
Unable to resist at least flipping through a new book, I sat down last night amid the packing and laundry and last-minute article finishing, wishing I had a chance to cook from it this weekend. It was almost 8 o’clock, and I was still wanting a little smackerel of something after an experimental dish we all ate for dinner fell flat on its face. One recipe jumped out and grabbed me – Yogurt with Crème Chocolat.
An idea as much as a recipe, it to me epitomizes French food – simple, real – practical and yet classy. Three good-quality ingredients I know very well – yogurt, chocolate and cream – turned into something that feels indulgent and smart at the same time. It took about five minutes to make. I tried to take longer to eat it.
Here’s the gist (it’s all you need): heat about a quarter cup of cream or half & half in a small saucepan, and dump in about 4 oz. of chopped dark chocolate. (I totally eyeballed all of this; proportions don’t much matter.) Take it off the heat. A minute or two later give it a stir to melt the chocolate, then drizzle over nice thick plain yogurt – Greek, if you have it. Vanilla would probably be fine but likely too sweet – the contrast between the warm, sweet chocolate and cold, creamy, tangy yogurt is what makes this so fantastic. I imagine some chopped salted pistachios would stand in nicely for a cherry on top.
Of course in honour of Free Stuff Friday I have copies to give away! Three, in fact. So leave a comment, and I’ll draw on Tuesday. What shall we talk about? Dinner last night? New ideas for familiar ingredients? Favourite French food? How to wean yourself off of red wine and Cheezies?
Is there a patch for that sort of thing?
A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Here are a few I’ll let speak for themselves.
It was snowy and wet today, barely over zero. (It still is – the clumpy flakes are blowing sideways across the roof past the window.) I was tired, and not much in the mood to cook. After dropping W at playschool we snuck off to have breakfast at Red’s Diner, a new spot on 4th St, beside the Rose
& Crown. Great location.
Great interior, nice people – the food came quickly, despite the fact that every table was full (we sat at the counter – a great vantage point for people-watching). Eggs Benedict is usually my restaurant breakfast of choice – something I’m unlikely to make at home, and a good litmus test for a new place. These passed easily. They got a quick turn under the broiler after being sauced, so that the hollandaise was pale gold on top. Good potatoes – real ones, not the cotton-towelly potato cubes you sometimes get as filler – and cheese sourdough in the lineup of toast choices. Thumbs up.
Next time: short rib hash topped with eggs. Luckily, breakfast is served all day.
Dinner was a pathetic parade of cereal, toast and Cheezies.
So I guess it’s about time I tell you about my brush with fame. Or are you entirely sick of hearing about Spock and would love for me to get back to our regular civilian programming already? I’m still a little spaced out over the whole thing myself, partially due to the hooplah that followed – four radio interviews and Herald story (watch for it today). Sorry you’re the last to hear it.
(I settled in last night to write this, home at 10 from my cooking class, W tangled around me after a series of nightmares (no more Monster House!) and my (MacBook) laptop died! Or the screen did, anyway.. I could still hear it working away in the dark. But I couldn’t unravel myself to go to my desk. Even for you guys.)
So yes, I met Leonard Nimoy. On both Saturday and Sunday, in fact – I made lunch for him on both days, along with one Malcolm McDowell, Sid Haig, a bunch of guys from Twilight and Battlestar Galactica (!) and Erin Gray from Buck Rogers. And oh yes-even Brent Spiner. (He’s vegetarian – I brought him a cup of pureed red lentil, sweet potato and carrot soup with ginger and curry to sip as he signed autographs.)
But, if you’re still reading, let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Here’s the story:
It all came to pass because I was on traffic duty Friday morning on the Eyeopener. (Where I usually do food.) Early in the show we were chatting about Leonard Nimoy being in Vulcan, and I wondered aloud who might be cooking for such a party, and what might be served. (Always making the connection between current events and food.) Immediately after the woman handling PR for Spock while he was in town called, and asked if I might be willing to make his soup. She wasn’t sure who else to trust with the task.
It’s 6:40, I’m just getting ready to go over to CBC. I’ve been up since 4:30, calming W from a nightmare and then unable to fall back asleep myself. Why do birds have to be up so early, and then so loudly brag about it?
Yesterday afternoon I was assigned 1000 words on How I Spent My Weekend (cooking for Spock et al) for the Calgary Herald, so although I felt like I was working on a blog post late last night, I was not. I would have continued on, sleep be damned (I don’t really mean it, sleep! I love you.) if I didn’t have a class scheduled this evening, which means that at noon I start prepping to cook five main courses for 30 people, all of which I will then prepare in front of them, in real time, and serve them all, from one stove and oven (not convection, even), which is exactly the sort of thing I have nightmares about. Of course the class begins at 6:30 – 12 hours from now – at which time I will be about ready to fall on my face anyway.
At some point in there I will summon a post about all this. The whole story seems to have grown legs and taken off on me. And I did just get a photo, so I have evidence. I did make soup for Spock.
Tired of hearing about it yet? If you want to hear me talk about it, the chat should be uploaded sometime this morning on the Eyeopener website.
Oh you guys. I need to come back down from this state of giddiness that made me walk into a wall after Malcolm McDowell and Aaron Douglas hugged me goodbye this afternoon. I’m afraid I’ll gush so much you’ll lose your breakfast.
So if you haven’t heard – and I haven’t been driving you crazy with my tweets – I somehow wound up spending the weekend cooking for Leonard Nimoy, Malcolm McDowell, Sid Haig, Aaron Douglas, Tahmoh Penikett and a bunch of the guys from Twilight. And I can’t wait to tell you all about it, but I won’t do a very good job of it now. I’m done. W is snoring beside me and I’m about to join him. I just set my alarm for 6:30, and I need more than 5 hours this time.
I’ll fill you in tomorrow – when hopefully the photographer will send along pictures. I’ll leave you with my favourite big-batch-brownie recipe. Double this and bake it in a rimmed baking sheet (I buy them at Brown’s downtown – bring cash) for even more people. Easy. To fancy them up, cut them straight from the pan using a round cookie cutter or the open end of a tomato paste tin – skewer them on lollipop sticks from the craft store and you have yourself some brownie pops.
Brownies for a Crowd
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2-3/4 cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave, melt the chocolate and butter over low heat. Stir until smooth and if you used a pot, pour into a bowl.
Stir in the sugar, vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add the flour, cocoa and salt and stir until almost combined; add the chocolate chips and stir just until blended.
Spread into a 9″x13″ pan that has been lined with parchment or sprayed with nonstick spray; bake for 25-30 minutes, or until just set. (A toothpick inserted will come out with lots of moist crumbs sticking to it.) Makes about 2 dozen.
