Friend Sarah is visiting from the UK and wanted to see a bit of the Alps. So we went to Chamonix, which is an easy hour's drive from here. It was a beautifully bright and sunny day, and we had a lovely lunch and walked around in the crisp Alpine air.
We had raclette--yes, another meal of melted cheese, after fondue last night--it IS Switzerland/France in the winter, after all--at La Cabane, which was rustic and elegant at the same time, and where the raclette was very good indeed.
A great day out, and a treat before working on a Sunday!
The peas are on the stove for Hoppin' John. My favorite recipe, courtesy of the late lamented Bill Neal of Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill.
Hoppin' John
Yields 4 to 6 servings
Southerners may make resolutions for the New Year, but they know success (or lack of it) depends more on what is eaten on 1 January than on all the good intentions in the world. More black-eyed peas and collards are consumed on that day than any other time of the year--part of an antique gastronomic insurance policy. Collards are for a steady supply of folding green in the coming year; black-eyed peas for plenty of pocket change. Hoppin' John is a sort of jambalaya with a light touch. Do not stew the different elements into a homogeneous mush. Each pea, grain of rice, chunk of tomato, and piece of scallion should retain its individual identity, flavor, and texture.
2 cups (475 ml) cooked Black-eyed Peas
2 cups (475 ml) cooked rice
1 cup (235 ml) chopped fresh tomato
1/2 (118 ml) finely chopped scallions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
Recommended equipment: A 12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron skillet or enameled cast-iron sauté pan with cover.
Heat the peas and rice separately if cold. (Add 3 tablespoons water to cold rice, cover, and steam briefly.) Combine lightly in the skillet or sauté pan, sprinkle the chopped tomato and scallions over all, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and heat through. Add grated cheddar cheese when serving, if desired.
Besides cooking, today I am making resolutions, loading up the 2011 calendar, and picking up the remains of the post-holiday apartment.
Happy New Year to all!
First problem: my beautiful new copper pot for jam-making won't work on my induction stovetop. Arrrghhh.
Second issue: do we think that when Google translate says "wear to a shiver," it really means "bring to a simmer"?
Life in France. Can be harder than it looks.
Made this this evening, and it was good. Nothing special and nothing I would be very anxious to make again. But I am in a slightly dangerous mood and therefore trying odd things. Recommended recipe for THAT sort of thing.
Serves 4
Adapted from "Guiliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta."
Instructions: Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
Cut away the rind of the melon down to the orange flesh. Cut the melon in half, discard the seeds, and cut the melon into 1/2 inch dice.
Put the butter in a 12-inch skillet and place over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted completely, add the melon and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the melon begins to break down and most of the liquid it releases has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, add the spaghetti, and stir until all the strands are submerged. Cook until al dente.
Add the tomato paste and lemon juice to the melon and stir well. Add the cream and cook until the sauce thickens and reduces by about a third, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve at once.
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