To Thine Own Self, Be Food

...you make Meyer Lemon Cake! There's an oft-used, New-Agey belief out there that holds that if one can imagine something happening, then indeed, that thought will come to fruition.  The "So Mote It Be" principle, I guess we can call it - the minute a picture or idea etc. comes into our brains is the minute it begins to become real. Well, it happened to me this weekend.  With these. I first read about Meyer lemons in Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food , oh, sometime last summer.  Then, I came across mention of them in other food reading and recipes.  A lemon-mandarin orange hybrid and sweeter, smaller than regular lemons, they seemed like an exotic California staple that I'd never come across here in the Midwest. Until Sunday, when I was doing groceries at the local Walmart (I know, I know).  Right there, in the produce aisle...with a celestial beam of light shining upon it, was this: Heck yes, I snapped it up like nobody's business (did I j...

I'm torn.  It's 8:40 p.m. here.  I know that I have roughly one hour of wakefulness left before I collapse onto my pillow for the night. My new term of classes start tomorrow.  My backpack is ready to go.  So is my leftover-lunch.  So is my breakfast smoothie.  All important emails has been sent.  I'm caught up on Facebook news. Hm.  How does one spend their last hour of energy before beginning the roller coaster ride of a new term? By watching Downton Abbey, Season 1 again...natch.  Now that there's no more DA until next January, I must watch the old episodes again for that fix.  And that, up until about twn minutes ago, was exactly what I'd planned on doing. Until I popped in here for moment to check on things.  And by things, I mean my "Stats".  And actually, by that, I mean my "Audience".  And I was shocked to see that in the last 24 hours, there have been more looks here at Be Food from France than from the US...

For most of humankind, Sundays are a day of resting and recharging before the chaotic week ahead.  To me, Sundays are like standing at the edge of a diving board, where we, full of trepidation, wait to leap into the great blue beyond.  Will our Monday be a horrible bellyflop or will we execute the perfect jackknife? Erm.  I just didn't get that carried away with my swimming pool metaphor, did I? Anyway, yes.  Back to Sunday.  The concept of rest is different for everyone.  To some, rest means sleeping in, watching TV, and engaging in completely mindless activities.  To others, Sundays are a day of family focus and worshipping of the Lord.  And yet to even more, Sundays are a day of housework and chores and errands. To me, Sundays are for playing.  In the kitchen!  To work on three or four recipes over the course of a Sunday is recharging to me.  To pretend I'm Julia Child, Auguste Escoffier or some other culinary non-FoodNetwo...

What better gift for close family than a fancy, home-cooked meal?  That's what I thought too! But, make no mistake, I was nervous.  This dinner would mark my first attempt (solo) at doing prime rib.  And I knew, as well as my parents (who would be in attendance), prime rib is supposed to look a certain way! How'd I do? I was so very lucky to work with an exceptional chef at the winery I'm employed at this past weekend, and when she put together her prime rib, I watched, absorbed, learned, and retained.  And I was extremely gratified to be able to do this without having to refer to a recipe. 1. Let rib roast sit out for 30 minutes prior to preparation. 2. Rub roast down with oil, salt and pepper (this is strangely satisfying). 3. Roast for 15 minutes at 500 degrees. 4. Turn oven down and roast at 325 (15 minutes for every pound of meat). 5. Remove from oven at the end of cooking time and let rest for 20-30 minutes. 6. Slice, drool, and enjoy! Fortun...

My first class of the day starts at 7 a.m.  I have a half-hour drive to school.  I leave my house around 6:15 a.m.  I wake up at 5:30 a.m., shower, get dressed, complete my morning toilette, and get my school materials together. Guess what I don't usually have time for?  A sit-down breakfast.  Enter this essential item right here: I won't ever skip breakfast.  I just won't do it.  There are some things I believe to be sacred.  But, because of time constraints, I'm obligated to take my breakfast on the road.  In a sippy glass. It's not a SlimFast shake.  It's not water.  It's not orange juice.  It's not chocolate milk. It's a homemade veggie-fruit smoothie.  And I love them.  By the time I arrive to school, my glass is empty, and I'm totally full.  And, I've had a good whopping serving of my fruit and veg for the day.  However, with every good thing, it needs to be evaluated from time to time....

About four weeks ago, my Garde Manger class learned how to make mayonnaise.  By hand.  It seemed really simple.  Egg yolks, oil, serious agitation...and voila!  Mayonnaise. Then, the instructor let us have a crack at it.  Everyone was able to make a nice, creamy mayonnaise on their first try. Except yours truly. My first batch thickened a little before turning this horrific shade of alien green.  Maybe it was the olive oil, maybe it was a chemical reaction with the metal bowl.  Who knows?  It never set up. Then, on tries #2 and #3, I added the oil too quickly at the beginning.  My mayo did not set up, no matter how much I whisked it. On attempt #4, the emulsification process got off to a great start, before I accidentally dripped too much oil in.  It then broke (curdled). By that time, class was nearly over.  My wrists were sore, and I was seriously disheartened.  After I'd had lunch, some of my energy, vigor, and d...

About three weeks ago, I made a Spiced Brisket with Shallots and Tangerines, and the recipe called for a seasoning I'd never used before (seen, yes...used, no) - Chinese Five Spice.  The ingredient label lists the five spices as Cinnamon, Anise, Fennel, Black Pepper, and Cloves - all of which I like on their own...and also, you know, I'm trying to open the horizons a bit more...so I throw the bottle into my cart and stroll on. (I realize I've just made it sound like I deliberated over whether to purchase the spice or not...the recipe called for it, there was no questioning it, the spice was going into my shopping cart whether I wanted it or not!) And you all know how it is when you buy an unique 2 oz. bottle of seasoning...you use two teaspoons for the recipe you bought it for, and then it sits, lonely, in your pantry.  So every now and then, because you feel sorry for it, you open it and smell it.  It smells amazing, and you are taken back to memories of you-don't-...