David Lebovitz's Blog, page 29

My Favorite Utility Knife

I first wrote this post back in 2007. Yes, I know some of you may not have even been born yet, but I was well into my life as cook and baker, and shared what was one of my favorite knives at the time. Due to search engines, however, your past is always going to be hovering close to the present. One of the nice things about having a blog is that you can change it. We don’t often get a chance to change the past, with two thousand and eight blog posts under my belt, I’m fortunate that I can change my pants (or posts) whenever I want. So it’s time to revise it.

When I was a line cook, my favorite knife was not some fancy Japanese slicer that would allow you to cut a slice of apple so fine you could read the newspaper through it. When you’re working in a restaurant, you’re pretty much going full tilt as soon as you slip on your ugly, but comfortable work shoes (and believe me, I went through every kind of work shoe possible) in the pre-clog days (which I think may be over?) until the moment that all-important, post-work glass of wine hits your lips.

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Grapefruit Vermouth Marmalade

When I arrived in Paris, I was surprised to see pink grapefruits as objects of such adulation. Métro billboard ads extolled the virtues of pink grapefruits, with ones from Texas being the most prized. Of course, it was a marketing campaign, but those grapefruits are rather good. When I lived in California, we didn’t just have grapefruits, we had everything, from Oroblancos, to tangelos and pomelos.

In the past few years, places such as Terroirs d’Avenir in Paris, which supply us with French-grown citrus, including oddities you don’t see often here, like limequats and Buddha Hand citrons.

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Vietnam, Part 2

Hitting the road again, or the skies I should say (although we did one bus ride during our trip – more about that later…), we touched down in Da Nang, specifically to visit The Museum of Cham Sculpture, a museum that is not to be missed if you’re in Vietnam.

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Vietnam

I wrote a story in my next book about all the places that I’m supposed to go to, or want to go to, or should go to. For a long time, Vietnam was near the very top of that list. We have friends that live in Vietnam, settling there after a few years of living in Japan, Laos, and Thailand. An assortment of commitments had prevented us from visiting them in Vietnam (and previously, in Laos and Thailand, two other places on my list), but when we saw them last summer in France, we sat down together in front of my computer and bought our plane tickets, so we’d have no choice but to go.

When we landed at Ho Chi Minh City after the long flight a few weeks ago, our eyes and brains took a few moments to reset ourselves from the bleary winter weather we were escaping, adjusting to the warmth and sun of Vietnam. We had arrived in the land of sandals, open-air eateries, and lots and lots of gorgeous fresh fruits seemingly everywhere we looked. At the airport, even the snack bars were pressing fresh passion fruit, dragon fruit (below), and oranges for juice, or offering fresh coconuts with a straw stuck in a hole in the top, so you could drink the liquid. Quelle difference!

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A Visit to Red Boat Fish Sauce in Vietnam

When I realized we were going to Vietnam, I decided not to start making lists of places to go or things to eat, like I often do. (I’m learning to say “Yes” to less-scheduled vacations.) Fortunately, a friend who lives with her family in Ho Chi Minh City planned almost our entire trip for us, and I was happy to relinquish the role to her.

When it included a short hop to the island of Phu Quoc, famous for its fish sauce (as well as its pepper), the only plans I made for our entire vacation were to visit Red Boat fish sauce, one of my all-time favorite condiments. When we got to Phu Quoc, I quickly learned that “fish sauce factory” visits are on the tourist circuit, but they were other companies and Red Boat fish sauce is different than the rest. While their facility isn’t open to the public, I sent a message and learned we were mutual fans. So a date was set, and off we went.

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Escarole Soup with Beans and Meatballs

Soup is something I never order in a restaurant. I never really knew why it didn’t appeal to me, but making this one make me realize that it’s because soup is something I can easily make at home. Even if you’re not someone who considers yourself a cook, a simple Celery Root Soup or Potato Leek Soup with just a few ingredients simmered up and blended together is pretty hard to mess up.

I found myself with an extra-large head of escarole last week, which one of my favorite winter greens. I have a habit of buying too much of anything I like when I see it at the market, although with escarole, you don’t have a choice: you have to buy the whole head.

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Spiced Candied Almonds

I have a soft spot, or should I say, a crunchy spot, for candied nuts. I like it when they’re baked to a crispy, golden brown, with a touch of sweetness that comes from coating the nuts with just enough sugar to make them crackle in your mouth, but not enough to overwhelm.

I also like a bit of salt, spice, and even some heat added, as a counterpoint. Just enough so a little glow hits you a few seconds later, but not enough to burn. In other words, exactly the right amount to make you want you to grab another handful. Ladies and gentlemen, messieurs-dames, these are those nuts.

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Slow, as it goes…

I wanted to end the year on a high note, namely, that I conquered the world of slow-cooking. But things didn’t quite go as planned. I tried to make the best with it, sharing some of the fun on my Instagram Stories. People were kind enough to offer some helpful comments along the way. Which I guess is the benefit of something taking 9, to 21 hours, to cook; you’ve got plenty of time to get advice.

“Don’t open the lid!”

“Don’t look inside!”

“Get another brand of slow-cooker!”

“Get an Instant Pot!”

“Go back to your Dutch oven!”

“Add more liquid”

“Don’t add more liquid!”

While it was nice of people to offer tips and advice, the idea of cooking something for nine hours and not once looking into it, or touching it, seemed a little too far-fetched for someone who is a cook, who has been looking, touching, and tasting, along with the way, for too many decades to recount here. I like to check seasonings, feel the textures, and prod for doneness. But I was told every time I lifted the lid I was adding 30 to 60 minutes to the cooking time. So I resisted as much as I could, until I couldn’t resist, and checked on the progress. Which wasn’t quite happening as planned.

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Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Eggnog

Eggnog wasn’t something that I had a lot of nostalgia for. Sure, I’ve spent my life around eggs and milk, and cream, but when I drink, I tend to go for the harder stuff. But I’ve been trying to change that, branching out to other beverages.

No one in my family made eggnog, but as an adult, I’ve been more than happy to churn up Eggnog Ice Cream flavored with brandy, rum, and a dash of nutmeg, using my recipe in The Perfect Scoop. However I was intrigued when I came across another version of eggnog, that had a rather uncommon ingredient in it.

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French Apple Tart (Tarte normande)

It’s the season for apple tarts, Fall, when the biggest bounty of apples shows up at the market. I’ve had to learn about all sorts of other varieties of apples since the ones available in France differ from the ones in the United States that I was used to. But it’s been a wonderful journey of discovery and I’ve found unusual varieties that were one day, abundant at the market, and the next week, all gone.

When I lived in California, we had some terrific apples, coming from places like The Apple Farm, which resurrected many varieties of “lost” apples, or what would be called in French – pommes oubliées. Thankfully most are as close as my local market.

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