Sorry, But I'm Proclaiming Myself the King of Small Plates...

thanks to a few good recipes, of course!

THOSE of you that know me well know I'm not much of an "entrée" person. In most cases, I'm much happier to order two smaller dishes to equal one main. (if anything, I get to taste more dishes that way) So chances are, you won't find me posting about making coq au vin anytime soon... Yet, in Edouard de Pomiane's French Cooking in Ten Minutes (or Adapting to The Rhythm of Modern Life): 

If you like hors d'oeuvres more than anything else, stick up for yourself and make a whole meal composed of nothing but these small delights.  ...  But don't make this type of meal too often; it will ruin your health.

Well, I just cleared out my Amazon wish list which included: The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food (a memoir dotted with several recipes) and the 1943 edition of The Joy of Cooking. Hopefully, within them, I'll find some recipes for larger dishes that strike my fancy just as much. Until then, two dishes that (over the past several weeks) I've managed to perfect!

drying some freshly-washed arugula vis-à-vis the
Bromberg Brothers Blue Ribbon Cookbook

Last night, after stopping at PJ Wine for a couple of bottles of wine for the weekend, I began work on what turned out to be a lovely dinner (of small plates) for myself.

the filling for anchovy and cornichon 
deviled eggs awaiting egg yolks

On the menu: roasted tomato, arugula and lemon toasts, from my Blue Ribbon Cookbook and anchovy and cornichon deviled eggs. (I--again--apologize for posting about these dishes again, but as my friend Danny once told me regarding restaurants: You find a place you like and then then it's the only place you go for two years... I'm finding that I may be similar when it comes to recipes) 

still in need of a proper pastry bag

While I was out earlier that afternoon, I'd picked up some arugula which is called for in the roasted tomato toasts recipe--I'd only previously made them substituting parsley. Heeding some "blue ribbon wisdom," I also picked up a mix of red, orange and yellow tomatoes for a more colorful presentation for the toasts. Sitting down to the beautiful dish which my own hand had created, I opened the bottle of wine which I was more excited about tasting: the Zardetto, brut, "private cuvée."

I intentionally selected the driest sparkler possible

On the nose, Zardetto's "private cuvée" smelled of dark fruits. And on the palate: dry--indeed--with a slight hint of mousse-iness and good length on the tongue. The wine paired nicely with the foods and at $9.97, I certainly wouldn't mind enjoying it again!

beautiful tidbits

As for the tomato toasts, the arugula did seem to be a heartier option than the parsley was, and it also seemed to be better at retaining sturdiness. (I'd saved one toast and even a day later the arugula was not at all wilted or discolored) However, it is difficult to get the arugula to not fall and tumble off the toasts as you're assembling them--adding them to the chopped tomatoes helps prevent this.

THE only remaining question is: will I be eating tomato toasts and deviled eggs for years to come? The answer remains to be seen. But one of my favorite things about cooking is that leftover ingredients can often lead to other recipes. (HB eggs resulted in finding a recipe for sauce gribiche) Next, I'll need to find a recipe that includes plenty of arugula and a jarful of capers. Salade niçoise, anyone?

(Nearly) Perfecting Todd English Food Hall's Boquerones

mine...

Todd's

AS you may already know, I was finally able to find some anchovies (at Westside Market) that I'd found to be more than just satisfactory. Earlier this week, I--again--attempted to recreate (my favorite) Todd English Food Hall boquerones.

first: some quickly toasted garlic in the toaster oven

I began by slicing the thinnest slices possible of fresh garlic which I tossed in a bit of evoo before closely watching them in the toaster oven at 300-325°. They toast in a mere matter of minutes. While the garlic was toasting, I quickly snipped off the freshest-looking leaves from a bunch of curly parsley I'd had standing in some water. From there, all that was left to do was to toast a few slices of bread (drizzled with evoo) and arrange the dish.

dining out, at home

I arranged my "Food Hall boquerones" by memory, and think I did a pretty decent job of affecting the original. Seated before the dish, I topped my first crostino with two fingers crossed...

this time I topped the crostini with Agostino Recca anchovy filets

Success! It was so close... had it been paired with a glass of Valdo, I could easily have mistaken myself for being back at the Food Hall. Not having to distract my attention away this time, I was able to focus on each ingredient of the crostini. What I'd noticed (besides the fact that Italian parsley would have been a better choice than curly parsley) was that the ingredient that really makes this dish is the toasted garlic, and not the anchovies themselves. (or perhaps it's the combination that's so winning) Overall, I was glad to be able to enjoy my homemade "boquerones" without having to rush through them this time. And again, it was another self-proving lesson in always using the finest ingredients possible...

*After doing a bit of research on anchovies and boquerones, I'd learned that boquerones are cured in vinegar which causes a chemical reaction that turns the anchovy filets white. Anchovies cured in salt or oil do not undergo this and therefore are decidedly darker than the boquerones variety.

FBTOT Celebrates Julia Child's 100th Birthday with a Giveaway from Susanna Reich!

EXACTLY two weeks ago today marks what would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday. I recently was given the opportunity to sit down and chat with Susanna Reich, author of the New York Times reviewed, Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat! An accomplished woman (professional dancer, contributing editor, and award-winning author just to name a few), I was curious to know what had led her to writing her latest book...

PB: I've read that you were once a professional dancer, studying at both the Royal Academy of Dancing in London and the American Ballet Theatre School in New York; spent a decade as a floral designer and owner; and currently, are the author of several award-winning books for children and young adults. Had you previously thought about writing books for children?

SR: No, not at all. I did do a little writing when I was dancing and designing flowers--an article in a scholarly dance journal, a piece about floral bouquets in Bride's magazine--but nothing related to kids. I became interested in children's books after our daughter, Laurel, was born. By that time, my husband and I had become friends with Ed Young, an illustrator who later won the Caldecott Medal. Reading with Laurel and hearing Ed talk about the process of creating books inspired me to write for kids.

PB: What had led you to writing your latest book about Julia Child and her cat?

SR: I always thought Julia would make a great subject for a picture book, but it took a long while to find the right angle for the story, something that would capture her enthusiasm, sense of humor and joie de vivre in a child-friendly way. Then I read her memoir, My Life in France, and found out she was a cat lover who got her first cat, Minette, while living in Paris and studying at the Cordon Bleu. Julia would bring home special tidbits from the market for Minette, like fish heads. In return Minette would leave mice on the living room rug. 

an image from Minette's Feast

PB: When did your interest with Julia Child begin?

SR: I come from a family of foodies and grew up watching Julia on TV. When I was married, my aunt gave me both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I've been cooking from it ever since.

PB: Have you ever had the privilege of meeting Ms. Child herself?

SR: Yes, and as you can imagine, it was a big thrill. The year she turned 80, my brother, Matthew, was President of the NY chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food. Through him I got the job of designing flowers for Julia's 80th birthday party at the Rainbow Room. In the middle of each floral centerpiece was an 18" whisk with a red rose inside. I also decorated a 40" whisk with roses and pearls for the AIWF to give to her as a birthday present. She slung it over her shoulder with a big grin. 

PB: Why a book about Minette?

SR: Julia and her husband, Paul, never had any children, but they doted on Minette. She was the first of their many cats. Through her story, kids get to know Julia at a crucial turning point, when she was discovering her purpose in life, working hard to become an accomplished cook, and reveling in all that Paris had to offer. It's a love story, really--about Julia's love for Paul, for Minette, for French food, and for Paris. 

Minette weighs the options: mouse or meunière?

PB: Can you explain the process of writing Minette's Feast? I imagine you'd had to do your homework when it came to researching Julia's early life in Paris!

SR: As a nonfiction writer, you have to love research, and I do. I read Julia's memoir, of course, and every book that's been written about her. Articles and interviews, too. I studied Mastering the Art of French Cooking, pored over maps of Paris, watched videos of Julia. I even researched the history of cat food! Then I had to turn all this material into a text that would be fun and accessible for kids. I played with the language and especially enjoyed incorporating French words and quotes from Julia's memoir and letters.

PB: And lastly, what did you do to celebrate Julia Child's 100th birthday?

SR: I made Vichysoisse and Coq au Vin. My cat ate the leftovers.

Through the generosity of Ms. Reich and Abrams Books, FBTOT will be giving away a copy of Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat to one lucky winner! For your chance to win, simply send an email to: FromBehindTheOpenTable@gmail.com with "Minette" in the subject line. One winner will be selected at random on August 31st, at 11:59 p. m. and notified via e-mail. Bonne chance!

(French) Onion Soup

TONIGHT , with the ingredients I'd picked up the previous night at Westside Market, I'd made for myself (French) onion soup. (the recipe was titled "Onion Soup," but the cookbook consisted of French recipes--so does that make it French onion soup?) First I had to consult blogger friend, Anneke Shoneveld's blog, Balsamic Reductions on how to properly cut and chop an onion. (it wasn't until I'd read this post, over a year ago, that I realized I had no idea how to properly cut an onion)

so far, so good (and easy)!

The recipe I was following came from the cookbook, French Cooking in Ten Minutes (or Adapting to the Rhythm of Modern Life) by Edouard de Pomiane. The book's original publication was in 1930, but this 1994 reprint still contains several pen and ink drawings from the original 1930 edition. And all of M. de Pomiane's unequivocal wit and wisdom is there to boot:

page xxxvii

I won't go on trying to explain or defend myself; I will simply show you how many wonderful dishes you can prepare in ten minutes. ... I am writing this book for students, dressmakers, secretaries, artists, lazy people, poets, men of action, dreamers, scientists, and everyone else who has only an hour for lunch or dinner but still wants thirty minutes of peace to enjoy a cup of coffee. ... Modern life is so hectic that we sometimes feel as if time is going up in smoke. But we don't want that to happen to our steak or omelet, so let's hurry.

As a pot of water was boiling on the stove (note in De Pomiane's introduction, "Some Indispensable Concepts for Understanding this Beautiful Book": 

... The first thing you must do when you get home, before you take off your coat, is go to the kitchen and light the stove. ... Next fill a pot large enough to hold a quart of water. Put in on the fire, cover it, and bring it to a boil. What's the water for? I don't know, but it's bound to be good for something...

... I removed the parmigiano-reggiano from the refrigerator and began grating it.

according to my book, some good cheese was
indispensable for this recipe...

As the onions were cooking "over a very hot fire," I tore and arranged some stale bread in the bottom of a bowl and topped the pieces with the grated cheese.

I had to hold myself back from filling
my bowl with the DOP cheese...

When the onions seemed close to being done, I added: one teaspoon of flour followed by a bit of warm water, then just under two cups of the boiling water. (M. de Pomiane was right, it was bound to be good for something!) 

the final step required eight minutes more over the fire

... et voilà!

Perhaps it wasn't the most beautiful-looking soup, but it certainly did feel and taste authentically "French rustic."

Onion Soup

Butter
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 tsp. flour
Boiling water
Salt and pepper
Stale bread, or toast
Grated Parmesan cheese
Hot milk, cream, or 1 beaten egg (all optional)

• Place some butter in a frying pan, and when it begins to smoke, add the onion. Cook over a very hot fire until the onion is a nice mahogany brown. Add the flour, stir it in well, then moisten the mixture with a little warm water. Add enough boiling water to bring the total amount of liquid to 2 cups. Now pour the soup into a pot. Bring it back to a boil, and let it cook for 8 minutes; then add salt and pepper to taste. In a serving bowl, place some small pieces of stale bread, or toast, and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over them. Add the soup and serve.
• Just after you have poured the soup into the serving bowl, you can add, if you like, a little hot milk, some cream or a beaten egg.

This recipe will serve one, as a main course, or can be shared between two, as a starter. French Cooking in Ten Minutes can be purchased on the Macmillan website. 

 Bon appétit!

Anchovy and Cornichon Deviled Eggs

my best (and first) deviled eggs!

WITH a large jar of Maille cornichons on hand, I decided to make something else using them. After a bit of Googling, I came across this recipe for anchovy and cornichon deviled eggs.

always reliably good, Maille

Last night was, perhaps, my first real lesson in using the finest ingredients possible for your recipes. On my way home from work, I stepped off the train at 110th Street for a quick stop at Westside Market (my favorite place for cheese in the city--try their domestic feta). While there, I picked up: one large onion, some parmigiano-reggiano, eggs, two donut peaches and (what seemed to be) good quality anchovies!

Eureka--I've found them!

These anchovies looked so fine, I nearly didn't want to use them for this recipe... but I also didn't want a repeat of last time's incident (there were also canned anchovies available). At $5.79, I placed them into my basket with little to no reluctance.

ONCE home, after placing six eggs in a pot of water to boil, I excitedly opened the jar of anchovies to experiment with a first taste. Straight from the jar, the anchovies (in olive oil) were simply delicious--as is. I couldn't have been happier. I then went to work, finely chopping eight cornichons (in a mixture of sizes), four anchovy filets and two tablespoons of fresh parsley, washed ahead of time. (although I used curly parsley, instead of Italian parsley--I find it to be better for chopping and for presentation) Once the eggs à la Julia were done, all I had left to do was to halve them, add the yolks to the base ingredients, and fill the egg whites. Without a pastry bag available, I decided to make my own using a clean produce bag with the corner neatly snipped off with a pair of (clean) scissors.

the filling, ready for piping

The filling didn't pipe into the whites as seamlessly as I would have hoped for; however, I do think they came out better than had I simply used a spoon. From there: deviled eggs that were "so good you would die!" (there's a very short list of foods that I describe that way)

rather regal-looking, if I do say so myself

The cornichons added a nice, unexpected crunch and paired with the anchovies and Dijon--as you would imagine--a very flavorful delivery. But in retrospect, these deviled eggs are probably not for everyone. I was telling a co-worker, earlier today, about them and he'd said to me, "I don't like eggs." (he probably doesn't like cornichons or anchovies either)

Well, I was going to save these for you...

But that's alright, the three eggs that I was going to save for "someone special" went down the hatch with breakfast this morning. Bon appétit, to me!

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Sauce Gribiche

I don't remember what had led to it, but this afternoon I found myself searching online for a recipe for gribiche dressing. One of the first ones I came across was from the memoir by Judith Jones (publisher of Mastering The Art of French Cooking), The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food (it's already on my Amazon wish list).

Sauce Gribiche

Time: 5 minutes

½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon capers
2 cornichons, finely chopped
1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

• In a bowl, mix all ingredients except parsley. 
• Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. 
• When ready to serve, mix in parsley. Serve with cold meat like leftover leg of lamb or roast chicken; also good on roast vegetables like carrots and turnips, or good-quality cold cuts like rare roast beef or turkey breast.

Yield: About ¾ cup

But first, some perfectly boiled eggs à la Julia.

follow these instructions to a T and you'll never have overcooked "HB" eggs

This (second) time around, I kept my eye diligently on the clock, ensuring I followed all of Julia's precise instructions--precisely! I 'd like to think Julia would have been pleased with the results. As the eggs were cooking, I started prep work for the sauce gribiche. Earlier today, I'd gone to pick up a jar of cornichons, a jar of capers and some eggs. The rest of the ingredients, I'd already had at home. Perhaps the most laborious part of the entire recipe was the chopping of the parsley; but by now, I've nearly become a "pro." In the end, this is how my sauce gribiche looked:

sans the parsley which is to be added "when ready to serve"

Since I would not be using all of the gribiche at once (I'd actually doubled the recipe), I kept the chopped parsley in a separate container. Along with the last of the tuna tartine salad (topped with salmon roe) from the night before, I topped freshly toasted crostini with the gribiche, followed by a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

sauce gribiche served as a main

Now I know: sauce gribiche is just that--a sauce. But I love (a good) gribiche so much that I turned it into a main (happily so). However, I do agree that it would be good atop cold meats. I'm imagining grilled chicken kebabs... My only remaining problem is will I be able to go through all of this gribiche on my own? In the case that I cannot, I posted on Facebook:

Patrick Bradley

2 hours ago

PublicFriendsOnly MeCustomClose FriendsJean GeorgesSee all lists...Todd English Food HallCookshopDonatella RestaurantNew York AreaMercer KitchenFROM BEHIND THE OPEN TABLETenth Avenue CookshopThe Plaza Food Hall by Todd Englishbest friendsFamilyworkmutual friendsfriends/acquaintancesfamilyMercer KitchenManhattan AreaAcquaintancesGo Back

So I just made a double batch of sauce gribiche... if anyone wants to come get some, it's yours! Terrific dressing for cold meats. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/dining/241jrex.html

You'll have to come north to Inwood though.

We Apologize in Advance for the Bad Service

THAT'S what is says on the menu at one of my favorite (authentic) French bistros, Tout Va Bien. Well, I apologize in advance for the bad post... at least for posting about toasts again!

it's hard not to keep making crostini for dinner when I keep
bringing home leftover bread from work...

With David away at grad school, I've been delving into all sorts of cookbooks lying here and there. As of late, my two go-to recipes lie within the pages of the Bromberg brothers' Blue Ribbon Cookbook and Mireille Guiliano's The French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook.

blue ribbon wisdom: you can add rosemary or thyme branches in the 
pan along with the tomatoes as they roast to add a nice, herby flavor

The more that I cook, the more I learn that you don't have to follow cookbook recipes to a T in order to get perfect results. In fact, sometimes the results are better (or at least more tailored to your own tastes) if you vary the recipe a bit... Since I always pick up grape tomatoes whenever I go to the supermarket (there's just something about that brilliant, red color in miniature sizes), I've been experimenting plenty with the Bromberg brothers' recipe for roasted tomato, arugula and lemon toasts. This time, I took note of some "blue ribbon wisdom" and added rosemary to the roasting pan. In the time that it took to roast the tomatoes (just under 1.5 hours), the aroma of rosemary was wafting throughout my kitchen. I also roasted them a bit longer than the previous time (nearly 30 minutes more) and ended up with sweeter-tasting tomatoes. (now I know why the recipe calls for the contrast of arugula) I had the tomatoes for lunch, simply with a smear of mayonnaise on bread and nothing more.

going a touch more extravagant for dinner

FOR dinner, I repeated the roasted tomato on toasts alongside a tuna tartine and hard boiled egg with salmon caviar on toast. For the egg, I prepared it à la Julia, according to her 1989 cookbook, The Way to Cook. The beginning of the "Eggs" chapter begins with Julia's master recipe for "HB" eggs--seventeen minutes exactly in standing, boiling water; two minutes in an ice bath; ten seconds in boiling water; fifteen to twenty minutes in ice again. This step-laden method is supposed to ensure your yolks don't go green. For the tomato toasts, I skipped nearly all of the greens and instead garnished them with sprigs of dried rosemary. As for the tuna tartine, I had to alter the measurements a bit to coincide with the five ounce can of tuna, opposed to 3.75 ounces of sardines... which seemed to be a happier marriage for me. (I was purposely a bit more heavy-handed with the Dijon and lemon juice) I paired it all with some bubbly and ended the meal with some brie and a bellini.

Roasted Tomatoes à la Bruce and Eric Bromberg

Makes 2 Cups

16 grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
5 to 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
"Perfect Roast Seasoning" or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Preheat oven to 225°F.
• Arrange the tomatoes cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Roast until the tomatoes are shriveled and much of their juices have condensed, but the tomatoes are not dry, 1 to 1½ hours. Let cool, transfer to an airtight containder, cover with a film of olive oil, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

"Tuna" Tartines - adapted from Mireille Guiliano's The French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook

Serves 4

1 (3.75-ounce) can tuna in water, drained
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or 1 tbs parsley + 1 tbs chervil)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices country bread, toasted

• Drain tuna well by firmly pressing a fork down onto the tuna, over the sink. Place in a bowl.
• In a second bowl, combine the butter, mustard, parsley, and lemon juice and stir until smooth. Add the tuna and mix gently. Season to taste and serve spread on toasted bread.

Bon appétit!

An Hors D'œuvre Dinner

un grand plat de petites choses

SADLY, last night was the last sit-down dinner I'll be having at home with David in a while; tomorrow he's leaving for Ithaca. With limited resources, I was able to put together a rather special "farewell dinner"... albeit an impromptu one.

"tuna two ways" and tomato, parsley and lemon toasts

MY first stop off the A train was at PJ Wine for a couple of bottles of wine to go along with dinner.

I knew that I wanted to pick up something special, but was on a fixed budget. I decided two nice bottles of sparkling wine (as opposed to one champagne) would be a prudent decision. The first bottle to garner my interest at PJ was the Segura Viudas brut reserva heredad (their tête de cuvée). I, for long, had waited for an appropriate occasion to warrant the purchase of this special bottle of Segura I'd once tasted in an early wine class... I'd decided the occasion was appropriate enough. 

The second bottle I selected was François Pinon brut vouvray. Not only was it one of David's favorite sparkling varietals, but also one of Eric Asimov's twenty excellent wines for $20. I simply had to get it. $40 later, I left PJ wine with what I believed to be two very nice sparkling wines.

Heading south on Broadway, I decided to stop at the local supermarket for a jar of salmon roe and some grape tomatoes. (only $12 spent there--doing well, so far, in staying within my budget) Once home, I began preparations for what I knew would be a variety of petits plats.

BEFORE I began any of the "petits plats," I trimmed several pieces of country bread into small squares upon which to place the different morsels. That step completed, I began work on my own variation of Mireille Guiliano's sardine tartines, this time, using canned tuna instead. Deftly mixing the butter, Dijon mustard, parsley and lemon with the well-drained tuna, I sculpted little balls into a round spoon to press miniature "ice cream scoopfuls" onto the squared toasts.

I thought the tuna tartines needed a bit of color...  so I topped 
two of the tartines with tomato slices

Next I took a tuna steak, crusted and fried earlier that day, and sliced four squares equal in size to the squared-off toasts. Setting them aside, I made a quick 'aioli' of mayonnaise and nước mắm lal (a Vietnamese fish sauce dressing) leftover from a going away party for David that my sister had thrown last Friday. Lastly, opening the jar of salmon roe, the second portion of my "tuna two ways" dish was nearly complete.

"tuna two ways"
poached (left) and fried (center)

The last dish I prepared (because it required dressing the bread directly with oil and lemon) was, again, my own variation of the Bromberg brothers' roasted tomato, arugula and lemon toasts from their Blue Ribbon Cookbook. My variation used parsley instead of arugula... and I skipped roasting the tomatoes. (with the warm weather, David has forbidden any daylight cooking)

DAVID was very pleased with our "petit" dinner. He was impressed with the fried tuna crostini which were "fishy in all the right ways" while I was impressed by my "poached" preparations--tuna tartines--which I found to be an elegant alternative to the typical mayonnaise-based tuna salad.

As for the wines: I must say that the Seguara "heredad" did not taste all that different (to me) than their non-reserva wines. And the François Pinon--I should reserve judgment since a proper tasting is done using a spittoon (after all, it was the second bottle we'd enjoyed). However, I absolutely loved the François Pinon sparkling vouvray! I couldn't stop talking about how much character the wine had and how it'd be a great "gift wine." But I'm going to stop there because how can one properly rate a wine after having had three glasses prior? You'll simply have to try it for yourself...

Toast, Toasts and More Toast!

As mentioned in my previous post, my fridge and freezer are both stocked with slices upon slices of sourdough whole wheat bread supplied to my restaurant from Sullivan Street Bakery. I've been in a rush to use up the bag in the fridge before transferring to the freezer becomes necessary. Last night, I attempted to recreate one of my favorite dishes from the Todd English Food Hall--boquerones. (I love them so much that I included them on my birthday dinner menu at the Food Hall last year) I perhaps learned my first lesson in using the finest ingredients possible for your recipes...

my (failed) attempt at duplicating Todd English Food Hall's boquerones

As I was searching for sardines (for another recipe) at my local supermarket, I came across a can of Goya anchovies. So excited to have come across them (I'd once searched my neighborhood desperately for them), I picked up the $1.59 can. As I scanned the supermarket for the rest of the items on my list, I decided to pick up some fresh garlic as well, to (attempt to) duplicate the Food Hall's boquerones.

LATE last night, I began preparations for "boquerones." I thinly sliced, lengthwise, slivers of garlic then placed them into an oven pan and tossed them with a bit of evoo. The garlic toasted quite quickly in my toaster oven which I'd set to 350°. I then drained the anchovies, which I was rather surprised to find that they were quite red in color. After also toasting some of the truccione saré, lightly coated in olive oil, I rinsed and chopped a few small sprigs of fresh parsley. A few short minutes later, my toasts were ready to be dressed with the anchovy fillets.

Todd English Food Hall's boquerones

I excitedly sat down, with a glass of Segura Vuidas, extra dry at the ready, but was not pleased with the final result of my boquerones. The anchovies were so salty, they were nearly inedible. The only thing that kept me going (aside from not wanting to flip all of my painstaking efforts) was the contrast of the off-dry cava. Later that night, I searched the internet for clues as to what I might have done wrong. Apparently, some people soak their anchovies in cold water or milk for up to an hour to remove some of the salt from the anchovies...

Yet, today is a new day.

freshly-roasted grape tomatoes

Using up the last of the truccione saré in the refrigerator, I decided to finally cook something from my Blue Ribbon Cookbook (received as a birthday gift two years prior). The recipe I chose: roasted tomato, arugula and lemon toasts. 

sixteen grape tomatoes, nearly ready for roasting

The recipe called for roasted tomatoes, which is included towards the back of the Bromberg brothers' cookbook. The roasting time took just over an hour, but the prep time took just minutes. Slicing the tomatoes and drizzling them with olive oil, salt and pepper was all that was required. I did substitute an ingredient in the recipe though: parsley for arugula. (I figured they're both green, and similar enough) After washing, drying and re-fluffing the parsley, I did a quick, rough chop of them.

... and four toasts nearly ready for plating

Pretty much the only other step in this recipe (other than toasting the bread and roughly chopping the roasted tomatoes) is the extremely easy-to-make dressing of 2 ½ tablespoons of evoo and 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. That's all!

the final product, dressed with a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper

These toasts were absolutely delicious and paired nicely with the leftover extra dry Segura I'd had in the fridge (although a drier wine would probably have paired better since the tomatoes do have a bit of sweetness to them). And as I expected, the parsley worked out just fine. I think that perhaps the reason I'd been so afraid of cookbooks for so long is that I'd always thought that you had to follow the recipes to a T, otherwise disaster would ensue. (this did happen to me once) But now I know that (for me) it's much easier and better to look at cookbooks as an inspirational guide. But if your fridge, pantry and kitchen is already stocked with every herb, ingredient and cooking contraption known to chef and man--then good for you! In that case: I'll trade you a few of my toasts for some homemade sausages... please?