Review of Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin

503-248-2015

In Good Taste
located in the Pearl District, Portland, Oregon.
http://www.ingoodtastestore.com

"Cooking At Home on Rue Tatin"

by Susan Herrmann Loomis

A cookbook Review by Judith Bishop

July is not only about the 4^th in our household, but also about July 14^th, Bastille Day. When we moved to Portland, we acquired a Brittany Spaniel and decided to also celebrate “his holidays”. This means we are “forced” to start our fall holiday season with Nouveau Beaujolais Day (more about that in October), and adding an extra holiday in July. I’m not sure Buzz Lightyear is aware of our nod to his lineage but the rest of the family looks forward to another food inspired holiday!

Susan Herrmann Loomis, a Francophile who lives in France with her family and teaches cooking classes, has just published her seventh cookbook, Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin (William Morrow publisher $24.95). This is a book of contemporary French cooking. When I thumbed through it, I was surprised to find Moroccan, Vietnamese, and North African recipes. But of course! These were international areas that felt the French influence and returned the favor with immigrants and their delicious cuisine.

The introduction reminds us of the enjoyment cooking can have on the family and its participants. “Picture Thanksgiving: it is the one day in American life that is set aside to enjoy favorite dishes…to be enjoyed with family and friends. In France, such a meal is, if not a daily occurrence something that happens at least once a week” (pg.1). This is a strong statement but so true of our lifestyle. Another comment struck a cord with me. “…French people do not consider cooking to be work. …they simply love the process.” That sums up my affair with our kitchen. I get into a creative zone that fulfills my nurturing desire and feeds my family.

The heading “Cooking and Entertaining the French Way” is one of the most informative and succinct party planning outlines I’ve read. The “astuce” below the recipes highlight challenges and guide you to perfect results.

Where to begin? It’s Fava Bean season, one of my new found passions, and I found a recipe for Spring Fava Beans and Baby Turnips that brings two unlikely ingredients together. With only seven ingredients, the recipe is a synthesis of delicate flavor. After blanching the quartered turnips and fava beans, they are sautéed in melted butter until warm and glistening. Salt, white pepper, marjoram, and begonia flowers finish the dish. I was short on begonia flowers and substituted peppery marigold petals. The sweet taste of fava beans blended well with the mild bite of baby turnips. Marjoram, oregano’s gentler cousin, added a complementary herb.

A La Meuniére, translates as: in the style of the miller’s wife. It is one of the easiest techniques for cooking fish. In Loomis’s recipe she adds finely ground almonds and curry powder to the flour mixture before cooking the fish. I used salmon for added sweetness and her suggestion of lemon and mint to garnish. The curry and nuts toast while the fish is being sautéed. A squeeze of lemon on top makes the flavors pop and the mint rounds out the taste. I served this with my coconut jasmine rice and fresh peas. Yum!

So far Buzz hasn’t been happy with my choices. He is a meat and potato kind of dog; hold the green and spicy. I told him I would eat the green beans and would make a Green Bean, Smoked Sausage, and Hard-Cooked Egg Salad for us to share. I am always looking for composed salads and this combination sounded perfect to add to my repertoire. Loomis suggested using a lightly smoked sausage and simmering it until done. Since it was an all too rare hot day, I cooked the green beans and hard boiled eggs in the morning. Before dinner I had my not-too-silent partner cook the sausage on the grill. I peeled and quartered the eggs, and tossed the green beans and slices of hot sausage with Loomis’s vinaigrette. I served it on a bed of greens with garlic bread and a glass of pinot noir. Buzz loved the eggs and “snausies”! I loved having a quick, easy, and heat free meal to serve on a warm day.

For Bastille Day we’ll start out with Lemon Thyme and Honey Almonds; a French baguette will be slathered with A Homemaker’s Chicken Liver Terrine. This hearty paté has Cognac, port, and fresh bay leaves. A Marinated Lamb Shoulder Grilled over the Coals will be cooking and served with Braised Fennel and sliced tomatoes. For dessert? Peaches in Orange Flower Water. Life is good! Viva La France!

Read, Eat, Enjoy

Judith Bishop