Why is it that the time I'm busiest is the time I spend watching (admittedly awesome) stuff like this?
http://www.neatorama.com/2009/09/28/7-most-amazing-one-take-video-clips/
Sep 29, 2009
Sep 25, 2009
Update from Paris
One week to go!
And, here's a quick summary of what's been happening lately:
And, here's a quick summary of what's been happening lately:
- We went to Bruges a few weeks ago. Aside from being much like I imagine Disneyland to be (e.g. devoid of people who actually live there, uber clean, tourist-focused, etc) it was still a lovely city. Very pretty. Lots of beer. Photos here.
- We got our third delivery from Gerard's POT company. Many of the same delicious things plus some new stuff. Funnily enough, each time we get a delivery we get another colour of beans. See what I mean?
- The Frenchy had her 3X birthday. Joyeaux anniversaire!
- Paris' weather began to turn cold and gloomy again (although it's actually been quite beautiful every second day or so, so it's a gradual decline).
- One of the Frenchy's friends helped create an indoor garden at Le Centqautre, which we visited and enjoyed a lot (not least because they had a bunny).
- And we gave up on the guy we'd originally asked to design our marriage rings. After weeks of emails and phone messages from my side, and complete silence from his side, we found another designer who seems to know what professionalism means. Yes, initially grrr, but now ahhh.
Sep 22, 2009
The soupe de soissons she made last night?
It was delicious.
The recipe (taken from Lucy's Kitchen Notebook) is below. Note that we substituted confit de canard, which you can buy in a can in Sydney along with its fat, for the lamb, and fond de veau for the veal demi-glace. Seriously, who has THAT lying around?
Ingredients
200 grams broth cooked Haricots de Soissons (big white beans)
1 branch sage
1 clove garlic
1 European bay leaf or 1/3 to 1/2 of a California bay
water to cover
1 courgette
1 small onion
1 slice of leftover leg of lamb
2 tablespoons duck fat
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons veal demi-glace
the juice of ½ lemon
a drizzle of good olive oil
Directions
Make a bouquet with the sage and bay.
Put the beans, the bouquet, and the clove of garlic of which you have peeled and removed the germ in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down to very low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Cube the courgette and mince the onion.
Cut the slice of lamb into strips and heat the duck fat to very hot. Toss and turn the strips of lamb in the duck fat until they are browned and crisp. Remove the lamb from the pan, and add the courgettes and the onion.
Put two soup bowls in the oven to warm.
Turn the heat down on the courgettes and cook them slowly, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bouquet from the beans, leaving a leaf or two of the sage.
Mix the beans and their liquor with the blender into a smooth puree.
Add the demi-glace, stir, season with salt and pepper, and brighten with lemon juice.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Bring the hot bowls from the oven and mound a spoonful of courgettes into the center of the bowl. Cover with soup, and then pile the crisped lamb strips in the center. Drizzle with fruity olive oil and serve immediately with dense crusty bread.
The recipe (taken from Lucy's Kitchen Notebook) is below. Note that we substituted confit de canard, which you can buy in a can in Sydney along with its fat, for the lamb, and fond de veau for the veal demi-glace. Seriously, who has THAT lying around?
Ingredients
200 grams broth cooked Haricots de Soissons (big white beans)
1 branch sage
1 clove garlic
1 European bay leaf or 1/3 to 1/2 of a California bay
water to cover
1 courgette
1 small onion
1 slice of leftover leg of lamb
2 tablespoons duck fat
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons veal demi-glace
the juice of ½ lemon
a drizzle of good olive oil
Directions
Make a bouquet with the sage and bay.
Put the beans, the bouquet, and the clove of garlic of which you have peeled and removed the germ in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down to very low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Cube the courgette and mince the onion.
Cut the slice of lamb into strips and heat the duck fat to very hot. Toss and turn the strips of lamb in the duck fat until they are browned and crisp. Remove the lamb from the pan, and add the courgettes and the onion.
Put two soup bowls in the oven to warm.
Turn the heat down on the courgettes and cook them slowly, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bouquet from the beans, leaving a leaf or two of the sage.
Mix the beans and their liquor with the blender into a smooth puree.
Add the demi-glace, stir, season with salt and pepper, and brighten with lemon juice.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Bring the hot bowls from the oven and mound a spoonful of courgettes into the center of the bowl. Cover with soup, and then pile the crisped lamb strips in the center. Drizzle with fruity olive oil and serve immediately with dense crusty bread.
From here...
...I can smell haricots de Soissons with garlic and a bouquet garni of bay and sage cooking alongside a confit de canard, and - despite being swamped with work - I can't help but procrastinate enough to consider that in less than two weeks I'll be a man married to the most wonderful, generous and (lets face it) gorgeous person on the planet. Did I mention she's the one doing the cooking? Oh, you figured that out for yourself? Fair enough.
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