November 23, 2010

A Humble Dinner

I find something so beautifully rustic about unpeeled carrots. As long as you buy organic, a simple wash is all they need. I like the brown tinged rings that the peel gives them and for some reason I find they taste better in their unadulterated state.



Tonight I had a humble supper of oefs en cocotte (shirred eggs) and carrots with shallots and rosemary. I find that the humblest of dishes sometimes taste the best and always seem to ignite all of my visceral senses.



I listened to my carrots and shallots have a conversation as the shallots delicately enveloped the carrot coins with their caramelized sweetness. I love it when the sound of sizzling food almost sounds like music. When you can hear it through a closed lid, you know it's going to taste fantastic.



I rubbed my fingertips through woodsy herbs, freshly grated pecorino romano and garlic. Remember, there are no better kitchen tools than your own two hands. Get into your food; feel the textures, listen to a skillet conversation, let the scents of herbs and red wine vinegar fill your nostrils. Just enjoy your time in the kitchen.



I dipped warm, soft baguette into a bright, velvety yolk that just started to run down my palm. For a humble supper, it completely and totally made my day.

*In terms of recipes, the carrots came from Orangette and the shirred eggs from Barefoot Contessa. My only additions were shallots and rosemary in place of onions and thyme, and using coconut creamer in place of heavy cream and romano in place of parmesan in the eggs.*

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10 comments:

  1. I love this post..being in touch with your food is one of the most amazing things you can do in the kitchen. There is not a single sound that soothes me more than listening to vegetables sizzle in a pan, and wow those eggs look wonderful. Simplicity is bliss!

    I have really enjoyed your blog, I found it about a week ago so thanks for sharing!

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  2. @MegSmith

    Isn't it? I truly come alive in the kitchen. Simplicity is, indeed, bliss!

    Thank you so much for reading. :)

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  3. foodgasm. that food may be humble, but it looks amazing. good job :) :)

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  4. Krystina,

    I have a couple of questions regarding other recipes. For the gingerbread cake, would blackstrap molasses be alright to use in it? I'm not sure what the difference is between molasses types.

    Also, I want to make your Red Lentil Loaf. What kind of oats should I use? I just bought "Oats" at Harvest Health, not the instant kind. Do I need to cook the oats or just mix them in with the cooked lentils and cooked quinoa?

    Also, if I wanted to use an egg instead of a flax egg, could I just use the same ratio? Like, if your recipe called for one flax egg, could I just use one egg?

    Thank you so much for any advice you can give me. I'm excited to try these recipes out!

    -grace

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  5. @voodoo girl

    Blackstrap is what I used, so it will turn out perfectly. It helps make it extra gooey and moist.

    I always use old fashioned oats for my recipe, so I think you're fine. Just mix them in raw; no need to cook 'em beforehand. Oh, and I forgot to put the oven temp on the recipe: Bake it at 350.

    Yep! If the recipe says 1 flax egg, just use 1 egg.

    I hope you enjoy the recipes! LEt me know how they turn out. :)

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  6. Krystina,

    Thank you so much for the quick response. If you didn't already guess it, I'm making some dishes to bring to the family Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and need to have them be vegetarian. I'll let you know how they turn out!

    -grace

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  7. @voodoo girl

    I hope you have a fantastic veggie filled Thanksgiving, Grace!

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  8. Thanks! My Thanksgiving was lovely. The cake turned out very moist, but a little too strong on the molasses. I think, next time, I would make it with regular molasses perhaps. The red lentil loaf turned out to be really tasty, but was a tad too dry. I was worried about the consistency when I put it in the pan, but didn't realize how much it would solidify in the pan. Next time, I'll have to make sure the lentils and quinoa are more cooked.

    I also made some really good vegan mashed potatoes and gravy and vegan stuffing. I've never had so much food I could actually eat at Thanksgiving! Hope yours was tasty!

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  9. @voodoo girl

    Yeah, the molasses is strong, but I love the taste of it so I don't mind using blackstrap. Using regular molasses will definitely make it less strong.

    Really? When I made it, it was super moist. I tend to cook my quinoa on the softer side though, so maybe that's why. Definitely cook it on the more overcooked side.

    Mmm, vegan stuffing! I missed out on stuffing this year but definitely love it. Mine was lovely. :)

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