Life of a Foodie

When I was fifteen, I embarked on my first trip to Europe. My dad had recently started flying internationally for Delta and I began playing hooky to hop free rides abroad. While each jaunt had its own culinary highlights, this first trip was particularly prophetic of my life to come. We flew directly into the cradle of classic European cuisine: Lyon, France.

I’m sure my stay in Lyon involved your typical pedestrian sightseeing; museums, cathedrals and statues, but my only real memory is of dining at 38 Rue de Beouf (for some reason I remember only the address and not the name). Perched on the edge of a cobble stone street, the tiny restaurant welcomed us like a warm home. Inside, a husband and wife team churned out traditional French dishes from a closet-sized kitchen. It was within this building that creaked with history, that I ate the first food that made me stop in my tracks. I specifically remember the rabbit alighted in aspic and the dreamlike ile flotant that followed suite. Never had I tasted food constructed with such precision, the outcome of centuries of trial and error.

The night at 38 Rue de Beouf was my first encounter with experiential dining, and thus the moment of my culinary awakening. I’ve had rabbit several times since, but never cooked it myself. And, in true nostalgic fashion have taken it upon myself to learn to cook the animal that introduced me French Cuisine.

As, I’m not a huge fan of rabbit Jell-O, I decided to forgo the aspic. Rabbit, an especially lean animal, tends to do well in a braise. The liquid not only keeps the meat moist, but also imparts flavor.
I served the rabbit with sautéed mushrooms and a puree of cauliflower with mascarpone. If you try one thing from the whole ensemble, it must be the cauliflower. Light as air and made rich with the mascarpone, this is a great side for any winter meal. You’ll never go back to mashed potatoes again. read more…

Dinner, being the biggest meal of the day, tends to steal all of my attention. I flip through cookbooks to brainstorm, spend hours at the grocery store and even more time prepping and cooking. So much effort is put towards the third meal of the day that when lunch rolls around, I often have no choice but to scrounge through the house for something passable enough to call a meal. Typically my mid-day sustenance comes in the form of canned soup, a measly meal bar or yogurt and a piece of fruit. Pathetic, I know.

Fortunately, I have a go-to salad that is not only quick enough to whip up in the middle of the day, but acknowledges two of the meals I so often throw to the wayside. Bringing crispy bacon and a poached egg into the salad allows breakfast to be pulled into the lunch picture. And I guarantee, cutting into the soft yolk of and egg is more satisfying than opening a can of soup any day. read more…