The Sharper Your Knife The Less You Cry… A Review and A Give Away!

A few weeks back I received a request to review a book that was about to be published in the paperback version from Penguin Books. The Sharper Your Knife The Less You Cry …Love , Laughter and Tears in Paris at the Worlds Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn is in one word Outstanding!. I couldn’t put this book down over the weekend because it hit home on so many levels. A short synopsis is of a American woman in her late thirties seemingly has it all. A high level job in London, and a wonderful love.Like most of us have or are about to go through, the realities of corporate life hit and she is layed off. Fine , she wasn’t happy anyway. All her life she dreamed of studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, in part influenced by a relatives dream. But life gets in the way and dreams are put on hold. Do I know that story! I too got to study briefly in France but family duty and responsibility called me back home.Kathleen’s love encourages her to use this time and follow her dream. He even decides to join her and what follows is a comical, loving, challenging time filled with all the highs and lows that go with studying in pressure cooker like Le Cordon Bleu, competitiveness, struggles with the French culture and language, being an American abroad in these perilous times, etc. The title comes from a line uttered in a lecture by a chef. As he explains how to chop a onion he advises on the use of sharp knives and cuts so the fumes aren’t released that make you cry.But there is so much more to that sentence! The various chef instructors all have strong personalities and taskmasters that bring out the best and sometimes worst in the students. Kathleen closes each chapter with recipes from her studies, her family, her fellow students, Le Cordon Bleu, and her final exam. She even has a section at the end advising on menu ideas for a book club to discuss the book.
Kathleen Flinn reminds us that of the Ernest Hemingway quote that says “If your lucky enough to live in Paris when you’re young, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” I loved this book because it brought back so many memories of my years in art school in Paris. I could totally relate to the tears, the neighborhoods, the characters, the house guests galore( which happens when you live in a great city),the whole American abroad experience. The author is motivated by Julia Child, who ‘started late’ and a obituary of a woman. What do you want your obituary to say? Are you happy, and is really to late to do what you love? What holds you back, will you die with regrets?And most important, are you surrounded by people who truly love and support you in your dreams, because that is essential to succeed. This author is writer by profession who also loves cuisine. Young old, mid career or just starting out, this book is for everyone.
The people at PENGUIN were kind enough to give me an extra copy.Just comment on what your dream is or what you would do if life threw you a curve ball and had the chance to do what you loved? I will leave the comments open until Friday August 29. and pick a winner randomly. Good Luck!

Cauliflower Souffle… Cooking with Madame E. Sant Ange


Well I told you I would be back with some inspiration from my new book La Bonne Cuisine De Madame E. Sant Ange…The Original Companion for French Home Cooking. Jessica’s Biscuit offered this book a incredible sale price of $9.00. Its worth far more.Flicking through I see this book is not for the novice, or one who wants a recipe all spelled out for them. First published in 1927 by the folks who also published Laurousse Gastronomique, its been a indispensable guide to the common home cook and the great cooks and chefs like Madeline Kamman and our American Julia Child.Paul Aratow lovingly took on the task of translating this resource in the voice of Madame. Paul Aratow was one of the original founders of Chez Panisse along with Alice Waters, and used this book as his kitchen guide!So you are reading a cookbook for readers at the time of early twentieth century. Don’t expect to find modern equipment mentioned, cooking temperatures, etc. Madame can go on about technique, exact measurements, equipment, utensils, and ‘science’ but this book calls on you to use your prior experience and basically figure it out. So don’t expect a lot of exact instructions. I rather like this way of learning as its more challenging and in the end I learn more.
So today I chose something with cauliflower. I have an abundance of it . Certain Someone loves it , and I find it OK. Bland but OK. I’m challenged finding new ways to cook it.The book describes this vegetable as a basic one found mostly in home cooking. Not glamorous at all. Looking at this I had most of the ingredients and changed some others( which the Madame strongly cautions against). The components of the souffle called for a Bechamel, mashed cauliflower, egg whites, yolks,Parmesan,and butter. I didn’t have Parmesan so I substituted a Colby( talk about Americanization!). Now I thought I knew Bechamel . I don’t know Bechamel. I had to refer to her sauce chapter to find this classic component of a lot of meat free cooking. I went with the Bechamel Maigre( lean Bechamel) because it only requires milk, not heavy cream. It also requires a Mirepoix( carrots, onion, celery finely diced). I never knew. But I never claimed to to be a pro. I didn’t have carrots or celery. I did have leeks, mace for nutmeg, and mushrooms. Some Becahmels can use the whites of leeks, mushroom trimmings, and even ham in the Mirepoix. So I used leek whites and mushrooms to give that Aromatic dimension to this white sauce. After slowly cooking the roux, milk, added sauteed mirepoix, you gently strain out the solids. I got what looked like a cream of mushroom soup with out the mushrooms bits. Nevertheless a good flavor for my souffle. The short recipe calls for you to combine the 87/8 OZ od mashed cauliflower , with 3/4 cup of Becahmel. Add 3 yolks, a walnut sized piece of butter,grated parmesan,fold into 4 whites that have been tuned into ‘SNOW’. Cook for 20 -25 minutes.

Most Souffles I have made had a choux sort of base with flour. This didn’t. I should have baked it in smaller dishes, It rose , but didn’t rise past the top of my larger souffles dish. Nevertheless the outcome was good. A light nice lunch to serve alongside a salad. Great for your non meat eater friends. Is it outstanding. I wouldn’t say that but a great recipe for when your perplexed as to what to do with that head if cauliflower. There are way more better and interesting recipes in this book. I’m just starting with with what I have on hand. That’s what makes you a better cook Ne C’est Pas?

I will be announcing a Giveaway shortly related to an upcoming book review. Stay Tuned!

Update

I have been awfully quiet this week. So many things are happening right now. Certain Someone returned Friday for a meeting on Saturday. He then flew back this afternoon to Sweden for work. Over 3 weeks he has been away! This weekend we were so exhausted as I had a major event to work , a funeral,and he was in his meeting.
I woke Saturday to attend my Aunt “B’s” funeral. I think we all have an Aunt B in our family tree. Not to speak ill of the dead, but a somewhat lovable, gossipy, recluse who lives with family members for all her life.Her obituary summed up her life in her devotion to her nieces and nephews as she was childless. Aunt B was something in her day and I heard many a hair raising tale.One of those old southern African American belles that was so fair she could be mistaken for white. Get the picture?Well anyway the funeral was almost comical as there were some family feuds brewing ,as is common when sides divide over care of an elderly Alzheimer stricken relative. The trouble makers who did absolutely nothing in regards to care showed up very late and combative.The following scenes played out like the final scene in the movie”. Imitation of Life”. Fannie Hurst could not have written it better. Picture the long lost favored niece arriving and throwing herself on the coffin begging for forgiveness as she just didn’t have it in her to be there for her. I felt very uncomfortable and knowing the niece as I do ,had to look into my purse to avoid laughing as she started reciting Aunt B -isms to the amazed crowd.She missed her calling for sure. The minister saved the day as he definitely picking up on the weird vibes.I have been going to way to many funerals lately but Aunt B had a very long life. If only I live so long!
I then went to work at the society event of the year in Chicago. A wedding for a heiress whose families products would be something indispensable to most Americans. To rich to comphrehend!Anyway it was spectacular all day affair I witnessed from the service side.Talk about long night. When I got home at 3pm Certain Someone was “up” on Swedish time. It didn’t make sense to adjust as he was turning right back around. Sunday we were just slugs to exhausted to move. I attempted to cook , but it wasn’t my finest hour.My marinade on the skirt steak was a little to tangy from to much lime. I didn’t even take a picture.
I just got a great new cookbook that I promise to cook from to get motivated again. La Bonne Cusine ,The Original Companion to French Home Cooking by Madame St Ange( translated by Paul Aratow). This was the book that Julia Child leaned on and was originally published in 1927. So bear with me readers.

A Work In Progress…Pandan Sorbet and Pandantini

I got to playing around this weekend. While rummaging through my pantry I found a can of Pandan Leaves Extract I had purchased a while ago for a cake. It costs around 86 cents. In this heat I wasn’t up to cake so I thought of a sorbet. Unfortunately my freezer bowl for the ice cream maker wasn’t ready. I immediately put it in the freezer for some hours and started on the base to refrigerate in the interim. Basically I made simple syrup which I later combined with some Cream of Coconut, Coconut extract, and a bit of Matcha powder. The color was an algae green color, but the taste was good. I cranked it up in the ice cream maker but I didn’t see it starting to freeze at all. So back in bowl over night with and occasional check and stir. In the morning it was frozen in that sugary slushy sort of way. Not as solid as I wanted but sorbet texture. I cranked it in the freezer bowl again (which I put back in overnight) and the color turned from algae green to frothy pale green. The aerating increased the volume by a third at least. Back in the freezer it went. As I tried to photograph it, it melted fast. But the taste was pretty good. Maybe I will cut back on the sugar to get a more clear taste. I also thought it would make a great base for a frozen cocktail. So I added a shot of vodka, and more ice with a few scoops of sorbet to the blender. What I got was Pandantini. Both the sorbet and the drink would be good chillers to relax in the heat. I cant find my recipe book with sorbets for the ice cream maker, so I’m trying to see what may I have missed to not get the consistency more firm. Sorbets are delicate. I’m wondering if it was the extract. Good thing I didn’t add rum to the original base as planned.
Pandan Sorbet
1(14 fl oz) can Pandan Leaves Extract
2 2/3 cups sugar
3 cups water
2/3 cup Cream of Coconut (The milky creamy type in a can used as a base for Pina Coladas/non alcoholic)
1 teaspoon Coconut Extract
1 teaspoon Matcha Powder
Boil water and sugar together to form a simple syrup( approx 10 min). Add Pandan Leaves extract, Cream of Cococnut, coconut extract, and matcha. Whisk until incorporated. Refrigerate until cool. Place in a bowl and freeze. Once it starts to freeze stir occasionally to mix. Freeze several hours until frozen. Place in a frozen freezer bowl from you ice cream maker. Churn to aerate and until color changes to a paler frothy color of green.

So I’m sending these creations to two events. First The lovely Dhanggit is celebrating her baby’s 1st birthday and she wants some Perfect Party Dishes.I’m sure she can serve up both .(Drinks just for the grown ups!)

And then the Pandantini is going over to Diary of a Fantatic Foodie. She is having a Front Porch Cocktail event.

Party On everyone!

Roasted Vegetables on Squid Ink Spaghetti

I have been a bad blogger this week. OK, I posted twice last weekend, but I have been slow in visiting others and commenting. This was an intense week at work with all my focus going towards a presentation. And I’m a wee bit lonely. Certain Someone is still in Sweden and his trip has now been extended until the end of next week. Work! On top of all that I’m not really inspired. I normally don’t mind cooking for one, but I’m just not in the mood or can think of anything blog worthy. I’m in more an artistic mood and have been working with some gum paste deigns to add to a cake, if I ever get motivated or an occasion.

Tonight I just threw this together. In that artistic frame of mind ,I was more motivated by the colors of veggies against the black squid ink pasta rather than taste. Although it was good! But who hasn’t had buttered and oiled spaghetti . Takes me back to those starving student days. I just threw in some balsamic roasted veggies for a twist. Until the next time….