C'est Inspiré is simply that - what is inspiring. Where the words end, images continue to speak. Seeing all that is around us, we seek some aspect of something that is life enhancing... something that you would like to be reminded of - to revisit. Something to capture and bring into your world, not leave behind... . That is why I take a camera everywhere; have spent countless hours organizing images in scrapbooks and pouring over them later to revisit the place, the people, the memory.
So, C'est Inspiré may be a single photo - or it may be 50, it may mean one thing to me, another to you - the meaning isn't important. Did it inspire? Did it make you smile? Did it bring back a pleasant memory? One or all of the above will do.
During a brief period of his life, the legendary art historian Bernard Berenson kept diaries where he wrote about how to see - and what he saw. These diaries were published under the title The Passionate Sightseer and edited by Raymund Mortimer.
Anyone, anywhere, anytime can be a passionate sightseer - just look.
Fried Chicken and Champagne – two southern staples not often combined into one meal, yet, they make the most delectable and decadent dinnertime feast.
Lisa Dupar’s recent book, Fried Chicken and Champagne, is a delightful compilation of recipes and images from her personal archives. Her collection of recipe cards from her grandmother’s kitchen are dotted throughout and remind us of our family traditions.
Speaking of family, Lisa and her chef-husband, Jonathan Zimmer, opened their restaurant Pomegranate Bistro in 2005 that combines “hometown and haute” cuisine. Next time we are out west, we’re putting it on our “must-visit” restaurant list. Yum!
February 14, 2012
The legendary fashion designer, FIT Lifetime Acheivement Award recipient, and gentleman – Bill Blass, laments the bygone croquette, which seems to have fallen out of fashion these days. And we agree! Torn from the pages of some vintage magazines – here is some croquette inspiration….
James Villas writes in ‘CRAZY FOR CASSEROLES’…
“Food snobs no doubt balk at the very idea of cooking anything with a canned soup. But, as I’ve discovered from the long and embarrassing experience, the truth is that there are some regional American casseroles…that simply don’t work without soups.
When a recipe does call for one (and I only use Campbell’s), that means you are only asking for trouble if you try to substitute another liquid or create some snazzy sauce. Some may consider it to be a dubious honor, but part of the unique distinction of American casseroles is the clever and delicious role that canned soups have played in the development of so many classics.”
The best article of late on casseroles, from SAVEUR, has a wealth of information, including a list of some of the great vintage cookbooks on casseroles, including a list of the best vintage cookbooks on casseroles.
January 13, 2012
Hoppin’ John – A Southern New Year’s Tradition…
Looking to branch out from fleeting New Year’s resolutions? Try the enduring Southern ritual – a bowl of Hoppin’ John, served with a side of greens and a promise of good luck for the coming year. Just a simple dish of black eyed peas, ham and greens, this month’s issue of Garden and Gun has published a great recipe for those looking to experiment with this classic dish. Edna Lewis, in “The Pursuit of Flavor,” credits that the origin of Hoppin’ John came from Charleston, South Carolina. She mentions that “supposedly Hoppin’ John was a handicapped peddler, selling beans in the streets – and so a local dish made from beans and rice was named.” Others have attributed the origin to West African-influenced dishes…. While the folklore and history vary on the origin of this New Year’s dish, the symbolism stays the same: The beans represent coins and the pork conveys optimism – because pigs forage forward and don’t look back.
Who doesn’t want good luck in the new year?
Below is a recipe published in this month’s Garden and Gun magazine.
Hoppin’ John.
Chef: Stephen Stryjewski – Cochon, Cochon Lafayette, Cochon Butcher (New Orleans)
(ABOUT 6 SERVINGS)
INGREDIENTS (Stage 1)
1 lb. dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
¾ lb. Tasso ham, diced
1 onion, halved
3 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
PREPARATION
In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine ingredients with 6
cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to
2 ½ hours. Drain the black-eyed peas and ham, saving cooking liquid separately. Remove and discard the onion pieces,
garlic, and bay leaves.
INGREDIENTS (Stage 2)
½ lb. bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
½ tsp. fresh thyme
1 cup Cajun Grain rice (or a good-quality long grain rice)
6 green onions, sliced
½ bunch parsley, chopped
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
PREPARATION
Wipe out the pot and return to stove over moderately high heat. Add bacon and render until golden (8 to 10 minutes), then add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Using a wooden spoon, stir occasion-ally, cooking until onions look translucent (8 to 12 minutes). Add the thyme and 2 ½ cups water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, stir in the rice, cover, and simmer until the
rice is tender, about 17
to 22 minutes.
Stir in the green onions, parsley, and black-eyed peas and ham, season with salt and pepper, and adjust the consistency with the reserved cooking liquid. The Hoppin’ John should be lushly moist but not soupy.
Also, from Edna Lewis’ “In Pursuit of Flavor…”
December 28, 2011
…that transforms the simplest object into a gift, a shining expression of your affection and joyous holiday wishes. To inspire you this year here is what Gene Moore, display director of Tiffany & Co (1955-1994) said of gift wrapping.
He focused on a plain brown paper bag fastened with a weaving of red satin ribbon and a sprig of holly to enclose the bag.
December 10, 2011
Here are some ideas for the holidays…
From a simple gesture of gourds and berries, to single branches, to buckets filled with antlers and leaves and exuberant arrangements with what’s available.
November 22, 2011
