Pétit Déjournal

I stopped into a used bookshop; I was in the market for some David Mamet. Not finding it and not remembering any other books on my growing list, I turned to my back up plan: stand in front of the cooking section, my head cocked to the right and read every title on the shelf. This typically proves fruitless and I move to the craft section. This time there was something waiting for me.

I recognized it by the font, the border, the color: blocky, simple, yellow. Chez Panisse - but which one? I was hoping for Fruit. Alice Waters and Chez Panisse - her biography! Hardcover! $6! I gasped, I grabbed, I was victorious. Finding a Chez Panisse book used is rare find, in my experience. It meant someone had cleaned out their books on food - undoubtedly just collecting dust on their shelves, they probably aren't that into cooking anyway, but Alice Waters looks so good and impresses guests. Chances are this person didn't bring just this single book.

There was one by Anthony Bourdain; he writes about food, stars in his own show about food, loves New York, is a little crass and swears. George recently started watching his show, No Reservations. There were two copies of his book, Kitchen Confidential, one was clearly meant for me. There was a paperback copy of Laurel's Kitchen, a staple vegetarian cookbook found most commonly in the North East, the Bay Area, and my book shelf. There was...what? Really? Here? The River Run Cookbook. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, River Run is a Southern style restaurant in Plainfield, VT. The French toast is my favorite, followed by grits with cream. There's usually catfish available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They hold trivia night on Tuesday and live music on the weekends. I used to live above their kitchen. The unexpected didn't end there, one shelf below I discovered a copy of the Horn of the Moon Cookbook. Another one from the restaurant in Vermont. This one, however, is long gone. It left Montpelier before I even knew it was there. What're it's recipes doing here?

I would like to know who relinquished all these books to the shelves of Mr. K's. Do I know them? There's a bookmark in the back of Alice Waters advertising the Berkshires. Not much to go on. There they were and there I was and it was like bumping into an old friend I hadn't seen in a while. I remember things about life before now. It put me in perspective for myself. There was no need to one-up this old friend with impressive stories, we were what we were and I like what I am. If River Run is the past, I think Chez Panisse is the future.

This week:

- Extra Tangy Sourdough (Sort Of)

- Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

- Pasta with Veggies

- Granola

Often times when I make bread, and all is said and done, the flavor of the bread lacks something. It's a little tricky to say what specifically, but I generally classify it as "depth." There are a variety of ways to deal with this: slather it with butter or Nutella, ignore it, or let it rise slower and longer. This holds true for many fermented things - think beer, wine, or even some cheeses. This Extra Tangy Sourdough begins by mixing part of the flour, part of the water and the starter (called the sponge) then it rises in the fridge overnight. In the morning the rest of the flour and water are added, along with the salt and it rises again for five hours. It's then shaped and rises for another two to three hours before going in the oven. There's no extra yeast added, which forces you to let it rise for a long period of time. George made these loaves, and while they're definitely more tangy they're not quite as sour as he'd like them. We may try messing with the amount of starter used and I think adding a little whole wheat flour couldn't hurt.

Beets. I really like beets. They're naturally sweet, wicked magenta, and edible from the greens to the roots. Roasted or raw, it makes little difference. In my world (and many others), beets in salads are typically accompanied by goat cheese. The tried-and-true salty/sweet (bacon ice cream, chocolate covered pretzels...) is unbeatable. Taking a hint from Martha this time, I added green beans. Not just any green beans, no no, haricots vert. They're French, they're thin, long, tender, and crisp. More importantly, I actually found some. (I was pretty sure I was destined to substitute greasy beans.) Oh, they're amazing. Their flavor is lighter and more delicate, maybe a bean/cucumber hybrid. Now, I'll be honest, this salad isn't fully assembled. There's a sauce Martha recommends and it involves...mustard. I'm not a mustard fan. I'm working on a substitute. Boy, when I'm done, it's going to be one bitchin' salad though.

After these two dishes things got simpler. The big dish this week is a little unsophisticated. Pasta. Vegetables. Toss. Add cheese. Luckily it's delicious and really easy to put in some tupperware at 4 am. I highly recommend it. The breakfast is a good friend: granola. This time I went a little crazy and put some dried cranberries in. This should be tossed in after the oats and things are already toasted.