Provençal Ham & Cheese Bread

AS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE Manges! Mangi! blog. My sister, Mandy Jones,  ended up sharing her recipe for Provençal Ham and Cheese Bread there, which has been on my radar for a while. She has so kindly sent over her pictures and comments for blogging purposes.  In her words:

It was a cinch to make...took about 5 minutes to prepare and get into the oven.  I set the time for 25 minutes like the book called for but it took an additional 5-7 minutes longer.   We used low sodium ham because of my diet restriction and it was still yummy, but the lack of extra salty flavor was obvious.  Next time, I'll use regular ham.  The olives gave it a nice kick against the subtle Petit Swiss Cheese. 

For a little extra zing, my husband Brian added a splash of Tobasco to his piece. Because of its egginess, it seems like a breakfasty type of bread to me. However, I'm eating it for dinner!  And we're drinking a California zin with it... The Prisoner.  OMG...such a heavenly wine. It's so bold, but smooth.  Love, love, love it!  My new fav!!

RECIPE:

Time: Prep: 10 minutes / Cook time:  25-30 minutes 
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 non-stick rectangle bread pan
5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra oil for pan
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons fine sea salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
⅓ cup plain yogurt
5 ounces French Comte cheese, cut into ¼ inch cubes
5 ounces best-quality cooked ham, cut into ¼ inch cubes
⅓ cup black olives - pitted, sliced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.  Lightly oil pan.  In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, olive oil & yogurt.  Stir to blend. Add the cheese, ham and olives and stir just enough to combine.  Pour the batter into the oiled pan. Place pan in oven and bake until the bread is firm and golden, about 25-30 minutes.  

Remove pan and place it on a wire rack to cool.  Once cooled, unmold and serve bread at room temperature. (Store at room temperature, wrapped in foil for up to 3 days)
Variations: Chorizo sausage, Manchego cheese & red peppers (Spanish)
Wine pairing: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris

Egg Crepes with Mushrooms and Spinach

Spontaneously decided to whip up Egg Crepes with Spinach & Mushrooms this morning and they turned out wonderful, although I find them to be more akin to a thin omelette than a traditional crepe.  Both are veritable Sunday morning meals in this household. This recipe is valuable for those who have a sugar, carb or gluten restricted diet. The experimental twist placed on this recipe was to cook one crepe in a traditional steel crepe pan and a second in a non-stick crepe pan. 

Photo: Shawnie Kelley 

The results were as expected.  Both cooked perfectly, though the non-stick took a tad longer and didn't get the lovely brown sear the steel pan lends to crepes.  Bottom line-- they tasted the same. Fresh, light and healthy, yet totally fulfilling. Also, it paired beautifully with a spicy Bloody Mary. I intend to demonstrate this recipe in a armchair travel-meets-cooking class my sister and I are teaching this spring at the Upper Arlington Lifelong Learning program: click here to register for Simply French: Great Crepe Escape. 

One of my fellow bloggers, Shelby Kinnaird made this same recipe, but with her own take on ingredients. Click here to read up on her nutritional insight.  Hillary Davis, another blogger in the challenge, also commented about her morning with a most photogenic crepe. after two weeks, we inevitably have plenty of overlap with these delicious recipes, so check out Forays of a Finance Foodie's experience with the same recipe.

Feel free to use and comment on this extremely adaptable recipe from Salad as a Meal cookbook:

Egg Crepes with Mushrooms and Spinach

Accompanied by a fresh and lively green salad, these ultra-thin egg crepes make a perfect lunch. The egg crepe is quite simply a light envelope for whatever you want to put inside. Here I suggest mushrooms and spinach, but one could also dig into the pantry or refrigerator for all manner of herbs, vegetables, and cheese on hand.

2 SERVINGS

EQUIPMENT: A 10-INCH NONSTICK CREPE PAN; 2 WARMED PLATES.

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 large mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and thinly sliced

Fine sea salt

8 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed and chopped

Freshly grated nutmeg

2 ultra-fresh large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, mint, and/or basil)

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Coarse, freshly ground black pepper

Several handfuls of salad greens, tossed with dressing of choice

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt, and cook just until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a sieve to drain. Add the spinach and 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet. Cover and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the spinach and season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg.

2. Crack each egg into a small bowl. Lightly beat each egg with a fork (not a whisk), just enough to combine the yolk and the white well without incorporating any air bubbles, which might make the crepe dry out. Add 1 tablespoon of water to each bowl.

3. Warm the crepe pan for a few seconds over high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining oil and swirl to evenly coat the pan. Add 1 beaten egg, tilting the pan from side to side to evenly coat the bottom. Cook just until the egg is evenly set but still slightly liquid on top, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Quickly spoon half the spinach, then half the mushrooms, herbs, and cheese in the center of the egg crepe to form a strip parallel to the pan’s handle. With a fork, carefully fold the crepe over the filling from each side. Tip the pan up against the edge of a warmed plate so that the crepe rolls out browned side up. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make a second filled crepe. Serve immediately, with a green salad alongside.

VARIATIONS: Wilted Swiss chard and feta; wilted lamb’s lettuce and ricotta; salsa, cubed avocado, and grated cheese; morels in truffle cream with chives.

WINE SUGGESTION: Our winemaker, Yves Gras, makes one of the “best dry whites of the Southern Rhône,” or so says wine expert Robert Parker. We agree, for his Sablet Blanc Le Fournas is crisp, chalky, elegant, and made for everyday drinking—perfect with this simple but sublime egg crepe.

Socca It To Me: Chick Pea Crepes

Socca (chick pea flour crepes) transports me to another time and place. Anyone who has eaten Socca somewhere in the French Riviera will admit the regional specialty can become seriously addicting. I can't imagine a better way to spend an hour than sitting in the Nicoise market with a pile of peppery socca and a goblet of local rose. 

In fact, all I spoke of before our trip to Nice this past December was how I can't wait to have socca. I now chastise myself for waiting almost the entire first week before indulging in some (although I was feasting on other fabulous delicacies- like duck terrine). But, we more than made up for it in the subsequent 2 weeks.  I lived and studied in Nice. Travel to Nice for vacation. Conduct tours through the French Riviera and Provence.  I've eaten socca all over the region and well into Italy. It's not all the same. My favorites remain in Nice.  

Nothing beats a plateful of ragged torn-up bits of socca from Chez Thérésa in the Nice flower market. Her famous crepes are made a few blocks away in the restaurant and carried via bicycle to her fire breathing 50 gallon drum from which she serves eager customers until they run out. Then there's Lou Pilha Leva, tucked in the heart of Old Town, where tourists and locals chow socca and pissiladiere (onion tart) while sitting elbow-to-elbow at picnic tables. It's an authentic street food experience, but the best socca (in my opinion) in Nice, is Chez Pipo, near the marina, where they serve massive soccas 'raked' across the top for extra crispiness. Worth the effort to visit.

Socca is traditionally baked in a huge copper pan in the oven, which is why they aren't commonly made at home. Also, socca are much crispier than regular crepes, therefore no filler required. I would describe them as thin pancakes with crispy (sometimes even burnt) edges and burnt bits in places. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a heavy handed dose of course, ground black pepper.  Let there be socca.

Photo (steel pan): Mandy Jones.

I was excited to see this recipe in Salad as a Meal. Before reading Patricia Wells's description of salad, I might not have ventured to refer to socca as 'salad', but with her expanded definition, 
I agree this is a light and refreshing meal. No matter how full (or not hungry) I might be, there's always room for socca. I enlisted my sister Mandy, who also has been to Nice, to help whip up a few batches. She and I are teaching a series of cultural-culinary courses at Upper Arlington's Lifelong Learning this spring and The Great Crepe Escape (register online) is our first. Socca is on the menu, so this was good practice. We'll likely use the SAAM recipe in class.

Photo (steel pan): Mandy Jones.

We made several batches in a variety of pans able to withstand 450 degrees in the oven.  The best success came with our regular steel crepe pans, which we heated for 5 minutes in the oven before pouring the batter. KEY--- a sizzling hot pan ensures even cooking.  That's they way they do it in France. We also tried a using less and more batter. Our third batch turned out quite good and we chose to cut the socca neatly into triangles (as the Italian do) rather than tear it apart.

EXPERIMENTAL BATCH IN A PAELLA PAN

Photo (Paella pan): Shawnie Kelley

As I read the intro to Patricia's recipe, I learned she uses a custom made copper socca pan, about the same size as a paella pan. Light bulb! I have one, so I made a batch in our paella pan, which would have turned out good had there been more batter to make it slightly thicker and pancake-like. Edges crisped up nicely and it tasted OK, despite being too thin. 

Photo (Paella pan): Shawnie Kelley

I've used several socca recipes over time and the Salad as a Meal recipe turns out as tasteful as those you can buy in a Provençal market. It might take trial and error to get them to the proper consistency, but it's a worthy and delicious undertaking... Find chick pea flour at Whole Foods or Indian grocers, like Patel Brothers on Sawmill Road here in Columbus.

Goat Cheese Cannelloni with Morels and Truffles

Simply Truffles, by Patricia Wells 

When asked by Morrow Cookbooks (Harper Collins) to blog about another Patricia Wells cookbook, I was all for it. Then I realized the title- Simply Truffles. Uh oh... to test a few recipes is going to cost a small fortune and I wasn't sure I could easily find truffles here in Columbus - even from our belovedNorth Market.  I own (and liberally use) truffle salt and truffle oil (NOTE: be sure to buy the real oil & not the 'manufactured essence'.), but have never ventured to purchase truffles proper. Having had a great time blogging earlier this year for Patricia'sSalad As A Meal cookbook, I felt I should give this a go. If I can't buy truffles directly from a store, the back up plan is to find a chef here in town who might sell a bit of the 'black diamond' to a desperate truffle junkie. 

I knew back in April this book was in production and figured it would be a wonderful read. It is. I have raved in past posts about Patrica Wells's exceptional narrative and ability to make you feel as if she invited you to dinner; creating these recipes just for you. This book is no different. She writes about the folklore and pursuit of truffles and, as usual, offers wine pairings for each recipe. I also appreciate how she takes the intimidation out of  recipes that seem unapproachable- which, to some people's minds is French cuisine in general.

Let me just say up front that nearly every recipe in this book stands alone. If you can't afford or find truffles, you can replace them with just about any nutty, meaty mushroom- like porcini (I'd suggest skipping the button family because the objective is to infuse into the dishes the earthiness of truffles)... While this recommendation might undermine the whole point of her cookbook, I think it's important to remember a recipe is more than just one ingredient. These recipes seem to have versatility and flexibility even beyond replacing the truffles.

Granted, this suggestion might not work so well with the simple "truffle salt" recipe, but the Goat Cheese Cannelloni with Morels and Trufflesgives us a bit of wiggle room... well, sorta.

Pasta and mushrooms. Simple. Right?  This homey, cheesy, comforting recipe caught my eye immediately. Of course, the fundamental ingredients call for pungent, garlicky  truffles and yet another popular Provencal fungus- morels. Interestingly, morels are competitively hunted here in Ohio. These hard-to-come-by 'shrooms- dubbed the "truffle of Ohio"- are in season during spring's rainy months and require keen knowledge to pick them out from under dead deciduous trees. But once you get your hands on a few, make this dish! 

Don't let this recipe scare you. Though it is long, it is not as daunting as it seems. In fact, it's fairly simple once you read through and prep all of your ingredients. This is a dish that can be prepared in advance of dinner and quickly heated when it comes time to eat. Pair the cannelloni with a crisp, acidic, mushroom-friendly white wine, like a white Rhone. Simply Trufflicious...

EQUIPMENT:
Dampened cheesecloth; 10-quart pasta pot fitted with colander; four 6-inch gratin dishes; baking sheet

RECIPE:

6 oz. fresh goat cheese
2 large ultra fresh eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
grated zest of two lemons

fine sea salt
1 1/2 oz. dried morels
12 inch square sheet of fresh pasta
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup truffle & morel cream sauce (See recipe below)
1 fresh black truffle- about 1 oz. - cleaned 


1. Place cheese on a large plate. Cover it with eggs & lemon zest. Mash with a fork until the mixture has thick, smooth consistency. Taste for seasoning. Prepare up to 4 hours in advance & refrigerate.

2. Place the morels in a colander and rinse well undercold running water to rid of any grit. Transfer them to a heat proof bowl or measuring cup. Pour 2 cups of the hottest possible tap water. Let soak for 20 minutes to plump up.

3. Arrange rack in center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

4. Carefully remove mushrooms from water with slotted spoon leaving behind any grit in the liquid.

5. Place dampened cheesecloth in colander set over large bowl. Carefully spoon the morel soaking liquid into the colander, leaving behind any grit in the bottom of the bowl/measuring cup. This liquid is used to prepare the morel truffle sauce.

6. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Arrange three kitchen towels on the counter, for draining the pasta.

7. Cut the sheet of pasta into 16 3-inch squares.

8. Fill pasta pot with 8 quarts of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add coarse sea salt. Drop in as many pasta squares as will comfortably float in the water. Cook for about 30 seconds, removing square with a slotted spoon while still very al dente. Transfer them to the ice water. Once all are cooked and into the ice water, give the pasta squares a swish around and remove them to the towels, arranging them in a single layer.

9. Place gratin dishes side by side on the baking sheet.

10. Lift a square of pasta off the towel and turn it over. This ensures the pasta will not stick tot he towel while making the cannelloni. With a small spoon, spread about 2 teaspoons of the goat cheese mixture evenly along a third of the pasta square. **Do not fill all the way to the edges for fear of leaking**. Carefully roll the square into a cylinder- jelly-roll fashion. Place the cannelloni in the gratin dish, seam side down. Repeat until you have four rolled cannelloni side-by-side in each gratin dish.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.

11. Cover each gratin dish securely with foil to prevent pasta from drying out while cooking. Place the baking sheet with all four gratin dishes into the oven and cook about 20 minutes- or until the cannelloni are bubbling.

12. While the pasta cooks, prepare the truffle. With a vegetable peeler, peel the truffle. Mince the truffle peelings for another use, Cut the truffle into thick slices, then matchsticks.

13. Remove from the oven. Remove foil and garnish each with the morels and several tablespoons of the morel-truffle sauce. Garnish with truffle matchsticks. Serve hot.

TIPS: To infuse eggs with truffle aroma and flavor, store a whole fresh truffle and eggs (in their shells) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least two days and up to a week.

ALL PURPOSE TRUFFLE-MOREL CREAM SAUCE: 
Be sure to save the grit-free liquid reserved from plumping the dried morels.

1 cup morel soaking liquid
1/2 cup truffle juice (from can)
1 cup heavy cream

1. In a large sauce pan, reduce the mushroom liquid uncovered over high heat by half, about 10 minutes

2. Add the truffle juice and cream to the saucepan. Reduce, uncovered over high heat by half. About 15 minutes.

3. pour through a fine seive into a bowl. Store in airtight container for up to three days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.  Reheat at serving time.

The Many Personalities of Cognac

While writing "100 Places Every Woman Should Go in France," I seek inspiration from a handful of Francophile blogs, such as Paris by Mouth,Paris Patisseries and David Levovitz. I am presently writing the foodie chapter and researching the heck out of regional specialties. Today, I came across Lebovitz's post titled, Sprinting Toward Finish. (His is a food & drink blog I began obsessively following earlier this year). I enjoy his colorful, nuanced writing style and can only hope mine captures the many personalities of France in such a way. 

Lebovitz writes about wrapping up year-end odds-n-ends, but ends up on a road trip to the Cognac region (a lush, crescent-shaped area in western France embracing Bordeaux). I have visited the area a few times for research purposes, but never spent much time beyond the historic sites. My ears perked up to learn he visited Martell- one of the world's oldest Cognac houses, still going strong at 300 years (est. 1715)      Booze+History=intoxicated Shawnie.

Cognac is my favorite hard liquor. (Hence, the ongoing plight to find a perfect Sidecar here in Columbus.) Yet, I know very little about the heady elixir beyond it being a fancy brandy. I tend to view Cognac as an indulgence... like when when LUPEC meets up for 'old man drinks.' Or when we're camped out at the bar of some vintage chop house. But why? Besides price.  I like to be educated about what I drink- partly because we all love a good cocktail, but mostly to direct my tours and readers toward special places and experiences (which will soon include Cognac houses). 

I started to consider the differences between the big, old grand dames: Martell (est. 1715), Remy Martin (est. 1724), and Hennessy (est. 1765), hoping to narrow it down to just one to include in my book. After 5 minutes of research, a stark realization crept in--- there are far more small cognac houses than expected. 200 producers to be exact. But one shouldn't be surprised... it's France for pete's sake! With curiosity peaked, I intend to learn what differentiates their 'personalities'- the grapes, terroir, distillation, storage, and age, no doubt. Which offer the best tours or are surrounded by the prettiest scenery? ... got this funny feeling, I'm in pretty deep with the food and drink chapters. 

Anticipate a future blog post dedicated to the champagne of brandies. And who knows? Martell might end up on the itinerary of a Wanderlustculinary tour in honor of its 300th birthday. Or perhaps, a lesser known, female-owned Cognac house might turn up as one of the 100 places every woman should visit. We've got some work to do.... Sidecars anyone?

The following images & quotes are by David Lebovitz.
"One of the best things about living in France is that each region has a personality, and a specialty. Or more specifically, many specialties. Cognac is a liquor that most of us have heard of but don’t have a lot of knowledge about, or know how it’s made or even what it is." 

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

"Labels and age don’t tell you a whole lot about Cognac, since it basically starts as a cloudy wine made from local grapes, which eventually gets distilled into a perfectly clear liquid."

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

Crispy Garlic Kale-topped Egg Sandwich

A pile of fresh kale and French bistro sandwiches inspired this open- faced egg sandwich using Pete & Gerry's Heirloom Eggs and Mt. Athos Monk's Bread.

INGREDIENTS - 2 servings
2 - Pete & Gerry's Heirloom egg
3 - kale stalks - chopped
3 - cloves garlic - chopped
1/4 small yellow onion- chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Thick sliced, hearty bread

DIRECTIONS

Wash, de-stalk, and chop 3 stalks of organic kale; Finely chop garlic and onion

Heat up oil in pan; sautee onion for 3 minutes, add garlic for 1 minute, then add kale. 

Mix well; allowing to cook down for 5 or 6 minutes or until vibrant green and tender. 

** I add a splash of white wine to sweeten the kale, but this takes away from the crispness.

In a separate frying pan, heat up a drizzle of olive oil and cook the eggs to your preference. I cook mine over medium so the yolk runs a bit. Kevin prefers his well done. I adore Pete and Gerry's eggs because the whites stay firm and the yolks are always bright and flavorful. The orange yolk also lends an artful pop of color to the plate. A sprinkle of truffle salt brings an earthy decadence.

My all-time favorite hearty, dark bread (Mt. Athos Fire Bread -- or Monk's Bread) hails from Mediterra Bakery, a Pittsburgh-based bakehouse (not really a monastery). It's a dense, organic, germ wheat flour bread that holds up well on the bottom of a sandwich. Luckily, I can find it in Columbus at both The Hill's Market in Worthington and Giant Eagle Market District in Upper Arlington.

Top a lightly toasted & buttered slice of bread with the egg and the kale mixture.

 This sandwich is a filling, healthy, and delicious way to start the day.

I also envision smaller bite sized versions as a brunch finger food. 

Either way, a Spicy Bloody Mary makes the perfect compliment.