Julia Child's Ratatouille Recipe

Next month will be the celebration of Julia Child's 100th birthday. Her publisher is marking the occasion with Julia Child Restaurant Week, weekly recipe reprints and a charming new book called Bon Appetit: The Delicious Life of Julia Child. 

It's sometimes hard to imagine that Julia Child has been gone for almost eight years. Her statuesque frame, her distinctive high pitched voice and sense of humor are impossible to forget.

Keeping the memory alive and introducing Julia Child to a whole new audience is Bon Appetit: The Delicious Life of Julia Child. It's one of those illustrated children's books that adults will adore. It's filled with joyful images, funny anecdotes and a range of recipes from easy and accessible like Mayonnaise to more advanced like a Gallantine and Bouillabaisse. The colorful images and cheery text manage to entertain and educate in equal measure. I've just seen some sample pages, but I was thoroughly charmed. If you have a budding chef in your family this is a great book to share with them. But any fan of Julia Child will want this too. It's worth it for the tales of Julia Child's childhood pranks and illustrated recipes alone. 

I don't know all the details of the Julia Child Restaurant Week August 7-15, but I can point you to the listing of restaurants. Find one in your area, then stay tuned! 

As a participant in JC100, I'm very happy to share with you Julia Child's recipe for Ratatouille. I have made this recipe the wrong way for ages. The secret is in cooking each ingredient separately so they retain their own flavor and texture. This recipe came back in fashion thanks to the adorable Pixar film, Ratatouille and Thomas Keller's elegantly revamped recipe (also known as confit byaldi) which featured overlapping layers of vegetables. 

Julia Child's Ratatouille

For 6-8 people

1 pound eggplant

1 pound zucchini

1 teaspoon salt

4-6 Tablespoon olive oil, divided

1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions

2 sliced green peppers (about 1 cup) 

2 cloves mashed garlic

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 pound firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced (about 1 1/2 cups pulp)

3 Tablespoons minced parsley

Salt and pepper

Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8" think, about 3" long and 1" wide. Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut into slices about the same size as the eggplant. Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with 1 tsp. salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and dry each slice in a towel.

One layer at a time, saute the eggplant and then the zucchini in 4 Tbsp. hot olive oil in a 10-12" skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish.

In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers (add an additional 2 Tbsp. of olive oil if needed) for about 10 minutes, until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Slice tomato pulp into 3/8" strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt & pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, taste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes until juice has almost entirely evaporated.

Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a 2 1/2 quart casserole (about 2 1/2" deep). Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. fresh, minced parsley over tomatoes. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley.

Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip the casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole. Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time, or serve cold. 

Excerpted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Copyright © 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

Ball Jar Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Patricia Crowley! You have won a case of Ball jars.

Thanks to all who participated.

Another giveaway coming soon...

Amy

Nectarine and Strawberry Crisp with Rose Sugar

I remember I remember cafeteria lunches in elementary and high school...  Unlike Thomas Hood’s memories, however, this one is not too positive.  In elementary school, I probably just threw most of the food out.  I was a bit of a brat.  Now, of course, I can look back and just say I was “discriminating.”  Once I got into high school, however, we had many more food choices.  You could get limp and tasteless salad, for example, or bland, gelatinous soup, or whatever the main course pretended to be that day.  Or, you could get junk food… packaged chocolate chip cookies, gummy bears, chips, pretzels, etc.  Naturally, this was where I spent my lunch money.  I can feel my mom’s chagrin as she reads this. Seriously, it was a no win situation.  But, there were a few exceptions to my forays into junk food nirvana, from which, in just a few short hours, I would come down and be hungry again.  Chicken patties would usually lure me into their web of crispy goodness.  Spaghetti would occasionally get me.  But the real gem, when it was available, was apple crisp.  Sure, you had to order it with all the not-so-great “real” food, but it was worth it for the apple crisp.  The apple crisp wasn’t spectacular, by any means.  But at least it tried.  It attempted to bring something delicious to the sparse offerings known as public school cafeterias.  And I appreciated its attempts.  So in honor of that apple crisp, here is another crisp with strawberries and nectarines (or peaches if you have them on hand).  And by the way, I’m really lazy, so I don’t peel the peaches/nectarines.  By all means, go for it if that’s what floats your boat, but I don’t think it is worth the time. 

Ingredients 
2/3 cup oats
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup brown sugar
pinch salt
2 tablespoons ground almonds
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dried rose
4 nectarines or peaches, sliced
1 1/2 cups halved strawberries
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions
Place the dried rose and the sugar in a spice grinder or food processor and pulse together.  Set aside.  I like to do this at least a few hours before making the rest of the crisp so that the sugar can mingle with the rose for awhile. 

Heat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, almonds, and flax seeds.  Pour in melted butter.  Blend the butter with the oat mixture.  It may help to use a fork.  Once the mixture is coated with the butter, set aside.

Place the nectarine slices and strawberries in a large bowl, and gently mix them with the rose sugar, vinegar, and cornstarch.  Place in a greased baking dish (I used a 9-inch round pan).  Sprinkle the oat and brown sugar mixture on top of the fruit.  Bake for 45 minutes. 

Mango Strawberry Black Bean Wraps

So I’m pretty new to the whole bean/legume thing.  Except for green beans, which are a legume, I think.  The majority of the legume family always weirds me out a bit, though.  I’m not sure why.  Maybe it’s because I associate them with being chalky.  I’m totally okay though with pureeing them and turning them into a dip, of course.  But one day I wanted something different for lunch.  I ran to the market near us, picked up some things and thought, maybe this won’t be too bad all together.  And while I’m at it, I’ll try out this whole big world of food to which I’ve previously turned a blind eye.  It turned out that I liked it.  It doesn’t mean I’m a total convert to this branch of the food family.  I think it would take decades before I would ever come around totally.  But I’ve stuck a toe in the water.  And it was nice. 

Ingredients
½ teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
kosher salt, to taste
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 mango, diced
3 strawberries, chopped
½ teaspoon lime zest
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 avocado, pitted and sliced then drizzled with lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, for serving
2 scallions, chopped, for serving
flour tortillas

Instructions
In a small bowl, combine coriander, cinnamon, cumin, and ginger.  Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat then add the black beans.  Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the beans and stir.  Add the mango, strawberries, lime zest, and lime juice. Once everything has been warmed and mixed together, take off heat. Adjust salt to taste.  Then assemble wrap using the black bean mixture, avocado, cilantro, and scallions in the tortilla.

Can It Forward Day Giveaway!

Saturday, July 14 is not only Bastille Day, it's also National Can-It-Forward Day. That event, my recent post on DIY, Canning and Preserving and a Home Canning Discovery Kit I received from Ball made me decide it was time to take the plunge and try my hand at canning.  The kit had a book on canning, a special rack and lifter, some pectin and Ball jars, which you can find in just about any hardware store.

Instead of making a big batch, the kit enables you to make three pint jars which was pretty easy to manage and good for a beginner like me. I made a batch of canned plums that I spiced up with cinnamon chunks, cardamom and black pepper. I washed the fruit, boiled my jars for 10 minutes, made a sugar syrup according the instructions, filled the jars with plum halves and syrup, sealed the jars and simmered them for 20 minutes. It was pretty darn easy, though you have to be careful because the combination of boiling water and heavy jars can be a bit awkward. 

If I CAN than you CAN! If you've always wanted to try canning, now is the perfect time. There will be a series of live streaming canning demos on Ball jar brand's site, Fresh Preserving on National Can-It-Forward Day. Experts are going to demo a mixed berry jam, kosher dill pickles, pepper jelly, fresh tomatoes and Italian style pasta sauce so if you want to try one of those recipes you can get a whole lot of help! 

Thanks to Jarden, maker of Ball and Kerr canning supplies I am giving away a coupon good for one case of canning jars.


 To win:

1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me what you'd can with a case of jars. 
2. The contest will end at the conclusion of Can It Forward Day, at 10 pm PST on Saturday, July 14th, 2012. 
3. A winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on Sunday, July 15, 2012.
4. Giveaway is open to US residents or anyone with a US mailing address.
5. One comment per person, please, and you must leave your email address in the comment to be considered. 

My thanks to Ball for providing me with the Home Canning Discovery Kit and for providing a case of jars to one lucky reader.

Italy! Carrots with Horseradish Sauce ~ Carote Al Rafano

Admittedly, I'm unstylishly late to the horseradish lovers party. It just wasn't something (probably one of the only things) that I never ate growing up. Not because I didn't like it, but because we just didn't have it our fridge. But, like anyone who suddenly develops full-on adoration for a previously unknown thing, I'm all in. It's slightly sweet and spicy, a little hot, and tangy enough to alert your tongue and nose. Not actually a radish, this herb is related to the turnip, cabbage and mustard. Thought to have first been grown in Southern Russia and Eastern Ukraine, horseradish has many uses that vary according to country and region. In this case, it's mixed in with cream, yogurt and lemon as a dressing for a lovely Northern Italian summer carrot salad.

From the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy (# 4 on the map), horseradish grows abundantly in this northern region. The greens can be used, but if a stronger flavor is preferred, the roots are picked in winter. I don't grow horseradish, so I simply used a jar brand with no additives. If you use it fresh, grate it finely. This clean, colorful salad is a beautiful, easy accompaniment to any meal. Use the freshest carrots you can find to ensure the tender, sweetest flavor and most vibrant color. If you feel like adding a little crunch, toasted pine nuts would be a great addition.




The basics: Cream, lemon juice, horseradish, yogurt and carrots - that's all folks!

 Create wide flat strips by pressing down hard with the vegetable peeler

 Plate carrot strips, top with dressing - garnish with parsley and radishes

Carrots with Horseradish (Carote Al Rafano) Adapted from Italy The Beautiful Cookbook, by Lorenza De Medici

1 lb. carrots
1 lemon
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt
6 Tbsp. horseradish (jar or grated fresh)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Fresh parsley for garnish.

Wash and peel the carrots. Place in a bowl of cold water with a few ice cubes and the juice of one lemon. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Dry the carrots and  peel by pressing firmly on the carrot with the vegetable peeler to get wide, flat strips.
Blend the cream and yogurt, add the horseradish with salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange carrots on a plate, top with as much of the horseradish mixture as desired.
Garnish with fresh parley, radishes or other herbs of your choice.



© 2010-2012, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Chicken Liver Pate with Sage

Pate is an appetizer that broods.  You can totally tell.  It is all dark and mysterious looking, and its ingredients are not readily apparent. If it could talk, it would most definitely talk about things that makes us question or search for answers to the big existential questions – why are we here, what is this all for, etc etc.  It is a bit of a challenging appetizer.  It isn’t as easily loved as something like guacamole for example.  It may take some time for you to fall for its charms.  But eventually you do.  After all, you can’t not fall for it.  But just because you accept and adore something for what it is, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make it more fun.  To give the pate a bit of lightness and summer freshness to balance out its dark and gloomy demeanor, we topped the pate with chopped strawberries and fresh, minced basil.  We love spreading this over crackers and bread.

Ingredients 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¾ lb chicken livers
1 shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons minced sage
2 tablespoons port
1 tablespoon mascarpone
salt and pepper, to taste
chopped strawberries, for serving
minced fresh basil, for serving

Instructions
Melt butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add shallot, garlic cloves and sage.  Once the shallots are soft, add the chicken livers.  Cook the chicken livers until they are cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Add port.  Reduce then take off heat.  Stir in mascarpone.  Once that has melted into the mixture, puree with immersion blender or food processor.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with chopped strawberries and basil.