A Cool Summer Gazpacho

Summer arrived right on time this year in Paris and Provence and temperatures have recently been soaring into the high 90s. When temperatures are this high, I always reach for a recipe where I don't have to turn on an oven, and this one is a favorite as it's so cooling and so very simple to prepare. This is a slight variation on the emulsified soups master recipe, Red Tomato Gazpacho from My Master Recipes. An essential element of the book is to encourage you to first understand the fundamental techniques behind each recipe so that you are then free to switch out ingredients to create endless variations on the original. Recently, I couldn't resist using one of the gorgeous yellow ananas tomatoes from the market, and with all this hot weather the coriander in the garden has shot into flower, so I grabbed a handful to make use of my abundant stock. The result was a soup the color of a cantaloupe (not unlike the cover color of My Master Recipes!), flecked with green. What else do you need on a warm, summer's evening?!

Red Tomato Gazpacho

8 servings   |   Equipment: A blender, food processor or immersion blender 8 chilled, shallow soup bowls or glasses.

2 pounds (1 kg) ripe red tomatoes, rinsed, cored, cut into chunks  
1 small cucumber (about 6 ounces; 180 g) peeled, cut into chunks
1 small mildly hot pepper such as Anaheim, stemmed, cut into chunks
1 small red onion, peeled, cut into chunks
2 plump, fresh garlic cloves, peeled, halved, green germ removed if present
2 teaspoons best-quality red wine or sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) mild extra-virgin olive oil

1.    In the blender, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, and garlic. Blend at highest speed until well emulsified and very smooth, a full 2 minutes. With the motor running, add the vinegar and salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, until the mixture is smooth, thick and emulsified.

2.    Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Pour into chilled bowls or glasses to serve.
 
MAKE AHEAD NOTE: The soup can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Re-blend at serving time.

 

This recipe was first published in My Master Recipes. All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce without permission.

 

 

 

 

A Conversation with Harper Collins

While on a recent trip to New York, I sat down with the publisher of Harper Audio Ana Maria Allessi to talk about writing, food, Paris, cooking tips and of course my upcoming cookbook My Master Recipes. You can listen to it here or follow the link http://www.harperaudiopresents.com/episodes/conversation-with-food-writer-patricia-wells/.
 

 

Patricia Wells left a career at the New York Times for a two-year writing assignment in France and has remained there for over 35 years. A self-taught cook, Patricia has multiple James Beard Award nominations and wins for her cookbooks, and wrote the much-lauded Food Lover's Guide to Paris. Today, she takes Ana Maria Allessi through her writing career, life as a French food celebrity, and the only thing she uses the microwave for.

 

The book will be on sale from March 7 from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million and Indiebound. 

A review of My Master Recipes

The wonderful team over at Harper Collins has just sent me this Publishers Weekly review of My Master Recipes, my soon-to-be-released cookbook. After so much hard work it is thrilling to receive such a positive (and starred!) review, that I just had to share it with you.

"In this superb tutorial, Wells (The Provence Cookbook) shares master recipes from her classes to inspire confidence in home cooks. She includes simple techniques such as blanching, steaming, simmering, and poaching that serve as the foundation of her recipes. She advocates for cooking seasonally, substituting honey for sugar whenever possible, replacing butter with olive oil when appropriate, and using organic ingredients (for which she makes a strong case). She also includes a helpful list of essential equipment. Each technique is followed by several recipes utilizing that approach with an occasional side bar on related topics such as parchment paper lids, what to do with leftovers, and trussing poultry. Recipes sometimes include wine pairings, cooking tips, or suggestions for variations. Those who already possess confidence in the kitchen can dive right into the wealth of appealing recipes, likely learning a thing or two along the way. Wells’s chapter on infusing is spectacular, including not only oils and butters but salts, cheeses, and sorbets. Asian chicken and cilantro meatballs, falafel, and mushroom brioche rolls are just a few of the immensely satisfying recipes she includes in this welcome addition to her cookbook repertoire."

The book will be on sale from March 7 from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million and Indiebound. 

My New Cookbook + A holiday recipe

I am thrilled to announce the publication of my 15th book, My Master Recipes: 165 Recipes to Inspire Confidence in the Kitchen.

For the past two years – when I have not been teaching classes and updating The Food Lover's Guide to Paris app – I have been totally immersed in creating this cookbook, in close collaboration with my excellent and able assistant, Emily Buchanan. Over the years, as an intensive week’s cooking class wound up, I would often hear students exclaim that the experience had given them much more confidence in the kitchen. I was inspired to record my most treasured recipes, ones that teach fundamental techniques and encourage useful practices in the kitchen, the little things that can make us all better cooks. In many ways, this project has influenced my cooking more than any of my other works, helping me to think systematically about the secrets to confidence and success in the kitchen, how I cook and why, which techniques I use, and why they really achieve the best results.

The book covers 17 essential techniques, from blanching, searing, braising and roasting, to infusing, baking and folding. For each blueprint recipe, many variations are offered, and dozens are possible. Once the fundamentals are learned, the cook can become the master of the recipe, not the other way around, freeing us to experiment and become truly creative, offering endless pleasures in the kitchen and at the table.

We worked with the wonderfully creative French team, photographer David Japy and stylist Elodie Rambaud, to create gorgeous color photographs for the book. The result is stunning and I can’t wait for all of you to see it and cook from it! My publisher, William Morrow, will be releasing My Master Recipes on March 7, 2017 but you can pre-order it now from Amazon, Indiebound and Barnes and Noble.

Here's a quick sneak preview and a recipe from the book:

CHESTNUT HONEY MADELEINES

Makes 24 madeleines

I guarantee these madeleines  – which would make fabulous holiday gifts – are like none you have ever tasted before: dense, rich, and sumptuous, made with ground almonds, beurre noisette (brown butter), and an intensely flavored honey. For this recipe, stay away from light-colored, overly sweet honeys such as acacia and go for one that is dark in color with deep, nuanced flavors that will stand up to the nutty aroma of the brown butter.

EQUIPMENT: A fine-mesh sieve; a pastry brush; two 12-cavity 2 x 3-inch (5 x 7.5 cm) madeleine mold tins; a baking sheet.

3/4 cup (6 ounces/180 g) unsalted butter

3 tablespoons intensely flavored honey, such as chestnut, buckwheat, or mountain

1-1/2 cups (165 g) almond meal (also called almond flour or almond powder)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140g) confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

6 large egg whites, free-range and organic

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. In a small, heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring as it melts. Turn the heat to low and simmer the butter until the milk solids begin to brown and you have a warm, nutty aroma. Be careful, as the milk solids can burn quickly at this stage. The butter should have no specks of dark brown or black. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to stop the cooking process. Whisk the honey into the brown butter. Set aside to cool.

3. With the pastry brush, use some of the butter to thoroughly butter the madeleine molds. Place the madeleine pan on the baking sheet.

4. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, sugar, flour, and salt. Mix to blend. Add the egg whites and mix until thoroughly blended. Add the slightly cooled brown butter mixture and mix until well incorporated. The mixture should be like a thin, pourable cake batter.

5. Spoon the batter into the molds, filling them almost to the rim. Bake until the madeleines are golden brown and spring back when pressed with a finger, 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Let the madeleines cool in the molds for 10 minutes. Unmold. (Note:
If using metal molds, wash immediately with a stiff brush in hot water without detergent, so they retain their seasoning.) The madeleines may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

Happy holiday season to everyone, and wishing you many enjoyable hours in the kitchen and around the table with loved ones.

 

Writing about French Food: A panel discussion at the American Library

American Library panel
American Library panel

This Wednesday I am going to be joining Ann Mah in a panel discussion at The American Library of Paris on writing about French Food. We will be talking about our respective books The French Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes and Lessons from Paris and Provence and Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons on Food and Love from a Year in Paris. There'll be wine, snacks and the opportunity to buy the books thanks to WH Smith.

Hope to see you there!

Wednesday February 5, 2014, 7:30pm

The American Library of Paris

10, rue du Général Camou

75007 Paris

Tel: +33 1 53 59 12 60

New! The Book! The All New Food Lover's Guide to Paris

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foodloverscover

The Food Lover’s Guide to Paris was the first book I ever published back in 1984, and on the year of its 30th anniversary, I am elated to announce the release of its 5th edition – completely revisited, rewritten, and newly photographed for 2014. This has truly been a labor of love – visiting, exploring, scouring Paris in search of the city’s best gastronomic offerings. While some of the favorites have stood the test of time, much has changed in Paris over 30 years. Chefs have come and gone, others who were just starting out in 1984 have matured to excellence and have become beacons for some of the best dining in the world, and mentors for a whole new generation of talent. Paris now is a much more casual place of course, so this edition includes a whole new chapter on cafés and casual eateries. I have also included my favorite markets, bakeries, pastry shops, chocolates shops, cheese merchants, specialty food shops, shops for kitchen and tableware essentials, and of course wine shops. And as always, there is the ever-useful (and updated) French to English glossary of food terms, and a ready reference section to help you navigate the myriad of dining options in the city. And so that you can enjoy a touch of Paris in your own kitchen, I have included 40 recipes.

This new edition is the perfect companion to The New Food Lover's Guide to Paris app for the iPhone and iPad.

The book (and e-book!) will be released on March 11 in the United States and on April 1 in Europe, and is available for preorder on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and from Indiebound once released.

The French Kitchen Cookbook and Tour!

French Kitchen Cookbook.jpg

I am  excited to announce the release of my latest labor of love: The French Kitchen Cookbook. Two years in the making, this cookbook is a collection of my favorite recipes and lessons from my cooking classes in Paris and Provence. Here's information on purchasing the book and my book tour! Hope to see all of you! PATRICIA

To order:

amazon.com

barnesandnoble.com

indiebound.org

PATRICIA WELLS SCHEDULE: THE FRENCH KITCHEN COOKBOOK

New York, New York

Monday, October 21:

5 to 6:00PM            ELI’S MANHATTAN – book signing

1411 Third Avenue, (corner of East 80th Street) New York, New York 10028

212 717 8100  www.elizabar.com

Northvale, New Jersey

Tuesday, October 22:

7:00PM                    BOOKS AND GREETINGS—Talk and signing

271 Livingston Street / Northvale, New Jersey 07647

Contact: Kenny Sarfin 201) 784 2665 www.booksandgreetings.com

Darien, Connecticut

Wednesday, October 23:

7:00PM                    DARIEN LIBRARY with BARRETT BOOKSTORE—Signing

1441 Post Road / Darien, Connecticut 06820

Contact: Rosanna Nissen 203 655 1234 www.darienlibrary.com

Bookstore: 203 655 2712 www.barretbookstore!sbcglobal.net

Wilton, Connecticut

Thursday, October 24:

7:00PM                    WILTON LIBRARY with ELM STREET BOOKS—Signing

137 Old Ridgefield Road / Wilton, Connecticut 06897

Contact: Karen Danvers 203 273 3469 www.wiltonlibrary.org

Bookstore: 203 966 4545 www.elmstreetbooks.com

Chicago, Illinois

Friday, October 25:

6:30PM                    ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DE CHICAGO—Prix Charbonnier Award

810 N. Dearborn Street / Chicago, Illinois 60610

Contact: Aimée Laberge 312 337 1070 www.af-chicago.org

*Patricia in conversation with Bill Daley from the Chicago Tribune

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Saturday, October 26:

12:00PM                  LAKE PARK BISTRO with BOSWELL BOOK COMPANY—Ticketed luncheon and signing

3133 E. Newberry Boulevard / Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211

414 962 6300 www.lakeparkbistro.com

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Sunday, October 27:

12:00PM                  PAINE ART CENTER AND GARDENS—Ticketed luncheon and signing

1410 Algoma Boulevard / Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901

Contact: Trina Woldt 773  218 2197 www.thepaine.org

Chicago, Illinois

Monday, October 28:

11:30AM                 FROGGY’S FRENCH CAFÉ with LAKE FOREST BOOK STORE—Ticketed luncheon and signing

306 Green Bay Road / Highwood, Illinois 60040

Contact: Ann Walters 847  234 4420 www.froggysrestaurant.com

Bookstore: 847 234 4420 www.lakeforestbookstore.com

7:00PM                    ANDERSON’S BOOKSHOP—Talk and signing

123 West Jefferson / Naperville, Illinois 60540

Contact: Ginny Wehrli-Hemmeter 630  355 2665 www.andersonsbookshop.com

Larkspur, California

Tuesday, October 29:

6:30PM                    LEFT BANK LARKSPUR BRASSERIE with BOOK PASSAGE—Ticketed dinner and signing

507 Magnolia Avenue / Larkspur, California 94939

415 927 3331 www.leftbank.com

Bookstore: 415 927 0960 www.bookpassage.com

Contact: Marguerita Castanera

Berkeley, California

Wednesday, October 30:

7:00PM                    MRS. DALLOWAY’S—Talk and signing

2904 College Avenue / Berkeley, California 94705

Contacts: Ann Leyhe & Marion Abbott 510 704 8222 www.mrsdalloways.com

Danville, California

Friday, November 1:

7:00PM                    RAKESTRAW BOOKS—Talk and signing

522 Hartz Avenue / Danville, California 94526

Contact: Mike Barnard 925 837 7337 www.rakestrawbooks.com

San Diego, California

Saturday, November 2:

4:00PM                    LODGE AT TORREY PINES—Adventures by the Book ticketed event

11480 North Torrey Pines Road / La Jolla, California 92037

www.adventuresbythebook.com/upcoming-events/meet-the-author-events/french-kitchen-cookbook-adventure-famed-journalist-author-restaurant-critic-teacher-patricia-wells/

Contact: Susan McBeth 619 300 2532

*In partnership with the American Institute of Wine & Food, a ticketed reception with appetizers and a signed book in a meet-and-greet setting, followed by a dinner created from recipes in the cookbook by Chef Jeff Jackson

Escondido, California

The Golden Door

Sunday, November 3 to Sunday, November 10:

Patricia will both speak and offer a demonstration cooking class during the week. For details:

www.goldendoor.com

NEW! Saint Helena, California

BOOK SIGNING AND COCKTAIL

Tursday, November 14

5:00pm                   PRESS Restaurant November

587 St. Helena Highway South, Saint Helena, California 94574

http://www.pressnapavalley.com/

Seattle, Washington

Wednesday, November 20:

12:30PM                  CAFÉ PRESSE—Ticketed lunch and signing

1117 Twelfth Avenue / Seattle, Washington 98122

206 709 7674 www.cafepresse.com

7:00PM                    BOAT STREET CAFÉ—Ticketed dinner and signing

3131 Western Avenue #301 / Seattle, Washington 98121

206 632 4602 www.boatstreetcafe.com

Seattle, Washington

Thursday, November 21:

10AM to 11AM     BOOK LARDER—Talkand signing

4252 Fremont Avenue N / Seattle, Washington 98103

206 397 4271 www.booklarder.com

7:00PM                    THE CORSON BUILDING—Ticketed dinner and signing

5609 Corson Avenue S/ Seattle, Washington 98108

206 762 3330 www.thecorsonbuilding.com

Miami, Florida

Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24: MIAMI BOOK FAIR INTERNATIONAL

For details see

www.miamibookfair.com

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Monday, November 25:

11:30AM –              KITCHEN RESTAURANT with FLYLEAF BOOKS—Ticketed lunch and signing

1:30PM 764 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard / Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

Restaurant: 919 537 8167 www.kitchenchapelhill.com

Bookstore: 919 942 7373 www.flyleafbooks.com Contact: Jamie Fiocco, 919 942 7936

Raleigh, North Carolina

Tuesday, November 26:

12:00PM                  QUAIL RIDGE BOOKS & MUSIC—Ticketed lunch and signing

3522 Wade Avenue / Raleigh, North Carolina 27607

Bookstore: 919 828 1388 www.quailridgebooks.com Contact: René Martin, (919) 828-7912

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Friday, November 29:

12:00PM                  SOUTHERN SEASON—Ticketed lunch and signing

University Mall, 201 South Estes Drive / Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

Store: 877 929 1733 www.southernsesaon.com

Contact: Marilyn Markel 919  913 1241

Tecate, Baja California, Mexico

Rancho La Puerta

Saturday, November 30 to Saturday, December 7:

Patricia will offer both a demonstration cooking class and two hands-on cooking classes during the week. For details:

www.rancholapuerta.com

What people are saying about the Food Lover's Guide to Paris iPhone app

Our app is just a month old, and we've had a great response. Here are just a few comments we've received:

Patricia Wells's Food Lover's app is not just a guide to the best food in Paris but it's a way to dream about it when you're not there.  It's brilliantly done and so easy to use.  Thank you, Patricia!

Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa cookbooks

"Food lovers rejoice! You can now tour Paris with Patricia Wells, the city's most reliable guide to its very best spots. Her app is fast and easy to use, chock-full of terrific information and a great read. In other words, it's a delicious must have."

Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table and the Baking with Dorie iPad application

“What a well-designed guide for anyone who is looking to be guided through the culinary delights of Paris. Looking for the perfect roast chicken? Truffles? Haute Cuisine? Restaurant tips? It’s all here, plus more, and extremely easy to use! Patricia Wells does it again!”

Laura Tiffany, Minneapolis

“I love Paris. I love food. This is the app of my dreams. And what a bargain. I’d pay this much just for the delicious French culinary glossary. Merci Madame Wells.”

Stewart McBride

“The long-awaited update was well worth the wait! This is the only guide you will need to explore the wonders of the Paris food scene. Beautifully written and extremely well-researched, Patricia Wells takes you on the perfect culinary tour of Paris. Great insights into both the classic bistro cuisine of Paris and the ever-changing ethnic scene…I am ready to book a flight to Paris. A must-have app for the lover of all things culinary.”

Jeffrey Bergman

“It’s worth flying off to Paris (again and again) to eat through this terrific guide. We all want to make the most of our travels, and are always looking for the person who knows to ask “Where should we go? What should we order?” Patricia Wells is that person, and we can call her app 24/7 and ask those questions, and get the fool-proof answer, along with directions, times, and telephone numbers. One other great use for this app: When you’ve returned home after your visit, as we recently did, this app is the perfect reminder of places and plates. Brava Patricia Wells!”

Geof Drummond

“Definitely download this app…and especially if you like to eat! Patricia has done all the leg-work for you. Her reviews are informative and trustworthy and the map is incredibly useful even if you’re just out for a stroll. I has saved me many times when I’ve gotten lost in a maze of winding streets…Don’t come to Paris without it!”

Elissa W

Announcing Simply Truffles

Simply Truffles by Patricia Wells
Simply Truffles by Patricia Wells

click here for the

SIMPLY TRUFFLES Tour

November 2011 Schedule

Simply Truffles Has Arrived!

I am delighted to announce the birth of my latest book, Simply Truffles, with extraordinary photos by Jeff Kauck!  Twenty-five years in the works, it’s been a labor of love and excitement, as each new fall I await fresh truffle season, and a chance to create new recipes with that black magic mushroom. You will be happy to know that most of the recipes in the book can stand deliciously on their own, with or without truffles. In most cases, the truffle is a last-minute embellishment. Simply Truffles can be ordered through the links below, or through your local bookstore. I am sharing a favorite recipe from the book, one for Belgian Endive, Pine Nut, Chive, and Truffle Salad.

Belgian Endive, Pine Nut, Chive, and Truffle Salad

This refreshing winter salad offers crunch, aroma, a fine blending of flavors, and a pleasing contrast of colors. Serve it as a first course, with plenty of crusty bread.

1 fresh black truffle (about 1 ounce; 30 g)

1/3 cup (50 g) pine nuts

3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Several tablespoons best-quality pine nut oil (preferably Leblanc brand)

Truffle Salt (recipe follows)

4 Belgian endive heads, trimmed

4 thin slices sourdough bread, toasted, for serving

Equipment: A small jar with a lid; a mandoline or very sharp knife.

With a vegetable peeler, peel the truffle. Mince the truffle peelings, place in the small jar, and tighten the lid. Reserve the peelings for another use. With the mandoline or very sharp knife, cut the truffle into thick slices, then into matchsticks.

Toast the pine nuts: Place the nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan regularly until the nuts are fragrant and evenly toasted, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully! They can burn quickly.

Transfer the nuts to a bowl. Add the truffles and chives. Toss with just enough pine nut oil to coat the ingredients lightly and evenly. Season lightly with the salt.

Slice each endive head lengthwise in half. Place each half, cut side down, on the cutting board and cut on the diagonal into thick matchsticks. Place the endive in a large salad bowl. Add just enough pine nut oil to coat the vegetable lightly and evenly. Season lightly with the salt.  Arrange the endive on 4 individual salad plates. Top with the pine nut, truffle, and chive mixture. Serve with the toast.

4 servings

Variations: For a colorful, heartier winter salad, add about 8 ounces (250 g) each of  tiny haricots verts green beans, blanched and refreshed; seared pancetta matchsticks; seared fresh mushrooms.

Truffle Salt

It was only a few seasons ago, after I went rather wild about creating all manner of seasoned salts, that I leapt with enthusiasm into the production of truffle salt. It’s magic and now one item that I am never without. Just the tiniest amount of minced truffle peelings paired with fleur de sel, or even fine sea salt, can transform a dish – an effective way to extract the most out of the costly truffle.   Even in the heat of summer it is there in the freezer to perk up a salad, an egg dish, you name it. Don’t embrace truffles without embracing truffle salt.

Equipment: A small jar with a lid.

1 tablespoon (6 g) minced fresh black truffle peelings

1 tablespoon fleur de sel or fine sea salt

1. In the small jar, combine the minced truffles and salt.  Tighten the lid and shake to blend. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 year.

2. For each use, remove the truffle salt from the freezer or refrigerator, remove the desired amount, and return the jar to the freezer or refrigerator.

2 tablespoons

amazon_small
Amazon
barnes_small
Barnes & Noble
indie_small
IndieBound

To order SIMPLY TRUFFLES 

Cookbook collectors alert!

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Yesterday I had the good fortune to speak and sign copies of all my books at the fabulous Omnivore Books on Food (3885A Cesar Chavez, at Church Street) in San Francisco. The cozy store (a former butcher's shop) is like a candy store for cookbook lovers, loaded with old books, new books, books on every subject, ranging from building chicken coops to signed original copies from authors all over. Owner Celia Sach runs a cool Signed Cookbook Club, where members receive four signed cookbooks each year. Each book is a surprise, although members can note preferences, such as baking, meat, vegetables, food history. And sounds like a great gift! $160 per year. More information at

http://omnivorebooks.com/cookbook_club.html.

Orcas Island cooking experience

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I just arrived on the ferry from Seattle, and am bathing in the sunshine and pristine environment of  Orcas Island, a land of rugged peaks and craggy shores cradling oyster beds, organic lamb, pork, poultry, and produce. We have already enjoyed the local mussels and clams and look forward to more tonight, at a dinner for Salad As A Meal. But there's more! My good friend and local food expert Jeffrey Bergman (pictured right) will join with host John Trumbull (pictured left) at the warming Rose's Bakery and Cafe from May 15 to 18 for a fabulous hand's on Culinary Workshop. Jeffrey will take a select 10 students on a local tour, as guests gather around the farm table for feasts, caravan to Judd Cove for an oyster class and picnic-style feast on the beach. There will be hand's on classes with local produce, tours of gardens and farms, and of course a wine tasting. Alas, I will be back in France then, but you can join in and profit from Jeffrey's vast expertise and enthusiasm for food, wine, and the Seattle area. To sign up, contact Jeffrey at quincetree@comcast.net or phone him at 206 721 2592.

Saturday lunch with Paris friends

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A fun, friendly lunch full of food talk with Parisian food-loving colleagues today, to celebrate Salad As A Meal. On the guest list, David Lebovitz, Alec Lobrano, Clotilde Dusoulier, Meg Zimbeck, Susan Herrmann, Emily Buchanan. On the menu:

Cumin Chips,  Hummous, Home-Cured Olives

(p 263; p 10)

Cilantro-Flecked Heirloom Tomato Soup

(p 29)

Crab Salad with Lime and Avocado

(P 124)

Chicken Salad with Green Beans, Tahini-Yogurt Dressing and Cilantro

(p 187)

Poached Turkey Breast Salad with Lemon, Capers, Cornichons, and Mint

(207)

Ham and Cheese Bread

(p 266)

Raspberry Yogurt Sorbet

Red Fruit Soup

(from the upcoming At Home with Patricia Wells)

On the wine list:

Champagne Inflorescence Blanc de Noirs

Domaine Ostertag Riesling 2009 "Vignoble d'E"

Martinelle Ventoux 2008

Can't wait until we all get together again, and often!

Salad as a Meal has arrived!

Kauck_26R1644 Flammekuchen 2.jpg

I am delighted to announce the birth of my latest book, Salad As A Meal! To celebrate, I am sharing a favorite recipe from the  book, a lightened and updated version of the popular Alsatian Onion and Bacon Tart, known as Flammekuchen. While I prepare this with homemade bread or pizza dough, use your favorite recipe or purchased pizza dough.

Alsatian Onion and Bacon Tart: Flammekuchen

This is a memory lane recipe for me: when researching The Food Lover’s Guide to France in the early 1980’s, we found this fragrant onion and bacon tart on the menu everywhere in Alsace, and since then it has become a favorite bread tart. This is a lightened version, prepared with fromage blanc or with yogurt, rather than a richer heavy cream or crème fraîche. Likewise, the onions are steamed rather than cooked in fat, making for an ethereally light tart. Serve it with a simple green salad as a meal, with a glass of chilled Riesling.

Equipment: A baking stone; a steamer; a wooden pizza peel; a metal pizza peel or large metal spatula.

8 ounces large white onions, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta or bacon, cut into thin matchsticks

1/2 cup (150 g) whole milk Greek-style yogurt or fromage blanc

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Flour and polenta for dusting

Coarse, freshly ground black pepper

1  package pizza dough for a 12-inch pizza , shaped into a ball

  1. Place the baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 °  F.
  2. Separate the onions into rings. The onions should yield about 4 cups loosely packed onions.
  3. Bring 1 quart of water to a simmer in the bottom of a steamer. Place the onions on the steaming rack. Place the rack over simmering water, cover, and steam until the onions are al dente 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the basket from the steamer to drain the onions.  (This can be done 2 to 3 hours before serving.
  4. In a large dry skillet, brown the pancetta over moderate heat until crisp and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to several layers of paper towels to absorb the fat. Blot the top of the pancetta with several layers of paper towel to absorb any additional fat.
  5. In a medium bowl combine the yogurt, nutmeg, onions, and half of the pancetta. Stir to blend.
  6. On a generously floured work surface, roll the dough into a 12- inch round.
  7. Sprinkle the wooden pizza peel with polenta and place the round of dough on the peel.  Working quickly to keep the dough from sticking, assemble the tart: Spread the yogurt mixture evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with the remaining pancetta.  Season liberally with pepper.
  8. Slide the dough off the peel and onto the baking stone. Bake until the dough is crisp and golden, and the top is bubbly, about 10 minutes.
  9. With the metal pizza peel or large spatula, remove the tart from the baking stone. Sprinkle generously with pepper.  Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 8 wedges.   Serve immediately.

One 12-inch tart

Wine suggestion: A young, fresh dry Alsatian Riesling is in order here: Try one from the reputable firms of  Ostertag or Zind-Humbrecht, crisp, dry, smoky wines with a saline touch of chalky minerality, an even match for the creamy onion and pancetta mixture offset with a hit of black pepper.

Note: If you don’t have a baking stone and a wooden peel, simply sprinkle the polenta on a baking sheet, place the round of dough on top, assemble the tart, and bake on the baking sheet.

Reviews of Salad as a Meal

Celebrity Chef Chat | Living the foodie dream - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
http://www.jsonline.com/features/food/119219004.html

For The Perfect Salad, Toss Thirty-Three Times - epicurious.com
by Siobhan Adcock
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2011/04/for-the-perfect-salad-toss-thirty-three-times.html

Salad: From Side Dish to Main Course - foodandwine.com
To mark tomorrow's release of Salad as a Meal, the new cookbook by prominent food writer Patricia Wells, we offer our own favorite main-dish salads:
http://e.amexpub.com/amex40/wmws/APNL/1301900679565_788/w319134.php?custcode=APNL&bid=34789656&pbid_=34789656&pemail=cahilldot%40
aol%2Ecom&xid=DISH032811

ANNOUNCING OUR SALAD AS A MEAL BLOGGERS! thesecretingredientblog.com
http://thesecretingredientblog.com/2011/03/08/announcing-our-salad-as-a-meal-bloggers/

Books for Cooks: Patricia Wells’ salad days - Chicago Sun-Times
By Janet Rausa Fuller Food Editor / jfuller@suntimes.com May 17, 2011
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/5169032-423/books-for-cooks-patricia-wells-salad-days.html


Salad as a Meal Challenge!

Salmon Tartare 1.jpg

I am excited to announce the beginning of the Salad As A Meal Challenge! My new book Salad As A Meal will be published April 5, and my wonderful publisher William Morrow has organized a fabulous month long challenge, offering free copies of the cookbook for those who cook at least three Salad As A Meal recipes a week for four weeks and blog about their experience. I’ll be following your comments, and look forward to every last bite!

Click here to get the all the details, including how to enter, program guidelines, and blogger benefits.

www.thesecretingredientblog.com/four-weeks-of-salad-as-a-meal-challenge/

Salad as a Meal: Patricia Wells Tour

SaladAsMeal_md
SaladAsMeal_md

April 13:  NEW YORK CITY

2:30 to 4 PM James Beard Foundation—talk & signing

Chelsea Markets, 9th Ave and West 16th St

7 PM French Institute Alliance Française

Conversation with Ina Garten

Demo, book signing

22 E 60th St

Melissa Ceria, (646) 388-6628

April 14: NEW YORK AREA

9 AM Hour NBC-TV Today Show

12:15 PM “Eat Drink with Lucinda Scala Quinn”—Live

Martha Stewart Living, Sirius XM Satellite Radio

7:30PM New Canaan Library—signing

151 Main Street / New Canaan, CT

*RSVP programs@newcanaanlibrary.orgor (203) 594-5040

April 15: NEW YORK CITY

7PM Borders in Time Warner Center—signing

10 Columbus Circle

April 16:  NEW YORK REGION

3PM Books & Greetings—signing

271 Livingston St, Northvale, NJ

Kenny Salfin, (201) 784-2665, kennys1407@aol.com

April 17: CHICAGO

3 to 5 PM The Spice House—signing

1512 North Wells St/ Chicago, IL

Patty Erd, (312) 274-0378

RSVP spices@thespicehouse.com

April 18: MILWAUKEE

12 to 2PM Bartolotta’s Restaurants—Luncheon, signing

Bacchus,  925 E Wells / Milwaukee, WI

John Wise, (414) 765-1166

RSVP (414) 765-1166;

$95/ includes lunch, wine. book

April 19: CHICAGO REGION

12 to 3 PM Froggy’s French Café—Luncheon, signing

306 Green Bay Rd Highwood, IL

Lake Forest Book Store

Susan Boucher, (847) 234-4420

(847) 234-4420; $35/ for lunch

April 20: SEATTLE

Morning TV:    KING-TV “New Day Northwest”

Or KCPQ-TV “Q-13 Fox News This Morning”

Or “KING 5 Morning News” on KONG-TV

12 to 2 PM The Walrus and the Carpenter—Lunch, signing

4743 Ballard Avenue NW / Seattle, Washington 98107

Renee Erickson, (206) 395-9227

(206) 395-9227; $75 all-inclusive

4 PM                KOMO-TV “KOMO First News at 4”

6:30PM Boat Street—Dinner and book signing

3131 Western Ave  #301 / Seattle, WA

Renee Erickson, (206) 395-9227

(206) 632-4602 $100, all-inclusive

April 21:           SEATTLE

6:30PM Rose’s Bakery and Café—Dinner, signing

382 Prune Alley Orcas Island, WA

(360) 376-5805

April 22:           SEATTLE

1PM Press & blogger lunch at Jeffrey Bergman’s home

4611 51st Av South  Seattle, WA

April 23:            SAN FRANCISCO

10:30AM KGO-AM “Gene Burns Show”—Live

12 to 2 PM Pasta Shop—signing

1786 Fourth Street / Berkeley, CA

Roberta Klugman, (510) 655-7790

3PM Omnivore Books on Food—signing

3885A Cesar Chavez St  San Francisco, CA

(415) 282-4712

April 25:           SAN FRANCISCO

12 to 1PM Google—Lunch, talk & signing

345 Spear Street – 4th Floor in San Francisco

Lindsay Dahms lindsayd@google.com

7PM Books, Inc. (Marina Store)— signing

2251 Chestnut St San Francisco

(415) 931-3633

April 26:            SAN FRANCISCO

6:30PM Left Bank Restaurant dinner

507 Magnolia Avenue / Larkspur, CA

(415) 927-3331

Contact: Marguerita Castanera, mordie@vom.com

Friday, April 29: GREENSBORO

7 pm Book Signing Barnes & Noble Greensboro

May 1 and 2: BLACKBERRY FARM

NEAR KNOXVILLE, TN

Hand’s on cooking class and special meals

Kelley Clark Harris kelley@blackberryfarm.com.

May 3:               RALEIGH

7PM Regulator Bookshop—Talk, signing

720 Ninth St/ Durham, NC

Tom Campbell (919) 286-2700

May 4:               RALEIGH

7:30PM Quail Ridge Books—signing

3522 Wade Ave / Raleigh, NC

Rene Martin, (919) 828-7912

May 5:               RALEIGH

6PM A Southern Season—$35 Dinner, signing

201 S. Estes Drive / Chapel Hill, NC

www.southernseason.com 877 929 7133

Salad As A Meal by Patricia Wells

Salad As Meal
Salad As Meal

We’ve had a tremendous amount of excitement about Salad As A Meal. Enthusiasm on blogs and in publications has been fantastic! Cooks attacking the Four Weeks of Salad As A Meal Challenge have raved about the Crab Salad with Lime and Avocado (p 124) The BLT Tartine (p 83), My Cobb Salad (p 57), the Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado, Pistachios, and Pistachio Oil (p 114), and of course the recipe that seems to be everyone’s favorite in this cookbook, the Poached Turkey Breast Salad with Lemon, Capers, Cornichons, and Mint (p 207). (During my current series of cooking classes in Paris, the moist, amazing turkey breast salad was named Best Taste of the Week three weeks in a row!) We’ve been featured in Food & Wine Magazine, a flurry of blogs, and many more mentions are on their way.

The newest book, or any of my others, would make idea gifts (think Mother’s Day!). I will be glad to send an autographed book plate for any of my books that you already have or plan to purchase for yourself or as gifts. Send requests, with your address, to asst@patriciawells.com

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To order SALAD AS A MEAL