Zen and the Art of Provencal Cookery, Part 2 (with Recipes)

 

Part 1 of this post found me in Carpentras, Provence, France, where I was about to begin cooking lessons with Chef Gina Trevier of Maison Trevier. In Part 2, I'll be sharing my culinary experiences. Fair warning: you will end up hungry. Bon appetit :)


Some of what made the food so amazing was that it was all local, seasonal, organic, and of the highest quality. Gina prefers to cook without set recipes, instead using whatever is available and good. She also has a strong interest in nutrition and holistic living (and as it turned out, zen meditation), treating food with respect bordering on reverence. All of this is why, except for my mom's cooking with her homegrown veggies, I've probably never eaten so well.

The lessons were calm, relaxed (other than my needless worrying about doing something wrong), and proceeded with a sense of mindfulness (that's where the zen came in). We took our time, did things precisely, and put together dishes that were beautiful and delicious. I couldn't have asked for better.

Here's what we made (and ate):

BREAKFAST:  Every breakfast, I had the option of a variety of breads (some gluten free), homemade jams (the pear-saffron jam was to die for), excellent butter, yogurt, and muesli. There was also juice, milk, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. I always had juice, and since I'm hooked on caffeine (literally--I get terrible headaches if I try to skip a day) green tea with mint. I don't know how accurate this is, but I had read that the French often set a sugar cube in a spoonful of coffee and let the sugar soak up the liquid before popping it in their mouth and enjoying the rest of their drink. Whether the French do this or not, I discovered it was delicious with the tea :)

WELCOME DINNER: Gina made a special dinner of tapas the night I arrived. It was supposed to also include a wine tasting, but...I'm not really big on wine (I know, I know--total sacrilege) so I asked her to skip that part, knowing it would be wasted on me. The tapas, however, was both incredibly good and satisfying. I have no idea how I had gone so long without ever having tried it before. In lieu of wine, Gina made rosemary tea, which was lovely. I wish I could have eaten more, actually, but the plane trip followed by a three-hour train ride and another half hour in a taxi had left me a bit on edge and without much of an appetite. That's also why there are no pictures. But I can offer instructions:

Tapas

good bread (a baguette works well), cut into rounds and toasted
olive oil
cloves of garlic
cherry tomatoes
assorted toppings, such as goat cheese, sliced cucumbers, sliced cured meats (such as prosciutto), or whatever suits your preferences

Take a piece of toasted bread and drizzle a bit of the olive oil over it. Rub a clove of garlic against it (sort of like you're grating it against the surface). Then take a tomato and rub against the bread as well; press the tomato onto the bread. Add your choice of toppings. Enjoy with glasses of wine or rosemary tea.

LESSON ONE: Cooking with Olives

Having a Greek background, I thought I knew about olives, but it turns out there's always so much more to learn. Gina had us sample a variety of different olives (including some that were naturally preserved without any oil, vinegar, or salt). We then made tapenade and chicken with olives.

Unexpected discovery: The chicken, free range and organic, was noticeably large, still had bits of feathers attached, and--unlike North American chicken--not at all gross. I've never touched raw chicken before and not immediately felt the urge to wash my hands. Gina says salmonella is nonexistent in the chicken there, and I believe it. I also had the unpleasant realization that the chicken we get in supermarkets at home is slimy. There's no other word for it. Whatever we're doing to our chicken in North America is just wrong.

The chicken was first pan fried skin-side-down in a dry pan (it cooked in its own fat) until the skin was crispy, and then it was placed in a casserole dish

Chopped veggies included carrots, onion & zucchini

Chef Gina Trevier in her element

The veggies were lightly sauteed in the same pan in which the chicken was cooked

Olives were added and then everything was added to the casserole dish with the chicken

Roast Chicken with Olives

Since Gina generally doesn't use set recipes, this is more a guideline. You can use whatever ingredients you prefer/are in season--feel free to experiment. Scale amounts to the number of people being served.

chicken thighs and legs
carrots
fresh onions or leeks
zucchini
green olives with pits (we used the kind preserved in salted water)
white wine
preserved lemons (optional, but highly recommended)
fresh rosemary

Place chicken skin-side-down in a dry pan (no oil added) and cook until skin is crispy. Meanwhile dice vegetables, setting aside zucchini. When chicken is mostly cooked through, place it in a casserole dish. Drain most of the fat from the pan and add carrots and onions, as well as a healthy amount of white wine. Cook, stirring gently, over low heat until carrots are tender. Add zucchini and olives; continue cooking until zucchini is tender. Place veggie mixture in dish with chicken, Add chopped preserved lemons, if desired (they add a bright note that really makes the dish). Strip leaves from several stalks of rosemary and add to the chicken and vegetables. Cover dish and bake at a low temperature until chicken is cooked through.

Thinly sliced heirloom tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with basil leaves and flowers

Thinly sliced cucumber drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with piment d’Espélette (Basque pimento pepper)--you could probably substitute mild paprika

Sliced fennel bulb drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chopped fennel fronds

Thinly sliced heirloom tomato (they're green when ripe) drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with basil leaves and flowers

These delicious crudité (AKA raw veggies) and slices of toasted bread were accompanied by tapenade. It turns out that authentic Provencal tapenade is the easiest thing to make and is absolutely delicious.

Authentic Tapenade

While there are  hundreds of variations of tapenade, most including long lists of ingredients, all an excellent tapenade really needs is:

pitted black olives (approx 1 cup)
capers in brine (about 1 tbs)
oil-packed anchovy fillets (about 2)

You can play with the amounts to taste. Do not skip the anchovies! They add much-needed umami without a fishy taste. Trust me. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until chunky. Serve.

Halved apricots were sauteed over low heat

Dessert was the perfect light finish, especially for anyone not fond of overly sweet desserts. Lightly sauteed apricots were served with rich vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with bee pollen.

UPDATE

Canadians, since I wrote this post I've come across a local source for Espelette (Basque chile pepper): Franco Market. They also carry all kinds of other French foods,

Also, you can order this brand of grey salt directly, or do a search to find your nearest supplier. You can also use Celtic sea salt, which can be found in health food stores and elsewhere. Gina prefers to use grey salt, which is a mineral rich type of sea salt.

Lessons 2 to 5 coming soon...

Photos ©Whimsy Bower

[Edited to add photo and update title and links/product info. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]

Zen and the Art of Provencal Cookery, Part 1

I'm not an ideal traveller. I have anxiety, for starters, much of it focused on planes, the rest on unfamiliar places and situations. That, right there had me telling myself I was better off not going anywhere I couldn't get to via road trip. Besides that, as you can probably tell from this blog, I'm a homebody. I like taking care of my nest, hanging out with my SO and the cats, reading, crafting--all the good stuff. Online shopping is, as far as I'm concerned, the best thing ever.

Why am I telling you all this? Because I just got back from France.

I'm not sure what came over me. I was idly looking at an ad for a culinary tour of Provence, and something inside me just went: I have to go. I'm sure it didn't hurt that I've been dreaming of Provence since forever. And the idea of learning how to cook authentic Provencal cuisine under the tutelage of a French chef didn't suck either.

This photo doesn't do justice to the Provencal countryside (but it was the only one I took because I was too tired to really think straight). I snapped it with my phone from the TGV train on my way to Avignon

So not only did I go to France, I went by myself. The SO, not a foodie, wasn't that interested in joining me (fair enough--someone had to watch our high-maintenance furballs). Everyone else who might have been interested couldn't go for one reason or another. And I realized that if I sat around waiting to live my dreams based on other people's schedules and inclinations, I'd might as well just forget my dreams. So I did my best to ignore the anxiety and went for it.

I didn't go with the group tour I'd originally read about. I figured I'd be better off sorting my own trip out (I never was very good at following someone else's itinerary). After badgering the proprietress of Maison Trevier in Carpentras, Provence, with a thousand questions, I signed up for a six-night stay with five cooking lessons taught by Gina Trevier, a chef formerly of Paris. It was a good choice.


First of all, the house itself--an 18th century manor, was stunning. But more about that in a future post, of which there will be many. 

A couple of shots of my room, just to give you an idea of the beauty of Maison Trevier

Once I arrived, I found out that Gina is "retired" (although she's ridiculously busy for someone supposedly at leisure). Usually, she takes in only the occasional group of food lovers, but it turns out she liked my blogs and decided to make an exception for me and let me visit on my own! I was the only person staying at Maison Trevier that week, and other than the first lesson, which included a lovely family of Americans who were staying in nearby Avignon, my cooking lessons with Gina were all private lessons. If you're thinking that sounds awesome, you're not wrong.

What were the lessons like? What did we cook, and--more importantly--eat? Stay tuned for my next post and all the delicious details. I'll just say that Provence was worth the wait...

Just a taste of what's coming in the next post

Photos ©Whimsy Bower

 

[Edited for formatting and to remove a broken link. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]

In Stitches

Thought I'd share my latest completed needlepoint project. I'm happy with how it turned out, although I think the colours ended up being a little too cool.

Wraith steals the show

Nox was keeping us company too. He's sitting on the cat tree, enjoying the view out the window.

And Shadow was just below, trying to nap in peace :)

 

My next project is actually an old one--I've resumed working on the blanket I'm making for my cousins. I'm probably about halfway through making the granny squares. Hopefully I can focus now and finally get it done. The downside of crocheting for me is weaving in the ends--hate that part. I don't suppose anyone knows a way around it?

What projects are you working on? Share in the comments.

 Photos ©Whimsy Bower

[Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]

 

Getting Steamed: Pros and Cons of a Clothes Steamer

This is the Salav model I have

One of the things I most appreciated about having a mom who was a professional seamstress was having access to her tools. My sad little Brother sewing machine felt a lot like the Scooty-Puff Jr next to her Senior-level Juki (we won't talk about my skills in using those machines compared to hers). But my favourite item she had was a garment steamer. Why did I covet that steamer?

• Easier to use than a regular iron
• Faster than a regular iron
• Can get the wrinkles out of spots on clothing that are awkward to get at with a regular iron and board (fussy bodices, narrow areas like sleeves, gathers and pleats...)
• Can get wrinkles out of clothing that you can't really use a regular iron on (e.g., suit jackets)
• Can quickly and easily use on large items that don't fit well on a standard ironing board (tablecloths, sheets)
• Handy for non-ironing tasks, like getting wallpaper off a wall or sneakily steaming open letters

With all these benefits, I don't know why it took me so long to get my own steamer. I guess, as useful as it is, it's not quite as much fun as buying obscene amounts of books and craft supplies. Still, even I can be practical sometimes and I finally went for it, getting the Salav model in the picture above.

So, what's the verdict? On the plus side: it heats up fast, it's easy to use, and a little water in the reservoir goes a long way. Not so great: It was a pain to put together/set up (why does *everything* require assembly these days?). I also wish I'd noticed it had a non-slip base instead of wheels. I'm sure a stationary steamer has many advantages (not that I can think of any right now) but it's heavy and awkward to move. I've had to set it up permanently next to the ironing board because putting it away and taking it out every time I need it would definitely result in it never getting used. But aside from the issue of no wheels, I'm happy with the new addition to my own sewing room. Anyone have any wallpaper that needs to come down?

2024 Update 

A few months after I wrote the original post, my steamer stopped working. The problem was mineral buildup from using tap water in the reservoir. In my defence, my mom used tap water in her steamer and it never had any problems (not to mention that it's decades old at this point and still works. My sister will probably end up passing it on to her kids). Also, I thought mineral buildup could be cleaned out. But no. Once we realized the problem, we tried cleaning the steamer (and switching to distilled water), but nothing helped. So without any warning signs, it broke and can't be fixed. This steamer was too expensive to be so flimsy.

Final Verdict: I do not recommend Salav garment steamers. 

[Edited to expand title and add an update. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]

Dye! Dye! Dye! The Perils of All-natural Easter Egg Colours

When I was young I used to love dyeing eggs. Every year it would be a huge production, resulting in masses of vividly coloured springtime fertility symbols. Fast forward a couple of decades and things aren't what they used to be. Holidays aren't as big of a deal anymore, in part because there are fewer of us than there used to be. I still love dyeing eggs, although I've had to scale way back. Where my mom and I used to colour dozens of eggs, this year I had to limit myself to 18 eggs total--and I only used that many because I wanted to get a good variety of colours.

That was a mistake.

The last few years I've been experimenting with natural dyes. My theory was why use man-made chemicals when nature provides? Well, it turns out that sometimes nature kind of sucks. The colours are muddy. There's no shine. The flaws on the eggshells are emphasized. It's a lot of (stinky) work for disappointing results.

This year was extra disappointing because I'd had some high hopes for potential new colours. Besides the two natural colours I already knew worked (turmeric for yellow and red cabbage for blue), I decided to also try the supposedly proven suggestions from a blog that shall remain unnamed. I should have known that her information was crap when I saw the bright, smooth colours on her eggs--there was no way those came from natural dyes. But hindsight is 20/20 and I'm a trusting soul (why would anybody lie about their egg-dyeing methods?) who lives in hope. Based on her advice, I used spinach for green, grape juice for purple, and beets for pink. Do you see any green, purple, or pink eggs below?

The grape juice resulted in a weird blackish shade. The beets, although producing a gorgeous red liquid, tuned the eggs the colour of natural brown eggs. The spinach was so obviously useless I just ended up putting those eggs into the red cabbage liquid since I knew that would at least work. After a lot of boiling and soaking and draining and drying--and a huge mess--I ended up with 18 dull and patchy springtime fertility symbols.

The experimenting is over. Next year I'm going back to commercial dyes. I will have reds, greens, bright blues, yellows that won't have turmeric residue stuck to them. I'll be able to shine them with oil because the oil won't wipe the weak colour right off. It will be glorious and festive and might even inspire me to revive some of the other childhood traditions that have fallen by the wayside. And from now on, I'm going to be a lot more skeptical about what I read online.

From L to R for the three eggs in front: beet juice, red cabbage, turmeric

I ♥ my vintage egg dish

Toward the back, between a brownish beet egg and a blue egg, you can see the result of wasting grape juice to try to colour eggs.

[Edited to update title and for minor phrasing. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]