Though I love eating out, I am everything but a food snob. OK, with the exception of the ‘Salade Riche‘ I so much adore (and had last weekend again) at one of my favorite French restaurants, Bel Ami. I guess that salad would classify as rather snobbish with its abundance of fish and duck liver curls. But aside from that sensual dish of pure gastronomic indulgence, I am not partial to fancy restaurants that serve ‘artistic’ cuisine with smudges of food, flowers, geometric patterns or foaminess that reminds me of spit. Nor am I impressed by ‘well-known’ chefs or their Michelin stars. In fact, the type of food (and type of restaurant) that I most enjoy is down-to-earth. Real food. Real people. Real passion. And sometimes, there’s a great deal of passion to be found in those ‘simple’ restaurants, which unfortunately are either never discovered or too ‘plain Jane’ for some.
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Tag: Italian
Ossobuco
Foodie confession time…
Up until yesterday. I had never prepared ossobuco, that beautiful Italian dish from Milan consisting of tender, braised veal shanks usually (no, traditionally) served with risotto alla milanese (risotto with saffron). After an unforgettable lunch experience at my favorite restaurant in Duras (La Terrasse), I vowed I would have to make an ossobuco myself too. And I agreed to do so on that first chilly evening of autumn, which happened to be yesterday.
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Spaghetti with Aubergine
This is one of those dishes that I created in a flash. So very easy and so very good. The combination of flavors is pure magic. You have a little heat from the chili, some sweetness from the tomatoes and fried aubergine, and a round, creamy finish courtesy of a little ricotta. I think this one will be a keeper at our house!
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Linguine with Shrimp
Pasta and shrimpis one of my favorite dishes. Whether it’s my spaghetti with shrimp and a cream/tomato sauce or my spicy linguine with shrimp, lemon and rocket lettuce. Both dishes are very quick to make and are so tasty that they’re bound to also become a favorite at your house.
I thought I’d share the spicy linguine and shrimp recipe with you first. The other will come later. If you want, do as I did: serve the dish with a nice pinot grigio and play some Italian music to set the mood.