The Stuff We Put in Our Mouths

We made our first from-scratch raviolis Sunday, stuffed with scrumptious stuff that included ground turkey and pork, rosemary, sage, and ricotta (I was only called in off the bench, e.g., to occasionally untangle the pasta and fill the little darlings, though I did in the meantime concoct leek-potato soup a la Julia). There were lessons learned on the fabrication of said raviolis, and some additional practice would be helpful, but, all-in-all, to swoon for. Sauce was a simple sage-in-butter with fresh parmesan grated over.

I served soup hot off the stove rather than in the chilled vichyssoise style. Hard to beat it for satisfaction and simplicity - chopped leaks, cubed potatoes, fluid in any combination of stock/water/milk, and salt/pepper to taste. We have one of those helpful in-pot blenders that can reduce softened materials to a slurry in a trice. Blender would work too, but more stuff to wash. A wonderfully simple recipe that could easily be altered to involve other vegetables in addition or in substitution (broccoli, celery, carrots, turnips, beans come to mind), with seasoning also open to experiment, e.g., curry, rosemary, cumin, cilantro/coriandor.

There are a number of recipes/concepts I am interested in based on recent read of Elizabeth David's apparently classic "Mediterranean Food" (derelict paperbook I tracked down circa 1978). For the record, there's a lot in this little book I am not ready for. These typically involve various organs of familiar creatures and also some less-familiar creatures. I have no plans to explore "Sauce a la Creme D'Oursins," which involves the innards of sea urchins. My food adventurousness goes only so far - though I have no doubt, given the eclectic audience here, that there are some who have savored sea urchin. I'm not there yet and may never be. Open to but not seeking that adventure

I don't recall what the dish or dishes were, but early on in life I decided that eggplant was not something I enjoyed. Mostly it is the texture - and perhaps the original presentation. Despite long-established prejudice, I put together a primitive ratatouille of e'plant, tomato, onion, and pepper with lots of olive oil, roughly crafted on an E. David formula last week and found it reasonably acceptable - and I believe house-mates were even more accepting than I. Not something I am going to make again soon, but the experience was positive enough that I will prepare it again, probably with variations, and will be less resistant to eggplant dishes when we dine out

I hope to soon try "Tomates Formagees." In simplest terms, this involves tomatoes topped and innards removed and filled with melted Gruyere seasoned with black pepper, cayenne, mustard, garlic, and wine. "Bake for ten minutes and finish under the grill," the cooking direction, perfectly captures what I guess was the loosy-goosy style in an earlier era. An alternative explanation is that David here is just trying to open up the British Isles to more adventurous fare and details were somewhat superfluous.

In any case, the ingredients have my mouth watering.

Bon Appetit, as that dear person used to say!