Franci

So, few steps up and you are in Beausoleil, France. This is the front of the Beausoleil market Inside there are a couple butchers, a fish monger (I doubt he has a high turnover so I do not shop there), some vegetable stalls included one that I regularly visit, a portoguese store (where I sometimes buy salted cod fish) and some coffe places and delis. More stalls on the outside but today it's Monday and not everybody is open, so I'll get here tomorrow. Nearby there is also Formia , my butcher. I need to go there to pick some meat I ordered. I'll ask if I can take some pictures They display in the window their medals and prizes. Sometimes you can see a picture of the animal you are eating because of some competitions won. I am sure I'm going to miss Formia when we leave.

This morning a went out for some shopping. Monaco has only 35,000 residents, it is a small place. Also shopping for food is limited. A short walk from my place I get to an open air market. On the back of St. Charles Church there are a few vegetable stalls I shop often at this last veg. stall. I asked if I could take pictures and he owner, Mr Claudio, very kindly said to wait 30 minutes when the good stuff was going to be delivered. But I was in a hurry and took some quick shoots. These guys are Italians as many other veg. sellers. He has everything you might look. First of the seasons fruit and vegetables can be very expensive, but there are many extravagant people around here. You can see some radicchio tardivo and radicchio di castelfranco. Although I remember I could find these vegetables also in the States. Maybe not everybody knows "trombetta" zucchini that is a variety typical from the riviera. It has been only in the last couple years that I've seen it in season elsewhere in Italy. It is less watery that a regular light colored zucchini. It holds cooking much better and it is often used to make the green tartes so traditionals of this area (both on the French and the Italian side) After Mr Claudio's stall, where my butcher is located, you leave Monaco and enter France.

This morning noting exciting for breakfast or lunch. We still have scones, orecchiette and congee. So, I'll take this time to show you my kitchen and pantry. You will see it messy as it is always...It is not the kitchen of my dream but we are still renting and on the move. I wish I could switch my bedroom with the kitchen to have a balcony and the view of the sea. From the other angle The electrical system in this house is a nightmare. After couple weeks we moved in the microwave burnt out, so I use it as storage, I had to replace the oven and the stovetop (so finally induction). Gas kitchen, for insurance reasons, are not allowed. Every house must be insured. The refridgerator you see in the second picture is the original from the house. The temperature was just too high and so I went to buy a second fridge that is just outside the kitchen. Yes, it's the entrance, but I do not care. I have a huge entrance. This house is very badly designed. I still kept the owner fridge, it works, I do not keep meat in it, I use it for condiments, for some vegetables and eggs. The other fridge next to it I have my pantry, a little messy at the moment and before it gets too hot, I'm trying to use flours and grains or move them to the freezer My spices drawer

Thanks everybody for the kind words Yes, I use a Primitivo di Manduria if I have it around, that's from my area. As an alternative we make a meat sauce with meatballs, also horse meat, or with small braciole. Or tomato sauce/ tomato sauce and a spicy fermented ricotta/anchovies and cime di rapa (slightly different than rapini) Going back to Shelby, on how to form the orecchiette. There is not one way. Leaving out how this woman dresses the orecchiette, she first make the orecchiette and then flip them. That's an extra step due to tradition and family preferences. Here. Or you can see this very fast woman in Old Bari here . Maybe I've not mentioned it but as for Chinese making pasta we have hot dough and cold ones. Orecchiette are made with water that has been boiled and cooled down to lukewarm. For example, this woman here starts with cavatelli and she moves on to orecchiette. She says she uses boiling water for cavatelli and warm water for orecchiette and she complains that her orecchiette are not turning out fine because, for shooting the video, she used the dough for cavatelli. Other thing worth to mention: orecchiette are never really left to dry as for egg pasta.

Thanks Kayb, I'll try to cook also some gluten free meals this week. I admit I eat pasta more out of convenience than for real pleasure...not orecchiette, of course

Usually we don't argue about these matters, we talk more of the things we have in common. Chinese have something similar to orecchiette: Ma er duo, Cat's ears. Thanks Shelby. What kind of orecchiette do you buy? Fresh, dry of common brands or the dry artisanal kind? Try to cook them longer untill feels right to you. It is easier nowadays to link some videos. I'm trying to understand with the new format how to link youtube videos...I'll get back to you. Going back to today's cooking. I always have some chicken stock in the fridge. I made a simple chicken and vegetable soup for the children I've not being feeling really well this last week and tonight I decided to have something soothing. Nothing like Congee. My children wouldn't eat it nor my husband...I just love it. I made more to have some for breakfast tomorrow morning. I added some of the stock and vegetables from the children soup. Really nice My husband had an hanger steak which I couldn't photograph fast enough...and also some saute' oyster mushrooms for both of us. Time to clean up and put the children to bed.

Unfortunately I don't have a garden, only two small balconies where I keep my herbs. Properties are very expensive, at most you see roof gardens. Thanks Marie-Ora. It started as a basic scone recipe from Epicurious but now I'm not sure how much it diverted from the original. For 400 grams flour I use 1 stick butter, 100 grams sugar, 1 TBS baking powder, a little bit baking soda, salt and one egg in a measuring cup with cream added to make 1 cup. They keep better than scones. Really Ambra? What did you have? My orecchiette are far from perfect. My mom is a northener and, while living in the South, orecchiette were so readily available that I didn't learn how to make them, only when I left, of course, the urge hit me. They are not easy. These, very likely, would not pass my aunt test. My husband complained on the sauce, too salty for him. My daughter was the one who really appreciated her lunch

Ok, let's get started! Most of you, meaning the Egulleters in the States, are still sleeping...I got up 6 am this morning. I wanted to surprise my son and bake something for breakfast. I generally prefer to eat eggs in the morning or savory foods. Not very typical Italian or French. My husband doesn't have breakfast and the children are very different. My boy likes sweets and the girl like savory foods, like my husband and I. I'm a coffe person but this week I feel a little out of shape and had a cup of Earl Grey with honey while working on breakfast I made a cross between scones and "biscotti" (in the italian way, so to say more a cookie): cocoa and chocolat chips and walnuts and currants. Here before and after baking Sunday is usually a low stress cooking for me. I decided to make the most typical Sunday lunch meal in my hometown. So orecchiette with a meat sauce. By 8 AM, I already made the dough and prep the meat for the sauce. Orecchiette traslate in little ears, it is the typical pasta from Apulia and Basilicata. It is made with a durum flour, meaning a finer semolina, in Italian know also as semola rimacinata=remilled flour. It's just flour and warm water, no eggs. The meat sauce, the way my father likes to make is made with a mix of lamb, pork and beef. Best would be pork jow (fresh pork guanciale) which I didn't order so used one chop, lamb neck and a gelatinous piece of beef. Now, children permitting, I'm going to make orecchiette.

Welcome everybody to the Principality of Monaco! Monaco is a very small Country located halfway between Nice in France and the Italian border (they are about 15-16 km from here or 10 miles if you prefer). It feels like France but the Italian influence is very strong due to the proximity to the border and the large number of Italians residing in the Principality. In fact, although I’ve been living here for almost 3 years, speaking both Italian and English, I have not managed to learn French yet. My name is Francesca but my husband and my family often call me Franci. I was born and grew up in the South of Italy, which I left for studying at age 19. Since then I lived in Milan, then moved to the States (San Francisco, Hanover NH, NYC), then back to Europe in London and for almost 3 years on the French Riviera. As some of you might have read on the dinner thread, we are an American/Chinese/Italian family. My husband was born in Shanghai and moved to the States with his family at age 10. Our origins and our travelling greatly influenced my cooking over the years. I studied business in school but I’ve always enjoyed cooking a lot. While living in NY, I enrolled in the French Culinary Institute, going to school at night and working in banking at the same time. That has been one of the best years of my life and I truly enjoyed the experience. After that I went for an internship in a good restaurant in NYC and shortly after I moved to London where I completely gave up working in banking and became a commis in a luxury hotel. The experience was short lasted and because of relatives health issues and later on my pregnancy I gave up the idea of cooking professionally, at least in a restaurant kitchen. Now I have two small children, a boy almost 5 years old and a girl, the little one you have seen in the picture, who is almost 15 months old. This equals that I had to reconsider a lot of my cooking, keep it really simple both in the preparation and in the presentation.

Dcarch, I'm impressed. You have a very keen eye for details. I didn't notice 'that' camera but Monaco is full of cameras. Even banks don't have security entrance... Looking forward to start blogging tomorrow

Ok, vegan, no vegetarian. I'd also go with Michaela suggestion: pure and simple. Another option would be to make some "rolls", or stuff some vegetables, like imam bayildi, a little summery but it is nice with a tomato sauce.

Egg polpette Eggplant polpette Ricotta polpette Marinara sauce American style doesn't have fish, right?

I have been away for a little bit and it's a nice way to start the day and see what people here have been cooking. Robirdstx, I really liked your red Chile and Garlic Shrimp in Olive Oil. Chris Taylor, beautiful Escoffier-themed dinner! RRO scallops, seared in butter and glazed in yuzu marmalade...can I have that for breakfast? Lovely! I've just spent the last 10 days in Venice. Sunday night dinner was softed shelled crabs (moeche) with polenta. In Venice they really like their white polenta with fish. I always have left over polenta with fried eggs. Love it. I'm sure I'd love your recipe for corvina, Frogprincess! For the polenta. Why you don't like how your polenta turns out? Everywhere you go they have a different preference for polenta and they like a different variety. MM84321, your blanquette doesn't look very "white" to me but so much more appealing. Love the colors. Beautiful Bruce, I live very much your asparagus, I need to try this, thanks

Hello. I'm trying to organize a trip and I'm reading and saving reviews but I'd like to save the locations (and maybe some notes) for restaurants and food shopping on a map. I've searched on internet and seen that the skitch application from Evernote might be what I need. What do you use? Thanks

That's very much true. I'd dehydrate food before deep-frying only if I'm going to puff the stuff. Here's a great text on puffing food. It took me long time but finally I tried it Not bad. I didn't get an homogeneous result. I'm not sure it's because different moisture content or temperature of the oil. I'm more for the oil, I didn't use a thermometer. Next question. How would you flavour it so the spices glue to the pasta. Toss them with a syrup before frying?

Tonight I made some experiments. I was going to fry my usual fish (anchovies and red mullets) so I decided to puff some pasta and some rice (chinese go ba). I also had some leftover spaghetti, which became a frittata di spaghetti. And a crudite platter.

Very nice looking! I have two jars of preserved lemon from last june, need to use before making a new batch. Love your scallops Soba, that's what I'm going make tonight. RRO, I'm sure I'd love those rice crackers. And I could dip almost anything in nuoc cham, it one of my favourite sauces. Yesterday, for Easter, we had a bigger meal at lunch as customary for Italians. I made Ottolenghi Artichokes, mozzarella with candied lemon, which we really enjoyed Then I roasted two lamb shoulders, one simple with garlic, rosmary and anchovies, the other stuffed, a recipe from Stephan Reynaud. The first won other the stuff by far. I served with more artichokes from Ottolenghi. This, not bad but I'm not sure I'll make it again. At night we had leftover lamb with turnips. I made a very good lamb glaze from a lamb stock I made the day before.

Good question. So, I went on the website of Candia the milk producer and noticed they have two products: Leben (fermented milk)and Raib (soured milk). I would still use leben in place of milk and lemon or vinegar. I've also seen a lot of people using Kefir instead of buttermilk.

It has happened to me a couple times that I had an old batch of chickpeas, on those rare occasions a longer cooking didn't help. Then I'm not sure how reliable are the studies out there but many claim that longer soaking is benificial in the lowering of phytic acid. In doubt and if I remember, longer soaking doesn't hurt. So, this morning I had chickpeas soaked for 48 hours, last night I added a good handful of coarse sea salt to the water. I threw the chickpeas on a sheet pan, covered with a towel and crushed a little with a rolling pin Not too bad. More effective would be a little at a time. I didn't remove the peels and decided to remove everything after cooking. Cooked in the pressure cooker for 30-40 minutes. Oh, these were surely old chickpeas...but after that they were soft enough. I poured the chickpeas on a tamis and reserved the liquid. It was pretty easy and fast to pick the peels. I didn't do a perfect job because next step was passing them through the food mill. In a bowl I whipped lemon juice, garlic and tahin. Then with an immersion hand blender I whipped the tahin mixture with the chickpeas, plus oil. I added a little bit of cooking liquid to the chickpeas...ahi! That made the hummus too runny for my liking. Otherwise the color was nice and also the texture. The specks are cumin (a little coarsely grounded). My last batch was much nicer.

What a nice meal, Scotty! Too bad I didn't know you when I lived in SF And RRO, I love pork belly. I'm looking forward to move back in a place where I can find those ingredients. Tonight we had roasted sea bream with chards and hummus>

Jmahl, happy birthday!!! Your pizza looks wonderful, I wish I could have a slice right now, breakfast time for me. But I could eat also avaserfi dish, no problem Very humble. For 2 I cooked 5-6 huge chopped shallots very slowly, with good amount of EVOO, for a good 20-30 minutes, added some smoked lardoons (maybe 70-80 grams)after the shallots were soften, at that point I should have added some tomatoes tinned or fresh but I had some nice tomatoes sauce from the day before which I used. It's not a very red sauce, more or less same weight of tomatoes and shallot. I add a spicy pepper and didn't feel adding any herb but it wouldn't hurt.

Tonight again homemade pasta. "Curzul" a specialty from Faenza, in local dialect means shoes laces. They are squared egg tagliolini usually dressed with a shallot sauce. I'll make it again, I really liked it.

Forgive me, I'm lazy, I don't want to go back and list all the beautiful dinners I've seen. Just want to say they all really look delicious! And welcome to the thread to Enrique I've not been taking pictures but we had a couple of very simple and comforting meals: guinea fowl legs with bacon and sage with polenta. Yesterday night we also had lamb chops with mint sauce and a nice salad of mograbiah and vegetales.

I've almost never had a problem of hard chickpeas and I don't use baking soda, but I soak 36 to 48 hours changing water every 12 hours and in summer I keep in the fridge. I followed also Nourishing Traditions advice and soaked with lemon (or whey) not sure it made a huge difference in texture. I should try again with the same batch of chickpeas. I also was wondering about Heston Blumenthal 10% brine for beans if works for chickpeas to get uniformity in cooking. I'll give it a try and report back. This made the best hummus I ever made! It was much lighter, fantastic. The fastest way I tried is to remove the skin before cooking, after the chickpeas have been soaked. I put them on a sheet pan and covered with a towel an rolled and crushed with a rolling pin. I tried in the past with little success but I was too gentle. Now, it's still a pain because while it was easier to remove the skin I had to go one by one anyway. Now I'm thinking of just crushing them before cooking and then cooking and see at that point in the skins float on top of the pot. Honestly, a food mill, with the smallest holes, I think does the job well enough. Well, you have a thermomix for cooking it. I hate cooking chickpeas flour because it is prone to lumps and you need to stir constantly. I guess you need to diluite quite a lot. Here they make "cakes" (panisse in french, panissa in italian) which are sliced and panfried.

I would happily eat all these breakfasts Thanks, Andie. I'll give it a try. Although I need to sub buttermilk because it's not available around here. Maybe I can use the fermented milk, north African style which is, instead, readily available.