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Have a heart for
New Orleans
Mardi Gras
Cezanne, Paul
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Carnival de Chalon
sur Saone
Gislain
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Float in Rex Parade
at Mardi Gras, New Orleans, U.S.A.
Skrypczak, Witold
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at AllPosters.com
Bacchus, c.1596
Michelangelo Caravaggio
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Cupid and Psyche, 1796
Canova, Antonio
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Psyche Entering Cupid's Garden
Waterhouse, John William
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Psyche's Last Trek
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The Battle Between Carnival and Lent
Corbis Collection
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What were they thinking???
February 2002
(Alas. We have a similar situation in 2005!)
This is a letter to the gods. The calendar gods. The ones
who decided that 2002 did not have enough challenges already. They would just
see to it that Valentine’s Day fell on the day after Ash Wednesday. Sheesh! Brilliant. Thanks a heap. Hark! What were you thinking???
So. A dire dilemma indeed. What to do? Without a care in the world we gorge
ourselves senseless on Mardi Gras (they don’t call it Fat Tuesday for
nothing!) and probably a week or 10 days preceding Mardi Gras as well. This is because we know full well that our penance is about to be
paid. Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, of course, so we have a
full six weeks to repent, regroup, behave like mature adults and try our
diet again. You know the one. That diet. Our New Year’s resolution diet.
Remember?
I don’t know about you, but this really frosts my windshield. Valentine’s
Day is supposed to be a day of INDULGENCE, is it not?
A Chocolate day.
A day filled with Romance. With
Champagne, even, and
oysters, and lobster with drawn
butter. Mercy, mercy, mercy… Could we not pay tribute to St. Valentine on
some other day, just this once? I don’t think so.
Well, then, how about moving
Ash Wednesday? Say, push it up a week or
so? Not hardly. Have you ever
wondered why Easter falls on a different
date every year? I could not rest
until I found the answer to this question:
"Easter Sunday is the Sunday
following the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date
for
the year. (Paschal is
pronounced "PAS-KUL", not "pas-chal"). See
Christian Prayer Books for
proof of this concise definition.
"In June 325 A.D. astronomers approximated astronomical full moon dates
for the Christian church, calling them Ecclesiastical Full Moon (EFM) dates.
From 326 A.D. the PFM date has always been the EFM date after March 20
(which was the equinox date in 325 A.D.)
"Easter Sunday is the date of the annual celebration of Christ's
resurrection.
The aim of the Easter Dating Method is to maintain, for each
Easter Sunday,
the same season of the year and the same relationship to the
preceding astro-
nomical full moon that occurred at the time of his
resurrection in 30 A.D.
"This was achieved in 1583 A.D. using skill and common-sense by Pope
Gregory
the 13th, and his astronomers and mathematicians, predominantly
Lilius and
Clavius, by introducing their new larger (revised) PFM Gregorian
dates
table.
This replaced the (original) 326 A.D. '19 PFM dates' table in
the
Julian calendar."
Enough? If not, everything you have always wanted to know
about Easter
but were afraid to ask can be found here:
http://www.assa.org.au/edm.html
Where were we? Oh yes, could we just move Ash Wednesday? Yeah, right. The dates of Ash Wednesday and Mardi Gras are dependent upon
the date
of Easter Sunday. Too late now to petition the Pope, so I suppose
we'll
just have to tough it out. Tango on. Here is my plan,
starting with lunch…
Mardi Gras
Chef
Keegan’s Crab and Mushroom Bisque
Bloody Mary Steaks
Steven Raichlen
Food & Wine June 2000
“Going
to Indianapolis without eating at the St. Elmo Steak House is a little like
traveling to Agra and missing the Taj Mahal. Since 1902, this landmark
restaurant has attracted tourists and locals for the steaks and the
legendary Bloody Marys with their explosive amounts of freshly grated
horseradish. That set me thinking: Why
not put the two together? I tried it,
and came up with a new American classic.”
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup pepper-flavored vodka
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon freshly grated or prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Four 6-ounce filet mignon steaks, about 1 1/2 inches thick
Olive oil
Salt
Tomato-Horseradish Butter, softened (recipe follows)
1. In a glass baking dish, combine the tomato juice, vodka,
lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, hot sauce, celery salt and
pepper. Add
the steaks and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 1/2
hours, turning occasionally. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 30
minutes before grilling.
2. Light a grill. Lightly brush the grate with oil. Drain the steaks and pat
dry; brush with olive oil. Season the steaks generously with salt and grill
over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes for medium
rare. Place a dollop of Tomato-Horseradish Butter on each steak and serve.
Tomato-Horseradish Butter
Servings:
Makes about 1/4 cup
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 sun-dried tomato packed in oil, drained and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated or prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper|
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Make Ahead:
The butter can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Let soften briefly before
using.
Combine all of the ingredients in a mini-processor and pulse
until
smooth. Scrape the butter onto a 12-inch square of plastic wrap
and roll it into a
2-inch cylinder; twist the ends tightly to seal.
Refrigerate the flavored butter just until firm, about 30 minutes.
Artichoke-Potato Gratin
Grace Parisi
Food & Wine November 2000
Servings: 10
Ingredients:
1 lemon, halved
8 large artichokes (about 3/4 pound each)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1 large thyme sprig
Kosher salt
2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 cup coarse dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Make Ahead:
The unbaked gratin can be refrigerated overnight.
1. Fill a large bowl with water and squeeze the lemon halves
into it; add the lemon to the bowl. Cut off all but 1 1/2 inches from the
artichoke stems. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, pull off all the green
outer leaves,
leaving
a cone of pale yellow leaves. With a sharp knife, cut
off all but
1 1/2 inches
of the leaves. Peel the stem and trim any tough
green skin
from the artichoke bottom with a sturdy vegetable peeler. Using a
melon
baller or small spoon, scoop out the hairy choke. Drop the trimmed
artichoke heart into the bowl
of water. Repeat with the remaining
artichokes.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cut each artichoke heart
through the stem into 8 wedges. Add the wedges to the boiling water
and cook
until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under
cold water; pat
dry.
3. In the same saucepan, combine the stock with the cream, thyme sprig
and
1
teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook
over
moderately low heat until barely tender, about 8 minutes. Fold in
the
artichokes and season with salt and pepper.
4. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or 3-quart gratin dish. Pour the
contents of the saucepan into the dish; discard the thyme sprig. Sprinkle
the Gruyère over the gratin and cover with foil.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the gratin for 30 minutes.
In a small
bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the butter. Remove the foil,
sprinkle the
crumbs over the gratin and bake for about 30 minutes longer,
or until
most
of the liquid has been absorbed and the vegetables
are tender.
6. Preheat the broiler. Broil the gratin about 6 inches from the heat for
about
2 minutes, or until the crumbs are crisp and golden; turn the dish
as
necessary for even browning. Serve hot.
Spinach,
Pear and Green Bean Salad with Riesling Dressing
Commander’s Palace Garlic Bread
Commander’s Palace
Kahlúa Mousse Cake
And then, I plan to waddle on down to the Vieux Carré,
join in the
revelry,
and have a
daiquiri or three... Throw me somethin',
Mistah!
Ash
Wednesday
Breakfast:
8 ounces unsweetened grapefruit juice
2 soft-boiled eggs
Lunch:
8 ounces unsweetened grapefruit juice
2 soft-boiled eggs
Large tossed green salad with vinegar or lemon juice
Dinner:
8 ounces unsweetened grapefruit juice
2 soft-boiled eggs
6 ounces grilled fish
as much asparagus as I can eat
Valentine’s
Day
Susan Spicer’s Baked Oysters Italian Style
or
Shrimp Chippewa
Rosen's Lemon Charred Beef with
Crisp Herbed Spaetzle
Steve Rosen
Food & Wine July 1999
Wine
Recommendation: To highlight the tender filet mignon, consider a
plummy
California Merlot, such as the 1995 Rosenblum Russian River
Valley
or the
1996 Flora Springs Napa Valley.
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 center-cut filet mignon steaks (about 6 ounces each), tied
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 cup rich beef stock or canned beef broth
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 red onion, cut into thick slices
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 pound pencil-thin asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Herbed Spaetzle (recipe follows)
1. In a blender, process the lemon juice, lemon zest, brown
sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the olive oil until smooth. Put the beef in a
shallow
bowl and add all but 2 tablespoons of the marinade; turn the steaks
to
coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, toast the paprika in a small dry skillet over moderate heat,
shaking the pan, until the paprika is brick colored, 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer
to a plate to cool.
3. In a small saucepan, boil the beef stock until reduced to 2/3 cup. Add
the
paprika, sour cream and yellow onion and cook over moderate heat
until
slightly thickened, 6 to 7 minutes.
4. Preheat the broiler. Brush the red onion slices with the reserved 2
tablespoons of marinade and arrange them on a broiling pan along with
the
red and yellow bell peppers. Broil the onion slices and peppers for
about 15
minutes, turning occasionally, until charred all over. Transfer
the peppers
to
a bowl, cover and let steam for 15 minutes. Coarsely
chop the red onion.
Peel, core and seed the peppers and cut them into
1/2-inch pieces.
5. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus
and
cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and cool under
running water.
6. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat the canola oil in an ovenproof skillet
until shimmering. Drain the steaks and season with salt and pepper. Cook
over moderate heat until browned, about 7 minutes per side.
Transfer the
skillet
to the oven and cook the steaks for 4 to 5 minutes
for medium
rare.
Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for
10 minutes.
7. Rewarm the sauce. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add the
Herbed Spaetzle and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until
crisp
and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the peppers, asparagus and
onion, season
with salt and pepper and cook until warmed through.
Mound the spaetzle
and
vegetables on 4 large plates and set the
steaks on top with some
spoonfuls
of the sauce.
Serve at once.
Herbed Spaetzle
Ingredients:
1 medium baking potato (1/2 pound), peeled and
cut into large
chunks
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon minced dill
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Make Ahead:
The spaetzle can be refrigerated for up to 3 days;
toss with a little olive
oil before storing.
1. In a medium saucepan of boiling water, cook the potato
until tender,
about 8 minutes; drain. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a
large bowl.
Mash the potato and then mash with the remaining ingredients to
form
a sticky dough.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pat
one-quarter of the spaetzle dough into a 3-inch square on a small cutting
board with a handle, or
on
the back of a square cake pan. Using a moistened chef's knife, cut
off 1/4-inch-thick strips of dough and scrape them into
the boiling
water; moisten
the knife if it sticks to the dough. Boil the
spaetzle for
30 seconds without stirring, then gently stir to separate the
strips. Cook
just until the spaetzle
rises to the surface. Using a small
strainer or a
wire skimmer, transfer the spaetzle to a bowl of ice water.
Return the
water in the saucepan to a boil
and cook the remaining spaetzle.
Drain
well, shaking off the excess water.
Schwarzwälderkirschtorte
(Black Forest Cherry Cake)
Mea Culpa
Friday
See Ash
Wednesday…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Not to worry.
Easter Sunday falls on 20 April in 2003. Which means
that Valentine’s Day will
be celebrated long before Ash Wednesday.
Exactly as
it should be…
Be well, stay safe,
enjoy yourselves. I wish for you, most of all, love.
And peace.
And until next time,
remember,
"Love
feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its
strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility... It is therefore able
to undertake
all things, and
it completes many things, and warrants them
to take effect,
where he who does not
love would faint and lie down. Love
is watchful and
slumbereth not. Though
weary, it is not tired; though
pressed, it is not
straitened; though alarmed, it is
not confounded..."
~ Thomas A. Kempis (1379 - 1471)
Michele
"It
seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love,
are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of
one without
the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am
really writing about
love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love
of it and the hunger for it…
and then the warmth and richness and fine
reality of hunger satisfied… and it
is all one."
-
 M.F.K.
Fisher, from  The Art of Eating
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