As much as I cook, and write about cooking, you might be surprised to learn that I haven't had a decent set of pots in which to whip up my concoctions until quite recently. September 28th, to be exact. I had book club that day, and over lunch beforehand at the très cute Cook & Book I was telling my girlfriends about how I finally decided what type of pots I wanted, but that we couldn't afford them, so I'd just have to save and wait. Well, later on that afternoon Troy impressed my friends by calling to tell me that he was leaving work early so that we could head to the International Home of Cooking before it closed to buy my pots. (Hey, I was impressed too. He's a peach, what can I say?) I never thought I'd find the spontaneous offer of cookware-buying romantic, but it really was sweet.
Though ultimately the execution was quite quick, it was a lengthy process getting to the point of sale. First, some background: ever since college I had been fairly interested in healthy eating and buying organic to a certain extent. However it wasn't until we moved to Brussels, and I had the time to really devote to it, that I got super serious about all things bio and ecolo. One of the first steps we took was switching to cloth napkins most of the time. (Thanks to my friend Sarah in Iowa for inspiring that one!) I have super sensitive skin, so I had already been using non-allergen laundry detergent and cosmetics for years, but from there I started investigating gentler personal care and cleaning products, getting rid of any bad plastic and using more glass, and generally trying to "de-chemicalize" our lives. Now, this process can really drive a person crazy as the modern world is nothing if not chemically-supported. And, to be fair, not all chemicals or modern conveniences are bad. I love my refrigerator and dishwasher, I am profoundly grateful for long hot baths and showers, and I have one or two "conventional" cleaners that work so well I wouldn't dream of replacing them. We just try to do our best to buy local, "green", non-toxic, low-carbon-footprint, and organic/farmer-raised products as much as we can. I am extremely lucky that Troy cares about this stuff nearly as much as I do, so I don't get any grumbling from him.
Now back to the pots. Troy and I got a lot of beautiful things for the kitchen when we got married, plus we have picked up some nice odds and ends since then. Somehow, however, we never really thought about our cookware until this last year. We inherited pots and pans from a variety of sources, and they worked fine for a while. But, as we worked through project "green" and really looked at our cookware, well, it wasn't pretty. In a way, I'm glad that we waited as long as we did to get nice pots because I'm not positive if I would have chosen well even a few years ago. And, to give credit where credit is due, it was Troy who first clued me in about stainless steel. So, after much product research (what did people DO before the internet?), consulting friends, and visiting several stores and websites, I finally landed on the perfect pots. We got a 5 piece set in heavy, oven-proof, sleek, beautiful, stainless steel from a German company called Fissler. Here's pretty much the same the set via their US website. They make everything, so we can also add pieces in the future if we wish.
This was a much-anticipated, and yet also a surprise, purchase and I was extremely excited. To celebrate, I've been cooking up a storm. First up was my favorite slow-cooking bolognese sauce, courtesy of Mr. Emeril Lagasse believe it or not, and it tasted better than ever!
I started out in the sunny afternoon with some lovely ingredients.
Softening the prosciutto and odori (aka celery, onion, carrot)
About an hour of cooking later and the sauce was starting to look very nice indeed.
Et voila, after another 45-ish minutes of cooking on a low flame plus the addition of fresh parsley and a healthy dose of heavy cream, we have the finished sauce. And did you notice how pretty the pot is?
There is a good excuse for my long blog silence. Two words: The Website. As one of my friends here aptly put it the other day, "Are you still working on that thing?" Thankfully, now that answer is no because it is finally finished!
Long (long) story short, about a year and a half ago, I offered to help my choir update their website. It went from updating the old site to creating a completely new one and designing a new logo as well. We engaged a web development firm to do the actual coding and all that, but I served as the project manager, running interference between the techies and the choir-ies. It ended up being pretty involved and took WAY longer than I wanted it to (I love my choir, but they are a bureaucratic lot). But anyway the point is that it's done, and available in 3 languages to boot! Behold: www.brusselschoralsociety.com
Anyway, now I can finally get back to what I really want to be doing with my choir: singing!
Générale in Leuven - June 2010
Now, it's not that it's been all-website-all-the-time, it's just that I have been spending so much time on the computer that I couldn't face blogging too. Sorry loyal readers, all 3 of you. ;) One such interesting diversion was this year's Belgian Beer Weekend, aka the Beer Fest at the Grand Place. Cleverly, Troy decided to head down early in the morning to get our tokens before the lines got bad. Later that day, we met up with our friend Serge and enjoyed a lovely, warm, sunny, beer-y afternoon. Having learned my lesson from previous beer festivals, aka that Belgian beer is strong, I prudently shared with Troy this year.
Now that my project's finished, I can be better about blogging. I have a bunch of things to write about and some pretty pictures to post, though I have to wait until I get the camera back from Troy to get a couple of them. (Troy is working in the UK a lot these days, and he needed the camera this week to take photos at Wembley Stadium!) So, look for us to be more regularly in the blog-o-sphere soon. Cheers!
As I was thinking about writing this post, I realized that it was going to be one of those with a lot of 'asides', or comments and tangents off the main topic. Take the title -- originally I was going to call this post "Best Fall Entrée Ever!", but changed it when I realized that it could be confusing. That's because here the entrée(literally it means "entry") is the first course of a meal, while in the States the entree is the main course. As such, laid out like a word problem: Entrée is to appetizer as plat is to entree.
Aside to the aside -- Really, the title debate is a bit moot because these figs are sooooo good that I have actually eaten them as my whole meal before. Regardless, the title is "Figs!!!" because that is the actual subject.
This time of year, the fresh markets (and some of the supermarkets too) carry gorgeous fresh figs. Having before primarily known the fig in its Newton form, of which I am decidedly NOT a fan, I was surprised to discover that I LOVE the taste and texture of a perfectly ripe fresh fig. For a few weeks in the fall I use them all over my cooking repertoire -- sliced thin in green salads; tossed with plums, honey, and balsamic for a delicious fruit salad; even diced and mixed with plain yogurt for breakfast. However, la pièce de résistance of my fig dishes is something so good that Troy and I recently named it: 'Cadeaux des Figues', basically 'Fig Presents' because they are like little wrapped gifts (though it sounds much better in French. And, yes, we wax poetic about food now and again. The pleasures of the table are manifold, and we are truly blessed with the privilege of enjoying them.) Anyway, this delectable dish can be served as either a first course or as a light main course if accompanied by a salad and bread.
I owe a big thanks to my friend Cornelle who gave me the original recipe from which I have adapted mine. In addition to its heavenly combination of flavors and textures, this dish is awesome because it looks beautiful and tastes like you slaved over it for days, when in reality it's super quick and easy.
You quarter the figs, leaving them attached at the bottom, so they open like a flower. Then, while the oven warms up, you marinate them for a few minutes in a delicious sauce of honey, balsamic vinegar, chopped fresh herbs, and S&P. Next, lay out two slices of prosciutto in an "X" and place the figs in the center.
Put a slice of goat cheese in the center of the fig and fold up the sides of the fruit. Fold up first one slice of prosciutto, followed by the other, and finally drizzle about half of the sauce over the top of your little "packages".
Pop them in a 175℃/350℉ oven for about ±15 minutes, running them under the broiler at the end to crisp up the prosciutto. Then you serve them with the remainder of the sauce poured over the top.
Of course, the real trick is not in the preparation, but in using a few high quality ingredients. The figs need to be ripe, but still firm to hold up to the baking. For the herbs, my favorite version is with fresh sage, but it's also nice with rosemary and/or thyme. The goat cheese should be an aged one so that you get that sharper piquant taste that serves as a counterpoint for the sweetness of the honey and figs. For the sauce, I use equal amounts of honey and balsamic vinegar (about 2 tbs each for a dish of two figs). Now for the best flavor and consistency, you should really use a good, thick, aged balsamic vinegar. But, regular balsamic works too. Finally, there's the issue of the wrapper. Again, for the best combo of taste and texture prosciutto is definitely primo, but bacon is not a bad substitute.
So, that's it. Super delicious, super easy. Bon appetit!
We had originally planned a trip to Colorado in August, but ended up postponing it for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was Troy's super busy project schedule at work. However, in mid-August, the project passed a major milestone and Troy's boss encouraged him to take a few days off. We didn't need to be told twice! We quickly plotted out the agenda for a trip we have been wanting to take for a while: a visit to the famous gastronomic Bourgogne (Burgundy) region of France, a region littered with historic chateaux, home to the some of the world's best wines, and birthplace of such iconic French dishes as coq au vin, escargots, and boeuf bourguignon.
Since we only had a few days to see the region, we wanted to make the most of our time. Excellent planner that he is, Troy had the idea to get a headstart by leaving on Friday afternoon and driving part way, stopping for the night at a bed and breakfast in the region of Lorraine. Using our favorite French B&B book, Troy found the Chateau Jaulny. It is an XI Century(!) chateau and historic monument that just happened to have a room available despite the short notice and was a table d'hôtes, thus a B&B that also serves dinner. (Who just finds stuff like that?!? Troy, that's who. Seriously, I am the husband-lottery winner!)
View of the castle fortifications from below.
A modern gate shields the ancient fortress from view. The oldest buildings on the Chateau Jaulny grounds date from the XIth Century!!! I know I keep saying that, but it's just soooo old.
The chateau consists of several buildings, at one time used as storehouses, an armory, a guardhouse, and living quarters. Now they house guestrooms.
We had a room in the XI/XII century donjon, what we would call in English the castle "keep". That's our window in the center. So. Cool.
We had a beautiful, light-filled suite with a lovely view over the grounds.
For an extremely reasonable price, we enjoyed a deluxe 3-hour dinner of five courses, accompanied by wine and served in the traditional French style (l'apéro, le premier, le deuxième, le fromage, le dessert), and finished with le café et l'infusion (coffee and tea). We took the meal with the other guests, seated around this huge table in the ancient hall. Dinner was fabulous -- quiche lorraine and roasted guinea fowl, with flan and two types of mignardises (tiny cookies or chocolates) for dessert. A delicious and memorable way to kick off our trip!
Troy standing by the beautiful painted chimney in the hall, one of the many historic pieces that have been conserved in the castle.
The chateau has been owned by members of the same family for the last 140 years, giving them ample time to fill it with their enormous collections of old...stuff. Some are veritable antiques, some are plain junk, but all of it was interesting to look through. There's everything from this ancient suit of armor and cross-bow, to German army helmets from the many battles fought nearby, military medals, bullets, swords, photographs, porcelain, even an old toilette set (brush, comb, and mirror).
Germany and France have fought over the regions of Alsace and Lorraine for hundreds of years, most recently in WWII. As we were driving to the chateau, we happened to notice a sign for an American WWI cemetery. (As we have blogged about before, we have come across most of the American cemeteries we have visited purely by accident.) So, on Saturday morning after we left the chateau, we paid a visit to the World War I American Cemetery of St. Mihiel.
This was our first time seeing a WWI cemetery, and in a certain way it was even sadder than the others. Every war is tragic, but the fact that everyone thought it would be the 'War to end wars', combined with the unimaginably-horrifying hand-to-hand combat and trench warfare, made the now-peaceful grounds seem that much heavier, quieter. Like a type of innocence and optimism was lost with the soldiers.
From a design point-of-view, there was a notable difference between this cemetery and the other, later ones we have visited. Though they have all been lovely, this was the most classically beautiful cemetery that we've seen thus far -- the grounds were very formal, symmetrical, and very french. This lovely allée of lindens is just one example.
As always, the perfectly aligned rows of crosses were sobering. There are 4,153 graves at this site, mostly of men who died in September of 1918 halting the German offensive toward Paris.
The neo-classical central monument has a chapel in one wing and a room-sized marble relief map of the St. Mihiel salient in the other.
On a nearby bluff, visible for miles around, is a companion site to the St. Mihiel cemetery, the Montsec Monument.
Dedicated in 1932, this was to be a monument to the lasting peace garnered by the Great War. In a cruelly-ironic twist of fate, the monument itself took shell damage from American troops in 1944 as they were pursuing the withdrawing German forces after the Normandy landings.
I have mentioned my family's military history before, including my great-grandfather's service in the trenches of France during WWI. That connection added a layer of personal meaning to some already interesting historic sites. However, in a crazy twist, after we got home from this trip, I (re)discovered an e-mail from my mom where she explained that my Great-Uncle J.D. was part of the honor guard for the American general who formally accepted the German surrender on May 8th, 1945, in a field near Bouvron. Now, there is a Bouvron in Lorraine, between Toul and Nancy, a few miles from where we were. However, there is another Bouvron, located near St. Nazaire in Brittany, where my uncle's division was also posted, so perhaps the surrender was over there, and thus we were closer during our Normandy trip. We need to do some more research, but regardless it's pretty fascinating to travel extensively through the country my relatives fought to liberate. Troy found a couple of interesting articles about the German surrender, even a history of my uncle's army combat group, the 66th Black Panther Infantry Division.
So far, on the road to Bourgogne, we had encountered history stretching from the time of the Norman-conquest up into the 20th Century, with a family connection to boot. And that was only a day-and-a-half into the trip! What would happen next?
Oriental carpets, wall-to-wall plush pile, even that favorite tacky remnant of the 1970s, shag. These are all types of carpets with which you are doubtless familiar. But a carpet made of flowers? Well, this is yet another of the quirky things about Belgium...quirky, but beautiful.
As evidenced from our many flower-related blog posts, all things floral are big here in Belgium. Added to that, this is also home of the world-renowned Flemish weaving trade, resulting in history's most beautiful and valuable tapestries. So apparently in the early 1950s someone decided to combine the two, using flowers to create a large "carpet" or tapestry. The idea caught on, and in 1971 Brussels hosted its first flower carpet in the beautiful Grand Place. Now this event happens every two years and incorporates a mind-boggling ±540,000 begonias (300 flowers per square meter, "woven" over the Grand Place's 1800 square meter "floor") in a unique, themed-design. Past themes have included 'Brussels Coats of Arms & Guilds', 'Art Nouveau', and 'Brussels Lace'. This year's theme was the sort-of-boring-but-appropriately-long-titled "Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union'. Now, what could that look like? You'll see shortly.
Since the event only happens one weekend every-other-year, you have to get your timing right to attend. We were out of town in 2008, but somewhat unexpectedly found ourselves in Brussels this year, so we seized the opportunity to check out the spectacle!
A nice, sunny shot of us at one end of the flower carpet. These next several photos are taken at ground level, going in a kind of circle.
This is the amazing Gothic Maison de Ville/Stadhuis(Town Hall). Normally closed off to the average visitor, they open up its balconies to the public to view the flower carpet from above.
That's the also-intricately-Gothically-amazing Musée de la Ville/Museum van de Stad (City Museum of Brussels) that among other things houses the crazy collection of Manneken Pis Costumes. You could view the carpet from its balconies too.
This end of the Grand Place has a gorgeous assembly of recently-restored guild houses. Once they get all four sides of the Grand Place restored, it really will be the prettiest square in the world.
Time to go up! As you can see, this is a popular thing and there was quite the queue, but it was totally worth it. Plus, the time spent in line was interesting because the town hall is such a cool building. Unfortunately, they wouldn't allow photographs on the interior.
There were flowers everywhere, like these at the entrance.
Now, we're on the balcony looking up at the building wall behind us. This is a detail shot, but the ENTIRE exterior is covered in intricately carved statuary.
Ok, now for the flowers. Panning from the left...
Middle...
And right.
An artistic macro shot.
The carpet really was beautiful, unique, intricate, and fascinating. And yet, I must confess that I found the theme to be a bit, well, lame. And not a little bit ironic. Rah rah EU when Belgium, yet again, doesn't have a functioning government? Plus, to me the fountain area looked like it said "EW" (tee hee). But, really, who cares? Belgian politics is a confounding tangled mess that confuses minds far more astute than mine. And we were discussing flowers -- it's a carpet made of Half a Million flowers, and that's cool.
Can't get enough? Here's a video Troy took of the whole display:
We made the big move across the pond to Brussels, Belgium. In addition to sharing images and stories about our travels, we want to keep our friends and family updated with our everyday Belgian life.
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