Cucina Testa Rossa

Post Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich aka The Fridge Sandwich

or Fridge-wich if you want to get clever...just don't call it a "sammie" pleeeze! I can't take credit however. I absconded the name from none other than the inimitable Jacques Pépin. On his current show More Fast Food My Way, we made a vegetable soup that he nicknamed Fridge Soup. In a nutshell, pun intended, whatever leftover vegetables were in the fridge went into the pot. C'est tout! That's it! And such was the case with my sandwich. I did my daily dance - open the fridge, then open the freezer, then to the cupboard, chomped down a few Wheat Thins, then back to the fridge repeating a few times - before finally settling on some turkey, a hard-boiled egg, a handful of cornichons, half a green apple - all chopped and into the bowl. Next to the stove I have some olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and herbs de provence. A tablespoon of mayo, 2 of dijon mustard, a few shakes of raspberry vinegar for a kick. I mixed it all together and spooned it over a thick toasted slice of Acme olive bread and called it a day :) Bon appetit!

Here's more information on the show and companion book:
YouTube: Fridge Soup show
KQED series: Jacques Pépin's More Fast Food My Way
Series companion book: Jacques Pépin's More Fast Food My Way

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Amen to that! :) This picture always reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Kramer sunbathes in butter :) And here's some cocktail trivia for you on the history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It's actually very heartwarming and I'll take any good news I can get these days.

Bon Appetit and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you all! May we all have much to be grateful for... I know I do! Meilleurs voeux de San Francisco ~ Best wishes from San Francisco. Laura

What the hell am I going to cook for dinner? Black Bean Soup!

You'd think a professionally trained French cook wouldn't have to agonize over what to cook for dinner?! Au contraire mon frere. I do it every night. I open the fridge. Then I open the freezer. Then I open the cupboards. Then I go back to the fridge and rotate through at least 3 times. My nightly ritual unless something is sitting there on the 2nd shelf greeting me when I open the door. I'd prefer to shop every day or ever 2 days like I did back when I lived you-know-where but I don't have my farmers market across the street 3 days a week, and nor do I have my baker, butcher and fishmonger a block away, but I digress... So what to do on a week night when Heroes is about to come on and no time, patience, nor ingredients to make a full on meal. One of my many tried and true standbys is black bean soup and it's about as easy as it gets.

• 1 can black beans (I love Progresso black beans)
• 1/2 can (1 cup) chicken broth
• plain yogurt
• pine nuts, toasted (or a tad burned as i did tonight - still trying to figure out my electric stove. yes electric! ugh)

1. drain can of beans - no need to save the liquid, it's gross imho.
2. put beans in a pot on medium high heat and add the broth. bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes (or longer if you want a thicker consistency)
3. turn off the heat. blend with an immersion blender or puree in a blender or cuisinart
4. garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and some toasted (not burned!) pine nuts

Bon appetit! Just in time for Heroes :)

What the hell am I going to cook for Thanksgiving?!

My kitchen counter strewn with stacks of magazines and cookbooks that haunt me every time I walk by them. Now I know I could simply look at the post just below this one for a plethora of great Thanksgiving meal ideas but you see I've already MADE all those. I need something NEW or I wouldn't have anything to write about much less lose out on the opportunity for a culinary challenge. I usually regret those around 2am the night before as I start stressing out about burning the turkey beyond recognition or forgetting a major ingredient...like the turkey! I'll let you know what I come up with as soon as I do... which will probably be somewhere around 3pm on Thursday! Stay tuned...

Thanksgiving Round-up Re-gift

Hey Everyone - My apologies for once again taking the lazy route this year but haven't been able to get my act together. Quelle surprise! So yes, I am committing that heinous act of re-gifting. Now before you judge me and hurl culinary insults my way, my friend's sister gave her used potholders one Christmas, I kid you not!, so re-gifting a few recipes can be all that bad... Here are some Thanksgiving ideas from the past few years. Don't miss the spice bread and foie gras stuffed chapon recipe and please don't torque the turkey like I did 2 years ago... Happy Thanksgiving and Bon Appetit! Laura

[November 2007] Putting together a menu is always the hardest part for me - I struggle, agonize, bemoan my fate - so if you don't want to suffer the same, here are some ideas from the Ghosts of Thanksgiving Past...

How *Not* to Cook a Turkey 12/2/06

Thanksgiving in Paris, Trois Fois (Three Times) 11/27/05

Thanksgiving Recipes v4.0 ~ Stuffed! 11/20/06

Thanksgiving Recipes v3.0 ~ Michael Chiarello 11/19/06

Thanksgiving Recipes v2.0 ~ Deja Vu 11/18/06

Thanksgiving Recipes v1.0 ~ Williams-Sonoma 11/17/06

And this year, I'm in San Francisco cooking with my Paris flatmates. Here's the menu below... Whether it actually ends up being this will be wholely determined by how much champagne we consume while cooking and if certain people went out the night before and decided to clean the oven at 4am...but I digress... We decided on a capon since I torqued the turkey last year. Cross your fingers and toes and wings and thighs for me!
thanksgiving 2008
chez john et pierre
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rose champagne
smoked salmon on brioche with lemon creme fraiche
toasts with arugula, proscuitto, chevre
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burgundy pinot noir
chapon stuffed with foie gras, sauteed trumpet mushrooms, cognac
cornbread stuffing with dried cranberries, apricots
roasted asparagus sliced fennel, beets, oranges with a raspberry vinaigrette
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sauterne (or maybe back to champagne?)
pears poached in red wine on creme anglaise drizzled with chocolate

Bon appetit! L