A tasty salad!

The main components to this easy salad are smoked salmon, jarred baby asparagus, onions and a mayonnaise dressing. In the picture I added lettuce leaves to bulk up my salad. Red onions are also quite delicious with the asparagus/salmon combination. Finally, I mix lemon juice or red wine vinegar with my mayonnaise and top my salad with it. This is easy and delicious (and probably healthy, too!)

The obligatory pasta salad

We were invited to a Father's Day BBQ last night and asked to bring something to share. We brought flavored mojitos, dessert and a dish to share.

It was funny because when we first arrived we saw a few bowls of pasta salad on the table and one woman commented. She said her friend had a BBQ once and asked friends to bring a salad or dessert. By the end of the night her friend was left with ten bowls of pasta salad. Wasn't that ridiculous?

Well, our hostess was also left with ten bowls of pasta salad last night. I am envisioning most of it being dumped in a trash can at midnight...

So, what is a good alternative? Try this!

Tea sandwiches:

16 slices of soft square sandwich bread
4 slices of prosciutto
cream cheese
herb cheese spread
4 smoked salmon slices
chives

Spread cream cheese on 4 slices of bread and add a slice of prosciutto to each. Spread herb cream cheese to 4 new slices of bread and top each with a slice of smoked salmon. Cover each sandwich with a new slice of bread. Cut your sandwiches into 4 triangles. Place the small sandwiches on a platter. Cut up chives and sprinkle them over your sandwiches as a garnish. You can also carefully lay 3 uncut strips of chives over the top for extra oomph!

These sandwiches were eaten up and enjoyed and definitely not weighing down my hostess' trash can at midnight!

Flammkuche

Flammkuche or Tarte Flambee is my new favorite, quick meal at the moment. It is especially good washed down with a nice, cold beer. Flammkuche is almost like a pizza in which it has a thin and crispy crust. It is then topped with cream or creme fraiche, bacon or lardons, chopped onions and other goodies. I prefer melted cheese on my Flammkuche.

I had never really heard of this until our recent travels to Alsace. It is a region in France right along the border with Germany. If you travel here you will easily find Flammkuche aka Tarte Flambee. I highly recommend finding an outdoor terrace, order a tall beer or wine from the region and enjoy!

Tasty Treats in Turin

It's true! The guide books say that if you order a drink at the big cafes in Turin you will be served tasty treats. We found this to be true and regretted even ordering dinner because we were offered so many snacks. The afternoon began and we walked down the Via Roma to the Cafes on the large piazza. My husband and I each ordered a drink and were then served little sandwiches with them - for free! After wandering more and enjoying a delicious dinner we went on the search for ice cream. We returned to the same piazza, but tried the cafe opposite the one before. With our drink and ice cream we were served up a feast: dried ham sandwiches, frittata sandwiches, chips etc. Again, for free! I would love to return to Turin to have a similar gourmande experience. The next time I won't eat my dinner so I can enjoy the tasty snacks and drinks!

tarte tatin

With four simple ingredients this is a delicious and somewhat easy dessert. I have to thank my belle-maman (mother in law) for teaching me her recipe in her authentic, French kitchen.

4 medium sized apples pealed and sliced. (I used Royal Gala or Golden Delicious)
1 pate brisee (butter pie pastry)
300 grams of sugar to an equal part of water

To make the caramel sauce put a saucepan on medium high heat and add the sugar and water. It will boil and bubble and change into caramel after about 20-30 minutes. You should pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius or about 400 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of preparing the caramel. You can smell and see when your sugar-water changes. Let it cook until it reaches a great caramel color. But, don't let it burn! If it gets too dark or smells like it is burning remove it from the stove immediately! Never touch caramel. It is extremely HOT!

Place your pealed and sliced apples in the bottom of your baking dish. A 9 inch pie dish should work well. I start on the outside and layer the apples and work my way in to the middle.

Pour the prepared caramel over the apples.

Unroll your pastry crust and lay it over the top of the caramel and apples. Fold in the edges to make a nice crust. You can cut a few holes at the top for ventilation.

Place the tart in the oven. Keep an eye on it as it cooks. In the first 15 minutes the crust will become golden and the caramel will start to bubble out of the sides.

You can lower the temperature by 50 degrees Fahrenheit and let it cook another 15-20 minutes.

Let your tart cool for about 20-30 minutes. Find a dish that is large enough to hold your tart. Place it over the pie dish as you will turn the entire thing over! The crust will be on the bottom, apples for all to see and a delicious caramel sauce all over everything.

Bon appetit et Merci Belle Maman!

Mint from the garden for the perfect Mojitos!

What's Cooking?

I have lived in France now for 7 months. I have been in love with food my entire life.

My mom says I can remember any event based on the meal. It's usually true. Yesterday's event was a birthday BBQ and I know I will remember the Mojitos. Unfortunately, today I wish I could forget the Mojitos.

They are delicious especially if you can grow mint in your garden:

12 mint leaves
2 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. lime juice
1 1/2 oz. light rum
1 oz. tonic

Muddle the mint leaves with the sugar and lime juice. Add the rum and tonic. Garnish with a mint leaf or a slice of lime. Enjoy!