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Sunday, May 06, 2001
Here is this week's collection of the best things I've learned and the best things I've eaten. Always looking for guidance, I am also looking for dinner. Recipes and wisdoms satisfy my appetite.
When I happened upon John Lahr's profile of August Wilson, "Been Here and Gone," in the April 16 issue of The New Yorker and found two pieces of advice I could use, I copied them down.
From Lahr's insightful study of the playwright, we learn that tacked to Wilson's bulletin board are a quotation from architect Frank Gehry, "TAKE IT TO THE MOON," and from the late jazz trumpeter Charlie Parker, "DON'T BE AFRAID. JUST PLAY THE MUSIC." They are actions to take when you're stuck on how to proceed. A few paragraphs later, Lahr shares with readers a Buddhist motto by which Wilson tries to live his writing life, "You're entitled to the work but not the reward."
It connects with what artist Anselm Kiefer said to reporter Alan Riding in The New York Times:
"I never wanted to be a star," the German artist explained. "I want to communicate through my work. If you are a star, you communicate through the lowest common denominator. I never want to have photographs of myself in the press. I am not important. All I want is to do something that goes through me and results in something."
If you are New York City chef Daniel Boulud, the results might be breakfast, lunch and dinner. He recently did all three for The New York Times Magazine on Sunday, April 8. It was a delicious story written by Amanda Hesser, cookbook writer and columnist, based on the premise that Boulud, (whose restaurant Daniel recently received its fourth star from New York Times, a distinction shared with only five others), could take scrambled eggs, a tuna fish sandwich and macaroni and cheese to the moon.
He did the eggs by passing them through a sieve to eliminate any lumps, mixing them with French butter (Echire), cooking them slowly in a double boiler and beating in heavy cream. Instead of a side of toast, he sprinkled them with toast dust (crumbs browned in butter).
Turning his nose up at anything from a can, Boulud used sushi-grade tuna for his sandwich. Between slices of focaccia bread, he topped the lightly sauted fish with a sort of salade nicoise (bibb lettuce, tomato, avocado, olives, anchovies and, for crunch, celery and cucumber) and served the sandwich with hard-cooked quail eggs for dipping in olive oil and then salt.
For the macaroni and cheese he mixed mushrooms, Parmigiano, mascarpone, fontina cheese and ham, stuffing it into cooked rigatoni and, before baking, frosting it with heavy cream whipped to soft peaks and sprinkled with grated Parmigiano. My mac and Cheddar it ain't.
I'm not jealous. I recently had my chance to show off. A few hours before we were to meet friends for dinner at Girasole, a restaurant in Shadyside, Gene walked into my kitchen with three pounds of asparagus he'd just cut in his garden. What to do?
Don't be afraid. Just play the music.
I called the three couples with whom we were having dinner and invited them to stop by and share a first course. It was the simplest combination possible. Just garden-fresh asparagus so tender I didn't have to peel it, cooked quickly in a skillet and served with melted sweet butter, freshly ground salt and pepper and freshly grated Parmigiano.
Alongside it on a plate I put some freshly foraged watercress, a gift from Tom Chulick when we had dinner at his restaurant, the Back Door Cafe in Johnstown. I tossed the greens with a walnut-shallot vinaigrette and, for color, dropped one red grape tomato on each plate. One bottle of champagne, in the refrigerator since my last birthday and deliciously icy cold, gave everyone about two inches of wine.
It pleased us all to be together and to be eating something so good. We have asparagus about every other night. I cook a lot of things to go with it, but it's always the asparagus that is the best. (Which is not meant to slight the rhubarb. The rhubarb is wonderful, too.)
1/3 cup chopped shallots
Whisk shallots, vinegar and mustard in small bowl until blended. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup walnuts. Toss some salad greens with enough vinaigrette to coat. Divide among 8 plates. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Makes 8 servings.
Bon Appetit
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
11/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts