9
AN ANTI-AGING FOOD PRESCRIPTION
Consider that French, Spanish, and Italian women have some of the longest life expectancies in the world (eighty-four–plus). Also, consider that the average French, Italian, and Spanish woman does not like to break a sweat, though they keep active and walk a lot.
Science has proven that exercise and a good diet both add years to your life and make you feel and look much younger than you are. No news there. I could say, “The devil is in the details,” though “God is in the details” fits as well. What constitutes meaningful, result-producing exercise? What is a good diet? There are lots of variations that qualify as good answers.
One good diet has moved beyond hype and is scientifically proven to be unquestionably healthy and not a fad. This diet is rich in omega-3 fatty oils from fish; rich in antioxidants, antihypertensives, and monounsaturated fats from olive oil; rich in antioxidants from fruit; and rich in fresh vegetables. It lives by the rule of a glass or two of wine a day. It doesn’t involve calorie counting or banning chocolate, though fresh fruit is the preferred dessert. I am, of course, referring to the so-called Mediterranean diet.
Now think about the long life expectancy of those French, Italian, and Spanish women. The connection is not coincidental.
With some additions I have picked up around the globe, it is the diet that I for the most part follow. It is also the diet that the oldest recorded person ever to have lived followed, Jeanne Louise Calment, who spent her life in Arles, Provence, France, and died in 1997 at the age of 122 years.
But there are other places, cultures, and diets that have been scientifically linked to exceptionally healthy and long lives.
One such place is Okinawa, Japan, where life expectancy is very long indeed, evident from its large population of centenarians. Okinawa is a very socioeconomically modest island chain some four hundred miles south of the main islands of Japan. The culture is low stress, and the diet is distinctive. Besides eating a lot of leafy green/yellow vegetables, Okinawans eat surprisingly little fish and almost no eggs and dairy; sweet potatoes are their main starch, which have about half the calories of bread. Moreover, the Okinawans practice Hara Hachi Bu, the Confucian practice of eating only until 80 percent full. So they practice portion control. Net effect: Okinawans don’t get fat and don’t die young.
People have studied those Okinawans and compared them to their genetic Okinawan peers living abroad (and who practice the characteristically poor eating habits of the developed world). They have concluded that diet and culture—not genetics—are key to the centenarians’ longevity. The traditional low-calorie diet of the Okinawans, however, has in the past few decades of globalization been evolving more toward the current higher-calorie practices of Japan and elsewhere.
Another documented long-living group, a group of Seventh-day Adventists living in Loma Linda, California, also demonstrate that healthy eating habits and lifestyle practiced for decades add years if not decades to one’s lifetime. These vegetarians, who enjoy nuts, and an active and healthy lifestyle, live five to seven years longer than the rest of us generally good practitioners and are also healthier longer. They don’t get fat either. Ikaria, a Greek island, and the Nuoro province of Sardinia are other enclaves of centenarians whose exceptional longevity is attributed to diet and lifestyle.
There are some obvious good guidelines for us as we age, as in eat more fruits and vegetables and don’t pile on the calories, but there is other good news in the kitchen and on our plates.
IN THE KITCHEN AND ON OUR PLATES
So much has changed—and for the better—in the twenty-first-century approach to cooking. Today, we can eat well and better with many techniques and tips great chefs have developed, such as using less butter or sugar or even olive oil, and changing our cooking methods by replacing fats with stocks or juices. Or using less salt, especially on meat, by marinating it and tenderizing it. Or scoring meat to get rid of extra fat while cooking and using more herbs and spices for flavor compensation. Or perhaps using lemon juice in place of some of the olive oil or using grape-seed oil mixed with stock (whether veggie, fish, chicken, or beef stock, which all are easily available today and of good quality) in a salad dressing. And there’s even a famous French chef who steams his veggies in a particular brand of sparkling water, which contains minerals that help melt the cellulose fibers in vegetables (thus assisting digestion while speeding the cooking time and keeping their color)!
For those who are still intimidated by cooking (again, a great activity and aid to knowing what you are putting in your body), one of my favorite chefs, Fred Anton of Le Pré Catelan in Paris, says, “Cooking is simple. It’s either hot or cold, salted or not. There are criteria, techniques, but also creativity.” C’est tout. I love experimenting. Another favorite chef, Yannick Alléno of Le Meurice in Paris, says when he cooks at home, he does not use machines except for his little robot (food processor), but does everything with his hands (nice stress-buster et relaxant) and uses only basic tools, like a whisk for beating his eggs. It’s a great way to connect with food and to burn calories and tone a few muscles at the same time. No need for most fancy appliances. Use elbow grease to mix foods with a spoon, as French women who don’t get fat have always done.
FOODS FOR FEELING BETTER
A few ingredients have been key in my life to provide me with stamina, well-being, and much more, at the least sharpening my taste buds, trying variations, and giving me lots of little pleasures. I also believe they have helped me age a tad better. My husband would replace “a tad” with “a lot,” and I welcome that kind of compliment from him.
Those who know me and have tasted my simple dishes know that the ingredients I use most are lemon (and other citrus fruits, particularly grapefruit and orange juices, though I rarely consume these as pure juices alone to avoid the sugar rush and so as not to miss the benefits of the pulp or the slower release of nutrients when blended in a sauce or dish…plus, there are all those calories in a full glass); vinegar; yogurt and cheese in general (particularly fresh goat cheese, fresh ricotta, and, when in France, the magnificent, irreplaceable faisselle); eggs; grains (particularly quinoa, lentils, millet, and bulgur); mushrooms (any kind, and possibly with a glass of bubbly, the perfect accompaniment); fish (from oysters to mussels to salmon or any fish particularly prepared in the quick papillote style); potatoes (I am French, after all, and grew up eating a small portion daily—from boiled to mashed to roasted and, yes, French fries; but only on Sundays and no seconds, as plea bargaining did not work for children in our house); green veggies (particularly leeks, broccoli, zucchini, fennel, asparagus, kale, peas, cucumbers, and haricots verts (a variety of string bean); berries (particularly strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and including the almighty tomato); and, of course, nuts (particularly walnuts and almonds); herbs (parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, and mint); spices (cinnamon, curry, turmeric, cumin); and the new fruits I discovered in my adult life, including avocado, kiwi, papaya, pomegranate, and mango when, alas, locally grown fruit is not an option, but I love to splurge on them and have incorporated them into my after-forty eating lifestyle. Of course, apples and pears have been my religion. Et bien sûr, le chocolat, le bon pain et le vin. Cela va sans dire! Avec modération, s’il vous plaît.
Most of the staples on that list stand out as super health foods. Here is my personal recommended and unranked top-ten list of superhealthy foods (it was hard to stop at ten):
Oysters
Blueberries
Yogurt
Lentils
Spinach
Quinoa
Tomatoes
Oatmeal
Honey
Apples
Perhaps the healthiest and greatest anti-aging food of all is honey. This has been so much a part of my daily life and nutrition since I was a baby I almost take it for granted, while it really needs trumpeting.
HONEY
Is honey a food or a medicine or a beauty product? All of the above, bien sûr. If you want to look younger and be healthier, definitely cut your sugar intake and look to honey. Sugar, which is hidden in most prepared foods, including restaurant dishes, and is the emollient of soft drinks, “refreshing drinks,” and cocktails, not only adds to one’s waistline, but it adds to one’s wrinkles. High blood sugar levels cause glycation, which damages the collagen in our skin, et voilà wrinkles and the sagging effects of gravity from head to toe. And let us not consider artificial sweeteners, except to say, double your water intake to flush out those “toxins,” tout de suite.
I rather like the notion of honey, as it is made from the nectar of flowers with the help of bees, so it is a somewhat “romantic” kind of food—sort of like eating flowers. My father kept beehives for some years, and the adventure and memory of “picking the honey” and eating the honeycomb add to the romance for me. Different flowers add different flavor overtones to the syrup, which is composed mainly of fructose and glucose (about 70 percent). My favorite is acacia, which is common in France, Italy, and China (and plentiful in Provence). Bergamot from Lorraine is a rare and special treat.
There are few empty calories in honey, unlike table sugar, or sucrose. You need a lot less honey (and thus less calories) than sucrose to sweeten your food and drinks. And if you are into sports drinks or pick-me-ups, consider that a spoon or two of honey in a glass of hot or cold water is perfection: the glucose provides an instant energy boost and the more slowly metabolized fructose a sustained follow-up.
Honey is just amazing: it is an antioxidant, antibacterial (it is an acid with a pH around 4, so it kills bacteria), antimicrobial, and has high osmolarity (which means it can draw water from things it is added to, which, as a medicine, kills by dehydration).
Its résumé as a medicine is long and distinguished. It is commonly known for helping with sore throats and coughs, asthma and hay fever, diarrhea and stomach ulcers; plus tooth and ear infections, pneumonia, cholera, scarlet fever…and on and on.
Its use in skin care and wound dressing is equally impressive. Records going back to 50 BC cite it as a topical treatment for sunburn and wounds. It has a remarkable property in that when applied to a wound, the honey surface attached to the wound turns to slow-released hydrogen peroxide, which is why it has been so successfully used for treating skin burns and diabetic foot ulcers. No stripping away bandages, just an easy dissolving of the honey.
And that is why it makes a great face mask. Just rub a teaspoon or two of honey on your face, leave for ten minutes, and wash it away. The honey cleanses, and its drying properties are an aid against oiliness, pimples, and even acne and some wounds. Yet it is moisturizing, soaking into your skin, nurturing aging skin. Wow. No wonder Cleopatra added milk and honey to her bath.
I had not realized until I wrote this chapter that I consume honey directly in some application at least five out of seven days a week, year after year, and have since childhood. Perhaps it is my anti-aging magic pill. (My mother used to say it would fill up my cheeks for old age.)
As I write this in my little Provence paradise, I am on a “red berries” cure (as in a sustained treatment of overdosing on one food for several days), including strawberries, raspberries, and cherries to beets to watermelon, and am eating them daily in different ways (I like Kerala pepper on them!). They are healthy, and a few days or even a week of indulging in them, especially when they are at their peak flavor, is not going to throw off your nutritional balance, but will enhance your pleasure. What I play with as time goes is a symphony of my favorite foods (well, perhaps a concerto), mostly from my childhood and late adulthood, and, oui, they turn out to be amazingly good for aging with style and attitude.
Our mothers and grandmothers may not have known much about nutrition, calories, or antioxidants, but they surely knew freshness, variety, balance, good taste, and pleasure. Voilà. C’est tout.
Here are some easy recipes with some of my favorite ingredients. They have been part of my nutritional plan since my fifties and some recipes since much earlier.
Magical Breakfast Redux
In Provence, when I have houseguests, I always include a big bowl of Magical Breakfast Redux on the counter buffet-style, and it keeps fine for twenty minutes. Because of its popularity, I alert my guests that a second bowl is waiting in the fridge, and more often than not, both bowls are empty when breakfast is over. Women, men, and kids all love the stuff.
SERVES 1
½ to 
cup yogurt (or, if you are in France, faisselle)
1 teaspoon flaxseed oil (olive or other oil works, too)
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons raw old-fashioned oatmeal
2 teaspoons chopped walnuts
1. Place the yogurt in a bowl and add oil. Mix well. Add lemon juice and mix well. Add honey and mix well. (It is important to add each ingredient one at a time and blend well to obtain a homogeneous mixture.)
2. Add the oatmeal and walnuts to the yogurt mixture and mix well. Serve at once.
I can’t help pointing out how amazing this breakfast is because it is complete with balanced carbs, protein, and fats. The honey in it makes it “dessert,” and we know that dessert at breakfast allows for maintaining lower levels of ghrelin (the hormone that stimulates appetite) and sustains higher levels of fullness. Plus, when you eat what you like, you decrease cravings. Lots of people think breakfast is important, but lots of people actually skip it. Surveys show that a good 22 percent of Americans skip breakfast, and among those who eat breakfast, at-home eaters are more likely to have a lower body mass. However, over 40 percent eat fruit and 30 percent eat cold cereal (Cheerios, anyone?) because it is fast. Not the best way to age well. After forty, a complete, what I refer to as “mature,” breakfast is key: the Magical Breakfast Redux is one and is supereasy to make.
Beet Mille-Feuille (a Breadless Sandwich!) with Ricotta and Honey
SERVES 4
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1¼ cups (approximately 10 ounces) fresh, whole milk ricotta
4 medium red beets, roasted, peeled, and cut horizontally into ¼-inch slices
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, sherry vinegar, and olive oil until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Place ricotta in another small bowl, season with salt and pepper, and whisk until light and smooth.
2. To assemble the mille-feuille, place 1 beet slice on a plate, cover with a neat layer of ricotta, and continue alternating layers (use 4 beet slices per serving). Place a dollop of ricotta on top of the mille-feuille, drizzle vinaigrette over and around, garnish with basil, and serve immediately.
Note: If golden beets are available, try using 2 red and 2 golden for a more colorful presentation.
Tartare of Cucumber and Tomatoes
SERVES 4
4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
Juice of half a lemon
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cucumbers, washed, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch dice
2 large tomatoes, washed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch dice
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons golden raisins
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 large lettuce leaves for serving, if using
1. Stack basil leaves into a neat pile and roll them lengthwise tightly. Using a sharp knife, slice crosswise, creating thin “ribbons,” and reserve.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the basil, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, and olive oil. Season to taste and reserve.
3. Place the cucumber, tomatoes, pine nuts, and raisins in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the basil vinaigrette, reserving 2 tablespoons for serving, and mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
4. To serve, place 2 large lettuce leaves, if using, on each plate and spoon tartare on top. For a more sophisticated presentation, place a 3-inch ring mold in the center of each plate and spoon tartare into the mold, being careful to strain juices/ vinaigrette before placing in mold. Pat gently to compress and carefully remove ring mold. Garnish with additional basil ribbons, a sprinkle of salt, and a drizzle of remaining vinaigrette.
Lentils Three Ways: Soup, Side, & Salad
SERVES 4
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for serving
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or rosemary)
10 ounces lentils (preferably the tiny green variety, Du Puy), washed and picked over
1 tablespoon curry
3¾ cups water
2 cups hot vegetable stock (if making as a soup)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Crème fraîche for garnishing soup (optional)
1. Warm the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot, and thyme, and sauté, stirring, until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the lentils, curry, and freshly ground pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the water, increase heat to medium-high, and bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat, cover with lid, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.
4. To serve the lentils as a soup, add hot vegetable stock during the last 10 minutes of cooking. When lentils are tender, carefully transfer half of the mixture to a blender or food mill and puree until smooth and creamy. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan and stir to combine. This creates a creamy lentil soup with some texture. Season to taste and serve hot, garnished with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of curry powder, if desired.
5. To serve the lentils as a side dish, drain any remaining water once the lentils are tender and place in a serving bowl. Season with coarse salt to taste and a drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately. You can add your favorite chopped fresh herbs as well.
Note: Any leftovers will make for a delicious salad over the next 2–3 days. Simply take the lentils out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before using and create a salad of your choice with some lettuce leaves, the lentils, and any other raw veggies you wish to add. If you would like to serve the salad as a main course or complete meal, 1 or 2 soft-boiled eggs are a lovely addition, as is a small can of tuna or sardines or some leftover cooked salmon.
Red Rice
Red rice from the Carmargue is available in specialty stores. I was introduced to it in the Carmargue, forty-five minutes from my home in Provence, as a superior alternative to regular white rice, and I find it crunchier and tastier.
SERVES 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups red rice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with the flat part of a wide knife
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
6 cups water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Warm the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice, garlic, and rosemary and cook, stirring until the grains are coated with oil and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
2. Add water, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Drain any excess water, remove crushed garlic cloves, and season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.
This is delicious served with fish, chicken, or duck, or made into a salad.
Skewers of Monkfish with Avocado Coulis and Mango
SERVES 4
2 medium avocados
Juice of 2 lemons
½ to ¾ cup water
1 pound monkfish (swordfish works well, too)
1 or 2 large small ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Cut each avocado in half and remove the pits. Spoon avocado pulp into a blender and add lemon juice and ½ cup water. Puree until smooth, adding a bit more water if necessary (up to ¾ cup water total). Season to taste and set aside.
2. Preheat a plancha (griddle) over medium heat or a gas grill to medium.
3. Rinse the fish, pat dry with a paper towel, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Thread 1 cube of fish on a skewer, followed by 1 cube of mango; repeat 2 more times on each skewer. Brush with olive oil and season to taste.
4. Place skewers on the plancha or grill and cook, turning them so that they cook evenly, until the fish is opaque and can be easily pierced by a knife, approximately 8–12 minutes. Serve immediately with the avocado coulis.
Zucchini and Yellow Squash Salad with Feta and Mint
SERVES 4
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup fresh chopped mint leaves
2 zucchini
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, sherry vinegar, and olive oil. Season to taste and reserve. In another small bowl, combine the feta with one-third of the mint and reserve.
2. Wash the zucchini and yellow squash and trim ends. Cut one type crosswise into thin slices. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the other type into ribbons. Place both in a large bowl; add tomatoes, vinaigrette, and feta-mint mixture, and toss gently to combine. Season to taste and refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour.
3. To serve, toss salad and garnish with the remaining mint.
Poêlée of Mushrooms
Mushrooms from the “woods” (wild varieties) can be expensive, but are ever so tasty. You can, however, use the white variety and mix with a leftover boiled potato cut into small cubes or even a few pieces of bacon for added flavor.
SERVES 4
12 ounces assorted wild mushrooms (use a mixture of 2 to 3 types, including shiitake, cremini, portobello, oyster, girolle)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dry vermouth (or white wine)
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons crème fraîche (or yogurt)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices day-old brioche or country bread
1. Clean the mushrooms with a slightly damp paper towel, remove the ends, and slice. Mince 1 clove of garlic and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and softened, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
3. Add vermouth, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, and the tarragon and continue cooking, stirring, until most of the cooking liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add crème fraîche, stir to combine, and season to taste.
4. Meanwhile, toast the slices of bread. Slice the remaining garlic clove in half and rub the cut side over the toasted bread. Place 1 slice of bread on each plate and divide mushroom mixture evenly among the 4 slices. Garnish with the remaining chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Eggplant Caviar
SERVES 4
2 medium eggplants
6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 teaspoon curry (cumin works well, too)
Pinch of paprika
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash eggplants, slice lengthwise, and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (make sure the piece of foil is big enough to fold over the eggplant to create a “packet” for cooking).
2. Score the cut sides of eggplant with a knife and place garlic cloves in the incisions and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with curry and paprika, season to taste, and cover with foil, sealing to create a packet.
3. Bake until the eggplant is tender, about 40 minutes. Carefully open foil and spoon the cooked flesh into a bowl and discard the skin. Add lemon juice, mash with a fork, and season to taste. Let cool and serve with toasted bread.
Sardines Sicilian-Style
I grew up eating sardine tartines—canned sardines nicely laid on small slices of bread. Maybe my mother knew something about antioxidants, as sardines are loaded with them, but it was not until early in my married life that I discovered fresh grilled sardines at a little restaurant on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda. It became our daily lunch, and since then I’ve made this simple dish often, especially as we can get plenty of fresh sardines in New York and Provence.
SERVES 4
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
4 fresh sardines (about 3–4 ounces each), cleaned, leaving heads and tails intact
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon sliced almonds
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and cook the sardines until golden, about 2–3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on a serving platter, lightly season with salt, and reserve.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to the same pan, then add the garlic and shallot and sauté over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the pine nuts, almonds, lemon juice, and sherry vinegar, and simmer, stirring, for about 1½ minutes. Season to taste.
3. Spoon vinegar mixture evenly over sardines and serve immediately.
To serve Sicilian-style, place sardines on top of vinegar mixture in pan and serve with slightly warm focaccia.
Provençal Goat Cheese and Grilled Vegetables Combo
SERVES 4
1 yellow pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch strips
1 red pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch strips
2 zucchini, cut in half crosswise, then cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
1 medium eggplant, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for grill
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices sourdough bread, toasted
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place the peppers, zucchini, and eggplant in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season to taste. Brush grill lightly with olive oil and grill vegetables, turning once, until just tender, about 10–12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl and season to taste.
3. Place grilled vegetables in a bowl, add olive oil–lemon juice mixture and goat cheese, and gently toss. Garnish with mint and serve warm or at room temperature with toasted bread.
Clams with Citrus Fruit and Arugula
SERVES 4
2 pink grapefruit
½ cup slivered almonds (or walnuts)
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
½ pound plus ½ cup arugula
24 littleneck clams, scrubbed
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. To prepare the grapefruit segments, cut slices off the top and bottom of the grapefruits and then slice away the peel and pith from the grapefruits, following the curve of the fruit. Working over a bowl and using a small sharp knife, cut between the membranes to release the segments and juice. Reserve 4 whole segments for garnish and chop the remaining. Add the almonds and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the chopped segments and season with pepper.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat, add the ½ pound of arugula, and sauté just until it wilts, about 1 minute. Season with salt, remove from pan, finely chop, and divide among 4 shallow bowls.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high. Place the clams directly on the grill and grill without turning until they open, about 6–8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, spoon grapefruit-almond mixture over arugula. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice.
5. Carefully transfer the grilled clams to the bowls (discard any that did not open) and arrange on top of the arugula and grapefruit. Garnish each with the lemon juice–olive oil mixture, 1 whole grapefruit segment, and some of the remaining fresh arugula. Serve immediately.
Orecchiette with Green Beans, Potatoes, and Pesto
When my Piedmontese pal, who introduced me to this dish, is in Provence, she replaces the basil with fresh mint.
SERVES 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces pesto
½ pound small, waxy potatoes, quartered
12 ounces orecchiette
6 ounces haricots verts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and pesto and reserve.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and orecchiette and cook for 8 minutes. Add the haricots verts to the pot, return to a boil, and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender and the orecchiette and haricots verts are al dente, about 3–4 additional minutes.
3. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the potatoes, orecchiette, and haricots verts and place in a large bowl. Add ¼ cup of the reserved cooking liquid to the pesto sauce, whisking, and then add the sauce to the potatoes, orecchiette, and haricots verts, tossing to combine. If the pasta seems a bit dry, add more of the cooking water. Season to taste, garnish with fresh basil, and serve immediately.
Duck with Caramelized Mango
SERVES 2
1 cup vegetable stock
1 whole star anise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter
1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 cup celeriac, peeled and cut into ¼-inch sticks
2 6-ounce duck breasts
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
2 cups cleaned and sliced white mushrooms
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Place the vegetable stock and star anise in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer until thickened and reduced by half. Discard star anise and keep warm.
2. Combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture starts to color. Gently swirl the pan to even out the color and prevent the sugar from burning. Continue to cook until mixture turns a light amber color. Be careful, because it will caramelize quite fast once it starts to color! Remove the saucepan from heat and carefully add the butter, swirling the pan to melt the butter. Add the mango and return to medium heat, stirring. The addition of the mango will cause the caramel to temporarily seize, but keep stirring until it melts and the mango starts to soften and release some juices, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.
3. Place the celeriac in a steamer insert set over simmering water and steam until al dente, about 10–15 minutes. Remove from heat, season to taste, and keep warm.
4. Score the skin of the duck breasts (so fat can render during cooking) diagonally at 1-inch intervals with a sharp knife to create a diamond pattern (be careful not to cut into the meat). Season with the five-spice powder, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
5. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the duck breasts, skin side down. Cook for 8 minutes, allowing the fat to render and the skin to become brown and crisp. Turn over and cook for an additional 3–4 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from the pan, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of duck fat and add the mushrooms. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Season to taste and reserve in a warm place.
7. To serve, divide mushrooms and celeriac between the 2 plates. Slice the duck breasts and fan out 1 on each plate. Spoon mango over duck and then drizzle each with the reduced stock. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Chocolate Soufflés with Piment d’Espelette
SERVES 4
1 tablespoon butter, softened
½ cup sugar, divided, plus 1 tablespoon for soufflé molds
6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons piment d’espelette (or paprika)
5 eggs, separated and at room temperature
Pinch of salt
Confectioners’ sugar for garnish
1. Lightly butter and sugar four 8-ounce soufflé molds and place in refrigerator until chilled. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place chocolate and milk in a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water and stir until smooth. Add ¼ cup of the sugar, the cocoa, piment d’espelette, and egg yolks, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until frothy. Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat on high until firm peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture with a spatula to lighten, and then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until blended. Place prepared molds on a baking sheet, and carefully spoon mixture into the molds so that each is about three-quarters full.
4. Place baking sheet in oven and bake until soufflés have risen and tops are just set, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve immediately.