from Oxtail a la Colombiana to Boeuf Ficelle

Actually this can take a couple of posts and three days..
I'm having Hubert and Sylvie for lunch and we are in the southwest of France , where food is talked about all day , all night , all year...you get the picture...So I always try to cook something special and  I've ordered a super de luxe beef fillet to do a "boeuf ficelle" which is basically poached beef in broth...But HA not any broth...a super de luxe home made broth hence the oxtail!
Which I will use for the broth and then cook a la colombiana..
It sounds like a bad TV series but I promise it will be worth the read..

DAY ONE

Ingredients for the broth

perfect oxtail

1. A nice oxtail cut and tied
2. Two or three bones (ask your butcher they come for free)
3. Two carrots peeled and halved
4. One fat leek cut in half
5. two stems of celery cut in three pieces
6. Three small whole turnips or a big one cut in four pieces
7. Two whole unpeeled onions grilled in the oven for about 20 minutes
8. Four cloves ,a stem of rosemary, a laurel leaf , a sage leaf , a tea spoon of hot chile , coarse salt

free bones  from the butcher

vegetables

grilled onions to color  the broth

Plonk the meat and the bones in a big pot and add COLD water.

Then bring to a boil while skimming like mad the revolting foam,this is the key to a perfect broth!
When the skimming is done and the liquid boils happily throw in all the rest of the ingredients , put the lid on ,keep the pot on a low fire and forget about it for the next four hours.
then once cooled put it in the fridge overnight.As it's  cold outside it stands on the window sill.

DAY TWO

The next morning you declare war on grease...Most of it has risen to the surface and is easy to discard but still the broth has to be strained through a sieve and cloth.

discard the vegetables,the carrots are perfect for the dog , keep the ox tail aside degrease and shred it.

for the master

for the king

ingredients for the oxtail a la colombiana

1. shredded ox tail
2. One onion
3. A cup of concentrated tomato paste
4. Half a glass of white wine
5. A tea spoon of sugar
6. A dash of hot chile
7. Some broth
8. coriander or parsley to give a nice touch of green

Brown the onion in olive oil  , a splash of white wine , then mix in  tomato paste, sugar and chile.
Add the meat, cover and cook on low fire for about an hour adding some broth if needed.
Serve with a sprinkle of herbs. My neighbor Michelle made some "escoton" which is the french south west cousin of  italian polenta but you can opt for polenta or rice or mashed potatoes...
Anything gooey that absorbs the sauce!

Enjoy!

 DAY THREE

Now today lets get down to serious business!
Boeuf ficelle served with boiled vegetables and a salmoriglio sauce.I could have done the typical green sauce , or a tomato sauce or horseradish...But I decided to live dangerously and try a new recipe!!!

ingredients

1. A nice piece of beef filet tied up 
2. A bunch of carrots
3. A bunch of turnips
4. Half a kilo of small potatoes
5. A bunch of parsley and a few leaves of fresh oregano
6. A garlic clove
7. The juice of two lemons
8. A glass of olive oil
9. Coarse salt on the table

Actually as far as the vegetables are concerned you can use whatever you fancy...
leeks , onion , cabbage , celery ...ect
The leftover vegetables will make a nice soup so figure out yourself the quantities...The broth can be used for a wonderful risotto...
Boil the vegetables in the broth for about half an hour.
Prepare a sturdy wooden spoon to hang your meat , the broth must be boiling and the meat should be poached without touching bottom or sides of the pot.
If you like your meat red , it takes about 25 minutes for three pounds.

salmoriglio sauce

whisk a glass of olive oil  adding slowly a glass of tepid water , then the lemon juice , when the mix looks quite thick add the chopped parsley,garlic and oregano.then heat the sauce on a slow fire always whisking for about five minutes , it's ready ! and it was a great success , a very light sauce to remember , it should also go well with grilled fish , or any adventurous barbecue.

the vegetables cook slowly in the broth

the meat is tied up and ready to swim

About 25 minutes hanging there

A dash of parsley for the color

Perfect meat,perfect taste

 Serve with the salmoriglio sauce on the side , coarse salt and mustard.
It was worth it !!!!!

Easy Tuscan Tuna and Beans Lunch

We are in the south west in France , best place for duck and foie gras...And trying to copy my girls  I am on the master cleanse diet...
But the husband has to be fed...nice and easy....
no food aromas to distract me and a dish he loves..

ingredients

1. A tin or a jar of cooked large beans ( best from Spain or Italy)
2. A tin or a jar of chunks of best quality tuna
3. One onion
4.  A bunch of parsley
5. Hot cayenne pepper
6. Super olive oil
7. A mild white vinegar on the table
8. Some salad leaves

Olive oil Le Domaine de Lulu de Waldner

First heat the beans . Do NOT cook them! Once they are hot drain them and rince them with warm
water , this will wash of any taste of the can...
then you can drain as well the can of tuna to get rid of the second rate oil..

Once it's done mix gently the tepid beans , the tuna , the sliced onion , first rate olive oil* ,
some cayenne pepper , drizzle with parsley and serve with salad and white vinegar on the side!
This salad works all year round..Fantastic with brilliant products and I guess awful with the wrong ingredients....

*Olive oil
I get it from my friends Diane and Oliver in Provence...It' the best!!!
Domaine de Lulu de Waldner
Las Créma 84330
Le Barroux
Vaucluse
Récoltées à la main, première pression à froid

Roman Holidays at Campo dei Fiori

On my last day in Rome after indulging on wild broccoli
at Fausta's house , total bliss...I thought I cannot go back to Switzerland
without FOOD !
So off I went to the market in Campo dei Fiori.
the photos will tell all...
Dont forget this is the month of february.
Italians are brilliant , they packed everything
and I just shoved all in the suitcase.
Recipe of Carciofi (artichokes) will be posted soon...

 Unpacking in Switzerland!!!

Irresistible Goodies in Italian Bars

My husband is convinced we would weigh half a ton
between us if we moved to Rome...
Life would become just masses of temptations.
Are'nt those the best looking sandwiches ever?
Who needs to go for lunch in a restaurant....

Inspirations for divine picnics!

Exquisite Village Paintings

There is this village in Orissa where all the walls are painted.
let's take example and draw on a terrace when we have a party...
maybe with masses of Indian curries....
we can get on the menu later in spring..

Be bold buy chalk and natural pigments and go for wonderful decorations for any party on
floors and walls you can hose away any excess at breakfast !

Racy Salmon Steaks and Canadian Wild Rice

There is always salmon sitting in my freezer..it'easy to
cook and you dont have to defrost it!
Ikea sells a pretty decent one.
perfect for a last minute dinner or week end crashers..
when it's summer I have a great device to smoke the fish as it cooks
but it has to be used outside and anyway it's in storage
so I'll use the good old fashioned oven..with a racy
marinade.

Ingredients

1. grated zest of a lemon
2. a knob of grated fresh ginger
3. a splash of soya sauce
4. a tea spoon of sugar
5. two or three salmon steaks
6. a cup of canadian wild rice

marinate the salmon for about an hour even frozen

place the salmon in one of those silicone magic boxes

one cup of rice, with a cup and a half of water and follow the instructions on packet

all ready for an oven preheated to 180 for fifteen minutes

GOOOOD.......