Fougasse

The fougasse is one of my favourite bread. It goes back to when I was a little kid in Aix en Provence and a few days a week “le pere Richard” was making these delicious plain fougasse with little hearts to take off. Since then this olive oil base bread has gained popularity and now you can find fougasse of pretty much any taste pretty much everywhere. As part of my bread making “training” preparing some fougasse was an essential step and it’s surprisingly simple! Actually, olive oil based breads: foccacia, fougasse etc… Are extremely easy to make and to bake.

For one large fougasse I use: 166g of flour (of your choice); 9g of dry sourdough; 2g of dry yeast; 4g of salt; 105g of water; 10g of olive oil; 75g of filing of your choice: olives, herbs, dry tomatoes, anchovies, cheese, ham… or just nothing. After stirring all the ingredients for about 10 to 15 minutes, keep in a warm place for 2h, then shape the dough, wait for an extra 1 to 2h before baking at 230 deg until goden. Finish with a thin layer of olive oil applied with a brush.

April 25, 2015

Sardine and spicy tomato pasta

This week, just back from the US, has been quite crazy at work and since we haven’t been to the country our stock of fresh veg has turned short quickly, and we’ve eaten a lot of avocado, baby leaves salad, fresh sprouts and tomatoes. Recently also I wasn’t cooking pasta or risotto too much, but I must admit that I shut down a bit on cooking the last few days, and focused on simple dishes. So we’ve been eating pasta a few times! Pasta, like risotto and quiche are an amazing source of imaginative dinners, while being always different, you can make any variations and never eat twice the same thing. This time I prepared spaghetti with a slightly spicy tomato sauce and sardines. In Japan it is really easy to find good fish, and already “prepared”: 刺身用 for sashimi. Which means no fishbone, no skin, perfect cut, 100% edible, and for me something quite crucial to eat fish: no head, nor fish shape!! Depending on seasons and locations you can find different varieties of fishes, this time I found nice sardines. I prepared a tomato sauce with tomatoes, olive oil, oregano and a little of Japanese 7 spices, then grilled the sardines, and topped the spaghetti.

April 24, 2015

Vegan one-plate for dinner

I cook a lot of vegetarian dishes, but recently I realized I’m cooking a lot more vegan dishes. I come with new ideas all the time and this past few days I really enjoy cooking with thick fried tofu. Usually it is prepared in large pieces of 10cm by 10cm, 2cm high, this time I found this nice 一口 one byte squares of tofu that are just great to add to a salad. I prefer eating them hot so I heat them in a fry pan. It also take off a bit of the oil. This time I served them with a baby leaves salad, red quinoa, mashed avocado and green peas sprouts. As usual, super easy to fix rapidly after a long day at work, delicious and colorful!!

April 22, 2015

Vegan celery soup

I love simple vegetable soup in particular after traveling I need a dose of fresh fruits and vegetables to compensate for airport and plane food, and my favorite inspiration is definitely the Minestrone. My basic recipe uses vegetable consommé, tomatoes and celery, then I add whatever is available. This time was really limited: leek. But usually I add a lot of beans of different sorts, and I always season it with olive oil and pepper. When I have, I add some freshly gratted parmegiano, and sometimes some little pasta. Always delicious!

April 21, 2015

Grilled lotus roots

I love lotus roots. The taste is very subtle, the slightly crunchy but yet moisted consistency, the beautiful shape… I like to slightly fry some as a snack when we have guests, but I hate how frying, even in a very thin layer of oil makes the kitchen all dirty and greasy. Recently I came accross a recipe of oven bake potato fry and it give me the idea that it could work for lotus roots, and skip the cleaning part. It was actually perfect! As usual I dlice finely the lotus roots, slightly marinated them in a bit of vegetal oil, and then line the slice on an oven sheet. Grilled for 10 min at high temperature, et voila!!! Bonus: no cleaning, less fat and no need to turn the slices in the frypan!! So hands free to do something else.

Now for a few days I let Prunellia take over because I’m traveling to Boston for work until Sunday! See you on Monday!

April 16, 2015

Mini buckwheat pancakes with spinach and shimeji

This year I’m making a lot of pancakes and crepes. I find it really easy to prepare, quick to cook, good with everything, and infinite variations. This time I prepared mini buckwheat pancakes. A simple mix of buckwheat flour, baking soda, salt, eggs and water. Baked in mini size in a frypan. I prepared with that a juicy mix of spinach and shimeji, with olive oil. Super yummy!

April 15, 2015

Chestnut and soya flour bread

Since I’m still trying a few cheese from the Komagata factory, I wanted some bread to eat with. The problem with bread is that it takes at least 3h30 to have something ready to eat assuming that you have a room heated at about 23deg… Knowing that Japanese houses are not well isolated not even well heated, and that it is freezing cold recently, making bread is more about 5 or 6h… Not something you improvise. But this chesnut and soya flour bread, since it is gluten free and don’t need to rise can be ready in 90min!!!! (Recipe from my bakery bible) Wonderful! And not even quick it’s super delicious. It’s quite compact and sweet, with a good taste of chesnuts. Perfect for the cheese I was trying this time!!!

April 13, 2015

Bamboo shoot and caper salad

A few years ago while I was trying new recipes I was taking notes of any good finding for future use. Of course, after changing job and apartment, I stop making notes, and forgot about it. Recently, I was browsing trough this note book, and it reminded me receipe trials with bamboo shoots and when I came out with this funny mix: Bamboo shoot salad with smoked salmon, capers, and a yogurt sauce.

Now is just the season for bamboo shoots, and I got a few in Ohara. So while preparing them I was wondering which variation I would opt for (with what is available in Ohara: forget about wild or organic smoked salmon, so forget about it!) and I found that just served with capers and salty sakura flowers that would be a perfect seasonal match. Indeed! Salty sakura flowers are a typical ingredient in spring and are used to decorate mochi, to season chazuke, or to make sakura tea. It’s just just fresh flowers preserved in salt. A bit like small roses preserved in sugar. With a very specific taste of sakura. It may be surprising at first, but it’s really delicious!

April 12, 2015

Oven baked vegetables

With Easter around and the unsual amount of chocolates at home, I needed a basic simple vegan dish. I opted for oven grilled vegetables, to change for the steamed vegetables I often cook. Grilling takes slightly more time than steaming, but if you plan ahead it is really not complicated and delicious!

Here in the oven dish for two, new carrots, new lotus root, ring onions, asparagus and and one paprika. A leaf of laurel, a bit of thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil. Bake at medium heat as long as you want depending on how you like your vegetables.

April 9, 2015