Charles Jones

I hope that I'm not doing anything terribly wrong by posting these photos out of one of my most cherished books.  They are the photographs of Charles Jones, an Englishman born in 1866.  Little is known of him, or his work, as he never left any notes or writings to explain his still - life photography of plants, fruits, flowers and vegetables.  

This is such a lovely book , I wanted to share this with you and encourage you to pick it up if you are at all interested in food and/or photography.  It's a beauty of a book.

Plant Kingdoms - The Photographs of Charles Jones,  Sean Sexton, Robert Flynn Johnson, 1998.

Update: I was contacted shortly after I posted this by the author of this book, Mr. Robert Flynn Johnson. (!!)  He was very kind and glad to see this posting.  In his email, he mentioned his two other books, Anonymous, and The Face in The Lens, (Available May, 2009).   Check them out, more beautiful photography.

Basil Crusted Meat Loaf with Brandy, Walnuts and Spicy Tomato Sauce

It's a slippery slope - to admit to someone that you actually like meat loaf.  It should be done with caution and only around people whom you love and trust.  (Especially if you used to be a vegan, like I was!).  It's the kind of meal that you make only for your immediate family, once it's clear that everyone approves of the concoction and only if it comes smothered in ketchup and a side of creamy mashed potatoes.  Well, I'm about to turn your world upside down and propose that you throw out that old, dated recipe and update it with this one.  (It's best to keep it to your self that the recipe calls for prunes).  But, please trust me on this, it is absolutely delicious. The basil crust and home made tomato sauce put this over the top.  I served it with a large side of sauteed kale and mustard greens, no starchy potatoes.  You will never make grandma's meat loaf again.

Note: I tried to get a good photo of this, but the combination of using an iPhone and having meat loaf as my subject, it just didn't work out!

Basil Crusted Meat Loaf with Brandy, Walnuts and Spicy Tomato Sauce

From How to Cook Meat, by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby

Serves 4- 8

Crust:

1 Bunch basil - leaves only, roughly chopped

3 TBLS olive oil

4 Garlic cloves, peeled

salt and freshly cracked pepper

2 lbs ground beef, preferably grass fed.

2 tsp minced garlic

1 small onion - peeled and grated

1/2 cup walnuts -toasted and roughly chopped

1/2 cup prunes - pitted and roughly chopped

2 eggs

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup brandy

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 TBLS salt

1 tsp pepper

Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium onions - small dice

2 TBLS minced garlic

1 TBLS ground coriander

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup dry red wine

2 cup canned Italian crushed tomatoes, with liquid

1 bay leaf

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350*

Make the crust:

1. With food processor running, feed basil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper through the feed tube - in that order.  Form a paste - do not over blend.  Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, garlic, onion, walnuts, prunes, eggs, brandy, allspice, salt and pepper.  Mix well and shape into a loaf and place in a shallow baking dish.  Spread basil paste over the meat.  Bake for about an hour, or until juices run clear when you poke a knife through it. (About 130* with a meat thermometer).

3. While meat loaf is baking, prepare the tomato sauce.  In a large saute pan, heat oil on med high heat almost until smoking and add onions, and cook stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, until they are golden.  Add garlic, coriander, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes and stir.  Add wine and stir once or twice, allow to simmer for about 4 minutes.  Add tomatoes and bay leaf and simmer, stirring frequently until sauce has thickened to your liking, about 45 minutes.

4. Cut the meat loaf into thick slabs and serve topped with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Great cookbook!

I picked this up on a whim because I liked the simplicity of the recipes and their philosophy that elegant food doesn't have to be complicated.  

The book focuses on two aspects of eating: the food we eat everyday and food we eat while entertaining.  It offers suggestions on how to narrow that gap, by following a general principle that any form of entertaining should be relaxed, yet rewarding.  An idea which appeals to me greatly!  

Living and Eating,  John Pawson and Annie Bell.

Mangoes and Curry Leaves, part II

I wrote about these amazing burgers months ago. I decided to repost because now I have some beautiful photos of them. Recently, we grilled about 20 burgers for our closest friends, one of them being Yvette, my dear and talented wonder-friend. I asked her to put her burger down mid-meal and take some photos. (She's a not only an amazing photographer, but also a good sport!).
These burgers come from a great cook book, Mangoes and Curry Leaves, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. It chronicles their travels through the great sub continent.
After making these as often as I have, I prefer to omit the yogurt that is called for in the meat mixture. I find that it makes these too moist and they are likely to fall apart on the grill. Instead, I make a yogurt cucumber sauce (raita), which works really well. To top these off, we add a simple watercress and shallot salad which we use as a condiment.

Cumin - Coriander Beef Patties
From Mangoes and Curry Leaves by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

About 1 lb best-quality lean ground beef (preferably grass fed/organic)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup packed chopped cilantro or mint leaves
vegetable oil

Place meat in a bowl, add onion, ginger. cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, yogurt and vinegar. Mix well with your hands - you want a smooth texture. Add cilantro or mint and fold into meat. Form patties into an oval or round about 3/4 " thick. Place on lightly oiled plates. Grill patties over medium flame, turning after 5 minutes. Cook to desired temperature.
Serve with toasted pita bread or flat bread.















Cucumber Yogurt Sauce / Raita
1 cup Greek yogurt - plain
1 hothouse cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely diced
1 shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 radishes, finely diced
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lime

Mix together - chill until service.

Watercress and Shallot Salad
1 bunch watercress - roughly chopped
1 shallot, cut thinly
juice of 1 lime
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place watercress and shallot in large salad bowl, add lime juice and olive oil. Toss gently and serve.

Oh, the Joy!

(This 1946 Joy of Cooking is a reprint of the 1943 edition and was printed through 1950.)

Recently, I bought a few more cook books for my cooking library. As much as I love the modern recipes and glossy photos (food porn), I always seem to refer to the greatest reference book of all, The Joy of Cooking, by Irma Rombauer and her daughter, Marion, who was first to illustrate and test her mother's work . (Great title, by the way). True, I don't really need to revisit chicken a la king (pg. 502), or marshmallow pudding (pg. 746), I do use it for basic things like mayonnaise, meringues, cakes, and basic cooking methods. Some recipes are grossly out dated, but don't be fooled, this book is a treasure for all food lovers. It's my most adored book, and I would bet that if you have one, it was bought by your mother, or even better, her mother. If you don't have a copy, look for one in a second hand store, it would be a sweet find, especially if you come across an original vintage edition.

(The highest known sum ever paid for the paperback rights to a single book, $1.5million, is for a cookbook that first came out in 1931: "Joy of Cooking.") NY Times.