Reinstating the Aïoli

“Relever l’aïoli.”

I am a confident cook, fearless when it comes to trying new things. Sometimes too fearless. And, as a painter, prone to improvise.

At the end of a day spent working around the house, we walked to the local market under moody slate grey skies, a pungent salty smell in the air. A handful of chairs and a bride and groom posing for photographers on the beach in front of Gladstone’s. A wedding!
The fish department didn’t have cod, but they had fresh rockfish. We chose fresh green beans and carrots to go with it.

Back home we steamed the carrots with thyme from the garden, then the green beans, and the rockfish. Sliced some heirlooms. Followed the directions for the aïoli. Put the smashed garlic, salt and yolk in the cup. The immersion blender hardly touched it. Started dribbling in the oil. It was looking more like vinaigrette than mayonnaise. Transferred to a small bowl and whisked by hand but it still wasn’t emulsifying.

Remembered my copy of "Simple French Food" and found on p. 137, instructions for “reinstating the aïoli" ("relever l'aïoli"). Started anew with another egg yolk, lemon juice and added the “unsuccessful” aïoli little by little. This time I tried  the food processor. Slightly thicker, but still a sauce. Ever hopeful, I put it in a gravy boat and poured. Nope.

Finally I surrendered. It was clearly time to fake the aioli. Put some best foods in a small bowl and beat in a few cloves of pressed garlic. Result? Not great, but it wasn’t the worst dinner ever. Still a lovely evening with a couple of glasses of rosé, a goofy French variety show, Les Années de Bonheur, on tv5 and a husband who knows that my culinary adventurousness sometimes backfires. I’ll be working on my mayonnaise. And might try a mortar and pestle next time, like the ones I saw on youtube.

I took some solace in this quote from Richard Olney, “There are many who believe a healthy dose of imagination is all that one need bring to the kitchen. The cacophonous results are in quite the same spirit as the poignant failures of the liberated artist.” 

Visiting Provence with Kids

It was my great pleasure to share my favorite places in Provence with Laura who writes the fabulous French inspired blog hudsonandseine. 

Oh my…I haven’t posted in a while

I didn’t realize it’d been so long since I’d posted here. I have been posting paintings on instagram, and working on some new manuscript ideas. 

I googled Paris-Chien yesterday and found two reviews I hadn’t seen before. Always a nice boost.

The first was a post about 36 Hours in Paris on the blog The Neo-Trad about a visit to Shakespeare and Company in Paris.

The next review was on the blog Kids Books Without Borders.  

"The purpose of Kid’s Books Without Borders is to send books to families living overseas who have little or no access to bookstores or libraries with children’s books in English. My desire is to encourage these families by providing, free of charge, quality books for overseas families to read to their children and for their children to enjoy reading independently."

BRAVO! And my favorite part of the review: "I also appreciate that the author paints a diverse picture of Paris, with people of different ethnicities and cultures.”

painting a day on Instagram

I started a painting a day project in late October on Instagram. The goal is to sketch or paint for 30 minutes and post the piece whether or not it meets my expectations. Sometimes I take a few minutes longer, and sometimes the sketch takes only 10 minutes.

My original intention was to develop more discipline. I'm also learning that the best work is often done on the worst paper, when I'm not trying to "get it right"; my favorites are not necessarily the ones that get the most "likes"; and things I thought would be "too hard" are not. 

I invite you to follow me at @jackieclarkmancuso.

There's a new blog in town

And we like the way they think.

hudsonandseine.com

What's your favorite flavor?

That's parfum in french. In Paris it's gotta be chocolat du mendiant from Berthillon for me, but no chocolate for Hudson or any other dog!

Films seen in October

I must be forgetting something...

• SALT OF THE EARTH (2014, Wim Wenders)
• RIDICULE (1996, Patrice Leconte)
• WANDA (1970, Barbara Loden)
• NEWS FROM HOME (1977, Chantal Akerman)
• IRIS (2014, Maysles)
• THE GENERAL (1927, Bruckman)
• CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 (1962, Varda) trailer
• SOMETHING BETTER TO COME (2014, Hanna Polak)

Mastering the Art of Tuesday Dinner with Ann Mah...

When I heard about Mastering the Art of French Eating, a book about my favorite subjects—moving to Paris and French food—this Francophile could not resist. I tried very hard to make it last by reading just one chapter a day. Not easy, because Ann Mah is a gifted and witty writer.

In each chapter Ann visits a different region in France to learn about and make the area's signature dish, like the Soupe au Pistou she helps prepare with the local Bonnieulaises at the village soup fête. She interweaves history, culture, an amusing cast of characters, lots more recipes and, oh, adjusting to her new life in Paris.  

Hungry for more, I found Ann's debut novel, Kitchen Chinese, at my local library. After getting fired from her magazine job in NYC, Isabelle, an American-born Chinese writer nearing thirty, moves to Beijing and lands a job as a food critic for an English-language magazine. There’s romance, sibling rivalry, and lots of meals. The mouth-watering descriptions made me nostalgic for my trip to Beijing and Shanghai. Despite a sore throat that started on the plane and got much worse, I was determined to try every exotic dish that was put in front of me. And I did. Eventually ending up spending an evening in the People's 6th Hospital in Shanghai on an IV drip. That’s an attraction most tourists will never see. But it was worth it. And so is the book!

When I discovered Ann's blog, ANN MAH, Adventures in Food, France and Beyond, I devoured that too. Imagine how excited I was when Ann invited me to share a Tuesday Dinner recipe on the blog. 

Cherry Tomato Pasta with Breadcrumbs

Breakfast at Shanghai International Center of Educational Exchange

I Love getting Lost in Arles

I love getting Lost in Arles. Or rather, I love getting an alert that Heather has posted another beautifully written and photographed essay on her blog, Lost in Arles.

Heather Robinson's poetic use of imagery and text elevates the blog to an art form. I've discovered new things about myself by getting Lost in Arles. You might too.

I wrote her a fan letter and told her about my new book, which takes place in Provence. Heather kindly offered to promote it with a giveaway. Of all the reviews of Hudson in Provence, Heather's is my very favorite!

"Try and resist the charm of this book. Go ahead, try. See? I told you it was impossible (French-accent required)...and that is only the cover!" 

Lavender and Gold Dessert Plate

Saw this beautiful plate in a magazine and looked it up. At $175. for a dessert plate, I can only afford to paint it. Royal Crown Derby "Darley Abbey Harlequin Dessert Plate."

Films seen in September*

Die Nibelungen
Les Petites Amoreuses
Spotlight
Rams
Ixcanul
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
Siti + Cinema
Black Mass
L'Inhumaine
Room
Beasts of No Nation
Marguerite
Carol
East of Eden
Short Term 12

*Includes Telluride Film Festival

Films seen in August*

Where Is My Friend's House
Dance With Me
DIplomacy
Ricki and the Flash
Kingsman
Persona
We Come As Friends (2x)
The Leopard (2x)

*Inspired by Helen Hancocks. 

Read Paris: A lion, dog, duck, cats, and ...?

MAGPIE THAT: A celebration of picture books

"I love this book, it's witty, has a wonderful sense of place and is beautifully painted...an exciting talent in the world of picture books." 

James Syner, Magie That

Valladolid, Mexico

 

This taken 10 years ago during a stop in Valladolid on our way to Chichen Itza to see the Mayan ruins. I've always wanted to paint the green and pink houses. 

Buvette des Marionnettes, Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris

I have wanted to paint this for a long time. 

A Child's Review of Hudson in Provence

Pretty cool to be sharing the page with John Baxter, Elizabeth Bard and Dennis Tilinac!

Thank you French Entrée and Isabelle Cullingford, age 9.

Butte aux Cailles, Paris

A drizzly sunday stroll in the hilly Butte aux Cailles neighborhood in Paris 13e. 

Mr. Pig came to our house today!

Il était très bien habillé pour l'ocasion!

More on the Little Crooked Cottage. 

Our favorite spaghetti with sardines anchovy breadcrumbs lemon arugula golden raisins

Crunchy, salty and sweet, a little bitter. I first tasted a pasta with breadcrumbs at Hemingway’s Bistro in Matera, Italy last summer. It was orchiette and rapini with breadcrumbs. Back home, strung out on Puglian cuisine, I googled breadcrumbs pasta, then adapted this recipe from a little saffron and rachel eats. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made it since then. It's our favorite.

spaghetti with sardines anchovy breadcrumbs lemon arugula golden raisins 

serves 4 

10 anchovy fillets

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 slices of baguette (toast to harden a little if bread is still soft)

3 cloves garlic chopped

2 - 4.375 oz cans sardines in oil

1/2 c golden raisins

zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 handfuls arugula

1/2 box spaghetti (#12)

First I put the pasta water and salt on to boil because it takes forever. 

Pulse bread in food processor for coarse crumbs. 

Place anchovies in a large sauté pan with 3 T olive oil and cook over low heat, until the anchovies disintegrate into the oil. about 3 minutes.

Add the breadcrumbs to the pan, turn up the heat to medium and stir until they turn golden. about 5 minutes. Spread the crumbs onto a paper-towel lined plate to crisp up.

Wipe the same pan clean with a paper towel. Heat 2 T olive oil, add garlic and sauté until soft but not colored. Add two cans of sardines with their oil. Break up the sardines. Stir in the golden raisins. Turn off the heat.

Cook and strain spaghetti. Pour into the pan with the sardine/garlic/raisins. Add lemon zest and juice. Add arugula. Toss with tongs over low heat to wilt the arugula. 

Place in pasta bowls. Top with anchovy breadcrumbs. If you have leftover crumps, store in a sealed jar in the fridge to use on salad or scrambled eggs.