Food Minia

Lemon verbena infusion is one of these tried and true "grandmother's remedies" that are really enjoyable. Drink a cup after a heavy meal and you won't suffer indigestion. Not only is this drink good for your gut, it freshens the mouth and gives you the perfect excuse for a relaxing break during your day. Time will stop for a few minutes while you sip your hot " verveine ." People in France love herbal teas. Actually, when I am in France, I am offered an herbal tea after every single meal—lunch and dinner, heavy or not. Stores in France offer an incredible selection of tea bags filled with all kinds of tasty herb and flower mixes, but many families still grow (or pick) and dry their own medicinal herbs. Some very common examples are lime blossom (linden tree flower— le tilleul ), chamomille, thyme, mint, and of course lemon verbena . All can be brewed and turned into delectable beverages and have specific benefits. Chamomille and linden are great bedtime rela...

Last week I listened to an interview of Alice Waters on NPR (by Terry Gross on Fresh Air). It was so inspiring that it got me dreaming about opening a place of my own all over again. (This is a recurring fantasy... which shouldn't surprise you too much). I spent last night in my Dream Café, welcoming patrons with delicious yet simple, healthy, affordable food made from the freshest ingredients, presented in a short, ever-changing seasonal menu, and featuring a fun selection of small plates for children, and a place for them to quietly play and read after their meal, so grown ups can have a few minutes of respite. Sigh... As I was listening to Alice, two thougts came to mind. First, she mentioned that she stopped seeing her friends when she got into the chaos of opening Chez Panisse . She also said that she stopped cooking there when she had her daughter... So this dream business of mine sounded quite incompatible with my dream life of the moment. Unless maybe I could have a cafe ...

My pear cake recipe ( here ) works well with other fruits. Tonight, my daughter and I made a plum version of this cake with the following proportions: 5 ripe plums 4 eggs 180g (less than 1 cup) sugar 1 stick (114g) butter 170g (about 1 1/3 cups) flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon We beat the eggs and sugar until foamy. We added the melted butter, then the sifted flour, then the baking powder, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, mixing well (with a whisk) while adding each ingredient. We poured the dough in a buttered, round metal pan (the same old   10" x 2" I used in the pear cake recipe) . We placed the plums, halved and pitted, on the dough, cut side up. We baked for about 50 minutes in a  340ºF oven.