MUSHROOM & CARAMELIZED ONION QUICHE

ONE FOR THE BOY


I hadn’t baked in several days. Or has it been weeks? The chill that has hijacked summer along with the damp seeping into the apartment uninvited has sapped my energy and my baking mojo seems to have withered and died a slow, numbing death. But deprivation seems to have woken something animal in my son, the one who complains of too much cake being shoved down his throat, the one who implores day after day that I leave him and his friends alone, to stop coming into his bedroom while they work bearing plate upon plate of baked goods. The one who always has unannounced (to me) plans for dinner, leaving me with too much on my hands and Tupperware containers full of uneaten scraps. He and Valentin, who has moved in for the month of June, spend their days in the back bedrooms working on end-of-the-school-year projects and various work assignments. They occasionally wander out of the darkness and into our half of the apartment looking for something to eat, often finding the cupboard – and refrigerator - bare. JP and I finally strapped on our safety helmets and buckled on our humor jackets, grabbed the stack of baskets and bags and made our way to the grocery store, ready to forage, hunt and gather what to feed a small family up and down the savage, untamed aisles of our local hypermarché, hoping to stave off hunger and save the young. But apparently it was not enough for the young cub. The same old same old provisions piled up around him and tumbled out a refrigerator door opened much too quickly: packs of ravioli and tortellini, cured meats and ham, cheeses and yogurts just weren’t enough to soothe the savage beast. He was bored and indignant! And with teeth bared, he spit out his displeasure at always either having too much or not enough or simply not what he craved! I was indeed a bad mother!


As the sun threatened to break through the clouds and illuminate the steely skies, as the wind died down just briefly enough to give us hope, something stirred deep down inside of me that put me back in the mood to bake. Or maybe it was a mother’s base instinct to nourish her offspring. I don’t know. But whatever it was grabbed me by the arm and yanked me into Clem’s bedroom where I asked, “What would you like me to bake?” My baby boy, my darling son looked at me, eyes quickly darting back and forth on the lookout for imminent danger, glancing up at me then down in embarrassment. “Mom,” he asked, “can you make something savory?”

"Please, sir, I want some more." from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

As the school year winds down and the students filter slowly out of town one by one, as the boys work diligently on their models and designs, they have indeed been eating dinner with us more and more often, actually getting a kick out of their evenings in. They have enjoyed both of JP’s lasagnas, engaging in and appreciating the lively conversation with the “old folks”, even doing the washing up when the meals were done. Well, almost. Scratching the old noggin, I searched my brain high and low for an idea, any idea, of what to make. A baker more than a cook, I scrolled through my usual repertoire of savory goodies, and a wonderful thought struck me! On our recent visit to an old friend of JP’s, his wife had prepared a fabulous rustic Mushroom Quiche, studded with smoked bacon, rich with cheese and browned to an invitingly golden crust. Her deep-dish quiche was succulent, flavorful and comforting; served with a crisp green salad, it made for the perfect meal eaten under the trees, in the waning sunlight in the cool of the garden. Clem always loved a good quiche, the gourmand in him reveling in the creamy cheesiness at once both homey and sumptuous. He has gobbled down my Zucchini Ricotta Feta Tart and adored my Clafoutis of Ratte Potatoes, Asparagus and Bleu d’Avergne. He loves a good old-fashioned Quiche Lorraine, which I make following my brother’s recipe. Tender, flakey crust, cheesy goodness (for the cheese fanatic that he is) thick with fresh cream and rich in eggs, a quiche is a wondrous thing, enough to sate a young cub yet served with a crisp garden salad a satisfying yet light meal for everyone. And I was determined to put this favorite back on the menu.

I decided to take the idea of a Mushroom Quiche yet replace the smoked bacon with golden caramelized onions and lots of them! Add to that a couple of healthy handfuls of nutty emmenthal or gruyère cheese and the whole dusted generously with freshly grated Parmesan. Needless to say, my Caramelized Onion-Mushroom Quiche was a hit with the guys who then happily heated up and enjoyed the last remaining slices for lunch the following day as well. Now what to make next….?



JP still threatens … tempts me with a weeklong bike trip up the historic and picturesque Nantes-Brest Canal. Purchases must be made: a bike for me, ponchos for the ever-possible downpour, saddlebags in which to pack our meager provisions and enough snacks to fill up at least one saddlebag (if he complains then none for him!). Preparations made while we wait for the return of pleasant, summery weather, if indeed our brief hint of summer has not already ceded her place to an early, overly ambitious autumn at the ready to muscle her way in and stay.


(Update: as you read this, I will be on the road! Nervous and excited but it should be a fun adventure! I hope to be keeping in touch via twitter, so make sure you are following @lifesafeast to hear all about what we are up to, what we are seeing, what we are eating and any exploits, happenings, encounters, ordeals and escapades we may have... and both young men have passed all their exams with flying colors!)

SAVORY CARAMELIZED ONION & MUSHROOM QUICHE

Short crust pastry for one 9- or 10-inch pie plate (recipe follows), prebaked

2 medium yellow onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
11 to 14 oz (300 to 400 g) white mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
2 – 3 Tbs (30 – 45 g) butter for sautéing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5 large eggs
1 ½ cups mixture of light or heavy cream and whole milk
¾ tsp salt
Generous grinding of black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
About ½ to 1 Tbs unsalted butter
About 1 cup grated gruyère, emmenthal or Swiss cheese (full-flavored & nutty)
2 – 3 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan

Prepare the Short Crust Pastry:

1 3/4 cups (245 g) flour
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
12 ½ Tbs (180 g) unsalted butter
6 Tbs cold water

Place the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter, tossing to coat with flour so they don’t stick together. Using the tips of your fingers and thumbs, rub the butter and flour together rapidly as if pushing the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly and it resembles damp sand. Do not overwork this mixture as the butter will melt and start to clump; it will be blended better later.

Add about 4 tablespoons of the cold water and blend vigorously with a fork. Add more water, as much as needed, onto the dry flour and continue to stir up from the bottom until all of the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough begins pulling together in a shaggy ball.

Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface. With the heel of one hand, rapidly smear and push the dough onto the surface and away from you, about a tablespoon of dough at a time, smearing it onto the work surface. This will complete the blending of the butter and the flour.

Scrape the dough up and gather it into a ball. Knead gently and briefly, just enough to make a smooth, homogenous ball of dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out easily, about 15 minutes.

Lightly butter a quiche or tart pan (if using the smaller diameter, make sure the sides of the pan are higher/deeper). I used a 9-inch wide x 2-inch deep (23 x 5 cm) tart pan.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured work surface to fit the pie tin. Gently lift and fit into the pie tin, lifting and pressing the dough into the corners. Crimp the edges and trim. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork before baking.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Remove the plastic and place a square of parchment or oven paper in the shell and weigh down with dried beans or pastry weights. Bake for 8 or 9 minutes then remove from the oven. Carefully (so as not to burn yourself) lift out the parchment and beans and return the shell to the oven for an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until pale and light golden brown. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack or wooden cutting board.


Lower the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).

Prepare the Quiche Filling:

Slice the onions thin and chop into large dice. Heat a skillet, melt about a tablespoon of butter and sauté the onions over medium-low to medium heat, stirring often, until golden and tender. If you like, add about half a teaspoon of sugar to the onions to help the caramelization process. Scrape the caramelized onions onto a plate or bowl and add another tablespoon butter to the skillet. When the butter is melted, add half the mushrooms, salt and pepper, then, stirring often, cook until sautéed and tender. Remove from the skillet and repeat with the rest of the butter and mushrooms.


Spread the caramelized onions in the prebaked shell then cover with the mushrooms. Cover evenly with the grated gruyère, emmenthal or Swiss cheese.


In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Whisk in the cream and milk along with the salt, pepper and nutmeg until well combined. Pour this over the vegetables in the tart shell. Sprinkle with as much or as little of the grated Parmesan as you like, dot with small bits of butter then bake for about 40 minutes or until slightly puffed, a deep golden and set.


Remove from the oven, allow to cool briefly then serve with a garden salad and a loaf of bread.




Take a bigger bite ...

ORANGE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES… and a Guest Post

SHARING


Here I am, surrounded by my own brand of mess, desk half straightened yet not quite, baking supplies lined up on the spare space allowed on a kitchen table not yet cleared of breakfast dishes, one too many writing projects awaiting my attention as the documents line up impatiently on my computer desktop. E-mails tap their hypothetical fingers and toes, arms crossed and annoyance glowing almost audibly as one, two, three more ask for my participation in this activity or that challenge, demanding immediate action. I love being solicited, I am fueled by writing projects, I am more than flattered by each request for help, yet how can I possibly take on more and more as disorderly as I am, as chaotic as is my life?

When I received a request from Anuradha to guest post on her blog Bakerstreet, I immediately said Yes!, very excited at having been asked, eager to support a fellow blogger. I have been twittering with her for quite some time and have always found her adorable, sweet, kind and generous, so of course I would say yes to whatever she asked of me. I have watched her tentative steps towards confirming her blog, and I feel somewhat like a mother supporting and cheering on a daughter. And something inside of me is still thrilled and filled with wonder when approached to lend a helping hand, advice or support. Yet when I step back and see all of my obligations, everything that I have collected around me and taken on, I wonder how I will ever find the time to do it all. And I wonder if indeed I am crazy…. (please click here to read the rest of the post and discover this fabulous recipe!)

This week, as Meeta, Jeanna, Ilva and I finish the last details which will forever close the Plate to Page Weimar workshop, a truly unforgettable weekend, and open up the next chapter as we begin organizing the second workshop in Tuscany, as JP and I plan our bicycle trip up the Canal Nantes-Brest, I will make this blog post short and sweet. Anuradha, a wonderful, kind friend, asked me to guest post on her lovely little blog, Bakerstreet. I immediately said yes, never doubting my excitement and pleasure in guest posting. As I pondered over what to write on this guest post, one thought kept popping into my head: the noise made about a certain food blogging workshop held in the US the same weekend as our Plate to Page workshop in Weimar. Many bloggers complained about being snubbed by “big” bloggers who seemed content to gather and remain amongst their own “special” clique, neither desiring nor needing the attention of the “lesser known” bloggers. I was stunned as I read one post after the next with the same criticism and disappointment bordering on disillusion. What are we if not a community? What I am as a blogger without my readers who read, support and encourage me? And with this thought about my own feelings on the subject, please dash on over to Anuradha’s blog to read the rest of my guest post and where you can find the recipe for these luscious, moist brownies: deep, dark chocolate infused with the kick of Grand Marnier and bitter orange marmalade, a match made in culinary heaven and a dessert at once homey, comforting, intriguing and sophisticated. Enjoy!

I also would like to share two other posts and recipes of mine:


Destination Dessert: From My Father’s Kitchen to My French Wedding Lunch on The Rambling Epicure. I share a family favorite, my dad’s recipe for Choux along with ideas and recipes on how to use Choux to make, among other things, Profiteroles and Pets-de-Nonne.


La Pinolata: My Italian Pine Nut Tart, certainly one of my family’s favorite desserts! My latest article and recipe on Huffington Post!


Don’t miss Weimar Impressions – the first Plate to Page workshop: photos from this our first P2P workshop, a rundown of the weekend’s activities as well as links to participants’ own write-ups of their experience at P2P on their own blogs.


And... (drum roll) coming soon to Twitter : Jamie & JP's Big Biking Adventure! Be sure to follow our travels, trials & tribulations as we make our way up the Canal Nantes-Brest on bicycle over the next week. With one change of clothes, a First Aid Kit, a camera and my sense of humor, I will be following in JP's wake, admiring the beauty of the landscape, the flora and fauna of the region, and grabbing a snack surreptitiously when I can. I have been promised the use of his iPhone (do I hear the word bribe?) so I can tweet with you along the way, giving up-to-the-minute details of our great adventure! Follow me at @lifesafeast and don't miss one single tweet!

Take a bigger bite ...

JP’S LASAGNA two ways

WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN

When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out.
~ by Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973)

Stunning jewelry, expensive shoes, evenings tête-à-tête in quiet, elegant restaurants or a stroll through a bustling, noisy, laughter-filled fairground. Romantic getaways in some out-of-the-way, secluded spot or a picnic in the breeze of a warm summer day. Snuggled up together as the lights are dimmed and the movie splashes across the screen, box of hot, buttery popcorn perched between my knees or jetting off to some exotic, exciting far away dream location. Armfuls of roses or peonies, boxes of chocolate or a hot, greasy kabob with fries. Charming, often sophisticated gifts wrapped up in a dash of mystery, a jot of quirkiness bordering on the corny, smothered in some enchanted evening and definitely the way to capture a girl’s heart. With each token of love that he places in my hands, each sign of affection that he graciously and generously offers me, with each excited schoolboy grin that melts my heart as he impatiently, nervously watches for my reaction, I understand and appreciate how much he does love me.


Yet. Yet. I would be a fool to refuse these lovely gifts, I mean, what woman would? Yet I really don’t need those expensive toys and luxurious gewgaws to make me truly happy. There is something that means ever so much more to me; something that captures my heart and makes me realize just how lucky I am to have him. Yes, anyone who reads my blog and who knows me as a friend understands that the one thing that I find the sexiest, the most alluring and heart melting, is a man who cooks.

And mine does indeed love to cook. He adores going to the market, basket in hand, and perusing stall after stall in his quest for the freshest, most seasonal and local products from the land, the sea and dug up from the dirt. And like a magician finding pleasure and satisfaction in delighting his audience, JP finds such joy in performing that magic, concocting something amazing with his finds and enchanting his audience of one. I have already told the tale of how he became such a great cook, teaching himself while still a child. And his talent and passion have only grown over the years. Needless to say, on holidays, weekends and summer vacations, when free from the stranglehold of work and a time-consuming job, my man takes over the kitchen. And as one who would prefer to spend any and all kitchen time baking pastries, cakes, pies and breads and who knocks her head against the wall in any effort to decide on an actual meal, I would certainly never stand in between him and the stove!


Now that he is home fulltime, our days intertwine gently, serenely and happily. We still, after all these years, enjoy being together all the time. And in between the writing, the long walks, the genealogy, housework, bills and whatever daily tasks keep us busy and apart, we still get together to shop and cook. And while I have somehow grown lazy and complacent, his energy is abuzz and that has been taking him into the kitchen much more often. He channels his creativity and lets his imagination fly.

And how he adores the process: pots and pans clatter, flour poofs all around him in a haze of white, tomato sauce and olive oil splatter across the stovetop, dishes, utensils, pots and pans pile up willy-nilly in the sink and in tumultuous confusion on every available work surface. He chops and slices, blends and stirs, tastes and tastes again. A twist of the peppermill here, a dash or two (or three) of fleur de sel there, a squeeze of this tube, a blob or a glug or a plop of this flavoring or that condiment, a largish pinch of one or the other spice and, like a great inventor, he slowly creates a dish worthy of every minute, every movement, every frustrated curse word and each moan of pleasure as he tastes. Yes, sometimes these preparations are fraught with displeasure – a failed dish, missing ingredients, cooking disasters - or even danger - sliced fingers, trips to the emergency room – but all in all, he loves cooking as much as I love having him cook.


Now how to put down on paper what he creates by feel and sense? Au pif the French call it: cooking by intuition (pif being slang for nose). His recipes are never the same twice, he rarely measures; his method involves non-stop changing, adapting and adding as he goes. As this is in direct contrast to the way I cook or bake, I am more often than not banned from the kitchen whenever he takes over (to avoid my meddling, my interfering, my moans of frustration, the groans and eye rolls and unwanted suggestions) so even writing down the step-by-step becomes problematic if not downright impossible. When he cooks, my role is simply to make sure that the table is set for when he is ready to serve the meal, to make ooooohing, ahhhhhing and mmmmmming sounds while I savor and enjoy his masterpiece and to wash up when the meal is done – a Herculean task if ever there was one.

Veal Lasagna

Smoked Salmon Lasagna

So, I take a deep breath and will attempt to organize my thoughts and his every gesture, although I give very rough guestimates. You must learn to cook as he does, au pif, and create your own…


JP’S FABULOUS LASAGNA
Whether made with sautéed, aromatic veal or luxurious smoke salmon, his lasagna is fabulous! Add more or less of each vegetable or use your favorites. Layer some mozzarella or fontina or a mixture of ricotta and Parmesan in with the layers of béchamel for a cheesier lasagna. Use more tomato sauce with a meat lasagna than in a delicate smoked salmon lasagna. Don’t forget that everything added to this is precooked so the time in the oven is simply to heat through, melt the cheese and meld the flavors.


For a glass or Pyrex baking dish approximately 12 x 8 x 2 inches (30 x 20 x 5 cm), greased with either butter or margarine

10 or 12 sheets (each sheet approximately 7 x 3 ½ inches (17 x 9 cm) egg lasagna

Béchamel:
3 Tbs (50 g) unsalted butter
3 Tbs (50 g) flour
2 – 2 ½ cups (500 to 650 ml) milk, preferably warm or room temperature
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Large pinch nutmeg
Optional: 1 small onion, minced

Tomato Sauce
(see recipes here or here)

3 medium to large peppers, yellow, red and green, rinsed

1 – 2 medium-sized zucchini, trimmed and rinsed

2 pounds (1 kg) fresh spinach, trimmed and rinsed

1 cup or so freshly grated Parmesan cheese

EITHER:
1 pound (500 g) ground veal
1 onion, diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
seasonings of choice

OR:
About 8 slices smoked salmon, more or less to your taste

Prepare the Béchamel:

Melt the butter over a medium-low flame. Add the flour all at once and whisk to form a thick, smooth paste. (If adding the onion, simply add the onion to the melted butter and sautée until lightly golden and tender, about 3 or 4 minutes, then add the flour) Cook, whisking, over medium-low heat, for just a minute or two. Pour in the milk just a little at a time, whisking constantly, adding more milk as the sauce thickens. Once all the milk has been added, salt and pepper the béchamel, add a dash of nutmeg and continue to stir or whisk until the sauce is thick and very smooth, about 10 minutes or so. Set aside.

Prepare the vegetables:

Place the cleaned spinach leaves in a large casserole with just the water clinging to the leaves once washed. Cover and steam over medium heat until wilted. Drain well then, once cool enough to handle easily, squeeze out all the excess water. Separate between your fingers or chop.

Roast the peppers either over a flame on your stovetop or under the oven grill until very soft and the skin is charred and bubbles up. If doing this in the oven, do it over a baking sheet or piece of aluminum foil to catch any dripped juice. Place the peppers in a plastic sandwich bag for a minute or two: the condensation will lift the skin up away from the flesh and removing it will be easier. Being careful not to burn yourself on the hot peppers, slide a sharp, pointed knife blade between the skin and the flesh and lift away. Once all the skin has been removed and discarded, cut out the stem and scrape away and discard all seeds. Slice or chop the flesh of the roasted peppers as you like.

Rinse and pat dry 2 medium zucchinis, trim and discard the two ends of each. Cut each zucchini in half widthwise. Slice each half lengthwise into thin slices and line up on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Lightly brush each slice with olive oil then grill until tender and beginning to color.

If using ground veal, simply brown in olive oil in a large skillet as you would for any dish: sautée an onion or two until golden or even caramelized, sautée the veal until browned: salt, pepper and spice as you please (chopped fresh or dried parsley, basil, oregano). Add some chopped, roasted cherry tomatoes or chopped olives if you like.

Prepare the Lasagna:

Start with a light layer of béchamel in the bottom of the baking dish;
Place one layer of lasagna noodles.
Simply add layers of vegetables, veal or smoke salmon, tomato sauce, béchamel and lasagna noodles. You should have about 3 layers of each, ending with a layer of noodles, then béchamel topped generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for about 20 minutes until bubbly and very hot all the way through. The top should be browned. You can also just place it under the grill for a minute or two to brown the top if you like.


Serve hot with a glass of wine.



Take a bigger bite ...

VEGETABLE PIZZA BIANCA

STARTING OVER – STEP 2


“Starting over?” he asks, full well knowing the answer, his question merely facetious and playful. “Let’s see,” he says, gaily rubbing his hands together in anticipation of all the activities born of this wiping the slate clean: the pure, unadulterated pleasure he has in going through stacks of papers for dividing into “keep”, “toss” and “file away”; combing through the minute details of years’ worth of bank statements and bills looking for errors; drawers and closets to be cleared out and straightened in a way that reminds me eerily and, I must say, fearfully of my own father on one of his cleaning sprees. I don’t know whether to tremble or to laugh at that odd, disarming glint in his eyes! Crazy eyes? The excitement is palpable in his every word, every movement as he rushes into his office and swings open the door of the cabinet where all of the household files are kept, his only problem is deciding where to start first. He adores the satisfying snap of the elastic band on each cardboard file folder he fills; with the flourish of his marker labeling the contents and his joyous, triumphant shout of “file closed!” he signals one more step taken and I know that he is happy and occupied.


We are on the threshold of a new life, and what better way to begin than to clean up, pare down and start afresh? Take it from me: starting over is much easier when the weight of years of living, collecting and neglect are sorted, organized and lightened. We have done this more times than we are prepared to admit.

The very first time we picked up and went the burden was so much lighter. We had been married for a mere handful of years and were still as poor as church mice. The mover arrived to pack up and load the truck and as he peeked into our tiny 3-room love nest, he looked up at me and asked, “Where is all the rest?” Well, this is it… our meager belongings did not even fill up the company’s smallest van. But no matter; happy we were back in those simple days of hand-to-mouth, living on love and laughter.


From France to Italy then back again and in between we had begun to amass what some would describe as worldly possessions, those objects one teaches oneself to hold dear, cling onto as if life depended on the belonging: furniture, clothing, pretty little knick knacks and gewgaws with no obvious purpose except as things of beauty or souvenirs of events long gone. And even so, we had separated out, boxed up and delivered carton upon carton of old clothing to the local church, tossed out what we thought that we could live without, yet…yet… We had started our long journey of accumulating papers, forms, sheets upon sheets of information and administrative paperwork, proof of our existence; the signs and weight of adulthood; the life of expats, parents, the employed, the responsible: stack upon stack, file upon file of paperwork. Not to mention the books! We had grown from half a moving van to one and a half in a mere seven years and thus did we pack up and move it all north.

Our next re-creation was even weightier yet lighter in that we had severed the shackles and bonds to an old, sad life and unhappy situation. We left behind job, schools, house and darkness and carried our belongings westward to a lighter, brighter place, a new, sunshine-filled home that we could make our own, new and better schools that would motivate our sons and life in the (not-so) big city. Husband spent the next year and a half hammering, scraping, painting, pushing around heavy objects. He went through cartons and files, sent plastic trash bag after plastic trash bag downstairs and out to the dump. He rubberbanded old bills, bank statements and Italian administrative forms into neat, concise, labeled piles and stored them away in shiny new file boxes. By the time he started a new job, the apartment was no longer a demolition site, nor were we living as squatters in our own home. A place for everything and everything in its place… And life went on happily. Husband had, at the same time, rearranged the entire neighborhood as well, having gleefully spent his spare time making phone calls and writing letters to city hall, neighborhood committees, local businesses getting everyone to follow the rules, eliminating the delivery trucks who would line up under our kitchen and livingroom windows every morning at 4:30 and keep their engines running until the shops opened at 7, and pushing the city to send police and clean-up crews to our area more often to take care of the local riff raff. Whew! He loves the busy work, he loves the satisfaction of putting everything into nice, neat, predictable order.

And now back to the old drawing board.

So let’s go through the steps, it is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

Step 1 : As we have already discussed, the first step is simply a matter of decision followed swiftly by a stroke of the pen, a letter signed, sealed and delivered, the closing of one door and the opening of the next. Easy peasy when one has hopes and dreams, ideals and scruples, confidence and just a bit of craziness. And, all of a sudden, one finds oneself alone with spouse, dog and sons and facing the realities of the situation. And time for a little time off.

Step 2 : This is where one gets one’s life in order, physically, mentally, body and soul. Yes, you must be willing to sever the ties to the past and part with certain items that you think that you simply cannot live without. You must learn to slow down, which for some might just be the hardest part!

Now listen and learn:

Relax. Kick back and enjoy your freedom, for the time will soon be upon you when serious thought and planning must commence. Take up a hobby, take long walks in the countryside, paint, draw or cook. Stroll through the city and experience the life of this place you only saw on your way to and from work; get to know the activity that bustles through the streets during normal working hours. Enjoy the sunshine and appreciate that you no longer must spend your days cooped up inside an office under artificial lights. Start a blog, start writing that book, spend afternoons at the swimming pool or outside with your camera. Research your genealogy. Do all those things that the old nine-to-five (or in our case, the old eight-to-eight) forced you to put off. Chill out while you can. One must be totally relaxed, have a mind free of worry in order to move on in all serenity to Step 3. You never know what having a clear head can do to your outlook on life!


Pare it down. File folders, rubber bands and shredder at the ready, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get down and dirty! Go through your papers, official and otherwise, and toss what you absolutely are not required to hold onto by law or security. 15-year-old medical registration forms or bank cards from another country for a bank account that has long been closed? Receipts for appliances purchased so long ago that you no longer own said appliances? Twenty-year-old phone and electric bills? Baby clothes that no longer fit your babies (who are now in their twenties)? Go on, it is only painful at the beginning. It does get easier, I promise.

Lighten the load. Gather together books never read and lug them over to the closest used bookstore and sell them. Think of all the new books that cash will buy! Dig out all clothes not worn once during the last year…or two, wash them, fold them and carry them over to the Red Cross container. Ah, you will feel not only lighter but better for the anonymous donation.

Go for broke. He may have hung up his suits, cleaned and pressed, alongside the work shirts and silk ties and gone casual, sporting old jeans, ratty sneakers and a sweater but who says that you can’t dress up? All those $300 shoes, beautiful jewelry and lovely skirts that were so carefully saved to be worn and shown off at company holiday parties or cocktail soirées given by the mayor? What are you waiting for and who knows what tomorrow will bring? And who says one can’t get dressed to the nines just for a trip to the market or the post office? Channel your own Eva Gabor on Green Acres or Ginger on Gilligan’s Island… Feel great, look great, you are great!


Sense of humor. Once so sophisticated, stern and respectable, it’s time to let one’s hair down (figuratively for * ahem * some of us) and let loose. Even through the most difficult times and even when one is in doubt, always keep that silly sense of humor intact, laugh often, laugh out loud and surely laugh at yourself. Jump on the couch, run through the house in your underwear, do imitations and watch every silly, crazy, oddball movie that is for rent on the rent-a-movie channel. Just have fun! Oh, and did I mention laugh?


Early to bed, early to rise… used to be our credo. Like the old farm folk that we had become, we were up with the sun and down and out with the sun as well. Many were the evenings that son walked in at the end of his school day, looking for dinner before his friends began showing up to work and there he would find his parents yawning, dog walked, shutters closed. He would roll his eyes and, between disbelief and disgust, he would mock us for being old. “Did you have your soup? Are you off to bed now?” and sheepishly we would have to say “Yes.” Now we revel in the late hours, a second glass of wine in front of a movie. We thrill in the slow, lazy mornings, those glorious grasses matinées, lying late in bed with a book, no obligations, no time card to punch or clock ticking. Only one small dog waiting to be taken out. And even so, Marty is often to be found sound asleep in the sun when we do finally decide to start our day. Ain’t life grand?

Let your imagination run wild. Flip through magazines; watch travel documentaries or food programs; stare at that map tacked up on the livingroom wall. Think of all the fabulous places that are on the planet where you could unpack your suitcases and start a new life! Cultures and cuisines to explore, landscapes and peoples once unknown are yours to discover! Think big, dream far and open up to any and all possibilities. Now is the time for dreaming and you never know where it may lead you.

Get in shape! Take long walks or bike rides (even if the bike is stationary and in front of a dvd). Swim. Plan a weeklong trek or biking trip with spouse (oh, yes, more to come on that!). After years of sitting behind the wheel of a car, at a desk or in front of the TV, it is time to lose that spare tire, thunder thighs and aching back and become the best that you can! Over 50? You will soon start to feel – and look – 30 again! And you will be all the more ready for the next battle and Step 3!


Eat well, eat lighter! In our desire to get in shape and feel better, I have put aside the rich tomato sauce and the heavy layer of gooey cheese that usually adorns our homemade pizza and gone green! Gorgeous, sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, nutty grilled strips of tender zucchini, tangy feta, the salty bite of Greek olives and the delicate bitterness of fresh rocket adorn this wonderful springtime pizza. Add the luxury of marinated artichoke hearts, slices of stunning tomates noires, “black” tomatoes, and the snap of pine nuts and the meal is complete. Cool and fragrant, light yet so satisfying, these pizzas make the perfect springtime or summer meal, adorned with the best and freshest of the warm-weather season. Whether dieting, looking for something cool and garden fresh or simply in the mood for something delicious, all that is required is a bit of homemade bread or pizza dough baked thin and crispy or thick and chewy and any of these toppings you desire.


I would love to share this with Susan of Wild Yeast for her weekly Yeastspotting!


VEGETABLE PIZZA OR FOCACCIA BIANCA
Vegetable-topped baked pizza, focaccia or fried piadina

Pizza will be larger and thinner, a crispy base for your salad and toppings.
Focaccia will be smaller and thicker, crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside like bread.
Piadina, rather than baked in the oven, are cooked like pancakes or crêpes in a skillet on the stove and will be much chewier and can be folded around the topping as filling. The piadine can be made as thin or as thick as one likes. The thinner will be easier to eat rolled up or folded while the thicker will be best eaten flat.

This dough recipe makes enough for about 8 dinner plate-sized thin pizzas or 4 family sized focaccie. I won’t give quantities for your pizzas, focaccie or piadine as it all depends on how many people you are serving, what kind of base you desire (each diner may choose his or her own) or how thick or thin. And as for toppings, I have listed what I craved, what I wanted. You do the same!

1 tennis-ball-sized round of bread or pizza dough per person/ per serving (find the recipe here or here)
Olive oil for brushing
Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper

Roasted cherry tomatoes (instructions follow)
Oven-grilled zucchini strips (instructions follow)

Fresh rocket
Feta cheese
Fresh tomatoes
Jar marinated artichoke hearts
Handful pine nuts, lightly toasted in a skillet or in the oven
Anything that grabs your fancy


To Roast the Cherry Tomatoes:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Place about 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ to 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or a pinch of sugar in a large glass baking dish. Slice a clove or two of peeled garlic and add to the baking dish. Toss the cherry tomatoes lightly in the oil mixture then sprinkle with a pinch of fleur de sel and a grinding or two of black pepper.

Roast in the oven for 20 minutes then turn the grill on and continue to roast until the tomatoes begin to color, just a couple of minutes. Remove from the oven.


Keep the grill lit, raise the oven rack up closer to the grill and prepare the zucchini:

Rinse and pat dry 2 medium zucchinis, trim and discard the two ends of each. Cut each zucchini in half widthwise. Slice each half lengthwise in thin slices and line up on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Lightly brush each slice with olive oil then grill until tender and beginning to color.

Prepare the pizza or focaccia bases:

Turn the oven temperature (or preheat the oven) to 425°F (220°C) – lower to 400°F (200°C) if using convection or fan-assisted.

On a floured work surface, roll out a tennis ball-sized piece of bread or pizza dough to form a very thin, plate-sized disc. Carefully and loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin and lift onto a parchment paper-lined baking or pizza tray. Unroll. Brush lightly with olive oil and dust with a pinch or two of fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until puffed and evenly golden brown (carefully lift up a corner and verify that the underside of the pizza is also golden brown).


You can also make small, saucer-sized, thicker rounds of focaccia. The thicker the round of dough, the longer it will take to bake.


Slide the baked pizzas or focaccie onto wooden cutting boards or directly onto individual dinner plates.

For Piadina:

Lightly brush the bottom of a dinner plate-sized skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-high flame or heat. Roll out a piece of dough (size depends on how large and how thick you want each piadina as well as the diameter of your skillet) and brush the top lightly with olive oil. Carefully lift the disc of dough up and place in the skillet, the olive oil-brushed side up. Cooked until the bottom side is cooked and begins to color. Flip and cook the other side. Serve immediately, topped with the toppings.




Take a bigger bite ...