We've arrived!

It's been a full two months since I last posted.  Many apologies, but I've been very very busy.  Four weeks ago Daniel and I left our home in Brooklyn and adventured forth to a new coast.  Although sad to see our lovely neighborhood go, we were bubbling with anticipation to get to our new digs.  After a quick visit in Los Angeles with friends and families, we meandered up the coast, ooing and aahhing at every bend.  The view!  Thrilling, gorgeous, unreal.  And at times, very terrifying.  When you find yourself on the west coast visiting me, a drive on Route 1 is a must.

Now at Harrison Grade, our new home, we're just about settled.  And we're enjoying some of the best meals we've cooked together.  Perhaps it's because of the excellent produce Sonoma County has to offer.  Or maybe it's because our kitchen has four times the space as our Brooklyn studio, allowing ingredients to sprawl across the counter, inviting an easy creativity.  Plus, all of the restaurants remotely close to our cottage close at the very civilized hour of 9pm.  In Brooklyn, a town of slightly less civilized folk, we routinely found ourselves alone in a restaurant after midnight, completely oblivious that we had outlasted our fellow diners.  Here, we don't have that luxury, so we spend more time at home in the evenings.  It's cozy.  But more about dinners to come, today we lunch. 

Play.  Paint.  Daniel is a seasoned painter.  He once painted his entire house red for a Russian themed party!  I am not.  Honestly, it hadn't really occurred to me that I could paint my apartments.  I suppose I never expected to live in them for much longer than a year and was broke and a bit lazy, so the effort of painting didn't cross my mind.  I wish it had - I probably would have respected and loved my previous homes a whole lot more.  Nonetheless, I was given a crash course in interior painting this past week, and couldn't be happier with the results.

First, go to a hardware store (Home Depot has a wide selection) and pick out paint chips.  Grab a bunch, and remember, dark is dark and even the lightest shades are dark when held up against a clean white.  Our entire cottage was painted a sickly peachy yellow, depressing both of us.  The front room and kitchen were the first to undergo a makeover.  Going for bold and elegant with a touch of French farmhouse, we decided to paint one wall a dusty red and clean up the rest with a lovely off-white.  For days we had a few paint chips taped to the wall, trying to decide which worked in what kind of light, and what felt like home.  Cajun Red and Polished Pearl won. 

Next, buy your paint, brushes, rollers, tape, and drop cloths.  Painting will take most of your day, be prepared.  Go slowly, have a steady hand, and plenty of wet paper towels in case of drips.

Then all of the sudden, you have a new living room. 

Fork.  Painting is tiring.  And before you know it, you've inhaled a scary amount of toxins and haven't had a damn thing to eat in hours.  You're fading.  Sustenance.  Lunch.  Sandwich time.  One of our first meals at Harrison Grade was a classic roast chicken.  Economical and delicious, this is our go-to meal, especially given the abundance of fresh herbs that are growing right outside our door.  With the leftovers I made a chicken and vegetable soup and a big bowl of chicken salad.  

Everyone has their own way to prepare chicken salad.  I like to make my own mayonnaise and mix it with Patak's curry paste.  Add diced chicken, celery, red onion, salt and pepper.  Sometimes I'll add apples or currants.  Maybe almonds for more crunch.  Smear your toasted bread with avocado, top with a generous heap of chicken salad followed by greens.  Eat with a napkin.  You might even need a fork.

Curry Mayonnaise

2 egg yolks

1/4 tsp mustard

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 cup safflower, sunflower, or olive oil (I like a combination of safflower and olive)

Patak's Curry Paste (mild, medium, or hot) 

In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, mustard, salt and vinegar.  Using egg beaters, whisk in the cup of oil very very slowly.  Drip by drip, let the oil emulsify with the yolks to form a thick, creamy mayonnaise.  When all of the oil is incorporated, stir in the curry paste to taste (I use about a tablespoon.)

Glass.  What could be more refreshing than a midday, mid-painting beer?  Hefeweizen, please.  The Widmer Brothers have been brewing this Hefeweizen since 1984.  From Portland, Oregon, these brewers are west coast favorites.  Lovely, light, and full of citrus and summer, this beer was their flagship.  It's perfect for an afternoon break from housework, coming in at a reasonable %4.9 alcohol.  Thirst quenching, delightful.  Don't forget to serve with a thick wedge of lemon.

Crooning

Fork.  Recently we went on a mini-vacation to Los Angeles.  It was my first time in the great state of California (gasp, I know!), and I was very thankful to have a guide through that expansive and bizarre city.  Among the many meals we shared, one was at a little French bistro with an adorable garden.

I ordered poorly.  Enticed by the tuna appetizer (every now and then I indulge and order tuna, but I try hard to avoid it...very difficult) and a chopped salad, I went for them, and the tuna was really quite tasty.   However, after seeing a neighboring table's steaming bowl of mussels, I was overcome with jealousy.  I love mussels!  Why had I scanned past them on the menu?  At a FRENCH BISTRO no less.  The perfect place to enjoy those meaty bites from the sea.  Ugh and it would have been divine with the crisp and zippy Anjou chenin blanc we shared.  Fail.

Ever since then, I've been craving mussels.  So, I threw together this French stew of mussels, white beans, and sherry.  Topped it off with tomatoes and thai basil, and served it with a crusty baguette and a green salad.  As the boy put it, peasant food done right.  Imagine the French countryside in practical flats and a flashy scarf.

Mussel Stew with White Beans and Tomatoes

1 pound mussels, scrubbed
3/4 dry sherry
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 thai or other small red chili, minced
2 14 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or use dried!)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup thai basil

In a deep skillet or large saucepan, combine the mussels, sherry and wine.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over moderate heat until the mussels open, about 3 minutes.  Remove the mussels from the broth.  Strain your liquid and reserve 1 1/2 cups.
  
Wipe out the skillet and heat your oil.  Add garlic and chili and cook for a minute, until garlic just starts to color.  Stir in the beans and tomatoes, add broth and season with salt.  Bring to a boil, add mussels and thai basil and heat through.  Serve with crusty bread. 

Glass.  When I decided to eat mussels for dinner, my first instinct was to fill my glass with the uber-dry Basque wine, Txakoli.  But, the boy offered to bring home the fantastic Monts Damnes 2009 Sancerre made by Jean-Paul Labaille.  I happily and excitedly agreed.  I love this wine.  I know I know I know, EVERYONE lovvvees Sancerre, but this one is particularly special.

Jean-Paul himself!

Pause.  Let's talk Sancerre for a moment.  Located in the eastern part of the Loire Valley, this region is renowned for its elegant and bright whites, made with sauvignon blanc.  The chalky soil of the region brings a subtle minerality that balances nicely with the notes of orchard fruit.  Very food friendly, these wines are the most well-known of all the Loire Valley, and Labaille is one of the most highly regarded winemakers.  I particularly like that he still operates with the same time-honored techniques that have run the production for generations.  Peasant drink done well?  Not quite, but not far from it either.  

The 2009 is round and complex, light and graceful, fruity without overwhelming the palate.  Perfect with mussels. 

Play.  What is more romantic than the French countryside and a glass of Sancerre?  All of those things with some sentimental tunes.  He isn't French, but he can croon with the best of them.  Chet Baker grew up in Yale, Oklahoma and found himself in the army before his voice had dropped.  Thankfully, he never took to the military and managed to escape to a musical career in easy jazz. 

Just listening to his songs puts me in a good mood.  Sure, they are kind of corny and lovey-dovey, but who doesn't need a touch more romance in their lives?  Picture the French countryside with that scarf and those flats slow dancing with a dashing American from the midwest.  In the moonlight.  Sated from a terrific supper of mussels and a little tipsy from all that delicious Sancerre.  Perfect.