Furrowed Jowl
after endless plates of meat, finally a salad.
Veloce Vita
Who has legitimately thrown their hands up that we are at the end of November already? I longhand write everyday with the date attached and I cannot grasp the velocity at which life is happening. I am back from London and Italy in the throes of acute jet lag and refusing to end this year in any sullen disposition. While on the trip I had small bursts of creativity and ideas that I’m determined to bring to life. One morning in Modena, I stepped outside to have a “vacation cigarette” (a small joy I indulge in). I nestled into an uncomfortable chair, crossed my legs and allowed myself to feel for a moment. It’s a privilege to write and express openly. I take my role here seriously and I’ll be honest, I cried. I hope you don’t gag, but the tears were rooted in the fact that I actually like what I’m doing. Back in April when I started ChezChezRobert there was a demand for recipes to the food I was making on social media. In order to appease those who wanted recipes, they would have to subscribe here and read my writing too. What blossomed and what I think sparked the waterfall of saline was just how much I missed writing, sharing and giving. I was missing the volunteer work that I did this summer at Brooklyn Autism Center. I have some ideas how to address the desires and answer that emotional call. I will tease out the idea in an upcoming newsletter as I am conceptualizing it. For now, at the speed in which the days are flying I’ll keep cooking, writing and creatively filling my cup.
The Cure(ed Meat)
I was asked a lot about what my favorite meal was or food experience when I was abroad. I can seize slightly at this question because there wasn’t a moment spared in regards to food. There were mornings with delightful various biscotti and cappuccinos, afternoons with cicchetti and spritz’s, evenings with cured meat, yes, lots of cured meat. My friend I travelled with turned to me before ordering our lunch in Chianti at Osteria di Brolio and said, “I know it’s been a lot so far, but should we just keep the cured meat train running?” I have this relationship with food where when I know I’m at the source, it’s all I want to consume. I’ve had notable finocchiona in New York, but I have never tasted finocchiona so fresh the perfume of the fennel seed approaches the table before the salumi ever does. To be fair, it was all fun and giggles until we arrived in Rome. Guanciale is King in Rome. Romans have wielded the power of the jowl and rendered (pun intended) us all into a state of hypnosis. The lethargy induced by pork jowl is no laughing matter. The brain fog was affecting my ability to make sensible choices. If we follow the principle, “you are what you eat,” I would be presenting to the world as case study for buccal fat removal. I had a moment of vulnerability towards the end of the trip where I experienced “meat sweats.” My body had peaked in its tolerance of cured meat and now heres a salad recipe.
Chicories with Crushed Walnuts and Aged Gouda
Bitter leaves are some of the most desirable leaves for me. I find the variegated chicories be visually marvelous. You can see the stunning contrast between pearl white and crimson; Castelfranco even has the palest chartreuse vibrantly displayed on each individual leaf. I chose tardivo, treviso and endive. I love marrying the harder to find chicories with something more common like endive. This vinaigrette is made with crushed walnuts straight from the oven giving the salad a wakeup call that fall has arrived but its no excuse to stop eating gorgeous salads.
serves 2
Ingredients:
50g walnuts, hand crushed or lightly chopped
1 shallot, finely minced
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 heads of chicories, different varieties, trimmed of their ends and leaves separated (I used treviso, tardivo and endive)
1 ripe pear, thinly sliced (I like concorde, d’anjou and comice)
1 tsp marjoram leaves, picked
1/4 lb of 6 months + aged gouda, thinly sliced
flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 325ºF.
Add walnuts to a small baking tray and gently toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes until aromatic and lightly browned. In the meantime, add minced shallot to a small bowl with a pinch of kosher salt and a small dash of cider vinegar. This helps relax the sharpness of the shallot. After 5-10 minutes, rinse the shallot under cold running water in a fine mesh sieve.
To make the dressing, combine the rinsed shallot, cider vinegar, sugar, dijon, extra virgin olive oil, pinch of kosher salt and some ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Add the hot walnuts to the dressing and stir until all the walnut pieces are evenly coated.
In a large bowl, combine your chicories with the pear, marjoram and a light sprinkling of flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper. Methodically spoon your dressing evenly over the chicories. Save some dressing as you do not want to overdress. Add more dressing as needed as you toss the salad. Ensure that the walnut dressing is not collecting at the bottom of the bowl then plate your salad.
Finish the salad with a drizzle of more dressing, if needed. Add the thin pieces of aged gouda over the salad seasoning with a little more flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper as you wish.
I'll be thinking about this line for awhile: 'If we follow the principle, “you are what you eat,” I would be presenting to the world as case study for buccal fat removal.'