Bastille Day the Facts and Some Food to Celebrate

Bastille Day is the French national holiday which is celebrated on July 14th of each year. In France, it is called La Fête Nationale. Some simply use the date “le quatorze juillet” when speaking of the holiday. The celebration is still a major holiday as once was Memorial Day or the 4th of July in the United States. No Bastille day would complete without a parade with marching bands, military cadets, aircraft, and speeches. Everyone is out celebrating.

France in the late 1780s was ruled by a greedy and corrupt aristocracy. The country was nearing bankruptcy, the poor had little to no food (remember the “famous” line attributed to Marie Antoinette) and the growing bourgeoisie (middle-class) were growing increasingly powerless. On July 14, 1789, a group of Parisians banned together and stormed the Bastille prison, releasing the seven prisoners inside. The march marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The lasting significance of this event was the recognition that power was not held by the King or God, but by the people. On July 16, King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette fled to Versailles for refuge.

On the 30th of June 1878, a fête was arranged in Paris to honor the French Republic, which was immortalized by Claude Monet in his painting Le Quatorze Juillet. In the debate leading up to instating the holiday, Henri Martin, chairman of the French Senate, his colleagues; "Do not forget that behind this 14 July, where victory of the new era over the ancien régime was bought by fighting, do not forget that after the day of 14 July 1789, there was the day of 14 July 1790. ... This [latter] day cannot be blamed for having shed a drop of blood, for having divided the country. It was the consecration of the unity of France. On May 21, 1880, Benjamin Raspail proposed to have "the Republic choose the 14 July as a yearly national holiday". The law was made official on July 4, 1880. In 1848 the motto "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" was reinstated.

I remember my first Bastille Day celebration in Paris and looking in awe at the throngs of people both of French heritage and not. Everyone was waving their flags singing and celebrating as the parades went by. The same can be said of my time in NYC in the Meat Packing District. The street was shut down to traffic and the throngs of Manhattanites were lining the street or seating family style outside at tables watching jugglers, performers and drag queens dressed as Marie Antoinette. The place was the now defunct Cafe Florent. French food and wine seemed to be everywhere.

Below is a recipe to bring the “French out in you.” and is a popular picnic sandwich throughout France, especially on the Riviera where the olives and anchovies are divine.

Try the “Tartine de Provence” . It is great for a beach date, a picnic or wherever you will be.

serves 4

Jensen Beach Personal chef

1 baguette

1 clove garlic, cut in half

14-16 pitted black olives, not ones you put on your fingers

1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks

8 oz/225g green string beans, blanched

2 tomatoes, cut into chunks

4 anchovy fillets

2 tbsp/30ml extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

¼ tsp/1ml sea salt

¼ tsp/1ml ground black pepper

Cut the baguette in half lengthwise. Rub the cut ends of the garlic over the cut side of the bread for a subtle garlic taste. Place the vegetables and anchovies in a food processor. Pulse to combine (2-3 times) you want it still a bit chunky and not a soup. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Add vegetables and toss to mix. Spoon the mixture down one length of the bread. Top with the other half. Roll the sandwich up in wax paper or aluminum foil making sure to close the ends. Weight the sandwich down with a board topped with large cans to compress everything together. Leave it for about 1 hour to combine all the flavors. Serve this with some really good rose wine.

Eat Your Vegetables - They Are Good For You

There's no question that eating three to five servings of fruits and vegetables daily will improve your health. But more and more experts are saying healthy eat ing is not only about how many servings you eat. It's about the variety you pick, too. Eat a diet of solely white foods, and you'll miss key nutrients your body needs—even if your palette includes cauliflower, onions, and mushrooms. Adding a multivitamin doesn't cut it either. "People will say, 'I'm taking a multivitamin, so I don't really need to eat these,' " says Karin Hosenfeld, RD, LD, a dietitian in private practice in Dallas, but she says scientists don't know whether whole foods may offer undiscovered benefits that vitamins don't. "We do know for sure that if you don't eat your fruits and vegetables, you're not getting your fiber, and that's [helping keep] your blood sugar down." Every one of your meals doesn't have to be multicolored

Braised Lettuce (Laitues Braises): A Take On Julia Child’s Recipe

You can use almost any lettuce, such as chicory, or frisee, or Boston Bib if you are busing large heads, cut them in half. We made these pescartarian because of the shrimp stock, but vegan is easy with vegetable stock, or if serving with beef, a beef stock and bacon. Braised lettuce is a delicious garnish for poultry, white meats such as veal or pork, or steamed white fish. It can be the main accompanied by a warm sweet potato salad. Serves 4 4 heads Romaine lettuce hearts 4 thick slices of bacon (if making not vegetarian or vegan), cut into lardon strips 1 small onion , diced 2 carrots, diced 1 tablespoon/15g plus 1/2 tablespoon/7 butter divided 1 teaspoon/5ml olive oil 1/2 cup/125ml shrimp or seafood stock (see notes above) 1/2 cup/125ml cup white wine or dry white vermouth bouquet garni: 1 parsley branch, 1 branch of thyme,1 bay leaf tied to a cheesecloth ½ tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon parsley Trim stems of lettuce and remove wilted leave

Black Garlic Lamb Chops with Red Wine Reduction

Marinade adapted for this recipe from RecipeZaar. You can choose either lamb chops from the USA or New Zealand. The ones from New Zealand are a bit smaller, but more gamey. This recipe was written using ones from the US. You can use a grill pan on the cook top if not using an outdoor barbecue. Serves 4 12 lamb loin chops, 1/2-3/4 inch/1.5-1.9cm thick 1 teaspoon/5ml sea salt 4-5 cloves black garlic 2 cups/500ml full body red wine (we used a cabernet) Marinade: 1/4 cup/60ml red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons/30ml chopped fresh rosemary 1tablespoon/15ml chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon/5ml minced fresh garlic 2 tablespoons/30ml olive oil fresh ground black pepper to taste Have your butcher trim most of the visible fat and "French" the lamb chops. Make a paste of the black garlic and sea salt. Rub the paste on the chops. Combine marinade ingredients. Place lamb chops inside a resealable bag large enough to hold all of the chops,

Mrs. Cheney's McIntosh Cake Recipe

Sometimes “old” classic recipes are the best. This recipe has to be from at least the 1950’s. It was found whilst cleaning out my Nanna’s (Nonna’s) kitchen. No need to have McIntosh apples any good baking apple will do. Since the bottom is the top you can arrange a couple of apples before pouring in the first amount of batter. 5 apples, peeled, sliced, cored 1/2 cup/85g granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons/7ml ground cinnamon Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over apples in a medium sized bowl. Toss to coat all the apple pieces and let sit while making the batter. 3 cups/298g all purpose flour 2 cups/383g granulated sugar 1 teaspoon/5ml baking soda 2 teaspoons/10ml baking powder 1 cup/250ml vegetable oil 4 large eggs 1/3 cup/80ml orange juice (we used triple sec) 2 teaspoons/10ml pure vanilla extract Greased bundt/tube pan Pre-heat oven to 350F/176C/Gas Mark 4 In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, baking soda,

The History of Aluminum Foil: Just Don't Call it Tin Foil

Gerard Paul September 11th, 2020 Cookware , Grilling & Outdoors Aluminum foil – sometimes incorrectly called tin foil – is a thin, prepared sheet metal made of aluminum, often used in cooking (and food storage!). Although it may seem a little dull at first glance (especially on its dull side), aluminum foil has quite a fascinating story behind it. Many incredible things occurred before it became a staple in the modern kitchen. In this post, I'll discuss the various events that led to the aluminum foil revolution, and highlight the continued importance of this seemingly mundane material in our lives. Aluminum Foil What Is Aluminum Foil? Aluminum foil is a thin sheet of metal foil or metal leaf composed of an aluminum alloy containing roughly 92–99 percent aluminum. It usually has a thickness between 0.0002 to 0.006 inches, but its width and strength vary greatly based on the intended application. Just some of those applications include: Manufacturing thermal in

Do you Remember Herman? Sourdough Starter and Recipe

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Amish friendship bread, as well as an interchangeable starter referred to as Herman (the name varies), became a popular exchange among friends who shared the starter as well as recipes. Herman Starter Preparation time: 10 minutes Standing time: 5 days Yield: 4 cups 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup warm water 2 packages (2 1/4 teaspoons each) active dry yeast 2 cups each: milk, flour 1. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar over the warm water. Sprinkle yeast over mixture; set aside until doubled in volume, about 10 minutes. 2. Combine milk, flour, remaining sugar and yeast mixture in a plastic or glass container. (Do not use metal.) Stir with a wooden spoon; cover loosely. Set aside at room temperature, at least 8 hours. 3. Stir mixture once a day for three days. On the fourth day, measure out 1 cup of Herman for baking; measure 1 additional cup to give to a friend as a gift. To replenish starter: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1

Homemade Turkey Ham Recipe

Making your own cured turkey “ham”, is not only healthier, but in our opinion much tastier. It will be much lower in sodium and be preservative free. You are going to use turkey in 3 different forms. Cubed, minced and pureed. This will give it a more “ham” like texture. Start with 2 pounds 10.5 ounces of skin off deboned turkey thigh meat Cubed Turkey 14 ounces/400 grams turkey meat, cut into cubes 1 teaspoon/4 grams salt 1/4 teaspoon/1 grams curing salt Minced/Ground Turkey (if you use pre minced make sure it’s thigh meat) 14 ounces/400 grams turkey meat 1 teaspoon/4 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon/2 grams curing salt 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons/40mls water For The Puree 10.5 ounces/300 grams turkey meat 4 teaspoons/20mls water 1/2 teaspoon/2mls garlic powder 1 teaspoon/4 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon/2 grams curing salt 1 large egg white 2 teaspoons/10ml liquid smoke 1/2 tablespoon/2 grams smoked paprika Trim the turkey if not trimmed already. Remove any tough tissue. Cut it into roug

Roasted Eggplant Recipe

Roasting is one of the best ways to cook eggplant. 2 Medium Eggplants 1/4cup / 60ml Olive Oil 1/2teaspoon / 2.5g Sea Salt 1/2teaspoon / 2.5g Garlic Powder 1/4teaspoon/ 1.25g Black Pepper Instructions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Slice the eggplant crosswise to make circles, about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. Cut off the leafy end only after you are done slicing, so that you'll have more to grab onto as you slice. Arrange the eggplant slices on an extra large baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Flip and repeat the olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Roast eggplant in the oven for 30-35 minutes , until soft, golden, and caramelized. You can flip halfway through if you like, but you don't have to. private chefs and event catering Palm Beach + Boca Raton + Fort Lauderdale + Miami Beach info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232) 561-285-7466 www.yadachef.com south florida cateri

White Fish Gravlax Recipe

White Fish Gravlax Serves 4 Here is a great starter, light lunch or a fantastic item for your holiday buffet. If you have problems with gluten substitute the wheat bread for a flax or millet bread or leave it out entirely and eat on some mixed greens. Gravlax 5 ounces/145 grams white fish, bass, snapper-I used tilapia (sushi grade) 2 tablespoons/34g coarse salt 2 tablespoons/25g caster sugar 1 tablespoon/7g of ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon/2g ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon/2g ground cloves 8-10 pieces of fresh dill fronds Mustard Butter 2 Tablespoons/28g of unsalted butter, softened 2 Tablespoons/28g of dijon mustard. Salad 1 handful of watercress dressed with simple vinaigrette Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream Mix salt, sugar, black pepper, allspice, and ground cloves. Liberally sprinkle on both sides of the fish. Lay half of the dill in a glass container. Place the fish on top and cover with rest of the dill. Leave out for 1-2 hours th

Jacques Pepin's Chicken Supremes with Tapenade and Mushroom Sauce Recipe

Serves 4 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces/170g each 1 tablespoon good olive oil Tapenade 3/4-cup/33g mix of pitted olives, black oil-cured olives, Kalamata olives, and green olives 1 small garlic clove, peeled and sliced 2 dried apricot halves, cut into small pieces 1 1/2 tablespoons/37ml drained capers 2 tablespoons/30ml xtra virgin olive oil Mushroom Sauce: 4 tablespoon/57g unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups/234g Baby Bella mushrooms, washed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1/2 cup/50g chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon/2ml salt, plus extra to taste 1/2 teaspoon/2ml freshly ground black pepper, plus extra to taste 1/2 cup/125ml dry white wine 2 tablespoons/30ml chopped fresh chives or par Put all the tapenade ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to make a coarse puree. Cut a horizontal slit in each chicken breast to create a pocket, and stuff with the tapenade. Set aside until serving time. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/Gas4 Heat the olive oil and 2 table

YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

Search This Blog