Fried free range egg with farm fresh organic Cambridgeshire mixed greens and tomatoes, homemade croutons, streaky bacon and Northumbrian sage.
Was sort of meant to be a British Frissee aux lardons but cooking without my pans from home caused some hesitation, and therefore the eggs were fried instead of poached. Was delicious all the same! Shortly after taking this shot, the egg was moved on top of the salad, then punctured, and the yolk ran all over the greens. Was gorgeous!
Greetings from London! I'm here for a month, intent on tasting, trying and enjoying all the food London (and beyond) has to offer. I got here last Thursday and knew that on Friday, rain or shine, I would make it to Borough Market - an unbelievable fantasy-land of all things delicious and tasty. It was a shame I had eaten just before, because there was so much to taste and try, and a chorizo sandwich that was taunting me the whole time. I settled on trying samples of cheese and sausage and mushroom pate and even bought a single oyster that I topped with lemon juice and took down right there. I had to get a little treat, so I wandered into Brindisa, purveyor of Spanish delicacies, and walked up to two guys and 4 pigs legs.
"Oh, I think I've heard of this ham! Can you tell me about it?"
And tell me about it they did. I even sampled slices of ham from each leg... each one I tried was higher in price than the one before it. The ham is fatty almost like smoked salmon, and it's not as salty as prosciutto... and it's wonderful. The pigs feed on acorns and are treated like royalty, plenty of time outside and a luxurious shelter for bad weather.
Gorgeous, isn't it? Today it made for a great snack put on top of Pan con Tomate: toasted bread rubbed with garlic and tomatoes smashed into it. Ah, London! Can't wait to taste some more...
Yesterday was a wonderful holiday for those of us in Hoboken. We had a spectacular view of the fireworks over the Hudson River, a rarity as they are usually over the East River... and we also had one of those perfect, clear, summer nights which was a rarity of its own as we've had very rainy weather this last month.
Although laying down in the grass and watching fireworks in my city with my family and friends was unquestionably awesome, I must say the meal we enjoyed beforehand is certainly deserving of praise.
Does it get more American that this? Probably... if everything was processed and loaded with chemicals, and bought pre-made at a big grocery store.
We as a people have gotten so disconnected from where our food comes from, and this last year has been such an awakening for me thanks to the good work that people like Michael Pollan, Nina Planck, Trent Hendricks and Rich Sisti are doing. It's not enough to eat organic or eat locally... it's about eating responsibly and intelligently. It goes without saying that it's a pleasure to cook for friends and family, especially those who appreciate good food. But when we can sit around a table and know exactly where all our food is sourced from... it's an extra special meal and something we can all celebrate.
Diana Pappas and Jamie Paxton graduated from Duke University, where they became friends and started a conversation about great food, cooking, baking, nutrition, organics, entertaining and health. This blog is a public continuation of that discussion as they learn to eat locally, responsibly and happily.
They are both based in Hoboken, NJ where Diana is a photographer and Jamie works in a restaurant, is studying at the French Culinary Institute and finds herself with pathetically little time for blogging. They are both 27.
