Luxeat

An impossible ban?

While some  environmentally conscious countries are proposing to ban the international bluefin tuna trade, in Japan business keeps going. The first tuna auction this year  fetched a price of 1.55 million Yen ( around 11 600 euros) for a 150 kg fish. For an obvious reason,Japan is opposing the ban proposition. It  would put an entire Japanese tuna fishing industry to the end. Of course, the outcome won't be better when  bluefin tuna is extinct from the oceans, but i do not imagine how all those traditional sushiyas would change their menus and stop going to Tsukiji every morning to buy this expensive fish...Just some food for thought...

OAD Best Meals of 2009

Opinionated About Dining continues the great tradition of asking chefs and bloggers what was their meal of the year.You can see the whole list here. Ms Luxeat is on the list too ;) 

Aubergine salad

I was inspired by Turkish aubergine salad when i was in Turkey earlier this year.What i love about it that you don't have to do a lot (when it comes to my own cooking , i like to keep it simple) - the oven does the work you.

The recipe is for two-three people served as a meze

1 big aubergine,1 big tomato,2-3 cloves of garlic (or more if you like garlic),1 red hot pepper,half of an onion,olive oil,some lemon juice,fresh parsley,cumin,paprika,salt,pepper

Grill the aubergine(after piercing with a fork) in 200 degrees Celsius oven, turn it from time to time. After half a hour,add the tomato, garlic cloves, onion and pepper, drizzle all with olive oil and grill half an hour more.Let the vegetables cool down a little, then remove the flesh from the aubergine, tomato, garlic, chop the pepper and the onion. Mix everything with some lemon juice,organic olive oil and spices, add the chopped parsley.

Strawberry trifle with lemon

Here is a recipe of strawberry trifle that is fresh, refreshing and very fast to make. And as i am not a big cook and almost never cook i love efortless recipes :) I was inspired by a recipe i found online, but made quite a few changes. Instead of the sour cream ( crème fraîche )I used whippped cream.Also, i used much more fresh strawberries and "lady fingers" biscuits.

The abundance of salmons, crabs and lobsters...

Seattle Farmers Market..

Does food have to be authentic to be good?

Just finished reading The Man Who Ate the World , an amusing and suprisingly honest book about restaurants in some of the world's metropolies. For somebody who has been in all of these cities ,(except Dubai) and many of the restaurants mentioned, this book is like a candy. One thing that I found  particularly interesting is the authors thoughts on the authenticty of meals and products.He speaks about the "horrible" pressed pigs ears he once ate at London's Chinese restaurant Ecapital or "foul flavor" of baby lamb with dry yoghurt he had in Dubai.

Reading the paragraph, i caught myself always searching for authenticity in the restaurants i go when i travel. But, after all,what is more important pleasure or autheticity? I remember trying roe of sea cucumber in one of Kyoto kaiseki restaurants and believe me, I am not sure want to taste again that orange jelly, even if it was served in a graceful, ceremonial kind of way.What is a delicacy for one group of people, can be strange for another. In Lithuania (where i come from) there is one speciality called vėdarai,potatoes mixture stuffed in pork intestines. The dish is authentic i guess, but i am not sure i want them for my lunch today...

Anyway, the book is great, esepcially if your passion is eating out and eating well.

From Lithuania with love

Those who've been reading my blog probably know that i come from Lithuania.I've been living in Paris and New York for almost ten years now, but i have always a big pleasure to come back to my home country and eat some of the Lithuanian specialities. Yes, they are quite heavy and are constantly critisized by the Lithuanians themselves, but probably we all have foods that "are grown" in our genes and we  simply can't resist to them.

Oh Bellota, Bellota...

Have you tasted jamon Iberico de Bellota? It is the caviar of all the hams and the priciest. The reason why is that the pigs are only fed with acorns (nuts of oaks) and the ham is cured for many months.The flavor of the ham ends up very nutty and rich.Like good caviar, very addictive, i might say... Speaking of the price, it is very expensive and in Spain and in other countries.(there are a few shops in Paris). I found this gourmet ham shop in Barcelona that seems to have better prices than elsewhere and it ships to other countries.  Reserva Iberica  is located in the center of Barcelona,242 Arago street. If you click on the link, you will be directed to their website.
P.S. I haven't forgot to post about my dinner in Bouley....

My favorite cake of this season

Christophe Adam of Fauchon continues his "club cake" tradition and this autumn he proposes the classical "forêt noir" cake in a not so classical form. I love this cake so much that last week, despite of all the strikes, i went to Fauchon (place de la Madeleine) three times just for this cake.
Club Forêt Noir is made of  bitter chooclate biscuit, chantilly with kirsh (very light),griottes confites and raspberry jam. The best forêt noir cake i have ever ate!

Clam chowder

Visiting San Francisco wouldn't be as good without eating the creamy clam chowder in Fisherman's Wharf!