Lauren's Kitchen

And then there was Paris . . .

on May 14 in Featured Post, Vacations tagged All, Mediterranean, Wine by Lauren

 

 

 

And then we made it to Paris.  What an amazingly lovely city on the Seine, rich with history and culture . . . and FOOD!

 

I’d wanted to go to Paris for at least the last 10 years.  With our fourth anniversary approaching, Weston and I decided France would be our anniversary gift to each other. 

 

So, arriving in Paris was interesting.  We again rented a flat through VRBO, and although it lacked the charming owners of Villa Margarita, it had its own appeal.   At 123 Rue Saint Honore, it was so close to the Louvre that we were able to walk the grounds every day.  We were also above a very highly rated patisserie (that appeared in our Paris Insight eating guide) and every morning we were greeted with the smell of baking bread. 

 

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I didn’t disappear. I just went to France.

on May 14 in Featured Post, General, Vacations tagged All, Mediterranean, Vacation, Wine by Lauren

I know, I know. It’s been a long time coming. Since about October, W and I have been excitedly awaiting our trip to the Cote D’Azur and Paris. The culmination of every birthday and holiday since last October. We skipped a big vacation last year to finally upgrade our backyard and get our garden started. This. This was the trip I’d been waiting for since our amazing experience in Italy and the Amalfi Coast. It did not disappoint.

If Italy was the trip that broadened my horizons when it came to food, this was the vacation that validated my love of simple, local, and extremely fresh ingredients, and that although presumably biased, the Michelin star actually means something, from the level of food preparation to the flourish of presentation. Our first visit to a Michelin starred restaurant was Melisse in Santa Monica, CA in October, and after that experience, we committed to making an attempt at visiting a Michelin star in France.

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Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagne with Cannelini Beans

on Apr 20 in Featured Post, Vegetarian tagged All, Autumn, beans, Italian, Pasta/Grains/Rice, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Wine by Lauren

 

My husband is Garfield.  Now, I don’t mean to imply he really is a large orange cat famous for his affection for lasagne, but my husband does love lasagne.  And he had a large orange cat when we met, so perhaps there may be something to that. 

We had a very busy day of cooking over W’s birthday this weekend.  One of our friends who was coming over to help celebrate is a vegetarian, so along with the homemade pizzas we were planning on baking, I wanted to try something a bit different.  Something that was a departure from the bechamel, bolognese, and pasta that I’m used to.  Something without any meat.  The answer was found in a lovely roasted butternut squash filling that had an assortment of vegetables and cannelini beans. 

Fresh pasta is the key to this dish, so I highly recommend rolling out your own.  It’s well worth it, and so incredibly easy to do, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it all along!

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Baked Eggs Florentine

on Apr 19 in Breakfast, Featured Post, Vegetarian tagged All, Appetizers, Breakfast, Vegetables, Vegetarian by Lauren

 

 

 

I very rarely make breakfast, except for when the occasion calls for it.  Yesterday was my dear husband’s birthday, so I decided to make an attempt at some baked eggs.  Since I love spinach so much, I decided that combine the two to create an easy and delicious breakfast!

This dish was simple enough; saute some spinach in a small amount of butter and heavy cream, season according to taste, and drop in a couple of eggs.  Simple, right?  Well, you would think that, but this was my first ever attempt at baking eggs rather than cooking them on a range, and frankly, I’m not so great at moderating temperature when I can’t see the eggs.  I cooked my eggs for far too long, as my whites seemed to never firm up.  Just keep checking on them, and if you have to, touch them to assure the whites are done.   The drizzle of cream over the top makes the whites appear runnier than they are, so as long as you keep that in mind, you should be much more successful at this dish than I was, though it was still exceptionally tasty!   

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Argentinian Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

on Apr 14 in Beef & Veal, Featured Post tagged All, Beef, Healthy, Herbs, Sauces by Lauren

 

I absolutely love when Spring is in full bloom here in Texas.  The weather is a nearly perfect 75 degrees for about 3 weeks, with slight breezes and very minimal rain. 

This weekend, my husband and I drove to Houston to see my brand new nephew and to visit my in-laws.  On the way home from a lovely weekend of family fun and delicious food, including BBQ country ribs grilled by my father-in-law, and an indulgent late lunch at my in-law’s restaurant, Fat Mikes at the Market in Spring, my husband and I stopped to play in the bluebonnets. 

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