A Little More Context

Feat. Guacamole, Nicoise Salad, and Moules Frites

It is only suitable to begin this journey by explaining how I got to the starting line in the first place: we can call this bit context.  

 

I grew up moving around a lot… there was never much of a constant outside of my family and the security they ensured. With that security came food on the many tables and countertops we sat at together. It was a while before I realized not everyone around me had a similar experience at the intersection of meals and home: childhood naivety, I suppose. Since before I could remember, my mom and dad put platters and plates down in front of us that I now understand as suitable for a high-end restaurant. My mom, always ingredient-oriented, showcasing the strength of her favorite greens and beloved reds… wine included. ‘Fab,’ she would say, looking down through her glasses at her niçoise salads or latest Ottolenghi obsessions. I credit most of my undaunted palate to being raised by her impeccable tastes and proclivity for adventure.

 

On the other hand, my dad and I share and bond through food and, often, snacks. The hour before my mom comes down from her afternoon Netflix episode or book chapter in bed, the kitchen is often being ransacked in a search for what can be whipped up to relieve those prone to peckishness or hangriness. Perhaps my dad will make his all-too-familiar guacamole whilst I empty out the remaining bags of tortilla chips, or we’ll make a charcuterie board with whatever we can find in the refrigerator deli drawer (this would immediately be handed over to my sister, the self-proclaimed cheese board connoisseur of the family), or maybe a simple quesadilla with the supermarket salsa which has earned a permanent place on the top shelf of the fridge. Whatever it is, snack time, appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, it is very much cherished and rarely missed: an hour that is mine and my dad's unspoken father-daughter time and a pregame to await the others’ thunderous appearances. Following said snacktime and the introduction of the other family members, Dad will whip up a pizza from scratch or tame the grill as no dad has ever tamed a grill before. He’ll get lobster fresh off the dock from the fisherman he somehow befriended and then serve it for our family of some odd 20 people, or he’ll turn out the most exquisite dish of moules frites in white wine sauce you’ve ever seen. Never prideful, always humble, but always secretly making sure everything is plated as if the food critics have stopped by our lodgings. He gets food. Both of them do. 

I don’t think I realized how lucky I was to be raised by them, especially now that my interests and passions have driven me toward a more creative and uncertain path. My parents both worked full-time in grown-up jobs yet were always there to show us that there was more to life than just work. They showed me that through art, through travel, through hikes, through politics, through movies, and through food. They showed us that no matter how many times we pick up our bags and move to the next house, state, or country we will always have our selves and with our selves we will always have our passions; so with food being one of my parent's many passions, great meals have always been my constant in a seemingly un-constant world and with no surprise, that constant has evolved into my driving force… my passion. I thank them for that.

Guacamole 

Ingredients (yield: 4-6 at a cocktail party… or just Dad and me at a cocktail party) 

• 4-6 avocados: halved, scooped, and chopped with at least one pit reserved

• 1 red onion: diced 

• A handful of cherry tomatoes: diced

• 3 cloves of garlic (or just garlic granules): diced 

• 1 lime: squeezed, no seeds

• 1 bunch of chopped cilantro: if you want

• Chili flakes to taste 

• Salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper 

Preparation 

Step 1

Put all of that in a bowl and mix it, but not too much. Guacamole is not a spread, a sauce, or a paste; it is a dip. Respect the chunky texture.

Step 2

Chuck in an avocado pit or two to stop the guac from browning; if you want to store it in the fridge, cover it with cling film, too. Green guac is pretty guac. 

Step 3

Top with more cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips. Get to it before it's gone.

Moms Niçoise Salad (Chef Jacques Pepin) 

Ingredients (yield: 6 servings) 

• ¾ lb red potatoes 

• 1½ tbsp dijon mustard

• 5 garlic cloves: peeled, crushed, chopped

• 1 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar 

• 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

• 1 tsp salt 

• 3 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

• 1 ½ cups water 

• ¾ pound string beans: preferably haricot verts, tips and strings snapped off

• 1 yellow pepper 

• 2 very ripped medium tomatoes (¾ lb) 

• 1 ½ cups sliced red onion 

• 1 cup Nicoise or black oil-cured olives 

• 1 lb fresh tuna 

• 1 tsp canola oil 

• 1 dozen red lettuce leaves 

• 1 cup basil leaves: shredded 

Preparation 

 Step 1

Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cool water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and boil gently for 25 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but still firm when pierced with a fork. Drain off the water and set the potatoes aside until cool enough to slice.

Step 2

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Mix the mustard, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk until it comes together.

Step 3

Peel the potatoes, if you want, and cut into ½-inch slices. Toss with the dressing.

Step 4

Bring 1½ cups of water to a boil. Add the beans, cover and return to a boil. Boil over high heat for 1 to 3 minutes until just tender but slightly firm to the bite. Drain and run under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking and preserve the bright green color. Cut the beans in half.

Step 5

Peel the yellow pepper as best you can with a vegetable peeler. Then, cut the pepper through the pleats, remove and discard the seeds, and continue peeling the skin from the pieces. Pile the peeled pepper wedges and cut them into thin julienne strips (about 1½ cups). Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, press out the seeds, and cut the unpeeled flesh into 1-inch pieces.

Step 6

No more than 1 hour before serving, add the beans, yellow pepper, red onions, tomatoes, and black olives to the potatoes. Mix well.

Step 7

When almost ready to serve, heat 1 large cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes, until very hot. Sprinkle the tuna with the remaining 2 teaspoons of black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt, and then roll in the canola oil. Place the tuna steak in the hot skillet and sauté over high heat for about 2 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned on the outside and cooked until rare on the inside. Cut into ½-inch slices.

Step 8

To serve, line a large platter with the lettuce leaves. Mound the salade niçoise in the center of the platter and place the sliced tuna and the basil leaves on top. Serve immediately.

Steamed Mussels Meuniere (ny times) 

Ingredients (yield 4 servings) 

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil: plus more for toast 

• 2 garlic cloves: minced plus 1 or 2 for rubbing the toast (the toast is really important) 

• Pinch of crushed red pepper

• 4 lb mussels: cleaned 

• ¼ cup white wine or water (use white wine) 

• 1 baguette: split lengthwise, then cut crosswise in half 

• 1 cup roughly chopped parsley 

Preparation 

Step 1

Heat broiler. Put olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper and let sizzle for 30 seconds without browning. Add the mussels, stir to coat, and increase heat to high. Add the wine or water, and put on the lid. After 2 minutes, give the mussels a stir, then replace the lid and continue cooking until all mussels have opened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 2

Paint the cut sides of the baguette pieces with oil and place the cut side under the broiler to toast. Rub the toast with the remaining garlic cloves.

Step 3

Stir the chopped parsley into the mussels, then ladle mussels and broth into bowls. Serve with the garlic toast.

God, that was easy.