Saturday, January 22, 2011

On Rue Tatin

On Rue Tatin by Susan Herrmann Loomis



Most times I travel through the written word, through books instead of airline terminals…….so many reasons (I wrote about that issue HERE)

Much of what I enjoy is the detailed descriptions of the sites and history, paired with the local food. From afar I have fallen in love with France, as did Susan Herrmann Loomis. I visited France about 100 years ago when I was a young pup of 21. Culture shock aside, I loved the food, anticipated exploring the cultural differences and it was all an adventure. I had stepped through a looking glass of sorts as this was my first European experience.

The author fell in love with France too. Our similarities? She went to France when she was 20, she was interested in cooking and very interested in the culture and food. But I was an old hippie enjoying what life brought, not seriously looking beyond the next chocolate croissant to be scored in the morning. But Susan……. Susan acquired an apprenticeship at La Varenne de Cuisine in Paris . One girl coasting, another with drive and goals.



Susan and her husband Michael decide to move to France , bringing their small son along. Through a fortuitous turn of events, they are able to purchase a dilapidated former convent in Louviers – This leads to another portrait of Susan’s industrious work ethic. The convent was in awful condition but together, they fixed it up and Susan embarked on a writing and culinary career. She hooked up with Patricia Wells and fell ass backwards into an amazing cooking gig. Wow.

A life as ex-patriots……what a romantic idea. One Doug and I have hashed out over the years, the venue changes periodically but the end result has us living overseas, enjoying all the wines, cheeses, specialty foods of the area …..I guess I haven’t changed too much but have a soul mate that shares the (unattainable)dream.

In this book Susan shares the stories of her family’s adjustment to French culture, interactions with her friends, neighbors and best of all…..recipes!



If you enjoy the genre of Peter Mayle, Frances Mayes and Carol Drinkwater (I love Carol Drinkwater) – the sort of travel, adventure in settling in another country, foodie type book, then I think you’d like On Rue Tatin.

Many good recipes but let me share the Stuffed Tomato.

Stuffed Tomatoes

3 tablespoons canola oil
8 round medium tomatoes, halved crosswise
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 pound ground veal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Using a melon baller, hollow out the tomato halves, leaving thin cups; reserve the scooped out tomato flesh in a bowl. Set the tomato cups on the prepared baking sheet.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the ground pork and veal and season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook over moderately high heat, breaking up the ground pork and veal with a wooden spoon, until the meats lose their pink color, about 4 minutes; don't let them brown. Add the reserved tomato flesh to the skillet and cook until the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.




3. Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl and let cool slightly. Beat in the parsley, eggs, 1/4 cup of bread crumbs and the Parmesan. Spoon the stuffing into the tomato cups, mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumbs over the tomatoes and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.



4. Bake the tomatoes for about 45 minutes, or until the sides are soft and the stuffing is hot throughout. Set 4 stuffed tomato halves on each plate and serve.

Make Ahead - The baked stuffed tomatoes can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Cover them with foil and reheat in a 350° oven for 10 minutes, then uncover and bake for about 15 minutes longer, or until heated through.

7 comments:

  1. Love your post today because like you I am in love with France. Those lovely stuffed tomatoes bring a bit of summmer to our cold weather.

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  2. I love books like this too and this one sounds particularly good. I've been fascinated with France for years, but have never even been to Europe.

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  3. Thank you Rita. I tend to read everything I can on whatever subject I am currently captivated. One time I read so much on Australia that I thought I could get a job with their tourism dept! France is one place I would love to go with my husband one day. We would enjoy the food and wine so much.

    Janel - These are my favorite type books....I can almost picture and smell the foods and sights.

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  4. I too love a cookbook that tells a story of the food, culture and land... and I too like this stuffed tomato, it is not what I expected with such a simple name, but the ingredients sound just delicious

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  5. Those tomatoes are gorgeous. I love that type of book, I always feel so immersed in them.

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  6. Seeing as how I have absolutely zero money stored away for traveling, living vicariously through books is definitely the way to go! SOunds like a good read. Those stuffed tomatoes look delicious!

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  7. This book sounds great. I've added it to my list of books to hunt down. You could send this post in to Simona over at Briciole, who's currently hosting a round of Novel Food, rounding up posts inspired by various books, FYI.

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