Thanks, David Lebovitz

Dick and I often drive to Newport from Key West in early April because I’m itching to get into the garden. KW has some great gardeners, the best of whom are transplants from England. There must be something in their DNA that allows them to garden as though they are back in merry ol’ England. It’s maddening. I don’t quite get sub-tropical zone #11 gardening and look forward to New England in spring. But most often, spring never comes. The weather this year was particularly miserable, and there was no way going outside to muck in flowerbeds would have been enjoyable.

So, I’ve been mega gardening since we returned from France as well as from our annual June Harley trip. But on a recent Sunday, I wanted to stay out of the garden and cook for the family. But like everyone’s family, there are varied eating habits. Matt and Allison are vegetarian, Becky and E.J. are pretty much low-carb eaters, and our five grandchildren are … well, you know … children. Getting a meal together to please all can be challenging. Because we have an AGA cooker, I have the flexibility to cook by the seat of my pants. After deciding what we’re having, I put the food in one of the four ovens (each is a different temp), put a timer on as a reminder that there is indeed something cooking, and move dishes from one oven to another depending upon whether the meal needs to be delayed or hurried. But this Sunday I wanted to follow recipes from David Lebovitz’s new cookbook, My Paris Kitchen. His Dukkah-Roasted Cauliflower (Dukkah is an Egyptian spiced nut mix), which I think could become addictive, and French Lentil Salad with goat cheese and toasted walnuts were major hits, nicely rounding out our dinner.

I love that David doesn’t take himself too seriously. He pokes fun at many things, including the French and himself. Dick and I know David well from spending five days with him on one of his awesome “chocolate” tours (more aptly, chocolate-food-wine tour). The way he writes is the way he sounds—funny, insightful, down to earth. I think you’ll appreciate his food, his photos, his writing on France, and his eclectic mix of recipes in My Paris Kitchen. Something for everyone. Check it out.

Bon appetite,

Debbie