A Carnaby Hat and Perfect Potatoes

"I wore the pièce de résistance- a green velvet Carnaby hat- slightly tilted, practicing my Mrs. Peel half-smile in the mirror.  Venturing out in my blazer and that hat, I felt a new found confidence." -Lucette Lagnado, Elle, October 2011.

The screen saver on my computer is a photo I took in London of the beginning of Carnaby Street.  The sign says "To Carnaby Street", the street known for its Mod Fashion of the 1960's.  It is still filled with fashionistas outfitted from head to toe.  The 1960's was the last decade that really included hats in fashion.  They were adapted to fit the new hairstyles like the bee-hive.  There is a great scene in the movie, The Grass is Greener, where Jean Simmon's character takes off her hat which has a VERY tall crown.  The bee-hive hair-do is revealed.

Journalist, Lucette Lagnado, is writing about her fascination with the clothes of the 60's as an adolescent.  Her heroine was the Emma Peel character played by Diana Rigg in The Avengers.  Mrs. Peel could wear a hat.  And she exuded confidence.  Maybe in part because of the hat.

Ah, the perfect hat is a beautiful thing.  You adopt a little of its attitude when you wear it.  It is an ally.  Perfect potatoes are also a beautiful thing.  This is my favorite way to serve potatoes.  I try to always have fingerling potatoes in the pantry for this preparation.

Perfect Fingerling Potatoes


serves 2 people


8-10 small banana fingerling potatoes
1 tbs. butter
2 tbs. chopped parsley
sea salt.


Boil the potatoes whole in salted water until they are tender when pierced with a small knife.  Drain and cover the pot with a kitchen towel.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Remove from the pot and add the butter to the pot.  Peel the potatoes, the skin should come right off, and return to the pot with the melting butter as you peel them.  Keep the pot covered while you are peeling the potatoes.  They will still be quite hot, just cool enough to handle.  Sprinkle with the parsley and a good pinch of sea salt.  Toss together.  Always a tasty gluten-free side dish for any protein.


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The Red Queen and Roast Chicken

"You have an unusually large head, I would love to hat it!"
"Hat it?"
"What I could do with this monument, this orb!  Well then, shall it be a bonnet or a boater?  Or something for the boudoir?  Cloche, dunce hat, bed cap, coif, snood, babush, yamaka, pork pie, tam'o'shantor, bi-corn, tri-corn, bandeau..."- Mad Hatter to the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland.


Well, that is quite a list of hats.  There were more but the Mad Hatter was speaking so fast I couldn't catch them all.  I do love this Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland.  It's a little dark and scary, fabulous to look at and I am always taken by how a milliner's, or hatter's, workroom in a movie looks so much like mine.  You must be able to make many different hats!

Cooking chicken is the same.  Should it be poached, fried, breaded, pounded, sautéd, baked, boiled, broiled, barbecued, stuffed, ground, deboned, skinned, braised or roasted?  Believe me I have tried it all.  Like making a favorite hat, I have a favorite cooking method.  They say you can tell how well someone cooks by their roast chicken.  And everyone seems to have their own way.  I have combined several techniques and I think this is the best way to roast a chicken, thanks to Julia Child, Mario Batali and Jamie Oliver.  I use a rack in the pan so the heat is all around the chicken and I can strew vegetables in the bottom.

Roast Chicken

3-4 lb. organic, free-range whole chicken
1 tsp. sea salt
1 bunch sage leaves
1 lemon, quartered,
4 tbs. compound butter; softened butter mixed with finely chopped tarragon, thyme leaves and sea salt
olive oil
vegetables for strewing; can include carrots, potatoes, peppers, fennel
1 large cast-iron skillet and a chicken rack

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees

Remove the bag of chicken parts.  Save for later.  Rinse the chicken in hot water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.  Sprinkle the inside cavity with sea salt. Stuff in the bunch of sage leaves.  Squeeze a little lemon juice from each quarter into the cavity and stuff in the lemon wedges.  Loosen the skin over the breasts and spread 2 tbs. of the compound butter over each breast under the skin.  Tuck the ends of the wings behind the back of the bird.  I don't truss, I like the legs open so the inside thigh meat cooks before the breasts dry out.  Make a small slit in the inside thigh where it connects to the body, this will also help to cook the thighs by the bone.  Massage the chicken all over with olive oil.


Place the chicken on its side on the rack.  Roast in the hot oven for 15 minutes.  Turn the chicken over to the other side and roast another 15 minutes.  Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and put the chicken on its back.  Baste with any juices in the pan.  Strew your selection of vegetables in the pan, baste with the juices and continue roasting another 30-45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes.  The chicken is done when the temperature reaches 160 degrees, or the leg wiggles and the juices are clear.  Remove the chicken to a platter to rest and cover loosely with foil.


Stir the vegetables and continue roasting until they are caramelized and tender.  Serve family style with the carved chicken.


You can then use the carcass and the neck, etc. from the bag of parts to make a stock. (Except the liver, which I sauté and add to a potato salad). Simmer gently in water to cover for 1-1 1/2 hours with a carrot, celery, bay leaf and a bouquet of herbs or parsley stems.  Skim any foam off the top as it simmers.  Cool, strain, store in fridge, use within 2 days.

Yummy, evenly cooked every time.  Thanks to Julia for the roasting each side first technique, to Mario for the tip of slitting the thigh and to Jamie for the compound butter under the skin.  A perfect creation...


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The Prince and Rice Pudding

"She's quite what you call old hat."
"And I'm what you call new hat?"
"Better an old hat than a bare head."-Prince and the Showgirl (1947)

This exchange is part of a conversation between Lawrence Olivier as the Prince and Marilyn Monroe as the Showgirl in the 1947 film.  I have read that there were tensions between these two actors but it is one of my favorite Marilyn Monroe films.  And she gets to attend a Royal wedding.

It is funny how once again a hat is a symbol for something else, in this case something a bit risque.  These two characters dance around each other and end up having a good time in spite of themselves.  That white dress that Miss Monroe spends most of the movie wearing is almost a scene stealer.

Creamy white rice pudding is also a scene stealer.  For such a humble dessert it can be so satisfying.  If you serve it with a fruit preserve or compote in a parfait glass it is ready for a closeup.

Rice Pudding

1/2 cup Arborio rice
2 tbs. butter
4-5 cups hot milk
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup plum preserves

Sauté the rice in the butter until all the rice kernels are coated.  Add 4 cups of the hot milk, the sugar, lemon zest and salt.  Cook for about an hour over medium low heat, stirring every few minutes.  If the pudding gets too thick add a little more hot milk.  The consistency should stay loose, it will thicken a lot as it cools.  The rice should be very creamy with a tiny bit of bite at the center of the kernels.  

When the pudding is ready, layer it into parfait glasses with the plum preserves.  Chill before serving.

White and scrumptious, as good as Marilyn in that white dress!

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Hedy Lamarr and Scarlet Runner Beans

"Watch out for your stovepipe."-Spencer Tracy to Hedy Lamarr in the film, I Take This Woman, 1940

The hats of this era were very sculptural.  Hence the comment from Spencer Tracy.  Hedy Lamarr's hat did resemble a stovepipe. It was also a nick-name for a top hat.  She wore a very interesting outfit with this rather plain column shaped creation.  It was adorned with dangling balls.  The movie plot itself was pretty forgettable, mostly interesting as a visual treat and a chance to see Miss Lamarr.  She was very beautiful and didn't make very many movies.


A visual treat in the garden are scarlet runner beans.  Beautiful red flowers turn into big pods with large purple beans inside.  The beans are big enough to cut with a knife and fork when cooked and served.  I felt a little like Mickey Mouse in the cartoon, Mickey and the Beanstalk.  He has one bean and it is big enough to cut with a knife and fork.  Well, we know what became of that bean.  My neighbor had some of these bean plants cascading over a low brick wall.  The person tending this particular garden never picked them so I did some foraging.  A cup of these delicious beans in a homemade pesto sauce, served over my favorite gluten-free pasta was a memorable dish.

Scarlet Runner Beans in Pesto

serves 4 people as a side dish

1 cup dried Scarlet Runner beans
1 bay leaf
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
2 cups basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano
salt to taste
1 8oz. box of Ancient Harvest corn and quinoa linguine

Soak the beans overnight in cold water.  Drain and cover with fresh water, add the bay leaf and thyme and simmer until tender, about 1- 1/2 hours.  Salt to taste after the beans are cooked.  Drain off all but 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

To make the pesto, process the basil leaves and olive oil in a small food processor, mix in the grated cheese.  Mix with the beans while they are still warm.


Cook the pasta until al dente in boiling salted water.  Toss with the pesto and bean mixture.  Serve with a grating of fresh Parmagiano-Reggiano and a squeeze of lemon juice.


I can't wait until next spring to plant my own crop of scarlet runner beans...


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Talking Hats and Pepper Enchiladas

"You're the one with the hat that didn't say anything."
"You must know some pretty talkative hats."-Two for the Seesaw (1962)

In this movie based on a play, Two for the Seesaw,  the two main characters are played by Shirley Maclaine and Robert Mitchum.  It is very much about the developing relationship between two people using hats as an introduction.  They meet in Manhattan and each are trying to put their lives back together.  It is an interesting character study but as a movie I did not think it was "the whole enchilada".

The roasted pepper enchiladas we had last night were "the whole enchilada".  So many lovely subtle flavors in this dish.  I adapted the recipe from one of Rick Bayless's in Mexico, One plate at a Time.  He used roasted poblano peppers and spinach.  I had red bell peppers and a very ripe tomato. The addition of milk to make a slightly creamy sauce was the same.

Roasted Red Pepper Enchiladas

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups chicken stock
3 large red bell peppers
1 big ripe tomato
1 cup milk
2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
12 corn tortillas
grape seed oil for frying
guacamole;  2 ripe avocados smashed with juice of 1 lime, 1 tbs. chopped cilantro and a pinch of sea salt 


Poach the chicken thighs very gently in the chicken stock for 20 minutes.  Remove the thighs and let cool, reserving the stock.  

Roast the bell peppers over a flame until the skin is completely blackened.  Place the peppers in a bowl, cover with cling film and let them steam for 10 minutes.  When they are cool enough to handle remove the blackened skin, seeds and ribs from the inside of the peppers.  Cut two of the peppers into big chunks and put in a saucepan with a cup of the reserved stock.  Let simmer to finish cooking the peppers.  Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tbs. chopped cilantro.


Prick the tomato with the point of a knife and place in boiling salted water for one minute.  Remove the skin, coarsely chop and add to the bell pepper mixture.  When the peppers are tender and the tomato has dissolved into the sauce, puree with a hand blender.  Mix the cup of milk with 1/4 cup of the reserved stock and add to the pureed peppers.  Simmer the sauce until it thickens slightly.

Heat about 1" of the grape seed oil in a small cast iron pan just big enough to fit the tortillas.  When the oil is hot, fry the tortillas one at a time for 30 seconds on each side.  Work quickly, you don't want them crispy.  Drain on a brown paper bag.


To prepare the filling, shred the cooked chicken.  Finely dice the remaining bell pepper and mix with the shredded chicken along with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese and 1 tbs. of the chopped cilantro.  Season with a pinch of salt.


To form the enchiladas, put some of the sauce in a shallow dish big enough for dipping the tortillas.  Coat a tortilla on both sides with the sauce, fill with about 2 tbs. of the filling, roll it into a cigar shape and put seam side down into a rectangular baking dish big enough to hold all twelve enchiladas.  Assemble the rest of the enchiladas in the dish and pour over the remaining sauce.  Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving.


Garnish with homemade guacamole and sour cream.  Serve with baked black beans and a green salad.


Now that is the whole enchilada.


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The Eligible Bachelor and Carrot Salad

"That girl is as nervous as a cat."
Response from hard of hearing Aunt, "Yes, she always looked curious in a hat."- The Eligible Bachelor with Sherlock Holmes

Can you imagine if they were playing telephone?  Curious, as in 'What's that?' or funny looking in a hat?  Well it was all nonsense and did not help Mr. Holmes solve the case of murder.

I came across a curious recipe recently. I was looking for something to make with a big bunch of organic carrots.  These were the fat tipped ones that have great flavor.  Jamie Oliver had a recipe for carrot and avocado salad.  This is my version.

Carrot and Avocado Salad

serves 4 people

8-10 big fat-tipped heirloom organic carrots
1 tsp. cumin seeds1 tbs. chopped cilantro
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 orange, cut in half
1 lime, cut in half
2 ripe avocados
1 cup micro-greens

Wash, peel and cut the carrots in half lengthwise.  Cook for 8-10 minutes in boiling salted water until just tender.  While the carrots are cooking, prepare the marinade.  In a mortar and pestle,  grind the cumin seeds with the chopped cilantro, olive oil, vinegar and sea salt.  


When the carrots are cooked and still hot, toss them into the marinade.  Put them in a single layer in a baking dish big enough for them and the orange and lime halves, cut side down.  Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature.  Make a dressing with the juice of the cooked orange and lime and a little olive oil.  Cut the avocado into bite sized pieces, cut the carrots into big chunks and gently mix with the avocado.  Arrange on 4 plates, top with a small handful of the micro-greens and pour over the orange and lime dressing.  Finish with a drizzle of really good olive oil.

A curious carrot salad, and very tasty.

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Philip Marlowe and Sauted Cucumbers

"On the smooth brown hair was a hat that had been taken from its mother too young."  -Philip Marlowe, The Little Sister

Raymond Chandler sure had his own way with words.  In this one sentence we have a picture of what this new client of his detective, Philip Marlowe's, was like.  A young woman trying to look older but only looking as if she were dressed in her mother's clothes.  Philip Marlowe summed her up in one look.  He was super cool.  As cool as a cucumber.

Cucumbers are also cool.  One of my new favorite ways to eat them is hot after being sautéd in butter.  A really good side dish for fish or lamb chops.  I successfully grew cucumbers this year and there is nothing like them freshly picked.  They stay a little crunchy when you cook them.

Sautéd Cucumbers


Serves 2 people


1 large or 2 small cucumbers
2 tbs. butter
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock (optional)
sea salt


Peel the cucumbers.  Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Halve again and cut into 2"-3" lengths.  Melt the butter in a sauté pan with the olive oil.  Add the cucumbers and sauté until tender.  Season with sea salt.  They can be served at this point or if you want a little more sauce add the chicken stock and cook for a few minutes until it reduces and thickens.

Philip Marlowe and cucumbers.  Both pretty cool.


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