Manolo’s Food Blog

If you are Mary, at dawn you don your sunhat and amble down to the chicken coop for fresh eggs, pull a few egg-sized potatoes from the earth, cut some lettuce (several exotic varieties), cut nasturtiums, shiso, mint (a mild one), and pick tomatoes warming in the morning sun. With a can of tuna, a few boiled eggs, some anchovies and some olives, your lunch will be an unbeatable salade niçoise ready in 10 minutes.

Since Mary swims a mile every morning except on the days when she climbs rocks, dessert, like swimming, is always an option exercised. In July she served a gooseberry pie that was the most delicious fruit pie Mr. Henry ever tasted.

Mary mixes fresh gooseberries (various colors, stems pinched away) with diced lemon peel and a tablespoon each of sugar and flour. In the refrigerator, dough mixed the night before lies nicely chilled in a ball, ready to roll. She bakes in a convection oven until the fruit bubbles up, and lets stand a few hours so the liquor congeals. Mmmmm.

The only accompaniment to such delectation is the greatest and most reliable American dessert, our one true locus of national culinary pride, the perfect choice, the universal dessert donor. Mr. Henry is speaking of the ultimate frozen custard -– Haagen-Dasz vanilla – not the 1/2 calorie one, mind you, but the buttery original. He has sampled ice creams across the globe. Although Italians boast justifiably of their gelatos, their vanilla can’t compare. Ben & Jerry’s is fun for the kids or to share on a date, but again, their vanilla lacks the creamy mouth feel, the umami, of Haagen-Dasz.

But of the several attempts by family and friends to overcome the oppressive heat here in New York, none bested Arielle’s Bellini in a bowl, a sublime and sublimely simple concoction of peaches and sauvignon blanc.

Peel ripe peaches and, leaving them whole, cover generously with sauvignon blanc or, indeed, any white wine at hand, ideally the one you are serving for dinner. Chill them for a few hours, slice into sections and place them in individual bowls. The chilled fruit in its chilled bowl will bring your dinner to a climax of icy cool.

Need Mr. Henry suggest a scoop of vanilla with that?

Today the New York Times “Science Times” section (p. F6) reports that in a 14-year study the risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver cause by alcohol abuse was lowered by drinking coffee. The more coffee the participants drank, the better their livers fared.

Mr. Henry would like to extend a personal thanks to the principal author, Dr. Arthur L. Klatsky of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Oakland, California. Although the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine did not include Mr. Henry’s case history, he would like to contribute a post-publication testimonial whole-heartedly supporting the paper’s conclusions. Mr. Henry has conducted extensive field research in this domain. Two strong cups of good coffee in the morning go a long way toward quieting his jumpy liver. In light of the paper’s conclusions, from now on, when necessary, he will drink three or four.

Mr. Henry has every confidence that through internet publicity this study will reach its intended audience in time for them to adjust their coffee consumption to maximize health benefits. The need is critical. Please help.

Manolo says, here are the few things that may perhaps amuse…

He could breakdance in a tutu and fright wig on American Idol and STILL be the coolest chef on TV. He’s a Magnificent Beast and good for the world.

It seems like half the shows on Japanese television are cooking shows

We loosely define weird food as anything that the typical American would likely find odd or disgusting, but that someone somewhere on this planet would eat and consider normal.

Manolo says, here are the few food related items that may perhaps amuse.

Salty, Sweet, Sublime: Bisteeya

The World’s Best Restaurants

Gummy Bacon

Coca Cola Blāk

Manolo says, here are the few links to the things culinaria that may perhaps amuse.

The Best Baguette in Paris

Pig Candy

Reading Rachael Ray

Manolos shouts, Allez Food Blogging!

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