When the cat's away...

It's true - when G. is away on business. I eat differently. I want spicy, sticky, messy food. Something I can eat with my hands. Yes, when the cat's away, the mice tend to lick their fingers.

It's not that I wouldn't eat this way in front of my husband (I've never taken a survey, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing sexier than watching a woman suck sauteed ginger off her fingers...), but there's something slumber partyish about sitting down at our new kitchen table - a marble topped cafe table found at the local brocante - and slipping in a DVD (costume drama, please) as I try my best to avoid dripping sauce on the laptop. A glass of wine might be in order.

Since becoming a parent, these solo evenings feel like a special treat. Of course, Augustin would like nothing better than to eat dinner entirely with his hands, but it's not quite the same when I'm worried about handprints on the walls...

So the next time you find yourself on your own for dinner - resist the temptation to eat microwave popcorn out the bag, and try this instead:

Ginger Garlic and Coriander Shrimp with Lettuce Wraps

Because of their former colony in Indochina, living in France means an excellent introduction to Vietnamese food. This recipe is inspired by my love of nem, Vietnamese spring rolls, served with fresh mint and lettuce leaves for a leafy crunchy sandwich.

Olive oil
3/4 lb frozen shrimp (Buy raw shrimp, please! That means they will be gray in the bag, and pink up in the pan. I never buy already cooked frozen shrimp, they just taste like mushy water)
1/4 cup fresh ginger, coarsely grated
6 large cloves of garlic, coarsely grated
A splash of white wine
A few pinches of hot pepper (optional, but highly recommended)
A big handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), plus a few sprigs for garnish
8-10 large lettuce leaves
1 fresh lime

In a large frying pan, heat enough olive oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic, ginger and hot pepper, and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the shrimp, stir to coat, and then shake the pan so the shrimp sit in a single layer. Wait 2-3 minutes (until the shrimp are pink on one side), and turn. Add a good splash of white wine and continue until the shrimp are cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the size of your shrimp, they should be uniformly pink. Test one to see, they don't take long.

Turn off the heat, add your handful of cilantro, stir to combine.

Put your shrimp (and all the sticky garlic ginger sauce) in a bowl, surrounded by lettuce leaves, half a lime and the cilantro.

Squeeze the lime over the shrimp, wrap each shrimp (be sure to include up some garlic ginger goop) and a sprig of cilantro in a piece of lettuce - and enjoy!

Lick your fingers.

Serves 1

Currently Indisposed

I've decided I need a chaise longue - a red velvet number with one arm, quilted upholstery and dangly fringe. Such a purchase would surprise no one who knows me. In Victorian times such a object was called a fainting couch. One was indisposed. Nowadays, we're just plain exhausted. I believe the technical term is "dragging ass".

It's only 4 days into the New Year, and already I'm a month behind. We spent December without childcare - and Augustin (tall boy that he is) just learned how to flip himself out of his crib. So now I spend half the night up worrying that my son is going to escape his room and fall down the stairs, and the other half worrying about the work I haven't done. By the time 8am rolls around, I am thoroughly indisposed.

We are also one month late in the Provencal tradition of le Blé de l'Espérance - the Wheat of Hope. Each year on the 4th of Dec. (the Feast of Sainte Barbe), Provencal households plant a small sachet of wheat in a cup full of wet cotton. If the wheat grows green and straight, the New Year will be prosperous. (If you don't hear from me, it died.) Having missed the Dec. 4th deadline, we decided to wait until Jan. 4th to plant ours, so the verdict on 2011 is still out. The last thing I grew was in kindergarten - one of those potatoes suspended over a glass of water with toothpicks, so we'll see.

Though I neglected to plant my barley, we've been eating plenty of it. Provence is the home of épeautre, and I've recently rediscovered the wonder of mushroom, beef and barley soup. My paternal grandmother used to make something similar, thick and strachy and homey. My father and I watched steaming bowls drift by at The Kiev, the (sadly defunct) all-night Russian diner on 2nd Avenue (we always had the cheese blintzes). Last time I was back in the States, I wanted to make a big pot of something I could freeze - to stop me eating crap all the time. This was perfect: all standard supermarket ingredients, easily transformed into healthy and delicious comfort food.

I used quick cooking barley, which takes 20 minutes instead of an hour or two to soften. Barley has such a satisfying chew, with the sweet earth tones of the mushrooms and the bite of fresh veggies - it's utterly more-ish, to use the English term. Most people like this dish thinned out with broth, but I perfer it chuncky, like stew.

If you were forced to retire to your bed with cold compress (another Victorian fantasy of mine that has become very vivid lately), you could easily take a bowl with you.

After a month of foie gras, champagne and late nights, this qualifies as sound detox food - a big bowl of something warm and healthy that won't make you feel as if you are starting your mother's annual New Year's grapefruit diet.

I hope your 2011 is off to a good start. I'll let you know how the barley grows...

Mushroom, Beef and Barley Soup

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 "soup pack" (1 large onion, 1 leek, 3 carrots, 2 stalks of celery or fennel, 1 bay leaf, 1 handful fresh parsley, 1 small parsnip)

1 lb fresh white or cremini mushrooms (or 1lb bag of frozen mixed wild mushrooms)

1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (optional)

1 11oz. box of Mother's quick cooking barley
1 32 oz. container of College Inn Low Sodium Chicken Broth

Fresh dill and black pepper to garnish
Another container of chicken broth, for reheating and thinning

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil. Coarsely chop onion, leek, carrot, celery (or fennel), parsnip and parsley. Saute with bay leaf over medium heat until softened and beginning to color. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In the same stockpot, brown beef cubes, add mushrooms and saute until mushrooms release their juices and most of the water has evaporated. If you are making a veggie version of this recipe (I often do), just saute the mushrooms seperately with a bit of olive oil.

Add the carrot mix back to the pot. Add barley, stir to combine with the beef/vegetable mixture. Add broth and simmer for 20 minutes until most of the broth is absorbed. I usually undercook it a bit, so I can freeze and reheat without making the barley bloated and soggy.

Serve topped with fresh dill and a good grinding of pepper.

Serves 6