Raclette. It had never crossed my palate or even my mind before last week. I have a wonderful friend named Brian, who lives overlooking that ocean in Cardiff (CA). I say CA because this is read worldwide and there is a Cardiff in England.
It’s a wonderful sleepy beachie town that has my favorite market (after Jimbo’s, Trader Joes and Whole Foods), when we are going a bit decadent but still want fresh and organic – and that market is called Seaside Market.
Now, let me get this straight…. It’s called ‘Cardiff by the Bay’, the Market is Seaside and it’s actually just the ocean you’re lookin’ at. Aaaah… the committees that came up with all this wonderment! Lol
So, my friend had a few people over for dinner. And I am sure he pondered it a long time… what to make, what to make…. For a chef. I don’t know why friends get that way… but hey, if it means I get something special instead of pigs in a blanket followed by a defrosted Mac n Cheese, I’m there!
And he came up with an extraordinary dinner. He prepped veggies, meat and andouille sausage with sauces on the side and then it was our job to cook the protein we were interested in eating.
LIKE A FONDUE CHEF?
Not like a fondue. The only thing cheesy was Raclette Cheese (hence the name) which got gently softened in your own personal tray that you placed under the grill.
NO PHO CHEF?
No Pho (boiling water to cook your own). Pho sure!
Actually this was much better. I mean, who doesn’t like food with grill marks on it? Who doesn’t like to grill?
The thing I liked best about it is you can eat as little or as much as you like (and you’re still not eating massive quantities).
So if Raclette (from France) is something you might like to try, check it out online. I have no idea how much the grill costs, but it’s a tabletop grill, that doesn’t hurt the table. And while some people are turning to raw… I still like to lightly grill veggies.
Speaking of that, last week I attended a raw vegan night out, again in someone’s home. Let’s call her Jenny. Geez. That is her name! Oooops!
Jenny lives in a big building in Hillcrest. While I do enjoy the restaurants there, I hadn’t been to anyone’s home in Hillcrest. Everyone brought something.
And I have great pix of it all, but for some reason this blog won’t ‘load’, so you are just going to have to trust me. It was good!
Raw tacos made from Seitan wrapped in lettuce leaves, a crumbled cauliflour salad, noodles (different from any noodles I have ever eaten cause I think they were made from seaweed) with an asian dressing, regular salad, raw apple pie, and these raw chocolate balls…. It was another interesting meal.
As we put our toes in the water of this year, (which by the way is starting out very good for me and I hope good for you too), I want you to remember: it’s not about big changes, keeping promises of your New Year’s Resolution. It’s about ‘baby steps’, lifestyle changes. These can be one at a time, adding something new every couple of weeks, giving up small things you notice you can live without and starting to notice how much you are eating and what amount of that is actually fruits and vegetables and you will still get to your goal of being a healthier you.
I’m on this road with you my friend. This is the year we make all our dreams come true!
Happy Eating,
Chef Marian