vegetarian french onion soup

I have only eaten french onion soup twice in my life. The first time was in an irish pub in Boston a couple of years ago when we were there for JR's marathon. The second time was a few weeks ago in Seattle with my friend Jill at Cafe Presse, a small french restaurant on Capitol Hill. The first wasn't spectacular (hence the long stretch until the next). The Cafe Presse french onion soup was amazing. Maybe it was partly the lovely day we were having (our girls' day out included mimosas, manicures, and lots of conversation and catching up). But the soup was good. Really good.

I've been wanting to make it since. I received the most beautiful cobalt blue little pots from my mother for Christmas. Perfect for individual servings of french onion soup.

The following recipe was adapted from William Sonoma's A Taste of the World. I halved the original recipe and made it vegetarian by replacing the beef broth with Pacific Natural Organic Mushroom Broth. As it was simmering, the whole house filled with a mushroomy smell that made me a little nervous for the resulting flavor of the soup. But it turned out sooooo delicious. Melt in your mouth oniony-bready-cheesey (and not at all mushroomy). If you like french onion soup (or if you think you might), this is a must try!

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Serves 2

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

pinch of brown sugar

salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 c. red wine

4 c. mushroom stock

1 bay leaf

2 thick slices coarse country bread, sliced 1 1/2" thick

1 c. shredded Gruyere

Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are meltingly soft, golden, and lightly caramelized, 25-30 minutes.

Add wine. Raise heat to high. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 8-10 minutes. Add stock and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered until soup is dark and fully flavored, about 45 minutes. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly and tastes too strong, add a little water, cover, and continue.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread on a baking sheet. Toast, turning once, until golden, 3-5 minutes per side.

Remove bay leaf from soup. Ladle into oven-proof individual serving dishes. Place on a cookie sheet. Place toast on top of soup in each bowl, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and is browned around the edges, 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

This is a pic of my croque madame and the french onion soup that Jill and I shared at Cafe Presse.

Yes, it was so tasty and beautiful I took a picture of it!

One year ago: african pineapple peanut stew

nanaimo bars

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

Growing up with Nanaimo bars, it was only recently that I realized that not everyone is familiar with them. In fact, it seems that most people I encounter are not. Like the geoduck, I think perhaps it is a case where familiarity is based on locale (I'm not sure you can grow up in the Northwest without having dug after geoducks in the sand, though perhaps this was also in part due to my childhood home's proximity to the beach).

Let's start with a geography lesson. Nanaimo is a seaside town on Vancouver Island in British Columbia across the Straight of Georgia from the city of Vancouver, BC. I've been there once for an ill-timed camping trip (it rained all weekend). From Seattle, the trek involves a drive to outside of Vancouver, then a ferry to get to Vancouver Island and the town of Nanaimo.

Why the lesson on Nanaimo? As you can probably guess, it's the namesake of this month's Daring Bakers' challenge - the Nanaimo bar! They are apparently quite popular across Canada and have definitely made their way across the boarder into the bakeries of Washington state. It seems they haven't caught on too far south of that, however. I'm guessing this challenge will change that.

The Nanaimo bar is a layered dessert - bottom layer: graham crackers, nuts, coconut, chocolate; middle layer: custard; top layer: chocolate. Butter is one of the main ingredients of each of the layers, so it's destined to be tasty. There were two components of the Nanaimo bar instructions for this month's challenge to make it challenging: we were to make the graham crackers from scratch (!) with the optional additional challenge of making the graham crackers gluten-free.

Though I like playing with different types of flour, I didn't take on the gluten free challenge. I decided that the graham crackers and Nanaimo bars would be enough for me this time. Here's what I did:

Nanaimo Bars

Make 8x8 pan of delicious bars

Bottom layer:

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1/4 c. granulated sugar

5 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1 large egg, beaten

1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs (graham cracker recipe follows)

1/2 c. almonds, finely chopped

1 c. unsweetened, shredded coconut

Middle layer:

1/2 c. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder (or substitute instant pudding powder)

2 c. powdered sugar

Top layer:

4 oz. semisweet chocolate*

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

*I had bittersweet on hand, so substituted that, which I thought turned out to be a good call since the overall bar is so sweet, the bittersweet chocolate toned it down a bit.

To make bottom layer: Melt butter, sugar, and cocoa in the top of a double boiler (I constructed one out of a pan and heat-proof bowl, with a round of foil to keep the bowl elevated over the water). Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, nuts, and coconut. Press firmly into ungreased 8x8 pan.

Middle layer: Cream together all ingredients, beating until light in color. Spread over bottom layer.

Top layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Allow to cool, then pour over middle layer and chill.

Once chilled, cut into bars.

Graham Crackers

Makes 1 1/2 - 2 dozen

2 1/2c. + 2 Tbsp. flour

1 c. dark brown sugar, lightly packed*

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1" cubes and frozen

1/3 c. mild flavored honey, such as clover

5 Tbsp. whole milk

2 Tbsp. vanilla

*I used dark muscavado, which gave the graham crackers a slightly gingerbread-like flavor that was super tasty.

Combine flour, sugar, soda, and salt in electric mixer with paddle attachment. Add butter and mix on low until it is the consistency of coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, milk, and vanilla. Add to the flour mix. Mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. (Note: my dough wasn't coming together at this point - possibly due to my sloppy flour measurement - so I added a tiny bit more honey and milk, which solved the issue).

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into two and pat each into a 1" thick rectangle. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm (2 hours or overnight).

Flour work surface and roll first rectangle of dough out to 1/8" thick. Trim edges and cut dough into 3"x4" rectangles. Place crackers on parchment lined baking sheets. Chill until firm (about 30 minutes). Repeat with remaining dough.

With a butter knife, make a vertical line down the center of each cracker and another horizontally (taking care not to cut through). Use a toothpick to decorate further, if desired.

Bake 15-20 minutes, until browned and firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway to ensure even baking.

One year ago: pear gorgonzola pizza

red quinoa walnut cookies

When JR asked what kind of cookies I was making and I responded "quinoa", he thought I was joking. I wasn't.

This is my first time cooking from Super Natural Cooking, Heidi Swanson's cookbook. I've made many (many) recipes from her blog, 101 cookbooks, always with amazing results. The only difficult part was figuring out which recipe to try first. I paused on Wild Rice Flour Pancakes. Then again on Big Curry Noodle Pot. But when I realized I already had all of the ingredients on hand for the Red Quinoa Walnut Cookies, it was decided. Also there's something about Sundays that makes me want to bake.

This time, I didn't venture too far from the original recipe. But I'm already thinking about possible ways to mix things up when I make these again, which I definitely will. I'd like to try out honey as a sweetener. Or add greek yogurt and turn it into a loaf with frozen blueberries. Or add chopped apples and cinnamon in a muffin version. Oh, the possibilities!

Red Quinoa Walnut Cookies

Makes 4-5 dozen small cookies

2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. fine grain sea salt

1 c. unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/2 c. brown sugar*

2 large eggs**

3 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 c. cooked red quinoa

3/4 c. chopped toasted walnuts

1 c. rolled oats

*The original recipe calls for 2 cups of natural cane sugar. This seemed like a lot of sugar to me, so I reduced the amount and used a mix of dark muscavado and regular brown sugar.

**The original recipe called for 3, but I misread it. The cookies still turned out great!

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar. Mix in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next. Mix in vanilla. Add the flour mixture in a few increments, beating well between each. Stir in quinoa, walnuts, and oats. Mix until well distributed.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Cool on wire rack.

One year ago: greek & greens frittata

potato leek frittata

Potatoes and leeks have been a popular combination in the kitch lately. Partly because they have both been weekly staples in the CSA box as of late, and partly because they just seem to go so well together. Whereas last week water and cream brought the two together in soup, in this dish, eggs act as the medium. Add some herbs and cheese to create one tasty frittata. Here's what I did:

Potato Leek Frittata

Serves 3-4

olive oil

6 small red potatoes

3 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced into thin rounds

freshly ground black pepper

fresh and/or dried herbs (e.g. thyme, rosemary, oregano)

6 eggs

1 c. sharp cheddar, shredded*

chives

*I had both extra sharp cheddar and white cheddar on hand, so used some of each.

Cook potatoes by baking or in the microwave (6 minutes in the microwave in a covered bowl did the trick for me). Cut into 1/2" pieces.

Whisk eggs together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add leeks. Stir and cook until they begin to soften (about 3 minutes). Add potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to brown. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs (I had fresh thyme on hand, so tossed that in along with some dried oregano).

Turn broiler on high. On the stovetop, add eggs to pan. Go around the edge of the skillet with a spatula, slicing the egg mixture away from the pan and tilting it at an angle so the raw egg runs underneath to cook.

Once the eggs look mostly set, sprinkle cheese on top. Transfer to oven to finish cooking under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Sprinkle chopped chives over individual servings. (If I'd had sour cream on hand, I would have added a dollop of that as well.)

I paired the frittata with a simple green salad for dinner. Leftovers became breakfast the following morning.

One year ago: orange tempeh & oven roasted broccoli

red velvet cupcakes

Cole's Kitch turns 1 today. It has been exactly one year since my very first post!

I decided to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of my semi-obsession with all things food and cooking, I would make something that is 1) special that 2) I have not made before. Upon further reflection, a third requirement emerged: it needs to be something I can stick a candle in.

Enter cupcakes.

I have never made a cupcake before. I mean a really made a cupcake - from ingredients like flour and sugar and butter (rather than box + egg + oil). Obviously, that needs to change. Those who know me know I've been slightly obsessed with red velvet cupcakes ever since eating my first one at Sprinkles last year.

Bear with me through a slight aside: The great debate - Sprinkles vs. Magnolia. Or in other words, west vs. east coast cupcakeries. I had my first Sprinkles cupcake (west coast) approximately a year ago, after the store at Stanford Shopping Center opened. JR wouldn't stand in the hour plus line with me, but Marika did. That is where I fell in love with red velvet. A beautiful blushing cupcake with dense, buttery cream cheese frosting. I've eaten many of them (way too many) since.

Last fall, when JR and I were in NYC, I sought out a Magnolia bakery (east coast) to test out their goods. I figured, for the test to be fair (an "apples to apples" comparison), I'd have to go with red velvet. My first bite revealed, that (gasp) it was frosted with...buttercream? Where, or where was the cream cheese? Completely lacking, in my opinion.

Now, Marika (east coast native, so obviously biased) swears that the vanilla cupcake is where Magnolia is on top. I have my doubts. I prefer Sprinkles. Or rather, I did until yesterday. When I made my own. I tried to find the Sprinkles recipe online, but was unsuccessful. Instead, I paired a modified version of Martha Stewart's red velvet cupcake recipe with the Sprinkle's frosting recipe. The result? Magic. Here's what I did:

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes 24 beautiful little cakes

2 1/2 c. cake flour (not self rising)

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs at room temperature

4 Tbsp. red food coloring

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 c. buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 Tbsp. distilled white or apple cider vinegar

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, cold

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium-high until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Mix in food color and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mix in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk, whisking well after each. Stir baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to batter and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.

Divide batter among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake 18 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before removing cupcakes.

Make frosting by mixing together ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes. Try not to eat them all in one sitting!

Oh, and happy birthday to Cole's Kitch!

One year ago: black bean & orange hummus

leek and potato soup

No, not "potato leek soup", but rather "leek and potato soup". Why? Because that is how Julia Child wrote it, and because Mastering the Art of French Cooking is the source of this dish.

As was the case with Momofuku, I'm easing into Mastering the Art of French Cooking by starting with a non-intimidating recipe. Whereas I had originally thought it would be quite difficult to determine where to begin with this monstrous cookbook (it's nearly 700 pages!), it turned out to be an easy choice, since we had both leeks and potatoes on hand from our latest CSA delivery. A hot, classic soup in the middle of winter sounds like just the right way to begin channeling Julia Child.

The original recipe said it would serve 4-6. I cut it in half (which was more than JR and I could eat). The amounts below reflect my adjustments of the amounts. Here's how it goes:

Leek and Potato Soup

Serves 3-4

2 c. peeled potatoes, sliced

1 1/2 c. thinly sliced leeks, including tender greens

1 qt. water (about 4 cups)

1 tsp. salt

2-3 Tbsp. whipping cream

1-2 Tbsp. minced chives

Simmer vegetables, salt, and water in a partially covered medium soup pot 40-50 minutes, until vegetables are tender. At this point, the recipe says to mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork, or pass the soup through a food mill. I used my immersion blender instead.

Taste and "correct seasoning".

Off heat just before serving, stir in cream. Pour into soup cups and "decorate with herbs". Enjoy!

momofuku collards with baked tofu on rice

I've read the Momofuku ramen recipe at least 3 times since I've had the book. It's a serious recipe that involves things I've never made before, like soft poached eggs and pork shoulder.

I am going to make it.

But not today.

Rather, I'm going to ease into cooking Momofuku slowly. I consider this to be like wading in the shallow end of the pool as you get ready to swim laps (maybe JR's triathlon training talk is rubbing off on me?). What I'm making today isn't even a full on recipe from the cookbook; rather, it's in the notes about the seasonal vegetable toppings that are often added to Momofuku ramen.

Just reading about this topping makes my mouth water.

I'm sorry if you are a vegetarian are reading this. But I have to say it. Cooking the collard greens with bacon made them almost unspeakably delicious. You end up with bacon-infused greens with just a hint of salt and sweet.

Here's how I turned this would-be ramen topping into the centerpiece of our meal:

Momofuku Collards with Baked Tofu on Rice

Serves 2

3/4 c. brown rice

1 1/2 c. water

Momofuku collard greens

baked tofu

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Combine rice and water in a small pot with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil. Stir. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 50 minutes. While rice is cooking, make collard greens and baked tofu (recipes below).

To serve, put rice and collard greens into individual bowls; top with baked tofu and green onions.

Momofuku Collard Greens

1 piece bacon

1 bunch collar greens, destemmed and coarsely chopped

1 large pinch kosher salt

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 c. water

Put a piece of bacon in a wide skillet (that can later be covered). Cook on medium-high heat. Once it's begun to render some fat, add collard leaves. Toss well to coat in fat. Add salt. Cook, stirring a few minutes, until collards start to give up their liquid and shrink a little.

Add soy sauce, sherry vinegar, brown sugar, and water. Put lid on pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally until tender, about 40 minutes. Keep at room temperature until ready to use.

Baked Tofu

6 oz. tofu, cut into 4 rectangles

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Drain tofu on paper towels. Mix soy sauce and maple syrup. Allow tofu slices to marinate in soy sauce mix for 10 minutes, flipping once. Transfer tofu to oiled baking dish, reserving marinade. Bake tofu in a 350 degree oven until tender, 30-40 minutes. Brush with marinade occasionally as tofu bakes.

fig, apple, brie panini

It's my first full day back home after a 3-week stay in Seattle at my mother's. In the middle of unpacking, laundry, catching up on snail mail, and doing all of the other things one does after returning home from being away, I found time to play with one of my new toys - a Cuisinart Griddler. Here's what I did:

Fig, Apple, Brie Panini

Serves 2

baguette*, cut into 2 4" pieces then sliced in half, or 4 slices rustic bread

fig jam

brie

dried figs, thinly sliced

apple, thinly sliced

Spread jam on baguette or bread. Follow with slices of brie, figs, and apples (in that order). Top with other half of baguette. Repeat to make second sandwich. Grill in panini press 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

*No, a baguette is not what one would typically use for a panini, but it's what I had on hand, so I put it to good use!

a glimpse of things to come...

Along with family and food, the recent holiday season brought with it lots of inspiration for Cole's Kitch for the coming year. Some of this inspiration comes simply from the fact that I've been out of my kitch for a bit - having spent the past few weeks in Seattle with my mother - and I miss it! Also the new cookbooks and tools for the kitch I've received as of late will motivate me to continue to try new things. My goal, in fact, is to utilize each of the additions to my cookbook collection and kitch before the month is up. There will be some other special things happening this month as well. Since I haven't been cooking much this past week, I thought I'd outline a note on the things that are upcoming this month in Cole's Kitch:

1. New cookbooks, new toys:

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

I'm sure this book was a popular Christmas gift this year, due largely to the Julie & Julia* movie. This was one of those gifts that I didn't even know I wanted until I received it. Though slightly overwhelmed (there is an entire chapter on sauces!), I'm mostly excited to start trying recipes from the famous Julia Child. I'm not exactly sure where I'll start...stay tuned to find out. Thanks, Mom, for this classic addition to my cookbook collection!

*I was honestly skeptical that I would enjoy this movie. Yes, I blog about food, but did that mandate that I would enjoy a movie about someone who blogs about food? I didn't think so. But I did. Loved it, in fact. Seeing Julia Child's story brought back to life through Meryl Streep made me appreciate the cookbook even more.

Momofuku

My brother called from the bookstore a couple of weeks ago wondering what I might like for Christmas. I have heard very good things about Ad Hoc At Home and pointed him in that direction. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one who had heard good things about it - his search found that it's backordered nearly everywhere! A quick query to Amazon showed that those who ordered Ad Hoc At Home also ordered Momofuku. So I figured I'd try it out.

Quick review: in addition to having some amazing sounding recipes, I'm also finding it to be a fun read. It's organized in 3 sections - the first is about the path that led David Chang to open his noodle restaurant in NYC - Momofuku. Subsequent sections (which I have yet to read) tell similar stories around his second and third restaurants.

I already know one dish I will aspire to tackle from this book (if not in January, then soon; I may have to work my way up to it): Momofuku ramen. It's going to be an endeavor, for within this one recipe, I'll be making a number of others: bacon dashi, ramen broth, pork belly and shoulder (if I'm brave), and slow poached eggs. Who knows, perhaps I'll really go all out and make the noodles by hand as well. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water... Thanks, Mick, for the great book!

Super Natural Cooking

101cookbooks is one of the blogs that originally inspired me to start Cole's Kitch. I can't believe it's taken me so long to add Heidi Swanson's cookbook to my collection.

This book is more than just a cookbook, it's a reference manual for cooking with whole foods. There is a section on building a natural foods pantry filled with information on natural sweeteners, fats, and flours. Also included is a deep dive on whole grains, with delicious sounding recipes such as wild rice flour pancakes and risotto-style barley. There's a chapter on eating by color and another on superfoods.

There are a number of recipes from this book that I'm itching to make; I'm not sure which will come first... crema de guacamole, big curry noodle pot, golden crusted brussels sprouts, sweet potato food bread. Thanks JR, for this!

National Geographic's Food Journeys of a Lifetime

I haven't had a chance to delve into this one deeply yet, but am excited to do so. Food + travel = my own personal heaven. Thanks Marika, for a culinary adventure I can enjoy in my own home. (The next time you're over, we'll have to peruse it for future Bachelor-night consumption!)

In the form of kitchen tools, I am also the proud new owner of a Cuisinart Griddler, 2 beautiful cobalt blue Le Creuset individual cocottes, and a pizza stone. I will soon test out the Cuisinart on homemade paninis. The cocottes will be used in my first attempt at french onion soup. Pizza experimentation will continue, now with a pizza stone. In other words, all will be put to very good use in the near term.

2. Daring Bakers' Challenge:

January will be my third month participating in a Daring Bakers' Challenge. I can't reveal the current month's challenge yet (it's hush hush until the release date later this month), but I will assure you it's a good one. Hint: this dessert hails from north of the border from where I grew up. JR and I took a ferry boat to this particular town a few years ago to go camping with friends, only to get rained out and have to seek a dryer place to stay. Ok, enough on that now. Suffice it to say that this month's challenge will be a real sweet treat and I'm excited to give it a go!

3. Cole's Kitch turns 1:

January 19, 2009 was my first blog post. That means that Cole's Kitch is about to turn 1 year old. Stay tuned for some celebratory recipes. If you've enjoyed reading this blog over the past year, show your support by voting for Cole's Kitch in the Bloggers Choice Awards.

Thank you for reading; I'm looking forward to another great year in the kitch!

sauteed greens beans with fried shallots

You may recall my recent fascination with fried leeks. Well, it's happened again with another onion-like vegetable that has historically only rarely appeared in Cole's Kitch: the shallot.*

*I think the only shallot I've used in the past played a part in a salad vinaigrette.

As was the case with the fried leeks, these shallots could be put on just about anything - a garnish on other veggies, salads, soups. (An idea for doubling-up on shallots: mince half and use in your salad vinaigrette and fry up the other half to garnish the salad. Double yum!) The green bean-shallot pairing was inspired by a recipe my mom had clipped from a magazine (I'd cite it here, except that the source had been clipped away, so I'm not sure exactly when or where it came from). Here's what I did:

Sauteed Green Beans with Fried Shallots

Serves 2-3

1/2 pound green beens, rinsed and trimmed

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. butter

sea salt

Heat oil in a large pot (to make cleanup easier by keeping any oil splatter contained in the pot) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough to sizzle in response to a drop of water, add shallots. Cook until shallots are deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove with a fork or slotted spoon onto paper towels.

Steam the green beans in a vegetable steamer over medium heat until crisp tender. Drain and return to pan with butter. Saute until butter is melted. Season with sea salt.

Serve green beans topped with fried shallots.