Hampton Boogie (part 2)

Well, i'm still stuck in this dump called Southampton and too exhausted to have any contact with the outside world but i'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. One more week to go and i'll be back to my beloved world of concrete and traffic jams - New York City. I have not turned into a cynic yet but the workload has been brutal this past few days with lots of last minute fancy parties and surprise guests... In the city at least i feel a bit more 'in control', i get advance notice on dinner parties and more help if needed... and believe me, that's a good thing!

This week has also been very glamourous at Big Bossman's and my reward for all this hard work was a little glimpse at a world-famous supermodel. Sorry if i can't say more but let me just tell you that, that alone was worth the 15-hours workday. I'm still shaking and sweating... Oh my God!

Before i go and take an ice cold shower i have a few more random pictures to share with you. This is wayyy better than Sex and the City! (What do i know!?.. I never watched it. hehe) A summer dinner table in the Hamptons...

A very, very, very special bottle of wine, a Chateau Mouton Rothshild 1985. It doesn't get much better than this... When we open this kind of rare bottles, I have the very tough job of checking that the wine is not corked... [yay!]

A little corner of the property with glorious weather but no time to roll in the grass ...

My vegetable garden with baby romaine on the left, baby carrots in the center and leeks on the right...

Also in the garden, an abundance of deliciously sweet cherry tomatoes...

A quick dessert for an improvised dinner party a few days ago. A pavlova with a lime curd with fresh fruits and berry coulis. It was sweeet and goood. I used mint flowers from the herb garden outside my kitchen for garnish..

A plate of petits-four for an after-dinner sweet snack with a cup of fresh ginger tea.. almond financiers, chocolate financiers, pistachio and apricot mini-cakes.


And last but not least, one of my all-time favorite summer snack: Panisse, aka chickpea fries. Since you have been well-behaved in my absence and didn't trash this blog i will share the recipe with you. So delicious! Imagine eating crisp and salty fried hummus sticks. Yum!! Okay, maybe i'll think of a better description next time. hehe. See you soon!

Panisse

(serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• sea salt
• black pepper
• Canola oil for frying
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• Pour 2 tablespoon olive oil into a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepand heat it over medium heat. Add the garlic and fennel seeds until aromatic. Add stock and bring it to over a simmer over high heat. Slowly whisk in the chickpea flour and all-purpose flour into the simmering stock until the mixture thickens and is smooth, with no lumps whatsoever, approximately 8 minutes.
  Lower the heat and continue to cook until it takes on the consistency of loose mashed potatoes, approximately 5 minutes more.
• Pour the mixture into an 8x8-inch Pyrex dish. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and allow to cool. Then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
• When ready to proceed, cut the chickpea cake into fries. Line a large plate with paper towels, and set it aside.
• Dust the Panisse with all-purpose flour on both sides, and then shake off any excess.
• Heat the canola oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpan set over medium-high heat. Add the fries and cook until lightly golden, approximately 3 minutes. Drain on the paper towel-lined plate, season with salt and 5 grinds of pepper, or to taste, and serve.