Parisian Budget Food by Ruth Paget

Parisian Budget Food by Ruth Paget 

The words “Parisian” and “budget” rarely go together, especially when applied to food. However, in the book The Bistros, Brasseries, and Wine Bars of Paris author Daniel Young lists recipe after recipe of bargain meals. 

If you make these recipes at home, they are even more of a deal. Young also chose recipes for dishes that are easy to make with a little organization. I especially like his fish recipes that hide the fish. 

I think the following recipes would go well with either beer or wine: 

-marinated red peppers with anchovies, white wine, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and canned crushed tomatoes 

-tomato toast – a specialty of Barcelona and Catalonia – toast rubbed with garlic and tomato halves that is drizzled with olive oil. Serrano ham can be served on the side. 

-salt cod and avocado brandade dip or spread with cilantro – poach cod and then place it in a blender with avocado, lime juice, and lime zest. Blend and serve with toast or tortilla chips. 

-warm lentil salad made with onions, cloves, carrots, olive oil, and sherry vinegar 

-mackeral croquettes made with poached fish and potatoes that are made into balls and fried 

Other delicious recipes in this book include cream of carrot soup with cumin, pan-fried steaks with mustard-cream sauce, and pipérade – a dip, spread, topping, or main dish made of green and red peppers, tomatoes, olive oil, onions, garlic, Basque piment d’Esplette (this dish is Basque) and scrambled eggs. 

Economical and tasty recipes abound in Bistros, Brasseries, and Wine Bars of Paris by Daniel Young making it a great purchase for home cooks. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Japanese Comfort Foods by Ruth Paget

Japanese Comfort Food by Ruth Paget 

When I lived in Japan as an exchange student, my Japanese host mom made food straight out of Shizuo Tsuji’s Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art. 

I took for granted nutritious and economical meals such as: 

-onigiri – rice triangles with pickled plums in the center and held together by a strip of nori seaweed  

-rolled Japanese omelets with snipped chives or green onions and soy sauce 

-okonomiyaki – shredded cabbage and carrot pancakes made with egg and topped with sprinkled soy sauce and lines of mayonnaise 

Now that I am older, I still like these items but am learning Japanese comfort food secrets by watching Japanese restaurant videos on www.youtube.com (subject Japanese cuisine) to see how the Japanese eat mounds of hearty food. 

One dish of curry gravy goodness is tonkotsu udon, an udon noodle soup with sliced, deep-fried pork cutlet on top of the noodles. The pork cutlet is topped off with an omelet. The omelet is covered in curry gravy. Yummy stuff on a cold day. 

After watching several Japanese restaurant videos, I have noticed that refried rice or noodles can take the place of noodle soup as a base for other items to be placed on top of them. 

I have set up the following general recipe guide for making Japanese bowl meals: 

*Base – Choose 1 

-plain rice 

-refried rice 

-noodles without soup 

-udon noodle soup 

*Middle layer – choose 1 or 2 

-sliced deep-fried pork cutlet 

-omelet 

*Topping

-stir-fried vegetables 

-omelet -curry sauce 

-tempura vegetables, seafood, or meat 

Refried rice is often made with egg, carrots, and mushrooms. 

Stir-fried vegetables are often made with garlic, onion, cabbage, bean sprouts, and mushrooms. 

Composed Japanese bowl meals like these are delicious, nutritious, and not as expensive to make as you would think. These Japanese comfort foods might appeal to Americans who would like to save money. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Asian Cookbooks for Winter Reading by Ruth Paget

Asian Cookbooks for Winter Reading by Ruth Paget 

When I saw that the Monterey County Free Libraries (California) had an online winter reading program for adults through www.beanstack.org, I signed up with the goal of learning more about the food of Asia. 

I received a BA in East Asian Studies from the University of Chicago and have learned to cook many Asian dishes to add to my study of Japan and China that began when I was an exchange student in Japan and a study tour participant in China. Over the years, I have accumulated cookbooks from Southeast Asia as well as East Asian ones in paper and kindle formats to learn more about the foods I have sampled for fun and as a restaurant reviewer for the Monterey County Weekly newspaper (Circulation: 200,000). 

The books I have read so far for winter reading at the Monterey County Free Libraries include the following: 

 *Bhutan 

 -Foods of the Kingdom of Bhutan by Ernest and Eric Nagamatsu 

*Cambodia 

-Num Pang by Ratha Chapouly 

*China 

-All Under Heaven by Carolyn Phillips 

-Complete Chinese Cookbook by Ken Hom 

-Cooking South of the Clouds by Georgia Freedman 

-Dim Sum Field Guide by Carolyn Phillips 

-Every Grain of Rice by Fuschsia Dunlop 

-Invitation to a Banquet by Fuchsia Dunlop 

-Land of Fish and Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop 

-Land of Plenty by Fuchsia 

-Nom Wah Cookbook by Wilson Tang 

-Phoenix Claw and Jade Trees by Kian Lam Kho 

-Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop 

*India 

-660 Curries by Rhagavan Iyer 

-Chaat by Maneet Chauhan 

-Complete Book of Indian Cooking by Suneeta Vaswani 

-Feasts and Fasts by Colleen Taylor Sen 

-Indian for Everyone by Anupy Singla 

-Masala by Anita Jaisinghani 

 *Indonesia 

-Balinese Food by Vivienne Kruger 

-Indonesian Regional Food and Cooking by Sri Owen 

*Japan 

-Bento for Beginners by Chika Ravitch 

-Harumi’s Japanese Kitchen by Harumi Kurihara 

-Japanese Cooking by Shizuo Tsuji 

-Japanese Grill by Tadashi Ono 

-Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking by Masaharu Morimoto 

-Modern Japanese Cuisine by Katarzyna Cwiertka 

-Ramen Obsession by Naomi Imatome-Yun 

-Tokyo Cult Recipes by Maori Murota 

-Washoku by Elizabeth Andoh 

*Korea 

-Korean Cuisine by Michael J. Pettid 

-Korean Home Cooking by Sohui Kim 

-Koreatown by Deuki Hong 

*Malaysia 

-The Malaysian Kitchen by Christina Arokiasamy 

*Myanmar 

-Delicious Myanmar by Juan Gallardo 

*Nepal 

-Foods and Flavors from Nepal by Jyoti Pahak 

*Philippines 

-7000 Islands by Yasmin Newman 

-Amboy

*Polynesia 

-Totally Polynesian by Sarah Spencer 

*Russia (Most of Russia is in Asia) 

-Cabbage and Caviar by Alison K. Smith 

*Thailand 

-Bangkok by Leela Panyaratabandhu 

-From the Source – Thailand by Lonely Planet Food 

-Pok Pok by Andy Ricker 

*Vietnam 

-Asian Dumplings by Andrea Nguyen

-Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen 

-Phô Cookbook by Linda Nguyen 

-Rice and Baguette by Vu Hong Lien 

To tie all my Asian cookbook reading together, I read Leading with Cultural Intelligence by David Livermore. Livermore writes for readers who want to become expatriate managers who want to live overseas or become diplomats. He says that one of the best ways to prepare for these professions is to learn foreign languages and eat foreign food. Both of these activities can be done by young people before college. 

You can also prepare foreign foods while listening to foreign music to further enhance what you read about in Asian cookbooks. 

Happy cooking! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Monterey Peninsula Cookbook Shelf by Ruth Paget

Monterey Peninsula Cookbook Shelf by Ruth Paget 

When I moved to the Monterey Peninsula on California’s Central Coast more than thirty years ago, I knew I would be able to find many Hispanic and Asian markets and restaurants with products and dishes from the many cultures that make up those broad categories. 

What I did not expect was how easy it was to find Italian and French ingredients that I could cook with at home. Over the years, I have made a Monterey Peninsula Cookbook shelf that leans towards Western Europe. I cook this way and eat Asian and Hispanic food from restaurants. 

The information in these cookbooks has helped me maintain weight and set up a three-meals-per-day weekly menu with no snacks. 

The following books may be on Kindle now to lower costs for purchasing them: 

-The Breakfast Bible: 100+ Favorite Recipes to Start the Day by Kate McMillan 

-Breakfast by Brigit L. Binns 

-Focaccia: Simple Breads from the Italian Oven by Carol Field 

-The Elements of Pizza: Unlocking the Secrets to World-Class Pies at Home by Ken Forkish 

-Mastering Pasta: The Art and Practice of Homemade Pasta, Gnocchi, and Risotto by Marc Vetri 

-Pasta Sauces by Chuck Williams 

-Martha Stewart’s Appetizers 

-Hors d’Oeuvres and Appetizers by Chuck Williams 

-Pâté, Confit, Rillettes: Recipes from the Craft of Charcuterie by Bian Polcyn with Michael Ruhlman 

-The Sommelier Prep Course: An Introduction to the Wines, Beers, and Spirtis of the World by Michael Gibson 

-The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss  

-Coffee: A Conneisseur’s Companion by Claudia Roden 

 -Coffee for Dummies by Major Cohen -Honey for Dummies by C. Marina Marchese and Howland Blackiston 

-The Good Cook’s Book of Mustard by Michele Anna Jordan 

 -The Book of Cheese: The Essential Guide to Discovering Cheeses You’ll Love by Liz Thorpe 

 -Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos 

 -The Chocolate Connoisseur by Chloe Doutre-Roussel 

 -Holiday Entertaining by Chuck Williams 

 -Out of the East: Spices and the Medieval Imagination by Paul Freedman 

 -Vinaigrettes and Other Dressings by Michele Anna Jordan 

 -The Good Cook’s Book of Oil and Vinegar by Michele Anna Jordan 

 -The Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes by Michele Anna Jordan 

 -The Good Cook’s Book of Salt and Pepper by Michele Anna Jordan 

 -Polenta by Michele Anna Jordan 

 -California Home Cooking by Michele Anna Jordan 

 -The New Cook’s Tour of Sonoma by Michele Anna Jordan 

 -Complete Pasta Cookbook by Chuck Williams 

 -San Francisco Seafood by Michele Anna Jordan 

 -The Food of France by Waverly Root 

 -The Food of Italy by Waverly Root 

- More than Meatballs by Michele Anna Jordan

 -The Art of the Table by Suzanne von Drachenfels 

 -Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson 

These books feature the home cooking of France, Italy, and California for the most part. The recipes are fun to try and teach some very valuable life skills like how to limit usage of delicious and expensive red wine vinegar. 

Happy cooking! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Faux Steak Croutons Recipe by Ruth Paget

Faux Steak Croutons Recipe by Ruth Paget 

Makes 3 – 4 cups 

Ingredients: 

-Day-old bread cut into large cubes to make 3 to 4 cups 

-1/4 cup olive oil 

-1 to 2 tablespoons meat seasoning such as Omaha Steak Seasoning 

Steps: 

1-Heat olive oil in a frying pan with the seasoning. 

2-Add bread cubes and turn them to coat all sides with seasoned oil. 

3-Turn bread cubes until all oil is absorbed. 4-Cool and serve as a snack. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Tuna - Pasta Salad Recipe by Ruth Paget

Tuna – Pasta Salad Recipe by Ruth Paget 

For 4 People

Ingredients: 

-1 (5-ounce) can tuna packed in water, drained 

-2 cups cooked semolina macaroni pasta 

-4 celery stalks chopped 

-12 pitted, whole black olives 

-1/2 red onion, chopped 

-5 roasted red pepper sections packed in oil, chopped 

-5 sun-dried tomato sections packed in oil, chopped 

-4 pepperoncino peppers -salad dressing of your choice 

Steps: 

1-Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and serve with the dressing of your choice on the side.  

Source: Ruth Paget – Monterey, California 2023 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Coulis: The Succulent Tomato Society Game Created by Ruth Paget

Coulis: The Succulent Tomato Society Game Created by Ruth Paget 

A silky, tomato coulis sauce enhances the flavor of slices of fish terrine, salmon and spinach terrine, and vegetable terrine. A coulis is just one of the many preparations for tasty and nutritious tomatoes. Tomatoes contain significant amounts of Vitamin C and beta carotene that the body converts to Vitamin A. Tomatoes also contain the antioxidant lycopene that helps remove free radicals that may cause cancer from the body.  

Game Objectives: In this game about tomatoes, you will learn about tomato varieties, tomato characteristics, professional vocabulary associated with tomatoes, and how to hold tomato tastings for fresh and canned varieties. 

Number of Players: 1 or teams of 2 to 4 

Tools Needed to Play the Game: 

-Access to Google to obtain images and a color printer to print out tomato variety images 

-pens 

-notebook paper 

-index cards 

-large notebook-paper sized envelope to store game materials

-fresh tomatoes for tastings 

-canned tomatoes for tastings 

-The Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes by Michele Anna Jordan: A New World Discovery and its Old World Impact with more than 150 recipes 

Game 1: Tomato Varieties 

Download photos of the following tomato varieties. For each one, paste the image on notebook paper and note the name on top of the page with a pen. 

Tomato Varieties to Look Up: 

1-Ruby Pearl 

2-Broad Ripple Yellow 

3-Sweet 100 

4-Sun Gold 

5-Green Grape 

6-Pink Teardrop 

7-Camp Joy 

8-Yellow Peas 

9-Snow White 

10-Tiger Tom 

11-Roma 

12-San Marzano 

13-Orange Roma 

14-Yellow Plum 

15-Rocky 

16-Enchantment 

17-Banana Legs 

18-Early Girl 

19-Stupice 

20-Dona 

21-San Francisco Fog 

22-Valencia 

23-Peach 

24-Taxi 

25-Great White 

26-White Wonder 

27-Green Zebra 

28-Red Rose 

29-Evergreen 

30-Caro Rich 

31-Brandywine 

32-Marvel Stripe 

33-Black Krim 

34-Yellow Ruffle 

Once you have photos pasted on sheets of notebook paper and the names written above the tomato, begin memorizing the names with the images. Memorize 5 tomato varieties with names at a time to break down memorization into manageable pieces. Cover up the names with a piece of paper and quiz yourself on the names that go with all the images. 

Game 2: Tomato Characteristics 

Refer to Michele Anna Jordan’s Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes to write down the characteristics of each tomato variety on the back of the image that goes with the tomato variety. Memorize the characteristics for 5 tomato varieties at a time to break down memorization into memorable pieces. Quiz yourself until you have all the characteristics noted. 

Once you have noted characteristics for each tomato variety, you are ready to move on to best uses for each tomato variety. 

Game 3: Tomato Best Uses

Refer to Michele Anna Jordan’s Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes to write down the best uses for each tomato type on the back of each tomato variety image. Memorize the best uses 5 at a time to break down memorization into manageable pieces. Quiz yourself on tomato variety uses until you know all of them. 

Game 4: Tomato Vocabulary 

Knowing what you are buying can help you recognize bargains and get the best value for your money. To find definitions for the following words, refer to Michele Anna Jordan’s The Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes. 

The terms to look up include: 

-ground (or crushed) tomatoes 

-tomato sauce 

-double-concentrated tomato paste in a tube 

-canned tomatoes 

-dried tomatoes 

-all’amatriciana 

-andalouse 

-arrabiata 

-aurorea 

-bolognese 

-choron 

-concassé 

-coulis 

-double concentrated 

-tomato paste 

-dried-tomato bits 

-dried-tomato purée 

-dried tomatoes 

-fondue 

-ketchup 

-marinara 

-nantua 

-portugaise 

-puttanesca 

-ragù 

-salsa 

-stewed tomatoes 

-sun-dried tomatoes 

-tomato paste 

-tomato purée 

-tomato sauce 

Write the terms on the front of an index card with the definition on the back. Memorize 5 terms at a time to break down memorization into manageable pieces. Quiz yourself until you know all the terms. 

Game 5: Tomato Tastings 

Go through the 150+ recipes in Michele Anna Jordan’s Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes and pick out 1 or 2 to try making and serve after a tomato tasting. 

Refer to Jordan's book for tips on summer and year-round tasting set up. 

Happy Gaming! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books