(Photo: Carolyn's Salad Nicoise)
I'm back. Tired yet invigorated by all the great food and experiences of the last 10 days.
Pathetically, I didn't take a lot of pictures, but I did have my camera with me one night at a dinner party with some friends in Chicago. They have a great loft downtown with a huge kitchen, perfect for a pro cook like John. The menu was a red pepper soup, salad nicoise, veal picatta, frites, and chocolate mousse. I was done with my camera by dessert, so no pics of the mousse, but I'll post a few pictures over the next week or so.
Carolyn made a great salad Nicoise, which means in the style of Nice, and because Carolyn is French, so much the better! Filled with organic greens, corn, potatoes, cucumber, olives, tomatoes, green beans, eggs, thinly sliced onion and chopped parsley, she made a wonderful vinagerette of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard and mayonaisse to dress it.
It was a great party, casual, great wine and conversation with cool people I hadn't met before, and with the priority where it needs to be- the food, IMHO. Carolyn's salad was a great start, more soon...
You were in Chicago? ... and you didn't call Gail? Man ... are you toast!
That salad. Must have it. I like Nicoise with a nice piece of grilled tuna. Rare-ish. Mmmmmm.
It was really great, Ana. I've never used mayo in a vinagerette, either, but it works.