Nice and Nanaimo
Savory Salad | Sweet Confection
A certain amount of pearl clutching takes place when I contemplate editing a recipe beloved by its geographical followers.
On the savory side as an example, adding cooked ingredients to the universally beloved “Salade Nicoise” does not align with the intent of the original recipe. Traditional ingredients do not include potatoes or green beans, though legend has it that Auguste Escoffier, the lauded French chef credited with modernizing haute cuisine, was to blame. Evidently, he switched out several raw vegetables - fava beans, artichokes (only very young, baby artichokes may be eaten raw because they have no choke) and radishes - likely because the young raw vegetables were more difficult to locate and eat.
The genesis of every Italian dish is what’s either on hand, or available locally. Areas of rural France are no exception. The food of Nice is modest, tied to the glorious influences of the Mediterranean: olive oil, fresh produce, oily fish, whole grains and chickpeas. Dessert was fruit-based because they had no access to chocolate; honey was used in place of sugar because the farmers kept bees. Ingredients were plucked from the earth and sea.
Know that I am ambivalent about adding tiny new red potatoes or haricot vert (thin, young green beans) to Salade Nicoise; however, the choice is yours. I admit to having used both as a way of rounding out a salad whose composed salad fundamentals I adore. Perhaps there are foodstuffs local to your area that would benefit the salad. Be as puritanical or as bold as you wish.
Julia Child’s words still ring true: “Never apologize!”
Are You Taking Me Somewhere?
Why, you might fairly ask, are we talking about Nice, France on TASTE | Pacific Northwest? Rosa Jackson, Cordon Bleu graduate, food critic, founder of Les Petits Farcis Cooking Studio in Nice, grew up in Edmonton, Canada. Her food world launched when her family took two, one-year sabbaticals in Paris. As a young girl, Rosa and her microbiologist father explored Parisian pastry shops, choosing the treat of the day… a fruit laden tart or a coffee eclair. A family holiday trip to Nice further seeded Rosa’s love for French cooking.
Immersing oneself in regional food, in legacy ingredients, adds layers of wealth to our quality of life. When we explore provincial elements, we begin to better appreciate a food’s core flavors and then, we can enter the flavor development process.
Here is Rosa Jackson’s recipe for Salade Nicoise from her book, “Nicoise, Market-Inspired Cooking from France’s Sunniest City” which, I highly recommend for its narrative, photographic pleasure and detailed recipe content":
Nanaimo, What?
In a singular act of chutzpah while I was cheffing at Nicoletta’s Table in Lake Oswego, Oregon, I researched a little Pacific Northwest wonder called Nanaimo Bars.
Nanaimo is a city on the east coast of beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia, (lying herein, the “Canada” connection). "The Harbour City", previously known as the "Hub City", is 34 miles west of the city of Vancouver, separated by the Strait of Georgia in, unquestionably, one of the most beautiful regions on Earth.
Ingeniously, the city of Nanaimo states upfront on its website About page that, “the true equation that makes up our City is simply this: stunning setting + enriching amenities + vibrant economy + welcoming people = an incredible island lifestyle.”
If a city’s food mascot could champion itself, it would showcase the perfect mélange of tastes and texture: a rich, whole milk custard layer sandwiched between ground hazelnuts, graham crackers, coconut, butter, eggs and cocoa powder, and topped with a rich 72% chocolate ganache. Oh, a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
The Nanaimo Bar was said to have first appeared in the 1952 “Women's Auxiliary to the Nanaimo Hospital Cookbook” under a simpler name. In 1986, the city held a contest to determine the ultimate Nanaimo Bar recipe, and it received national recognition.
As with any confection that successfully seeds itself in the public imagination, the Nanaimo Bar left itself open to nearly infinite interpretations.
I charged myself with ensuring distinct taste and textural benefits from each of the flavor components.
Nearly effortless to make. Without limit, in enjoyment.
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