Oeuf à la Coque, Mouillettes Rouges

The Oeuf à la Coque: one of the simplest pleasures in life.

It is the easiest thing to make — although, believe it or not, I have to ask Maxence every time how long the egg should be boiled for — and conveniently single-serving if you want it to be.

It is fun to crack and pop its little hat open, and it is also the best companion to a few mouillettes. Mouillettes? Yes, those little fingers of toasted bread, a small set of edible cutlery with which to stir, mop and thoroughly enjoy the inside of your egg.

Mouillettes are traditionally spread with butter (preferably salted), but the concept is more than open to variations, and you should absolutely feel free to dress your mouillettes with whatever apparel strikes your fancy. Eggs are such easy-to-please, lenient little fellows.

The Oeuf à la Coque is also, undoubtedly, the king of egg dishes. I mean, what other egg dish requires the use of its own little throne, the royal coquetier, giving me the occasion and joy of whipping out my designer egg cup, complete with matching spoon and integrated salt dispenser?

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“- Bonjour madame la boulangère! I would like to buy a cake for my blog.
– What a lucky blog! Is this a special occasion?
– Why yes, it is my blog’s first birthday!
– My my my, how time flies! I remember your blog from when it was just a wee little baby blog, with just a handful of posts — and now it’s one year-old already?
– Yes, I am very proud, and I think it would very much like to celebrate with a cake. Something small something chocolate, something pretty something yummy! What can you suggest?
– Well, we have this chocolate and caramel cake, we have this chocolate and praline cake, we have this chocolate and green tea cake, and we have this chocolate and chocolate cake.
– Oh, they are all so very pretty and look so very yummy, it’s hard to choose… what is your favorite?
– I think I like the chocolate and chocolate best.
– That sounds like a good choice by all standards, we’ll have one of these!”

And so, we put the little cake on a plate. And lit a candle. And sang a birthday song. And blew the candle. And drank a little wine. And ate the little cake. Happy Birthday Chocolate & Zucchini!

And thank you all, dear readers, whether you’re a long-time visitor, newly on board, or just passing by — thanks for reading what I have to say, thanks for your comments and support. Chocolate & Zucchini is a fabulous adventure for me, but it would, of course, be nothing without you.

And since no birthday is quite complete without a birthday gift, I have decided to open forums on Chocolate & Zucchini! I receive the visit of so many interesting people (yes, that would be you) with so many interests in common, I thought it would be a good idea to give you a place to meet, chat and share all the wonderful things you have to say! So go ahead, take a little tour, make yourself comfortable, ask questions, give advice, discuss recipes, cookbooks, restaurants, tips, techniques, ideas, inspirations!

But wait, there’s more! No birthday is quite complete without a party either, so I am also throwing a Chocolate & Zucchini Birthday Party! Mark your calendars : the party will be on Monday, October the 18th, and it will be hosted by my chef-friend Nicolas Vagnon at his restaurant La Table de Lucullus. You are all warmly invited to come, and I will be positively delighted to meet you.

Here are the details : participation will be 30€ per guest (payable when you’re there), and that will get you dinner and wine, selected and prepared by Nicolas and yours truly. If you would like to come, let me start by doing a little happy dance, and then ask you to please email me before the 8th of October with your name, phone number, and the number of people who will be coming with you!

Cécile’s Little Horrors. What a fantastic movie or book title this would make.

So far though, it is merely a sign in the window of a cheese store in Bergerac (Périgord), where we bought our tray of Cabécous. Handwritten on a thin circle of wood taken from the bottom of a cheese box, it is here to introduce a selection of extra extra dry — and I do mean extra extra dry — goat cheese (“séchons de chèvre”) of various origins.

A little freak show in its own right, a hodgepodge of brittle cheese flints, in camouflage tints of grey, blue, orange and white. Oh-so-touching in their utter lack of vanity, and the humourous way in which they are presented.

Humor. I like that in a cheese store. I also like that they have enough respect for their products not to throw out perfectly good pieces of goat cheese, just because they’re ugly and extra-dry. Ugly and extra-dry? Sharp and brittle? Some people will love them all the same, and welcome them wholeheartedly into their homes and mouths!

Sure, it’s also a very clever marketing scheme. But I like that in a cheese store too!

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[Plum Tomatoes with Pecorino]

The last tasty plum tomatoes of the season, a piece of pecorino cheese your parents brought back from their Florence getaway (oh how well they know you), five minutes of preparation, and here’s a pretty and tasty little appetizer to bring to your neighbor-friends’ place when invited for the apéro (pre-dinner drink).

Watch as people wonder how to approach the tomato quarters, venture two tentative fingers, pick one up delicately, realize the quarters are really attached together, reconsider their strategy and grab the four quarters together, lift their hand and pop the whole thing into their mouth quickly, to avoid droplets of tomato juice and olive oil. Watch as they appreciate the sweet freshness of the tomato, the flattering company of the olive oil and parsley, and the sharp contrast of the pecorino.

When there are no tomatoes left, watch how they take little bites of bread and mop the shadow of the dish, a delicious mixture of olive oil, tomato juice, parsley and pecorino.

Watch and smile, but don’t forget to do just the same as they, before it’s all gone.

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