Monday, April 11, 2005

 

Blue Cheese and Onion Dip with Lavender


Food and glamour are what make my world go round. What I did yesterday is a splendid example of how the two can meld so perfectly. It was another breathtaking Sunday afternoon and Gams, Doll Face and I, (they) looking more like starlets than the serious minded women we are (even in our matching denim jackets) frolicked off to party at yet another drama, drama, sleek and sexy LA home. Without a drop of hyperbole I can say this pad was so staggering it stopped us all in our strappy sandaled tracks. What made it better than most of course, is that the owner is a whip smart woman with a warmth unheard of in these parts and a radiant pixie-daughter who’s giggles melted our hearts. That and the unobstructed ocean view. Sigh.

So there we are, and what did we do? We met, we drank, we schmoozed, we giggled, and we talked film. (Excellent overheard quote of the evening “My last two pictures combined only grossed $25 million. I feel like such a failure sometimes.”) Now of course, none of this has anything to do with cooking (though the kitchen was fantasmagorical) but I did wrestle a recipe from an interesting woman/Australian documentary film maker who agrees with me that young Orson Welles was sexy. (This was mentioned only because there was a magnificent still from The Lady From Shanghai on the wall) So this is her recipe for Blue Cheese and Onion Dip. The secret she says is lots of fresh black pepper and a huge pinch of lavender. Rosemary would work too of course. Try it and enjoy!

1 large pat of butter

2 cups minced onion, shallots or leeks (whatever you have on hand)
Pinch of sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream
¾ cup crumbled blue cheese
black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lavender, chopped fine


Cook the onions/leeks in the butter over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 15 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

In a bowl blend together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add blue cheese, lots of black pepper and lavender. Gently combine, then stir in the onions.


Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve with crudite.

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Foodie Films:
Babettes Feast
Mostly Martha
Chocolat
Like Water for Chocolate
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
Big Night

A Chef In Love

The Greeks and the Romans bathed in lavender scented water and it was from the Latin word "lavo" meaning "to wash" that the herb took it's name.

French farmers send lamb to graze in fields of lavender, so their meat will be fragrant.

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Comments:
I see Chocolat is on there - LOVE that movie. There's two other food movies that I'm thinking of - one that's pretty good in a strange sort of way, and the other I loved, but for the life of me I can't remember the names. I'm going to try and track them down for you. I've added Mostly Martha to my Netflix queue - looks intriguing.

This dip sounds amazing, and your afternoon not one easily forgotten.
 
Found them. Simply Irresistable - the okay one, it parallels a love of food with falling in love, very strange at times but cute. And Tortilla Soup - LOVED that movie, the Dad LOVES cooking and tries to bring his daughters together by cooking EVERY night, somehow they all slip out from under his control, but in the end that, and his love, brings them all together.
 
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