Appearance Matters

Enchant, stay beautiful and graceful, but do this, eat well. Bring the same consideration to the preparation of your food as you devote to your appearance. Let your dinner be a poem, like your dress.

Charles Pierre Monselet, French author (1825-1888)

When living in Moldova, it is important to always look your best when you meander into the public eye. Clothes must be ironed and shoes should have no reminisce of dirt (even after you trek a couple kilometers through the mud pitted road). The way you present yourself is very important. It speaks volumes on your behalf. Basically, you will always be judged. So, unlike in the US where you can easily pass off pajama pants & a hoodie as acceptable attire for a quick trip to the convenience store, it is in one’s best interest to not attempt such antics here. Yes, this can get a bit irritating, always having to be mindful of your appearance. However, I have come to the realization that I, too, have a pet peeve about presentation…. with food.  After  residing in Moldova for 13 months, I’ve noticed that food preparation, in actuality, is an immaculate aspect of my daily life. Not only am I mindful that if I don’t make the food look gustos și frumos, it makes me appear like a real slacker.  When plating a meal, my mind works a little like this…..

 Should I use the square bowl….or the round one? Blue plate or white plate?… Oh, of course the garnish! Which one highlights the appearance of the dish better- the fresh parsley leaves or basil?

Yep- it’s sad. Even worse, this obsessive behavior has rubbed off on my roommate, who will now take pictures of all the prepared food before we eat a meal.

“Repshas! Did you take a picture of this? Where’s your camera?….Wait, I can’t find it, but this plate color blends in with the veggies, don’t ya think? We should change it…for the picture”

We seriously don’t take our first bite of the meal for an unnecessary length of time as we reposition plates, adjust the lighting, and simply admire the work of art. Most of our friends have become accustomed to this strange food photo shoot ritual. Usually, they respectfully tell us the food is getting cold and they’re really hungry because it took over 1.5 hrs to prepare dinner. *Sigh* They are correct, but I believe you eat with your eyes. The taste buds are the followers to the brain. When the brain like what it sees, the taste buds are already convinced the dish will be delicious.

A toast to Moldova, for reinforcing that we all have an OCD pet peeve of and personal concern for “appearance”…..in one form or another. Now, we are trying to make an effort to not simply gloat about how delicious the meals are or how well we eat considering we are Peace Corps Volunteers…so, we will hopefully strive to provide you our not-so-secret recipes more often. [The problem with this….we only follow recipes with scones, cookies, and marinades. Therefore, please attempt every recipe with your own personal judgment…]

Hummus This is a fun side dish to create because you do not have to go with the traditional ingredients of tahini and garlic. Be bold, experiment, and let your taste buds lead the way!

• Google “Hummus Recipe”
• Check out the basic ingredients: Garbanzo beans, salt, oil, water, lemon juice. Check. Use them.
• Look in your spice cabinet & refrigerator…decide what you feel like making, then  add in the fun ingredients

I was feeling a little Mexican and decided to sauté some jalapenos, onion, garlic, and bell peppers in olive oil. Then I threw everything into the blender with the chickpeas, added some cumin and cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick, and blended together. Honestly, I didn’t measure out a damn thing on this. Just kept blending and adding ingredients until I got the consistence and taste that I wanted.

Jalapeno & Cumin Hummus

Greek Briam or better known as Ratatouille  After living on the Greek Island, Santorini, I was required to prepare this everyday for guests on the boat. It’s one of my favorites- delicious, easy, and healthy.

• Dice tomatoes, onion, zucchini, eggplant, and garlic.
• Put in a big pan for baking.
• Add condiments to taste (salt, pepper, basil, oregano, ect)
• Drizzle the top with oil & fill the pan almost half way with some water. The amnt of water obviously depends on the size of your pan.
• Put it in the oven at a reasonable temperature to bake for approx. 30 minutes.
• Sit enjoy a glass of wine & catch up on facebook or skype with family across the globe
• Return to the oven when the timer goes off or you suddenly remember it’s in there
• Indulge

Ratatouille fresh out of the oven

Scones  A Demmel family recipe. These are delicious and so easy to bake! Also, this is the ACTUAL recipe that we follow and recommend enjoying these with a cup of French pressed coffee

• 2 cups Flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½  tsp salt
• ½ cup butter
• 1/3 “special” ingredient (raisins, cherries, blueberries, etc.)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Mix dry ingredients together, cut in butter. Add cream & special ingredient until the stuff can be molded into a ball. Knead, but knead it kindly- don’t touch it too much. Roll in circle to 1 inch thick. Cut into 6 triangles like a pie.  After arranging individually apart on a baking sheet, sprinkle each piece with a little sugar. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes.

For a savory twist, add chives and cheese as your “special” ingredient.  Decrease the amount of sugar in the scone.

Demmel’s Blueberry Scones- a morning’s bliss