European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 6, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Provencal cooking More involved than just garlic and Tomato f by Pierre Franey the new York times new other styles of cooking Are More popular today among Home and professional Cooks than Provencal in fact i have been to a Good number of restaurants that toss some garlic and Tomato into their repertory and Call themselves Provencal the style is much More involved than that. For a dish to be Provencal it should harmoniously Combine some of the indigenous herbs of the Region a particularly Rosemary Basil Sage thyme fennel and oregano a with other typical ingredients whether game fowl River fish or Lamb. Of course garlic and Tomato Are essential. Olives Are common As Well. On those counts the Lamb dish below scored High. The chops Are cooked quickly in a hot Skillet preferably cast Iron and when they Are done a Quick sauce is made in the same pan. This is done simply by adding the garlic onions vinegar tomatoes Black and Green olives and seasoning. Provencal cooking is More sensory than calculated so you must taste for seasonings periodically a and always Belore serving. Serve with a watercress and red onion salad and sauteed Zucchini with Oil and Lemon. A Little hot Pepper in the Zucchini adds another dimension to this dish. Allow about two minutes for cooking. Lamb chops Provencal 4 Lamb Chopa about i Pound each with Moat of the fat removed Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 2 Tea Poona chopped fresh Rosemary or 1 Teaspoon dried 4 Aprl a fresh thyme or 1 Teaspoon dried 2 table Poona chopped onion 2 Tea Poona finely chopped garlic 1 Tablespoon Rad Wina vinegar 2 cupa fresh tomatoes cored peeled and Cut into a a Lnch Cuba 1 Bay Leaf a cup pitted Black Octivea a cup pitted Green Ollveda 4 table Poona chopped fresh bail or Parsley 1 Sprinkle the chops with Salt and Pepper. 2 heat the Oil in a heavy Skillet preferably cast Iron Large enough to hold the chops in one layer. Cook until Brown on one Side about 5 minutes. Turn and Sprinkle with Rosemary and thyme. Cook 5 minutes More for rare longer for medium rare or Well done. Remove the chops to a warm Platter and keep warm. 3. Pour off most of the fat from the Skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook and stir until wilted add the vinegar tomatoes Bay Leaf Black and Green olives Salt and Pepper. Cook stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Add any juices that have accumulated around the Lamb chops. 4. Remove the Bay Leaf and pour the mixture Over the Lamb chops and Sprinkle with Basil. Yield 4 Servings. Sauteed Zucchini with Oil and Lemon a 6 Small Zucchini about 1va pounds 2 table Poona Olive Oil Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste h Teaspoon red hot Pepper flakes 2 table Poona fresh Lemon juice 2 table Poona finely chopped Parsley 1. Trim off the ends of the Zucchini and Cut them into la Inch thick slices. 2 heat the Oil in a nonstick Skillet Over High heat and add the Zucchini Salt and Pepper. Cook shaking and tossing the Skillet and stirring the vegetable around until it starts to take color. Add the Pepper flakes and Lemon juice and cover. Cook for about 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve sprinkled with Parsley. Yield 4 Servings. Watercress and red onion salad 2 bunched water Reaa 1w cupa thinly diced red onion 2 table Poona tarragon vinegar 1 Clove garlic minced 1 Tablespoon imported Mustard Auch a Dijon 6 table Poona Olive Oil Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste 1, trim off the Tough stems of the watercress. Rinse the watercress and shake off excess moisture. Put in a mixing bowl and add the onion. 2. Blend the vinegar onion and Mustard in a mixing bowl. Stir with a wire whisk gradually adding the Oil. Add Salt and Pepper and pour Over the greens. Toss the greens with the dressing and serve. Yield 4 Servings. Easy Lamb Stew the Baltimore evening Sun the following recipe for armenian Lamb Stew is from the frugal gourmet on our immigrant ancestors by Jeff Smith William Morrow and . Inc. 1990. Armenian Lamb Stew 2 pounds Bon Sloss lean leg of Lamb Cut in 1v&-Inch cubes 2 Tablespoons butter 2 medium yellow onions peeled and coarsely chopped 1 Teaspoon Salt i Teaspoon paprika Teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper vie Teaspoon ground allspice % Teaspoon ground cinnamon a cup Tomato paste diluted with vie cup water 2 Tablespoons dry red wine heat a Large frying pan and add the Lamb and butter. Brown the meat and place it in a 6-quart stove top casserole leaving the fat in the frying pan. Saute the onions in the reserved fat and add to the pot along with the remaining ingredients except the wine. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until All is tender. Add the wine cover and simmer 15 minutes More. This Stew is very thick and Rich tasting. Serve it Over Rice. Serves four to six. Page 14 a the stars and stripes try leg of Lamb for your next potluck dinner by Minnie Bernardino the los Angeles times with careful planning and a bit of time management this potluck Lamb dish can be executed successfully. The meat and salad vegetables should be packed separately and arranged when you arrive at the party. The Lamb can be grilled just before you leave Home and carved in the hosts Kitchen a a or if time and your Host will allow it you can Cook the meat at the party. Cooked sliced baby red potatoes grilled japanese eggplants roasted peppers and fresh Cherry tomatoes Are marinated in Advance. Bring along an oversized serving salad Platter or shallow bowl and a plastic bag filled with Mesclun. At the party place a bed of the greens on the Platter and arrange Over it Nicaise olives Crisp sugar snap peas belgian endive leaves and the marinated vegetables. Top with the grilled Lamb slices in the Center and drizzle the Basil Vinaigrette Over the salad. Composed vegetable salad it Pound Small red potatoes Salt 2 cloves garlic 2 cups sugar snap peas 2 to 3 japanese eggplants a cup red wine vinegar vie cup Olive Oil vhf Tablespoons chopped fresh Basil freshly ground Pepper 1 pint Cherry tomatoes halved 1 16 ounce Jar roasted mixed peppers drained 8 ounces Mesclun or assorted baby greens 1 head belgian endive leaves separated 1 cup Nicaise olives slice red potatoes into /4-Inch thick slices. Place in Saucepan with salted water to cover and 1 peeled garlic Clove. Cook until tender about 8 minutes. Remove potatoes from pan with slotted spoon. Return water in Saucepan to boil. Add snap peas and Blanch until Bright Green tender Crisp. Drain and Cool in ice water Cut eggplants in halves Lengthwise and Cook under broiler or Grill. Cut into 2-Inch strips. Slice potatoes. Combine red wine vinegar Olive Oil Basil and remaining garlic minced in Large bowl season to taste with Salt vinegar Olive Oil Basil and remaining garlic minced in Large bowl. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper. In Large shallow Glass dish arrange in groups potato slices tomatoes roasted peppers and eggplants. Pour Vinaigrette Over vegetables. Cover and chill until serving. At serving time pile Mesclun on Large salad Platter. Arrange vegetables on top with snap peas belgian endive and Nicaise olives. Carve grilled Lamb and arrange in Center. Pour remaining Vinaigrette Over All. Pass garlic mint Aioli on Side. Makes about 6 Servings. Grilled Lamb 1 Small leg of Lamb boned and butterflied 1 onion Cut up 1 Tablespoon chopped Rosemary 3 Large cloves garlic chopped 1/� cup toy sauce a cup Balsamic vinegar a cup Olive Oil a trim fat from Lamb. Combine onion Rosemary garlic soy sauce vinegar and Olive Oil in blender Container. Blend until pureed. Place Lamb in 13-by 9-Inch Glass dish or Large plastic bag. Add Rosemary mixture and marinate in refrigerator several hours or overnight. Remove Lamb from marinade and place in greased roasting pan. Bake at 375 degrees 20 minutes. Finish under broiler or on hot Grill about 15 minutes until inside temperature reaches 130 to 140 degrees at thickest part of meat for rare. Note Lamb tenderloin May be used in place of leg of Lamb. Garlic mint Aioli 1 cup Mayonnaise juice of i Lemon 1 to 2 cloves garlic pressed a cup chopped fresh mint leaves Combine Mayonnaise Lemon juice garlic and mint. Mix a Well. Camaraderie sprouts among vegetarians by Candy Sagon the Washington Post its lonely being a vegetarian Quot laments Belli Taylor. A people think you re  they also can feel funny eating with you she adds remembering past lonesome lunch hours at the environmental Protection Agency in Washington d c., where she is an environmental Engineer. To meet a few meal mates Taylor decided to Start a vegetarian club. She put up a Lew fliers asking those who were interested to Call her. Fifty phone Calls later Taylor had founded the Era vegetarians an Eclectic group of strict and Semi strict vegetarians who meet every thursday Tor lunch and monthly for potluck dinner buffets. Quot when you find other vegetarians there a this immediate kinship 1 Taylor says now happily surveying the animated group of people eating and talking at one of the monthly dinners. At this Msal held in a member s condominium the dining room table is crowded with an International array of foods Hira Biswas a native of Calcutta has brought Indian Rice with sauteed vegetables As Well As spicy lentils and stewed tomatoes laced with cardamom and fiery Chili Oil. They go Well with the Channa Dhal a curried Chick peas a that Taylor has made. A Cool Lime drenched persian salad of cucumbers tomatoes and onions is Sam Osman a contribution while Lee Erickson has made a Multi layered lasagna filled with cauliflower Zucchini spinach and Tofu. There s also All american applesauce made with apples from Pamela Harris s Garden and Kristy Miller s Butternut Squash soup. For dessert Taylor has made an egg less chocolate cake and topped it with a chocolate Glaze and the multicoloured candies that Are a favorite of her daughter Rebecca 6. As the guests crowd around the table tilling their plates much of the talk revolves around new restaurants they be tried Indian and chinese places Are favourites. As with any parents several of the guests discuss ideas for vegetarian meals that their kids will like. Taylor Zlatana to her friends conversation and smiles. A you know i once read that Julia child accused vegetarians of not being gastronome but i find that vegetarians Are very much into food Quot she says. Among the group s members there Are varying degrees of vegetarianism. At one extreme Are people like Taylor who Are vegans and avoid any animal products including eggs and Dairy products. The vegan diet revolves around grains legumes Beans nuts fruits vegetables and Tofu. Others in the group eat cheese and eggs but not meat poultry or seafood. Andy Hen there Are a few who eat fish occasionally and sometimes even Chicken Taylor s daughter also is vegetarian but not vegan i let her choose. She does no to want to eat meat but she does like cheese Quot Taylor says when her daughter goes to Visil friends Taylor often sends along a Tofu hot dog Quot because they taste like the real ones her friends Are having Quot the bad part about the soy dogs Taylor notes is that they re High in fat. The meals the Cooks during the week Tor Herscot and her daughter Are simple and Quick she often makes tacos with retried Beans lettuce onions and olives or Rebecca s favorite a stir tried Tofu seasoned with Hoisin sauce garlic Green onions and peanuts Over Rice. For special occasions she will Grill shish kebabs of marinated Tofu and vegetables. Not All her recipes come from vegetarian cookbooks. For her chocolate cake she has to use egg substitute or two Tablespoons of soy flour instead of an egg As Well As soy milk instead of cow s milk. The result is a moist dense cake that just happens to be cholesterol free and comes from a 1950s Betty Crocker Cookbook. December 6, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 15