Francesca Filanc

Category: Food & Cuisine

Cooking, Entertaining, and Making Art

I am having a spur of the moment dinner party tonight. As you might know from earlier posts I LOVE to entertain on the spur of the moment! Dinner Party Breakfast Expanding Vegetables Entertaining is one of my passions. It gives me the same feeling that I receive when I paint; entertaining on the spur of the moment heightens the excitement and exhilaration. I know most of you out there are thinking IS SHE NUTS? Yes, maybe a little. It’s what makes me an artist, that creative piece. Not to say a person is not creative if they like to plan out what they do ahead of time. Planning is actually an important part of creating art. I just speed up the process as I do in my style of painting. I like the adrenalin rush! Having gardened most of the day I picked a large squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, chives, mint, limes, lemons, apples, and kale which is really a winter vegetable around here in So Cal. A friend gave me a small plant this spring and it is doing great! Oh, and egg plant!

Now what to cook! I roasted the vegetables. Squash is peeled and then cut in small chunks drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper; same process for egg plant put on baking sheets covered with tin foil and baked in 375 oven for 40 min or until a fork goes through vegetables easily. Meanwhile I made kale potato chips for hors d’oeuvres. After washing kale, chop into 2” pieces, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt (not too much, I have made that mistake!). You can drizzle with Ponzu Sauce instead of salting the kale. Bake in 375 oven for 20 to 30 minutes, maybe less depending on how much is on your cookie sheet. This makes a delicious hors d’oeuvre to accompany the dinner. And people love it because it is not fattening.

The fresh apples make a wonderful soup when combined with butternut squash. Here’s one of my favorite recipes.

Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups good apple cider or juice

Directions
Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.
Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.
Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

Many people have expressed an interest in my process of painting. I have a high tech studio in my garage with Ott lighting so I can paint into the wee hours of the morning if I am so inclined. Ott lighting gives the impression of sunlight.

Photobiologist and pioneer in light research, Dr. John Ott, discovered through 40 years of scientific research the remarkable effects specific wavelengths of natural light have on all living things. Dr. Ott developed the first OTT-LITE® product while filming “The Secrets of Life Series” for Walt Disney. A specially formulated blend of rare earth phosphors is used to create this unique illumination that looks and feels like natural daylight. TrueColor lighting allows details to be seen more clearly and colors accurately. Now it is possible to see with superior clarity without the intense heat, excessive glare and harsh distortion of standard lighting.

Last night I painted for 4 hours working on one very large abstract. A few days ago I painted from 3 pm to 11 pm. I took about a half hour break for dinner. My studio is all ready with everything at hand so it is easy for me to start painting without a lot of fuss to get my materials together. It used to be that I would use that as an excuse not to paint. Painting is my passion. So there is a lot of energy and emotion wrapped into the process. As an abstract artist I paint my emotions. If I am happy, sad, angry, melancholy, feeling sexy, whatever the emotion, you name it, the emotions wind up in my art.

I have said that painting great art is like shining a powerful searchlight up into the heavens at night. The light never dies! Great art is alive. My passion is like a drug! Once I start I do not want to stop. I love squeezing delicious colors of thick paint onto my palette. My favorite is Golden. I admire the colors before I start mixing them on and off the canvas.

There is an expression that I learned many years ago from Sebastian Capella.

Paint as if you are the wealthiest person in the world.
That means, use the best paints and accompanying materials. Don’t be stingy with the paint. Paint with thick luscious colors.

Another thing I usually do is paint on several paintings at one sitting. I have them all over the studio and spilling out into the rest of my garage. I get into a frenzy of movement from one to another. Sometimes I concentrate meticulously on a painting and make it very detailed with many layers of paint and then with one fell swoop put my whole body into the process of mad strokes of paint and color over the top. In this photo I used a brush. I also use palette knives.

In my paintings I am moving energy at lightening speeds. Well, maybe snail speeds, but the paint is flying. People feel the energy in my completed work. It is a fascinating process. This is another interesting component to art, being that it is alive. It is forever changing, growing, evolving. They talk of Picasso and his “blue period.” Every great artist has different periods of his work. Françoise Gilot, a great artist in her own right, spent hours every day talking Picasso into getting out of bed and producing more art. In his later years he would paint all day and the very next day say that his art was crap and he would not get out of bed to paint another painting. Thank goodness for Françoise or the world would have a lot fewer of his masterpieces!

Happy painting and creating,

Bye for now,
Francesca

All this paint you see and much more is on this canvas

July 31, 2012
BIRTHDAY LUNCH FOR A FRIEND

Birthday girl with flowers and Vegetables

May I take you out to lunch for your birthday?

Fran, I’d rather just come over and have a good girl talk visit.

We talk about deep things — things that matter to us, our children, grandchildren, gardening, and spiritual things, about where we have come from, the sad times and the happy ones. How as we get older, we are each more content in our own skin. That is a gift of growing older. Not worrying so much what others think, but appreciating our own gifts, accepting the struggles and being more present in the present moment. After all, it is all any of us have. There is that saying, The past is gone, the future is yet to be and where I am is in the present.

Author arranging flowers

A friend related to me the other day about the book The Artist’s Way. I read the book years ago. This friend reminded me about how an artist should take an outing once a week by herself – An Artist’s Date With Herself. Whatever it is that turns her on. Going to an outdoor market, going antiquing, going browsing down a tree-lined street in the city. In this way we open ourselves up to the beauty in life and how we fit ourselves into it. When we age gracefully in a spiritual sense we are coming more into our own of who we really are and what gifts we give and have given to the world. Some of us are just coming into our own as we mature in years.

As Leanne and I talked I prepared leek vegetable soup, green salad from my garden and locally caught sea bass from the Del Mar Farmer’s Market bathed in lemon juice and cooked in a skillet.

Recipes

Lemon Lime-water with Sprigs of Mint
Fill two glasses with ice, add fresh slices of lime and lemon, squeeze juice of one slice of lemon and lime over the ice. Rim the glass with lemon and lime, add water. Garnish with sprigs of mint.

Vegetable Leek Soup
Slice four large fresh leeks into one-inch sections. Rinse several times in water to remove sand. Using your fingers peel back all layers of sliced leeks to remove any remaining sand. In a heavy cast-iron skillet saute four chopped cloves of garlic in 1 tablespoon Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. Add to this one large chopped onion and leeks. Cook until color is translucent. Transfer to a soup pot. Dissolve 3 tablespoons Rapunzel Vegetable Broth concentrate in hot water. Add about a quart of water or enough to cover vegetables that have just been sautéed along with the vegetable broth. Dice one to two Roma tomatoes and add to soup. Add pepper and salt to taste along with Garam Masala seasoning, Turmeric, a dash of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. (I also added mint, ¼ cup cilantro, chives, oregano and basil fresh from my garden). Simmer for half an hour to forty-five minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with a little grated Parmesan cheese and toasted sunflower seeds.

Salad

Salad
Fresh greens from the garden
Chopped mint, cilantro and basil
1-2 sliced Roma tomatoes

Dressing
in a jar add two whole cloves garlic,
1/2 cup best organic olive oil,
to that add 1/3 cup good quality fruit
vinegar or vinegar with a little jam mixed in for flavor.
(I used fig and currant vinegar.)
Salt and Pepper to taste.
For people not sensitive to garlic, chop up
two cloves garlic and add to dressing. Shake well.

Rim the salad bowl with garlic; pour about 1/4 to 2/3 cup salad dressing in bottom of bowl. To this add your greens, tomatoes, top with toasted sunflower seeds, and feta cheese. Toss just before serving.

Sea Bass

Sea Bass

Sauté in coconut oil 1-2 cloves garlic, add to this the sea bass washed in the juice of two lemons. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté with chives from the garden, leeks, one sliced tomato, and lemons. I cooked the fish with some finely chopped lemon on top. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the fish. Sauté one side and about half way through turn it over to finish cooking. Serve on plates with Gloria’s Pico de Gallo and tomatillo salsa artfully spooned over the top of the fish and then sprinkle with fresh cilantro and sunflower seeds. (See my March 8 ^th 2012 blog for the recipes)

We walked in the garden to collect the vegetables for the salad. We picked flowers for her birthday bouquet. It had rained yesterday morning so as we wandered through the garden and the air smelled fresh and the plants and flowers that we picked had little droplets of water caressing each leaf and petal.

We sipped lemon lime-water with sprigs of mint and feasted at the beautiful table. The food was delicious.

Here’s to having deep conversations speaking of the art of living a fulfilling life over delicious food in art filled environments.

Bye for now

Francesca

June 6, 2012
MEMORIAL DAY IS ALMOST HERE. FESTIVALES ESPAÑA STYLE!

Viva España! I just arrived home from Spain after visiting one of my daughters and her family. My son-in-law is Spanish Basque. They live in a delightful little country town about fifteen minutes outside of Pamplona in the Province of Navarre.

I “Skype” from California to my family in Spain often, and I have seen the beauty of the countryside from Cyberspace, but being there!!!
The landscape is Breathtaking!

The town felt like something out of a fairytale. Izcue is situated on a hillside surrounded by fields of rapeseed, Images of Rapeseed Facts about rapeseedwheat and barley, sprinkled with vibrant red poppies. When the wind blows, in my daughter Yvette’s words

the fields look like waves on the ocean.

When I experienced the same sight it took my breath away! Different shades of green and bright yellow folding over and over as the wind touched the fields highlighted with sunlight.

Every town in Spain has festivales for the birthday of the town and Izcue is no exception. I happened to be there over the town’s birthday. May sixteenth the whole weekend had fun activities planned. Friday night was a potluck dinner at the clubhouse. Everyone brought their traditional dishes to share. Saturday was the big party that went all night long. Everyone was to dress like roaring twenties in the USA, authentic flapper and gangster costumes were abundant.

On Saturday at 2:00 p.m. there was a catered lunch at the clubhouse. The meal started with bread and mixed drinks such as martini rojo, bread, white asparagus and pate followed by Ensalada Mixta (lettuce, tomatoes, olives, tuna fish, and red cooked peppers). While this salad can vary according to the region and maker, here’s a great example — Ensalada Mixta. Then the main entree was lamb, potatoes and vegetables, then a drink that is so amazing to cleanse the palette; lemon juice, vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet and champagne. Recipe for Sparkling Wine Lemon Sorbet. Desert was fresh strawberries with bananas followed by the cafe con leche.

After lunch music could be heard wafting in from outside. We all arose, led by the band, we paraded singing and dancing to the far end of the town. Making our way back, stopping at centuries-old homes we were served refreshments and pastries either in a lovely garden or in the grand home itself. After about four hours this activity was finished and everyone proceeded into a town hall where there was rock and roll music, dancing ‘till dawn.

For the older generation and myself, we went happily, if not a little tipsily to bed.

Ah, what a memory! Have a great holiday weekend however you celebrate yours!

We remember those who have lost their lives to protect our own!

Agur* for now,

Francesca

*Goodbye in Basque, pronounced a-oor!

May 23, 2012
BREAKFAST AT 7…4…7

Last weekend I had an impromptu party for some cousins who were visiting from England.

Easy steps to entertain a crowd for breakfast.

Please check out blog post March 21st, 2012. Being that I keep a clean table cloth with centerpiece ready for any occasion I just popped the pretty Trader Joes plants that I have had since St Paddy’s day in my kitchen window where they get plenty of light, back on the dining table. :)

I invited everyone a couple of days before the event.

Menu
Ramos fizz
Black beans with Quinoa scramble eggs with Gloria’s Pico de Gallo and Tomatillo Salsa
(See blog post March 8, 2012)
Bacon & locally made Irish pork sausage
(I bought sausage from my local farmer’s market in Del Mar California
open Sat. 1:30-4:00 pm)
Bought: cinnamon coffee cake
Toast made from English muffins and whole grain bread.

Locally smoked salmon from a local market.

Strong organic coffee from Jimbos

I heard from a local cousin that our mutual English cousins were visiting on their way to Costa Rica for a big jungle adventure. I asked my cousin if they would all like to come for an early breakfast. Early breakfast was a necessity because I had plans later in the day.
It worked great for them because they were going to our world famous San Diego Zoo after coming to my house.

I made out my menu the day before the event, and went to the market for the few items I needed to buy. As you know from some of my previous blogs I make black beans with quinoa, salsa and Pico de Gallo recipes every week. Easy delectable meal for company was prepared. It’s what I eat for breakfast every day.

I cooked the bacon crisp the night before and just popped it in the oven in the morning to rewarm from the refrig. I also prepared coffee in coffee maker ready to turn on first thing when I woke up the next morning. I set the table the day before the event. The sausages were already cooked. All one had to do is fry them in the pan, add a little coconut oil if need be and turn them until brown. I served the slab of locally smoked salmon cold. I cut the store bought cinnamon coffee cake and put it on a decorative plate.

As soon as I knew the party was going to happen a fun idea popped into my head. I got excited about the idea of serving the first alcoholic beverage I ever had in a restaurant. I was 19 years old and we were out to brunch in La Jolla, California and my father ordered me one. Lucky for me, I was not carded. I felt so grown up drinking the Ramos Fizz!

I made the drink on Friday night to test it out. I felt that it was not as delicious as I remembered it. Perhaps the thrill of the memory was more delicious than the actual drink? This is the recipe a la Francie. My concoction is less work for a crowd and you have lime aid on hand for the non-drinkers. For the traditional recipe, see Ramos Fizz History.

Recipe for Ramos Fizz a la Francie
Combine water with frozen lime aid in blender with ice
Blend until slushy
to this add 2 ounces dry gin (or more!)
Add 1-ounce half and half
Blend well in blender before serving

Henry C. Ramos created the Ramos Fizz in 1888, in his bar in New Orleans; it was originally called a “New Orleans Fizz.” Back before prohibition this drink was very popular, and because labor rates were so cheap, the Ramos brothers would hire a couple dozen “shaker boys” to whip up these drinks during fair time. The drink was so popular that it was still difficult for them to keep up with the orders. Over time a fast drink replaced the idea of a quality drink and the Ramos Gin Fizz slowly faded away.

The breakfast was so delicious and fun! It was a cold rainy night and early morning. I had a fire in the fireplace going when people arrived. After breakfast the rain stopped and we went out to see the children’s garden and vegetable garden. The weather that day frankly reminded me of Ireland or England more than Southern California.

If you try this some weekend you might find that you enjoy entertaining in the daytime as the Europeans do. There is more time to visit and really enjoy one another or play a game in the garden.

Have fun Entertaining ;)

Cheers and tally Ho

Bye for Now

Francesca

April 25, 2012
GLORIA’S PICO DE GALLO AND TOMATILLOS SALSA PARA ESTA GRINGA

Francesca’s Breakfast

Gloria is originally from Mexico. After a knee replacement last May, I felt my speedy recovery was due in part to these two delicious condiments. I lost 14 pounds that I have, so far, successfully kept off. One of the changes in my diet is what I eat for breakfast every day. As a morning girl with type O blood, I am typically hungry when I wake up and my body craves protein. In the past I would eat a protein bar or cereal for breakfast before going to the gym. After working out I was ravenous again! I have tested my new breakfast with great success :) I stay full and satisfied all day, many times no stopping for lunch if I am wrapped up in my painting, gardening or playing the guitar. Not that I am saying that is a good idea. If I am busy painting or gardening for instance I might forget to eat lunch.

Fran’s breakfast:

Ingredients
2 egg whites cooked
1 T black beans and quinoa
Generous helping of Gloria’s Pico de Gallo and Tomatillo Salsa
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (Farmer’s Market oranges)
Coffee black or with half and half or tea

I love these two condiments on everything from breakfast, fish, meat, soups and stews. My dear friend Loretta posted on my Facebook page: “Hi Francie……Tomatillo is great on everything…”

The Pico de Gallo and Tomatillo salsa last nicely in the refrigerator for a week. If you want them hotter just add more jalapeños (Gloria formulated these recipes “Para esta gringa!”). Heat will vary depending on the individual chilies. They grow in my garden year round.

Gloria’s Pico de Gallo
Ingredients:
6 large tomatoes knife chopped into ½” cubes
1 onion chopped fine (it is ok to use Cuisinart for onion) remove and set aside.
1 large bunch or 2 small bunches cilantro (chop in Cuisinart 10 seconds) along with 1 or 2 jalapeños
Mix all ingredients together
Add salt to taste

Gloria’s Tomatillos Salsa

Gloria’s Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:
Peel the Tomatillos
Bring 18 tomatillos and 2 jalapeños to a boil and simmer for five minutes
Grind in blender with a little cold water plus 1 clove garlic and ½ bunch Cilantro
Add salt to taste

Have fun experimenting with putting them in or on all your food. :)

Bon Appétit

Rippin’ Lips

Bye for now,

Francesca

March 8, 2012
EXPANDING VEGETABLES RECIPES

Glad you all stayed tuned for the recipes I talked about in my last post.

Menu:
Vegetable soup
Black beans with quinoa
Collard greens with bragg
Steamed white rice in rice cooker
Sautéed onions with mushrooms and garlic
Baked sweet potatoes with skins on
Chile rellenos using poblano chilies
Rice pudding “Pete” style

The first recipe below is for the vegetable soup.

Francesca’s Wonderful Winter Vegetable Soup
6 cups water
2 to 4 cups vegetable broth (box variety or I use the powdered Rapunzel brand)
1 rutabaga chopped
2 or 3 beets chopped
1 or ½ squash such as acorn or delicata
2 or 3 large tomatoes diced (I just stopped using canned tomatoes because of a potential health issue in the liner. Read this article for more information: Are Canned Tomatoes Dangerous? The Latest BPA Scare)
1 or 1 ½ white onions chopped
3-5 leeks chopped
1 bunch celery chopped
1-2 cans Cadia organic sweet corn
Several cloves of garlic

Be as creative as you wish when you add the spices to this soup. Some of the ones I used were: cumin, Tabasco, a dash of nutmeg, dash of cinnamon, celery salt, & garam masala.

In a large pot put 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil. When hot add chopped garlic. When the garlic is nice and brown add chopped onion. After onion turns translucent, add chopped leeks and chopped celery. After they cook a bit add chopped squash. You might want to remove the other ingredients so the squash can caramelize a bit or add squash before pot is too full. The caramelized squash I find gives a meat-like flavor along with consistency. Adding spices at this time also helps that process. Now you are ready to add water and broth. You want to have enough broth to cover the veggies nicely. Sometimes I’ll put in a bit of white wine. Let all ingredients simmer in pot for 45 minutes to an hour and a half.

Meanwhile, brown raw sunflower seeds in a pan on your stove. Set them aside. Grate some Parmesan or asiago into a small bowl.

When this hearty soup is finished you’ll find it is a meal in itself. Add a sprinkling of cheese and sunflower seeds, good hot bread or tortillas and you have a delicious meal.

In the menu from last blog’s post I used corn tortillas to make tacos on the plate with black beans and quinoa, sweet potatoes, salsa and Pico de Gallo — delicious!

Black Beans with Quinoa
½ onion
2 or 3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste and 2 or 3 T cumin or more

The night before take 2 cups black beans and cover with water in a large pot. In the morning drain and rinse the beans. Pour 4 to 5 cups water over the beans. Bring to a boil and then slow simmer for two or three hours. Meanwhile sauté chopped garlic and onions in a pan. After beans have cooked one hour add quinoa and spices salt, Tabasco, cumin. After another 45 minutes add sautéed ingredients. Serve as a side dish or as the main meal. Delicous over eggs or in an omelet. Sprinkle a few roasted sunflower seeds on top. Equally nice with the sweet potato. Yummy :)

Collard Greens with Bragg

Wash collard greens well and chop into 1-inch pieces. Place 1-2 T olive oil or 1/4-1/2 cup water into skillet, cover, cook for 2-3 minutes until limp. Drain off any excess water. Pour 1-2 T bragg on top of collard greens.

Chile Rellenos using poblano chilies

Roast chilies on the stove till they get black. I like using the poblanos because they are larger and can be filled with so much more cheese. Place them in a brown paper bag for 20 minutes. Then peel them immediately under running water in your sink. Carefully use a knife to cut down one side of the chili and clean out the seeds.

Slice cheese in long triangle shapes. I like using asiago or red cheddar. Most people like using Monterey jack.

Prepare 4 chilies, take 3 eggs and separate the whites. Use a mixer to whip the whites into peaks. Then fold the slightly beaten egg yolks into the whipped egg whites. Place 2-3 T Flour on a plate.

When ready to cook heat 3 T olive oil in a large skillet. While waiting for olive oil to become sizzling hot, lightly flour the cheese-stuffed chilies, then dip them into the completed egg mixture. Place in skillet. Pour any leftover egg mixture into pan on top of chilies. Let them cook till you see brown on edges then turn over to get the other side golden brown. Amazing and delicious. Bon Apetite!

Rice Pudding “Pete” style
½ cup cooked white rice
¼ cup milk
Dash cinnamon
Dash nutmeg

Enjoy :)

Stay tuned for Gloria’s Salsa and Pico de Gallo recipes. Yummy!

Bye for now,

Rippin’Lips

Francesca

February 29, 2012
EXPANDING VEGETABLES

A couple of days ago I went to our organic local market, Jimbos, to stock up on vegetables for the week. In my zeal, marketing without a list, and thinking about …oops it’s February already, (what about those New Years Resolutions I kind of made; eating lots of vegetables, losing a few pounds, and getting into better shape.)

(Badly needed for lifting big canvases around the art studio.)

Vegetable Soup

I arrived home late; the vegetables had somehow multiplied in the car as I drove home.

My kitchen counter was covered! Exhausted, stuffing them in the refrigerator and thinking what in tarnation am I going to cook that will taste good and that I will enjoy eating for the next decade! I will have to invite an army over to eat or, freeze the food and will that even taste good?

My sister, Wendy Woolf, became a vegetarian a few years ago. She is an amazing cook and always knows the right spice to add here and there to make the food even delectable to “a meat and potatoes person.” Check out Eat Well on Girls Gone Child.

The End Results!

The next day I was ready to tackle the veggies…Oh my they had quadrupled in my refrig! I cooked all afternoon and I had a ton of food! I called and texted my sister several times to see if she and her husband could come to dinner. No answer, so asked two other couples who were unavailable and ended up eating the seven course meal on a TV tray while watching Antique Roadshow on KPBS.

Menu:

Vegetable soup
Black beans with quinoa
Collard greens with bragg
Steamed white rice in rice cooker
Sautéed onions with mushrooms and garlic
Baked sweet potatoes with skins on
Chile rellenos using poblano chilies
Rice pudding “Pete” style

Stay tuned to next blog post for recipes.

Bye for now,

Rippin’ Lips,

Francesca

February 7, 2012