Monday, February 21, 2011

Cute Little Food

Sure, the intention was to make a little bit of good food. But we are increasingly falling for presentation as an appetizer.
Sometimes I'm afraid I'll fall victim to cute. I like little dishes, and I like little food.
But I'm safe. I don't buy little cute dishes unless they are rugged and useful, and that usually precludes pink, shiny, fluffy things. These small, cast-iron baking pans are my latest, best example. Macho! And petite.
Anyway, back to the food. Little root vegetables this time. Really little. Peeling the tiny carrots was like peeling a pencil. The rest are radishes, turnips, parsnips, bathed in a touch of oil and salt, and gently roasted until you can't stand it anymore!
Utterly adorable, methinks, and yet not airhead prissy. No frosting, no cheese curls, no chocolate jimmies. Just real, earthy, little food in real, earthy, little pots.
The problem was, there was too little.

14 comments:

Robert said...

It may be tiny and colorful, but between the bread and the iron pan and the rootiness of all the veggies, I declare it downright rustic--and yummy looking, too!

Ms Brown Mouse said...

A dinner of roasted veggies is a wonderful thing, but BIG servings Cookie - little and cute is just for looking at :)

cookiecrumb said...

Robert: Thank you, rustic it was! The bread was run under the broiler with prosciutto and grated parmesan... almost enough food.

Mouse: We were hoping to fill the pots a little more, but miscalculated. :(
Next time we're adding sweet potato -- cut into (cute) spheres with a melon baller. Erg! ;)

Zoomie said...

A regular cowboy dinner, ma'am.

Kate said...

Cookie, I know I don't chime in here very often. I just gotta say: You crack me up. Really. And you keep it so short and sweet. (What do you do, give yourself a word limit?) Thanks.

cookiecrumb said...

Zoomie: Oui! Les petits bouviers de Provence.

Kate: I owe you more face time, too. Thanks for the kind words. (I do sorta try to keep it short; about one screen or so. Don't want to bore people.)

Nancy Ewart said...

Sorry, Cookie - you've gone to the dark side. It IS cute and utterly delicious. I know because I like them young as well (vegetables that is).

Ms Brown Mouse said...

I once made potato salad with potato bits I'd made with a melon baller. I'm NEVER doing that again!

Denise | Chez Danisse said...

Darling, but I could see how you might be left wanting more. I'd be happy with a full plate of these little gems.

cookiecrumb said...

Nancy: I think YOU just let a teeny, cute, young secret escape. :)

Mouse: Because it was too hard? We're going to roast the sweet potatoes partway and then cut out shapes... Needless, really, but... CUTE.
(It's such fun to discover stupid things other people do in the kitchen. I'll bet your salad looked good.)

Denise: Exactly. And not just because they were pretty. Fun way to eat (and sneak in all those nutrients).

Denise | Chez Danisse said...

And on it goes... I was smitten by tiny bite sized tangerines this morning, so I bought 12, just to be safe.

cookiecrumb said...

Denise: Were they..... CUTIES?

Denise | Chez Danisse said...

They were labeled with some long and fancy, possibly made-up, name I do not recall. I thought of writing it down because I had a pretty good feeling I'd forget the name once returning home. Darn...

cookiecrumb said...

Denise: I'll be on the lookout. Cuties are small, but not bite-sized. Fun.