Franzen Nicole - Graze: inspiration for small plates and meandering meals

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Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher.

Internet addresses and telephone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

2017 by Suzanne Lenzer

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Book design by Rae Ann Spitzenberger

Photography by Nicole Franzen

Prop stylist: Kate Jordan

Food stylist: Suzanne Lenzer

Food stylist assistants: Erica Clark and Kate Schmidt

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781623367534 hardcover
ISBN-13: 9781623367541 e-book

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There is a kind of appealing grace in having the end result of a project, food or otherwise, seemingly brought off without strain.

LEE BAILEY

I would love to be that girl. The one who rides a motorcycle, goes out with a painter or a rock star, or better, a restless surfer; the one shooting pool, singing karaoke, dancing on the bar; the one whose life is one beautiful adventure after another, never the same thing twice. She travels the world (probably has a bikini and a ball gown in her designer bag at all times); shes seen the Sahara and been to the Bhutan. She speaks fivemaybe sixlanguages, has a degree in philosophy, and might even be a spy. Oh, and she has amazing hair.

But Im not her. While shes out living dangerously, Im standing by the stove stirring risotto, or peeling a hard-boiled egg over the sink for lunch. When shes sitting down to a dinner of oysters and Champagne, Im crawling into bed with a cup of a tea and a big orange cat. Its just the way things turned out and Im okay with it. Without all the glamorous distractions, I learned how to cook.

My consolation for not being a rock star, Nobel Prize winner, world-renowned neurosurgeon, or the next Bond girl is that I get to play with fire and knives in the comfort of my own kitchen. As a food stylist and passionate cook, I get to have my own dazzling adventures: the souffl that rose perfectly, the sauce that curdled horribly. I too can experience the vastness of the world simply by what I cook and eat. No, I may not be a free spirit in the world at large, but Ive been fortunate to visit at least a handful of far-off lands, sample some regional delicacies, and learn a bit about culinary tradition. Now my inner adventuress comes out in my kitchen, where I choose to taste a bit here and a bit there, feast on flavors from all over the world, and wander happily from one bite to the next. I am, admittedly, a culinary wanderer, a vagabond, a gypsy, a self-proclaimed grazer. Someone who cooks all day for a living and then cant wait (most of the time) to cook something wonderful on the weekends too. When I cook for myself and for friends, I want the preparation to be easy but the presentation to be lovely. I want the dishes I make to be multiple so theres something for everyone, and I want them all to work together; a meal like this should have a sensibility, a theme, an aesthetic, like an eclectically decorated room that you dont want to leave.

When I go out to eat, Im happiest with a menu that lets me pick from a little of this and a little of that, to share a selection of smaller dishes, whether its just two of us or a crowd. And while cooking at home is rarely as extravagant (often a homemade pizza and a salad is our dinner of choice), when I do cook more elaborate meals, I want to offer something other than the expected meat with a vegetable or starch. I want to enjoy a similar, albeit simplified, menu to those I enjoy in my favorite restaurants. Whether the dishes I pull together are simply well-chosen ingredients left nearly naked (think a good Spanish sardine from a tin laid seductively over a cracker with a squeeze of lemon) or something that requires a bit more energy on the part of the cook (a quick melon soup with toasted prosciutto shards), I love a couple of well-curated dishes that make the meal more of a celebration than just sustenance.

When my husband, Ken, and I first went to Spain, we fell deeply, wholeheartedly in love with tapas, so much so that we ate nothing elsenot a single full mealthe entire trip. So giddy over the breadth of individual bites at our disposal, so enchanted were we by this natural rhythm of consumption, that when we got home, our entire style of eating changed. We were both happier and more comfortable nibbling on a plate of cheese, sharing a dish of olive oilfried shrimp, and chatting over a slice of grilled bread than eating a huge bowl of pasta or a steak. No, we dont eat this way every night. As Ive said, many nights we make a small pizza and a salad, but even that in its own way is a form of grazing for us. We snack on a piece of Parma ham as we wash the lettuce, savor a bit of Taleggio before it makes its way onto the crust, and Ken is famous (at least in our house) for devouring all the crispy croutons and delicate petals of Parmesan in the Caesar salad before its even dressed.

Grazing is not a new ideain Greece, its the notion behind the mezze; and, as Ive said, Spain has tapas; Japanese sushi is not dissimilar; and the Italian cicchetti is all about small, varied dishes. To me, the concept is irresistible: consuming less of more. What could be more stimulating for a cook or an eater? And yes, while there are those who might say grazing is akin to snacking and, in turn, an unhealthy way to eat constantly instead of mindfully, I beg to differ. Grazing is about consciously eating small portions of multiple dishes made with thought and intent.

I find the notion of grazing to be liberating; it frees us as cooks from the pressure of a main course, alleviates the expectations of what comes first, second, and what goes on the side. Just imagine: a plate of figs, some spiced baby lamb chops, and a few pieces of roasted Delicata squash on a crisp fall day; a shooter of spiced tomato bisque alongside a toasted Brie crostini and a smattering of cured meat as a late-winter lunch; a platter of grilled sardines served with slabs of toasted bread, blistered cherry tomatoes, and pickled fennel, followed by a spoonful of milky panna cotta on a blazing hot day by the sea; a slice of buttery toast and a cup of potato-leek soup supped while standing at the counter with a friend. Each of these is a medley of little dishes pulled together to create something collectively more delicious. Something that embraces the notion of the seasons, thats inspired by whats ripe and most flavorful at that particular moment. And while it may sound effortful, the truth is, grazing is as much about the shopping as the cooking; if you plan well, youll find that you actually spend less time in front of the stove.