When it comes down to it, I’m fancy. I love arugula, I wore 4-inch heels at summer camp, and I used hats as a statement piece for the better part of the ’90s. Granted, it was prime Blossom-era, but I continued the trend long after the bandwagon hat wearers dropped off. The only argument against me being fancy is my bourgeois love for Urban Outfitters, and that’s unshakable.
It was only a matter of time before I introduced endives to my kitchen, and that time is now. Few foods scream “class” like these mini-cabbages, and so I had to have them:
Belgian endives
In the interest of Thanksgiving gluttony, I’ve decided to cut a few things out of my life. Since Monday (2 days strong!) I’ve cut cheese loose, and I’m seriously scaling back on the carbs. I’m one of those people who eats about 9,000 varieties of vegetables daily, but I always feel the need to throw some kind of useless carb into the mix. The end result is tacking on useless pounds to my life, and I’m over it like Entourage.
Also, I’m working out extra hard. I know I always claim to be stepping it up, but this time it’s legit. I’ve been running every day, whereas before it was mayyybe 2-3 times a week and only when accompanied by some Giada or a little Ina (read: weekends). This is not to say that the cybex and ski-machine thing are dead to me, but the treadmill is my new favorite toy. I’m really into inclines and resistance, so if I feel like just running a mile I’ll increase the incline each 10th of a mile until I get to 10. Believe me now?
With all this in mind, I decided to prepare my endives healthily. I love themes. I chopped off the ends, and then I cut them horizontally. I sauteed them in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and then cooked them on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes a side. I bought the most amazing almonds from TJ’s that are roasted with rosemary, and so midway through the cooking I threw a few of those in. I also added a fair amount of dried thyme, and the juice from one lemon (note to self: Giada squeezes through her hand for a reason..I ate like 5 seeds), and then I simmered all together for about three minutes. Once they were all familial and whatnot, I slid it all onto a plate and drizzled the whole mix with some white wine vinegar. It was pretty great, and fancy as hell. See below:
warm endive salad with rosemary roasted almonds
Sweat and Spicy 