Going Solo

The pleasure of eating on my own

It’s la rentrée (that’s French for “back to school”) and our son, newly minted 15, went off to boarding school this past week. He’s starting an art and design program at an 175 year old Jesuit school in Avignon. (Welcome to Europe, literally old school.)

The French version of boarding school is different from the States or England – students only board during the week – so he’ll be home on Fridays. Even so, it’s a turning point in our family. I’m a half empty nester, and since my husband works in Paris most of the week, I’m also on my own from Monday to Wednesday. Except for the cat…

(Is this the year I write a children’s book about a cat who talks back?)

I went away to boarding school at exactly my son’s age – but the real thing, where I only came home for big vacations, like college. I too left my mother alone with our cat. I begged to go; I had been to a summer program at NMH and finally discovered what it was like to feel fully myself. Our son really wanted this as well. He’s been at a wonderful small school, L’Ecole Domaine du Possible, of 110 kids for 7 years. He is ready to spread his wings. Meet new people. Have more than the same 4 girls his age to crush on.

My daily routine hasn’t changed much. As a writer, I’ve been in charge of my own schedule – with varying degrees of success – for a long time now. What has changed is mealtime.

Family meals are a special, even sacred time in France. Most parents are home from work for dinner, and kids in France are rarely overprogrammed to the point of missing lots of family meals. I cook everyday – it’s my love language (not to mention a fun chunk of my career) and it’s something I spend a lot of time on. Now I’m in the unfamiliar, somewhat indulgent position of cooking just for me!

I grew up with two models on this subject – my mom and my Auntie Lynn. Both divorced working women with kids out of the house – two totally different approaches to dinner. My mother was more likely to come home starving, eat a piece of Munster cheese or leftover pork roast direct from the Ziploc bag while standing in front of the open fridge. Auntie Lynn came home, opened a bottle of wine, made Chicken Piccata and set the table for one – with sterling, the good dishes and an (ironed!) linen napkin.

I fall somewhere in between. When I eat alone I go heavy on the protein. I make giant meatballs. I eat a lot of fish. I buy big bags of frozen shrimp. I experiment with Asian dressing recipes that recall the Chinese food of my youth. But my favorite favorite FAVORITE thing to do when I’m on my own is to eat with my hands. Lick my fingers. Occasionally wipe my face with a dishtowel.

Alert Emily Post, send the etiquette police. You won’t stop me. I love finger food.

Mind you, I’m a stickler for table manners. I spent years correcting the way my son held his fork and shoving his elbows off the table in preparation for luncheon with the Queen of England. (“She’s dead!” he unkindly reminded me recently. “Yes, but your grandmother is watching. Same difference.”)

In September, when the weather is still hot enough in the South of France to actually want to eat salad at every meal, lettuce wraps are my ideal solo, handheld meal.

I always buy a roast chicken at my Wednesday market. Say Hi to Freddie, my chicken man!

Bonjour, Freddie!

Roast chicken is an easy set up for 2 or 3 meals: the first lunch of chicken still warm from the market with salad and blue cheese. September means a fresh fig or two tossed in. I debone the leftovers and am ready to play. I might put some on top of homemade avocado toast. I might make fried rice. I might make a yogurt variation of English Coronation Chicken salad. I might even channel my mom and eat a piece or two straight from the fridge.

Last week, I was missing the dozens of Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese restaurants just up the block from our old apartment in Paris. So I decided to try my hand at these.

EB’s Solo Garlic and Ginger Lettuce Wraps

Here’s the other thing about eating solo – never too much garlic. The copious amounts of grated garlic and ginger in this recipe may surprise you, but trust me, it adds up to sticky gooey sweetness by the time you’re done.

1 generous cup leftover roast chicken, cut into small pieces.

1 ½ tbsp of olive oil

2 large cloves garlic grated

Small knob of fresh ginger, grated (about 1 inch)

1 pinch of Chinese 5 spice powder

½ tbsp of nõra sweet red pepper flakes (or other sweet red pepper flakes, like ancho)

Pinch of hot pepper flakes to taste

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin, sweet Japanese rice wine (if you don’t have mirin, use white wine or Chinese cooking wine and add a bit of agave syrup (or a good pinch of sugar)

On the side: 1 small yellow zucchini squash or cucumber, thinly sliced and tossed with lime juice, olive oil and sea salt

To serve: Shredded carrot, whole romaine lettuce leaves, and fresh cilantro

This recipe isn’t an exact science, the point is to quickly sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant, add the chicken and stir until the whole mess starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. This will happen quickly. Add a dash of soy sauce and a glug of sweet mirin wine to deglaze the pot, stir and scrape everything, especially the gooey bits on the back of the spatula, onto the plate.

But if you’d like the blow by blow, here it is:

Grate garlic and ginger. Heat oil in a medium frying pan, add garlic, ginger, sweet and hot pepper flakes and Chinese 5 spice powder and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. On a medium heat, add chicken, mix to combine, continually tossing and scraping the bottom with a spatula until the chicken is heated through. Add soy and mirin to deglaze the pan and get the good gooey bits off the bottom. Arrange your chicken, zucchini salad, and fresh veggies on a plate. Using a romaine lettuce leaf as your base, layer a few slices of yellow squash, grated carrots and a sprig of cilantro. Top with a generous spoonful of chicken. Crunch away. Lick your fingers. Repeat.

If I wanted to make this for the whole family, or take it on a picnic, I might try adding rice vermicelli for heft and wrapping everything in those Vietnamese rice paper wrappers that you soak for 30 seconds and use immediately.

Bon appétit!

Outside of a picnic, or a slice of saucisson with drinks, France doesn’t provide many opportunities for finger food. The French eat their cheeseburgers with a knife and fork. Sigh. So I need inspiration. Leave your favorite finger food in the comments.

If you are already a subscriber, thank you from the bottom of my Franco-American heart. If not…here’s your chance!

Know someone who loves eating with their hands? (Or talks to their cat…)

Merci et à bientôt!