Kickin' it Old School

Really old school... with a le Grand Aioli feast! This provencal celebration puts this tangy, garlic-flecked sauce in the spotlight- accompanied by a plethora of boiled vegetables and fish, meats, and bread to dip into the flavorful aioli. Inspired by a recent book I read by Georgeanne Brennan, A Pig in Provence, I decided to bring this age old tradition to West Hollywood with a feast of my own. The deliciously potent aioli consisted of almost a head of garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice, and grassy olive oil. A blend of canola oil is normally recommended to mute the flavor of the olive oil, but I love the flavor of olive oil so went all out. It came out perfect- a smooth golden emulsification of a tangy, grassy, sauce with a kick of garlic (not recommended for the first date, or first 8 dates for that matter). Boiled carrots, potatoes, green beans and eggs made for traditional garnishes, with the addition of grilled asparagus and a delicious ny strip from Marconda's. A nice hearty loaf of french bread helped sop up the juices and soak up the wine, which was flowing, as per tradition.

The great thing about this feast, which usually fed the whole village, is that you can take all of this everyday produce, cook it simply, and have means for celebration focusing on this flavorful sauce- which goes great with everything. You don't have to make a fuss over cooking, instead make a really flavorful sauce. Just put on a pot of boiling water, grab a crusty baguette, open a bottle and voila, instant party. All in all an evening of great friends and good food- simple, easy, and full of flavor (that goes for both). This is what life is all about!