French Onion Soup Tartines Faced with the Sounds of Daughter and Classified

The final scene in 8 Mile is a freestyle showdown between Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith (Eminem) and Papa Doc (Anthony Mackie). In this "battle" B-Rabbit chooses to go first and "flips the script." Instead of hiding from his screw-ups he puts them out there for everyone to see. When Papa Doc's turn rolls around he has nothing to hit B-Rabbit with because everything has already been said so he tosses the mic away in failure. This is what French Onion Soup Tartines mean to me. They are a flipping of the traditional soup with bread and croutons script into one where the bread is the main feature.

French Onion Soup Tartines (adapted slightly from Vegetarian Times April/May 2011)
(printable version)

-olive oil
-1 white onion, quartered and sliced
-3 yellow onions, quartered and sliced
-1 red onion, quartered and sliced
-2 Tbs. white wine
-2 cups vegetable broth
-1/2 tsp. agave nectar
-1 sprig of fresh thyme
-half loaf of country bread, sliced
-2 ounces Emmental cheese, grated

1. Heat the olive oil in a pot. Add the onions, cover, and cook until the onions begin to brown (about 25 minutes). Add the white wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated (two to three minutes).

2. Add the broth, agave nectar, thyme and some salt and pepper to the onions. Stir. Place a lid on top of the pot so that it covers only part of it. Simmer the onions until most of the liquid has evaporated (15-25 minutes).

3. Preheat the oven to broil. Place bread on a baking sheet. Cover each slice of bread with onion mixture and grated cheese. Broil for two to three minutes. You will know the tartines are done when the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. Flip the script.

Coupling a tartine with the breathy beauty of Daughter's "Landfill" may seem like a daring thing. I mean, for one, the lyrics revolve around the idea of wanting someone (or something) so much that you hate their guts. It is also called "Landfill." Not the type of chi you want to be putting on a creation as delicate as a tartine. But this is only half of the "Landfill" story. The other piece is the winter imagery. And what speaks more about winter than onion soup? You can get your hands on a free Daughter EP at here. You can buy the His Young Heart EP, which features "Landfill", at her soundcloud page.

Daughter-Landfill (via Direct Current Music)

Classified is a platinum selling hip hop artist from Nova Scotia that, after enjoying some commercial success with his last album, has decided to take a step back with his new one (Handshakes and Middlefingers that was released by Sony Music Canada on March 22nd). As a result we get "That Ain't Classy." Thanks to Pigeons and Planes for turning me on to him.