March 30, 2004
Salade de Lentilles Pomme et Cumin
[Apple and Cumin Lentil Salad]
This past Saturday, our dear friends Laurence and Jean-Christophe threw a housewarming party (pendaison de crémaillère if you remember) in their cool new apartment, just off Bastille. Laurence had asked if we could bring a little something and I had gathered from reliable sources that Marie-Laure and Ludo were going to bring Ludo's famous cheesecake. I felt that the sweet ground was thus amply covered and decided...
"Salade de Lentilles Pomme et Cumin" continues »
March 29, 2004
Sweet and Swirly Rusk
Well you know, I'm sorry, but I feel like I wasn't given a fair chance. At all. I mean, really, who could resist?
On the package it reads : "delicious rusks with the delicately sweet taste of malted barley".
And the rusks have a swirl pattern on them.
And there is a little red banner proclaiming that it is new and nouveau, and nyhet! As well!
And the serving suggestion actually suggests you smear a little jam on it. I mean jam, who would'v...
"Sweet and Swirly Rusk" continues »
March 28, 2004
A Half Bagel Sandwich
Slice half of a huge poppyseed bagel in two. Toast the halves lightly. On one side, spread Branston pickles and arrange an extra-thin slice of excellent ham.
On the other side, spread a generous amount of ricotella. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the swarm of poppyseeds that have fallen at the bottom of the paper bag the bagel came in - never let a good thing go to waste.
Close the sandwich, wrap it tightly. Decide not to wipe the counter ...
"A Half Bagel Sandwich" continues »
March 27, 2004
Galette Repas... ou pas!
This Galette Essene is a small loaf of sprouted cereals bread, which I found at my organic grocery store. I talked about a galette essénienne before, but this is a different animal : where my former galette was brittle and cracker-like, this one is a moist little thing.
The package, by calling it a "galette repas" proclaims it can be eaten as a whole meal. It came in different flavors, and I chose the white bean, tomato and basil. I brought it...
"Galette Repas... ou pas!" continues »
March 26, 2004
Leek and Ricotta Frittata
Food never tastes as good as when you are really hungry. And although the temptation is strong to just grab and scarf down the first thing that crosses your path (tasty or nasty, edible or otherwise), it's a much better move to resist the urge, and pay attention : what does your stomach yearn for, what appeals to you the most, what would really fill that void, hit the spot?
If you do that, and if the demands of the grumbling monster inside ca...
"Leek and Ricotta Frittata" continues »
March 25, 2004
Ricottella de Poisat
This package of ricotta was given to me by a passionate and very kind cheese maker from Grenoble, whom I met at the Salon du Fromage - a parting gift after our long conversation, during which we tasted the whole array of his products (and not your teensy scanty samples either), discussed their respective flavors and textures, personalities and benefits, and swapped recipe ideas.
It is sweet with a mildly acidic edge, and its texture, slightly ...
"Ricottella de Poisat" continues »
March 24, 2004
Confiture de Melon au Gingembre et Citron Vert
[Lime and Ginger Melon Jam]
The truly magical thing about making your own jam is that they tell you to store the jars in a cool and dark place for a few months, to let the flavors develop fully. Oh sure, it is something of a heartbreak at first - you would so like to keep it close to you and dip the occasional finger in - but you know to be reasonable, you've been told to act like a grownup, so you relinquish and stash them at the back of a ki...
"Confiture de Melon au Gingembre et Citron Vert" continues »
March 23, 2004
Belleville Bagel
Some people have all the luck.
Maxence's company recently relocated to Belleville, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. Not only are the new offices in a rehabilitated workshop with frosted glass windows and exposed beams, nested at the very back of a series of small rickety courtyards, it is also right at the crossroads between North Africa and Asia.
You didn't know such a geographic wonder existed? Well it does, as communities from both r...
"Belleville Bagel" continues »
March 22, 2004
Salade de Chou Rouge aux Figues Séchées
[Red Cabbage and Dried Figs Salad]
If you look for recipes to use up a head of red cabbage before it applies for permanent residence in your vegetable drawer, you will find that the general agreement is "red cabbage shall be sublimated by fruit" : popular uses include braising it with apples or chestnuts, cooking it with pears, or pairing it with apricots or raisins in a salad.
Although the Cook's Thesaurus dismisses it as tasting just like ...
"Salade de Chou Rouge aux Figues Séchées" continues »
March 21, 2004
Le Chou Labyrinthe
[Cabbage Maze]
Part of the intense pleasure I find in cooking comes from the simple joy of working with ingredients, handling them and admiring them, trying to make sense of their qualities and potential, and gently convincing them to give the best of what they have to offer.
I have a particular fondness for vegetables, and I often find myself, standing at the kitchen counter with a chef knife in my hand, awestruck by their sheer natural beau...
"Le Chou Labyrinthe" continues »
March 20, 2004
Happy Spring!
To celebrate the vernal equinox, I give you these wonderful crocus that Maxence has planted and coaxed into luxurious bloom on our bedroom window sill. It should be noted that the onions, along with some snowdrop onions, were kindly given by our friend Marion, who is also a balcony gardener in her own right.
Thank you Marion and Maxence, for jointly gracing me with such a happy sight!...
March 19, 2004
The Gorilla Date
After reading the Amateur Gourmet's irrepressibly-giggle-inducing post on Medjool dates, I decided to chime in and add to the praise on that precious fruit.
But why is my date so angry, I wonder? Is it because it is all brown and wrinkled? Is it because we gobbled up all of its siblings in the clear plastic container and it is the only survivor? Is it because it cost an arm and a leg but didn't even get a commission on the transaction?
It is ...
"The Gorilla Date" continues »
March 18, 2004
Dorades à l'Orange et au Fenouil
[Orange Fennel Sea Bream]
We have officially elected the Poissonnerie Bleue on the rue des Martyrs as the best fishmonger in our area. Their wide selection of fish and shellfish is very fresh and reasonably priced, the staff is kind, and they are very generous with their advice and tips, which is a surefire way to win me over.
As I walked by the other day, I decided on a whim to get whole fishes to roast in the oven (is my life exciting or wh...
"Dorades à l'Orange et au Fenouil" continues »
March 17, 2004
Tourteau Fromagé
Le Tourteau Fromagé is a French cheesecake, one that I mentioned buying during a recent grocery store trip. "Fromagé" means "with cheese", and "tourteau" is a variation on the word "tourte", which means "pie". I happen to find the word "tourteau" very cute - it puts me in mind of a small cuddly animal for some reason.
It is a specialty from the Deux-Sèvres, a district in the Poitou (South-West of France), and its origins can be traced back to ...
"Tourteau Fromagé" continues »
March 16, 2004
Finnish Your Sandwich!
Here is the little sandwich I made myself for lunch yesterday, using the fine Gululainen Reissumies Täysjyväruis Fullkornsrag (rye bread rounds) that Maxence brought me back from his trip to Helsinki.
This isn't a recipe really, I pretty much just used what I had on hand, spreading some Mme Loïc cheese (an addictive kind of cream cheese from Brittany) on one side and Branston pickles on the other, laying pieces of bone-in ham on top, and cramm...
"Finnish Your Sandwich!" continues »
March 15, 2004
Soupe de Mâche au Poulet
[Lamb's Lettuce Chicken Soup]
Foreword : you might notice that the picture above has the focus on the bread and not the soup. The soup will have to forgive me, I love it dearly and all, it is really the star of this post, but I'm sorry, soup, you are just not photogenic. At all.
La mâche, which I'm told translates to lamb's lettuce, is a kind of salad which comes in small bouquets of soft green leaves in the shape of drops, and has a mild tas...
"Soupe de Mâche au Poulet" continues »
March 14, 2004
Look What I Got!
Sometimes it's the nicest and most heart-warming thing to see how well your own personal Maxence knows you. He went on a business trip to Helsinki (in Finland, for the geographically challenged among us, I certainly am one of them) for a couple of days last week. When we got home on the night of his return - after we went to see Air brilliantly playing live at the Zenith -, I was greeted by a small mountain of Finnish goods, neatly arranged on ...
"Look What I Got!" continues »
March 13, 2004
Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis
I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I am not the greatest fan of oatmeal - at least when it is cooked in milk the usual way : the lumpy look and the weird smell and the mushy texture really put me off. However, I am a good friend of oatmeal in müesli, and in cookies, and in this baked oatmeal recipe.
The original recipe is brought to us by the good people at Quaker Oats, and it caught my attention as it went through a bout of extreme popu...
"Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis" continues »
March 12, 2004
Live Food : A Cooking Class
Last Saturday, I took a cooking class on live food at Pousse-Pousse, the little store where I buy my sprouting gear and collect my Campanier baskets.
It was taught by Pol Grégoire, a chef from Belgium. He started out his career in conventional cooking, but then he got interested in what he calls "alimentation vive" and low-temp cooking, and decided to start eating and cooking that way. He opened a restaurant in Brussels along those precepts, h...
"Live Food : A Cooking Class" continues »
March 11, 2004
Thoughts from the Grocery Store
With the amount of food shopping I habitually engage into, you'd think I would know better than to go to the grocery store with my stomach rumbling so loud it could be heard over the loudspeakers' cheesy music.
Having come in with the intention to buy just plain yogurts to start a batch of homemade ones, I managed to walk away with two other types of yogurts, my favorite Krisprolls (the "Special" flavor with sunflower seeds), two different gât...
"Thoughts from the Grocery Store" continues »
March 10, 2004
Tarte aux Blettes et Graines de Courge
[Swiss Chard and Squash Seeds Tart]
Had you been in my kitchen last week, you would have heard a small squeal of joy. That would have been me, unloading the contents of my weekly Campanier basket of fruits and vegetables, and discovering a lush bunch of swiss chard.
The next day found me picking up a couple of ingredients from the grocery store, then getting on to make this Swiss Chard Tart. I have recently bought a bag of squash seeds and a ...
"Tarte aux Blettes et Graines de Courge" continues »
March 9, 2004
Frites de Carottes aux Epices
[Spiced Carrot Fries]
Winter is the blessed season of root vegetables. Since it is noticeably drawing to a close here - longer days, sunny and mild weather, daffodils all around -, now's the time to make the most of the kind of carb comfort our winter friends have to offer, before we turn the page and say hello to nature's spring collection.
Having a bunch of carrots to use up, I decided to go for my favored cooking method for root vegetables...
"Frites de Carottes aux Epices" continues »
March 8, 2004
Is my Blog Burning? A Bouquet of Tartines
Yesterday was the Tartine Edition of Is My Blog Burning? day, which I had the honor of hosting this time around. In this, I was following in the steps of Alberto, who originally fathered this fun event. Many thanks to all who participated with such enthusiasm!
In setting the theme, I had hoped it provided enough structure to give an air of commonality between the contributions, but that it was also open enough for each of the participants to e...
"Is my Blog Burning? A Bouquet of Tartines" continues »
March 7, 2004
Tartine Chèvre et Pousses (IMBB2)
[Goat Cheese and Sprouted Seeds Tartine]
And today is the day of the Tartine Edition of the world famous Is My Blog Burning? distributed blogging event! Please meet the tartine I made as my contribution : a tartine with goat cheese, ham and cherry tomato jam, decorated with sprouted seeds and served on a bed of watercress.
As with most tartines, it is easy (it's mostly just assembling ready-made ingredients) and fun to make : I love the sort...
"Tartine Chèvre et Pousses (IMBB2)" continues »
March 6, 2004
I feel so deprived
On this side of the Atlantic, I can find Oreo cookies and I can find smooth peanut butter. I can find Newman's Own microwave popcorn and I can find Aunt Jemima pancake mix. I can find Philadelphia cream cheese and I can find Graham Crackers.
But I miss my honey-frosted mini-wheats, I miss Barbara's Bakery Cinnamon Puffins, I miss decent tortillas and chunky salsa, I miss the Jiffy corn muffin mix, and most of all, I miss Reese's Peanut Butter ...
"I feel so deprived" continues »
March 5, 2004
Nuggets de Poulet et Frites de Légumes Racine
A Take on Chicken Nuggets and Fries.
My sister Céline came to have dinner with us the other night. She has recently started working for a major French car company, and part of the integration process for new hires is to go through four weeks at one of the factories, working the line just like the other workers. This is a trying experience to say the least (a loss of 6 pounds, a large bruise on the hip, a swollen and bandaged wrist - how's that...
"Nuggets de Poulet et Frites de Légumes Racine" continues »
March 4, 2004
Notes from the Salon du Fromage (continued)
And here is the second batch of notable tidbits from the Salon du Fromage! (Read the first part here.)
- Mont d'Or is a cow cheese, soft inside a thicker rind, wrapped in pine bark and sold in a round wooden box. A popular and wonderful way to eat it is the "Boîte Chaude" (Hot Box), where the Mont d'Or is oven-baked in its box, with a little white wine. Les Monts de Joux, a cheese producer from the Jura, sells their delicious Mont d'Or in a fu...
"Notes from the Salon du Fromage (continued)" continues »
March 3, 2004
Notes from the Salon du Fromage
Is there such a thing as eating too much cheese? I think not, although I did try my best at the 8th edition of the Salon du Fromage, last Sunday.
The Salon du Fromage is held every other year during the Salon de l'Agriculture, at the huge Porte de Versailles exhibition center. While the Salon de l'Agriculture is open to the general public - hordes of families can be seen going there, and my metro was full of those kids, shiny-eyed with expecta...
"Notes from the Salon du Fromage" continues »
March 2, 2004
I Don't Believe We've Been Properly Introduced
How about playing a little guessing game?
The first reader to correctly uncover the identity of this UFO (Unidentified Food Object), as well as the reader who comes up with the most unlikely or the funniest suggestion, will each get the wallpaper of their choice, signed to their name with a little note.
Not to mention the fame, and my respect and consideration for at least a couple of days. How's that for a tempting prize?
UPDATE : WINNER AN...
"I Don't Believe We've Been Properly Introduced" continues »
March 1, 2004
Salade Tiède de Charlottes
[Warm Potato Salad]
The other day, when my Campanier basket included a bag of Charlottes, Jackie mentioned that her favorite use for these small potatoes, tender-fleshed and sweet, was a warm potato salad. This stuck in my mind so much that I couldn't think, for the life of me, what else any one could possibly choose to make with these beauties.
I made this salad using the leftover ham and parsley I had on hand, and threw in some toasted haz...
"Salade Tiède de Charlottes" continues »