January 2005 Archive

January 31, 2005

Press: TITLE Magazine (Japan)

If you happen to lay your hands on the latest issue of the Japanese magazine TITLE and leaf through it (remember to do so from right to left or expose yourself to the unrecoverable loss of all coolness and credibility) until page 96, you will find an article about C&Z and yours truly, complete with a picture! Of course, if you're like me you wil...

"Press: TITLE Magazine (Japan)" continues »

January 28, 2005

Mmh, Corn on the Cob

Oh I know, I know, this is completely and utterly out of season. But really, just this once, I don't want to know where this particular ear of corn was grown, or what circumvented route it had to follow to land on that grocery store shelf. What I do know is that right in the middle of a particularly glacial winter week, a little edible sunshine...

"Mmh, Corn on the Cob" continues »

January 27, 2005

Bergamotes

[Bergamot Oranges] I bought these two from a basket at the Batignolles market the other day, intrigued as I was by their label and shape (notice the cute nipples). Alternative citruses have been getting more and more attention these past few years, with yuzus, combavas, kumquats and cedrats coming out of the shadows, infusing dishes with unusua...

"Bergamotes" continues »

January 25, 2005

Abricots au Chocolat

[Chocolate Dipped Apricots] What would you do with melted chocolate leftover from making orangettes and florentins? Throw it out? You have got to be kidding. No. The wise thing to do was rummage through my kitchen cabinets for something that would be nice and dippable. And I thus unearthed, oh joy, the large bag of dried apricots I had bought...

"Abricots au Chocolat" continues »

January 23, 2005

Salade Tiède de Haricots Tarbais à l'Huile de Noix (IMBB11)

[Warm Tarbais Bean Salad with Walnut Oil] The 11th edition of Is My Blog Burning?, the world-famous collaborative food blogging event, is hosted by Cathy and her theme of choice is Beans! For my contribution, it seemed only fitting that I use the prince of beans, a.k.a Le Haricot Tarbais. Originally brought back from the New World in the 16th c...

"Salade Tiède de Haricots Tarbais à l'Huile de Noix (IMBB11)" continues »

January 21, 2005

Press: The Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Bee ran an article yesterday about --three guesses-- food blogs! Under the catchy title "Finger-clickin' good", it features a profile of our friend Elise (with a pic of her! and her parents! and her oven mitts! and an oxtail stew!) as well as a list of favorite sites in which C&Z appears, along with the following review : "Clot...

"Press: The Sacramento Bee" continues »

January 20, 2005

Norlander Bread

When I step into a boulangerie, or admittedly when I simply walk by one, I always give the bread shelves a quick once-over, to see if anything looks particularly good and/or unusual. It is sometimes a bit of a challenge to glance behind the boulangère, her counter, and the other customers (some of whom seem to think I'm trying to skip the line an...

"Norlander Bread" continues »

January 18, 2005

Hello, Gorgeous!

On Saturday morning, from the attractive stall of my favorite produce merchant at the Marché des Batignolles, a potimarron is beaming up at me. Plump orange cheeks, smooth skin with faint white lines -- who could resist? I pick it up to get a better feel of its perfect shape and weight, cup it in my gloved hands, and adopt it instantly. The st...

"Hello, Gorgeous!" continues »

January 17, 2005

Tarte Pomme Pistache

[Apple Pistachio Tart] Ever since I laid my hands on a can of pistachio paste for the Bar à Veloutés, I have been looking for ways to use the precious stuff and make the most of it. So far I have made crème brûlée à la pistache (adding a little to my regular crème brûlée recipe), pistachio cookies and chocolate pistachio cake, all of which I was...

"Tarte Pomme Pistache" continues »

January 14, 2005

Carnet de Vins

As someone who adores notebooks of any shape or form, as someone who wants to teach herself about wine and is convinced that keeping wine tasting notes is the only way to go, you can imagine my joy at finding this darling little notebook at Lavinia, the wine super-store close to La Madeleine. Small enough to be slipped in your purse or shirt poc...

"Carnet de Vins" continues »

January 12, 2005

Deliciously Obsessed? Who, us?

The Boston Globe ran an article on food blogs today: Food bloggers chronicle their delicious obsessions! [For the record, I don't have a book deal with an American publisher. Yet. But it is in the works, and when the time comes I promise you'll be the first to know! Okay, maybe I'll call my mom first, but you know what I mean.]...

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January 11, 2005

Une Simple Soupe

[A Simple Soup] Is the weather cold and chilly and rainy and overcast (check all that apply)? Does it make you a little gloomy? Have you somewhat over-indulged during the holidays? Do you feel a little guilty? These are all perfectly benign symptoms, don't you worry. All you need is a nice, warm, chunky bowl of soup. The recipe that follows is ...

"Une Simple Soupe" continues »

January 10, 2005

What Did I Ever Do Without You?

I recently had an epiphany. No, not that kind, it was a cooking utensil epiphany: I suddenly realized how badly I needed a potato masher. In just a few weeks, I had repeatedly found myself in the painful situation of having to puree things without a self-respecting tool, resorting to the use of a simple fork and expending large amounts of preci...

"What Did I Ever Do Without You?" continues »

January 7, 2005

Honored and Blushing in Food Blog Land

Kate has now unveiled the complete results of the 2004 Food Blog Awards and well, I am the lucky recipient of four awards: Best Writing, Best Recipes, Best Site Design and Best Overall Food Blog. Wow. I am thrilled to pieces, incredibly flattered, and just generally extatic. And grateful. I remember very clearly the night when I decided to create ...

"Honored and Blushing in Food Blog Land" continues »

January 6, 2005

Galette des Rois

It is a typically French tradition to celebrate l'Epiphanie: this holiday celebrates the day on which the three kings Gaspard, Balthazar and Melchior came to pay their tribute to the world-famous baby born just a couple of weeks before. In French those kings go by the cool name of Les Rois Mages (the sorcerer kings), and their first names are tot...

"Galette des Rois" continues »

January 5, 2005

Tarte Tatin Caramel au Beurre Salé

[Tarte Tatin with Salted Butter Caramel] This is the dessert I made for our New Year's Eve dinner. We had decided to have a luxurious picnic rather than an elaborate meal, so we had toasts of foie gras (brought back from our vacation in the Périgord), a fruity duck magret salad whipped up by our neighbor Stéphan, and some Coquilles St-Jacques,...

"Tarte Tatin Caramel au Beurre Salé" continues »

January 4, 2005

Food Blog Awards: Thank You!

Kate, a.k.a. the Accidental Hedonist is currently unveiling the final results of the Food Blog Awards -- and savoring it oh-so-slooooooowly, the girl knows how to create a suspense! I am proud and delighted to announce that I have been voted Best Food Blog for Writing and Recipes! Many thanks for your votes and your support, I am most, most honore...

"Food Blog Awards: Thank You!" continues »

January 3, 2005

Fondue Pot

This is the fabulous gift that Maxence's mother got us for Christmas: an electrical, nonstick, multiuse fondue pot! We've already broken it in with a fondue bourguignonne shared with Maxence's aunt and uncle: fondue bourguignonne (literally "fondue from Burgundy") has you cook little cubes of beef in oil, to be enjoyed with a variety of dipping...

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January 1, 2005

...et Bonne Année!

May 2005 bring you everything your heart desires, excellent health, glowing happiness, wonderful friends and fabulous food! I would like to thank you who have visited and faithfully read Chocolate & Zucchini all through 2004. It's been a real pleasure sharing my kitchen adventures with you: your attention, your feedback, your support, your comme...

"...et Bonne Année!" continues »