September 29, 2005
C&Z turns 2!
Two years ago today, I hit "publish" on my very first post for Chocolate & Zucchini. I had been toying with the idea for a few weeks, debating with myself whether or not to start my own blog. Of course I didn't have the faintest notion what this would all lead to, what adventures, discoveries, encounters and life changes awaited me.
Life changes? Yes, indeed: today seems like the perfect day to announce that I have just signed a book deal with...
September 28, 2005
Cheese Course
I have a new piece appearing today on NPR's weekly Kitchen Window column: this one is all about putting together a cheese platter, how to serve it and what to enjoy it with.
And on the picture above, you will recognize -- from left to right -- an ash-coated goat cheese from the Deux-Sèvres, a Pont-l'Evêque from Normandy, and a Perail des Cabasses, a sheep's milk cheese from Aveyron.
(Previous contributions to Kitchen Window:
- Fresh Herb Muff...
September 26, 2005
Soupe de Carotte à la Brise de Châtaigne
[Carrot Chestnut Soup]
Fall officially came into office barely a week ago, and while the weather hasn't been particularly drab (we've even had a few unseasonally beautiful days), it seems as though a giant switch had been flicked in some great control room somewhere: all of a sudden, with no warning at all, I felt like eating soup.
So. Veggies were purchased, a cocotte was whipped out (this is just a manner of speaking considering the weight ...
"Soupe de Carotte à la Brise de Châtaigne" continues »
September 23, 2005
Pimentón de la Vera
Pimentón de la Vera is a paprika-like powder made of smoked and ground chili peppers, produced in Extremadura, one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. Extremadura is in the South-West of Spain, close to Portugal, and it is in fact where the first chili peppers were introduced as they were brought back from the New World.
Pimentón is made from pimientos that are grown locally, and then slowly dried over an oakwood fi...
"Pimentón de la Vera" continues »
September 22, 2005
Galettes de Riz
[Rice Cakes]
"Waste not, want not", saith popular wisdom. I do hate having to throw out good ingredients or tasty leftovers. I generally strive to make the most of my supplies, and in fact it's an excellent exercise for your creative muscles to try and find ways to do so. But I have to admit it's a constant battle between this thrifty side of me and the other one, who rolls her eyes and moans, "We've eaten that twice already, can we please mo...
September 19, 2005
Pierre Hermé Fall/Winter Collection 2005
Ah, fall is right around the corner and you know what that means: colder days, longer nights, and a new collection of pastries by Pierre Hermé. This new collection, which was officially presented to the press in Tokyo, appeared in Parisian stores this past Thursday, and Louisa and I were there to greet it (and no, we didn't sleep on the doorstep).
Pierre Hermé's range of products includes entremets, tarts and classic French pastries, layered d...
"Pierre Hermé Fall/Winter Collection 2005" continues »
September 16, 2005
H&H Bagels in Paris
I love a good bagel: what's not to like? Big, chewy, yeasty, and so generously sprinkled with interesting stuff for textural contrast. I like the top as much as the bottom, but the hole in the middle has to be the best part.
I first discovered bagels when we moved to the US, in the form of pre-sliced blueberry bagels from the grocery store -- I know, I know. We were addicted to them for a while, until one day we couldn't stand the artificial...
"H&H Bagels in Paris" continues »
September 14, 2005
La Paume
I first heard about this bread last spring, when I had lunch at Alain Passard's temporary Végétable restaurant and a leaflet at the register piqued my curiosity.
La Paume (which means palm, as in "the palm of your hand") is a naturally leavened bread created by Alain Passard, the chef from L'Arpège, and a family-owned flour mill just outside of Paris called Les Moulins Bourgeois. Passard shared the sourdough starter he's been refining for year...
September 12, 2005
Le Potager du Roi
When Louisa brought me peaches and zucchini from Le Potager du Roi in Versailles, her birthday gift was really twofold -- delicious produce to enjoy now, and the promise of a fascinating new place to discover later. And so it is that on a bright and sunny day last week, my parents and I took a little trip to Versailles, snubbed the castle and walked straight on to the Potager.
Le Potager du Roi -- the King's Vegetable Garden -- was built by Je...
"Le Potager du Roi" continues »
September 9, 2005
Like Wine for Chocolate: Ze Round-Up!
As I write these lines, we have 52 56 contributions to this 13th edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday! I'm delighted that so many of you took part in the game and had fun playing. I won't lie to you, it does give me a little thrill to know that 52 56 of us -- and that's not even counting the friends and family we embarked on the adventure -- conducted this chocolate/wine tasting experiment, just a few days apart and each in our own little corner ...
"Like Wine for Chocolate: Ze Round-Up!" continues »
September 7, 2005
Like Mas Amiel For Chocolate (WBW13)
Some might think that when I set the theme for this 13th edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, I already had a clever pairing in mind, all prepared and tested and ready to go. But no. The idea for this little challenge just popped in my head when I was trying to think of a wine tasting theme without pretending to know more about it than I really do, and to really replicate the way I usually go about choosing wine, trying to keep in mind what we ...
"Like Mas Amiel For Chocolate (WBW13)" continues »
September 6, 2005
Soul Food in Paris: Chez Haynes
This post is in honor and memory of the victims of Katrina. Please donate what you can to the Red Cross or the charity of your choice. Thank you.
In 1949, Louisiana-born Leroy Haynes opened the very first American restaurant in Paris. He was a cook, an actor, a wrestler and a sociologist, he had many friends from both sides of the Atlantic, and his restaurant quickly became a favorite hangout for the local African American community and visiti...
"Soul Food in Paris: Chez Haynes" continues »
September 2, 2005
Reminder! WBW13: Like Wine For Chocolate
As previously announced, I will be hosting the 13th edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday on September 7th, with the theme Like Wine For Chocolate.
So! You have just five days to bake a luscious smooth chocolate cake, pick a delicious wine to complement magnify enhance it, and write all about it!
More details can be found here, and don't forget to send me an email with a link to your entry once you've posted it....
"Reminder! WBW13: Like Wine For Chocolate" continues »
September 1, 2005
L'Art Culinaire Moderne
I have written about my grandmother on a few occasions in the past. She is my father's mother and she lives not too far from me, which allows me to visit and bask in the glow of her tenderness and her general wisdom on all things life.
In the past few years, my ever-growing passion for food and cooking have definitely brought us closer: as a devoted cook herself, I can see how happy she is that a grandchild of hers would share that interest a...
"L'Art Culinaire Moderne" continues »