October 2006 Archive

October 30, 2006

Rôti de Porc au Chou Rouge Epicé, Pommes et Pruneaux

[Pork Roast with Spiced Red Cabbage, Apples, and Prunes] I don't normally buy meat at the farmers' market: I have a good neighborhood butcher that I like -- his name is Mario, what's not to like? -- and my usual crop of fruits, vegetables, cheese, and flowers is usually so bulky in my rainbow-colored basket (a birthday gift from my neighbors) th...

"Rôti de Porc au Chou Rouge Epicé, Pommes et Pruneaux" continues »

October 26, 2006

La Bague de Kenza

Walking through the Oberkampf neighborhood this past Friday on my way from one appointment to the next, I glanced at my watch and gleefully realized I had just enough time to drop by La Bague de Kenza, a luxurious Algerian pastry shop on rue Saint-Maur. There was a line snaking outside onto the sidewalk -- it was still Ramadan then and many of t...

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October 23, 2006

Compote de Pomme et Potimarron à la Vanille de Mayotte

[Apple and Hokkaido Squash Compote with Mayotte Vanilla] I recently read that online shopping -- or just online window-shopping -- was a widespread form of procrastination. I cannot for the life of me remember where I read this, but it's probably because reading random stuff on the Internet is another way in which I squander vast amounts of my t...

"Compote de Pomme et Potimarron à la Vanille de Mayotte" continues »

October 18, 2006

Edible Podcasts

However much I love the Paris métro -- it might surprise you to learn that actually like its smell, a special mix of metal, dust, and rubber -- walking remains my favorite means of transportation around the city. It gives me the opportunity to stretch my legs, traverse favorite or unfamiliar neighborhoods, indulge in a little people-watching, and...

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October 16, 2006

Fondant Chocolat Noix de Coco

[Coconut Chocolate Cake] I have known Marie-Laure for nineteen years. This represents more than two thirds of our lives, and our friendship has accompanied us through primary school, junior high, high school, university, a year in Brazil for her, two years in California for me, and a variety of jobs, relationships, and haircuts, without us ever ...

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October 11, 2006

C&Z Birthday Party Reminder + My Mother's Sewing Blog

Post-Party Update: Many thanks to all of you who came! I had a splendid time and it was a pleasure to meet you or see you again. As always, we were a joyful, diverse bunch: old friends and new; next-door neighbors and visitors from the other side of the world; professional chefs, enthusiastic cooks, people who would rather just eat what someone e...

"C&Z Birthday Party Reminder + My Mother's Sewing Blog" continues »

October 9, 2006

Spiced Chocolate Peanut Butter

Considering my love of good-for-you nut butters and my passion for the unabashedly trashy peanut butter cup, it was only a matter of time before I attempted to coalesce the two and make a peanut butter cup spread of some sort. I thought I would simply use unsweetened cocoa powder to flavor an otherwise classic homemade peanut butter, but when I ...

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October 3, 2006

Le Poulet de Muriel

[Muriel's Chicken] Cookbook writing guidelines tell you that naming a recipe after someone is not a good idea: it doesn't tell the reader much about the ingredients or the process, the reader doesn't know this person, and frankly, the reader doesn't really care. This is all true of course, but I have a certain fondness for those recipes that sou...

"Le Poulet de Muriel" continues »