Lunch Dishes Archive

July 21, 2009

Herbed Couscous Salad

[Salade de semoule aux herbes] My sister and I went through a pretty intense couscous* phase when we were teenagers: my mother kept a kitchen cabinet stocked with little pre-portioned pouches of semoule that barely needed a minute and a half of boiling before we could snip them open, pour their contents into a bowl, add a bit of salt and butter,...

"Herbed Couscous Salad" continues »

March 3, 2009

Spicy Cabbage and Chicken Stir-Fry

I've recently read a collection of stories by Lara Vapnyar called Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love. The six stories in this pretty volume talk about Russian immigrants to the United States, and use the revealing lens of food to show how they adapt to their new lives. Stories about migrants never fail to move me, and perhaps also because ...

"Spicy Cabbage and Chicken Stir-Fry" continues »

January 13, 2009

Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

This is a recipe I got from David Tanis' A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes. I realize that naming this cookbook my favorite for 2008 and then showcasing its recipe for hard-boiled eggs sends a curious message, yet it illustrates exactly what I look for in a book: not just engaging stories, understated pictures, and seasonally sound menus -- a...

"Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs" continues »

January 16, 2007

Saigon Sandwich

True dining bargains are so few and so far between in Paris that by the time you discover a new one, the previous find has usually turned into an old legend that the Elders like to recount around the fire while the Young sit there and wish they'd brought their iPod. But when it comes to lunch and fuss-free food, Paris has no shortage of hole-in-...

"Saigon Sandwich" continues »

February 8, 2006

Oeuf en Gelée

[Egg in Aspic] And today, let me introduce you to one of the quirky wonders of old-school French charcuterie: the Oeuf en Gelée. It's a simple preparation, really: a fresh egg, expertly poached into a plump oval, nested in an amber casing of veal aspic, and supported by a few benevolent companions -- here, a strip of cooked ham, a bit of choppe...

"Oeuf en Gelée" continues »

October 19, 2005

Sandwich au Foie Hâché

[Chopped Liver Sandwich] The gehakte leber featured in this sandwich was purchased from a yiddish bakery in the Marais, called Florence Finkelsztajn. I was tipped off on their chopped liver by a fellow food enthusiast, and had to buy some when I walked by the store yesterday. The service was stiff and frankly contemptuous, which I've sadly come ...

"Sandwich au Foie Hâché" continues »

August 22, 2005

Say hello to my little friend

I have told you about the Boulangépicier on a few occasions before, and I continue to wildly enjoy the bread, sandwiches and pastries that they make. "Be" happens to be just a couple of blocks away from where my grandmother lives, and is thus conveniently on my way from and back to the metro when I visit her. Just a few weeks ago (before they cl...

"Say hello to my little friend" continues »

August 11, 2005

Pied de Porc Vinaigrette

I was at the charcuterie yesterday to buy a few slices of jambon de Bayonne, an air-dried cured ham from the French Basque country. Une charcuterie, for those who have yet to be introduced to this delightful concept, is a store that makes and sells all manner of goods derived from our friend the pork (ham, sausages, pâtés, rillettes...) and a w...

"Pied de Porc Vinaigrette" continues »

June 6, 2005

El Bocadillo

It may have become apparent by now just how much I love sandwiches, and it is always cause for elation to discover a new source for superior sandwich indulgence. Bellota-Bellota is a store in the 7th that specializes in fine food products from Spain and also operates as an upscale tapas bar. A string of such venues opened a few years ago when th...

"El Bocadillo" continues »

April 28, 2005

A Lunch in the Life

On a Saturday morning, you go to the pool for your weekly swim. As you come out, limbs pleasantly weary and hair still wet, you reflect that it would be nice to buy a baguette for lunch. So, instead of making a right and walking directly home -- you are fortunate enough to live just a block from a clean and quiet swimming-pool -- you go left and ...

"A Lunch in the Life" continues »

October 12, 2004

Toast de Foie de Lotte

[Monkfish Liver on Toast] I had purchased a can of foie de lotte at the Salon Saveurs last spring, and it had been quietly sitting in our kitchen cabinet ever since, waiting for its turn to get a little attention. We finally opened it for a quick and easy lunch recently, spreading the chunks of liver on freshly toasted bread -- just like we used...

"Toast de Foie de Lotte" continues »

October 1, 2004

Oeuf à la Coque, Mouillettes Rouges

[Soft-Boiled Egg, Red Pesto Bread Fingers] The Oeuf à la Coque * : one of the simplest pleasures in life. It is the easiest thing to make -- although believe it or not, I have to ask Maxence every time how long the egg should be boiled for -- and conveniently single-serving if you want it to be. It is fun to crack and pop its little hat ope...

"Oeuf à la Coque, Mouillettes Rouges" continues »

June 10, 2004

Fig and Mozzarella Warm Sandwich

I have always been a huge sandwich fan, I could eat sandwiches at every meal. This is probably because I adore bread, but also because nothing beats holding your food in your hands and biting greedily into it. Elegant? No. Messy? Yes. But oh-so-satisfying! Sandwich making, however, is an art that very few food outlets master, obviously. Cardboar...

"Fig and Mozzarella Warm Sandwich" continues »

May 27, 2004

The Pasta Salad That Rhymed With O

[a.k.a. Tomato Chorizo Pistachio Pasta Salad] Pasta salads are one of these things I start to crave all of a sudden, when the weather gets warmer. As I've mentioned before, I usually bring my own food to work, and pasta salads are great portable lunches : they're quick to make, they get better as they sit, and they are an easy way to fill up on ...

"The Pasta Salad That Rhymed With O" continues »

April 23, 2004

Brouillade de Truffe

[Truffled Scrambled Eggs] The other day at lunchtime, I was on my own and starving. A glance in the fridge, and lunch rolled out before my eyes : I had one truffle left in its little jar, some eggs, fresh watercress, and fabulous walnut bread from the BoulangEpicier, which Patricia, the best neighbor in the whole wide world, had bought for me on...

"Brouillade de Truffe" continues »

April 9, 2004

Pounti

When we were at the Marché d'Aligre the other day, I noticed a charcuterie with a sign that said : "Ramenez votre pain et je réalise votre sandwich avec mes produits fermiers." ("Bring your own bread, I'll make you a sandwich with my farm products.") I thought the idea excellent : a truly outstanding sandwich is made of the best ingredients on th...

"Pounti" continues »

April 8, 2004

Goose Eggs and Truffles

Last Saturday, while we waited for the balsamic vinegar tasting to begin, Maxence and I seized the opportunity to explore the covered part of the Marché d'Aligre, where the tasting took place. The stands (butchers, cheese stores, charcuteries, bakeries, produce stalls...) are more upscale there than in the open-air area, and the products tend to ...

"Goose Eggs and Truffles" 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 ...

"A Half Bagel Sandwich" 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 Bri...

"Finnish Your Sandwich!" 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 tartine...

"Tartine Chèvre et Pousses (IMBB2)" continues »

February 12, 2004

The Essential California Sandwich

Back when we lived in the Silicon Valley, whenever I ordered a sandwich, I would invariably and happily go for the California sandwich. Not only did it sound most appropriate given the location, but avocado is among my best friends, and sprouts are a fantastic addition, adding the perfect peppery crunch to its comforting and sweet tenderness. I...

"The Essential California Sandwich" continues »

January 13, 2004

Oeuf Cocotte : Take 2

Admittedly, the picture looks like somebody's idea of a volcanic eruption, but this is really the Oeuf Cocotte I made myself the other night. This recipe, as described in an earlier post, is a dream of versatility. This time, I made it with strips of ham, a spoonful of sweet confiture d'oignon (onion jam) and a spoonful of crème fraîche, with s...

"Oeuf Cocotte : Take 2" continues »

December 11, 2003

Oeuf Cocotte

When I was 9 years old, I was in the last year of primary school while my sister was in junior high. On Wednesdays, I didn't have class, but she did, and my parents considered us old enough to be home without a nanny, so I would make my own lunch. Maybe my memory fails me, but I seem to remember that this involved a lot of canned beef ravioli, wa...

"Oeuf Cocotte" continues »

December 2, 2003

A Diet of Baked Beans

From the ages of ten to sixteen, my parents sent me on séjours linguistiques ("linguistic stays") abroad each summer. The idea was to spend two to three weeks living with a family in an English- or German-speaking country and immerse myself in the culture and the language. It did tremendously improve my language skills and was also, to put it mil...

"A Diet of Baked Beans" continues »

November 27, 2003

The Wonderful World Of Tartines

Tartines have been a fairly trendy lunch fare in Parisian restaurants for a while. Originally, "tartine" means a slice of bread, toasted or not, with something spread on it, usually eaten for breakfast : butter (tartine beurrée), jam (tartine de confiture), cheese (tartine de fromage)... For a few years now, the concept of tartine has been recyc...

"The Wonderful World Of Tartines" continues »

October 13, 2003

Cheeseburgers with a Twist

Reading the article on DIY Diner Food over at Digs Magazine put me in the mood for burgers, so that went on the menu for lunch on Sunday. For the patties, I used 150g (5 1/3 ounces) lean ground beef, in which I mixed a chopped shallot, a large handful of chopped fresh herbs (I had basil and tarragon, both home-grown, as well as flat-leaf parsle...

"Cheeseburgers with a Twist" continues »

October 11, 2003

Sardine Harissa Polar Bread Sandwich

Or : The Return of the Polar Bread Sandwich I made myself another yummy sandwich on polar bread for lunch today. This time, the filling was this : a can of quality sardines packed in olive oil (drained and patted with paper towels), a shallot - chopped with my friend the chef knife, a handful of flat parsley - chopped with my other friend the mez...

"Sardine Harissa Polar Bread Sandwich" continues »

October 7, 2003

Fennel & Tuna Polar Bread Sandwich

Over the last few years, I've noticed an increasing number of bakeries and sandwich places in France selling sandwiches made with Pain Polaire. Polar bread, sometimes also called swedish bread, is a round, soft flatbread with dimples. Polar bread sandwiches are made between two of these pancake-like slices, and the whole sandwich is then cut into...

"Fennel & Tuna Polar Bread Sandwich" continues »