June 7, 2011
Olive Oil and Black Pepper Tartine
"La découverte d'un mets nouveau fait plus pour le bonheur du genre humain que la découverte d'une étoile."
The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a star*: this aphorism is the ninth of twenty that Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin lists as a prologue** to his book, The Physiology of Taste.
It is not quite as famous as aphorism number four ("Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es," usually tran...
"Olive Oil and Black Pepper Tartine" 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-the-wall gems: you just need to know where to look. And today, let us look in the general direction ...
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 to expect from this little rue des Rosiers area, but I was prepared to bear it for a bit of chopped ...
"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 closed for the month of August, quite cruelly), I noticed a basket next to the register in which they ...
"Say hello to my little friend" 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 the Paris food scene realized with a start that gastronomy did not stop at the Pyrenées -- all things ...
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 to when I was a child and foie de morue (cod liver) on toasts was an occasional Saturday lunch trea...
"Toast de Foie de Lotte" 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. Cardboard bread, processed chicken, limp lettuce, mayo overdose, this is what you have to face most of the t...
"Fig and Mozzarella Warm Sandwich" 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 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 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 »
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 have had many different types of California sandwiches, with different types of bread and cheese, s...
"The Essential California Sandwich" continues »
December 17, 2003
Bruschetta
I remember very well the first bruschetta I ever had, served at the San Francisco vegetarian restaurant "Herbivore". We had arrived in the US about two months before, it was the night of my 21st birthday, we were with our friend Jérémie, and after dinner we went to see Arling & Cameron play. The barman wouldn't give me a free drink even considering the occasion, but we had the artists sign their album's poster for me, which sure made up for it....
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 recycled into an easy but delicious main dish : one or two slices of bread on which ingredients are laid,...
"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 parsley), a spoonful of chopped capers, and liberal amounts of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauc...
"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 mezza-luna, 100 g of cottage cheese, a small spoonful of harissa (this is a red chili garlic paste from...
"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 halves. A popular version of these sandwiches involves smoked salmon, but any filling will work, re...
"Fennel & Tuna Polar Bread Sandwich" continues »