Paris A Thought for Food
Food in France is much more than fuel for life. It’s a hallmark of the art of living - the first step to welcoming friends into your life - breaking bread together.
How Parisians Stay Thin
You would think with the vast number of bakeries, candy shops and specialty foods that the average Parisian would be hefty, but the typical Parisian is trim. Want to know some of their secrets?
If you guessed ’stress and cigarettes’, then I know you’re a Parisian! But the main reason is good eating habits.
When I first came to Paris, I studied at the Sorbonne and had the good luck to be hired as an ‘au paire’ for a French professor. During that time I learned that day-to-day meals don’t resemble in any way the meals you might have in restaurants or even the meal you may have at a French friend’s home when you’ve been invited over for dinner.
Here’s a typical example of the day’s meals:
Date: January 14th, 2008 |
No Comments
Everything's Coming Up Chestnuts
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2007
One of the simple pleasures of Christmas in Paris is the prevalence of chestnuts in holiday recipes and Christmas treats.
Whether you prefer your chestnuts simply roasted over the open fire a la Mel Torme, or whether you prefer them included in a more sophisticated form, this is the time of year to really savor the chestnut flavor in a variety of inventive recipes.
Date: December 20th, 2007 |
4 comments
Talking Turkey in Paris
If you’ve been in Paris for longer than a few weeks, holidays like Thanksgiving might be just the thing that trigger ‘culture shock’. Culture shock can occur when you’re living far from home and can hit you when you least expect it (usually after about six months is the normal time frame). You’ve been totally immersing yourself in the culture where you’re sojourning and suddenly, you wake up thinking about mashed potatoes drizzled with butter.
Paris has a number of havens - for such flights of fancy - particularly The …
Date: November 21st, 2007 |
No Comments
Mushrooming in France
Normally, on an October Friday in Paris, I’d be thinking about heading south to the Loire Valley to spend the weekend with friends - in the serious pursuit of mushrooms. There, you’ll find Cepes, Bolets, Pied de Moutons, Chanterelles, Trompettes de la Mort.
Mushrooming in October has become one of our annual rituals - so it is my GREAT regret that I will be absent for this years’ outing. We are thinking of all of you! Fellow mushroomers. Meanwhile, we wend our way slowly but most assuredly back to Paris - perhaps in time …
Date: October 12th, 2007 |
2 comments
More Tete de Veau
First, I should probably offer some apologies to any vegetarian Parislogue readers (I know you are out there) and if you would prefer to skip these entries all together - I’ll understand. That being said, for those of you who are still curious about the Calf’s Head delicacy, you can also check out Jancis Robinson’s site for instructions on how to prepare this dish.
Personally speaking, I’m glad I tried this dish BEFORE having read about the preparation.
Here’s another big surprise in Jancis post: If you can’t get to Paris, there’s also a restaurant …
Date: August 12th, 2007 |
4 comments
What's Cookin for Christmas?
It’s one thing to read recipes for French cuisine, but what’s going to be served up on the tables this Christmas? I asked Huguette and Nathalie to give us the scoop on some of the best tables in town for ‘home cookin’ French style.
Champagne, naturally, to start things off, accompanied by puffed pastry appetizers.
Foie gras (goose liver).
Coquille St. Jacques (scallops).
Fish in butter sauce. (as opposed to the traditional turkey or capon).
Salad and cheese.
Log roll for dessert.
This will be served after Midnight Mass. Everyone will have already set out their shoe for Pere …
Date: December 24th, 2007 |
No Comments
French Gourmet Christmas Treats
Christmas is the sweetest time of year in Paris, and even if you can’t make it across the pond, Paris gourmet treats can make their way to your doorstep. Although there are many gourmet specialty shops peppered throughout the city neighborhoods, two venerable institutions, Fauchon and Hediard stand proudly across from one another on the Place de la Madeleine on Paris’s Right Bank. Nowadays, both of these stores have products that can be ordered over the internet.
Both Hediard and Fauchon goumet food stores were founded in the …
Date: December 14th, 2007 |
No Comments
La Truffade - When it's Cold in Paris
It’s a Monday night in Paris, but it could just as well be a Saturday night. Le Plomb du Cantal, 3 Rue de la Gaite is jampacked at 9 pm.
This restaurant named after the Auvergne region of France knows what hungry Parisians want: Steak and potatoes served up in super size portions.
So, you can throw out another cliche that you thought - French cooking is not only about rich buttery sauces served in miniscule portions. Leave that for the ‘frimeurs’ or the ’show offs’.
There is nothing more down-home and ‘comfort food’ …
Date: October 23rd, 2007 |
7 comments
Le Coq de la Maison Blanche - not just Calf's head
You may remember that i mentioned in a previous post that finding Paris restaurants that feature traditional French dishes - is not as obvious as you might think. So, although I haven’t as yet made the trek to St. Ouen, just north of Paris to try out Le Coq de la Maison Blanche, it’s definitely on my list if for no other reason than this:
Their menu features Ris de Veau and Le VRAI Coq au Vin or the real Coq or Vin and sweetbreads.
However, I think I’ll wait until AFTER the Rugby World Cup …
Date: August 12th, 2007 |
No Comments
The Calf's Head Update
Somehow eating Calf’s head isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I’m looking for a quick snack in Paris - it’s really more of a Normandy specialty and that’s where you’re more likely to see it on the menu, but according to Jancie Robinson, there are still fifteen restaurants in Paris that serve this dish. I’ve tried it only as a chef’s ‘offrande’ at the Meridien’s gourmet restaurant - Montparnasse 24.
Date: August 11th, 2007 |
2 comments
