Paris Dining In
Many Parisians prefer to invite friends to dine at home rather than in restaurants. Or maybe you would like to invite resident friends for dinner. What are the pleasures and pitfalls of dining in?
Paris Markets - an Inspiration for Home Cooking
Parisian Home Cooking
By Michael Roberts
Photographs by Pierre-Gilles Vidoli, 328 Pages. William Morrow, NY 1981
If ever two books were meant to be read in tandem, it would have to be Markets of Paris by Dixon and Ruthanne Long and Parisian Home Cooking: Conversations, Recipes, and Tips from the Cooks and Food Merchants of Paris by Michael Roberts, Published by William Morrow and Co. NY, 1981, Photos by Pierre-Gilles Vidoli.
Date: March 15th, 2007 |
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Book Review: French Women for all Seasons by Mireille Guiliano
French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes and Pleasure
By Mireille Guiliano, Alfred A. Knopf, New York 2006, 350 pages.
(c) 2006 Chris Card Fuller
“Flowers are an important part of every day life for author Mireille Guiliano. She looks forward to the change of seasons and the flowers that come with each season.”
Sequel to the author’s best seller French Women Don’t Get Fat this compendium takes a seasonal approach as its framework for creating a great lifestyle based on the author’s favorite recipes and a day-to-day rhythm and outlook that is decidedly French. No surprise considering that Guiliano is a French native hailing from Alsace. Her many years living in New York City gives her an excellent perspective on the differences between French and American lifestyles.
Date: January 14th, 2007 |
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Bringing in your New Year with a little bit of bubbly
You may be in a quandary about WHICH of the many fine champagnes to choose when you’re in Paris. You’d like to pick out foryour Parisian friends (or your friends back home)a champagne that will knock their socks off. Erid’s suggested a number of champagnes that are sure to bring a sparkle to your host and hostess’s eyes:
“Excellent, mais très cher : Dom Pérignon Très très bons : Roederer, Bollinger, Deutz Très bons : Laurent perrier, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, Ruinart Bons : Moet, Mumm, Heidsieck évidement, à consommer avec modération (i.e. Drink in moderation!) That final bit …
Date: December 24th, 2006 |
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If you can’t stand the heat - get out of the kitchen
As I was cleaning up the dishes last night after a dinner for nine at Montparnasse, I wondered if the U. S. military should seriously begin studying French organizational skills in the kitchen.
“Technique! You lack technique,” Eric chided me. (you may remember, from a previous post, Eric and Lila who cruised across the US starting in Los Angeles, welcomed by the Morisaki/Card family and from there, lapped up the highways and byways, visited the national parks, brought back piles of photos)
I had simply asked the question. “Do these scallops need to be cleaned?”
Date: October 30th, 2006 |
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Dining in - in Normandy
Does anyone remember ‘I’d walk a mile for a Camel’? That came to mind during dinner with friends last night. Bruno and Martine told us how many kilometers it took to pull together a meal for friends.
First, if you want to get a good chicken, you have to drive about 13 kilometers. Then you have to another five kilometers to get a good loaf of bread. Then, if you want to get a good cake, you need to drive to Pont Audemer. I’m not sure how many kilometers were needed …
Date: August 26th, 2006 |
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Breakfast in Paris
Breakfast used to be café au lait, hot chocolate or tea with buttered and toasted baguettes sliced in
half (called tartines on occasion). Fancy breakfast included a croissant along with the toasted baguette.
Nowadays, the Anglo breakfast has made inroads in Paris. You’re not likely to see beans served with your eggs, but it is much more common these days to find a ‘ petit dejeuner complet’ which might included – orange juice, a slice of grilled ham, and either two eggs sunnyside or an omelette plus the traditional grilled baguette and croissant. This is the …
Date: January 17th, 2007 |
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Still Digesting
Paris is now in that lull between two big Hawaii size waves of feasting – the Christmas meal and New Year’s Eve meal. The particular problem this year for Paris residents who are planning on entertaining at home is the fact that Christmas and New Year’s Eve fall on a Sunday night – which means that they have few options to pick up those last minute forgotten items. (Most big grocery stores and supermarkets close on Sundays even the day before Christmas and New Year’s Eve).
Date: December 27th, 2006 |
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Sunny Days in Normandy
When Jim and Chelsea Wills came to visit us in Paris and Normandy several summers ago, he videotaped our lunch and visits to local markets in Honfleur and Thiberville. Although Jim has met all sorts of challenges as a tour guide in Nepal (he was one of the first ‘adventure travel guides’ in the region) plus India, Greece, Japan, maybe he would agree that cooking lunch for two French chefs may have been one of the more intimidating challenges on his resume. Check out Jim’s French lunch videohttp://www.fatbellytraveler.com/cubbies/lib-0008-france.html and if you’d like to read more, I tell …
Date: December 6th, 2006 |
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World War I Veterans - Not Forgotten
“I started this collection as an hommage to those that lost their lives for France during the Great War - or World War I - including my great grandfather as well as the Americans and English - who came over here to help us keep our freedom,” explains Bruno Gotti. During dinner last night, Bruno took some time out to show us his World War II collection of items made by French soldiers in the trenches. This is the most incredible military memorabilia I’ve ever seen when you consider that these hand crafted …
Date: August 26th, 2006 |
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Madame Epinard
If your not Patricia Wells, preparing a dinner for French friends might be intimidating. For the first few years in France, I went through all sorts of contortions to prepare a meal that might prove to the French that Americans did actually have something called ‘cuisine’.
Most of my efforts were pretty pathetic. There was the meatloaf dinner for example.
“Meatloaf was one President Nixon’s favorite plates,” I explained.
My guests tried to make a few polite comments.
“It’s very nicely spiced.”
After running the gamut of Cajun Shrimp, Mama Mollo’s Sicilian recipe for lasagne, southern fried chicken,creamed corn, and sweet potatoes, …
Date: August 24th, 2006 |
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