Monthly Archives: December 2012

1!

Posted on by
73

I cannot believe it’s been a year already. I want to thank all of you my dear friends for your continued support! My dream is to publish my first book in 2013. It will be about food of course and markets and France and family and love and…IMG_6436 _Snapseed

I had to make a pie for such a special day. It is what I call the rose pie. No roses here though. Just a simple apple pie using the skin of the apples as cheap decoration:)

  1. Lay pie dow in your oven proof pan
  2. Cover it with thin slices of apples (I got great organic apples from the market the size a grape fruits:0)
  3. One table spoon of sugar, 3 table spoons of salted butter (a tiny bit of cinnamon if you like)
  4. In the oven at 400°F for 30mn
  5. Make the “frosting” with 10 spoons of water, 15 spoons of sugar, a little bit of lemon juice and two sheets of jelly IMG_6459 _Snapseed _Snapseed

Je ne peux pas croire que ça fait déjà un an. Je tiens à remercier chacun(e) d’entre vous mes chers amis pour votre soutien cette année! J’ai commencé ce blog comme un hobby. Maintenant, mon but est d’en faire ma profession sous la forme de produits, de services ou de livres… Mon rêve est de publier mon premier livre en 2013. Il sera sur la bonne bouffe, les marchés, notre belle France, la famille, l’amour et la vie…IMG_6516 _Snapseed

J’ai fait une tarte aux pommes simple pour l’occasion. C’est ce que j’appelle ma tarte aux roses. Pas de roses ici cependant. Juste quelques pelures endimanchées…

  1. Installez la pâte brisée dans un plat allant au four
  2. Couvrez-la avec de fines tranches de pommes bios (ou très bien rincées)
  3. Saupoudrez de sucre, 3 cuillères à soupe de beurre salé (un tout petit peu de cannelle si vous le souhaitez)
  4. Dans le four à 200 pendant 30mn
  5. Faire le nappage avec 10 cuillères à soupe d’eau, 15 cuillères de sucre, un peu de jus de citron et deux feuilles de geléeIMG_6600 _Snapseed

Liquid Gold (from the archives)

Posted on by
29

This wine, together with Petrus is considered the very best money (lots of it) can buy.

My Dad, who was a Wine Merchant (Négociant) for 56 years, has had the chance to taste the very best wines many times in his career. Then one day, about 5 years ago, he came home from a dinner party at our friends Clara and Jean Louis and said they had served the best of them all. It was a Château d’Yquem 1893! Jean Louis has been a wine collector his whole life and his dad and grand-dad before him. His cellar is a masterpiece.

Château d’Yquem, officially founded in late 1593 is a “Sauternes”. Sauternes, located just South of Bordeaux, produces mostly dessert wines. It does so naturally (nothing has to be added to raise the sugar levels). They basically harvest extremely late when the fruit is rotten (noble rot). The sugar concentration then is such that they can transform some of the sugar into alcohol and have enough left to keep the wine tasting very sweet.

Yquem was first owned in the middle ages by the King of England (also Duke of Aquitaine). It then went to the Sauvage family and the Lur Saluces family. It was sold to the LVMH group (Vuitton, Dior…) in the late 90s.

Dessert wines like these are best served chilled with foie gras, Roquefort cheese and dark chocolate dessert. It is also perfect with dishes that include pears, apricots or peaches…

Thomas Jefferson was a big fan of Yquem!

The French Pantry (from the archives)

Posted on by
32

Here is a list of things we all should have in our kitchen at all times. This is if you want to cook proper French food of course…

  1. BUTTER!!!
  2. Garlic
  3. Olive oil
  4. Heavy whipping cream
  5. Bay leaves (if you are in the US, get some fresh ones shipped to you from New Orleans. That is the only place in the States where they have the same aromas as they have here. DO NOT use the dried ones from the supermarkets. They will give a nasty sweet taste to everything you cook)
  6. Thyme
  7. Rosemary
  8. Parsley
  9. Onions
  10. Shallots
  11. Duck grease

There may be other important ingredients to have, but these are absolutely essential.IMG_7664

My Martha Stewart is wearing thin!

Posted on by
39

I feel so disconnected from where real entertainment comes from sometimes. I really miss American television. My favorite TV series of all time were The West Wing and The Closer. One of my favorite actresses is Katey Sagal. I loved her in MWC, but I think she’s even better suited for drama. I was wishing someone in Hollywood would have the balls to write a show just for her. And then a British friend of mine asked me if I had put too much Marijuana in my muffins: “She’s the star of Sons of Anarchy. You should check it out…” As I am more of a Range Rover type of guy than a biker, I didn’t think I would enjoy a show like that. What a surprise!! What a great show!! I can’t stop watching it now. Katey is FANTASTIC in it!!

I am writing about this, even though it seems completely off topic, because one of Katey’s lines made me laugh so hard today. To some person who’d pissed her off she said: “My Martha Stewart is wearing thin.” I have got to find a way to fit this line into a conversation soon:0) Nobody knows who Martha Stewart is around here though… It’s OK, I’ll use another name:0)Sons-of-Anarchy-Katey-Sagal

My 100 Grandmas – Mes 100 grand mères

Posted on by
49

Nos mères et nos grand mères (et parfois nos pères et nos grand pères) sont souvent la meilleure source de recettes. Les vraies recettes j’entend. Celles qui faisaient que la maison de notre enfance sentait si bon la soupe au chou, les crêpes ou la tarte au pomme au beurre salé…

Malheureusement mes grand mères sont parties vers un monde meilleur et ma maman n’est pas très heureuse dans la cuisine (bien qu’elle soit la reine des sauces Italiennes)…

Il m’arrive donc souvent, au marché ou au super marché de demander conseil à des étrangères:0) Ce sont mes mères et mes grand mères de substitution. En découlent de belles conversations au milieu de la rue ou en tête de gondole, auxquelles se joignent souvent le vendeur, la caissière au simplement un autre client qui passait par là: “Ah moi le Bourguignon, je le fais comme ça!”, “Ah non! Pas de fromage dans une quiche Lorraine!”, “Ajoutez une gousse d’ail dans votre huile de friture, ça sentira moins dans la cuisine”… Quelle chance nous avons d’avoir un pays ou tant de gens sont passionnés par la cuisine et les traditions. Une belle chose à protéger et à entretenir!! La veille de Noël, je suis resté au marché au moins 20mn de plus à parler de foi gras avec une parfaite inconnue… Une nouvelle grand mère sur ma désormais longue liste:0)

Our mothers and grandmothers (sometimes our fathers and grandfathers) are often the best source of recipes. I mean real recipes. Recipes for dishes that made our childhood home smell of old fashioned cabbage soup, pancakes or apple pie…

Unfortunately my grandmothers are both gone and my mom is not very happy in the kitchen (although she is the queen of Italian food)…

I often turn to complete strangers at the farmers’ market or supermarket for cooking advice:0) I try to pick a lady with a bag full of what I think are interesting ingredients. These will be my mothers and my grandmothers for a moment. We have wonderful conversations in the middle of the street or shop. Very often, another customer walking by or the cashier will join that conversation: “I always use that wine in my Bourguignon!” “Oh no! No cheese in quiche Lorraine”,”You should add a clove of garlic in your oil, it will smell less in your kitchen”, “Crêpes are better if you add…” How lucky I feel to live in a place where so many people are passionate about cooking and our culinary traditions. A nice thing to protect and pass on to the next generations!

On Christmas day, I stayed at the market an extra 20mn talking to a perfect stranger. Another wonderful friend and grand mother added to my list:0)IMG_1852 _SnapseedIMG_1897 _SnapseedIMG_1899 _SnapseedIMG_1929 _SnapseedImage 28-12-12 à 09.24IMG_2095 _Snapseedphoto 5IMG_1883 _SnapseedImage 28-12-12 à 09.26IMG_1967 _SnapseedIMG_1875IMG_2010 _Snapseed

Another Fairy Tail Christmas – Un Noël de compte de fées

Posted on by
71

Tout y était: la famille au complet, de beaux cadeaux et deux repas à vous faire sauter tous les boutons du pentalon…

It was the perfect Christmas. The entire family was there (Christmas in France is strictly family. No friends or wanna be sons in law). The magic was created through a combination of great food, thoughtful presents and lots of kids running around. 

My best present was a new top of the line 50mm camera lens that will help me take better pictures for you guys:0)

On the menu:

  • Seared foie gras with toasted ginger bread and home made onion jam
  • Scallops with warm lentils
  • Roast beef with fresh pasta in truffle sauce
  • Cheese 
  • Traditional Christmas cakes

As for wine, there was Château Belair and Clos Fourtet (Premier Grand Crus Classés St Emilion) as well as Grand Corbin Despagne…IMG_5427 _SnapseedIMG_3313 _SnapseedIMG_3289 _SnapseedIMG_3721 _SnapseedIMG_3697 _SnapseedIMG_3352IMG_3913 _SnapseedIMG_5459IMG_5534IMG_5460 _SnapseedIMG_5615 _SnapseedIMG_5631 _Snapseed

Losing weight the French way (Tip #4) – Perdre du poids sans se priver (Astuce N°4)

Posted on by
26

Astuce N°4: Planifiez vos repas

Il est vrai que cela prend un peu de temps, mais c’est la meilleure des habitudes à prendre lorsqu’on veut faire ses courses plus intelligemment et manger plus sainement. La réalité est simple: lorsqu’on ne planifie pas ses menus, on fini par penser à son repas à la dernière minute. On ouvre le frigo et les placards et on prend ce qui est le plus rapide ou le plus facile à préparer. On ne prend pas le temps d’équilibrer le menu. On sort des pâtes, du beurre, de la crème, des lardons, des plats tout préparés pourris de produits chimiques, d’huile de palme et de conservateurs… Je ne compte plus le nombre de fois ou je me suis fait des spaghetti Carbonara parce que c’était la solution la plus simple (ou quelques belles tartines de Nutella avec du beurre salé:0)

Au déjeuner aujourd’hui: Ceviche (salade avec quartiers de citron vert et de pamplemousse, crevettes, avocat, oignon rouge, tomates cerise et aneth. Délicieux aussi avec de la coriandre fraiche. Arroser d’huile d’olive et de vinaigre de vin rouge (normalement on met du jus de citron vert, mais comme j’avais le fruit entier…) Servez avec des chips de maïs. IMG_2699

Tip #4: Plan your meals

Yes it does take a little time, but this is the best habit to develop when you want to shop smarter and end up with a healthier diet. When we don’t plan, we wait for the last minute (when we’re hungry) and we grab whatever is easiest/fastest to prepare from the fridge or cupboards. How many times have I made ​​spaghetti Carbonara or a bad sandwich because it was the easiest or fastest solution?!

At lunch today: Ceviche (lime and grapefruit wedges, shrimp, avocado, red onion, cherry tomatoes and dill. Delicious also with fresh coriander. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar (or lime juice, but I had the whole fruit in there already…) Serve with corn chips.

Losing weight the French way (Tip #3) – Perdre du poids sans se priver (Astuce N°3)

Posted on by
31

Tip #3: Each plate should be 1/3 protein, 1/3 colored vegetables, 1/3 white stuff (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes…)

Today’s lunch: Olive chicken with watercress (I also had 1 medium baked potato, but it didn’t look good enough and wasn’t invited to the photo shoot:0)IMG_2584

Just bake the chicken (no fat added) with a fistful of green olives and serve with super fresh watercress and a baked or boiled potato.

Astuce n ° 3: Chaque assiette est composée d’1/3 de protéines, 1/3 des légumes verts, 1/3 de quelque chose de blanc (pain, riz, pâtes, pommes de terre …)

Aujourd’hui pour le déjeuner: poulet aux olives sur lit de cresson (j’ai aussi ajouté 1 pomme de terre moyenne cuite au four. Elle avait une sale tête, et ne fut pas invitée à la séance photo:0)IMG_2651

Faites rôtir le poulet (pas de matières grasses) avec une poignée d’olives vertes et servez sur un lit de cresson. Faites cuire la pomme de terre au four ou bouillie.

And the big winner is…

Posted on by
26

So here we are. The time has come to announce the big winner of our contest. I was going to wait for midnight Paris time, but this person is so far ahead in the game that I can announce it now…P1030499 _Snapseed

The winner of our grand prize is:

Jeanette from Global Grazers!

Jeannette wins a 3 night stay at Château St Jacques Calon. Three days to visit the best vineyards, farmers’ markets and restaurants France has to offer… Well done! You just need to contact me to find out what dates are available.

A Fat Girl’s Guide to Eating in South Korea came in second. Better luck next time! JUST KIDDING!! I decided that since the two of you came so close, you would win as well:0) So get your passport in order and call me to find out what dates are still available.

I cannot wait to meet you guys in person!!

Many thanks to all of you who participated! We will have this contest again soon:0)

Losing weight the French way (Tip #2) – Perdre du poids sans se priver (Astuce N°2)

Posted on by
41

(In English below)IMG_4707 _Snapseed

Astuce N°2: Trois repas par jour (Pas de grignotages entre les repas et n’oubliez pas le petit déjeuner). Ceci bien sûr ne s’applique pas aux diabétiques ou aux athlètes qui doivent manger régulièrement tout au long de la journée.

Déjeuner du jour: Véritable quiche Lorraine (c’est à dire SANS FROMAGE!)

99% d’entres vous connaissent la recette, mais bon, en guise de rappel:

  1. Pâte brisée dans un moule à tarte
  2. Battez 4 ou 5 oeufs en omelette et ajoutez y 30cl de crème fraiche (j’utilise la liquide), 250g de lardons fumés et une bonne pincée de muscade fraichement grattée. Salez et poivrez.
  3. Au four à 200°c pendant 30mn environ (le centre doit être à peine cuit)
  4. Servez avec une salade verte ou une salade de tomates l’étéIMG_4692

Tip # 2: Three square meals a day (no snacking between meals and no skipping breakfast). This of course does not apply to athletes or diabetics who should eat regularly throughout the day.

Lunch today was a TRUE Quiche Lorraine (ie NO CHEESE!)

99% of you may know the recipe, but hey, as a reminder:

  1. Put pastry in a pie pan (not the puffy kind, the apple pie kind)
  2. Beat 4 or 5 eggs like an omelette and add 30cl of cream, 250g smoked bacon and a pinch of nutmeg. Salt (not too much because of the bacon) and pepper.
  3. Oven at 400°F for about 30 minutes (the center should be barely cooked)
  4. Serve with mixed greens or tomato salad in the summer (with a simple vinaigrette)IMG_4705 _Snapseed