February 27, 2006
Le Sirop de Rose de Pierre Hermé
[Pierre Hermé's Rose Syrup]
I attended the two-day Omnivore Food Festival in Le Havre last week, during which a number of renowned chefs gave cooking demonstrations.
Among them was Pierre Hermé: he didn't actually pipe the ganache himself, but rather commented on his pastries as his sous-chef expertly assembled them onstage. The main focus of the presentation was the Ispahan -- his signature pairing of rose, litchi and raspberry -- and the w...
"Le Sirop de Rose de Pierre Hermé" continues »
February 23, 2006
Cookies from a Jar
When we have friends over for Sunday brunch, the bulk of the meal is conveniently store-bought from the small shops around us. A generous cheese platter, a few items from the charcuterie (such as sliced bone-in ham, terrines, and sometimes eggs in aspic for a bit of harmless proselytizing), ample supplies of fresh baguette (usually a mix of plain and multigrain), and a selection of croissants and pains au chocolat (always a difficult thing to g...
"Cookies from a Jar" continues »
February 19, 2006
Grocery Store Staples
I don't really mind waiting in line at the grocery store. Don't get me wrong, I don't choose the slowest cashier on purpose: that usually happens without any special effort on my part. But I do enjoy this idle time, during which I can study the latest chewing-gum innovations (they seem to come up with new ones every other week), mentally review my shopping list (and make the occasional frantic dash for that one capital item I forgot), and more ...
"Grocery Store Staples" continues »
February 15, 2006
Cours de Cuisine Traditionnelle: Update
[Traditional French Cooking Class: Update]
It has been much much longer than I thought it would be since my first post about the traditional French cooking class I am taking this year (read more about it here). Let me tell you, if you think quitting your dayjob will give you more time, you are as mistaken as I was -- time just seems to have hopped on a supersonic jet since I started working for myself.
Anyway. Since I am now about halfway thr...
"Cours de Cuisine Traditionnelle: Update" continues »
February 13, 2006
Biscuits Chocolat et Fèves de Cacao
[Chocolate and Cacao Nib Cookies]
Soft and cakey and thrice chocolate-flavored -- from the velvet of melted chocolate, the strength of cocoa powder, and the aromatic crunch of cacao nibs -- these bite-size cookies should fit into either one of these Valentine's Day scenarios:
1. You tend to throw yourself rhapsodically into the whole gift-and-card-and-flower-giving thing: it's fun, it's red, and it gives you the perfect excuse to buy and eat ...
"Biscuits Chocolat et Fèves de Cacao" 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 chopped parsley, a small piece of tomato and a slice of cornichon.
I am well aware that this may not seem...
February 6, 2006
Paris and Olive
[Photography by Myles New]
Just a heads-up for those of you who are in the UK: the March issue of Olive magazine has just come out, and it includes a feature I wrote on Paris dining.
If you don't have access to British mags where you live (in Paris, you can buy Olive for 6.90€ at WH Smith, 248 rue de Rivoli in the 1st), here is the list of restaurants, stores and hotels mentioned in the article....
February 2, 2006
Macaron d'Amiens
[Macaron from Amiens]
The French macaron seems to have gained international fame in the past few years, but I thought it was time to dispell a common misconception: the delicate confection, made of two rounds of shiny and smooth almond meringue sandwiched together by a creamy filling, is not the only type of French macaron one can enjoy. The one that benefits from the spotlight is the Ladurée-style macaron, sometimes referred to as the macaron...
"Macaron d'Amiens" continues »