07.30.07
Posted in Cuisine at 11:25 pm by rachel
It sounds bizarre, which I suppose it is, but the people over at Eating Well magazine have come up with a deliciously light chicken recipe involving blackberries, nectarines, and cilantro. It’s served over polenta spiced with cumin.
I had the pleasure of tasting this dish when I was invited to the weekly Wednesday-night dinner that some friends of a friend host at their country home in southeastern Wisconsin. The hostess chooses the recipe, divides up the grocery list to all the guests, and then has everybody over for food, wine, and a whole evening of fun. While my pictionary team didn’t collect too many points, we did succeed in finishing off every last bite of the meal.
The recipe is online here.
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06.08.07
Posted in Cuisine, Paris Life, Travel at 7:58 am by rachel
When it comes to eating a classic French meal in the more touristy areas of Paris, quality food and a pleasant experience are sometimes hard to find. Here are some of the tried-and-true dining establishments we’ve come to love.
3rd arrondissement:
Chez Janou
2, rue Roger Verlomme
01.42.72.28.41 You will need this phone number to reserve a table; this restaurant fills up fast!
Traditional provençale cuisine with an emphasis on fish dishes. Try a pre-dinner “apéro”: a large selection of pastis, the anis-flavored liqueur from Provence. The atmosphere is busy and the walls are covered in vintage posters of films based in Provence (notably screen adaptations of Marcel Pagnol’s popular books).
5th arrondissement:
Café Panis
21, Quai Montebello
Reliable classics like French onion soup and croque monsieur, with a friendly waitstaff. To accompany your lamb or steak-frites, order a bottle of Cotes du Rhone for 12.50. Old Latin-quarter feel with old books filling the walls of bookshelves. Hard to believe such an “authentic” feeling place could be just across the Seine from the tourist center that is Notre Dame Cathedral. I wouldn’t say there are no tourists here, but it doesn’t have the high-stress atmosphere of some other Latin Quarter restaurants a few blocks over on rue de la Huchette.
6th arrondissement:
Le Bistrot d’Henri
16, rue Princesse
01.46.33.51.12
Metro: Mabillon
Traditional French cuisine, from the foie gras entrée (if you dare…) to the crème caramel dessert. Prix-fixe menus under 20 euros.
La Bastide d’Opio
9, rue Guisarde
01.43.29.01.84
Provençale cuisine that may even beat Chez Janou (see above). Fish, chicken, and brochettes (skewers of meat) are delicious here. The daily specials are particularly recommended - classic flavors with creative flair. Don’t forget to order a dry rosé from the Aix-en-Provence area: not sweet, but an oh-so-refreshing complement to the sunny, savory food.
10th arrondissement:
Chez Julien
16, rue du Faubourg Saint Denis
01.47.70.12.06
The Flo chain of restaurants has received some bad press, but I was impressed with my dining experience at Chez Julien. The exquisitely preserved Belle-Époque dining room is quite a marvel, with stained glass peacocks and art déco paintings of muses. My salmon was tasty, as was my île flotante dessert (”floating island,” in the above picture). A friend was disappointed in her crème caramel, which was flavored with a hint of orange. Nonetheless, a friendly and fun dinner.
18th arrondissement:
Le Bruant
rue des Abesses, in Montmartre
Prix fixe menu for 17.50 or 23 euros, depending on how fancy a dish you’d like to order. Bistro classics (steaks and chicken) and live jazz several nights a week.
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05.31.07
Posted in Cuisine at 9:13 am by rachel
My sister let me in on her secret to tomato sauce – a few tablespoons of vinegar – and I will never buy the stuff in a bottle again.
I added the following ingredients in the order listed, then simmered for about 10 minutes, to let some of the vinegar cook down. Who knew homemade sauce could make for such a quick and easy meal?
~ 2 T olive oil
~ 2 large onions, chopped
~ 3 cloves garlic, minced
~ 6 tomatoes, blanched, seeds and skin removed (use canned in a pinch)
~ 4 large basil leaves, chopped (use scissors to make chopping easier)
~ about 75g tomato paste
~ 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
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05.21.07
Posted in Cuisine at 8:03 am by rachel
Purists beware, I like to call “salade niçoise” any random assortment of vegetables, lettuce, and tuna in a vinaigrette. What a wonderful way to eat fresh veggies and it’s an all-you-can-eat dish you can feel healthy about.
This weekend, we made one such salad out of the following:
~Avocado
~Green Beans lightly steamed in olive oil and herbes de Provence
~Red Pepper, also lightly steamed
~Mâche greens (apparently these delicious, not-bitter-at-all greens are called “corn salad” in English)
~Cucumber
~Albacore tuna
My variation on the accompanying vinaigrette:
~ 2 tablespoons olive oil
~ 2 tablespoons vinaiger
~ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
~ 1 teaspoon mayonaise
~ dash of salt
Other possible add-ins are:
~olives
~hard-boiled eggs
~tomatoes
~use fresh tuna, seared, instead of the canned variety
Julia Child’s version is here. The salad is made even more delicious when accompanied by a dry rosé. Try one from Côteaux d’Aix-en-Provence.
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05.10.07
Posted in Cuisine at 8:47 am by rachel
In college, while living with a vegetarian foodie, I learned a lot about cooking grains. Varying grains, and using them in the place of pasta, means a healthier diet including more vitamins and fiber. They contain protein, but do lack some essential amino acids, so make a complete protein by eating grains along with green vegetables and legumes, such as lentils and beans. I recently discovered that my grocery store carries many kinds of grains in their organic (”biologique” in French) section, and so I’ve stocked up. The ratio of grain to water always escapes me, however, leaving me scrambling to find this information online while my vegetables are overcooking.
Thankfully, I found a Grains Cooking Guide website, which has excellent step-by-step instructions complete with photos. What I really wanted, however, was a quick chart that had the ratios of grain to water volume for each grain and any special instructions (do I cover and remove from heat? simmer? for how long?). I have now done my homework and made my own chart, which I happily share below and to which I will add as I find the need. Feel free to comment and let me know what’s missing. Click on the thumbnail below for the full-size version:
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05.04.07
Posted in Cuisine, Paris Life at 7:55 am by rachel
We tried macarons for the first time since moving here in September. That is, it was the first time we had macarons that were not from Picard, the frozen-food store (it’s not as bad as it sounds). The verdict? Delicious, but choose your flavors wisely. The hazelnut-chocolate ones were divine, as well as the coconut ones. Raspberry was made with read raspberry compote, as was the black current variety. The pistachio macaron tasted a bit like chevre cheese, for whatever reason, but my sister thought it tasted more like a (very expensive, 1.30 euro) birthday candle with a little frosting on it.
Rumour has it that the best Parisian macarons are to be found at Ladurée, the original inventor of the new macaron in 1930. Apart from the birthday candle, we were impressed with ours from Pain de Sucre, at 14, rue Rambuteau, which is also home to our alltime favorite baguette à l’ancienne.
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04.26.07
Posted in Crafts, Cuisine at 1:07 pm by rachel
My favorite craft magazine, the quarterly Marie Claire Idées, has a beautiful supplement issue out right now about kitchen decoration. Now, I may 1) rent, 2) not have a ton of counter space, or 3) have the best appliances (is that a toaster oven? My poor cakes and tarts…), but this issue has inspired me to personalize some aspects of daily kitchen life. For example:
~ turn girly, flowery flea-market plates and tea cups into a stacked serving tray
~ choose a classic red-and-white decor, inspired by the classic French kitchen dishcloth (growing up, my granny’s kitchen had red and white checks everywhere - cheerful!)
~ turn antique silverware (inexpensive, miss-matched pieces) into hooks for various gadgets and towels
Best of all, it comes with the cutest little blank notebook for recipes! Ah, life’s simple pleasures…
For more about Marie-Claire Idees, check out this post on Craft Lover’s blog.
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04.04.07
Posted in Crafts, Cuisine, Yarn Arts at 10:27 am by rachel
Where has all my crafting gone? I am in the midst of knitting two nautical sweaters for May/June twins, but am hung up on gauge problems and have yet to find more of the yarn I need. I am thinking of scraping it and getting a new stash alltogether!
In the mean time, I have a lot of cotton and so I’ve decided to add some home-made love to the everyday by making knit dishrags and towels for the kitchen. Mason Dixon Knitting has inspired me with this post, which includes a free pattern for a 9-square dishrag. I made up my own pattern, however, since I needed to use a little less brain power to make my first dishcloth on the morning commute.
Cast 51 stitches onto size 4 straight needles. Rows 1-10: moss stitch (K1,P1,K1 to the end). Rows 11-20: stockinette stitch with moss stitch border (row 11: moss stitch for 8 stitches, K35, moss stitch for 8 stitches, row 12: same, but P35 instead of K35). Rows 21-40: odd rows: moss stitch for 8 stitches, K8, moss stitch for 18 stitches, K8, moss stitch for 8; even rows: same but P8 each time instead of K8. Rows 41-50: stockinette stitch with moss stitch border. Rows 51-60: moss stitch. Cast off.
*EDIT* I just found a picture of a hexagonal dishrag! I must make one! Craft Lover’s blog has instructions on how to make a knit hexagon.
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03.25.07
Posted in Cuisine at 12:08 pm by rachel
I make quiche at least once a week. Served hot or cold, this versatile dish can incorporate leftover vegetables and cheese and can be eaten at any time of day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night snack… It can be made a day ahead of time, so feeding a crowd becomes a breeze. For a brunch, make one with bacon and another vegetarian, and spend your time making mimosas instead of slaving over the stove.
My standard filling is grilled mushrooms, onions, and shredded Emmental cheese. In France, it’s easy to find prepared crust dough (which tastes better to me than those already-in-a-pie-pan ones in the States). I use pâte brisée, you can click here for a recipe to make your own.
Basic Quiche Filling
Makes one quiche, which serves approximately 6 for breakfast or 4 for lunch/dinner.
What you need:
pâte brisée
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp butter
4 eggs
1 cup light cream or whole milk
1 cup shredded hard cheese (like swiss)
What to do:
Caramelize the onion in the butter by frying in a pan over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes (see nondescript photo below). While the onions are cooking, place the pâte brisée in a non-stick pie pan (no need to grease it) and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. If you are using vegetables for the filling, add these to the frying pan after about 5 minutes. Putting fresh vegetables – especially mushrooms – in the quiche without pre-cooking will cause a watery mess. Also pre-cook any meats, such as bacon, since raw meat in the quiche will not become crispy and will end up chewy and unappetizing.
In a small bowl, mix the eggs with the light cream.
Put the filling into the crust in the following order (this is important, as cheese on the bottom will make the crust mushy):
meats (if using)
onion and vegetable mixture
cheese
egg mixture
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean.
Serve with a simple green salad to put a healthy face on all that butter and cheese. Oh, and don’t forget a festive drink:
Mimosa Cocktail
1/2 oz triple sec
1 1/2 oz fresh orange juice
3 1/2 oz chilled Champagne
orange slice for garnish
Close-up of onion and mushroom filling:
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03.07.07
Posted in Cuisine at 8:13 pm by rachel
I love cooking with red lentils. They are teeny tiny, so you can buy them dry, store them forever, and they will cook fast (you don’t have to pre-soak and plan 4 hours ahead like some dried legumes). They turn a yellowish color once cooked, so do not be alarmed when they seem to disappear.
This recipe is a variation on a soup that my friend Robert made when we lived in Aix-en-Provence way back when. I remember looking at his recipe card and it was called something like “Spicy Lentil Soup” and had a hand-written note next to the name that said “’spicy’ not hot.” So rest assured, this will not burn your mouth at all, but it is quite flavorful!
Red Lentil Soup
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6
What you need:
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek, cut into rounds
2 medium carrots, cut into rounds
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup dry red lentils
1 small can corn, drained
salt to taste
1 wine bottle of water (750 cl)
What to do:
Over med-high heat, cook the oil in a soup pot and add the onions and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes, or until onions are soft. Add the spices, then the leek, and cook a further 5 minutes. Add half the water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the carrots. Cook 5 minutes. Add the rest of the water and once boiling, add the lentils. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until lentils are soft. Add the corn just before serving.
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