November 2007 archives

I’ve been trying to convince my French friends that yes…marshmallows do go atop sweet potatoes.

But only once a year. And only on Thanksgiving.

Maybe more than Americans, French people do like marshmallows. A lot. You see them in many bakeries and pastry shops, often in long strands, on display either in lengths or tied into knots, in apothecary jars. It’s a tradition that goes back, before the advent of gelatin, when marshmallows were made with mallow extract which was (and still may be) considered good for your respiratory system.

Nowadays the French eat lots of marshmallows, not necessarily on sweet potatoes, but as a candy or le snack. And my local pharmacy still carries them…although I don’t think they’re covered by my health insurance.

Continue Reading Marshmallows in Paris: Pain de Sucre…

I know you’re wondering why I’m not talking about chocolate since I just posted a slew of chocolate faqs. But I made this recipe for a birthday party last weekend and had to share it.

You can curse me now…but thank me later once you’ve tasted it.

…and yes, you’re welcome. (In advance.)

A recent story on CNN talked about how America’s Favorite French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, was not bourgeois, noting that he didn’t grow up in a rarified family and as the (American) commentator exclaimed…“He didn’t grow up eating pâté!”

I thought that was pretty funny since meaty pâtés and rillettes aren’t upscale delicacies in France, but are considered everyday fare. And some of the best pâtés I’ve had were country-style spreads, or rillettes. Rillettes are usually made with long-cooked salted pork, rabbit, or goose, which is them shredded then mashed with fat to produce a rich, rustic paste for spreading on bread.

If you get a bad one, you’ll think you’re being served something intended for Rover.

But a good one, the best rillettes you find, are nearly buttery-smooth and rich with the taste of fork-tender meat.

Continue Reading Salmon Spread Recipe: Salmon Rillettes…

Prompted by some of your comments and messages, here are some chocolate frequently-asked questions…

My chocolate has gray streaks. It is okay to use?

That’s called ‘bloom’ and it happens when the chocolate melts or gets warm, and then cools again without being tempered. When you buy chocolate, it is already tempered. However if it’s exposed to heat or melted, it can fall out of temper. (You can read my instructions for how to temper chocolate.)

Those streaks that you see is harmless cocoa fat rising to the surface because when the chocolate was warmed, it lost its emulsion (like chicken stock or vinaigrette separates when heated, then cooled.) Similarly, if there are crystal-like formations on the surface, those indicate ‘sugar bloom’ and the chocolate is safe to use. In either case, the chocolate can be melted and used as normal.

If there is green mold, or anything furry, that means the chocolate got damp. In that case, it should be tossed.

How long does chocolate last?

Continue Reading Chocolate FAQs…

I’ve received a number of questions about cooking classes in Paris recently.

If you’re coming to Paris and would like information about cooking classes, whether you’re looking for professional or classes geared towards the home cook, you’ll find a comprehensive list that I put together at: Paris Cooking Classes

You can use the links provided to find out which are taught in English and/or French, as well as their schedule.

Bon Appétit!

Continue Reading Paris Cooking Classes…

Most people when they think of France, they think of only two places: Paris and Provence. While I’ll admit both are lovely spots for a visit (or in the case of Paris, to live in), there’s a lot more to this country than those two destinations. I suppose the romance of lavender in everything and hoards of tourists does have its appeal, but to me, Gascony is one of my favorite destinations in France.

And during my recent trip to Kate’s kitchen, near Agen, we spent last weekend cooking up cassoulet of all sorts, tasting local products, and drinking Armagnac with great restraint (that stuff is st-rong!) There was lots of choose from, but to keep our wits about us, our primary fuel was the darkest vin rouge in France: Cahors, often called ‘black wine’, made from just up to the north of us, from the canal and boat I called home for the weekend.

(Note: This post contains photos of animals used for cooking, some resembling their natural state. It’s part of life in the French countryside where that’s part of their way of life. Just a mention in case you’re sensitive to seeing things like that.)

Continue Reading Camp Cassoulet…

…that people get over the fact that The Food Network isn’t all about food and it isn’t the place to learn how to cook.

It’s probably never going to be and is simply entertainment. It’s what it is. Criticizing them for the lack of serious cooking on their programs is like complaining that there’s not enough hard-news in Jay Leno’s monologue.

If you want to learn how to cook, crack open a cookbook by Richard Olney or Jacques Pepin, take a cooking class, or follow along while watching Julia Child on The French Chef on DVD.

…that people please stop using that phrase “Fat is flavor”.

Espresso, ground cinnamon, marshmallows, red wine, maple syrup, fresh ginger, Ranch Gordo beans, arugula, soy sauce, cranberries, Château Yquem, Concord grapes and sea salt are delicious and absolutely loaded with flavor. Yet they have zero or just very trace amounts of fat.

Fat is not a hero nor is it a villain.

But if you think fat equals flavor, eat a spatula-full of Crisco vegetable shortening and let me know how it tastes.

Continue Reading I Hereby Declare……

If G. Detou didn’t exist, I couldn’t live in Paris.

Seriously. The overstocked, but impeccably neat shelves at G. Detou do indeed have everything, as the name implies in French (J. Detou is a play-on-words, meaning “I have everything”.) But when you’re someone like me that does an inordinate amount of baking, plus loves…and I mean loves…to discover new and unusual foods and chocolates, a place like G. Detou is truly pastry paradise.

This little shop near Les Halles is stocked, literally, floor-to-ceiling with everything a cook or baker could want. There’s chocolates from across France, including a huge (and I mean huge) selection of bars including Michel Cluizel, Valrhona, Voisin, Weiss, Bonnat, Cacao Barry—the best of l’hexagone.

But even better are the big tablets and sacks that range from 3 to 5 kilos, that hard-cores bakers like me depend on. Although I’m not the only avid chocolate baker in town: When I was in last week, a tiny, meek little old lady came by and left hefting a 3-kilo sack of white chocolate, and a man in a hurry, who didn’t remove the cell phone from his ear while he rattled off his order to the red-coated salesclerk, left with five enormous sacks of chocolate, as well as assorted other goodies.

Continue Reading G. Detou in Paris…