Jul 11
It is summertime in France and the open markets are bursting with color and flavor. Since barbecuing is technically illegal in Paris, given the fire hazard and all….we have to head to our local restos to get a plate of perfectly grilled vegetables. But nothing tastes better on a long summer’s night. Don’t you agree?
Jul 10
As if there weren’t enough lip-smacking things to gobble up in France, along comes the tried-and-true crème Chantilly fresh from the town of Chantilly in Picardy. This is not what you would call delicate whipped cream. It is a hardy, stand-alone dessert topper whose snowy peaks and designs hold their shapes after a good whisking, like a 60s beehive-hairdo shellacked with VO5 spray.
As the story goes, French Chef Vatel first came up with the recipe to help “stretch out” his short supply of cream during a banquet given by Fouquet honoring the Sun King. (Supposedly he never lived to taste the cream because he committed suicide during the banquet when he found out there was also a shortage of fish for the diners.)
His one-time secret recipe is now a standard in French cooking, and the essential ingredient for a perfect Chantilly cream is top-quality whole crème fraîche (fresh cream), with a bit of icing sugar, and pod of vanilla mixed in; But beware, precise whisking is a must as too many strokes will turn the cream to butter…not necessarily the worst outcome, mais probably not the best consistency for embellishing desserts.
When visiting Chantilly, be sure to order a big bowl of the delicious cream to share.
Jul 5
I know bubble tea was invented in Taiwan 30 years ago, but I never tasted it until I moved to Paris. It is a rare treat for me, and deadly calorific, but it is a favorite of Button’s, and we were out-and-about at the Centre Pompidou yesterday, so stopped in for a cuppa.
It is the “bobas” or the small tapioca pearls that she loves and that give the tea its name.
The Chinese prefer the bubble black tea, but I prefer the light almond-milk tea or the mango bubbles. What do you prefer?
I am starting to wonder if I will ever lose those last 10 lbs. while I am living in Paris. I only seem capable of “being good” for 4-5 days at a time, and then I have a complete breakdown and wander into a gorgeous pâtisserie and it is back to square one and late-night bike rides on my vélo d’appartement trying to burn the extra calories from the day.
Let’s just say, it will be a very late evening tonight as I mistakenly strolled into Eric Kayser for a healthy quinoa, salmon and roquette salad and came away with a bit more than I bargained for.
Damn, the French and their daily menus which include a boisson (drink) and dessert along with the salad for only an extra €2.30.
As I have missed several days of blogging this week (due to the deluge of American guests à l’hôtel Nancy—going on 24 days, but who’s counting…), I looked at the stunning display of desserts and thought, “I’ll do a post on tartelettes.” And that mes amis is where the diet went all to hell.
Argh! I almost always go for the fruity tartelettes, mais aujourd’hui, I put my healthy blinders on and went straight for the chocolate and caramel display. And then I saw it, those two magnificent flavors combined, and a mini-dessert I had somehow managed not to discover over the course of nearly 3 years: la tartelette au caramel et chocolate. Donc, I had to buy one. After all, it was a better deal to get the menu instead of just a salad and drink.
Long story short, I split the first one with Button. It was divine, like heaven popped on a plate. And then for the sake of my readers, I bought a second one to bring home and photograph (and retaste) for my blog. Curses!
Below please see my six favorite tartelettes that I have eaten at one time or the other over the past years all for you and in the name of research:
tartelette caramel chocolat
tartelette aux poires
source: http://www.foodreporter.fr
tartelette mascarpone fruits rouges
tartelette aux pommes
tartelette au citron
tartelette abricots et pistaches
Vocabulaire
mais aujourd’hui: but today
mes amis: my friends
vélo d’appartement: exercise bike
Jun 15
Last night Superman and I were invited to une petite fête with a very international crowd. Being part of an international community in France is one of the things I love most about my life in France. After nearly three years in Paris, we have friends from all over the world, and it is wonderful…plus now I get to have things like this for dinner:
C’était délicieux! Era deliziosa! Estaba delicioso! Es war lecker! To je izvrsno! Det var lækkert! Ήταν πολύ νόστιμο! Ez finom volt! Bhí sé blasta! It was delicious! 美味しかった！To było pyszne! Bilo je veoma ukusno! มันอร่อยดี! Het was heerlijk!
Vocabulaire
petite fête: close gathering, party
Jun 14
It seems like it has been awhile since I did a post on food, but I was reminded yesterday evening when I attended a dessert party (so much for the ole regime, encore), of the sometimes underrated mille-feuille, or thousand leaves pastry.
Also know as the Napoleon, it consists of two layers of crème pâtissière sandwiched between three layers of pâte feuilletée traditionally glazed with a white icing and chocolate stripes. The even more delicious versions are filled with whipped cream and/or jam and lightly dusted with confectioner’s sugar or cocoa, or both.
If you are lucky enough to live in France, comme moi, there is no need to ever attempt to make a mille-feuille chez vous, but for those of you who don’t live in France, here is a très instructive recipe video (complete with happy French café music and crackling puff pastry sounds), so you can taste this yummy French dessert at your house.
Vocabulaire
chez vous: at your house
comme moi: like me
crème pâtissière: pastry creme
pâte feuilletée: puff pastry
“L’avenir d’un enfant est l’oeuvre de sa mere.” (The future of a child is the work of his mother.)-Napoleon Bonaparte
While Mother’s Day in America was first officially celebrated in 1914 after Anna Jarvas campaigned for six long years for a day to honor “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world,” Mother’s Day in France came to be celebrated with slightly more practical and economic intentions behind it: the necessity to repopulate a country distressed by its declining birth rate.
In fact, French Mother’s Day was first instituted with an award attached to it for producing a high number of children. In 1906, a medal of haut mérite maternel (high maternal merit) was awarded to mother’s who had more than nine children. By 1918, some cities in France had established les Journée Nationale des Mères de Familles Nombreuses (National Day for Mother’s of Large Families), and in 1920 it became an official national holiday celebrated on the last Sunday of May. From the 1920s through 1940 the French government continued to support the holiday to help officially promote and reward large family policy and honor those mothers’ with the ability and desire to pop out baby after baby.
During the reign of the Vichy government, in an attempt to win favor with all mothers, the occupational government (while still actively promoting large family policies), extended the holiday to honor all mothers, even those with smaller families. After the war ended, Mother’s Day gradually became less attached to politics and nationalism, and became more of a day to celebrate your fabulous do-it-all mom.
While I was researching the history of French Mother’s Day, I came across this poster from 1941 Vichy France offering advice on how French children should behave on Mother’s Day and throughout the year, according to the field marshal, no less…
Ta maman a tout fait pour toi, le Maréchal te demande de l’en remercier gentiment.
Invente la surprise la plus belle que tu pourras, celle qui lui fera le plus grand plaisir.
Offre-lui des fleurs que tu auras cueillies…
ou un cadeau que tu auras fabriqué exprès pour elle…
Fais-lui un dessin aussi beau que tu pourras…
Fais un effort en classe pour rapporter de bonnes notes…
Ne te dispute pas avec tes frères et sœurs…
Va faire les commissions sans qu’elle te le demande…
Aide au ménage en souriant…
Apprends une jolie récitation…
Travail-Famille-Patrie.
(Your mom has done everything for you, the field marshal asks you to thank her kindly.
Come up with the most beautiful surprise you can that will give her the greatest pleasure…
Offers her flowers that you picked …or a gift you have made especially for her …
Draw her the nicest picture you can …
Make an effort in class to make good grades …
Do not fight with your brothers and sisters …
Run errands without her asking …
Help with the household with a smile…
Learn a beautiful recitation …
(Remember) Work-Family-Homeland)
…and finally in France, fête your lovely mother with a gorgeous cake from your kitchen or pâtisserie that looks like a bouquet of flowers or something too delicious to be true.
source: Meeting the French
Bonne fête des mères!
365+ Things I Love About France 