That Fabulous Paris Dinner

That Fabulous Paris Dinner

So last week as I rambled on about Versailles and the amazing desserts we had, I promised I would tell you about The Dinner. 🙂 The time has come! But first I must back up a bit, to my first night in Paris on that trip to visit my brother, Ryan.

It being a fine evening we decided to walk to dinner so off we went, striding along cobbled streets, weaving in and out of fellow diners wending their way to favorite spots. Suddenly we felt a few rain drops on our faces and within seconds it was a torrential downpour!!! Rain dumped from the heavens while a wild wind hurled rain drops straight at us! It was hilarious! Our best efforts at making ourselves beautiful for dinner were dashed and I laughed and Ryan didn’t as we huddled under a teensy overhang that did little to protect us from the elements. Then Ry spotted a phone booth and we scurried over to it just as the sky opened up wider and it REALLY started pouring. Rivers of water gushed down streets that had been bone dry only moments before, lightening flashed and I laughed delightedly as Ry shook his head in amusement at his loony sister. 🙂

Then suddenly it was over. People emerged from doorways and continued on their way as if that crazy storm had never happened. 🙂 We arrived at Aux Crus de Bourgogne looking rather the worse for wear, but were greeted warmly and had a good laugh at our adventure. 🙂

This restaurant is one of Ryan’s favorites. It is just around the corner from his apartment and he eats there at least 2 or 3 times a week. The staff all know him by name and positively beam with delight when we enter. As soon as they know I’m his sister, I’m greeted with a flurry of kisses from perfect strangers and treated like an old family friend.

We had such a great evening! We ate with a couple of Ry’s coworkers, Pat, a hilarious Canadian and Bertrand, a suave Frenchman who is married but, as Ry put it, “he’s never let that stop him.” 😉 We had a great time. The food was delicious and, thanks to the highly amusing Pat (and Ryan, per usual :-)), conversation was a delight. 🙂

We started out with wine, a delicious red, followed by foie gras (a silky smooth bit of heaven!) spread on toast, crudites (including the most gorgeous little radishes!) dipped in grey salt, and various thinly sliced sausages.

For the main course I had beef bourguignon with mashed potatoes in honor of Julia Childs – absolute PERFECTION!! I’ve never tasted anything like it. The beef was fork tender, the sauce rich and dense with the flavors of caramelized vegetables and red wine.

Pat had roast rooster and Ry and Bertrand had beautiful fresh fish deboned and lightly breaded. Three bottles of wine later, we added dessert: divine chocolate mousse and cherries in brandy – unbelievably good! Then Bertrand decided we all needed to have a glass of Calvados and a round of prune liqueur. Bliss. 🙂

cafe paris black and white

And this is why, after our wonderful, wearying day at Versailles, we simply had to return to this little place of comfort and culinary delights.

We were greeted with handshakes and kisses and shown to our usual table. 🙂 Isn’t it marvy to have a “usual table”in Paris? 🙂 We had a splendid time. Our hosts gave us complimentary glasses of chilled white wine then brought our starters: crudites (arugula, frisee, radishes, avocado and boiled egg with house dressing), a platter of wafer thin ham, small bowl of cornichons and a basket of bread. I had every intention of ordering something new, but as soon as I remembered the bouef bourguignon I HAD to have it again. 🙂

Amy ordered the salmon topped with fleur de sel and accompanied by simple noodles, and Ry had filet of beef with mashed potatoes and haricots vert. A lovely red wine and three desserts later, we were ready for bed. Home we went, checking out the latest Paris fashions in the brightly lit windows as we passed.

Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon
(Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

Ingredients:

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
18 to 24 white onions, small
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)
1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Directions

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.
Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).
Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.
Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.
Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.
Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.
Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.
Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.
Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.
Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.
When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.
Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.
Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.
Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.
Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

A Bite of Aspic

A Bite of Aspic

I first spotted Art in an airport lounge in Seattle where I sat waiting to catch my flight home. He was dapper as can be with a tweed fedora, fitted leather jacket over a black turtleneck, wool trousers, snazzy leather shoes, and carrying a saxophone case. I was delighted and thought to myself, “If I was an elderly black man, I’d want to look just like him!”

To my surprise we were seated next to each other on the flight home and when he pulled out a travelogue book set in France, I had the sneaking feeling that he might, just might be a kindred spirit.

I took a deep breath, said hello and before we knew it we were nattering away like old friends. We talked of food and travel, music and books, family and friends, all the things that make life so beautiful. When we parted at the airport he gave me his business card and told me to keep in touch, and I went home pleased as punch to have a new friend.

A few emails later, Art invited me to have dinner with him and his fabulous wife, Donna. I was given the choice of dinner at a Mexican restaurant, a simple French dinner at home, or a full-blown 5-course French dinner. Was there any question? A date was set and on that auspicious day, over an amazing array of culinary delights, a friendship was forged that has swelled to include my siblings, parents and friends. Art and Donna are like family.

dinner party

Nowadays we get together every couple of weeks for dinner at someone’s house, starting the evening off with a round of hugs and a round of drinks, usually a fine white wine or a lovely apple schnapps.

Not long ago Art and Donna had some of us over for dinner. We sipped our cognac and visited jovially around the table while Art presented us with a beautiful tomato aspic garnished with edible flowers.

Filling our glasses with red wine, he then set a gorgeous crudités platter laden with tomatoes, artichoke hearts, thinly sliced cucumber, celery spears, boiled eggs, stuffed olives and shrimp on a bed of red leaf lettuce. Delicious.

This was followed by roasted peppers, onions and zucchini, cool and bright cucumber salad and a wonderful homemade lasagna.
As always, we ended our evening together cozy on couches in the living room watching British murder mysteries. :-)I’m so glad I said hello that day on the airplane. 🙂

Tomato Aspic
(From The Joy of Cooking)
3 1/2 cups tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp chopped onion
1 bay leaf
4 ribs celery, with leaves
1 tsp dried basil or tarragon
2 Tbsp gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
Combine everything but gelatin and water in saucepan, bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain out solids.
Soak gelatin in water then dissolve in hot, strained juice. Add water to make four cups of liquid. Pour into mold and chill until set. Garnish with edible flowers. Serves 8.
Parisian Hot Chocolate

Parisian Hot Chocolate

An icy wind is rattling my window this morning, ready to blast me in the face and toss my hair frantically the moment I step out the door.

It reminds me a of a particularly cold, blustery day in Paris when all I wanted was a cup of something warm to wrap my fingers around.

Paris Billboard

I chose a marvelous quiche chock full of spinach, cheese and roasted chicken, and a piping hot cup of chocolat chaud – real hot chocolate with melted chocolate and foamy steamed milk. Delectable on such a cold morning. Amy found a marvy looking sandwich – smoked salmon, cream cheese and thinly sliced cucumber on a fresh baguette – and a hot cup of tea with milk. We found the perfect perch on wooden bar stools overlooking the street and had our morning dose of people-watching while we visited away and made plans for the day.

French quiche

Parisian hot chocolate is so different than the lovely little packets of powder and petrified marshmallows we dump into styrofoam cups over here. Those packets are splendid in their own way. Many a camping trip, ski outing and caroling jaunt has been made bearable and delightful by their presence.

Parisian hot chocolate is made with real, dark chocolate, chopped into tiny bits that melt easily into the hot milk. It is served unsweetened and I like that. The steaming beverage is pure chocolatey, milky goodness accompanied by narrow little red envelopes of sugar for each person to sweeten to taste.

Once fortified and warmed by our bevvies and food, Amy and I bundled up again and walked to the Palais Royale to relive scenes from our beloved Audrey Hepburn movie, Charade.

Palais Royale

They even had a little black dress exhibition!

Paris black dressesI have a stack of dark chocolate I’ve been hoarding in my pantry. This afternoon I’ll be chopping, stirring and sipping while I dream of Paris.
Scharffen Berger Dark Chocolate

Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups half and half, cream, coconut milk, or milk

Directions:

  1. Place chocolate in a small saucepan.
  2. Pour boiling water over chocolate in a steady stream, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth.
  3. Add milk and stir until well-blended.
  4. Whisk continuously over medium heat, until hot. DO NOT LET BOIL or chocolate will become grainy.
  5. Serve immediately or cool then reheat when ready to serve.
Not So Scary Vichyssoise

Not So Scary Vichyssoise

I’ve devoted Plucky Thursdays to writing about recipes and foods that intimidate me, and I’m amused to find almost all of them are French! I’m not sure where this fear stems from, but it is also accompanied by a firm belief that all French recipes involve difficult steps or finicky cooking instructions.

How wrong I’ve been!

When my friend Kat wanted to try making vichyssoise with me, I was delighted! She tracked down a recipe for Lemon Zucchini Vichyssoise from an old issue of Gourmet. It sounded so fresh and yummy that we simply had to try it.

Since it was the end of the month and we were both broke, we pooled our resources and had just what we needed. She brought broth, leeks and zucchini and I contributed potatoes, onion and a lemon.Perfect!

Then we got down to business. Kat thinly sliced zucchini, leeks and lemons, while I chopped potato and onion, and ground white pepper in a mortar and pestle.

Vichysoisse ingredients

We cooked the leeks, onion and garlic in a large saucepan until the leeks were soft, added the potato, zucchini and broth and simmered until the potatoes were tender. This mixture was pureed and blended with the cream, lemon juice and seasonings, then chilled until we were ready to eat.

That first spoonful was a little burst of summer. Light, creamy, and silky smooth with the mellow flavors of the vegetables heightened by the wonderful zing of lemon and the sharp contrast of white pepper. I can’t wait to make it again!

Vichysoisse

Vichysoisse

Lemon Zucchini Vichyssoise

Gourmet – August 1994
Yield: Makes about 6 cups
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Ingredients:

1 large leek (white and pale green parts only), chopped fine and washed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
a 1/2-pound russet (baking) potato
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, sliced thin (about 4 cups)
3 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus additional to taste
ice water for thinning soup
lemon slices for garnish

Directions:

  1. In a large heavy saucepan cook leek, onion, and garlic with salt and pepper to taste in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until leek is softened.
  2. Peel potato and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add potato, zucchini, and broth to leek mixture. Simmer mixture, covered, 15 minutes, or until potato is very tender.
  3. In a blender purée mixture in batches until very smooth, transferring as puréed to a bowl.
  4. Stir in cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and chill soup at least 6 hours or overnight.
  5. Thin soup with ice water and season with additional lemon juice and salt and pepper.
  6. Garnish soup with lemon slices.
A Little French Birthday

A Little French Birthday

Much to my chagrin I spent both Thanksgiving and my birthday tucked up in bed, swathed in blankets as I sipped tea, watched old movies and tried to feel better.

I was very sad to miss out on all the festivities, so it was doubly special when my lovely friends in the CEG (Culinary Experimentation Group) made up for it with a fantastic French birthday dinner. 🙂

Amy and Don brought French red wine and Toby assembled crackers and brie to tide us over while we cooked. Kat and I tackled Gourmet’s Lemon Zucchini Vichyssoise (more on that tomorrow!) and I attempted a sharp cheese sauce with a particularly stinky cheese a new friend in France sent home with me. Toby stirred while I followed the recipe to the letter. In spite of our best efforts we ended up with an amazingly awful French glue that stuck to teeth and gums and wouldn’t come off without much prying. 🙂

Tomatoes with Dill

On the bright side, we managed not to ruin the arugula and tomato salad, a simple little dish with a lively dill and lime vinaigrette. Deborah and Kat made a lovely stove-top ratatouille with eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and onion, and Cameron smoked gorgeous scallops with his own savory blend of spices. The grand finale was Darren’s marvelously rich chocolate mousse with rum and espresso. Yowsers!!

French Birthday Dinner

It was a perfectly wonderful birthday! Thank you, dear friends! 🙂