Food Writers Panel Discussion at The American Library in Paris

This Tuesday October 14th, 2014, at 19:30, Food Writers Clotilde Dusoulier and Alexander Lobrano will discuss writing about food in France, food trends and restaurant reviewing as well as their most recent books.

Clotilde Dusoulier's latest book, Edible French: Tasty Expressions and Cultural Bites, goes into the meaning behind fifty of the French's popular food-related expressions. It makes perfect sense to me that the French use food to express the idiosyncrasies of life and she delves into the history of many of them.  Dusolier is also a Travel Writer and Food Trend Consultant (Wait! What? I want that job!!) and the creator of the immensely popular food blog,  Chocolateandzucchini  which includes her books, Paris favorites, travels and recipes. And her September Favorites includes who makes the best Pain au chocolat in Paris. 

Alexander Lobrano is a food and travel writer for some of the biggest name publications out there, living in Paris since 1986. And from his website, I learned that in the early-morning hours after this discussion, he will depart Paris to launch his California book tour with his newest book: Hungry for France, hitting San Diego, LA, SF, Napa and Larkspur. I also learned (his opening webpage is blog-style) about what he calls 'The best new restaurant of La Rentree (Fall Season)' which happens to be just across the river from us in the 16th: Restaurant Pages. My mouth is still dewy from the photos and descriptions of the elegant and delectable dishes posted. Thank you, M. Lobrano! Can't wait to try this new restaurant. 

This is definitely one discussion at the ALP I wish I wasn't missing! 

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The American Library in Paris  is located at:

10, rue du General Camou
(Just off the Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower)

75007 Paris, France

• Tel. +33 (0)1 53 59 12 60

http://www.americanlibraryinparis.org/ 

Tu-Sat: 10-19:00, Sun: 13:00-19:00

'Delicacies' of France~ Missing Paris Day

Just saw a list of  "The disgusting French delicacies that Anglos won't eat (but should)"

from TheLocal.fr.

Having spent enough time in France (well, never enough), I've heard of nearly all of them though not tried every one. 

At the top of the list is one I've tried but don't care for (sort of): 

1.) Langue de Boeuf (or Beef Tongue)~ This is my French nephew's favorite dish and one that his Grandmere makes for him every visit home. While I've tasted it, it's one of those pieces of meat whose texture never lets me forget what it is (and where it came from.) (This must be where he gets his love for lettuce!) However, I'm mad about the Sauce Gribiche that goes on it (an egg yolk and mustard sauce with capers and parsley and more.) I'll keep the Gribiche!

2.) Lapin (Rabbit)~ Another of my nephew's fave's, his father's Lapin a Moutarde (Rabbit in Mustard Sauce). Have to say I've grown to like this one though I remember trying rabbit as a 5 yr old and the taste (and thought) bothered me so much, I couldn't try it again until I started traveling to France and it was served to me at a dinner party. Eat it or... don't eat! 

3.) Tetines (Cow's Udder)~ I'm sorry but I don't even recall seeing this on a French menu. And I don't think you could get me to try it! The Chef says even he might not try this. 

4.) Ris de Veau (Calf's Pancreas)~ Often mislabeled as Sweetbread.  I've often seen this on a menu though did not realize it was the pancreas. Not interested in brain or pancreas unless eating them will increase the vitality of mine. 

5.) Pigeon (You know)~  Pretty sure I've tried it but this one's not so bothersome because we've grown up on poulet. 

6.) Tripe (Stomach)~ While The Chef loves this, the entrails and walls of the stomach of ox and sheep are not on my list of things to ever try again. 

7.) Rognons (Kidneys)~ We've been advised to have the Grandmere make them for us rather than eat them in a restaurant, just to be safer (which doesn't inspire much confidence for me.) 

8.) Andouilette (Sausage of Pig's intestines)~ While we're used to sausage, I can't get used to the flavor of this one. Sort of that latrine finish going for it. 

9.) Steak Tartare (chopped raw meat)~ I've tried one bite of this and...not ready again. 

10.) Foie Gras (Goose liver)~ My all-time favorite French delicacy! I know people have trouble with the raising (and methods of feeding) geese for this purpose but served with an onion confit and a sweet white wine, it is to die for! (Sorry, no pun intended.) 

11.) Tete de Veau (Head of Veal)~ The Chef's favorite, not mine. 

12.) Oursins (Sea Urchin-- in photo above)~ I don't even recall seeing this on the menu but I can tell you from looking at the photo, I won't be trying it. Escargot (which is my 2nd favorite) is the only slimy I can do, mainly because of the sauce with all that butter and garlic and parsley. 

Now go out and try some Tripe. You know, at that French restaurant downtown. And leave the sea urchins on the beach!

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To see photos of each, click on TheLocal list below. 

(List from TheLocal.fr)

(Photo from Marco Busdraghi from Wikipedia)

L'Atelier des Chefs

This winter, while somehow managing to finagle our first trip to Paris in far too long, we made 2 appointments for cooking classes at L'Atelier des Chefs (my partner's long-held desire and last summer's birthday gift).

L'Atelier des Chefs cooking school (http://www.atelierdeschefs.com/) has five different locations in Paris (as well as several other cities in France--Bordeaux, Dijon, Lille, Lyon, Nantes, and also including Brussels, London and Dubai).

Just before Christmas we arrived for our first class at the Printemps Nation location (inside the illustrious Printemps department store at 21, cours de Vincennes, <4th>, Paris, 75020. Telephone: 01.53.30.05.82. Metro lines: 1,2,6,9; Porte de Vincennes).

Our chef and instructor, Steve Hanot, greeted us warmly and after our first instruction (everyone must wash hands!) offered us our very own plastic aprons and we were off! The menu for that day was large but not terribly complicated (thank goodness); Soup of oranges, clementines and mangos with a chestnut crumble; Cassoulet of escargot with Sauterne and a garlic and parsley crumble; Foie gras wrapped in chicken with a nut and parmesan crumble. A three-crumble menu!




















The cooking classroom at Printemps is set up with one large table where everyone is assigned their own cutting board. The chef describes the process for each of the recipes, passes out knives (rather dull we noticed, most likely saving on litigation) and various ingredients and gets everyone involved. Besides showing students each step of the recipes, his job is to keep an eye on making sure things are done correctly and safely but with some fun-- keeping it all done in a timely fashion to stay on schedule. And he does it perfectly.


While the classes are conducted in French, we happen to have our very own personal translator: my sister. But while our translator (also known as an overworked, overstressed, single, working mom- at the time still trying to get ready for Christmas!) can't always hear and translate every word, we follow along with the "Universal Hand/Sign Language": Sawing motion means "cut", clipping motion means "use scissors", rolling motion means...well, you get the idea. When someone hands you several sprigs of parsley or a mango and you look around to find that the person directly across the table from you is chopping their sprigs into fine pieces and tossing them in the bowl or using various techniques for peeling, you miraculously know just what to do!

After the ingredients have all been chopped, diced and assembled, the class moves to the stove area to stir, sprinkle and behold the magic of alchemy.





















Our friends who joined us (and had been to these classes before so knew how things worked), while being fellow adorers of Paris, had their very first experience with escargot. It was a hit. (How can anything with Sauterne not be a hit!?) They only found themselves sorry they had waited so long to try them.

The Printemps classroom has only enough space for working, not for eating the joyous end results. So when class is finished, all dishes are wrapped and sent 'a emporter'--to take out and enjoy at your own chosen location.

I wouldn't say I am necessarily a better cook for having had these classes (talented partner still far outshines me in the kitchen . Can I blame the lack of language skills? Unfortunately, not in the US) but a fun time was definitely had by all!

FYI~ L'Atelier des Chefs will email you each of your lesson's recipes at your request and graciously shares recipes on their website. Go see for yourself!

Stay tuned for the second L'Atelier des Chefs class in a future post.

Photographs copyright: Kirsten Steen