Soufflé Saturday

 

Blown away in Paris... One soufflé at a time.

 

Above: le soufflé au Grand Marnier

 

Joséphine Chez Dumonet

117 rue du Cherche-Midi 75006

 

 

Fish soup Friday

In France, fish on Fridays is a given on restaurant menus throughout the year, but now that Le Carême (Lent) has arrived Friday fish consumption in all its forms will shift into high gear until Easter Sunday. Look for this bisque-like soupe de poisson with its traditional accompaniments - baguette croûtons, a grated gruyère-like cheese and rouille, a powerful Provençale sauce made by pounding together red chili peppers with a good amount of garlic and other ingredients into a mayo-like texture - a favorite sure to be showing up on both menus and dinner tables more than usual. - BPJ

Restoration

Dining at an old favorite in the Marais district.

 Above: duck in Moroccan brik pastry w/vegetables atop a sweet potato purée; foie gras de canard w/its confit d'oignons and glass of Sauternes

 

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Se restaurer literally means, "to restore yourself" - by eating. It is the origin of the concept "restaurant," a place where one goes to restore body and soul with food and drink. Today the synonym for "se restaurer" is manger, to eat.

This restaurant whose name translates to "spiral staircase" is an old favorite from back in the day when we lived in this lively quartier, and still comes through with no-fuss traditional French dishes that restore, and satisfy, with a contemporary twist. - BPJ

 

 

Le Colimaçon

44 rue Vieille-du-Temple 75004

 

A grand cru

 

 

 

In France, wine restaurants and, as a rule, wine bars are the places to head for reliably good food and wine. Quite simply, that's because wine and food go together. Red wines especially are not to be downed without something to eat, even if it's just a few olives, a sliced saucisson or peanuts. When visiting someone's home, the guest is not asked, "A glass of red or white?" as in London where a glass is poured as a beverage on its own, but instead a specific selection of "accepted" apéritifs drinks from champagne to fruit juice will be on offer.

 

Red wines from Burgundy are classified based on their growth, or cru, and each of the many varieties has been legally verified as being from the region. - BPJ 

 

Above: a simple yet excellent menu du jour at a wine restaurant in the 11th arrondissement 

 

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Aux Bons Crus

54 rue Godefroy Cavaignac 75011

  

Easter lamb

 

This gigot d'agneau, roasted to juicy perfection and served with its traditional flageolets, elicited oohs / ahs as it was placed on the table.

Below: starter of foie gras de canard w/chutney de figues maison

 

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 "Faire cuire pendant 1h à 1h30 selon la taille de la bête" ("Let cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the size of the beast")

 

Merci Christophe

Waffling

 

What better on a rainy day in Paris than an afternoon of homemade waffles, chilled apple cider and spiced coffee....

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 The batter for these French gaufres, a family recipe of a friend's grandmother in Burgundy, is made with yeast. Their background flavor reminded me of my mother's delectable small Bohemian yeast pancakes that were usually preceded by a traditional vegetable soup with potatoes and cabbage. Accompanied by cinnamon sugar and melted butter, they'd disappear the second they flipped out of the pan. - BPJ 

 

Cuisine cuisine

In French, cuisine is a type of cooking, as in English, but it also translates literally to, "kitchen."

Above: cuisine de grandmère; a Paris cuisine

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 Merci A&JM for an unforgettable evening

 

Soups du jour

Soothing homemade soups and smooth veloutés ease le confinement.

Above: immune-boosting carrot ginger soup

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Recipes in April newsletter

Love in the afternoon

What was meant to be a simple late afternoon apéro turned into a meal.

Above: jambon persillé de bourgogne with crusty corn pain maison

Below: the création of the day was impossible to pass up - extra thin slices of ventrèche concealing cèpes and seared foie gras; our pistachio-coated fromage de chèvre paired with an excellent wine

- Chef de cuisine Yves Camdeborde -

[cheese: Laurent Dubois]

L'Avant Comptoir du Marché

14 rue Lobineau 75006

Profiterole

A  profiterole filled with vanilla ice cream tops off a terrace lunch.

Restaurant Le Vauban

7 Place Vauban 75007

On its own

In Italy pasta is usually a starter, not main, course, as in the U.S. But this foie gras-filled ravioli with a white truffle cream sauce would be an exception.

Where to find it
August newsletter

Planning

A dinner to figure out the week ahead.

Close-up: caramelized pork-stuffed roasted potatoes

- Website with video link -