Fève Friday

 

Would you like a crown with that?

 Above: just-made galettes des rois ready to take home for this evening's Fête des Rois

 

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Reprint from "Feast of kings" 1/6/2019

 Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, and in France it is celebrated with a galette des rois. The tarte-like cakes begin to appear in pâtisserie and boulangerie windows in December and children adore this tradition where the youngest goes under the table and calls out each person's name to receive a slice. Whoever's parte contains the coveted fève - usually a small porcelain figurine of one of the gift-bearing Magi (although there are now many variations, including cartoon characters) - he/she/them will be crowned King or Queen and get to crown his/her/their King or Queen of choice, so every cake is (or should be) sold with two crowns.  

The galettes usually contain crème frangipane, an almond cream, but upscale bakers have been creating away with pistachio cream (my current favorite) and other fillings, trying not to stray too far from the original. I've made my own galettes in the past - it's not difficult - and like to serve the cake warm, heated for a short time in the oven, never micro-waved (quelle horreur!) so its crispness remains intact. And did I mention its classic accord is a cidre doux - or second choice, a bubbly crémant? - BPJ

 

 

Market-ing

Still time to catch some Christmas markets in Paris

Above: Place des Abbesses, Montmartre

 

 

Into a New Year

- Bonne Année / Happy New Year 2023 -

 🎉

Meilleurs vœux de bonne année à tous

Throwback Thursday

 

3 hours (or less) from Paris:

London, a skip and hop from Paris, makes a perfect Christmas getaway.

Above: reminiscing and fond memories of The Chelsea Wharf Restaurant

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Eurostar

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Reprint from "Throwback Thursday" 11/4/2021

Lobster and prawns Eggs Benedict on a Sunday morning

Hardware Société
(Paris-Melbourne)
10 rue Lamarck 75018 Paris

 

[Posted November 4, 2021] - The setting was 80's London, and Michael Alexander, who I've written about before on this blog, had opened a restaurant, The Chelsea Wharf, to much local fanfare in the media and otherwise, right on Chelsea Harbour.

In no time at all it became the talk of the town. In the cuisine was enfant terrible now celeb chef Marco Pierre White, the sole person, it's been said, who "made Gordon Ramsay cry in the kitchen." With regulars such as George Michael and Boy George streaming in one would think its success was guaranteed, but it wasn’t. Sadly, it was short-lived. Lax management let a party atmosphere take over and, as Michael would mention more than once over the years with a sigh, he was, after all, a writer, not a restaurateur.

 Sunday mornings saw a gathering of "friends and allies" - those dearest and nearest to him - occupy a very long table for breakfast. As Billy Churchill swayed away on piano and a soft light seeped in through gothic windows, we'd regale in bad jokes and good champagne.

Just across the Thames was Saint Mary's Church and almost everyone would order Bloody Marys and the house Eggs Benedict - or rather, as it appeared on the menu, "Eggs Benedict Arnold," so named for the notorious traitor of the American Revolution buried there. 

 The first - and last - time I pointed this out I was swiftly berated.

“Traitor? From our side of things, Benedict Arnold was a hero!” - BPJ

 

  

Teddy Tuesday

 A Teddy Bear poised on the awning of a restaurant.

 

Floral Friday

 A poinsettia plant brightens a café counter. 

Titanic Tuesday

The tomb of Titanic survivor Léontine Pauline Aubart - known as "Ninette" and played by Fannie Brett in the 1997 film Titanic (director: James Cameron) - in Saint Vincent Cemetery, Montmartre. 

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Cabaret singer who sometimes performed at Le Lapin Agile, Ninette had accompanied billionaire Benjamin Guggenheim who kept an apartment in Paris. While she was saved by being able to get a place in a lifeboat, Guggenheim wasn't so fortunate. According to one account, realizing the end was near, he and his faithful secretary Giglio dressed in evening clothes and headed to the grand staircase and ballroom where they would "go down as gentlemen," sipping brandy.

As First-Class passengers, Ninette and Benjamin would have enjoyed lavish meals, even by French standards. Today, menus from the Titanic are quite valuable and sought after by collectors.  

"The last meal for first-class diners that fateful night was a grand affair that included starters of canapés and oysters, a second course of consommé Olga (a clear veal soup garnished with scallops), a third course of poached salmon with mousseline sauce, and a fourth course of filet mignons Lili or chicken Lyonnaise with marrow farci (stuffed vegetables). 

 The mains catered to most people’s tastes. There was lamb, duckling and beef, with buttery roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, minted peas, carrots and rice. After a rum-infused palate cleanser of punch romaine (the sixth course), guests moved on to roasted squab (pigeon) with wilted cress, asparagus salad with Champagne saffron vinaigrette and pâté de foie gras with celery. In fact, with a grand total of 11 courses, it’s hard to imagine how they fitted it all in. 

To round off that fateful meal, there was Waldorf pudding, peaches in Chartreuse jelly, chocolate and vanilla éclairs, French ice cream, assorted fresh fruit and cheeses. While some first-class diners would have eaten in one of the cafés or the à la carte restaurant, for others this would have been their last meal – a few hours later more than 120 first-class passengers died, mainly men."  - Source: Lovefood.com The Titanic’s incredible menu revealed – for every class - BPJ