Paris Resto and Culinary: November 2011

Ams Tram Gram

Ams, tram, gram,

Pic et pic et colégram,

Bour et bour et ratatam,

Ams, tram, gram.

Ams, tram, gram,

Pic et pic et colégram,

Bour et bour et ratatam,

Ams, tram, gram.

Tao wagged the tail while I was reciting over and over the lyrics above young French children recite when they play hide and seek or other games ...

.... and he is happy to annouce the happy winner of the French Cheese Knife.

Karine of Food gourmand

The knife will fly to Toronto! Karine, please contact me!

UPDATE: Saturday 14 (have a little more time today to add a few suggestions)
Some cheese platters to give you ideas:

Tips for keeping cheese in the fridge:
1. if you keep your cheese for a week or so, it is better to keep it refrigerated. Get a special box for cheese and wash it with baking soda regularly.

2. keep a small bowl with ground coffee in your cheese box; coffee absorbs smells.
3. always wrap cheese in the same paper. Don't use the blue cheese paper to wrap your camembert! Wax or parchemin paper are the best.

Watch for another giveaway soon - another French cuisine item.

Lunch at Jin Patisserie with fellow blogger Melinda

While in Santa Monica, I had lunch with fellow blogger and dear friend Spangler Cummings who, among her many talents and activities, owned an Art Gallery.

She treated me to a chic place, Jin Patisserie, on Abbot Kinney, in Venice. Here the set lunch includes a slice of quiche, a very well seasoned mixed vegetable salad (no iceberg salad!!!), some chips, and the day's dessert.

I opted for the ham and cheese quiche, which was delicious. The crust was perfectly cooked and the top, evenly and perfectly brown.

If you feel like having only fresh water, you'll be surprised by its perfume and taste! Jin patisserie adds fresh strawberries to their water, and it's delicious (and ZERO calorie). You need zero calorie for what comes next:

Today's dessert was a delicate slice of cheese cake on a bed of chocolate mousse with poach pears ... lovely!

The tables in the garden are set around a quiet fountain with plants all around, very delicate and restful.

From Jin Patisserie we went to Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, an incredibly rich art gallery complex and cultural center.

Having Spangler as a guide made my visit ten times more interesting! She's so knowledgeable about art .. sometimes, standing in front of a painting where I had nothing to say, she came up with the right words that helped me open wide my eyes!
Among all the beautiful and stunning paintings and sculptures we saw, I loved Helen Frankenthaler's Woodcuts, and Kozue Hasegawa's only painting in the 2009 MFA Graduates exhibition.

I was also moved by this painting which reminded me of my sister and I.

If you want to see more of the Bergamot station art, visit Spangler's blog and check all the items on the right, such as the delicate sculpture by John Rose, "Chinese String" .
Thank you Spangler for a wonderful day!

I Love Days Like These - A Trip To Albi

exterior of le Palais de la Berbie

Friday I took a little day trip to Albi to meet a fellow expat blogger. Another Washingtonian! Almost everyone I've met through this blog has been from Washington - a strange coincidence?

The first leg of the journey took me through the Montagne Noire, on a twisty, turny, full-of-hair-raising-hairpin-turns-road to Mazamet. (Thank god I was driving, if I'd been a passenger I would have been hurling!) The temperature plummeted as I drove through the dense, dark forests and the warning signs for deer and sanglier kept me alert. There were several tempting sites along the way but I wasn't sure of how long the trip would take and I didn't want to be late to pick up Betty at the train station in Albi at 11:50.

Just after Mazamet came my first glimpse of rolling green pastures and black and white cows. I passed a sign telling me that I was in Roquefort country then another for the village of Lautrec, home of the famous, delicious pink garlic and the ancestors of the painter, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who was born in Albi.

The rest of the trip went smoothly and Betty's train arrived on time. Our lunch reservations at the Restaurant Stéphane Laurens wasn't for another hour so we parked the car and headed straight for les Halles so I could see what kind of cheese was available.

exterior of les Halles -
and the interior

a great selection at La Fromagerie - it was difficult to restrain myself, though I did buy three kinds

Lunch was excellent! The restaurant is a beautiful space and the food was well presented and delicious. We didn't linger though, as our time in the city was to be short. A bit of exploring was in order!
Betty used to live in Albi, so I had a built in tour guide. She led me to a secret little square that was full of old doorways, through medieval passageways and to the 13th century cloister of Saint Salvi.

the cloisters

a quiet place

Back through the pedestrian streets that were filled with shoppers popping in and out of little boutiques, to the gardens behind the Palais de la Berbie which overlook the Tarn river. They were heavenly. The sun was shining over the city and it was a peaceful spot to take in the ambiance of Albi. The red brick buildings reminded me of Lucca and I became very enamored with the place.

the gardens

the Tarn river and Albi's other shore

Betty in the gardens

The day flew by and soon I was dropping Betty off at the train station and back on the road, this time taking the Autoroute through Toulouse - the same amount of driving time as the picturesque road that I took to drive there, but much less tiring.

Albi was well worth the visit. I wasn't expecting to find such a delightful, friendly city and I plan on returning soon.

Merci Betty! It was a wonderful day!

Moving to France Tutorial - Part Three

Home. It has a different meaning to all of us. And finding a new one can be both an exciting and a daunting experience.

Welcome to Part Three of the Moving to France Tutorial.

This week I'll be offering some tips on finding a place to live in France, which could easily turn into a Tolstoy novel sized post, so I'm going to try to keep the information concise.

I realize I'm stating the obvious here, but the logistics of finding a home in France will change according to whether you will be renting or buying. Once you've decided where you want to put down your roots you'll need to find a real estate agent or start looking at properties online or even hire someone to help you find your dream home.

Renting an apartment in France can be tricky. Most landlords in France demand proof of income and you may have to provide the name of a guarantor, a co-signer, who will be named in the contract and who will be responsible for your rent in the event that you can't pay it. You will also need to have one month's rent as a deposit and a proof of a comprehensive household insurance certificate.
An in-depth list of the requirements is here on Anglo-Info's website.

If you don't plan on bringing all of your furniture and household goods with you, a furnished, equipped home will make your arrival and transition much easier. There are many agencies and individuals offering long term, furnished apartment rentals in big cities like Paris and Lyon, and scattered all over France are furnished vacation homes called gîtes. Gîte owners sometimes offer long term rentals over the autumn and winter months, which can be a perfect way to get to know a region and have a comfortable place to stay while looking for property to buy.

There are literally hundreds of property rental websites out there to investigate. Here are a few to get you started.
Craigslist (and how to avoid the scammers)
FUSAC
pap (in French)
Holidays France Rentals
Franglo
Lodgis
Paris Attitude
Gîtes de France
123 Immo
Rent a Place in France
Rentals France
Go To France
the regional classifieds on AngloInfo

Buying a home in France is a fairly straightforward procedure.
You find the house you want, make an offer, get the inspections done and verify what belongs to the house (both inside and out), find a good notaire, sign the compromis de vente, wait for the 7 day buyer's remorse period to pass, pay your deposit and wait to sign the acte de vente. Then you take your keys and move in!
Well, there might be extra steps involved, if you require a mortgage for instance, but buying a house here isn't as daunting as many think.
Expatica France has compiled an excellent and thorough article about the entire process.

Mortgages are available to foreigners, usually requiring a 20-30% down payment. I'm unfamiliar with the exact procedure so here are some helpful links.
BNP-Parisbas
Finance in France
Mortgage France

An important thing to remember if you buy a house that requires any renovation work - get an estimate. Heck, get two or three. Keep in mind however, that in old houses estimates don't take into consideration those petite surprises that you sometimes find behind the walls. Unless you are planning to be there while the renovation work is going on and you speak fluent French, you will also need to find a knowledgeable person to oversee your project.

Stay tuned for Part Four of the tutorial next week.

Souvenirs of our years in China!

Every Chinese New year, year I stick on my living room windows these happy images to welcome the New Year.

A New Year

It has been quite a year!

Though I could probably say that about every year.
Living in France always keeps life interesting and it continues to amaze me that even after almost 8 years here, we still have so much to learn. (like how damn difficult it is to rent an apartment in Paris!)

We celebrated the arrival of 2011 with good friends, the requisite glass of Champagne, a leisurely dinner and a decadent chocolate and raspberry cake. A wonderful ending and an even better beginning.

Bonne Année!

Photo du Jour - Blossoming Prow

Flower boxes decorating a barge on the Canal du Midi.

Photo du Jour - Châpeau

Mon châpeau de l'été.

Still Eating As Much Asparagus As Possible...

Every week the outdoor food markets have several small asparagus growers who have set up their worn and battered trestle tables which are overflowing with green asparagus, ranging in size from delicate, pencil thin to sturdy, felt-tip marker fat.

Of course, I can't resist.
At least a kilo makes it into my shopping basket every week.

My latest asparagus recipe search led me to an interesting looking pasta recipe that incorporated sautéed hazelnuts - of which I have tons of in the freezer. (last time I found them for a decent price I bought a giant bag)
I adapted it to my tastes and the result was a rich, creamy and fresh tasting dish.

hazelnuts toasting in butter

a beautiful melange of fresh asparagus, onion, garlic and petit pois

Asparagus and Hazelnut Pasta

1 pound pasta - I used penne
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 cup frozen petit pois - I love them so I used a lot, you could use just ½ cup
½ cup dry, white wine
4 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced
¼ cup Pecorino-Romano cheese, freshly grated
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup hazelnuts, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the onion and asparagus and sauté over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes, until the onion just lightly browned.
Meanwhile, in another pan, preferably nonstick, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the hazelnuts to the melted butter and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the peas to the onion and asparagus, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the wine to the onion and asparagus mixture and bring to a boil.
Cook the wine for 2 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook pasta according to package directions, until just al dente. Drain the cooked pasta and place in a large serving bowl.
Add the cooked onion and asparagus mixture and toss everything together.
Add the parsley, cheese, and hazelnuts.
Season with salt and black pepper, and mix well.
Serve immediately.

the finished dish

La Fête du Fromage - Brebis Basque

*sigh*
This was definitely not my favorite French cheese.

I expect cheeses from the Pays Basque to have well-rounded, seductive flavors. Brebis Basque had neither.

While it did have fairly pleasant, mild (and I mean mild!) flavors of honey and walnuts and a sweet, buttery aroma, overall I though this unpasteurized ewe's milk cheese was rather insipid.

"C'est la vie," as they say.

I love how the rind looks like snakeskin!

It is worth noting that every other cheese I've tasted from the Basque region has been a delight!
Ossau-Iraty, Bleu des Basques and Etorki are absolutely worth trying, and the sublime Tome Basque is one of the best cheeses I've ever had.

Tartiflette Weather

When it gets really cold in New Orleans people like to say, "it's Gumbo weather." Here in France, when the temperature dips this low (-3 degrees C this morning and I doubt it will get above freezing today) I like to say," it's Tartiflette weather."

Now, I realize that because I live in the Languedoc I should be saying, "it's Cassoulet weather." (I say that sometimes too)
But who can resist a dish of layered potatoes, onions, bacon and crème fraîche, smothered with bubbly, melted Reblochon cheese?
Not me!

The recipe is super easy and I like to serve it with a big green salad so I don't feel so bad about all the cream and cheese I've just inhaled.

Tartiflette
serves 4

2 pounds potatoes
8 ounces lardons fumé or cubed, smoked bacon
1 onion
1 Reblochon cheese, sliced in half crosswise
2 tablespoons crème fraiche or heavy cream
1/2 cup dry white wine

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Peel potatoes and boil in salted water until cooked through. When finished, drain and cut in thick slices.
Sauté the bacon until cooked through, but not crisp, then add the onions and sauté until softened.
Cover the bottom of a gratin dish with slices of potatoes, then with a layer of the onions and bacon. Repeat with the potatoes, etc...
Add the cream, pour the wine over and cover with the halved Reblochon, rind on top.
Put in the oven and cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees and cook about 15 minutes more, until the Reblochon is melted and golden.

If you're not in France, Reblochon can be purchased through amazon.com

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Photo du Jour

Just before we left our friend's New Year's Eve party. He balanced the clock on the chandelier so we could watch the time while dancing.
I wanted to get a photo at midnight but was too lazy to go upstairs, find my purse under a massive pile of coats, dig my camera out and snap the picture.

Happy New Year!