The Trail of Crumbs • A Gastro Travelogue

Shangri-la Island

2012-02-13T20:16:00.000+01:00

TofC friends Jordan and Rikki Dalrymple explored the magical island of Grenada on a recent trip to the Caribbean. Here they've shared their adventure with us. Enjoy!

My wife Rikki and I were looking for a warm spot to visit in the month of January and after doing some research, we decided upon the island of Grenada in the Caribbean. With highs in the 80's that time of year (and lows in the 70's), as well as a reputation for lush scenery, friendly local folk and tasty cuisine, it seemed a worthy destination. Thanks to some frequent flyer miles and a few generous Christmas donations, we packed our bags and set out for the "Spice Isle" of the West Indies.

The Cabier Ocean Lodge on the less touristy East side of the island proved to be a perfect choice of accommodations as we settled in the first night to the sound of crashing waves and wind in the trees. After a lazy next day of swimming in the warm turquoise water, we decided to try the Lodge's restaurant for our first dinner. Chef Bruno Delvalee (also the Lodge's manager along with his wife Iris) welcomed us with a warm smile and offered us a table underneath a mango tree.

We didn't know what to expect as there was no menu and were delighted when our server arrived with two bowls of scrumptious green banana soup. Next came the main course, a French-Creole preparation of a local needlefish called Gar, along with a ratatouille of tomatoes, broccoli and potatoes. Delicious. For dessert, we were offered sugar crepes with Grand Marnier as we topped off our perfectly mixed rum punches. A perfect first meal!

The local saying is "no one goes hungry in Grenada," and judging by the abundant breadfruit, five-finger fruit, soursop, mango, banana and cocoa trees along the road to the nearby village of Crochu, the saying rings true.

A local gardener wielding a machete said a friendly "good afternoon" and cut open a cocoa pod from one of the trees for us to taste. The gelatinous white flesh around the beans tasted sweet like candy and smelled a little like squash.

A few days later, some of our fellow lodgers from London gave us a tip on a locals-only restaurant in the nearby town of Grenville called the Melting Pot. We caught a local minibus and headed up along the picturesque Eastern coast of the island to the sound of Soca blasting on the stereo. The town was bustling as we arrived. We followed our lodgers' directions to a set of red tile steps that take you above a grocery store. What we found was something akin to West Indian soul food. They offered ox-tail, three kinds of pork, chicken and beef as well as a full array of sides and baked goods. We ended up sampling the barbeque pork, curry chicken, greens, potatoes and mac 'n' cheese as we watched the stunning views of Grenville harbor and Marquis Island through the picture frame windows. Comfort food at its finest!

By the end of the week, we decided it was time to check out the other side of the island. After twisting and turning through the volcanic hills, we arrived at Grande Anse beach, just south of Grenada's capital city of St. George's. The perfect white sand and clear green water showcased why this beach is considered one of the Caribbean's most lovely. We had a relaxing swim then took a stroll and came upon this conch-laden dock with a view of the capital's brightly colored roofs in the background.

As we had a seat on the dock and dipped our toes in the ocean, the conchs' fisherman came over and offered us our choice from his treasure trove. Rikki chose her favorite and we headed further down the beach with our prize. We soon met another man carrying some freshly caught snapper who offered us a beer at his nearby restaurant (which was closed until the next cruise ship came to port.) After a few local Caribs and some good conversation, the man's nephew showed up and offered to take us for a swim. We followed him out to some reefs where he dove down and came up bearing these spiny "sea eggs".

Back on shore, he cracked one of these open and insisted that we try the tasty pink caviar inside. It was sweet, salty and delicious. As the sun set, our new friends offered that we join them for a feast of lambie (conch), snapper, yams and plantains (which we ate with our hands "African-style") as we sipped some local 140-proof Jack Iron rum.

By the end of our 8-day trip, we were captivated and emotional about leaving. Grenada turned out to be a magical, unpretentious wonder - full of delicious food, warm clear waters and friendly locals who seem to truly enjoy life and living. Highly recommended.

Photos and text: Jordan Dalrymple

Dim Summing: Hong Kong Part 1

2012-01-30T22:48:00.000+01:00

Our dear friend and T of C contributor, Janella Fox, has made several reports on her trip to Hong Kong featuring her Dim Sum experience. Here is part 1. Enjoy!

Happy Year of the Dragon! In honor of Chinese New Year last week I thought it was a good time to share some highlights from a recent trip to Hong Kong. While it was a very brief visit, I came away with a great sense of the spirit of this wildly diverse and entertaining city. The most striking thing for me was the extremities of waterways, mountains and high rises and how they all collide and yet it feels small when you are actually in it. The other very pleasant discovery was how kind and helpful the locals are (unless you are taking photos of them at the wet market but that will come in a future post).

Hong Kong is a world class city with some of the best dining in the world. I typically plan my days around my meals when in a new city for the first time so I was overwhelmed by the possibilities. One thing I knew I had to have on this trip was a proper dim sum experience. After a day of walking around and shopping we asked for recommendations and ended up in a mall (this is perfectly normal there) on the central side at a place called Lei Garden. Elegant, modern, quiet and clean...I knew I was in for a treat considering the only dim sum I've had has been in the loud crowded cafeteria style places with fluorescent lights and speedy servers who never seem to have the items I want on their carts (which seem to have always been emptied by the other diners, making me wonder if I really should give in and try the chicken feet). Up until this trip, Ton Kiang in San Francisco was my favorite dim sum. LEI Garden was already proving to be a departure from that experience as we were seated in a beautiful white booth with slated wood partitions and soft light streaming in. The server brought us a delicious pot of tea along with a perfectly sharpened pencil and a handsome menu to select from. It was warm and calm and quiet and it felt like a big hug. I think I read somewhere the dim sum means "to warm the heart" and this place was doing just that...and I hadn't even sunken my teeth into the bau yet.

As we had arrived on the later side in the afternoon they were out of many things however we did manage to get a nice range of the best dim sum I've ever had. It went something like this...

Chicken Dumpling: Steamed dumpling of chicken and perfectly blanched vegetables that gave off an impossible green glow through the very delicate translucent rice flour wrapper. I was impressed with the crispness of the veggies in this perfect little bite and despite how delicate the wrapper was it held together without completely falling apart once bitten into.

Har Gow: A staple on the dim sum circuit (and why I fell in love with dim sum in the first place) Steamed dumpling with fresh chopped up shrimp. This one is so simple and so delicious when done with the perfectly cooked shrimp. Heaven.

Crab Dumpling: This was not served as expected. Instead of the perfect little bites this was served as one massive dumpling in a crab based broth. It was the least favorite of them all as it seemed to get soggy and fall apart in the liquid, which is perfectly acceptable once you think about this as a soup instead.

Crispy Pork Pot Sticker: When given the option of having something fried it's hard not to go for it. We assumed this would arrive and be the most indulgent of them all in all of it's fried crunchy glory, instead what came was the most elegant and beautiful of them all. A plate of 3 pot stickers with the most fragile sheet of crispy goodness placed delicately upon it..it was so composed it was hard to break into it. We did manage to gently tap it into pieces and were blown away by the deliciousness of this. Delicate dumpling, crunchy coating, simple filling of ground pork and scallions along with an accompanying sauce to die for. It was a combination of sweetened soy, spicy chili, toasted sesame, fresh garlic and a bite of ginger. I am determined to recreate it and dip everything possible in this sauce from now on!

Pork Bau: Steamed fluffy buns with pork inside. Bau are another reason I fell in love with dim sum. There is something about the whitest of the white dough, steamed to a fluffy puffy perfection that is unlike anything else you've ever eaten. But once you discover what's inside you reach another level of flavor goodness, the sweet pork mixture that is cooked into the middle. It is so good it almost seems like it could and should be dessert. LEI GARDEN made me never want to eat another one of these little buddies again because it was that perfect and that good.

We ended the meal with a sweet egg tart and resisted the urge to nap in that little booth in the warm glow of the afternoon sun. We made our way back into the mall and out into the madness of the city with full tummies and warm hearts.

Lei Garden is located in the IFC mall in Central Hong Kong (where you will also find the incredible department store Lane Crawford...)

Pizzeria Mozza LA

2012-01-16T19:05:00.000+01:00

Squash Blossom and Burrata

Fennel Sausage and Red Onion

LA at Dusk


Butterscotch Pudding & Meyer Lemon Gelato Pie Had a super chill/fun night at Mozza. If you sit at the bar, let Nick take good care of you. Everything is good. PIZZERIA MOZZA 641 NORTH HIGHLAND AVE. LOS ANGELES CA 90036 t: 323 297 0101 Open Daily: Noon - Midnight

Breakfast Burrito in Isla Vista

2012-01-10T23:23:00.002+01:00

Last Sunday, early in the morning, I turned to Adrian and asked him: " What is the ultimate Santa Barbara breakfast that you miss?" He responded with: " a breakfast burrito in I.V.!" We hopped in the truck and went out to Isla Vista, college town to UCSB, and entered into the student universe complete with pajamas in public, massive to-go cups of coffee and/or smoothies, surfers on bikes, and haggard wanderers from the night before making their final journey home.

So many cool examples of 1950's - 80's California beach side architecture as well as houses that have tons of college gear pouring out: Couches, bbq's, 80's furniture, stolen promo beer/surfborad/energy drink/skate banners, red plastic cups, bikes, and 'need roommate' signs on every other balcony.

Adrian remembered La Cantina having the best breakfast burritos, and as an USCB alum, has many memories of racing to get his burrito before the cut-off time of 11am. Now, they serve their well known burrito all day. It has a magical combination of freshly scrambled eggs, delicious and simple spicy tomato salsa, seasoned rice, spanish potatoes, sour cream, and jack and cheddar cheeses all snug and warm inside a fresh flour tortilla. They serve their burritos with house made tortilla chips too, which are super thin and crisp. I was surprised that they didn't have meat, but in the end, it didn't need it. A great combo that doesn't make you feel the typical crazy burrito belly after. It's not a burrito bomb.

Lots of USCB Gaucho love that's in the form of photo collages at every eatery. Here's one that features a burrito eating contest sponsored by La Cantina.

On the north west corner of I.V., you can walk along a beach path that passes some incredible beach houses and eventually to Devereux Point, a beautiful and peaceful surf spot.

Adrian at Cole Oil Point, just north of Devereux Point.

One of the infamous doors to many I.V. shows and parties. Lots of good times behind that unassuming door. There always is one.

The Cantina
966 Embarcadero del Mar # C
Goleta CA. 93117
805-968-2862

Mon-Tues: 8:30 - 6:00

Wed - Thurs: 8:30 - 9:00

Fri-Sat: 8:30 - 10:00

Bar Jules in San Francisco

2012-01-05T00:53:00.002+01:00

On a trip to Oakland to visit Simone and friends from days past, we hit up Bar Jules and loved the vibe. Straight forward dishes with super fresh ingredients from small local farms and meat and fish from sustainable sources. The staff were friendly and the food delicious. We sat right up against the bar connected to the open kitchen and enjoyed watching our food being made by the friendly dude chefs.

Always appreciate a daily menu that changes with the tides

A nicely written short wine list for those seated at the bar ... amidst a Bar Jules club member.

Spinach soup with créme fraiche

Steak tartare in the Bar Jules fashion

Preserved swordfish salad with new potatoes, celery hearts, piquillo peppers and aioli

Great dollops of créme fraiche straight from the farm jar are the finishing touch to this spinach soup. I love dollops of things.

A fragrant seafood stew with local Halibut, crab, manila clams, savoy cabbage, butternut squash, scallions, cream and thyme. Incredible.

Wood grilled quail and garlic sausage with polenta and romanesco broccoli

Check out the sweet cooking apparatus

Chocolate Nemisis. Not my enemy.

Apple and frangipane tart

BAR JULES
609 Hayes Street
San Francisco, CA

t: (415) 621-5482

Wed - Saturday lunch: 11:30 - 2:30
Tues- Saturday dinner: 5:30 - 10:00
sunday brunch: 11:00 - 2:30

Back in CA

2011-12-29T00:16:00.001+01:00

We are slowly descending into a summer like winter season here in California. It felt confusing at first , but after yesterday's post Christmas sunset beach walk, we are right back to where we started. Home.Santa Barbara currently has intensely blue skies and blazing sunshine as we round the new year corner. Today, we're off to watch dolphins en route to LA where we will visit some old buds and get back to some So-Cal adventures.

Celery Root Buddies

2011-12-08T19:00:00.000+01:00

Simone Rubi kills it again with this recipe that combines warmth and crispiness to perfection. I can imagine sitting in her back yard, under the lemon tree, eating this for lunch on a sunny Oakland Autumn day.

Celery Root, Parsnip, & Apple Soup with Carmelized Fennel & Herb Oil

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled celery root (from one 1 1/4-pound celery root)
1 bulb of fennel (keep the green feathery parts on the top, chop and put in oil)
1 large apple cut up into pieces, peel on is ok
2 large parsnips or 4 small
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
4 cups (or more) chicken or vegetable broth
fresh or dry thyme
1/2 cup very finely chopped chives
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 tblsp lemon juice (optional)
1 bay leaf
Pinch of sea salt
3 ounces thinly sliced bacon (optional to crumble on top)

Finely chop chives and fennel greens and add olive oil, a little sea salt and lemon juice (if you have). Let this sit while you make the soup. You will drizzle this on top of the soup with optional crumbled bacon.

Saute bacon or pancetta until browned and crispy. Transfer to paper towel to drain. Crumble. Set aside.

OK!

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add celery root, parsnips, carrots, and onion. Cook until some of the celery root is translucent (do not brown), stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth. Cover and bring to simmer. Add thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low; add chopped apple, simmer covered until celery root and parsnips are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25-35 minutes. While soup is simmering, chop up fennel bulb and sauté in butter and olive oil until carmelized, add salt and pepper. Remove soup from heat; cool slightly. Take out bay leaf before blending.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency. If you have a hand blender, just blend directly in the pot. This is what I do....easy. Return soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.

Rewarm soup over medium heat. Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle pancetta crumbles over each serving. Drizzle each bowl with chive/fennel oil and a bit of the carmelized fennel bulb. ENJOY!

Celery Root & Apple Salad with Little Gems

Ingredients:

1 medium celery root
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp cream or half and half
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp mayonnaise (pref. homemade)
sea salt and fresh pepper
1 shallot finely diced
sprigs of fennel green
chopped chives
1 medium apple thinly sliced
1 small head of little gems or butter lettuce

Grate celery root and put in a bowl with salt and lemon juice. Stir together the rest of the ingredients, except for the apple, in a glass. Pour the dressing on the grated celery root and let sit for 20 minutes in the fridge. Arrange celery root on lettuce and top with apple and freshly cracked pepper.

photos and text: Simone Rubi

How To Be Populaire

2011-12-05T16:00:00.127+01:00

The other day started out normal enough. We set out in the late morning to pick up some items from a friend's apartment that was to be sold in a matter of minutes, along with everything in it. We walked away with some decent kitchenware, lightbulbs, a nice hammer, a good water filter, and some sel de Camargue. It was getting close to lunchtime, and we realized that the recently-opened Au Passage was right around the corner. Not only did this "bar á manger" win "best love restaurant" in Le Fooding's 2012 restaurant guide, but it is owned and run by the same group behind our lunchtime and drink-time favorite, Les Pères Populaires. Au Passage has a similar vibe to Le Pères Pop, but elevated: the vintage furniture matches and seems clean, the evening small plate menu is extensive and features more gourmand items, the lunch menu offers two main course options and a cheese course, and the along with the signature Vin Populaire, numerous natural wines are featured. It is cool without being pretentious, homey without feeling raggedy, and the staff is relaxed, friendly, and knowledgeable.

The walls featured numerous hand-printed posters, available to buy, by the print artist who created the label for Vin Populaire.

We were a bit early, so we took a seat on a leather two-seater couch and enjoyed an organic green tea while the kitchen finished prepping for the lunch rush.

Our starter was a little green dollop of brussels sprouts puree at the bottom of a glass bowl, topped with marinated raw pieces of mackerel and small clams, and a leaf of tarragon. Mackerel can often be overly fishy, especially when raw, but this was fresh, briny and delicious alongside the sweet little clams and tarragon.

The main course was one of those simple and oddly paired dishes that reaches an unknown region of astounding flavors, similar in style to other new outposts of modern french bistronomy, most notably Le Chateaubriand. The dish was a lightly seared piece of bonito tuna with some roasted pears, a couple radicchio leaves, roasted salsify, and pureed Jerusalem artichoke. Sometimes you get a plate of food on which every item is the perfect strength, perfect ripeness, perfectly cooked, and perfectly similar and different from the next: sweetness from the pear, earthiness from the Jerusalem artichokes and salsify, velvety meat of the tuna, and the bitter crutch of the radicchio. And at €13.50 for two courses, we will be returning. Often.

As chance would have it, our good buddy, Michael Cera, who is on tour playing bass for Mr. Heavenly, called to invite us last-minute to a show he was playing at what venue? L' International, of course, another establishment run by the same owners of Les Pères Populaires and Au Passage.

Later on, with a couple hours to burn before the show, we headed over to another nearby place of interest, Aux Deux Amis, a spanish-leaning wine bar, with an interior that is straight-up 50's Paris. I asked if there was a nice Gamay or Pinot Noir, and was poured a glass of both in the form of a Burgundy made of equal parts Pinot Noir and Gamay.

After the first glass, we gave in to the cheese and ham sitting centimeters away from our noses. If a generous pile of paper-thin Bellota ham garnished with house-roasted almonds and a few slices of raw milk Manchego with quince paste aren't the best things to eat alongside a light a fruity red wine, I don't know what is. Actually, I do, and the list is getting out of control.

When the time came, we made our way to L'International, and noticed that our waitress from lunch walked in after us. We ordered the first of many rounds of Vin Populaire, caught up with Michael about South America, and enjoyed a raucous evening of doo-wop-drenched, garagey indie rock, courtesy of Mr. Heavenly.

If the 17th arrondissement wasn't so far from the venue, we might have ended up there after the show for a glass of wine at Les Caves Populaires, just to complete the tour. Instead, we had a group stumble down the hill to Candelaria for big bowls of punch, Mexican beers, and 12 year old Pappy Van Winkle.

Au Passage
1bis passage de Saint-Sebastien, 75011 / 01 43 55 07 52
Open Monday - Saturday, No lunch service Saturday

Aux Deux Amis
45 rue Oberkampf, 75011 / 01 58 30 38 13
Open Tuesday-Saturday

l'International
5/7 rue Moret, 75011

Pizza by the Fox

2011-12-02T16:17:00.003+01:00

Our dear friend and T of C contributor, Janella Fox, made these two pizza varieties when visiting us here in Paris. They were some of the best we've ever had. Try making these 2 together as they are a super tasty combo.

Ingredients

The dough:

1 packet yeast
3/4 c warm water
1/4 c white wine
1 tbs honey
1 tbs olive oil
1tsp salt (to taste)
3 cups flour

The toppings:

Brussels Sprout & Pancetta White Pizza ( Inspired by Motorino, NYC)

2 cups Brussels Sprouts, leaves separated and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper
1/4 lb or one standard deli package of pancetta, thinly sliced
1-2 balls of Mozzarella di Bufala , medium sized slices
1 clove of garlic, chopped
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
olive oil for drizzling

Mushroom & Spiced Sausage Pizza

1 jar of your favorite fresh pizza sauce or homemade
1-2 balls of Mozzarella di Bufala , medium sized slices ( add more or less as you like it)
1 lb fresh crimini mushrooms ( or button), thickly sliced
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1/2 - 1 tsp chili flakes or crumpled whole red chilis. As hot as you can handle!
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dry or small handful of your favorite fresh herbs (oregano, basil, sage, or chervil, etc.)
freshly cracked pepper
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat your oven to 550° (285° Celsius) or as hot as your oven will get. Ideally, you would use a pizza stone. If you don't have one (or broke it like me), wrap foil directly on your oven rack, or use a thin metal sheet with parchment paper.

Optional: You can par-bake the pizza dough by pricking all over with a fork and baking it for 2 minutes. Cool crust before adding your toppings. You can also bake two pizzas at one time by positioning one rack in the top third of the oven, and the other on the bottom third. Then switch racks half way through the cooking time. Total cooking time may increase to 20 minutes in this case.

Mix the warm water, wine, and yeast together and stir gently until yeast has dissolved.

Then add the honey, olive oil, and salt until dissolved.

Add about 1 cup of the flour to liquid and mix into a paste...slowly incorporate the

remaining flour until a ball forms.

You can remove this and knead it for several minutes on a floured surface.

Let this guy rise in a slightly oiled bowl in a warm place and cover with a towel

for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the dough is double in size.

Mimic letting the dough rise in a hot and sunny Italian garden.

Feel free to enjoy some of the leftover white wine with your buds during the wait time.

Once it has risen, cut into quarters and refrigerate for at least a 1/2 hour

(wrapped in plastic, slightly oiled).

Sauté the sausage with cracked pepper, chili flakes, herbs of your choice
and fennel seeds until crumbly.

Slice mushrooms and set aside in a bowl. Pull apart the leaves of the Brussels Sprouts and

toss with olive oil, s & p, and place in a bowl. Pull out the dough from the fridge.

Do like Janella and stretch out the dough on your rack, wood paddle, or stone.

Slice mozzarella, chop garlic and slice/tear the pancetta and set aside.

Let's start with the Brussels Sprouts variety. Drizzle the dough with a bit of olive oil,

sprinkle the chopped garlic on top, and begin the layering of cheese and pancetta...

...and then finally, the seasoned and oiled up brussels sprouts.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the crust is brown on the edges and crunchy.

The Brussels Sprouts will darken and crisp up a bit. Sprinkle with a dash of salt,

a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Now for the mushroom and spicy sausage pizza. Stretch out your dough and spread

a thin layer of pizza sauce on top.

Layer the cheese, mushrooms and then the sausage on there...

...and bake for 10-12 minutes or until crispy! Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and parm. Yumtasitcal.

Thanksgiving Abroad

2011-11-30T16:59:00.005+01:00

This year we headed out to one of our favorite places in France, Noyers. Noyers is a medieval village in the Burgundy region. We are lucky enough to have good friends there who have invited us into their home again for Thanksgiving. They had a total of 40 guests, most of which were American friends that traveled far and wide to sit at their long grand table. Turkeys were ordered through the local butcher shop, friends brought their favorite ingredients from home, and all made incredible dishes to bring a piece of home turf to the Thanksgiving feast.

Americans from Paris in Noyers by the old ramparts of the village

During an afternoon break while things were roasting, baking, and simmering, our Paris gang went on a walk to forage for items to decorate the table and house with. The table ended up filled with beautiful giant orange leaves, lichen covered branches, yellow leafy sticks and lots of candles. Friends from the village came by to experience our American holiday and all gave toasts throughout such a lovely meal. After dinner , and before the dessert buffet was raided, we all ran outside to light up sky lanterns and watched them as they drifted off into the night sky. The cool air and excitement of this got everyone in good spirits. After digesting and relaxing, the room was cleared, the music turned up, and everyone starting dancing by the fire. The following day we rolled out of bed hit the village streets to check out the black truffle market then we went up into the hills to get a post turkey nature walk in before heading back into bustling Paris.

Cheri Messerli and Scout on the foraging walk

Alison and Josh liking some lichen .... Adrian and Mike Gallardo keeping the peace

The village of Noyers-sur-Serein looking down from the nearby ghost Chateau

One of our hosts, Rod Deweese, toasting every glass....

From Cheri's quinoa cornbread to my grandfather's gravy, this one was epic!

Marco Vignuzzi, our other dear host, doing his toasting rounds...

Josh, owner of Candelaria in Paris, naturally took charge of the pouring

Thanks to our bud, David Rager, we have now learned that Sky lanterns are officially

one of the coolest things you can bring to a party

The last truffle fair of the season

On our walk home, we passed this door and admired the simple cat cut-out door.

Then Josh pulled some magic and got the cat to appear...

Josh and Adrian at one of the 'belvedere' look out spots on the chateau trail

Countryside Break

2011-11-29T12:08:00.001+01:00

Just returned from a few days in the french countryside for Thanksgiving. The next post will feature the walk we took while foraging for décor for the grand feast tabletop and the meal cooked for 42 guests! Ah.... the countryside.

TofC at Jack's Jumble Sale at Candelaria in Paris

2011-11-22T17:40:00.012+01:00

Our pain d'epices caramels just before getting dressed for the party...made with hand ground gingerbread spices and love

Last weekend we participated in the first 'Jack's Jumble Sale' event at Candelaria, put on by The House that Jack Built. It was full of charm and warmth. The goods varied from personal closet treasure's set up like a classy vide grenier, garage sale, to haircuts by Japanese hair stylist extraordinaire Kazuko (I totally got a new do!), hot autumn punch by Candelaria's Carina, second-hand designer menswear from Paris wine blogger Aaron and ...

Lauren of T.H.T.J.B. and Cheri Messerli stoking

Stylist Hannes Hetta trying on some shades Aaron Ayscough

Madison with her lavender-honey cakes and other delights / Carina (rt) prepping some steamy lemony cocktails

Kazuko cutting Oliver's hair... the doorman of Candelaria

Insanely cute things made by Stella

...vintage blouses, boots and scarves from Alison and Lauren (the ladies behind the T.H.T.J.B.), sweet tunes by DJ Rager, jars of fragrant loose chai tea by Tifamade, rad vintage books and glasses from t-magazine writer, Sarah, and lots of other mega goodies and good vibes galore.

Chef and consultant Yvette Bordignon made chutneys, biscuits and lollipops!

We ran into Thomasine Barnekow at the event who was wearing one of her glove designs

Her work is very unique and intricate... and such soft leather

French vintage paperbacks on Sarah's Moroz's table

Tifamade's goodies in one of their vintage display suitcases (normally on a back of her signature pink delivery bicycle)

Tiffany of Tifamade with her magical Chai Tea

T.H.T.J.B.'s vintage children's kitchen set that appears at their Candelaria events

Alison keeps the tea bags stored in the lil oven

Adrian designed and crafted beautiful wooden pendant necklaces out of tropical hard wood and colored leather cords. I made organic oreo's with a white chocolate ganache, pain d'epices, gingerbread, caramels and organic vanilla-lemon sandwich cookies. Our oreo's were such a hit that I blinked my eye and they were gone. Seriously. The french do love their chocolate.

Our Oreo and l-v sandwich cookies photo by Cyril Pennec

Adrian's wooden pendant necklaces ( write to us if you would like to purchase one!)

Shoe designer, Tülay Kulbay, and Hannes wearing Adrian's wooden pendants like the good buds they are

Adrian asking Aaron, our friendly event neighbor, about the black leather boots he eventually went home with... Merci A!

Our pain d'epices caramels ... no one said 'no' to a sample of these

Disclaimer: I normally like to feature photographs taken with our high quality equipment but due to the rush of wrapping every last caramel, we ended up taking informal photos using an available pocket camera ;) Fun times.

Two Slam Dunk Pumpkin Pies

2011-11-16T17:19:00.003+01:00

Our friend and TofC contributor Leela Cyd is not only a photographer and cook extraordinaire, but also finds the time to write and photograph stories for The Kitchn and Re-Nest. Here she share's her favorite pumpkin pie made by her father.

We've also included a pumpkin pie recipe favored by Virginia Miller, the mother of TofC co-creator, Danielle Rubi-Dentzel! Loving all the family faves during the month of Thanksgiving. Feel free to write us and tell us some of your top TG family recipes.

Family Recipe: My Dad's Legendary Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
written and photographed by Leela Cyd

I have a confession: Trying new recipes for Thanksgiving is not my thing. In fact, when the time comes to prep my dad's legendary pumpkin chiffon pie, nothing delights me more than the same old same old.

There are certain dishes that pull so hard at our heartstrings, the secrets to conjure the foods that define us and our family traditions, they nearly barrel us over with love. This pie is one of those dishes, a dessert that signifies togetherness. Do you have one of these recipe narratives in your life? What's your family's signature dish?

My dad, Richard, first encountered this recipe while shooting a Thanksgiving spread for Saveur magazine, over a decade ago. He's a photographer as well, although I didn't know this part of the recipe origin story until this year. Known for his images of museums, historic spaces throughout the world and most recently, a body of work addressing incarcerated juveniles, food was about the farthest thing from his repertoire. He shot the pie and accompanying Thanksgiving meal in New York anyway, typifying his photo motto of "Say 'Yes' then figure it out later." He also tasted the pie that would define our family's Thanksgiving meals for years to come.

What's so great about this pie? To put it simply, it's ruined me for every other pumpkin pie out there. I can't eat any pumpkin related confection because it just makes me wish for my dad's pie.

You know the hallmark traits of some traditional recipes for pumpkin pie? High density, low flavor filling met by a pasty white crust? This version trumps tradition with its impossibly light 'chiffon' (just saying the word makes me feel buoyant!) texture throughout the lightly spiced filling and the shattering crusty, vanilla sweetness of a Nilla wafer crust. This pie, it's poetry.

I know I'm being challenging when I declare this pie the best, and probably you have your own dearest pumpkin pie recipe, but Thanksgiving calls for bold statements and it calls for family favorites. If you're looking to change it up this year, throw this recipe into your mix. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the light, mousse–like filling and the strong vanilla crust.

Dad's Legendary Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
adapted from Saveur
makes 2 pies
For the crust:
4 cups crushed Nilla wafer cookies (a rough texture with unevenly sized pieces is fine)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the pie filling:
3 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup Cointreau or Drambuie
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup sugar, divided
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
Fresh whipped cream, to serve
Prepare the crust:
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter, sugar and salt. Press mixture firmly into 2 9-inch pie pans (if you have any extra mixture left over, you can press this into muffin tins with great results).
Bake for 10 minutes, and cool on a wire rack.
Make the filling:
In a small bowl sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over 1/4 cup Cointreau to soften for 5 minutes. Set the mixture over a bowl of hot water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
In a heavy saucepan whisk together the pumpkin puree, heavy cream and 1/2 cup of sugar, 3 egg yolks, the cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice and salt and cook the mixture over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula for 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the gelatin mixture, and let the mixture cool.
In a large bowl beat 4 egg whites until they hold soft peaks (see this video for a clear idea of what you're looking for). Beat in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating the meringue until it holds stiff peaks, and fold this meringue into the partially cooled pumpkin mixture.
Assemble:
Pour the filling into the baked shells and chill the pie, lightly covered, for at least 6 hours. Garnish with plenty of fresh whipped cream.

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My Mom's Favorite Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream
adapted from Bobby Flay

Virginia Miller says, " I made this pie last year, and it was the best one yet"...and that's coming from a very critical Thanksgiving household who loves the best of everything! (sorry no photos of this one but I'm sure you know what it looks like! )

1 (9-inch) pie, plus leftover filling

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:

    * 1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
    * 6 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly warm
    * 1/4 cup granulated sugar
    * 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pumpkin filling:

    * 2 whole eggs
    * 2 egg yolks
    * 1/4 dark brown sugar
    * 1/4 cup granulated sugar
    * 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
    * 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
    * 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
    * 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    * 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    * 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
    * 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
    * 1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved

Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream:

    * 1 1/4 cups very cold heavy cream
    * 1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved
    * 2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
    * 1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon (to your taste)

Directions
For the crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add all the ingredients for the crust to a food processor and pulse until combined; it should feel like wet sand, and just come together.

Spread the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan, using your finger tips or the flat bottom of a glass. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and sides of the pan.

Put the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the crust is light brown and firm to the touch, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugars in a large bowl. Add the butter, pumpkin, cream, spices, salt and vanilla seeds and whisk to combine. Strain (important) the mixture into a bowl.

Pour the strained mixture into the baked pie crust and bake until almost set, about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove and let come to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, if preferred.

Cook's Note: The filling makes more than what is needed to fill the pie shell. You are able to freeze the excess. We made a double batch and it filled 3 pie shells very comfortably.

For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, vanilla seeds, syrup and bourbon in a large chilled bowl and whip until soft peaks form.

Garnish each piece of pie with a dollop of the whipped cream before serving.

Le Fooding Announces 2012 Paris Winners

2011-11-15T15:58:00.004+01:00

On November 14, Le Fooding, France's well respected restaurant guide, named their top restaurant choices for their just released 2012 restaurant guide.

The category I like most, Fooding d'Amour, is the best restuarant that cooks with love and has l'amour vibes. How sweet. The winner of this category, Au Passage, is a favorite among many of our friends. It's a wine bar serving delicious food tucked in a...you guessed it, passage in the 11th.

Prix Fooding Guide 2012 de la meilleure table, best table
Chatomat, Paris

Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur bar à vins, best wine bar
Frenchie bar à vins, Paris

Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur delirium
La Grenouillère, Montreuil-sur-Mer

Prix Fooding d’amour Guide 2012 , best 'love' restaurant
Au Passage, Paris

Prix Fooding d’honneur Guide 2012, honorable mention
Bertrand Grébaut
Septime, Paris

Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur “régalez-vous !” , "dig in!" award
L’Agapé Substance, Paris

Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur retour de pêche, best seafood
Le Cabanon , Ajaccio

Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur livre de cuisine, best cookbook
En cuisine avec Alain Passard, Christophe Blain, Gallimard

Prix Fooding Guide 2012 du meilleur décor, best interior design
Pier Schneider et François Wunschel (1024 Architecture)
Les Grandes tables de l’île Seguin, Boulogne-Billancourt

Prix Fooding Guide 2012 des meilleurs bistrots ex aequo, tie for best bistro
Le Pantruche, Paris
Le Grain de Sel, Marseille

We Found Kale!

2011-11-11T12:57:00.009+01:00

Spotted! Tuscan Kale at a farmer's market in Milan, Italy

Since finding Kale in Paris is impossible, we've been keeping an eye out for it when hitting up farmer's markets around Europe. When in Milan last weekend, we cruised through the Viale Papiniano market on a whim while it was heavily raining and out of nowhere, boom, Tuscan Kale! We bought a few bunches and threw them into our suitcases, as we were flying back to Paris later that day. We've been enjoying Kale in every way possible until the very last leaf since.

The following is a recipe I've altered slightly from TofC contributor Jane Grawe for a delicious and nutritious raw Kale salad:

(to be improvised upon endlessly and in varying ways)

Wash kale, cut out the tough stems, cut it into thin strips and dry in salad spinner-- 8 cups or so ( you can leave the stems on if you like some crunchy roughage)

Put it in a bowl and drizzle with:

1 Tablespoon each olive oil, sherry vinegar and a hefty sprinkle of salt and massage it a bit to wilt slightly

Slice and sautée 1 red onion until caramelized and crispy in a bit of olive oil or butter ( don't stir too much so they get crispy )
Then add, or not, as you like:
1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano ( do you have a microplane? use it!)
1/2 c. golden raisins
1/2 c. shredded carrots
toasted nuts (almonds or hazelnuts are a nice choice)
(optional) a couple of rustic country bread slices made into cripsy croutons by sautéeing in a little olive oil or butter

dressing:
1/3 c. olive oil
2 T. sherry or balsamic vinegar
1 minced garlic clove or finely chopped shallot
2 teaspoons honey or agave honey

optional: chili flakes or harissa (so good!)
s&p

My sister in California, Simone Rubi, tested this recipe and sent us this photo of her creation!

Also... We LOVE Kale caesar salads.. there is a great recipe from Chad Robertson, the man behind San Francisco's Tartine Bakery here!

Bottom 2 photos by Simone Rubi

“Oh, just in time for Thanksgiving”

2011-11-06T14:17:00.003+01:00

We asked Jane Grawe (mother of friend and TofC contributor Sam Grawe ) to write us something from her rich culinary experiences all over the world. Every time we're in her company, we talk for hours about recipes, travels, ingredients, history, etc. Here's a little piece for you to enjoy.

There are a few things in life you don’t do very often, and I did one of those today; I went to look for a new stove. Then, in the course of conversing about its merits and installation and delivery fees, I surprised myself by saying , “Oh, just in time for Thanksgiving”... Well, that is primarily because I have rarely cooked Thanksgiving dinner in the traditional Norman Rockwell sense for over two decades.

Everyone has a sense of how the day should go--mine was formed , of course, in my childhood, and particularly in my teen years in Concord, Massachusetts where our high school football team had its annual closing game against Lexington at 10:30 am on Thanksgiving Day. That excursion fulfilled the prerequisite need for some exercise and cool and crisp air, for sure. Our table had that quintessential turkey, and was filled as well with a bounty of local produce--Hubbard squash, creamed onions, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and of course, cranberry sauce. There were celery and carrot sticks and a few pimento-stuffed green olives on a Majolica plate used for the occasion as well. Mince pie and squash pies sat on the sideboard waiting. The proper time for that meal was sometime in the mid-afternoon, which meant that, before bedtime, each of us could go back out to the kitchen for leftovers. We’d lift the dampened dishtowel that my mother had placed over the turkey to keep it moist, and pick and slice the meat we wanted, light or dark. Then, with a healthy slathering of cool mayonnaise on a slice of her homemade white bread, or Pepperidge Farm sandwich bread otherwise, each would make a turkey sandwich, usually with a slice of stuffing and a bit of cranberry sauce. An earlier childhood memory is of my widowed mother, who while short on funds was long on tradition, made a football shaped meatloaf to which she attached paper frills sitting on chopsticks in lieu of the absent drumsticks.

Through the years, however, things changed. Once I was upcountry in Kenya with some Peace Corps’ friends, and one, who weekly rode his bicycle to town for the mail, wearing flip flops over the miles of dirt roads, had previously announced that he would bring a turkey for our American celebration. No one knew how he rode a bike with a live turkey on board, nor the Swahili word for turkey, so the housekeeper’s son was asked to slaughter and clean the “rather large chicken”, which he efficiently did before going for his day off. It was my charge to make the stuffing (no problem, I’ve had plenty of experience with that) and to cook the turkey. That turned out to be a big problem, because we were cooking in a house with no electricity and with only a wood stove. Well, to make a long story short, by ten pm, the turkey still wasn’t cooked sufficiently so we all went to bed hungry, and we fired up the stove properly the next day so the turkey could be properly cooked.

Over the years, we’ve put everything from oysters and sausages to chestnuts and apples in the stuffing, but we have always insisted on Bell’s seasoning for flavor, and we have never called it dressing. Once, we had a family car trip complete with cooked turkey to a country inn in Upstate New York to accommodate our college-basketball playing daughter for her practices and tournament. And another time, my daughter announced that she was going to bone the turkey and stuff it. She did, and the results were spectacular; it tasted absolutely delicious, made carving a dream, and everyone got a bit of both white and dark meat. We practiced the boning on a Cornish hen--that was difficult and required quite a bit of manual dexterity!

Returning closer to the present, last year in November, I was in Switzerland visiting my daughter. We weren’t able to buy, nor would we have been able to consume, an entire turkey. So, we bought a leg/thigh piece and a breast piece. Putting the experience of that boned turkey to work, Katie made a stuffing and rolled it into the breast piece which she then covered with bacon. The other piece was set to roast on top of an array of fall vegetables-- carrots and parsnips being requisite to our minds. Starting with an appetizer which included foie gras, mache (lamb’s tongue/lamb’s lettuce) and a quince based dressing, we had a spectacular Thanksgiving feast.

Purchasing those turkey pieces in Switzerland, and after having had a few Thanksgivings in India, it finally occurred to me just what the meaning of the French word for turkey was all about: la dinde, from d’Inde, which literally means “of India”, but alas, not that India. Back to those helpful Wampanoag, and in particular Tisquantum (better known as Squanto) who taught the Pilgrims how to plant corn and to use fish as fertilizer. Which then makes me wonder, why don’t we eat herring as a first course at Thanksgiving? And, just what will I be cooking on that day on my new stove while I’m sipping a glass of Zinfandel.....

Text and photos: Jane Grawe

Marie Antoinette x Gordon Ramsay x Vintage Cars

2011-10-24T14:22:00.002+02:00

Kirstin Dunst from the cover of a past issue of Vogue magazine as Marie Antoinette ,

the hallway leading to La Veranda restaurant in Versailles

Dunst surrounded by Paris's own LaDurée creations for the film set

Went to Versailles recently for a portrait photo shoot and lunched at Gordon Ramsay's La Veranda restaurant at the Trianon Palace Hotel. We started the day by slowly walking through the palace while shooting portraits in hidden corners basked with natural light. We had a real portrait moment when arriving at Marie Antoinette's personal house, Le Petit Trianon. Soft oval shaped inset windows and a powerful energy in the space made the magic happen. My subject Michelle, along with Marie A., embodies a whimsical elegance and so I suppose it just felt like the right place to be.

Images of Kirstin Dunst, playing the 19 year old queen, came to mind while meandering through the palais. The film's director, Sofia Coppola , was granted (rare) permission to shoot her film, "Marie Antoinette", entirely on location within the grounds of the Château de Versailles.

One of my favorite things in life, Andalusian Gazpacho, with heirloom tomatoes and a chévre and lobster croûton - yumtastic

A highlight of the lunch, a silky pumpkin soup with a hidden burrata pillow underneath and a bit of brussels sprouts

Pressed Foie Gras with cured artichoke hearts, fleur de sel, and a citrus and ginger chutney

Loved this Cala Lily display in the lobby hallway

La Veranda burger, or what Michelle called , the 'spleen burger' . It tasted very organ-y, a disappointing burger


Bavette of Black Angus with braised endives and augrumes, citrus fruits - Nice textures and flavors with this one

Coffee mousse with biscuit crumble and Manjari chocolate ice cream - kinda don't remember it

Cheesecake frapée with a sablée crumble and wild strawberries

After lunch we went outside to find our driver, but instead we found a vintage car show. Lots of over the shoulder sweaters and suited up men with swirls for eyes.

I want to drive this car one time down a narrow road surrounded by fireworks under a full moon

Dream car by Ferrari

Another Ferrari with nice froggy yellow eyes

I didn't realize I had such a thing for vintage cars, but dang - these cars were mesmerizing

Alfa Romancing the stone

A Normand Sunday

2011-10-10T20:06:00.004+02:00

Of all the things that could lead us to take off on a day trip to the coast of Normandy, I never thought it would be Ikea. It went down kind of like this: we needed a couple things from the Swedish megastore that could not be brought home on the RER, so we looked into delivery options. Upon seeing the prices, we realized that it might be cheaper to rent a car. It was. But it was only cheaper to rent the car if we kept it for three days rather than one. So, after a trip to Ikea on Friday, and a Saturday spent assembling our goods, Sunday found us northbound on the A13.

We decided to beeline it to Honfleur, an artistic and picturesque seaside town that managed to escape the destruction of WWII. Unlike it's neighbor to the north, Le Havre, Honfleur is teaming with half timber and slate-clad buildings nestled along a small harbor filled with equal parts traditional wooden sailboats and modern luxury and racing yachts. As luck would have it, we stumbled into town on the 17th annual Fete de la Crevette, that is, Shrimp Festival.

Herring smokers, cider and calvados vendors, and pedagogic Normand gastronomy tents were just a few of the attractions we found surrounding the small inner harbor, the Vieux Bassin.

I was happy to see a healthy contingent of salty, tattooed sailors and fishermen about. Despite the crowds and air of wealth in the town, everything remained authentically natural. This is the real living history of the region, not an empty imitation drummed up to fetch tourist business. As a North American, it is worth knowing that the principal expeditions that lead to the French presence in the New World sailed from Honfleur. In 1608 Samuel de Champlain set sail to eventually found Quebec city, and in 1681, Cavalier de la Salle left from the same port to end up at the mouth of the Mississippi, naming the region Louisiana after his king, Louis the XIV.

The shrimp stands themselves were the most crowded of the event, and if you taste the tiny sweet celebrated crevettes, you'll understand why. Grey when living, pink when cooked, the tiny crustaceans are undeniably delicious.

Along with a rich maritime history, Honfleur has also been home to many artists. Often referred to as the birthplace of impressionism, the town can be seen in the paintings of Monet, Turner, and Boudin. Also impressive is that Honfleur is the birthplace of Erik Satie, possibly the most important French Impressionist composer. His home is now a museum filled with trinkets that speak to his eccentric sense of humor, such as winged pears and self-pedaling carousels.

It is commonly understood that Normand apples are the best apples. It only makes sense that the cider, calvados (this regions famous breed of apple brandy), pommeau (liqueur made from calvados and apple juice) and cider vinegar would be tip top as well. We made off with a few bottles, and yes, it is all excellent.

From Honfleur we headed north over the Pont de Normandie, a massive arching bridge that crosses over the mouth of the Seine. As I looked down at the water, I wondered how many Parisian cigarette butts, metro tickets and whatever else was flowing out to sea beneath us.

On the other side of the Seine, we entered the city of Le Havre, famous for being decimated in WWII. The city was rebuilt primarily with concrete and brick, giving it a feel much closer to Miami, Mexico City, or Isla Vista rather than other French seaside towns. All right angles, straight lines, and powerful stances, the architecture has all the ingredients of a sprawling eyesore. But, quite contrarily, I liked it. There is something to be said for individuality, and Le Havre feels like no other city I've visited. I want to go back with Danielle and a few film cameras and see where all the hard lines lead.

Our final destination was the small town of Etretat, which sits, cradled in a seaside valley, flanked to the north and south by soaring white cliffs, the Falaises. With a bottle of pommeau in hand, we buttoned up and braved the whipping winds for a sunset walk along the northern Falaise d'Amont from which you can see the massive freestanding arch of the Falaise d'Aval. Even though the clouds were too dense to see the setting sun, the changing light added to the dreamlike feeling of walking along those white cliffs, with white cows grazing near the short, sturdy castle. As the light vanished, we headed down the hill to find an open restaurant where we could savor a steaming cauldron of mussels before heading back to the big city.

Trail of Crumbs on Design Sponge

2011-09-29T01:49:00.000+02:00

The nice ladies over at Design Sponge featured us and our Paris apartment in this weeks "Sneak Peak" series... So fun! Click on the below image to jump over there for a quick looky look.

Walnut Caramel Tart a la Périgord Noir

2011-09-15T19:00:00.002+02:00

The Périgord Noir region of the Dordogne valley in France is famous for it’s walnut trees as well as black truffles, foie gras, and dreamy countryside magic. We spied on many a walnut-caramel tart in the bakery windows of towns like Sarlat, Montpazier, and Bélves. Finally, our looking at them turned into devouring them when we celebrated our friend's birthday... one of the many scrumptious evenings spent with a family that knows how to cook, laugh and eat well.

WALNUT TART PÉRIGORD STYLE

Serves 6

It takes 40 min to prepare... allow 3.5 hours in total to finish with bake time etc.

INGREDIENTS

Pastry dough

2 cups (280G) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons (125g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (1.5cm) cubes
1 large egg

3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
Filling
2 1/2 cups (275g) fresh walnuts
2/3 cup (160ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (125ml) water
1 1/2 cups (300g) plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 stick (55g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
Optional: A pinch of salt ( if you like salty caramel )
Equipment: a 9-inch (20-23cm) tart pan with a removable bottom

Prepare Dough:

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Beat together egg and 3 Tbsp ice water with a fork and stir into flour mixture (or pulse) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn’t hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 Tbsp at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. (Do not overwork mixture or pastry will be tough.)

Gather dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and press into a 5-inch (13cm) disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make pastry shell:

Roll out dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 12-inch (30cm) round. (If dough becomes too soft to work with, chill until firm, 10 to 15 minutes.) Fit dough into tart pan (discard plastic wrap), pressing against side. Run rolling pin over top edge to cut off excess dough, then press side to make dough come up slightly above edge of pan. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Make filling and bake tart:

Line a 4-sided sheet pan with foil and put in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 425°F/ 218°c.

Lightly toast walnuts in sheet pan, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and return pan to oven.

Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

Bring water and 1 1/2 cups (300g)sugar to a boil in a 3-qt (2.8l) heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until amber.

Remove from heat and immediately but slowly add hot cream (it will bubble furiously). Once bubbles subside, stir in walnuts and butter and cook over medium heat, stirring, 2 minutes.

Pour filling into tart shell and sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 Tbsp sugar. Bake in sheet pan 25 minutes (check tart after 15 minutes, and if top becomes too dark in spots, loosely cover with foil).

Reduce oven to 325°F/160°C and bake until filling is set and deep golden-brown and crust is golden, 10 to 15 minutes more (filling may spill over edge in spots).

Cool tart to warm in tart pan, 30 to 45 minutes, then remove side of pan (do not cool completely before removing side of pan or tart will stick). Serve warm or at room temperature. If you'd like, sprinkle with a tiny bit of fleur de sel, flaky salt, on top.

Cooks’ notes:
Dough can be chilled up to 2 days.
Tart keeps, wrapped well in foil and chilled, 1 week.

Recipe adapted from Julia Watson

An Unusual Candy in the Dordogne

2011-08-19T13:37:00.000+02:00

On a recent trip down to the Dordogne valley, I experienced a Perigord treat beyond my senses. Yes, it's cotton candy on a skewer, with a foie gras center. Was it good you ask? Surprisingly, it was!

On a Date in Scandinavia: A Perfect End

2011-08-08T13:09:00.000+02:00

Here is the last entry of Kat & Johan's sojourn in Sweden...

photo courtesy Hotel Skansen

Spending our last days in Båstad was the perfect end to our tour. The second wedding we attended was celebrated at the magnificent Norrviken Gardens that has an array of different gardens inspired by the Italian Renaissance. We stayed at Hotel Skansen that is known for its world famous tennis matches and also its bath house (the Kallbadhus) that is 60 meters out into the water.

After 10 days of literally gorging we did not have the power to drive all the way home to Frankfurt and had to stop in Lubeck, Germany for a break. Sitting outdoors admiring the architecture of the city, a vintage BMW Isetta car pulled up. We sure wished he could have driven our full bellies home in his little caravan.

To go to the beginning of this sequential story, go here!

All photos and text: Katerina Alm

On a Date in Scandinavia: Mölle's Harbor Cove

2011-07-27T23:02:00.002+02:00

Here we continue to follow Katerina and Johan Alm on the road in coastal Sweden...

The drive up to Höganäs Municipality from Malmö is picturesque, provides a beautiful coast side tour and only takes about an hour. A few minutes north of Höganäs is the town of Mölle, a 19th century fishing village that is known for its scenic harbour and permiscous bathing at the end of the 19th century when men and women started swimming together. Perched upon the top of this village is the Grand Hotel Mölle where we happily perched ourselves for a few days. The view looking over the harbour is incredible and a sea view room comes highly recommended.

In the area you can visit Kullabergs Nature Reserve where you can do botanical walking, bird watching and mountain climbing. The area is also known for their ceramic especially the salt glazed Höganäs jars and pitchers. There are many potters and artists around selling thier crafts. A short drive away is also home to Sweden's Iittala Outlet where famous Finnish kitchenware and pottery can be found at discount prices.

These three images courtesy of Iittala

Lunch in the harbour -traditional swedish Räkmacka (open faced shrimp sandwich:

Dinner at Grand Molle:

Pan seared scallops over white asparagus with local herbs and lobster bisque

Paired with Alsace Sylvaner 2007 from Kuentz-Bas

Locally caught fish that was delicious!!

All photos and text: Katerina Alm

On a Date in Scandinavia: Sweden's Southern Countryside

2011-07-10T02:59:00.001+02:00

Here we continue to follow Katerina and Johan Alm on their Scandic road trip adventure!

We attended a beautiful wedding where we celebrated in Öland at Borgholms Slott a castle that was built in the 12th century and has a spectacular view over the Baltic sea. All the eating, drinking and dancing in Öland left us ready to dive further into southern swedish gastronomy. We drove south to Österlen's countryside where we stayed at Karlaby Kro which is part of Countryside Hotels Sweden .

The Karlaby Kro Hotel in the Österlen countryside

Countryside Hotels has 39 hotels spread across the most beautiful regions of Sweden and I highly recommend it for choosing a hotel with charm and personality and not to mention great food in this part of the world. Emma, a passionate Swede who runs the show at Karlaby brings service to the next level. Not only did she describe each meal to us in great detail and know every grape variety of all the wines served, but also left us a personally written info letter with lots of recommendations on what to do in the area. The three course dinner with wine pairing at Karlaby is a must, rest assured you will not be dissapointed.

Seared bass with fennel, green field peas and bouillon of chive and salmon roe

Breast of sirloin of veal with beets, horseradish, marjoram and lovage with bouillon of lemon

In the area we visited:

• Mandelmanns organic herb & vegetable farm

• Ales stenar located at one of the most southern tips of Sweden which is a "megalithic" monument consisting of a 67 meter long stone ship and is said to be created around 1400 BP.

Ales stenar is well known for its organic bakery and restaurant Vendel where we enjoyed a delightful Mackerel sandwich on homeade organic bread with locally pressed Kivik apple juice.

Stay tuned... more to come!

All text and photos by Katerina Alm

On a Date in Scandinavia: Seaside in Denmark

2011-07-04T17:30:00.001+02:00

Here we follow Katerina and Johan Alm, Canadian and Swedish expats who live, work and met in Frankfurt. They recently got married in Italy and have a passion for food, wine, travel, skiing and fashion. Katerina is an avid cook and freelance travel/gastro-blogger in her spare time. Jump in their car and join them on their Scandic road trip adventure!

Upon receiving two invitations for weddings in Sweden that happened to fall on 2 consecutive weekends, a Scandic road trip was in order. Our idea was to first drive up from Germany to Öland, the second largest island in Sweden (located on the South East side of the country), then make it over to Båstad ( on the south west side of Sweden just north of Denmark). The planning included finding some countryside bed and breakfasts and hotels along the southern Swedish coast to tour within 10 days.

According to a recommendation from one of the Swedish brides, a small town called Charlottenlund just north of Copenhagen, was not to be missed. Charlottenlund is an affluent suburb of Copenhagen that was once home to Danish architect Arne Jacobsen who designed many buildings in the area. Nestled onto the coast of a former fishing village is the Skovshoved Hotel which dates back to 1660, which was the first stop of our tour. The Skovshoved Hotel is a recent member of the Historic Hotels of Europe list and it's restaurant is recommended by the Michelin Guide. The hotel offers picturesque views onto the sea, has only 22 rooms and a very personalized chic and cozy atmosphere. The restaurant was our favorite part of this visit.

The Skovshoved restaurant draws inspiration from classic dishes with origins in Italy, France and Spain. We ordered and enjoyed the sensory tasting menu with wine accompaniments. I especially liked the fresh bread. It was served in a wooden box on top of warm rocks with a stone slab carrying fresh whipped cream butter sprinkled with green salt. The chef refused to give up their secret recipe and only disclosed that it was very slowly baked in muffin tins. The dark bread was dense, moist, homey and comforting. Luckily they served a another version at breakfast too!

Fresh baked Danish brown bread

Fresh oysters served on ice with grilled lemons and toast

Cabbage soup with broccoli purée, parmesan cheese and a bacon consommé

Slow roasted Lamb filet with grilled celeriac, celeriac mousse, with a burgundy and rosemary reduction

Thinly sliced pineapple with Anna's compote, salty caramel sauce, bourbon vanilla ice cream garnished with limette leaves

Seawinkle Beerenauslese 2007 from Velich Winery

Buffet breakfast on the terrace. I am one to taste a bit of everything and... I went back for more bread!

Restaurant Terrace at the Skovshoved Hotel

All photos and text by Katerina Alm

Mes Petite Cherries in a Galette with Almonds

2011-06-20T20:27:00.002+02:00

I love cherries. I've been waiting all winter long to hand pick cherries in the Spanish sunshine. On a recent trip to the Andalusia region, we hiked the Sierra Nevadas and picked pocket ( shirt, shoes, anything!) fulls of cherries dripping off the abundant trees scattered throughout. If you are in the mood to make a scrumptious little dessert, try making some Cherry-Almond Galettes.

INGREDIENTS

2	Organic butter puff pastry sheets, rolled to 1/4 inch-thick

Cherry compote

2 1/4 cup (approx. 200g)

cherries

1/4 cup (60g)

organic cane sugar

Almond crumble

1 cup (approx. 100g)

blanched almonds

1 tbsp

organic cane sugar

Soured cream

2 1/2 cups (approx. 250g)

crème fraîche

1/2 cup (approx. 150ml)

whipping cream

2 tbsp

pure icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp

vanilla extract

1	Preheat oven to 425 F (220C). Cut six 5 1/2 inch (14cm) rounds of the puff pastry and place on a parchment paper-lined oven tray, top with parchment paper and another baking tray and bake until deep golden (10-15 minutes).
2	For cherry compote, halve and pit cherries, leaving 8-12 whole. Combine with sugar in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and liquid seeps from cherries (3-5 minutes). Keep warm.
3	For almond crumble, roast almonds until golden (2-4 minutes), chop in a food processor until coarsely ground, add sugar and pulse to combine.
4	For soured cream, whisk crème fraîche, cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl to soft peaks, cover and refrigerate.
5	Serve puff pastry rounds topped with cherries and almond crumble scattered over and soured cream on the side.

Trail of Crumbs on The Kitchn

2011-06-08T20:04:00.001+02:00

Our friend and lovely fellow photographer, Leela Cyd, featured us on The Kitchn this week. She asked us to send in our favorite breakfast recipe for her Breakfast with a Blogger column. Check out the recipe here... YUM.

photo: Leela Cyd Ross

Simple is Good at Les Pères Populaires

2011-05-21T17:11:00.000+02:00

When we first moved out to the 20th arrondissement, we were stoked to find a bustling, friendly bar just around the corner. At once very non-Parisian in it's relaxed, inclusive vibe, yet indicative of the established trend in eastern Paris of more easygoing venues, Les Pères Populaires offers some of the best priced drinks and food amid vintage furniture, music posters, full bookshelves, and a foosball table. The name loosely translates to "the fathers of the people", a roll they fill quite deftly.

For me, the formule midi is the golden nugget of this establishment. As soon as noon rolls around, a mixed hoard of people who live or work in the in the neighborhood serenely descend to see what is on offer.

The menu changes every day, offering one starter, one main course, and one dessert. Thus, ordering is easy: you can have one, two, or three courses. It is here that I learned that a lack of options can be a supreme luxury.

The food, like the place, is a little eclectic (why, no matter what dish, are there always sesame seeds on the plate?), but very french at its core. The fist course is usually a salad featuring a certain vegetable or cheese, or a soup if the weather is cold. The main course varies from fish to fowl to meat, and always has a simple but interesting vegetable side. No matter what it is, there is always some extra tasty garnish detail, like an under-the-radar dab of tapenade or coulis. This is probably related to the chef's talent for undeniably delicious sauces, which no piece of meat leaves the kitchen without. Today, our main course was spiced, sauteed chicken with coriander in a light jus, with roasted tomatoes, and an écrasée (crush) of potatoes and watercress. Desserts are often a variation on a pot de crème, or something like the vanilla fromage blanc with strawberries featured on the menu in the photo above. After many, many meals, I have never left unsatisfied.

Even though they don't serve full dinners, you can always get a planche of meat and cheese or a baguette sandwich in the evenings and enjoy drinks until around 2am. As this neighborhood moves along with its thorough makeover (one block away, Rue D'Avron just saw a yearlong renovation end with adolescent trees planted along one side, and large planters installed on the other) I'm certain Les Pères Pop will continue to take care of the neighborhood appetites, and grow in notoriety accordingly.

Les Pères Populaires
46 Rue de Buzenval
Paris, 75020
01 43 48 49 22
Weekdays 9am-2am
Weekends 10am-2am
Les Pères Pop on Myspace

Époisses Cheeseburger at Home in Oakland

2011-05-14T10:32:00.002+02:00

Direct from Oakland, CA, here is Simone Rubi's second post on TofC ( mmmmmmmmm ) :

To keep in rhythm to company that is kept on TofC, I thought I'd post about yet another cheeseburger. This burger is inspired by an off-menu cheeseburger I had at one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, Heirloom Cafe. The cheese is Époisses. A deliciously stinky washed rind cheese from the Burgundy region of France. The method? Work the cheese, shallot, egg, garlic, into the meat. The cheese isn't stacked and melted on top of the meat later. Unreal. Each bite is filled with the essence of Époisses. It also makes the patty unbelievably juicy. Make the patty by forming the freshly ground meat gently into a log and wrap it up tight with parchment paper. Chill the meat for a a few hours then cut into thick cylinders. The result is the ultimate, bottom line, fantastical, dream of a burger. We didn't eat them on buns like a lot of cutting-down-on-flour folks these days but I imagine a soft brioche bun would be sublime. We had the burger with an arugula salad with a touch of fleur verte cheese and a glass of 2008 Vincent Raimbault Vouvray Demi-sec. We also lucked out and found some fresh Chanterelle mushrooms, wait, no, the mushrooms lucked out to find us and a home at $30. a pound (!) at market hall in Rockridge. Still, we took them home because the idea of sauteing them in butter and fresh thyme then putting them on the burger was too spectacular of a mind movie. So the burger ended up with Chanterelles, carmelized onions, and homemade mustard. A friend, artist Nathaniel Russell, visited Oakland and this is how we did and continue to do.

All photos and text: Simone Rubi

Our Place de la Réunion Market

2011-04-25T15:50:00.003+02:00

This past Sunday we made a concerted effort to go to our local farmers' market at Place de la Réunion, just a couple blocks south of the Pére Lachaise cemetery. We are lucky to have plentiful grocery shopping options very close to our apartment, but it's often easy to leave out the trip just a little further to the farmer's market. I often forget how incredible it is that there are two markets per week at Place de la Réunion and two per week along the Cours de Vincennes, also a very short walk from home.

Our first stop was at the flower shop where we had a thoroughly enjoyable few minutes checking out the offerings and listening in on some good banter about the importance of clipping stems at an angle. We ended up getting a bunch of tulips, and the woman threw in a rose to make up for not being able to split up our bunch of flowers.

We also grabbed two large, round artichokes from Brittany. Boiled in salted water with a bay leaf and lemon, served with a chunk of good, salted butter, these things can just about be a main course in hot weather. If I had a grill, I would have bought at least four whole mackerel to eat after the artichokes. One of my favorite summer foods is mackerel grilled on a wood fire with nothing more than large sea salt, aromatic herbs and maybe a wedge of lemon. It's also worth noting that maquereau is the French word for both "mackerel" and "pimp".

A few years ago, while trying to motivate a group to go on a walk after a large meal, a friend said, "Come on, I don't think anyone ever regrets going on a walk." I feel that way about farmers' markets; even on the rare days when I don't buy anything, it's still a rewarding experience.

On my list for next Sunday is the fish-shaped semi-aged goats' milk cheese from the Fermier Du Tarn. Even if I can't grill a few mackerel at home, at least I know I can get cheese shaped like one.

Sharing is Caring

2011-04-20T16:51:00.003+02:00

Here in Paris, we have found Chou Frisé ( Savoy Cabbage ) but no Tuscan/Dino Kale or Curly Kale. There seems to be an ongoing confusion between what Chou Frisé and Kale are here. Although lots of people here think Chou Frisé is the name for Kale in french, it's actual name is Borécole. When recently asking a french friend where to find kale, the response was simply, " we feed that to the pigs". Perhaps Kale is too tough and bitter for it to ever make it to the plate in France. It's odd to me because it's a vegetable in classic dishes in many regions including Scandinavia, Germany, Italy and Portugal.

Instead of trying to solve this Kale mystery, we decided to turn our attic guestroom into a temporary green house and grow it ourselves (thanks to a little care package sent over from our dear California friends). We currently have over 40 young Kale plants ( both Dino and Curly) as well as peppers like Jalapeño, Poblano and Serranos. Oh, and California poppies and Lupine too. Since we've only seen red poppies in France, we thought it would be fun to have a shock of orange California poppies for the sunny window boxes too.

If you live in Paris and have a sunny balcony, a hanging railing planter, window box or courtyard, please contact us if you would like a trio of baby Kale plants (for free of course). I can set up a pick up location once I've got some interest, most likely at Candelaria or the Brachfeld gallery. We would like to spread the Kale love. Let's get this going!

A Resource for Modern Mothers

2011-04-20T12:30:00.002+02:00

Babyccino Kids was created by three friends who are based in London, Paris and Amsterdam. Courtney, Emilie and Esther, with an additional contributor based in NYC, write about restaurants, shops, parks and all kinds of special finds and resources that have been personally visited and tested by them... tried and true. They locate places that feature items such as sweet hand knit sweaters for little ones, hand crafted toys and organic pizza as well as boutique spas, tea rooms, art museums, and beyond. They also add daily info on their site including recipes, craft activities, support for soon-to-be's and has a vast online community for city moms.

The website also features travel guides for Paris, London, Amsterdam and New York with labeled maps and articles. The Paris guide features some deluxe addresses like a hairdresser that has a créche, playroom with a guardian, called Mum and Babe so mothers can chill and get their hair done while their children are being looked after. Babyccino Kids is sure to be extremely useful for all the international mothers out there.

Top 50 Restaurants Announced

2011-04-19T00:49:00.001+02:00

A Lamb Farm in Burgundy

2011-04-13T15:05:00.000+02:00

Last weekend our friend Pierre introduced us to Guillaume Verdin, the young man who raises lamb at Ferme de Clavisy, just outside the town of Noyers-sur-Serein in Burgundy. Entering the farm is an experience of pastoral idealism. After turning off the main country road, the driveway curves between small pastures with sheep and cows leisurely grazing. Crossing the gentle Serein river via a wooden bridge, the ancient stone farmhouse and first barns come into view, with the farm's fertile acres rolling out to the horizon. Founded and built by the Verdin family at the end of the 17th century, the farm has stayed in the same family and made it's way to through the generations to Guillaume.

Stepping out of the car, we were greeted by a pack of friendly dogs of many sizes, who scrambled and loped around us as we walked into the first of two large bergeries that house the lambs and their parents.

There is an unavoidable giddiness that comes with being at the center of a large building filled with newborn and very young lambs. Amid the high-pitched, human-sounding bleats and the fumbling bounces and wobbles of newborns taking their first steps, it's easy to see why the lamb has secured a spot as the symbol of innocence, sweetness, and springtime joy.

Guillaume is very proud of the dietary regime he has designed for his flock. Unlike many lamb farms that buy feed, Guillaume grows over sixty percent of what his lambs eat. I had a hard time keeping up as he rattled off the ingredients in the mix, but I know it included hay, alfalfa, various grains and herbs, and even, I think, juniper berries.

After staring at the lambs for who knows how long (tearing Danielle away from the bouncing newborns was no easy feat), we walked back to the farmhouse and into the small shop. From the walk-in refrigerator, Guillaume pulled down a whole lamb and we selected two côtelettes which he nonchalantly butchered for us. On the way out, we couldn't resist a few dry-cured saucisson as well.

Later that night, Danielle masterminded the preparation of aforementioned côtelettes. Seared in garlic butter, slathered in Edmond Fallot mustard, then crusted with fresh-cut herbs and breadcrumbs, finished in a hot oven. There isn't any other way to put it: this is the best lamb I've ever eaten.

Just before leaving the farm we heard a faint yell from across the field and Guillaume sprinted off. A few minutes later, he came back, soaked from the chest down. The yell was from his mother, and the reason was that one of the wily young puppies had pushed a sheep into the river. The sheep was unshorn, and had to be fished out of the water by Guillaume. "This sheep still has thick wool, and the water can absorb and drown her," he explained. The dopey happy puppies continued their endless scramble as we drove away, knowing that all's well at the Ferme de Clavisy.

Only in Germany

2011-04-08T13:00:00.002+02:00

Wandering Around Vézeley and St. Bris

2011-04-04T20:28:00.001+02:00

While spending a long weekend at Rod and Marco's house in Noyers-sur-Serein, we went to nearby Vézeley and St. Bris to pick up some bottles for the cellar. One of my favorite things to do in the Burgundy region is to drive through the fields and get lost in it all.

Goisot in St. Bris, an incredible bio-dynamic winery

Star Grocery & The Best Sandwich of Your Life: An Epic.

2011-03-23T15:04:00.007+01:00

Here we have a guest post by Simone Rubi who lives in Oakland, CA. Simone is Danielle's twin sister who is a musician, graphic designer and life liver. In between making batches of harissa, pickles, preserved lemons and other kitchen projects, she is either on tour or working on collaborative art/design projects.

Star Grocery on Claremont Avenue is in Oakland, California (well, it's on the Berkeley border, but I can't seem to think it's actually there). This store was opened by The Pappas family in 1922. The same family still runs it! The store has weathered the Great Depression, the Oakland Hills fire and the proliferation of chain stores by relying on the same customers whose older relatives may have once relied on the Pappas family. The store embodies everything that I love. Quality stuff and not too much of it. Lots of local products presented in a non-snooty way and different specialty items like hard-to-find spices (like Piment d'Espelette), preserved lemons, and locally made ice creams. They have all of my favorite things (which include the perfect avocado, 'Have'A' corn chips, and homemade sausages). Well thought out choices for wines, beer, root beer, cheese, bread, produce, pasta, olive oil, pickles, preserves, herbs, and a good hardware section as well. They have everything. Well, almost everything. I went in for a roll of film, but alas, nothing (But I guess that's the way these days). It's not excessive, like most commercial stores that have 30 kinds of every-level-of-fat yogurt. It's just a real friendly place. Oh, and cute people work there. I seem to have a thing for dudes that work behind a deli counter (photos upon request).

Star Grocery on Claremont Avenue. 2011. Oakland, California.

In 1950.

Jim and Nick Pappas. 1970s. The Pappas family started and still owns Star Grocery.

I've never even seen these in Norway!

Love the Japanese owl beer. I think we drank that at Sam & Anissa's wedding.

The Bariani olive oil is delicious

Try something different

These are totally a thing in California.

The lower left lettuces are called 'Little Gems' here and I love them.

Normally I'm not a stuff-in-bread kind of person, but this olive bread is really _____ good.

Perfect California avocados. The opposite (a bad one) might be my least favorite think to eat ever.

My fave of the non-fancy variety. I ate a lot of these when I was little. Also, 'Scream' sorbet sandwiches at Star are incroyable.

Inside Star Grocery is Star Meats, and what they have to deliver is absolute perfection. I've always loved a good sandwich. I wrote that my favorite food in a 6th grade essay was a club sandwich (in that same essay, I said that I wanted to make a house that was made of aquariums). Ephemeric alchemy. No two are alike. I guess that's the true chase and desire for food, art, and music lovers. Nothing is ever the same. The object, feeling, and taste is always dependent on how we feel that day, what is surrounding us, and how developed and pampered our taste buds are. Taste buddies. That's what these sandwiches are! Taste buds.

Second of all, I don't think it's fair to take insanely scrumptious photos of sandwiches. Upon viewing, it always leaves me feeling a little unrequited and a tiny bit mad. However, all I can do is to take such photos. We want to eat and taste with our eyes, secretly tricking our stomachs that we are actually eating the food in the photos. Seems to work because I get a little full when I look at this blog. IN A GOOD WAY. Every time I want to share the tastiness of my day with my Cali-Parisian family, I let my food get cold while I try and capture the true taste of the meal with a photo from my little camera.

Whenever I see this pink paper, I get really really happy.


The Brian Allen. Something about the cheddar and spicy mayo combo with the Arugula...

The Goodfella. With fresh buffalo mozzarella, hot coppa, genoa salami and a good amount of vinegar.

The Classic.

You are bummed when you see this.

These sandwiches are the ones that I keep going back to. Like you, I've tried so many different sammies. Hi art and lo art. Square cheese to slathered cheese. Foie gras to Bánh mì. Meatball to pickled slaw. Fried chicken to pulled pork. Torta to panini. Cuban to roti. Euro style with butter and cheese as condiments to Italian style with olive oil and vinegar. What Star Meats has to offer, is the sandwich that I long for when I'm a million miles away. It's the sandwich I long for when I'm only 6 blocks away. It is home. They only use a stellar baguette from La Farine, and when they run out (usually around 2), they won't make any more sandwiches. Go there, order the Brian Allen or the Goodfella, pick up some sorbet or an it's it, pick out a old fashioned soda or organic juice, drive up to the Oakland hills with your pals, get some perspective, and have the best day of your life.

Bay bridge on the left and a distant Golden Gate on the right. Oakland Hills.

All photos and text: Simone Rubi

Candelaria • Paris's Newest Taqueria and Cocktail Bar

2011-03-17T13:55:00.008+01:00

As Californians living in Paris, Danielle and I naturally have both a longing and disdain for European Mexican food. Not only is California joined at the hip to it's southern sibling, but numerous travels through many parts of Mexico have made the cuisine one of our favorites. But almost every experience we've had in Mexican restaurants on the right side of the Atlantic has deepened, rather than helped to fill, the Mexican hole in my stomach-soul. But recently, several self-appointed ambassadors have stepped up to aid the dearth of Mexican cuisine here in Paris. Candelaria is the newest and brightest yet of these establishments.

Comprising a taqueria and cocktail bar, Candelaria is located in the bourgeoning north Marais at 52 Rue de Saintonge. As you walk toward the entrance, a pink glow hovers on the sidewalk, emanating from a large neon sign reading, simply, "TACOS". Once inside the taqueria, everything just feels right: white walls, primary color accents, familiar bottles of cerveza lined up on the shelf, bare bulb brightness, a communal, if small, farm table, and the smell of carnitas and rajas sizzling on the comal. The menu is simple and right on, tacos de carnitas (slow roasted pork) and rajas con queso (sauteed green peppers and onions with melted cheese), tostadas de pollo pibil (stewed chicken in chile tomato sauce on a toasted corn tortilla) and queso fresco (crumbly mexican fresh cheese), as well as chilaquiles (fresh made corn tortilla chips topped with chicken, black beans, and a bunch of other fixings) and, of course, totopos (chips) y guacamole. After wolfing down a couple of most things on the menu, my mouth confirmed what my nose suspected: this is the real deal. And as soon as I chatted a little with chef Luis Rendon, the reason became obvious. Luis hails from Mexico City, a place that forcefully injects an appreciation for tacos and taco culture into everyone who goes there. So, I can only imagine the bond that natives of the city feel to the magic-filled, folded corn tortillas. Luis, a former architecture student, moved to Barcelona to focus on Mediterranean food at the Hofmann university, and moved to Paris thereafter, cooking in several restaurants before joining his friends' new project, Candelaria. He seems genuinely excited to be cooking his homeland's cuisine, especially the salsas, and of those, especially the salsa de cacahuates (peanut salsa). As the only departure from traditional mexican cuisine, it evoked both Spanish romesco and some southeast Asian peanut sauces I've had. With waitress/hostess/prep chef, Maria Luisa, keeping the crowds calm and fed, the atmosphere has a genuine casera (warm, homey) feeling.

At the back of the taqueria, a barely-noticeable door leads to the cocktail bar, and the vibe instantly changes. Warm wood tones, intricately colorful murals, and numerous candles beckon you toward the bar itself, where Josh Fontaine and Carina Tsou (who, along with Adam Tsou, own Candelaria) serve an array of creative cocktails and an even wider array of rare tequilas, mezcals, rums, whiskeys, gins, etc. Josh and Carina met while working at Paris's Experimental Bar, where they mixed top end cocktail for several years. At Candelaria, there seem to be two main emphases guiding and distinguishing the cocktail and liquor menu. First, there is a heavy focus on the culinary aspects of the drinks. Having a kitchen allows them to make many of their own syrups, sangrita (a tomato-based, spicy tequila accompaniment), ginger beer, grenadine, etc. Second, partly due to Carina's Colombian roots, there is a decidedly Latin American thread running through the offerings. I love tequilas, and when I saw the bottles of El Tesoro de Don Felipe, I knew things had gotten serious. I have never seen El Tesoro outside of Mexico, let alone 7 Leguas, and Tapatio. Along with Centenario, Corralejo, and Hacienda sotol (a northern Mexican variation on tequila that is made from the sotol cactus, a gaunt member of the agave family), the tequila selection alone could keep me busy for weeks, putting me off-the-grid without leaving town. Then there are the mezcals. Even though I've tasted several smoky and very smoky, and even smokier mezcals in Mexico, I was unprepared for the smoothness and balance of the El Mezcal varieties I tasted at Candelaria. The cocktails we tried were the Santa Margarita, like the traditional margarita but with the addition of hibiscus and agave honey, and the Pisco Disco, featuring pisco (the staple liquor of Chile and Peru) and house made orgeat (bitter almond) syrup and few other dynamic but less obvious liquors and spices. While watching Carina and Josh mix, shake and concoct, I noted the amount and variety of ice being used, crushed, cubed, big-cubed. It occurred to me that ice is to bartenders what fire is to cooks.

The decoration of the bar and the taqueria rings of a homey, woody-yet-modern aesthetic I've usually only encountered in my native California, and maybe Brooklyn. This is because Adam, Josh, and Carina brought in a group of creative friends to design and decorate Candelaria. I suppose this is a perfect time for me to be transparent about my personal, benignly nepotistic involvement in the establishment: I am a designer and craftsman by trade, and I designed and built the bar and a few tables and benches for the space. However, this involvement has no effect on my judgement of the food, drink, etc. I think anyone off the street could confirm that the proprietors are amiable, experienced and knowledgable, and the fare is authentic and soulful. Back to the decor, fellow Californians David Rager and Cheri Messerli oversaw the general design of the interiors, with their unique, personal style and brought in artists and artisans like Confetti System, Amy Jo Diaz, Keren Richter and myself to add pieces to the space. As a craftsman, I was particularly impressed with the owners' desire and willingness to use reclaimed materials in the fabrication of the furniture. For example, the bar and several small tables are made from reclaimed wood from old panels originally bought for the floor of the taqueria. Probably from the 30's or 40s, the wood was aged, sun bleached, and full of sand and cement. When I sanded it down, a dark, tropical hardwood showed itself and the objective became clear: let the wood's history and character shine through. Many other objects have equally rich provenance, like the voluminous wool tapestry on the far wall of the bar, which is made from the wool of an ancient Native American sheep breed that was saved from extinction by a ranch in Montana that maintains a fully organic, and predator-friendly flock.

Having been open only for a few days, there is already a consistent crowd moving between the bar and taqueria of Candelaria. Less obvious in his presence than the two bar tending owners, Adam Tsou can be seen making the rounds, expediting in the taqueria, quietly vigilant over his new project. Originally in finance in NY, Adam came to Paris to study cooking. He cooked at several restaurants in Paris and the south of France, most notably the three star L'Astrance, in Paris's 16th arrondissement. With Adam as the man behind the curtain and Carina, Josh, and Luis in front of it, I think Candelaria will move easily through any current growing pains, and become a stalwart outpost for anyone who needs a fix of, or wants to discover, the flavors of a far off land so often misrepresented on this continent.

If you would like to see more photos, for print or web use, please email us at:
thetrailofcrumbs(at)gmail.com

Bánh for Breakfast

2011-03-14T19:09:00.003+01:00

This guest post is by Paris based Julian Bowyer: A friend, fellow traveler and superman behind the stove. He is currently eating his way through the streets of Vietnam. Here is his report from this morning's breakfast in Hanoi!

Bánh is the Vietnamese word for dumpling and while visiting the St Joseph cathedral in the old town part of Hanoi we came across a Bahn street stall called Ly Quoc Su and decided to stop for breakfast. Young Vietnamese girls with nimble fingers, filled different types of dough and pastry with all manner of tasty fillings, passing them over to their mothers and aunts, whose steady well worn hands plunged the delicate morsels into a vehemently hot, charcoal fuelled, cauldron of oil. Looking around for a place to sit we saw how popular the Bánh stall was, tables full, and a queue of locals waiting for takeaway orders. On instruction from the fiercest of the cauldron guardians we grabbed some plastic stools to create our own makeshift table, ordered 2 of each shape and got stuck in.

The fillings were fresh and tasty; minced pork and prawns were paired with black mushrooms, vermicelli noodles, yellow beans, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Crunchy, juicy, porky, prawny, breakfasty heaven. There was a lighter than usual sweet vinegar with some sliced yellow chillies bobbing around and a few wafers of green mango to cleanse the pallet. On the side, a guilt appeasing serving of salad greens and Vietnamese herbs. If the salad isn't enough to absolve you, at least the Saint Joseph Cathedral is close-by where you can confess your sins of a deep fried breakfast to tempt even the most saintly.

Ly Quoc Su is located kitty corner from the Saint Joseph Cathedral

Photos and Text: Julian Bowyer

On a Date in Italy: A 1960's Hotel in Sorrento

2011-03-09T17:23:00.067+01:00

Guest post by: Sam Grawe

Here are some photos Sam took while staying at the Parco dei Principi , a seaside hotel designed by Gio Ponti on the Amalfi Coast. The hotel was designed in 1962 and has had very few renovations. It's always nice to see an original building that has remained the same. Sam reported that there were 30 different tile designs used throughout for the flooring.

Photos and text: Sam Grawe

On a Date in Italy: Down to the Amalfi Coast

2011-03-07T17:02:00.008+01:00

Guest post by: Sam Grawe

In this post, we continue to follow Sam and Anissa on their road trip in Italy. Here is Sam's report on two restaurants near Sorrento:

We left Rome after a few days and cruised down to Sorrento, Agripoli, and the Amalfi Coast. South of Sorrento is where Mozzarella comes from. We ended up at an awesome place in a small seaside town called Agripoli il Ceppo. It was the spot, rustic and simple.

In another Amalfi coast town, Ravello, there's a spot called Trattoria Cumpo Cosimo on Via Roma, 48, where an old lady named Netta rules the roost and cooks up amazing food:

Next up: The 1960's hotel designed by Gio Ponti in Sorrento, the final post featuring Sam and Anissa's Italian road trip.

Photos and text: Sam Grawe

On a Date in Italy: A Roman Deli

2011-03-04T17:30:00.015+01:00

Guest post by: Sam Grawe

In part II of On a Date in Italy, we continue to follow Sam and Anissa as they step inside a magical deli in Rome. Here is Sam's report on the salumi, cheese and beyond:

So this place Roscioli in Rome is a deli, and a restaurant, and was our favorite overall meal. The best cheese and meat selections, amazing carbonara, and such a great vibe to be eating in the middle of an amazingly stocked deli!

Salumi selection:

Lazzio cheese selection with truffle honey:

Carbonara...

Lil choco dippers with coffee

the vibe...

Next up: Down to the Amalfi Coast

Text and Photos by Sam Grawe

On a Date in Italy

2011-03-03T17:30:00.033+01:00

Guest post by: Sam Grawe

Sam Grawe and his wife, Anissa, hit the road in Italy last month to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. We will publish Sam's road trip report in several posts, here is the first one, in his words:

Here's a brief rundown on some stuff I/we ate:

In Milan, at Peck, a wonderful upscale food store with a cafe on the second floor.

Bresaola with Robiola and Arugula:

Crespelle stuffed with Ricotta / Zucchini flowers / topped with a white sauce / cheese:

In Parma, at a Parmesan cheese producer outlet:

Parmesan Mousse with Candied Pear and aged Balsamic:

Culatello ham (only made with the tenderloin of the right leg of the pig, the one it rests on while lying down instead of the one that it stands up with!):

The best street in Rome! (no salumi in sight unfortch):

Probably the single best dish I ate in Italy. At a place called Pizzeria Roma Sparita in an overlooked section of town.

Pacchieri stuffed with ricotta/artichokes, topped with cherry tomatoes & pancetta chunklets and cheese:

Roma Sparita is famous for their Cacio e Pepe ( Pecorino Romano and pepper )

Trippa alla Romana in Rome!

Anniversary styles:

... On a Date in Italy continues here!

Photos and text: Sam Grawe

After Party at the Paris Ritz

2011-03-02T16:42:00.002+01:00

Last Spring, we went the the ever-classic Paris Ritz for brunch on the day of my friend's birthday. We were a group of 10 artists and musicians that had been up till 5am the night before, and had created a bit of a stir in a room of sweater-over-the-shoulder families. We explored the many food rooms, some with tomato and flower towers, and others with entire salmons stuffed with mousse.

The round table we were all perched around was so grand, that we decided to sing across the table to communicate to one another. Our singing and giggling made the room feel lighter all while we ate mega mini desserts like: golden glittery Macarons, miniature Ile Flottante, Fraisier, homemade marshmallows and fruit dipped in chocolate, all from from the sexy, dimly lit burgundy velvet dessert room . After more songs and champagne we went to the Tuileries garden and napped in the sunshine. Perfect Sunday after-party. Can't think of a better way to go big for a girlfriend's birthday week-end.

Cornmeal & Masa Waffles with Old Buds

2011-02-25T18:17:00.023+01:00

During a recent December visit to San Francisco, we visited some of our dear friends who just moved into their Eichler designed home in Marin County. After our sleepover, we woke up to the sounds of sweet crackling vinyl from Sam's vast record collection playing on the speakers, and to the smell of... toasting masa flour? Yes. Sam Grawe, who spends most of his time as editor-in-chief of Dwell Magazine as well as playing and writing music, improvised a waffle recipe incorporating gluten free ingredients to create an earthy and scrumptious take on waffles. Sam and his wife Anissa tag team a super crazy good meal. I wish I could photographically report on the dinner they made the night before, but I'll just say it involved a cut of meat that was Japanese inspired sweet, salty and grilled to fall apart perfection. It was serious.

After our morning waffle hour, we took a hike in the foothills behind their house, where Sam took field recordings of the babbling brook for potential tracking in his music room. Eero, their mystical looking cat, was waiting for us by the door when we got home with owl like eyes.

The colors in the nearby hills are seamlessly integrated with the color choice on their living room walls. Eichler houses use tons of glass which brings the outside in. Nature reflected in any interior will always be cool.

When coming up with the waffle recipe, Sam busted out a classic recipe to get the job started... It's fun to riff off basic recipes, especially when you like to cook off the cuff.

Sam decided to toast the masa flour before adding it to the cornmeal and the other dry ingredients.

Instead of regular milk, Sam used almond milk. At this stage he also added a few egg yolk and mixed it until all ingredients were fully combined and smooth.

Adrian on Coffee Patrol

Sam then added some whipped egg whites and slowly folded them in. No over mixing allowed here or else they will have no fluff!

Et Voilà. There it is. Serve with whatever you fancy. Next time we will turn it savory by incorporating some green poblano peppers and jack cheese to make it sort of Mexican style. Or perhaps with honey and make it kind of sopapilla-esque and New-Mexican.

Fast Trains And The Foods That Love Them

2011-02-23T23:59:00.005+01:00

I would like to introduce Georgia Freedman, a long-time friend who resides in New York and has kindly contributed the following article. A former editor for Saveur magazine, Georgia is often traveling to distant, unfamiliar lands like Japan, Cambodia, and her native California.

As a New Yorker, I can be pretty smug about train travel. With subways crisscrossing the city, three different sets of commuter lines, and Amtrak trains departing at all hours, I always thought that no other city in the world was more accessible by rail. But then last fall I went to Japan for the first time, and I was completely floored. The entire country is so covered by trains that I was able to visit eight cities in ten days, with just one domestic flight on the entire trip (and if I’d added just one more day to my trip, I could have done that leg on the train too).

But the best part of train travel in Japan is the food. Japanese travelers take their food very seriously, and in every train station the snacks and meals for sale outshone anything I’ve ever seen in a train station or airport in the US, other parts of Asia, and even Europe.

The easiest thing to pick up in a train station is onigiri, the triangular rice balls stuffed with various kinds of fish or pickles and wrapped in nori. At the train station in Himeji, I found a specialty shop selling these beautiful specimens, but at almost any station in the country (including many subway stations in cities), you can find more humble versions wrapped in cellophane that not only covers the entire snack but also buffers the nori from the rice to keep it crisp (the wrapping is ingeniously designed to come apart in two pieces, removing both the inner and outer layers while leaving the onigiri intact). If you don’t read Japanese, it’s impossible to tell what the filling of these will be, but they’re all wonderful. The same little shops that sell these also have bottles of tea and iced coffee in their fridges, so you can grab a meal while you’re waiting on the platform.

Onigiri topped with crispy fish and salmon with salmon roe in the Himeji train station

Tsuya, pancakes filled with red bean paste and other fillings, in Tokyo Station

Many stations are also good places to pick up local delicacies. In Kyoto, the train station has very popular shops devoted to wagashi, the traditional sweets that can be made from anything from red bean paste-stuffed buns to delicate jellies filled with fresh fruit. These too are usually labeled only in Japanese, but most shops have examples of their wares (either real or made from plastic) in the front of each case so that you can see what you’re getting.

The very best of all the stations to eat in, however, is Tokyo Station. With something like six stories (most of them underground) and dozens of restaurants and shops, the station is a destination in and of itself for Tokyo residents. One evening on my trip I had a couple hours in Tokyo between trains, and I took the opportunity to explore some of them. I started on the ground level where numerous pastry shops sell everything from wagashi, like those in Kyoto, to strange, modern treats. There were dozens of kinds of jellies made from fruit like persimmon; at least six places selling some kind of donut; lots of sweets made with puff pastry or sponge cake in a French style that has now been popular in Japan for quite a while; and dozens of puddings or parfaits. The most popular sweet, however, seemed to be the ring-like layered German cake baumkuchen. Made by pouring batter over a spit-like cone rotating over a flame, these seemed to be all the rage—there were four or five counters dedicated to them, each with a sizable line.

Crisp cookies in seasonal shapes and flavors in Tokyo Station

Donuts in traditional western and Japanese flavors, including, possibly, green tea, yuzu, and cherry blossom, in Tokyo Station

Cream-filled cookies in green tea, red bean, and sesame flavors in Tokyo Station. The image on them most likely refers to the "moon rabbit"—where we see "the man in the moon" the Chinese and Japanese say that you can see the shape of a rabbit on the surface of the moon

Baumkuchen, a German cake made by dripping batter onto a rotating spit, in Tokyo Station

On the level below the pastry shops the eating opportunities continued. There were sit-down restaurants (some of which have long lines at dinner time), a huge food court, cozy whiskey bars and stand-up sushi bars, and shops selling everything from dried and pickled seafood to Japan’s notoriously expensive (and perfectly packaged) fruit. I stepped into one little restaurant and ordered something from a picture menu that looked like green tea ice cream topped with a slab of red bean paste, glutinous rice mochi, and tangerine slices. When it came, however, I discovered that all of these items, including the ice cream, were actually toppings for a bowl full of small blocks of firm, flavorless, clear gelatin of some kind. The combination was unexpected but also delicious and fun to eat. I sat and savored each cold, sweet bite and watched dyed blond teenagers, suited businessmen, and kimono-clad grandmothers all walk past headed for dinner somewhere in the maze of the station.

Having an after work drink in the basement of Tokyo Station

Clear cubes of agar-agar jelly topped with green tea ice cream, red bean paste, glutinous rice cakes, and tinned mandarin slices

Ladies in traditional dress shopping for wagashi in the basement of Tokyo Station

Words and Images by Georgia Freedman

Escaping Winter in Mexico

2011-01-26T18:44:00.007+01:00

Adrian riding a sunset wave at Punta del Burro

While living in Paris, we dream of Mexico. So we head down to Mexico during the cold winter months to swim in the warm waters, make art, music, and many amazing meals with friends. We stay at the most magical beach house ever called Casa Rincon , located on the surf break of Punta del Burro. This neighborhood is south of Punta Mita on the pacific coast in the state of Nayarit. The house has a recording studio called Glass Cube Studios ( bands that hang at the studio include Whitest Boy Alive, Kings of Convenience and Broken Social Scene) and we often spend evening hours in the recording studio to let the peaceful tropical environment translate into music. During one of our annual creative retreats here, I shot a photograph that became the album cover of The King of Convenience's latest record. Magic happens here.

Casa Rinconcito, one of the four houses that make up Casa Rincon

We learned how to make a many dishes along with chili salt and salsas like homemade Tejin and Roasted Tomato Salsa. You make Tejin by roasting 3 to 5 chilis de arbol, add sea salt, and then crush them all together in a traditional Mexican mortar and pestle called a Molcajete (or whatever mortar & pestle you have around). Incredible! To make our daily salsa, we roasted one chili and put it in the Molcajete with sea salt and one roasted tomato. The best.

In nearby old town, Puerto Vallarta, there are a few shops that feature traditional textiles and clothing that made us swoon big time. The rich colors and detail embroidery are works of art in itself. In addition to the bright colors of the fabrics, there are so many colorful, unusual plants and fruits to be discovered in this region of the world. One such new-to-us fruit is called Mamey, a fruit that looks like a small football from the outside, and a bright red/orange dense melon on the inside. So much to explore in the world.

A Few Favorite Chilis

2011-01-15T10:00:00.001+01:00

Fish Tacos at Marisma

2011-01-14T19:40:00.002+01:00

When in old town, Puerto Vallarta, we always drop in on Marisma. Tucked away on a side street, you will find the freshest and most delicious fish tacos in town. They lightly fry Marlin or shrimp in a beer batter and use only hand made tortillas. On the bar, they offer 4 salsas as well as a pickled onions in a vinegar tomato sauce. Our favorite sidekick to our taco is the pale green tomatillo salsa blended with avocado.

Marisma Taqueria — 320 Calle Naranjo, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Telephone: 52-322-222-1395. Open during daylight hours.

Huevos Rancheros

2011-01-04T02:01:00.001+01:00

Happy New Year from Mexico

2011-01-02T18:57:00.001+01:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Or should we say... Feliz Año Nuevo! The Trail of Crumbs are in Mexico exploring the tropical coastline just north of Puerto Vallarta. Fresh produce abounds as does folk art and the calm of the beach.

Voted a Favorite of 2010

2011-01-02T18:46:00.004+01:00

Leela Cyd Ross posted her favorite posts of 2010 on

http://www.thekitchn.com

and included our post on Paella!

Fall Jams

2010-11-22T17:51:00.003+01:00

Our friend Janella Fox, and TofC contributor, is in Paris this month exploring the city's magic during the shift into Winter. She arrived to our home with a special gift. Her homemade Elderberry Jam, featuring berries from her northern California hometown of Twain Harte. The jam is perfectly tart and sweet and has sparked the season of tucking into crafty project ideas while waiting for the first snow.

To honor the arrival of the magical fruit pot, we went to our favorite bakery, Du Pain et Des Idées. We picked up a loaf of their brioche called Mouna, and a piece of their Pain des Amis. Mouna a traditional brioche from north Africa, and it's buttery dough is delicately perfumed with fleur d'orange, orange blossom. I've never had a better brioche combo. My mouth tingles just thinking about it, it was that good. Pain des Amis, friendship bread, is from a centuries old recipe yielding massive round crusty loaves that are then sold in pieces. The thick crust is almost smokey and woody, and the inside is soft and nutty with a hint of sourdough. It's very complex and delicious. It tastes like no other bread I've had and I feel as if I'm transported to the renaissance period while I'm eating it. The owners have passion and discipline, which is why they take the time to do things the longer way.

It is supposed to snow on Thanksgiving day here in Paris. Lucky for us, we've been invited to two Thanksgiving parties. The first one is here in Paris with our friend Mary Rozzi, and the other is in the countryside where the local butcher has ordered us a turkey. Our village friends there await our festive crew while preparing Tarte Tatin and other new traditions-to-be.

A Young Sommelier

2010-11-16T13:12:00.004+01:00

This is Pierre Paillot, a sommelier and restaurant director. He lives in a medieval village called Noyers-sur-Serein in the Burgundy region of France. He was raised here and left in his early twenties to work with restaurants abroad, including Mint in Dublin and Gordon Ramsay's Royal Hospital Road. After expanding his winery address book, he took off, bought a van, and visited every wine producer that interested him around Europe for a year and half.

He just bought the house behind him here which is an enchanted building made up of four houses that have all been connected over the years. Walls have been knocked down and rooms joined, and now it's a labyrinth of a house where you can disappear. He is a dreamer who will transform this into a Gite (french B&B), grow his own grapes on land purchased nearby, and will hopefully host many meals in the years to come. An accomplished young man who knows how to pour a perfect glass.