Marché aux puces
By Ann | February 3, 2012
As a child, I remember spending hours and hours waiting while my parents shopped for antique furniture. They used to bribe me with Famous Five novels, but those books had no chance of lasting long enough for my speedy eyes and their lengthy negotiations. As I sat in dark corners illicitly popping bubble wrap, I had no idea why they found a boring old, ugly wooden table so interesting.
Fast forward 30 years. Now that I have an apartment of my own, I can finally say this: Mom, Dad, I get it.
All I want to do is spend time in flea markets. Marche aux puces, brocante, vide grénier — call them what you will, they all offer the same thing: other people’s junk. And I’m obsessed with it.
So far, my scourings have yielded a set of Thonet café chairs, various digestif glasses, a gilt-framed mirror, and an Art Deco lamp.
Oh, and these dishes. A mismatched set of dessert, dinner and soup plates. I plan to add to them until I have a full service of dishware in different patterns. I’m hoping to start a collection of blue-and-white china, you see (is this lunacy?).
Anyway, I’ve only just started my flea market explorations and am far from an expert. There’s a wealth of information about Paris’s Marché aux Puces on the internets, including these articles here, here, and here. But I can offer these bits of advice:
1) If you’re in the country for the weekend and you see a sign advertising “brocante” BEG your traveling companion(s) to go. Country flea markets have great prices.
2) Research the Porte de Clignancourt market before you visit — it’s actually a warren of many different markets. I found the best bric-a-brac (bits of china, cutlery, linens) at Vernaison. Everyone loves the Marché Paul Bert — it’s fascinating, but focuses mainly on furniture. Prices here are astronomical.
3) The Porte de Vanves market is smaller, with more bric-a-brac and some reasonable prices. I bought the aforementioned mirror here for 40 Euros. On the other hand, the selection is much more limited than Clignancourt.
Happy hunting!
Topics: Flâner, Home, Uncategorized | 10 Comments »
You’ll take Manhattan
By Ann | January 31, 2012
We bought a bottle of Canadian rye whisky a few months ago, a tall handsome flask. But my husband (hereafter referred to as Barkeep) was only drinking it small nips when he felt very cold, and I don’t like whisky, so when we had some friends over for dinner — cocktail-enthusiast friends — I proposed that we make a special apéro.
Thus, our enthusiasm for the Manhattan began.
Now, before I discuss this stately beverage, I must be clear: I don’t drink Manhattans because of my aforementioned dislike for whisky (a failing, I know). But everyone else seems to derive so much pleasure from them, I thought they were worthy of a post here.
As the legend goes, the drink was named after its birthplace — the Manhattan Club — where it was invented in the 1870s, in honor of Lady Randolph Churchill, the American heiress and mother of Winston. It’s a mixture of rye whisky, sweet red vermouth, and bitters, mixed in a shaker and served up with either an eau de vie-soaked cherry, or a lemon twist.
Here’s what our house Barkeep has to say:
On taste and appearance: “It’s a wintry alternative to the martini, a little smoky with a barky, tangy flavor from the bitters. I love the rich color, like lovely, polished wood.”
On cherry vs twist: “I’ve had it with a cherry and it adds a level of sweetness that I don’t think is necessary if you’re using Italian vermouth. The twist gives it a brightness that helps balance the drink and is a nice complement to the bitters. Once, we ran out of lemons and I used grapefruit zest, which added a Floridian dimension.”
On rye vs bourbon: “I am in favor of rye over bourbon because some bourbons can be too sweet. Rye is smoky and dryer.”
Our vintage cocktail shaker (a gift from the Barkeep’s grandfather) offers the following ingredients for a Manhattan: 1/2 rye, 1/2 Italian vermouth, Angoustura bitters, maraschino, ice. But if you’d like to create your own Manhattan(s), the Barkeep recommends Esquire magazine’s recipe.
Topics: A year in a French market: Winter, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Winter beauties
By Ann | January 26, 2012
I have a silly new hobby. Lately, I’ve been buying vegetables at the market, bringing them home and photographing them. I know, it’s crazy. But doesn’t Mother Nature seem impossibly beautiful sometimes?
Topics: A year in a French market: Winter | 11 Comments »
Tempura udon
By Ann | January 24, 2012
Because I work alone, at home, lunch is often crackers and peanut butter eaten at my desk. But sometimes I just need to Get. Out. Of. The. House. That’s where tempura udon comes in handy.
Kunitoraya is situated on a block of rue Sainte-Anne that hosts all the other Japanese noodle joints that have mushroomed in Paris. I tend to avoid these places because I can’t distinguish the good from the bad, but a friend brought me here and I’ve since claimed it as my own lunch spot, the place I come to eat alone. Here, I can slip into an anonymous stretch of counter and not feel punished by a table set for two.
There are many options on the menu, but I also seem to order the same thing: fat udon noodles paired with shrimp and vegetable tempura. It sounds simple, but the way you eat it is very particular; I had to ask for directions the first time I tried it.
First, you prepare your dipping sauce, adding sesame seeds, grated daikon, ginger, scallions, and a quail egg to a broth made of dashi, mirin and soy sauce.
Then, you remove an udon noodle from its bath of hot water and dip it into your special sauce, before slurping it up. The tempura also gets dipped in the same sauce. The noodles are fat and squidgy, the tempura hot and crunchy, and both are brightened by the smoky, gingery tang of dashi/soy sauce.
Perhaps it takes a bit longer, and requires a bit more skill, than your average meal, but all the dipping and noodle maneuvering is part of the fun. Plus — since you’re eating alone, there’s no one to notice if you accidentally spatter yourself.
Kunitoraya
39 rue Sainte-Anne
75001 Paris
tel: 01 47 03 33 65
Topics: Dining Out and About, Paris | 10 Comments »
Year of fire
By Ann | January 20, 2012
Happy Chinese new year! Monday, January 23, marks the year of the dragon. If your age this year is a multiple of 12, you may want to consider buying some red underwear. Thankfully, I can finally retire mine.
Whatever your undergarment needs, remember that eating noodles and dumplings brings long life and wealth. I hope you find some like these…
Vegetable dumplings
Dan dan noodles
Wontons in red oil
Xiao long bao (soup dumplings)
The soup is inside the dumpling. How it gets there is one of life’s greatest mysteries. (Not really, but humor me.)
I took the photos above at the incomparable Din Tai Fung. When are they going to open one of these in Paris?
P.S. Here are my homemade dumplings filtered through Instagram.
Topics: Dining Out and About | 11 Comments »
What you’re looking for
By Ann | January 17, 2012
I try to hide it, but the truth is this: I’m kind of a techno-phobe. But recently, with the help of web consultant extraordinaire, Jenny Beaumont, I updated a few things on this blog — and made an interesting discovery. Do you know what the number one web search query is that leads people to this blog?
Meatballs.
Meatballs?!
Not “France,” “Paris,” or even “Chinese food.” Meatballs.
I’ve only written about meatballs once, back in 2007 when this blog had barely cut teeth.
But, I do make meatballs all the time — I just don’t write about them. Meatballs are my husband’s favorite food. If I even think about meatballs, he starts grating Parmesan. I make them to celebrate his birthday, promotions at work, or simply life itself. Because life without meatballs is not a life worth living (according to him). I make them so often, it never even occurred to me to share the recipe.
Apparently, you know what I’m cooking better than I do.
Here, then, chers amis, is my recipe for meatballs. They take longer to prepare than your average weeknight meal — an hour and a half, or so — so I usually make them on Sunday nights. We eat half with spaghetti, and the other half the following night with polenta. Now you know all my secrets.
Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Recettes | 10 Comments »
Carnet de cuisine
By Ann | January 13, 2012
A few months ago I had dinner with a French friend and he showed me something really cool — his mother’s dinner party notebooks. For years — decades, even — ever since she was a young bride, his maman has kept a record of every dinner party she’s ever thrown: guest list, menu, recipes. As a result, she knows exactly what she’s served to whom — which means she never serves her friends the same thing twice. It’s madly meticulous. It’s wildly painstaking. It’s marvelous.
Of course, once I saw it I had to start one, too. In my kitchen notebook, I keep track of guest lists, menus, and seating charts; sometimes I even draw little pictures of the food. Is this hopelessly geeky? I fear you’ll never think of me in the same way again.
Topics: Cooking the Books, Home, Sur ma table, Uncategorized | 13 Comments »
New cookbooks
By Ann | January 10, 2012
Lucky girl that I am, I received quite a haul of new cookbooks for Christmas. Here’s what I’m cooking from these days:
Since I live in a cave (apparently) I’d never even heard of Nancy Silverton’s chic pizzeria, Mozza, until I was in Southern California last month and read this Los Angeles Times review of the new Orange Country branch. I immediately tried to book a table but rave LA Times review + holiday season + short notice = no luck. Happily, my dad employed the age-old philosophy — “Give your daughter a pizza and you feed her for a day, give her the Mozza cookbook and you feed her for a lifetime” — and I found a copy under the tree. The book’s pizza dough recipe is tailored to the home cook, including two pages of step-by-step tutelage that I hope to try one day (after gathering the required patience and equipment). For now, I’m sticking with the pastas. I’ve already made the cacio e pepe – linguine with Pecorino cheese and black pepper — which was satisfying but a little too oily (this recipe seems more promising). Next up: short pasta with guanciale, tomato and spicy pickled peppers. I also have my eye on the braised short ribs with horseradish gremolata and polenta — perfect winter comfort food.
Because I’m a hypochondriac, I tend to eat several vegetarian or vegan meals a week. A girl can only eat so much tofu stir-fry, however, so when I read about this natural foods cookbook here, I immediately started dropping Christmas hints (thanks to my husband, for listening to me!). Super Natural Every Day is full of unfussy, fast, wholesome and satisfying recipes that seem perfect for weeknight cooking. Though my first foray was a little disappointing — I made the black pepper tempeh with cauliflower, garlic, ginger, and cane sugar (turns out I don’t like tempeh — too pasty) — I’m excited to experiment with the lunch and snack recipes. Things I want to try: Spinach chop (with hard-boiled eggs, garlic, almonds, and harissa), little quinoa cakes, chickpea wraps (whole wheat lavash, celery, dill, mustard), white beans and cabbage, potatoes and parmesan.
On the other end of the healthiness spectrum is this collection of recipes from Martin Ginsburg, the late husband of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which was produced as a tribute to him by the other spouses of the Supreme Court. The recipes are mostly French (or Frenchified), made luscious with heaps of butter and cream. I hope to try the potato gratin and dark chocolate mousse — but not in the same meal. My favorite part of the book, however, are the remembrances about the cook himself, who seemed like an open-hearted, warm, intelligent and generous person. For example, here’s a quote from his son: “My father loved to repeat my sister’s line about the division of labor in our family: ‘Mommy does the thinking and Daddy does the cooking.’” The book is available at the Supreme Court Historical Society website; you can also read an article about it here.
Did you receive any cookbooks for the holidays? I’d love to hear!
Topics: Cooking the Books, Livres | 8 Comments »
Galettes and other greetings
By Ann | January 6, 2012
I can’t believe I almost forgot to post today about one of my favorite pâtisseries: la galette des rois!
Today is Kings’ Day, which means aspiring royals all over France will be tucking into frangipane-filled puff pastry, hoping to find the fève in their slice. The lucky recipient is crowned king or queen for the day. For more information on this flaky (in the pastry sense) tradition, check out these previous posts.
Also — after all that talk about holiday cards in my previous post, I wanted to share mine with you:
These sentiments join my heartfelt greetings expressed in my new quarterly newsletter, which I launched yesterday! Read all about my book launch in Rome, adventures and restaurant tips in la France profonde, a recipe for bean soup, and lots more in the first edition.
Meanwhile, we have friends coming round for dinner tomorrow, so I’m off to poach some pears in red wine. Happy Kings’ Day to you all — and bon weekend!
Topics: A year in a French market: Winter, Uncategorized | 12 Comments »
On beans and the new year
By Ann | January 3, 2012
I’ve been writing and receiving cartes de voeux over the past few weeks — I send New Year’s cards because I’m ecumenical like that — and one of the things I’ve noticed is the difference between French and American messages. My American friends and I tend to offer best wishes for good health, happiness, perhaps even prosperity. My French friends have, without exception, wished me a productive year, filled with rewarding projects.
I don’t think it’s any secret that I love projects. As a freelance writer, I have to be pretty self-motivated, or risk losing entire months down the Internet black hole. One of my biggest projects for 2012 is to finish writing my new book. But I also have smaller plans like cleaning up my window box garden, reading more French murder mysteries, and scouring flea markets to outfit our new postage stamp apartment. And cooking, of course. Cooking is a constant series of small, satisfying, occasionally messy and/or delicious projects.
Now that it’s winter, one of my cooking projects has been beans. I was inspired by my recent trip to Rome to cook more dried beans — they taste better than canned, and are better for you, too. But after many pots of failed beans, I grew frustrated. Even after hours of soaking and cooking, why did they always retain a hard, crunchy center?
A bit of research and I turned up a possible explanation: hard water. Minerals in water can affect whether or not beans soften. Paris water is hard enough to leave chunky deposits in my tea kettle. I tried cooking a pot of beans in bottled water et voilà — perfect tenderness.
Now that I have the basics down, I can’t wait to launch several new bean-cooking projects, including pasta e ceci (Italian pasta and chick peas), and a soup of white beans/garlic/chili/escarole (pictured). (The recipe for the latter, by the way, is available in my newsletter, which I’m sending out this week — I hope you’ll subscribe!) They join the other recipes I want to make this year: ricotta gnudi, seven-hour lamb, white pizza with clams, to name but a few — food to be savored slowly with friends and family, bite by bite, which is another one of my projects this year.
Bonne année, mes amis.
Topics: A year in a French market: Winter, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »