Claudine, Oui c'est Francais

So it's been over 5 years since I posted anything on here, there wasn't much to post but work, maybe some shoes and some French cooking which didn't happen very often at all. Well now, it's time to dust off those typing fingers for something other than work and start this over.

After spending the 3 most amazing weeks of my life in Paris it is easy to write again. Every single thing in Paris is perfect, the food, the people, the museums, the streets, the architecture and the wine. I waited my entire life to go, a lot of people told me it was a silly dream and that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. Well it did, and exceeded them all as well.

I left the USA one person and came back somebody completely different, better and happier. And I can't wait to go back and to get back to writing for myself and for another Paris website. Many many more pictures and stories to come.

XO

Bonjour old friend

Wow, it has been two years since I have posted on here and a lot has changed.... but I miss my little blog and think I need to get back to it. I don't have much time to cook at all like I did but I think it's time to jump back in!

This year the Tour de France is celebrating it's 100th year and with that they are going to some of my favorite places, Versailles, Mont Saint-Michel, Alpe-D'Huez and Marseille. And not to mention the first ever stop on Corsica which has an amazing history in and of itself. It's a sign and pulling me back in.. I miss you mon petit ami!

Happy Birthday Mickey

This cute little thing is my Great-grandmother. Born on leap year 1896..... She lived to the ripe old age of 103 or as she liked to tell us 25..... She only had 25 real birthdays and once I was 25 she would tell me how we were the same age. She was the cutest thing ever, just look at those pearls. I wish I knew where my grandpa took this picture, it looks like it could be a street in Paris.

Her name was Adeline but we called her Mickey, but we learned early not to sing the Mickey Mouse song to her she was not a fan. Recently I asked my grandmother why we called her Mickey, her maiden name was McCormick  so Mickey evolved from there. She was a excellent cook and would make the best clam chowder and mac and cheese. But as a 8 year old visiting her great grandmother you want the mac and cheese out of the blue box. What I would give for her macaroni and cheese today. The closest thing I have ever found is the Martha's Mac & Cheese. I think I will make it in her honor this weekend.

My grandmother likes to tell me I got my cooking from Mickey but I also think she gave me her Migraines... Well one of two is pretty great....

Happy birthday Mickey! I miss you....

La Chandeleur day

In the United States February 2nd is Groundhogs day, a day where people stand around and wait for a rodent to pop his head out of a hole and somehow this little guy is to predict the weather. It seems to me that he always predicts more winter and since we do this in February it really isn't a huge "aha" moment to me.

As with most things I like to celebrate the French way instead and in France February 2nd is La Chandeleur day or Candelmas is a Catholic holiday that dates back to Roman times and was a procession of followers carrying candles to celebrate the presentation of Jesus at the temple and the purification of the Virgin Mary. Now we celebrate with Crepes, with the Crepes being an offering, but lets not kid ourselves, they are a pretty tasty way to celebrate a holiday.  The ages old belief is that while you are making the crepes, if you can flip the crepe and toss it back into the pan with one hand, and holding a gold coin in your other hand you will become rich that year.

I adore Crepes and with the Tour de French Cuisine I have made a few different ones over the years. They are so versatile and can be made sweet as a dessert or savory for breakfast or dinner. For La Chandeleur I decided on a ham and cheese crepe with bechamel sauce and a Nutella crepe for dessert.  Crepe recipes for the most part are all the same, the main ingredients are flour, milk and eggs and sugar if sweet. The biggest thing to remember is that it has to rest in the refrigerate for at least 1 hour before making it. You can even do it overnight if making them for breakfast

From the Tour de French Cuisine 2008:

The Brittany area is know for its seafood and its Crepes, especially the Buckwheat crepes or Galettes Bretonnes.

^{These turned out great, I found that using a offset spatula used for icing a cake is the perfect tool to loosen the edges. I made a filling of Tomato, Spinach, sauteed Onions and goat cheese. It was so good, I may need to make more tomorrow. I am so happy I discovered these.}

^{This was the inside of the pretty little crepe before I rolled them up. They were so good, you all have to make them!}

^{And another Gallettes Brettones, this time filled with Chicken, mushrooms, onions and Camembert.....}

Here was my tools for making the crepes. It was important to have everything right next to you and ready to go.

and the finished crepe before I rolled it up. Nothing is better then a little French Fromage.

French Fridays with Dorie-Gnocchi a la Parisian

let's see... What would a French Mac and Cheese taste like? Well here you go, Dorie Greenspan's Gnocchi a la Parisian is great blend of two different countries. You have the Italian "gnocchi" and then the French Bechamel sauce with some French cheese. Together they make the perfect marriage and like I have said many times, everything is better with cheese.

And of course its in a Le Creuset pie dish, it was gone in a matter of minutes.

French Fridays with Dorie-Paris Mushroom Soup

So I made the last two selections of the French Fridays with Dorie but never posted them. So now we are back on track after a very busy December.  Mushrooms are one of the three things I could eat every day, some don't feel the same but I sure do love them anyway you can make them. This thick and tasty soup was a hit at our house, easy and even better on the second night.

Mushrooms or Champignons de Paris are a staple in France and can be found in much of the Loire Valley. Although they were named after the City of Lights they were moved out of the dark dungeons of Paris to be replaced with bones.... and took up residence in the Garden of France, the Loire Valley. Couldn't think of a better place for the regal little morsel then the location of many majestic chateaux.

 

Bon Appetit!

Galette des Rois

Did you know that the 12th day of Christmas was actually today January 5th? It is then marked by January 6th which is known as the Epiphany which celebrated the visit of the Magi or the three kinds to see Christ. And how is this celebrated in France and around the world? With a fine French pastry of course! La Galette des Rois translates to the "Kings Cake" or the Twelfth-Night cake and  can differ depending on where you are in France.   They date back to the 16th century, in the 17th century the priests of  Saint-Germain  tried to stop the practice of the cake saying it was part of a pagan ritual. It rose again in popularity until Louis XIV and the church considered it a pagan ritual again and an excuse to indulge and banned the practice. But the people can not be parted with the pastries for long, they decided to create la fete du bon voisinage or the neighborly relations day. And when the king or royalty sunk in popularity during the French Revolution is became the Gateau de L'Egality or the equality cake.

In the different regions of France you will find a different version of the Galette de Rois. In Paris and Northern France it is made of flaky puff pastry and filled with a dense layer of pastry creme with almond or frangiopan. In Southern France it is made from brioche and shaped like a crown. The Gateau des Rois de Bordeaux is also a yeast based dough with a hint of lemon rind  and the Gateau des rois de Limoux is much like the Bordeaux regions but decorated with candied citron.

Inside the cake there is a hidden lucky charm or une feve and was originally an actual bean, but with the popularity of the cake in the 18th century it was replaced to a small charm made of porcelain. It could be a tiny religious figure or baby Jesus or even a small Eiffel Tower that I stuck in mine. Whoever finds the charm gets to wear the crown and be King (or Queen) of the day. This reminds me of when I was a little girl and my great grandmother would always wrap up dimes and quarters in tin foil and hide them in any cake she made.

I took this as the perfect opportunity to make the wonderful French treat and while there are a few steps it comes together pretty easily, but you do have to plan ahead. Each thing can be made a day or so in advance so it makes it a easy to do weeknight item. I followed the Dorie Greenspan recipe in her book Paris Sweets and it turned out fantastic. The puff pastry is so light and delicate and the filling is rich and wonderful. Since there was just the two of us the charm was not found, but lets be honest. I think we know who the queen is everyday around here......

Bon Appetit

 

 

French Friday's with Dorie-Leek & Potato soup

 
So very French and not to mention easy and very tasty. Leek & Potato Soup served chunky, smooth or a mixture of both is a fantastic winter dinner. It takes just a little over an hour from start to finish and if you have an immersion blender its a great excuse to get it out to play. The more you puree it the smoother and thicker the soup gets.

I topped the soup with some croutons I made out of sliced bread, chives and grated Gruyere. Like all of the recipes made so far from Around my  French Table, this is a winner. In fact I am making it again this weekend and with just the two of us we get a couple of meals out of it.

Bon Appetit!

French Friday's with Dorie: Daube de Boeuf

a very close relative to the ever satisfying Boeuf Bourguignon, Daube de Boeuf is the perfect comfort food on a cold December night. Slow cooked to perfection, this easy "beef stew" is a must make for anybody.

You can find the recipe in Dorie Greenspan's Around my French Table  on page 244.

Next up is Potato Leek Soup, and just a hint.. it was fantastic!

French Friday's-Sweet & Spicy Cocktail Nuts

So very easy to make and so delicious! What could be easier, you take some nuts, whip up some egg whites and make a sweet and spicy mix and then put it all together and in just 30 minutes you will be hard pressed to stop eating these. I made them for Thanksgiving and gave some to my grandmother and mom and they loved them. I will make more of these soon for holiday gifts and treats. Now if I only had some at this very minute!