Claudine, Oui c'est Francais

Tour de French Cuisine 2009 Stage 21 part 14 Champs Elysees

And now we are here, the final stretch of the Tour de France. Every year since 1975 the Tour de France has finished on the Avenue de Champs Elysees, and what could be the most beautiful street in the world.  In France it is known as La plus belle avenue du monde  or “The most beautiful avenue in the world” but I can’t think of the Champs Elysees without hearing the classic song by Joe Dassin released in 1969. (click to view video)  The avenue runs from the Obelisk in the Place de la Concorde to the Place Charles de Gaulle and stretches 2,055 yards. The Champs Elysees was built in 1667 by Andre Le Notre, at the request of Jean-Baptiste Colbert who was the Minister of Finance to Louis XIV at the time. Le Notre was the gardener for Louis XIV who also designed the gardens of Versailles, Tuileries and Fountainbleu and was told to design the area between the Tuileries and the Saint Germain en Laye to open up the space. Colbert wanted to “have an avenue of trees planted between the Tuileries as far as the hill of Challot (today the Place de Gaulle-Etoile)The Champs was property of the Crown until 1792 and in 1828 under Charles X it was handed over to the Ville de Paris. The name comes from Greek mythology, Elysium was a section of the Underworld. The Elysian Fields was the final resting place for the souls for the virtuous and heroic.

One cannot think of the Champs Elysees without the crowning glory at the end of it. Of the iconic elements of Paris, the Arc de Triomphe is near the top of the list. The Eiffel Tower is #1 of course, and it is my list of iconic places so there. The Arc de Triomphe sits in the center of the Place de l’Etolie, on the western most end of the Champs Elysees at the top of the hill of Chaillot.  The Place de l’Etolie  is translated to “Place of Stars” and is the junction where 12 avenues including the Champs Elysees meet and three arrondissements, the 8^th, 17^th & 17^th and was once the boundary of Paris. The current design adopted by Haussman dates back to 1854 with the 120m in diameter circle.  In 1970 the name was changed to Place Charles de Gaulle after the death of the former General and President.

Emperor Napoleon had commissioned the Arc de Triomphe in 1806 to glorify the military victories of the French Grande Armee during the Napoleonic Wars, but Napoleon died before he was able to see the finished icon. Work began on Napoleon’s birthday, August 15, 1806 and took over 30 years to build and finish and was finally completed with the help of King Louis-Phillippe in 1836. It stands 164 feet high, 148 feet long and 73 feet wide and was inspired by Rome’s Arch of Janus.  The East façade depicts the French armies departure to new campaigns above the arch and the thirty shields on the attic bear the name of each of Napoleon’s victories in Europe and Asia. To the left of the arch on the East side is a bas-relief by Seurre the Elder depicting Napoleon’s victory over the Turkish army in 1799. On the right is the bas-relief of General Marceau’s funeral, the General defeated the Austrians in 1795 and was killed the following year while still fighting them. On the lower left side of the arch is the high-relief  “Triumph of Napoleon” by J P Cortot and celebrates the Treat of Vienna peace agreement of 1810. On the right of the arch is the Francois Rude’s high-relief  “Departure of the Volunteers in 1792” also known as “The Marseillaise” showing the citizens of France leaving to defend the nation.  On the West façade looking toward the La Defense is “The Resistance of 1814” on the left and on the right “The Peace of 1815” both by A Etex. Within the arches are the name of the 150 Imperial and Republican victories and 664 offficers.

The Arc de Triomphe has seen its fair share of history, beginning with the wedding march of Marie-Louise to Napoleon in 1810 although construction had barely started at that point and a wood and canvas mock up was installed. Napoleon never saw it completed but would finally pass under the arch on December 15, 1840 on his way to his final resting place at the Invalides. Over two million people visited the Arc in 1885 to pay respects to Victor Hugo and the beginning of the funeral procession to the Pantheon. In 1919 it was the site of the Victory parade of the Allied armies through the Arc following the First Word War. It was in 1920 when the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was interred below the arch on Armistice day and the eternal flame was lit, it is remembered with a ceremony every November 11^th. During a visit to Paris in 1961, President Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy paid their respects to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After that horrible day in 1963 Jackie recalled that visit and the eternal flame at the Arc and asked for the same thing to be placed at JFK’s grave at Arlington Cemetery. On November 25, 1963 French President Charles de Gaulle was there to see Jackie light the flame and has remained to this day.

The Tour ends on the Champs Elysees only .2 kilometers from the Arc de Triomphe with the Rue de Presbourg on the left and Rue de Tilsitt and the Rue Arsene Houssaye on the right. The Rue de Presbourg and the Rue de Tilsitt encircle the Place Charles de Gaulle as a complete circle with the Presbourg on the South and Tilsitt on the North. On the South side of the Champs, the Rue de Presbourg was named after the diplomatic victory of Napoleon “the Peace of Pressburg of 1805”. The Treaty was signed on December 26, 1805 between Austria and France after France defeated the Austrians at Ulm and Austerlitz and the truce on December 4^th.  Both the Presbourg and Tilsitt were officially named by decree on March 2, 1864 and due to its closeness to the Arc de Triomphe both were so aptly named after a “Triomphe” of Napoleon. On the right side of the Champs is the Rue de Tilsitt and the Rue Arsene Houssaye, but first the Rue de Tilsit. The other half of the circle around the circle and was also named after one of Napoleons diplomatic victories. Named after the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807, signed July 7, 1807 between Napoleon I and Tsar Alexander I of Russia on a raft in the middle of the Neman River and a second signed with Prussia on July 9^th and ended the war between Imperial Russia and the French Empire. Well until 1812 when Napoleon crossed the Neman river and invaded Russia.  Just to the right of the Rue de Tilsitt is the Rue Arsene Houssaye named after the French novelist and poet who came to Paris in 1832 and wrote two novels, La Couronne de bluets and La Pecheresse as well as many poems, dramas and satirical letters.  In the triangle between the Rue de Tilsitt and the Rue Arsene Houssaye sits an amazing building with Cartier on the ground level, but it is what is on the 2^nd floor that holds some interest. It was in the Grande apartment that Dodi Fayed owned and lived that the lovely Princess Diana would leave from on her way to the Ritz Paris and what would be the last night of her life.

 

**all of these fantastic pictures with the exception of the Cartier building were taken by my grandfather in 1972 and 1977. In my grandfathers detailed diary on September 29, 1977 he wrote "sat at a cafe on the Champs Elysees enjoying pastries and cafe and looking up towards the Arc de Triomphe, what a sight!"

Tour de French Cuisine 2009 stage 21 part 13

Just rounding the corner from the Rue de Rivoli and making a wide arc of an entrance onto the Place de la Concorde. The largest public square in Paris and Europe is over 86,000 square meters and sits at the Eastern end of the Champs Elysees and is in line of the Axe Historique. Built in 1755 and designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel and was named Place Louis XV and was home of the equestrian statue of the king. But in 1792 it was torn down, the square was renamed Place de la Revolution and the Guillotine was placed there instead. Set just to the east of where the Obelisk stands today it was on this spot that Louis XVI was beheaded on January 21, 1793 and then 10 months later Marie Antoinette. The Place de la Revolution was the spot of a lot of bloodshed and in the summer of 1794 it was the spot of the “Reign of Terror” where 1,119 people were executed in just one month. The Guillotine was removed in 1795 and the square was renamed the Place de la Concorde for a short period. From 1814 to 1823 it was again named Place Louis XV, in 1830 changed to Place Louis XVI, shortly to Place de la Charte until it was finally changed to Place de la Concorde and remains so still today. Concorde translates to harmony, funny for a place that has seen so much death and bloodshed in its history. So let’s focus on the beautiful part of the Place de la Concorde instead. (Although I can go on for days about Marie Antoinette) As you enter the Place on foot from the Jardin des Tuileries and just past the Musee de L’Orangerie and at the main gate on either side of you are the large equestrian statues Les chevaux de Marly. The winged horses sit atop the gate pillars and were done by Antoine Coysevox in the early 1700’s. At one time they were at Louis XV’s Chateau Marly and then in the mid 18^th century after it was destroyed during the revolution they were brought to the Louvre and exact copies were made that you see today.

 

The octagon shape of the Place de la Concorde was at one time surrounded by a moat and small stone bridges stretched across the area adjoining the Place to the Tuilleries. On each of the eight sides sat a small stone pavilion used to get down into the ditch and later topped with statues depicting the eight large cities of France. The eight statues were each made by a different artist and represent the great French cities of Bordeaux, Brest, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen and Strasbourg and were installed in 1836 by Jacob Ignaz Hittorf during a redesign of the Place from 1833 to 1846. During the reign of Louis-Phillippe from 1830-1848, the most improvement made to the Place de la Concorde and still holds true today. It was Louis-Phillippe who decided that a statue in the middle of the Place should not have any political ties and decided on a large Obelisk that Mehemet Ali, the Viceroy of Egypt had presented to France in 1831. It took over three years for the Obelisk to arrive in Paris and on October 25, 1836 it was erected in the center of the Place. The Obelisk weighs 230 tons and stretching to the sky over 75 feet and the rose Syene granite obelisk is over 3300 years old and is covered with hieroglyphics that tell the story of the pharaoh Ramses II. 

 

On either side of the Obelisk are two fountains each designed by Jacque-Ignace Hottorff and were based on a water theme because of their close relation to the Ministry of Navy building that overlooks the Place de la Concorde. With a nod to the great fountains of Rome and specifically the Piazza Navona and Piazza San Pietro, Hittorff patterned their placement on either side of the Obelisk. The statues on the north, Fontaine des Fleuves is devoted to the Rivers with figures that depict the River Rhone and the River Rhine and the riches that can be found there, Harvesting fruit, flowers, vineyards and agriculture. On the South the Fontaine de Mers is dedicated to the Sea and specifically the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Fishing, coral and collecting pearls are all things that can be seen within the statue.

 

One of the last things in the Place is at the entrance to the Champs Elysees. The second set of equestrian statues sit atop the pedestals that mark the beginning of the most famous boulevard in the world. Known as the Chevaus de Marly as well these were made by Guillaume Coustou and were made between 1743 and 1745. Like the other equestrian statues on the other side these were moved from the Chateau Marly and placed on the Place de la Concorde in 1794. In 1984 they were replaced with copies and the originals today sit in the Richelieu wing of the Louvre museum.

Crepe paper roses

***This is one of the most popular posts I have had on my blog, just today alone there has been over 75 hits just looking for the wondeful crepe paper roses. These are ones I made for Halloween a few years back but can be made in any color, perfect for Valentine's day and the best part, they will last forever.... enjoy

I have had this idea in my head for months and months and I finally got around to finishing them until I make more that is. I loved the Martha crepe paper flower kits and purchased quite a few of them and then when they went on sale I snatched up as many as I could find. But the problem was that I also wanted other colors of crepe paper so the search was on. I found a huge assortment at a really low price at MisterArt.com (I just noticed that they are on sale as well)

First part of my project was to use the same template that came in one of the Martha roses kit. I scanned it so I also had extra copies to make unlimited amount of roses. You can use these templates as well, just print them at 70%.

       

 ****right click and save these to print them out to the correct size.

To make the roses you will need 5 inner leaves and 12 of the large outer leaves. The Black Crepe paper came in a big sheet that was folded. At each crease it was the perfect size for the template. I stacked 8 sheets on top of each other and then laid the template on top and stapled it all together and then cut each petal out.

To make the leaves have a little life to them you hold one with both thumbs in the center and your forefinger on the revers side. Gently pull and stretch the paper with your thumbs sculpting into a petal shape. After that step use a toothpick to round the top edges of the petals in the opposite direction of the "cup" of the flower.

Now that you have them all stretched, rolled and ready to go. You will now need floral wire and floral tape. I found 18 inch 22 guage wire at Michaels and the Martha Stewart crafts has some great floral tape.

Wrap the wire with some floral tape and stretch it as you wrap it. That makes it sticky and will be easier to attach the petals too. Starting with the smaller inner leaves around the wire overlapping each petal over each other at the half way point. After the inner leaves wrap the base with tape and then start with the larger leaves doing the same thing, overlapping as you go. Wrap with floral tape after 3 or 4 petals to make sure things are tight.

Once all 12 outer petals are attached wrap them with the floral tape one last time, making sure to stretch it as you go and wrap along stem for 3 or 4 inches.

Next step when they are all done, I used a Martha glue pen, one of my favorite tools, and just rubbed a little glue on the edge of some of the petals. Not all of them, just 5 or 6 per flower.

Then I poured some of the best glitter you will ever find, Martha Stewart fine glitter in Ebony onto a sheet of paper and then just dipped and rolled the top of the flower lightly into the glitter 

I have made 17 so far, I think I want to make at least 15 more for a huge bouquet. And the best part, I will have them for years to come. And there you have it, just in time for Halloween Spooky Crepe Paper Roses.....

 

If you make some let me know how they turned out.

Super Bowl-Super Snacks!

Isn't that why we watch it? Well maybe that's only me, but pretty much the commercials  and the food are the highlights. That is my favorite reason to watch it and I would think that I am not the only one....

So do you need some good things to make? Here are my favorite and some more ideas from Martha.

  Chicken Wings, you can not do it without them. And for me the spicier the better. My method is easy. Wings or Drummets toasted naked and into the oil and fried until they are nice and crisp. Meanwhile on the stove top melt 1/2 cup butter and then poor in a entire bottle of Franks Hot Sauce. Toss the wings in a bowl, pour sauce and then mix until coated with hot sauce. You must serve it with Marie's Blue Cheese and celery.

Guacamole, this is one from Martha that was actually made by Eva Longoria. I think it is the best one I have ever found. I love the freshness from the lemon juice and paired with some lime flavored chips, it is sure to please your football fans

8 large ripe avocados, chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

3 small Serrano peppers, ribs and some seeds removed, minced

Coarse salt

Juice of 4 lemons

Tortilla chips, preferably lime-flavored

Jalapeno Poppers are another great addition, Martha had these on her show years and years ago and the recipe is no-where to be found. But I have it saved to share with you. Once you make these, you will be hooked. So good, but get to the store right away and buy up those Jalapenos, they will be hard to find by Sunday.

2 quarts canola oil or Crisco
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup beer (not dark)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 fresh jalapeno peppers, slit lengthwise down one side to create a pocket, stem end intact, seeds removed, if desired
4 ounces cream cheese, or grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, plus more if needed
1 cup sour cream or Blue-Cheese Dressing

In a deep fryer or medium stockpot, heat oil to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels; set aside.

To make the batter, combine flour, beer, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine; set aside.

3. Stuff each jalapeno with 1/4 ounce of cheese. Working in batches, dip jalapenos into batter, turn to coat, and drop into fryer until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to prepared baking sheet to drain. Serve immediately with sour cream or blue-cheese dressing.

Make sure to watch Martha Stewart on Friday were she will have lots of great ideas and more great things to eat.

The best Mac and Cheese ever

My Great Grandmother- Micky as she was called. Really Adeline McCormick Pearson. She lived to the ripe old age of 103. She was cutest thing you have ever seen. She made the worlds best Macaroni & Cheese, Clam Chowder, Fried Chicken and the #1 cookie of all times. A cookie that in fact was so good my mother and I got in a fight over them and didn't talk for a few months. She was the funniest little thing and I miss her dearly. 

When I was a little girl and we would go to visit her in the summer we begged her to make the mac and cheese in the blue box, you know the Kraft one. Well she made the best homemade Mac & Cheese in the world and I wish more then anything she could still make it for us and that I didn't want that stupid blue box instead of hers.

But in our search for the best replacement because we don't have her recipe, I discovered one that is very close to hers. And of course it is Martha's Mac and Cheese that was her mothers recipe. It holds up to any other Mac and Cheese, it is cheesy, simple, rich & delicious... And like with all recipes, it is all about the ingredients, don't skimp on the cheese if you can. You have to have the aged white cheddar and the gruyere, medium cheddar and swiss cheese won't cut it...

Serves 12

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
• 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
• 5 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
• 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 1 pound elbow macaroni

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
3. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere  set cheese sauce aside.
5. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce
6. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere , and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Forget the rodent, eat Crepes!

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.

the cutest valentines idea ever

This is one of my favorite spring holiday crafts to make, conversation hearts for Valentines, pastel jelly beans for Easter and even red, white and blue ones for the 4th or better yet Bastille day. The conversation hearts take some time since I am so compulsive and need to have them lined up with the words facing out, it takes some time.  But you could also do little red hot hearts as well, that would be adorable. 

 

Step number 1: I used a tall vase and then found a glass that was straight sided and just a but smaller then the vase. I used an old fashioned glass upside down in the bottom and then filled the candies around it and then when I got up to the top of the first glass I added the tall glass.

 

Step 2: adding the second glass and then keep on filling. I used a butter knife to help move them around if they don't line up perfectly. Oh and also I am nuts and don't want to many of the same colors together either. Last year after Valentines I picked up a few bags when they were on clearance, since you don't eat them they work great

 

Step 3: all filled in and ready for the flowers. I used a measuring cup to fill the glass with water very carefully. If water gets on the candies it will begin to get pretty ugly.

 

Step 4: sit back and enjoy, I love the first sight of Tulips in the store in the late winter. It always reminds me that the spring is almost here.