Archive for fr: Paris

breads! breads! breads!

2009/08/25 at 00:00 · Filed under bread/crackers/muffin, food, fr: Paris, location, retail

oh how i love thee. let me count the ways. bagels. baguette. brioche. challah. ciabatta. croissants. italian bread. potato bread. sour dough. wheat. whole grain. white … and the list goes on.

if there is some thing that i can’t give up, it is bread. i don’t care what diet people talk of, if you cut out something entirely, you’ll only want it more! so, i just learn to eat in moderation.

when you’re in paris, you just got to enjoy their bread. some people love their bread so much, they buy a long loaf and then munch on it as they walk down the parisian street. can you blame them? it’s so good!

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crêpes à la banane et nutella

2009/08/25 at 00:00 · Filed under community, food, fr: Paris, location, mobile food

although one of the best dinners m & i had in paris was belgian, that didn’t mean we didn’t have any french favorites! oui! oui! and oooh la la … we did!

m & i stayed at a hotel a few blocks from rue cler, a street well known for its markets, restaurants and stores. it was on that street that m & i had our first crepe: crêpes à la banane et nutella. the crepe man spread nutella on one half of a large paper thin crepe, piled on the sliced bananas, then folded the crepe over twice forming a quarter circle and finally put the filled and folded crepe inside a paper wrap for you to hold as you eat. it was divine!

crepes in paris, however, weren’t just sweet. there were savory crepes as well as sweet and savory crepes. yes, they make ‘em all. on the day we went to the versailles, m & i went a crepe restaurant a few blocks away. i had a spinach crepe and it was awesome! on our last day in paris, m returned to the crepe stand on rue cler and ordered the first crepe we had. he wanted crêpes à la banane et nutella to be the last taste he had in paris. crepes – très magnifique!

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oh waffle stand, where art thou?

2009/08/24 at 00:00 · Filed under food, fr: Paris, location, mobile food, restaurant, us: NY

when m & i went to paris, one of our best meals wasn’t french – it was belgium! along the famous Champs Elysees was this restaurant: léon de bruxelles. when you think belgium food, you think mussels and fries. this place does not disappoint! while you eat, you watch a video on how the restaurant catches mussels and cook each individual pot. the quality and the flavor of the mussels show they are made with expertise. the entrée comes with pommes frites (french fries) and they are bottomless. did we ask for more, you ask? silly question, of course we did! YUMMEEE!

so, with such an amazing meal, how does one fit dessert? you jiggle around and make room! thank goodness we did! these belgium waffles are TO DIE FOR — but you don’t want to die because you want to keep living so you can go back for more! the amazingly light waffles with a sprinkle of confectioners sugar and a little a metal container of dark chocolate … as stuffed as we were, we ate the whole waffle and did NOT regret it!

unfortunately, this trip was a year ago and while i can find really good mussels, i have yet to find a REALLY good belgium waffle place in the states. i have heard that there is a waffle stand that sells awesome belgium waffles in the streets of new york. i once passed by it after finishing a hearty meal but now, with an empty stomach and craving mouth, i have no recollection where it is. does any one know and is it worth the find? let me know!

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eat at Léon De Bruxelles on Champs Elysees in Paris, France

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french apple tart

2009/08/14 at 04:00 · Filed under cooking, dessert, food, fr: Paris, fruit/vegetable-sweet, location, recipe, restaurant, tv/web

last year, m&i went to paris. when we got out of the metro from the airport and before we got to the hotel, we stopped by a restaurant for a quick bite because we were hungry and … we were in paris! i specifically remember m’s dessert: thinly sliced of apples perfectly layered on top of a thin light pastry. m claimed it was the BEST fruit tart he ever had — and he likes his fruit tarts!

when i saw ina garten make this on her barefoot contessa show, i decided to make it for m’s birthday. ina makes creative meals and desserts but her cooking style is super rich and decadent. she, like paula deen, likes her butter. so i modified the recipe to its simplest form and also substituted some flavorings – e.g. instead of ina’s apricot jelly or jam, i used maple syrup. the result is still a light, flaky, delicious apple tart that transports you back to a café in paris!

Ingredients

For the pastry

  • 1 (of 2 in package) frozen puff pastry sheets ~ Pepperidge Farm makes a good one!

For the apples

  • 2 Granny Smith apples
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice

Preparation

Take out frozen puff pastry sheet and let defrost per directions on box.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baler. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Brush maple syrup/honey on top of the apple slices. Sprinkle pumpkin spice on top.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don’t worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine!

Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn’t stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

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original recipe from Barefoot Contessa: French Apple Tart (which includes making your own pastry)

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