Ann Mah's Blog, page 23
February 21, 2012
Word for word
Bonjour, mes amis! Today, I'm delighted to welcome Susan Harloe, artistic director for a unique performing arts company, Word for Word, which stages short stories in their entirety. Next month in Paris, they will present T.C. Boyle's "Sorry, Fugu," a short story about Albert, a chef and restaurant owner, who concocts a diabolical plan to outwit critic terrible, Willa. Susan answered a few questions about her company, the theme of food stories, and the special challenges of producing food theater.
What is Word for Word?
I founded the company in 1993 with a friend, JoAnne Winter. Here's our mission statement: The mission of Word for Word is to tell great stories with elegant theatricality, staging performances of classic and contemporary fiction. We believe in the power of the short story to provide solace, compassion, and insight into our daily lives.
How did you select this year's text, "Sorry Fugu"?
We are all great lovers of food, and of books! We often have retreats where we cook for each other, read outloud to each other, and select the stories for our next shows. We wanted to give an evening of food-related stories — about the pleasure of food, about our appetites, and the sensuality that food brings, both in preparation and in eating.
What are the special challenges of producing a theatrical piece about food?
A real prop challenge. Our talented prop creator, Caela Fujii, designed nearly 30 food facsimiles. And as "Sorry Fugu" takes place in a professional restaurant kitchen, there was much discussion of food prep, serving, plating up, etc. We brought in a chef to give tips to the actors, and spent lots and lots of time in food discussion: how does a pastry chef create her desserts; how long can you keep bread in a kitchen to rise? "Sorry Fugu" is full of food jokes, and we had to know what all the dishes were, as well. For example, what, exactly, is fugu?
You can see Word for Word (and fugu?) for yourself next month when they perform at the Salle Adyer on March 20-21. For more information or to reserve seats, visit the American Library in Paris.
(Photo courtesy of Word for Word.)
February 17, 2012
Shanghai Calling
I am so excited about this new movie, Shanghai Calling, a fish-out-of-water comedy about expats in China. The story follows an ambitious American lawyer — who happens to be ethnically Chinese — sent to Shanghai on assignment. He immediately stumbles into a legal mess that could end his career — though he might be able to untangle it with the help of a few expats and locals he meets along the way. Watching the trailer, I was whisked back to my days in Beijing, to those days of helpless frustration when just ordering a bowl of noodles felt like unraveling the Gordian knot — experiences that inspired me to write Kitchen Chinese.
What do you think, mes amis? Would you see this movie?
P.S. Bill Paxton plays a slightly louche American bar-owner!
February 14, 2012
Blend
Paris, Saturday, 7:24 pm. A jostling crowd gathers on the sidewalk outside the sliding glass doors of Blend, a new hamburger restaurant. Inside, black walls vibrate with buzzy energy and yellow lights beckon with cozy warmth, for it is a cold night, of the arctic variety."Why can't we go in?" a little girl asks. "They don't open until 7:30," her mother replies.
The long minutes pass on the frozen tundra of the sidewalk. Finally, the doors creak open and people are allowed to enter the restaurant. It is 7:31 pm, Blend is open for business, and they are immediately full to capacity.
Things look up once we're seated, sharing a table with a gaggle of excited tweenage girls. For one thing, until the food comes, there is wine to warm my frozen feet. And then the burgers arrive.
Meet the Cheesy (10€), which features a beef patty cooked rare (our server didn't even ask our preference), topped with melted cheddar, barbecue sauce, bacon, lettuce, and sweet pickles. It braids together tangy, sweet, and savory, balancing the three on a perfectly spongy brioche bun, the kind of bready vehicle you fantasize about if you spend your spare time daydreaming about the perfect hamburger. (Yes, I do.) Full disclosure: the buns are baked by a friend, Croque Camille, but I'd love them even if she hadn't masterminded them.
Here is the Signature (10€), which melts blue cheese over a beef patty, and tops it with spinach and a relish of caramelized onions and apples. It features that same blend of sweet and savory (in fact, if I could change one thing about the menu, it would be to offer a cheeseburger without a sweet counterpoint like grilled onions, or barbecue sauce), stacked in a neat, tidy package that's not too messy to eat with your hands. And that's another thing I like about this place: we're not offered any cutlery, because the owners know that burgers are meant to be picked up with your fingers, not sawed at with a knife and fork.
Two baskets of fries play a supporting role to the burger starlets, one order of regular (3€, served cold, alas), and one of sweet potato (5€), which are fryer-fresh and finger-stinging, crisply exteriored and velvety within.
An assortment of baked goods end the meal, American treats like cupcakes, cookies, and brownies. We spoon up cheesecake with a gingerbread crust and cranberry topping (5€); it tastes just like my cousin Cindy's, which is to say, excellent. We head back into the cold night, fortified by an evening of Americana, French style. Our table is occupied thirty seconds after we leave.
Blend
44 rue d'Argout, 2e
tel: 01 40 26 84 57
No reservations
February 10, 2012
The French Chef
I've been writing about boeuf bourguignon this week, which has made me think about Julia Child. Have you ever seen the very first episode of The French Chef — Julia's television debut — where she cooks boeuf bourguignon? It's a little choppy, full of useful tips, and very compelling. Watching it, I felt inspired to go and stew some meat in booze!
So much has been written about Julia in recent years, perhaps you are fatigued by her (though I never will be). In case you aren't, here are two books I recently devoured and enjoyed:
Backstage with Julia is a loving, tender portrait written by Nancy Verde Barr, Julia's close friend and executive chef on many of her television shows. Barr's anecdotes offer a full sense of Julia's enthusiasm, generosity, charm, and humor.
Julia Child: A Life by Laura Shapiro is a slim biography that offers an intelligent overview of Julia's life and legacy, with many wonderful quotes. My favorite: "People who love to eat are always the best people." I couldn't agree more.
February 7, 2012
Winter blooms
We've been experiencing glacial temperatures the past few days, which is very cozy as long as you're inside, next to the radiator, covered in blankets and wearing two sweaters. But there are some benefits, according to this article from Le Parisien — among other things, the cold ensures that ornamental bulbs like tulips, crocuses, and hyacinths will flower beautifully come spring (if it ever gets here).
As for me, I'm hunkered down with a blanket on my lap, and my manuscript to keep me company. We've also been cooking lots of comfort food, including bolognese and split pea soup.
What are your favorite cold weather recipes, mes amis?
February 3, 2012
Marché aux puces
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!
January 31, 2012
You'll take Manhattan
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.
January 26, 2012
Winter beauties
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?
January 24, 2012
Tempura udon
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
January 20, 2012
Year of fire
Happy Chinese new year! Next 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 these photos at the incomparable Din Tai Fung. When are they going to open one of these in Paris?
