Ann Mah's Blog, page 35
November 2, 2010
Chocolate walk
I love chocolate and I love guided tours so when Lily from Context Travel invited me on a Chocolate Walk of Paris, I started jumping up and down with excitement. I also immediately started fasting.
On a bright and blustery morning, I met my fellow chocoholics and our fearless guide: food writer, former pastry chef, and chocolate guru, Barbra Austin. She led us on a truly decadent stroll.
My favorite among the shops we visited was Debeauve & Gallais (photo above), once the chocolate supplier to the royal court of Versailles. At the time, chocolate was considered medicinal and each lady had her own prescription.
The old-fashioned shop, which has been in the same location since 1800, still sells Marie-Antoinette's favorite pastilles (photo above). I'm pretty sure "Let them eat chocolate!" was the Queen's original quote; such a shame that her words were twisted by the 18th-century media.
In between chocolate shop stops, Barbra filled us in on the confection's brutal history and other secrets of the sweets trade. She told us about the chocolate-making process, and we played with cocoa pods, nibbling at the fragrant, bitter bean within.
One of the great things about Context is that they limit their tours to no more than six people. Thus, our group was able to squeeze into chocolate box-sized shops inaccessible to larger tours. It was in one of these tiny stores, Jean-Charles Rochoux, that I saw my favorite chocolate product of the day: tête de moine au chocolat (photo above, left). It's an homage to the delicious Swiss cheese, tête de moine (photo above, right) — hilarious, n'est-ce pas?
I could go on and on, mes amis, about the other shops we visited, the fascinating tales Barbra told — not to mention the delicious chocolates we ate — but I don't want to reveal all of Context's secrets and bonnes adresses. Suffice to say, I spent a very sweet three hours on the Chocolate Walk (and then I didn't eat for the rest of the day).
Debauve et Gallais
30 rue Saints Pères, 7e
tel: 01 45 48 54 67
Jean-Charles Rochoux
16 rue d'Assas, 6e
tel: 01 42 84 29 45
October 29, 2010
Flour power
Two different people snickered at me when I snapped a photo of this truck. I found it blocking traffic, parked outside a boulangerie on rue du Dragon and thought it symbolized a certain French philosophy: good bread is more important than getting somewhere in a hurry, n'est-ce pas?
The giant sacks are labelled farine pour pain tradition française, or "flour for traditional French bread." And the amount of sacks boggles my mind. You could make A LOT of bread from the flour in this truck.
October 27, 2010
Un tout petit peu
Sometimes I think that shopping in France is the inverse of shopping in the States. We Americans are addicted to big box chains, buying in bulk, stocking our cupboards with giant jars of peanut butter and cartons of goldfish crackers. Whereas the French are obsessed with buying food in as small an amount as possible.
For example, in Paris you can buy: A carton of two eggs, half a baguette, a wedge of pumpkin (photo above), one slice of bread at Poîlane bakery, one chicken breast, a sliver of cheese, a tiny filet of cod, half a cabbage or celery root.
Why? It all boils down to freshness. Many people still shop for groceries every day, which is time consuming but ensures that they're eating unwilted produce. Also, most people have such tiny refrigerators, they don't have room to store Costco-sized quantities of food.
Me, I quite enjoy going to the market and watching shoppers request the tiniest amount possible: un TOUT petit peu (just a TINY bit), une POIGNEE (a handful). Oh, non, monsieur, c'est trop, c'est trop!
Leftovers? Quel horreur!
October 22, 2010
Happy birthday blog!
I can scarcely believe it, mes amis, but this little ol' blog will be three years old on Saturday. In celebration, I've browsed the archives to share a few of my very favorite posts.
Most seasonal: Winter, summer, spring and fall, I've enjoyed wandering Paris (and beyond) with my camera and sharing my photos with you.
Most daring: In September 2009, I faithfully recorded my visit to a Parisian hammam.
Most mouthwatering: Very difficult to choose, but I dream about the omelettes at L'Etape du Promeneur on pretty much a weekly basis.
Most mouthwatering (runners-up): Tapas in Barcelona and Madrid.
Best glimpse of hidden Paris: It was an honor to go behind the scenes at Poîlane bakery and visit their raging inferno of a kitchen.
Best new cookbook discovery: Hands down, it's fellow blogger Mallika Basu's Miss Masala: Real Indian Cooking for Busy Living – and I'm not just saying that because she's a friend. Her recipes for healthy Indian food are fast and foolproof — I cook from this book on a weekly basis.
Best ethnic food discovery in Paris: It's a tie between the Beijing-style sesame noodles at Pâtes Vivantes and the spiced South Indian fare at Krishna Bhavan.
Favorite lunch spot: I'd love the crunchy tartines at Cuisine de Bar, even the restaurant it wasn't three steps from my door.
Most comments: In January 2010, I posted on the red-letter day when the first copy of my book arrived. I was simply verklempt by the kindness and generosity of your comments, mes amis! Seriously, a girl couldn't ask for nicer blog readers.
This blog would be nothing — nothing! — without you, dear readers. To show my appreciation, and in celebration of three years, I'm hosting a give away. Two winners will receive a bag of special label jasmine tea and one lucky winner will also receive a copy of Kitchen Chinese. To enter, leave a comment below describing your most memorable fish out of water experience. Three winners will be chosen at random next Friday, October 29.
October 19, 2010
Inspired by nature
The world is full of fungi today, apparently. I did a double-take when I passed these funny ornamental mushrooms (photo left) shortly after snapping some gigantesque cèpes (photo right) in the morning's market.
Would you rather eat mushrooms or decorate with them?
October 15, 2010
How do you like dem apples?
Friends are coming to dinner tomorrow and I've been doing a little baking. Thanks to a windfall from David, who kindly gifted me with three pounds of apples, this pie came to fruition (ba dum). I was inspired by this New York Times pastry recipe, except I couldn't bring myself to use lard. Instead, I made a savory cheddar crust — and found that the cheese makes the dough a LOT easier to handle. Added bonus: I love cheddar and apples together. Extra added bonus: A delicious cheesy aroma now pervades my apartment.
What's your favorite fall pie?
October 12, 2010
Aligot
At the Aveyron Fair this weekend, I learned how to make aligot: Mash some potatoes. Add some cheese. Stir with a rowboat oar.
It was just as gooey, melty, cheesy, creamy and potato-ey as I remembered.
Does life get any better than a sunny day with friends and a big vat of cheesy potatoes?
P.S. If you're wondering what the heck "Aveyron" or "aligot" are, click here.
October 8, 2010
Aveyron: Your questions answered
I'm super excited about the Aveyron Fair that's coming up this weekend (October 9-11 rue de l'Aubrac, Bercy, 11e). But when I mentioned it to a friend, she was like: "What the heck is Aveyron and why are you always yammering on about it?" Yikes, mes amis, I wasn't trying to be obscure! In preparation for the festivities, here are some questions answered about Aveyron.
What is Aveyron?
Aveyron is a département of France — that's kind of like a state in the U.S. — a mountainous region, 350 miles south of Paris. Reaching Aveyron is difficult as there is no TGV or direct train service. The closest train station is Clermont-Ferrand, which is still about 125 miles away. As a result, Aveyron is considered a bit remote and remains relatively undiscovered by tourists. The three-starred Michelin restaurant, Michel Bras, and ancient St-Jacques-de-Compestelle pilgrimage route are perhaps the biggest tourist draws.
But the word Aveyron seems kind of familiar…
If you've visited a Parisian café, perhaps you've noticed a variation of the same word: Auvergne, Auvergnat, Aveyronais. Back in the 19th century, most Paris cafés were run by families from Aveyron, who left the secluded region to seek their fortune. They came to the capital, and opened combination café/coal shops, which evolved into the cafés we know and love today. Today, Aveyron is still synonymous with "café-owner." There's even a French word — bougnat — which translates to "coal seller from Aveyron." (If you're curious about this migration, check out this article.)
How do you know about Aveyron anyway?
I can take no credit for discovering Aveyron. It was my husband who befriended two café-owning, Aveyronais brothers when he lived in Paris as an exchange student. Twenty years — and many trips to Aveyron — later they're still friends (and my husband speaks great French). The full story of how they met is recorded here.
So, why is there an Aveyronais Fair in Paris?
Think of it like the Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown. Aveyronais are very proud of their traditions, food, music, dress and dancing. Plus, after 100+ years as Parisian café owners, there are a whole heck of a lot of them here.
What's there to do at the fair?
Eat, my friends. Freshly fried savory pancakes called farcou. Charcuterie like dry-cured sausage or ham. Cheese like stinky bleu d'Auvergne, which tastes strong like Roquefort. Or fromage de Laguiole – cheese from the village of Laguiole — hard, made from cow's milk cheese, reminiscent of cheddar. Wash it all down with local wine. (For my post from last year's fair, click here.)
What about the cheesy potatoes?
YES! Aveyron's most famous dish, aligot, will also be on offer. Aligot is quite simply mashed potatoes mixed with cheese with some crème fraîche thrown in for good measure.
I'm not going to be in Paris this weekend. Can I still have an Aveyron experience even if I miss the fair?
Bien sûr! There are many Aveyronais cafés in Paris — our favorite, of course, is Le Mistral (401 rue des Pyrénées, 20e), which is owned by our friends, and was started by their father in 1954. Au Bon Coin (9 rue des Cloys, 18e), in Montmartre, is another charming and honest neighborhood spot, owned by another Aveyronais friend.
Averyon: Your questions answered
I'm super excited about the Aveyron Fair that's coming up this weekend (October 9-11 rue de l'Aubrac, Bercy, 11e). But when I mentioned it to a friend, she was like: "What the heck is Aveyron and why are you always yammering on about it?" Yikes, mes amis, I wasn't trying to be obscure! In preparation for the festivities, here are some questions answered about Aveyron.
What is Aveyron?
Aveyron is a département of France — that's kind of like a state in the U.S. — a mountainous region, 350 miles south of Paris. Reaching Aveyron is difficult as there is no TGV or direct train service. The closest train station is Clermont-Ferrand, which is still about 125 miles away. As a result, Aveyron is considered a bit remote and remains relatively undiscovered by tourists. The three-starred Michelin restaurant, Michel Bras, and ancient St-Jacques-de-Compestelle pilgrimage route are perhaps the biggest tourist draws.
But the word Aveyron seems kind of familiar…
If you've visited a Parisian café, perhaps you've noticed a variation of the same word: Auvergne, Auvergnat, Aveyronais. Back in the 19th century, most Paris cafés were run by families from Aveyron, who left the secluded region to seek their fortune. They came to the capital, and opened combination café/coal shops, which evolved into the cafés we know and love today. Today, Aveyron is still synonymous with "café-owner." There's even a French word — bougnat — which translates to "coal seller from Aveyron." (If you're curious about this migration, check out this article.)
How do you know about Aveyron anyway?
I can take no credit for discovering Aveyron. It was my husband who befriended two café-owning, Aveyronais brothers when he lived in Paris as an exchange student. Twenty years — and many trips to Aveyron — later they're still friends (and my husband speaks great French). The full story of how they met is recorded here.
So, why is there an Aveyronais Fair in Paris?
Think of it like the Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown. Aveyronais are very proud of their traditions, food, music, dress and dancing. Plus, after 100+ years as Parisian café owners, there are a whole heck of a lot of them here.
What's there to do at the fair?
Eat, my friends. Freshly fried savory pancakes called farcou. Charcuterie like dry-cured sausage or ham. Cheese like stinky bleu d'Auvergne, which tastes strong like Roquefort. Or fromage de Laguiole – cheese from the village of Laguiole — hard, made from cow's milk cheese, reminiscent of cheddar. Wash it all down with local wine. (For my post from last year's fair, click here.)
What about the cheesy potatoes?
YES! Aveyron's most famous dish, aligot, will also be on offer. Aligot is quite simply mashed potatoes mixed with cheese with some crème fraîche thrown in for good measure.
I'm not going to be in Paris this weekend. Can I still have an Aveyron experience even if I miss the fair?
Bien sûr! There are many Aveyronais cafés in Paris — our favorite, of course, is Le Mistral (401 rue des Pyrénées, 20e), which is owned by our friends, and was started by their father in 1954. Au Bon Coin (9 rue des Cloys, 18e), in Montmartre, is another charming and honest neighborhood spot, owned by another Aveyronais friend.
October 4, 2010
Chatting about China with Katia and Kyliemac
Salut, mes amis — how was your weekend? I spent a delightful Saturday afternoon with the most aDORable podcasters the internets have ever known: Katia and Kyliemac. Do you know their charming and funny show? Twice a week, they chat about expat life in Paris, from culture shock and language barriers to Kylie Mac's love for pumpkin pie and Katia's loathing of it (she can't help it — she's Australian). If you haven't yet listened to their show, I suggest you run to their website!
This week, I am honored to be featured on TWO Katia and Kyliemac podcasts, in which we chat about expat life in China and France, dumplings, censorship and (spoiler alert!) my favorite Chinese restaurants in Paris. If you fancy a listen, you can download the podcasts here and here (will add link when it appears on Wednesday). And if you feel like leaving a comment on K&K's forum, I would be tickled pink!
P.S. As you can see from the photo above, I felt quite at home in the K&K Studio, with the world's friendliest cat, Symphony, keeping me company. There were also premium M&Ms (which I didn't even know existed before I met these two!). What more could I ask for?
