Who is in the Kitchen?

Yesterday was Bastille Day. We get our own private 'airshow' before the big parade on the 'Champs'! Out this way, there is a military airport and 2 days before the parade the planes start to practice. Back in the 'old days' the drone of these old engines would bring my son running into the back garden shouting 'airplanes'! You see the 'look to the sky gene' gets passed on from father to son. Even the 'old pilot' will run to the back garden -to this day- and look to the sky when the planes are flying in formation!

So, before our private airshow began, the pilot announced he would like to prepare our lunch! This menu would consist of a Scallop and fennel salad. We had the ingredients and I said, PLEASE, COOK!

He started the fennel by boiling till tender. Then he sliced it and browned it up on the Le Crueset. He then reduced the fennel liquid and added a star anise! Next step was to saute the scallops and make the butter sauce with the fennel reduction. Is this sounding good or what??


Here is the end result! Topped with some mache!

Hey, I think he is welcome back to the kitchen anytime!

Alive and Kickin'

It's the eve of the big game! My normally quiet neighborhood is buzzing! Bleu-Blanc-Rouge is appearing everywhere. Homemade flags are posted on front doors, kids are kicking soccer balls, flags are waving from second story windows.
Wednesday evening my neighbors partied till way past polite! We had our doors wide open and turned off the sound of our TV to listen to them sing and chant. Tonight should be no different. Our dinner will be over in time for the game! We are rooting for the home team!


Last night I started a biga for a Ciabatta. Yes, nothing new......but the recipe is new. I usually turn to Bread by Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno for good results. I wanted to try out a Paul Hollywood recipe from his book 100 Great Breads. Paul always uses fresh yeast and when you watch him on UKTV he makes everything look easy and doable!
The first photo is of the biga after 4 hours. The second is the dough after an overnight ferment in the fridge. Look at that boy bubble!!

The dough was very easy to handle compared to the dough from Bread. Very easy to shape and
place on the baking tray. Both Ciabatta cooked up nice. I'll show you the crumb when I slice some for dinner. I'm thinking garlic bread on the grill......all the better to munch before the game.

Go Bleu!

The back of the Pantry

Sometimes it is necessary to dig around and see just what is living in the dark parts of your pantry. I tend to hoard, for those 'just in case days'. Even after 20 years of Paris life I still need to have certain American products around..

• A small selection of Campbells Soups (Cream of Tomato, for those after-flu days)
• I have broth and stocks (for those lazy cooking days)
• Reynolds Wrap (french foil is just too flimsy!)
• A small can of Crisco (fried chicken-n- country gravy!)

Here is the problem, when you are a 'hoarder' those precious items stay in the pantry long after the shelf life, I've found soup from 1998 (is that still good?)!! I have started a 'list', I've got one for the freezer and have started one for my precious items. Best intentions! Think of Golen, from Lord of the Rings, holding up 'His Precious'!

On this cool day in Paris, I decided to take a gander in my dried fruit and nut basket to see what I could throw into a batch of Biscotti. As mentioned before, I'm not a cookie baker and Biscotti seems to fill the need to replace those multiple failed cookie attempts. So far I haven't flubbed a batch. With a base recipe you can add whatever you find in the pantry!

Look what I found today. Some lovely dried cranberries, some dried bananas that have been enrobed with honey & Pistachios!

Such a tasty combination. Join me for a cup of tea on this cool afternoon -- Or are you too busy cleaning out your pantry!!

My lazy summer days have begun, although the chirping bird noises are being drowned out with World Cup games and yelling family members! Oh well! Sorry, Team USA.

A Day for Fathers

When I need recipe inspiration I turn to the 'net'. 24 hours a day I can find exciting ideas to play with. This morning, however, I turned to an old friend. My Joy of Cooking!
This was my culinary bible when I first left home at 19. A gift from my mom. It traveled to Dallas with me, where I really wasn't much of a cook, up to Long Island then down to Florida. From Florida the pages were turning a lovely brown and the cover was long gone, but my copy of Joy of Cooking got packed up in the shipment and headed across the ocean to Paris. Sometimes you forget about those basic wonderful recipes and this morning I wanted to cook waffles for my husband on Fathers Day. Several recipes to choose from, I picked a Sour Cream Waffle, although I replaced the Sour Cream with Creme Fraiche!

Crispy on the outside, light as air on the inside, they were delicious! Of course I didn't plan in advance and had no Maple Syrup..........so another base recipe with improv thrown in and we had a lovely apple-brown sugar sauce to compliment the waffles.

This day also makes me think of my dad. He did have his favorite meals to cook. He loved to make Sunday Breakfast for us, I always complained about the way he cooked bacon. Dad would throw the whole pound of bacon in the frying pan, not separating the slices. He would fry till crisp (too crisp for me) and this would accompany eggs, pancakes or whatever he was in the mood to make that morning! Wishing Dad was here today, to throw some lean French bacon in a pan, I wouldn't complain today!
Happy Fathers Day all!

For Your Eyes Only!

This has been a grueling week of luncheons! Somehow, I have to find a balance to all the eating and drinking in the middle of the day!
Below you see a springform pan filled with chocolate! No balance in there, trust me!

Now we've moved on to the dinner party season! More eating and drinking, just later in the day!

I've been asked to bring dessert. Perusing through my files I found a great, easy looking dessert. Outrageous Chocolate Marquise Cake! This looks like the ticket to please. The recipe is from a talented gal who lived in Paris for a while and is now back in Canada. She demo'd this recipe when she came back to Paris just to do a cooking class!
What you don't see is a chocolate sponge on the base, that has been brushed ever so gently, with Kahula! Yeah......this is great!

But......Houston, I think I have a problem. This cake isn't going to release from the springform pan without a fight. A warmed knife at the ready, armed with creme Anglais and another dessert (Banofee Pie)......I hope my host will be happy! Would you be happy to see me at your front door??

pssssst......if you see my trainer, tell her you just saw me 'jogging the hill', ok?