oeuf à la coque

image | me

4 minutes.  3 if you really prefer runny.  And you've got  the best little package of something close to yellow nirvana or hollandaise, laced with protein goodness.  Like a sunny yellow gravy.  And you really only need one. Egg, that is.

image | schwurlie

Compendium of egg boiling perfection and information can be found *here*.

Les Chips d'Allauch

from France des Saveurs

I know.  But here's the thing - if you've traveled overseas can you not deny the simple fact that junk food and soda taste incredible?  Seriously.  No matter how jet-lagged or out of sorts, the junk tastes comforting and good.

And I think one of the most delicious drinks I've ever had was an Orange Fanta in Italy.  I swear.

And so when I saw that my favorite stalking stalker spots local foodie shop was carrying these super-fantastic Provençal potato chips, I thought to myself, "here's an opportunity to transport some friends to another land through the simple means of a tater chip".

See, we're having a little holiday shindig at 33 Kent St. And now it's basically no-holds-barred,  since I got me some French junk food.

A Rosé is (not) a Rosé

With apologies to Gertrude Stein and a heavy nod to the New York Times article on rosé wine, I wanted to share this bit on what is often a very misunderstood wine.

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

I've posted in the past one of my favorite rosés, Tavel, a wonderful wine hailing from the southern Rhône wine region in France.

I invite you to click on over to this NY Times article and bone up on some this colorful libation. Because, frankly, I can't imagine a summer evening without a glass. As journalist Eric Asimov writes,


You really don’t need to see the seaside shimmering in the heat to enjoy a bottle, or smell the lavender, garlic, anise and saffron. It’s all there in the glass, along with the blues, pinks and yellows of a pastel sky, and the sounds of the motor scooters chugging over the cobblestones. Those are my images, at least. Good rosés call forth from each of us their own.

Hôtel Pont Royal

For five days and five nights in Paris, I would highly recommend the:

Hotel Pont Royal - Saint Germain des Près

7 rue de Montalembert
75007 Paris - France




Located right off of Rue St-Germain, on a quieter side street, Montalambert, this sweet little gem was perfect for our brief but full jaunt to Paris in December.

(and you'll notice that all these polished, stylized photos were taken straight from the website.)

the lounge.....


a view...



another view...



and the lobby...


We stayed here for two reasons, the location and the restaurant.

The location was right in the heart of the 6th arrondisement. Right where we like to be....walking distance to the Seine, the Latin Quarter, the Marais, and beyond.

And the restaurant is L'atelier de Joël Robuchon Restaurant.







Dressed only in red and black, the impression from this Michelin three-star chef's eatery is not one of warm and welcoming but stark and serious. That all dissipates the minute you sit down and waiters surround you with smiles, greetings, bread, information, and humor.

If you look closely at the photos, you can see the perfect example of food as art. Floating slices of cukes, carrots, and red pepper in oil? water? Colorful lentils layered in a vase. Perfectly placed apples.....all just there for you to stare at and enjoy along with the handsome staff of young men manning the stove, grill, oven, and crockpot. Okay - no crockpot but there was a load of quiet mystical culinary action just an arm's length from our seats - absolute cooking wizardry with wooden spoons as wands.

It's hard to go into all the detail about the 3 course meal we had without sounding a little repetitive. I can, however, easily point you in the direction of a better written review from NY Times, Mark Bittman.

Suffice it to say, it was absolutely the most amazing meal I have ever had. In my life.

Relais de L'Entrecote

We had five days, well, really four and a half. Our primary goal was to cover as much ground as we possibly could by foot while making sure we ended our day with some off-the-charts fabulous meal.

My husband and I have a couple of strategies when we travel - we never return to the same destination or spot twice, we never eat at the same restaurant more than once, and we basically plan our day around dinner - meaning we research, we plot out our walk, and we find gems along the way that are usually spontaneous and magical.

Yet, for this return to Paris we through out our reliable strategies and went back to a favorite haunt for our first dinner. Mostly because it's an institution, it's cheap, and it's solidly good, comfort, French bistro food. And maybe too much to choose from can be a bit overwhelming.

Le Relais de l'Entrecote - or L'Entrecote - as it's more widely known, is really more diner than bistro. We went to the original, in the 6e, right off of St-Germain for steak frites. The best steak frites.

There is no choice in food. And with decent options for wine, it's still best to go with the house wine. You are greeted with only one question: Quelle cuisson? (how would you like it cooked?). I went with rare, my husband went with medium.

You are served by one of a dozen women, dressed in a stereotypical french maid's uniform, handling deftly a pair of spoons in one hand, dishing out your cut of meat, frites, and the secret sauce on top.


With only one two course meal on the menu that includes a salad with warm walnuts and this crazy-awesome mustard vinaigrette:



and steak dressed in a mysterious greenish, savory goo, and fries:




(A word on the secret sauce: here's what I'm guessing - tarragon, maybe herbes de provence, mustard, parmesan, and maybe chicken livers?)

And you sit, take it all in, and dine on a fabulous plate of beef and potatoes. Old Style.

Paris au mois de décembre

Off to celebrate 15 years of marital bliss in 5 short days in Paris. I'll return with a full report.

Adieu.

Cannelés Bordelais s'il vous plait?

These small, humble, little tumblers of deliciousness are originally from the Bourdeaux region of France. Honestly, I don't know a whole lot about them other than I found them to be utterly delectable.

(from www.papillesetpupilles.blogspot.com)

I came across these at work as someone brought in a box of them from Canto 6 Bakery in Jamaica Plain. I had never seen or tasted anything like them before. They're no bigger than maybe 2" tall. And they taste like a baked, cake-y version of a Crème brûlée . However, they're glossy, like a little donut hole. They have a caramelized exterior with a custardy interior.

(from maisonceleste.wordpress.com)

(from fxcuisine.com)

Pronounced, 'kahn-nuh-lay'. Get them fresh at Canto 6 in JP or you can even get a frozen box of
them (although no where near as tasty)from Trader Joe's.

(from nami-nami.blogspot.com)

And they are crazy good.

The impossible list

Scott left for Paris on Monday. Not that big of a deal really, except who wouldn't want to spend a couple of days in the City of Lights before the holidays for some sights and some shopping?

So, in lieu of stowing away I thought I could arm Scott with a list. Mostly a list that he could take in to Le Bon Marche'.



And to give you a sense of how I came up with this list I just googled and flickred Le Bon Marche' to my heart's content.

Come with me through the aisles of the fabulous La Grande Epicerie, where I could spend hours upon hours.

Should we start off with a macaron? Maybe of the hazelnut or pistachio variety?

or perhaps the formagerie? cheese and baguette for anyone?

or yogurt....that delicious high fat, non-pasteurized yogurt that's like cream.....? I think the yogurt found in France, Belgium, Germany....is like nothing here. It's really like some tart pudding that redefines the word creamy.


or maybe some local produce? Fruits..... or......



white asparagus, endive, leeks, shallots....gorgeous display of root vegetables, greens, and mushrooms.....



or maybe just a hearty roll to tuck into your pocket for the walk back.....


wait, is that fish? Why is there no odor? why does it look so fresh? Le Bon Marche' puts Dean & Deluca to shame, if you ask me.



I guess I'll just grab a sandwich for the ride home.


The sun is setting, time to hit the dusty trail.




Au revoir, Le Bon Marche'

If I were in Paris today...

I would walk to the nearest boulangerie, purchase a couple of baguettes and eat one as I walked my way back home.