bleudauvergne

Just to note that I paint my leg of spring lamb with green Chartreuse every 3 hours for a day before putting it on the rotisserie. You only have to use about 3 oz. to do this. I also like a simple Chartreuse and tonic from time to time.

How much does it cost to feel duped by this experience? It is a shame that no one bothered to sniff the corked wine before serving it to you.

This project is really fun, and a good exercise. The various prices of pasta struck me the most, since I sometimes do choose the fancy ones - they cost nearly 8 times as much as the lowest generic brand.

€/kilo €/lb. $/lb. beef (chuck) Bacon unsliced 9.00 4.09 4.90 Chicken, whole (best price) 2.50 1.13 1.35 Chicken whole (free range) 6.59 2.99 3.58 Poulet de Bresse (from producer’s market)8.90 4.04 4.84 Salmon cesspit raised 13.90 6.31 7.57 salmon ocaean netted 19.90 13.5 16.2 Shrimp (count ?) --- cabbage 1.00 .45 .54 carrots 0.80 .36 .43 chiles --- Bell peppers 2.30 1.04 1.24 Corn each --- garlic --- Mushrooms (de paris) 6.60 3.00 3.60 Olives (picholine, high quality artisan brined) 9.00 4.09 4.90 Onions 1.00 .45 .54 Potatoes, baking 1.06 . 48 .57 Potatoes, ratte 2.75 1.25 1.50 Squash Apples, cox Bananas 1.77 .80 .96 Coconuts. Ea. Lemons 1.70 .77 .92 Limes Oranges (6 kinds what kind do you want?) tomatoes BOB 1.59 .72 .86 tomatoes grappe 3.30 1.5 1.80 beans (dried) coco 4.85 2.20 2.64 beans (dried) Lingot label rouge 7.80 3.54 4.24 flour type 45 0.70 .31 .37 flour type 55 .60 .27 .32 pasta BOB .56 .25 .30 pasta barilla spaget No 5 1.60 .72 .86 pasta barilla spaget No 7 1.78 .80 .96 pasta barilla linguini 1.92 .87 1.04 Pasta selection artesani 4.18 1.9 2.28 Rice lowest price .62 .28 .33 Sugar granulated 1.24 .56 .67 cooking oil sunflower .93/L .42 .50 olive oil puget fruitee Evoo 5.99 7.18/L sesame oil soy sauce vinegar red wine .74/L .88/L butter (bretagne) 3.88 1.76 2.11 Butter (echire) 10.00 4.54 5.44 cream eggs 1.20/doz 1.45 Greek/turkish style yougert 4.30/kilo 1.95 2.34 cinnamon ground paprika ground pepper black corns 20.96/K 9.52 11.42 saffron 712.50/K 323.86 388.63 vanilla beans equitable commerce 1.10 ea. 1.32 ea. beer bread baguette 2.80/Kilo 1.27 1.52 coffee carte noire 10.80/Kilo 4.90 5.88 juice OJ litre tea premium teabags I really was impressed today while out collecting prices. One major thing I realized is that my butcher does not charge much more than about 20 cents per kilo more, for instance for leg of lamb, by than your average supermarket. That was a nice suprise. I got into a nice discussion with someone about that. Also I need help identifying chuck. What is the French equivalent of that? Alright the calc looks right. I initially miscalulated between euros and dollars but I fixed it. The dollar / pound price is in bold.

When I was a kid I always had this strange fascination and attraction to canned beans and I especially loved garbanzo beans. That was when we never really had anything but canned, really. I liked them, and I liked that ubiquitous three bean salad that showed up on the buffet at pot lucks. Also, the kidney beans and fava beans. I loved those plain cold out of the can. Once I found in the pantry a huge can of beans that my mother picked up somewhere and I took it out back and opened it, and tried to eat the whole thing. I can't explain it. When I got my first apartment, my sister gave me some tips on how to eat really cheap - dried beans. I kept jars of different kinds of beans and ate them with rice all the time. Apparently this combination is very good for you. I've always loved beans. Last year, Loic brought me various different dried beans from Mexico which had really nice flavors and just changed my taste idea for beans, actually. It made me understand the flavor potential... Another big discovery has been the haricot de Soisson which is a very flavorful bean that also cooks up to have a beautiful texture. When I cook beans I can be sure they don't dissolve to nothingness which is what I find nowadays if I do open a can of pre-cooked beans. I've just quit with the canned beans, I don't have any in the house.

Abra, You mentioned cooking the beans in broth, which is what I did this weekend when I initially cooked the beans. (I used a broth made from pintade necks from my poultry lady.) However, when I served the beans at dinner with the leg of lamb over the weekend, I did not taste at all any flavor coming from the broth. I think Adam is correct in his instruction to use a demi-glace or reduced stock to flavor the soup at the end. For the soup, I topped the beans, garlic and sage and bay bouquet with water, plain water just to cover everything, then in about 15 minutes I pureed them and used a seperate demi-glace at the end for flavor, following Adam's advice. I think what counts is bean flavor, so if you used your bean cooking liquid it couldn't hurt. What made the lamb garnish good was the distinct contrast (flavor and texture) and also the familiar classic combination that lamb and white beans have - I would hold back on using lamb broth for the soup because it would reduce the contrast of the soup with the meat and reduce the effect of that suprise. Hi Chufi, American bay leaves can pack a very strong flavor and have to be used carefully. I keep a whole branch of bay here in my kitchen and break off the leaves and use them pretty liberally in cooking here, but in the States I'll cut down the size of a single bay leaf to use less than one for the same level of flavor coming from it. You can tell the difference by rubbing and smelling the leaf.

Don't forget your work triangles, take your time deciding, and good luck! We also thought we could get top of the line for our budget considering the small size of our kitchen but thought wrong! The first estimate (super chi chi grande epoche design) we had was nearly 25K Euro for a kitchen with a 1.5 square meter floor. So remember its really a good idea to do your shopping. Also to save money try picking up tiles, floor material, etc. from places you'd not think of, and industrial materials with a look you like and sink your cash into good contractors. We started with the Ikea quick download software, then picked up some catalogs that featured dimensions (which are seriously diffferent from Ikea, btw) and made our own designs. Ikea dimensions are 40-50-60cm wide and most of the designer stuff turned out to have odd sizes. You're an artist, Wendy - you also know what you want - you can do it! We're happy with the pull out drawer like racks and stuff down below the countertop which turned out to be really useful, ergonomic, and gives us lots of useful space as opposed to cabinets below. When you choose a sink, take my advice, the little "half sinks" on the side are bad! (we got a "1+.5 sink and the only thing the little sink does is hold dirty sponges, we wish we'd got a big one instead.) Sending good thoughts as you shop for a new kitchen.

A photo cannot do this soup justice but here it is nonetheless.

I'm kicking myself for not serving the hybrid thread version of Tuscan White Bean soup last night to guests. I had it in my plan and then changed my mind. Why? I just don't know. Today I went ahead and served it for lunch. The beans I used were French white haricots de Soissons (purchased dry, soaked, and slow cooked) leftover from a weekend lamb dinner. For the soup, the beans were simmered with a bouquet of sage and laurel (European bay), with garlic just enough time to infuse the oils from the sage and soften the garlic. I removed the bouquet, pureed the soup, and enriched with leftover veal demi-glace. Seasoned and brightened with lemon juice. Instead of ham, a slice of leftover leg of lamb was cut into strips and crisped in hot duck fat to add to the top of the soup. What a combination! To fill out the bowl, sauteed cubed courgettes and minced onions were placed at the bottom of the bowl under the soup. Drizzled with olive oil. This was 5 times better than I imagined it would be last night when I replaced the soup course with an herb tarte. What was I thinking? It would have been the wow factor of the meal.

Spring is lamb season! Slices of roasted leg of lamb with green olive tapenade, lettuce, onions, and lots of pepper!

If you mean yellow skin or fat, it's the feed: corn! btw thanks for the brownie advice - hot from oven, with ice cream. MMM.

Absurdly Stupid Question: How long in advance can I mix up brownie batter? Can I mix up the batter and then just add the leavening agent to the batter just before putting them in the pan? I want them to be hot out of the oven when I serve them. Am I just not thinking outside of the box?

Tourism is big business here, and not just the big organized groups you describe. It depends, I guess, on whether a place was made for tourists, being a tourist trap or if a place attracts tourists due to reputation, international press, etc. People may seek to eat somewhere they read about, for instance, here, or they find a recently published list of the hot spots to go. There are always people who will try and be one step ahead, especially if being in the know while everyone else is not is their job. Sometimes the pickings in the press are slim, and sometimes, with groups like this and guidance the likes of John's restaurant news and reviews to make sense of all of the info, we are blessed with choices. We are able to learn from the experience of others that we trust, debate what makes one place better than another, and share stories and tables. I suppose this could make us tourists. One always hopes that people will behave well, but sometimes we'll find people who haven't done their homework about local customs. When I'm traveling, I certainly follow what advice I can find from trusted resources not only about how to get the most of my experience by knowing what to expect, but also where to eat. I had a discussion of a similar topic with a friend recently, both of us now living in rather heavily toured European cities, whether we would publicly share news of the discovery of a little gem of a place we love on a forum like this. You know, tourist factor and all. We agreed - 'tis best to share the wealth. I guess I'm a little bit biased, though. About sharing the wealth. I think that's what life's all about. On the 'contre' side of the discussion, someone at the table worried about stripping a suddenly popular restaurant of its cellar. This is a valid point, especially if the cellar is an old one and there's a question of the current sommelier's expertise and resources.

Adam, can anyone build a case for simmering the beans in stock, or is it better to use the stock to finish the soup?

Making out a list of things mentioned in this thread for a great soup. White beans, cured ham or sausage, garlic, onions, rosemary or sage, celery, leek, chard, kale, parsley, fennel, potato, lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil, salt, maybe a dash of some spice like fennel seed or hot pepper. It's got all of my favorite things in it!

ain't t'internet fantastic. This page says tung oil has FDA approval for food contact, Tung oil is not poisonous so - no need to be careful with it!!! ← Tung oil is poisonous. Use gloves, and don't let it come in contact with your skin. Once it is fully dry, the surface is innocuous. However, like I said, please use it with caution, you can get very sick if you use it improperly.

I completely agree on the soup, it looks great. I haven't thought of dill in months and nows the time. The idea of using both smoked and fresh salmon sounds delicious.

Just to note, Tung oil is poisonous, be very careful with it. Also pure tung oil is hard to find these days, most of the time it will be mixed with varnishes.

I've never had a bad experience, either, although I have to say that I never dined alone in a restaurant before I became an adult. Good question. Lets see. I usually end up bumping into my dining companions before the meal, either 1) guessing that they'll know a good place to go being locals or 2) they seem like good people and are traveling and need help. I've never actually asked someone to join me or vice versa after already having been seated for a meal - although in Germany, sometimes I would be seated at the same table with others by the restaurants. One particular excellent memory of that kind is from a meal in Frankfurt, a stone cavern of a place that had a specialty of sausages and apfelwein - a wonderful drink that I discovered that day. The owners had arriving guests file in and sit at benches aside one long heavy wooden table. As the meal progressed, more and more arrived, and we found ourselves sitting closer together to make room for more arriving. My newfound table companions who were in the know ordered the drinks in the correct quantity and after some time with sausages, saurkraut, and lots of the drink, which tasted mild and tangy with a bit of yeast and apple, the entire long table, completely full of strangers, to me and to each other, began to sing songs and we all swayed from side to side to the singing. It was wonderful to have plunged into that experience completely by suprise. Another time I worked in Beijing and I was on my way from the office to a little restaurant I knew nearby that wasn't very well known to anyone but the regulars. There was a couple that looked lost and I asked if they needed some help. I pointed them in the right direction, and as a last question, they asked where would be a good place to eat nearby, so I offered to take them along with me. It was your typical little place, no menu, one of those places where you just order, and I ordered for the three of us. They were very interesting people, and extremely grateful for my help. They were such nice people that that weekend I did some touring in and around Beijing with them. The guy was a photograher, and he gave me some great tips and advice on how to identify good subjects for photos. Some of that advice still comes to mind to this day whenever I am out with my camera.

Janet, I am really enjoying your blog! I love the way you choose your cocktails. Caesar Salad dressing is a touchy topic, everyone has their idea about how to prepare it. Whether or not to use Worcestershire sauce or anchovies seems to be a big issue among my friends who love the Caesar. I've stopped using the sauce since I ran out and made it without, and actually got a more satisfying salad out of the experience. First, the reason why your garlic is so overpowering is that it might be the time of year, in late winter the garlic has a much more pungent flavor raw. You can parboil it to mellow it, yes. You can also use less garlic in late winter. I don't know what your original recipe was, but I'll toss something in for consideration in your search for a good recipe. For your croutons, make thick toast, rub one side with garlic and spread good olive oil on the other, sprinkle both sides with a mix of salt, paprika and cayenne, slice into cubes, and toast again in the oven until crisp and slightly brown. For the dressing, choose and prepare your garlic according to its qualities. You can adjust your quantities according to the season, but my index is 2 cloves, less if pungent. 5 or 6 anchovy fillets, the best kind being fish that have been preserved whole in salt and have white skin. They have a mroe delicate flavor. I fillet them with my fingers under cold running water. In the absence of the whole fish, use the fillets that come in oil, which have a concentrated flavor and use maybe 3 or 4 fillets. Mash the garlic and the fish fillets together with a pestle. You can also do like they do sometimes and mash it into the bottom of the salad bowl. Then add the juice of half a fresh lemon (don't ever use bottled juice for this kind of salad), a dab of mustard for body in the dressing (it helps it congeal), 2 egg yolks, and incorporate well. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of your best most fruity olive oil. Taste for salt. Season with salt if necessary (depends on your fish and how you like it) and give it a good grinding of black pepper. Toss the dressing with the salad to coat. The issue of parmesan has evolved over the years for me, I used to grate it and toss it with the sauced salad, but now I feel like I get a better experience by shaving off strips of parmesan onto the top of the plated salads. Plate the salad, add your cheese if that's how you choose to do it, and your croutons. I know for sure that there are going to be people who disagree with my formula! This is for 4 people, if you prepare this for 2, you can cut it in half. Janet, I would also love to hear more about how your career has evolved - it's very inspiring.

Should I be giving prices for what I buy or for what's commonly available? Should I make a trip to a supermarket for this survey?

I'm hoping someone who has staged here in France can answer some of the hanging questions in this thread: For Americans or Non-EU citizens, are you required to get a work permit for an unpaid stage? Insurance? What is the norm? Can someone who came from another country chime in on the level of French required? I am assuming the more the better but if anyone has first hand experiences from stages... Also does anyone have a suggestion for Chef_on_the_go for the search for a restaurant to approach in either Avignon or Marseille?

Aoki Sadaharu 56 bd Port Royal 75005 PARIS 01 45 35 36 80 Patrick Roger 176 r St Denis 75002 PARIS 01 45 08 06 57 Pierre Hermé Paris 72 r Bonaparte 75006 PARIS 01 43 54 47 77 185 r Vaugirard 75015 Paris 01 47 83 89 96 Pain de Sucre 14 r Rambuteau 75003 PARIS 01 45 74 68 92

Excellent photos. Melange. Your trip to Paris looks like it was truly memorable. Care to update on your chocolate recon? Any more comments on AOKI, given the recent thread here in the France forum comparing French and Japanese pastry?

A beautiful blog, Kathy.