bleudauvergne

Those who live in France can watch Joël Robuchon's cooking show, where he invites chefs from all over France to come and teach us how to cook their dishes. The website that goes with this show has a recipe database and a chef database where you can search by ingredient or look up a chef and get the recipes that have been featured on the show. You can also get a bio of the chefs. Many of the chefs of restaurants discussed in the France forum have recipes featured in this database. I love it! Anyway, I'm going to try and make the famous Aussie in France William Page's Raviolis de Foie Gras dans un Bouillon de Poule next week, and take it one step further from an idea of an eGullet poster who had this dish (forgot where) with bouillon de poulet de bresse. But that will have to take place next Thursday because the market where I can get the poulet de bresse direct from producer (thus reasonably priced) is next wed. If anyone gets any of the recipes from this site and they turn out well, post here about it! The recipes are in French... Edit to thank naf for initially posting the link to the website in the Mon Vieil Ami-New Bistro thread!

Just to note: Your andouille for gumbo will definitely not be French andouille.

Invite all the neighbors! Oh, and I'll bring the chestnuts! Yea, so you can throw them in the fire and watch them explode? Tom, I also moved for love to a foreign country. Best of luck to you in that endeavor. It's really great that your ILs have decided to do a Xmas dinner in April in honor of your visit. I want a description of each and every crustacean - your punishment for not purchasing a camera specifically for this Foodblog.

Joël Robuchon's show, you mean? It's called Bon Appétit Bien Sur. And actually this week, the show is featuring Westermann the junior (Eric Westermann). I have to agree that this show is indeed amazing. To answered bleudauvergne, Mon Vieil Ami is operated by the father, Antoine Westermann Yes, that show! I don't know how Joel turned into Paul... Duh.

If you do make pesto, don't forget to add EVOO, and salt + pepper. I would also chop the basil by hand rather than puree in food processor because basil takes an off taste when pureed. You're so lucky to have all that basil.

Sure, Hathor. Whatever you say.

So sorry about the sprain. Having something like that happen while traveling is even worse... Thinking about how I might convince the other occupants of our building to allow us to set up a spit roast in the courtyard out back one spring evening.

Only half? You're sure?

I cook for two and I simply adore that wonderful class. Why not cook these few days and share with us, Basilgirl? I'm willing to listen, anyway. What do you have going? -Lucy

I have this favorite cooking show on French TV where chefs come as guests to cook in Joel Robuchon's kitchen. They do the most amazing recipes. I like to follow them when I can at home. I've done a whole lot of them. Anyway, There's Westermann the elder and Westermann the younger. Clearly father and son. I'm not sure, excuse my ignorance, who is the one who produced this kitchen in Paris. edited to say we threw out the t.v. proper and now see programs a la carte from the internet, a big step up from the minitel I must say Edited to fix Mr. Robuchon's first name which I got completely wrong

I have always always tossed salt over my left shoulder, not only when I spill it, but even when I have a little extra. Never knowing all of the missed possibilites, which I have learned from Anna N. It has kept me pure in any case. With regards to garlic, vampires, peppers and the evil eye, I understand and yet I do not. There must have been an instinctive reason why I was drying the peppers in the kitchen.

I'm so happy to read your adventure and excellent descriptions of the food you had. Thank you.

Memories of the waffle iron are coming to mind. I recall thinking as a child that it seemed so easy, easier than pancakes. And better. (my mom made the thin ones) Why didn't we eat waffles every day?

The obvious would be to decorate or garnish, but then again it's probably not that obvious...

OMG you watched that series?? I think it might have been shipped to France because no one in Australia wanted to watch it When we first got here, I spoke no French, It was basically the only show I could follow - You're right it was a pretty wierd show. I learned all about rank and what counts as insubordination on the Australian fire fighting force. We also used to get another australian show about a vet who flew around in a helicopter. That was a pretty good show. We have since thrown out our television and live T.V.-less. It was done for a very good reason. You're kitchen sounds really lovely. And the sushi!

I will never try and peel chestnuts on Thanksgiving. oooh, i did that one like 5 years ago. i agree. {Step 6: Just before the turkey is ready to be stuffed and placed in the oven, Parboil and carefully peel the 2 pounds of freshly bought chestnuts.} Which should read: Dunk the chestnuts in boiling water. Remove from water and score the rock hard surface of each one in two complete perfect concentric circles, forming a band, with a razor sharp knife. Be sure to wipe up all of the blood spilled in the process, as bloody countertops are not appealing to incoming guests. Re-parboil the chestnuts with the hope the peels come loose. Rinse in cold water. Attempt to peel them with a vegetable peeler. Try crushing them. Utilize a small screwdriver and rubber mallet to carefully chip the inside out of each chestnut, after attatching to counter top with screw type vise. After two hours and 45 minutes of messy and difficult labor, send husband to buy pre-peeled chestnuts.

Hi, we're back from the weekend in Megeve. We went to Michel Gaudin - and it was ... interesting. I'm not sure he's still in the kitchen, though. The guy at the inn where we stayed said he was on the verge of retirement. A very memorable weekend in all ! Thank you for your responses. Tonight I will post in this thread the places where we went. -Lucy

Oh do post a photo, Fi.

i think it's pearl sugar, isn't it? That would be pearl sugar.

Happy Easter and Happy Anniversary, Tom! A couple of years ago here in France I used to watch this T.V.show (very badly dubbed into French) about the trials and tribulations of a unit of Australian fire fighters. It sounds like you cook and eat a lot better than they did on the t.v. show. Your Easter dinner sounds like it was an amazing feast. About your gravy stock - do you soak your dried mushrooms before adding them to the stock, or do you just toss them in and let them macerate in the soup? Can you describe your FH's kitchen?? I would love to hear about that.

Thanks Brooks! What a wonderful way to spend the week! I'll be coming back to this blog often just to look again. -Lucy

balex, it is not a different question at all. The two (boulangeries and lingerie shops) are actually intricately related. One is to remind us not to buy the other.

I have to add that it has little to do with the skill of the baker. Franky2Times comment is like saying bagels are so much better in Brooklyn because the bagel makers in other parts of the country don't know what they're doing and don't care. That's kind of silly. When I was in Beijing, there was someone there who had opened a bagelry. After she had trouble producing good bagels there, she researched every possible aspect about bagel making. She already had the training, having made bagels in Brooklyn in the past. She found out it was the water. Brooklyn tap water makes the bagels so good there. Once she realized that and having actually considered importing brooklyn tap water, she then resigned herself to makeing the best possible facsimile of the bagel she could given her circumstances. The product was really good. We would drive across town to sit in one of the only coffee shops in Beijing to munch on a real bagel (with real coffee!). But they would never be exactly the same as the Brooklyn bagel. If we could re-create at will (or through training) every wonderful gastronomic experience we wanted, and it was that simple, French baguette wouldn't be so special, in my opinion. Some gastronomic experiences are place specific. French baguette is one of them (especially in Paris...) We are in Lyon and we rarely eat baguette, mainly because if we did buy it twice daily we'd be the size of hippos within a few months. We usually get more substantial specialty breads that we can eat for two or three days, and not feel like we've got to finish it off. You can buy a half baguette, but it's not smiled upon as a regular practice, especially by the boulangers here... Every baker has his own names, but our favorite at our baker is called pain de champs, which is a substantial loaf and has a mixture of grades and types of flours. It includes a smattering of different grains in the crust - mmmm. It should be noted that the specialty breads are really the product that supports the boulangers in France, since the boulanger is forced to sell baguette at a government regulated price which gives almost no profit margin. (Regulation created to allow everyone, regardless of their degree of poverty, the right to have bread at every meal.) edited for clarity

Thank you, Louisa and John. Hopefully one of these places will have a table... edited to say that we've got a reservation for Michel Gaudin for tonight.

In Italy, it is a small chocolate, the size of the little "mon cherie" candies. Inside is a burst of the most amazing coffee flavor. It's really impossible to describe. It must be eaten to be believed.