bleudauvergne

I'm on a mission this weekend to find photos of messy French pastries. They're not all so prim and proper, you know.

I'll call them tomorrow and ask. Sorry - I didn't catch the whole tag in the photo!

Thanks a million - I pledge to post the recipe in the gullet once I've made them.

It's the prime ingredient in "mama strength" coffee. It has a special flavor that we can't find anywhere else. It reminds me of home.

Something else that is not available here in France is a nice sherry at a reasonable price. When you come to see me, bring pam cooking spray and good sherry. Oh, and a can of Medalia D'Oro. And a candy thermometer. I agree with the Maple syrup gift, it is one of the staple offerings on my list. My French father in Law calls it his "drug" and has it poured over his fromage blanc every night after dinner. You might also consider an artisanally made clothing or jewelry item, like a scarf, or hand smithed earrings, from your region. The French are crazy over patchwork quilts as well, although you probably won't want to spring for such an extravagant gift. -Lucy

Thank you, thank you.

Dear Ladies: I need cheesecake brownies with pralines. The problem is in the Flour Thread. Can anyone help me?

Ah yes, my research has revealed that Canadian flour is not the same weight as American Flour. But that's not my problem at the moment (although it might be when I go home on vacation this summer - ) I'm in France, with no access to American or Canadian flour, and getting ready to bake a from some American recipes. Woe is me. If the recipes existed in French, I'd find them and use them. But, unfortunately, in France, home baking is not much of a pastime. And, unfortunately, no one makes cheesecake brownies with pralines. Therefore I am asking a trusted egulleter to weigh both a cup of unsifted American all purpose flour, and also to weigh a cup of American all purpose flour which has been sifted. I will take the gram weight from these two measurements and apply it with my type 55 French flour. Some results from trial and error have been disasterous, read: sunken sog with a layer of sediment on the bottom. The flour weights by the cup that I have found vary from 112g to 165g. Yikes! Help me make cheesecake brownies. one cup unsifted American all purpose flour = ____ oz./grams. one cup sifted American all purpose flour = _____ oz./grams.

I thought I'd post this in the Flour Thread - even though this conversation got started a long time ago. I need help! I need the gram weights of 1 cup of American All purpose flour, both sifted and not sifted. I have searched on the web and do not get a reliable source, the weights are all over the place. Can someone who has a kitchen scale help me with this? I am getting ready to do some baking from new recipes. Some of my baking recipes have already been adusted, but I did that by trial and error, and I'm not sure if they have been accurately adjusted to base a technical conversion on. Now I just want to convert and bake, forget the error part. I am not sure on how much French flour I should be using per cup in an American recipe. I gather from the links on flour in this thread that my equivalent would be type 55 flour for all purpose. Thank you for your kind assistance in this matter. -Lucy

I don't think it's really possible to formulate a list of only 25 markets and say they're the best in the world. There are so many great ones. Here's links to photos I recently took at two of the markets in the town where I live, Lyon France. Les Halles and Quai St. Antoine -Lucy

Tell me a little bit more about your circumstance. You're intriguing me.

Amen.

I should give this to my neighbor who mentioned cooking smells coming from my apartment the day after I made the roasted cauliflower.

Life is turbulent. My day is metered by certain benchmarks. Certain moments of the day set the tone for the rest. Quiet coffee in bed with only the sound of crisp cotton. Descending marble stairs out into the city's grey misty light. When I have turned the corner, before the sun has risen, every single day, I can say invariably this time, the thought of what's for dinner runs through my mind. Sometimes decisions are a challenge. Life is best for me when inspiration and ideas flow. Cooking inspiration comes from strange sources. A painting. The color of a building reminding me of a beurre rouge. A single flower by the route to call to mind the fresh bunches of herbs pushing now, from the ground. In many ways, the ideas, the plans, the little problems and projects keep me together, they swirl around and keep things in, keep me moving. It is best for me to think of lighting the home fires as one of those daily benchmarks, even if the experiment fails. The tools are all in place. I work the brute materials in evolving ways, sometimes a historical investigation, sometimes in tribute to a root or a fungus, to honor a venerable beast, a fruit, honest work with basic simple things to give me comfort in times of strife, in regard for a country, a region, or in search of a very specific life moment that experienced once somewhere; I want to try and transmit it. Therefore, I cook.

These rules may apply for wines that have been internationally shipped. But don't take this list with you on vacation, you'd really miss out. 1. Wines costing £2.99 or less are invariably undrinkable. Alert Alert! This rule does not apply when you are traveling in wine producing countries. Price for a perfectly respectable, deliciously drinkable Cote du Rhone runs around 2€50, for example. Furthermore, if anyone plans to travel in France, I encourage you to buy as much cheap wine from your favorite regions produced this past year to take home with you, because 2003 will go down in history as an excellent year producing extrordinary wines due to the incredibly hot dry summer. Don't miss out! 11. Red wines are more interesting than whites; rosés are less interesting than both. Categorical dismissal of rosés would be almost as bad as using the word "invariably" in rule No. 1. That is comparing apples to oranges. Don't sell out and miss out by eliminating rosés from your wine spectrum. 23. Be suspicious of any wine that comes out of a box; ditto a basket. Don't be afraid of a box. Many fabulous wines are served out of a box in France. What's important is avoiding major temperature fluctuations and to keep it sealed from the air when you're storing it. It is common practice to purchase straight from the vingneron in box, and bottle for your own personal cave at home if you're not planning on drinking it within the next three months. Corkscrews are commonly available in the countries where wine is sold. Thus no need to fret about not being able to carry one on the plane!

We've never had our vin d'orange go bad on us, we don't refrigerate it. Since we don't get much of it we try and make it last. Your leftovers should still be fine. We've had this vin d'orange served over a year after it was made. Still tasted great.

Thanks, Andy, I enjoyed reading about your adventure. I can't wait to hear about your other experiences in Paris.

Fresh Spinach and Chevre Tart Serves 4 as Main Dishor 6 as Appetizer. This can be prepared with any type of pastry. It is a pretty appetizer made with filo sheets in ramekins. For serving to the family I use a pate brise short crust. Very quick and easy. You can add thinly sliced tomatoes and basil when they are in season. 4 T good olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp table salt 1 lb (500g) fresh leaf spinach 1/4 c fresh chopped parsley leaves 250 g chevre, fresh or aged 60 g pine nuts olive oil fresh ground pepper prepared short crust, filo, or pate feuillitee Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and salt and let sizzle for a few seconds. Add spinach and parsley and toss quickly until slightly wilted. Remove from heat and drain. Slice your chevre into rather thick slices, about 1/2 inch thick. Toast you pine nuts in a small saute pan without oil over high heat until they start to turn brown. Spread the spinach into the bottom of your pastry shell and top with pine nuts and chevre. drizzle with a little olive oil, and give a liberal dusting with fresh ground black pepper. Bake in a moderate oven (200c/400f) until the crust and chevre are slightly browned on top. Keywords: Appetizer, Tart, Main Dish, Cheese, Easy, Vegetables ( RG925 )

Fresh Spinach and Chevre Tart Serves 4 as Main Dishor 6 as Appetizer. This can be prepared with any type of pastry. It is a pretty appetizer made with filo sheets in ramekins. For serving to the family I use a pate brise short crust. Very quick and easy. You can add thinly sliced tomatoes and basil when they are in season. 4 T good olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp table salt 1 lb (500g) fresh leaf spinach 1/4 c fresh chopped parsley leaves 250 g chevre, fresh or aged 60 g pine nuts olive oil fresh ground pepper prepared short crust, filo, or pate feuillitee Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and salt and let sizzle for a few seconds. Add spinach and parsley and toss quickly until slightly wilted. Remove from heat and drain. Slice your chevre into rather thick slices, about 1/2 inch thick. Toast you pine nuts in a small saute pan without oil over high heat until they start to turn brown. Spread the spinach into the bottom of your pastry shell and top with pine nuts and chevre. drizzle with a little olive oil, and give a liberal dusting with fresh ground black pepper. Bake in a moderate oven (200c/400f) until the crust and chevre are slightly browned on top. Keywords: Appetizer, Tart, Main Dish, Cheese, Easy, Vegetables ( RG925 )

Tangy Sweet & Sticky Grilled Pork Ribs Serves 2 as Main Dishor 5 as Appetizer. These ribs fill the desire for a tender meat falling from the bone drenched in a tangy satisfying barbecue sauce. The ribs are first simmered with herbs, then sumberged into a tangy marinade with red wine that is finally thickened and painted back on the ribs for a tangy, sticky sauce. Finished under the broiler or grill, or on the barbeque. Very little actual work. Ingredients below are noted per person, multiply to make as much as you want at a time. 250 g Pork ribs, seperated 1 small onion pierced with 2 cloves 2 T Herbes de Provence, dried 888 Marinade, per person: 1 c red wine 1/3 c catsup 2 T dark Chinese vinegar 1 T soy sauce garlic 2 T brown sugar 1/3 c vegetable oil 888 Marinade additions to make sauce: 2 t. corn starch s & p, extra sugar as desired Simmer the ribs with the herbs. Cover the ribs with tap water and add herbs and onion. Bring to a rolling boil, and reduce heat to a slow simmer. Simmer on the stovetop for one hour, or in the crock pot on low for up to 4 hours. They are ready to come out when the meat is tender. Marinate the ribs. Mix all marinade ingredients in a large flat pan or plastic container. Place the ribs in the marinade and turn occaisionally. Marinate from 2 hours to one day. Make the sauce and Grill, Broil, or BBQ the ribs. Drain the ribs, reserving their marinade. Mix the corn starch with a little bit of water. Add the corn starch to the marinade, and mix well. Coat the ribs with the marinade / corn starch mix and put them 2-3 inches from a high heat source, under the broiler or grill, or on the BBQ. The sauce on the surface will thicken. Coat with sauce 2 or three times during the final step. Grilling should take about 5 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with brown sugar as desired to achieve caramelization at the end of grilling, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Keywords: Pork, Appetizer, Main Dish, Marinade, Easy, Crock Pot, Sauce, Grill ( RG922 )

Tangy Sweet & Sticky Grilled Pork Ribs Serves 2 as Main Dishor 5 as Appetizer. These ribs fill the desire for a tender meat falling from the bone drenched in a tangy satisfying barbecue sauce. The ribs are first simmered with herbs, then sumberged into a tangy marinade with red wine that is finally thickened and painted back on the ribs for a tangy, sticky sauce. Finished under the broiler or grill, or on the barbeque. Very little actual work. Ingredients below are noted per person, multiply to make as much as you want at a time. 250 g Pork ribs, seperated 1 small onion pierced with 2 cloves 2 T Herbes de Provence, dried 888 Marinade, per person: 1 c red wine 1/3 c catsup 2 T dark Chinese vinegar 1 T soy sauce garlic 2 T brown sugar 1/3 c vegetable oil 888 Marinade additions to make sauce: 2 t. corn starch s & p, extra sugar as desired Simmer the ribs with the herbs. Cover the ribs with tap water and add herbs and onion. Bring to a rolling boil, and reduce heat to a slow simmer. Simmer on the stovetop for one hour, or in the crock pot on low for up to 4 hours. They are ready to come out when the meat is tender. Marinate the ribs. Mix all marinade ingredients in a large flat pan or plastic container. Place the ribs in the marinade and turn occaisionally. Marinate from 2 hours to one day. Make the sauce and Grill, Broil, or BBQ the ribs. Drain the ribs, reserving their marinade. Mix the corn starch with a little bit of water. Add the corn starch to the marinade, and mix well. Coat the ribs with the marinade / corn starch mix and put them 2-3 inches from a high heat source, under the broiler or grill, or on the BBQ. The sauce on the surface will thicken. Coat with sauce 2 or three times during the final step. Grilling should take about 5 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with brown sugar as desired to achieve caramelization at the end of grilling, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Keywords: Pork, Appetizer, Main Dish, Marinade, Easy, Crock Pot, Sauce, Grill ( RG922 )

There's a difference in texture and appearance. The generic sea salts are much more dense and compact, like little rocks, and fleur de sel is a very light crusty salt that has strong visual impact but melts easily in your mouth without the crunch.

Mayhaw Man! What a great story! I love to hear about your experiences. The other day I went out to get a large wooden salad bowl, for the very reason that I wanted to prepare my cesear dressing in the bowl at the table. I got it home, and while washing it, I saw a very unobtrusive clear label, which had not been visible to me at the store, that said: Dry foods only. ARRRGH! Does this mean there's some poisonous chemical in the bowl that could be leeched out by wet foods? I think I'm going to write to the distributer and see if I can get to the bottom of this, because I just love a salad in a garlic rubbed wooden bowl. I think that it's really important to take the time to make the croutons yourself, and to use fresh grated parmesean and lots of it.

No thanks.

I think that 10 years ago I might have considered it extravagant to have at my disposal in the kitchen 4 types of rice, 4 different grades of wheat flour, 4 flours from other grains or beans, 3 different types of butter, a tub of duck fat, three different grades of olive oil, 2 different nut oils, polenta or corn meal in 3 different grades (including the masa harina), 7 different vinegars, 5 types of pasta (of which I will include couscous), 3 types of salt; table, sea for cooking (which I sometimes grind for table use), and fleur de sel for presentation, 24 canisters of various spices and home mixed spice mixes ready to use, (I do not count the baggies of things I rarely use I keep in a box in the safe), the 6 varieties of mushrooms I have in both dried and frozen form, plus my choice to pay premium for certain meats, currently 6 cheeses on my cheese plate, vegetables always fresh and in season, etc. Some people might also consider my repetitive trips to market to be an extravagant waste of time, the time I spend preparing, the lists I make, the entire days planned around food, waiting in line for 20 minutes so I can have just the right bread with the soup, the energy I spend on devising a technique of keeping ice cream cool on a morning hike so we can enjoy it in the face of an alpine panorama, the trip across town for a simple lemon tart that I have tried to recreate but cannot thus leaving it to the expert. Waiting until Saturday for fresh fish, and paying for wild, line fished kind, rather than last weeks farmed filet in Styrofoam. A big extravagant frittering away of my life that could be otherwise put to better, less selfish, more “raisonnable”, stoic, citizenly pursuits. The prices are not as important as they would be should I have to completely stock everything at once, because we pick things up as we need (or find) them, we don’t eat terribly expensive things absolutely all the time, and we use precious things judiciously. We are careful to preserve them properly so we can profit from them longer, and we make use of the freezer and other preserving methods for further enjoyment. But once you have worked with different kinds of ingredients and you know what makes things work just the way you had them once, what cannot be substituted if you are going to make something the best it can be and create memorable experiences for your loved ones and guests, it becomes natural to make your ingredient choices according to how you have researched and tested a thing to work best. Extravagant would be doing something simply wasteful, like the mineral water for the pasta, or using beluga caviar to make a tarama, or drinking a bottle of La Tache without a really good meal and really nice people to share it with. I can’t go down to Spain to the producer and get a bottle of the premium olive oil whenever the whim strikes me, so I do what I can to make it last as long as possible. The idea of just using it full on all the time is enticing, but the idea of the waste (and the subsequent dry spell) trumps the impulse. I can understand why sometimes when my family comes to visit they might go home murmuring about what they perceive as extravagance, but then again, they make their own life choices. I can say no one seems to mind while they're at the table! edited typos