pennylane

So Megan, did you ever make that aligot? How easy is it to get this right at home? And where can I find tomme blanche/fraiche? I've heard one can get frozen aligot at Picard. Should I try that first so I know what it's supposed to taste like? Or should I go to the Maison de la Lozere?

Oh my goodness! I am sold. I love to make bread the long, slow way, and I do live in a city where great bread is always just around the corner, but sometimes it's 1 a.m. and I just need to have a veggie burger! This will come in so handy!!

Thank you, plk, for saying that!

Do you think they could be made with potato, like lefse? I know those are Norwegian, but, you know, same neck of the woods... and those are thinner than pancakes but not as thin as crepes, and tender without being cakey at all. I know what you mean about the secret possibly being a commercial mix... I spent years trying to duplicate a recipe for the cornbread at a barbecue place which everyone was crazy about, only to discover that it was actually just a blend of two different kinds of commercial mix. Hmph. As for my pancake recipe, well, I use some of the ones already listed here but also do make a very simple cornmeal pancake using 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1/4 tsp baking soda, a pinch of salt, smidgeon of butter, and enough buttermilk to make a thick batter. Simple and delicious, and just enough for for me!!

If I'm not mistaken, dystopiandreamgirl is the same person who once made a bûche d'été which just has to be seen to be believed...

Personally, although I really, really HATE being stuck in a restaurant with people like that, I would have to say that I don't really think the manager or owner of the restaurant should intervene unless the obnoxious diners are doing something which is actually forbidden, like smoking in a non-smoking area (and over here I doubt anyone would stop them even then).

Just wanted to say that I tried frozen brussels sprouts for the first time yesterday, and yeah - amazing! Thanks!

I made a nut roast, for the first time ever (part of my quest to try as many crazy and different recipes as possible), with a potato and wild mushroom gratin, cranberry sauce, and brussels sprouts, followed by mulled wine, mince tarts and about a dozen different types of cookies (inspired by the Christmas cookies thread, though I did not feel worthy enough to contribute!).

Hi guys! Okay, I've been living in France for the last eight years, and feel that in all that time I have totally failed to take advantage of all the cheese-tasting opportunities around me (due partly to a rather hesistant foray into the world of veganism and partly to a somewhat xenophobic desire to resist French culture for as long as possible). But now the time has come for me to explore all these opportunities, only I am not sure how best to go about it and my initial attempts have not met with much success. I have read through the past 19 pages of this thread and noted down everyone's favourites, so I don't need any specific recommendations, but would appreciate some advice on the following topics : 1) What is the best way to discover new types of cheese - to seek out specific cheeses based on other people's recommendations or to just get whatever looks good? (I have been trying the latter technique but haven't had much success with it - I seem to end up getting a lot of different cheeses which taste the same.) 2) How does one know the best way to serve/eat different types of cheese? (Not just on their own, because the last time I did that I consumed 1% of my body weight in Comte and don't want to make a habit of it.) I mean, there are so many different kinds of cheese that it would take too long to list all possible combinations, but is there a general rule of thumb as to, for example, which kinds of cheese are better for melting, which are better to eat with fruit or jam, etc? (For instance, I tried using up some brie in a quiche a while ago and it was a complete disaster! The brie totally EVAPORATED! There was no trace of it whatsoever in the finished product - what a waste.) 3) Is it possible to get smoked cheese here in France? 'Cause all the self-professed cheese addicts I know here have never heard of it and seem almost incredulous that such a thing could even exist. Well, thanks in advance for any helpful tips or pointers any of you cheese-lovers can give me on my quest!

Yeah, I was already thinking that it probably depends on whether the vegetarian in question ever ate meat in the past. If so, surely whatever kind of meat one liked best as an omnivore would be most tempting. Bacon smells really good but I grew up in Pakistan and never saw the stuff 'til I was 18. I guess by then I was too brainwashed to think of it as anything but taboo. However I loved a juicy hamburger and now as a vegetarian that's what tempts me most. If I ever went back to eating meat it would be to take a big bite out of a fat juicy burger!

Why don't you come to Paris now, and instead of making tripe we can make apple pie and buttermilk pap, hehe?!

I tried this and it did seem to work, although I also pinched the dough against the sides of the pan that time so that might have helped as well.Thanks for starting this thread, paulraphael, 'cause I also find the whole blind-baking routine to be a bit of a nuisance. I don't think just poking the shell to let the steam out would be enough, because the sides do have a tendency to collapse. I have thought about doing the saucepan lid or double tart pan thing but have the same problem with the tart pans being the same size. Might try the saucepan lid, though...

Oh?? What is this place? It sounds intriguing... I must check it out. Thanks for the tip!

Actually that is what's known as a "bezoar" and it's caused not by persimmon skin, but by unripe persimmon flesh (and seeds). I was going to post a link but decided against it because the last time I saw a picture of a this thing (right after eating an unripe persimmon), I didn't eat for two days!!

Thanks pennylane! I'm pretty sure you'll be the first person to try the buttermilkpap I actually have a bit of a craving for some right now! Wit lots of syrup, ofcourse ← Well, I did try the buttermilk pap! I messed it up badly, though. I made sure not to let it boil but the heat must still have been too high - it split. Oh well, I will try again soon, although I am also planning to make those gouda cheese balls and the vlaai!

What do you guys think about the Christmas markets in Paris? I get the impression everyone hates them because they're so commercial, overpriced and tacky. But I love them. I have a "bah humbug" husband who wouldn't dream of going to Strasbourg for the holidays ("how will we find a hotel with NASN?") so this is the only way I can get a taste of that Christmas spirit. Everything does seem really overpriced, though. I'm really tempted by the chocolate-coated rusk-type gingerbread I've seen at numerous stands (what are these? printen?) and also a vast array of different kinds of gingerbread cookies at the Alsatian stand at Gare de l'Est. Those in particular are quite pricey. I don't really mind but I don't want to be like those people in the American specialty stores forking out a fortune for things like oatmeal and sweet potatoes that are available everywhere. So what do you think? Are the Christmas markets a good place to buy these seasonal treats? And how seasonal are they, anyway? Can one get them at other times of the year? I found this online store which sells lebkuchen, printen , etc. really cheap. But then one has to pay for delivery by DHL. Any thoughts?

Funny... the peel is my favourite part!!

Oh really? That's interesting. I think I will give them a try myself.

Thank you for your advice. I'm not sure it will work for me, though, as I think I have what's known as "sour" tapioca flour, as opposed to the "sweet" variety which can be used in place of cornstarch. Mine has a rather distinctive smell which I fear would come through in the finished product - it might not, but I'm afraid to try it! If anyone has any advice on the red palm oil, I'd love to hear it. Also, does anyone know how to check whether it's still good? It looks a little funny, but it doesn't smell rancid. Thing is, it's been sitting in my kitchen cupboards for so long, I'm almost afraid to taste it now...

I'll apologize straight away for taking this sentence out of context, but I think it's an interesting sentiment on which I'd like to elaborate. Does anyone think that the ultimate purpose of a farm animal's existence is relevant? I'm curious, because I don't think it is. The animals certainly aren't conscious of their ultimate purpose in the sense that it could cause them the least amount of suffering, so to me the ethics of eating meat focus entirely on the methods of production. ← I think the point is that even when farm animals are humanely treated, ultimately they are going to be killed for their meat. So while we can do our best to ensure that our meat comes from humane sources, we have to accept that there is some suffering involved, even if it's only at the end of the animal's life. And some people are going to be okay with that while others are not. I know this is an unpopular stance on this board, but personally I don't like to think that an animal died for my dining pleasure, even if that animal led a long and happy life. I suppose if I were lost in the wilderness, on the brink of starvation I would be willing to sacrifice an animal's life to save my own (but in that case my years of vegetarianism would probably catch up with me as I wouldn't have the foggiest idea how to catch/kill/skin it!). So to answer your question, no, I don't think anyone thinks that the ultimate purpose of a farm animal's life is relevant to that animal, but it's relevant to us in the sense that we may or may not be willing to accept that animals are slaughtered to feed us.

I know this isn't the typical dish one associates with The Sopranos, but I was obsessed with "johnnycakes" for the longest time after watching that show. I made them every day for two or three weeks when Vito went to New Hampshire. Chufi, if you're watching the sixth season now, you may know what I'm talking about!

These are my two favourites : Roasted Brussels Sprouts (the key is to get them really black, blacker than in the photo), and Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Scallions (the key is the lime juice).

We should start a thread for people who need help using up the items languishing in their pantries. (Or is this that thread?) I also have a tendency to collect exotic ingredients either to use in a specific recipe, or because I think I may need them someday, or just because I'm afraid I will never see them again. In fact I actually seek them out, searching for new and undiscovered exotic food stores all over town. And it never occurred to me that many of these items would actually pass their expiration dates before I got around to using them. So now I've made a list of all the forgotten denizens of my kitchen cupboards : 1) couscous (just got sick of it) 2) tvp (they say it tastes like cardboard... they're right) 3) steel-cut oats (sad but true, it seems I prefer regular oats) 4) chestnut flour (hard to understand, when I love this stuff so much) 5) chickpea flour (have started adding this to everything - not a good idea) 6) soba (love buckwheat, love noodles, strangely didn't love soba) 7) quinoa crisps (these were good in my homemade protein bars, not so much on their own) 8) masa harina (once again, love this stuff, but was forced to buy a massive amount) 9) manioc flour (bought for pao de queijo, which was good but how often can I make it?) 10) whole urd dal (love this stuff, but takes too long to cook) 11) black soy beans (from before I knew how impractical it is to ferment them at home) 12) adzuki beans (canned red bean paste is just so much easier) 13) marmite (not bad in vegetarian gravy) 14) malt syrup (really need to bake more bread) 15) red palm oil (this is the killer - almost a whole huge bottle left!!) Ideally, I'd like to use all this stuff up before I embark on any new cooking projects, but it's going to take a while...

I'm going to make mince pies. And lebkuchen. Well, I was going to make lebkuchen but I really like the look of those gingerbread men jumanggy posted, so now I might have to make those instead...

Thanks, Chufi! I know my butter wasn't soft enough. Just wasn't sure about that and thought it better to err on the side of too-cold butter as that's what's usually used in pie crusts. But I think my flour tends to be really dry as well so next time I'll go with your mom's method of melting the butter beforehand - that should do the trick!