Louisa Chu

Yes, good stuff! I thought it was an odd personal quirk - until I came to Europe and found a culture for whom it's normal and find ketchup the quirk. Here it's mustard or mayo or at McDonald's a very suspicious Pommes Frites Sauce which reminds me of a pale version of Utah's fry sauce.

Are you kidding? My six foot plus cousins are irresistable.

Oh don't be snobs about French's. It is in fact the best for hot dogs. And french fries. Even though I do get my Maille from the tap at the boutique at Madeleine I still like my French's.

I can empathize with that. So I've heard from reliable sources.

Primarily they're flirting with her. If you saw her you'd know why. Being adorable is her trial in life. I spend too much time sweating in the kitchens wearing a funny little hat. And she's only fending them off so she can address them one at a time. The latest one is one of our butchers. Tall, dark, handsome, with icy blue eyes. I'm hoping that they hit it off so I can get some great butchering tips.

We just had a warm strawberry and raspberry soup with yogurt sorbet that I think would be great with buttermilk sorbet. And perhaps infusing the mixture with verbena.

Yes, she is. And maybe so.

Good that you should ask. Having seen it done various ways all my life - head chopped off, plunged into boiling water, sometimes not at all and just chopped up - I decided to research the most humane way to kill a lobster. In some countries - New Zealand for example - there are laws to prevent cruelty. Then there's research by marine biologists. Here's what I decided. How to Kill a Lobster Chill in the lowest part of the fridge or upper rack of a freezer for about 20 minutes - 30 minutes max. Face the lobster towards you. In one quick motion plunge the tip of a chef's knife into the cross marking behind the head - between the head and the body - then split the head in half. Chilling the lobster will help anesthetize it. Splitting the head quickly severs its primary nerves. This method also helps keep the meat supple. Stressing it will seize the meat and likely result in a tough, stringy product. This was interestingly evident amongst my classmates who were not kind to their lobsters.

jackal10, Louisa - or even lou. jeniac42, yes, you could stage at the best restaurants in France with a diploma from Cordon Bleu - some of them even pay under the table. But you could just come over and probably work off the books down south in the high season - but only at small businesses. But sorry, either way, forget about lining up a real job someplace good. No quarantine for dogs coming into France, but there are other advance requirements. France - Customs - Dogd Nor for the UK but even lengthier advance UK - Pet Travel Scheme

Pan, thanks! Had to kill the lobster and tempering the chocolate was torture but it was all indulgently worth it. I'll send you a pic of the building as soon as I get a replacement cable for my digital camera. The one I'm thinking of is really spooky wild. herbacidal, thank you so much - from one Chinese restaurant family survivor to another! Yes, my sister is the best - and spiritedly fending off flirtatious Frenchmen. NeroW, when do you start your Cordon Bleu saga?! pixelchef, you are too kind - and you look just like one of my favourite cousins! JFLinLA, that's me with Evan. And definitely I'll post when I'm on next. You can also hear archived shows online KCRW - Good Food - just scroll down and look for Cordon Bleu. Moondog, do the authorities know about this? Your son's diet of peanut butter and chicken skin? Me too. I remember my grandfather yelling at me when I was about four because all I was eating for dinner was white rice, steamed chicken skin and the jus - or "jup" as we called it in Cantonese. Old school egg rolls, basically you can take any egg roll recipe and replace some of the meat with chicken skin and use peanut butter - smooth - as a binder. We loved it heavily black peppered too. We also used heavier, floury egg roll pastry-like wrappers rather than the papery thin spring roll wrappers - and never the rice paper wrappers of course. Speaking of Elvis food, I was trying to explain fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches to my chefs but they just didn't get it so I'm going to make it for them before I leave.

Marina, David and I are neighbors in Paris. There are actually a couple Basque restaurants right in our arrondissement that I hear from French friends are quite good. For very typical Basque cuisine there's Chez l'Ami Jean 27 rue Malar 7th, Metro Invalides 01-47-05-86-89 and for Basque/French bistro La Fontaine de Mars 129 rue St. Dominique 7th, Metro Ecole Militaire 01-47-05-46-44 There are quite a few others around town, but the default favourite Au Bascou 38 rue Reaumur 3rd, Metro Arts et Metiers 01-42-72-69-25 Marina, thanks very much for the Q&A. I love that part of the world and can't wait to get back with your book in hand guiding me next time.

Fat Guy, I meet with Chef Didier tomorrow/Friday morning at 8:45. fresh_a, thank you and big kisses to you. hollywood, my chef's first name not last is Didier, Didier Chantefort, and would hate being described as nice or a mentor. And now that I think about it I don't know that many other Didiers, first or last name. What's surprised me is quite a few Frenchmen with the first name Patrick. JAZ, you're so welcome. Regarding the stage life, me too. And salivation is a cook's greatest compliment, thanks. Bux, merci beaucoup. And yes, it will be interesting comparing professional French chefs with our LCBP chefs and Chinese chefs who are not reknown for their political correctness either.

MADELEINES This is a classic recipe we use at Cordon Bleu Paris. Excellent results. If you're in the States use cake flour, in France it's type 45. Lemon zest is an option. Ingredients 4 eggs 170 g sugar 1 pinch salt 10 g honey 5 g baking powder 180 g flour 200 g butter Preheat oven to 170°C, then reduce heat to160°C and bake. Melt butter – no colour - cool to just warm. In medium bowl, whisk eggs. Add sugar and honey then whisk lightly – do not overwork batter. Add flour, salt, baking powder, ½ melted butter then turn with whisk to just mix. Add ½ butter then turn with whisk to just mix. Cover bowl with plastic, chill, rest overnight. Butter molds with softened butter – to maximum nearly filling depressions. Flour, bang off excess. Place smooth, medium tip in pastry bag, fill bag halfway with batter, barely fill molds evenly. Bake on baking sheet, about 7 minutes, golden around with pale point/tête. Unmold immediately by banging onto papered surface, turn immediately to cooling rack with têtes up ( RG417 )

Steven, I promise I will to both. But it's late now here in Paris. And the lobsters never came today - Rungis was closed for the long Easter holiday weekend and the French always seem to need a day or three to recover from vacations - so I've got a double practical tomorrow. Dipping chocolates then lobster. C'est belle, la vie.

Fat Guy, merci beaucoup for the intro. And fresh_a, hollywood, Bux and maggie for the bienvenues. Pan, (1) That my journalistic background is obvious to you relieves me to an immeasurable degree. I've written for radio so long that writing for reading still grips me with some fear. (2) Thanks for your condolences. The breakup's turned out to be the proverbial blessing in disguise. Though it did land me in the emergency room the day after - distracted moment, cut, stitches, insights into the French healthcare system - and leave me somewhat financially stranded. But thanks to my sister, our dog , family and friends I'm truly happier. (3) My sister, Annie Chu, works from Paris. She designs and produces stationery products for retail, private and corporate clients. My little sister's work can be found in fine stationery boutiques around the world. (4) Hotel de la Paix was just renovated last fall by the new architect owners across the Rue - the facade and lobby are now quite modern but I have not seen the rooms. I love Rue du Gros Caillou but it's the local poo rue - Parisians do pick up more now but don't feel compelled there. I'm not sure which building you're talking about on Bourdonnais, though I do have a similar sounding favourite on Rapp - it has one of those Phillipe Starck designed shield-shaped historical markers out front - I'll take a look for yours the next time I'm going up Bourdonnais. You ate at La Croque au Sel which is across from La Fontaine de Mars. Our dog park/Champ de Mars friend Lorna - dog, a Golden, named Hunter - lives in the clocktower building right above and out of the three in the courtyard - there's also Paris-Brest - she's partial to La Fontaine. And then there's L'Auvergne Gourmande on one side and Violon d'Ingres on the other. We just had rustic puff pastry apple tartelettes from Violon's boutique on Saturday which were as good if not better than Poilane's.

Just made this last week. AUBERGINES BAYILDI

AUBERGINES BAYILDI Serves 4 as Sideor 2 as Main Dish. From Le Cordon Bleu Paris Superior Cuisine. 2 eggplants olive oil 2 garlic cloves bunch basil ------ 2 tomatoes 2 zucchini 60 g grated cheese 20 g fresh breadcrumbs Halve eggplants lengthwise, then score around perimeter and in crosshatch pattern on flesh. Brush with olive oil and bake at 200C until golden. When cool enough to handle, spoon out flesh then chop well with garlic and basil. Refill shells and chill. Peel tomatoes, then slice as desired. Slice zucchini to same thickness then lightly sautee in olive oil. Mix cheese - parmesan, gruyere, etc. - with breadcrumbs. Fill eggplant with vertical, alternating slices of tomato and eggplant, press on breadcrumb/cheese mixture, sprinkle with olive oil. Bake at 200C until golden. Remove from oven and cool to just warm before serving. Can also be served chilled. Keywords: Main Dish, Side, Vegetarian, Easy ( RG274 )

Your breadbasket sounds really good. But maybe too good? If you're also concerned about boosting dessert sales? Rolls, biscuits, etc. - I'd think your customers would be full by the time they get their apps much less dessert. How about some more visually interesting, intensely flavoured, less filling, drier items that store well and have good mouthfeel? Like variations on grissini, puff pastry twists, flatbreads, etc? Personally I like a salty, fatty, slightly spicy start. Something as simple as long, thin puff pastry twists with seeds, herbs, spice, etc. Do you need a breadbasket throughout your meal/menu?

No need to cook preserved duck eggs. They're cured so they're ready to eat. Typically in Chinese cuisine they're just sliced and served as appetizers. Or as SobaAddict70 suggested with congee. Let me think about this one too because I've always loved them and thought there could be more interesting ways to serve them. They're very earthy with a rich texture but subtle flavour.

Bonne anniversaire! I had an exceptionally good choucroute garnie at La Chope d'Alsace before they transformed into Les Editeurs. I'm told by friends who've been there after the change that they still have it on the menu. Same owners so I'm hoping it's still good. Especially because I do like their new look so much more - a hip and stylish literary club. At metro Odeon, almost next door to Christian Tortu.

I too am an American living in Paris and if anyone would have seen rampant anti-Americanism committed by the French I would and I haven't. I live around the corner from the Eiffel Tower and we go there every day sometimes twice a day to walk our dog. The first waves of American tourists are just landing and all is well. Plus as a Cordon Bleu student, one of my friends there is a big, blond-haired, blue-eyed, loud-mouthed American and if he hasn't seen trouble yet, it's unlikely anyone will.

mamster, yes, of course. Here's the recipe - now in the archive. QUAIL AND LAMB SWEETBREAD PASTRIES WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS Our chef served it to us in demo with an incredibly delicious, ridiculously easy herb leaf salad - parsley, chervil, chives and a bit of tarragon - just dressed lightly with some vinegar and oil and salt and pepper. Really perfect together.

QUAIL AND LAMB SWEETBREAD PASTRIES WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS Serves 8 as Appetizeror 4 as Main Dish. Basic recipe from Cordon Bleu Paris Superior Cuisine with adaptations by loufood. Principal ingredients 500 g puff pastry 1 egg for egg wash ------ 3 quails, boned, (breasts/legs with skin and livers/ hearts for forcemeat; carcasses for sauce) oil, butter salt, pepper Forcemeat (stuffing) Quail breasts, legs – roughly ground Quail livers, hearts – roughly chopped 2 onions, thinly sliced 2 shallots, thinly sliced 4 shallots, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, degermed/crushed, finely chopped 250 g shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced; reserve some small whole for garnish 1 egg 20 g fresh breadcrumbs 20 ml cream 1 T parsley oil, butter salt, pepper ------ 250 g lamb sweetbreads, soaked, blanched, roughly chopped Sauce Quail carcasses 80 g mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery) 100 ml Madeira 200 ml red wine 250 ml veal stock 20 g butter salt, pepper Sauce. Chop all quail bones, brown lightly. Stuffing. Sweat onion, add thin sliced shallots, cook low to caramel. Add mirepoix to bones, sweat. Sweat 2 finely chopped shallots, add mushrooms, cook low to almost dry. Deglaze sauce pan with Madeira, reduce to almost dry. Sweat 2 finely chopped shallots, add garlic, sweat, add sweatbreads, just sautee, chill. Add red wine to sauce, low boil about 5 minutes then add water to just cover, reduce low by half, skim. Season/taste mushrooms, set aside. Season/taste onions, set aside. Soak breadcrumbs in cream. Grind quail breasts/legs. Add liver, hearts, weigh, season. Add sweetbreads/shallots/garlic, egg, parsley, stir, add breadcrumbs/cream as needed. Cook sample, taste, season as needed. Lightly sautee whole mushrooms, season/taste. Add veal stock to sauce, reduce low. Roll out puff pastry thin, slice rounds, egg wash around edge, add in thin layers caramelized onions, meat mixture, mushrooms, fold edges over, place whole shiitake over, egg wash pastry, chill to dry. Egg wash again, chill to dry. Bake 220C about 10 minutes, then 200C until golden. Chinois sauce, reduce to syrup as needed, season/taste, chinois. Keywords: Appetizer, Lamb, Main Dish, Lunch, Intermediate, Dinner, Game, French ( RG250 )

Akiko, it's funny, one's perspective of exotic. I take it your MIL's Japanese? Which would explain why she wouldn't find nori exotic. But ikura? To try to stay in the spirit of the original recipe - which you must have chosen because you elementally like it - have you considered just reducing the heat of the spicy mayo? Do you use fresh chilis? If yes, perhaps you could just try carefully scraping out the seeds and veins and then quickly blanching it in boiling water - seconds - then rinsing and draining. Then you get the flavour but have significantly reduced the heat. I love spicy food but am always conscious that the tolerance of others much lower - but that they actually do like a bit of the flavour and heat as long as I take some precautions.

Made the tartlets with great success. Already eaten. I'd highly recommend using puff pastry for those of you with fear of pate brisee. We actually used a frozen product today and it was not bad. Just remember to egg wash - twice is best.