Serving visiting Americans appetizers they cannot

[John Talbott]

I realized today when planning a "menu" for 5 visiting American colleagues for a "cocktail" next week that my usual European suspects (coppa/lardo/etc, belotta-belotta, herring, caviar d'aubergines, etc) are all easily obtainable stateside. So I'm now searching for things they cannot get in NY or SF or Chicago. I'm up to snails, foie gras and raw cheese.

Other ideas?

[nibor]

Cheese.

[julot-les-pinceaux]

What about decent chicken or lamb?

And in this season, winter vegetables: panais, salsifis, etc.

[nibor]

A pork chop. I would almost fly to Europe for a pork chop that has fat and taste and doesn't leak water all over when cooked.

You could give them some butter to eat...or eggs....water...so many simple staples taste better there.

[John Talbott]

Thanks guys but it's just cocktails.

[dlc]

Raw Milk Cheese. On the other had, I have a real soft spot for oysters but this may be too much fuss for cocktails.

Edited January 26, 2008 by dlc (log)

[melonpan]

another vote for CHEESE

[Laidback]

Anchoiade, picholine and Nyons olives, pelardon, caviar d'aubergines....

[nikkib]

you HAVE to have a vacherin for them mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

foie gras - pommes frites cooked in goose fat to show them a real french fry...

[rooftop1000]

Shellfish

There are things that you Can get here but may be special occasion only due to price...try to think of things that are special here but not so much in Paris

tracey

[Kerry Beal]

Confit fruit - although not sure it would go with cocktails.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Coming full circle, Apericubes.

After my husband became addicted to several flavors in France, we asked the dairyman at our corner store in San Francisco to order them...and he replied that he had indeed stocked them but had to toss them because no one understood them. Ergo, they're strictly a French thing.

[Le Peche]

along the lines of raw cheese but.. real creme fraiche.. not 'sour cream' or the crappy pasteurized creme fraice that we get in the US. foie gras is pretty common in the US, you can pretty much find it at most high end restaurants.. you could do a rabbit rillette to serve with crackers, im sure people dont eat it that often and its deliciously french.

[Dave Hatfield]

How about rillettes? Goose especially, but duck will do.

Also, there's got to be better olives here than there.

Tapenade?

[Felice]

I think really good charcuterie, pâté, rillettes and foie gras (as mentionned) and maybe some lucques olives or another and of course, great bread. Does anyone have ideas for where to get the best charcuterie?

[Ptipois]

Coming full circle, Apericubes. 

After my husband became addicted to several flavors in France, we asked the dairyman at our corner store in San Francisco to order them...and he replied that he had indeed stocked them but had to toss them because no one understood them.  Ergo, they're strictly a French thing. 

←

Indeed. Apéricubes are the quintessential French cocktail snack. I'll gladly give five truckloads of tapenade toast for one box of these.

Also, John, real good rillettes on small bits of crunchy baguette are always a winner. Remember those at Spring, a couple of Winters ago?

I think really good charcuterie, pâté, rillettes and foie gras (as mentionned) and maybe some lucques olives or another and of course, great bread. Does anyone have ideas for where to get the best charcuterie?

←

Any Parisian charcutier that has not been taken over by a Chinese take-out is potentially worth trying. I should believe only the fittest have survived.

Edited January 27, 2008 by Ptipois (log)

[sharonb]

Apéricubes are the quintessential French cocktail snack. I'll gladly give five truckloads of tapenade toast for one box of these.

Please send me the five truckloads of tapenade canapés.

[John Talbott]

It's hard to answer all of you individually, but despite the Epoisses and St Nectaire my charming guest and I had a couple of days ago, I'm now inclined to do: Vacherin (a la nikkib), rilettes (a la Pti/Spring/Dave), apericubes (Margaret/Pti), foie gras, caviar d'aubergines (a la Felice) and olives (altho I find most here to be too salted except for Italian Cerignolas). And lotsa wine.

I guess I'll skip the five truckloads of tapenade toast and Chinese takeout (except Shandong).

After all, these folk will be in a jetlagged daze and say "ohhhh, ahhhh, Sacre Coeur, it's so bright, it's so Parisian, a market street, isn't it great Honey? Do you eat this way all the time? How much did the place cost you? Do you rent it out? Ohhh how we envy you."

Thanks folks!

[Dave Hatfield]

After all, these folk will be in a jetlagged daze and say "ohhhh, ahhhh, Sacre Coeur, it's so bright, it's so Parisian, a market street, isn't it great Honey?  Do you eat this way all the time?  How much did the place cost you?  Do you rent it out? Ohhh how we envy you."

Thanks folks!

←

John, Didn't you say that these folks USED to be friends?

Hope they don't haunt the forums.

Still you are spot on; we've heard that same record ourselves.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

...I'm now inclined to do: Vacherin (a la nikkib), rilettes (a la Pti/Spring/Dave), apericubes (Margaret/Pti), foie gras, caviar d'aubergines (a la Felice) and olives (altho I find most here to be too salted except for Italian Cerignolas).  And lotsa wine.

←

How do we get an invite?

[John Talbott]

All it takes is a PM since this will not be an eGullet Society event but a small soiree/cocktail.

...I'm now inclined to do: Vacherin (a la nikkib), rilettes (a la Pti/Spring/Dave), apericubes (Margaret/Pti), foie gras, caviar d'aubergines (a la Felice) and olives (altho I find most here to be too salted except for Italian Cerignolas).  And lotsa wine.

←

How do we get an invite?

←

[Ptipois]

If you really look for something not readily available in the US, think of Corsican charcuteries. Lonzo, coppa, saucisson of semi-wild pig, figatellu, all deliciously gamey and smelling of the maquis.

Bigorneaux, small grey shrimp and urchins are delicious as appetizers.

[John Talbott]

If you really look for something not readily available in the US, think of Corsican charcuteries. Lonzo, coppa, saucisson of semi-wild pig, figatellu, all deliciously gamey and smelling of the maquis.

Bigorneaux, small grey shrimp and urchins are delicious as appetizers.

←

I'm going to start a new topic because I think we need one on where to buy Corsican products.

[TarteTatin]

I vote for Blini's.

And, Mont D'or.

I know there are some gourmet shops that sell Blini-but I don't think its that common to find, unless you make them yourself.

And, I also think you can get Mont D'or, possibly (?), but its just SO good, and I think more unique than Epoisses.

[John Talbott]

I vote for Blini's.

And, Mont D'or.

I know there are some gourmet shops that sell Blini-but I don't think its that common to find, unless you make them yourself.

And, I also think you can get Mont D'or, possibly (?), but its just SO good, and I think more unique than Epoisses.

←

Actually my local Greek traiteur has both caviar d'aubergines and blinis (that Phyllis found), so those are easy.