eG Foodblog: bleudauvergne

[bleudauvergne]

What is chevrefeuille? I assume it is a herb -- is it the same as cerfeuil (chevril in English)?

No:

Navets - turnips

Chevrefeuille - a type of honeysuckle

WHY ON EARTH don't you like topinambours?

Now please, children... pay attention!

EDIT to add: Hey, balex, I just looked at your chervil link and immediately bookmarked the page. Thank you for an enormously useful reference!

I blame the spell check - I typed in cerfeuille and it changes it to Chevrefeuille!

Yes chevril, balex, thank you!

Sorry guys, I do not plan to make honeysuckle wine this week...

But I do need some advice and pointers about what to do with this truckload of candied ginger I have taking up space in my cupboard? Please send ideas if you have any. Should I put it in wine?

[balmagowry]

But I do need some advice and pointers about what to do with this truckload of candied ginger I have taking up space in my cupboard?  Please send ideas if you have any.  Should I put it in wine? 

That lot would last me about 10 minutes. Just eat it!

bleu, this really is torture!

(And don't trust those French spell-checks farther than you can throw them... )

[bleudauvergne]

But I do need some advice and pointers about what to do with this truckload of candied ginger I have taking up space in my cupboard?  Please send ideas if you have any.  Should I put it in wine? 

That lot would last me about 10 minutes. Just eat it!

bleu, this really is torture!

(And don't trust those French spell-checks farther than you can throw them... )

No really, it's super pungent and I can't eat more than a piece at a time. And believe me. I am a glutton.

edited to add: Aperetif :

We are eating now and I will post dinner later.

Edited April 17, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[balex]

Ha, I thought it was an interesting regional name for chevril and I could impress some snooty waiter in Lyon by using the local term! Oh well.

Great blog, btw. I work in Geneva (though I live in London) and Lyons is the nearest culinary centre of gravity. Also a few months ago my flight was cancelled at Lyon airport and I managed to snatch a quick lunch at Leon de Lyon. I was at the check in desk at 12 45 and by 1.25 I was at my table. Then when I rolled onto the replacement plane in the evening, the people in front of me were going "well I thought of going into town but it seemed like too much effort" "yes, and I had quite a nice sandwich" etc... and I was keeping a very smug and self-satisfed silence. Good but not great lunch --- I was a bit cut off from my normal sources of information and that was the only restaurant I could think of. Do you have any good "bouchons" or other good addresses to recommend in Lyons?

Edited April 17, 2004 by balex (log)

[bleudauvergne]

Good but not great lunch --- I was a bit cut off from my normal sources of information and that was the only restaurant I could think of.  Do you have any good "bouchons" or other good addresses to recommend in Lyons?

We just ate at Gourmet de Seze, I thought it was good. But then again we don't eat out much. You might check out the France forum, headed up by Bux, and do a search on Lyon. That's for the top restaurants.

I have one bouchon that I absolutely love and aside from the meal we had at G de S, This is the only place I have ever truly felt was worth the money, if you are talking about the cooking. But I think I'm going to go there later this week. And tell you. Because we haven't been there for a long time and I don't want to give you a bum steer.

Edited April 17, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[bleudauvergne]

Dinner, Saturday.

Wild sea bass & asparagus.

Bunch of dill

80 g. Butter in the style of Maitre'd (see above)

1/2 an onion

1 stale nob of dill root found in the bottom of frigo

1/4 lemon

1 bay leaf

1 T. Capers

Salt

White pepper

One 700 gram wild sea bass, gutted and scales removed.

PAM cooking spray

Preheat oven to 220c/425F. Put the dill, bay leaf, a couple of slices of onion, 1/2 the butter sliced into pats, and 1/2 the capers into the cavity of the fish. Slice off a couple of slices of lemon for the outside of the fish, and squeeze the rest over the whole fish. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Spray cooking receptacle with PAM. Put the fish into the pan, and put lemon, seasoned butter, remaining dill root (I put that around the fish after the photo, and it caramelized with the cookign fish) and remaining capers on the outside of the fish.

Spray tail and head lightly with PAM if they are going over the edges of the pan (this will avoid things sticking to the foil). Cover the entire fish and pan with aluminum foil. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Transfer to serving dish and eat immediately.

No cheese tonight.

Edited April 17, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[SethG]

The cheese, the strawberries, I'm crying. I mean it, I really am. Please, keep it coming!

Could you please torture us--- er, I mean tell us a little more about the lovely local wines that I'm sure you get for very reasonable prices?

[Pan]

Wow, what great pictures!

I was up at 6 A.M. because I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep until after 6. I'm a bit tired now, but the weather here in New York is wonderful, the trees are blooming, and I took a bunch of photos. Then, the card on my digital camera died and I wasn't able to copy any of the photos to my hard drive.

But anyway, enough about me.

If the crystallized ginger is too strong for you to eat by itself, try using it with poultry. For example, if you want to make a cranberry sauce or some other kind of fruit-based sauce (a cherry sauce, perhaps), maybe especially one that also includes some kind of citrus zest or/and lemon juice, you can add crystallized ginger to it with good effect. Another possibility is to add it to ice cream. Or, you could add it to stuffing for poultry. I imagine it would also go well with pork, in much the same manner as what I'm describing for poultry. Basically, treat it as a tangy fruit.

[ludja]

I'll join the chorus and thank you for a great blog so far bleudauvergne!

I love eating crystallized ginger straight (no matter how strong...) but another nice use is chopped up in biscotti--- can also add chocolate or nuts with... Also a good add in for shortbread cookies or scones.

Thanks again for the nice photos and looking forward to some of your 'interviews'!

Edited April 17, 2004 by ludja (log)

[JLN67]

Oh. my. goodness. This blog is really something! I'm so enjoying it!

[HKDave]

Bleudauvergne, this is great stuff, thanks! And we're only on Day 2....

[bleudauvergne]

I was up at 6 A.M. because I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep until after 6. I'm a bit tired now, but the weather here in New York is wonderful... 

Pan, I'm sorry you lost your pictures taken on a beautiful day. I hope they are still inthe card and somehow you manage to get them out.

------------BLOG continues-------------->

It’s Sunday morning here now. I was awakened early by the song of Sissy.

Loic’s not functioning in this dimension, because he is working some findings that he’s going to have to present in Copenhagen. Yesterday he didn’t go to the market with me, which he usually does, and he worked the entire day. It’s exhausting to him. I had to drag him away from his work to take a walk yesterday afternoon to keep him from getting one of those blood clots in his leg. As I was setting the table last night, he was staring out the window into the trees outside with a blank look on his face. “are you ok?” I asked. He was in another world. “Loic?” Silence. Just as I was about to be concerned, he said, rather quietly: “Physics can be strange sometimes.” Whaa? Then he grabbed me and hugged me! “I’ve solved it.” he said. What exactly that was I have no idea, nor did I ask, because we had hot food coming up. He is lucid and present most times, but when he is in the critical part of a project, he gets lost in space.

Why have I told you that?

Because he needed breakfast in bed this morning due to his dwelling in the other dimension, that’s why. During these times he must be taken care of. He takes care of me all the rest of the time, so I cannot complain!

What we ate: My favorite Turkish brand yougurt, wild blueberry jam from the alps, juice, and coffee. Loic likes yesterday’s bread, toasted.

Sissy got Canard this morning.

I simply love this yougert. It’s good, as good as the French premium full fat yougurt, and it’s not expensive at all.

Yesterday I was unable to get to the Indian food shop. This was because I got side- tracked on the way to the bookstore to check for Balmagowry's magazine. I passed the Laura Ashley store, and it seems they are going out of business. Closing their doors forever, and selling everything off, even the store fixtures. They had some very nice looking picture frames, cheap. I am considering going back Monday. We have been looking for wallpaper for the wc. I wanted something rather retro, since the building where we live was built in the late 1800s and has that style. And it’s a small room so we can do something interesting in it. And it was there that I found it, for €3.50 a roll. It was amazing and I also got some other paper in green for €1 a roll which I plan to put in the panels inside the hall closets. Anyway, I got loaded down with a large heavy sack containing wallpaper.

At the bookstore, which has English language books on the ground floor and cookbooks and travel maps in the basement, I asked about the magazine. The man who works there is an interesting fellow. He is British, but speaks perfect French. He knows I am a native English speaker as I have been a customer for 3 years now, and I know he is a native English speaker. Yet, somehow, our conversation took place entirely in French. It was kind of silly. I asked him about the magazine and he said I would have to go to the other branch to see if they had it. I asked him to call, since I was loaded down with wallpaper, which he did, and confirmed that this publication is available only in Paris. Oh well.

I had to go downstairs and look. And I had to get another cookbook. It's not very good. It has instructions like "perfectly season the fish, and dust with flour". Duh. I would not be looking at a recipe if I knew how to perfectly season all the different kinds of fish available.

The day has begun!

-Lucy

Edited April 18, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[bleudauvergne]

I will be spending some time in the kitchen today. This is the view from the door of the kitchen.

edited to say thank you Pan and Ludja for the tips on what to do with the ginger. Hmmm. Thinking.

Edited April 18, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[bleudauvergne]

I'm back from the bakery. I spoke briefly with the stagiere, who's name is Miwa MATSUI. She is from Tokyo. She came to Lyon a little over a year ago, after having worked two years in Tokyo in an industrial baking operation there. She says the product they made in Japan was much more like production line, they did not have the opportunity to learn much since they were kept busy for long periods of time, and the work hours were long in Japan. Here in France, she was studying French and saw that many of her classmates were doing stages of various kinds. She had the idea of working in a bakery and had the opportunity to work for M. RICHARD. The first thing to get used to was the flour here, she says there is an enormous difference between the flour here and that which they used in Japan, which was American flour. After that adjustment, she has been progressing through a rich learning experience by working with all of M. Richard's specialty breads. Here are better pictures of some of them:

She says that she has developed a new understanding and appreciation of the trade here, and aspires to return to Japan and open her own bakery one day. The hours she works here allow her to think about what she is learning and to study the French language. She says that her learning process has just begun, and that she thinks that it will be at least a couple of years before she will be able to open her own boulangerie. Our conversation was cut short due to a long line of customers and the huffs and sighs of her co-worker who was working at the register, who did not appreciate my monopolozing Miwa's time during in their brisk Sunday turnover. During the Sunday rush, Miwa works the register and keeps the trays full.

I went back to get in line for my own bread. As I waited, I saw that Miwa went back to work with M. RICHARD, pulling breads out of the ovens, putting new ones in, rotating breads from the racks to refill the trays out in the store. As I reached the front of the bread line, Miwa brought out some hot steaming cheese buns fresh from the kitchen. I bought a loaf of Pain Rustique (since we're having soup today) and one of the buns, oozing with melted Compte, to eat on the way home.

[Pan]

I loved your pictures of the breads and interview with Ms. Matsui!

I wonder if you'd like to talk some about the different kinds of flours used in the different breads (farine du seigle, farine du froment, farine type 65, &c.). I never got into that level of detail about bread-making when I was in France, as I was a stagiare de la flute traversiere and, otherwise, a tourist, nor are those the kinds of things they teach you in French courses.

[bleudauvergne]

I loved your pictures of the breads and interview with Ms. Matsui!

I wonder if you'd like to talk some about the different kinds of flours used in the different breads (farine du seigle, farine du froment, farine type 65, &c.). I never got into that level of detail about bread-making when I was in France, as I was a stagiare de la flute traversiere and, otherwise, a tourist, nor are those the kinds of things they teach you in French courses. 

Hi Pan - I will see if I can talk to her about it, and I can add what I know about them during the week. I have done a little bit of research into the different flours because I spent some time hanging out in BIO shops that sell these types of flours, while looking for things to use while I was on the MONTIGNAC plan . That's about the extent of my knowledge so first I'll tell you what types of flours these are. But that will come later. I have to get the soup going.

-Lucy

[paul o' vendange]

Wow. I have just spent the last 1/2 hour in delirium. My wife, son and 2 dogs are just looking at me with the utmost concern as dad mumbles "mon dieu, mon dieu - Nous sommes perdu ici..." as I cry into my morning mug.

Absolutely stunning. Very generous of you, too, Lucy.

Paul

[bleudauvergne]

Thank you, Paul. Your input is always most welcome.

Lunch is over and we are going to venture out into the overcast afternoon to take in a film. But before we go, I will share the soup with you.

After sweating the vegetables in the pot, the bouquet ball was stuffed with fresh herbs - tarragon, bay, and parsley.

The vegetables were then covered with chicken stock, brought to a boil, and simmered covered over low heat for 40 minutes, or until the root vegetables are tender. After 5 minutes I removed the skin of the tomato. The stock ball does not have to completely be immersed in the stock, because the contents wilt and the essence of the herbs infuses into the soup anyway.

A leftover quail was pulled out of the frigo and the meat pulled from it. I thought I had some rabbit leftovers, but apparently they were eaten without my knowing. Oh well!

When the vegetables in the soup were all tender, I transferred all to the blender, and added 1/3 cup heavy cream, 1/2 t. paprika, 1/4 t. cayenne, 1/2 t. black pepper, and 1/2 t. sea salt, sprigs of parsley and cerfeuille. This was blended until it was smooth, and transfered to a medium saucepan to stay warm while I sauteed the quail in a T. butter maitre d', 2 drops of sesame oil, and a little bit of salt. Season the soup, adding 2 pinches of nutmeg.

Voila - Market Potager with Quail.

We are going to the movie now!

Edited April 18, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[Tydel]

I'll be honest, I've been reading this blog thinking "Well, the food sounds good, and the pictures look good, but is it really all that good?" My question was answered with a resounding yes on that last post. Lunch looked amazing.

Edited April 18, 2004 by Tydel (log)

[Jinmyo]

Lucy, this is great.

I love the two pictures of the ingredients before and after meeting the edge of the blade.

But why are the lighting and colour so... you know... French?

[docsconz]

Amazing. I loved the little mushroom on top of the soup.

There have been some damn good blogs on this website, but this has really raised the bar! The quality of the photography and its subject matter are absolutely stunning and the concurrent commentary outstanding.

[bleudauvergne]

Lucy, this is great.

I love the two pictures of the ingredients before and after meeting the edge of the blade.

But why are the lighting and colour so... you know... French?

Jinmyo, I was actually thinking of you when I did that, knowing how much you like knives and the effects of knives.

About the lighting for the vegetables, I wasn't happy with it either. I think I should have adjusted the white balance to cool it down. I dont' normally take photos with the wooden cutting board in the background. I think I'll keep that in mind when I make dinner.

Edited to say I tried to fix the lighting on the cutting board but then I thought- what the hell am I doing? And took it out.

Edited April 18, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[bleudauvergne]

I'll be honest, I've been reading this blog thinking "Well, the food sounds good, and the pictures look good, but is it really all that good?" My question was answered with a resounding yes on that last post. Lunch looked amazing.

Hey, it's not that good! It's just soup!

[Mayhaw Man]

It's just soup!

Yes but it's French soup, made with French stuff -in France.

[bleudauvergne]

... but this has really raised the bar! ...

Hi docsconz:

I have loved the blogs so far and what I find fascinating about them is that each one has it's own personality, and each one has a sense of place, and rhythm, and color that makes a whole thing. I am just taking photos of what I'm cooking and eating, and talking as I go along, and I ask that no bars be placed in front of people unless there will be martinis served at them. OK?

Thank you, by the way.

Edited April 18, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)