Archive for the ‘food’ Category

Noël Gourmand

Friday, December 26th, 2014
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The second annual Noël Gourmand (Christmas Wine and Gastronomy Festival) is over, and what a great festival it was! Held from the 19th to the 22nd of December at the Brongniart Palace, it was a wonderful opportunity for Parisians to come into contact with producers of fine French fare from all over the country.

I attended on the last day and had the occasion to meet and talk with a number of producers.

Nathalie of Sous L'Equateur

Nathalie of Sous l’Equateur
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I met Nathalie, who was distributing chocolate ganaches produced by Sous l’Equateur, an artisanal chocolate maker located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. She offered a divine cream-filled milk chocolate that contained bits of hazelnut. She told me that the company also sells fresh-roasted coffee on the premises.

Alban Laban

Alban Laban
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I met Alban Laban of the company of the same name. He raises free-range ducks on his farm, located in the Pyrenees in southern France, and transforms them into canned products (such as rillettes de cananrd and cassoulet au confit de canard) and fresh products (such as saucisson de canard and foie gras au sel).

Chantal of G.A.E.C. Chambon

Chantal of G.A.E.C. Chambon
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Nearby at another stand, Chantal (from a farm located in the Franche-Comté region, not too far from Switzerland) was cooking a batch of morbiflette, a hearty dish made from onion, sliced potato, chopped bacon, and Morbier cheese.

Gloria of Lou Peyrou

Gloria of Lou Peyrou
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I stopped by the Lou Peyrou stand an ordered a sandwich made from a sliced baguette and Saint-Nectaire, a cow’s milk cheese from the Auvergne region. Gloria, who served me, was also selling aligot, a traditional dish made from melted cheese, butter, and mashed potato. While I was waiting for her to prepare my sandwich, I saw numerous customers come by to purchase copious portions of this waist-enhancing fare.

How in the world do the French stay slim eating these rich foods? It is one of life’s great mysteries.

Anthony of L'Eurélienne

Anthony of L’Eurélienne
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Around the corner and in a side room I came upon Anthony of L’Eurélienne, a microbrewery located on a farm in the Loire Valley near the town of Chartres. Anthony told me that they brew their beer from the barley that they grow on the farm.

I spotted cuvée de Noël (Christmas beer) on the beverage list and ordered a 25cl glass. Served fresh from the tap, it was an unfiltered, unpasteurized, double-fermented, brown beer that I found fully satisfying and refreshing. Anthony said that it is flavored with star anise, cardamon, cinnamon, and licorice root.

I wondered if Elisabeth Pierre, who wrote Le Guide Hachette des Bières, had sampled this company’s beer. There are so many great artisanal breweries in France!

Jean-Pierre of BiPiA

Jean-Pierre of BiPiA
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

While at the bar, I met Jean-Pierre of BiPiA, a producer from the Basque region of France.  As he finished his coffee break, he invited me to come by his stand.

When I got there, I immediately noticed the three Basque flags on the wall behind him.  I saw that he was selling Espelette pepper in all its forms: in preserves, sauces, and condiments, as well as in jellies and purees. Although I didn’t see it at the stand, Espelette is also sold as whole peppers strung on cords.

I left the Noël Gourmand fair in good spirits. It had been a great opportunity to taste wonderful French regional products and meet the producers directly. I look forward to attending this event next year!

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I Love Italian Food – The Fuori Salone

Thursday, October 30th, 2014
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I Love Italian Food

Monique and I got an invitation to attend the I Love Italian Food festival last week. It was held at the Showroom Poliform Varenna on rue du Bac in the 7th arrondissement. What a great celebration it was!

Charline Dayer and Mary Kay Bosshart

Charline Dayer and Mary Kay Bosshart
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We met a number of Paris bloggers there, including Mary Kay Bossart of Out and About in Paris.

Ferrari Maximum Trento DOC

Ferrari Maximum Trento DOC
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We got there just a bit early. While we waited for the food stands to open, we sipped a bit of bubbly called Ferrari Maximum Trento DOC. Ferrari is a sparkling wine produced in Trentino, Italy. It’s not a prosecco—it’s produced according to traditional champagne methods, including second fermentation in the bottle. I enjoyed its dry, elegant flavor as much as any champagne that I have ever tasted.

Open-faced Sandwiches Above: sun-dried tomato; Below: olive paste Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Open-faced Sandwiches
Above: sun-dried tomato; Below: olive paste
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Finally, the food stands opened and we went upstairs to sample a wide variety of Italian fare. I tried a couple of delicious open-faced sandwiches.

Parmareggio Brand Cheese

Parmareggio Brand Cheese
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Parmesan cheese had been cut from the wheel in large chunks. This was the first time ever that I have been able to sample as much as I wanted—it was almost like being in a dream. I enjoyed its sharp, almost pungent, flavor and its gritty texture.

Beretta Brand Mortadella

Beretta Brand Mortadella
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Moving from one stand to the next, I tried several slices of Beretta brand Mortadella. I must have been in heaven, because nobody stopped me from taking as much as I wanted—for how long could this dream last?

Slicing the Sausage

Slicing the Sausage
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The man at the sausage stand just kept that slicing machine a-whirring.

Michele Fanciullo

Michele Fanciullo
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Michele Fanciullo, who works as a personal chef in Paris, prepared some wonderful pasta dishes. One of them was flavored with truffle.

Pouring Italian Wines

Pouring Italian Wines
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

On the lower level, where the wine stand was set up, Monique got a glass of Nebbiolo D’Alba red from the Piedmont region of Italy.

Stephane Durot Preparing to Spritz

Stephane Durot Preparing to Spritz
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Returning upstairs, we went to see some food demonstrations. Bartender Stephane Durot (of Franco-Italian origin) demonstrated how to make the Spritz Lambrusco, a drink that he invented one day when he ran out of prosecco. His clients appreciated it so much that it became known as the Spritz Stefi (Stefi is short for Stephane).

Olga Urbani Talks about Truffles

Olga Urbani Talks about Truffles
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Olga Urbani, fourth generation family member of Urbani Truffles, gave a presentation on truffles.

Rosanna Di Michele

Rosanna Di Michele
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Rosanna Di Michele of Cooking with Rosanna demonstrated how to make a pasta dish.

There were other specialists giving demonstrations, but we were not able to attend them all.

Stephane Durot poses with Nicoletta Bernazzani, the event coordinator Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Stephane Durot poses with Nicoletta Bernazzani, the event coordinator
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Thanks to all of the people who worked hard to produce the fabulous I Love Italian Food festival. And yes, I do love Italian food!

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Which Dining Guide Do Most French Waiters Recommend to Paris-bound Travelers?

Wednesday, June 11th, 2014
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Waiter Holding Copy of Dining Out In Paris

We like to think that the dining guide most French waiters recommend is our new e-book Dining Out in Paris – What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light.

Entering into a restaurant in Paris can be a formidable experience for the uninitiated traveler. Not only do you have to contend with trying to make your wishes understood by a waiter who may or may not speak your language, but you must learn quickly how to adapt to local dining customs as well.

If you are a first- or second-time traveler to Paris, our new e-book, Dining Out in Paris – What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light, will provide you the with the knowledge and confidence that you need to enter into a Parisian restaurant to enjoy a fine meal and to have a wonderful dining experience.

Bonus!
Dining Out in Paris – What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light contains in-depth reviews of twelve of the author’s favorite restaurants.

Click here to order! http://amzn.to/1nkgCyu

Note: You don’t need a Kindle device to read Dining Out in Paris. Amazon.com provides FREE reader apps that work on every major tablet, smartphone, and computer so that you can read e-books on whatever type of device you own. Click here to learn more.

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Les Délices d’Haïti at the Foire de Paris

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014
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Three Young Women at the Délices d'Haïti Stand

Three Young Women at the Délices d’Haïti Food Stand
From left to right: Kerenne – Jemuma – Iné

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Yesterday at the Foire de Paris, I happened by a food stand called Les Délices d’Haïti. Seeing that there were not many customers there at that moment, I decided that it would be a good time to pause for lunch.

Barquette Créole

Barquette Créole
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The lunch menu (called Barquette Créole) offered four dishes for only 7€, a fair price! The dishes were Riz Djon-Djon (rice with mushrooms), Poulet (chicken), Pickliz (coleslaw), and Bananes Pesées (flat plantain fritters). A can of Oasis orange soda was 2€ extra.

I found all of the dishes to be delicious and spicy. The rice was made with djon-djon, a black mushroom native to Haiti. During cooking, the mushrooms release a grayish-black coloring that gives the rice its gray color and the dish’s distinctive flavor. Spices from Haiti (the exact names of which I never found out) gave all of the dishes piquancy. I liked the fried chicken leg and was told that it had been marinated for twenty-four hours in lemon juice and mustard. I enjoyed the coleslaw, but had to remove some of the tiny slices of red pepper that gave the salad a too spicy kick. The bananes pesées were fun to eat. Soft on the inside and crusty on the outside, they are prepared by mashing or flattening slices of plantain and then frying them like fritters.

Délices d’Haïti, located in the town of Pontoise (about twenty-five kilometers to the northwest of Paris), has a Facebook page.

Délices d’Haïti
2, route de Menandon
95300 Pontoise
Tel.: 06.58.79.86.99

The Foire de Paris continues through Sunday, May 11.

Haïtian flag 450w

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Why I Didn’t Eat a Single Bite of Food at the Paris Street Food Festival

Wednesday, April 16th, 2014
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Super-Barquette

Entrance to the Super Barquette

Entrance to the Super Barquette
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I learned about the Paris Street Food Festival several days in advance of the event and was all a-twitter with excitement as I made my way along quai Austerlitz to find the stands that were selling street food there:
Fish and Chips by The Sunken Chip
Super BBQ by My Food Montreuil
Burgers by Le Camion qui Fume
…and mouth-wateringly more!

Woman with Brochure

Woman with Brochure
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Tombola Ticket 708

A lovely young woman was distributing brochures that listed the names of the food stands and the types of street food that they were serving. She invited me to purchase a raffle ticket for 1€; otherwise the entrance to the event was free.

People Feasting at the Street Food Festival

People Feasting at the Street Food Festival
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I walked onto a deck overlooking the Seine and saw that a lot of people had gotten there before me. I arrived at 12:30 p.m., which I thought was early enough to permit me to get some food and sit down for lunch. But I was wrong…

Standing in Line for BBQ

Standing in Line for BBQ
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

There were long lines everywhere. For the BBQ…

Serving up Fish and Chips

Serving up Fish and Chips
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

…for the fish and chips…

This Way to the Beer

This Way to the Beer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

…but, surprisingly, not for the beer!

Alexandre Bournonville of Distrikt Beer

Alexandre Bournonville of Distrikt Beer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

So I purchased a bottle of amber beer brewed locally in the town of Thiverval-Grignon, not too far from Paris. That’s all that I had at the street food festival!

BBQ Cooker - My Food Montreuil

BBQ Cooker – My Food Montreuil
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The Monstrously Long Line for BBQ

The Monstrously Long Line for BBQ
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The food stand for BBQ was the most popular. How did it measure up to Texas BBQ? I’ll never know, because I didn’t want to wait in the monstrously long line.

But I enjoyed the Distrikt amber beer!

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A Trip Down Memory Lane

Wednesday, March 26th, 2014
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Mosaïque US Hot Dog

Just across the street from the Censier-Daubenton metro station in the 5th arrondissement stands a tiny hot-dog stand that sells the best American-style hot dogs we have ever found in Paris.

The soft, ultra-fresh bun cradles a tender wiener that practically melts in the mouth when bitten into. This is the best part that I remember about eating hot dogs in the U.S.A.—they are so soft that they only require a few quick chews to devour them. It’s almost as easy as inhaling!

We added genuine American mustard, slices of dill pickle, relish, and fried onion flakes to embellish our dogs. What a trip down memory lane!

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Marc’s Blueberry Scones

Wednesday, March 19th, 2014
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Marc's Blueberry Scone

Marc’s Blueberry Scones
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Passing by Les Petits Plats de Marc a few days ago, I spotted a tray of blueberry scones in the window. I purchased two and brought them home to taste.

The scone has a crunchy crust, a light, fluffy interior, and a layer of fresh, unsweetened blueberries in the middle. Monique and I heated them in a small oven and tasted them. So rich, they were delicious without butter!

What’s the difference between scones and biscuits? According to information that I gleaned from the Internet, scones are made with cream, while biscuits are not. The former are served with jam or jelly while the latter are served with gravy.

Marc’s restaurant is one of the stops that we make during our gourmet walking tour entitled The Street Market on Rue Mouffetard.

Les Petits Plats de Marc
6 Rue de l’Arbalète
75005 Paris
Telephone: 01.43.36.60.79

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A Visit to the French Overseas Departments at the Paris International Agriculture Show — Part III

Saturday, March 15th, 2014
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The city of Paris hosted its 51st International Agriculture Show this year from February 22 to March 2. I showed up on the mornings of the third and fourth days with camera in hand to see what would be interesting to photograph. And I found a lot!

Joël from Guadeloupe

Joël from Guadeloupe
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.

I met Joël from Guadeloupe who was selling spirits at the stand that was promoting alcoholic beverages from that French overseas department.

Raymond Displaying a Bottle of Darboussier Rum from Guadeloupe

Raymond Displaying a Bottle of Darboussier Rum from Guadeloupe
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Nearby, I purchased a bottle of Darboussier – Rhum VieuxHors d’Ages from Raymond. My wife loves rum and her birthday was coming up, so I thought that this would be the ideal time to buy something special. Hors d’ages is a blend of very old rums that have been aged in oak casks.

Thierry Elie and His Staff

Thierry Elie and His Staff
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I was lucky to arrive at the cooking stand just as Thierry Elie, president of Les Toques Blanches de Martinique and his staff were posing for a photograph. I didn’t get a chance to taste the food that they were preparing, though, because I wanted to keep moving from stand to stand.

Guillaume - Dany - Yannis

Guillaume – Dany – Yannis
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Giovanni Lauret from La Réunion

Giovanni Lauret
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I walked over to the Reunion Island stand where I met four young men from that far-away land, located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. The three men in the top picture were there to give information about the plant extracts (essential oils) that were on display. Giovanni, in the bottom picture, was there to promote tourism. He told me that there are lots of attractive women on the beaches of Reunion Island, one of the top reasons for going there in my mind.

Janick Ancete - La Bonne Crêpe

Janick Ancete – La Bonne Crêpe
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

My most memorable experience was at La Bonne Crêpe stand where Chef Janick Ancete whipped up a rum and banana crêpe for me. The crêpe is a traditional pancake from Brittany, but here at La Bonne Crêpe Chef Janick gives a Martinican twist by making them with banana flour. He uses Clement rum from Martinique on his rum-flavored crêpes. Delicious! In fact, so delicious that I decided to order a second crêpe, this time made with Elot chocolate (a locally-produced chocolate). Delicious again!

Grégory Langeron - Janick Ancete - La Bonne Crêpe

Grégory Langeron and Janick Ancete
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Chef Janick’s partner is his cousin Grégory Langeron. Their crêpe stand was recommended to me by two different sources that day, so when I showed up, I knew that I was in for a treat.

I left the agricultural fair with good memories of the people I met and the products that I tasted there. I look forward to returning next year!

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A Visit to the French Overseas Departments at the Paris International Agriculture Show — Part II

Tuesday, March 11th, 2014
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The city of Paris hosted its 51st International Agriculture Show this year from February 22 to March 2. I showed up on the mornings of the third and fourth days with camera in hand to see what would be interesting to photograph. And I found a lot!

Aurelia - Paoline -Gwen

Aurelia – Paoline – Gwen
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Florence and Christ-Laur

Florence and Christ-Laur
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I met five lovely ladies at two different stands that represented French Guiana, a French overseas department located on the north Atlantic coast of South America. All five women hail from Guiana and live in Paris.

Marie-Hélène

Marie-Hélène
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Marie-Hélène, from New Caledonia, represented that French territory, which is located in the southwest Pacific Ocean east of Australia. She is currently a student in the town of Limoges in central France.

Naoilou Yahaya

Naoilou Yahaya
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Naoilou Yahaya is manager of fruit promotion at the Chamber of Agriculture in Mayotte, a French overseas department located in the Indian Ocean between the African continent and Madagascar.

Thierry Elie and Babette de Rozières

Thierry Elie and Babette de Rozières
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And over at the cooking stand, Thierry Elie, president of Les Toques Blanches de Martinique, and Babette de Rozières, popular television chef and author of several cookbooks, were engaged in animated conversation about the dishes that Chef Elie and his staff were preparing. Chef Elie hails from Martinique and Babette, who moved to Paris at the age of 17, from Guadeloupe.

To be continued…

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A Visit to the French Overseas Departments at the Paris International Agriculture Show — Part I

Thursday, March 6th, 2014
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The city of Paris hosted its 51st International Agriculture Show this year from February 22 to March 2. I showed up on the mornings of the third and fourth days with camera in hand to see what would be interesting to photograph. And I found a lot!

French Overseas Departments

I initially thought that I would go from pavilion to pavilion and take pictures of this and that, but when I arrived, I realized from the immensity of the show that it would take days to explore. There were farm animals of all kinds, including cows, horses, pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens, as well as domestic cats and dogs. Then there was also an immense vegetable exhibit. What to do?

I made my way up to the second floor of Pavilion 7, where the agricultural products of France, region by region, were on display. I reckoned that there would be tasty things to try and that people from the regions would be on hand to explain their products to me. Even then, remembering that France has twenty-six regions, I realized that it would be impossible to explore all that was there. I decided to devote my time exploring one of the regions that I had a little familiarity with, the French Overseas Departments.

France has five overseas departments, and I found all of them there: Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Reunion Island, and Mayotte. I also found New Caledonia, a French overseas territory.

Janine Salomon of Panier des Iles

Janine Salomon of Panier des Iles
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Bouquet of Tropical Flowers

Bouquet of Tropical Flowers
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net

One of the first persons I met was Janine Salomon who had flown in from Martinique to display her beautiful flowers. I purchased a bouquet and took them home to present to my wife, Monique, in advance of her birthday. Madame Salomon has a flower shop in the town of Ducos in Martinique called Panier des Iles.

Daniel Ambroise - Tropicales Fleurs

Daniel Ambroise of Tropicales Fleurs
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Nearby was a stand called Tropicales Fleurs, attended by Daniel Ambroise from Guadeloupe. He looked quite dapper the way he was dressed, so I asked if I could take his photo. I later searched through the Web site of the salon to try to find the name of his shop. I wanted to post information about it, but couldn’t find any listing. The big frustration at this agricultural show is the map that is distributed to attendees and posted on the walls of the pavilions—it is practically useless for finding anything. The search function on the agriculture show’s Web site is almost as useless, but with diligence I was able to find information about other exhibitors.

Anne-Sophie and Joan from Guadeloupe

Anne-Sophie and Joan from Guadeloupe
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

At a stand touting the benefits of bananas from Guadeloupe and Martinique, I met Anne-Sophie and Joan.  They are both from Guadeloupe and live in Paris. Note the image of a banana to the right of Joan—it’s sporting a beret! Yes, Guadeloupe and Martinique are part of France, just as Hawaii is part of the U.S.

To be continued…

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