Like French wines, and cheeses, and breads, and pastries, and homemade liquors…

<sigh> Life is hard :)

This was basically my lunch everyday.

There really was copious amount of food consumed by my family and I. I did a valiant effort to consume everything within my reach. The big problem is that my stomach has limited capacity. Even though, I powered through to eat some of the freshest breads and raw-milk bries and camenberts and pont-leveques…

(Clockwise from top left) More cheese, pain au chocolats and croissants, galettes (avec du cidre), and crepes (au chocolat!)

I didn’t stop at just cheese though. I didn’t start with it either. My day normally began with a quick trip to the local boulangerie to pick up baguettes, pain au chocolats (aka “chocolate croissants” in the US), croissants, and maybe a pastry or two. Breakfast was at least one croissant, one pain au chocolat, and one entire baguette de campagne. The process begins with me eating chunks from the still-warm baguette while walking home from the boulangerie and finishes with tartines of butter or–my favorite–fromage blanc.

I’ve talked about fromage blanc before. And I just want to reiterate that it is good.

My mother is from the Brittany area of France, which is home of the now stereotypically French crepes and galettes. Of course I had to find a Creperie and indulge. And cider–sorry, “Cidre”. This is the carbonated, alcoholic apple cider artisanally made. Not fancy apple juice or “hard cider” (though, it’s basically just really good hard cider).

Oh, there was plenty to drink...

Speaking of alcohol… Not only were there fantastic wines (this is France, after all), but there were several great homemade liquors and alcohols around. There were “griottines de fougerolles”, which you can see in the top photos. It’s essentially cherries that had been soaked in brandy.
In the bottom left, you see homemade ratafia. Which I’ll let wikipedia describe. I’ll just add that this was stronger than it appeared to be.
Finally, yes, I brought the Cucumber Fix to France. And they liked it.

I cooked too! For 15 people at once! (well, I helped my uncle cook...)

It wasn’t all me eating and drinking though. I was called upon to make food for everyone that was there, about 15 people. I had help though. Or rather, I helped the actual chef. My uncle, Serge, definitely know a thing or two about kitchens. He used to be a chef in a fancy-pants club in France. So we easily managed to make a fantastic tajine and a baked rice and seafood dish for everybody with minimal time and effort. The tajine with merguez is the top left photo, the rest are of the seafood dish. We were like two well honed machines chopping and stirring and searing and baking in the kitchen. The result was food. Tasty, tasty food.

Not food, but still awesome. I miss France.

Nope, not food in these photos. Just some shots from a walk from my grandparent’s house in Brittany. Beautiful area. It’s hard to tell, but the sun was setting in the bottom two photos. Really fantastic though.

OK, I haven’t run out of things to say, but I’ll stop with the trip report. Next week, food you can make!

You gotta be resourceful in a kitchen this size.

Even while in France, I couldn’t help myself but to make a few meals for some friends. In fact, we were asked to bring food to a couple parties. I couldn’t resist the urge to make a bunch of awesome quesadilla’s to blow some French people’s minds. Tex-Mex food isn’t quite common over there. Needless to say, they were well received. But I was in France, so I definitely did sample the local food (great steak, awesome wine, terrific cheeses).

So, enjoy the food related photos and I’ll see you here again with some recipes next time!

Of course, I had to go to l’as du falafel again.

can I haz falafel

I did have a food revelation thanks to my brother: fromage blanc is amazing. I can’t seem to find it here in Raleigh though, which is unfortunate. It’s such a simple pleasure, it’s not even fancy. Just a mild cheesy, yogurty, curdy goodness. Imagine a cross between Greek yogurt and ricotta. I would just spread it on some fresh baguette and call it breakfast or a mid day snack. I did some research back in the US for the English name for it and they all sound like names of characters in Lord of the Rings or something: Topfen, Quark, Tvorog, or Kaas. Try to tell me that I am wrong.

Dinner in Nantes (top), Le Labo bar in Nantes (bottom left), Breakfast (bottom right).

The meals in France were always stellar. Above you can see a seared goat cheese salad with prosciutto and melon eaten at Millesime 68 in Nantes. Next to it is beef and potatoes gratin. I forget what it was actually called, but the sauce was very rich meaty.

After dinner, I stopped by a bar called Le Labo. Their thing is to play up the whole “laboratory” atomosphere. Their drinks are served in lab flasks or beakers and the drinks list is organized into things like “Cryogenics” and “Erlenmeyers.” If that’s not your thing, they also double as a pretty impressive rum bar with a long and varied list of rums to choose from. (Photo of Menu here, and here.)

Bread is still amazing in France. That last photo was basically my breakfast every morning there. I devoured a baguette and some kind of croissant, pain au chocolat, or pastry. I wish I could still have baguette and fromage blanc here in Raleigh…

Petanque with a group of friends at the canal (top), Poached egg with asparagus (bottom left), English beer in France (bottom center), The Black Lips, an Atlanta, GA band playing in Paris (bottom right).

Other interesting revelations:
-Playing petanque with a group of friends by the canal is a great way to spend an afternoon. Though finding out which brother is winning can be tough.
-Speaking of good meals, the poached egg with asparagus was the appetizer and beginning of a great meal at Café Panique. Unfortunately, I don’t have any other photos, so I’ll just move on.
-Potato chips come in different flavors than over here too. Many were very meat-centric like Rotisserie Chicken or Chorizo.
-I didn’t go out to eat as much this time, so no serious restaurant reviews like last year. I mostly made simple dinners with my brother or bummed around the city. It was good just to relax and not take much seriously for a while.
-I managed to find decent English beer, but it just wasn’t the same in France. It’ll hold me over until I go back to England though.
-Speaking of traveling to one country to see something from another: I saw the Black Lips in Paris. I lived in Atlanta for five years and never saw them in their home town, but I travel to Paris and see them there… go figure. Great show though.

There are two huge benefits (apart from the lovely flavor) of crème fraîche, one, it can be made into whipped cream or butter (uh, yes! more on that in a few weeks), and, two, it doesn’t break (i.e., separate/curdle) when heated. This makes it an ideal treat whipped with sugar and served with strawberries or dolloped in soups and stews (much tastier than sour cream). Anything sour cream does, crème fraîche does better.

Strawberries and a half liter of crème frâiche, by flickr user testastretta-999

Basics
The main flavors in this thick velvety cream are a slight sour tang and a mild nuttiness. The thickness of most brands available in the US is similar to that of sour cream, but the texture can range from that of a heavy, slow-moving cream to a shortening-like paste.

It gets it’s distinct flavor and texture from the lactobacillus cultures found in nonpasteurized dairy products. This “good” bacteria is allowed to develop until the cream thickens and acidifies. Once it reaches the correct consistency, many commercial products are commonly pastureland to halt the process. (If you make it at home, all you can do is slow it down by refrigerating it.)

Don’t be concerned or get squeamish by this talk of bacteria in the cream. It’s actually because of this bacteria that the cream does not spoil. It’s the same principals that keep sourdough cultures from going bad. Essentially, the good bacteria crowds out the bad.

Homemade crème fraîche, by flickr user flit.

Uses
I’ve already given a few ideas for how to use it (whipped served with fresh fruits or dolloped in soups), but there are many more. Consider serving it with smoked salmon (instead of the customary cream cheese) or using it to thicken pan sauces. You can try replacing some of the butter in mashed potatoes with a bit of creme fraiche. Essentially any place where you see heavy cream, sour cream, or even butter used, you can replace some–or all–of it with crème fraîche.

Storage
As mentioned above, the bacteria in the cream actually helps preserve the creme fraiche so it tends to keep a bit longer than regular milk or cream would. Store bought brands generally keep well for several weeks well covered in the refrigerator. Homemade versions should be stored the same way but used more quickly as quality control is a bit more difficult.

Make your own
Where unpasteurized cream is available, heavy cream containing natural bacteria (lactobacillus cultures) is allowed to sit at room temperature to encourage the growth of these cultures. After it enough of the bacteria has grown, it should be refrigerated to slow/stop the continued growth of the bacteria.
This method is not possible in the US as the required pasteurization process kills the lactobacillus cultures. Creating crème fraîche involves seeding heavy cream with buttermilk (preferred method) or sour cream.

Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk (live culture yogurt or sour cream will also work)
Directions
Combine both in a glass container. Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) for 12 to 24 hours. Once it becomes very think, you will have crème fraîche! Refrigerate or use immediately.

Strawberries, creme fraiche, and sugar, by flickr user flit.

Nutrition
These are just estimates, actual values may vary by brand or by the type of cream you use to make your own.
Most contain about 28% butterfat and have a pH close to 4.5.
One tablespoon (about 15g, or 1/2 ounces) contains approximately the following:
Calories: 52
Protein: 0.3g
Carbohydrate: 0.42g
Total Fat: 5.5g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 17mg

Substitutes
The closest off-the-shelf substitute available in the US is likely sour cream. In the southern United States, clabber is sometimes available and is similar. Plain full-fat yogurt can often be used as a substitute in cooking, but care must be taken to heat it gently as it can often separate.

Sources
English Wikipedia, French Wikipedia, Wise Geek, BBC, Epicurious, On Food and Cooking, by Harold McGee, and the backs of various creme fraiche containers.

Chocolate filled crepe.

Outside of France, I often see the crepe batter used as a galette batter. This, while not strictly traditional, is not necessarily a bad thing. Making a crepe savory is as simple as stuffing them with what you would expect to find in a galette. I’ve done this myself a few times–it’s one less batter to make. Just remember that while a crepe can generally fill the role of a galette as a savory dish, the galette cannot normally make the leap to be a dessert. The buckwheat flour contributes earthy, wheat flavors that meld better with savory foods than with sweet ones.

As I mentioned before, the crepe is the refined version of the galette. The crepe uses much richer ingredients (milk/beer, eggs, white flour) and yields a much less dense dish.

My favorite fillings for crepes generally keep it simple. Lemon juice and sugar, butter and sugar, and dark chocolate are my top three favorite. And Nutella. Definitely Nutella. I eschew the many American recipes that adorn their crepes with whipped cream or ice-cream in favor of the simple, traditional application of flavors. I rarely get more complicated than pouring a bit of warmed Grand Marnier and lighting it on fire (which looks awesome, by the way).

I’ll repeat a few things from the galette recipe here as the preparation and cooking methods are very similar.

Using a non-stick skillet is key to good crêpes and galettes. If you try this in a regular skillet, your success rate will probably be very low.

Ingredients
3 eggs
2 cups unbleached flour
2 1/2 cups milk (or 1/2 beer, 1/2 milk)
2 tbsps oil
up to 3 tbsps Grand Marnier (or use a tiny bit of orange extract)
unsalted butter (for cooking)

Batter Directions

1. Make a well in the center of the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and combine gradually with a whisk until it comes together. DO NOT just mix everything with a spoon. Gradual mixing is key to avoiding a lumpy batter.
2. Keep mixing until it nearly forms a dough. It should be thicker than brownie batter and most of the flour will still be on the edges of the bowl. Slowly add beer/milk to thin it and to work in the rest of the flour. Once as it comes together, add the salt, oil, and Grand Marnier. Whisk well.
3. Allow the dough to rest at least two hours in the fridge. Remove from fridge half an hour before use.

When you are ready to cook, the batter may need a little more liquid added to thin it, especially if allowed to sit in the fridge over night. It should have the consistency of a thin pancake batter (or like heavy cream).

Cooking Directions
Use the largest skillet you can get your hands on!
Tip: Put a pad of butter in a small plate and keep a paper towel folded to smear butter into the skillet between cooking. Keep using the same paper towel. You could use a non-stick spray, but any Frenchman worth his salt would insist on using real butter.

1. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When hot (a drop of batter will sizzle), add butter to the skillet and wipe with the paper towel to coat the pan.
2. For a 12 inch skillet pour slightly under one half cup of liquid into the center of the skillet and swirl the pan to spread the batter evenly. I find it helps to shake the pan as you rotate. If you need to patch any holes, do it quickly so the crepe cooks evenly.
3. After 30-60 seconds, flip the crepe. If you aren’t afraid to drop one, go ahead and try to flip it in the pan. Otherwise just slip a spatula under and flip.
4. Cook for 30 seconds more, add whatever filling you need and cook for 30 more seconds. Some fillings, like syrups, are best to add once the crepe has been plated.
5. To plate, fold the crepe in half to make a semi-circle, again to make a quarter-circle, and one last time to make eighths.

Dark Chocolate Sauce
If you have a chocolate sauce you like, you can use that instead of making your own. I like a rich, dark chocolate flavor that is not too sweet. This simple recipe takes only moments to make and allows you to easily control the flavor.

Ingredients
2 parts cocoa powder
1 part sugar
2-3 parts hot water

Directions
Start with 2 parts cocoa powder and one part sugar in a bowl. Add just enough hot water to mix it in a thick paste. Starting out with a paste will make sure that all the chocolate and sugar dissolve without leaving lumps in the sauce. Once the chocolate and sugar are mixed in the paste, taste it. If you like a sweeter sauce, add more sugar, for a richer chocolate flavor, add more cocoa. Slowly incorporate more hot water until it reaches the consistency of a thick sauce.

Butter Sugar or Lemon Sugar
You could probably figure this out yourself. The ingredients are already listed for you…
For the butter-sugar crepe, while the open crepe is still in the hot pan, spread some butter over the crepe with a spatula. Then sprinkle on some sugar to your liking. Fold. Serve.
For the lemon-sugar crepe, replace the butter above with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

I mentioned a bit of the history when I reviewed La Crêperie Bretonne from my Paris trip. Crêpes and galettes are a traditional Breton dish from the north-west of France. Today, crêperies can be found all over France (and the world) and have become a well known example of French food. One thing that is commonly overlooked (at least in the US) is that the traditional drink with galettes and crepes is a dry cider served in a bolée (a kind ceramic cup).

Galette with onions, tomato, cheese, ham and egg.

Galettes began their life as the peasant’s crepe. Buckwheat was imported to the north of France because it could be cultivated in the poor growing soils. This flour was used instead of white flour–the refined flour was for the rich. Only one egg and water, instead of three eggs and milk in my crêpe recipe, are used to bind the flour into a dough. Simple, whole wheat ingredients make for a very frugal, yet filling dish.

Speaking of filling, what can you put in a galette? Anything, nearly. Asparagus, tomato, onion, ham, cheese, egg, turkey… My favorite “galette complete” is a combination of grated Emmental (or Gruyere) cheese, a slice of ham and a scrambled egg, cooked on the galette.

One more note before I get into the recipe: Using a non-stick skillet is key to good crêpes and galettes at home. If you try this in a regular skillet, your success rate will probably be very low. Of course, you can get a real, cast iron crepe pan if you want to, but non-stick is easier. And easy is good.

Galette with ham, cheese and egg.

Ingredients
2 cups buckwheat flour
2 tbsp regular flour
1 egg, separate yolk and white
2 1/2 cups water
salt & pepper
2 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola…)

Batter Directions

1. Combine the buckwheat and white flour in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the egg yolk. Combine gradually with a whisk until it starts to come together. DO NOT just mix everything with a spoon. Gradual mixing is key to avoiding a lumpy batter.
2. Slowly add water to thin it and to work in the rest of the flour. Add enough water to make it about the consistency of a thick sauce, about two to two-and-a-half cups. As it comes together, add the salt, pepper, and oil. Whisk well.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whip the egg white to just under stiff peaks. Fold the whipped egg white into the batter.
4. Allow the dough to rest at least two hours in the fridge. Remove from fridge half an hour before use.

When you are ready to cook, the batter may need a little more liquid added to thin it, especially if allowed to sit in the fridge over night. It should have the consistency of a thin pancake batter (or like a heavy cream).

Cooking Directions
Use the largest skillet you can get your hands on!
Tip: Put a pad of butter in a small plate and keep a paper towel folded to smear butter into the skillet between cooking. Keep using the same paper towel. You could use a non-stick spray, but any Frenchman worth his salt would insist on using real butter.

1. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When hot (a drop of batter will sizzle), add butter to the skillet and wipe with the paper towel to coat the pan.
2. For a 12 inch skillet pour about a third of a cup of liquid into the center of the skillet and swirl the pan to spread the batter evenly. I find it helps to shake the pan as you rotate. If you need to patch any holes, do it quickly so the crepe cooks evenly.
3. After about 60 seconds, add any fillings you want. Most fillings can/should be constructed directly in the hot skillet. See below for specific instructions.
4. To plate, most galettes are not folded into triangles like crepes, but are folded into a square or rectangle. I like to fold the left and right sides into each other and allow the filling to show at the top and the bottom.

Fillings: I’ll describe how to do an egg, ham and cheese galette. You can substitute any of the ingredients you need want.

When adding the ingredients in step three, I have found it’s best to do it in this order. First lay a slice of ham flat onto the galette. Wait a few seconds for the ham to heat, then break an egg over the ham. If you want scrambled egg, run your fork through you yolk a few times to mix it up. Once the egg begins to set, sprinkle cheese over the galette. If doing sunny-side up, the presentation is nicer if you don’t put cheese directly over the yolk. Fold the edges toward the center and serve.

Heath tip: There are not really many changes to make. It’s already pretty much whole wheat, you can leave out the white flour. Use a non-stick spray instead of butter in the skillet. Go light with the cheese. Throw some thinly sliced vegetables in the galette and you’re set.

Döner kebab with fries

Much like the falafel, this is a messy sandwich with ingredients and toppings piled on top. The classic way to serve this is wrapped in a cone of wax paper (or tossed into a bag), with fries stuffed on top of it. You can already likely see the appeal of such a meal after a night out.

As with any street food, hundreds of variants exist, but the most basic version consists of sliced of lamb wrapped in a flat bread or stuffed into the pocket of pita bread. It is very similar to a gyro or a shawarma. A choice of a harissa sauce (spicy) or a sauce blanche (a tangy yogurt sauce) is generally offered. Other ingredients, like onions, peppers, and lettuce, are sometimes added.

It may be the greatest late-night food I have ever eaten. I have no idea why it hasn’t caught on in the US yet. All of Europe, the Mid-East, and North Africa already seem to be on board with this delicious sandwich. Actually, I hope it doesn’t get too popular, because then I couldn’t use it as excuse to travel…

As you approach the store, you will see other restaurants all making the absurd claim that they have better falafels. Resist the temptation to get one form anywhere other than L’As du Falafel. Stick to your goal. At the intersection of Rue des Ecouffes and Rue des Rosiers you will notice one particular restaurant that has an abnormally long line. That’s where you want to be. Queue up and don’t be daunted by the wait, it tends to move fairly quickly. But if you are in a hurry, take advantage of their to-go window and eat your falafel on the street. I can assure you that you won’t be the only one doing it.

The falafel in question.

Just be aware that this place is no secret. The falafel has fans coming from all over Paris–heck, people come from all around the world. The sandwich itself is stuffed with about 6 golf-ball sized falafel balls (essentially fried chickpea dough balls), plenty of creamy hummus, cucumbers and fried eggplant. Be sure to ask for the spicy harissa sauce added in, it definitely pushed an already fabulous sandwich over the edge. It’s a delicious mess that’s actually best tackled with a fork. Just don’t be shy about it.

While you are there, know that is one more thing this restaurant is known for, and that is its lemonade. In the US, lemonade–the kind made with lemons and sugar–is everywhere. But in Europe if you ask for a lemonade, you are served a Sprite. The whole “when life gives you lemons” thing never really caught on, so real lemonade is virtually impossible to find. Take advantage of it while you can.

Bubar

There is no better way to spend a casual evening in Paris than sipping wines in one of the many wine bars scattered through the city. Bubar is a cozy, hidden wine bar located near the Bastille, and it’s one of my favorites. Packed with old friends and locals in-the-know, the simple bar has a casual, inviting allure about it. There are tall stools and standing room around the bar and old wooden tables (and a vintage school desk) fill out the rest of the space. The bearded owner is very nice and helpful in choosing wines and provides a selection of cheeses, olives, and fruits to accompany the wines. With a good choices by-the-glass and an even greater selection by-the-bottle, the owner can steer you toward something in your taste. Oddly enough for a French wine bar, the wine list shows no allegiance to French wines. The owner prides himself of finding uncommonly good wines for a reasonable price. We had a few wines from Argentina, Spain, and -of course- France.

The name of the bar is actually a clever pun on the owners beard. A popular style of French slang is to inverse the syllables of a word to create a new, different word that means the same thing. This is called verlan (the name is itself an inversion of the French word for “inverse”, “l’envers”). The French word for bearded is barbu, and the slang would be bubar. To up the cleverness quotient, the phrase “bu bar” literally means “drink bar”.

So after a nice dinner, show up with some friends, chat with the barbu owner, and have a nice glass of wine. And yes, you are allowed to feel clever knowing the origin of the bar’s name.

Just don’t confuse it with Babar…

And you know what, it’s surprisingly good.

I found the restaurant Les Fines Gueules by way of a David Lebovitz post. He asked some Parisian locals to pick their favorite places to eat around town. There are a lot of good recommendations in that article, so if you are thinking of going to Paris, be sure to check it out.

Steak Tartare at Les Fines Gueules

This was the recommended restaurant for steak tartare. This would be my first time ordering steak tartare, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect, perhaps a pile of beef in a puddle of blood. Quite to the contrary, the meat was tender and flavorful. There wasn’t even a drop of blood! Admittedly, This preparation of steak tartar was not quite standard (normally just raw egg and raw beef), but it was not terribly gussied up either. Hand-chopped, high-quality, beef was tossed with truffle oil and sun-dried tomatoes then topped with shaved Parmesan (OK, maybe it was a little dressed up). The truffle oil, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan provide a bit of background complexity to the meat, but don’t compete with the naturally beefy flavors. Served with a salad of mixed greens and some potatoes, it made for a nice, and surprisingly light, lunch.

Lunch at Les Fines Gueules

Even if you don’t want to try the steak tartare, the menu at Les Fines Gueules offers enough of a selection to satisfy anyone. The food is well prepared, fresh, and reasonably priced.

My meal was tidily completed with an espresso served with Valrhona chocolate. I could do this everyday.

Espresso and chocolate. So simple a combination.

Pont des Arts, by Phil Hilfiker.

One way to cross this (delicious) task off your to-do list is to stop by Nicolas for a bottle of wine, and a cheese shop for a couple cheeses. Your bounty now in hand, head to Pont des Arts over La Seine for a picnic with all the other Parisians. You’ll feel right at home tearing chunks off your baguette and watching the sun set over the city.

Foie Gras at Astier

I was quickly able to cross another food from my list: My meal began with the quintessential French delicacy of foie gras d’oie.

The foie gras was served chilled with a chutney and sprinkled with Fleur de Sel. I had a glass of Sauternes to sip as I ate my foie gras on freshly toasted baguette. It’s quite a delicious and a decadant way to start any meal. I made a note to myself to pick up a few tins of foie gras before leaving France. This is one of the few foods that I am actually allowed to take back on the plane. Ever try passing customs with a chuck of cheese? Not a good idea.

As a main course I had the seared duck breast and my friend had some baked fish.

Duck and Fish at Astier

Largest. Cheese Plate. Ever.

If there is one thing that I can’t get enough of, it’s good cheese. Well, maybe after being served from this giant platter, I was at least temporarily sated.