For when I wish I were in Paris...

I have regular cravings to be back in Paris.

The recent visit of a friend who lives there sent my mind right back to the city I haven't yet returned to after leaving in January.  It probably doesn't help that I've been torturing myself in the London summer turned winter by reading Paris was Ours edited by Penelope Rowlands.  It's a collection of short tales by thirty-two writers who have lived in and experienced Paris.  My commuting companions on the Brighton to Bedford train line know my thoughts on the book...mostly in tear format...sometimes in missed stop format. I blame David Lebovitz for the missed stop day, the book was his recommendation!

Until I can visit Paris again (which looks like next month for Le Salon Du Chocolat!!), I have to settle for a "Best of" memory montage of my favourite places.  In my head it's in some hipstomatic slide show to a Gainburg soundtrack.  Either that or some crappy poppy Christophe Mae song long since defunct down the wrong end of the charts. 

I know there have been so many developments in the Paris dining scene in the past 9 month which I can't wait to bite into, but favourites stay favourites for a reason!  

Favourite wine bar and tapas - Standing up, but the best Left Bank experience - L'Avant Comptoir.  It get's crowded, but if you head early you can grab a spot at the bar. The Morgon red is amazing and their tapas dishes are seriously good. (http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/standing-room-only-lavant-comptoir-in-paris/) (L’Avant Comptoir, 9 carrefour de l’Odéon, Sixth Arrondissement, Paris; 011-33-8-2610-1087. No reservations. Open daily).

Beautiful, Chateaubriand

Modern French and one of my bias favourites because I staged there last year - Chateaubriand. Good luck making a booking after it placed 9th in the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards for 2011, but if you get there about 9 you can have a wine and wait at the bar for the unreserved second sitting.  You could also try their other restaurant Le Dauphin two doors down.  It's amazing. That's all.  Please try them...or try them again! (http://devourparis.blogspot.com/2010/09/food-crush.html) and (http://devourparis.blogspot.com/2010/12/picasso-and-cowboys.html) (Chateaubriand, 129 Avenue Parmentier, 75011 Paris, +33 (0) 1 4357 4595, Reservations necessary for 8pm sitting).

Jackie's comfort duck at Je The..Me

If it's super classic old school French cuisine you are after brave the semi-suburban 15eme and book at  Je The Me.  Jackie is the owner and his son, Damien, the sommelier.  The restaurant is in an old national trust general store and brilliant, his kitchen no bigger than your home set up and his food is like a rich rich hug (http://devourparis.blogspot.com/2010/10/for-all-fathers-out-there.html) (Je The..Me, 4 rue d'Alleray, Paris, France 01 48 42 48 30).

Home to craving satiation - Le Petit Marche

Probably my favourite place to eat in Paris is Le Petit Marche in the Marais. It's classic French with a modern Asian twist, the staff are laid back and young and it's right of the Place de Vosges so easy to get to ( http://devourparis.blogspot.com/2010/07/shell-have-what-im-having.html).  Location isn't really relevant to me usually (I just spent an entire weekend commuting to a small island in Lake Como for their menu (and absolutely worth it in case you are wondering) but when you crave their Salade Chinoise from Le Petit Marche (which happen regularly) it helps to get there fast! (Le Petit Marche (9 Rue Bearn, Paris, 75003, Tel: 01 42 72 06 67, Reservations necessary).

I forgot about the potato dauphinoise, another reason to order nothing up this

For a classic bistro steak I always head to La Taverne L'arbre sec near Chatelet.  The menu is all good (so my friends tell me) but the Cote de Boeuf is all I ever order.  There is no point pretending even for a minute that any other dish element will trump bone marrow (http://devourparis.blogspot.com/2010/05/but-what-eeeeiiiissss-marrow-bone.html) (La Taverne De L'arbre Sec (109 Rue Saint-honore, 75004 Paris, 01 08 99 78 61 69).

And now this is were the montage speeds up a little, but don't pay any less attention to these places...I'm just typing faster to get onto Eurostar.com to book a train immediately! 

Favorite ice cream (well gelato more correctly) - Grom, Left Bank just near Rue De Buci:  (http://www.grom.it/eng/dettagli_gelateria.php?id_gelateria=105&citt%E0=Paris).

Favorite macaron that I continue to emulate at home with fastidious attention and adoration  - Pierre Herme (http://www.pierreherme.com/index.cgi?&cwsid=9846ph0A000108ph1767440).

Favourite falafal in the Marais: L'As du Falafal, don't waste you time on the others, you will miss out on the best harissa on the block (http://parisbymouth.com/las-du-falafel/).  I am happy to enter into a street located rap battle on this one too...do you know how many words rhyme with harissa?

A salad in an acceptable size

Best giant French salad and market street combo: Le Rocher de Cancale because I firmly believe that if one must eat salad it should be around the size of a moderate torso (http://devourparis.blogspot.com/2010/05/salad-envy-on-saladism.html) (78 rue Montorgueil 75002 Paris, 01 42 33 50 29).

Cafe Charlot brunch

All time favourite brunch / classic Parisian bistro lunch - Cafe Charlot in the Marais.  It's perfect and busy and cramped and covered in hollandaise and newspapers hiding heavy rimmed spectacles on beautiful faces (http://devourparis.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-sarah-take-you-pain-perdu.html) (38 rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris, France 33 1 44 54 03 30).

Favourite sandwiches, no bread and sandwiches in Paris: Gontran Cherrier.  Ok yes, I have a food crush here but that in no ways sways my integrity or opinion.  Hmmmm (http://parisbymouth.com/our-guide-to-paris-gontran-cherrier/) (22 rue Caulaincourt, 75018).

And finally, in case you are now heading to the same place I am, here, this will make it easier for you: Eurostar.com.

@missdevour13

Olive Oil and Raspberry Gel

This gel is a smooth and fruity emulsion which I like to serve with broken meringue, vanilla mascarpone cream and fresh berries as a sort of deconstructed take on pavlova.  The idea for an olive oil gel grew from a tart grapefruit paste we made at Chateaubriand in Paris and served with salsify crisps and buckwheat ice cream.

300g raspberry and apple juice
20g lemon juice
10-15g agar agar powder
150g caster sugar
300g pressed raspberry juice
300g good quality olive oil

Tips: 

• Measurements: I’ve learnt to always measure my ingredients in grams rather than mls or cups etc.  It really does help with consistency and keeps the kitchen free from a mess of measuring cups and spoons.
• Pressed raspberry juice: While fresh will work perfectly well, I usually make my pressed raspberry juice from frozen berries. After blending the defrosted raspberries I press the pulp through a fine sieve, retaining the juice and discarding the rest.
• Agar agar: A seaweed-based setting agent very popular with chefs.  It’s a great substitute for gelatine with its higher setting point (32-40°C) making it much easier to work with.  Find it at health food or Asian grocery stores.

1. Combine raspberry and apple juice, lemon juice,  agar agar and 100 grams of the caster sugar in a saucepan and heat until just below boiling point.
2. Pour jelly mix into a flat tray and set in the fridge.  Mixture should set into a fairly firm jelly which can then be broken into smaller pieces.
3. In a high-sided jug or container add the remaining sugar to the jelly pieces.  Little by little stream in the pressed berry juice and olive oil, alternating between the two, blitz constantly with a high-speed stick blender.  
4. The process here is similar to that used for making mayonnaise.  Pay attention to the consistency of the emulsion as you add the liquids.  Depending on the quality of your olive oil or the firmness of your jelly you may find more or less oil is necessary.  What you want to create is a firm and smooth gel that holds it’s own shape.  You can also add a little more sugar if you’d prefer a sweeter paste, or a little more lemon juice if you’re more into fresh flavours.
5. To serve: Slick a generous spoon of gel across the plate, scatter broken meringue and fresh berries then dollop on some vanilla mascarpone cream (equal parts mascarpone to whipped cream with the seeds of one vanilla pod).  Finish with cracked pepper, a quick drizzle of balsamic vinegar, slithers of fresh basil and a dust of icing sugar.

The S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards 2011!

So here's hoping Chateaubriand holds it's place at 11 in the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards here in London next Monday night.

My invite to Bieber

More importantly here's hoping I can maintain some form of composure at the least, mock multi-lingual chat at the mythical best, with my cuisine idols when I join them at the awards ceremony!!! 

My boss is validly concerned I may morph into a culinary take on a Bieber fan. I'm validly concerned as to what I would be capable of expressing when I "bump" into Rene Redzepi or David Chang (my little speculation here, he was absent from last year's list) on my way to the bar. 

The Awards have fast risen to prominence as the annual voice box of restaurant industry experts and international gourmands.  The process remains check-list free and what constitutes the 'best' is left for those who would know to determine.   This is a long way from the red tape, rules and secrecy surrounding the evaluation process of the once monopolistic Michelin Guide. Industry commentators have not been shy to query how this lack of regulation impacts the integrity of the accolade.

The World's 50 Best Restaurants? Says Who? (New York Times, 13 April 2011)

Integrity of the accolade?  The awards are voted by international gluttons, food lovers and restaurant obsessives in accordance with their their own views about what matters, what works and what's exciting in the dining market.  I'd value that opinion more than any assessment swayed by the fold of a napkin or the availability of parking. There is process to the Award procedure, just not the familiar box ticking one. Arguably this affords panelists the greatest capacity to evaluate freely a restaurant experience in accordance with modern and ever-evolving criteria.  I see this only as a good thing to encourage and champion innovation and ingenuity outside the confines of the traditional understanding.  If a Scandinavian tourist authority cares to foot the bill for a bunch of foodies to 'discover' the next big thing on a nordic plate, then so be it. I'll concur with Mr Petrini on this one...while a 100 euro lunch at Chateaubriand is worth getting excited about, would the fact it were comped really sway my way? 

OK, this lunch would probably make me think twice...

All 'Big' issues for sure, and I'm well versed in The Official Party Line to be articulated (in Danish and Korean) on my way to the bar on Monday night. But I think we're really over looking a more pressing matter...what will the chef's be wearing on the red carpet?

Not new news...but

Gregory Marchand (Frenchie), Inaki Aizpitarte (Chateaubriand), Daniel Rose (Spring), Giovanni Passerini (Rino) and Stéphane Jégo (Chez L'ami Jean)

Last weekend, Ian Tucker for the Guardian wrote of the "new" movement of bistronomy "taking over" the Paris dining scene.

Perhaps the movement is "new" when cast against the long history of French gastronomy...but I can't quite help but think this may have been a cheeky way for Ian to expense an amazing week of bistro hopping through Paris in the name of new news. Kudos Ian for milking more page time out of these brilliant and quirky restaurants! I love them all...especially Chateaubriand (yes, I may be bias, my time in the kitchen there was exceptional).

You can read the complete article and chef summaries here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/feb/13/lefooding-paris-chefs-bistronomy

You can find more about the Paris restaurants I love above (Eating Out).