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Pierre Hermé, Paris
During my visit to Paris last weekend, I was delighted to finally check out the famed pâtisserie Pierre Hermé on rue Bonaparte in the sixth arrondissement. Pierre Hermé is an acclaimed French pastry chef who Vogue dubbed, “The Picasso of Pastry,” and upon entering his boutique it is not hard to see why. Rows upon rows of meticulously crafted brioche, millefeuille, ganache and truffles sat next to hundreds of brightly coloured, shimmering macarons. He has several boutiques, including a couple in London and Tokyo, however, the one I visited in Saint-Germain des Prés is his first boutique, opened in 2002, and perhaps his most special.
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Relais de l’Entrecôte Saint-Germain, Paris
At this classic Parisian brasserie, there is no menu and vegetarians are somewhat discouraged to attend. Relais de l’Entrecôte Saint-Germain is part of a group of 3 restaurants in Paris, all specializing in (exclusively) steak frites with their famous secret sauce. I was a bit weary of this place because it seemed gimmicky and appeared way too often in tourist books and cheesy “best of” guides. Since they do not take reservations, it is not uncommon to wait several hours for a table.
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La Gazzetta, Paris
A Parisian friend of ours recommended we check out La Gazzetta, a bistro in the 12th near the March d’Aligre run by Swedish-born chef Petter Nilsson. La Gazzetta isn’t a traditional Parisian bistro per-se, but rather a hip eatery with an inventive Nordic-inspired menu featuring plenty of French influences. Nordic food is all the rage
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Blé Sucré, Paris
Every time I visit Paris I try a new bakery or pastry shop and this time it was Blé Sucré, an acclaimed pâtisserie and boulangerie in the edgy 12th arrondissement. I heard Blé Sucré (which translates to “sweet wheat”) had some of the best madeleines in Paris (which essentially amounts to the best madeleines in the world) as well as many other sweet and savory brioche-based and pasty-dough-based creations. It’s a huge title to live up to, but the minute I walked into the charming little shop I could tell it was something special.
Rows and rows of golden butter croissants and crispy baguettes were lined up beside baked Kouign-amann, meticulously layered millefeuille, colorful macarons and mini Paris-Brest, not to mention
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Authentic French Cassoulet
It’s quite possible that making a cassoulet has been my greatest culinary achievement to date. A cassoulet is a rustic, slow-cooked stew hailing from the southwest region of France, full of hearty beans, herbs, and rich, juicy meats. Whenever my husband and I are in Paris, we stop at our favorite bistro smack dab in the middle of the 7ème, Fontaine de Mars, to enjoy this special meal. Fontaine de Mars is a quintessential French bistro complete with brusque waiters, tables too close together, checked linens, flowing Sancerre, and some of the best French cuisine we’ve ever tasted. It’s location is second to none, and many nights we have found ourselves leaving the restaurant late at night and stumbling upon the illuminated Eiffel Tower
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A Cake Fit For a King… Galette des Rois
The French are smart. After Christmas, once the endless Bûche de Noëls and truffles au chocolat are devoured and forgotten till next year, the French fill the newly formed dessert void with a brilliant confection, Galette des Rois. In Paris, bakeries reopen on January 2nd with their shelves full of these much-awaited cakes. Traditionally eaten only to celebrate the day of Epiphany on January 6, when the Three Kings came to Bethlehem, Galette des Rois is so popular that pâtissiers usually serve this scrumptious cake the entire month of January.
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Apple Flognarde… A Light French Clafoutis Dessert
Apple Flognarde is a delicious traditional French specialty hailing from the Limousin and Auvergne region in the southwest of France. A flognarde, similar to a Clafoutis which is made with cherries, is essentially a puffed “soufflé” baked with fresh fruit. Although you can make it with blackberries, peaches, figs, or blueberries, just to name a few, an apple version is perfectly appropriate for the fall, when you can find delicious native apples at your local orchards. The Apple Flognarde resembles a light-as-air pancake and puffs up when baked. It is slightly sweet and boasts a delicious vanilla flavor, similar to a crepe. The flognarde eventually deflates after cooling, leaving a light and crispy golden “custard” surrounding the baked apples. Served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, this is the perfect light dessert to end a heavy meal.
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A Croque Monsieur Recipe from Paris for Bastille Day
In honor of Bastille Day today, I wanted to share an authentic recipe for one of the most well-known and beloved french bistro dishes, the Croque Monsieur. As French as it gets, this haute, cheesy grilled ham and cheese sandwich began as a sort of “fast food” snack enjoyed at the countless bistros in Paris. There are many variations on the traditional bistro dish, most notably the Croque Madame, which includes a fried egg on top.