Maison Poilâne have been making bread in Paris since 1932. Their breads are legendary, considered to be amongst the best in France. CEO Apollonia Poilâne shares a recipe that’s all about the bread…

Makes 1 sandwich

Active time: 10 minutes
Cooking: 3 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 large, thin slice sourdough bread, preferably pain Poilâne (see La Bonne Idée)
2 thin slices sourdough rye sandwich bread with raisins, preferably Poilâne
2 tsp–1 tbsp (10–20 g) salted artisan butter, preferably raw, at room temperature (see La Bonne Idée)

METHOD

Cut the slice of sourdough bread in half crosswise. Lightly toast each half on one side only, so that one side is lightly crisp and the other remains tender.

Spread the toasted side of both pieces with the butter.

Working quickly, top the buttered sides of the bread with the two slices of rye bread (trim the rye bread if necessary).

Cover with the second piece of sourdough bread, toasted- and buttered-side down.

Press down gently to allow the flavors of the butter to seep into the bread and to let the residual heat from the toasting process diffuse throughout the sandwich.

Serve the sandwich while it is still slightly warm.

LA BONNE IDÉE

The Pain Poilâne loaf (called a miche in France) has a diameter of about 12 inches (30 cm), so the slices are quite big. If your bread is smaller, you may need to use two slices.

We like to use Beurre de Madame, an artisanal raw milk butter from Froment du Léon cows in Brittany.

If you like, replace the butter on one or both of the sourdough bread halves with fork-mashed avocado, cheese, or a vegetable puree.

Extract from Upper Crust: Homemade Bread the French Way, by renowned food writer Marie-Laure Fréchet. Published by Flammarion and available at Amazon, online and high street bookstores (where it can be ordered if it’s not in stock ISBN 9782081517073). Step by step techniques to turn you into a successful bread maker, 100 recipes include delicious desserts and savoury specialities which feature bread. Plus French bread history and fascinating facts… 

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There are thousands of restaurants in Paris and choosing where to go for dinner when you’re only in the city for a short while can be a challenge. Long term American expat in Paris, writer and foodie Barbara Paquet-James reveals where Parisians go when they want to indulge in a luxurious dinner in the city…

Frenchie

Frenchie’s laid-back location on a narrow backstreet in the Sentier garment district makes one wonder what all the international fuss is about. It’s about the food, the wine, and terrific service. Nantes native Gregory Marchand hit it right by offering gorgeous seasonal farm-to-table fare paired with just as gorgeous wines. An unpretentious cave à vins and Frenchie’s To Go followed, along with gourmet food shops, and now, just a visit to Frenchie, especially if combined with nearby street market rue Montorgueil, is a gourmet experience. Our multi-course tasting menu included perfect duck breast, pumpkin ravioli packages that exploded with flavor and crunchy Brussels sprouts topped with crumbled cheese. Frenchie’s signature maple-syrup-glazed scones with bacon from the chalkboard next door were mouthwatering. Fabulous.
Frenchie; 5 Rue du Nil 75002 Paris

Verjus

Verjus is the happy outgrowth of The Hidden Kitchen, exquisite dinner parties once hosted by Laura Adrian and Braden Perkins in a private Paris apartment. The view is of a theater reminiscent of New Orleans’ old French Quarter. Below, in a small intimate room, is their wine bar with its ever-changing chalkboard. Dishes like pork belly with sesame seeds, indescribable Parmesan “churros,” duck terrine maison with pistachios. Oysters from Utah Beach with rhubarb, gougères dusted with seaweed and salt, perfectly roasted pork, foie gras with walnuts and a jaw-dropping beet tarte tatin, plus more, will keep you happy all the way to dessert. Caramelized Jerusalem artichoke ice cream with apple and cinnamon. Unforgettable.
Verjus (multi-course tasting menu); 52 Rue de Richelieu 75001 Paris. Book well in advance – it’s very popular with the locals.

L’Avant Comptoir

Chef Yves Camdeborde has a loyal following since his La Régélade days. First-timers here are always astounded when they see the ceiling, a forest of banners with photos of dozens of small plates. An impressive selection of wines, sausages, and an enormous hunk of salt-studded butter dominates the zinc counter. Country loaves cut into chunks, still warm, mustard, cornichons, and fleur de sel are there for the taking. We joined the throng and ordered away. Crunchy calamari and crunchier fried chicken with house fries and sauce gribiche. Fried cheese, waffles topped with an artichoke cream and Bayonne ham. Foie gras with piquillo kebabs,  caramelized pork belly, sautéed cèpe mushrooms with garlic. We did it. Bordeaux and dry rosé by the glass and endless toasts with total strangers, and it was over. Memorable.
L’Avant Comptoir; 3 Carrefour de l’Odéon 75006 Paris

Barbara Pasquet James is a U.S. lifestyle editor, speaker, and urban explorer who writes about food fashion and culture, from Paris. She is known for helping launch, write and edit USA Today’s City Guide To Paris and can be contacted via her photo blog FocusOnParis.com

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The Norman city of Rouen is brimming with historical gems. Located just a 90-mile drive northwest of Paris, Rouen is perhaps best known for its 4th-century Gothic cathedral that so inspired Impressionist painter Claude Monet.

In addition to its architecture, Rouen has a reputation as a great center for the literary arts. Authors Gustave Flaubert and Pierre Corneille were born in this city.

The gastronomic history of Rouen

Although many visitors don’t know it, Rouen is also very important in the history of French gastronomy. In fact, Rouen is home to France’s oldest restaurant: La Couronne.

La Couronne’s long history began in 1345 when it was first established as an inn. This makes it the oldest continuously operating auberge in France and one of the oldest in all of Europe. Over the centuries it slowly became the gourmet restaurant it is today. In more recent times, La Couronne gained notoriety thanks to the legendary American chef Julia Child. Julia’s first meal in France was at this very restaurant way back in 1948. Her meal was so good that it inspired her to dedicate her life to teaching the world the wonders of French cuisine.

La Couronne restaurant in Rouen

La Couronne is located in the Place Du Vieux Marché, the same town square where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431 AD. On the outside it is easy to overlook as it blends in with the style of the surrounding buildings. Inside it has stayed true to its beginnings as a humble inn and retains the original timber in the dining area. It makes for a very cosy interior. However, as you step inside you can tell this restaurant is not like the rest. You cant help but feel a frisson of excitement about your upcoming meal. It’s just as it was when it instilled the love of French Cuisine in Julia Child.

Besides being the location for Julia Child’s first meal in France, La Couronne has served countless celebrities and political figures over the years. Its legendary list of famous guests is represented in the signed portraits sprawled on the walls of the waiting areas and the upstairs dining rooms. Just a few of the celebrated people that have visited this restaurant include John Wayne, Salvador Dalí and Grace Kelly. Dining in the same room adds a special thrill to the experience.

What’s on the menu at La Couronne

La Couronne is the perfect restaurant for a traveler searching for the French dining experience of their dreams. And, it comes at a surprisingly reasonable price. The menu specializes in truly authentic northern French fare, executed marvelously, with a special emphasis on locally caught seafood. Although years have passed and chefs have come and gone, this restaurant is still serving “Julia Child inspiring” worthy food. If you call 48 hours ahead they even serve the elusive “Duck a la Rouennaise”. This is a dish so complex that in order to be able to serve it the chef must have been deemed worthy and inducted into a special club which protects the integrity of the dish: the “Ordre des Canardiers”.

Most of the food on La Couronne’s menu is extremely hearty and filling. The flavors and presentation would leave even Gordon Ramsay satisfied. A few staple dishes include standing rib roast, filet of sea bream, and, of course, escargot. For the true Julia Child fans, La Couronne celebrates Julia’s first meal in France with a prix-fixe menu in her honor. All of the dishes on this special menu are exactly what Child ordered in 1948, which includes oysters on the half-shell, sole doused in a butter parsley sauce and a green salad.

Rouen is a city steeped in history. All who visit this awe-inspiring region of France can’t help but be swept away in the tales of the past. Of all the restaurants in this incredible city, however, La Couronne stands above the rest. You haven’t experienced Normandy to its fullest until you’ve tasted the succulent local cuisine at this legendary eaterie.

Julia Girard-Gervois is a tour guide and owner of TripUSAFrance

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Paris is indisputably one of the best food cities in the world. Its marvelous markets and shops touting eye-popping drool-inducing produce, pastries, chocolates and more, are fodder for thousands of food blogs, and there are enough neo bistros and restaurants to keep food reviewers busy for a lifetime just revisiting old chomping grounds.

Writer, foodie and long time American expat in Paris Barbara Pasquet-James reviews 4 of the most sought after restaurants in Paris….

David Toutain

Alain Passard alum David Toutain reboots a conceptual menu daily. Labor intensive and well-thought out, Toutain’s inventive menus induce reverie in his faithful, many of whom migrated with him from Agapé Substance in Saint-Germain. Give him a root vegetable and he’s a magician. Sweet potato gnocchi and celeriac tagliatelle with white alba truffle – yum! Toutain’s signature smoked eel with black sesame and green apple left me speechless. Throughout, the term “neo-Nordic” kept springing to mind. Many of the courses would have been just as much at home in a forest as on the plates. Dessert of cauliflower coconut vanilla cream with a chef’s surprise of quince chips and white chocolate ice cream by Jacques Genin was followed by fire-roasted figs with mascarpone and root vegetables “churros” with chocolate and smoked salt. Stunning.

David Toutain (multi-course tasting menu); 29 Rue Surcouf 75007 Paris

Champeaux Brasserie

Under the Les Halles canopy a modern Michelin-starred French bistro-brasserie signed Alain Ducasse is open every day of the week. A view of the ancient Church of Saint-Eustache and modern graffiti-covered walls are a backdrop to French classics. Think boudins, oysters, foie gras, beef tartare, duck and snails. They share a simple carte alongside ricotta-spinach ravioli, smoked salmon, salads and oven-fresh soufflés, a specialty. Kicking off with a coupe de champagne we tried two raw fish starters. Sea bream in citrus fruit shavings, black pepper and basil, and sea bass with carrot, fresh lime and ginger. Spectacular. This was followed by the copious house salad (romaine, shaved radish, fennel, carrot, beets. cucumber dressed in a tart yogurt mint vinaigrette). Then two sky-high soufflés – one cheese, the other in-season asparagus – both exploding with flavor and obscenely generous.

Wines were expertly paired with each course. By the time dessert arrived – pistachio-laced salted butter caramel soufflé, we almost stood up to applaud. But we were too full. Outstanding.

Champeaux Brasserie Bar & Lounge; Forum des Halles La Canopée 75001 Paris

Septime

Since the opening of this superstar starred neo-bistro on a street behind Bastille, chef Bertrand Grébaut has never looked back. A relaxed decor belies top talent in the kitchen. Grébaut’s menu of pure seasonal ingredients complements a wine list of carefully selected small producers who avoid additives. All of the dishes were beautifully presented. Synergies of flavors and textures were showcased. White asparagus with an oyster sauce gribiche; pork tenderloin with slivered radishes. Steamed cod with pickled turnips and yuzu sauce. A dessert, every French schoolchild’s fave, riz au lait vanille, creamy rice pudding tanged up with a passion fruit coulis, arrived with an old favorite, a deconstructed Mont Blanc of sweetened feta with its familiar chestnut cream “spaghetti.” Knockout.

Septime (multi-course tasting menu);80 Rue de Charonne 75011 Paris

LiLi at the HOTEL PENINSULA

Being escorted through the opulent Hotel Peninsula then seated in LiLi’s spacious dining room felt like we’d arrived on a Hollywood film set. This gastro Chinese temple isn’t about French cuisine. We went for the Menu Dim Sum. Steamed lobster dumplings with asparagus, Shanghai-style steamed pork raviolis, chicken and eggplant dumplings with XO sauce. Plus pan-fried minced pork dumplings with bok choy, each deliciously succulent and elegantly presented. We also tried Peking-style duck, wok-fried Brittany blue lobster with ginger and spring onions, braised French beef with fried ginger. And, to wash it down, martinis with lemon twists which, beautifully cleansed our palates between courses. Authentic and delicious.

LiLi at the Hotel Peninsula; 19 Avenue Kléber 75016 Paris;

Barbara Pasquet James is a U.S. lifestyle editor, speaker, and urban explorer who writes about food fashion and culture, from Paris. Find out more on her blog FocusOnParis.com

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5 historic and brilliant bars in Paris

The post Where to enjoy a luxurious lunch in Paris appeared first on The Good Life France.

As you approach the little village of La Madeleine-sous-Montreuil from the historic hill top town of Montreuil-sur-Mer you can’t help but feel the stress and strife of life simply slip away as the landscape changes from cobbled medieval town to stunning bucolic countryside.

A ravishing little hotel and an internationally famous restaurant

In the heart of the tiny village of La Madeleine-sous-Montreuil, nestling on the banks of the river Canche is the restaurant and hotel la Grenouillère. No ordinary place this, it’s run with passion and panache by 2 Michelin star chef Alexandre Gauthier.

This young chef has been making waves ever since he took over from his Michelin starred father. He’s built up an international reputation for stunning food and presentation in the most enchanting of surroundings with more than a soupçon of style, flair and fabulousness. In 2016 he was voted Best Chef in France by Gault et Millau, the hugely respected and influential French Food Guide.

Pull up outside the former 16^th century ferryman’s cottage and you’ll have no inkling of what awaits inside.

My lunch partner and I got there early and strolled in the garden and along the banks of the river which were decorated with flower beds and designer lamps – very fairy tale.

Then we had an aperitif in the cosy sitting room lined with froggy frescoes. Created in the early 20^th century by Frank Reynolds, the London cartoonist and director of Punch Magazine, they gave the restaurant its name. Wine waiter Alexis poured me a glass of Ruinart Champagne, my partner had a local beer. We relaxed as a beam of sun came through the window and lit up the pumpkins placed on the window sill and round the log fire. It was one of those perfect moments and very romantic. We wandered into the dining room via a dark corridor with viewing holes into the busy kitchen.

A rock star kitchen

The kitchen is pure rock star. Funky lights, gleaming metal preparation bays and everything created in sight of the mesmerised diners.

The restaurant is simple but theatrical. The young staff are discretely enthusiastic. “Did you like that?” asked a waiter as I couldn’t help myself and let out a “wow” on eating a cheese ball that had so many depths of flavour I just couldn’t understand how something the size of a quail’s egg could be like that. Presented in the hollow of a scooped out entire Mimolette cheese, I’ve never had anything like it.

Lunch time on a Friday was buzzing, everyone dining there (except me and my partner) was French and local – and that is a huge deal. If the locals are willing to pay for Michelin star food, you can bet your bottom dollar it’s going to be worth every centime.

I’ve been to Michelin star restaurants where I almost felt like I was on display along with the food, but not here. The emphasis is firmly on the service, the food, the guests enjoying themselves. Its rustic and sophisticated, it’s traditional and innovative, it’s easy going but sensational. It feels calm and natural and the view through the glass walls onto the gardens is like a fairy prairie.

The tasting menu was a no brainer for me, I’d heard so much about this place. My friends from Paris often journey from the bright lights of the city to this little village in the countryside. They come for the food and to chill out at the stunning hotel and they rave about it.

Amazing food

The food was everything I hoped it would be. Theatrical, witty, utterly photogenic, and importantly – delicious. It’s been claimed recently that Michelin star restaurants place too much emphasis on the looks and not on the taste. Not here at la Grenouillère, both aspects are spot on. Gauthier is clearly a firm believer that we eat first with our eyes, the food is beautiful, truly beautiful. And, it smells good and tastes amazing.

I watched as, like me, diners broke into a smile as plates came round. The dishes are cooked to perfection, the flavours are conversation starters. One of my favourite things was chocolate strands with vinegar dressing (and yes it sounds weird but it so works). A spoon dragged across a tray of honeycomb straight form the hive is heavenly. This is absolutely not every day fare. Its posh but not pretentious. Everything here really is about the customer – and though just about every aspect is gorgeous, the best bit is the food.

www.lagrenouillere.com

More on Montreuil-sur-Mer

The Saturday market at Montreuil-sur-Mer
Montreuil-sur-Mer – the perfect weekend destination
The annual Bastille Day antiques market at Montreuil-sur-Mer
Montreuil-sur-Mer, the town that inspired Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The post Magnificent Michelin starred La Grenouillère restaurant, Montreuil-sur-Mer appeared first on The Good Life France.

Perfect for parties, these gorgeous little more-ish macarons from the master in Paris are from his book “Chocolate” and classified as “easy” (available from Amazon). Nicknamed the ‘Picasso of Pastry’ by Jeffrey Steingarten in Vogue, Pierre Hermé is to the macaron what Louis Vuitton is to the handbag. Named the World’s Best Pastry Chef 2016 by the World’s Best 50 Restaurants Academy, Hermé revolutionized traditional pastry-making. Here he shares his chocolate macaron recipe. It’s not as complicated as it looks, but it isn’t that easy either. However follow the instructions carefully and it will mean you make the most perfect little macarons!

Macaron Infinement Chocolate Recipe by Pierre Hermé

Makes about 72 macarons (or about 144 shells)
Preparation Time: 2 mins. (5 days in advance); one hour (the same day).
Cooking Time: About 25 mins.
Resting Time: 30 mins.
Chilling Time: 2 h. + 24 h.

Ingredients

Macaron Shell:
1 cup (7 2/3 oz./220 g) (or about 8) “liquefied” egg whites, divided (see note)
3 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz./300 g) ground almonds
2 cups + 5 tablespoons (10 1/2 oz./300 g) confectioners’ (icing) sugar
4 1/4 oz. (120 g) pure cocoa paste or dark chocolate, 100% cocoa
3/4 teaspoon (4.5 g) carmine red food coloring
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz./300 g) superfine (caster) sugar
1/3 cup (2 2/3 oz./75 g) mineral water

Chocolat Ganache:
2/3 cup (5 oz./140 g) butter at room temperature
12 3/4 oz. (360 g) Guanaja 70% dark chocolate (Valrhona is perfect)
1 1/3 oz. (40 g) pure cocoa paste (or dark chocolate 100% cocoa)
1 2/3 cups (14 oz./400 g) liquid cream

Finishing:
Cocoa powder

Method

Five days in advance: Place the egg whites for the macaron shells in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic film, pierce a few holes in the film and refrigerate to liquefy.

One day in advance, prepare the macaron shells: Sift the ground almonds and the confectioners’ sugar together in a bowl. Chop the cocoa paste and place in a bowl over a bain-marie of simmering water to melt to 122°F (50°C). Combine 1/2 cup (110 g) of liquefied egg whites with the food coloring. Pour onto the sifted almond powder–sugar mixture without mixing.

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, monitoring the temperature with a thermometer. Meanwhile place the remaining 1/2 cup (110 g) of liquefied egg whites in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a wire whisk. Once the sugar syrup has reached 239°F (115°C), begin beating the egg whites on high speed. Once the syrup has reached 244°F (118°C), reduce the mixer speed to medium and begin pouring the syrup in a steady stream into the beaten egg whites. Continue beating until the mixture cools to 122°F (50°C).

Using a spatula, fold the meringue mixture into the almond–sugar–egg white mixture. Add the melted cocoa paste, mixing until the batter loses a little volume. Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a No. 11 plain tip (1/2 in. diameter). Line baking sheets with cooking parchment and pipe out rounds of batter about 1 1/2 in. (3.5 cm) in diameter, spaced about 3/4 in. apart. Tap the baking sheets gently on a work surface covered with a kitchen towel to smooth the surface. Place the cocoa powder in a sifter and sprinkle lightly over the macaron shells. Set aside at room temperature for at least thirty minutes to allow a “skin” to form.

Preheat the oven on convection setting to 355°F (180°C/Gas Mark 6). Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for twelve minutes, opening and closing the oven door quickly twice during the baking to release steam. Remove from the oven and slide the macaron shells onto the work surface.

Prepare the Infiniment Chocolat ganache:

Cut the butter into pieces. Chop the chocolate and cocoa paste with a serrated knife, and place them in a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan and pour it, one-third at a time, over the chocolate and cocoa paste, stirring from the center out in small, then progressively larger concentric circles. When the temperature of the chocolate cools to 95°F–104°F (35°C–40°C), incorporate, little by little, the butter. Whisk until the ganache is smooth. Pour into a shallow dish. Press a sheet of plastic film directly onto the surface of the chocolate cream and refrigerate until the texture is creamy.

Spoon the ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a No. 11 plain pastry tip. Turn half of the macaron shells over, flat side up, on the work surface and pipe the ganache generously onto each shell. Cover each with a second macaron shell. Refrigerate for twenty-four hours.

The following day, remove the macarons from the refrigerator two hours before serving.

The post How to make chocolate macarons by Pierre Hermé appeared first on The Good Life France.

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. Derived from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus, it takes anything from 70,000 to 250,000 flowers to make one pound of saffron. The flowers must be individually handpicked in the autumn when fully open. Fortunately, only a little needs to be added to a dish to lend it colour and aroma and it’s the safranal, a volatile oil, which gives saffron much of its distinctive aroma that explodes when cooked.

Saffron growers in France

Saffron was grown in France for many years but the plants suffered from phylloxera which also destroyed many vineyards in the 19th century. It is though, making a comeback, and at around £75.00 (US$100) for 1 gram (roughly 150 hand-picked flowers), it’s a lucrative, if manually demanding, plant to cultivate and pick. Which is good news for the handful of canny entrepreneurs who are taking a leap of faith and investing time and money into reviving the lost art of saffron production in south west France.

Four years ago, Countess Alexandra Simonoff-Arpels (she prefers just plain old Alexandra) and her husband Eric started a saffron farm in Verteillac, Dordogne, also known as the Perigord region.

“We were watching a documentary on saffron growing in Iran, and having thought about a venture which would give Alexandra a means to fulfil her dream of working with the land and producing luxury gourmet products, we thought, we can do that , let’s take the chance to invest in saffron, ‘’ explains Eric.

They left behind their lives in Paris though, Parisian by birth, Eric, who says he was ‘adopted’ by the Périgord, still works there part time.

‘’We came up with the name L’Or des Anges (angel’s gold) because the Romans dubbed saffron ‘red gold’ and, with my love of wine,’’ says Alexandra, ‘’I knew that vintners have a poetic expression for the percentage of alcohol that is given off during the fermentation process. They call it ‘the angel’s share’ in the belief that the guardian angels, when a bit squiffy, will look over them and give a good vintage. It’s quite romantic.”

Saffron in jam

Saffron has long been a key ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine and in addition to selling the pure spice, Alex uses it in her range of homemade jams. These luxury confitures are created in her state of the art atelier, based on closely guarded family recipes from her maternal grandmother.

‘’I have a passion for jam,’’ says Alexandra, ‘’and I always work with 2 kgs of fruit, no more, as I want to make it à l’ancienne without pectin, just citron, the traditional way. Sometimes with a base of pear and apple, I add a little orange and lemon or dried sultanas, apricots, dates, plum, prunes, raisin de currant, walnuts, figs, and of course, some of our lovely saffron. I buy all my ingredients from local markets, I don’t add pectin, gelling agents or preservatives, and I cook with copper saucepans, this gives a unique taste of traditional jam,’’ she says.

As a connoisseur, everything that Alexandra makes is luxurious and quite fancy. Her repertoire of jams reflects a love of French literature as shown in her new range of haute couture Confiture des Anges such as the highly decadent Memoires de Vignes. I can only reveal that it involves burning off the alcohol from a bottle of Monbazillac wine, a lot of stirring, adding sugar, saffron and gold.

Saffron farm in France

The farm with its walls of sandstone and lauze roofs called Le Repaire near Verteillac, has been in Alexandra’s family for three hundred years. Set back off the beaten track in an ancient Périgordine hamlet, she watched as her grandparents grew every vegetable and fruit possible in their potager and crucially learnt about respect for the land which left a deep and lasting impression on Alexandra.

Just a few years after it was started, L’Or des Anges is making waves. The safranière is thriving and this year the couple have diversified and planted 1,200 truffle oak saplings and the power and prestige of the mighty truffle is as much as saffron.

Find out more at: lordesanges.com

See the Countess’ delicious baked saffron pudding and scallop recipes.

By Susie Hunting, a freelance photographer and writer who lives in the Périgord Vert with her two dogs and loves everything about the rural way of life in France.

The post Saffron in France | Red Gold in the Dordogne appeared first on The Good Life France.

Chef Spencer Richards from the UK spent years taking holidays in Normandy with his family. He loved the culture and the history and especially the fabulous gastronomy of the northern French region. Eventually he couldn’t resist the lure of Normandy any more. He moved to St Hilaire Du Harcouet, Manche, and set up Normandy Cooking Days – a fabulous foodie cooking experience, and he renovated an ancient boulangerie and turned it into a cosy gite.

Normandy Cooking Days

“Food is such a valuable part of life in France” says Chef Spence “and here in St Hilaire Du Harcouet we’re blessed with a fabulous street market and great artisanal bakers, award winning butcher’s, grocers and other wonderful shops”.

Normandy Cooking Days offers the chance to experience the typically French and specifically Norman way of cooking. And even better, the chef travels to you to teach you at your home or holiday home (within the area of Caen-Cherbourg-St Malo). “Learning to cook Norman style is best when you really live it and learn it in situ” enthuses Chef Spence. A one day cooking experience is great fun and utterly delicious. Buying some of the best produce in the world direct from farmers and producers, “so much pride goes into it” he says, makes cooking here exhilarating and very special.

There are no rushed lunch hours, the French way is to prepare something delectable and then to have the time to truly savour it. That’s exactly what Normandy Cooking Days offers. In the morning you’ll shop at the market and the shops. Then Chef will teach you how to make classic French dishes with your fresh produce – perhaps Moules Marinière or  Coq au Vin or fresh lobster, Normandy apple tart or rich creamy Crème Brulée. All the cooking hobs, utensils, sundries and recipe cards will be supplied for you to use. And, at the end of your day of cooking you’ll receive a certificate of training and Chef will be on hand for any questions you might have afterwards.

You can cook as an individual, a couple, as a group or family, and if you’re cooking as an individual, why not invite your family to join you for dinner to enjoy the delicious meal you’ve prepared.

Delectable Normandy style cooking

Normandy cooking is rich and tasty and the local philosophy is “if it doesn’t grow near you, don’t use it”. Apples are a firm favourite in Normandy” shares Chef Spence “apple Jam for breakfast with apple Juice. Endives with a vinaigrette of apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil, but no mustard as that is from Dijon! Squid flambéed in Calvados (distilled apple juice) at dinner, apple tart for dessert”.

Butter and cream are also popular in the rich dishes of Normandy “Now I’m going to start an argument here, Moules Marinière in England has cream in it, but if you add cream that’s really Moules Normandy. Same goes for chicken or pork sauces, apples and cream all the way!”

“For me” says Chef Spence “You simply can’t beat oysters, with Normandy Pork to follow and something with apples and fresh farm cream for dessert – that’s so Norman”. Normandy cuisine is not complicated, but, emphasizes this friendly chef on his cooking course, that doesn’t mean it’s simple. “It’s not fussy” and seasonal ingredients are key.

Join a cooking course in Normandy

Join Chef Spence for a day or more, and discover the amazing cuisine of Normandy while you’ll learn French cooking techniques and skills.

Recipe for Normandy Pork Casserole

The post Learn to Cook in Normandy | Perfect French cooking experience appeared first on The Good Life France.

80,000 rooms, 14,000 restaurants, 84 of them with Michelin Star status – Paris is a delicious place to take a gourmet break, a wine and dine wonderland…

If you’re a lover of French cuisine, and let’s face it, most of us are, then Paris is the perfect city to indulge yourself. From traditional brasseries to haute cuisine and everything in between, Paris has something to please everyone.

Traditional Cuisine and wonderful wine bars

A great place to go for a traditional French lunch is the restaurant Bistrotters in the 14th district(9 Rue Decrès). It is a classic 19th century French bistro with a great reputation which it certainly lives up to.

A typical lunch, which definitely requires a walk afterwards is a big slab of foie gras washed down with a glass of Gewürztraminer followed by melt-in-the-mouth belly pork and a dessert of classic “Pain Perdu”, a chunk of bread cooked in butter with chocolate and served with a delectable vanilla ice cream.

Paris is a great city to get lost in and explore on foot but if you fancy taking it easy then you could traverse the streets in a vintage Citroen 2CV (parisauthentic.com). Actually, it’s not the best of rides on a full tummy, go before lunch if you can. With a knowledgeable Parisian driver and clear plastic roof you will see all the main sights, it is well worth seeking out.

Much of Paris is built from local chalky stone that was quarried from beneath the city and left underground caverns such as at the Chemin des Vignes (7 rue Pasquier). At 300 years old it was once used as a mushroom cellar and has been the home to the Legrand family’s wine business for several generations. Wine is sold here to individuals and businesses or stored for future consumption.

Of course you don’t visit a wine cellar without tasting and I managed to try four different wines. Starting with champagne and ending with sweet Sauternes, each glass was accompanied by a different cheese with chocolate mousse at the end.

If you’re in the mood for a cool beer, there’s a small artisan brewery in the heart of the city called bapbap.paris (79 Rue Saint-Maur) that does light lunches and a terrific range of beers.

From the Sublime to the Sensational

The Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most recognisable structures. No matter how many times you see it, it never fails to take your breath away especially at night when it is bathed in golden floodlight and the white strobe lights flash rhythmically, turning it into a giant sparkler, which it does on the hour.

The Eiffel Tower is overlooked by the art deco styled Palais de Challiot in which resides the legendary Cafe de L’Homme (17 Place du Trocadéro) – where the best tables have the fantastic sight of the floodlit tower in front of them.

The menu is fabulous but I can highly recommend the beautifully light tuna carpaccio, a delicate slice of sea bass and a luscious chocolate bombe. Superb quality wines will accompany the meal. One of the owners of the restaurant is the elegant Coco Eiffel, great granddaughter of the legendary Gustave Eiffel, creator of France’s most iconic symbol. Sitting here in this place with a glass of Champagne is a memorably exquisite experience.

Food Tour of Paris

Delicate shortbread cakes in the Patisserie Bontemps, cheese in Fromagerie Jouannauly, wine, salami and ham in the market and eight shops later choux pastry in the choux shop. For a sense of where savvy locals go to buy the best produce, take a foodie tour of Paris, there’s plenty of choice!

The Legend

Alain Ducasse is one of the great names in French cooking and his restaurant at the Plaza Athenée is quite extraordinary. The hotel itself is amazing, from the Dior spa on the lower ground floor to the very best suites on the 8th with their un-rivalled views of the Eiffel Tower – including one from the bath through a two way window. One night’s stay in these top rooms is three times the price of my first house but it really is the type of place we should all try to stay in once in our lives for that special occasion or anniversary, and besides, it was much more affordable on the sixth floor.

One of the hotel’s gems tucked away discretely is the restaurant Alain Ducasse. Here he has developed a new menu based on much healthier foods and here, gone are meat and poultry, the menu is mostly confined to fish, shellfish, vegetables and grain.

What Ducasse does today the others do tomorrow.

In its simplistic form after two or three tiny amuse bouche appetizers, the meal was caviar, bass, lobster and chocolate pudding with some exceptional wines. However to do full justice it would require a special supplement, it was quite simply magnifique. (Read our full review of Alain Ducasse, Plaza Athenée)

Rungis: Biggest fresh food & flowers market in the world

This is not just any market but the largest fresh food and flower market in the world.
The figures are mind blowing:
The market  is larger than Monaco.
There are 12000 employees.
It has a turnover of £8 billion.
Each pavilion is the size of a big supermarket

You have to be up early for a tour here – it starts at around 05.30 and after you’ve been left open mouthed at the sheer size and diversity of gorgeous produce, you’ll end with a huge breakfast including carafes of red and white wine. For those who work here, it is of course lunchtime. Though Rungis market is not open to the general public, (it’s strictly wholesale), tours are available via rungisinternational.com and utterly fascinating.

Discover more great things to see and do in Paris and France with UK.france.fr
Find out about the Top Chefs of Paris

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Rue Mouffetard – the oldest street in Paris and oh so pretty…
6 Great family days out in Paris – top trips for all the family

The post Where To Eat In Paris appeared first on The Good Life France.

SEA BREAM IN A GARLIC BOUILLON by Gérald Passédat, 3 Michelin star chef and undeniable King of Mediterranean cuisine. This dish may look simple to make but there’s nothing simple about the taste – it’s utterly delicious and guaranteed to impress.

Serves 4 | Preparation time: 2 hours | Cooking time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 small sea bream, weighing 12 oz. (350 g) each
3 heads garlic
6 shallots
2 cups (1 lb. 2 oz./500 g) salt (large grain salt)
2 cups (500 ml) fish stock
5 oz. (150 g) any white fish fillets
Scant ¼ cup (50 ml) whipping cream
6 sage leaves
Salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C/Gas mark 2).

Put two of the heads of garlic and all the shallots between two layers of  salt in an ovenproof dish and cook in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. When cooked, cut the shallots in half length ways and squeeze the soft garlic from the heads. Set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F (130°C/Gas mark ½).

Clean and scale the sea bream. Remove the two fillets from each fish by slicing length ways along the backbone on either side, but leaving the fillets attached at the belly. Clean the fish, remove the bones and skin, and lay them side by side in an ovenproof dish. Season, pour over 1 cup (250 ml) of the stock, and cook in the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove any bones or pieces of skin from the white fish fillets, put the remaining stock in a saucepan, and add the fillets. Separate the third head of garlic into cloves, peel them, and add to the saucepan. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the cream and two sage leaves, and allow to infuse for a few minutes. Remove and discard the sage leaves. Pour this bouillon into a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour a little bouillon into each soup plate and lay a sea bream fillet in the center. Arrange three shallot halves and a sage leaf around it, then place a quenelle-shaped teaspoonful of the reserved garlic puree on top.

Recipe from Flavors from the French Mediterranean cook book by Gérald Passedat – full of divine dishes from the brilliant chef.

More recipes from Gerald Passedat:
Menton Lemon Tart – a fabulous citrus tart that will have your taste buds singing!
Poached peaches in green tea syrup – deliciously easy to make and very more-ish!
Strawberry and tomato salad – it sounds like it doesn’t work but it does and its lush!

The post Sea Bream in Garlic Bouillon by Gerald Passedat appeared first on The Good Life France.