Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Cooking in Paris


So dinner is quite expensive in Paris and eating alone, while not terrible, is not my favorite thing to do. One of my favorite things to do is go to food markets and shop for fresh produce, however!

So today, I had lunch with a friend who showed me the nearest food market. He took me to his favorite bakery which had a lovely "formule" where you could get a sandwich/tartine/quiche, a cold drink, and one of their delectable desserts for only 6 Euros! We sat on the gazebo of a park nearby and talked about dating, love, and finding personal happiness while I munched on a delicious baguette filled with cornichons, sauccisson, and butter. My dessert was a delightfully creamy pudding/cake with fresh plums in it.

After he left to return to work, I strolled through the street market and bought some beautiful yellow plums, some ripe peaches, a bunch of flowers, and some fresh French radishes.

I'm also trying not to succumb to the bread in Paris - its so divine that its tempting to eat it with every meal. And pasta is easy but getting boring and also just as fattening as bread so Omelettes have been my go to meal for one...

Tonights dinner:

Mushroom and Picodon omelet over salad of Arugula and Bayonne ham:

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Picodon and Pont-l'Évêque Cheeses


Today's cheese are:

Picodon de la Drôme: a goats-milk cheese made in the region around the RhôneToday's cheese are:

Picodon de la Drôme: a goats-milk cheese made in the region around the Rhône river in southern France. The name means "spicy" in Occitan, a romance language spoken in Southern France.   The cheese itself comes in a number of varieties, each small, flat and circular in shape varying from speckled white to golden in colour. The pâte of the cheese is spicy and unusually dry, whilst retaining a smooth, fine texture.

and           

Pont-l'Évêque: a cheese originally manufactured in the area around the commune of Pont-l'Évêque between Deauville and Lisieux in the Calvados department of Normandie and is probably the oldest Norman cheese still in production. Pont-l'Évêque is an uncooked, unpressed cow’s milk cheese, square in shape.  The central pâte is soft, creamy pale yellow in colour with a smooth, fine texture and has a pungent aroma. This is surrounded by a washed rind that is white with a gentle orange-brown coloration. The whole is soft when pressed but lacks elasticity. It is generally ranked alongside Brie, Camembert, and Roquefort as one of the most popular cheeses in France.

My review:
The Pont-l'Évêque  is just as I remembered it from Normandie... slightly stinky but wonderfully rich and  creamy on your tongue. I ate it with some french radishes to cut the creaminess and it was divine! 

The Picodon is a lovely dryish but sweet typical goat cheese. Not too heavy - nice and light. Enjoyable! 
 river in southern France. The name means "spicy" in Occitan, a romance language spoken in Southern France.   The cheese itself comes in a number of varieties, each small, flat and circular in shape varying from speckled white to golden in colour. The pâte of the cheese is spicy and unusually dry, whilst retaining a smooth, fine texture.

and

Pont-l'Évêque: a cheese originally manufactured in the area around the commune of Pont-l'Évêque between Deauville and Lisieux in the Calvados department of Normandie and is probably the oldest Norman cheese still in production. Pont-l'Évêque is an uncooked, unpressed cow’s milk cheese, square in shape.  The central pâte is soft, creamy pale yellow in colour with a smooth, fine texture and has a pungent aroma. This is surrounded by a washed rind that is white with a gentle orange-brown coloration. The whole is soft when pressed but lacks elasticity. It is generally ranked alongside Brie, Camembert, and Roquefort as one of the most popular cheeses in France.

My review:
The Pont-l'Évêque  is just as I remembered it from Normandie... slightly stinky but wonderfully rich and  creamy on your tongue. I ate it with some french radishes to cut the creaminess and it was divine! 

The Picodon is a lovely dryish but sweet typical goat cheese. Not too heavy - nice and light. Enjoyable! 

Saturday, July 17, 2010

A few weeks in Paris



So I will be spending a few weeks in Paris and I thought I might be able to chronicle my eating adventures while here...

After lounging around this morning drinking coffee and picking at some leftover pasta while listening to Jazz, I finally got myself motivated to go to the Monoprix grocery store. Its just down the road and while I would like to shop at the nice outdoor markets while I'm here - it was getting a bit late and I needed some provisions.

I purchased:

Provisions are purchased!

Eggs
Milk
Butter
Pont L'evoque and Chevre cheeses
Radishes
Aru
gula
Tomatos
Mushrooms
Shallots
Baguette
Pancetta and Prosciutto
Olives
Espresso
Yogurt
strawberries
A bottle of Cotes de Rhone



Tonight, I am going to go out to dinner - although its Saturday night, if I eat early enough at 6:30, I think that I'll be served. Then I will bring my book with me and have a glass of wine at one of the bars here in the Bastille. I'm not being super adventurous my first night here but I'm pleased with my purchases. I have plans to make brunch tomorrow and talk on the phone to my friend Mike in Berlin and then head out to the museums. I'm pleased!