The Tomato Knife

I’d been hearing about Chez Chartier, a historic 19^th century restaurant, ever since moving to Paris.

I’d especially wanted to go see the famous cubbies that line the walls. Little wooden drawers marked with numbers, this is where regulars once kept their napkins. Last night, we finally decided to check it out and I’m still trying to decide which was more impressive: the décor, the waiters or the classic French menu.

Today it may reach 90 degrees in Paris, and yesterday wasn’t too far behind. The large wooden fans hanging from the restaurant ceiling were working hard as we settled down at our table. Soon as we walked through the front doors, we knew this would be a unique experience. The setting immediately took us back to 1896, when the restaurant first opened:  one immense room filled with cream-colored walls, giant mirrors, intricate molding, dark wooden paneling and large chandeliers dangling from high ceilings. In addition to eying the much-awaited napkin cubbies, I also took note of the brass racks above the tables, where clients once placed their hats while dining. Even on a Wednesday night, the restaurant was packed – and very noisy. Be prepared to share a table and chat with strangers – our neighbors happened to be an older Canadian couple on a five-week tour of Europe.

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Tags: restaurants

Conclusion first: the original experiment failed after only a few hours. I am not a vegan and will probably never succeed in becoming one (especially not in France where I am surrounded by such good yogurt and cheese).

When my sister told me she was going vegan for a month, it reminded me of the first time I tried. One day in 2003, I made it until mid-morning. Seven years later, I thought I had a stronger will and, since I wanted to be a good big sister and support her endeavor, I decided to go dairy-free for one week. (The whole month was out of the question). As I mentioned: big failure. I was only able to resist the strawberry yogurt nestled in the fridge until noon.

Thus, the original experiment has been redesigned: as a creative challenge, I’ll prepare one vegan meal per day until the end of the week.

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Tags: cereals, fruit, nuts, salads

I think it’s funny that I learned to make salsa in  Paris- out of pure necessity, really.

Ever since leaving for college, one of the reasons I find myself regularly returning back to sunny Santa Fe is for the unmatched northern-style New Mexican food – warm flour tortillas, chunky green chili sauce, cheese tamales wrapped and steamed in corn husks… and, of course, the world’s most cheerful tomato salsa. When you grow up on this fresh local fare, your life just isn’t the same without it.

Thus, the reason I taught myself to make this tomato salsa in our tiny kitchen in Paris. Fortunately, we have a bigger kitchen now, but when I first tried it a few years ago, we had neither a countertop nor an appropriate sieve. It took me hours to chop up all the ingredients, strain out the extra liquid, and try to add spice without… well… any spice.

Since then, I’ve simplified my approach- a fine sieve and admitting I wouldn’t have exactly the same ingredients as in Santa Fe helped. This recipe, which I made in about 30 minutes the other day, is based on traditional New Mexican salsa, but uses ingredients that are very easy to find in Paris!

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Tags: chili, santa fe, sauces, tomatoes, vegetables

World Cup 2010.

Starts tomorrow and we’ll be watching as France confronts Uruguay at 8:30pm. I’m thinking of yummy munchies and of making  some of my mushroom bruschetta. This has been a longtime favorite, but I most recently tried it on hearty slices of dark seedless rye bread from the local boulangerie. Yum, yum. Don’t think I’ll change a thing for tomorrow’s cheering session.

Shopping List

4 mushrooms per person (sliced)*

Parmesan (or other hard Italian) cheese shavings

1 clove garlic per person (yeah, really that much!)

Fresh chives

Salt, Pepper

Olive oil

Dark, seedless rye bread (sliced)

Recipe:

1. Sautée the garlic in a bit of olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms after a few minutes and fully cook. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Rub the edges of the slices of bread with a garlic clove.

3. Spoon the mushrooms onto the bread and cover with the Parmesan shavings (to make: use a vegetable peeler).

4. Grill in a hot oven until the cheese is melted and beginning to turn brown.

5. Decorate with a splash of pepper and fresh chives.

*I’d recommend baby portobello or good old champignons de paris.

Go France!

Tags: appetizers, vegetables