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Published: April 23rd 2013
Tuesday Morning Finally, I think that jet lag has worn off and Jerry seems to have kicked the worst of his head cold, that or the French drugs are really good. In any event the plan for the day is to head to the St. Germaine area of Paris, have lunch and then walk the Luxembourg Gardens. In our previous trips to Paris we have never managed to get to this section before. Tonight Jerry will be attending a wine and cheese course while I take an evening market class (both at the same school).
This morning I have been having my coffee and doing some work, just a few more payroll reports and that part will be done.
Random Musing I have not added this section of the blog up until now, as I haven’t had many Radom Musings, been sleeping too much for that I think. However, this morning I have mused a bit. First, thanks to all of you who comment on the blogs I do enjoy knowing someone is reading these things. And to AJ we like to think of ourselves more of seasoned travelers not tourists (and I will try
to incorporate more pictures of Jerry, we just haven’t been in the same place much at this point). But back to the musings. Yesterday I was feeling a bit guilty that here we are in Paris and we aren’t out seeing the sights. Then it occurred to me, that Paris feels more like my second (or maybe third after New York) home. We don’t feel the need to “sight see”, instead we can enjoy Paris for itself not what tourists come here for. Perhaps that means we are slowly becoming French (without being able to speak the language of course). After all when I am in New York, everyone thinks I am a New Yorker (ok, Rob no need to say what you’re thinking). While I don’t think anyone in Paris will ever mistake me for a Parisian, it would be a great honor if they ever did.
Finally, we did not come to Paris as tourists; we came to get away from the States and to begin to explore the possibility of perhaps actually moving here or somewhere in France. The point of this part of the trip was also for me to continue my quest to master
the art of French cooking so that someday (sooner than later) I can open my own French Bistro and serve authentic and traditional French fare, not the ever so trendy modern version you get in Portland. As for Jerry, he is here for his love of design and architecture and to continue to develop his list of places to obtain items for his future very successful design career. Although so fare his cold has got in the way of his ability to truly explore the nooks and crannies of all Paris has to offer on the design front.
St Germaine Around noon we headed for St. Germaine and the Luxembourg Gardens. Our first stop would be lunch at Café de Flore which is right next to Café des Magots. The later being a famous author hangout during the 20’s and 30’s. Now it is a very expensive place to have lunch or dinner. Café de Flore just as nice and stiff competitor is a little less expensive. It was our first time to be able to at outside, the weather was quite nice but it went from cold to slightly muggy throughout the day. When eating outside
you can smoke, so that is nice for Jerry and for me since he doesn’t have to leave me sitting there alone to go smoke. The patrons were quite diverse, from business men, to the ladies that lunch and of course tourists. We were very proud of ourselves as we ordered from beginning to end all in French. The waiter did not even speak English to us until the very end when he apologized for not taking more than a minute to bring us the check.
After lunch we walked to the Luxembourg Gardens, always on the lookout for a place to buy scarves, sorry AJ just no luck yet. The gardens were quite beautiful with several flours and some interesting Tulips in bloom. It was a pretty slow afternoon, a walk around the Luxembourg Gardens then through the Latin Quarter ending up at Notre Dame and our subway ride home.
We had about 15 minutes to spare upon arriving back at the apartment before my evening market class and Jerry’s wine and cheese class.
Wine & Cheese While I was shopping with my class for the evening market class, Jerry was at the wine and
cheese class. All I can really tell you about his experience is that he had 4 cheeses and 4 wines. Yes we have a list of what they were, but my typing them here isn’t going to give you the feel of his experience, so that will just have to be something that you all learn about at a dinner party or some other gathering.
Evening Market Class As with all market class you begin with shopping for the ingredients you will be cooking with that day. We again hit the main market street in Montmartre, each district apparently has one, something I learned this trip. We started at the horse market, yes I said horse. We didn’t buy anything, but there is a market here that sells horse meat. Evidently it doesn’t taste much different than beef. It became the meat of choice after WWII as the Germans had eaten all the cows and horse was all that was left. Today, only the older set really eats, it but obviously enough of the French still eat horse if there is a market that sells it.
Out next stop was the fromagerie for a 30 minute cheese
class. There was far too much information given to even come close to doing it justice here. I will say that I did learn that Swiss and cheddar are actually from the same cheese family, they are all technically cheddars. For more you will just have to look that up.
We spent about 90 minutes shopping for our dinner, duck, sea bream, cheeses, vegetables and quail for the two Chinese attendees that didn’t like duck. I am not sure how that happens that Chinese don’t like duck I guess they just ate too much growing up. The other participants were from Canada and Washington DC. The instructor, Alex, was from Houston, yes Houston Texas.
When we arrived back to the cooking school, Jerry was just finishing up his wine & cheese class so went back to the apartment until it was time for him to come back and enjoy the labors of our cooking.
I as always, learned some new techniques and most importantly got a good lesson on chopping and boning fowl and how to filet a fish. There was of course much wine flowing as we cooked and a good time was had by all.
The Canadians did not like the Roquefort and the couple of China did not like any of the cheese, but that doesn’t seem too unusual as it strikes me as China probably doesn’t have a lot of cheese.
The menu, while seeming complex was in fact quite simple. French food is more about technique than complexity of cooking. While the flavors are very complex how you arrive there is pretty basic. The most important things about French food are 1) butter 2) the sauce 3) the order in which it is cooked 4) layering your flavors.
It was a good class and a great evening. I truly feel as if I am on vacation now and am looking forward to my day of cooking on Wednesday. I will have a bread class in the morning and a dessert class in the afternoon.
Today’s Food. Breakfast – coffee and croissant
Lunch – Jerry had quiche and a simple salad, I had a Salade Nicoise.
Dinner – Sea Bream over white asparagus topped with a radish salad, Roasted Duck with sautéed mushrooms, pommes Anna (thinly sliced potatoes layered with butter, potatoes salt and pepper over and over, cooked on the top of the stove finished in the oven) wonderful sauce from the duck bones, classic mirepiox, butter, garlic, wine and more butter. It was all incredible. The cheese course was five different cheeses from goat, to soft to stinky to blue. Finally we ended with lemon curd, strawberries and crumble (we would call the topping a brown betty). Keep in mind the class cooked everything.
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Michael O'Shea
non-member comment
Hi guys! I\'m really - I mean REALLY - enjoying your blog. You write wonderfully Chris! I have a few client issues though: ... just kidding. Travel safe, cook well and keep writing. BTW, I told Scott that I\'ve never seen Chris so happy as he looks in the pic on the previous blog. Paris suits you. Love ya, Michael