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PARIS: LET´S TALK OEUFS!
Bonjour!
The email in-box these last two weeks have been jammed with such a mix of concerns about political tensions, world affairs, violent incidents, and Sunday´s close elections -- yes, the first round of the presidential elections here in France is happening on Sunday with 16 candidates (including three Trotskyites) and no apparent leader-- that I´ve decided to lighten up a bit and talk about.... eggs.
Residents and visitors alike may take pleasure in strolling through any Parisian supermarket and acting like cultural anthropologists. I think of my local Monoprix as a kind of contemporary museum filled with not only goods--but attitudes and trends. And no entrance fee. Eggs, for example, in France require some careful handling and de-coding. Long are gone the days of just plain ol oeufs. Oeufs Bio are marked "de poules éleves en Libre Parcours," which means the hens are free to run around. Then, what are "oeufs de poules élevées en plein air"? The hens can breathe but they can´t run -- and the price is about a euro less per six. Then there are the oeufs frais de poules élevées en plein air issus de l´agriculture biologique." In other words, the birds get to breathe and eat well. I´m kind of perplexed by the eggs "fermiers ramassées à la main, pondus sur la paille," or farm eggs gathered by hand and laid on straw; it seems like the laying should precede the gathering. My favorite eggs though are the "très gros oeufs (over 73 grams) aux aliments sans graisse animale" and "datés sur la coquille." Seems like an agnes b idea. Every omelet becomes part of your calendar.
Some think that the French are silly because of their attention to food; I think the attention to quality at a time when we as global people battle to save time and money and cut corners in the spirit of efficiency and profit is something worth defending. We like to breathe good air and run around freely; why deprive the hens.
David Applefield
david@paris-anglo.com
STRAWBERRIES (LES FRAISES)
JOYFUL COLORS OF SPRING
Well tourist season has begun. Tulips are abundant. The French are more amiable. And the parks are rempli with children and pets. So is it the great Spring sunshine putting smiles on all of our faces? It definitely helps, but I think it’s the bright scarlet strawberries popping up in every market around Paris. It’s just something about that beautiful red color and that sweet saveur renewing our senses from the dreary winter days. Strawberries means so much more here than elsewhere.
Strawberry season has just arrived, but when recently on a market excursion I jumped at the chance to purchase my first Spring barquette of gariguettes. What is it about April in Paris? Perhaps, those of you just visiting in April may not appreciate the change as much. The air is still somewhat chilly, and the coat may still be an option to pack on your April Parisian voyage. However, living here, after having been ever-so patient during the grey, wet winter days, the rainbow array of fruits and veggies at your local market comes as a relief.
At the moment, Spanish strawberries are frequently seen next to the preciously succulent gariguette variety from the Aquitaine. I’m pretty biased. While in France, I opt for local products, unless of course I’m preparing international cuisine. But a tarte aux fraises just doesn’t seem the same without being made by real French, home-grown berries.
The beautiful red fruit packed with vitamin C was thought to have first been cultivated in ancient Rome around 234 B.C. In Alpine France, strawberries were grown in the 13th century for medicinal purposes. The leaves, roots, and fruits were used as a digestive and skin tonic, the berry was taken internally for diarrhea and indigestion, and the leaves and roots were used for gout. Cosmetically, they were used for sunburn and skin blemishes, and the fruit juice was used for discolored teeth. In Provincial France, they were regarded as an aphrodisiac.
Though there are around 600 varieties, I think I’ll only share a few with you today. Both the gariguette from the Aquitaine and favette from Provence appear in April. Both are quite flavorful. The gorella from the Garonne and Provence are seen in May and are larger and firmer. The elsanta, a breed of gorella and holliday, also arrive in the marketplaces in May and are cultivated all over France. Ask for these and surprise your vendor -- and yourself!
In June-July, the bogota (pale and slightly acidic) and belrubi (small, elongated, and bright red) can be found in lovely heaps. From August to September, several other varieties can be purchased: brighton, fern, selva, red gauntlet, rabunda, and gento.
Avoid non-seasonal strawberries if possible. They aren’t as flavorful, and the wait until Spring makes them that much more enjoyable. Choose bright strawberries, without spots, and avoid ones that aren’t quite ripe (green or white points). The size or form doesn’t influence the quality, though if preparing a tart, opt for ones of similar size and color. Avoid keeping them in their basket, use as fresh as possible, and keep the stems attached to increase longevity. If the small seeds on the outside cause discomfort or hives, try peeling them or rinsing the strawberries in a mixture of water and lemon juice.
Recipe suggestions: Strawberries and Champagne: Wash quickly in water. Dry, sprinkle with sugar, and refrigerate. To serve, pour chilled brut champagne over strawberries and accompany with whipped cream. Moan outloud.
Strawberries dusted with Cardamom sugar:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur or orange juice
2 16-ounce baskets strawberries, hulled, left whole
Fresh mint sprigs (optional)
Whisk sugar and cardamom in small bowl to blend.
Pour Grand Marnier into large bowl. Add strawberries to bowl and toss to coat. Spread cardamom sugar on large platter or baking sheet. Using slotted spoon and working in batches, transfer strawberries to platter with cardamom sugar. Roll in sugar to coat well. Divide strawberries among 6 wineglasses. Pour any remaining Grand Marnier from bowl over berries. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)
Place 1 wineglass with strawberries on each of 6 plates. Garnish with mint sprigs. Serves six.
Enjoy the amazing Spring weather, take time to smell the flowers, and happy strawberry shopping.
PARIS MOMENT N° 14: TUILERIE GARDENS
Dale Gershwin´s PARIS MOMENT # 14 takes us through a wrought-iron gate.
Entering the Tuilerie Gardens, westward, at 7:00 AM: There is a little ante-garden and then a graceful black wrought-iron gate, and beyond the gate, at this moment of the morning, in this freshness of the sun, the brown ground of the Tuileries is powdered pearl. It´s wondrous--who prepares it every day?--the private whiteness of a ground which is never white at any other hour, and certainly never when it welcomes more than the smallest number of people into its reach. Will the people bring the brown ground in with them later on? Who monitors the regularity with which every irregular surface is bleached--every pebble-surface, every earthclump-surface? Every footprint-surface in the space around the stone banquettes under the outlining trees. Around the great round centered fountain which seems flatter and more expansive and more exposed in the open air without children and tourists and members of the royal court pulling at it and making demands on its wealth.
Spreading out from the fountain to form the base of an I, the white soil fetches the cold correctitude of the Rue de Rivoli´s somber buildings from the right, and the fancy grandeur of the Musée d´Orsay´s radiant clocks from the left, bringing them through the side gates into the Gardens´ awareness. Just ahead a workman and his three-wheeled trucklet of tools stirs up dusty puffs near the brilliant flowers planted in large symmetrical squares, and dustier puffs near the symmetrical statues who watch them grow.
Speaking of the Musée d´Orsay, DID YOU KNOW that: in its giftshop is a book with one of the most breathtaking before/after pictures in existence? A shot of the main hall when it was the Gare (Train Station) d´Orsay, juxtaposed to a shot of the same exact space, taken from the same exact camera angle, transformed into the stunning art-palace that it is.
c 2002 Dale Gershwin
WHAT´S BREWING
Email is fine, and Paris is Paris, but what people keep asking for is TO GET TOGETHER.
So, two announcements...
PHILADELPHIA, Hotel Sofitel, Versailles Room. April 30th at 6 pm. www.paris-anglo.com publisher and editor, David Applefield, will be talking on Living and Working in Paris. If you are within 200 miles or so, please do come!
APRIL 24th.... DA will be traveling, but the rest of the My Mercredi are urged to pour back to The Frog and Rosbif pub at the bottom of rue St. Denis. Wed. from 6 pm till ....
ASK ALISON -- NEW
A New Feature to My Mercredi and www.paris-anglo.com, Alison answers your questions on great places, new haunts, and fabulous shopping designed for the particularly youthful, budget-conscious twenty-something Paris-lover. Ask Alison!
Though there’s no question that the “City of Light" offers some of the finest cuisine in the world, enjoying the delights of Paris can also significantly “lighten" up your wallet. Getting the best of the culinary world at a good price can be a tricky thing in Paris. Sure, many restaurants offer a “Menu" where you can normally eat an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, accompanied by a glass of wine for a reasonable price, but why be forced to limit your options just to save a few euros?
Even twenty-somethings starting out in Paris on a slighter smaller budget can still fulfill their cravings without breaking the BNP. There are several restaurants around town that offer more than you can eat for a lot less than you can afford and are still just as hip and fantastic as the latest hot spot… Here are three of my favorites:
Chez Omar- 47 rue Bretagne, 3rd , 01 42 72 36 26
For great couscous, this is the place. Omar himself is normally behind the bar ensuring that service and quality live up to his namesake. Waiters run out heaping plates of fresh hot couscous minutes after you order, and will gladly refill the stew of “legumesä or couscous itself at no extra charge. All meat dishes are accompanied by vegetables, so there’s no need to order additional veggies. Everything from the sausages to the lamb is consistently excellent. Though the chicken has occasionally been disappointingly dry. If you like your food to have a little kick, be sure to add some of their spicy red sauce-which comes on the side and should be used in VERY small doses! (Think wasabi). There’s no need to spend extra money on appetizers or dessert as the couscous will fill you to your hearts content. All in all, Omar is a great value. Couscous for 4 (with meats and vegetables) and a bottle of red wine usually costs less than 20 dollars (US) a person, and you’ll never leave hungry. Plan ahead though…Omar has already attracted a cult following and doesn’t accept reservations. So be prepared to wait in line for a table on Friday or Saturday nights.
Le Refuge des Fondues-17 rue Trois Freres, 18th, 01 42 55 22 65
Le Refuge des Fondues in Montmartre is one of the most affordable and fun places to eat in Paris. Always filled with a relatively rowdy and fun-loving crowd, it’s a perfect spot to start off a Saturday evening-as it’s within walking distance of a number of great bars and night spots in the Pigalle area. Long tables, bench seating, and oversized fondue pots provide a communal atmosphere-so don’t come here if you don’t like to share! For approximately 17 Euros per person you can get a complete meal with everything from cocktails to dessert. Groups of four or more are offered both cheese and meat fondue, while smaller parties are asked to choose one of the two. Meals start with a sugary-sweet Kir-like cocktail and tray of aperatifs. As soon as you’ve finished it’s on to the Fondue-a pot of steaming oil for grilling fresh chunks of beef and potatoes, and a seemingly bottomless pot of melted cheese for bread. Wine served (red or white) in baby bottles adds to the fun of it all-as do the free refills. Baskets of bread never stop coming, and the melted cheese never runs out. (I’ve eaten here with both a college football player and an NFL tight end and we’ve never polished it all off.) No matter how much dipping you do, there’s always room for a little dessert-everything from the sorbets in a fruit shell to the chocolate cake in vanilla sauce are yummy. The waiters are friendly, fun, and quick to crack a joke. Warning: this is not a place for the faint of heart-if big crowds of hearty drinkers and an occasional joke at your expense is not your idea of a good time, stay away. For all others, you can’t find a more amusing place for a good meal. Make a reservation the day before if you want to eat before 10pm or call the day of if you’re flexible. But, beware that you may have to wait outside without one.
Gallerie 88-88 Quai Hotel de Ville, 4th, 01 42 72 17 58
The selection of vegetarian options on the menu here is perfect for anyone who wants a “meat-freeä meal, and is sick of ordering skimpy salads. But don’t hesitate to check it out if you’re a carnivore as well…portions here are not at all small or unsatisfying! The “hippie-chicä candle-lit atmosphere and funky staff make this little spot the perfect place for a romantic dinner with your artsy other half, or an intimate night out with an eclectic friend. Their oversized salads are great appetizers if you’re relatively hungry, or can double as a meal if you’re looking for something a little lighter. The Mexican salad loaded with corn and guacamole, and the Greek salad topped with feta and tomatoes are both refreshing changes from the typical salade chèvre chaud (though their take on the french classic is great as well!) Gallerie 88 serves up a variety of assiettes, soups and other salads, though their fresh pastas take the cake. Fresh gnocchi and tagliatelle in pesto or three cheese sauces are scrumptious. The chilled bordeaux is a refreshing accompaniment. Appetizers and entrees are each less than 10 Euros, and wines hover between 11 and 13 Euros. You can treat a date to a complete dinner (appetizer, entrée, and bottle of wine) for less than 50 euros including tip, while also impressing them with your hip-boho side.
Stay tuned next issue for cheap and chic shopping solutions….
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