Chez Christine

"Fraise" Fever

What is the lure of strawberries?  In the US, chances are high that the giant, perfect, firm strawberries grown commercially come from the Oxnard Plain, CA, the self-proclaimed "Strawberry Capital of the World."  Yet more often than not, they produce fruit that are pale pink or white inside, flavorless, and exude none of the heady perfumes that strawberries are supposed to have.

Yet people, myself included, bought them time after time.  Was it the bright red color, the distinct heart shape, or the fact that they signal summer that helped sell them?  Each time I was disappointed with the flavor, I vowed not to buy them again.  But I would soon forget this promise the next time I saw a pile of these eye-catching fruits.  It was a vicious cycle.

In France, they get 'em right.  Strawberries are rarely large- in fact, the smaller the berry, the more expensive the price.  Gariguettes are small strawberries grown in the south of France, with blunt ends and a much rounder shape.  They make up 20% of the strawberries consumed here. 

They also have the tiny fraise des bois (strawberry of the forest or wood), wild fruit half the size of a cherry and usually the most expensive strawberry at the market.  These come into season later in the summer, as I've only seen a few stands carrying them (for up to 6.90 Euros a tub!), and I remember seeing a lot of them when I first arrived in Paris last August.

When my eye caught sight of the berries pictured above at the Marché Saxe-Breteuil this morning, I had to buy them.  I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't be disappointed, especially since these were only 1.90 Euros a box.  After carefully washing them (some people don't, but remember that strawberries are fertilized with manure a lot of the time!), I took a deep breath of the strawberry perfumes coming out and dug in.

These were excellent- red all the way to the core yet still firm, not a rotten one in the box.  Still slightly tart, but it made a nice contrast with the acidity and the sugar.  So much intense flavor packed into a small fruit!  I confess that I don't know what kind these are.  I didn't really glance carefully at the sign- sometimes my instincts kick in and I can tell that something will be good.   I just focused on fighting my way through the throngs of French grandmothers threatening to roll me over with their chariots (shopping carts in French).

This was my first time at the market here in the 7ème, and I highly recommend it.  It's quite large, with a mix of food, clothes, and other little stands, and its location can't be beat.  At the end of the market is Place de Breteuil- a glance up Ave de Breteuil shows the glorious Invalides, and a glance down shows a stretch of grass perfect for a picnic.

So if you're in Paris, pack a knife*, a bottle of wine, a corkscrew, and some water.  Head out to a market, buy bread, cheese, fruit, and charcuterie, then stroll over to the nearest scenic spot you can find.  While the city is getting more and more crowded, it's still a good time to enjoy the warm weather before the throngs of tourists descend in July.

*Tip- many of these markets have kitchenware stands that sell cheap knives for about a Euro or two.  Since you can't carry-on knives in airplanes, it's a nice tool to have for picnics while here in France, and you won't feel guilty about leaving it behind since it was inexpensive!

Scene at the market

View of Invalides in the background


Perfect park off Place de Breteuil for a picnic!

Marché Saxe-Breteuil in the 7ème
Ave de Saxe / Place de Breteuil
Metro: Ségur
Thurs 7-2:30, Sat 7-3:00

Bon appétit!

The Color Purple

Going clockwise from the top left corner:
white asparagus, white zucchini, purple-hulled peas (more on that below), basil and mint plants, fennel bulbs, round zucchini, and wild asparagus-
and this display is normal!

I think this photograph captures why I love Parisian produce markets.  It's a mix of fresh and unusual things that I would never think to look for.  My usual routine is to grab a Lebanese flatbread for breakfast (usually thyme-flavored), then slowly walk up and down the market perusing.  That way, I enjoy breakfast and get to see all that is being offered before purchasing. 

I highly advise going to the Marché Président Wilson on Saturdays.  The quality there is outstanding, even if you are paying slightly higher prices.  And the more selective the stands are in terms of what they sell, the more likely you are to see unusual things and things just coming into season.  Stands which have significantly lower prices tend to sell staple items that they buy in bulk.

Anything that is an unusual color usually captures my eye.  While there are many purple flowers out there, purple produce is much more rare.  So these peas seemed far to interesting to pass up.  I asked the vendor what they were since the sign said écosse, which just means peas or beans.  He didn't seem to have any idea, just referring to them as haricots (beans).  But then he opened one up to show me and as you can see, they are a beautiful speckled purple inside, like those little Easter egg chocolates with the hard candy shells.

He didn't have to convince me anymore- 1/2 a pound went straight into my shopping bag.  If anyone knows the actual name of them, I'd love to know.  Since I have some gorgeous purple garlic on hand too, I think I'll sauté the garlic in olive oil, add the cooked beans, and top with some sel de Guérande and amazing fresh parmesan I got from an Italian traiteur at the Richard Lenoir market the other week- I can't wait for dinner!

Marché Président Wilson in the 16ème
Ave du Président Wilson, b/t rue Debrousse & Place d'Iéna
Métro: Alma-Marceau, Iéna (note that Iéna is closed for renovation right now)
Wed & Sat mornings until approximately 2PM

Bon Appétit!

Cherry-licious

I picked up these beauties at the Marché Grenelle in the 15ème yesterday.  Fascinating place, a few long stretches under the elevated Metro tracks containing more produce, meat, cheese, bread, and flowers than you can ever possibly explore fully.

I love cherries (especially Rainier cherries).  They've replaced my preference for popcorn when watching movies.  I can eat them until I'm sick.  I can eat them until my fingers are stained bright red with cherry juice.  It's way too easy to pick up a stem, twirl it in your fingers, pop the little fruit into your mouth, bite gently until you hit the pit, and savor all the sweet goodness until it's time to spit the pit out.  Once you start, it's hard to stop.

Thankfully there are peaches, nectarines, and countless other fruits coming into season to vary my fruit consumption.  But still, I wish I could take a short drive down to the farms in Brentwood, CA and pick to my heart's content!

Marché Grenelle in the 15ème
Blvd de Grenelle, between rue Lourmel & rue du Commerce
Métro: La Motte-Piquet Grenelle
Wed 7-2:30PM, Sun 7-3PM

Bon Appétit!

Magical Mangosteens

Mangosteen me, please!

A few years ago, I read in either Gourmet or Bon Appétit magazine about this Asian tropical fruit which seems to be available only in Hawaii- it isn't allowed to be imported into the mainland US.  It was described as having hints of litchi and other tropical fruits.  The photos of the snowy soft segments were completely drool-worthy.

Therefore, when I was in Maui a few years ago, I kept my eyes peeled for mangosteens.  Unfortunately, all I could find were your standard pineapples and a rock-hard avocado that I picked off a tree when we stopped by a road-side stand for kahlua pork.  Not quite the fruit-shattering experience I had hoped to have.  So I gave up the quest, turning my nose up at frozen mangosteens, wanting my first taste to be of a fresh one.

And it finally happened.

There are a few tiny Asian grocery stores in the 5th arrondissement here in Paris on Rue Lagrange.  Minuscule but generally well-stocked, they are great resources if you need an Asian ingredient or some fresh herbs and produce that you can't find in a normal grocery store.

A few weeks ago I spotted fresh mangosteens at one of them.  After shrieking in happiness, I realized that they were already pre-packaged, about 8 to a container, and were about 15 Euros a kilo.  Too expensive and too large of an amount for me to handle for my first mangosteen experience, I sadly walked away.

But last week, a return to the store showed that they were now selling them loose.  I quickly bought two, rushed home, and contemplated the beautiful fruit.  How do I open it?  After all, the outer shell seemed hard, quite like a chestnut.  Do I use a knife, or do I squeeze?  These philosophical questions keep me up at night, really they do.

A quick search on the internet yielded some suggestions:  gently squeeze and it will pop open; don't cut, as you want the segments whole.  I took a deep breath and squeezed.  The first squeeze was a little messy but did the trick.  After peeling back the purple shell, I spotted the soft plump white segments inside.

The taste was amazing, slightly sour but very floraly and tropical in flavor.  The segments were all irregular in shape, with the larger ones containing seeds.  I don't know how fresh or how close to a ripe mangosteen this was, but it was pretty darn good.

I ditched the plan to save the second one and was able to open and devour it without any problems.  It's too bad that this fruit is rarely imported into the US mainland- the possibilities with it seem endless.

Rest assured I will be eating lots of mangosteens in the near future before I leave.  It's too bad I haven't seen any in the regular markets, just the Asian ones.  Forget foie gras, forget truffles- mangosteen me, please!

Bon appétit!

Stay with Me

Breathe.
Sleep.
Write.

My life in the last week and a half consisted of a crazy 4-hour cooking exam, a trip to Fontainebleu, the arrival of 10 people from home (including family), graduation, two apartment moves, multiple trips to the Eiffel Tower, and translating menus and ordering for 12 people at 4 dinners.

Yesterday family & friends left in the gloomy Paris weather.  Today I settled into the apartment I'm subletting for the next 24 days.

Any surprise that I'm exhausted? And unfortunately sick, which is a sure sign that my body needed to slow down.

Unpacking and taking a 3 hour nap finally helped to clear my head.

So now it's time to write.  Are you ready?  Here comes a wad of restaurant reviews, final thoughts on Le Cordon Bleu, and my silly plan to hit as many Parisian outdoor markets as I can before I leave.

Thanks for sticking with me.

Bon appétit!

 

Market Tours in Paris

Last week I was privileged to go on a market tour with David Lebovitz- what a blast!

I learned a lot and loved to hear his American sarcastic sense of humor, all while browsing one of the best outdoor food markets in Paris.

And today I got to lead one of my very own!  Writing about food is fun, but sharing it with others is even better.  So if you're in Paris and are interested in a market or pastry shop/macaron tour, drop me a line or visit Context Travel: Paris to set up a fun-filled walk of your own!  But do it soon, as I'll probably be traveling at the end of June.

Bon appétit!

Visite Rungis

One of the fun things we get to do as Superior students is a visit to the Rungis Market, the world's largest fresh food market.  Located a little outside of Paris, this place was more like a little contained city.  Drove through the entrance booths (quite like a toll station!), and sped past multiple warehouses with trucks and trucks of food backed up against the doors.

How big was Rungis?  Big enough to house a hair cutting salon, multiple restaurants, a gift shop, and a branch of every bank located in Paris.  And you know that a place is big when you see a Chinese restaurant on site (at least that's how I judge these things, ha).  I'll leave you to peruse the statistics located on the website on your own, but yes, it's impressive. It's also big enough that you can sign up for tours in multiple languages on a separate website.

We started our visit in the fruit and produce warehouses.  My first thought was, "This is like Costco!"  Boxes and boxes of produce stacked up with flattering fluorescent lighting.  How I miss the warehouse shopping experience!

Baby Vegetables


Green Garlic


Smiling Lemons


Mini Fennel


Tomatoes

Then it was off to the meat locker.  We all had to don attractive disposable hair nets and lab coats.  Nothing like the ill-flattering baggy look.  We were in the building where veal, pigs, and cows were processed.  Apparently all the negotiating for prices are still done verbally, as nothing was labeled with prices.  Clean and fascinating!

Strangely Cute








A picture of the animal pre-arrival to Rungis.

The cheese building:

And finally the flower building.  Very disappointing, as we were there later in the morning and had already missed all the action.

Unfortunately the fish market was closed since it was a Monday.  That was something I really wanted to see, as most things are still live and the seafood here can be so different from what I see in the States.  Leave it to the school to schedule a market visit on a Monday- I had major gripes about that.

My overall impression of the market was that its impressiveness was due to size.  As for quality and variety of produce, there wasn't much that was outstanding.  Very little tropical fruit or rarer greens or vegetables, and I wish we could have seen more of the actual negotiating.

On a side note, did you know that most outdoor markets in Paris are not staffed with the actual farmers?  Instead, the stalls (and restaurants) come out to Rungis, make their purchases, and then sell them at the various markets.  There are a few stalls where the actual farms sell their harvest, but it's definitely not the American version of an outdoor market.  In a way, this kind of takes the charm out of a Parisian market, but the idea of a local market is still nicer than the impersonal feel of a supermarket.

You can only make purchases at Rungis with a commercial license.  Not that I need crates and crates of food while here in Paris, but sometimes I miss pushing a gigantic cart down a windowless warehouse and buying way more than I need.  Wouldn't you?

Bon appétit!

 

Bone Marrow Donation

There are few things more satisfying than a steaming bowl of soup on a cold day.  Especially a soup simmered for hours with vegetables and bones to yield deep flavors whose characters change over time.

On Sunday, Ginny & I found ourselves at Marché d'Aligre in the 12ème, a stone's throw away from the Bastille.  Believe it or not, I haven't been to many outdoor markets yet.  I never seem to drag myself out of bed and summon up the energy before they close, but my friend wouldn't have been too happy if I had decided to stay under the covers and not show up.

This was a big contrast from the organic market on Sundays at Raspail - much larger, huge, in fact.  It consists of a plaza in the middle with stands of produce and stands of textiles, then two long streets of produce stands emanate out.  There is also a covered market filled with boucheries, poissonneries and fromageries.

The produce does not vary too greatly from stall to stall, but prices are extremely reasonable, much cheaper than most supermarkets even, and the vendors loudly hawk their wares.  Look at the beautiful white asparagus in the above picture!

For five measly Euros, I left with: 2 carrots, an onion, parsley, lettuce, 3 tomatoes, waxy potatoes, half a bunch of celery, an aubergine, and a piece of fresh chevre.  Oh, and a par-tridge in a pear tree :)

Veal Bones

Then came the most interesting part.  Back in the States, I usually bought meat in Chinatown or at the Berkeley Bowl.  These places will sell you any part of an animal.  Salmon collars?  Fish bones for stock?  Giant beef bones?  No problem.  So when I spied a huge veal bone at one of the boucheries, we asked what the price would be.  "Price?  I don't know how to sell that to you, I don't know the price.  We usually give things like that to loyal customers."

When Ginny decided to purchase some veal, the tune suddenly changed.  "Well, since you're purchasing something, I'll give it to you."  And guess what?  He even cut it up for me.  I'm still puzzled by the fact that he would give something away for free, how could first-time customers be loyal customers?  Honestly, I would have gladly paid for the bone if he had just named the price.  Thank you Mr. Boucher!

I decided to take my goodies and turn them into a big pot of soup.  Making stock crossed my mind, but the quantity of bone was too small to yield enough flavor for a rich stock.  But a veal bone / vegetable soup would do nicely!

The bone roasted away for 2 hours in my little toaster oven, then went into the stockpot with some of my market vegetables, filling the apartment with luscious aromas.  I've been drinking the soup for the past 3 days, never tiring of it and loving how the flavors just get better with time.  I briefly thought about taking a picture, but it's too rustic and homey and wouldn't photograph well.  Food porn it is not.

Today I did one of my favorite things - sucking on the veal bones to get all the marrow and flavor out.  I first did this as a child with my grandmother's classic Chinese soups - I loved the concentrated liquid that would burst forth.  Even though the flavors are so deceivingly rich, added bonuses to soups like these are that they are light and healthy.  Trust me, your body and soul will thank you.

Marché d'Aligre in the 12ème
Place d'Aligre
Walk down Rue Faubourg St. Antoine from M: Bastille until you hit Rue d'Aligre on your right
Metro: Bastille or Ledru-Rollin
All mornings except Mondays

Bon appétit!

---

Vegetable and Bone Soup
Makes one giant pot!


Ingredients:

1-2 pounds of bones (veal, chicken, beef, pork), chopped into large pieces
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and halved
2 small potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 onion, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 sticks celery, peeled and cut in half
2 carrots, peeled and cut in half
5 whole sprigs of parsley
1 tsp. black peppercorns
salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400° F, 200° C.
2. Rinse bones and place in a foil-lined tray.
3. Roast uncovered until brown on all sides, turning every 20 minutes.  (Approximately 1-2 hours, depending on amount of bones.)
4. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables and place in stockpot.  Top with 1.5 liters of water.
5. Add bones to stockpot when ready.
6. Top with more water if necessary to cover all ingredients.  Add peppercorns.
   
7. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, half covered, for 2.5 hours.  Top with a little water if necessary when simmering.
8. Skim surface every half hour to remove scum and impurities - do not stir though!
   
9. Season to taste, cut up carrots and celery and return them to the pot.  Everything else should have fallen apart to small pieces.
10. Enjoy, try sucking on the bones!!  Soup gets better with time.

Tips:

• As always, use whatever produce you have at hand or use your imagination.
  
• Start the soup by putting everything together in cold water in the stockpot so that the vegetables don't fall apart.
  
• Peel tomatoes- the skin is tannic and can give an off flavor
• If you have no room in your fridge for a big stockpot, this is the way my grandmother kept soup in non-summer months: heat it up to a boil, then place the lid on and turn stove off immediately.  Do this everyday for a few days until you finish the soup.  But in case it turns and tastes funny along the way, you obviously shouldn't drink it!  Don't try this with cream soups.  Common sense reigns in the kitchen!
  

Blvd Raspail (Sept 13, 2005)

Boulevard Raspail Organic Farmer's Market

Scene: Sunday morning, two food nerds at a farmer's market in Paris.  It was fun- Cindy and I got to exchange war stories about our respective cooking schools and check out an organic market in the 6ème on Boulevard Raspail.  It's nice to meet someone as enthusiastic about food as you are, and even better when you can discover new things together.  Maybe we'll even run into Clotilde or David here in Paris!

We both puzzled over the physalis fruit, a strange little thing the size of a cherry tomato, all wrapped up in a papery shell.  It was one of the most expensive things at the market.  But what was it?  A tomatillo?  A fruit? 

While I was distracted buying heirloom tomatoes, one of the vendors sweet-talked Cindy into trying one.  She was amazed and ended up buying a whole bag (well, it was more like the guy kept filling the bag as he was trying to flirt with her).

The next conversation:
Cindy: Hey, did you get to try one of these?
Me: Nope.
Cindy.  Here, you HAVE to try one.

I pop one in my mouth and my eyes bug out.  It was sweet, with a texture of a firm tomato, but there was this cherry-like aspect to it also, and a slight hint of a bitter finish that was actually quite pleasant.  Cindy did some research on it, so check out her blog for more details.  My single sample left an lasting impression, so I'll be back for more this Sunday.  I love that this market is so close to my apartment.

Farmer's Market Lunch

Here's what I ended up buying:  blood peaches, Williams pears, heirloom tomatoes, and a bunch of lettuce (not sure what kind- it's similar to butter but with more leafy greens).  I appreciate when vendors in France actually ask you when you plan to eat their produce.  Then they select it for you accordingly so that the food doesn't ripen too early or too late.  Now if only my French could improve enough so that I can mutter more than just "demain" or "aujourd'hui."

I added some fresh mozzarella and a hot baguette to my shopping bag on the way home and assembled lunch.  Heirloom tomato sprinkled with fleur de sel and pepper, creamy mozzarella, lettuce, and hot baguette- so simple, so satisfying.

Dessert was my very first blood peach, pêche de vigne.  I ate half and on instinct, tipped my glass of muscadet on the other half.  It was amazing- the extra sweetness the wine brought out, the intensity that emerged.  Wine and fruit combinations never cease to surprise me.

I encourage you to check out the this market if you can, vendors are friendly and slightly hippy-ish.  Oh, and the freshly made potato-onion-gruyère galettes from the last vendor are highly recommended.  This market might be the closest thing to the Berkeley Bowl Paris has to offer. 

Marché Raspail in the 6ême
Corner of Blvd Raspail & Rue de Rennes
Métro: Rennes
Tues & Fri 7-2:30PM regular market
Sun mornings for the organic market

Bon Appétit!