Ms. Glaze's Pommes d'Amour

Shrimp Salad in Puff Boats with Roasted Red & Yellow Tomato Coulis

I only went to the market to buy milk. But I came home with 2 pounds each of red and yellow tomatoes, some pea shoots, buckwheat sprouts, and shrimp.

I forgot the milk.

I hate it when I do that. I'm so A.D.D. in supermarkets. The colors really sidetrack me. This is why people make lists. Stick to the list! I guess I was a little curious to see if tomatoes were starting to taste juicy again. I realize I didn't need to buy 4 pounds to answer that question.

The tomatoes were juicy (Hallelujah!). So I roasted them up with a whole bulb of garlic and puréed them separately to taste their differences. The yellow tomatoes were a bit milder in acid but just as flavorful as the red.

Originally I thought the roasted tomatoes would make great soup (they did, I'll post that next) but, I also thought they would make a nice rich coulis, a sauce made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits.

Which led to: tarragon shrimp salad in choux puff boats with my little shoots and sprouts, and a few swirls of red & yellow tomato coulis. Whoo-wee, that all sounds complicated doesn't it? It's not, just a tad time consuming.

Like I've got anything better to do on my days off – tax extension be damned!

I've never used buckwheat sprouts before and they sure have an interesting flavor: a cross between sour grass and wheat grass. Sweet and sour. Pea shoots, on the other hand, taste exactly like pea shoots.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. If serving a crowd or in need of a dish to take to a party, the choux puff boat can be baked in a Springform 9" cheesecake pan and filled with any salad right before serving. Egg salad, chicken salad – whatever. Then people can scoop it from the boat or cut wedges.

As for the 4 pounds of roasted tomatoes all I can say is they have far more uses than just soup and coulis. They also make great pasta sauce, meat sauce, salsa base, or side dish when served whole. I've left the quantities in tact so you have room to experiment too!

Technorati Tags: choux, choux pastry, puppy, recipe, roasted tomatoes, salad, shrimp, tomato coulis

Strawberry Basil Gazpacho with Roasted Shrimp & Parmesan Polenta

Strawberry basil gazpacho is super springtime refreshing. Its salty-sour sweetness really gets the salivary glands going.

Although gazpacho is traditionally made with tomatoes, vinegar, salt, and olive oil, the tomatoes can be replaced with other fruits. Try strawberries & basil in the Spring when the berries start flooding the markets and melon & mint in the Summertime.

The hors d'oeuvre that goes alongside the gazpacho is quite a complicated little affair. Lots of little parts to it. Too bad, its eaten in only a few bites!

Cheesy parmesan polenta is cut out into shapes and then toasted and topped with a purée of basil and butterflied wild white shrimp. The plate is garnished with a relish of strawberries, celery, fennel, and bacon. (gotta have the smokiness of the bacon for this). And lastly, a drizzle of basil-chive oil.

I tested this recipe out on a few trusted people (my parents) who aren't afraid to tell me when I've hit the mark or missed completely. I know they doubted the strawberry basil combo in the beginning but, were believers by the end. In fact I got a "delightful!" out of my step-dad who spent a thousand years in the food industry.

This is a first course or amuse bouche, not a main meal, so keep the portions small.

Technorati Tags: gazpacho, polenta, recipe, shrimp, soup, strawberries

Grapefruit Glazed Scallops with Roasted Beets and Thyme

Gotta love a fruit that doubles as a bowling ball. And one that sounds equally funny in French (pamplemousse) and English (grapefruit). There's certainly nothing grape-like about this puckery citrus and I don't find the texture mousse like at all.

But, every name has a history and the grapefruit is no exception. According to Wikipedia it was originally documented first in Barbados. It had developed as a hybrid from the even larger citrus bowling ball, pomelo.

Perhaps the French named it pamplemousse because it was a mouse sized pomelo? No. That can't be right.

In the U.S. the fruit was called shaddock or shattuck until the 1800's. Wikipedia gives no reason as to why or how the name was changed to grapefruit, but one can speculate that it's current alias alludes to the grape-like clusters it grows in.

Regardless, it's a terrificly refreshing fruit.

The idea of this recipe came as I was pondering over what to do with fresh scallops. The egg sack, known as the corail in French, is a beautiful shell pink color. Just about the same color of grapefruit – violà! Inspiration! – grapefruit glazed scallops!

Using grapefruit can be tricky as I found out, because it has a way of over powering everything. Like a bowling ball, it knocks down all the other pins. Some tips: use very small pieces of grapefruit in the garnish so as not to upstage the beets or scallops, and leave out the zest or just add a tiny little piece for decoration.

The glaze is infused with thyme and you can slather it on generously because the grapefruit juice is greatly reduced and has a fabulous sweet tangy flavor without the bite. Also the thyme really brings the dish together.

I seared the scallops with walnut oil and added some to the vinaigrette for the beet garnish. It adds depth and nuttiness – two of my favorite human characteristics, so don't leave them out either.

Technorati Tags: grapefruit, grapefruit vinaigrette, pamplemousse, scallops

Assiette de Legumes avec Oeuf Poche

Vegetables. Give me vegetables. If I eat another plate of tripe, boudin noir, or toulouse sausage I'm going to pop.

Here's a bistro classic, Assiette de Légumes avec Oeuf Poché, that satisfies most vegetarians and those of us who strive to eat less offal and more vegetables.

And, it's dramatic. When you slash the egg yolk it oozes all over the vegetables. I love that. Serve up with some toasted hearty country bread for perfection.

David Lebovitz recently wrote a great post on tips for eating vegetarian in Paris. It's not impossible to eat vegetarian here, even the carnivores like a night off once and awhile. When in need, ask for an "assiette de légumes" or a "plate of vegetables".

Believe it or not, the request is not so unusual. When 3 hour business lunches were the norm, customers would often order an "assiette de légumes" because they had suffered through too many heavy meals during the week.

Of course, you have to ask nicely and make sure you sound apologetic for inconveniencing the kitchen – but normally they will make it. I've been pleasantly surprised, more than a few times, with the results.

Technorati Tags: assiette des légumes, poached egg, vegetable plate

Spring!

It's Springtime! And what better time to book a table at the Restaurant Spring in Paris?

marinated mackerel garnished with, zucchini blossom and orange sauce

I'm sure you've heard of this chic bistro because the American Chef, Daniel Rose, has been featured in just about every foodie magazine including Gourmet.

What really makes his restaurant special (besides the fact that he's an American Chef in Paris) is that he cooks right in front of you, just for you.

He goes every morning to the farmer's market and picks out only the freshest ingredients and then plans a three course meal only for the people that have reserved for the evening. So you know that everything is top quality and truly seasonal.

No use showing up at the door unannounced. Because first of all, there probably won't be a table available. And secondly he only prepares food for the customers that have called. So book your table at least a month in advance.

velvety rich pumpkin soup with pan seared foie gras

And what a beautiful and creative meal it is! Chef Rose brings his American know-how to French cuisine with style. Check out his blog for menu updates, recipes, private cooking classes, and even live TV footage from the kitchen.

Lamb prepared three ways with rich jus and spinach to garnish

Unfortunately for me, I don't get the opportunity to eat at his restaurant often because when he's cooking I'm cooking too. That's the breaks for cooks in Paris – we all have the same days off. But, I did get the opportunity to meet him and taste his food this last Fall. I only wish I got around to posting my experience earlier.

How can you not love a restaurant that sends you home with breakfast for the next morning?

Restaurant Spring
28 rue de la Tour d'Auverge 75009
Reservations +33 (0)1 45 96 05 72

Technorati Tags: bistros, paris, Paris restaurants, restaurant Spring

Tres Soigne

The expression "Très Soigné" is a staple in the French kitchen. Or in any professional kitchen for that matter. Even Marcel tossed it around on the second series of Top Chef.

"Très Soigné" translated means "very neat".

To me it normally sets off the alarm that the President is coming in, or the owner of Ferrari is dining privately, or the beautiful Queen of Sweden has arrived, or the Michelin Guide Director is lunching with friends (everyone knows the Director since he eats out regularly around town).

And, it also means: if that plate you're hunched over and trying to finish is not absolutely perfect, you're dead.

Not that I've actually seen anyone murdered in the kitchen, but I've certainly witnessed my fair share of deflated egos.

After I hear the order "Très soigné!" called out and all of us respond "Oui Monsieur!" to acknowledge the command, I peek at the reservations list to see if I might have heard of the person. Mostly I find it's an unknown journalist (to me, that is), but sometimes it's some one world renowned – this definitely gets me excited.

The funny part of this command, "très soignè", is that it really isn't necessary. Everything we make is très soigné. It's not because you are a tourist from Arkansas that your food will be any less beautiful or the servers any less attentive. We don't give bad portions to the Americans and beautiful portions to the French. It's not because you arrived in a Gap suit and left the Channel dress hanging in the closet, that the food will be inedible.

No, every pate is pristine and every plate is watched over by three executive chefs before the servers carry them away on silver plated trays.

Nonetheless, what this command really does is send everyone in the kitchen into a heightened state of awareness because, no one wants to be the person who messed up.

But, there's something that gets my adrenaline moving even more than when I hear "très soignè" bellowed out by the executive chef. It's when I check the reservations list, or walk through the dining room before service begins, and I see single reservations or a table set for one person. I always make a point to memorize that table.

Why? Because single reservations are possibly the Michelin scouts coming in to dine under assumed names.

I know that many people (especially in the Bay Area, and rightly so) have their doubts about the Michelin Guide. But, we live by it here in Paris. And, in a way, it ensures that all people are treated "très soignè" whether the order is called out or not.

The critics mostly come alone, but it's rumored that they dine with other critics too, just to ensure that no one suspects anything. And, they sometimes come in more than once to be absolutely positive that the experience was the same.

In a country where the customer is always wrong, the Michelin Guide sets the bar, and those restaurants that wish to be successful need to climb above it. Far above it.

Of course, to us Americans, where the customer is always right and our competitive culture weeds out the worst, this notion is bizarre. Don't you want my business? Don't you want me to come back here again? Don't you want a nice generous tip and great write-up on my blog?

Tant pis! However if you go to a Michelin stared restaurant you will be sure to have outstanding food and service because once the restaurant has earned its "macarons" the idea of loosing any of them can lead to a significant cut in business (example: Tour d'Argent) or even worse, suicide in the case of the outstanding and widely loved chef, Bernard Loiseau (read "The Perfectionist : Life and Death in Haute Cuisine" (Rudolph Chelminski).

Or if you're just a lowly cook like me, it can mean your job. I'm just assuming that of course, I've never seen any of the cooks fired in the kitchen because I've never seen anyone make an earth shattering mistake. I certainly don't want to be the first!

And we've never lost any stars, why would we? The food is outstanding, the cooks are professionals, and the wait staff have trained in universities in the art of how to serve people properly.

But, you can be sure that I put an extra "très" in the phrase "très soigné" when I hear it called out or see that table for one.

And I might add, I always show a little extra love when I know an American is dining in the restaurant – hey, I know how much the exchange rate hurts right now – and I want at least one of the restaurants you eat at in Paris to be truly worth it.